Junior Lake

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #15 prospect in 2013
  While Lake's 2008 Rookie-level Arizona League teammate Starlin Castro raced through the minors and reached the big leagues to stay in May 2010, Lake still hasn't gotten to Triple-A. A stellar AFL performance in 2011 gave him momentum going into last season, but he hurt his back in spring training and missed a month. When he returned, it was the same old Lake: tantalizing tools and inconsistent performance. He has a big league body, one of the strongest infield arms in the minor leagues, raw power and solid speed. He never has developed patience at the plate and gets himself out by chasing breaking pitches. Staying at shortstop past his expiration date hasn't helped Lake's cause. He's too big and not quite quick enough for the position, and he might get more out of his bat if he played a less challenging spot. Scouts on other clubs see him as a third baseman or right fielder, and some would like to see him try pitching. Lake had a fine winter in the Dominican League and will try to build off that in Double-A this year.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #8 prospect in 2012
  Lake is three days younger than fellow Dominican Starlin Castro, whom he teamed with in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2008. While Castro has spent the last two years starring in Chicago, Lake has yet to find success above high Class A. The Cubs hope his breakout performance in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .296 with five homers and a league-best 18 steals in as many attempts, is a sign of things to come. It helped earn him a spot on the 40-man roster after the season. Lake has some of the flashiest tools in the system, starting with what might be the strongest infield arm in the minors. His bat speed and strength give him above-average raw power to all fields, though his lack of patience and tendency to chase breaking pitches undermine him at the plate. After losing a step in 2010, Lake regained his plus speed underway and stole 38 bases in 44 tries. His range also has improved and he's doing a better job of anticipating plays at shortstop, but he may be too big for the position. His hands are fine for the infield, and he ultimately may wind up as a third baseman or right fielder. Though he remained impatient and tailed off toward the end of the fall, Lake's AFL success is encouraging. If he can build on it, he'll find a job in Chicago at a position to be determined. His next task will be to solve Double-A pitching.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #27 prospect in 2011
  Born three days after Dominican countryman Starlin Castro, Lake teamed with him in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2008. While Castro sped to the majors less than two years later, Lake was in Class A. He still has an impressive package of raw tools and work to do to refine them. His size, strength and quick hands give him plus raw power, but he has holes in his swing and chases too many pitches out of the strike zone. He showed more patience in 2010, but his plate discipline still leaves a lot to be desired. His speed and skills on the bases took a step back, and he's now a below-average runner. Lake's signature tool is his cannon arm, which grades as an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale. He doesn't always harness it, contributing to his 41 errors last year. His hands are an asset, but he lacks the range to stick at shortstop and needs to improve his overall defensive focus. If he doesn't make progress in 2011, it will become tempting to think of his arm on the mound. Lake probably will return to high Class A because he's best suited for third base, as are Double-A bound D.J. LeMahieu and Ryan Flaherty.
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #29 prospect in 2010
  While Starlin Castro thrived after being promoted from the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2008 to full-season ball as a 19-year-old in 2009, Lake struggled under the same circumstances. He still showed an intriguing package of tools but wasn't able to translate them into production against low Class A pitchers. He has the size, quick hands and snap in his swing to hit for more power than most infielders, but he also has a lot of holes in his stroke and approach. His swing gets long and he exhibits no patience. He improved his swing plane late in the season, though it didn't yield any noticeable results. Lake has average speed out of the box and is an above-average runner underway, and he's more adept at taking extra bases than basestealing. His single most impressive tool is his cannon arm, one of the strongest in the minors. It sometimes gets him in trouble because he'll attempt some throws he shouldn't. His hands aren't the softest and he also has lapses in concentration, all factors that led to 42 errors in 2009. He has good range but will outgrow shortstop as he gets stronger and slows down. Castro probably will see a lot of time at third base in 2010, because the Cubs have double-play combos set for Daytona (Ryan Flaherty, D.J. LeMahieu) and Peoria (Logan Watkins, Hak-Ju Lee).
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  Ranked Chicago Cubs #14 prospect in 2009
  Part of a shortstop timeshare with Starlin Castro in the Arizona League last summer, Lake lacks Castro's instincts and polish but owns the strongest infield arm in the system. While he spent more time at short than Castro did, the consensus is that Lake is the more likely of the two to switch positions in the future. That won't come for a while, however, because Lake has the ability to stay there. He eats up a lot of ground with his long legs and his arm rates a 65 on the 20-80 scouting scale. The rest of Lake's game is intriguing, too. The ball comes off his bat well and he has a lot of room to add strength to his skinny 6-foot-3 frame, so he could develop plus power. Like many young hitters, he'll have to tighten his strike zone and learn to cope with offspeed pitches. Lake's speed is average out of the box but he's better underway, as evidenced by his six triples and 12 steals in 14 tries last year. The Cubs would like both Castro and Lake to play regularly at shortstop in 2009, though they've yet to figure out how they're going to pull

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Arizona Complex League #16 prospect in 2008
  For now, Lake is a solid defensive shortstop with a strong arm. The question is whether he'll be able to remain at the position long-term as he fills out his lanky 6-foot-3 frame. He also played some third base this summer and looked comfortable there. Lake should have enough bat for the hot corner if that's his eventual position. He has the potential for plus power and the ball comes off his bat really well. He feasts on fastballs but needs to improve against offspeed pitches and stop chasing balls out of the strike zone. Though his speed is no better than average, Lake has good instincts on the bases. He stole 12 bases in 14 attempts and legged out six triples.

• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Lake is three days younger than fellow Dominican Starlin Castro, whom he teamed with in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2008. While Castro has spent the last two years starring in Chicago, Lake has yet to find success above high Class A. The Cubs hope his breakout performance in the Arizona Fall League is a sign of things to come. Scouting Report: Lake has some of the flashiest tools in the system, starting with what might be the strongest infield arm in the minors. His bat speed and strength give him above-average raw power to all fields, though his lack of patience and tendency to chase breaking pitches undermine him at the plate. After losing a step in 2010, Lake regained his plus speed underway and stole 38 bases in 44 tries. His range also has improved and he's doing a better job of anticipating plays at shortstop, but he may be too big for the position. His hands are fine for the infield, and he ultimately may wind up as a third baseman or right fielder. The Future: Though he remained impatient and tailed off toward the end of the fall, Lake's AFL success is encouraging. If he can build on it, he'll find a job in Chicago at a position to be determined. His next task will be to solve Double-A pitching.
• December, 2009 Scouting Report
  While Starlin Castro thrived after being promoted from the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2008 to full-season ball as a 19-year-old in 2009, Lake struggled under the same circumstances. He still showed an intriguing package of tools but wasn't able to translate them into production against low Class A pitchers. He has the size, quick hands and snap in his swing to hit for more power than most infielders, but he also has a lot of holes in his stroke and approach. His swing gets long and he exhibits no patience. He improved his swing plane late in the season, though it didn't yield any noticeable results. Lake has average speed out of the box and is an above-average runner underway, and he's more adept at taking extra bases than basestealing. His single most impressive tool is his cannon arm, one of the strongest in the minors. It sometimes gets him in trouble because he'll attempt some throws he shouldn't. His hands aren't the softest and he also has lapses in concentration, all factors that led to 42 errors in 2009. He has good range but will outgrow shortstop as he gets stronger and slows down. Castro probably will see a lot of time at third base in 2010, because the Cubs have double-play combos set for Daytona (Ryan Flaherty, D.J. LeMahieu) and Peoria (Logan Watkins, Hak-Ju Lee).