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Cubs Minor League

Cubs close out 2022 MLB Draft with another run on arms

2 years agoTony Andracki

After the Cubs selected pitchers with nine of their first 10 draft picks this week, they continued to make a run on arms on Day 3.

The Cubs utilized seven of their 10 Tuesday picks on pitchers, including with the first four selections of the day.

In total, the Cubs used picks on 16 pitchers, 2 outfielders, an infielder and a catcher in the 2022 Amateur Draft.

Here’s how Day 3 shook out:

Round 11 (323rd overall): LHP Branden Noriega

The southpaw participated in the MLB Draft League this year, pitching for the West Virginia Black Bears (who were coached by former MLB player Jedd Gyorko). The 21-year-old had a 4.91 ERA in 10 relief appearances, striking out 14 batters in 11 innings.

Round 12 (353rd overall): RHP Mathew Peters

The righty has been all over the place in the last few years to play baseball. He graduated from high school in Indiana, attended Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, Ill., in 2020, transferred to another community college in Florida (Hillsborough) for 2021 and then pitched at Ivy Tech for this season.

Peters was 2-2 with a 3.56 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 6 games this year, working as a multi-inning reliever. He struck out 54 batters in 30.1 innings and permitted just 2 homers.

Round 13 (383rd overall): RHP Luis Rujano

Rujano just wrapped up his senior year of high school at Sunshine State Elite Academy in Florida. He is 6-foot-4 and already touching 96 mph with his fastball.

Round 14 (413th overall): RHP Shane Marshall

This is a really interesting case. Marshall was selected as a pitcher but he only made 3 appearances on the mound in his collegiate career at Georgia and pitched just 0.2 innings in 2022.

He appeared in 94 games as a catcher but saw time sparingly at the position this spring, going 1-for-11 with a pair of hit-by-pitches over the course of 17 games.

Round 15 (443rd overall): C Haydn McGeary

The backstop was the Player of the Year in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference after leading all D-2 players with a .481/.579/1.079 slash line (1.640 OPS) and 35 homers with Colorado Mesa University. He also drove in a ridiculous 79 runs in only 57 games. Those are video game numbers.

Round 16 (473rd overall): RHP JP Wheat

Wheat is committed to Georgia Tech and hails from the Next Level Academy in Alabama. He can reportedly touch 95 mph with his fastball and averages 90-93 mph as a 19-year-old.

Round 17 (503rd overall): OF Andy Garriola

The Old Dominion product will turn 23 in December. He had an impressive 2022 campaign, hitting .322 with a .715 slugging percentage and 1.099 OPS. The right-handed-hitting outfielder smacked 25 homers and 18 doubles with 80 RBI in 58 games.

Garriola averaged a homer every 9.7 at-bats. He tied for the D-1 lead in RBI (72) in 2021.

Round 18 (533rd overall): RHP Garrett Brown

Brown is tall (6-foot-7) and lanky (only listed at 218 pounds) and is coming off Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2021 season. He made 12 appearances for Georgia in 2022, posting a 7.71 ERA and 2.22 WHIP in 25.2 innings as he worked his way back from the injury.

Round 19 (563rd overall): RHP Brock Blatter

It’s not everyday you see a player selected out of Montana in the MLB Draft. Blatter attended Billings Central Catholic High School and was listed as the No. 1 player in Montana by Perfect Game USA.

Round 20 (593rd overall): OF Ke’Shun Collier

Collier is a 5-foot-8, 160-pound speedster who played his collegiate ball at Meridian Community College in Mississippi. He hit .378 with 1 homer, 32 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 41 games.

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