David Bote

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #12 prospect in 2018
  Bote jumped into the Top 30 for the first time after the 2016 season, capitalizing on his first extended playing time, and earned a bigger challenge in 2017. He was an everyday player for the first time as a pro, hitting third for Double-A Tennessee most of the year and ranking fifth in the Southern League in total bases (206). Bote has the makeup and baseball savvy--his dad and older brother both worked as amateur coaches--to get the most out of his tools, which grade out as average or fringe-average across the board. He has a simple swing with solid strength and average power that produces plenty of doubles and enough home runs even for this era. While some evaluators see some stiffness in his actions, he's worked hard to improve and earned Best Defensive Second Baseman honors from SL managers. He lacks the dynamism of Chicago's current batch of infielders and profiles better as an extra player or second-division regular in the Yangervis Solarte mold. Bote has shown defensive versatility throughout his career, playing the outfield and infield corners, and earned a 40-man roster spot in November.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #26 prospect in 2017
  Bote hails from a baseball family. His father was a high school coach who coached Cubs farmhand Pierce Johnson in American Legion ball, and his older brother Danny actually coached David as a high school senior. Never a priority prospect, Bote struggled to get playing time and still has yet to receive 400 plate appearances in a season. He opened the 2016 season bouncing between high Class A, Double-A and even Triple-A, filling in for injured infielders, before finally getting regular reps down the stretch at high Class A Myrtle Beach. Bote controlled the strike zone and mashed mistakes to the gaps (he ranked second on the team with 26 doubles in just 72 games), then carried the Pelicans to their second straight Carolina League championship. He went 15-for-26 with five more doubles in seven playoff games. Bote has present strength, got in a hitting rhythm and has enough bat speed to produce solid-average power. He is athletic and has an average arm, with third base his best position. He grades as fringe-average at second base. An average runner, Bote has enough offensive potential and defensive versatility to hit his way into a future super-sub role. He is slated to be the Double-A Tennessee third baseman in 2017.

• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  An underappreciated player until recently, Bote rose the Cubs’ ranks thanks to stellar performances at the upper levels as well as a star turn in the Arizona Fall League in 2017. Those seasons were underpinned by exit velocities that placed him among the game’s elite. Second base is his natural position, but Bote has made himself versatile enough to play all over the diamond and has seen an increasing amount of time at third base since reaching the majors.