Chicago Cubs: 5 biggest steals on Day 3 of 2019 MLB draft

2. Grayson Byrd, 2B/SS (Clemson)

The Chicago Cubs grabbed Byrd in the 24th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Clemson University. Grayson Byrd had a solid sophomore season at Clemson slashing 0.284/0.345/0.344 with 1 home run and 20 RBI’s. He had a disappointing junior season but bounced back nicely in his final year in Death Valley.

This year, Byrd slashed 0.316/0.394/0.588 with 16 home runs and 59 RBI’s. He also improved his strikeout ratio from 3:1 in his sophomore season to less than 2:1 in his senior year. Byrd doesn’t project to be a threat for stolen bases but there’s a lot to like in that bat. His junior year was derailed by a torn quad muscle, which is why his average dipped the way it did.

"“The doctor said, ‘Hey, it’s a Grade 3 tear. You’re not going to hurt yourself by playing. It’s just pain tolerance. I told Monte that and he said, ‘Whatever you wanna do,” Grayson said. “I said, ‘I’m going to play.’ I was taped up for every game. I would hit a ball and hobble over to first. It was tough.” – TheState.com"

He was recently named a third-team All-American and first-team All-ACC for his efforts in his final year at Clemson. Byrd originally followed in his father’s footsteps at LSU but wanted to create his own path.

As far where he might fit in on a roster, he plays both middle infield positions and first base which allows for some flexibility to get that bat into a lineup.