Cubs Select Florida State Prospect In First Round Of MLB Draft

During Sunday night’s MLB draft, the Chicago Cubs took 21 year old third baseman Cam Smith out of Florida State with the fourteenth overall pick. 

With many different potential picks and selections being tossed around as ideas for who the Cubs might’ve ultimately taken with their pick, it seemingly feels like the Cubs have the best player on the board. Smith had a phenomenal season in 2024, slashing .387/.488/.654. On top of that impressive slash line, he also clubbed 16 home runs and 22 doubles while driving in 57. An MLB insider, Theo DeRosa, called Smith “the best true third basmen” in the draft class.

Looking ahead, this just adds to the already impressive amount of infield talent that the Cubs have in their farm system. The Cubs have selected an infielder in the first round 3 of the last 5 draft. They took Matt Shaw last season, who has been a quick riser through the Cubs system, and high school product Ed Howard back in 2020. We already know about the impressive infield talent they have in the system as well with James Triantos and Jefferson Rojas. 

“Dan Kantrovitz, the team’s vice president of scouting, said the 21-year-old Smith was the player they wanted, especially given the rapport built by area scout Ike Ballou dating back to the infielder’s high school days.”

Jordan Bastian - MLB.com

That has been one of the best parts of the Cubs draft philosophy over the last couple of seasons. They don’t seem to take a player based on positional need or need with in the farm system, they take the best player on the board in hopes to turn him into a major league star. Plus another part of their draft philosophy, has been drafting collegiate players. This is now the 11th time in 12 years that the Cubs have used their first round pick on a player from college. 

When you look at many draft report cards, alot of scouts and insiders are saying all the same things. He has an explosive bat with high power potential, elite bat speed and a great glove over at third base. That’s all the things you want to hear about your first round pick. An MLB draft scout even went as far to say that it was one of his favorite picks of the draft so far.