Cubs Load Up on Arms in Mock 2026 MLB Draft

[Jamie Cameron]

It's time to check back in with another Cubs mock. The MLB Draft is just five weeks away. This class is as muddled as any I've covered, though it's plenty deep in talent. You can find our mock consensus board here. Let's check in on some player profiles it's currently mocking to the Cubs with their first few picks in July.

At #23, the Cubs Select UCLA RHP Logan Reddemann
Reddemann has surged up draft boards after not featuring prominently on pre- or early-season lists. A transfer from San Diego, the 6-foot-2 righty has turned a developmental corner for an outstanding UCLA team and is putting it all together in his draft-eligible junior season.

Reddemann has a little bit of a jerky delivery to the plate. Even so, he keeps the baseball well-hidden behind his frame until release, creating some deception for hitters and making the ball difficult to track. Reddemann is an excellent strike-thrower, which (in concert with an uptick in velocity this year) has left B1G Ten hitters with little chance against his stuff.

Reddemann relies on a fastball that sits 94-96 MPH, but he can grab 98 MPH. There's a sinker and a cutter too, to round out a trio of fastballs. He also has a slider, which he throws in the low 80s (although it tends to blur with his cutter), and a high-70s curveball to round out a diverse arsenal. He's striking out over 305% of hitters and walking less than 5%. That's given him a chance to be a top-20 pick.

At #62, the Cubs Select Georgia Prep Righty Blake Bryant
Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 180 pounds, Bryant is a projectable prep righty, currently committed to Clemson. He's jumped up boards throughout the cycle thanks to consistently outstanding performances on the summer circuit.

Bryant's velocity has ticked up in the last 12 months. His fastball is up to 96 MPH with run and ride. He pairs it with a sweeper in the low 80s; a curveball that sits in the high 70s; and a split-change that's a bit firm. The command can come and go a bit with Bryant, which is typical for a lanky prep arm. It's a strong arsenal on which to build. It's easy to envision him being a problem when he fills out a bit more and polishes his repertoire.

At #75, the Cubs Select Virginia Tech RHP Brett Renfrow
Renfrow was previously a two-way player who began to focus solely on pitching when he got to campus at Virginia Tech. This is a class draft 'type', a college starter where stuff and ingredients don't line up neatly with outcomes.

I'd classify Renfrow as someone with a significant 'up arrow' this spring, though. It's a good frame and he's surpassed 70 innings for the third consecutive season. Renfrow has slowly ticked up his strikeout rate while reducing his walk rate, which is exactly what you want to see.

In terms of stuff, the fastball is good. It sits 94 and has been up to 97, playing well at the top of the zone. There's a slider/cutter hybrid he throws in the upper 80s; a curveball with plenty of depth that sits in the low 80s; and a changeup with good horizontal action.

Renfrow is a pitcher you can see making significant strides in a pro organization. There are plenty of starter traits here. He's pushed himself up from top-100 consideration to the 50-75 range.

At #98, the Cubs Select Florida State 1B Myles Bailey
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% walk rate in 2025 with a 28.7% mark in 2026. 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 strikeout rate 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 first base in pro ball. He has an unusually diverse range of outcomes for a college prospect, but the power upside is huge.

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