The Chicago Cubs picked up several intriguing prospects throughout the 2024 MLB Draft. Obviously, Cam Smith, the big third baseman out of Florida State who nearly batter .400 last year, is the big name as Chicago's first-round pick. Cole Mathis, the Cubs' pick in round two, raked in the Cape Cod League as Cam Smith did, so he's another intriguing bat who also used to pitch quite well. Chicago followed up by selecting high school shortstops Ronny Cruz in the third round and Ty Southisene in the fourth. The Cubs finally broke the trend of drafting shortstops and third basemen in the fifth round, selecting University of San Diego catcher Ariel Armas.
You can also check out the Cubs' picks in rounds six through 10 here and 11 through 15 here. Now, let's dive into Chicago's final draft picks in rounds 16-20.
Round 16 (482): Christian Gordon, LHP, VCU
Christian Gordon, 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, got drafted for the second time when the Cubs selected him here in round 16. Out of high school, Gordon was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 38th round before electing to go to college. Now, the 23-year-old is likely to sign and join the Cubs' organization.
The lefty started his collegiate career at Liberty where he struggled in his first two seasons. While Gordon barely saw playing time, when he did in his five combined games out of Liberty's bullpen, it wasn't pretty. In 4.1 innings pitched, Gordon surrendered five hits, nine walks, and four earned runs.
After a more successful showing in a collegiate summer league in 2022 (39.2 IP, 8 starts, 2.04 ERA, 44 strikeouts, and a 1.185 WHIP), Gordon started his age-22 season at VCU. He struggled again while starting eight games, posting a 5.58 ERA and continuing to have difficulty with his command.
Then, during Gordon's age-23 season, things clicked. The southpaw started 16 games for VCU, putting up an 8-2 record with a 3.62 ERA. In 79.2 innings pitched, Gordon walked just 32 batters while striking out 102. He did have seven wild pitches and eight hit batsmen on his record, but the stuff finally led to some production.
Gordon features a low-to-mid-90s fastball that has over 20 inches of induced-vertical movement and a low vertical-approach angle, so it gives off a rising illusion that can freeze hitters. He also leans heavily on a solid slider. Gordon will need to improve his command and develop his arsenal to succeed as a professional baseball player, but he's a nice get this late in the draft.
Round 17 (512): Ben Johnson, RHP, Georgia Southern
Ben Johnson, 6-foot-3 and 178 pounds, had a bit of the reverse trajectory when compared to Christian Gordon. Spending his entire career at Georgia Southern, Johnson pitched in 21 games during his first season, starting five of them. Over 41.2 innings, he posted a 3.46 ERA, 1.296 WHIP, and 43 strikeouts compared to 14 walks. Then, things just sort of steadily declined.
During Johnson's sophomore season, he had a respectable 4.15 ERA in 52.0 innings, but the strikeouts were way down at 37 and the walks crept up to 22. As a junior, it was worse: 61 IP, 6.20 ERA, 1.689 WHIP, and 34 walks (along with 8 HBP and 9 wild pitches). On the bright side, he did have 65 strikeouts. Then, in Johnson's senior season, he pitched 59 innings and had a 5.80 ERA, 1.610 WHIP, 26 walks (along with 10 HBP and 7 wild pitches), and 57 strikeouts. On the plus side, he did do this:
As of now, Johnson is a lanky kid with some solid stuff, particularly with the fastball. He throws it up to 97 MPH and has great spin rates. You're just not sure if it is going to be thrown for a strike. At 22, he seems like a guy destined to be strictly pitching from the bullpen, but—hey—if he can develop his command, put on some muscle, and start throwing consistently in the upper 90s, that's the type of guy who can actually rise through a system.
Round 18 (542): Thomas Mangus, RHP, Navarro College
Here, it looks like the Cubs took a swing to see if they can sign a promising junior college pitcher away from his commitment to Oklahoma next season. They should get solid savings on their 16th and 17th-round selections, so we will see if Chicago can sweeten the pot enough for the 6-foot-3 righty.
This past season, Thomas Mangus posted a 3.01 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 25 walks, and 81 strikeouts in 80.2 innings pitched. He has a low-90s fastball, low-80s slider, and a low-to-mid-80s splitter that he leans on in his arsenal.
Mangus has a repeatable delivery motion that looks easy out there on the mound. If he signs, the Cubs would likely put him to work as a starter to see if he can continue to refine his splitter to have three true offerings. I'm not sure how much more physical development Mangus has in front of him, but it'd be great to see that fastball speed creep up further.
Round 19 (572): Owen Ayers, C, Marshall
The Cubs selected their second catcher of the draft in the second-to-last round, and I like the pick! We all know Chicago needs more catching depth in their system, and — as a 23-year-old senior — there isn't much worry that Owen Ayers won't sign. At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, you want to see Ayers put on some muscle and improve his build, but the switch-hitting catcher put forward a solid showing at the plate in his two seasons at Marshall.
As a junior, Ayers slashed .283/.368/.491 (.858 OPS) and hit 23 doubles and seven home runs to go along with 34 RBIs. He had a 10.74 walk rate and a 15.29 strikeout rate. Then, as a senior, Ayers stepped it up by slashing .292/.385/.519 (.903 OPS) with 25 doubles and eight home runs. The walk rate improved to 11.51 though the strikeout rate also crept up to 17.46.
In 2023, Ayers split time evenly between catcher and first base, but he played almost exclusively at catcher (literally one game at first) in 2024. I know seeing a catcher that hits over .200 is a sight for sore eyes for Cubs fans, even if it's only college.
Round 20 (602): Brayden Risedorph, RHP, Indiana
Don't let his sophomore stats fool you, Brayden Risedorph is an intriguing pick at the end of the draft for the Cubs. He's also the guy I'd peg as the least likely to sign because this past season was not indicative of how well Risedorph can develop as a pitcher. At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Risedorph certainly has the frame to continue to be a prototypical future starter.
As indicated above, this past season, the 20-year-old righty pitched 47.2 innings (7 starts and 21 games) and posted an 8.31 ERA, surrendering eight home runs in the process. He also struck out 57 (good!) and walked 28 (not necessarily bad!) to go along with a 1.741 WHIP. As a freshman, Risedorph fared much better. In 25 games (5 starts), he pitched 52.1 innings and put up a 4.47 ERA and 1.357 WHIP, striking out 60 and walking just 19, though he did also hit an astounding 11 batters.
The Cubs love guys who perform well in the Cape Cod League, and Risedorph did that in his three games (6.2 IP) this summer. He posted a 2.70 ERA and struck out six while walking three. Risedorph primarily has a three-pitch mix between his low-to-mid-90s fastball, a high-70s/low-80s slider, and a high-80s cutter. I'm definitely curious to see if Chicago can get him to sign.
