The Cubs signed outfielder Zyhir Hope, an 11^th-round selection, and 13^th-round pick Sam Armstrong to deals as well, finishing off their draft class just before a 4 p.m. deadline to agree to contracts with their selections.

Wiggins missed the 2023 season at Arkansas after undergoing Tommy John surgery prior to the season. In 34 collegiate games, including 19 starts, he posted a 9-4 record with a 6.17 ERA, with 110 strikeouts and 57 walks in 89 innings.

Hope posted a .530 batting average, along with nine home runs and 38 RBI’s, at Colonial Forge High School in Virginia. He also stole 29 bases and posted a .663 on-base percentage in his final year of high school baseball.

Armstrong posted a 9-4 record in 15 starts at Old Dominion this season, with 72 strikeouts and 28 walks in 77 innings of work.

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Rivera primarily played shortstop for the Florida Gators, but he dabbled at second base as well. Last year he enjoyed a breakout season at the plate, hitting .348/.447/.617 with 19 home runs and 72 RBI in 70 games.

Sanders pitched for the South Carolina Gamecocks. He appeared in 51 games over the past three years, including 36 starts. Sanders finished his college career with a 4.08 ERA, a 1.261 WHIP and a 222/68 K/BB ratio.

The Cubs have now agreed to terms with 17 of their 20 draft picks, including nine of their top 10 selections.

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Shaw, taken with the No. 13 pick in the 2023 draft out of Maryland, says he feels there will be different pressures in the big leagues, but recognizes that failure is a much-larger part of the game than it is in college.

“There’s two ways to look at failure. You either look at it as when you’re playing in the big leagues there is so much failure that there’s a lot of pressure on the player, or you look at it as there is so much failure that everybody is failing,” he said. “Mike Trout is failing. Shohei Ohtani is failing. There’s really not as much pressure as you go up.”

In 62 collegiate games last season, Shaw hit 24 home runs and drove in 69 RBI’s, along with 18 stolen bases. He slashed .341/.445/.697, and was considered one of the top hitters in all of college baseball as he won the Big Ten’s Player of the Year honors.

In fact, that slash line has Shaw arguing that a certain level of failure at the Major-League level is baked in, and that it will help him persevere through tough times.

“In college, people hit .350 and .400, and that’s normal. In the big leagues, you hit .250 and .300, and that’s normal,” he said. “There’s a lot of pressure up here that I don’t understand yet. There’s the fans and the community and everything that I’ll eventually learn, but when it comes to baseball, people are failing a lot more in the big leagues than they are in college, so for me it’s a great opportunity for me to fail and learn and see what you can make of it.”

Shaw signed his contract with the Cubs this week, and will likely learn his first minor-league assignment in the coming days.

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According to a press release, the club signed six of the first 10 picks they made in this year’s draft, as well as 18^th round-pick Brian Kalmer.

Terms of the contracts were not released, but according to MLB, the Cubs signed Shaw to a slot-value contract worth $4.85 million.

In addition to signing Shaw, the Cubs also agreed to terms with fifth-round pick Michael Carico, sixth-round pick Alfonsin Rosario, eighth-round pick Brett Bateman, ninth-round pick Jonathon Long, and 10^th-round pick Luis Martinez-Gomez.

Shaw was considered one of the college game’s best hitters this season, with a .341 average, 24 home runs and 69 RBI’s for the Maryland Terrapins. He also captured the Brooks Wallace Award, given to the nation’s best shortstop, and was named the Big Ten’s player of the year.

Players selected in the MLB Draft must sign with their team prior to 4 p.m. Central time on July 25. Players who have exhausted their collegiate eligibility will then become free agents, and would be able to sign with any other team.

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The Cubs also went heavy on the collegiate route this season, with eight of their first 10 picks in this year’s draft coming from the college ranks, including first-round pick Matt Shaw and second-round pick Jaxon Wiggins.

Other highlights include shortstop Josh Rivera, who pounded 19 home runs and stole 18 bases at Florida this season, and outfielder Brett bateman, who stole 42 bases during his collegiate career at Minnesota.

Here are the 20 players the team selected in this year’s draft.

Round 1 – Shortstop Matt Shaw, Maryland

Shaw is one of the draft’s best hitters, with 24 home runs and 69 RBI’s in his junior season with the Terrapins, boosting his batting average by 50 points and his on-base percentage by 64 points over last season.

Round 2 (compensatory) – Right-handed pitcher Jaxon Wiggins, Arkansas

Wiggins missed the 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. In 34 collegiate games at Arkansas, Wiggins posted an ERA of 6.17, with a 9-4 record and 110 strikeouts in 89 innings.

Round 3 – Shortstop Josh Rivera, University of Florida

In 70 games this season with the Gators, Rivera had 19 home runs, 72 RBI’s and 18 stolen bases, slashing .348/.447/.617. He hit 35 home runs in his collegiate career, seeing big upticks in long balls and stolen bases this season.

Round 4 – Right-handed pitcher Will Sanders, University of South Carolina

For the third consecutive selection, the Cubs stayed in the SEC by taking Sanders. He posted a 3.43 ERA in 15 starts in 2022, but had a bit of a backslide in 2023, with a 4-4 record and a 5.46 ERA in 14 games, including 11 starts. His strikeouts per nine innings rate did go up to 11.1, but his WHIP crept upward to 1.34.

Round 5 – Catcher Michael Carico, Davidson College

Carico appeared in 21 games for Davidson this season, with seven home runs and 18 RBI’s. He posted a .514 on-base percentage in those games after racking up 17 walks in just 107 plate appearances, and his OPS was a robust 1.202.

Round 6 – Outfielder Alfonsin Rosario, P27 Academy

This high-school outfielder and pitcher has some intriguing skills, ranking as the top high school outfielder in South Carolina. He already stands 6-feet-2 and weighs 215 pounds, and he also boasts a 9 mph fastball, according to PerfectGame.

Round 7 – Shortstop Yahil Melendez, B You Academy

According to Baseball Factory, Melendez has an incredible arm and a smooth hitting stroke, grading above average in fielding at both shortstop and second base while boasting plus-skills in both contact and power at the plate.

Round 8 – Outfielder Brett Bateman, Minnesota

After using their first-round pick on Maryland’s Matt Shaw, the Cubs came back to the Big Ten to select Bateman, a speedy outfielder who stole 17 bases in 50 games this season. In fact, he stole a total of 42 in his collegiate career, and he backed that up with five stolen bases and 13 RBI’s in the Cape Cod League this season.

Round 9 – First baseman Jonathon Long, Long Beach State

Long had a breakout season for the Dirtbags, with 15 home runs and 52 RBI’s in 55 games. He slashed .312/.404/.600 in those contests.

Round 10 – Right-handed pitcher Luis Martinez-Gomez, Temple College

Martinez-Gomez started 13 games and pitched in 15 overall for the Leopards, with a 7-4 record, a 2.83 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 63.2 innings pitched.

Round 11 – Outfielder Zyhir Hope, Colonial Forge High School

According to Inside Nova, Hope had a strong high school season, with nine home runs and 38 RBI’s in 24 games. He batted .530 in those contests, and is committed to North Carolina if he doesn’t sign with the Cubs.

Round 12 – Second baseman Carter Trice, North Carolina State

In 41 games with the Wolfpack, Trice had six home runs and 19 RBI’s, with seven stolen bases to his credit. He has had a strong season in the Cape Cod League, with three RBI’s three stolen bases and a .462 on-base percentage in seven games.

Round 13 – Right-handed pitcher Sam Armstrong, Old Dominion

Armstrong appeared in 15 games, all starts, at Old Dominion this season, with a 9-4 record and a 3.51 ERA in 77 innings. He struck out 72 batters and walked 28 in those contests.

Round 14 – Right-handed pitcher Grayson Moore, Vanderbilt

Moore primarily pitched in relief for the Commodores this season, with a 1-0 record and 3.08 ERA in 12 appearances. He struck out 36 batters and walked 10 in 26.1 innings, giving up just one home run.

Round 15 – Right-handed pitcher Ty Johnson, Ball State

Johnson appeared in 16 games, including 10 starts, for the Cardinals this season, with a 4-3 record and a 4.53 ERA. He had 68 strikeouts in 53.2 innings of work.

Round 16 – Left-handed pitcher Daniel Brown, Campbell University

Johnson appeared in four games for Campbell this season, giving up six earned runs in one total inning of work. He also walked nine batters.

Round 17 – Left-handed pitcher Ethan Flanagan, UCLA

In nine appearances with the Bruins, Brown went 2-1 with a 5.12 ERA, with 31 strikeouts and 16 walks in 31.2 innings.

Round 18 – Third baseman Brian Kalmer, Gonzaga

Kalmer had a career year at the plate for the Bulldogs, with 15 home runs and 51 RBI’s. He slashed .358/.454/.682 in 240 total plate appearances.

Round 19 – Right-handed pitcher Nick Dean, Maryland

In his fourth season with the Terrapins, Dean had a 3-2 record and a 5.54 ERA in 15 starts. He has a career 4.44 ERA in 43 starts at the collegiate level.

Round 20 – Third baseman Drew Bowser, Stanford

In his third season with the Cardinal, Bowser mashed 14 home runs and drove in 48 RBI’s in 244 at-bats. He batted .271, with 26 walks and 11 doubles to his credit.

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In fact, eight of their first 10 picks in this year’s draft have come from college, with sixth-round pick Alfonsin Rosario and seventh-round pick Yahil Melendez their only high school selections so far.

The highlights from their draft selections include shortstop Josh Rivera, who pounded 19 home runs and stole 18 bases at Florida this season, and outfielder Brett bateman, who stole 42 bases during his collegiate career at Minnesota.

The Cubs had a total of eight picks on Monday, and here are the players they selected:  

Round 3 – Shortstop Josh Rivera, University of Florida

In 70 games this season with the Gators, Rivera had 19 home runs, 72 RBI’s and 18 stolen bases, slashing .348/.447/.617. He hit 35 home runs in his collegiate career, seeing big upticks in long balls and stolen bases this season.

Round 4 – Right-handed pitcher Will Sanders, University of South Carolina

For the third consecutive selection, the Cubs stayed in the SEC by taking Sanders. He posted a 3.43 ERA in 15 starts in 2022, but had a bit of a backslide in 2023, with a 4-4 record and a 5.46 ERA in 14 games, including 11 starts. His strikeouts per nine innings rate did go up to 11.1, but his WHIP crept upward to 1.34.

Round 5 – Catcher Michael Carico, Davidson College

Carico appeared in 21 games for Davidson this season, with seven home runs and 18 RBI’s. He posted a .514 on-base percentage in those games after racking up 17 walks in just 107 plate appearances, and his OPS was a robust 1.202.

Round 6 – Outfielder Alfonsin Rosario, P27 Academy

This high-school outfielder and pitcher has some intriguing skills, ranking as the top high school outfielder in South Carolina. He already stands 6-feet-2 and weighs 215 pounds, and he also boasts a 9 mph fastball, according to PerfectGame.

Round 7 – Shortstop Yahil Melendez, B You Academy

According to Baseball Factory, Melendez has an incredible arm and a smooth hitting stroke, grading above average in fielding at both shortstop and second base while boasting plus-skills in both contact and power at the plate.

Round 8 – Outfielder Brett Bateman, Minnesota

After using their first-round pick on Maryland’s Matt Shaw, the Cubs came back to the Big Ten to select Bateman, a speedy outfielder who stole 17 bases in 50 games this season. In fact, he stole a total of 42 in his collegiate career, and he backed that up with five stolen bases and 13 RBI’s in the Cape Cod League this season.

Round 9 – First baseman Jonathon Long, Long Beach State

Long had a breakout season for the Dirtbags, with 15 home runs and 52 RBI’s in 55 games. He slashed .312/.404/.600 in those contests.

Round 10 – Right-handed pitcher Luis Martinez-Gomez, Temple College

Martinez-Gomez started 13 games and pitched in 15 overall for the Leopards, with a 7-4 record, a 2.83 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 63.2 innings pitched.

The final ten rounds of the draft will take place on Tuesday morning prior to the MLB All-Star Game in Seattle.

Shaw won the MVP award in the Cape Cod League in 2022, and followed that up with a stellar season at Maryland, with 24 home runs, 69 RBI’s and 18 stolen bases in 62 games.

While stats tell an intriguing story of a strong hitter, many scouts also believe that Shaw could one day be a second baseman in the big leagues.

Here’s what MLB.com’s Jim Callis had to say:

“Even if he probably isn’t a big league shortstop, the Cape Cod League MVP has hitting ability, power, at least solid speed and some Ian Happ parallels.”

Callis also said that Shaw had one of the best hit tools in the entire draft class.

James Fox of Sox Machine also echoed similar themes:

“Shaw is one of the best hitters in a stellar college class and his positional versatility makes him even more appealing for clubs picking in the top half of the first round…He’s a legitimate stolen base threat and he’s very versatile, but teams will be drafting the potential of the bat.”

Prospects Live had him ranked at No. 23 in their Top 500 prospects, and here’s what their Tyler Jennings had to say:

“He checks a lot of boxes at the plate, with a smooth right-handed swing with bat-to-ball skills and very good power, all while improving his chase rate. His average exit velocity grades out very high, and he’s exceeded triple digits multiple times with impressive plate discipline.”

Jack Sabin of Vendetta Sports Media:

“He has that blazing speed you can’t teach which should easily translate into 30-plus stolen bases at the next level, but the speed is far from the only thing Shaw brings to the table.

“He is an incredibly-patient hitter, working a lot of walks and limit strikeouts. This approach allows him to drive a ton of baseballs and gives him plus-power at the plate. He strives on making hard contact every at-bat, and constantly sprays the ball to all parts of the field.”

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The Cubs also had a pick in the compensatory round, selecting pitcher Jaxon Wiggins out of Arkansas.

Shaw, who can also play second base and third base, appeared in 62 games for the Terrapins in 2023, with 24 home runs and 69 RBI’s, as well as 18 stolen bases. He slashed .341/.445/.697 on the season, turning himself into one of the best all-around hitters in the college game.

According to Joe Boyle of Future Stars, Shaw was the No. 11 overall prospect in this year’s draft class, and the “slot value” of the pick used to take him checks in at just over $4.8 million.

The Cubs also received a pick in the compensatory round following the draft’s second round thanks to the St. Louis Cardinals inking Willson Contreras to a five-year contract, and they used that selection on Wiggins, who missed the entire 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in February.

In 2022, Shaw posted a 6-3 record and a 6.55 ERA in 17 appearances with the Razorbacks, including 15 starts.

The Cubs did not have a second round pick in this year’s draft, having forfeited it when they signed shortstop Dansby Swanson to a seven-year contract.

The MLB Draft will continue Monday and into Tuesday, with 20 total rounds taking place.

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MLB held its inaugural draft lottery Tuesday night to determine the order for the first 18 picks in 2023, and the Cubs actually fell one spot. 

The Cubs, who had the 12th-best odds for the top selection, landed the No. 13 pick. 

MLB added the draft lottery in the new collective bargaining agreement to disincentivize tanking. The 18 non-playoff teams from 2022 had odds ranging from 0.2 to 16.5 percent to land the No. 1 pick.

The Cubs’ odds were long at 1.1 percent, but several teams jumped up in the order. The Twins moved all the way from 13th to fifth overall.

The Rangers moved up from seventh to fourth and the Tigers from sixth to third.

Other teams who fell in the lottery include the Royals (fifth to eight) and Reds (fourth to seventh). The A’s — who were among three teams with the best odds for the top pick — fell to sixth.

The 2023 MLB Draft will be held in July. Here are full lottery results:

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The Cubs have done just that. They’ve officially inked 19 picks after announcing 11 more signings Saturday — including Jackson Ferris (second round) and Nazier Mulé (fourth).

Right-hander Brock Blatter (19th round) is the only Cubs pick who has not signed. He’s committed to play collegiately at Alabama.

The Cubs signing first-round pick Cade Horton for under his slot value helped them sign Ferris for over his slot value.

According to MLB.com’s Jim Callis, Horton, the No. 7 overall selection, signed for $4,450,000 — under the slot value of $5,711,000.

Ferris, the No. 47 overall pick, signed for $3,005,000, according to Callis — above the slot value of $1,661,200.

Ferris, 18, was one of the most highly touted prospects in the draft who was committed to play at Ole Miss. MLB Pipeline ranked him the No. 19 overall prospect.

RELATED: Why Cubs loaded 2022 draft class with pitching

The lefty, who comes from the prestigious IMG Academy in Florida, has a mid-90s fastball and full arsenal.

“This wasn’t somebody that was just coming in and pitching with two pitches for two innings,” Kantrovitz said of Ferris after Day 1 of the draft. “He’s throwing complete games and showing off four pitches and going multiple times through the order and showing ability to make in-game adjustments.

“It kind of went above and beyond sort of your typical times-two-pitch high school pitcher. This is somebody with a full repertoire, and once he adds a little weight to his frame, we think he’s pretty ripe to add power across his whole mix.”

In all, the Cubs signed 15 pitchers and four position players. Along with Ferris and Mulé, they signed preps pitcher JP Wheat (16th round pick), who was committed to play at Georgia Tech.

A full look at the Cubs’ signings:

1st round: RHP Cade Horton

2nd round: LHP Jackson Ferris

3rd round: SS Christopher Paciolla

4th round: RHP/SS Nazier Mulé

5th round: RHP Brandon Birdsell

6th round: RHP Will Frisch

7th round: RHP Nick Hull

8th round: RHP Mason McGwire

9th round: RHP Connor Noland

10th round: RHP Brody McCullough

11th round: LHP Branden Noriega

12th round: RHP Mathew Peters

13th round: RHP Luis Rujano

14th round: RHP Shane Marshall

15th round: C Haydn McGeary

16th round: RHP JP Wheat

17th round: OF Andy Garriola

18th round: RHP Garrett Brown

20th round: OF KeShun Collier

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This weekend, he’ll officially be one step away from the big leagues. The Cubs are promoting the first base prospect to Triple-A Iowa.

Mervis, now in his second professional season, isn’t ranked among the Cubs’ top 30 prospects by evaluators like MLB Pipeline and Baseball America.

But the 24-year-old’s 2022 season has been as attention-grabbing and eye-opening as any player in the Cubs’ farm system.

And maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise.

“We were really excited about Matt going into the [2020] draft,” Cubs VP of scouting Dan Kantrovitz said this week.

As the Cubs were scouting the 2020 draft pool, they pegged Mervis as somebody they would target around Rounds 3-5.

But with teams cutting costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MLB slashed the 2020 draft to five rounds, down from the usual 40.

It meant many prospects, including Mervis — who was a two-way player at Duke — went undrafted.

“We liked him both ways, which is a tribute to the athlete that he was and is,” Kantrovitz said.

With the draft cut to five rounds, MLB allowed teams to sign as many undrafted free agents as they pleased.

And that’s when the Cubs came calling — again. They already had a line of communication open with Mervis because he was on their draft board.

“We had established that with him months before the actual draft unfolded,” Kantrovitz said. “We already had laid the groundwork there. I think he was comfortable with us from that standpoint.”

After Mervis went undrafted, Kantrovitz said the Cubs pitched how he fit their hitting infrastructure and could improve within in, a process that included collaboration with their player development staff and research and development team.

“I think he was impressed enough to choose us in that unprecedented free agency process that unfolded after the 2020 draft,” Kantrovitz said.

Mervis spent almost all of 2021 with Single-A Myrtle Beach, his first professional season after the canceled 2020 minor-league season — save for a three-game stretch with Iowa to end the season.

He registered a .677 OPS in 72 games last season before breaking out in 2022. Mervis opened with Single-A South Bend and hit .350/.389/.650 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs in 27 games.

It earned him a promotion to Double-A Tennessee in May and he picked up where he left off, batting .300/.370/.596 with 14 homers and 51 RBIs in 53 contests.

All said, he’s hitting .317/.376/.614 with 21 home runs and 80 RBIs in 80 games. 

“To see his success so far, now heading to Triple-A, I don’t think that’s something that you could expect anybody to do as quickly as he’s done it,” Kantrovitz said. 

“But I’m really proud of our staff and in everybody that was involved in that, because it was a team effort.

“Just to see him get to where he has so far, now he’s just a fingernail away from the big leagues. We’re all rooting for him.”

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OK, it’s way too early to place that projection on Nazier Mule, if not entirely unfair and unrealistic.

But at the least, the Cubs are open-minded about the future of Mule, their 2022 fourth-round draft pick (113th overall) who was a two-way player in high school.

“We thoroughly evaluated him both ways this year,” Cubs VP of scouting Dan Kantrovitz said Tuesday, after the draft concluded. 

“We have some scouts that are really excited about him offensively too. He’s just a dynamic, exceptional athlete.”

Mule, a University of Miami commit who doesn’t turn 18 until October, was one of the top-ranked prospects in the draft. He was No. 94 on MLB Pipeline and No. 96 on Baseball America.

And it’s easy to see why. 

On the mound, the right-hander’s fastball velocity already sits in the 93-96 mph range and has hit triple digits, according to Pipeline.

On the other side, Mule — who’s already 6-foot-3, 210 pounds – is an athletic shortstop with raw power and has registered triple digit exit velocities.

RELATED: Why Cubs loaded 2022 draft class with pitching

Kantrovitz said the Cubs first will evaluate Mule as a pitcher, where evaluators like Pipeline and BA say he has a brighter future. 

But the organization will “remain open-minded as far as how his role might evolve,” Kantrovitz said.

“Just because we’re going to start off with the evaluation one way doesn’t mean we’re going to typecast him into that role in particular,” Kantrovitz added. “He’s dynamic on both sides of the ball. 

“That’s one of the reasons why we drafted him. I think we’re gonna be open-minded to somebody that might be able to do both or however that evolves going forward. 

“But we certainly don’t want to close any doors there.”

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Almost every round, they drafted a pitcher.

By the time the draft wrapped up Tuesday, only four of the Cubs’ 20 picks were position players — four and a half if you count intriguing two-way prospect Nazier Mule, though the Cubs’ initial plan is to evaluate him on the mound.

Why? 

“It’s just hard to have enough pitching,” Cubs VP of scouting Dan Kantrovitz said over Zoom after the draft wrapped up Tuesday. “It’s hard to finish a draft and then be in a position where it’s like, ‘Oh, we’re not gonna need to sign anybody after the draft.’

“I’m not saying that we’re still not gonna even sign more pitchers after the draft. But I think every year it just comes down to you can’t have too much of it.”

Of course, the Cubs’ strategy goes beyond the truism there’s no such thing as having too much pitching. Their philosophy is to take the best player available. 

RELATED: Cubs draft picks 2022: Live updates on Day 3

But another element they were mindful of on Day 3 is their minor league depth charts currently have more opportunities for pitchers to get innings compared to the opportunities for hitters to get at-bats.

“You want to be careful when you’re drafting a player, especially on Day 3, that there’s going to be somewhere for him to play and get at-bats,” Kantrovitz said.

“We’ve got a lot of young position players coming up that are going to need those the rest of the summer. And unless we felt like we were drafting somebody that was better than one of them, we didn’t want to take away at-bats from an existing prospect.”

Kantrovitz said he would be surprised if the Cubs sign all 20 of their picks but anticipates they’ll ink 18-19, which he would be “really happy” with.

The four position players the Cubs drafted are high school shortstop Christopher Paciolla (third round), catcher Haydn McGeary (15th), and outfielders Andy Garriola (17th) and Ke’Shun Collier (20th).

Among the pitchers the Cubs selected after first- and second-round picks Cade Horton and Jackson Ferris are Will Frisch and Mason McGwire — son of Mark McGwire — in the sixth and eighth rounds.

Frisch, drafted out of Oregon State, underwent Tommy John surgery in March, but the Cubs are comfortable with his outlook and makeup after seeing him pitch in recent years and sitting down with him at the MLB Draft Combine in recent weeks.

“He’s somebody that, once he gets healthy, I think could turn into a pretty exciting power arm,” Kantrovitz said. “I remember talking to the Oregon State coaches prior to the draft, and they would just rave about his work ethic and how strong he is. 

“Then you kind of size him up in person, and he’s got an exceptionally strong pitcher’s build. He’s actually a really intelligent kid on top of it.

“We had a lot of confidence that he’s going to put these things together and end up being a potentially exciting arm for us down the road.”

MORE: Cubs draft picks 2022: Live updates on Day 2

Kantrovitz knows Mark McGwire from their time together in the Cardinals organization, but the Cubs’ evaluations of Mason — who’s committed to play college ball at Oklahoma — are independent of his last name.

“This is a projectable arm where the fastball is just lively; it comes out easy, comes out hot,” Kantrovitz said. “And then he’s got a [splitter] that you don’t really see every day on the amateur side. 

“He’s somebody that, despite being a McGwire, we were interested in Mason as a pitcher.”

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Nine of the Cubs’ first 10 selections were pitchers, including first- and second-round picks Cade Horton and Jackson Ferris.

The draft concludes Tuesday with Rounds 11-20, and you can keep track of the Cubs’ final 10 selections here.

Round 11 (323rd overall): LHP Branden Noriega

The Cubs continued their trend in drafting pitchers, selecting Noriega with their first pick on Day 3.

Noriega, who turned 21 this month, pitched for the West Virginia Black Bears in MLB’s Draft League this summer. He posted a 4.91 ERA in 10 relief appearances.

The lefty wields upper-90s fastball velocity.

Round 12 (353rd overall): RHP Mathew Peters, Ivy Tech (Indiana)

Another pitcher for the Cubs. Peters, 22 in December, stands 6-foot-4, 215 pounds.

Peters holds mid-90s fastball velocity that has hit triple digits. He’s the 11th pitcher the Cubs selected through the first 12 rounds.

Round 13 (383rd overall): RHP Luis Rujano, Sunshine State Elite Academy (Florida)

Rujano is a big right-hander standing 6-foot-5, 205 pounds. He turned 19 in April but is a 2022 high school grad who’s committed to University of South Florida.

According to Perfect Game, he’s the No. 13 ranked right-hander in his class and already is hitting 96 mph with his fastball. 

Round 14 (413th overall): RHP Shane Marshall, Georgia

Marshall, 22, played four seasons with the Bulldogs, mostly as a position player. He was announced as a pitcher when the Cubs drafted him, so it appears he will get converted to pitching full-time.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-hander made three career appearances on the mound, all in relief, tossing a combined 1 2/3 innings. He appeared in 92 games total, making 46 starts between catcher and designated hitter.

Round 15 (443rd overall): C Haydn McGeary, Colorado Mesa University

For the first time since the third round, the Cubs drafted a position player.

McGeary, who turns 23 in October, is a big catcher standing 6-foot-5, 235 pounds. He played four years in college at Division II Colorado Mesa.

He hit .448/.522/.930 in 163 career games and was the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022.

Round 16 (473rd overall): RHP JP Wheat, Next Level Academy (Alabama)

After a brief reprieve from their run of pitching selections, the Cubs went with another arm in the 16th round.

Wheat turns 20 next month and is committed to Georgia Tech. He’s 6-foot-5, 185 pounds and ranked the No. 119 right-hander in his class, according to Perfect Game. 

His recorded fastball velocity is 95 mph.

Round 17 (503rd overall): OF Andy Garriola, Old Dominion

Garriola marks the Cubs’ third position player selected this draft. He turns 23 in December and played three seasons at Old Dominion.

Garriola, who’s 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, split his time between left and right field in 2022. He hit .322/.384/.715 with 25 home runs and 80 RBIs —both career-highs — in 58 games.

Round 18 (533rd overall): RHP Garrett Brown, Georgia

Brown is a big right-hander, standing 6-foot-7, 218 pounds. He turns 23 in November and pitched two seasons for the Bulldogs.

After redshirting his 2019 freshman season, Brown missed the 2021 campaign after undergoing elbow surgery.

He posted a 7.71 ERA in 12 appearances/10 starts in 2022, striking out 17 (25 walks) in 25 2/3 innings.

Round 19 (563rd overall): RHP Brock Blatter, Billings Central Catholic High School (Montana)

Blatter, who’s 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, turned 19 earlier this month. His fastball velocity is recorded at 91 mph, according to Perfect Game.

Blatter is committed to play collegiately at Alabama.

Round 20 (593rd overall): OF Ke’Shun Collier, Meridian Community College (Mississippi)

The Cubs rounded out their 2022 draft class with Collier, their fourth position player selected.

Collier turns 22 in December. He’s listed at 5-foot-8, 160 pounds.

This past season, he hit .378/.494/.504 in 41 games. In two seasons with Meridian, he slashed .368/.462/.496 in 80 games.

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That pitcher? Mason McGwire — son of former Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire.

The news generated some entertaining reactions from members of the baseball world. Cubs fans watched McGwire and Sammy Sosa go head-to-head in the 1998 home run race, which McGwire came out on top 70-66.

After seeing Mark don Cardinals red all those years, Mason one day could be rocking the blue pinstripes at Wrigley Field.

Whether Mason ultimately joins the Cubs organization is to be determined. He’s committed to play college ball at the University of Oklahoma, where his brother, Max, is already on the baseball team.

For now, the potential of “MCGWIRE 25” jerseys hitting the shelves in Wrigleyville at least is fun to think about.

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But what he showed from then on led to him becoming the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft by the Cubs.

“I think what we started to see towards the end with his performance in Omaha in the College World Series was indicative of the Cade Horton that we’re going to see in the future,” Cubs VP of scouting Dan Kantrovitz said.

“I also don’t think we’ve seen the best of him.”

Horton, who turns 21 next month, missed his entire 2021 freshman season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and began 2022 a two-way player. 

He opened in the bullpen as the Sooners slow-played his return coming off his surgery, and eventually ascended into the rotation. 

In nine regular season appearances, he posted a 7.94 ERA in 22 2/3 innings.

“If you would have asked me two months ago if Cade Horton was going to be a top target on the roadmap, I might have been a little skeptical,” Kantrovitz said. 

“But then fast forward and just witness the trajectory.”

In his final regular season appearance, Horton gave up eight runs in 3 1/3 innings against Texas Tech. He knew he had to do something different.

“Even before Texas Tech,” Horton said, “I felt like guys were really getting to the fastball and sitting on one pitch, either the breaking ball or the fastball, and once they got it, they were just hammering it.”

Horton was throwing a bullpen session after that Texas Tech start attended by Sooners head coach Skip Johnson and former MLB player Brett Eibner, when he learned a new slider/cutter pitch grip.

MORE: Cubs draft pick Horton ‘excited’ to reunite with Howard

Before the Sooners went to play Texas in the Big 12 baseball tournament, Horton worked with teammate Ben Abram to further develop the pitch. 

Originally, Abram — who advised Horton to “lock out” his wrist — was going to teach him a cutter. It evolved into a slider and “looked really good” in a bullpen session, Horton said.

He threw the slider for the first time in his start against the Longhorns, and in that outing allowed one run and two hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out nine.

That kick-started Horton’s dominant run during postseason play. In five starts, he went 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA and 49 strikeouts (six walks) in 31 innings.

That includes a pair of dominant College World Series starts. Horton threw six innings of two-run ball against Notre Dame, striking out 11, and 7 1/3 innings of two-run ball against Ole Miss, striking out 13.

“With Cade, I think he was on that upward trajectory all season,” Kantrovitz said. “If you isolate, show the last few starts, it’s consistent with somebody that learned a new pitch. In his case, it was a wipeout slider. 

“We saw he had the feel for that,” Kantrovitz added. “We saw a little bit more giddy up in his fastball at the same time, and some improved control — which is consistent, again, with somebody that was sort of rehabbing initially and then really coming into his own.

“It’s indicative of a situation where I think you want to just make sure you’re taking everything into account and waiting as long as you can to make a decision.”

Kantrovitz said the Cubs are excited about Horton’s slider as a “swing-and-miss weapon.” It’s part of an arsenal that includes a changeup and “plus” mid-to-upper 90s fastball.

“Once he gets a little bit more life and harnesses the command of that,” Kantrovitz said, “I think it’s just going to end up being a pretty complete repertoire.”

Kantrovitz, who said Horton was the Cubs’ “prime target” in the first round, saw one of Horton’s College World Series starts. A handful of Cubs scouts also saw him pitch this year.

RELATED: MLB Draft: Cubs select Jackson Ferris with No. 47 pick

But as much as he popped down the stretch with the Sooners, Horton crossed the Cubs’ radar long before this past spring.

Kantrovitz and area scout Ty Nichols did an in-home visit with Horton two years ago, when he was debating going to Oklahoma or entering the 2020 draft.

When Kantrovitz called Horton Sunday night to congratulate him, he asked if he remembered that visit.

“He said of course he did,” Kantrovitz said, smiling. “It was nice to hear that and to have that connection remain intact. 

“That’s something that, just building the history of the player like that, gave us confidence that we had a pretty good handle on his makeup as well.”

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Who will they select next?

Rounds 3-10 of the draft will commence Monday afternoon before it concludes with rounds 11-20 on Tuesday.

Stay tuned here for live updates on the Cubs’ selections Monday.

Round 3 (86th overall): SS Christopher Paciolla, Temecula Valley High School (California)

The Cubs are set to add another young shortstop to their pipeline after selecting Paciolla with their third pick, 86th overall.

Paciolla, 18, is ranked the No. 166 prospect in the draft by MLB Pipeline. He stands 6-foot-2, 185 pounds.

Paciolla, according to Pipeline, doesn’t have much swing-and-miss in his game and is a high-contact bat. He’s committed to UCLA.

The Cubs’ shortstop pipeline currently includes No. 2 overall prospect Cristian Hernandez, Ed Howard and Kevin Made, among others.

Round 4 (113th overall): RHP Nazier Mule, Passaic County Technical Institute (New Jersey)

Mule is a two-way player, also playing shortstop, but was announced as a pitcher when the Cubs selected him in the fourth round.

The 17-year-old, who’s committed to Miami, stands 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, wields a mid-90s fastball that has hit triple digits, and at the plate has raw power, according to Pipeline.

Pipeline ranks him as the No. 94 prospect in the draft.

Round 5 (143rd overall): RHP Brandon Birdsell, Texas Tech

The Cubs nabbed their second college pitcher of the draft in the fifth round in Birdsell.

Birdsell, Pipeline’s No. 101 prospect, stands 6-foot-2, 240 pounds. He went 9-3 with a 2.75 ERA in 15 starts for the Red Raiders this past season.

Birdsell was previously drafted as a high schooler by the Astros in 2018 (39th round) before he elected to go to college. The Twins selected him in the 11th round last year but he returned to school.

The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in high school and missed time in 2021 after straining his rotator cuff.

Birdsell, whose fastball sits in the mid-90s and touches the upper-90s, won Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors in 2022.

He turned 22 in March and also spent his freshman season as a reliever at Texas A&M.

Round 6 (173rd overall): RHP Will Frisch, Oregon State

In selecting Frisch here, the Cubs went with college pitchers in back-to-back rounds. But unlike Horton and Birdsell, Frisch pitched more in relief this past season.

The 22-year-old made 20 appearances (six starts) for the Beavers in 2022, posting a 2.38 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings.

He underwent Tommy John surgery in March and missed the rest of the season.

Frisch wields a mid-90s fastball, and a slider and changeup, according to Baseball America — which ranks him as the No. 200 prospect in the draft.

Frisch was previously drafted out of high school by the Twins (36th round) in 2019 before opting to go to Oregon State.

Round 7 (203rd overall): RHP Nick Hull, Grand Canyon

Another college pitcher for the Cubs. Hull, 22, spent five seasons at Grand Canyon University.

Hull led the WAC in ERA (1.77) in 2021 across 18 appearances (35 2/3 innings), all in relief.

He moved into the rotation full-time in 2022, going 7-1 with a 3.72 ERA in 16 starts. In 96 2/3 innings, he struck out 102 batters with 28 walks.

Hull stands 6-foot, 205 pounds. He was an All-WAC second team selection in 2022.

Round 8 (233rd overall): RHP Mason McGwire, Capistrano Valley High School (California)

The Cubs’ first pick was a University of Oklahoma right-hander, and their eight is a Sooners commit.

And he comes from a notable family. McGwire is the son of longtime Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire.

McGwire, 18, is the seventh pitcher the Cubs drafted in the first eight rounds. He’s 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds.

He attended the same high school as Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks.

Round 9 (263rd overall): RHP Connor Noland, Arkansas

The Cubs continue to stockpile pitching in this draft. Noland is the eighth pitcher they’ve selected through nine rounds.

Noland is the No. 470 overall prospect in the draft, per Baseball America. The 22-year-old is 6-foot-2, 215 pounds.

Noland wields a 89-91 mph fastball, mid-80s slider and mid-80s curveball with above average control, according to BA.

In his fourth season with the Razorbacks this spring, he went 8-6 with a 3.65 ERA in 20 games, 19 of which were starts, tossing 116 innings.

Round 10 (293rd overall): RHP Brody McCullough, Wingate

The Cubs concluded Day 2 of the draft with their seventh right-handed pitcher selected on the day and eighth overall.

McCullough, 22, is ranked the No. 482 prospect in the draft by Baseball America. He stands 6-foot-4, 205 pounds and wields a low-90s fastball, a slider and changeup, according to BA.

McCullough pitched four seasons with Division II Wingate. He was mostly a reliever in 2021 (2.21 ERA, 20 games/five starts) and almost exclusively a starter in 2022 (2.40 ERA, 12 games/11 starts).

McCullough had a good performance in the 2022 Cape Cod League, turning in a 2.70 ERA with 30 strikeouts (eight walks) in 20 innings across five starts.

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“Excited to announce that I have committed to The University Oklahoma to play both baseball and football! #BOOMER,” Horton tweeted.

Three-and-half-years later, the Cubs made their decision. They selected Horton with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.

“It’s crazy. It doesn’t feel real,” said Horton, who met Chicago media on Zoom after the Cubs made the pick on Sunday.

“I’m just so blessed to be in this position and ready to get to work.”

Horton, who turns 21 next month, grew up playing baseball and football and was a two-sport athlete in high school. In his senior season at Norman High School in Oklahoma, he threw for over 3,000 yards.

But even as he was preparing to be a two-sport athlete in college, Horton knew his future was in baseball.

“I love baseball more than I love football,” said Horton, ranked the No. 24 prospect in the draft by MLB Pipeline.

Horton was a two-way baseball player for the Sooners, but his collegiate career was interrupted before it truly began. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 and missed the entire season.

It wasn’t an entirely lost season, though. As Horton went through his adversity, he refocused his efforts on being the best teammate he could while sidelined, trying to lift up those around him.

When Horton returned from his surgery recovery in 2022, he began the year exclusively at third base, shortstop and designated hitter 

He didn’t make his collegiate debut on the mound until March 29 and got nine appearances under his belt before postseason play — when he took his performance to another level.

In those first nine appearances, he notched a 7.94 ERA in 22 2/3 innings.

In five postseason starts from then on, he went 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA and 49 strikeouts (six walks) in 31 innings.

That includes an 11-strikeout performance against Notre Dame in the second round of the College World Series.

“In Omaha, that crowd is crazy,” Horton said. “It’s awesome to be able to be on that stage. You talk about adrenaline.”

For as unique as the last three years have been for Horton, the last two months were especially eventful.

“It didn’t start off really too good,” he said of his 2022 season. “And then towards the back half of the year and the postseason, I was pretty good and just wanted to take it one pitch at a time in the back half and just focus on hitting a spot and hitting a target. 

“It’s been crazy. It’s been awesome.”

Horton said he hasn’t ever been to Wrigley Field but has past connections with some Cubs prospects, including 2020 first-round picks Ed Howard and Pete Crow-Armstrong. 

He’s ready to continue on in his path and get going with the Cubs.

“It’s going to be an awesome experience,” Horton said. “I’m truly blessed to be in this position.”

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After drafting University of Oklahoma right-hander Cade Horton seventh overall, the Cubs selected lefty Jackson Ferris with their next draft pick, 47th overall.

“In the first round, Cade was our prime target,” Cubs VP of scouting Dan Kantrovitz said. “In the second round – it’s hard to have visibility so you don’t normally put too much stock into it — but Jackson was the No. 1 target there as well.”

Ferris, 18, comes from the prestigious IMG Academy in Florida. He’s ranked the 19th overall prospect in the draft by MLB Pipeline and 34th by Baseball America.

Considered one of the top prep pitchers in the draft by evaluators, Ferris — who stands 6-foot-4, 195 pounds — has a mid-90s fastball that touches 96-97 mph.

According to Pipeline’s scouting report, he also wields a mid-70 mph 12-6 curveball and a mid-80s changeup and has No. 2-3 starter potential.

Baseball America ranks Ferris’ changeup as the fourth-best among high school pitchers in the draft.

In his senior season at IMG, Ferris went 8-0 with a 1.33 ERA in 10 outings, striking out 103 batters in 54 1/3 innings.

“This wasn’t somebody that was just coming in and pitching with two pitches for two innings,” Kantrovitz said. “He’s throwing complete games and showing off four pitches and going multiple times through the order and showing ability to make in-game adjustments.

“It kind of went above and beyond sort of your typical times-two-pitch high school pitcher. This is somebody with a full repertoire, and once he adds a little weight to his frame, we think he’s pretty ripe to add power across his whole mix.”

