Mission: Take the best available talent

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Mission: Take the best available talent
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com

The Cubs have the 20th pick in the first round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, which will be held June 7. Scouting director John Stockstill and his staff, who will set up their war room in Phoenix this year, have one philosophy when selecting a player: Take the best one available.

"We take the best available talent," Stockstill said. "To me, the only way to [draft] is to stack up the players, take the best ones, and that's it."

Last year, the Cubs did not have a first-round pick, and chose Notre Dame pitcher Grant Johnson in the second round. In the 2004 draft, the Cubs chose seven pitchers, five outfielders, one infielder and one catcher among their first 15 picks.

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With the MLB draft, you really have no idea who you will get. I just hope it's a good player who turns out well.

[aTrUeCUBsFaN]

06/07/2005 2:43 PM ET
Cubs select Mark Pawelek with 20th pick of Draft

The Chicago Cubs today selected left-handed pitcher Mark Pawelek with the 20th selection in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft. Pawelek, 18, recently graduated from Springville High School in Springville, Utah.

In 2005, the southpaw went 10-0 and did not allow an earned run the entire season. Over 63.0 innings, he struck out 132 batters and allowed just 16 hits.

Pawelek went 36-2 over his four-year high school career. He set a state record his junior year, striking out 341 batters. He ended his career with 476 strikeouts, an all-time record for Utah.

"We're very happy to have drafted Mark," said Cubs Scouting Director, John Stockstill. "He's a three to four pitch guy who threw well every time we saw him and his consistency gives him a strong upside."

Baseball America ranked him as the 17th-best prospect in this year's draft. The publication also named him the best high school left-hander, stating, "he topped out at 94-95 mph with an effortless delivery ... he has good command of four pitches and knows how and when to use his curveball and changeup."

Pawelek becomes the first Utah high schooler to be drafted in the first round since left-hander Bruce Hurst was selected by the Red Sox in the 1976 draft.

His brother, Dennis, was drafted in 2002 by the White Sox in the 40th round, but did not sign and is currently a member of the University of Utah football team.

His 2005 statistics at Springville High School:

YEAR W-L ERA G GS CG SV IP H R ER BB SO
2005 10-0 0.00 10 9 2 0 63.1 16 0 0 16 132

His career honors include:
• Utah all-time high school strikeout leader
• 2005 State Player of the year
• 2003, 2004 and 2005 Region 6 MVP

Cubs last 10 No. 1 picks Last 10 players chosen with 20th overall pick
2005 LHP Mark Pawelek (20) 2005 LHP Mark Pawelek (CHI)
2004 RHP Grant Johnson (66) 2004 IF Trevor Plouffe (MIN)
2003 IF Ryan Harvey (6) 2003 IF James D'Antona (AZ)
2002 RHP Bobby Brownlie (21) 2002 OF Fredrick Lewis (SF)
2001 RHP Mark Prior (2) 2001 LHP Michael Gosling (AZ)
2000 IF Luis Montanez (3 2000 OF Kenneth Folsom (CLE)
1999 RHP Ben Christensen (26) 1999 IF Bobby Hill (CHI-AL)
1998 OF Corey Patterson (3) 1998 RHP Michael Fischer (LA)
1997 RHP Jon Garland (10) 1997 IF Gookie Dawkins (CIN)
1996 RHP Todd Noel (17) 1996 IF Luis Lorenzana (PIT)