I have done all that I can to be ready for the Cubs’ first round pick. I’ve done mock drafts of five, seven, and 10. Yesterday I talked about my final pick, and I have all my cards ready for tonight. But knowing my luck, the Cubs will pick someone that is not in my card pool.
So when the live show comes tonight at six, I am all set. As soon as it’s over, Greg Zumach will write up a post about who the Cubs took at 13. Then my job begins as we hurry up and wait for pick number 68.
68 is not the sexiest pick. It’s close, but it’s at the end of compensation round B, and when it comes, most Cub fans will be unprepared. But I’ve got 10 names for you to think about when the second round comes tonight, actually late tonight, as the Cubs will end day one of the 2023 MLB draft.
These are in no particular order.
Trent Caraway is a prep shortstop who I would be thrilled with if the Cubs took at 68. He is a big kid at 6-foot-2 and attended the same high school as Wilson Cunningham at JSerra in California. He’s also done well against elite competition as JSerra is one of the best baseball schools in the country.
Will Gasparino is an outfielder from Harvard-Westlake High School in California. If that name sounds familiar, that is where PCA went. Gasparino is 6-foot-6 and scouts rave about his athleticism, defense, speed, and baseball acumen. Because of his size, the hitting thing may cause him to actually slip, and he might be a guy the Cubs consider at 81 as well.
Tanner Witt is coming off of Tommy John surgery. He pitched just a little bit this year at the end of the season for the University of Texas, and he was pretty limited in the number of pitches he could throw. Still, when healthy, he is more than likely a top 15 pick. If the Cubs get him at 68, I would be ecstatic. It would be like getting first round talent in the second round. Because he did not pitch much this year, you could actually get him some work in this year which is uncommon.
Alonzo Treadwell is 6-foot-8 right handed pitcher who has attended UCLA for the past three years. His calling card is his command and control as he rarely walks hitters. He’s still growing into his body and by that I mean his velocity has been slowly increasing every year. If he is doing that now, the increases will continue to do that for a couple more years as he is only 21.
Cade Kuehler would be a guy I would be thrilled with if he was available tonight at the end of the second round. He can throw from the low to mid 90s but has incredible metrics on his fastball. By that I mean, he gets some great spin rates and movement. The Campbell University product would be a great get for the Cubs pitching arsenal.
Cam Johnson is a guy I made a draft card about. I doubt he slides all the way to 68 unless the Cubs agree to an over slot deal with the big left hander from IMG Academy. If that happens, that would be three top picks from IMG in the last three years for the Cubs, all left handers. But at 6-foot-5 and touching the upper 90s, the chances of him falling to 68 are slim unless the Cubs are able to throw a lot of money his way.
Cole Carrigg is a Swiss Army knife of a player with an incredible arm that dazzled at the Combine as he touched 100 from the infield and outfield and behind the plate. In addition, he hit pretty well during his tenure at San Diego State. It’s not that he’s a hot name right now, but he’s more well-known on draft day than he was before the combine.
Mac Horvath is a third baseman/outfielder from the University of North Carolina who had a pretty good season. He has plus raw power according to MLB Pipeline, and he is able to draw walks. Some scouts were concerned that his swing path is a little too steep, but all these things can be worked on if he just has the power.
Homer Bush, Junior, is another guy who could go anywhere from the mid 50s to the fourth round. The Grand Canyon product has athleticism out the wazoo and is just beginning to tap into a 6‘3“ frame for power. Like many in this conversation today, we could see him at 68, we could also see him available at 81. There is a lot of if‘s and what have yous going down the next two days.
Myles Naylor is the name that should sound familiar to most fans of the draft the last five years. That’s because he’s had two brothers get drafted. This 6-foot-2 195 pound Canadian plays third base and has a mixture of plus power, and the ability to hit for average. As with most Canadians, the concern is what they are going to do against elite competition. He is currently committed to Texas Tech, which may be better suited for him in the long run as he does lack that elite experience. Still, the raw skills are most present.
You may as well hold onto this list for tomorrow as some of them will be available to start round 3.
