Which Day 2 Prospects Have Potential in Cubs’ MLB Draft Class?

The Chicago Cubs have had a strong track record of hitting on their first-round picks in the MLB draft, with a propensity for college bats.

That strategy continued with their selection of Wake Forest outfielder Ethan Conrad with the No. 17 overall pick.

Teams are built largely by their farm systems, and the Cubs’ ability to identify and develop talent from their prospects is one of the primary reasons for their success in their 2025 campaign.

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The middle and later rounds of a draft are where teams can really separate and build depth, and of their 20 total selections, Chicago added 17 of those prospects on Day 2.

Their draft class is composed of 13 pitchers, four outfielders, two catchers, and one infielder—16 of whom were collegiate players.

Did the Cubs find any diamonds in the rough that other teams perhaps overlooked in the later rounds?

Keith Law of The Athletic (subscription required) released an analysis of the NL Central’s draft classes and gave insight into several Day 2 selections.

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Law dove into their selections from the fourth to the eighth round of the MLB draft.

Chicago selected right-handed pitcher Kaleb Wing from Scotts Valley High School in California in the fourth round at No. 121 overall.

“Prep right-hander Kaleb Wing works at 92-94 with an above-average curveball, coming with a short-ish, compact delivery he repeats pretty well, giving hope for future command,” Law wrote.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound prospect has a slight frame, and rather than try to gain velocity, Law feels his best path to the starting rotation is developing a third pitch and gaining greater command.

While a lot of mid-round picks aren’t usually on a trajectory to rise through the farm system quickly, that can change when a prospect is about to turn 23.

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That describes Alabama outfielder Kade Snell, who the Cubs selected No. 151 overall.

“He struck out in just 6.9 percent of his PA, and his contact quality is very strong, held back by a flat swing that doesn’t get the ball in the air enough,” Law wrote.

Snell slashed .363/.464/575 with a 1.039 OPS and 10 home runs, 52 RBIs, and had 18 strikeouts to 38 walks in his 2025 campaign.

With his age being a factor, Law believes that Chicago sees Snell as a quick riser to Double A with the contact skills he possesses.

The Cubs took outfielder Josiah Hartshorn from Orange Lutheran High School in California at No. 181 overall, who Law doesn’t view as a great athlete but sees “bat speed and superb contact rates, with an impossible 4 percent whiff rate on fastballs.”

Due to his lack of athleticism, Law projects a move to outfield corner. His 2025 campaign shows real promise of power, as does his 55 to 60 raw power ranking on MLB Pipeline rankings.

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High school outfielder Josiah Hartshorn (6) has some bat speed and superb contact rates, with an impossible 4 percent whiff rate on fastballs in tracked events in 2024–25, along with 55 to 60 raw power right now. He’s not a great athlete and is going to end up in an outfield corner.

Their hidden gem may be lefty Pierce Coppola from Florida, a 6-foot-8, 245-pound prospect they selected No. 211 overall.

Coppola barely pitched as a redshirt junior at Florida due to having surgery for a bulging disk, followed by shoulder surgery, and then later missing two months of his spring campaign due to an undisclosed upper-body injury.

“He struck out 46.7 percent of the batters he did face this year, though, as he’s got some deception from his size and a slight cutoff in his landing and then has an above-average slider that he throws for strikes,” Law wrote.

It’s a later-round bet on a player who recorded a 5.66 ERA over 49.1 innings in his collegiate career.

However, while Law is skeptical that his health will hold up, he sees that selection as more than “just a money-saver” compared to North Carolina righty Jake Knapp, who they selected No. 241 overall.

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