In this week’s edition of TWiCH, we look back at what could have been for one of the most promising young pitchers in Cubs history. Mark Prior made his MLB debut on May 22, 2002 after only nine minor league starts, less than a year after being drafted second overall by the Chicago Cubs the previous June.
Prior won three separate player of the year awards — Golden Spikes Award, Dick Howser Trophy, and Rotary Smith Award — in his final year with the USC Trojans and was considered the top pitcher in the draft. Prior’s numbers in his two seasons at USC were incredible, as he finished with a 15-1 record, 1.