4 Cubs first-round draft picks you might have forgotten about

Forgotten Cubs first-rounders: Earl Cunningham – 8th overall pick in 1989

Just after the White Sox picked Frank Thomas seventh overall in 1989, Jim Frey and the Cubs took outfielder Earl Cunningham out of Lancaster HS, South Carolina. Cunningham was listed at 6-2, 250lb and was initially ranked as the #44 prospect by Baseball America going into 1990.

The kid had power, and he displayed that right away in the minors. From 1989-1991 between Rookie Ball and low-A, Cunningham hit 31 home runs in 228 games. In 1991 alone with the Peoria Chiefs, he hit 19 home runs and 17 doubles in 101 games. Seems promising right? Well, the problem was he struggled to hit consistently and struck out a lot. Over those first three years, he struck out 293 times and hit .236. He also only walked 35 times over that span.

In 1992 he made it to High-A ball, but hit just .108/.174/.217 in 25 games. In 1993 he went back to Low-A and hit .194/.268/.360 in 43 games. He left the Cubs organization to play with the Angels and Rockies organizations from 1994-1996, never playing above High-A ball. In 1998 he played some independent ball in the Northeast League, but that was the last of his recorded professional career.

Forgotten Cubs first-rounders: Luis Montanez – third overall in 2000

Outfielder Luis Montañez was taken out of Coral Park HS in Miami, Florida third overall in the 2000 draft. This was the same draft the Marlins took Adrian Gonzalez first overall, and also saw notable players like Adam Wainwright, Chase Utley and Rocco Baldelli go after Montañez.

His story with the Cubs is interesting because he did play at the MLB level with them but not until 2011. Montañez played in the Cubs farm from 2000-2006, not getting to Triple-A until 06′. He had some pretty solid seasons in the minors but just never made it up the totem pole. It was in 2007 when he signed a deal with the Baltimore Orioles organization where he would finally break through the following year.

From 2008-2010 he hit .223/.257/.323 with four home runs and a .579 OPS in 93 games. It was 2011 at the age of 29 when he re-signed with the team that drafted him. He appeared in 36 games with the Cubs that season and hit .222/.263/.352 with one home run. It was weird for Cubs fans to realize that they were finally watching the player their team took third overall a decade later.

Montañez left via free agency and spent the next several years in the Cardinals, Phillies and Angels organizations but never made it back to The Show. He played professional ball through 2015.

Forgotten Cubs first-rounders: Drew Hall – third overall in 1984

The Cubs took southpaw pitcher Drew Hall third overall in 1984 out of Morehead State University. Hall was an All-American and a member of the 1984 Olympic roster. He is certainly not the most obscure Cubs first-rounder, as he was one of the names involved in the Mitch Williams deal in 1988, along with Jamie Moyer and Rafael Palmeiro.

However, it is easy to forget he was drafted so high, especially considering who the Cubs drafted in the second round that year. He was also drafted ahead of Mark McGwire (10th).

For all the success he had in college, it just did not translate to the professional level. He made his debut on September 14, 1986. He gave up five earned runs in four innings and took a loss against the Pirates. He appeared in 45 games as a Cub from 1986-1988 and pitched to a 6.41 ERA, 4.32 FIP, 1.6 WHIP and 3.8 BB/9. After being traded, he had himself a solid season 1989 with the Rangers, pitching to a 3.70 ERA in 38 appearances. His final season in the majors was rough when he posted a 5.09 ERA and 1.4 WHIP in 42 appearances with the Expos.

From 1991-1994 he bounced around the Indians, Reds, Rangers, Pirates, Phillies and Tigers organizations but never made it back to The Show. He was done with professional baseball after that. Since then he was inducted into the Morehead State University Hall of Fame and has worked coaching in college.

Oh, and that second-round pick the Cubs had in 1984 was used on a pitcher named Greg Maddux. That worked out pretty well.

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There are plenty of other first-round picks that have come and gone in the Cubs organization, but these were a few that some might have not thought about in a while. Hopefully, their high draft picks in the coming future produces some good results.