2024 MLB Draft: 2 realistic and 2 not-so realistic options for the Chicago Cubs at 14

We’re still months away from the 2024 MLB Draft, but there’s never a bad time to look at ways the Cubs could improve their farm system.

About a month ago we wrote something with answers to all of your questions on the when and where for the MLB Draft, and in that piece, we also threw out a couple of options you could see the Cubs look at when they draft at pick number 14 based on picks they’ve made in the past.

The quick recap on previous first-round picks is that the Cubs have done a great job of listening to the data and drafting college players rather than prep players. Beyond that, the numbers show, as we look at potential options for the Cubs, that we need to focus even more on college hitters specifically. 

It may be a few years before we can take a shot at drafting the Japanese Prince Fielder, who just signed a scholarship offer to attend Stanford, but these guys wouldn’t be too bad to add, either. 

Mock Drafted Option: Brody Brecht RHP Iowa

Brecht is the exact kind of player that I’d advise against drafting in the first round. He’s a pitcher (problem number one) coming from a program not known for baseball (problem number two) in a conference not known for baseball (problem number three). 

That being said, he is electric. He’s a former Iowa Hawkeyes Wide Receiver but that didn’t lead him to getting hit very often as they couldn’t throw the ball out of their shadow. He’s a 6’4 225-pound righty that’s carrying a 1.76 ERA at this point in the season with 33 strikeouts over 15.1 innings. 

The Cubs have a history with former football players with Cade Horton having signed to play football and baseball at Oklahoma and Jeff Samardzija leaving behind a potential first-round future as a receiver at Notre Dame. Drafting a pitcher in the first round is a high-risk play but if this pick came to fruition more than six months after it was mocked, I wouldn’t be too mad. 

Unrealistic Option 1: Charlie Condon OF/1B Georgia

Condon has played himself into legitimate 1.1 conversations. Let’s break down the measurables first. He’s a 6’6, 211-pound sophomore left fielder in the SEC (who had a couple of good outfielders last season go in the top five). 

Last year as a freshman he hit .386/.484/.800 with 25 homers. To put that into perspective in Kris Bryant’s draft year he hit .329/.493/.820 with 31 homers. 

This season he’s hitting an otherworldly .639/.696/1.389 with seven homers and more walks (8) than strikeouts (5). He has an OPS of over 2.000. The man is a legitimate alien and his lanky frame would imply that he still hasn’t even fully filled out his power potential. It is likely he will be a Guardian or a National, but if by some insane turn of events, he’s available at 14, the Cubs have to grab him. 

Unrealistic Option 2: Jac Caglianone 1B/LHP Florida

It seems like most teams will be looking at Caglianone as a 1B/DH rather than as a LHP considering he had a modest K rate last season and in his one start so far this year he gave up three runs over three innings. 

If we look at him in the batter vacuum and recognize he’s likely a DH, and if he plays in the field he’s limited to first base, you’d have to wonder: why would this be an unrealistic option at 14? Don’t teams tend to go for the more athletic, middle-of-the-diamond players early?

Well, it’s because he mashes. 

He’s improved his slash line in all three seasons at Florida and this year he’s hitting .486/.578/.757 with more walks (7) than strikeouts (3). It may not be as astounding as Condon’s numbers above, but he’s a legitimate power option that will likely go in the top ten picks. However, if for some reason those athletic prep players and pitchers start to climb we could have a shot.