2024 Chicago Cubs Draft Picks

After appearing as a top-100 prospect on draft lists ahead of the 2022 draft, Smith made it to campus in Tallahassee. After a freshman campaign that saw evaluators question his hit tool, he's been making strides since a summer stint on the Cape to answer those questions and put himself in a strong position as a draft eligible sophomore in 2024.

Smith has an athletic profile built for good power, with a flatter bat path indicative that more home run power could be on the way if Smith can lift the ball with more consistency. Advances in the hit tool have raised his stock over the summer. Smith has begun chasing less and improved his contact rate significantly enabling him to get off to a scorching start to the 2024 season.

Smith is a good runner and mover for someone his size but that's a fringe average grade overall. Defensively, he has a plus arm and moves well, making third base a viable long term home as a professional, one that he should be above average at defensively.

Smith has a good case for the most improved hitter in college baseball in 2024. A lower hand set and wider base have helped him access his offensive impact with more consistency. He's an increasingly well-balanced offensive profile at the hot corner. He hit .387/.488/.654 (1.142) with 16 home runs (39 XBH), 44 walks and 48 strikeouts in 66 games.

Mathis plays for a smaller school at College of Charleston but has forced himself into the day one conversation through a combination of outstanding batted ball metrics in 2023 and an otherworldly Cape performance in 2023.

He smacked 11 home runs in his summer stint, in addition to posting consistently strong exit velocities in his 2023 college season, up there with some of the best in the nation. There's plenty to like about his approach and swing as he walks more than he strikes out, leading to a strong on-base platform. As you might expect, Mathis has excellent bat speed and punishes pitches in the zone with consistency.

He'd previously been a two way player, up to 97 mph on the bump but is focused on hitting in 2024. He warmed up after a little but of a slow start. His final line in 2024 was .335/.472/.650 (1.122) with 14 home runs (33 XBH), 46 walks, and just 32 strikeouts in 52 games.

Mathis has a cannon arm but not the best defensive actions and may end up limited in his defensive value. He should get a crack at third base as a pro, but if he shifts to first, the bat will have to continue to mash to accrue value. Mathis has ended up as one of the college data darlings of this cycle, I think he'll go higher than his consensus ranking.

A switch hitting shortstop. 

From FSS: 
Formerly an international free agent target of the Seattle Mariners, Cruz enrolled at Miami Christian and changed his eligibility for the stateside Rule 4 draft a couple years ago. He will be super young for the class, just 17 years old on draft day. There's work to be done with the bat, however Cruz flashes some upside offensively going short and compact into the zone with length and athleticism through it. He struggles to repeat his swing at times and will use a variety of loads and triggers to get on time affecting his contact quality. Cruz is a very good defender with fluidity and range at shortstop. He has quick hands and makes impressive transfers around the pillow with accurate throws across the diamond. Scouts are split on his arm strength, some calling it above average while other suggest it merely flashes average. There's a chance he eventually moves to second or third base as a pro, but that seems to be well down the road. Cruz walked away from close to a half-million dollars when he changed from an international free agent to a Rule 4 draft-eligible candidate. He's got a shot to go on day two and could elect to honor his Miami commitment.

Southisene is a prep hitter out of Nevada currently committed to Tennessee. While it's an undersized frame, there's a lot to like about a solid all round profile, particularly offensively.

Southisene has an above average hit tool that may become plus in time. It's excellent bat to ball skills, combined with good barrel manipulation and a discerning eye at the plate. Despite a smaller frame, he can hit for some power to the pull side but this will likely only grade out as fringe average when it's all said and done.

There's above average foot speed and a solid glove and arm in the profile, too. Southisene is likely to end up somewhere in the dirt, most likely second base long term. He's currently committed to the University of Tennessee.

From BA: 

Armas is a 6-foot, 185-pound catcher who stands out for his catch-and-throw skills behind the plate. He’s a hyper-mobile athlete with impressive actions behind the dish and a chance to be an above-average defender. This spring with San Diego Armas threw out 15-of-32 (46.9%) basestealers. His offensive game is a bit lighter and he’s a career .266/.372/.390 hitter over three seasons with just nine total home runs, but scouts do think he has solid pure contact skills.

From BA: 

UC Santa Barbara pumps out strike throwers as well as any program in the country and Gallagher is one of the next in a long line. A 6-foot-4, 220-pound righthander, Gallagher was the Big West freshman pitcher of the year in 2022 after he posted a 3.25 ERA in 15 starts and 83 innings but he lost the 2023 season after having Tommy John surgery. Back on the mound in 2024, Gallagher has continued to show solid command for a four-pitch mix. He throws his fastball in the 88-90 mph range and has been up to 93 with above-average riding life. He mixes in a slow mid-70s changeup with solid tumble and a low-80s slider as his go-to secondary pitches, though he will also mix in an occasional upper-70s curve. Gallagher has a career walk rate near 7% and should have the fastball command and above-average control to profile as a starter.

From BA: 

Brethowr is a tall and physical 6-foot-6, 250-pound outfielder with a big swing and lots of pull-side power. He has a low handset in his setup and features an uphill swing that can get a bit lengthy, but he has the strength to send the ball a long way with impressive top-end exit velocities. He slashed .294/.421/.581 in 43 games with 12 home runs—all of which were pulled—and a career-low 16.4% strikeout rate. Brethowr is a definite corner profile who spent time DHing in the past with UC Santa Barbara and Arizona State and he also has limited success with wood bats in the West Coast League and Cape Cod League. The power is his carrying tool.

