Re-Evaluating Chicago Cubs' Top Draft Picks from the Past Decade
Even though it isn't emphasized as much in baseball, the draft is important in building winning teams. Since it takes so long for draftees to reach the majors in most cases, it's hard to evaluate them immediately after the fact.
Now, let's take a step back and look at the Cubs' last 10 first-round draft picks. They will each receive a letter grade based on whether or not they panned out, where they are in their career and what track they're on (if they still have time to develop).
2005: LHP Mark Pawelek (20th Overall)
1 of 10
General Manager: Jim Hendry
Highest Level Reached: High-A
Grade: F
Still in Baseball/Year Left: No, 2010.
Mark Pawelek was a lanky left-hander who was drafted right out of high school who just never put things together at any level of minor league ball. He seemed stuck in A-ball and could never get out. That's not exactly what you want from a first-round pick.
Minor League Stats (six seasons):
| W | L | ERA | IP | K |
| 6 | 15 | 4.33 | 185 | 176 |
2006: LF Tyler Colvin (13th Overall)
2 of 10
General Manager: Jim Hendry
Highest Level Reached: MLB
Grade: C
Still in Baseball/Year Left: Yes.
At first, it appeared the Cubs had made a nice pick with Tyler Colvin as he burst onto the scene in 2010, blasting 20 home runs. He followed that up, however, with a dismal 2011 campaign in which he hit .150 in 80 games.
Colvin just was never able to figure out left-handed pitching. However, after going to the Rockies and platooning, he once again found his power, hitting 18 homers in 420 at-bats in 2012. He just hasn't been able to sustain success at the major league level, though, and you would expect more from a first-round pick.
MLB Stats (six seasons):
| HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SB |
| 49 | 178 | .239 | .287 | 14 |
Colvin isn't currently in the major leagues. One would think he has to work on having better plate discipline before returning to regular action at the major league level. He's currently struggling at Triple-A in the White Sox organization, hitting just .196 in 13 games.
2007: 3B Josh Vitters (3rd Overall)
3 of 10
General Manager: Jim Hendry
Highest Level Reached: MLB
Grade: D
Still in Baseball/Year Left: Yes.
Josh Vitters was one of the Cubs' top prospects, but once he reached the majors, he really struggled. He got into just 36 games in 2012 and batted .121 with 33 strikeouts. After that awful showing, the Cubs' new regime was convinced he wasn't the future at the position.
Minor League Stats (eight seasons):
| HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SB |
| 80 | 347 | .272 | .320 | 29 |
The numbers might tell you that Vitters was a relatively successful minor leaguer, but he's just one of those guys who couldn't figure it out at the major league level. He signed a minor league deal with the Rockies this past offseason but hasn't played in a game in 2015 yet.
As hard as it is to believe, he's still just 25 years old, so he could theoretically still crack it with a big league club, but as a first-round pick, he contributed nothing to the Cubs.
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2008: RHP Andrew Cashner (19th Overall)
4 of 10
General Manager: Jim Hendry
Highest Level Reached: MLB
Grade: A-
Still in Baseball/Year Left: Yes.
The Cubs drafted Andrew Cashner largely because he was a flamethrower with a big frame who they thought projected out to a good No. 2-type starter. It turns out that assessment was spot on, as that's just about what he is with the Padres right now.
Picking Cashner benefited the Cubs more than they could have guessed, even though he's not with the team anymore. That is because he was the big piece that landed the Cubs their current first baseman, Anthony Rizzo.
MLB Stats (six seasons):
| W | L | ERA | IP | K |
| 21 | 33 | 3.21 | 465.2 | 385 |
Cashner has looked like one of baseball's rising pitching stars over the last couple of years. If he can become a star soon, the Padres and Cubs will both be satisfied with their trade that sent Rizzo to Chicago a few seasons ago.
2009: CF Brett Jackson (31st Overall)
5 of 10
General Manager: Jim Hendry
Highest Level Reached: MLB
Grade: D
Still in Baseball/Year Left: Yes.
Brett Jackson, much like Vitters, appeared destined for greatness with the Cubs. Just like Vitters, though, he majorly flopped in his first major league action. He batted just .175 in 44 games back in 2012.
Minor League Stats (seven seasons):
| HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SB |
| 69 | 266 | .264 | .358 | 107 |
Jackson is currently in the Giants organization in Triple-A and is batting .301 in 26 games. Like Vitters, he could get another chance in the majors eventually, as he's just 26 years old and the change of scenery away from Chicago may be what he needed.
