2026 MLB Draft

[mul21]

3 hours ago, Outshined_One said:

Fansided's Latest Mock

Lots of popular names on the board at this pick.  I like Rabe's profile, but I think he seems more like a top tier relief pitcher than a starter.  Not a bad thing, just not what I'd want out of a first round pick.

As desperate as this team is for high octane arms, I wouldn't be terribly upset about picking a guy who you think can be a late inning circle of trust guy inside of 2 years from being drafted.  I'm no draft expert, but it sounds like the bats expected to be around at 23 are questionable and the arms all have injury or pitchability questions.  Grabbing a guy with a big arm who can move quickly and may be better suited to the pen because of previous injuries seems like a solid use of resources considering the dearth of relievers in the pipeline.

[Bertz]

While he's not my top choice, one of the fun things to think about with Rose is there's an implication that the team thinks he can *really* hit.  They haven't taken someone on the wrong half of the defensive spectrum in the first round since at least Happ, probably Schwarber.  And they've built up a pretty deserved level of benefit of the doubt on college bats.

[Jason Ross]

24 minutes ago, mul21 said:

As desperate as this team is for high octane arms, I wouldn't be terribly upset about picking a guy who you think can be a late inning circle of trust guy inside of 2 years from being drafted.  I'm no draft expert, but it sounds like the bats expected to be around at 23 are questionable and the arms all have injury or pitchability questions.  Grabbing a guy with a big arm who can move quickly and may be better suited to the pen because of previous injuries seems like a solid use of resources considering the dearth of relievers in the pipeline.

Not saying how I fully feel about Rabe and his future as...I really don't know how I feel about him yet, but I am *strongly* against drafting any relief pitching profile in the first unless it's coming with a clear savings on slot money. I don't think Rabe is coming in that south of slot, so either you like him as a starter or I'm a big pass. 

I could get behind the younger Wiggins (who has reliever scouting reports) as a good underslot and then spreading the wealth with picks 2, 3 and 4 for prep guys. But at 23 it's too early to be drafting near full slot quick moving relievers. You can find relief guys in the draft up and down. 

Your first round pick is kind of your best shot at an impact guy. So take someone you like for around slot or go way way under. But if you're sitting on Rabe thinking "yeah probably a reliever" than I'm out as I think that's a poor use of slot. 

[mul21]

11 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

Not saying how I fully feel about Rabe and his future as...I really don't know how I feel about him yet, but I am *strongly* against drafting any relief pitching profile in the first unless it's coming with a clear savings on slot money. I don't think Rabe is coming in that south of slot, so either you like him as a starter or I'm a big pass. 

I could get behind the younger Wiggins (who has reliever scouting reports) as a good underslot and then spreading the wealth with picks 2, 3 and 4 for prep guys. But at 23 it's too early to be drafting near full slot quick moving relievers. You can find relief guys in the draft up and down. 

Your first round pick is kind of your best shot at an impact guy. So take someone you like for around slot or go way way under. But if you're sitting on Rabe thinking "yeah probably a reliever" than I'm out as I think that's a poor use of slot. 

Totally agree and I was speaking more in general than toward any specific guy.

[JD94]

3 hours ago, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

Fastball, cutter, slider is a little concerning. Sounds like he needs something that moves arm-side. But touching 100 with 60 control would be hard to pass on

He throws a changeup as well. Here’s Kendall Rogers with D1 baseball mentioning it for further proof lol :

 

 

 

[Jason Ross]

I'm feeling like we're starting to finally see the smoke on the Cubs' pick. Based on some things I've read in Greg's Discord server, the comments from Broz and Kantrovitz, and now even BA changing from Mason Edwards (who had been a consistent picker) to now, Daniel Jackson, I feel like for the first time all cycle, I think I have a decent guess as to where they'd go. I had predicted gun-to-head yesterday Deitz just because I could see people getting wow'd by the potential upside, but I think today I'd guess it's going to be DJ.

This matches up well with comments across the board. And while the Cubs don't normally go with a lot of capital into the catcher's position, I think the power/speed/arm combo here lends you to believe a corner OF bat is more than possible making it a bit more of a "Cubs"  hitter profile. He doesn't have to be a catcher due to other circumstances, and because of that, could break that mold.

[Outshined_One]

1 hour ago, Jason Ross said:

He doesn't have to be a catcher due to other circumstances, and because of that, could break that mold.

We've kinda beaten the college catcher dead horse over the last few pages, but if Jackson is a Josh Donaldson type who has the bat and ability to play 3B/OF if catching doesn't work out, then I can talk myself into it.

Jarren Advincula, on the other hand?

Quote

Advincula is a master of reading defenses and using his short left-handed swing to slap balls through holes for hits. His bat-to-ball skills can work against him at times because he does chase pitches out of the zone, leading to suboptimal contact and cutting into his walk totals. He shows enough bat speed and strength to provide double-digit home run power, but he has gone deep just once in 205 at-bats in the wood-bat Cape League because he rarely turns on pitches or lifts them in the air.

Yeah, that sounds more like it.

[Jason Ross]

8 minutes ago, Outshined_One said:

We've kinda beaten the college catcher dead horse over the last few pages, but if Jackson is a Josh Donaldson type who has the bat and ability to play 3B/OF if catching doesn't work out, then I can talk myself into it.

