2 reports tie Cubs to National Player of the Year Dylan Lesko

Though the 2022 MLB Draft is still several months away, the Chicago Cubs perhaps already have their eye on a key player that has serious frontline starter potential in the form of Dylan Lesko. The 2020-2021 Gatorade National Player of the Year is a  flame-throwing right-hander who is already turning heads.

He is expected to go early in the first round of the draft, potentially skipping college as a whole. Though the top-ranked high school player in the country has a verbal commitment to Vanderbilt, it is important to note that only five players in history have actually gone on to college after winning the prestigious Player of the Year award.

For Lesko, he offers two-way compatibility as he is listed both as a pitcher and a shortstop/third baseman who swings a fantastic bat, hitting .417 in his junior year at Buford High School. His strength, however, comes in the form of his four-pitch arsenal – including a solid fastball, slider, curve and most likely his best pitch as of now, his change-up. Two years ago, Lesko’s fastball topped out at a max speed of 92 MPH. Now, at the age of 18, he has touched 97 as his max velocity and that number could to get higher the older and stronger he gets.

As for his record as a pitcher this past season, if you thought his batting capabilities were eye-opening, Lesko recorded an 11-0 record with 0.35 ERA. He struck out 112 batters in 60 innings pitched. The potential doesn’t get much higher and it really is no wonder that he is projected to go in the top 10 of this coming season’s draft.

2 mock drafts tie the Cubs to National Player of the Year, Dylan Lesko

That’s where the Cubs come into play. There have been more than one mock draft already linking the young pitcher to Jed Hoyer’s club. First, Jim Callis released his top 10 picks in a mock draft in mid-December 2021 with the Cubs landing Lesko at number 7. Following that, most recently, Prospects Live has released their mock draft also having Lesko packing up for the Cubs organization.

The truth is a lot can change from now until draft time this summer. However, the pick makes sense for the Cubs for a number of reasons. Most notably, the team desperately need homegrown starting pitching. Lesko has the potential to become an ace on any ball club. Given the the fact the Cubs are looking to be competitive again within the next two to three years given the strides the front office has made this winter, being able to sign Lesko now and let him work his way up the ranks puts him on a perfect track to get called up right when the Cubs are in the heart of their next competitive window.

It would be a surprise for the Gatorade Player of the Year to honor his commitment to Vanderbilt since he has already accomplished so much and has captured the eyes on many in such a short time. The Cubs need to strike here if they can and Lesko is the perfect candidate to take a big swing on.