Watch: LHP Scott Kobos Discusses Signing with Cubs, Immediate Rapport with Development Staff

Scott Kobos isn’t a household name, even for Cubs fans, but that could change within a few years. A lefty out of Coastal Carolina University, Kobos has had the Cubs’ attention for several years and he was one of the first players they signed as an undrafted free agent. That process was quite a bit different this year as a result of the abbreviated five-round draft and overall lack of scouting, something that could easily have worked against Kobos.

Beyond just the short 2020 college season, this is a guy who never pitched in high school and was only converted to the mound after his coach at St. Johns River State College took note of his strong outfield arm. An avulsion fracture in his pitching elbow forced Kobos to redshirt his first season at CCU, then a back injury further hampered his next season. Finally at full strength as a senior, the pandemic shutdown limited him to five appearances.

The Cubs have to like that Kobos has very little mileage on his arm in spite of the injury and that he struck out 61 batters with just 15 walks over 60.2 innings at CCU. He had 68 Ks in 71.2 innings for SJRSC in his first year as a pitcher, so the whiffs are legit. The ERA numbers aren’t pretty, but that’s of little concern in light of everything else.

In addition to his exploits on the field, Kobos earned a physics degree with an engineering emphasis and actually wrote a paper about trying to identify unique information in CCU’s Trackman data. He’s already found a kindred spirit in pitching director Craig Breslow, once dubbed “the Smartest Man in Baseball,” and he’s certain to enjoy the Pitch Lab once he gets a chance to visit.

With all that’s happening in baseball right now, it was really refreshing to talk with a young man who just got the chance to realize his dream of playing professional baseball. It’s even more so for someone who actually grew up a Cubs fan. Enjoy