Cubs select RHP Ryan Jensen with their first-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft

With their first pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, the Cubs selected RHP Ryan Jensen out of Fresno State.

The #Cubs chose Ryan Jensen, the right-handed pitcher out of Fresno State (CA) with the No. 27 overall pick in the #MLB Draft pic.twitter.com/87SWGVkbcN
— Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) June 4, 2019

Jensen projects as a major league reliever, with a fastball that already touches 96-99mph. He ranked as MLB's 99th best draft prospect, and 109th by Baseball America.

In 100 IPs this season, Jensen posted a 2.88 ERA with 107 strikeouts and 27 walks. Despite the stellar numbers, the pick was a surprise to some:

I like the Jensen pick for the Cubs. Might be a slight reach in value, but I think he's an arm that could be a fast-track type player that could help either as a starter or a high-leverage reliever. Underrated arm.
— Christopher Crawford (@Crawford_MILB) June 4, 2019

https://twitter.com/MinorLeagueBall/status/1135727868397412352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Woah. Ryan Jensen is the first real surprise of the night, and honestly, I don't dislike it for a reach. That's a premium fastball in terms of both velocity and movement, and I called him a "sleeper to keep an eye on" in my personal notes. Very interesting pick
— Zack Silverman (@ZackSilverman18) June 4, 2019

This is a surprise, but we were expecting some off-the-board college arms to sneak into the first and you see that here. I didn't think it would be Jensen per say.
— Carlos Collazo (@CarlosACollazo) June 4, 2019

The Cubs' next pick comes in the 2nd round, No. 64 overall.

Cubs select RHP Ryan Jensen with their first-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft

By Cam Ellis • Published June 3, 2019 • Updated on June 4, 2019 at 11:22 am

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