Getting to Know Cubs Draft Pick: Matt Halbach |
The Chicago Cubs closed out a busy day two of the MLB draft by going back to the position ranks. Once again, it was an area of need for this team as the Cubs drafted 3B Matt Halbach from UC San Diego. With the organization trying to figure out a long-term plan for third base, the Cubs continued to do their homework and did a great job of stockpiling players capable of playing third in the near future.
Taken from the same school that produced the beloved Kris Bryant, Halbach stands at 6-3 and 215 pounds, which is a very good size for a college-level player. Despite being drafted No. 302 overall, Halbach checked in as the 285th-best prospect, putting him just outside of the top 250. Whenever you can grab a player ranked that close to the top 250 in the tenth round, you have to view this point as a steal, especially when you look at the body of work that Halbach put in the past few seasons. Known for having a contact-oriented approach, Halbach only strikes out a little and has a knack for piling up hits. He put his hit tool on display this past season despite being limited to just 19 games due to an injury. In those 19 games, Halbach flat-out mashed as he hit .408 (29-for-71) with three homers, nine doubles, 18 RBIs, and a 1.173 OPS. It's a limited sample size nonetheless, but it's a very good sample size at that. Another aspect of his game that stood out was the 12 strikeouts in 88 at-bats. That translates to 13.6% of the time, as he is the definition of a contact first hitter. Going a bit further, the Cubs have always valued the success of college-level players using wooden bats, and the Summer Leagues are a good indication of that. Look no further than Halbach's Cape Cod production, as he has always delivered during the summer seasons. Halbach impressed in the Cape Cod League with a .364/.455/.512 slash line with five doubles in 32 games with Orleans in 2023, and had it not been for his injury this season, there is a great chance he would've put up similar numbers. Anytime you can put up those kinds of numbers, regardless of the sample size, it's a good indication of the type of hitter you are, and Halbach is a pure hitter. Although the power numbers haven't translated quite yet, there are expectations that they will, as contact alone will lead to hard contact, and hard contact is good contact. The Cubs consider themselves fortunate for landing Halbach, who was a top-100 prospect until his injury. Chicago essentially added a top-three prospect in the 10th round, and anytime that happens, it forces an organization to take a long look at him going forward. Across his entire college career, Halbach was a career .311/.402/.504 hitter with 12 home runs, a 13.6% strikeout, and a 12.5% walk rate. For an organization that prides itself on being more contact-oriented as opposed to power-oriented, Halbach falls into what this organization is looking for in a hitter. His quick swing makes him one of the better fastball hitters in the game, and his power was starting to show up much more this spring prior to the injury. Hopefully, he will be 100% healed soon so the Cubs can see what he is truly about at the plate. Although the offense stands out the most when it comes to Halbach, baseball is more than just hitting, as Halbach is also a pretty good defender. He has a strong but not elite arm, which could be an issue if he wants to remain at the hot corner long-term. If that isn't in the cards, Halbach also has some experience at first base, so the Cubs do have multiple options to get him on the field. This is one of those hitters whose ceiling is extremely high while his floor is extremely low, and the Cubs can't wait for him to get healthy and get on the field. B4 | Tied it up! Today's #SaturdaySleeper is 3B/1B Matt Halbach (@UCSDbsb). Had a great 2023 spring season in which he hit .306/.406/.500 with 25 XBH and 39 RBI across 51 games. Proceeded to have a breakout summer on the Cape to the tune of a .364/.455/.512 slash line with 10 XBH and 15 RBI in 32… pic.twitter.com/5wemsJ0fvo
Matt Halbach bashes his first home run of the season over the wall in right!
2-all#GoTritons pic.twitter.com/rGGaNZKoqK
