Cubs select SEC pitcher Townsend in first round

MLB teams avoided pitching at the start of the first round of Saturday’s draft, with just one pitcher chosen in the first 15 picks.

That left plenty of pitchers on the board when the Cubs got to the podium at No. 23 and they chose right-hander Cade Townsend from Mississippi.

He posted a 3.94 ERA in 14 starts at Ole Miss this spring, with 88 strikeouts in 64 innings. The 6-foot-1 native of Aliso Viejo, Calif., throws his fastball in the mid-90s, while his curve, slider and cutter are his highest-rated pitches by MLB Pipeline.

The Cubs hadn't taken a first-round pitcher since Cade Horton in 2022.

This story will be updated