Article: 2023 MLB Draft Day 2 Thread

[Jeremy Nygaard]

The Cubs added two players on Sunday night and will add eight more on Monday. This article will be updated with each Cubs pick, so check back often.

Image courtesy of Ron Schloerb/Cape Cod Times-USA TODAY NETWORK

Today's portion of the draft, which will include rounds 3 through 10, will begin at 1 p.m. CT.

Keep up to date with the Cubs Draft Tracker. 

A quick recap from yesterday:

1 (13) - Matt Shaw, SS, Maryland
21 years old. 5-11, 185.
Draft Article / Draft Tracker 

2C (68) - Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, Arkansas
21 years old. 6-6, 225. 
Draft Article / Draft Tracker 

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3 (81) - Josh Rivera, SS, Florida
22 years old. 6-2, 215. 
Draft Tracker 

Rivera was a key contributor in Florida's College World Series run in 2023, with solid tools across the board helping him move steadily up Draft boards this spring. Rivera's college production in his first two seasons was impacted by the pandemic and injury. In 2023 he's been a able to show what he can do. Rivera has a strong, selective approach at the plate that has led to a higher walk rate 18 BB%, than strikeout rate 14 K%. He hit .348/.447/.617 in 2023 with 19 home runs. Defensively, while not the quickest, Rivera has good defensive actions that give him a good chance to stick at shortstop.  Rivera does everything pretty well and should be a top 100 pick in July. - JD Cameron

Draft slot: $872,400

4 (113) - Will Sanders, RHP, South Carolina
21 years old. 6-6, 230. 
Draft Tracker 

Sanders is a big-bodied righty whose frame, solid platform of stuff, and projectability outweigh his relatively poor 2023 production. Sanders features a four pitch mix in which all of them may be above average with no one outstanding offering, but plenty of clay to mold. His fastball sits 93-96 mph with good carry. Despite Sanders' size and good extension, he struggled to get whiffs on his fastball and this development will be key to unlocking his potential as a pro. For secondaries, he relies most on his slider but also features a changeup with good fade, both solid offerings. Sanders has some projection left, unlocking a better fastball will be a key next step. - JD Cameron

Draft slot: $591,800

5 (149) - Michael Carico, C, Davidson
20 years old. 6-0, 190.
Draft Tracker

Carico has one of the most intriguing bats of any catcher in the 2023 class. A broken wrist put a huge dent in his 2023 season after just 9 games, but his numbers for Davidson in 2022 were ridiculous. In 54 games, he batted .456/.559/.843 with 21 home runs, 17 K% and 23 BB%, sheesh. In limited 2023 action he's hitting .352/.551/.690 with 6 HR. Carico has an uppercut type swing from the left side that produces fly balls to all fields, and the bat speed and raw power to hit for plenty of power at the next level. The question with Carico's offensive profile is if he can translate it to tougher competition and better velocity. Defensively, he should stick at catcher. He's an above average defender with a solid arm, but his receiving skills could use refinement. The hit tool will be average but Carico could be a great pickup for an organization that can take advantage of his raw power and great approach at the plate. - JD Cameron

Draft slot: $416,900

6 (176) - Alfonsin Rosario, OF, P27 Academy (SC)
18 years old. 6-5, 210.
Draft Tracker  

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Rosario transferred to the P27 Academy in Lexington, S.C. for the 2023 season. That’s the same program that produced Dodgers sixth-round righthander Logan Wagner in 2022. Rosario is a 6-foot-2, 215-pound righthanded hitter with plenty of physicality and tools, including one of the best arms in the class. He registered an outfield throw of 101 mph at Perfect Game’s National Showcase in 2022, and also has solid running ability and big raw power. That raw power comes with an offensive approach and swing that needs to be refined and simplified, as Rosario features plenty of moving parts with both his hands and a large leg kick. He does have good bat speed and twitchy hands, but he’s often overly pull-happy and will aggressively expand the zone and swing-and-miss with enough frequency to raise questions about the overall quality of his hit tool. Rosario has exciting upside, but might be better off proving his hitting chops with Chipola (Fla.) JC next year, and he could be an interesting option for the re-implemented draft-and-follow system because of that. - Baseball America

Draft slot: $325,600

7 (206) - Yahil Melendez, SS, B You Academy (PR)
17 years old. 6-3, 165.
Draft Tracker  

