Cubs Take Cade Townsend at No. 23 as $3.95 Million Slot Targets Elite Spin

Q: While all eyes were on their first-round pitcher, did the Cubs actually land the draft's best value with their second-round pick?

Yes. Based on where he was taken versus where major evaluators ranked him, the Cubs’ best Day 1 value may well be second-round pick Caden Sorrell, not first-rounder Cade Townsend. Sorrell went No. 62 overall, but MLB Pipeline ranked him No. 33 in the class and Baseball America had him even higher at No. 27. That gap is substantial, and Baseball America rated Sorrell above Townsend, whom the Cubs took at No. 23. In draft terms, that makes Sorrell a strong value play. The profile explains why. Sorrell, a left-handed-hitting outfielder from Texas A&M, put up a .341/.434/.743 line with 23 home runs, 20 doubles and 11 steals, while showing the athleticism and arm strength to fit in right field and potentially handle center. Scouts see real power, bat speed and everyday upside. The reason he lasted into the second round is the risk in the hit tool. He struck out about 23 percent of the time and has been flagged for swing-and-miss issues, especially against elevated fastballs and breaking balls out of the zone. That concern likely pushed him down some boards; Keith Law ranked him lower than Pipeline and Baseball America did. Still, if the Cubs can tighten the contact profile, they may have secured a player with first-round talent at a second-round price. Townsend remains the headline because of Chicago’s urgent need for pitching, but Sorrell looks like the cleaner value win.

3 articles · Updated · MLB.com · Jul 12

Chicago used the 23rd overall pick on Ole Miss right-hander Cade Townsend, a 21-year-old who said he expects to sign and called the Cubs his "dream pick."
Townsend fit a draft plan centered on pitching and pitch design: he works at 94-97 mph and leans on three plus breaking balls, with the Cubs drawn to his elite spin and data-driven approach.
His sophomore season strengthened that profile, with a 3.94 ERA, 88 strikeouts and 22 walks in 64 innings as Ole Miss' primary Saturday starter, while his walk rate improved to 8.0% from 13.1% as a freshman.
Chicago made him its first first-round pitcher since 2022 and spent Day 1 heavily on college arms, betting its pitching infrastructure can sharpen the fastball command Townsend says he still needs to reach the majors.