Chicago Cubs

Players signed indicated in Bold

Round Overall Player Position School State Bonus
1 9 Javier Baez SS Arlington Country Day HS, Jacksonville, Fla. Fla. $2,625,000
Baez matched up with fellow Puerto Rican native and Florida prep shortstop Francisco Lindor in February in the season's most heavily scouted high school game, with as many as 100 scouts on hand. Baez and Lindor have more contrasts than similarities, though. Where Lindor is smooth and lauded for his makeup, Baez is explosive and scouts generally pan his makeup. He lives with his high school coach (who is also his legal guardian), though his mother remains in the picture. His bat is too good to ignore, though, and offensively he has few peers in this year's draft. He has the fastest bat in the draft, and while he has a dead-pull approach at times, he has the bat speed to let balls get deep in the zone. Baez has plus raw power as well, which may serve him well if he has to move to third base. He has the defensive tools to stay at short until he outgrows it, as at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, he doesn't have much range to spare. He has plenty of arm for either position. His tools fit the catcher profile, but his makeup does not. He plays with energy, but it's not always positive, and he turns off some scouts with emotional outbursts and an off-field demeanor some describe as aloof. He's committed to Jacksonville.
2 68 Dan Vogelbach 1B Bishop Verot HS, Fort Myers, Fla. Fla. $1,600,000
Vogelbach is not a good runner, but he helped Bishop Verot win the Florida 3-A championship for the first time since 1994 when he scampered home from second base with the winning run on a deflected single by Hudson Boyd--a likely top-two-rounds pick as a pitcher. Vogelbach hit 17 homers in 32 games and has some of the best lefthanded power in the draft due to excellent strength and a sound, loose swing. He put it on display last December at the annual Power Showcase--the event made famous by Bryce Harper's 502-foot homer--by launching one 508 feet with a metal bat and won the event. He is more than a masher, with solid hitting ability and a fairly polished approach. But at 6 feet, 240 pounds, Vogelbach has work to do physically and will never be thought of as athletic. He has trimmed up in the last year, particularly since last summer's East Coast Pro Showcase, when he weighed more than 280 pounds. Vogelbach is limited to first base and may be limited to the American League, but he may hit his way into the firs three rounds. He's committed to Florida.
3 98 Zeke DeVoss OF Miami Fla. $500,000
A somewhat polarizing player for scouts, DeVoss is an eligible sophomore who turned down a late-round offer from the Red Sox out of the 2009 draft. He was one of Miami's few impact offensive players in an up-and-down season, teaming with Nathan Melendres at the top of the lineup and setting the table ably, though his swing is inconsistent. He's not physical but is a good athlete who is less polished than the average college player in Florida. He's one of college baseball's faster runners, and his speed plays offensively. When he's going right he'll sting line drives to the gaps and put his speed to use on the basepaths. DeVoss played shortstop in high school and has shifted between left field and second base. He hasn't played center field much in deference to Melendres, making it difficult for scouts who think that's his best position. His speed and athleticism figure to make him the first Miami player off the board.
4 129 Tony Zych RHP Louisville Ky. $400,000
Zych led the Cape Cod League with 12 saves last summer, when scouts voted him the circuit's top prospect after he dealt 97 mph fastballs during the all-star game. After using him sporadically as a starter in his first two seasons, Louisville has kept him in the bullpen this spring and he has thrived. He has worked at 94-97 mph all season, with a high of 99. His fastball gets on hitters quickly thanks to some funk in his delivery. Zych's arm action isn't pretty and puts some stress on his shoulder, but it adds to his deception and doesn't hamper his control. He's an athletic 6-foot-3, 188-pounder whom the Cardinals recruited as a two-way player who could contribute in the middle infield, where he saw some action as a freshman. Zych has the mental toughness to handle late-inning assignments and shouldn't require much time in the minors. Whether he becomes a closer or set-up man depends on how consistent his mid-80s slider becomes. He doesn't miss as many bats as he should because his fastball can get straight and his slider can flatten out.
5 159 Tayler Scott RHP Notre Dame Prep, Scottsdale, Ariz. Ariz. $279,950
Scott, who moved to the United States from South Africa three years ago, did not pitch at any major showcase events last summer, but he's popping up this spring in another down year for Arizona high school talent. He's a good athlete who is also a standout soccer player for Notre Dame Prep. Scott has a projectable 6-foot-2 frame and is committed to Arizona. His fastball sits in the 90-92 mph range, topping out at 93. He flashes an above-average breaking ball at times and he can throw the pitch for strikes, though it's mostly below-average now. Like most high school pitchers, Scott doesn't throw a changeup. He got roughed up during a couple of starts late in the year, but scouts still like his athleticism and projection.
