Cubs Release Former Top Draft Pick Ed Howard

The Cubs drafted Chicago kid Ed Howard 16th overall out of Mt. Carmel High School in 2020, but things never quite worked out for the shortstop whose smooth play earned him the nickname “Silk” at a young age. Howard first rose to prominence as a member of the Jackie Robinson West Little League team that made it to the Little League World Series championship in 2014. He was among the top-ranked prep players in the country heading into a senior season that never happened, with scouts grading him even higher than Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Howard’s professional career was forever altered by a devastating hip injury suffered on May 10, 2022 while playing for the High-A South Bend Cubs. He tried to avoid a tag at first base and tumbled awkwardly, suffering a dislocated left hip and fractured posterior wall. He underwent season-ending surgery and dealt with subsequent setbacks that cost him most of the years since.

Though he was able to log a career-high 436 plate appearances between South Bend and Triple-A Iowa in 2024, he played in just 21 games across three levels last year. Between 149 PAs with Double-A Knoxville and then Iowa, Howard slashed .168/.221/.248 with a 25 wRC+ and two home runs. While there had always been questions about whether and how his swing would work as a pro, his athleticism and defensive ability were top-notch.

Ryne’s first trip to spring training. pic.twitter.com/FXKBhXJdK1

— Evan Altman (@DEvanAltman) August 30, 2026

Howard was also just a really good dude about whom I’ve never heard a negative word, and I’ll always remember him taking a little time for a picture with my son during our first trip to spring training together. I don’t know if Silk still has a future in baseball as a player, but I’m wishing him all the best in whatever his next step will be.