Park Forest, Sports

This Week in Cubs and White Sox News: Draft Coverage


Steve Garcia
Steve Garcia. (PHOTO SUPPLIED)
By Steven S. Garcia

Chicago, IL-(ENEWSPF)- After completing the first round of the 2020 MLB Amateur Draft on Wednesday, the Cubs and Sox completed rounds two through five on Thursday in Secaucus, New Jersey.

The White Sox used all of their overall picks on pitching.

Most notably, with the 47th overall pick in the second round, the Sox selected right-handed pitcher Jared Kelley out of Refugio (Texas) High School.

Kelley had a dominant high school career posting a 32-3 record with a 0.43 ERA. He also had 23 no-hit appearances.

“I’m just excited and blessed,” said Kelley. “Not very many players get this opportunity, so for me to get the opportunity, I feel like the only way I can pay it back is take full advantage of it.”

The 18-year old was the 2019-2020 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year.

In 2020, the hard-throwing youngster posted a 3-0 with a perfect ERA of 0.00 in 12 innings before the coronavirus pandemic cancelled the rest of the season. Kelley recorded 36 outs with an amazing 34 of them by strikeouts.

Scouting reports have Kelley listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds. He’s a three-pitch pitcher who sports a fastball that tops out in the range of 98 mph as well as a changeup and a slider.

With the 112th pick in the fourth round in 19 appearances, the Sox selected right-hander Cade Mechals out of Grand Canyon University.

In three seasons with GCU, the 22-year old compiled a 14-3 record while posting a 2.19 ERA with 118 strikeouts and 42 walks in 107 innings. In three starts this season, he went 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA with 18 strikeouts and three walks in 15 ⅓ innings pitched.

Other Sox selections were right-handed pitcher Adyson Coffee from Wabash Valley College (Illinois) at 83rd overall in the third round. Auburn left-hander Bailey Horn was chosen at 142nd overall in the fifth round.

On the Northside, with the 51st overall pick in the second round, the Cubs selected left-handed relief pitcher Burl Carraway out of Dallas Baptist.

In 2019, the 21-year old went 4-2 to go with a 2.81 ERA. The southpaw racked up 72 strikeouts with 22 walks in 41 2/3 innings. He was off to a great start this season. In eight relief appearances, Carraway went 2-0 while turning in a stellar 0.96 ERA with 17 K’s and six walks in 9 1/3 innings.

Carraway, as all players, was disappointed with the cancellation of the season after having such a great start.

“You kind of feel like you have some unfinished business. That’s why I didn’t want to leave the field, because I may have thrown my last pitch there, and I didn’t necessarily know it. It was definitely sad, but I’m a big believer that God has a plan for me, and I’m very excited to be where I’m at now. I’m fired up to be where I’m at. I’m ready to roll,” said Carraway.

Scouting reports have his fastball listed in the upper-90’s as well as a curveball and a slider.

Another notable selection by the Northsiders was left-handed reliever Luke Little at 117th in the fourth round from San Jacinto North (Texas) JC.

The lefty stands in with a frame of 6-foot-8 and has an explosive fastball that reached 105 mph in a throwing session last month. Typically, his fastball sits around 96 mph.

In his two seasons with San Jacinto, the 19-year old had 86 strikeouts and 39 walks in 44 1/3 innings. This year the southpaw posted a 2.04 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings.

Little is also a 2018 Perfect Game preseason All-American and is currently committed to the University of South Carolina as a junior transfer.

The southpaw went on Twitter and tweeted, “A dream in the making!”

The Cubs other selections were outfielder Jordan Nwogu from the University of Michigan at 88th overall in the third round and right-handed pitcher Koen Moreno from Panther Creek (N.C.) High School at 147th in the fifth round.


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