6 189 Neftali Rosario C Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, Gurabo, P.R. P.R. $150,000
Neftali Rosario has a good throwing arm, showing 1.9-second pop times, a solid body at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, and surprising power, as he hit eight home runs this spring.
7 219 Trevor Gretzky 1B Oaks Christian HS, Westlake Village, Calif. Calif. $375,000
Long-levered and projectable at 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, Trevor Gretzky, son of Wayne, has plenty of holes in his swing, and his feel for hitting needs to improve. But he does have power projection and natural hand-eye coordination. He's a poor runner who has a long way to go defensively at first base, and he's likely to wind up at San Diego State.
8 249 Taylor Dugas OF Alabama Ala.
Outfielder Taylor Dugas was a first-team All-American in 2010, and at 5-foot-7, 165 pounds, he's a better college player than pro prospect. Hitting is his best skill. He has an excellent approach, having drawn 100 walks the last two seasons, and he earns comparisons to former Tide outfielder Emeel Salem, who reached Triple-A last season in the Rays system. Dugas is a slighlty above-average runner but plays a good center field. He's a tough profile whose arm is just fair, and his lack of power and game-changing speed limits him long-term.
9 279 Garrett Schlecht OF Waterloo (Ill.) HS Ill. $235,000
Outfielder Garrett Schlecht has the best combination of talent and signability among Illinois high school players. More physical than Charlie Tilson at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, Schlecht has a quick lefthanded bat and consistently barrels balls. A Middle Tennessee State recruit, he's a decent athlete whose fringy speed and arm probably will relegate him to left field.
10 309 Daniel Lockhart SS Hebron Christian Academy, Dacula, Ga. Ga. $395,000
Danny Lockhart is the son of ex-big leaguer Keith Lockhart, who also has scouted for the Cubs. Like his father, Lockhart is a lefthanded hitter with good contact ability, and he's athletic enough to stay in the infield. He's committed to Kennesaw State.
11 339 Shawon Dunston Jr. OF Valley Christian HS, San Jose Calif. $1,275,000
Shawon Dunston Jr.'s father was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1982 draft, played 18 years in the big leagues and is a special assistant for the Giants. While the elder Dunston was drafted out of high school, however, most scouts believe his son would be better off going to Vanderbilt, where he's a key recruit. Dunston has a slender, 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame, and it's obvious that his best baseball is in front of him, and he's surprisingly raw. He is an above-average runner, which helps both on the bases and in center field. Unlike his father, he swings from the left side of the plate. As Dunston fills out, he could grow into gap power and be an average hitter. Scouts love his speed, passion for the game and bloodlines, but they may not want to buy him out of school at this point.
12 369 Jacob Lindgren LHP St. Stanislaus HS, Bay St. Louis, Miss. Miss.
13 399 Trey Martin OF Brookwood HS, Snellville, Ga. Ga. $250,000
Martin is a lean, athletic center fielder with broad shoulders and projection remaining in his 6-foot-2, 175-pound frame. Martin makes things look easy in center field with his well above-average speed (he ran a 6.55-second 60-yard dash in May) and solid-average throwing arm. He also has a good idea at the plate and is short to the ball for a long-limbed player. Martin has good hand-eye coordination and if he adds about 30 pounds, like he projects to, he could begin to show more power.
14 429 Dillon Maples RHP Pinecrest HS, Southern Pines, N.C. N.C. $2,500,000
Maples has had the benefit of professional insight. His father, Tim, was a second-round pick of the Orioles in 1979, and his pitching coach at Pinecrest is James Baldwin, the former White Sox all-star. Scouts got a good look at Maples during his junior season when they went to see Baldwin's son, outfielder James Baldwin III, who signed with the Dodgers as a fourth-rounder. Maples' best assets are athleticism and arm strength. Also a standout kicker on the football team, he stands at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds with a strong lower half. His fastball sits 91-94 mph and has touched the mid-90s throughout the season. His curveball is an above-average pitch that has left his competition in the state overmatched. He lacks command of his fastball and actually does a better job of spotting his curveball. He has shown a changeup in warm-ups but doesn't need it in games, so the pitch will need development. Maples has a short arm action and questionable mechanics that lead to his below-average command. Scouts say his athleticism will allow him to make the necessary adjustments. He is committed to North Carolina, where he would play baseball and have a chance to walk on as a kicker for the football team.
15 459 Justin Marra C Power/St. Joseph HS, Toronto Ontario $110,000
Some scouts may be turned off by the fact that catcher Justin Marra is just 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds. He receives well and has a strong arm, regularly flashing above-average pop times down to second base. A lefthanded hitter, Marra has also shown the ability this spring to hit quality pitching.
