Cubs Continued to Load Up on Pitchers and Toolsy Position Guys on Day 3 of Draft

The Cubs loaded up on some pitching on day three of the draft by selecting 17 arms from a variety of levels. Most of them are relievers, but a few were starters. The Cubs also took a few prep arms, although those players are unlikely to sign. They also selected 13 position players, mainly college veterans were the order of the day. By the early 30’s, the Cubs started picking prep players as backups in case someone in the top 10 does not sign, which is clearly a possibility.

Which picks did I like best (number indicates round)?

11. Rollie Lacy was the Friday night starter for Creighton. A right-handed pitcher, Lacy had a 2.54 ERA in 88.2 IP. He struck out 83 and only walked 18.

14. Luis Vazquez, a high school SS from Puerto Rico, is definitely intriguing. He has a big frame to grow into and his video, although staged, shows him to be a very athletic young man.

15. Jared Young is the third player the Cubs have taken from Old Dominion, following in the footsteps of PJ Higgins and Conor Myers. Young is a second baseman known for his hit tool and plate discipline. He also has a little power as he cracked 7 HRs this year in just over 200 at-bats.

16. Brandon Hughes played CF for Michigan State. He has a solid frame at 6’2″ and 215 pounds and is a switch hitter who stole 30 bases this year and was named 2nd Team All-Big Ten. He hit .330 with 5 HRs in 200 ABs. I think the Cubs will likely tweak his swing to get some power.

18. Casey Ryan is a big boy at 6’4″ and 200 pounds. He was the closer for the University of Hawaii. He threw 23.1 IP and K’d 20 while putting up a 1.52 ERA and opponents only hit .188 against him. I like the frame and durability.

20. Brendan King is another smallish pitcher from a school without a very high baseball profile. At 6’1″, King uses a four-pitch mix with a fastball at 90-92, a curve at 73-76, a cutter at 86, and a change at 84-85. This season, he threw 80.2 IP with 60 Ks and a 4.35 ERA. As a junior, he had a 2.84 ERA with 74 Ks in 82.1 IP. He already announced that he is more than likely to sign.

27. Darius Vines, a two-sport athlete from Oxnard College, is someone who I think comes across as maybe the best athlete the Cubs picked this year. He played shortstop, pitched, and was a star QB.

34. Andrew Karp was a spot starter from Florida State, though the Cubs may not be able to sign the sophomore. If they do, they get a player on the rise who is only 20 with two years of big-time college experience.

The Cubs took some prepsters in the 30’s who seem highly committed to attending college. Should someone in the top 10 not sign, the extra slot money might be used to persuade these high school kids to so.

To see all 30 picks from Day 3, click here.