5 Best First-Round Draft Picks In Cubs History, Ranked By bWAR

The Chicago Cubs have had a first-round pick every season since 1965, when Major League Baseball started the common draft era. Since then, the hope for Chicago is that each first-round pick pans out. But it certainly doesn’t work that way.

For instance, 24 of those first-round picks never played a Major League game. But some of them turned into the best players in Cubs history.

Here, we rank the Top 5 draft picks in Cubs history based on bWAR, or wins above replacement. For the purposes of this exercise, only first-round picks taken in the June or July amateur draft were considered.

Javier Baez (2011, 27.4 bWAR)

Chicago Cubs shortstop Javier Baez reacts after hitting a walk off single while wearing his uniform. — Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Cubs selected him No. 9 overall in the 2011 MLB draft out of Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, Fla. He made his MLB debut in 2014 and played the first eight years of his career with Chicago before he was traded in 2021 to the New York Mets.

While with the Cubs, he was part of their 2016 World Series championship team, made the All-Star Game twice, won a National League Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger. He was second in NL MVP voting in 2018, a season in which he slashed .290/.326/.554 with 34 home runs and an NL-leading 111 RBI.

For his Cubs career, he slashed .262/.303/.474 with 140 home runs and 443 RBI. After his short stint with the Mets, he signed a six-year, $140 million deal with the Detroit Tigers, where he had admittedly struggled until this past season. The 33-year-old has two more years left on the deal.

Kris Bryant (2013, 27.4 bWAR)

Colorado Rockies designated hitter Kris Bryant prepares to swing a bat while wearing a black T-shirt and hat — Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Cubs took Bryant No. 2 overall in the 2013 MLB draft out of San Diego, and he made his Major League debut two years later. He played his first seven seasons with the Cubs, was named the 2015 NL rookie of the year, the 2016 NL MVP, and was part of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series championship team. He made the All-Star Game four times. With Chicago he slashed .279/.378/.508 with 160 home runs and 465 RBI.

The Cubs dealt him to San Francisco at the 2021 trade deadline, and he signed with the Colorado Rockies in 2022, inking a seven-year, $182 million deal. The contract has become an albatross around Colorado’s payroll, as he has played just 170 games in four seasons due to various injuries and is now dealing with lumbar degenerative disc disease.

Kerry Wood (1995, 27.6 bWAR)

Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood throws out a ceremonial first pitch in his jersey at Wrigley Field — David Banks-Imagn Images

Wood was the No. 4 overall pick in the 1995 MLB draft out of Grand Prairie High School in Grand Prairie, Texas. His fastball drew comparisons to Nolan Ryan, another Texas native, and he made his MLB debut in 1998, when he was named NL rookie of the year after going 13-6 with a 3.40 ERA with 233 strikeouts. That season, he tied Roger Clemens’ record for 20 strikeouts in a game.

He needed Tommy John surgery in 1999, but played 12 seasons for the Cubs, making both of his All-Star Game appearances with the club, and went 80-68 with a 3.67 ERA. He converted into a reliever midway through his career and had 34 saves with Chicago in 2008. He played two seasons with Cleveland and one with the New York Yankees before ending his career with the Cubs from 2011-12.

Josh Donaldson (2007, 46.8 BWAR)

Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Josh Donaldson reacts after striking out in his white uniform — Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Donaldson is the only player on the list who didn’t play for the Cubs. He was Chicago’s No. 48 overall pick in the 2007 MLB draft, making him a compensatory pick between the first and second rounds. The Cubs included him in the trade package to acquire Rich Harden in 2008.

Donaldson became a high-quality pro, as he played for seven different teams and played 13 MLB seasons that ended in 2023. He was named the 2015 American League MVP with the Athletics, earned two Silver Slugger awards and three All-Star Game berths. He slashed .261/.358/.489 with 279 home runs and 816 RBI in 1,383 MLB games.

Rafael Palmeiro (1985, 71.9 bWAR)

Texas Rangers former player Rafael Palmeiro waves to fans while wearing his jersey — Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

Palmeiro was Chicago’s No. 22 overall pick in the 1985 MLB draft and made his Cubs debut the next year. He played his first three seasons with the Cubs, where he slashed .294/.341/.462 with 25 home runs and 95 RBI. He was not a power hitter at the time, and the Cubs dealt him to the Texas Rangers before the 1989 season.

He played 20 years in the Majors, 10 of which were with the Rangers and seven of which were with the Baltimore Orioles. He finished with a slash of .288/.371/.515 with 569 home runs and 1,835 RBI. He also finished with 3,020 hits. He was a four-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner, and a two-time Silver Slugger.

He tested positive for steroids in 2005 at the end of his career, a fact that is keeping him out of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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