3.97 Chicago Cubs - Micah Gibbs, C, LSU

The Cubs spent the 97th overall pick on Micah Gibbs.

Follow the jump for his pre-draft report.

Micah Gibbs   Position: C   School: LSU   State: LA   Year: Jr.   Height: 5’11’’   Weight: 215

Bats: B   Throws: R   Birth Date: 7/27/88   Seiler Rating: 1C4   Last Drafted: Never

Micah Gibbs is a well-rounded catcher from Louisiana State University. Gibbs came to LSU from Pflugerville High School in Pflugerville, Texas, a northeastern suburb of Austin that also produced Houston draft prospect Blake Kelso. Gibbs started as the Tigers’ catcher immediately upon reaching campus, and he has steadily improved with his bat and glove over three years. He really jumped on the prospect scene when the Tigers won the national championship last year, and even though he was sluggish on the Cape as a result, scouts saw something they liked in his tools. A potential starting catcher as a pro, he features a number of usable tools and plus makeup that should work with pitchers. At the plate, he’s roughly an average hitter with average power, and even though he’s a below-average runner, he’s not a baseclogger yet. His defense universally gets positive grades, and even though his arm is only average, he has a very quick release and plus footwork, giving him above-average pop times. He has been less effective throwing out runners this year, but most scouts attribute that to the LSU pitchers. He’s a plus receiver behind the plate, and he’s shown that with three years of catching quality pitching and velocity. He should be a league-average catcher overall, but his leadership qualities and receiving offer big intangibles. He should go somewhere from the late first round into the second round, and he’ll be signable for slot money in that range.