“With the third overall pick in the 2020 amateur player draft, the Chicago Cubs select 22-year-old middle infield Gavin Lux of Kenosha, Wisconsin. The New York Yankees are on the clock.”
Scouting Director Tommy Tanous, General Manager Justin Jabs, and room full of baseball scouts clapped from the Chicago Cubs war room as they watched their newest prospect shake hands with the commissioner and don his new Cubs jersey, live on TV. Moments later, calls from reporters swarmed Jabs’ phone line about their selection.
“We are excited to add Gavin to our minor league system,” Jabs said. “He’s very advanced for a hitter of his age. He’ll slot in nicely alongside Jake Burger or Yordan Alvarez at the top of our farm system. I expect you’ll see all of them in the majors sooner rather than later.”
“Lux has the best pure hit tool we saw on the board, and among the best combination of contact, power, and discipline out there,” explained Tanous.
Indeed, Lux is one of the oldest prospects in the draft at 22 years and 153 days. The Cubs have been rebuilding for years now, having not sniffed the playoffs since 2015, and or even double-digit losses since 2018. Lux is their second Top 3 pick in a row. They went with high schooler Matthew Lugo with the #1 overall pick in 2019.
It’s been years since they roamed the halls, but Lux and his new GM Justin Jabs are alumnus of the same high school: Indian Trail Academy. Jabs wrote for the newspaper and played dodgeball long before the school even had organized sports. Years later, Lux became a star hitting homers for the newly-formed Indian Trail Hawks baseball team. Pundits say the duo’s Kenosha connection will make Lux an easy sign for the Cubs.
“I’d like to thank the Chicago Cubs for this opportunity,” Lux said. “That franchise is about to turn a corner and I’m stoked to be a part of it.”
An anonymous AL scout weighed in on his abilities before the draft: “Lux has a lot of talent. I don’t quite see the defensive prowess needed for shortstop, but perhaps that will improve as he matures. I project Lux to fill a key role for a contending team in the big leagues.”
Whether or not the Chicago Cubs will return to contention during Lux’s tenure remains to be seen. Their first round selection today is another stop on that journey.