The Chicago Cubs have been on a run of college players in the first round of the MLB Draft, and this mock draft has them heading to the SEC.
have had a pattern of late. With each of their last five first-round draft picks, they've selected a player from a power conference college.Chicago has selected two players from the Big 12 Conference, one player from the Big Ten Conference, and two players from the ACC.
But the Cubs haven't selected a player from an SEC school in the first round since they took pitcher Alex Lange from LSU in 2017.of the 2026 Draft, its first since the draft lottery at the MLB winter meetings, the Cubs not only keep the power conference streak alive, but they land on an SEC player with the No. 23 overall pick — Auburn second baseman Chris Rembert.Per MLB Pipeline, Rembert is seen as a middle infielder with “more pure hitting ability” than any other collegiate player in the draft pool. Evaluators are basing that on an incredible freshman season with the Tigers. He was named a first-team freshman all-American by three different outlets, second-team all-SEC and all-SEC freshman team. He also spent time on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. He finished the season with a 344/.467/.555 that saw him finish second on the team in average and on-base percentage. He had 72 hits, including 14 doubles and 10 homers, and drove in 46 runs. He also drew more walks than strikeouts . He got better in SEC play, as he had a .376 batting average, which was third best in the conference and led the SEC with a .485 on-base percentage in league games. He helped fuel the Tigers’ run to an NCAA Super Regional, where they lost to Coastal Carolina. The Tigers figure to be in the mix for a berth in the Men’s College World Series next season.The Cubs have had good luck with their first-round pick since 2018, when they selected Niko Hoerner out of Stanford. He’s emerged as a long-time starter, first at shortstop and then at second base, and is a Gold Glove-level defender. In 2019, pitcher Ryan Jensen of Fresno State was the selection. He’s never played in the Majors, left the Cubs’ system in 2023, and is back in Chicago’s farm system. In 2020, Chicago selected local prep shortstop Ed Howard, who has played at Triple-A but hasn’t made his MLB debut. Chicago's next four first-round picks have all played in the Majors. In 2021, the Cubs selected left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks out of Kansas State, and he made his big-league debut in 2023. In 2022, Chicago selected Cade Horton, and the right-hander joined the Cubs in 2025.In 2023, Chicago selected Maryland shortstop Matt Shaw, converted him into a third baseman and he made his MLB debut last season. In 2024, the Cubs selected Cam Smith out of Florida State and then traded him in the offseason to Houston in a package for outfielder Kyle Tucker. Smith made his Major League debut with the Astros on opening day. Last July, the Cubs selected outfielder Ethan Conrad out of Wake Forest.Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers Major League Baseball for OnSI. He also covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.Report: Mets, Padres in Trade Talks With Five Players on New York’s Radar
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