Draft slot: $254,500

8 (236) - Brett Bateman, OF, Minnesota
21 years old. 5-10, 170.
Draft Tracker  

A 5-foot-10, 170-pound outfielder, Bateman led Minnesota in average, on-base percentage and steals in 2023 and slashed .354/.450/.407 in a career year that featured 10 doubles, 17 stolen bases and strong plate discipline, with a 9% strikeout rate and 13.9% walk rate. Contact is the name of the game with Bateman, who has never hit a single home run with Minnesota and employs a simple and direct line drive swing with excellent bat-tot-ball skills. He made contact at an elite, 89% rate this spring and against pitches within the strike zone that jumped to 94%. As evidenced by his home run totals in college and his small frame, Bateman doesn’t have much in the way of power and has to rely on stretching softly hit singles into doubles in order to create any extra-base hits. He is a good defender in the outfield as a plus runner who should be able to play all three outfield positions, but does a nice job in center and should stick there at the next level. Bateman went 17-for-21 (80.1%) in stolen bases this spring and should be a consistent threat to steal in pro ball. He was also the best hitter in the early weeks of the Cape Cod League after the season, and hit .500/.519/.587 with Cotuit in his first 13 games. His contact ability, defense and speed could make him a top-10 round pick. - Baseball America

Draft slot: $203,600

9 (266) - Jonathon Long, 1B, Long Beach State
21 years old. 6-0, 210.
Draft Tracker  

A three-year starter and consistent offensive performer for Long Beach State, Long had a career-year in 2023 when he slashed .310/.402/.597 and hit 15 home runs and 17 doubles with a 17.2% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate. Long earned second team All-Big West honors for his season, which was significantly more powerful than his 2021 and 2022 campaigns. A 6-foot, 210-pound first baseman, Long has a slightly closed off setup with quick hands and a fairly direct path to the ball. He hits the ball hard and managed a 92 mph average exit velocity this spring, with home run power to both gaps. Long’s uptick in game power this spring is important for his profile at the next level, as he’s a below-average runner and likely limited to first base. He’s always hit for average and gotten on base at a strong clip, though Long did struggle in 40 games in the Cape Cod League in 2022, when he slashed .210/.320/.381 with 41 strikeouts and 14 walks. His performance this spring could make him a late day two draft target. - Baseball America

Draft slot: $179,400

10 (296) - Luis Martinez-Gomez, RHP, Tempe College (TX)
20 years old. 6-2, 175.
Draft Tracker  

Draft slot: $168,300

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In the meantime, what did you think about what happened Sunday night? What are you looking forward to on Monday?

View full article

[Tryptamine]

I'd love to land Travis Sykora today, but I'm not sure the slot savings are there for that.

[Outshined_One]

It's hard to know what sorts of savings the Cubs are currently looking at (if any), considering Shaw likely would have been a Top 5 pick in a normal year and Wiggins could elevate his stock in 2024 with a healthy comeback, so he has some leverage.

George Wolkow is an intriguing option as a possible overslot candidate, given that he's local, young for the draft, and has major power hitter potential, which this system sorely lacks.

[Hrubes20]

4 minutes ago, Outshined_One said:

It's hard to know what sorts of savings the Cubs are currently looking at (if any), considering Shaw likely would have been a Top 5 pick in a normal year and Wiggins could elevate his stock in 2024 with a healthy comeback, so he has some leverage.

George Wolkow is an intriguing option as a possible overslot candidate, given that he's local, young for the draft, and has major power hitter potential, which this system sorely lacks.

Wolkow would be fun to add, for sure. Will Gasparino would be my top choice, if they have enough money for him. Have to assume Cam Johnson is off to LSU.

[Outshined_One]

And we're off!

Josh Rivera, SS, Florida

Quote

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Rivera was a solid high school prospect at IMG Academy in Florida, but a knee issue and his commitment to play for the Gators knocked him down to the 22nd round. He was never able to quite put it all together at Florida until this spring, his fourth with the Gators, with a consistent performance on both sides of the ball leading him to rise up Draft boards in a hurry.

For his first three seasons at Florida (the first cut short by the pandemic), Rivera didn’t produce much, if at all, offensively, and dealt with arm issues in 2022. This year, though, he’s been healthy and shown he can impact the ball a lot more effectively. He’s not necessarily a pure hitter, with a bit of an unbalanced setup at the plate, but he’s been barreling up the ball all spring, with an advanced approach that has led to very few strikeouts and a healthy walk rate. All of that has enabled him tap into his raw power consistently.

