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3 players Cubs fans should keep an eye on in the MLB Draft
Any of these three take the Cubs farm system from fantastic to elite.
With the 2024 MLB Draft approaching in July, it's time to start looking at who the Chicago Cubs may select with the 14th overall pick. In the last two seasons, the Cubs have picked Cade Horton in 2022 and Matt Shaw in 2023. Both are now among the top 100 prospects in MLB and are high up on the Cubs' prospect leaderboard. This will be another opportunity for the team to strike gold, as several players entering the draft have tremendous upside.
What will be interesting to see is if the Cubs go over or under slot value with their first pick. Furthermore, whether they will select a pitcher or position player is still being determined. Two seasons ago, the Cubs went pitcher-heavy, surprising many by selecting Cade Horton with the 9th overall when many had him tabbed for later in the first or even early 2nd round. Last year, they went with the best available bat. This season, it will also be whoever they deem best available, whether they are a position player or a pitcher. Based on several mock drafts, here are three players Cubs fans should watch, as one of these three may be wearing Cubbie Blue before long.
3 players to keep an eye on - 3. James Tibbs III, 1B/OF
21-year-old James Tibbs has been mashing for FSU down in the ACC all season. He is slashing an impressive .362/.486/.781, but even better than that is his 25 home runs and 84 RBIs in 60 games played. Capable of playing both corner outfield spots if needed, the 6'0 lefty also plays first base, a position some believe he winds up at. Still, it will be interesting if he can stay put in the outfield, further raising his value.
At the end of April, Tibbs came in at 13 overall in a Prospects Live draft. That is ultimately where he's being picked up in most mocks, but any surprises along the way are always possible. The Cubs may not even target a position player in the first round. Horton remains the stud pitcher in the Cubs' farm system. With Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, Javier Assad, and Hayden Wesneski all at the major league level and losing Jackson Ferris via trade this past winter, it may make more sense for the Cubs to land a top arm in the draft.
2. Kash Mayfield, LHP
If the Cubs elect to take a pitcher in the first round, the best available will be Kash Mayfield, a southpaw from Elk City, OK. In no order, the four pitchers that may be available outside the top 10 are Trey Yesavage, Cam Caminiti, Hagen Smith, and Mayfield. The Boston Red Sox are likely targeting an arm with the 12th overall pick. The Seattle Mariners are also, but thankfully, the Cubs are one spot ahead of Seattle in the draft order.
I can see a scenario where Yesavage, Caminiti, and Smith go ahead of Mayfield. Therefore, the Cubs would be left with the obvious answer of selecting Mayfield if they indeed go with an arm themselves. Mayfield has a fastball that has topped out around 97 mph this year, and it's foreseeable that he can add to that as he is still just 19 years old. Though he is still in high school, his value and untapped potential are sky-high.
Another reason he will likely be the one available to the Cubs is the lack of data on him at such a young age. However, a quote from his page over at MLB.com states that he has similarities to Jordan Wicks, and if that's the case, in the eyes of Jed Hoyer, you know he likely likes what he sees. Still, if the heavily data-reliant Cubs aren't sold, they will probably take a hitter in this spot if the aforementioned pitchers have been selected already.
1. Cam Smith, 3B
Cam Smith makes the most sense to me for the Cubs due to the Cubs' ongoing needs at the hot corner. The Florida State third baseman slashes a remarkable .396/.490/.682 with 16 HRs and 54 RBIs in 60 games. Even though the Cubs are looking at current top prospect Matt Shaw as a potential option at third base, the team would do right by signing somebody capable of swinging the bat as efficiently but already used to the position.
Smith is 21 years old amid a breakout season after only batting .258 at the dish a year ago. He is only in his sophomore year, so there is plenty more to unlock in his bat. He is listed at 6'3" and 224 pounds, so the likelihood of having more power to unleash in his bat is high. Therefore, if he can hit for average and power at the hot corner, he is an exciting candidate to be selected by the Cubs if he is still available at 14th overall. MLB.com's recent mock has him landing in Chicago, as predicted by expert Jonathan Mayo.
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