Cubs Draft: A ‘not too early’ primer on the 2021 MLB Draft

At the crux of the direction, the Chicago Cubs could foreseeably go, adding young talent is key to the club’s development.

Before the 2020 MLB Draft, it had been five years since the Chicago Cubs had a top-20 pick. After a string of very successful seasons in which the Cubs won a world championship and made multiple appearances in the National League Championship Series, things have started to go awry. Last year the Cubs had the 16th overall pick, choosing to take homegrown Mount Carmel HS shortstop Ed Howard.

In reality, over the era of Theo Epstein, the Cubs have struggled to find success with first-round picks. Kris Bryant is far and away the best of the best, while Kyle Schwarber and Ian Happ have seen their peaks and valleys since breaking into the major leagues. Alex Lange and Brendon Little are still somewhat young but have not progressed as the team thought.

Nico Hoerner broke onto the scene in a big way in 2019 but could not find consistency this season. Ryan Jensen has shown glimpses in his first six starts in professional baseball and can hopefully continue to grow into a future big leaguer. As the organization and fans alike brace for a potentially tumultuous offseason, it is never too early to look forward to next year’s first-year player draft and the options available to Chicago.