Draft Recap: Cubs Select Simpson

The Chicago Cubs surprised everyone with their first pick (16th overall) in the 2010 MLB First Year Player Draft. Tim Wilken and company selected Hayden Simpson, a right handed pitcher out of a Division 2 school. Simpson pitched for Southern Arkansas this season as a junior and posted a 13-1 record with an ERA of 1.81.

He was the runner up for the Division 2 Player of the Year this season. Reports say that Hayden's velocity falls after about four innings of work. Perhaps he is best suited as a reliever in the professional ranks.

Wilken told Cubs.com that this pick "just made sense". Simpson wasn't expected to go until sometime between the second and fifth rounds. Most highly regarded publications ranked this guy at the back end of their top 200 list.

In high school, Simpson was the starting quarterback at Magnolia (Ark.) and also pitched for the baseball team. It was a shock for him for him to be selected in the first round, even though he new the Cubs had interest in him.

Here are some notes on the rest of the Cubs top five draft choices as the draft picked up where it left on with the second round getting underway this morning.

Reggie Golden

• Cubs 2nd round pick
• #65 overall selection
• Centerfielder
• Wetumpka (Ala.) High School
• A lot of power, good speed
• 5'10'', 210 lbs
• Click for SB Nation's Profile
• Baseball Rumor Mill Bio

Micah Gibbs

• Cubs 3rd round pick
• #97 overall selection
• Catcher
• LSU
• Switch Hitter
• Just finished his junior year.
• Good defensive backstop.
• Profile on LSUsports.net

Hunter Ackerman

• Cubs 4th round pick
• #130 overall selection
• LHP
• Louisburg (Va.) College
• Went 8-1 with a 1.40 ERA this year as a Freshman in college.
• Last week he joined the West Virginia Miners baseball club of a college summer league.

Matthew Szczur

• Cubs 5th round pick
• #160 overall selection
• Outfielder
• Villanova University
• Also played football as a WR in college
• Has great speed and can his for average and power to all fields.
• Just finished his junior year.
• Villanova Athletics Bio

Picks 6-20

• 6. Ivan De Jesus (no relation to the Cubs' coach), OF, Cupeyville (PR) High School
• 7. Benjamin Wells, RHP, Bryant (Ark.) HS
• 8. Cameron Greathouse, LHP, Gulf Coast Community College
• 9. Kevin Rhoderick, RHP, Oregon State
• 10. Aaron Kurcz, RHP, College of Southern Nevada
• 11. Eric Jokisch, LHP, Northwestern University
• 12. Austin Reed, RHP, Rancho Cucamonga (Cal.) HS
• 13. Pierre LePage, 2B, University of Connecticut
• 14. Colin Richardson, RHP, Winter Haven (Fla.) HS
• 15. Elliot Soto, SS, Creighton University
• 16. Ryan Hartman, RHP, Mt. Zion (IL) HS
• 17. Steven Brooks, CF, Wake Forest
• 18. Ronald Pinckard, RHP, Baylor
• 19. Dustin Fitzgerald, RHP, Hill Jr. College
• 20. Ryan Cueno, 1B, University of Delaware

The draft is still going on today and it will finish tomorrow (strarting at 11am CT once again). For updates on the draft all night check out our Cubs Farm Updates Twitter.