Cubs Promote 2022 Second Round Pick

Well, how about this news?! The Chicago Cubs have already promoted a few pitchers down in the minor leagues and now they're bumping up 2022 second round pick Jackson Ferris to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

Ferris, 19, was taken with the 47th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of high school, and after pitching in extended spring training in Arizona this year, the left-handed starting pitcher is heading off to his first pro assignment in the Cubs system.

The Cubs were aggressive in last year's draft, but they went in a different direction than most expected. They had the seventh overall pick, which was used on right-handed starting pitcher Cade Horton, who was coming back from Tommy John surgery and only had success late in the year at the University of Oklahoma.

However, with the pick of Horton, the Cubs targeted Ferris in the second round, knowing they could sign him to a bigger bonus to lure him away from going to college at Ole Miss.

Cade Horton: signing bonus - $4.45 million, slot value: $5.711 million
Jackson Ferris signing bonus - $3.005 million, slot value: $1,661,200

So, the Cubs ended up signing Ferris for nearly double the slot value of the 47th overall pick.

As you would expect, Ferris was dominant pitching in high school. He played at IMG Academy in Florida and the lefty was nearly untouchable.

Junior Season:
9 Appearances
8-0 Record
50.2 Innings Pitched
86 Strikeouts, 13 Walks
.103 opponent batting average

Senior Season:
10 Appearances
8-0 Record
54.2 Innings Pitched
103 Strikeouts, 15 Walks
.142 opponent batting average

Entering the 2023 season, MLB Pipeline ranked Ferris number eight in the Cubs top-30 prospects list. He's the second best left-handed pitcher according to those rankings in the Cubs system behind 2021 first round pick Jordan Wicks and Ferris is the fourth highest ranked pitcher for the Cubs trailing only Ben Brown, Wicks and Horton.

At 6-foot-4, it is very easy to see Ferris develop into an imposing figure on the mound.

Here are the left-handed pitcher's scouting grades according to MLB.com.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50 

MLB's scouting report compares Ferris to current San Diego Padres starting pitcher Blake Snell.

When he keeps his mechanics in sync, Ferris displays three plus pitches that can miss bats in the strike zone, the best of which is a 92-95 mph fastball that touches 97 and arrives on a flat approach angle with excellent carry. His best secondary offering is a 75-78 mph curveball that features high spin rates and can be a hammer with 12-6 break at its best. He also shows advanced feel for a mid-80s changeup with fade that should become more consistent as he uses it more often as a pro. 

Ferris has a projectable 6-foot-4 frame and could add more velocity as he gets stronger. While he does have a complicated delivery that can get out of whack, he has the athleticism to work through it and he creates deception. He physically resembles Blake Snell at the same age but with superior stuff and mechanics.

The end of April and first week of May is a big time for promotions down in the minor leagues. This past weekend, the Cubs promoted left-handed reliever Bailey Horn and right-handed starting pitcher Ben Brown from Double-A Tennessee to Triple-A Iowa. We could very likely see Horton, who has not allowed a run in three starts with Myrtle Beach, get promoted soon and Ferris could be taking his spot in the starting rotation down at A-Ball.

These are definitely exciting times down in the minors for the Cubs. Of course, not all these guys are going to be stars, but it does feel like the farm system has more quality depth than ever before

As for Ferris, his pro debut may be limited to a few innings with the Pelicans. In his last outing in extended spring training, the left-hander threw 42 pitches.

Definitely looking forward to seeing Ferris in his first pro game.