Chicago Cubs: Starting pitchers aplenty in the 2020 MLB Draft

Chicago Cubs: SP J.T. Ginn – Mississippi State, Sophomore

Originally from the small town of Brandon, Mississippi, J.T. Ginn has made waves over the past couple of years. Now heading into his sophomore season as a Bulldog, Ginn hopes to establish himself this upcoming year as a future first-round draft pick as part of this year’s draft class.

Ginn is a dominant presence on the mound. At the same time, he is about three inches shorter and thirty pounds lighter than Jon Lester, the 20-year-old displays specific characteristics in his windup and delivery similar to that of Lester.

The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted Ginn in 2018 at the tail end of the first round. However, Ginn decided to forgo the opportunity and chose to attend Mississippi University instead. It certainly has worked out in his favor thus far. Ginn finished an awe-inspiring freshman year off in the challenging SEC, posting a 3.36 ERA over 20 starts and an 11.54 K/9.

Ginn offers a smooth, slow delivery. Watching Ginn, I see most of his power come from his hips and rotation. He displays the slightest stutter step in his windup, which helps the fluidity of his delivery. Ginn’s strengths are his fastball, which can reach the mid-90’s and his wicked mid-80’s slider that seems to drop off into its vortex.

It is projected that Ginn lands in the middle of the first round, which would provide an excellent opportunity for Theo Epstein and the Cubs to scoop him up as their next future rotational piece. Ginn will be a fun kid to follow this season.