Ranking the Chicago Cubs first round draft picks since 2013

The Chicago Cubs have used their first-round draft picks relatively well in the last decade, with some of them turning into cornerstone position players, and others being not-so-great pitching pickups. Let's look at how the Cubs drafted since 2013, and rank their 1st rounders based on performance for the team and future potential.

10. LHP Brendon Little 2017

Brendon Little was drafted by the Cubs with the 27th pick in the 2017 draft. The best season of Little's professional career was 2021, where he made 26 appearances and reached Triple-A Iowa with a 3.24 ERA and 53 strikeouts. He's made one big league appearance, which happened in a game against Toronto last August where he gave up 3 earned runs in 0.2 innings pitched. Little immediately went back down to Iowa and finished the year with a 4.29 ERA. The southpaw's performances have not lived up to his expectations as a first-round pick.

9. RHP Cade Horton 2022

First on this list is the most recent first-round pick by the Cubs, right-handed pitcher Cade Horton. Horton was selected seventh overall by the Cubs and signed with a $4.45 million signing bonus. Although the former Oklahoma Sooner hurler hasn't made his professional debut yet, he made a name for himself in the College World Series last year.

Thanks to the development of a new slider, Horton went on a 31-inning tear where he whiffed 49 batters with a 2.61 ERA. In his final two starts, Horton threw back-to-back double-digit strikeout games against the Rebels in the College World Series. His fastball isn't too shabby either, as it averages in the mid-to-high 90s to go along with a curveball and changeup. Horton is already listed as the Cubs' no. 4 prospect according to MLB, and the 21-year-old will look to stay healthy after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2021.