The Chicago Cubs’ first selection on Day Two of the 2015 MLB Draft went as expected, insofar as the club took a pitching prospect after a grabbing a couple college bats on Day One.
Bryan Hudson is a huge, athletic-looking lefty who stands at 6’7″ and just finished his senior season at Alton High School in souther Illinois, just outside of St. Louis. MLB.com ranked him as the 71st prospect in this year’s draft (the Cubs selected him at number 82 overall), and calls him the best high school pitching prospect out of Illinois since Mike Foltynewicz.
Here’s some video on the lefty with a great, steep curveball and a 60-grade fastball, per MLB.com’s crew:
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The fastball sits in the low-90s, which is plenty for a high school lefty, and he might be able to add another tick or two as he matures and tightens up.
Hudson is a Missouri commit, though the Cubs likely wouldn’t risk the $731,000 in pool space associated with this slot if they didn’t feel comfortable that they could sign him.
Other rankings services had Hudson in the same range as MLB.com, all the way up to outside the top 100 (BA had him at 101, and Keith Law did not have Hudson in his top 100). Like MLB.com, BA describes him as a late riser who was climbing boards as the draft approached. Sounds like the Cubs may have done very well here, even if it’s going to take some time for Hudson to reach his potential.
Here’s a little more video on the young man, giving an interview as his teammates have some fun:
And a little bit more on Hudson:
Hudson is massive, with a plus breaking-ball, and there's some projection left. Not a bad value play here for the #Cubs.
— Christopher Crawford (@Crawford_MILB) June 9, 2015
Love the Bryan Hudson pick as well…projectable pitcher with some feel.
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) June 9, 2015
#Cubs 3rd round pick: 6-foot-7 LHP Bryan Hudson out of Alton (IL) HS. Went 10-2 with 152 Ks in 70 1/3 innings as a senior.
— Cash Kruth (@cashkruth) June 9, 2015