🧢⚾ Draft Day Drama • Rising Star or Risky Gamble?
CHICAGO — When the Chicago Cubs stepped up to make their third-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, few expected the name Dominick Reid to echo across the draft floor. The right-handed pitcher out of Abilene Christian University wasn’t projected to be a top-100 pick by many analysts. And yet, there it was — a bold, surprising selection that immediately sent shockwaves through both fan circles and MLB front offices alike.
But what followed after that pick was something no one could have predicted.
🔍 A Pick That Raised Eyebrows
In a draft class loaded with SEC aces and polished Big Ten sluggers, Dominick Reid was, by comparison, a lesser-known commodity. He had the raw tools — a fastball touching 97 mph, a wicked slider, and a delivery that scouts have called “deceptively electric” — but he also had question marks.
Injury history. Inconsistent control. A college ERA north of 4.00.
So why did the Cubs — an organization with a recent history of more conservative draft picks — pull the trigger?
One word: upside.
“He’s got that ‘it’ factor,” one anonymous Cubs scout confided. “The data doesn’t tell the whole story with Reid. There’s something brewing there. We’ve seen it behind closed doors.”
🔥 The Untold Story Behind the Pick
What fans didn’t know — and what’s only now beginning to emerge — is that Reid’s pre-draft workouts may have been the stuff of legend.
According to multiple sources, Reid’s private session with Cubs pitching coordinators in late May was nothing short of jaw-dropping. In a closed-door bullpen session held at a high school field in Texas — under the radar, away from cameras — Reid reportedly unleashed a new changeup that had one scout comparing it to Pedro Martínez’s circle change.
“He made three minor league hitters whiff so hard they spun into the dirt,” the source added with a laugh.
It wasn’t just the velocity — which peaked at 98.3 mph that day — it was his composure, the poise, the command of every pitch. For 30 minutes, Reid was unhittable. And for the Cubs, that was enough.
But then came the twist.
😱 An Emergency Call Just Hours Before the Draft
Just twelve hours before his name was announced, Reid’s agent reportedly received an alarming phone call: another team — believed to be the Cincinnati Reds — had plans to scoop him in the fourth round.
“Suddenly, the Cubs were on the clock,” said a team insider. “If they waited, they might lose him forever.”
That call may have changed everything.
Faced with the ticking draft clock, with front office tensions rising and debates intensifying, the Cubs made the call to reach — just a little — and draft Reid ahead of schedule. Some say it was gutsy. Others say it was reckless.
But what happened next turned a daring draft pick into something of a baseball mystery.
🤯 The Viral Video Cubs Didn’t Want Leaked… But Did
Within 24 hours of the selection, a 27-second video began making rounds on social media — a grainy, low-resolution clip of Reid throwing at a Texas bullpen, clocking 99 mph on a handheld radar gun.
The Cubs hadn’t authorized the clip. In fact, they’d tried to keep it under wraps.
“Too much attention too fast can derail a young arm,” a team executive stated. “But once that clip got out… there was no turning back.”
Baseball Twitter exploded. Who was this kid?
Dominick Reid, who had just 13 career starts at Abilene Christian and fewer than 100 college innings under his belt, was suddenly a household name. Overnight, Cubs fans began drawing comparisons to Dillon Cease, Josh Beckett, and even a young Nolan Ryan.
🧩 But Here’s the Part No One’s Talking About…
Behind the viral hype and unexpected buzz, Reid’s story takes a darker — and more dramatic — turn.
Multiple insiders have hinted that Reid’s transfer to Abilene Christian was not just a baseball decision, but a result of internal fallout at a prior Division I program.
Details remain hazy. Rumors swirl of a coaching staff dispute, a conflict with a veteran starter, and an off-the-record disciplinary issue that nearly ended his NCAA career.
Yet somehow, through grit, quiet work, and a fiery second chance, Reid clawed his way back onto the radar.
“He’s not just a pitcher,” said one longtime coach. “He’s a survivor.”
🎯 What Comes Next? Boom or Bust?
The Cubs’ farm system is no stranger to breakout arms — or devastating letdowns. Reid enters an organization with both opportunity and pressure.
Will he follow the path of recent success stories like Ben Brown and Cade Horton?
Or will he fade into the shadows of forgotten flame-throwers who couldn’t stay healthy or consistent?
That’s the million-dollar question — and one that Cubs Nation is desperate to see answered.
👀 Final Word (For Now)
Dominick Reid is not your typical third-round pick.
He’s not polished.
He’s not predictable.
But what he is… might just be what the Cubs have been missing.
And if the early whispers prove true, this could be the pick that fans one day point to and say:
“That was the moment it all changed.”