Getting to Know: Cubs 19th Rounder Nick Dean |
After drafting University of Maryland star Matt Shaw in the first round, the Cubs doubled down later in the draft and took another player from the Maryland program. When you think Big TEN baseball, only a few teams come to mind, but Maryland is one of the programs that continues to churn out excellent prospects.
Shaw appears to be another one of those, but what bout his teammate Nick Dean who the Cubs drafted in the 19th round? The 6-3 180-pound Dean has the size you look for in pitcher height-wise, but his 180-pound frame is a little concerning as the Cubs are hoping he can add some weight to his frame. Dean was a draft-eligible player in 2022, but after going undrafted that season, he returned to Maryland for a fourth year to improve his draft status. Once he returned to school, Dean was basically the same pitcher he was in 2022, but he made a few minor tweaks, which helped him get drafted this time. Dean made 16 starts for the season and threw just under 75 innings. From a numbers side of things, the 5.54 ERA is less than appealing, but with a 23.7% strikeout rate and an 8.7 % walk rate Dean showed a vast improvement with his command, which could bode well going forward. Unlike most pitchers in his class, Dean is known as a pitcher with solid but not great stuff. He has the pitch ability to be an innings eater and, with four pitches to choose from, can keep hitters off balance at any point in the count. When it comes to his stuff in general, Dean isn't going to overpower you as his fastball sits in the 90 MPH range but was touching 93 towards the end of the 2023 season. His best secondary offering would be the 82 MPH change up as that not only comes with a ton of sink, but offers an incredible 40% miss rate. That would rank in the top 10% of major league baseball today, as that will be the pitch to watch once he reaches the Cubs system. Along with that change, Dean sports an 84 MPH slider and a 12-6 curve that often averages 75 MPH. Dean came into the draft as a day-three projection and someone who would come cheap with tons of control. One thing the Cubs have done a much better job with than most is taking pitchers that don't have a ton of velocity and turning them into stars. You have seen it happen with Kyle Hendricks, Drew Smyly last season, and now the emergence of Justin Steele. For whatever reason, the Cubs like soft tossers as they focus more on the offspeed offerings than most teams do. I expect that to be the case for Dean, as he will not overpower you with his heater but has three different off-speed offerings that he can use at any point in the count. Not only was Dean a teammate of Shaw, but he is an experienced college pitcher with four years of experience. Not to mention the dude is a workhorse, as he has made at least 15 starts in each of the past two seasons. Entering the draft, Dean was viewed as the 429th-best prospect, so to see him fall as late as he did has to be considered a small win for the Cubs. While it would be nice to have better overall results, Dean does command the strike zone well, which is different for some college arms. Although he does get hit hard at times, Dean manages to limit the walks and throws a ton of strikes which is all you can ask from a young pitcher at this point in their career. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neFYxH-MSiM
