MLB 2020 Draft

[King]

Nowadays, I don't know what is safe and what is risky. I don't know how Zeuch is safe when he throws a sinker from the 1990's. A safe pick there would have just been a one pitch flame thrower, who can eventually be a reliever in the worst case scenario. I really think the guys with the loudest tools are the safer players nowadays.

So Tyler Kolek?

[BlueRocky]

https://www.mlb.com/news/2020-mlb-draft-max-meyer

 

Apparently Max Meyer was recently measured at 6-1, 201 lbs, that looks a bit better than 6-0, 180. And though he has hit 100-101 mph in games, he typically sits 96.

Both his parents were athletes and Max was also in his HS hockey team.

 

I’m not sure how much more Toronto this pick can get.

[Boxcar]

What a dream scenario would that be if Austin Martin fell to us! I'm in the same thinking, Veen would be great but not going to be disappointed with the above college guys. I think I would be disappointed with a Demeters pick though.

 

I honestly don't see much of a difference between Martin and Gonzales.

[Boxcar]

^LOL @ Matt from Baltimore

 

It's honestly a tragedy that these clowns get their pick of top talent every draft

[Boxcar]

So Tyler Kolek?

 

I'd rather pick a Kolek than a McGuire or Zoinks 10/10 times

[Carlos Danger]

I just realized Austin Martin is from like 25-30 mins away from Zac Veen... Not too far from where Chipper Jones is from. Edited June 6, 2020 by Carlos Danger

[BlueRocky]

Jim Callis video interview with Zac Veen: https://www.mlb.com/video/zac-veen-on-draft-stock-more

 

MLB Tonight breakdown of Zac Veen with Harold Reynolds: https://www.mlb.com/video/breaking-down-zac-veen?t=most-popular

 

Jim Callis video interview with Max Meyer: https://www.mlb.com/video/max-meyer-on-routine-draft

Edited June 6, 2020 by BlueRocky

[metafour]

I honestly don't see much of a difference between Martin and Gonzales.

 

Martin has much more defensive value and his contact skills are more proven due to SEC play. Gonzales proved himself in the Cape Cod league, but at the end of the day they might be similar hitters with Martin having more overall value.

[Boxcar]

Martin has much more defensive value and his contact skills are more proven due to SEC play. Gonzales proved himself in the Cape Cod league, but at the end of the day they might be similar hitters with Martin having more overall value.

 

Yeah, I'd definitely take Martin over Gonzales...I'm just saying I see them being in the same tier and there's no way I'd take Lacy or Meyer over him.

 

The way I see the top 5, in order: Martin, Tork, Gonzales, Hancock, Veen

[Slade]

https://www.mlb.com/news/2020-mlb-draft-max-meyer

 

Apparently Max Meyer was recently measured at 6-1, 201 lbs, that looks a bit better than 6-0, 180. And though he has hit 100-101 mph in games, he typically sits 96.

Both his parents were athletes and Max was also in his HS hockey team.

 

I’m not sure how much more Toronto this pick can get.

 

 

Funny I was reading Keith Law's chat and he mentioned if Meyer was 3 inches taller he would be in talks as 1-1. The more I see of Meyer the more I like him.

[KevinGregg]

Funny I was reading Keith Law's chat and he mentioned if Meyer was 3 inches taller he would be in talks as 1-1. The more I see of Meyer the more I like him.

 

I'm all in on Meyer. Two 80 grade pitches is unheard of as far as I can remember

[Abomination]

I'm all in on Meyer. Two 80 grade pitches is unheard of as far as I can remember

 

IMO, buy pitching, develop bats.

[BlueRocky]

Funny I was reading Keith Law's chat and he mentioned if Meyer was 3 inches taller he would be in talks as 1-1. The more I see of Meyer the more I like him.

 

Just saw Keith Law’s draft ranking update, the ranking is 100 players.

 

https://theathletic.com/1850996/2020/06/06/keith-laws-big-board-ranking-the-2020-mlb-drafts-top-100-prospects/

 

With the draft now a few days away, I present my ranking of the top 100 prospects in the 2020 draft class. This is not a projection of where any players will be selected, and doesn’t take players’ signability (expected bonus demands) into account. I ranked the players based on their projected value as professional players, considering their tools, ages, mechanics, instincts, and other factors as described to me by scouts and executives who’ve seen these players. It is possible that some on this list won’t be drafted due to the five-round format and their options for college, and a player’s absence from this list is not a prediction that he won’t be drafted in the top 100 picks.

 

1. Austin Martin, 3B/OF, Vanderbilt, Age on draft day: 21

 

Martin may not be the first overall pick this year, but he’s the best overall prospect due to his combination of performance, athleticism and all-around quickness. There’s some Javy Báez to his hand speed, although unlike the young Báez, Martin rarely strikes out. We haven’t seen a top college prospect this athletic since George Springer in 2011, although before the draft Springer had the two-strike approach of a turnip. Martin punched out barely 10 percent of the time in 2019, and just twice in 69 plate appearances before baseball shut down in March. He did have issues with throwing at the start of this season, prompting the move to center field, and we don’t know if it was an injury or something else. He’s going to end up at a skill position — center, third, second, maybe shortstop if his arm is back to normal — and hit for average with developing power. That’s the kind of probability with upside you want at the first overall pick.

 

2. Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Arizona State, Age: 20

 

Torkelson hit everyone’s radar in the spring of 2018 when he hit 25 home runs as a freshman to lead all Division I hitters, then hit 7 more on the Cape that summer to finish one off the league lead. Torkelson is extremely strong, hitting for all this power with almost no stride and a two-handed finish that makes his swing almost short by comparison to most power hitters, and while he’s shown some swing-and-miss he’s also been willing to take walks, leading the country this spring before the shutdown. He’s a good enough athlete that he might be able to handle left field, although I’d bet on him spending most of his career at first base. There’s some question over how good his pure hit tool is — whether it’s truly plus or whether it’ll settle in at average when he’s consistently facing better pitching — but even if he’s a 50 hit/70 power guy in the end, that’s someone who hits fourth and makes a handful of All-Star teams.