16 489 Rafael Lopez C Florida State Fla.
17 519 John Andreoli OF Connecticut Conn. $134,600
Right fielder John Andreoli, whose dad has the same name and played in the NFL for one season with the New England Patriots, had a solid sophomore season but needed to reinvent himself with the less-lively bats this year. Andreoli, who is also Daniel Bard's cousin, improved throughout the spring, but scouts still question his bat, as he doesn't hit for much power. He's a plus runner timed in the 6.55-second range in the 60-yard dash, and he has a knack for bunting for a base hit. Andreoli is a good defender, and his arm strength is not that far behind George Springer's.
18 549 James Pugliese RHP Mercer County (N.J.) CC N.J.
The most interesting juco prospect in New Jersey is righthander James Pugilese. There's effort to his delivery and his arm action raises concerns, but he has a 90-92 mph fastball and average breaking ball to go with a projectable 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame. In 57 innings, he struck out 71 while walking 23 and allowing just 30 hits.
19 579 Paul Hoilman 1B East Tennessee State Tenn.
His teammates aren't as attractive to scouts but should get picked. Senior first baseman Paul Hoilman produced with the new bats, hitting 22 home runs to tie for second in the country as regionals started. Hoilman's a masher whose 72 strikeouts also ranked second nationally.
20 609 Ben Klafczynski OF Kent State Ohio
Outfielder Ben Klafczynski is another solid senior sign for Kent State. He helped his cause by opening the season by going 7-for-13 with three straight multi-hit games against Georgia Tech's strong pitching staff. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound lefthanded hitter has been a starter for most of his four years with the Golden Flashes. While he's a good athlete, it doesn't quite translate to the diamond, where his tools are fringy to average across the board. A right fielder for Kent State, he may not provide enough offense to profile as a regular there in the major leagues.
21 639 Andrew McKirahan LHP Texas Texas
22 669 Ethan Elias RHP Grand Trunk HS, Evansburg, Alb. Alberta
23 699 Bradley Zimmer OF La Jolla (Calif.) HS Calif.
Outfielder Bradley Zimmer, a San Fransisco signee, garners comparisons to Pepperdine outfielder Brian Humphries, who was similarly skinny at the same stage of his development. The younger brother of USF weekend starter Kyle Zimmer, Bradley broke a bone in his hand in a freak accident down the stretch this spring, curtailing any draft momentum. Six-foot-5 and lanky, Zimmer is a long strider with average speed and some power projection once he fills out. He has decent bat speed and natural lift in his lefthanded swing, and he simply needs to get stronger. He could develop into an intriguing prospect in three years at USF.
24 729 George Asmus RHP Ohlone (Calif.) JC Calif.
25 759 Rock Shoulders 1B State JC of Florida Fla. $294,000
At the opposite end of the spectrum is slugger Rock Shoulders of State College of Florida, formerly known as Manatee JC. Shoulders' 14 homers led the state, and he impressed scouts by trimming up his 6-foot-2, 225-pound body. The Red Sox' 20th-round pick a year ago, Shoulders doesn't have the knack for hitting of prep sluggers in the state such as Dan Vogelbach and Dante Bichette Jr., but his pop from the left side should get him picked about 10 rounds sooner than last year.
26 789 Michael Jensen RHP Hartnell (Calif.) JC Calif. $225,000
Jensen, who stands 6 feet and 190 pounds, has a live arm, capable of touching 94 mph with a good curveball.
27 819 Taiwan Easterling OF Florida State Fla. $150,000
28 849 Chris Garrison RHP Western Nevada CC Nev.
29 879 Drew Weeks 3B Clay HS, Green Cove Springs, Fla. Fla.
30 909 Arturo Maltos-Garcia RHP Lamar (Colo.) CC Colo.
Righthander Arturo Maltos-Garcia was sailing along this season, going 11-1, 2.11 with 139 strikeouts (and 64 walks) over 94 innings. His fastball sits in the 90-92 mph range and he has the best curveball in the Four Corners, a true 12-to-6 hammer. But he walked off the mound in the juco playoffs with an arm injury, which probably squashed his draft chances. He'll likely head to New Mexico next season.
31 939 Ronnie Richardson OF Central Florida Fla.
Central Florida's top prospect entering the year was supposed to be outfielder Ronnie Richardson, a speedy 5-foot-7 dynamo and draft-eligible sophomore. He hasn't broken out yet and will be a tough read. He turned down the Twins as an 11th-rounder out of high school and has improved as a switch-hitter with more experience, with his lefthanded swing making great progress. He's a plus runner but not a burner and needs to be more patient at the plate while gaining aggressiveness on the basepaths. Richardson has good arm strength and shows above-average defense in center field at times. His best performances tend to come against better opponents, with his consistency leaving something to be desired.
