In case nobody’s mentioned it to you before, statistics can lie. As useful as raw data can be, streaks in either direction can happen, regardless of the recent past. Looking at a players baseball card stats can be very eye-opening, or add to the “who really knows?” of developing prospects. Buying or selling on Cole Roederer depends as much on the reader’s pre-existing biases, as anything else. Ten years from now, people will be entirely justified in assessing “South Bend as a precursor,” regardless his future success, or lack of it.
Roederer was selected by the Cubs in the Compensation section of the 2018 second round, as a payback for losing Jake Arrieta to free agency.