 

3. Asa Lacy, LHP, Texas A&M, Age: 21

 

Lacy separated himself from the rest of this year’s very strong college pitching crop in the brief spring season, showing he could hold 93-94 mph deep into games, touching 98 mph, with a plus changeup and above-average slider. Lacy’s got a great starter’s build and his delivery works, with a big step-over stride and good timing. He works well to both sides of the plate, although his command and control are still inconsistent; the ability to reach back for 97-98 mph is great, but his stuff is good enough that he could just hold 92-93 mph all game and probably throw better strikes. If he’d had a full spring, and kept this up, more people would likely see him as a candidate to go 1-1. If there’s a future No. 1 starter in the class, I think it’s him.

 

4. Max Meyer, RHP, Minnesota, Age: 21

 

Meyer is up to 99 mph with a wipeout slider that reached 93 mph this spring, and if he were 2 or 3 inches taller, he’d probably be in the mix at No. 1 overall. His arm is really quick, but the delivery works well and he’s on time. He’s a very good athlete and has no trouble repeating the delivery or throwing strikes. There is reliever risk here, but I don’t think it’s from his height — it’s from how hard he throws, and how often the Gophers have asked him to throw his slider, so that we don’t really know how he’ll fare when he tries to pitch more off his fastball (or whether he can hold up throwing that many sliders). I’d take the bet, especially since there’s 2-3 WAR reliever potential here if he can’t handle starting.

 

5. Zac Veen, OF, Spruce Creek (Fla.) HS, Age: 18

 

Veen provides the best combination of probability and upside among high school hitters in this class, although he’s not at the top of the board in either category (Robert Hassell or Austin Hendrick would be the former, Jordan Walker might be the latter). Veen is an athletic and still very projectable 18-year-old center fielder who has one of the best swings in the class. He’s a left-handed hitter with a smooth swing, accelerating his hands quickly to produce hard contact and huge power. He plays center now and has the above-average speed for it, but as his body matures he may end up in right. There’s some concern about his present hit tool, as he will swing and miss against good high school stuff, but you can project on the hit tool to end up at 55 or better, which would make him a star.

 

6. Emerson Hancock, RHP, Georgia, Age: 21

 

Hancock was supposed to be the top college starter in the class, and he’s probably still the top right-hander, although he didn’t look quite as dominant in four starts this spring in his sophomore year. Hancock can sit 93-97 mph with a plus changeup, although the Bulldogs barely called his change in the start I saw this spring against Santa Clara. He throws two distinct sliders, neither of them average. Hancock’s arm is consistently late relative to his foot strike, and his head shakes at release, which isn’t very common in major-league starters and correlates with worse command. He’s definitely better than what I saw this spring, because he’s going to use his changeup a lot more (I saw two in his whole outing), but I see more of a No. 3 or 4 starter given the delivery and lack of an average breaking ball.

 

7. Nick Gonzales, 2B, New Mexico State, Age: 21

 

When the shutdown started, Gonzales, a sub-six foot second baseman at New Mexico State, was leading the NCAA in home runs, thanks in no small part to five home runs in one day against the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons, who went 7-45 last spring. Gonzales hits “small,” with a big leg kick but minuscule stride and very little weight transfer, showing plus bat speed with a grooved swing that has produced contact and power. His production in school has been aided by home games at 3,900 feet above sea level — although he also mashed on the Cape last summer, hitting for average and power there, too. He played primarily at shortstop this spring before the season ended, but his arm and range are short for the left side of the infield and he’s going to end up at second. His home run output doesn’t project to carry over into pro ball but he does project to hit for average with some doubles power with solid defense at second, enough to make him a safe pick in the first round for a team that wants a likely regular.

 

8. Reid Detmers, LHP, Louisville, Age: 20

 

Detmers is the most polished pitcher in the draft class, with plus command and three 50 to 55-grade pitches, enough that since the start of spring 2019 he’s struck out 215 batters in 135 innings with 39 walks. Detmers has a very easy, low-effort delivery, which may explain why his command is so advanced, and he’s shown he can work all around the zone with his 88-93 mph fastball, tight-breaking curveball and solid-average changeup. He earns some comparisons to Brendan McKay, also of Louisville, but they’re quite different — McKay had more power and a better changeup, Detmers has better present command at the same age and an even easier delivery. You’re taking some risk with the average fastball, which could slip a little when he’s pitching every fifth day rather than every seventh, but the command and pitch mix gives him mid-rotation upside.

 

9. Robert Hassell III, OF, Independence (Tenn.) HS, Age: 18

 

Hassell’s swing rivals Veen’s for the best in the draft, and many teams view him as the best hitter in the class, which could be enough to push him into the top 10. Hassell has a classic left-hander’s swing with plus bat speed and some loft for hard, line-drive contact, more a hitter for high average with maybe 15-20 homer power as he fills out. He’s a solid-average runner with a plus arm who should be at least a 55 defender in right. His value is in the swing, and the potential for a 60 or better hit tool down the road.

 

10. Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) School, Age: 18

 

Crow-Armstrong may have done as much to help himself in the brief time before the season ended as any high school hitter in the draft. Multiple scouts have told me he’s the best defensive outfielder in the class, a future 70 glove in center field who’s also a 60 runner and has a plus arm. At the plate, he’s gotten quite a bit stronger since last summer, and was making consistently hard contact this spring before Harvard-Westlake ended its season. Crow-Armstrong has good feel to hit and bat speed, although his front side can go soft sometimes and there’s more swing-and-miss than you might want to see for a high school hitting prospect — although he’s faced better competition than most prep hitters do. The defensive and positional value give him a higher floor than most teenagers in the class have, and the possibility for a 60 bat with 50 power gives him a star ceiling.

[Boxcar]

Man, Detmers sounds like such a Deck McGuire

[BlueRocky]

Max Meyer on MLB Tonight was asked about the grip on his slider:

 

Scott Braun: We’re talking about your slider as it’s the best pitch in the country. If you’ve got a baseball nearby I’m curious if you could show what do you do and how you get it to break as much.

 

Max Meyer: I do the old spike grip, I choke it pretty hard. I’m kinda just like, grip it and rip it, and it works for me.

 

Scott Braun: Do you consider that a slider or curveball? Cuz that’s normally how guys hold a curveball.

 

Max Meyer: I mean, just based on velocity I don’t think anyone was throwing a 95 mph curveball, so just the shape of it and my arm angle it just works as a good slider.

 

Jim Callis: Max, I’ve talked to a number of guys that you pitched with on team USA last year, and a bunch of them told me if they could have one pitch of anybody on that staff, they would have your slider. Having pitched with a lot of the top prospects in this draft, if you could take a pitch from somebody else, which pitch would you borrow from somebody in that staff?

