Cubs fall back on strategy they know best in MLB's latest 2026 mock draft

It's become no secret that the Chicago Cubs' preference in recent years has been to select college bats in the first round with the idea they can ascend quickly through the farm system. That's been the case for Matt Shaw and Cam Smith, and Ethan Conrad has been the lone exception. With Conrad now healthy, there's hope that he can now be on a normal path forward.

It's not exactly a strategy the Cubs have been bad at. Shaw appears to be emerging as an important piece in the starting lineup moving forward, and Smith was the key prospect used in the Kyle Tucker trade.

In a vacuum, it would make sense if the that was the approach the Cubs took in the 2026 MLB Draft. Of course, that ignores the larger point that has been made this season. The Cubs need healthy pitching at every level of the organization. Given that need, it would make sense if they took a college arm capable of reaching the majors quickly.

As MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis points out, there could be a scenario where the arms the Cubs like in the first round are off the board by the time they are on the clock at No. 23. That would be the reason why Callis has the Cubs taking TCU outfielder Sawyer Strosnider in his latest mock draft.

Strosnider fits the profile of the college bats the Cubs love. The impression is that with further development, he could be a left-handed slugging outfielder by the time he reaches the majors. As with most young hitters, there's work to do on his swing tendencies with pitches outside of the strike zone, but nothing that dramatically caps his potential.

Why would the Cubs prioritize another first-round outfielder in the 2026 MLB Draft?

The Cubs taking an outfielder in the first-round of the 2026 MLB Draft, after doing so last year, and having several outfield prospects from that class emerge as potential stars may seem odd.

While that's true, there's also the reality that Kevin Alcantara is probably going to be traded by the MLB trade deadline, and both Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are free agents after this season. Outside of Pete Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs' plan for the outfield beyond this season isn't exactly clear.

In that vein, then it does make sense that the Cubs would look to add another outfielder as their top pick in this year's draft. That being said, even if there's a pitcher who barely fits their profile, that should still probably be the move.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow