What the pundits think of the surprise first-round pick
The Chicago Cubs surprised some by nabbing Oklahoma’s Cade Horton with the No. 7 MLB draft pick, but the pundits loved the pick.
Cade Horton’s star performance in the College World Series earned him a higher-than-expected selection in the 2022 MLB Draft.
That Boys used the number 7 to add the right-handed pitcher who dominated for Oklahoma earlier this year.
Since he ranks only 24th on the list of MLB Top 250 Draft Prospects, one might be tempted to call that a reach. Design experts would disagree.
Pundits love the Cubs picking Cade Horton in the MLB draft
MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis had high praise for Horton in the MLB.com draft tracker:
“There was a lot of late rumor that Horton might be sneaking into the top 10 picks after his stellar postseason run, and the Cubs made the move here at seven. While he missed the entire 2021 season following Tommy John’s surgery and didn’t really catch fire until his final five starts that year, he showed enough that he was, in my opinion, the best college pitcher available. He is a top athlete with a fastball that hits 98 mph and a wipeout slider that touches 90. As a two-wayer in Oklahoma, he could really take off now that he’s healthy and will just focus on pitching.”
A draft response on Twitter reached similar conclusions about Horton.
Given Tommy John’s recent surgery and the fact that he wasn’t making waves until late in the college baseball season, Horton is clearly at risk.
He was 5-2 overall in 2022 with a 4.86 ERA. He also played third base, shortstop and DH.
His postseason work really set him apart. He was 3-0 in five starts with a 2.61 ERA and 49 strikeouts.
The pitcher must prove the franchise right to pick him as he moves through the organization to a major league debut.
https://fansided.com/2022/07/17/cubs-draft-grade-cade-horton/ What the pundits think of the surprise first-round pick
