From Cal Poly to Hawaii to Chicago: Freddy Rodriguez drafted by Cubs |
Dustin Riese
· · 4 hours ago
Given how most of the Chicago Cubs' 2025 draft went, if you had to guess what position the final pick came from, what would you say? If you said pitcher, you would be correct, as the Cubs used their 20th and final selection of the MLB draft on another pitcher, rounding out what is seen as one of their biggest pitching hauls in team history.
Even though it took 601 picks for Freddy Rodriguez to come off the board, he was taken by the Cubs in round 20. Hailing from the University of Hawaii, the 6-3, 210-pound righty continued the trend of physically imposing pitchers drafted by the Cubs, and is coming off a strong Junior season. Initially a Cal Poly recruit, Rodriguez struggled to find his way on the mound as he posted a 7.25 ERA as a freshman before getting lit up for an 81.00 ERA his sophomore season. That alone pushed him out of the Cal Poly rotation as he was looking to restart his career in the transfer portal. That is where Hawaii comes into play, as Rodriguez chose to transfer to the Warriors ahead of his junior season and went on to post solid numbers across the board. Despite making just two starts this past season, Rodriguez appeared in 26 games, totaling just over 52 innings of work in the process. He went 7-2 in those games, posting a 3.10 ERA, which is all you can ask for from a collegiate Junior. His 16 walks show excellent command, while his 52 strikeouts show the ability to strike guys out, even if it's not at the rate many teams would like to see. Considering he went 6-0 with a 1.02 ERA in eight summer league starts before enrolling at Hawaii, it does appear that Rodriguez has turned the corner in his development, as the Cubs feel they have a blank canvas to work with him. As good as the numbers have looked from this past season, there isn't a ton of film on him, which makes it difficult to see what he brings to the table. Prior to arriving in college, Rodriguez averaged just over 81 MPH with his fastball, but is now in the 91 MPH range. That is far from elite, but given his lean athletic frame, most scouts feel he can still add some increased velocity once his body fills out a bit more. With that fastball comes a change-up that acts more like a splitter than a change. Rodriguez also has a slurvy type breaking ball, but until that pitch becomes more of a threat consistently, he is essentially a two-pitch pitcher, which is why it took him a bit to settle into his own as a pitcher. Now that he has had the season he has had, it will be up to both Rodriguez and the Cubs to figure out the best way for him to continue building on that success.
