Grading the Chicago Cubs on the 2017 MLB Draft

The Chicago Cubs ascended to championship heights by assembling an exciting core of young position players. They spent 2017's MLB draft searching for pitchers to preserve a balanced future.

With their current and future rotation in question, the Cubs selected pitchers with each of their first five picks. They certainly have a type; four were college right-handers.

They continued to chase more polished prospects, grabbing just four high school talents through Round 25. Although they opened their draft by snagging southpaw Brendon Little, LSU's Alex Lange is likely their more notable first-round selection.

Did team president Theo Epstein uncover any more gems to bolster the Cubs' embarrassment of riches? Let's break down their draft results and grade the team's top picks.

Round 1

1.27: Brendon Little, LHP, State College of Florida

Many rankings indicate the Chicago Cubs may have reached a tad for Brendon Little. MLB.com and Baseball America both ranked the power-pitching southpaw as the class' No. 36 prospect. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter placed him two spots lower on his big board.

Many pundits, however, praised the selection. Rotoworld's Christopher Crawford touted his "huge upside" with a "plus-plus fastball." ESPN Insider Keith Law, meanwhile, ranked Little No. 18 and credited him with possessing "the best curveball in the class."

After faltering at North Carolina, the 6'2", 195-pound pitcher repaired his stock at the State College of Florida. Harnessing his heat and hammering curve, he notched 133 strikeouts in 85.1 innings.

He'll have to transition back into facing a higher level of pitching, and inconsistency concerns could send him into the bullpen. It's a risky selection, but one the Cubs knew they could make brandishing a compensation pick three slots later. 

Grade: B

1.30: Alex Lange, RHP, LSU

With the pick received from losing Dexter Fowler to their rival, St. Louis Cardinals, in free agency, the Cubs mitigated Little's risk factor with a safer selection. 

Cubs fans won't strain their necks glancing up at Alex Lange's ceiling. It's instead common to see the LSU righty described as a potential "mid-rotation option," a tag given by MLB.com alongside a No. 23 ranking. D1 Baseball's Frankie Piliere called the junior "a guy the Cubbies can move up the ladder very, very quickly."

Like Little, Lange throws a hard heater and a powerful curveball with steep movement. Yet he's perceived as a safer option while sporting a 2.92 ERA and 134 strikeouts for the Tigers, who are making their way to Omaha for the College World Series. 

Law is lower on the 21-year-old than other scouts, questioning his ability to sustain a "violent delivery" as a long-term starter. There's no such thing as a safe pitching prospect, but the Cubs snagged a relatively sturdy one at a reasonable spot.

Grade: B+

Rounds 2-5

2.67: Cory Abbott, RHP, Loyola Marymount

The Cubs like Cory Abbott a good deal more than other onlookers. Ranked No. 149 by Baseball America and No. 187 by MLB.com, the Loyola Marymount righty was a surprise second-round selection. 

They must be buying his junior-year breakout. A year after posting a 4.20 ERA and 34 strikeouts, Abbott carved out a dominant 1.74 ERA with 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings (K/9). On March 25, he threw the school's first perfect game.

Although the Cubs reached—probably to save some bonus-pool money—Abbott also bolstered his stock by developing a sharp slider. If outlets probably gauged his value, they could have waited a round.

Grade: B-

3.105: Keegan Thompson, RHP, Auburn

After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2015, Keegan Thompson registered a 2.41 ERA with a mere 1.6 walks per nine innings (BB/9) this season. A 7.2 K/9 isn't impressive from a 22-year-old college junior, but that may be by design.

Per Baseball America's Teddy Cahill, Auburn coach Butch Thompson described the righty's old-school, methodical approach:

"I think Keegan Thompson is one of the most efficient starters I've been around in a while, meaning he can get to eight innings not at 100 pitches. He is so competitive, yet he's not prideful, trying to rack up 10 strikeouts. I think he's really happy with four strikeouts, no walks and finishing what he starts."

Three rounds in, the Cubs took their third pitcher with a plus curveball. He's another hurler who could quickly work his way to the majors, but his injury history rightly downgraded him from the top 100.

Grade: B

4.135: Erich Uelmen, RHP, Cal Pony

An ineffective reliever during his freshman days at Cal Pony, Erich Uelmen blossomed into the program's top starter, leaving with a 2.93 ERA and 9.2 K/9 as a junior. Nevertheless, MLB.com wondered if he's better suited for a future bullpen role as a "rally-killing ground-ball machine."

The scouting report cited his tendency to lose velocity later in starts. His fastball peaks at 93-95, but often slouches closer to 90. While he has a solid slider and changeup at his disposal, neither secondary pitch looks like a distinguishable weapon.

This could be another cost-cutting pick, as Uelmen resides at No. 273 on Baseball America's big board.

Grade: C+

5:165: Nelson Velazquez, OF, PJ Education School (HS)

Wait, what pitches does Nelson Velazquez throw? And where are his college stats?

The Cubs waited until the fifth round and sixth pick to select their first position player and high schooler. Perfect Game called the 18-year-old outfielder a "good student" with "very smooth and polished footwork in the outfield."

Although he's ranked outside MLB.com's top 200, Velazquez looks like an intriguing high-upside pick for a club that doesn't figure to have any immediate offensive openings.

