2022 Draft, Day 2: Cubs continue drafting for upside, with projectable prep infielder Christopher Paciolla in 3rd round, and hugely athletic RHP Nazier Mule in 4th
Round 3 (86): IF Christopher Paciolla – 6’2″ 185, Age 18 – Temecula Valley (CA)
BONUS SLOT VALUE: $735,200&
MLB Pipeline: 166th, BA: 128th
A projectable frame, Christopher Paciolla generates good exit velos already, and reportedly makes consistent contact as well.
Currently a SS, but with questions about speed and range, so is expected to move to 3B/2B but his hands and arm are regarded well enough to project well.
Christopher Paciolla, SS – Internally it seems like they love this kid, comp’d him closely to Mickey Romero, the Red Sox first-round pick, but got him 3rd round.
He’s a dream for the S&C team, an underdeveloped body, should look different in 1-2 years.
Christopher Paciolla of Temecula Valley went 2-4 with a laser over the LF fence. He displayed a short compact swing with natural loft #WestCoastHSShowdown pic.twitter.com/bh9WArR0Hf
Big day today for 2022 Christopher Paciolla of @tvbearsbaseball and @UCLABaseball commit. Chris went 4 for 5 with 2 doubles, 1HR, 3 walks, 1HBP, and 5 RBI’s In a double header vs Riverside Poly. Great job Chris! @PBR_California @LesLukach #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/xATec86Jem
2022 Christopher Paciolla of @tvbearsbaseball and @UCLABaseball commit went 2-3 vs Murrieta Valley including this monster 3R HR. Kids going to be special! @LesLukach @PBR_California pic.twitter.com/fKDMITvuSF
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Round 4 (113): RHP Nazier Mule – 6’3″ 210, Age 17 – Passaic Tech (NJ)
BONUS SLOT VALUE: $538,400
MLB Pipeline: 96th, BA: 94th
One of the biggest arms in the prep ranks this season, Nazier Mule (pronounced Moo-LAY) is known for hitting triple digits on the gun since he was 16. He reportedly sits more in the mid-90s currently, but at just 17 years old right now, the thinking is he’ll grow into regular registering in the upper-90s. Already possessing an impressive 6’3″ pound frame, there is yet still more room for him to add additional strength.
4 (113): @Cubs select Passaic County Technical Institute (NJ) RHP Nazier Mule https://t.co/gF8XyYf7Tg #MLBDraft
Nazier Mule drafted as a pitcher for sure. He has massive arm talent and I liked the flashes of the SL and CH as well, though those two pitches were inconsistent. He’s athletic and extremely young for the class. #MLBDraft #Twins
Nazier Mule was up to 100 mph at 16 years old.
He’s a legit two-way player, too.
One of the top names in our 2022 draft rankings https://t.co/VhztSUGlSV pic.twitter.com/x2tw2ZBqXS
Cubs drafting him as a pitcher.This is likely the Cubs big overslot swing of the day.
Mule was considered the top two-way player on the east coast throughout the draft process. He generated top of the line exit velos on the showcase circuit, but with a lot of swing and miss concerns, making his offense a massively power over hit combo, which is no doubt why the Cubs announced him as a pitcher. But it’s nice to know he got the type of explosive athleticism to generate these kind of numbers:
No one produced a higher average exit velocity on the showcase circuit than Nazier Mule. Not Elijah Green, Not Turley. Nazier Mule stood above the rest and he’s also a dynamite pitcher. This is premiere upside, which looks like the defining quality of this class.
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Round 5 (143): RHP Brandon Birdsell – 6’2″ 240 – Texas Tech
BONUS SLOT VALUE: $402,100
MLB Pipeline: 101st, BA: 137th
A talented consensus Top 150 prospect who earned accolades as the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year this spring, but a guy who has battled injuries throughout his college career. Upside is there for Brandon Birdsell, but obvious risk involved as well. Birdsell is a senior, so I would expect the Cubs are looking to sign him for a bit underslot.
Brandon Birdsell, RHP – 95-96 mph on FB t99, high efficiency, short/tight slider, sparsely used CH that data likes but he hasn’t been able to put in zone.
A non-CHC org said they had concerns about how the fastball will play at higher levels, even with velo, secondaries are .
143. Cubs: Brandon Birdsell, RHP, Texas Tech
Physical RHP who performed in a big way this spring, plus fastball velocity, SL misses bats, have seen good CT from him also. Needs to stay healthy but good stuff here. #PGDraft
The Chicago Cubs select Texas Tech RHP Brandon Birdsell with the pick No. 143.
Birdsell opted to return to Tech after being selected in the 11th round of the 2021 draft and earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors after finishing the season with 106 Ks in 85 IP.
15. Now this is crazy.
Brandon Birdsell (@little_bird34) struck out 15 batters in a game vs Rice on 3/12/22
But, he struck out , yes, EIGHT batters in the first 2 innings.
Final line: 6 IP 0 H 0 BB 15 K@TTU_Baseball pic.twitter.com/f61k9DKydJ
Birdsell was selected in the 11th Round last year by the Minnesota Twins.
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Round 6 (173): RHP Will Frisch – 6’0″ 220, Age 22 – Oregon State
BONUS SLOT VALUE: $303,700
MLB Pipeline: Unranked, BA: 200th
A 4th-year junior and likely underslot pick, and another former Twins draftee. Considered a fastball/slider reliever with mid-to-upper-90s heat and solid spin on his breaker. Will Frisch is recovering from TJS which wiped out his 2022 season in Corvallis.
Source: 2022 draft eligible Oregon State RHP Will Frisch has been advised to get Tommy John surgery. He hadn’t pitched yet this season but is into the upper-90’s at his best. An unfortunate spring for college pitcher health continues.
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Round 7 (203): RHP Nick Hull – 6’0″ 200 – Grand Canyon University
BONUS SLOT VALUE: $237,300
Nick Hull is through 3 innings here in Stillwater, 89-92 FB, touched 93 a few times early, 81-82 breaker and an 84 CH to LHHs, he has 5 Ks for @GCU_Baseball including this one pic.twitter.com/cAqW7AojtA
Bot 5 @d1baseball pic.twitter.com/fiTmknkj20
Connor Noland. That’s the tweet. pic.twitter.com/UMF38Wdrxt
I feel like Connor Noland’s defensive plan is to just let them hit the ball off him so he can pick it up and throw the guy out. I’ve seen him do it like 6 times over the course of this season pic.twitter.com/2Qlhh0MCcH
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Round 10 (293): RHP Brody McCollough – 6’4″ 205, Age 22 – Wingate
BONUS SLOT VALUE: $154,200
Dominated low level competition. Upped his stock with a solid showing in Cape Cod League.
He also threw a few changes (sinkers?) in the high 80s, but abandoned the pitch after the first, leaning on the aforementioned two pitches
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