Chicago Cubs: Re-hashing some of Theo Epstein’s recent draft picks

One of my pastimes is to jump into Major League Baseball draft classes of years past and rework the continuum. Since Theo Epstein joined the Chicago Cubs in 2011, he has made some excellent picks. There are, however, things that could have gone a little differently.

The core of the Chicago Cubs is one of the most impressive in baseball. Who wouldn’t want your offense anchored by Anthony Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, and Kris Bryant? Add Willson Contreras into that mix, and it is over. OK, maybe there is a tad bit of bias here, but the four horsemen of the Windy City are some of the best.

Theo Epstein’s work in the annual June draft, especially early on in his tenure while the Cubs enjoyed early picks in the first round, was masterful. He hit on several key guys and built the young position player group he then supplemented with veterans en route to a World Series title.

While today the Cubs still possess a dangerous roster makeup, diving down the rabbit hole of previous draft classes gives perspective on what could have gone differently versus what happened. Spoiler: there are some intriguing scenarios that ‘could have been.’