Cubs Indeed Go Pitching-Heavy in Draft, Select 16 Arms in 21 Picks
After drafting three college pitchers out of their first five picks in rounds 1-4, the Cubs continued the trend with 13 more arms over the final 16 rounds of the Draft. Only one of them, righty Dylan Blomker in the fifth round, was a high schooler. Blomker was their first selection of the draft’s second day, and they followed it up with seven more pitchers.
Of note, only two of the 13 pitchers they drafted are lefties. Also of note, Jared Chester of KRQE News 13 out of Albuquerque reported that Blomker, a graduate of La Cueva High School, will forego his commitment to LSU in order to go pro. I assume that means the Cubs are choosing to pay him an overslot bonus, which makes sense given he’s one of just two prep players they selected.
Though this seems like a departure for a front office that has prioritized college hitters, the Cubs also took 16 pitchers back in 2022. Their strategy is a little different this time around, however, as they appear to have targeted guys with big breaking balls and questionable fastballs. The thought is that they can clean up some of those issues with the heaters more easily than trying to tinker with secondaries.
They also leaned into blue-blood programs, with five SEC draft picks and several others from powerhouses known for developing quality players. If we include Blomker and fourth-rounder Dylan Marionneaux, who committed to Alabama via the transfer portal, it’s actually seven SEC players. Lefty Cole Tryba (R7) and infielder Corey Nunez (R14) both came from UC Santa Barbara, and righty Luke McGrath (R18) went to James Madison.
JMU might not be on par with some of the other schools that routinely have their players’ names called, but it’s the alma mater of one Tyler Zombro. Just as the Cubs have brought in a bunch of pitchers who’ve worked out at Tread Athletics, Zombro’s former employer, it makes sense that they’d have some familiarity with the Dukes. Back to the Tread connection, 17th-rounder Ryan Marton is a product of their training.
Moving away from pitching, one other trend that showed up early is the prioritization of big power at the expense of some whiff concerns. Again, it’s clear the Cubs felt they could make that tradeoff in order to supplement an area in which they felt the system was lacking. For all the waves being made by Josiah Hartshorn, the Cubs don’t have enough power in the minors.
See below for the team’s media release and a full list of picks. We should have more in the future as these young players begin to sign deals.
CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today completed the 2026 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The club made 16 selections today, totaling 21 during the two-day event.
With their 16 selections today, the Cubs took 14 college players (12 pitchers, one catcher and one infielder) and two high school players (one pitcher and one catcher). Overall, the Cubs selected 16 pitchers (14 right-handed and two left-handed), two infielders, two catchers and one outfielder, totaling 19 college players and two high school players.
The Cubs began the day by taking eight-straight pitchers in rounds 5-12, seven from the college ranks and one high schooler. In the fifth round (159th overall), Chicago took right-handed pitcher Dylan Blomker from La Cueva High School (N.M.) and then followed with seven-straight collegiate pitchers.
Chicago rounded out its top 10 round selections by drafting right-handed pitcher Isaac Morton out of the University of Minnesota in the sixth round (188th overall), left-handed pitcher Cole Tryba out of University of California, Santa Barbara in the seventh round (217th overall) and right-handed pitchers Lance Williams out of the University of Maryland (eighth round, 247th overall), Chase Meyer out of West Virginia University (ninth round, 277th overall) and Luke Alwood out of Seattle University (10th round, 307th overall).
The Cubs selected two more pitchers in the 11th and 12th round, right-handed pitcher Ariston Veasey from Clemson University (11th round, 337th overall) and left-handed pitcher Brandon Arvidson out of the University of Tennessee (12th round, 367th overall), before drafting their first position player of the day, catcher Emanuel Hernandez from the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy (P.R.) in the 13th round (397th overall).
Blomker, 18, registered a 2.52 ERA (15 ER/53.2 IP), while allowing just 22 hits and striking out 112 batters, good for a 52.6% strikeout rate during his senior season at La Cueva High School in New Mexico. The Louisiana State University commit was rated by Perfect Game as the No. 1 right-handed pitcher and 2 overall prospect in the state of New Mexico. Blomker was recommended by area scout Steve McFarland.
Morton, 21, across three seasons at Texas A&M University (2024-25) and the University of Minnesota (2026), went 6-2 with a 3.15 ERA (28 ER/80.0 IP) in 26 games (17 starts). In 2026, he led the Gophers starters in ERA (3.26) and strikeouts (63). The righthander was originally drafted by Milwaukee in the 19th round in 2023 after graduating from Spring Lake Park High School (Minn.). Morton was recommended by area scout Zach Zielinski.
Tryba, 21, is 8-7 with a 3.55 ERA (48 ER/121.2 IP) and 13 saves in 63 games (two starts) across three seasons at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The left-handed pitcher was twice named an All-Big West Honorable Mention in 2024 and 2026. Tryba recorded at least three saves in all three seasons, including six in 2025, which ranked fourth in the Big West. A Long Beach, Calif. native, Tryba was recommended by area scout Jim Woodward.
Veasey, 20, posted a 3.29 ERA (10 ER/27.1 IP) in 20 games in relief for Clemson University this season. He spent the 2024-25 campaigns at the University of Alabama prior to transferring to Clemson. In 2026, Veasey led the Tigers in games (20) and opponents’ batting average (.143), while allowing only three extra-base hits. Born in Atlanta, Ga., the right-handed pitcher graduated from Starr’s Mill High School (Ga.). Veasey was recommended by area scout M’Lynn Dease.