Ferris is committed to play collegiately at Ole Miss, but Kantrovitz said the Cubs don’t anticipate any issues signing him.

It’s the second straight year the Cubs drafted an IMG pitcher with one of their top picks. They selected lefty Drew Gray in the third round last year.

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This time around, they went with a pitcher.

With the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, the Cubs selected right-hander Cade Horton out of the University of Oklahoma.

Horton, 20, is the No. 24 overall prospect in this year’s draft, according to MLB Pipeline.

He was a two-sport athlete out of high school, also playing quarterback in football, and was a two-way prospect as a pitcher/infielder.

He missed the 2021 baseball season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and began the 2022 season as Oklahoma’s starting third baseman.

Horton made his first appearance for Oklahoma in late March and went 5-2 with a 4.86 ERA in 14 games/11 starts.

He was dominant during the 2022 postseason, posting a 2.61 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 31 innings for the Sooners.

MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis called Horton “the best college pitcher available” on the draft broadcast after the Cubs made the selection.

Horton stands 6-foot-1 and touches 98 mph with his fastball velocity.

It’s the second straight year the Cubs drafted a college pitcher in the first round, following lefty Jordan Wicks in 2021.

The Cubs will also pick later Sunday night with the No. 47 selection.

More to come.

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Seven years later, Happ is having a breakout season and has blossomed into an All-Star, and the Cubs will make their first single digit draft pick since him.

So, does the 27-year-old have any advice for whomever the Cubs pick seventh overall Sunday night?

Happ contemplated the question for a moment Sunday inside the Cubs clubhouse.

“I didn’t understand at the time how lucky I was to be drafted by this organization,” Happ said. 

Happ was the Cubs’ four straight top 10 draft pick under Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Co., and the third straight collegiate hitter of that bunch.

RELATED: MLB Draft preview: Why Cubs’ focus for No. 7 pick fluid

Although he was not part of the Cubs’ 2016 championship team, he debuted during a 2017 season they lost in the NLCS. In his first four seasons, he made the playoffs three times.

“When you’re going through the [draft] process,” Happ said, “you watch baseball your whole life, you know teams, you have your favorites or whatever.

“Until you’re in it, you really don’t understand how special it is to be drafted by an organization like this with the history, with this place (Wrigley Field) as your office every day.

“Whoever we get, be pretty grateful that this is where you get to come to work.”

Happ remembered the first call he received was from Jason Carr of Cubs media relations after he was drafted, a “really cool moment,” while he was at home with his family.

And as exciting as the pre-draft process was, Happ looked back seemingly just as fondly as the months that followed, when he became ingrained in the Cubs organization.

Said Happ: “Looking back to being introduced to all of the staff members that we had, our minor league staff [members who are] now scattered throughout the big leagues in other places that was such an important part of bringing the World Series and winning teams here.

“Those first few months and getting to meet all those people and have all those relationships, that was a really a cool piece of the draft process.”

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Sunday, July 17 starts the 2022 MLB Draft, and at Sox On 35th, we took some time out to make our predictions.

The White Sox have the 26th pick in the first round of this year’s draft, and unlike last year, it’s not completely clear who they will draft. Will they follow up last year’s prep pick with another one in Tucker Toman? Will they instead shift and supplement their farm system with a more polished college arm? Could we see them revert back to drafting a college bat? The crew makes their predictions on all of this below.

Additionally, you can find our draft preview article here with detailed write-ups of 12 of the possible picks by the White Sox at No. 26 on Sunday night.

For now, let’s get into the predictions.

Read the Sox On 35th team’s draft predictions over on soxon35th.com.

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Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada? Cal Poly shortstop Brooks Lee? How about a high school player?

Sunday is an opportunity for the Cubs to add another premier prospect to their up-and-coming farm system, a process that remains fluid. They’re keeping an open mind on who they could pick, whether that player can be part of the “next great Cubs team” sooner or later.

“It’s too imprecise to try to time the selection of a draft pick with a team’s competitive window,” Cubs VP of scouting Dan Kantrovitz said. 

“If it ends up being a toolsier high school player that we draft that requires a little bit more time, then we have the infrastructure to handle it. 

“If it ends up being a college player that is projected to get [to the majors] a little quicker, then I think we’ll be equally happy.”

The Cubs have experienced both sides of that coin over the last decade, drafting in the top 10 in five straight seasons — four during the Theo Epstein-Jed Hoyer front office era.

After drafting Albert Almora Jr. sixth overall out of high school in 2012, the Epstein-Hoyer regime selected college hitters the next three years: Kris Bryant (No. 2), Kyle Schwarber (No. 4) and Ian Happ (No. 9) — all of whom debuted within two years of their selections.

“I think it’s been widely publicized that the ‘strength’ of the draft class is a lot of high school hitters that are projected to go high,” said Kantrovitz, who played it coy when asked for his read on specific prospects. “Whether that comes to fruition or not, time will tell. 

“But I think as it’s unfolded, there’s probably been more pitchers that have percolated to the top of teams’ draft boards. I think it probably ends up reverting back to where we started this spring, which was there’s a lot of high school hitters that are projected to go pretty high.”

One unique difference between this draft and those during the last Cubs rebuild is its timing. The 2021 draft was the first ever held in July.

It means teams are getting data and evaluations before the draft they previously did not. Kantrovitz cited the summer college leagues and high school showcases currently taking place.

“I think it underscores the fact that you just have to remain open minded up until the very point where you have to make a decision,” Kantrovitz said.

The Cubs cast a wide net in their player evaluations earlier this spring to thoroughly evaluate the player field. 

But one attribute Kantrovitz said they put “a lot” of emphasis on is player makeup — whether through interviewing players or conducting at-home visits to meet with their parents or calling their coaches.

“It takes a special person to succeed out here at Wrigley Field,” Kantrovitz said.

“We put a lot of weight on that, because we have to really make sure that we understand the person and what motivates them and how they think,” Kantrovitz added. “That’s also an inexact science.

“But I think the more that we can put into it, the more that we can be sure that it’s something that we’re confident we know who we’re drafting.”

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