Cubs Kick Off the 2020 Draft with SS Ed Howard at 16 in a Stunning Move

The intrigue is now over as Dan Kantrovitz made his first pick as the Cubs new Director of Scouting. At #16, the Cubs selected Ed Howard, a shortstop from nearby Mt. Carmel, in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft. Howard was ranked as the best shortstop in this draft class by most publications for both high school and college players.

It was a strange series of events that led up to the pick and I wasn’t quite sure at all who Kantrovitz was going to pick. Originally, I wanted a bat, and then I told myself I’d be OK with a high school pitcher. The only thing I didn’t really want was a college pitcher because they could get plenty of them later on in the draft. What I wanted to get was an elite talent that set apart from everyone else. Howard seems to fit that bill the more I learn about him.

I really like Ed Howard’s actions on both sides of the ball.

He’s the top high school shortstop in the country and might not even end up the top SS the Cubs sign this year.pic.twitter.com/DgDbZZZ3Eo

— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) June 11, 2020

Basic Info
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 185
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Age: 18
From: Chicago
Likely ETA: 2024-25

Top Skills – Extremely fluid athlete, his actions at shortstop make me think he will stick there. His hands get to the ball in the strike zone well. The question is, how much power will he have? His work ethic and character are off the charts.

Jeff Passan says he got a text from a scout saying (on the Cubs picking Ed Howard) "this is the best pick of the draft so far." pic.twitter.com/zFSG85mfVa

— Matt Clapp (@TheBlogfines) June 11, 2020

One Sentence Summaries About Howard
There’s a lot of good information about Howard and his potential in the following blurbs, but they are all pretty consistent about his offensive potential, which is probably everyone’s concern at this point.
MLB Pipeline – “He has impressive bat speed and a projectable 6-foot-2 frame that continues to add strength, so he could develop average or better power.”
FanGraphs – “Howard best squares up pitches at the bottom of the strike zone, and although he hasn’t been tested regularly at the letters, he’s shown flashes of being able to either lay off those pitches, or pull his hands in and find a way to get the barrel there, and even to catch that high pitch way out in front of the plate and hit it in the air to his pull side. ”
Baseball America – “At present he’s more of a gap-to-gap, line-drive type hitter, but scouts want to see him refine his approach.”
Prospects Live – “Howard displays great bat speed on top of solid bat to ball skills, that when combined with a projectable 6-foot-2 frame lead to a package that has a decent bit of upside.”

Overall Opinion – It’s early, but I am finding out that his makeup is phenomenal. Remember, at 18, his skills are nowhere near fully developed.

I was stunned more than anything else, but the more I learn, the more I am wanting to know and see. As to where he ends up on a prospect list, I am going to learn more over the next day or two and get back with you on Friday and again throughout the next week.