Grade: B+

Rounds 6-10

6.195: Jeremiah Estrada, RHP, Palm Desert HS

And it's back to pitching but with a prep arm. Ranked No. 93 by MLB.com and No. 96 by Law, Jeremiah Estrada looks like a steal at pick No. 195. Yet there's a reason for his fall.

The California prospect committed to UCLA. Even after the Cubs drafted him, he told the Desert Sun's Nathan Brown that "the focus is UCLA."

The Cubs can challenge that commitment by using savings elsewhere to offer him more than the pick's $222,600 bonus pool, per MLB.com. It's a fair, but perhaps futile gamble after loading up on college arms likely to sign below their slot value.

Grade: B+

7.225: Ricky Tyler Thomas, LHP, Fresno State

Ricky Tyler Thomas will want to forget his penultimate start at Fresno State, where he surrendered 10 runs to San Diego State without recording an out. After brandishing a 2.78 ERA as of April 5, per the team's athletics page, he finished with a 4.86 clip.

Considering he allowed 27 walks in his last seven starts, the slender southpaw seems best slated for a bullpen assignment. He also dominated early in the season, submitting 15 strikeouts in his second outing, so there's enough untapped upside to understand the flier.

Grade: B-

8.255: Austin Filiere, 3B, MIT

No matter what Austin Filiere accomplishes on the diamond, he will forever be introduced as the guy who went to MIT. Those are the rules regarding athletes from prestigious academic institutions.

The third baseman is far from a novelty act; he hit .375/.530/.794 with 13 home runs and 16 stolen bases as a junior. Following his playing career, Peter Gammons suggested the business analytics major can stick in baseball as a general manager. Look out, Epstein.

Grade: B+

9.285: Chris Carrier, OF, Memphis

As detailed by the Commercial Appeal's Mark Giannotto, Memphis outfielder Chris Carrier experienced a health scare during his sophomore season. He had his top rib removed after getting diagnosed with Paget-Schroetter disease, a rare condition which caused blood clots in his arm.

Carrier not only returned but hit .330/.438/.641 in his senior season. He also developed a new outlook, which he described to Giannotto in May. 

"That whole process of getting back, I realized how anything could happen, that baseball could be done for you in an instant," he said. "I kind of feel like it's changed me to where I play like it could be the last time I'm on the field."

The ordeal might have nevertheless scared away some organizations, and he had clubbed 11 home runs in three years before belting 16 this season. Chicago must believe enough in his power gains.

Grade: B

10.315: Brian Glowicki, RHP, Minnesota

Another college senior not featured on many draft boards, Minnesota closer Brian Glowicki collected 16 saves with a 2.20 ERA, 39 strikeouts and seven walks this season. Likely viewed as a cost-effective pick, the 5'11" reliever could work his way up the minors as another source of depth.  

Grade: B-

Rounds 11-40

Notable Picks:

11.345: Rollie Lacy, RHP, Creighton

Looking to become the first "Rollie" to make the majors since Rollie Fingers, Rolllie Lacy netted a 2.80 ERA through three seasons at Creighton. After rarely missing bats as an undergraduate, the ground-ball pitcher's K/9 skyrocketed to 8.42 during his junior year.

Grade: B

16.495: Brandon Hughes, OF, Michigan State

Rated No. 240 by Baseball America, Brandon Hughes batted .330 with 30 stolen bases during his junior year with the Spartans. The 6'2", 215-pound center fielder offers speed and athleticism in a big package, making him a great find this late in the game.

Grade: A-

19.585: Chris Singleton, OF, Charleston Southern

Two years ago, Chris Singleton's mother was murdered in the Charleston church shooting. Following the tragedy, the then-freshman displayed remarkable poise when speaking to the media.

"I just say, love is always stronger than hate," Singleton said in the video above, via Troy Tech. "If we just love the way my mom would, then the hate won't be anywhere close to where love is."

The outfielder recorded a .348 on-base percentage during his junior senior, stealing 18 bases in 51 games. He would have gone higher if he accrued 2016's .332 batting average a year later.

Grade: B+

32.975: Hunter Ruth, RHP, Buchholz HS

According to CSN Chicago's Christopher Kamka, Hunter Ruth could become the second person with his surname to make the majors. Does anybody remember the first guy?

That may have to wait, as Baseball America's No. 135-rated prospect committed to attend Florida University. He also found out about a torn ulnar collateral ligament which requires Tommy John surgery in April.

The Cubs can comfortably gamble on the prep arm this late. He may have gone 900 spots earlier if healthy, so there's no harm done if he shuns them for school.

Grade: B+

Overall Grade

The Cubs clearly had no qualms reaching for their preferred targets. After taking Thomas with pick No. 225, they didn't select anyone within Baseball America's top 500 until the 16th round.

It's also apparent they had a specific game plan: Load up on polished college arms in hopes of a couple blooming in time to help Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Co. remain championship mainstays. 

Biting on fringe prospects with eye-popping collegiate success also allows them to pay Little and Lange while making Estrada a tempting offer to forgo UCLA. Their draft will look much better if the right-handed teenager signs.

The Cubs picked their spots carefully, sparingly swinging for upside between safer selections. It's important to remember that an overwhelming majority of any draft class will find success. Finding two or three major leaguers is a relative victory, essentially if one makes a notable impact.

Few of the picks were flashy, but the Cubs restocked their farm system with projectable pitchers, a few of whom could feasibly contribute in the not-so-distant future. 

Grade: B+

Note: College stats obtained from The Baseball Cube and official team athletic pages.