Chris Cortez MLB Draft 2024: 5 landing spots for Texas A&M star ft. Chicago Cubs
As he makes his mark in the College World Series final, Texas A&M star Chris Cortez is also getting ready for this year's MLB draft.
Ranked as the No. 100 prospect by MLB.com, he has a definite professional upside but won't be one of the top picks. In his A&M career, 59 of his 69 appearances were out of the bullpen.
With a fastball that sits around 100 miles per hour, it's not hard to imagine him as a significant MLB reliever—it's the light in which his draft chances are best considered.
That said, here are five teams that might snap him up in the draft:
5 MLB Draft Landing Spots for Chris Cortez
5. Chicago White Sox
The struggling White Sox make sense as a team that can use help everywhere. Their 4.78 team ERA is the second worst in the sport. And the bullpen? 13 for 34 on save opportunities scream "help wanted." Cortez's high velocity stuff would play well for them.
Depending on the development of his change up and his endurance, they might want him as a starter. But the numbers above demonstrate that part of getting the South Siders back to respectability will be fixing their bullpen.
4. Tampa Bay Rays
The low-budget Rays had long been an excellent identifier of talent. They scout young players, draft them, watch them start, and then watch them leave when it's time to get paid. Cortez could fit into that profile very well.
This year, their bullpen is just 24 for 40 on save opportunities. Hitting on, say, three-fourths instead of half of save possibilities would put them solidly into the postseason picture.
Tampa isn't obsessed about usage roles, and they'd get Cortez significant innings as soon as possible.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
It's a long climb back to respectability for the Pirates; but with a talented young core, the journey seems to be going well. The pitching has improved, with a 3.96 team ERA that sits in the very middle of the MLB rankings. However, the bullpen is just 22 for 37 in save chances.
Pittsburgh's youth movement will probably make them competitive for years to come. Paul Skenes alone ensures that there'll be plenty of successful opportunities for the Bucs, and Cortez could be the missing piece that they need.
2. Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore entered the year as one of the more promising teams in baseball, and their 3.38 ERA is ranked fourth. However, it's been a tough haul for the Orioles as injuries decimated their pitching staff—a depth loss felt in their bullpen.
Baltimore's relievers are just 24 for 38 on save chances. Closer Félix Bautista has been out with injuries and veteran Craig Kimbrel is not a long-term solution. Whether Bautista comes back strong or not, there's a spot for Cortez. He and Bautista could be a dangerous duo in the pen, turning six inning leads into wins near automatically.
1. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have had a sluggish season under Craig Counsell, partly because of a stumbling bullpen. Their 3.93 ERA is at the top half of MLB standings, but their relievers have struggled mightily. Adbert Alzolay and Hector Neris haven't been very consistent.
Their pitchers have blown 16 saves out of 34 chances. If they had a decent save-conversion rate, they'd be in the thick of the playoff hunt much like Tampa.
Which team do you think might nab Cortez? Weigh in with your thoughts in our comments section!