32 969 Pete Levitt RHP Mount Olive (N.C.) N.C.
33 999 Sheldon McDonald LHP British Columbia British Columbia
34 1029 Bobby Kelley OF Calhoun (Ala.) CC Ala.
35 1059 Ian Dickson RHP Lafayette (Pa.) Pa. $100,000
36 1089 Travis Garcia 3B Martin Methodist (Tenn.) Tenn.
37 1119 Steven Maxwell RHP Texas Christian Texas
Texas Christian's entire weekend rotation will get drafted, with righthander Steven Maxwell following Matt Purke and Kyle Winkler. A fifth-year senior who turned down the Twins as a 12th-round pick after winning Mountain West Conference pitcher of the year honors in 2010, Maxwell succeeds by throwing strikes with a 90-91 mph sinker that maxes out at 93, and a solid slider. The 6-foot-1, 192-pounder had Tommy John surgery and missed a month this spring with biceps soreness.
38 1149 Casey Lucchese RHP College of Charleston S.C.
College of Charleston's Casey Lucchese profiles as a reliever and should be a decent senior sign. Lucchese uses a sinker/slider combination, both of which grade as average, as his fastball reaches 92 mph consistently. He's had control issues over the course of his career but had a better senior season, emerging as the Cougars' closer.

Lucchese signed for a $1,000 bonus on June 14, but the contract was later voided.
39 1179 Ricky Jacquez RHP Franklin HS, El Paso Texas
Inch for inch, Jacquez is the hardest thrower in the 2011 draft. Though he's just 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, Jacquez is a gifted athlete with a quick arm capable of producing 92-94 mph fastballs and touching 97. He also has a hammer curveball, and the combination allowed him to post a 20-strikeout game in March. A dual citizen who grew up playing Little League baseball in Mexico, Jacquez also has proven himself against better competition with Team USA. He was part of the 16-and-under team that took the gold medal at the 2009 World Youth Championship, winning two starts as a pitcher and also playing regularly at first base. There's effort in his delivery, but it's not excessive. He could stand to add life to his fastball and pitch down in the strike zone more often. As intriguing as Jacquez's arm is, he may be difficult to sign away from his commitment to Texas. The Longhorns recruited him primarily as a pitcher but also could give him some playing time in the middle infield.
40 1209 Patrick Francescon RHP Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.) Tenn.
41 1239 Austin Urban RHP Des Moines Area CC Iowa $100,000
One of the top high school prospects in Pennsylvania last year, Austin Urban turned down the Orioles as a 27th-round pick. Originally committed to Penn State, he opted to attend Des Moines Area CC so he could be eligible for the 2011 draft. After a terrible start this spring, he came on down the stretch and struck out 13 against Williston State (N.D.) in a district tournament championship game win that put the Bears in the Division II Junior College World Series. A 6-foot-2, 180-pound righthander, Urban has a 90-92 mph fastball that touches 94. He also an 83-85 mph slider and the makings of a changeup. Scouts don't love his one-piece arm action, however, and he needs to repeat his delivery better in order to improve his command.
42 1269 Brad Zapenas SS Boston College Mass.
43 1299 Jay Calhoun RHP Second Baptist HS, Houston Texas
44 1329 Kenny Socorro SS Marshall W.Va.
45 1359 Tanner Kichler RHP Sherwood (Ore.) HS Ore.
46 1389 Scott Weismann RHP Clemson S.C.
Righthander Scott Weismann was expected to be a fixture in Clemson's rotation after he led the team with nine victories in 2010. He didn't meet expectations, though he wasn't hurt, just ineffective. He's stocky at 6 feet, 190 pounds, and he was much more effective out of the bullpen, limiting opponents to a .128 average entering the ACC tournament. Weismann's sinker reaches 93, and his slider helps him get groundballs, but neither pitch gets a ton of swings and misses. He added a cutter this year that gave him a different look.
47 1419 David Ernst RHP South HS, Fargo, N.D. N.D.
David Ernst capped his high school career by throwing a no-hitter in the North Dakota Class A championship game. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound righthander usually pitches at 85-88 mph, though he did touch 91 in his first outing this spring. His parents are wealthy and he's a good student, so there's virtually no chance he can be lured away from attending North Dakota State.
48 1449 Sam Howard LHP Cartersville (Ga.) HS Ga.
49 1479 Antonio Gonzales LHP Damien HS, La Verne, Calif. Calif.
50 1509 Cody Edwards RHP Bellevue (Wash.) CC Wash.

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