Meet the Chicago Cubs 2026 MLB Draft Class
Why this weekend was big for the future of Chicago sports | Chicago Sports Tonight
Cassie Carlson is joined by The Score's Matt Spiegel and ESPN Chicago's Tyler Aki. Are the White Sox poised to continue their momentum after the All-Star break and how big was the MLB Draft for the organization's future? Also, what grade would the panel give Craig Counsell for how he's managed the Cubs during a roller coaster first half the season? Plus, did the Bulls hit a grand slam with Caleb Wilson after his monstrous Summer League debut, and why are the Bears one of the hottest tickets in Vegas right now?
The Chicago Cubs came into the MLB Draft with a plan and addressed it head-on.
Most of their 2026 draft selections went to one specific position. That's not too surprising, given the state of the team in the major leagues.
Here's what the Cubs' 2026 MLB Draft Class looks like.
By the numbers:
The Cubs have had plenty of injuries to their pitching rotation so far in 2026. Perhaps that highlighted the need to bring more pitchers into their pitching pipeline.
Either way, the Cubs accomplished that mission in the first round and beyond.
"We felt like it might happen, just given the way the pitching crop kind of lined up with a lot of the bats going a little bit earlier," Cubs vice president of scouting Dan Kantrovitz told reporters on Sunday.
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Here's how the Cubs' draft class looks by the numbers:
- There was a clear and present desire to add pitching to the pipeline. Of the Cubs' 21 selections, 16 of them were pitchers.
- Selecting Townsend in the first round marked the first time the Cubs selected a pitcher with their first-round selection since 2022, when the team took Cade Horton No. 7 overall.
- Of those 16 pitchers, 15 were drafted from the college ranks. Only Dylan Blomker, out of La Cueva High School, came from the prep level.
- Blomker was one of just two prep player taken by the Cubs. The only other player taken from the high school ranks was catcher Emanuel Hernandez.
- The Cubs took two catchers – Hernandez and Brennan Hudson – and two infielders – Myles Bailey and Corey Nunez – while Caden Sorrell was the only outfielder the Cubs selected.
Chicago Cubs 2026 MLB Draft Class
Round 1 (23): Cade Townsend, RHP - University of Mississippi
Round 2 (62): Caden Sorrell, OF - Texas A&M University
Round 2C (75): Myles Bailey, INF - Florida State University
Round 3 (98): Carson Jasa, RHP - University of Nebraska
Round 4 (126): Dylan Marionneaux, RHP - Northwestern State (La.)
Round 5 (159): Dylan Blomker. RHP - La Cueva High School (N.M.)
Round 6 (188): Isaac Morton, RHP - University of Minnesota
Round 7 (217): Cole Tryba, LHP - University of California, Santa Barbara
Round 8 (247): Lance Williams, RHP - University of Maryland
Round 9 (277): Chase Meyer, RHP - West Virginia University
Round 10 (307): Luke Alwood, RHP - Seattle University (Wash.)
Round 11 (337): Ariston Veasey, RHP - Clemson University (S.C.)
Round 12 (367): Brandon Arvidson, LHP - University of Tennessee
Round 13 (397): Emanuel Hernandez, C - Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy (P.R.)
Round 14 (427): Corey Nunez, INF - University of California, Santa Barbara
Round 15 (457): Griffin Naess, RHP - California Polytechnic State University
Round 16 (487): Ashton Pocol, RHP - Florida Gulf Coast University
Round 17 (517): Ryan Marton, RHP - University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Round 18 (547): Luke McGrath, RHP - James Madison University (Va.)
Round 19 (577): Luke Guth, RHP - Vanderbilt University (Tenn.)
Round 20 (607): Brennan Hudson, C - University of Georgia