Cubs Expected to Land ‘Plus Raw Juice’ Slugger

This will tell you what you need to know about the “all over the place” nature of MLB mock drafting. 

USA Today just released its latest version, in which it gathered up several mock drafts from well-respected sites, used the results from those mocks to tabulate the average spot in the draft for each player, then presented the players in order based solely on those averages. In this version, the Chicago Cubs, who have the No. 17 pick of the draft held July 13-14, were forecasted to select shortstop Daniel Pierce out of Mill Creek High School in Georgia. 

The irony is that in none of the mock drafts used for this project – nor in any other mock drafts that have come out in the last week – was Pierce suggested to be the Cubs’ pick. However, there is one name that has popped up in multiple mock drafts as being linked to the Cubs: Wehiwa Aloy. 

Multiple Mock Drafts Forecast Cubs Selecting Shortstop Wehiwa Aloy

The Arkansas shortstop has been a lightning rod of attention this postseason — both because of what he can do on a baseball field and because of the big spotlight he’s carried with him from Hawaii to Omaha. And now the Cubs are being consistently projected to scoop him up if he’s still on the board. 

In MLB.com’s latest mock draft, Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis have Aloy slotted to the Cubs at 17, noting the 21-year-old “has played himself into this range of the Draft with an excellent season for the Razorbacks.” ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel echoed that selection, and USA Today’s Gabe Lacques wrote in his latest mock that Aloy “looks up to few of his peers.” 

There’s good reason for the interest. 

Aloy enters the draft as one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the college class. In 65 games with Arkansas, he slashed .350/.434/.673 with 21 home runs and 68 RBIs — good enough to earn him a spot among the Golden Spikes Award finalijsjts and a Second-Team All-American nod from Baseball America, as well as being named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. 

But what’s impressed scouts the most isn’t just the raw numbers. It’s how they were earned. 

“Aloy’s power is notable for a legitimate middle infielder as he has plus raw juice that plays to all fields but mostly to his pull side,” MLB Pipeline wrote about its No. 22 ranked draft prospect. “His combination of bat speed and strength produces impressive exit velocities, and he’s doing a better job of letting his pop come naturally as a junior. 

Wehiwa Aloy Would Fit Nicely in Chicago Cubs Farm System

At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Aloy offers a polished approach at the plate, surprising speed on the basepaths, and a steady, if still maturing, glove. Some scouts project him to move to second base or third in the long term, but the Cubs see value in his positional versatility, especially given the crowded but uncertain future of their infield. 

The Cubs are quietly building one of the deepest farm systems in the National League, especially with infielders like Jefferson Rojas, Fernando Cruz and Cristian Hernandez just getting started. But with no guaranteed long-term shortstop solution in the pipeline, Aloy offers both upside and insurance. 

If the bat plays as expected, he could move quickly through the system — possibly faster than previous Cubs first-rounders. If the glove catches up, they may just have landed a future Gold Glove contender with middle-of-the-order potential.