Levine: Cubs Stay True To Form In 1st Round Of Draft
By Bruce Levine--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Perhaps if the two top pitchers on the board weren't taken before the Cubs' first-round pick at No. 9 overall in the MLB amateur draft, they would have pulled the trigger on a hurler. But since the Theo Epstein-Jed Hoyer tandem took over late in 2011, the team has drafted position players with its first pick, and the Cubs stayed true to form Monday evening, selecting athletic outfielder Ian Happ out of the University of Cincinnati.
The Cubs have been transparent about their way of looking at amateur talent. They take the top player on their board, regardless of need or surplus in the organization.
"Our strategy is always to get the best player for us," senior vice president of scouting and player development Jason McLeod said. "We just don't walk away from pitching. It has been talked about a lot, and the history of the draft will tell you if the evaluation is close, the college hitter is the way to go. We have taken the guys the last three or four years who we felt were the best player at that pick."
Although the Cubs love the plate discipline that the 20-year-old Happ has shown throughout his college career, including a .492 on-base percentage in 2015, they don't project the big-time power they have received from Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber, their first-round picks in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Happ, a switch-hitter, batted .369 with 14 homers, 18 doubles, 44 RBIs and 47 runs in 56 games for the Bearcats in 2015.
"He certainly has a chance to hit a lot of doubles," McLeod said of Happ, who is 6-foot and 205 pounds. "I don't see him being Kris Bryant or Schwarber in terms of home run power. At the same time, he is pretty physically strong. He was in town last week, and he was easily reaching the bleachers from both sides of the plate. Granted, it was batting practice, but we definitely feel there is strength there. We think he will hit 15 home runs-plus and hit for a high average."
As boss of the Red Sox and Cubs, Epstein has picked 11 position players with his 13 first-round picks. Last season, he tsaid that he considers good impact hitters the rarest commodity in baseball. When he and his staff broke down the legit power hitters in the majors or minor leagues, they felt there were less than 35 projected power potential guys who could make the grade.
Player makeup is and has always been king for the Cub brass when adding to the organizational mix through the draft or signing big league players. Happ passed that test with flying colors, according to McLeod. Happ could also have a future at second base because of his athleticism, though the Cubs aren't worried about that just yet.
"We are especially confident as to who he is as a person," McLeod said. "We feel he fits in right along the lines of Bryant and Scwarber. He is a really smart kid from a great family. We got really good feedback from his college coaches and the coaches on the Cape (Cod League)."
At No. 47 overall in the second round Monday, the Cubs took another outfielder, Donnie Dewees out of North Florida. He's a slugger, as he he .422 with 18 homers and 68 RBIs and a .749 slugging percentage this past season.
The Cubs will most likely draft pitching with many of their remaining picks in the next few days. The draft continues Tuesday with the third through 10th rounds. Rounds 11-40 will be conducted Wednesday.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
