
Kyle Nelson, LHP, UC Santa Barbra
This 5’11” freshman has had a stellar career so far for the Gauchos. In 25 total appearances last year, Nelson recorded a 3-1 record with two saves, 32 strikeouts and a 0.75 ERA. In his nine conference appearances, Nelson recorded a 10.2 K/9 ratio, and didn’t allow an earned run in 15 innings of work.
Nelson is just as good at home as he is on the road, which is something the Cubs are looking for in their pitchers. In 13 2/3 road innings, he gave up just one earned run while striking out 13 in eight appearances.
Nelson isn’t the offensive threat that McKay is, but he’s a solid bullpen option for any big league club. The Cubs have struggled finding reliable left-handed pitching, so it seems fitting that Nelson would wind up in Chicago.