Chicago Cubs Prospect Profile: Cole Mathis |
One of the hardest things in Major League Baseball, when it comes to grading a prospect, is grading one who is not only drafted but one who was drafted and has yet to play a game. That is the case for the Chicago Cubs' No. 12 overall prospect, Cole Mathis, who is getting plenty of love despite not playing a single professional game.
The 1B/3B is expected to make the move to full-time later this season when he makes his debut. However, he missed the entirety of his first professional season due to Tommy John surgery. Despite that, his ceiling is through the roof, as the Cubs used their second-round pick (54) on him last summer and then proceeded to sign him for north of $1.6 million. That's an extremely big risk for a guy who may not play until the second half of 2025, but for a team, especially one like the Cubs, to take a risk like that, they must value his talent immensely. A two-way player most of his career with Charleston University, Mathis began his career with the Cougars as a reliever, where he racked up a total of 16 plate appearances during his freshman season. Once that season was over, Mathis made it a point to become a two-way player, and from that moment on, he emerged as one of the best two-way threats in the country. Take the 2023 season, for example, which was arguably his best collegiate season. Not only did he lead the Cougars offensively with an incredible 1.014 OPS, but he also led the team in ERA that season at 3.45. During that season, he took more walks (41) than strikeouts (37), which helped aid in that high OPS while also connecting for nine homers and 51 RBIs. He did that while going 5-1 on the mound as a pitcher, walking 17 and striking out 52 in an overall great season. Following his strong season, Mathis took his turn in the Cape Cod League, where the power started to show even more than in college. He closed out that summer with 11 additional homers in Cape Cod. Looking to build off that performance in 2024, Mathis was dealing with a sore elbow and elected to have Tommy John surgery in August. That alone prevented him from pitching last season, and some made the case that he may never pitch again as the Cubs may want him to focus on his hitting the rest of the way. If that's the case, last season is a great season to build on. Mathis got off to a slow start, only to bounce back nicely to finish the season with a .335 average and 14 long balls. That alone made him the highest draft pick in school history, and he will now begin his professional journey this upcoming season. Even with the good he showed last season, there are some things he could work on, which could've been one of the reasons the Cubs elected not to play him last summer. For starters, Mathis doesn't have the smoothest-looking swing by any means, but his 6-1 and 210-pound frame does make his swing effortless. Ugly or not, he does produce, and when he makes contact, it's often hard contact, which is all you can ask for. His power has steadily increased each season, and he's now starting to drive the ball over the fence more consistently. The left-center field area has the most power. Still more of a line-drive hitter, Mathis does a phenomenal job controlling the strike zone, which should give him plenty of pitches to hit. If that happens, look for him to lift the ball more consistently, leading to even more power. While it's unclear whether the Cubs will want him to pitch again, you have to think they will consider it, as he did have plenty of success on the mound. Never a big strikeout guy in college, Mathis lived off of hitters putting the ball in play and letting his defense do the work behind him. His fastball was far from elite and sat in the 91 MPH range, but it did have plenty of cut to it, which made it hard to square up. Along with that fastball came a pair of offspeed offerings, with his 76 MPH curveball being the better of the two. Mathis commanded that pitch exceptionally well and could throw it at any point in the count, which became a serious weapon. He also mixes in an 86 MPH change that could use more work, but at the very least, it gives him three pitches to build on should the Cubs want to try him on the mound again.
