The Cubs continued their plan to draft heavy on pitchers. In the second day of the draft, the Cubs selected 6 pitchers with their 8 picks. The key philosophy was taking college pitchers. One could assume that college pitchers are closer to the big leagues than high school pitchers, based on just experience alone.
But the Cubs started the day with a slight surprise when they drafted 22 year old BYU "freshman" Jacob Hannemann. He is an "old" freshman because of his two year Mormon mission. He was a cornerback on the BYU football team. He started slow this year in baseball, according to the Cubs web story, batting only .111/.179/.139/ in
his first 40 plate appearances -- but finished .344/.415/.553 with five
home runs and seven triples en route to garnering West Coast Conference
Freshman of the Year and Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American
honors. Hannemann also was 14-for-15 on steal attempts. This selection of an multi-sport guy is out of the Kenny Williams playbook, where he liked to draft athletes first and foremost.
This overdraft choice at #75 overall may have been done because Hannemann is probably and easy and underslot bonus sign. "It's exactly what I wanted," said Hannemann, said. He stated he and the
Cubs will begin negotiations next week. "The opportunity's there, so
it's a much better road. BYU was a great opportunity to play both sports
I love, but now I'm able to be a professional. I'm a baseball guy now,
and I'm a Chicago Cub. I'm real, real excited for it."
The scouting report on Hannemann is vague because he really had not played baseball for two years. MLB.com states "He has the chance to hit and run well and could be a solid center field prospect for a team willing to be patient." Baseball America ranked Hannemann the No. 214 best prospect in the draft which would be a mid-7th rounder.
In the fourth round, the Cubs took Kent St. junior pitcher Tyler Skulina at #108 overall. Baseball America had him ranked as the No. 73 prospect, so his draft stock fell two rounds.
Skulina
played a key role in Kent State’s Cinderella run to the 2012 College
World Series and has taken on an even bigger role this spring as the
Golden Flashes ace. The
right-hander was 6-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 15 starts this season, striking
out 102 batters in 93 2/3 innings. He relies on his fastball-curveball combination to
attack hitters and isn’t afraid to challenge them. Skulina’s fastball
sits in the low-90s and runs in on right-handers. His curveball has good
break and should be a Major League average offering. He uses his
6-foot-5, 235-pound frame to create a good downhill plane for both
pitches. Skulina needs to develop his changeup to reach his potential. As such, he does not project to be a front line starter in the majors.
In the next round, the Cubs took Texas Tech junior pitcher Trey Masek at #138 overall. Masek was ranked the 49th best prospect by Baseball America, so he dropped from the early 2nd round to the 5th. The concerns were injury and signability (since he was a junior).
Masek put up strong numbers at Texas Tech, going 5-2 with a 1.82 ERA
in 11 starts and tossing three complete games. He missed time because of
a rotator cuff injury.
Masek told SB Nation last week the injury is not an issue. "There's been no soreness since I got over that so if any team has
asked, I've been very open about it," Masek said. "I'm just looking
forward to getting out and to showing that I'm healthy and ready to go."
MLB.com notes that Masek had a very strong summer in the Cape
Cod League and it carried over as Texas Tech's Saturday starter (usually #2 man in the rotation),
though some arm soreness in late March kept him out of action for a
spell.
Assuming health, the slightly undersized right-hander will show three
pretty good pitches. He can run his fastball up to 94 mph, throws a
solid curveball and has a good feel for a sinking changeup. His funky
delivery adds deception to his stuff, though his command can be
inconsistent. He gets high marks for his aggressiveness and poise on the
mound.
That, plus Masek's size and injury history, have some thinking his
future might be in a big league bullpen.
In the sixth round, the Cubs selected another right handed junior pitcher, Scott Frazier from Pepperdine, with the #168 selection overall. Baseball America ranked him the No. 160 player in the draft, while MLB.com ranked him much higher at their No. 77.
The reason for the varied opinion was Frazier's inconsistency. Frazier, at 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds, was seen as a
potential first- or second-round talent with a fastball sitting 91-94
mph and he backs it up with a curve
and changeup.
