If you want any indication on how well-thought of Lange is in the eyes of Cubs SVP of Scouting and Player Developmet Jason McLeod, know that he never thought Lange would still be available by the time the Cubs picked at No. 30. Indeed, according to McLeod, Lange is one of the best performers in the best conference (the SEC) in the country.
As a freshman, Lange went 12-0 with a 1.97 ERA, earning SEC Freshman of the Year, National Freshman Pitcher of the Year, and First-Team All-American honors. This season – his third at LSU – Lange led the SEC in strikeouts, earned an ERA below 3.00, and will be pitching in the upcoming College World Series (starting on Saturday). Clearly, he’s figured out how to pitch and pitch well at the collegiate level (though he did just throw 125 pitches in game this May, which, ugh). McLeod suggested that there may be some mechanical stuff to work through, not unlike Brendon Little, but overall he “love[s] everything about the guy.”
Also like Little, Lange works primarily with a fastball (low to mid 90s) and a curveball, while working on his changeup as a third pitch as well. Both of the former two pitches earned a plus grade from scouts at MLB.com, although his changeup has been slightly more erratic (we’ll get back to this in a bit).
It’s his curveball, instead, that I’d like to linger on first, because it draws – by far – the most praise. According to Keith Law, Lange’s curveball was one of the top two curveballs in the draft (the other belonging to Little). And LSU manager Paul Mainieri agrees, claiming that Lange’s curveball is the best in the country. Given the recent curveball revolution, this may not have been just a happy accident. Let’s see if the Cubs can make something of these hammers.
Back to the changeup: At Minor League Ball, John Sickels has a draft profile on Lange, wherein he suggests that Lange’s changeup has been a plus pitch in the past, even though it has faded in recent years. The potential, however, is still very much there for Lange to command three plus pitches as a starter in the top half of a rotation – which, drool. Like Little, then, it seems the development of a third pitch beyond his fastball and curveballs will decide Lange’s future role.
And finally, as far as weaknesses go, Sickels finds that Lange can rush his delivery at times which directly harms his ability to command his secondary pitches. But to be sure, that was apparently more of a concern last season than it was for him this year. Staying healthy, Sickels writes, will be his biggest obstacle in the end.
A few videos of Lange, including an interview:
In terms of two pitchers with a solid floor, but plenty of upside, it’s hard to see the Cubs doing much better than Little and Lange. At worst, it seems they’ve drafted two dominant late-inning relievers with great fastballs and even better curveballs. If, however, either one is able to develop their changeup into something they can throw with consistency, the top half of the rotation is well within their grasp. And that’s not something the Cubs have much of.
Michael Cerami began covering the Chicago Cubs for Bleacher Nation as a part-time contributor in 2015. One year later, he joined Bleacher Nation full-time, covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. Today, Michael runs Bleacher Nation, contributing as a writer (Cubs, MLB) and an editor for all sections of the site, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks, as well as MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL.
In 2019, Michael was the co-host of NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs Post-Game Show Outside the Ivy.
You can find him on Twitter/X @Michael_Cerami
A couple injuries to note among other NL Central contenders, as each of the Brewers and Reds have taken a hit to their rotation. The presumption for now is short-term on each, but I suppose we'll see. First, you have...
A very scary scene in Pittsburgh, where Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jakob Junis, currently on the IL with a shoulder impingement, took a batting practice ball off the neck and went down. Junis was apparently on the ground for a long...
On April 9, I took an early look at Nico Hoerner's apparently evolving approach at the plate, which featured a lot more patience and a lot more big hacks. Effectively, it seemed like he was trying for a little more...
There's been much debate about pitcher arm injuries lately, much of it sparked by Spencer Strider's season-ending Tommy John surgery, and Strider spoke to the media for the first time since the injury on Friday. Spencer Strider on pitcher arm...
A new signing popped up on the Chicago Cubs' transaction log: lefty Mitchell Tyranski. Tyranski, 26, put up a 3.83 ERA over 42.1 innings at High-A last year in the Dodgers organization, striking out 47 and walking 21. Were you...
We already dove deep into Shota Imanaga's latest impressive start against the Marlins yesterday. And there's been no shortage of love for Michael Busch this season either. But I do want to take this time to illustrate just how good...
Even though Sunday ended in a loss for the Chicago Cubs, we did get some good news in the form of positive injury updates. Ian Happ (hamstring) was available off the bench and could be good to go tomorrow, when...
I know that sometimes there is a history between an umpire and a manager. I know that sometimes a manager can subtly get under the skin of an umpire without doing much that we can see or hear. And I...
Let's get caught up on all of the action down on the farm in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report | April 22, 2024 Triple-A Iowa Cubs (13-8) The Cubs were swept in a doubleheader by the Louisville Bats...
What started as a small convo for the bullets ballooned into a deeper dive on Kyle Hendricks, what's going wrong, and where the Cubs go from here. So if you're looking for the Hendricks discussion, that was earlier today. Despite...
Baltimore Ravens 3-Round Mock Draft - The Baltimore Ravens haven't strayed far from their identity in recent years – a physical running team anchored by a dominant defense. However, cracks are starting to show. The offensive line struggles to consistently open holes...
Los Angeles Rams 3-Round Mock Draft - The echoes of the Rams' Super Bowl LVI victory have faded, replaced by the harsh realities of a roster in transition. Key veterans have departed, and the remaining core ages. The 2024 NFL Draft...
Washington Commanders 3-Round Mock Draft—After years of searching for a franchise quarterback, the Commanders hold the coveted second overall pick. The decision is clear: secure the organization's future under center. There's a top-down changing of the guard within the organization's decision-making structure,...
A couple injuries to note among other NL Central contenders, as each of the Brewers and Reds have taken a hit to their rotation. The presumption for now is short-term on each, but I suppose we'll see. First, you have...
The sportsbooks prefer the Dallas Stars at home (-155) over the Vegas Golden Knights (+130) when they face off on Wednesday, April 24 at 9:30 PM ET.Stars vs. Golden Knights Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Stars (-155)Underdog: Golden Knights (+130)Total: 5.5Best Stars...
The Edmonton Oilers are -180 on the moneyline versus the Los Angeles Kings (+150) on Wednesday, with this matchup being played at Rogers Place in Edmonton.Oilers vs. Kings Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Oilers (-180)Underdog: Kings (+150)Total: 6Best Oilers vs. Kings Promo...
The Philadelphia 76ers are 4-point favorites in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday, beginning at 7:30 PM ET on TNT. The Knicks lead the series...
The Orlando Magic are slight 1-point favorites heading into Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Amway Center on Thursday, tipping off at 7:00 PM ET on NBA. The Cavaliers lead the...
The Indiana Pacers are slight 1-point underdogs in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on Tuesday, beginning at 8:30 PM ET on NBA. The Bucks are ahead 1-0 in...
The Minnesota Timberwolves are slight 3-point favorites in Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Phoenix Suns at Target Center on Tuesday, starting at 7:30 PM ET on TNT. The Timberwolves hold a 1-0 series...
NEWSLETTER