 

Max Meyer: Oof, um.. I’d say I’d take Detmers curveball. Just something that’s like nice and slow and a buckle me down pitch, that’s a pretty good pitch from Reid.

 

[Spanky__99]

^LOL @ Matt from Baltimore

 

lol... Gold!

[BlueRocky]

A few BA scouting reports of guys to consider for picks 42, 77, 106, 136

 

College Arms:

28

Bobby Miller

Louisville

RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-5 | Wt: 220 | B-T: L-R

Commit/Drafted: Orioles '17 (38)

Age At Draft: 21.2

 

Out of high school in 2017, Miller showed flashes of the pitcher he could become one day, touching 93-94 mph with a frame that indicated more in the tank as well as a breaking ball that showed above-average potential. Three years later and Miller has started to actualize the potential he showed as a teenager with McHenry (Ill.) High. Now standing 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, Miller entered the 2020 season as a full-time starter for the first time, though he did log plenty of innings (146.2) in a hybrid role in 2018 and 2019. Miller now has a fastball that gets up into the upper 90s consistently, with heavy, sinking life. He pairs that pitch with a hard slider in the upper 80s that can touch 90, a pitch that has flashed plus potential. He’s also got a mid-80s changeup that gives him a third solid pitch, and a curveball that’s fringier. For all of his size and the explosive pure stuff that he’s shown, some scouts wonder what his dominant swing-and-miss offering is going to be. There’s also some reliever risk with Miller, as his delivery and arm action aren’t the smoothest or cleanest, but he has done a nice job holding his stuff deep into his outings and improved his strike-throwing this season. After walking more than four batters per nine innings in 2019, some scouts have put above-average command on Miller. He was trending in the right direction prior to the season ending and fits somewhere at the back of the first or early in the second round after posting a 2.31 ERA in 23.1 innings and four starts as a junior.

 

30

Chris McMahon

Miami

RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 205 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Braves '17 (33)

Age At Draft: 21.4

 

McMahon has shown impressive athleticism and arm strength dating back to his high school days, when he was up to 95 mph and showed potential with two quality offspeed offerings. He ranked No. 76 in the 2017 BA 500, but made it to Miami and should go off the board well before that range in 2020. The top arm in southern Florida, McMahon has a solid collegiate track record with the Hurricanes and scouts believe his pitch metrics will excite analytically inclined evaluators as well. His fastball is a plus offering, regularly in the mid-90s, but the pitch plays better than its velocity thanks to deception and solid riding life. He also has a slider and a changeup. Some scouts have the slider as his better offspeed offering, calling it a plus breaking ball, while others are high on a changeup that gets plus grades as well. He pulls the string with that pitch and induces whiffs and ground balls from hitters of both sides. McMahon has also implemented a cutter, though some evaluators believe it’s not a true cutter, simply a more firm version of his slider. Whatever the pitch, scouts believe both breaking balls have plus potential. McMahon has a minor back injury on his resume, but he’s largely been successful when healthy and was off to his best collegiate season in 2020 with a 1.05 ERA in four starts and 25.2 innings, with 38 strikeouts and five walks. Some teams could like him as high as the 20s, and it would be surprising to see him slide out of the second round.

 

32

Slade Cecconi

Miami

RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 212 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Orioles '18 (38)

Age At Draft: 21.0

 

Cecconi has one of the best pedigrees of any player in the 2020 class going back to his high school days, fitting in talent-wise with the top arms in a loaded 2018 prep pitching class that included Indians righthander Ethan Hankins and Vanderbilt righthander Kumar Rocker. Cecconi looked like a no-doubt first-round pick based on his summer looks entering his senior year in high school but pitched sparingly during the spring due to an injury and made it to campus at Miami as a result. His freshman season was solid, and he handled 80 innings, although the stuff wasn’t quite as loud as he showed in shorter stints as a high schooler. Still, he showed enough flashes that teams were convinced he was the same pitcher and would become a first-round candidate with another strong season as a draft-eligible sophomore. With the season cut short, Cecconi started just four games, pitching to a 3.80 ERA in 21.1 innings with 30 strikeouts and seven walks. In terms of pure stuff, Cecconi has more than any arm in Florida and stacks up with the better starters in the 2020 class. But having everything together at once has been a challenge for the 6-foot-4 righthander, who also saw his velocity tick down in his last outing of the year. At his best he runs his fastball up into the upper 90s with impressive life and has a slider, cutter and changeup that all flash plus. On top of the quality of Cecconi’s pitches, scouts like his frame and strike-throwing ability but believe he gets too much of the plate at times. At the moment, Cecconi fits in the second round thanks to his track record and performance, but his overall talent likely fits higher than that. Whether a team wants to take the risk to draft and sign him in that range is another question, and with additional leverage as an eligible sophomore it could prove difficult.

 

37

Bryce Jarvis

Duke

RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 195 | B-T: L-R

Commit/Drafted: Yankees '19 (37)

Age At Draft: 22.5

 

Jarvis is one of several big-time pitching risers in North Carolina, along with Wake Forest’s Jared Shuster and North Carolina State’s Nick Swiney. Jarvis didn’t pitch in the Cape Cod League over the summer, instead working to improve his game by working with Driveline and Cressey Sports Performance to improve his pitch mix and fastball velocity. The work paid off, as Jarvis increased his fastball from a pitch that topped out in the low 90s to a plus offering that sat 93-96 deep into outings early in the spring. That new fastball—combined with his already impressive secondary offerings—has taken his draft stock to a new level. Jarvis already had an impressive track record with Duke as a starter and reliever, racking up impressive strikeout totals no matter the role. After striking out 12.7 per nine during his freshman season primarily as a reliever, Jarvis whiffed 11.2 per nine in a split role as a sophomore. He was one of the most dominant arms in the country through four starts this spring, including a 15-strikeout perfect game against Cornell during the second week of the season. Jarvis has three potential plus pitches now, with a mid-80s slider and a changeup a tick below that range. The 6-foot-2 righthander throws all of those pitches effectively and showed above-average or better command in 2020 after walking more than four batters per nine innings as a freshman and sophomore. He works with a quick tempo and throws with a bit of effort and some recoil at times. It’s not the most fluid delivery, but it shouldn’t prevent him from starting at the next level either. Teams surely would have liked to see if Jarvis was capable of holding his newfound fastball velocity over a full season in a starting role. Now that that’s not possible, Jarvis is probably looking at a second- or third-round selection.

