Chicago Cubs: Three college pitchers to target in 2020 Draft
By Ryan Sikes
Mason Hickman, Vanderbilt
If the Cubs are going to reach for a pitcher, they will do so on Mason Hickman. Baseball America has him ranked as the 209th best prospect in the draft, which would put him somewhere between the fourth and fifth rounds. He got off a rough start at Vanderbilt, posting a 5.21 ERA in 16 appearances – including 13 starts – and had his fair share of walks.
He cleaned up his mechanics in the Cape Cod league between his freshman and sophomore seasons, and the results were incredible. In 2019, Hickman posted a 2.05 ERA in 20 appearances – including 13 starts – while striking out 129 batters in 96.2 innings.
More importantly, he displayed a terrific command of his pitches, allowing just 28 walks.
He was on the mound for Vanderbilt’s College World Series-clinching victory, striking out 10 Michigan batters in six innings. At 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, Hickman has the prototypical size for a front-end of the rotation guy.
Next. Cole Wilcox is risky choice with 16th overall pick. dark
Like the two others, he was off to a good start in 2020, posting a 0.48 ERA in three starts while striking out 26 batters in 18.2 innings. It kind of baffles me how Baseball America has him ranked so low. His fastball is highly-touted, and scouts rave about his command, as displayed throughout the 2018 season and before the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down.