2026 Chicago Cubs Draft Tracker: Picks & Bonuses

Townsend was a solid prep prospect ahead of the 2024 draft, cracking T200 and T300 lists, but made it to campus at Ole Miss. After splitting time between starting and relieving in his freshman season, he entered 2026 strictly as a starter. It was an explosive start to his season. In his first 35 innings pitched, he managed a 2.32 FIP, striking out over 32% of hitters and walking just 4.8%. Unfortunately, he left his fifth start with shoulder discomfort, missing some time on the shelf. It's an appealing fastball that sits 93-95 mph but can grab 98 mph. It has good carry and plays best at the top of the strike zone. It's supplemented by a nasty curveball, a hammer with a ton of drop that he imparts upwards of 3,000 rpms of spin onto with consistency. Rounding out Townsend's arsenal is a cutter that sits in the high 80s, a slider and a changeup with good fade. The missed time and smaller frame might give some teams pause, but Townsend has a diverse, exciting arsenal. He managed a 4.13 FIP with a 31.9 K% and a much improved 8 BB% in 64 IP in 2026. He should go well in July despite not pitching in the Rebs Omaha run.

Caden Sorrell was a good prep prospect in 2023 but opted to attend Texas A&M. Fast forward three years and he's looking increasingly like a first round pick. Sorrell's offensive skillset is geared towards damage and loft, a potent combination. It's excellent bat speed from the left side of the plate and Sorrell was a productive hitter in both of his first two collegiate seasons, despite being derailed by some nagging injuries. There are some weaknesses to exploit, offensively. Sorrell does have some bat-to-ball issues, which, when combined with his propensity to chase, can lead to him wracking up significant strikeout totals. Sorrell has a plus arm and is an above average runner. It's likely a corner profile long term, but with those additional tools, he has a chance to be a plus right fielder. In 56 games in 2026, Sorrell managed a .341/.434/.743 line with 23 home runs (44 XBH), a 12.5 BB%, a 23 K%, and a 149 wRC+.

Bailey has the best raw power in the entire class. His average EV and EV90 are top of the scale. He was torching non-conference play to the tune of 13 home runs (a .913 SLG) in his first 26 games before a serious ankle injury resulted in surgery and the end of his season. Raw power isn't Bailey's only asset. He's a good athlete and has an excellent approach. He followed up a 13.7 BB% in 2025 with a 28.7 BB% in 2026. Additionally, he just doesn't expand the strike zone, with a 98th percentile chase rate. The profile does come with serious swing and miss concerns, however. Bailey registered a K% over 30% in 2025 and has some of the worst whiff and in-zone whiff percentages in D1 baseball. He's likely destined to stick at 1B in pro ball. He has an unusually diverse range of outcomes for a college prospect, but the power upside is huge.

Jasa went 10-2 with a 3.59 ERA across 87 2/3 innings pitched for Nebraska last season. He limited opponents to just a .204 average last season and posted a 30.4% strikeout rate. Jasa used his fastball just 28% of the time last season, but that was because opponents struggled mightily against his off-speed pitches last season, managing just six hits and punching out 81 times against his curveball.

His player profile from MLB.com says the following about his talents.

"Jasa averages 96 mph and reaches 98 with his fastball, but it lacks life and command and tends to get hit harder than would be expected, so he has used it just 28 percent of the time this spring. He leans much more on a tight upper-80s slider that tops out at 91 and plays well off his best pitch, a downer 78-82 mph curveball. Opponents went 6-for-111 (.054) with 81 strikeouts against his curve in 2026. Though he doesn't employ his low-80s changeup very often and has difficulty landing it for strikes, it shows promising tumble and fade at its best. Jasa has much better feel for his breaking balls than his dead-zone fastball, and while his control has improved, it's still below average. That means he comes with a good deal of reliever risk, though he also has huge upside as a starter if a team can help him improve his ability to shape and locate his heater. He's athletic and has improved tremendously in college, leading to hope he can continue to do so at the next level."

The right-hander had entered the transfer portal this year and had interest from the University of Miami, though ultimately would transfer to the SEC and the Alabama Tide. The slot value for the 126th pick in the MLB draft is $609.200. Marionneaux stands 6'3" but is listed only at 163lbs. In his most recent season at Northwestern, he struck out 81 hitters over the span of 84 innings pitched, while sporting a 3.51 ERA on route to making the All-Southland first team. 

According to Baseball America in 2025, Marionneaux lives in the upper-80s and throws mostly fastballs and sliders.

Blomker, the 2026 Gatorade New Mexico Player of the Year, is an LSU commit. The 18-year-old has a fastball that can touch 96 MPH and a slider with "impressive sweeping rate," per MLB.com's 2026 MLB Draft stream.

Draft analyst Jonathan Mayo told host Jacob Wilkins that he believes the Cubs can get Blomker to spurn LSU for their organization. Mayo added that "a lot of area scouts" thought Blomker would not be drafted this early -- predicating a move to the collegiate Tigers -- and offered a scouting report on him:

"Unconventional delivery... he can really spin the ball, a high spin rate, sometimes up to 3000 RPM on the breaking ball. Low 90s, maybe a little more in the tank as he continues to mature... he didn't take that step forward at the beginning of the spring... but got better as the year went on."