But his numbers this season -- 5-5, 4.06 ERA, 83
strikeouts and 40 walks in 88 2/3 innings -- didn't stand out as Pepperdine's No. 1 starter. He's shown gradual improvement over time with the Waves and while his
results as a junior have been up and down, he's the kind of college arm
that caught the attention of many scouts. With his uneven career, it is hard to tell whether Frazier can be a back of the rotation starter.
In the next found, the Cubs again picked another college junior pitcher, David Garner of Michigan St. Baseball America had him ranked as the No. 248 prospect, but the Cubs selected him at #168.
Despite being 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Gardner racked up 192 strikeouts
in 217 2/3 career innings at Michigan State thanks to a fastball that's
reached 95 mph. Garner's hard-breaking slider is
his primary out-pitch. He has a free delivery and aggressive approach,
and his electric stuff to be strike out pitcher. However, Garner can lose his control, as he walked 27 batters this year,
while also hitting six and throwing 10 wild pitches. In his first two
seasons at Michigan State, Garner was in and out of the rotation, but he
made all 14 appearances as a starter during his junior year. He went
4-5 with a 4.10 ERA, lifting his career numbers to 15-12 and 3.97,
respectively. Garner stood out in the Cape Cod League each of the past
two summers, especially in 2012, when he was named to the West Division
All-Star Team. In 43 1/3 innings for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, Garner
registered 41 strikeouts and a 3.12 ERA, both of which were good for top
20 in the league. Based on his history, Gardner looks to be trending toward major league bullpen duty if he can gain full command of his pitches.
In the 8th round, the Cubs selected LHP Sam Wilson from Lamar CC. Wilson
was drafted by the Rangers in the 20th round in 2010, but he chose to
attend New Mexico. He was a two-way player as a freshman, but academic
issues forced him to redshirt last season and he ultimately transferred
to Lamar Community College this year. Wilson has continued as a
two-way player for the Runnin’ Lopes, but his professional future is on
the mound. He throws his fastball around 90 mph and he has touched 94
mph in the past. He also throws a curveball and a changeup, both of
which have the potential to be Major League-average offerings. He fanned 109 in 87 2/3
innings this past season. Wilson
is athletic, has good size (he’s listed at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds) and
repeats his delivery well.
He seems to project as a fifth starter-long reliever.
In the 9th round, the Cubs broke their streak of college pitchers by selecting Texas high school center fielder Charcer Burks with the #258 pick of the draft. Not much was stated about Burks. Research indicates that he has played 3B/SS/2B/OF at Travis High School in Houston. He was ranked the 31st best high school player in Texas, and nationally by scouting bureaus at #399. He is 6' tall, and lean 170 pounds. He may be plugged in as a multi-position utility player.
The final day 2 selection was RHP Zack Godley, a senior from Tennessee. Baseball America ranked him No. 487, so the Cubs at #288 thought more highly of him. At 6'3" 235 pounds, Godley was 5-7 this season with a 3.49 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 108.1 innings. He had six complete games. As a senior, the Cubs should have no signability issues with Godley.
On Day 2, the Cubs trended toward junior college pitchers who either fell down the draft board because of injury knocks or overdrafted players in the hopes of getting them signed easier (instead of losing leverage by going back to school).
The Cubs top ten selections will tell us how well the front office is at talent evaluation and development. This draft will be remembered for Kris Bryant, who should be fast tracked to the majors. The Cubs second selection should also be telling. Since the Cubs claimed the high minors were devoid of pitching, would Rob Zastryny be ready sooner than later?
MLB.com reports that Zastryzny is the
latest in a long line of talented Missouri pitchers. He is described as a "crafty" pitcher because his fastball typically sits in the
upper-80s, but he has been able to add and subtract velocity as
necessary.
His fastball velocity typically ranges from 86 mph to 94 mph. which is not what most scouts view as major league star material. Zastryzny,
a left-hander, uses his height – he's listed at 6-foot-3 – to create a
downhill angle for his fastball, which has late action. Zastryzny also
throws a changeup and slider.
MLB.com concludes that if he commands his whole arsenal well and all three of his pitches have the
chance to be at least Major League-average offerings. Average pitching is not what the Cubs need from their minor league system.
