20 Cubs selections from the 2023 MLB Draft |
CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today completed the 2023 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The club made 10 selections today, totaling 20 during the three-day event.
With their 10 selections today, the Cubs took nine college players (six pitchers) and one outfielder from the high school ranks. Overall during the draft, the Cubs selected nine pitchers (seven right-handed and two left-handed), seven infielders, three outfielders and one catcher, totaling 17 college players and three high school players. The Cubs began the day by selecting position players in the 11th and 12th rounds (Zyhir Hope – 11th round; Carter Trice – 12th round), before selecting five pitchers in the 13th-17th rounds (Sam Armstrong – 13th round; Grayson Moore – 14th round; Ty Johnson – 15th round; Daniel Brown – 16th round; Ethan Flanagan – 17th round). Hope, Trice, Armstrong and Brown were recommended by area scout Billy Swoope, Moore was recommended by area scout James Parker, Johnson was recommended by area scout Jacob Williams and Flanagan was recommended by area scout Jim Woodward. A Stafford, Va., native, Hope compiled a .530 average, to go along with nine home runs, 38 RBI, 29 stolen bases and a .663 on-base percentage in 24 games during his senior season at Colonial Forge High School in Stafford. A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill commit, Hope was named the Commonwealth District and co-Class 6 Region B Player of the Year to go along with First Team All-State honors in 2023. With the 326th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs select OF Zyhir Pope from Colonial Forge HS. pic.twitter.com/IaSbmB5gsC
Trice, 20, has batted a combined .308 (172-for-559) with 39 doubles, four triples, 37 home runs, 122 RBI and 33 stolen bases in 152 games across three seasons with Old Dominion University (2021-22) and North Carolina State University (2023). The right-handed hitter has compiled a career .398 on-base percentage and a .988 OPS, while seeing time at second base, shortstop, third base, left field and right field. With the 356th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs select 2B Carter Trice from North Carolina State. pic.twitter.com/MXKUBQNooC
Armstrong, 22, made 30 appearances (29 starts) in two seasons with Old Dominion, going 12-6 with a 4.36 ERA (68 ER/140.1 IP). The right-handed pitcher began his collegiate career at the County College of Morris in New Jersey, where he was named All-Conference and All-Region in 2021. A Wantage, N.J., native, Armstrong attended High Point Regional High School in Sussex, N.J., where he was the County Player of the Year in 2019 and a three-time All-County and All-Conference selection from 2017-19. With the 386th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs select P Sam Armstrong from Old Dominion. pic.twitter.com/Tbp1lEZYp8
The six-foot three-inch, 215-pound Moore pitched in three seasons at Vanderbilt University, compiling 81 strikeouts in 59.0 IP, good for an average of 12.4 strikeouts per 9.0 IP. The righthander appeared in 33 games (three starts) at Vanderbilt, going 2-1 with a 4.58 ERA (30 ER/59.0 IP). He graduated from Lake Mary High School in Longwood, Fla., where he was named a 2020 Perfect Game Preseason All-American. With the 416th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs select P Grayson Moore from Vanderbilt. pic.twitter.com/ZmfUbsqrpo
Chicago rounded out the three-day draft by selecting two position players and one pitcher in rounds 18-20, all from the collegiate ranks: infielder Brian Kalmer (18th round, 536th overall), right-handed pitcher Nick Dean (19th round, 566th overall) and infielder Drew Bowser (20th round, 596th overall). With the 446th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs select P Ty Johnson from Ball State University. pic.twitter.com/xyGESvoAaW
With the 476th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs select P Daniel Brown from Campbell University. pic.twitter.com/fWZcbsQuH9
With the 536th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs select 3B Brian Kalmer from Gonzaga. pic.twitter.com/d95h72dgEN
With the 566th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs select P Nick Dean from Maryland. pic.twitter.com/kbh8JTJVGn
Bowser, 21, hit .271 (66-for-244) with 11 doubles, three triples, 14 home runs and 48 RBI in 61 games for Stanford in 2023, helping to lead the Cardinal to a College World Series appearance. Prior to the season, he was named to the Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference team, as well as the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason All-America Third Team. With the 596th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs select 3B Drew Bowser from Stanford. pic.twitter.com/AAmUBuJUlZ
Here is a look at Chicago’s 20 selections from the 2023 First-Year Player Draft: Rd. (Pick) Player Pos. School Birthday B T Ht. Wt. 1 (13) Matt Shaw SS University of Maryland 11/6/01 R R 5-11 185 2C (68) Jaxon Wiggins RHP University of Arkansas 10/3/01 R R 6-6 225 3 (81) Josh Rivera SS University of Florida 10/10/00 R R 6-2 215 4 (113) Will Sanders RHP University of South Carolina 3/30/02 L R 6-6 230 5 (149) Michael Carico C Davidson College (N.C.) 9/4/02 L R 6-0 190 6 (176) Alfonsin Rosario OF P27 Academy (S.C.) 6/21/04 R R 6-6 210 7 (206) Yahil Melendez SS B You Academy (P.R.) 9/5/05 L R 6-3 165 8 (236) Brett Bateman OF University of Minnesota 3/19/02 L L 5-10 170 9 (266) Jonathon Long 1B Long Beach State University 1/20/02 R R 6-0 210 10 (296) Luis Martinez-Gomez RHP Temple College (Tex.) 5/27/03 R R 6-2 178 11 (326) Zyhir Hope OF Colonial Forge High School (Va.) 1/19/05 L L 6-0 193 12 (356) Carter Trice 2B North Carolina State University 8/23/02 R R 6-0 200 13 (386) Sam Armstrong RHP Old Dominion University 9/26/00 R R 6-2 245 14 (416) Grayson Moore RHP Vanderbilt University 7/9/01 S R 6-3 215 15 (446) Ty Johnson RHP Ball State University 9/25/01 R R 6-6 205 16 (476) Daniel Brown LHP Campbell University (N.C.) 10/22/02 L L 6-3 200 17 (506) Ethan Flanagan LHP University of California, Los Angeles 6/5/02 L L 6-3 205 18 (536) Brian Kalmer 3B Gonzaga University 8/17/00 R R 6-2 215 19 (566) Nick Dean RHP University of Maryland 12/26/00 R R 6-3 180 20 (596) Drew Bowser 3B Stanford University 10/2/01 R R 6-4 226
