Cubs draft another arm with familiar DNA: Meet Kaemyn Franklin

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 4 hours ago

Feel-good stories are especially wholesome in the game of baseball, especially when family is involved. Not only did the Cubs get a feel-good story in round 14 of the 2025 MLB draft, but this is an organization that prides itself on family, which continued after making this pick.

Nearly a decade after the Cubs took flame-throwing right-hander Kohl Franklin out of high school, there was another Franklin on their radar as RHP Kaemyn Franklin went to the Cubs at Pick No. 421. For those wondering, yes, Franklin is related to the mentioned Kohl Franklin, as they are in fact brothers.

This marks the third time the Cubs have had a pair of brothers in the same organization since Jed Hoyer has gotten here, as they currently have Cristian and Alexis Hernandez in Myrtle Beach and South Bend. At the same time, Rafael and Christopher Morel were also a brother duo until Christopher was traded to Tampa.

Needless to say, moments like this need to be celebrated, and Kohl didn't waste much time taking to the social media world to congratulate his little brother. Although they may never be actual teammates, you have to believe they will cross paths at some point and that alone will be a very special moment for the entire Franklin family.

Listed at 6-2 and a lean 155 pounds, Kaemyn has some growing to do from a weight side, as he needs to put on some muscle. Given that he is only a prep arm, Kaemyn has plenty of time to put on the necessary weight, as he won't be viewed as a key piece for quite some time, if at all.

Unlike his brother Kohl, who was throwing 95 MPH coming out of high school, Kaemyn has yet to hit those numbers, but he is still averaging 91 MPH, which is all you can ask for from a high school kid. Committed to the University of Oklahoma, unless he takes the offer the Cubs give him, Franklin is more than just a pitcher as he has seen plenty of time at the 3B and SS positions, but don't expect to see him anywhere but a mound anytime soon.

Along with his fastball, which has continued to improve over time, Kaemyn has a steady dose of off-speed offerings that he is learning to throw, with his 84 MPH changeup being the best of the bunch. That change acted like a sinker due to its late movement and the ability to appear like a strike until it falls off the table.

Kaemyn is also hoping to incorporate his 87 MPH power curve a bit more, but that is something that can be learned when the Cubs organization gets their hands on him, should he bypass college altogether. One of the concerns many fans have regarding this pick is the overall health issues that his brother Kohl has faced, as his arm has been hampered by injuries since day one.

No one is saying Kaemyn is going to have those same issues, but a lot of the things that led to Kohl's arm getting hurt can be found in Kaemyn's game, especially when you look at the pitching style as a whole. Still, the Cubs are putting a lot of faith in their development team to not only bring him along slowly, but to bring him along the right way to ensure he develops properly.

Grading the Pick: C+