Player: Cole Roederer
Position: Outfielder
Height: 6’0 Weight: 175 Age: 20 Bats/Throws: L/L Current Level: A South Bend
MLB.com Rank: 5th in Cubs System
Drafted: 2018 (2nd Rd Comp, 77th Overall by Cubs)
Hometown: Newhall, CA
Roederer was a highly regarded high-school prospect and many thought he was going to play at UCLA in college. However, the Cubs paid a little over the usual amount at $1.2 million to sign him after drafting him 77th overall in 2018. In his short time as a pro, Roederer has experienced some struggles. He’s been over-aggressive at the plate; striking out 25% of the time in 2019. He’s still adjusting to pitchers using more off-speed pitches against him and his ability to learn and adapt will be essential to his growth in the coming years.
Although 2019 was a struggle, there were flashes of what Roederer can be. On June 25, Roederer hit for the cycle in a game against Fort Wayne and he did have a strong finish to the season; hitting .252/.374/.395 during the last six weeks.
Scouting Grades
As a lefty outfielder with some pop, the defensive ability to play center and a below average arm; Roederer has gotten scouting comparisons to Andrew Benintendi of the Red Sox. He’s still in Single-A, so still very early in his development and as someone drafted right out of high school, adjusting to the pitching and developing a professional approach tends to take longer.
He has above average speed and stole 16 bases in South Bend in 2019. His fielding is average and his arm is slightly below-average.
His areas of focus in development are pitch recognition and patience at the plate. I’d love to see him lower his strikeout rate. He’s also been pressing to pull the ball to create more power, ideally he begins to use the entire field and the power comes naturally.
I’ll be following his development closely, but Roederer could be a future center or left-fielder in Chicago.
Cole Roederer Stats
