After adding the likes of Kyle Schwarber, Ian Happ, Albert Almora and Kris Bryant with early draft picks, last year, Theo Epstein shifted gears. The Chicago Cubs went in heavily on pitching talent, including their first two picks – coming in at 27th and 30th overall.
First, Chicago tapped left-handed pitcher Brendon Little out from State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. He came off a 15-start campaign in Florida, pitching to a 2.53 ERA across 85 1/3 innings. He averaged a staggering 14.03 punchouts per nine, evidence of his big-arm potential.