Getting to Know: Cubs 10th Rounder Luis Martinez Gomez |
The Cubs did a great job on day two of the MLB draft this year by not only finding valuable players, but potentially talented players also. While a large number of these players may never make it to the show, you still have those pieces that will be key contributors for the next several years as the Cubs continue to build up their farm system.
Looking to close out day two on a positive note, the Cubs continued to focus on college-level talent over prep stars, as this was their focus from day one. Unlike most of the Collegiate selections they made earlier, they went to the JR College circuit in round 10 and plucked Luis Martin Gomez from Temple College. The 6-2 175-pound left-hander gives the Cubs another young righty to mold, although he must add some weight to his frame. While the JR college circuit is less popular than the NCAA level, a ton of great baseball is still happening, especially with Temple College in Texas. Gomez was a big reason for the success of Temple last season, as he was one of several anchors on their pitching staff. Gomez led Temple with 63 innings pitched in 2023 and did so by posting a 2.83 ERA. Despite his good numbers on the mound, Gomez sometimes had some command issues, as he walked 29 hitters this season and struck out 56. That is not what you want out of a starter, so he must work on fixing that in the pros. Before his successful 2023 campaign, Gomez had a great summer in 2022 while pitching in the Western Canadian Summer League. During that summer, he split time between a starter and a reliever, giving his team 56 innings of work with a 2.25 ERA. Both led his staff as he made significant improvements that summer. Unlike the college season, where his command was sporadic at best, Gomez was much better during the summer, walking 20 compared to 76 punchouts. Those are the numbers the Cubs are hoping to get out of him once he reaches the organization because there is a ton of potential there. When you look at his pitch arsenal, it all starts with his fastball, which tends to sit around 92. He was clocked at 96 MPH during his summer in Canada but had difficulty getting to that level this past season. That shows that there is more in his arm where the added strength may be able to unleash a better fastball velocity. Along with his heater comes a steady diet of offspeed pitches, with his being a split change. Gomes throws that pitch like a change-up but breaks like a splitter and tends to sit around 82-83 MPH. You also saw Gomez incorporate a breaking ball more this season than in seasons past, as that pitch sat in the 81 MPH range. For Gomez to have the success he is hoping for, all three of those pitches need to be part of his game to mix up a hitter's timing. Gomez will not be a top-flight prospect at this point in his career, if at all. However, he does give you some minor-league versatility as he spent time as both a starter and a reliever. Look for the Cubs to experiment with him the rest of this summer into next season to determine where he fits best within this organization.
