With the 23rd overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs today selected Ole Miss righty Cade Townsend. Cubs love them some college pitchers in the first round named Cade who have some injury questions.
For the first time since Cade Horton, the Cubs go with a pitcher in the first round. There is always a touch more risk attached there, but, as Cubs VP of Scouting Dan Kantrovitz has indicated: you can’t draft good pitching if you don’t draft good pitching. Sometimes it’s that simple, and the Cubs desperately need more impact pitching talent in the system.
Townsend, 21, is listed at 6’1″ 185 lbs, and is generally ranked among the top 30-40 prospects in the draft. On its face, this does not appear to be an under-slot pick (unless the shoulder issue early in the season concerned a lot of clubs and drove the price down). He has been mocked to the Cubs before, which makes at least superficial sense given the desire to restock on the pitching side a bit. The Cubs have even suggested they might nudge past a mere “tiebreaker” when it comes to the hitter/pitcher decision, but hopefully Townsend is a guy they loved at 23 anyway.
From our previous discussion of Cade Townsend last month:
Townsend is interesting because he’s a smaller frame for the type (6’1″, 185 lbs) but he’s been one of the more steady SEC arms this spring after splitting time as a swingman as a freshman in 2025. Through 13 starts he’s got a 3.94 ERA and 88 strikeouts/22 walks in 64.0 innings; earlier in the year he was running a 2.42 ERA before a rough Alabama start in mid-May and some intermittent shoulder discomfort dragged the season-long line back. He sits 95-96 with a five-pitch mix (cutter, slider, curveball, splitter, all with quality reports), which is the kind of arsenal that tends to project into a starting rotation if everything holds together (which also excuses the size a bit). He’s also currently pitching for an Ole Miss team that just made the College World Series, so Cubs scouts – and everyone else’s – will get at least one more big look at him this week.
Here is MLB Pipeline’s description:
“Townsend impressed scouts with his feel for spinning the ball and his athleticism as a California high schooler, and he performed well at the 2024 Draft Combine. He fit into the third-fifth round range based on talent but wasn’t signable there and went to Mississippi, where he logged a 6.35 ERA as a freshman. He touched 98 mph with his fastball and had an unhittable slider in an electric Southeastern Conference tournament matchup against eventual national champion Louisiana State and has shown similar stuff all spring, positioning himself as one of the top sophomore-eligible pitchers in the 2026 Draft. Townsend usually operates at 94-97 mph with a fastball that features high spin rates and nice carry, though it doesn’t have a lot of life and gets hit more than it should. He also ratchets up the rpms on a pair of power breaking balls, with both his low-80s downer curveball and upper-80s slider with nice depth grading as plus offerings, as does his cutter that averages 90 mph. He also flashes some aptitude for throwing a fading upper-80s changeup as well. More athletic than physical, Townsend works with some effort in his high three-quarters delivery. He has improved his control as a sophomore, doing a better job of landing his fastball and cutter while getting a lot of chases with his entire arsenal. He missed a start with mild shoulder inflammation in mid-March but his stuff remained overpowering when he returned.”
And here’s Baseball America’s take:
“Reaction: The Cubs have gone college hitter with their first-round picks the last three years, but they pivot to a college pitcher this year with Townsend. The stuff and ability to miss bats that Townsend has shown fits here in the back of the first round.
Scouting Report: Townsend touched 97 mph in high school and has a deep mix of quality secondaries, but he made it to campus at Ole Miss and pitched as a starter and reliever in 2025. In his draft-eligible 2026 season, he moved into a full-time starting role and dominated. Townsend missed a mid-March start with shoulder soreness but returned and looked fine, posting a 3.94 ERA through 14 starts and 64 innings with a 31.9% strikeout rate and vastly improved control.
Now listed at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Townsend attacks hitters with a five-pitch mix. He averages 95-96 mph with his fastball and has touched 98, and he did a nice job establishing his fastball for strikes. Townsend has a balanced mix of secondaries that includes a low-90s cutter, mid-80s slider, low-80s curveball and upper-80s splitter. Townsend uses his slider and cutter more against righties, and he uses his changeup and curveball more versus lefties. He has long shown impressive ability to spin the ball, and has above-average potential with his sweeping slider and downer curve. His splitter drives both ground balls and whiffs, while his cutter has become a reliable in-zone offering that helps keep hitters off a fastball that can get hit hard at times. Townsend cut his walk rate significantly, from 13.1% in 2025 to 8.0% in 2026, and he now boasts an exciting combination of arsenal depth and control. There’s some effort in his delivery, and a clean medical evaluation will be important, but he fits as a first-round arm on draft day.”
FanGraphs appears to have been the highest on Cade Townsend, ranking him 18th in the class:
“Townsend is a black belt in Taekwondo, so it’s perhaps no surprise that he’s a plus-plus athlete with a powerful and well-honed delivery. Fans of big stuff will find plenty to like here. The righty touches 98 with carry, pairs the pitch with a hammer of a 12-6 curve, and flashes a plus slider with late break as well. His split isn’t as far along, but it too has promise, and can miss bats when he gets it to sink rather than just run off the hip of a lefty.
For all of Townsend’s enviable physical gifts, the effort in his delivery, and particularly the head whack at finish, is going to make it tough for him to hit spots. He throws strikes, but not precise ones, and his command tends to dip relatively early in outings; this is a five-and-dive profile. Looking forward, some of the lowest hanging developmental fruit may have already been plucked, as Townsend is in fantastic shape and already has five distinct pitches. He’s a candidate to rise through the minors quickly, and his future employer will have a tricky balance on their hands. We’ll soon find out just how patiently they’re willing to develop his split, cutter, and command when the rest of the package looks like it could be ready to help in some capacity sooner rather than later.”
Much more coming on Cade Townsend, who will instantly be one of the best pitching prospects in the Cubs’ system as soon as he signs. He was the 6th highest pitcher taken in this year’s draft, to give you context on how top-heavy this one was on the positional side.
The Cubs don’t pick again until number 62 overall (second round), and then again at number 75 (compensatory pick (Kyle Tucker)).
Some clips of Townsend:
