Chicago Cubs Draft: Three pitching gems in second round

Part I in this series, we looked at three pitching prospects that the Chicago Cubs could target in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft.

Ideally, the Chicago Cubs will target a college pitcher in the first round to reduce the timeframe that he is projected to be ready for the big leagues. Last year, Ryan Jensen was pegged as the future with the 27th overall pick. The Fresno State product was ranked as the 55th best prospect in the draft, according to Fangraphs, and obviously the Cubs’ brass felt that he wouldn’t be available in the second round.

Within the first five picks, four college pitchers were chosen, and all had promising starts at short-season Eugene. Looking ahead to June’s draft, a similar approach would seem to make sense, given the average pitching talent in the farm system. Also, it doesn’t help that the Cubs lose Jon Lester, Tyler Chatwood, and Jose Quintana from the rotation regardless if a season is played.

However, the Cubs are no stranger to taking top high school talent as well, and several players that were taken now sit among the top of the organization’s best prospects.

Hunter Barnhart, RHP, St. Joseph High School

At 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Barnhart already has a frame that is built for a future starting pitcher. He has a verbal commitment to Arizona State in the fall, but Baseball America ranks him as the 58th best prospect in the class. He’d make a lot of sense going to the Cubs with the 51st overall pick and is one of the hardest throwing high school pitchers in the draft.

At the 2019 Perfect Game Showcase, Barnhart topped out at 94 mph, which put him in the 99.3 percentile. He transferred from Paso Robles High School after his sophomore year. During his freshman and sophomore seasons, he made 18 appearances, collecting two saves and struck out 38 batters in 34.1 innings. Barnhart also walked 21 batters but posted a 1.22 ERA.

At St. Joseph, he made eight appearances – including two starts – and struck out 44 batters in 27.2 innings. He allowed 18 walks but, remarkably, posted a 1.27 ERA, including a 0.64 ERA this season before the shutdown. Barnhart is an incredibly gifted athlete, earning league MVP in football and added 15 pounds of muscle to his frame during the offseason.

Per Baseball America, he features one of the best curveballs in the class and also complements his fastball with a changeup. Mechanically, Barnhart has a simple leg kick and releases from the 3/4 arm slot. He needs to clean up his plant foot to consistently land in the same spot because it results in some off-balance pitches.