From BA: 

Alvarez is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound first baseman who has been a consistent offensive performer for Nicholls State over the last three years and capped his 2024 senior season with a .415/.517/.675 slash line including 11 home runs, 20 doubles, a 10.5% strikeout rate and 18% walk rate. He doesn’t have the typical power production you’d expect of a first baseman with his physique and instead makes a ton of contact while limiting his strikeouts and getting on base via walks and hard hit doubles. Finding a way to access more power will be key for his profile because he’s likely limited to first base and a well below-average runner but his performance, contact skills and zone management could make him a senior sign target.

From BA: 

Caple is a 6-foot-6, 230-pound righthander who pitched as a reliever for two seasons with Stephen F. Austin before transferring to Lamar where he has been a starter in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. This spring Caple posted a 2.49 ERA over 97.2 innings and 16 starts with a 26% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate. He sits in the 89-91 mph range with a fastball that has touched as high as 97 with above-average riding life and has a solid mix of secondaries that includes a mid-80s slider, low-80s changeup, cutter and curveball.

From BAA: 
Caple is a 6-foot-6, 230-pound righthander who pitched as a reliever for two seasons with Stephen F. Austin before transferring to Lamar where he has been a starter in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. This spring Caple posted a 2.49 ERA over 97.2 innings and 16 starts with a 26% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate. He sits in the 89-91 mph range with a fastball that has touched as high as 97 with above-average riding life and has a solid mix of secondaries that includes a mid-80s slider, low-80s changeup, cutter and curveball.

FSS on Lovich:
The latest in the long line of prospects coming out of Blue Valley West, Lovich is a long, lanky, projectable outfielder with a real knack for putting the game in motion. He's largely a slap hitter for now, but as he adds strength, Lovich could develop into some power considering his 6-foot-4-inch frame. Lovich just simply gets the barrel to the baseball better than most of his peers, hardly ever selling out for pull-side power. From a tools perspective, he's an average runner who could grow into more speed. It's only an average arm, though he does take a strong first step in the field and on the bases. Lovich is an Arkansas commit, but if a team subscribes to the upside coming in the frame, and the *now* hit tool, he's got a shot at going good on day two of the draft.

From BA: 

Avitia was selected in the 19th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, but rather than starting his professional career he opted to attend Grand Canyon. Now a 6-foot-4, 215-pound righthander, Avitia entered the spring with a chance for a day one selection thanks to his pristine command, but he dealt with injury that caused him to miss a month of the season and scouts are still waiting for him to take a step forward with his stuff. He posted a 4.63 ERA over six starts and 35 innings this spring and owns a career 5.6% walk rate, but throws a fastball that averages 90 mph and touches 93-95 at peak. Avitia will also mix in a low-80s changeup as his primary secondary offering and has an upper-70s slurvy breaking ball. Both have been effective swing-and-miss pitches but neither project as above-average pitches in pro ball. Avitia throws from a lower arm slot that creates running life on his fastball and allows him to generate plenty of ground balls, but despite having a safe starter profile he’ll need to unlock more velocity at the next level.

From FSS: 
Aschenbeck was the most dominant relief arm in the country for much of the 2024 season, as well as parts of 2023. He's a crafty left-handed pitcher who has shown time and time again he can get the Aggies one our or twelve outs; whatever is needed. He'll really mix it up featuring a low-90s fastball that he can cut and fade to the opposition, mixing shapes and looks for lefties and righties alike. It's not an overpowering pitch, but with his full menu of pitches it's highly effective. A low-80s changeup has been devastating against right-handed hitters. There's a low-80s slider that's he'll throw to lefties and righties with above average command. Aschenbeck has the ability to manipulate shapes and create more sweep at times, while on other occasions electing to drive a bullet slider into the ground. It's plus control with walks hardly ever being an issue. Aschenbeck could take on a number of roles at the next level, but he may get a chance to start early in his career. He ultimately profiles as a long-man or swing reliever who can take over in the 5th or 6th inning and bridge to the leverage arms. He's likely a late day two under-slot option or a priority day three add for a team looking for floor and some certainly. Considering he is already 22 years old, leverage is not on his side.

From Baseball America:
Sisneros is a husky first baseman with a 6-foot-2, 230-pound frame and tons of power with a background as a two-way player. Before his time at East Tennessee State, Sisneros hit and pitched for Lamar (Colo.) JC, but in recent years stands out entirely for his lefthanded power. This spring he was the Southern Conference player of the year after hitting .369/.493/.766 with 23 home runs and 16 doubles and he also had standout zone discipline with a 7.4% strikeout rate and 18% walk rate. Sisneros can homer to all fields and he managed a terrific 89% contact rate and 18% chase rate this spring, though he doesn’t have much track record in wood bat summer leagues and profiles as a first baseman or DH only.

More to come. 

From BA:
Mangus is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound righthander who led Navarro (Texas) JC in 2024 with 62.2 innings and 68 strikeouts. He has a solid pitcher’s frame with new strength and a solid delivery that features a longer arm action in the back. Mangus pitches in the 90-94 mph range and also mixes in a slider around 80 with sweepy shape. He’s already had a Tommy John surgery which could be an issue for some teams, but his performance at Navarro this spring should make him a day three target. He’s committed to Oklahoma.