3 Late-Round Cubs Draft Steals Who Can Rise Quickly Through the Farm System

[Cory Sparks]

Image courtesy of © Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Now that the dust has settled on the 2026 MLB Draft, it’s time to debrief and take a look at value picks. The Chicago Cubs didn’t just hit early on with power bats like Myles Bailey. Chicago also swiped some players with remarkable upside later in the draft. Let’s dive into who those prospects are and ultimately what they can bring to the table in the Windy City. 

Isaac Morton, Minnesota

The Cubs took Isaac Morton in the sixth round of this year’s draft, and he has loads of potential to help the big-league ball club in a few years. Morton spent a pair of seasons with Texas A&M before transferring to the midwest to round out his collegiate career as a Gopher. He possesses a mid-90s fastball and supplements his primary option with a slider, cutter and a changeup. 

This past spring, Morton logged a 4-2 record with a 3.26 earned run average over 13 appearances, all of them starts. He struck out 63 hitters and walked 26 over 60.2 innings of work. His best start of the year was against a conference rival in Illinois, as the right-handed pitcher tossed seven shutout frames while allowing just two hits, three walks and striking out six. He also notably struck out a season-best eight hitters against Penn State, with the hurler allowing just one earned run on two hits over five innings of work. 

The main red flag here is Morton's injury history. This is somebody who had damaged tendons in 2023, and he ultimately threw out his arm to end the 2026 spring season. This will likely sideline him for the remainder of the calendar year, but he can rise quickly if he's healthy at the onset of the 2027 campaign.

Luke Alwood, Seattle University

Luke Alwood has the upside to be a productive pitcher in professional baseball, but the Cubs will need to harness the right attributes. He played his most recent season at Seattle University and he boasted his best year with the team in 2026. 

Alwood entered the year with some walk issues, giving up 121 free passes over 120.1 innings pitched. He cut down on that rate significantly this year, fanning 48 hitters with 19 walks over 43.2 frames of work. Alwood primarily operated out of the bullpen, logging a 2-4 record with a 5.56 ERA in 19 total appearances. 

Chicago will have to monitor Alwood’s command, but his mid-90s fastball and wipeout slider have the true potential to cause issues for hitters. At the end of the day, the Cubs signed him for a scant $50,000 signing bonus, so he doesn’t need to be a world-beater by any means. If Alwood turns into a serviceable reliever who can eat innings, he’s already out-performed expectations.

Brennan Hudson, Georgia

Brennan Hudson was Chicago’s final selection from this year’s draft, as the team took him in the 20th round. Any time you see an SEC baseball player, they’ve already been exposed to some of the best prospects the sport has to offer. Hudson has that advantage on some of the field, as he smacked 22 home runs for the Georgia Bulldogs this past spring. 

He saw a significant spike in playing time this year, going from making just seven starts in 29 appearances to being the team’s starter in 56 of 62 contests. Hudson touted a .657 slugging percentage, also impressing with his plate discipline, as the backstop drew 42 walks to 61 punchouts. 

With loads of experience against the best pitchers collegiate ball has to offer, Hudson could quickly leap to the higher levels of the minors if he can maintain the gains he made with his approach this year.

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