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Cubs Select Kyle Schwarber
So the big 3 pitchers went to the first 3 picks - Aiken to Astros, Kolek to Marlins and Rodon slips to White Sox. That left the Cubs in the position to do pretty much whatever they want. The reality is that after the first 3 picks, there was no obvious #4, or 5 or 6 or 7. Some guys really liked Nick Gordon and Alex Jackson, but they're projectable high schoolers and if they were sure things, let's face it, they'd be going top 3. No one passes a sure thing bat for pitching unless it's Strasburg coming out for the draft and that's what the 3 teams just did ahead of the Cubs.
So the Cubs had their pick of the rest of the bunch and they ended up taking the player they "claim" to be #2 on their draft board in C/OF/1B Kyle Schwarber (#1 was Aiken). Draft junkies aren't buying that, but hell with them. If baseball teams ran their teams by mock drafts and twitter they should all get fired. Here's what we know about Schwarber and that is that he can rake...a left-handed hitter with a good power/patience profile. College stats don't mean much, but they're as ridiculous as you expect. Now is the bat just good enough for a catcher or is it good enough to play the outfield or first base? Well that's the question because there are very few that believe that Schwarber will stay behind the plate and he doesn't seem to be the physical specimen that would make much of an outfielder although being a catcher and all, he should at least have a solid arm out there.
McLeod talked up his bat, calling him the surest bet in the draft, someone who does all the things the Cub want from a hitter in terms of controlling the strike zone, hitting for power and hitting for average and said his make-up is off the charts which has been a reoccuring theme with their other 2 top picks (Almora and Bryant). Added bonus is that the Cubs will likely save a little on this pick once Schwarber signs and that'll give them a chance to get a little higher upside arm in some of the lower rounds.
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