While he isn’t overly rangy, scouts do think Rivera has the chance to stick at shortstop. He’s good to his glove side and will make the everyday play consistently, but he won’t be flashy. Some think that, plus his arm being a little short, might make him a better fit for second base or perhaps a super-utility role. But his big step forward with the bat has made him one of the higher-profile seniors in the class.

Senior sign for underslot?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Cubs 3rd rounder is Florida SS Josh Rivera. He's a senior but ranked/valued around this area so maybe just a $200-$300k slot savings.

He was really good in the Supers and at Omaha.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I didn't watch a ton of the CWS but Rivera was one of the guys who made me google how good a prospect he was.  Seems like lots of folks are more bullish on his SS defense than that MLB.com report too.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

The Padres drafted a whole school, according to MLB.com (sounds like the pick was actually Jandaniel Gonzalez)

[Outshined_One]

1 minute ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

The Padres drafted a whole school, according to MLB.com (sounds like it is Jandaniel Gonzalez)

Sadly, they corrected it, and it is indeed JD Gonzalez.

[Outshined_One]

RHP Will Sanders, South Carolina

Quote

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45 

Scouts loved Sanders' projectability when he was a Georgia high schooler, but the shortened 2020 season eliminated his opportunity to make an impression that spring. He went undrafted and headed to South Carolina, where he has added 20 pounds to his 6-foot-6 frame and his stuff has gotten stronger as well. An inconsistent junior season ruined his chances of going in the first round, and his stock took another hit when he missed the final three weeks of the regular season as well as the Southeastern Conference tournament with an apparent foot injury. 

Sanders' difficulties have stemmed largely from his inability to miss bats with his fastball, which sits at 92-94 mph and peaks at 96 but catches too much of the plate and lacks life when he doesn't command it up in the zone. His secondary pitches are all solid, including a mid-80s changeup that tumbles and fades and keeps left-handers at bay. He favors his low-80s curveball over his mid-80s slider, both of which have depth, and he can land both for strikes. 

Sanders' size helps him create extension and angle that make life more difficult for hitters. Despite his long limbs, he keeps his mechanics in sync and provides a reliable amount of strikes, though his control has slipped a bit in 2023. He still can gain more strength but his biggest need is to improve the movement and command with his fastball. 

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Cubs draft South Carolina RHP Will Sanders in the 4th

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Josh Rivera:

Athletic: 87
BA: 60
ESPN: 92
FG: NR - 6th rated college hitter after their top 64 (40 FV)
MLB Pipeline: 87

[Tryptamine]

8 minutes ago, Outshined_One said:

RHP Will Sanders, South Carolina

 

This is the kind of guy I have confidence in the Cubs turning into something. Get him in the lab and get some tailing action on that fastball and he becomes a thing.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Will Sanders

Athletic: 92
BA: 94
ESPN: 65
FG: 65
MLB Pipeline: 135

[Tryptamine]

Through 4 rounds and while they don't have any major underslots, they don't really have any overslots either, I wonder where the money is going to go.

[Irrelevant Dude]

2 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

Through 4 rounds and while they don't have any major underslots, they don't really have any overslots either, I wonder where the money is going to go.

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

9 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

Through 4 rounds and while they don't have any major underslots, they don't really have any overslots either, I wonder where the money is going to go.

Not sure there is much money. Maybe $200-$300k each for Wiggins and Rivera.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Riviera:

Athletic:

Quote

Rivera is likely to be the first college senior position player taken this year, as he’s been one of the best hitters for the Gators while continuing to play plus defense at short. He went from .255/.351/.429 as a junior to .354/.453/.634 as a senior, hitting more homers this spring (19) as he had in the prior three seasons combined. He struck out just barely over 10 percent of the time this season, and walked far more often than he punched out (45 BB, 31 K), hammering fastballs and showing he could hit good velocity. His age and lack of track record will ding him, but he can stay at short and he has made more hard contact this year to give you some reason to believe it’ll last.

BA:

Quote

Age At Draft: 22.8 
BA Grade:45/High
Tools:Hit: 45. Power: 45. Run: 50. Field: 50. Arm: 50. 

