The Cubs went back to a familiar formula in the second round of the 2026 MLB Draft, taking Texas A&M outfielder Caden Sorrell with the 62nd overall pick after using their first-rounder on Mississippi right-hander Cade Townsend.
Sorrell comes in with plenty of buzz attached to him. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 33 overall prospect in the class, which makes this look like the kind of pick that could pay off well beyond Round 2 if everything clicks. The left-handed hitter put together a huge junior season for the Aggies, hitting .341/.434/.743 and establishing himself as one of the SEC’s most dangerous bats.
There’s real tools here, too. Sorrell is credited with 60-grade arm and run tools, plus power and bat speed. The concern is that his game can get too pull-happy in the air, and his late-season slump along with whiff issues cooled some of the excitement as the college season wore on.
Even with that, the Cubs’ recent history with college hitters gives this selection some extra weight. Chicago has built a reputation for identifying and developing college position players, with Matt Shaw, Cam Smith and, most recently, Ethan Conrad standing as the latest examples.
That’s why Sorrell fits so naturally into what the Cubs have been doing. There’s swing-and-miss in the profile, but there’s also plenty of upside if he tightens things up. He could have gone in the late first round, which makes this feel like a strong value grab for Jed Hoyer and company.
He also lands in a Cubs system that already has no shortage of outfield depth, a useful thing with Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ both set to depart in free agency this winter. Sorrell joins Conrad, Josiah Hartshorn and Kane Kepley among Chicago’s top young outfield names, and the hope is that the power shows up quickly once he gets into pro ball.
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