AP Photos DENVER The Cubs and White Sox picked back-to-back at Nos. 21 and 22 Sunday in the first round of the MLB Draft. The Cubs took Kansas State left-hander Jordan Wicks, a 6-3, 220-pounder with a mid-90s fastball and what analysts covering the event on MLB Network called the best changeup in the draft. Analyst Harold Reynolds predicted Wicks will be the first player in the draft to reach the big leagues. “It’s a surreal moment,” Wicks said. “It’s something you dream about. And I just couldn’t be happier to be wearing blue right now.” Cubs vice president of scouting Dan Kantrovitz called Wicks the best college lefty in the draft and said he was in the top 10 overall on the team’s internal draft board.
1. Pirates: Henry Davis, C, Louisville
We knew the Pirates were going to take a position player, but we didn t know which one. Instead of opting for one of the elite high school shortstops they were rumored to be targeting, such as Marcelo Mayer, they went with the best college position player available in Davis. He s got a chance to hit for power and average and has a rocket arm. His receiving needs work, and it will be interesting to see if the Pirates develop him as a catcher or move him to third base or the outfield to maximize the value of his bat.
after being selected No. 10
overall in the 2021 MLB draft.
Rocker and Jack Leiter were arguably the most-hyped pair of teammates in college baseball history. The former put himself on the map as a freshman during the 2019 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship when he tossed a no-hitter with 19 strikeouts in the Commodores 3-0 win over Duke in the super regionals.
That same year in the College World Series, the 21-year-old allowed one run with 11 strikeouts in a Game 2 win over Michigan. The right-hander was named Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series after helping Vanderbilt win the national title.
Coming into this season, Rocker was widely regarded as the best college player in the draft. He did deal with some struggles along the way that led to other players, including Leiter, surpassing him in the prospect rankings.
Bednar was named the Most Outstanding Player at the College World Series this year, leading the Bulldogs to their first ever national championship. He went 9-1 with a 3.12 ERA this season and struck out 139 batters in 92 1/3 innings.
Over his two years at Mississippi State, Bednar had a 0.99 WHIP and averaged 13.7 strikeouts per nine innings.
This is the first time the Giants have selected a pitcher in the first round since 2015.
More to come .
Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Email Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. We won t share it with anyone else. Password Create a password that only you will remember. If you forget it, you ll be able to recover it using your email address. Confirm Password