 

43

Jared Shuster

Wake Forest

LHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 210 | B-T: L-L

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.9

 

Shuster is one of the bigger rising pitchers in the 2020 class, and his ascension started with a strong summer in the Cape Cod League. The first thing to improve was his control. After walking more than five batters per nine innings over his first two seasons, Shuster showed dramatically better strike-throwing ability with Orleans, walking just five batters in 32 innings—a 1.41 per nine rate. Next came the fastball velocity. After mostly sitting in the 88-92 mph range, Shuster came out this spring with a fastball that got up to the 96-97 mph range from the left side. The dramatic improvement in both those areas vaulted him up into the second-to-third-round range and it wouldn’t be shocking for some scouts to have first-round grades on him. Lefties who throw 96-97 mph are rare enough, but Shuster has impressive starter traits to go along with that velocity, especially with his improved control. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Wake Forest product has a plus changeup and a developing slider that could become an average pitch as well. The shortened season hurt Shuster’s ascension up draft boards, but after striking out 43 batters in 26.1 innings with just four walks and a 3.76 ERA, he likely already showed enough teams that his improvement was legit.

 

44

Cole Henry

Louisiana State

RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 214 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Tigers '18 (38)

Age At Draft: 20.9

 

One of the talented draft-eligible sophomore pitchers in the 2020 class, Henry ranked No. 225 on the BA 500 in 2018, when he showed a fastball up to 97 mph as a high school senior with a big frame to match. Henry has started to fill out that frame in two years with Louisiana State and is now listed at 6-foot-4, 211 pounds. With the increased strength he’s also improved his stuff, most notably a breaking ball that now has plus potential. He still can run his fastball up into the 97 mph range, but sits in the 92-95 mph range more typically, with a two-seam fastball in his arsenal as well. His curveball is a power offering with impressive depth, and he’s also shown feel for a changeup that scouts believe can be plus as well. With plus stuff across the board, Henry has all the pieces to be a frontline arm, but scouts have wanted to see more consistency. When everything’s on at the same time he can be electric, but that happens infrequently because he struggles at times to put hitters away or land his off-speed stuff for strikes. Henry established himself as LSU’s No. 1 weekend starter as a freshman, when he posted a 3.39 ERA over 58.1 innings with 72 strikeouts and 18 walks. He was once again the Friday arm in 2020 through four starts before the season was canceled. In that time, Henry posted a 1.89 ERA over 19 innings with 23 strikeouts and six walks. With sophomore eligibility, Henry could be a tough sign but is solidly a Day One talent.

 

58

Last: 59

Clayton Beeter

Texas Tech

RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 205 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.7

 

Beeter was a freshman All-American as a redshirt freshman in 2019, coming off a season in which he saved eight games in 21 appearances with a 3.48 ERA. He transitioned into a Friday night role for Texas Tech this spring, and performed well over four starts. In 21 innings Beeter posted a 2.14 ERA with 33 strikeouts (14.1 per nine) and four walks (1.7 per nine). As he’s gotten further from a Tommy John surgery he had in high school his stuff has gotten better and he’s thrown more strikes. Beeter was extremely erratic in 2019 (8.7 walks per nine) but showed significantly better control in a shortened 2020 season. Additionally, Beeter has a powerful pitch mix with a fastball that has gotten up to 97 mph, with a hammer curveball with top-to-bottom shape that has plus potential. Teams would have liked to see Beeter over a full season to see if his stuff and control were maintained the entire year in a starting role. The pitch analytics on both his fastball and curveball are reportedly impressive, and he has a solid arm action with a higher slot. Without a full 2020 season to scout him, teams will have to determine if the real Beeter is the 2020 version, the 2019 version or some hybrid between the two. He could be drafted as high as the second round to a team that believes he’s a starter.

 

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Last: 65

Christian Roa

Texas A&M

RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 220 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.2

 

One of many rising college arms in the 2020 class, Roa impressed scouts early this spring with a strong four-pitch mix, a physical 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame, solid strike-throwing ability and a clean arm action and delivery. He has a lot of starter traits on paper, and after being unranked on our preseason Top 200 list, teams believe Roa could go off the board as high as the second round. Roa throws a fastball, slider, curveball and changeup, all of which are at least average and a few much better than that. Roa’s fastball sits in the 92-93 mph range for the most part, getting up to 95-96 at the upper end, but some scouts are concerned with how true the pitch is. Batters square it up more than teams would like, which might mean Roa needs to rely more on a quality trio of offspeed offerings. His slider is his best breaking ball, an above-average pitch he can land for strikes consistently, while some scouts believe his changeup is his best overall offering. Some scouts have put double-plus grades on the changeup, while his curveball is more solid-average at best. Roa’s 2020 numbers don’t align with the scouting feedback, as he posted a 5.85 ERA in four starts and 20 innings, with 35 strikeouts and nine walks. One concerning metric is Roa’s career hits per nine mark, which is just under 10 and speaks to the concerns about Roa’s fastball playing too flat. Traditional scouts and analytics departments might have differing thoughts on Roa’s profile, but he possesses plenty of starter traits as a solid strike thrower with a strong four-pitch mix.

 

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Last: 73

Burl Carraway

Dallas Baptist

LHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 173 | B-T: L-L

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.1

 

The top college reliever in the class, Carraway has explosive stuff from the left side and, depending on the day, looks like he could be a late-inning reliever for an MLB club right now. A wiry athlete standing at 6-foot, 173 pounds, Carraway explodes off the rubber and uses his lower half extremely well, with a fast arm and crossfiring action in his delivery that adds to his deception. He pairs a fastball that’s regularly in the 96-98 mph range with spotty control, which makes it easy to see why hitters are always uncomfortable in the box against him. That’s especially for lefties, who struck out in 33 of 64 (52.5 percent) plate appearances against Carraway in 2019. Carraway’s fastball has 70-grade potential if he can improve his control, which is below-average. He also has a knee-buckling curveball in the mid-70s with 1-to-7 shape and sharp biting action, which he also struggles to land consistently. Carraway gets away with below-average control now because he generates so many whiffs outside of the zone, but more advanced hitters will be able to stand in the box and take those pitches more easily. His career walk rate over 42 innings with DBU is 5.36, and while the bar is lower for reliever control, he’ll have to improve that for an MLB club to trust him in any sort of high-leverage role. The timing of his release point is inconsistent, and the violence and effort of his delivery likely don’t help in that regard, so perhaps teams could try and calm that down a tick at the next level to help him stay in the strike zone more frequently. Carraway comes with plenty of risk thanks to his control and the poor track record of college relievers, but he could be a quick mover to a big league pen with a step forward in his strike-throwing.

