Influx of information a boon for Cubs prospects

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When a team has a front office friendly to advanced statistics like the Cubs have, the benefits of such a perspective are expected to come in the form of savvy trade and free agent signings.

But as a pair of the team's pitching prospects discussed at a panel at the 2013 Cubs Convention, the data-reliant approach goes well beyond the GM chair.

For right-hander Dallas Beeler, a 2010 draft pick, the differences in the scouting information made available to him before and after Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer took the reigns of the organization were undeniable.

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"In 2011, I was in Peoria and Tennessee," began Beeler, "We would go into games and look at a guy's stats and say 'He's hitting this average, or he's hitting this average over the last 10 games, or this many home runs, or had this many stolen bases."

But when 2012 rolled around, Beeler and other Cubs hurlers found themselves with a lot more information to digest.

"This past year, we'd have a guy -- a video guy -- who would come and go over the opposing team's entire lineup, go through their last 10 games and would find their strengths, their weaknesses, where you should pitch them and in what counts, their stats, if they like steal early, etc. It was a lot more in-depth."

2011 fourth round pick and right-handed relief prospect Tony Zych hardly had any time to get used to the old Cubs way of doing things, but was still struck by the amount of scouting information available under the new regime.

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"There's so much that goes into everything," said Zych, who claimed that he spent so much time reviewing video that he was eventually instructed to step back from it entirely for a while to regain his focus.

With that information in hand, the level of familiarity with opposing hitters that Cubs minor league arms enter into each at-bat with is a lot more extensive than it was prior to Epstein's arrival in Chicago.

"It helps me a lot because I can know what to throw in certain situations," said Beeler, "Last year it would be like 'I know this guy can hit, he's hitting .310, but I don't know what he does with this count. If I get in this count with him, what does he look for?' Now, we get all the pitch-tracking, so we get the percentages."

As Zych can testify to, the sheer volume of data, video and reports can be a bit much. But as these pitchers try to work their way toward realizing their major league dreams, the extra assistance is appreciated.

"I try to use everything they give to me," said Beeler, "If they give it to me, why not use it? It not going to hurt me."

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