​After drafting Mississippi right-hander Cade Townsend in the first round, the Cubs stayed in the SEC for their second pick, selecting one of the top power hitters remaining in college baseball: Texas A&M outfielder Caden Sorrell. Sorrell emerged as one of the more potent college bats last season, belting 23 home runs for the Aggies, a total that tied for 14th in Division I. He isn’t a flashy, cheap option either. Sorrell is a big, strong, left-handed hitter at 6’3” and 210 pounds, with a quick, uppercut swing and a natural pull tendency toward right field. When he connects, the ball travels a long way. He’s also an athletic player with good speed and solid defensive instincts in center field. He possesses a strong arm and could easily transition to right field, where he could become a plus defender.
In his impressive 2023 season, Sorrell posted a .341/.434/.743 line with 20 doubles, one triple, and 23 home runs for the Aggies. He also swiped 11 bases across 64 games. The caveat with Sorrell is his swing-and-miss tendency. He often whiffs on fastballs up in the zone and tends to chase breaking balls out of the strike zone. For Sorrell to reach the majors, he’ll need to develop better plate recognition and discipline to avoid bad pitches. He struck out 23 percent of the time in his junior year, which isn’t crippling, but it isn’t ideal for a player stepping into pro ball where the pitching is significantly tougher. If Sorrell didn’t have these issues, he likely would have gone in the first round.
MLB Pipeline ranked Sorrell as the 33rd-best prospect in the draft, while Baseball America pegged him at 27th—both places suggesting value for the Cubs at pick 62, ahead of Townsend on some lists. Keith Law of The Athletic, who tends to be more concerned about swing-and-miss, placed Sorrell at 67, aligning more with the later-first- or second-round perception. In some mock drafts, Sorrell crept into the end of the first round, but it would have been a disappointment to see the Cubs take him there given his contact shortcomings. In the second round, however, Sorrell presented a compelling upside: a potential above-average starter with power in right field, a profile that aligns well with what teams seek in a mid-round asset. If his contact issues limit him, the Cubs would have sacrificed only a second-round pick, making the gamble more palatable.
Here’s a montage of Caden Sorrell highlights, showcasing the kind of power he can unleash, along with the athleticism and occasional defensive versatility that give him a chance to contribute at the highest level.