(670 The Score) In the first round of the MLB Draft on Sunday evening, the Cubs took a step toward strengthening their pitching infrastructure.
Chicago selected 20-year-old Oklahoma right-hander Cade Horton with the No. 7 overall pick. He went 5-2 with a 4.86 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 64 strikeouts and 15 walks in 52 2/3 innings this past season.
"It's crazy," Horton said. "It doesn't seem real. I'm just so blessed to be in this position and ready to get to work."
Horton’s best pitch is his fastball, according to most scouting reports. It sits around 94 to 96 miles per hour and can touch 98 as well.
Horton, who’s 6-foot-1 and 211 pounds, missed the 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery.
"Adversity makes us who we are," Horton said of underdoing Tommy John surgery. "And I think the biggest thing I learned was how to be a good teammate (during the recovery). I had always been the guy who never sat on the bench. I have always been out there playing. That injury forced me to sit on the bench. So I had to learn how to keep the other guys going when things weren’t going well."
He was rated as the No. 24 overall prospect by MLB.com, but MLB Pipeline analyst Jim Callis still had high praise for the selection.
“I thought the five starts he had in the postseason, starting in the Big 12 Tournament, to me, he was the best college pitcher available in a year where most of the best college pitchers got hurt or at least had some kind of physical question,” Callis said on MLB Network.
“I don’t think this is a reach, I don’t think this is a shock. I think the Cubs just got the best college pitcher in the draft, even if he doesn’t have an extensive resume.
“I like the pick.”
At No. 47 overall in the second round, the Cubs selected 18-year-old left-hander Jackson Ferris out of IMG Academy in Florida. He has committed to Mississippi.
"When everything is in sync and online, the 6-foot-4 Ferris can show off three pitches that have the chance to all be plus pitches," the MLB.com scouting report on him reads. "His fastball typically sits in the 92-95 mph range with good riding life, and he has shown the ability to command the pitch well."
Ferris was 8-0 with a 1.33 ERA in 10 appearances for IMG Academy in his senior season. He also struck out 103 batters in 54 1/3 innings.
Horton was recommended by Cubs area scout Ty Nichols, and Ferris was recommended by area scout Tom Clark.
Listen live to 670 The Score via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker