The 2010 MLB Draft is in the books, and the Chicago Cubs took another 20 players on Wednesday, for a total of 50 players drafted over the course of the drawn-out three day draft.
Out of 50 total picks, the Cubs took 29 players who were either high school or junior college players. Likewise, 31 of the club’s 50 draftees were pitchers.
One of the Cubs’ more notable late-round picks was first baseman Benito Santiago, son of the former Cubs catcher. The younger Santiago, a sophomore at Lon Morris College — a junior college in Jacksonville, Texas — batted .351 on the season with four home runs and 14 RBIs, while stealing 21 bases.
The elder Santiago, a Puerto Rican native, played for nine teams during his 20-year career in the big leagues. Santiago was a five-time All-Star selection, as well as a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, the 1987 National League Rookie of the Year and the 2002 NL Championship Series MVP for the Giants.
Of the Cubs’ 31 pitchers selected, 23 were right-handers, including their first-round pick — Hayden Simpson, a 6-foot, 175-pound junior from Southern Arkansas University.
While they took plenty of pitchers, the Cubs went especially pitching-heavy on the second day, selecting 17 pitchers out of 29 second-day Draft picks, including six in a row at one point. cubs.com.
You can see the full set of 50 picks here.
Now comes the interesting period of trying to get these guys signed, and learning which of the later picks were guys that are actually much “better” than where they were picked, but were thought to be unsignable.