Cubs two-way player dreams are dead despite exciting draft pick

With the Chicago Cubs' second-round pick, they selected an infielder from the College of Charleston, Cole Mathis. Mathis is an intriguing prospect that packs a ton of power. On MLB Pipeline's 20-80 grade scale, he has 55-grade power and a 60-grade arm, making him a great option to play third base in pro ball. Let's look at how he performed in college.

As a 19-year-old sophomore, Mathis got regular at bats for the first time in his career, slashing .330/.439/.575 that season. He also hit nine home runs, 20 doubles and stole eight bases. He looked like a true breakout star.

His junior season, Mathis would slash .335/.472/.650 with 14 home runs, 17 doubles and 14 stolen bases. He would somehow outperform his incredible sophomore year.

A few other key stats from his college days include his 90:74 striekout-to-walk ratio and his 3.60 career ERA.

Yes, ERA, as in pitching. Cole Mathis was a two-way player in college. Does that mean he could do it in the minor leagues and eventually the big leagues as well?

Cubs shut down idea of second round pick being the next Shohei Ohtani

In short, no, Cole Mathis cannot be the next Shohei Ohtani. That isn't really a knock though, as nobody will likely ever replicate what the Japanese superstar has done in his career. Mathis pitched in college because he was talented enough to dominate hitters at that level, not because he had professional pitching potential.

His best trait is his arm, which led to his ability to hop on the mound, be an athlete and compete as a pitcher in the Coastal Athletic Conference. Not trying to knock the CAA, but if Mathis was able to perform at this level against SEC hitters, he would be a legit pitching prospect for professional baseball.

The Chicago Cubs have already shut down the idea of letting Mathis two-way, which doesn't seem to be a problem to him or his surrounding family. Making professional baseball into a career is hard enough to do as just a hitter or just a pitcher. Mathis would likely never reach his full potential if he tried to pursue both.

Jac Caglianone, the most famous two-way player in this class, may not even stick as a pitcher. Caglianone has topped out over 100 MPH from the left side, yet he may not even be able to crack the big leagues as a pitcher. That just goes to show how special it truly is what Shohei Ohtani is doing in the MLB.