Cubs agree to terms with Cam Smith, including nine of first ten picks |
CHICAGO, Ill. – The Chicago Cubs today announced they have agreed to terms with 10 players from the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, including first-round selection (14th overall) infielder Cam Smith from Florida State University. The Cubs have agreed to terms with nine of their first 10 selections from the draft. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.
Along with Smith, the Cubs have agreed to terms with infielder Cole Mathis (second round), infielder Ronny Cruz (third round), catcher Ariel Armas (fifth round), right-handed pitcher Ryan Gallagher (sixth round), outfielder Ivan Brethowr (seventh round), infielder Edgar Alvarez (eighth round), right-handed pitcher Brooks Caple (ninth round), infielder Matt Halbach (10th round) and right-handed pitcher Daniel Avitia (12th round). Smith, 21, batted .387 (104-for-269) with 22 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, 47 RBI, and a 1.142 OPS in 66 games for Florida State in 2024. He recorded 44 walks, compared to 48 strikeouts, contributing to a .488 on-base percentage. Smith saw a batting average increase of 129 points, from .258 as a freshman. In postseason play, Smith hit homers in back-to-back games against UCF in the regionals and went 5-for-9 in two games against UConn in the super regionals. All told in postseason play, Smith batted .314 (11-for-35) with two home runs, seven RBI and a 1.032 OPS. In 2023, Smith earned the Robert A. McNece Award for the Most Outstanding Prospect in the Cape Cod League, appearing in 44 games for Hyannis, batting .347 (58-for-167) with 12 doubles, four triples, six home runs and 26 RBI. All told, in two seasons at Florida State, Smith hit a combined .331 (158-for-478) with 30 doubles, six triples, 28 home runs, 93 RBI and a 1.014 OPS in 117 games. Smith was recommended by area scout Ike Ballou. I'd say Cam Smith looks happy. pic.twitter.com/xRMzBX8Bkl Mathis, 20, played three seasons at the College of Charleston, batting a combined .327 (136-for-416) with 38 doubles, three triples, 24 home runs and 112 RBI in 133 games. In 2024, Mathis was named to the All-CAA First Team and the CAA All-Tournament Team, after he ranked fifth in the CAA in OPS (1.122), tied for fifth in runs (63) and sixth in slugging percentage (.650), doubles (17) and RBI (57). During the campaign, he batted .335 (67-for-200) with a .472 on-base percentage. Mathis was recommended by area scout M’Lynn Dease. Cole Mathis at the backdrop in Mesa pic.twitter.com/A8RjbFo0Xa Here is a look at Chicago’s 20 selections from the 2024 First-Year Player Draft (players in bold have agreed to terms with the club): Rd. (Pick) Player Pos. School Birthday B T Ht. Wt. 1 (14) Cam Smith 3B Florida State University 2/22/03 R R 6-3 229 2 (54) Cole Mathis 3B College of Charleston (S.C.) 7/25/03 R R 6-1 210 3 (90) Ronny Cruz SS Miami Christian School (Fla.) 8/24/06 R R 6-2 170 Ronny Cruz inked it up pic.twitter.com/oD0gs3GfFJ 4 (120) Ty Southisene SS Basic High School (Nev.) 7/8/05 R R 5-9 170 5 (153) Ariel Armas C University of San Diego 11/29/02 R R 6-0 185 6 (182) Ryan Gallagher RHP University of California, Santa Barbara 1/19/03 L R 6-4 220 7 (212) Ivan Brethowr OF University of California, Santa Barbara 2/27/03 R R 6-6 250 8 (242) Edgar Alvarez 1B Nicholls State University (La.) 2/19/01 L R 6-4 230 9 (272) Brooks Caple RHP Lamar University (Tex.) 8/23/02 R R 6-6 230 10 (302) Matt Halbach 3B University of California, San Diego 1/17/03 R R 6-3 215 11 (332) Eli Lovich OF Blue Valley West High School (Kan.) 8/2/05 L L 6-4 185 12 (362) Daniel Avitia RHP Grand Canyon University (Ariz.) 5/16/03 R R 6-4 215 13 (392) Evan Aschenbeck LHP Texas A&M University 6/26/01 R L 6-2 220 14 (422) Cameron Sisneros 1B East Tennessee State University 6/1/01 L L 6-2 230 15 (452) Hayden Frank LHP Lipscomb University (Tenn.) 12/16/02 R L 6-6 222 16 (482) Christian Gordon LHP Virginia Commonwealth University 1/22/01 R L 6-0 180 17 (512) Ben Johnson RHP Georgia Southern University 9/20/01 R R 6-3 178 18 (542) Thomas Mangus RHP Navarro College (Tex.) 6/18/03 R R 6-3 210 19 (572) Owen Ayers C Marshall University (W.V.) 6/7/01 S R 6-2 185 20 (602) Brayden Risedorph RHP Indiana University, Bloomington 7/30/03 R R 6-3 230
