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.

8. RHP Alex Lange 2017

Following the 2016 World Series campaign, the Cubs used the 30th overall pick to select Alex Lange, a right-handed pitcher out of Louisiana State University. Once one of the Cubs' top 5 prospects, Lange played in their system for a season and a half before getting traded to the Tigers in exchange for Nick Castellanos.

Lange's entry on this list is more so a testament to his trade return, Castellanos, who went on a tear after getting traded to the Cubs. However, he had a good inaugural season in 2018, tossing 120 innings with a 3.74 ERA. Now at 26, Lange has found his footing in the Majors after making 71 appearances for Detroit in 2022 with a 3.41 ERA.

7. SS Ed Howard 2020

During the pandemic shortened 2020 draft, the Cubs selected hometown shortstop Ed Howard, who attended Mount Carmel High School in Chicago. In his junior year of High School, Howard hit .421 with 11 doubles, four triples, and three home runs in 35 games. He was chosen 16th overall by the Cubs and was expected to quickly make his way through the system. It hasn't quite worked out that way, as a pair of injuries have limited Howard's playing time to just 103 games in two seasons at Low A Myrtle Beach and the High A South Bend Cubs respectively. He is looking to stay healthy and bounce back with a full season of work this year, and hopefully climb back up the prospect rank from his current position of 23.

6. RHP Ryan Jensen 2019

Taken 27th overall in the 2019 draft, Ryan Jensen is close to making the big leagues as he got his first Spring Training invite this year. But the 25-year-old will have to take a big step this year if he wants to get called up, as he spent the entirety of 2022 with Double-A Tennessee and posted a less-then desirable 4.25 ERA in 59 innings. He has the stuff to be impactful, with one of the hardest two-seam fastballs in the Minor Leagues that floats from 94-96 mph. If he can find a way to control his command and locate his secondary pitches, Jensen could play a role as a big-league reliever.

4. 2B Nico Hoerner 2018

The Cubs found a gem with their 2018 1st rounder when they selected Nico Hoerner 24th overall. After getting called up in 2019 out of Double-A, Hoerner has mostly stayed on the major league roster and started at either second base of shortstop. The 25-year-old makes up for his lack of power with consistent contact and gold-glove-caliber defense. After an injury-plagued 2021 campaign, Hoerner proved he can perform over a full season last year where he finished with a .281/.327/.737 slash line. Even though he was snubbed in the gold glove voting, he played elite defense at shortstop and will look to lock down the infield with his new double-play partner Dansby Swanson. Cubs manager David Ross also has a lot of confidence for Hoerner in 2023 and has hopes he will be the answer for the top of the lineup.

3. OF Kyle Schwarber 2014

Originally a catcher while playing for the Indiana Hoosiers, Kyle Schwarber was converted to an outfielder after getting drafted 4th overall in 2014. Projected as the best raw power hitter in his class, Schwarber did not disappoint in the power department as he sent 34 homers out of the park in two years in the Minors. When he came up in 2015, the Cubs were poised to make a playoff run. Schwarber provided herculean home runs and some of the most iconic moments of the Cubs' playoff runs in 2015 and 2016. Unfortunately, he was non-tendered by the team in 2021, and he proceeded to become a force at the plate and set a career-high 46 dingers after signing a deal with the Phillies in 2022.

2. OF Ian Happ 2015

After impressing for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats for three seasons, Ian Happ was selected by the Cubs as the 9th overall pick in 2015. Happ tore his way to Triple-A Iowa within two years and was called up to the big league squad in 2017. In his first year at Wrigley, Happ cranked 24 homers and drove in 68. Offensive struggles plagued his game at the plate in 2019, leading to a tough-love demotion to Iowa in 2019. However, he took the assignment in stride and used his demotion as an opportunity to return his swing to form.

2021 and 2022 were arguably the best years of Happ's career, as he collected 42 home runs, 138 RBIs, 120 walks, 62 doubles, and a gold glove in that time. The 28-year-old has also emerged as a leader in the clubhouse and the team's Player's Association representative.

1. 3B Kris Bryant 2013

Far and away the best 1st round draft pick by the Cubs in recent years, Kris Bryant was very close to not being a Cub at all. Although Bryant was considered the best position player in the class, the Cubs were picking second behind the Houston Astros. Fortunately for the Cubs, the Astros selected RHP Mark Appel, allowing Chicago to bring in one of their cornerstone pieces for years to come. Bryant was instrumental in providing stability to the Cubs' lineup with his ability to hit for contact and power, while also taking his walks and putting up high on-base numbers. Combine this with the fact Bryant can play multiple positions, has a strong throwing arm and good speed, and you have a five-tool player on your hands.

Bryant is also the only player in history to win Collegiate Player of the Year, Minor League Player of the Year, NL Rookie of the Year, and the NL MVP award in consecutive years. Unfortunately, his production dipped in his later seasons in Chicago, and he was shipped to San Fransisco at the 2021 trade deadline. At least the Cubs will be able to get top prospects Caleb Kilian and Alexander Canario in exchange for Bryant, who went on to sign a large deal with the Colorado Rockies the following offseason.