 

85

Last: 86

Nick Swiney

North Carolina State

LHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 187 | B-T: R-L

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.3

 

A reliever for North Carolina State during his first two seasons in Raleigh, Swiney has always racked up plenty of strikeouts (career 13.6 per nine rate) with the Wolfpack but struggled to consistently throw strikes as a freshman and sophomore. Swiney walked more than five batters per nine innings in his first two seasons but took a big step forward in the control department in 2020, when he transitioned to the team’s Friday night starting role. Swiney was dominant in his first four outings, posting a 1.29 ERA in 28 innings while striking out 42 batters and walking just six. His 15 strikeouts against Purdue on Feb. 29 were the most by an NC State pitcher in a single game since Carlos Rodon in 2014. Swiney doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but his three-pitch mix is solid, and it plays up with a bit of funk in his delivery. His fastball gets up to 93-94 mph at its best, but early this season it was anywhere from 87-92 consistently. After his fastball, Swiney has two solid secondaries including a curveball that could be an above-average pitch and a changeup that he’s increasingly become more comfortable throwing. Swiney was trending in the right direction and showing he could handle a starting role, but teams would have liked to see a full season to have more conviction that his stuff held up in that role and that his newfound strike-throwing improvement was legit. He has likely done enough to be drafted anywhere in the 2-4 round range.

 

93

Last: 94

Ian Seymour

Virginia Tech

LHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 190 | B-T: L-L

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.5

 

A reliable starter over his first two years with Virginia Tech (3.95 ERA in 26 starts and 139.1 innings), Seymour was starting to take everything to another level in 2020 before the season was canceled. Over his first four starts and 20.1 innings, Seymour posted a 2.21 ERA with 40 strikeouts and five walks. His strikeout and walk rates would both be easily the best of his career if he continued that sort of production for the season, and while it’s certainly a small sample, he did have a 14-punchout game against Georgia Tech—the most a VT pitcher has ever had in an ACC matchup. Seymour also had a strong summer in the Cape Cod League prior to his abbreviated junior campaign, posting a 2.49 ERA over 25.1 innings in five starts, with 39 strikeouts and six walks. As for stuff, Seymour has a solid three-pitch mix, including an average fastball that touches 94, a hard slider/cutter that is developing but should be effective at the next level, and a changeup that flashes plus. Entering the year, scouts were concerned that Seymour might be a reliever, thanks to a below-average operation. Even without an ideal delivery, it’s hard to argue with Seymour’s results. It would be one thing if he struggled to throw strikes because of the delivery, but that hasn’t been the case. Scouts and coaches alike praise Seymour’s competitive demeanor, and he seems likely to go off the board in the 2-4 round range.

 

113

Last: 114

Landon Knack

East Tennessee State

RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 220 | B-T: L-R

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 22.9

 

Knack is the top-ranked senior in the class and a good bet to be the first member of that class selected in 2020. A 6-foot-2, 220-pound righthander, Knack spent two years at Walters State (Tenn) JC, where he showed solid strike-throwing ability and average stuff. The same was the case in 2019 at East Tennessee State, where Knack posted a 2.60 ERA over 15 starts and 97 innings. What changed from the last three seasons in 2020 is the pure stuff. Knack’s fastball velocity made a big jump, going from a pitch in the low 90s to a fastball that bumps 97-98 mph at his best and is 92-95 deep into his outings. His offspeed stuff is more fringy at this point, with all of his secondaries flashing average at times but not in that range consistently. His curveball is his best secondary pitch at the moment, again flashing average at times. There’s some effort in Knack’s delivery and it’s not the loosest or most fluid one you’ll see, but he repeats it well and has a lengthy track record of throwing strikes. His 2020 numbers in 25 innings and four starts are ridiculous, as he racked up 51 strikeouts (the most of any Division I arm) to just one walk. While Knack is right at the top of the list of priority senior signs, his age could limit how high he climbs in the draft. He should go off the board at some point in the third or fourth rounds.

 

 

Prep and Juco Arms:

40

Carson Montgomery

Windermere (Fla.) HS

RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 195 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Florida State

Age At Draft: 17.8

 

A 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthander committed to Florida State, Montgomery has a loud two-pitch mix featuring a fastball that’s already up to 96 mph and one of the better sliders in the prep class. Montgomery consistently showed an impressive ability to generate whiffs with both pitches, with his fastball up in the zone and his slider at the bottom and below the strike zone. His fastball sits more in the 90-93 range after he settles in, but the pitch comes out of a high three-quarters slot with good angle and features solid running life. His slider flashes plus consistently, with hard and late diving action that routinely fools hitters, though scouts mentioned that the pitch is inconsistent. Some cite a wrist wrap in the back of his arm slot that could lead to the inconsistencies of the breaking ball, which also limits his fastball command. Montgomery can lose the zone at times and his command is more scattered than teams would like from a prep arm with first-round stuff. Additionally, teams will have to project on Montgomery’s changeup, which is firm in the upper 80s with little movement, but could become a reliable third pitch with additional usage. A team that likes his chance to start long-term could take him in the back half of the first, though most of the industry might have him slightly after that range. He could be a tough sign, particularly within a shortened 2020 draft.

 

41

Jared Jones

La Mirada (Calif.) HS

RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 180 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Texas

Age At Draft: 18.9

 

Scouts pegged Jones as a future first-round pick as a high school sophomore, and he’s done little to dissuade that notion. A three-time member of USA Baseball’s junior national teams, Jones is a twitchy, explosive athlete who stars both on the mound and in the outfield. His tremendous arm speed generates lively mid-to-upper 90s fastballs, and his elite athleticism has helped him make adjustments to his delivery and gradually improve his command and control. Jones dominates with his fastball, but he flashes a sharp, above-average slider in the mid-80s and is developing his changeup. Jones is slightly undersized and has an effortful delivery, leading some evaluators to project him to the bullpen. His improving command and elite competitiveness lead others to believe he can start. Jones is an above-average runner who gets excellent jumps in the outfield and makes jaw-dropping throws, earning 80 grades on his arm. He flashes big power at the plate, but he’s a free swinger who scouts aren’t sure will make enough contact against better pitching. Jones has strong baseball bloodlines in addition to his talent. His father, Keith, was a 1997 draft pick of the Diamondbacks and played two seasons in the minors. His cousins Randy and Ron Flores both pitched in the majors, and Randy is currently the Cardinals' scouting director. Jones made the right strides with his command this spring to remain a first-round talent as a pitcher. He is committed to Texas.

 

45

Alex Santos

Mount St. Michael Academy, Bronx, N.Y.

RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 215 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Maryland

Age At Draft: 18.3

 

One of the better northeast arms in the 2020 class, Santos never got into a game for his high school team thanks to a shortened 2020 season, but got plenty of looks from scouts last summer. Santos throws from a three-quarters arm slot with a fastball that gets into the mid-90s and flashes plus. He pairs that with two secondary offerings that have plus potential, with plenty of spin on a curveball and a changeup that he worked on over the offseason. After throwing in an Alabama event this spring, scouts noted the improvement of the changeup, though his velocity wasn’t yet quite as high as it had been over the summer. Santos added weight and strength to his frame over the offseason as well, and is around 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds now. A projection profile, Santos has started to make the progress with his body that scouts anticipated would come. He has the strike-throwing ability and athleticism that portend a future starting role as well. There will be more risk with Santos due to the fact that teams simply couldn’t see him much this spring, but his father co-owns a facility in New York called Citius Baseball, and Santos has been able to regularly throw his bullpens and record his pitching data with a Rapsodo unit. That information will be useful for clubs who debate popping Santos early in the draft. He could sneak into the first round or go in the supplemental round or second. Santos is committed to Maryland.

 

47

Masyn Winn

Kingwood (Texas) HS

SS/RHP

Notes:

Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 180 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Arkansas

Age At Draft: 18.2

 

Pound for pound, Winn could be the most purely talented player in the 2020 class. A legitimate two-way player, the Arkansas commit is overflowing with plus tools on both sides of the ball. As a hitter, he has bat speed, surprising raw power for his size (5-foot-11, 180 pounds) and plus speed that plays out of the box and on the bases. At shortstop, Winn is an exceptional athlete with massive arm strength, solid hands and impressive natural instincts. On the mound, he’s as electric. He’s been up to 98 mph with his fastball and more typically sits in the 92-96 mph range. He pairs that with a hard slider that can get slurvy, but he’s shown good feel to manipulate the pitch and has also flashed a plus changeup. All of his stuff likely plays up thanks to some deception that comes from a short and quick arm stroke. Some inconsistency and his smaller frame lead to legitimate reliever question marks. Teams are mixed on whether his upside is better as a pitcher or a hitter. If you squint you can see an impact player on both sides of the ball, though he needs more refinement and maturity on both sides. He plays the game at a quicker speed than most, but that can get him into trouble. As a position player, scouts would like to see Winn slow the game down, be more consistent on routine plays at shortstop, stay within himself more at the plate and chase fewer pitches out of the zone. Some teams wonder if he should continue playing both ways like former Louisville star Brendan McKay. He did that in a Jupiter performance last fall that is one of the best two-way performances scouts have ever seen at the event—he flashed three plus pitches on the mound and produced exit velocities of better than 100 mph three times. Winn’s upside and talent are obvious, but questions about his size and the all-around polish to his game persist.

 

50

Justin Lange

Llano (Texas) HS

RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 191 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Dallas Baptist

Age At Draft: 18.8

 

Lange looked fairly pedestrian at the 2019 Area Code Games, with a fastball that ranged from 86-93 mph with no real breaking ball and a lot of hard contact against him. But he looked significantly better at the Future Stars Series at Fenway Park in the fall, when he was up to 95, struck out four batters and also ran a 6.50 60-yard dash. He took an additional step forward this spring, getting his fastball all the way up to 100 mph—showing some of the best pure fastball velocity in the 2020 class. Lange has all of the foundational pieces to be an impact arm at the next level. He’s tremendously athletic with easy, high-octane velocity and lots of natural life on the pitch as well. With a 6-foot-4, 191-pound frame, it would be easy to see him add more weight and maintain his fastball velocity deeper into games and more consistently. There are also a lot of question marks with Lange. While he has some of the best natural arm talent in the country, he’s extremely unrefined. His command is near the bottom of the scale and his slider is a work in progress, with well below-average grades and inconsistent spin at best. The pitch has impressive velocity, getting into the upper 80s, but the shape and spin of the offering needs plenty of work. Perhaps 10 years ago, Lange’s arm talent, projectable body and athleticism would be enough to make him a no-doubt first-round pick. Today, teams are more skeptical of hard-throwing prep righthanders, but he has enough projection and athleticism to believe he can make the necessary control improvement. Any player development program would love to work with Lange’s collection of high-end tools instead of watching him go to Dallas Baptist, and it’s possible a team buys into his upside at some point on the first day.

 

52

Daxton Fulton

Mustang (Okla.) HS

LHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-6 | Wt: 225 | B-T: L-L

Commit/Drafted: Oklahoma

Age At Draft: 18.7

 

The 2020 prep lefthander class looked exceptionally strong last summer with Virginia lefthander Nate Savino and Fulton in the mix. But the demographic took big hits when the former enrolled early at Virginia and the latter suffered an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery and ended his high school career. When healthy, Fulton had legitimate first-round chances as a super projectable, 6-foot-6, 225-pound lefthander with a big breaking ball. While Matthew Liberatore was more advanced at the same time, some scouts have drawn comparisons with the two because of those elements. Over the summer, Fulton’s fastball mostly ranged from 89-93 mph out of a clean, three-quarters arm action. His breaking ball is a big, deep bender in the mid-to-upper 70s with terrific spin and depth. At the Area Code Games, Fulton posted spin rates in the 2,600 rpm range and the pitch looked like a future plus offering. It’s particularly tough on lefthanded hitters thanks to the angle Fulton creates in his delivery. He showed solid feel to land the pitch despite its movement, and at the Perfect Game All-American Classic he landed three in a row to Florida outfielder Zac Veen to strike him out looking. In addition to his fastball and curveball, Fulton occasionally showed a mid-80s change, though he needs to develop more feel for that pitch. Scouts were impressed with the progress that Fulton was making throughout the summer before he got injured, as he had a lot of moving parts in his delivery that he cleaned up and also improved the consistency of his curveball. His draft status is now clouded because of his injury, though a team could still buy into his upside enough to take him on day one. If not, he will head to Oklahoma, where he could re-establish his first-round potential in 2023.

