Geoff Burke - USA Today Sports
Geoff Burke - USA Today Sports

Cubs sign their first-round draft pick, 17 selections overall


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CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today announced they have signed infielder Nico Hoerner, the club’s first round selection (24th overall) in the 2018 First-Year Player Draft. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Overall, the Cubs have signed seven new selections from the 2018 Draft to date (including Hoerner) since the club’s last announcement, bringing the current total to 17 signed players: outfielder Jimmy Herron (third round), righthander Zach Mort (eighth round), righthander Derek Casey (ninth round), righthander Cam Sanders (12th round), infielder Tyler Durna (15th round) and infielder Jake Slaughter (18th round).

Hoerner, 21, batted .345 (80-for-232) with 17 doubles, six triples, two homers and 40 RBI in 57 games with Stanford this season, leading the school to its first Pac-12 Conference Championship since 2004. He drew 20 walks, contributing to a .391 OBP, and swiped 15 bases. The junior was named All-Conference for the second-consecutive season after leading the club in hits, multi-hit games, doubles, triples and steals.

A three-year starter with the Cardinal, the right-handed hitter batted a combined .303 (210-for-692) with 43 doubles, 10 triples and three homers in 168 games. He was named to the All-Pac-12 Defensive team in 2017 after starting all 58 games at shortstop. He spent last summer with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod League, batting .300 (48-for-160) with seven doubles and six homers in the regular season, and earning All-Star honors.

A native of Oakland, California, Hoerner graduated from Head-Royce School where he was a three-time team captain and started four years as a pitcher and shortstop. In 2014 and 2015, he was named both the league MVP and the Max Preps California Small School Player of the Year.

Here is a look at Chicago’s selections from the 2018 Draft, with the players currently having signed in bold:

Rd. (Pick) Player Pos. School Birthday B T Ht. Wt.

1 (24) Nico Hoerner SS Stanford University 5/13/97 R R 6-1 200

2 (62) Brennen Davis OF Basha High School (Ariz.) 11/2/99 R R 6-4 175

2C (77) Cole Roederer OF Hart High School (Calif.) 9/24/99 L L 6-0 175

2C (78) Paul Richan RHP University of San Diego 3/26/97 R R 6-2 200

3 (98) Jimmy Herron CF Duke University (N.C.) 7/27/96 R L 6-1 195

4 (128) Ethan Roberts RHP Tennessee Tech University 7/4/97 R R 5-11 170

5 (158) Andy Weber 2B University of Virginia 7/24/97 L R 6-1 190

6 (188) Kohl Franklin RHP Broken Arrow Senior High School (Okla.) 9/9/99 R R 6-4 190

7 (218) D.J. Artis CF Liberty University (Va.) 3/20/97 L L 5-9 165

8 (248) Zach Mort RHP George Mason University (Va.) 5/22/97 R R 6-1 205

9 (278) Derek Casey RHP University of Virginia 2/15/96 R R 6-2 190

10 (308) Luke Reynolds 3B University of Southern Mississippi 3/20/95 L R 6-1 215

11 (338) Riley Thompson RHP University of Louisville (Ky.) 7/9/96 L R 6-3 205

12 (368) Cameron Sanders RHP Louisiana State University 12/9/96 R R 6-2 175

13 (398) Ezequiel Pagan CF Pro Baseball High School & Academy (P.R.) 7/8/00 L R 6-1 163

14 (428) Riley McCauley RHP Michigan State University 12/5/96 R R 6-1 205

15 (458) Tyler Durna 1B UC San Diego 11/13/96 L L 6-0 205

16 (488) Josh Sawyer LHP University of Texas – Austin 10/24/94 R L 6-3 180

17 (518) Jake Reindl RHP University of Arkansas – Fayetteville 1/15/97 R R 6-1 190

18 (548) Jake Slaughter SS Louisiana State University 10/24/96 R R 6-3 200

19 (578) Layne Looney RHP University of Richmond (Va.) 7/26/96 R R 5-10 200

20 (608) Chris Allen LHP Marin Community College (Calif.) 6/13/98 L L 6-4 180

21 (638) Carlos Vega RHP Southeast Missouri State University 12/28/95 R R 6-2 220

22 (668) Jamie Galazin CF St. John’s University (N.Y.) 5/20/96 R R 6-4 200

23 (698) Hunter Taylor C University of South Carolina 6/8/96 R R 5-11 226

24 (728) Blake Whitney RHP University of South Carolina – Upstate 5/25/96 R R 6-3 185

25 (758) Dalton Hurd CF Seattle University (Wash.) 12/17/95 R R 5-9 180

26 (788) Julian Boyd OF St. John Bosco High School (Calif.) 9/21/99 L L 5-10 143

27 (818) Niels Stone RHP Indian River State College (Fla.) 2/10/99 L R 6-1 190

28 (848) Mitchell Parker LHP Manzano High School (N.M.) 9/27/99 L L 6-3 195

29 (878) Levi Jordan SS University of Washington 9/24/95 R R 5-8 170

30 (908) Drew Wharton OF Clemson University (S.C.) 11/28/95 R R 6-3 190

31 (938) Clayton Daniel 2B Jacksonville State University (Ala.) 5/10/95 R R 5-7 170

32 (968) Jack Patterson LHP Bryant University (R.I.) 8/3/95 L L 6-0 210

33 (998) Tyler Ras RHP Middletown North HS (N.J.) 11/9/99 S R 6-4 200

34 (1028) Miguel Pabon SS Leadership Christian Academy (Pa.) 8/30/00 R R 6-0 165

35 (1058) Edmond Americaan OF Chipola College (Fla.) 3/26/97 L L 6-1 170

36 (1088) Jacob Campbell C Craig High School (Wisc.) 5/21/00 R R 6-0 200

37 (1118) Henry Vilar SS Westminster Christian School (Fla.) 4/1/99 L R 5-11 170

38 (1148) Chase Hanson OF Edison High School (Calif.) 10/12/99 R R 6-3 170

39 (1178) Pierson Gibis C Wauconda High School (Ill.) 8/21/99 L R 6-0 175

40 (1208) Itamar Steiner INF Niles North High School (Ill.) 5/9/00 L L 5-10 160

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