Chicago Cubs Draft: Three pitching gems in second round

Tommy Mace, RHP, Florida

At 6-foot-6, 200 pounds, Tommy Mace could end up being the steal of the second round. He looked like a polished pitcher before the shutdown and rebounded nicely from a disappointing 2019. As Florida’s Friday night starter – typically reserved for the ace of the staff – Mace made four quality starts and struck out 26 batters in 27.0 innings while walking just five.

He limited opponents to a .210 average and posted a 1.67 ERA. Again, it was nice to see him bounce back after posting a 5.32 ERA last year in 16 starts. In 2019, Mace struck out 74 batters in 89.2 innings but walked 38 and, frankly, got knocked around. He cleaned some things up mechanically during the offseason and added some velocity to his fastball. Now looks like a lock to go in the second round.

He’s ranked as the 76th best prospect in this draft class, and with the Cubs not having another pick until the 89th overall, I could see a scenario where they reach in the second round to grab him. Mace is not a huge strikeout guy but relies on weak contact and groundballs to get his outs. However, he’s going to throw a lot of strikes for his future MLB team.

Mechanically, he has a high leg kick and delivers from the 3/4 arm slot. It’s a very simple windup, and while Jake Arrieta throws more across his body than Mace does, the latter profiles closest to the Phillies’ pitcher.

Arrieta 2019: 4.64 ERA, 9.9 H/9, 1.4 HR/9, 3.4 BB/9, 7.3 K/9

Mace Florida career: 4.37 ERA, 8.9 H/9, 0.7 HR/9, 2.8 BB/9, 7.3 K/9