Cubs sign Jackson Ferris, 19 of 20 draft picks originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Vice president of scouting Dan Kantrovitz said after the MLB Draft he anticipated the Cubs would sign 18-19 of their 20 selections.
The Cubs have done just that. They’ve officially inked 19 picks after announcing 11 more signings Saturday — including Jackson Ferris (second round) and Nazier Mulé (fourth).
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Right-hander Brock Blatter (19th round) is the only Cubs pick who has not signed. He’s committed to play collegiately at Alabama.
The Cubs signing first-round pick Cade Horton for under his slot value helped them sign Ferris for over his slot value.
According to MLB.com's Jim Callis, Horton, the No. 7 overall selection, signed for $4,450,000 — under the slot value of $5,711,000.
Ferris, the No. 47 overall pick, signed for $3,005,000, according to Callis — above the slot value of $1,661,200.
Ferris, 18, was one of the most highly touted prospects in the draft who was committed to play at Ole Miss. MLB Pipeline ranked him the No. 19 overall prospect.
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The lefty, who comes from the prestigious IMG Academy in Florida, has a mid-90s fastball and full arsenal.
"This wasn't somebody that was just coming in and pitching with two pitches for two innings," Kantrovitz said of Ferris after Day 1 of the draft. "He’s throwing complete games and showing off four pitches and going multiple times through the order and showing ability to make in-game adjustments.
"It kind of went above and beyond sort of your typical times-two-pitch high school pitcher. This is somebody with a full repertoire, and once he adds a little weight to his frame, we think he's pretty ripe to add power across his whole mix."
In all, the Cubs signed 15 pitchers and four position players. Along with Ferris and Mulé, they signed preps pitcher JP Wheat (16th round pick), who was committed to play at Georgia Tech.
A full look at the Cubs’ signings:
1st round: RHP Cade Horton
2nd round: LHP Jackson Ferris
3rd round: SS Christopher Paciolla
4th round: RHP/SS Nazier Mulé
5th round: RHP Brandon Birdsell
6th round: RHP Will Frisch
7th round: RHP Nick Hull
8th round: RHP Mason McGwire
9th round: RHP Connor Noland
10th round: RHP Brody McCullough
11th round: LHP Branden Noriega
12th round: RHP Mathew Peters
13th round: RHP Luis Rujano
14th round: RHP Shane Marshall
15th round: C Haydn McGeary
16th round: RHP JP Wheat
17th round: OF Andy Garriola
18th round: RHP Garrett Brown
20th round: OF KeShun Collier
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