Chicago Cubs Earn Middling Draft After What Should Be Considered a Great Draft

The Chicago Cubs picked in the middle of the draft order, but still did a good job to continue their rebuild.

Jun 18, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Florida State Seminoles third baseman Cam Smith (24) throws to first base against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 MLB Draft has concluded and Chicago Cubs did a solid job with their entire haul. According to CBS Sports' draft grades, the Cubs had a B draft. In the MLB Draft, as the picks get further along, it becomes more of a crapshoot. With the Cubs picking at 14 overall, that's how they started their draft, but it comes with a lot of upside.

In the first round, Chicago selected Florida State third baseman Cam Smith. Smith was ranked in the top 15 by MLB Pipeline and is a high risk, high reward type of player. There is a lot of power upside with the bat, collecting 30 extra base hits and a .654 slugging percentage in 66 games in 2024. However, there are questions about his approach. His freshman season, he struck out 66 times in 51 games. Smith lowered his strikeout rate, with only 48 in 66 games, but there are worries about the swing and miss at the next level.

Defensively, he has a plus arm, but he may end up moving off of third base.

Their second round pick, Cole Mathis, was a two-way player at the College of Charleston in his first two seasons before being a pure hitter in 2024 due to an elbow injury. Mathis was drafted as a third baseman, which means the two-way plan is likely over. However, he is still an exciting hitter who hit 14 home runs with a 1.122 OPS in 2024.

Chicago also drafted the "top player in the state of Nevada," in the fourth round by selecting high schooler Ty Southisene. A middle infielder with a good knack to find barrels, he also has the defensive upside to stick at shortstop in the long term. If he develops some more power, this could be one of the best picks of the draft for the Cubs.

The Cubs managed to nab four players in MLB Pipeline's top 250, with the final being Ivan Brethowr, an outfielder from UC Santa Barbara. At 6'6", Brethowr has a lot of power he can tap into.

It was a college heavy draft for the Cubs, as they only selected three high school players out of their 20 selections. With the team in the middle of a retool and the recent hiring of Craig Counsell, it makes sense that the front office would want to take players who could make an impact in the big leagues soon. When picking in the middle of the draft order, a B grade is solid work from the scouting staff.