One draft-and-follow signing we missed recently was Cubs righthander Jordan Latham, a 29th-round pick last year out of the JC of Southern Idaho. Pitching in the wood-bat Scenic West Athletic Conference, Latham was as nasty as any pitcher in the league at times–a league that includes Brewers $500,000 signee Chad Robinson and Braves DFE Cole Rohrbough, a Top 100 prospect. Latham lacks polish and has inconsistent mechanics, but league coaches said he had excellent sink on an 87-91 mph fastball that at times touched 93. His best pitch is a power slider that has reached 84 mph and sits in the 80-82 mph range when he’s right.

In his first year as a starter after working as the team’s closer last spring, Latham went 9-2, 1.84 with 66 strikeouts in 73 innings this spring for CSI, as the school calls itself. His signing leaves athletic sophomore Nik Gumeson, an infielder who hit .295 with a team-best five homers and is not under control, as CSI’s best draft prospect.