Tuesday is the second day of the 2018 MLB Amateur Player Draft. Day 2 includes rounds 3-10 and begins at 1:00 Eastern. These rounds can prove to include some very valuable selections and guys that will make a serious impact at the Major League level in the future. I will be following along with each selection the Cubs make and giving you live updates as to who gets selected and a little bit about each guy.
Round 3, Pick 98: Jimmy Herron
Position: OF
Age: 21
School: Duke University
Notes: Herron is profiles as a centerfielder after playing the corners during his time at Duke. He is a high contact bat that uses his speed to his advantage on the base paths. He put up a total of 62 stolen bases during his three seasons in Durham and slashed an impressive .296/.416/.440/.856 this year. He puts together an impressive 8.99% strikeout rate to go along with a high 14.23% walk rate. He has been described as a high-motor player and was very impressive during his time at the Cape Cod League, the best college summer league in the country. Impressive numbers on the Cape are what this front office has valued highly over the years and that is no different for Herron. According to MLB Pipeline, he will need to undergo Tommy John surgery, which is a bit of a rub, but not too much considering he is a position player as opposed to a pitcher. This could contribute to a below-slot signing bonus.
Round 4, Pick 128: Ethan Roberts
Position: RHP
Age: 20
School: Tennessee Tech University
Notes: We have only our second pitcher in six picks with Roberts from Tennessee Tech. The difference here is that Roberts was strictly a reliever during his time in college and will continue to do so during his time with the Cubs. The All-OVC First Team member was the closer for Golden Eagles, pulling in 14 saves during his Junior season this year. While acting as the team’s closer, that hasn’t kept the squad from using him in many innings, going 71 innings so far this season in just 26 appearances. In his outings, he has put up a total of a 2.41 ERA while striking out nearly 13 batters per 9 innings. In addition to piling up the strikeouts, he has kept runners off base via hits and walks, with a WHIP sitting around the 1.17 range.
Round 5, Pick 158: Andy Weber
Position: 2B
Age: 20
School: University of Virginia
Notes: Another college bat, Weber is a offensive minded second baseman out of an ACC powerhouse. The slash line looks excellent this season at .344/.415/.536/.951 while keeping the strikeouts down (12.9%) to go along with an impressive walk rate (8.87%). He hasn’t put up great home run numbers in the college season or in the Northwoods league over the summer but makes up for it with plenty of doubles along the way. His defense is nothing to write home about at the keystone, but this is a bat-first pick and Weber has the numbers to support that.
Round 6, Pick 188: Kohl Franklin
Position: RHP
Age: 18
School: Broken Arrow High School (OK)
Notes: The Oklahoma Sooners commit is the first high school arm the Cubs have taken during the 2018 draft and there seems to be quite a bit of upside with this one. He was tabbed as the best high school prospect in Oklahoma and features a fastball/changeup/curveball combination. His heater sits in the high 80s to lower 90s and can reach up to 93 while his offspeed offerings sit in the mid 70s as it stands now. He still needs to get a feel for his breaking ball but the changeup is advanced for his age. Franklin has an extremely projectable build at 6’4”, 190 pounds where he could add a few miles per hour on his fastball. This pick has the potential to be an absolute steal if the team can sign him away from his Oklahoma commitment.
Round 7, Pick 218: DJ Artis
Position: OF
Age: 21
School: Liberty University
Notes: This is an exciting one. DJ Artis is a speed demon first and foremost. But taking a look at the absolutely insane stats from his Freshman and Sophomore years in the Big South Conference tell another story about his skill set. For example, his Freshman year numbers where he became Freshman All-American according to Perfect Game: .369/.500/.464/.964 with 52 walks and only 28 strikeouts to go along with 23 stolen bases. His Sophomore year numbers that lead to him being the Big South Player of the Year: .359/.532/.552/1.084 with 62 walks to 30 strikeouts and another 23 steals. The numbers dipped a bit this past season to a slash of .292/.458/.457/.915 but the blazing speed and ground he can cover in centerfield doesn’t go in a slump. Ideally, Artis can become a table setter atop a lineup and continue his gap to gap power that he displayed in college and on the Cape.
Round 8, Pick 248: Zach Mort
Position: RHP
Age: 21
School: George Mason University
Notes: You want a college arm that just put up great stats across the board this season? You got one in Zach Mort. During his Junior campaign in the Atlantic 10 Conference, he was the owner of a 2.48 ERA over 105 innings pitched. Something worth highlighting with Mort is his strikeout to walk numbers, where he struck out 9.23 and walked 1.11 batters per 9 innings. Between the extremely low walk numbers and his ability to limit the hits as well, he ended up with a measly 1.01 WHIP in 2018 and a 1.16 WHIP during his career. Mort was considered a workhorse during his time at George Mason and he finished out 3 complete games out of his 15 starts in 2018. Expect him to stay in the rotation for now, but he could potentially make the move to the pen without much of a hiccup.
Round 9, Pick 278: Derek Casey
Position: RHP
Age: 22
School: University of Virginia
Notes: The front office continued a trend in this draft of going with guys that have an injury history, this time going with Derek Casey (another Virginia kid) who missed all of 2016 due to Tommy John surgery. He has fairly average offerings across the board, including low 90s heat. That has resulted in average numbers to go along with it as he started 14 games this season, going a total of 95.2 innings of 3.48 ERA ball, with a 1.29 WHIP. His strikeout and walk numbers look better than the other numbers though, as he is walking 2.35 batters per 9 and striking out nearly 10 per 9 innings. The major takeaway from Casey is the fact that he was the Friday starter all year long for a very impressive Virginia program. Those leadership skills and his pitchability could move him through the system quicker than some other draft picks.
Round 10, Pick 308: Luke Reynolds
Position: 3B
Age: 23
School: University of Southern Mississippi
Notes: Reynolds may be the oldest player the Cubs have drafted in the first two days, but he has put up some impressive numbers during this season for Southern Miss. A beautiful slash line of .389/.551/.699/1.250 to go along with 20 doubles and 15 bombs means the kid can hit the cover off of the ball. Surprisingly Reynolds added 8 stolen bases this season but speed will not be a major part of his game in the pros. While power seems to be the name of the game with this guy, it is actually hit tool that is the most impressive. While he is listed as a third baseman now, he will surely serve a similar role as Austin Filiere has so far in South Bend this season, playing both of the corner infield positions.
The third and final day of the draft will begin on Wednesday starting at 12 PM Eastern and will include rounds 11-40.
Out of the Vines 