Forget about the record. Forget about the standings. The Chicago Cubs are going to suck for a while, but at least they will be interesting while being so.

The Cubs called up outfielder Brett Jackson and third baseman Josh Vitters Sunday. The pair of former first-round picks are the Cubs two most MLB-ready prospects, and both find themselves in situations where they could stay for a while.

The Cubs outfield future does not include Alfonso Soriano. Nor does it include David DeJesus. However, the future very well could include the left-handed hitting Jackson. Baseball America‘s #32 prospect entering this season, Jackson was batting .256 with, 15 home runs, 27 stolen bases and a .338 OBP in AAA Iowa. Jackson’s most troubling statistic was his 158 strikeouts. That is 158 strikeouts in 407 at-bats. That is a strikeout in 39% of his at-bats. Scouts say he has great bat speed, which I translate to “he looks great when he strikes out all the damn time.” Hopes are high for Jackson, but a quicker, less powerful Adam Dunn does not get me very excited.

Vitters, like Jackson, plays a position the Cubs are thin on. The third overall pick of the 2007 draft did not zip through the farm system like many hoped, but you can’t forget that he is only 22 years old. The right-handed hitter was batting .304 in AAA Iowa with 17 home runs and 68 RBI. He only struck out 77 times in 415 at-bats. Vitters’ bat appears major league ready, but he does have one little problem. His glove stinks.

Of the two prospects, I expect more out of Vitters. His bat could help the Cubs and while he is no Ron Santo at the hot corner, he has to be better than Luis Valbuena, right? Jackson will attract more attention because he is a “higher rated” prospect, but there is not getting around all those whiffs. If ya can’t hit the damn ball, you can’t hit the ball. I do not see either of these prospects as long-term solutions due to their major holes.

Theo has does a great job of reloading the farm system, and it is worth remembering that these are not his prospects. Jackson and Vitters are Jim Hendry remnants and I expect them to perform as such.

The Big