Chicago Cubs 2026 draft picks lean on pitching and power

The Chicago Cubs came into the opening day of the 2026 Draft with a stated desire to lean into pitching as the organization has come under scrutiny for its lack of homegrown depth in that regard.

Last year’s draft picks Dominick Reid (third round) and Kaleb Wing (fourth round) have accounted well for themselves in the organization, but there’s need for much more. This year, the team drafted three pitchers among their first five picks, including first round selection Cade Townsend.

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“We’re really pleased with the outcome,” Cubs vice president of scouting Dan Kantrovitz told MLB.com. “I think going in, we felt it was going to be slightly skewed towards more pitchers than hitters. I wasn’t sure if that was going to be one hitter or two hitters, but at the end of the day, when a guy like Caden Sorrell falls to us, we weren’t going to miss the opportunity to grab him.

“With getting Cade [Townsend] up top, I think that really solidified our Draft strategy, and then allowed us to be a little bit flexible with two impact bats right after that.”

Here’s a look at who the Cubs selected in the first day of the draft:

Rd: 1, Pick: 23 – Cade Townsend, RHP – Mississippi

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Cubs fans may flinch over Townsend’s shoulder issues this season at Ole Miss and some have expressed concern over his relatively small frame (6-foot1, 185 lbs.), but Townsend’s got phenomenal stuff and, maybe most importantly, profiles as a mature and fiery pitcher who should jet through the organization and be able to contribute to the major league team sooner rather than later.

Per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com:

“The Cubs are drawn to pitchers who feature plus spin and velocity, and the 21-year-old Townsend (No. 35 on Pipeline’s Top 250 Draft prospects list) fits that description. While the right-hander sits around 94-97 mph with his fastball, his speciality is making a baseball dance. Townsend has three plus pitches (slider, cutter and curve), and mixed in a changeup…Townsend is an athletic pitcher with the kind of foundation the Cubs will love to get into their lab and see how they can maximize all that he offers.”

Rd: 2, Pick: 62 – Caden Sorrell, OF – Texas A&M

The 21-year-old has tremendous offensive upside and was considered a bit of a steal at no. 62. He profiles as a corner outfielder who, like previous top prospect Owen Caissie, has a propensity to whiff. Still, Sorrell will be added to the outfield mix as a future replacement for Ian Happ and/or Seiya Suzuki, who are both eligible for free agency at the end of this season.

Per Nick Deeds of Cubbies Crib:

“Sorrell has absolutely torn the cover off the ball in the SEC this year, slashing an utterly absurd .341/.434/.743 with 20 doubles and 23 homers in just 56 games. MLB Pipeline ranked Sorrell as the #33 player in this year’s draft, so landing him at 62nd overall was something of a steal. Sorrell’s claim to fame is his exciting power potential, and it’s surely no coincidence that Chicago deigned to select a player with this profile not long after shipping Owen Caissie to Miami in the Edward Cabrera trade.”

Rd: 2, Pick: 75 – Myles Bailey, 1B – Florida State

In their compensation pick for losing Kyle Tucker, the Cubs rolled the dice on, perhaps, the most explosive feast-or-famine hitter in the draft. The 20-year-old Bailey suffered a horrendous ankle injury earlier this season and was limited to just 26 games, hence his lower-than-anticipated draft selection. But he slashed .363/.582/.913 with an OPS of 1.494 until the season-ending injury, hitting 13 homers in just 122 plate appearances, against 30 strikeouts.

Per Danny Barrand, pro evaluator for Prospects Live and contributor to Over-Slot Baseball:

“Florida State 1B Myles Bailey is quite polarizing. He whiffs an unbelievable amount for a notable draft prospect. But he has a 114.3 MPH 90th EV and 23.9° HH LA. May be some of the freakiest power ability on the planet? Hard profile to evaluate, but the homer tape is so fun.”

Rd: 3, Pick: 98 – Carson Jasa, RHP – Nebraska

The 21-year-old Jasa has a crazy curveball that he’s learned to control significantly better than in his ultra-wild freshman year with the Cornhuskers. The feeling is that he may be destined for a closer role as he works his way to the majors, but some weight training and conditioning work on the tall, lanky righty could also see him get in the mix for a starter gig.

Per Jake Misener of Cubbies Crib:

“There are shutdown pitches – and then there’s Carson Jasa’s curveball. The Chicago Cubs selected the big right-hander out of Nebraska…hoping to unlock more on his mid-90s fastball and ride his knee-buckling breaking ball.

Jasa broke out in a big way this year, going 10-2 with 117 strikeouts in just 87 2/3 innings of work, holding opponents to a .210 average. But against his curveball, they went a ridiculous 6-for-111 (.054) – evidence that it is truly an elite put-away pitch. His future, though, will be determined by what the Cubs can help him do with his four-seamer.”

Rd: 4, Pick: 126 – Dylan Marionneaux, RHP – Northwestern State

The biggest unknown of the Cubs’ picks on Saturday, the 21-year-old was targeted after the team met with him personally and saw what he could do, specifically as a high-spin pitcher.

Per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com:

“The Cubs were able to have Marionneaux throw a bullpen during a workout and loved his ability to spin the baseball. The righty showed off a cutter that intrigued Chicago’s pitching group. This past season, Marionneaux had a 3.51 ERA with 81 strikeouts and 18 walks in 84 2/3 innings. The walk rate (1.9 per nine innings) was a noticeable drop from both ’25 (4.5) and ’24 (5.1).”

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