With the 16th selection in the 2010 MLB draft, the Chicago Cubs pick…Hayden Simpson? Who?
That’s exactly my thought process when I heard of this very strange and unexpected decision by Cubs Scouting Director Tim Wilken.
The only thing more surprising would have been if the Cubs had picked Homer Simpson.
Even ESPN’s Keith Law was stunned, saying that “For one thing, it’s not scouting director Tim Wilken’s style; he loves athletes and hard throwers, guys with upside who have the chance to become stars.”
But the other issue is that, even if Wilken and the Cubs liked Simpson that much, he almost certainly would have been there when the Cubs made their next pick in the second round.
According to Law, many teams had Simpson, a diminutive diviion II pitcher, going in the fourth or fifth round.
Meanwhile, as noted in my piece yesterday, there were several players who seemed to fit the style of Wilken and yet he chose to pass on them.
While Delino DeShields, Jr. was snapped up at no. eight by Houston, Justin O’Conner, who was Law’s pick for the Cubs, stayed on the board until no. 32 by Tampa Bay.
Simpson is a RHP from Southern Arkansas has good command and control, but his pitches are very average, so he has little upside.
Of course, the Washington Nationals, as expected, grabbed Bryce Harper with the first pick, and the next two selections went as planned, with the Bucs taking Taillon and the O’s going for Machado.
The White Sox made a questionable pick with 6’6″ LHP Chris Sale out of the Florida Gulf Coast University. Sale has a good fastball, but the knock on him is his arm slot — he tends to sidearm the ball which makes scouts think he will be a reliever.
The Cubs next pick is no. 65 in the second round today.
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