Cubs add three position players and one pitcher to the farm system on first day of 2018 MLB Draft
The Cubs completed the first day of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft, selecting four players, including the 24th overall pick, shortstop Nico Hoerner out of Stanford University. With the 62nd selection in the second round, the Cubs selected outfielder Brennen Davis out of Basha High School in Chandler, Ariz. In the compensation round, the team took outfielder Cole Roederer out of Hart High School in Newhall, Calif., with the 77th selection and right-handed pitcher Paul Richan out of the University of San Diego with the 78th pick.
Hoerner was recommended by area scout Gabe Zappin. Davis was recommended by area scout Steve McFarland while Roederer was recommended by area scout Tom Myers and Richan was recommended by area scout Alex Lontayo.
Nico Hoerner, 21, batted .345 (80-for-232) with 17 doubles, six triples, two homers and 40 RBI in 57 games with Stanford this season, leading the school to its first Pac-12 Conference Championship since 2004. He drew 20 walks, contributing to a .391 OBP, and swiped 15 bases. The junior was named All-Conference for the second-consecutive season after leading the club in hits, multi-hit games, doubles, triples and steals.
A three-year starter with the Cardinal, the right-handed hitter batted a combined .303 (210-for-692) with 43 doubles, 10 triples and three homers in 168 games. He was named to the All-Pac-12 Defensive team in 2017 after starting all 58 games at shortstop. He spent last summer with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod League, batting .300 (48-for-160) with seven doubles and six homers in the regular season, and earning All-Star honors.
Brennen Davis, 18, batted .444 (28-for-63) with a .593 on-base percentage, .761 slugging mark and 13 stolen bases in 23 games in his senior season at Basha High School. The six-foot four-inch, 175-pound Davis hit a combined .426 (43-for-101) with 10 doubles, two triples, four homers and 41 runs scored in 38 games over his final two years of high school.
Named a 2018 Rawlings-Perfect Game Third-Team All-American, the right-handed batter is committed to the University of Miami (Fla.).
Cole Roederer, 18, hit .392 with five doubles, seven homers and 19 RBI in his senior season of high school in 2018. He drew 13 walks, contributing to a .537 on-base percentage and a 1.439 OPS.
The six-foot, 175-pound Roederer was a 2018 Rawlings-Perfect Game Third Team All-American. A left-handed batter and thrower, he is committed to UCLA.
Paul Richan, 21, struck out 101 batters in 89.2 innings, good for an average of 10.14 strikeouts per 9.0 innings, while walking just 13 in his 2018 junior season at the University of San Diego. In 2017, Richan posted a 3.05 ERA while allowing just 21 walks in 76.2 innings en route to a spot on the All-WCC Honorable Mention Team.
The six-foot three-inch, 200-pound Richan graduated from Hart High School in Newhall, Calif., the same high school as Roederer, and the alma mater of current Cubs pitcher Mike Montgomery.
