Chicago Cubs: 3 first round college bats to target in 2020 Draft

Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas

Ranked as the 15th best prospect in this class by Baseball America, Heston Kjerstad is one of the best college outfielders in this draft, and he could very well still be on the board when the Cubs are on the clock with the 16th overall pick.

As a three-year starter at Arkansas, Kjerstad burst onto the scene in his freshman season, posting a .972 OPS in 69 games while hitting a team-high 14 home runs and driving in 58. He earned SEC Freshman of the Year as well as All-SEC Second Team honors.

At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Kjerstad has a great frame that will translate into a power hitter at the next level. He was originally selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 37th round of the 2017 MLB out of high school. Now, he’s looking like a first-round lock.

Kjerstad was reportedly going to partake in the Cape Cod League after his freshman year but, at the behest of his coach, decided to take the summer off. While Theo Epstein likes guys who prove they can hit in wood-bat leagues, Kjerstad roared back in his sophomore year.

In 65 games, he posted a .975 OPS with 17 home runs and 51 RBI. He has the propensity to be overly aggressive at the plate – 24.4 percent strikeout rate in 2019 – but that is correctable at the next level as he settles in. Prior to the shutdown, he posted a 1.304 OPS in 16 games and already had six bombs with nearly a 1:1 K/BB ratio this year.

Kjerstad has played nearly every game in right field throughout his collegiate career, so he would appear to be Jason Heyward‘s replacement either when he contract expires, or he gets moved in a bad contract for bad contract swap. He has a unique step in his swing motion, and I would not be at all surprised if his future hitting coach changes that.