 

62

Last: 63

Hunter Barnhart

St. Joseph HS, Santa Maria, Calif.

RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 195 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Arizona State

Age At Draft: 18.3

 

Barnhart spent three years at Paso Robles (Calif.) High before transferring to St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) for his senior year. He was a standout quarterback at both schools, earning league MVP and All-Central Coast player of the year honors last fall. Barnhart is one of the more polished high school righthanders in the class. His fastball jumped from 88-91 mph to 90-94 mph this spring and he has one of the best curveballs in the class, a high-spin power curve that draws consensus plus grades. He also mixes in a developing changeup. Barnhart developed advanced command and feel before his velocity spiked. He is a plus strike-thrower with his fastball and curveball and has an aggressive, football mentality on the mound. Barnhart doesn’t have a ton of physical projection left, but his velocity keeps ticking up and he might throw harder with his focus solely on baseball. He is committed to Arizona State.

 

80

Last: 81

Ricky Tiedemann

Lakewood (Calif.) HSLHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 200 | B-T: L-L

Commit/Drafted: San Diego State

Age At Draft: 17.8

 

Few players raised their stock in limited time more this spring than Tiedemann, whose brother Tai is a pitcher in the Rangers organization. An interesting but hardly elite prospect entering the year, Tiedemann came out showing increased velocity and feel for his secondaries and put himself among the top players in a loaded Southern California draft class. Tiedemann is an elite athlete with a physical 6-foot-3 frame, big hands and a tantalizing left arm. His fastball sits around 88-91 mph and touches 93, and his projectable body and athleticism make it easy to envision him reaching the mid-90s once he fills out. He complements his fastball with a potentially plus changeup, and his average hard slider gives him a quality third offering. Tiedemann is one of the youngest players in the class and will still be 17 on draft day. His only drawback is he broke his right, non-throwing wrist on a collision at first base late in the season. Tiedemann is committed to San Diego State, but clubs are keen to buy him out of that commitment with his athleticism, youth and projection.

 

92

Last: 93

Tanner Witt

Episcopal HS, Bellaire, Texas

3B/RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-6 | Wt: 195 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Texas

Age At Draft: 17.9

 

A massive, 6-foot-6, 195-pound two-way player out of Texas, Witt has legitimate pro potential as both a hitter and a pitcher. Offensively, Witt has big power from the right side to go along with decent barrel control, but his bat speed is a tick slow and the path of his barrel can get lengthy. Evaluators believe he’s more power than pure hit tool. He is a third baseman now with plenty of arm strength for the position, but he could already be too big to stick there and might be better served in an outfield corner or at first base. Most teams seem to like his upside on the mound more than his hitting potential, though his father, Kevin, played in the big leagues and is currently a minor league hitting coach. On the mound, Witt is a projection arm with an excellent frame that can still add strength, a clean arm action and solid control. He throws a fastball in the 89-92 mph range mostly, touching a 93 or 94 here and there. His best pitch is a curveball that’s presently an above-average offering and has plus potential. It’s a 73-78 mph breaker with three-quarters shape and massive spin and depth. At the Area Code Games last summer it was in the 2,600-2,900 rpm range. In addition to a fastball/curveball combination, Witt has thrown a changeup in the mid-80s that could become an average pitch as well. Witt is committed to Texas.

 

95

Last: 96

Connor Phillips

McLennan (Texas) JC

RHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 185 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted:

Age At Draft: 19.1

 

Phillips had an impressive career at Magnolia (Texas) West High, but he showed some tendencies to overthrow as a senior. A 35th-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2019, Phillips decided to head to McLennan (Texas) JC instead of Louisiana State. At McLennan, he got to make four starts before the season was shut down. In those four starts, he showed flashes of dominance with a 93-97 mph plus fastball with plenty of arm-side run as well as more developed secondary offerings than he has shown in the past. His slider is above average right now but will likely get to plus one day. He also can spin a less consistent curveball and has solid depth on his average changeup. He is inconsistent at times with control that comes and goes, but he has a looseness to his delivery and athleticism to continue to develop.

 

121

Last: 122

Luke Little

San Jacinto (Texas) JC

LHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-8 | Wt: 225 | B-T: L-L

Commit/Drafted: South Carolina

Age At Draft: 19.8

 

Little is one of the hardest throwers in this year’s draft class, but until this year his wildness was just as notable as his fastball. As a freshman, Little walked more than a batter an inning (while also striking out 17.6 batters per nine). In brief glimpses this spring (nine total innings), he showed vastly improved control, although his delivery is still herky jerky and effortful. Little pitches at 96-97 mph, but has touched 100 at his best. He only made five appearances before San Jacinto’s season ended because he missed a few weeks with a back injury. He made one start before the injury, then pitched in relief four times upon his return. In those five appearances, Little struck out 17, walked three and allowed three hits in nine innings. A massive presence on the mound (6-foot-8, 250 pounds), Little was in better shape as a sophomore and showed better control and command. In part that came from better body control and in part because he synced up his lower half better in his delivery. He also showed a much better feel for locating his above-average 80-83 mph slider. It has less power than may be expected, but it has solid bite, although its spin rates are not exceptional. Little is a South Carolina signee. He would have benefitted from a full season which would have given him time to show his control improvements are sustainable, but a team looking for a power lefty could be enticed by his two-pitch package with the hope that there is more refinement to come.

 

A couple interesting side notes:

- Bryce Jarvis threw a perfect game for Duke earlier this spring

- Pitching metrics supposedly love Clayton Beeter and Cole Henry

- Burl Carraway is the top relief pitching prospect in college

- Masyn Winn and Tanner Witt are two-way players

- Tanner Witt sounds like a Kendall Williams/Adam Kloffenstein type profile

- Justin Lange has ridiculous velocity for a high school arm

- Daxton Fulton was considered the best prep LHP before tommy john surgery, first round talent

- Connor Phillips was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2019 and returned to college

- Luke Little is a lefty Juco arm that recently hit 105 mph in bullpen session:

 

Edited June 7, 2020 by BlueRocky

[BlueRocky]

College Bats:

29

Nick Loftin

Baylor

SS

Notes:

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 180 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.7

 

A steady player on both sides of the ball for Baylor since taking over at shortstop his freshman year, Loftin is solidly in the mix of the top shortstops in the college class. While there are others who might have louder tool sets or are half-grade better defenders, Loftin seems to do everything well. He’s hit above .300 in every season in the Big 12 with a clean, simple swing. He fields his position well, has good instincts and is an above-average defender at shortstop with the versatility to play almost every position. After hitting for more extra bases as a sophomore, Loftin may have been headed for a breakout offensive campaign in 2020, with two home runs, two triples and four doubles through just 13 games. The .264 isolated slugging mark he posted in that time was far and away the highest of his career, and he started moving up draft boards as a result. Some scouts have said he has just fringe-average power and noted that when he does impact the ball it’s typically only to the pull side, but a full season of the performance he started the year with may have been enough to change minds. Loftin’s speed is just average. While Loftin might not have any standout tools, teams have generally coveted the college shortstop performer with an all-around game, and that description fits the Baylor product well.

