Cubs End Decade-Long Outfielder Drought in New First-Round MLB Mock Draft

The Chicago Cubs could end a long drought of taking an outfielder in the first round if this mock draft is accurate.

Matthew Postins | Apr 2, 2025

Sun Devils pitcher Brandon Compton (#27) rounds third at Scottsdale Stadium on May 23, 2024. / Nicole Mullen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have one of the best farm system in baseball, with a high concentration of those prospects waiting in Triple-A.

With their recent first-round picks, Chicago has addressed needs on the pitching staff and the infield. Some of those players, such as infielder Nico Hoerner and third baseman Matt Shaw, are helping the Cubs in the Majors right now.

But the Cubs haven’t selected an outfielder with their first-round pick since 2015, when they took Ian Happ out of the University of Cincinnati at No. 9 overall.

Happ has worked out well for the Cubs. He’s one of the best defensive left fielders in the game and has won the last three National League Gold Gloves at the position. He also made the NL All-Star Game in 2022.

If a recent Baseball America mock draft is any indication, Chicago may be on the doorstep of ending that streak.

The site’s prospect analysts did their own mock draft earlier this week and made selections for the first 40 picks on behalf of those teams that had a pick.

The Cubs are selecting No. 17 overall and with the pick they’re projected to take outfielder Brandon Compton out of Arizona State.

Per Baseball America’s analysts, Compton has “…an above-average hit tool to go along with comfortably-plus raw power that he has no issue getting to in-game.”

The Cubs have some talent to make up for in their system, even with the high concentration of young prospects at Triple-A.

Chicago traded away one of their best prospects, Cam Smith, in the offseason to help make a deal with the Houston Astros to trade for slugger Kyle Tucker.

Smith, who was impressive in his short stint in the Cubs’ system after he was taken in the first round of last year’s draft, made the Astros’ opening-day roster after an impressive spring training.

Adding a player like Compton to the system would give the Cubs a projectible outfielder that could, eventually serve as the replacement of either Happ or Seiya Suzuki. Happ is a free agent after next season. So is Suzuki.

The 2025 MLB draft will be held Sunday and Monday, July 13-14, during All-Star Weekend in Atlanta.

Some factors that impact the draft order include the Dodgers, Mets and Yankees receiving a 10-pick penalty on their first picks for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax.

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