Regardless of that, he produced nothing for the Cubs, and that's unacceptable out of a first-round pick.
2010: RHP Hayden Simpson (16th Overall)
6 of 10
General Manager: Jim Hendry
Highest Level Reached: High-A
Grade: F
Still in Baseball/Year Left: No, 2013.
This may have been the Cubs' worst draft pick in the past decade. Simpson was looked at as a starter with high upside, but he was out of baseball after just three seasons in the minor leagues. That's normally a sad reality for most major league hopefuls but not first-round draft picks.
Minor League Stats (three seasons):
| W | L | ERA | IP | K |
| 5 | 18 | 6.83 | 168.2 | 124 |
All around, this was a pitiful draft pick. There's no definitive answer as to what went so wrong for Simpson, but he didn't last long in professional baseball.
2011: SS Javier Baez (9th Overall)
7 of 10
General Manager: Jim Hendry
Highest Level Reached: MLB
Grade: B+
Still in Baseball/Year Left: Yes.
Before making his major league debut last season, Javier Baez was the most hyped Cubs prospect possibly since Corey Patterson. Expectations for him have been tempered now that he struggled at the major league level, but that doesn't mean the Cubs and their fans don't still have high hopes for him.
He's starting to get hot in Triple-A this season, and even if he doesn't end up contributing for the Cubs, he could be the centerpiece of a trade that helps the team acquire a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. If that ends up being the case, he would be a really valuable pick despite not producing in Chicago.
Minor League Stats (five seasons):
| HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SB |
| 79 | 250 | .279 | .338 | 68 |
2012: CF Albert Almora (6th Overall)
8 of 10
General Manager: Jed Hoyer
Highest Level Reached: Double-A
Grade: B
Still in Baseball/Year Left: Yes.
Almora was the first draft pick in the first round for the Cubs under Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, and it looked like they hit a home run with this pick. However, lately Almora hasn't been able to stay healthy, which has kept him from getting past Double-A.
This season in Double-A, he's performed decently, batting .276 with six extra-base hits in 30 games. Like many other Cubs prospects, he could realistically find himself in a trade for a top-of-the-rotation pitcher depending on what the Cubs think they can do in the outfield via free agency in the future.
Minor League Stats (four seasons):
| HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SB |
| 15 | 113 | .292 | .321 | 18 |
Almora is an exceptional fielder and still a great leader, which is part of the reason he was taken so high in the draft. That means he still could end up being a solid player if he can stay on the field for an extended period of time.
2013: 3B Kris Bryant (2nd Overall)
9 of 10
General Manager: Jed Hoyer
Highest Level Reached: MLB
Grade: A+
Still in Baseball/Year Left: Yes.
When the Cubs could have taken a top pitcher with the second overall pick in the 2013 draft, they decided to take the best hitter available, and boy, did it work out for them. Kris Bryant is already in the big leagues and is one of the team's best hitters less than two years after being drafted.
He has been as good as advertised in his brief MLB career so far, and at this point, it appears he's the team's best first-round draft pick in decades. It remains to be seen how he adjusts once pitchers have more film on him, but he looks like a superstar in the making.
Minor League Stats (two-plus seasons):
| HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SB |
| 55 | 152 | .327 | .426 | 18 |
2014: C Kyle Schwarber (4th Overall)
10 of 10
General Manager: Jed Hoyer
Highest Level Reached: Double-A
Grade: A
Still in Baseball/Year Left: Yes.
Once again, in 2014 after the top three picks in the draft were used on pitchers, the Cubs decided to take who they thought was the best hitter in the draft. Many thought Schwarber was a reach with the No. 4 overall pick, but it hasn't looked that way so far.
He is eating up minor league pitching, as he has hit 28 homers in 383 minor league at bats while batting .332. He's actually on a faster pace than Bryant was in the minor leagues and could get called up by early next season if he keeps hitting the way he is.
Minor League Stats (one-plus season):
| HR | RBI | BA | OBP | SB |
| 28 | 79 | .332 | .432 | 5 |
It remains to be seen if the Cubs are devoted to Schwarber as a catcher or outfielder, but signs point to him beginning his career in the outfield. If he does get the call-up next season, current Cubs catcher Miguel Montero will still be under contract for two additional seasons.
Additionally, the team may have a hole in left field when Chris Coghlan reaches free agency, and Schwarber could potentially plug the gap.
All stats are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.
To talk Cubs baseball, follow @KornSports on Twitter.
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