Cubs Need To Stick to Their Draft Strategy That Has Yielded Excellent Recent Results

The Chicago Cubs have done a wonderful job over the last few years of turning their farm system into one of the best in baseball.

Some of that talent has been acquired in trades from other organizations, but the Cubs have a long track record of pinpointing talent in the draft, selecting them and turning them into key contributors at the Major League level.

A quarter of their 40-man roster, 10 players, are homegrown talents. 11 players on their Major League roster, including players on the injured list, started their MLB careers with Chicago as well.

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There are a lot more talented players working their way through the minor league system that the Cubs are excited about for the future.

With their window of contention being pried open this year, there is a chance they can sustain this level of success based on how many players are early in their careers and how many more top prospects are on the way.

One of the reasons Chicago is in such a great spot is how good of a job they have done building a plan and executing it during the MLB draft.

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As shared by Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report, the Cubs have found a ton of success targeting college players early and often.

That has been a winning strategy in the past and is one they should be doubling down on in 2025.

“The Cubs have had a strong preference for college players in recent drafts, notably using their last four first-round picks on four-year talents ... Still another excuse to go back to the college well is that the Cubs have finally opened a contention window in 2025. Pitching should take precedent over bats, for which Tyler Bremner and Gage Wood might be had at No. 17,” Rymer wrote.

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Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner all fit that bill. So did Cam Smith, a 2024 first-rounder who was the centerpiece of the trade package to land Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros.

Currently, their farm system is overflowing with highly-touted position players, such as catcher Moises Ballesteros, outfielders Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara and the versatile James Triantos.

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There was one pitcher, Cade Horton, who was near the top of the organizaiton’s prospect rankings coming into the year, but he will soon graduate after being needed at the Major League level.

Restocking the pitching cupboard early in the 2025 MLB draft would be a smart move by Chicago, especially because they may be in need of immediate help on the mound.

A college pitcher has a much better chance of debuting within a year of being selected than a college positional player or high schooler of any position.

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