Cubs Prospect Profile: Brody McCullough |
Throughout the course of a calendar year, a team's top prospect list will go through a ton of changes, and the Cubs are no different. What looks one way in April will look different in July or December as several factors come into play. The most obvious factor is the trades that happen during the season as prospects come off of your list in exchange for more prospects.
Another reason why the list could look different is from the MLB draft, as you only get a feel for what those players can do once you see them on the field. What they do performance-wise is how they can move into the top 30 conversations, and you have noticed that a lot in recent years with the Cubs. Brody McCullough is just the next in a long line of players that may have gone overlooked at one point, as a strong showing in 2023 not only turned heads but has him now ranked as the 29th-best prospect in the system. Unlike many of today's top prospects, McCullough wasn't a big name coming out of college, as he played college ball for Wingate (NC) out of the Division 2 ranks. Throughout his four seasons with the Bulldogs, McCullough not only earned All-American honors during his final two seasons, but helped them win the National Title in 2021. That alone was worth a look, and the Cubs pounced on him in the 10th round of the 2022 player draft. Before him getting drafted, McCullough elected to go to the Cape Cod League, where he was dominating hitters all summer. That alone improved his draft stock, which could go a long way for the Cubs and their future. Following the draft, McCullough took a while to get to Arizona, and once he did, he put in a ton of work to get ready before seeing game action late in the summer. It wasn't a ton, but in five games between Myrtle Beach and Arizona, McCullough posted a 2-0 record with a 1.29 ERA in seven innings, walking two and striking out 12. That kind of dominance, even in a small sample size, is very impressive as he was looking to build off of that in 2023. Not only did he build off of that, but McCullough was dominating hitters at the Low-A level yet again before earning a promotion to High-A South Bend. Across his 21 games this season, all coming as starts, McCullough was as good as advertised posting a 5-5 record with a 3.44 ERA. His ERA rose above 4.00 with South Bend after sitting at 2.86 in Myrtle Beach. Not only was McCullough doing what he needed, but the strikeouts numbers continued to be very impressive. Although he made 21 starts, McCullough only threw 86 innings, walking 31 and striking out 108. He did that while holding opponents to a .194 average, as they couldn't square him up. What makes McCullough so challenging is his excellent command and 6-4, 205-pound frame that helps him generate fastball velocity in the 93-95 MPH range. He pairs that with a pair of offspeed offerings, although it's his 85 MPH slider that could be his best pitch at this point. McCullough also has a change-up around 84 and a curveball at 77 that he hasn't perfected yet, which makes those minimal offerings at this point. The more feel he gets for those overtime, the better he will be which is scary to think about when you look at some of the other arms in this system. If there were something for him to work on heading into 2024, it would have to be his overall delivery of the baseball. Sure, he does create some deception with it, considering the angle, but it isn't the cleanest delivery, which could lead to arm problems later on. He is a strike thrower who throws enough strikes to stick in the back of the rotation should they need it or move to the bullpen as one of those middle relief options that can give you multiple innings. For McCullough to remain a starter, look for him to work on another one of his off-speed pitches, as a three-pitch mix is better than two. If nothing else, McCullough is destined to become a valuable middle reliever capable of giving you multiple innings should you need him to.
