Chicago Cubs Draft Ole Miss Righty Cade Townsend with Their First Round Pick - Bleacher Nation
Townsend posted a 3.94 ERA with 88 strikeouts and 22 walks in 64 innings this season, giving Chicago a high-upside starter prospect.
- On Saturday, the Chicago Cubs selected Ole Miss right-handed pitcher Cade Townsend with the 23rd overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, marking their first first-round pitcher since 2022.
- Scouting director Dan Kantrovitz stated the organization shifted its draft model to prioritize pitching, noting the team 'invested less in pitching in recent drafts' and needed to change that approach.
- Townsend, a 21-year-old sophomore, recorded a 3.94 ERA with 88 strikeouts in 64 innings while utilizing a five-pitch repertoire featuring a fastball reaching 97 mph.
- Addressing a known system weakness, the Cubs aim to improve pitching development while maintaining depth with MLB-ready bats in Triple-A for future opportunities.
- Townsend, who stands 6-foot-1 and 185-pounds, is a high-ceiling prospect; the Aliso Viejo, California, native must continue developing to maximize his potential as a future starter.
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MLB World Reacts To Chicago Cubs Drafting Intriguing Pitcher Cade Townsend
On Sunday, the Chicago Cubs will finish their series with the Cincinnati Reds in Ohio.The two teams are tied up at 1-1, so whoever wins on Sunday will take the series.MLB World Reacts To Cubs Drafting Cade TownsendOn Saturday, the Cubs selected Cade Townsend in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft.The Cubs wrote […] The post MLB World Reacts To Chicago Cubs Drafting Intriguing Pitcher Cade Townsend appeared first on HEAVY.
Chicago Sun Times
Usa newsCubs take Ole Miss pitcher Cade Townsend with 23rd overall pick
<p>PHILADELPHIA – It wasn’t exactly the banner draft day for the Cubs as it was for the Sox, but the Cubbies did exactly what scouting director Dan Kantrovitz projected: they used the 23rd pick in Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft to take a pitcher:</p><p>Right-hander Cade Townsend out of Mississippi.</p><p>“I think it’s no secret we’ve invested less in pitching in recent drafts,” Kantrovitz said during the week prior to Saturday’s…
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