Jarren Advincula, on the other hand?

Yeah, that sounds more like it.

Greg mentioned today in his discord that the feeling he gets is that the Cubs think Jackson sticks at catcher. 

One thing that I've wrestled with this AM is that the two red flags within DJ's profile are: receiving as a catcher and contact/approach. Internally, the Cubs have done pretty wonderfully recently with working with catcher defense (Amaya has come a long way, Owen Ayers, etc) as well as molding hitters within their best profile both mechanically and approach wise. Many time a pick, especially at 23, is as much about the player as the organizational fit, and the two feel like they fit together well. 

And to be fair, Roboscout projects DJ as the best hitter in this draft. There are plenty of flaws in that, but it's a fun thought especially considering Andrew Fischer was your top spot last year and that's working out well so far.

[JD94]

I could get on board with Daniel Jackson. He’s one of a very few players that kind of excite me at 23. 

[Bertz]

I know it's the SEC but a 20% K-rate in college is scary.  And having his K's significantly outpace his walks isn't much better.  13% BB / 20% K is good for pro ball. but anecdotally most of the big time college bats have a sub 15% K rate and even or better K/BB ratios.

Like Nick Kurtz has pretty much bottom of the scale contact skill and top of the scale power, and he K'd 16% of the time his draft year (and BB'd 30% lol).

If we go bat go Rose / Gracia / Strosnider IMO

[Outshined_One]

27 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

Greg mentioned today in his discord that the feeling he gets is that the Cubs think Jackson sticks at catcher. 

One thing that I've wrestled with this AM is that the two red flags within DJ's profile are: receiving as a catcher and contact/approach. Internally, the Cubs have done pretty wonderfully recently with working with catcher defense (Amaya has come a long way, Owen Ayers, etc) as well as molding hitters within their best profile both mechanically and approach wise. Many time a pick, especially at 23, is as much about the player as the organizational fit, and the two feel like they fit together well. 

And to be fair, Roboscout projects DJ as the best hitter in this draft. There are plenty of flaws in that, but it's a fun thought especially considering Andrew Fischer was your top spot last year and that's working out well so far.

My issue with Jackson isn't the player per se (although I have reservations, but I have reservations about everyone who will be available at 23), but, instead, it feels like we've hit the annual pre-draft stretch where people start talking themselves into connecting the Cubs with catching prospects for their first round pick.  Last year it was Ike Irish, the year before that Walker Janek and Malcolm Moore, the year before that Kyle Teel, etc.

I'm not saying it'll never happen, but I haven't talked myself into thinking Jackson will break the streak.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

5 minutes ago, Bertz said:

I know it's the SEC but a 20% K-rate in college is scary.  And having his K's significantly outpace his walks isn't much better.  13% BB / 20% K is good for pro ball. but anecdotally most of the big time college bats have a sub 15% K rate and even or better K/BB ratios.

Like Nick Kurtz has pretty much bottom of the scale contact skill and top of the scale power, and he K'd 16% of the time his draft year (and BB'd 30% lol).

If we go bat go Rose / Gracia / Strosnider IMO

100%

(I’m concerned with Strosnider’s hit tool too.)

[Bertz]

5 minutes ago, CaliforniaRaisin said:

100%

(I’m concerned with Strosnider’s hit tool too.)

Yeah as I resign myself to going bat in the 1st round I'm zeroing in on Gracia first and Rose second.  Gracia seems like the  "why is he still available, you all are overthinking this" guy in this draft.  And Kantrovitz has been pretty good about just taking that guy when he's available.  Rose seems to be pretty clearly the best pure bat?

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Another note on Jackson, he was not good in the cape cod league, which the Cubs have seemed to value in the past.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

1 hour ago, Bertz said:

Yeah as I resign myself to going bat in the 1st round I'm zeroing in on Gracia first and Rose second.  Gracia seems like the  "why is he still available, you all are overthinking this" guy in this draft.  And Kantrovitz has been pretty good about just taking that guy when he's available.  Rose seems to be pretty clearly the best pure bat?

Gracia and Hacopian seem to have a little prospect fatigue in mocks. That would be the ideal true talent hitter outcome for the Cubs.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Remember when Tyler Bell might have fallen to 23? Good times

[Tryptamine]

44 minutes ago, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

Remember when Tyler Bell might have fallen to 23? Good times

Callis said Bell might go top 5 as an under slot deal.

[Bertz]

Aside from hitting well at the cape Robbins doesn't feel like this FO's type of guy.  They like athletes and they like the hit tool.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

16 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Aside from hitting well at the cape Robbins doesn't feel like this FO's type of guy.  They like athletes and they like the hit tool.

Strikes out too much too.

[Outshined_One]

12 minutes ago, Bertz said:

Aside from hitting well at the cape Robbins doesn't feel like this FO's type of guy.  They like athletes and they like the hit tool.

He's kind of the reverse of Cam Smith, where Smith had an overly complicated and wonky swing as a freshman that basically sold out for power, and then he managed to simplify his swing as a sophomore to improve his hit tool while cutting down on the strikeouts (and losing a bit of power in the process).

I can see it with Robbins and the Cubs if the Cubs think they can find a happy medium with his swing like they did with Cam Smith.  Granted, it doesn't sit right with me that Reese and Gracia are also on the board for the pick, but I won't dismiss it out of hand.