Morton is a 6'3" right-hander that spent two seasons at Texas A&M before transferring to Minnesota for the final season of his collegiate career. Morton was drafted once in 2023 in the 19th round by the Milwaukee Brewers but chose to take the college route. He sits around 93-95 mph with his fastball, as well as including a slider, cutter and changeup. Morton has struggled with injuries, suffering damaged tendons in 2023 and blowing out his arm in his final collegiate start in 2026, meaning he likely won't see professional action until the end of the 2027 season.

Chicago stuck with its run of pitchers in the seventh round when selecting left-hander Cole Tryba out of UC Santa Barbara. Tryba is unique with his lower, funky arm slot that worked when pitching in relief at Santa Barbara. He pitched to a 3.50 ERA with 57 strikeouts across 43 2/3 innings last season on a team that advanced into Regionals. Tryba also features a slurve and cutter that he uses as put away pitches. His teammate, Jackson Flora, got all the pre-draft hype, but there's some that believe the skillsets for the two aren't as far apart as their draft positions would suggest.

Another round, another pitcher selected for the Cubs, this time with it being Lance Williams out of Maryland. Williams transferred to Maryland after spending time at East Carolina and he has an electric fastball that consistently sits at 95-96 and can get up near triple digits. He pitched out of the bullpen and in the starting rotation for the Terps and had a couple bad outings balloon his season ERA up to a 6.16 at season's end. More command of the strike zone will be a big part of Williams' development.

Meyer has struggled to get on the mound in his collegiate career, as he collected just 51 1/3 innings over the last two season, with 48 of those coming in 2025. He has a mid-90's fastball to go along with a power curveball that he uses as his strikeout pitch. His strikeout numbers are impressive, as he racked up 68 over two seasons. Much like Morton, health will be a key part of his development and success.

A native of Japan, Alwood stands at 6'5" and spent all four years of his collegiate career at Seattle. Alwood struggle in his time there, going 6-15 with a 7.19 ERA across 62 appearances and 26 starts. He sits around 92-94 mph with his fastball and also features a slider that can be used as a strikeout pitch.

Veasey was used out of the bullpen for Clemson during the 2026 season and was solid in the process. His mid-90s fastball helped him pitch to a 3.29 ERA and a 32.2K% in 20 appearances. Veasey also features a slider than induced nearly a 60% whiff rate, as well as a 12-6 curveball that he'll occasionally spin up to the plate.

Arvidson is a strikeout machine. Over the previous two seasons at Tennessee, he's punched out 114 batters across 76 innings pitched. His fastball sits in the mid-90's, and it plays well with the swing-and-miss slider that he features. He did miss some time in 2026 with an injury, so keeping track of that will be important for his development.

Hernandez hails from Puerto Rico and was a member of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy. According to Baseball America, he's the No. 2 ranked Puerto Rican player in his class. Hernandez is a Miami of Ohio signee, so his decision to pursue to the college or professional route will be one to watch over the coming days/weeks.

Nunez will join his Santa Barbara teammate Cole Tryba in the minor-league system after Tryba was selected by the Cubs in the 7th round. Nunez had a stellar senior season that saw him slash .280/.361/.393 with nine double, three triples, two home runs and 15 RBIs. Most impressive of all, Nunez had just an 11.5% strikeout rate.

Naess is a tall, lanky right-hander at 6'6" and strikeouts are the name of his game. Despite his 4.63 ERA last season, Naess punched out 97 batters in 91 1/3 innings. He features an upper-80s fastball, and he'll seldom mix in a curveball and slider, but it's his changeup that he relies heavily on, as it was his best strikeout pitch during the season.

Pocol came out of the bullpen for Florida Golf Coast and was dominant while doing so. A three-pitch mix that includes a fastball, slider and curveball helped the right-hander rack up a 36.8% strikeout rate. Pocol is steadily in the zone with all three pitches, as shown by his walk rate of just 7.4%. The development of a fourth pitch or an increase in velocity will be a huge part of his development.

Marton is a bulky 6'4", 230-pound right-hander from Ontario that spent his 2026 collegiate season at UNLV. Marton pitched both in the starting rotation and out of the bullpen, posting a 6.16 ERA across 13 outings. The swing-and-miss numbers weren't great, as he punched out just 22 batters and walked nine across 19 innings. Marton recently committed to the University of Missouri, so he'll have a choice to make between the pros and another year of college.

McGrath pitched 28 times across two college seasons, including 24 last year. He posted a 5.79 ERA with 28 strikeouts across 28 innings. His fastball sits in the low-90s, and he pairs it with multiple off-speed pitches. He did walk 20 batters in 28 innings, so command of the strike zone will need to improve in the minor leagues.

Back-to-back Lukes in Rounds 18 & 19 for the Cubs, as the Vanderbilt product will likely sign after entering the transfer portal and still having yet to announce a commitment. Guth lives in the low-90's with his fastball, as well as featuring a mid-80's slider and a looping, low-70s curveball.

The final selection of the 2026 MLB Draft for the Cubs was used on Georgia first baseman Brennan Hudson. Hudson has major power, as he launched 38 home runs in his collegiate career, including 22 in his senior season. His plate discipline is a plus, as he struck out 109 times compared to 81 walks during his college career. A career OPS of 1.099 from an SEC program at pick No. 607 feels like excellent value for Chicago.