Cubs and White Sox both predicted to draft Vanderbilt pitchers

By Blair Sheade

Vanderbilt pitcher Carson Fulmer (15) throws in the second inning against Alabama during a baseball game, Thursday, May 14, 2015, at the Hoover Met in Birmingham, Ala. (Vasha Hunt/AL.com via AP)

In the upcoming MLB Draft, the White Sox and Cubs pick back-to-back. The South side holds the No. 8 pick, while the North side picks ninth.

According to one prediction, the Cubs and Sox may have something in common with their picks. They are both predicted to select pitchers from Vanderbilt University.

David Rawnsley, former assistant scouting director for the Houston Astros and a national baseball writer with Baseball America, predicted the first-round selections for the 2015 MLB Draft.

Rawnsley thinks the White Sox will select the Vanderbilt ace Carson Fulmer. The 6-foot, 195-pound right-hander was 11-2 with a 1.97 ERA and 136 strike outs this season.

Fulmer would go higher if not for his delivery and the effort he uses in throwing the ball. Many teams think he is bound for the bullpen, a role he held at Vanderbilt for a time and in which he was dominant. But he has a pristine health record, nasty stuff and no history of command issues. The White Sox have a history of selecting pitchers with mechanics the rest of the industry questions, including perennial AL Cy Young candidate Chris Sale and their top pitching prospect, Tyler Danish.

Rawnsley determines the Cubs need more pitching help, and the next best pitcher available in this draft is Fulmer’s teammate Walker Buehler. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound right-hander was 3-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 74 strikeouts.

Fulmer’s Vanderbilt teammate also has a knock that concerns much of the industry: his narrow build. But just like Fulmer, Buehler has three pitches, all of which can be plus-pitches at different times, and a long track record of durability and success. The Cubs are in the mode to collect pitchers, and Buehler is a good one for them.

White Sox and Cubs fans will have to wait until June 8 to find out who their teams actually pick.

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