This is a new thing.
I am not sure what to make of the Cubs taking prep pitcher Erian Rodriguez. For the third year in a row, the Cubs are selecting young, athletic high school pitchers and draft. In 2019 it was DJ Herz, Taylor Schlaffer, and Porter Hodge. Last summer it was Koen Moreno. And this summer, Erian Rodriguez is one of three prep arms the Cubs took.
Rodriguez is originally from Panama and came to the US in hopes of getting into a junior college but something happened along the way. He ticked up.
Basic Info
Age – 19
Position – RHP
Height – 6-foot-2
Weight – 175
Throws – Right
13th round, Georgia Premier Academy
A little over a year ago, Rodriguez was sitting in the mid 80s with his fastball. But as boys do grow, so did Rodriguez. At 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, Rodriguez went from averaging about 86 miles an hour to 93 to 95. He popped up pretty quickly.
Here is what Prospects Live thanks of Rodriguez’s talent: “Athletic righty who’s seen his velo creep up and up. Touching 97 now, comfortably 93-95. Works in a pretty good slider and a changeup as well.”
What I Said on Draft Day
I like that the Cubs are going all in on kids (prep guys) with extremely loud tools and physicality to their game. So far, they’ve selected three prep guys and I like that.
Rodriguez really came into everybody’s consciousness last fall on the showcase circuit. He’s got electric stuff but he still has to figure out what to do with his newfound velocity. I’m sure the Cubs have some ideas.
To get to this point, Rodriguez played in the Future Stars Series. Here is what Jeremy Booth, CEO and president of the Future Stars Series said about Erian:
“(He’s not under the radar) for me, and I don’t quite understand that. Good kid, came over from Panama, and that’s two plusses right there. Puts the work and the time in. Seemed to have lost a little bit of weight when we saw him at the Pre-Draft from the previous year, which means he’ll need to get back to eating properly and gain that strength, but he’s got a good foundation with where he’s coming from, the Georgia Premier Sox. He needs to go play, he needs to pitch. He’s another kind of ‘tweener guy who can be a starter at the back end, (but is) probably a reliever. He’s a guy who comes through the lineup once, finishes a game, but he’s going to be that versatile guy in the bullpen for you. Those type of guys tend to find themselves to the big leagues in a couple years.”
It’s not that the Cubs bought themselves a lottery ticket, there’s going to have to be a lot of work put in by Rodriguez and by the Cubs. They’re gonna have to take this raw arm that needs refining and teach him how to deal with throwing in the mid 90s. He’s going to need experience and a lot of it. That doesn’t mean he’s going to be in the minors forever, it’s just that every game is going to have to be an intense learning experience.
So, when next year comes, I expect him to be in extended spring training to begin the year. He did not pitch this year once he signed. As a result, he will likely end up in the Arizona Complex League where he should make his debut. Then again, you never know how he will shove in spring training. We’ll see. I am looking forward to him starting his career.
Cubs Central 