Rivera has been on the national scouting scene for a long time. He was a prep standout who showed impressive defensive chops and pure hitting ability, but after reaching Florida he never quite figured it out with the bat after dealing with a series of nagging injuries for many years. Something clicked for him in his 2023 draft year, as Rivera turned in an exceptional offensive season and hit .348/.447/.617 with 19 home runs as well as a 14.7% walk rate and 11.2% strikeout rate. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound righthanded hitter has plenty of bat speed, showed all-fields power and also hammered 92-plus mph fastball velocity this spring, to the tune of a .422/.513/.656 line. It’s a big and aggressive swing with plenty of length to the bat path, but Rivera has shown a solid ability to manipulate the barrel to all parts of the zone—and he’s had success expanding it at times as well. He might need to become more selective at the next level, but his improved walk and strikeouts rates this spring offer some encouragement about his approach. Despite a long finish, Rivera gets out of the box well and runs hard down the line, turning in above-average or plus home-to-first times, though he might be more of an average runner overall. He has solid defensive actions and arm strength at shortstop, with a chance to stick at the position, though third base or second could be a landing spot in pro ball as well. Rivera should be a priority senior sign with day one buzz given his strong season and prep pedigree.

ESPN:

Quote

92. Josh Rivera (22.7), SS, Florida

Giving some Jonathan India vibes as a longtime famous Florida prep infielder who put it together late in his time in Gainesville.

No writeup from FG. O_O posted the writeup from MLB Pipeline.

[Outshined_One]

Eric Karros has two sons who went to UCLA and have now been drafted.

I'll say it before, and I'll say it again. I am old.

[Outshined_One]

C Michael Carico, Davidson

Quote

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 35 | Arm: 50 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

After batting .219 as a part-time catcher trying to play through a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder in 2021, Carico broke out as a 19-year-old sophomore last season. He batted .406/.559/.843, led NCAA Division I in on-base percentage and OPS (1.402) and set Davidson records for OBP, slugging, OPS, runs (71), homers (21), extra-base hits (43), total bases (166) and hit by pitches (26). The Atlantic 10 Conference player of the year, he also became the first Davidson player invited to try out for the U.S. collegiate national team. 

Carico has some stiffness to his left-handed swing, but he has the strength and bat speed to produce solid power from left-center to the right-field line. He struggled in the Team USA trials against better quality pitching, so there's some question as to how good he'll be versus tougher competition. He may not produce high batting averages, but his pop and his plate discipline are real. 

Carico has well-below-average speed and fringy-at-best athleticism that limits his ceiling as a receiver, though he does have the work ethic to become adequate behind the plate. He has solid arm strength but it plays down because he lacks accuracy on his throws. Though he broke a bone in his left wrist in March and missed most of the next two months, he's still a lefty-hitting catcher with performance and youth on his side, so he might match Robert Eenhoorn (second round, 1990) as the highest pick in Wildcats history. 

 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Cubs 5th rounder: Michael Carico, C, Davidson

[CaliforniaRaisin]

4th rounder Will Sanders:

Athletic:

Quote

Sanders is 6-foot-6 with a plus slider and 92-95 mph fastball, but the heater plays down from its velocity and lefties especially had a field day with the pitch this year. He does have a changeup, mostly 85-89 mph, and when he finishes it in the lower half of the zone it’s a respectable pitch with some late run away from lefties, but he has zero feel for it and didn’t use it enough in games to improve that. He could finish stronger on his front side to get better vertical break to the fastball, making better use of his height. He gave up 29 runs in 35 innings in SEC play, then missed a month with a “lower body injury” before a couple of solid relief outings in the regional followed by a clunker against Florida where two-thirds of his pitches were sliders. There’s a lot to work with here for a team that trusts its pitching development, but without that kind of help, he’s going to end up in relief.

BA:

Quote

Age At Draft: 22.8 
BA Grade:45/High
Tools:Hit: 45. Power: 45. Run: 50. Field: 50. Arm: 50. 

Rivera has been on the national scouting scene for a long time. He was a prep standout who showed impressive defensive chops and pure hitting ability, but after reaching Florida he never quite figured it out with the bat after dealing with a series of nagging injuries for many years. Something clicked for him in his 2023 draft year, as Rivera turned in an exceptional offensive season and hit .348/.447/.617 with 19 home runs as well as a 14.7% walk rate and 11.2% strikeout rate. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound righthanded hitter has plenty of bat speed, showed all-fields power and also hammered 92-plus mph fastball velocity this spring, to the tune of a .422/.513/.656 line. It’s a big and aggressive swing with plenty of length to the bat path, but Rivera has shown a solid ability to manipulate the barrel to all parts of the zone—and he’s had success expanding it at times as well. He might need to become more selective at the next level, but his improved walk and strikeouts rates this spring offer some encouragement about his approach. Despite a long finish, Rivera gets out of the box well and runs hard down the line, turning in above-average or plus home-to-first times, though he might be more of an average runner overall. He has solid defensive actions and arm strength at shortstop, with a chance to stick at the position, though third base or second could be a landing spot in pro ball as well. Rivera should be a priority senior sign with day one buzz given his strong season and prep pedigree.

ESPN:

Quote

94. Will Sanders (21.3), RHP, South Carolina

Looked like a first rounder early in his time in Columbia but had up-and-down spring and finished poorly; could be a steal like Jonathan Cannon was last year.

FG (40+ FV): 

Quote

Sanders had a down 2023 because of an injury to his knee and lower fibula, which caused him pain during the season even before he was shut down for most of May. It's quite a feat that Sanders only missed a month. This is likely a guy who'll be shut down after the draft so he can be completely healthy for next season. And healthy Sanders does a little bit of everything. He can work the angle of his fastball past hitters at the letters even though he doesn't throw incredibly hard, and both his changeup and slider are capable of missing bats when he executes location, which he tends to do. His fastball is pretty vulnerable in the strike zone, so Sanders doesn't have a great way to get ahead of hitters. He tends to use his changeup as an action pitch in the zone just to show a different look. Improving breaking ball demarcation (there are definitely two different pitches here, they just run together) as a pro might also help with this. The entire package presents a pretty low variance no. 4/5 starter look. He'd likely have gone toward the back of the first round if healthy, but he's now more likely to come off the board in the second.

O_O posted MLB Pipeline's report earlier.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[Hrubes20]

24 minutes ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

Not sure there is much money. Maybe $200-$300k each for Wiggins and Rivera.

And over $400K for overages. That’s not counting any senior signs in rounds 8-10. 

[CaliforniaRaisin]

5th rounder: Michael Carico

Athletic: 96
BA: 127
ESPN: 62
FG: 53 (40+ FV)
MLB Pipeline: 110

Athletic:

Quote

Scouting Report

Bats: L, Throws: R

Carico played just 21 games this spring around a broken hand, but he mashed when he played, with a .350/.514/.688 line and seven homers for Davidson, and nearly all of that damage came after he returned from injury. He has controlled the zone extremely well and doesn’t whiff much, but he also didn’t face any hard throwers this spring and didn’t do much against good velocity last summer in a tiny sample. As a receiver, he drops the glove to the ground before receiving the pitch, which doesn’t get him in the best position to catch the ball cleanly. He has an average arm and needs to improve his accuracy and work on transfers to allow him to control the running game. He’s a bat-first catcher but if a team believes he’ll stick behind the plate he could sneak into the second round.

BA:

Quote

Age At Draft: 20.9 
BA Grade:45/Extreme
Tools:Hit: 40. Power: 50. Run: 30. Field: 45. Arm: 50. 

Carico was a part-time player for Davidson during the 2021 season, when he hit .219/.380/.301 over 29 games. He broke out in a massive way during the 2022 season, when he slashed .406/.559/.843 with 21 home runs, 21 doubles, led Division I hitters in OBP and made Baseball America’s All-America third team. Injuries limited Carico to just 21 games during his junior season in 2023, but he still performed and hit .350/.514/.688 with seven home runs, a 15.9% walk rate and a 13.1% strikeout rate. Listed at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Carico has raw power that comes from a steep, fly ball-oriented swing and exceptional contact rates and zone recognition skills against Atlantic 10 Conference competition. However, Carico faced only 22 pitches that were 93 mph or harder in 2022, per Synergy, in a 1,162-pitch sample. During the summer with Team USA he swung-and-missed more frequently and also expanded the zone more often against better pitching and went hitless in nine at-bats with the national team training roster, with six strikeouts and no walks. Carico moves well behind the plate with solid actions and receiving ability, and he also moves well laterally and blocks well when not in a one-knee setup. He has a chance to be a fringe-average defender with solid arm strength.

ESPN:

Quote

62. Michael Carico (20.9), C, Davidson

He missed time this spring with a broken bone in his wrist, but scouts can't get past the positive signs here: young for the class, good shot to stick behind the plate, above-average raw power, and truly bananas numbers. As a 19-year-old sophomore last season, he put up a 1.402 OPS with 21 bombs.

 

FG: 

Quote

While still a work-in-progress as a receiver, Carico is a lefty-hitting catcher with an athletic swing and plus arm. He covers most of the plate, has power to both gaps, and if his offensive performance holds water against better pitching than Carico will see in the Atlantic 10, he might do enough on offense to be a primary catcher.

O_O posted the MLB Pipeline report.