Draft Pick Profile – Could Andy Garriola Be Another Steal for the Cubs?

Andy Garriola – Pic by Old Dominion Baseball

The Cubs have been big on picking up guys out of Old Dominion for the past seven years. From PJ Higgins to Jared Young to Bryce Windham, this year they added a power hitting outfielder and first baseman by the name of Andy Garriola. Before the draft, I was scouting the stat line for Old Dominion to see if they were any players worth taking this year and Garriola was one of the ones I was watching. So, when his name was called on day three I let out a hoop and holler because he has a lot of power potential and was one of just a few bats the Cubs took in this year’s draft.

Basic Info

Height – 6-foot-5
Weight – 235
Bats – Right
Throws – Right
Age – 22-years-old
17th Round Pick 2022 Draft

As a freshman, he put up really good numbers as he saw plenty of playing time. He hit .328 with 10 home runs and 62 RBI. He did not play in 2020 and took a red shirt season but he did play that summer for the Wisconsin Rapids in the Northwoods League, a wooden bat league. In a little over 40 games, he hit six home runs and drove in 48 while hitting .308 with a .361 on-base percentage. 

When Garriola got back to Old Dominion in 2021, he tore it up again hitting 14 home runs and drove in 72 while hitting .318. He spent that summer on the Cape but he only played 13 games for Cotuit hitting just .256, Still, in that short span, he cranked out three home runs and drove in about a run a game in that short limited exposure.

When he came back this spring, he just tore it up at the plate and was one of the NCAA leaders in home runs with 25 and RBI with 80. When you see him swing a bat, as in the video below, you wonder how he lasted to the 17th round because there is some serious pop in there.

I was a little surprised the Cubs didn’t play him more this summer after they signed them. He only saw action in four games and that’s not really much that you can go on there. I’m sure it had to be a little different going from playing in the Atlantic Coast spring to playing in the Arizona summer.

I am intrigued by where he’s going to begin his full season career next year. The Cubs do have a little bit of a log jam when it comes to position players. That’s why I’m leaning that he will be at Myrtle Beach even though he’ll be 23 years old when the season begins. Then again, he could tear it up in spring training and force his way to South Bend. Still, Myrtle Beach might be better as he could be suited for the type of pitchers he’s going to face.

It has to be a little difficult to be one of only a handful of position players drafted. It’s not that he’s gonna have a lot of hype or publicity focused in on him, but there will be some close attention paid to him just based on his résumé that he built up in college. Could he be the next Matt Mervis? And will you play more at first or in the outfield next year? There’s a lot of questions to answer but we’re not in any rush to get to them just yet.