Cubs Drafting Talented Local Kid in First Round is the Feel-Good Story Chicago Needed
The 2020 MLB Draft kicked off Wednesday night, and the future stars of baseball are steadily finding out where they will begin their careers. Just about every one will move away from home to a brand new city, but one was lucky enough to get taken by his hometown team.
That man is shortstop Ed Howard, who was drafted by the Chicago Cubs with the No. 16 overall pick. He went to Mount Carmel High School in the city, and won't have to go very far to get to Wrigley Field once his MLB dreams come true.
Great news in Chicago: Looks like Ed Howard is staying in town! The @Cubs make him the 16th overall pick in the @MLB Draft. Here’s my story about an incredibly impressive person and player: https://t.co/r5A1rsiaEZ @MLBNetwork @CaravanBaseball
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) June 11, 2020
This is a great feel-good story for Cubs fans during a time when the main story surrounding MLB is the ongoing battle between owners and players over how to play out a 2020 season. The next step? signing Howard to a contract, as he is currently committed to play college ball at Oklahoma.
With the 16th overall pick of the 2020 #MLBDraft, the #Cubs select @CaravanBaseball SS Ed Howard, No. 15 on the Top 200 Draft Prospects list: https://t.co/SLD5rlTR8X
— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) June 11, 2020
Watch live: https://t.co/cmm19LFrdg pic.twitter.com/xmEUW0C5x2
Assuming he does sign, his rise through the minors will be a story to watch as he hopes to become a hometown hero in the Windy City. Javy Baez is currently holding down the shortstop position, but he still doesn't have a long-term deal, anad Howard could get moved around if necessary, too. It may be a bit too soon to begin worrying about all that, but the vibes are all good now after the Cubs decided to keep it simple and draft a local kid.