With the 16th pick in the first round of the 2020 MLB draft, the Chicago cubs selected Ed Howard.
Howard is an 18-year-old shortstop from Chicago who played on the 2014 Jackie Robinson West Little League team that made it to the finals of the Little League World Series.
The shortstop was set to continue his baseball career at the University of Oklahoma after he attended Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, Ill.
Howard, who sits 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, ran the 60-yard dash in an impressive 6.76 seconds, threw 88 MPH across the infield, and had a 95 MPH exit velocity off the bat. At this point, his offensive game is mainly contact and line drives, but as he fills out his frame, it is possible that he could gain power.
The real main attraction with Howard though is his defense, as he is a wizard with the glove and considered to be one of the best defenders at any position in the whole draft.
Being a hometown Chicago kid, this is a very exciting pick for the Cubs and one of the best picks of the draft so far. Howard is still young and probably won’t make an impact at the MLB level for a few more years, but if you’re a fan of the North Siders, you should be very excited.
