2024 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.

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 (14) - Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State 
21 years old. 6-3, 224. #18 on the Consensus Big Board
Draft Article / Draft Tracker

2 (54) - Cole Mathis, 1B, College of Charleston
20 years old. 6-1, 210. #68 on the Consensus Big Board
Draft Article / Draft Tracker

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3 (90) - Ronny Cruz, SS, Miami (FL) Christian School
17 years old. 6-2, 170. 

4 (120) - Ty Southisene, SS, Basic (NV) HS
19 years old. 6-0, 215. #159 on the Consensus Big Board

Southisene is a prep hitter out of Nevada. 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 manipulation and a discerning eye at the plate. He can hit for some power to the pull side but this will likely only grade out as fringe average when its 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. - Consensus Big Board

5 (153) - Ariel Armas, C, San Diego
21 years old. 6-0, 185. 

6 (182) - Ryan Gallagher, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
21 years old. 6-3, 195. 

7 (212) - Ivan Brethowr, OF, UC Santa Barbara
21 years old. 6-6, 250. #256 on the Consensus Big Board

A product of the same Kansas high school that produced former first-round fireballer Riley Pint, Brethowr provides more proof that they grow them big in that part of the country. The 6-foot-6 slugging outfielder began his college career at Arizona State, but after getting limited playing time as a freshman in 2022, he transferred to UC Santa Barbara and earned All-Big West First Team honors as a sophomore. He hasn't taken a big step forward in his junior season but he does provide a power bat possibility in the middle rounds. One of the most physical hitters in the country, Brethowr offers serious raw power from the right side of the plate, with some scouts thinking there might be 70 raw pop in his bat -- and it does show up to his pull side. Whether he can get to it consistently remains the question. While he's cut his strikeout rate down considerably this year, he continues to show a little bit of a slow trigger with the bat, and there could be more production unlocked with some swing adjustments. In the past, Brethowr has run well, especially for someone his size, but some lower-half injuries have slowed him down and he's likely to keep trending in that direction as he matures. He's limited to an outfield corner and has the raw arm strength to fit there. The team that takes him on Day 2 will be hoping it can maximize his power potential. - MLB.com

8 (242) - Edgar Alvarez, 1B, Nicholl State
23 years old. 6-4, 225. (5th-year senior)

9 (272) - Brooks Caple, RHP, Lamar
21 years old. 6-6, 230. (Senior) 

10 (302) - Matt Halbach, 3B, San Diego
21 years old. 6-3, 215. 

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Bonus Pool Situation

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

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[Outshined_One]

Jonathan Mayo on Draft Day 2, and What to Expect

[JD94]

I dug into Dakota Jordan a little bit this morning. Being from MS, I know some people close to him. He wants big money and teams aren’t willing to give it to him. He’s threatening a return to college now. He really struggled against SEC pitching striking out 37% of the time and only 11 xbh. Likely will have to move to a corner spot also. 
 

I kind of advocated for him last night, but I really haven’t dug into much past his final stat line, which can obviously fool you. I’m around a lot of MSU fans and they hype him up, but after a closer look, his profile is pretty meh against SEC pitching. Then his asking price is outrageous. I’ll be interested to see if he backs off his price today or returns to college. 

[Tryptamine]

I'm expecting slot for Cam Smith and maybe a few hundred K savings on Mathis, if that. So there's really not enough money to do anything particularly crazy at this point. I would expect primarily arms from here on out though.

[Rob]

I'd have some interest in Sirota depending on what he's asking for. But I sincerely doubt the underslot savings on Mathis are anywhere near enough to make that viable.

[Tryptamine]

Joey Oakie is the name that sticks out to me, but again, where is the money going to come from?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Hartle and Hurd remind me of the Birdsell/Will Sandwrs day 2 picks the past two years - college pitchers who had first round aspirations going into the season and fell through the season but still have talent.

I don’t think there was any savings yesterday so any over slots will have to come in tandem with seniors being picked today. I did like the multiple $300-$600k prep shots the Cubs took last year (Hope, Melendez, Rosario) and that strategy might be far more feasible again this year.

[Hrubes20]

Hunter Carns and Chase Harlan are both available and were names linked to the Cubs leading up to the draft.  

[We Got The Whole 9]

So do both of these guys start at South Bend?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

9 minutes ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

So do both of these guys start at South Bend?

Not a strong conviction, but my guess is both skip Myrtle Beach but the question is how much time they spend in Arizona first.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

 

[Tryptamine]

There goes Bazzell, I had some interest in him.

[Tryptamine]

I feel like the Angels have had a really really good draft so far.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Some big names going early today - Kuroda-Grauer, Beam, Messina, Bazzell, Prager, Hartle and Oakie already gone with the Cubs about 5 picks away.

[Tryptamine]

Guardians draft is crazy, I know they had the money, but damn.

[Outshined_One]

There goes Sirota to Cincy.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Cubs take Ronny Cruz, prep SS from Florida

[Outshined_One]

/Looks at list

Ronny Cruz.  I got nothing.

[Tryptamine]

Unranked HS player, I have no idea what to make of that.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

BA ranked him 386th:

Quote

386. Ronny Cruz SS

Ht: 6'1" | Wt: 170 | B-T: R-R

School: Miami Christian HS Commit/Drafted: Miami
Age At Draft: 17.9
Cruz is a 6-foot-1, 170-pound righthanded hitter and shortstop who stands out for his raw power. He’ll showcase plus raw power in batting practice and has a body that should add plenty more strength in the next few years, though he’ll need to find a way to make more contact and also clean up the direction of his lower half. Cruz tends to leak out to his pull side currently and is a pull-heavy hitter who might wind up being a below-average pure hitter. He made some strides in addressing that during the 2024 spring season. A shortstop now, Cruz is more likely to play third base at the next level though his overall quickness and instincts will need to sharpen for him to be a reliable defender at the position. He has average arm strength and could get to an above-average arm in the future. He’s committed to Miami but has been heavily scouted this spring with Miami Christian High and will still be 17 on draft day.

 

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Looks like he was invited to the combine, and according to some AI Slime/Sports Illustrated blogger he's clocked 107 exit velos.

[Hrubes20]

Weird pick. Usually you see a guy like that taken in round 11

[Tryptamine]

He's a prep guy so I can't even imagine the savings would be all that substantial. Why take this huge risk?

[Rob]

Well, that's a confusing pick. Not necessarily wrong -- just surprising to see it in round 3.

[CaliforniaRaisin]