 

31

Alika Williams

Arizona State

SS

Notes:

Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 180 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Yankees '17 (32)

Age At Draft: 21.3

 

Williams has drawn some comps to former Sun Devil shortstop Deven Marrero and will likely be the highest drafted ASU shortstop since Marrero went in the first round in 2012. While Williams has gotten some first-round buzz, there are plenty of opinions that he fits better in the second round. He’s at least an above-average defensive shortstop, earning plus grades from some talent evaluators, with sure hands and first-step quickness that consistently puts him in good fielding position. His solid-average arm plays up because of his footwork and quick exchange. Williams controls the strike zone well, walking more than he struck out during his college career, and his hands work well at the plate. He was miscast as a cleanup hitter during parts of his Sun Devil career, with observers believing he was pulling too many balls in the air instead of hitting to his strengths, which is making outstanding contact going gap to gap. He has room to add strength which would give more impact to his bat, but regardless he’s a glove-first shortstop who can stay at the position throughout his career. He’s no more than an average runner with good instincts on the bases, but speed will never be a big part of his game. Williams wisely chose not to sign when the Yankees took him in the 32nd round in 2017 out of Rancho Bernardo (Calif.) High but he should get selected high enough in 2020 to start his pro career.

 

36

Justin Foscue

Mississippi State

2B/3B

Notes:

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 201 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.3

 

You have to be a standout hitter to be a day one prospect as a second baseman, and Foscue fits the bill. After a mediocre freshman season with Mississippi State (.241/.332/.353), Foscue took off in 2019 when he hit 14 home runs and posted a .338/.402/.582 slash line while finishing fifth in the SEC in hits and third in total bases. Scouts believe Foscue will be an above-average hitter, though he does it with a fairly significant leg kick in his load and an approach that gets pull-heavy. Evaluators thought Foscue quieted the lower half a bit in his 14 games this spring. His strikeout and walk rates were significantly better than he’s shown before, but it was a very small sample. He has plus raw power in the tank, though scouts wonder how much of that he’ll tap into during games with a wooden bat. He played 12 games last summer with Team USA and hit just .255/.288/.362 with wood. Foscue will need to improve his defense to stick at second base, and there’s some concern that he’ll wind up in an outfield corner, which would hurt his overall profile. Coaches praise Foscue’s work ethic and baseball IQ though, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he took the steps necessary to stick in the dirt. If Foscue were lefthanded or a bit bigger (he is listed at 6-foot, 203 pounds) it would be easier to see him in the back of the first round. A team that thinks he’s a plus hitter could still take him there, but it is more likely he goes in the second.

 

38

Casey Martin

Arkansas

SS

Notes:

Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 175 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.2

 

Martin is perhaps the most toolsy college infielder in the 2020 class, with plus speed, arm strength, raw power and a chance for plus defense at shortstop as well. Typically, a college shortstop with that tool set goes among the top 10 picks. What holds Martin back is his ability to make the most of those tools, with an overly aggressive approach at the plate and less consistency than teams would like in the field. There are significant questions about the quality of Martin’s hit tool and his approach. After a loud freshman campaign in which he hit .345/.418/.556 with 13 home runs, Martin regressed a bit in his sophomore season, thanks mostly to less BABIP luck (.418 in 2018 compared to .344 in 2019). He still managed to hit 15 home runs, but scouts worry about how often he’ll get to that power at the next level with a career strikeout rate over 22 percent. He has always had a tendency to swing and miss frequently, both in the zone and outside of the zone, and those issues continued in his brief play in the shortened 2020 season. Scouts have also wondered why a runner with his speed and quick-twitch actions hasn’t had more success stealing bases (just 18 over his first two seasons), though he was off to a 6-for-6 start in 13 games as a junior. Defensively, Martin has a penchant for making highlight-reel plays, but he lacks the polish needed for an everyday player at the position. Some scouts believe he would be a better fit for center field or second base because of that, while others think he simply needs more reps. Martin could have significantly changed his draft stock—in either direction, depending on how he hit in SEC play—with a full season. Now teams will have to decide if they want to buy into his high-upside tools or avoid the risk he presents.

 

42

Daniel Cabrera

Louisiana State

OF

Notes:

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 180 | B-T: L-L

Commit/Drafted: Padres '17 (26)

Age At Draft: 21.8

 

Scouts have been infatuated with Cabrera’s swing since his days as a prep player. Out of Parkview Baptist High in Baton Rouge, evaluators admired his standout barrel control and a bat path that stayed in the zone for a long time. Known for his all-fields line drives in high school, Cabrera has started to tap into more of his raw power over three years at Louisiana State, highlighted by a 12-homer campaign in 2019. There aren’t many moving parts in Cabrera’s swing. It’s simple and easy and, like his prep days, he’s still capable of hitting the ball to all fields, which has helped him stay consistent. While his raw power is more above-average than plus, and mostly to the pull side, he’s the sort of hitter scouts believe will tap into everything he has during games. His power numbers were more suppressed last summer in the wood-bat Cape Cod League, so how his power transfers to a wood bat in pro ball is worth considering. Including 16 games in a shortened 2020 season, Cabrera is a .300/.382/.520 hitter in his LSU career. He has a corner-outfield profile and will likely be no more than average defensively there, and probably fits best in left field. Because of that, there’s more pressure on his bat, but he’s one of the college hitters who scouts generally feel comfortable with moving forward. He could sneak into the back of the first round or go off the board at some point in the second.

 

51

Gage Workman

Arizona State

3B

Notes:

Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 185 | B-T: B-R

Commit/Drafted: Brewers '17 (14)

Age At Draft: 20.6

 

Workman re-classified while at Basha (Ariz.) High to graduate a year early, making him one of the younger college players for the 2020 draft, perhaps with more growth potential than other college juniors. He’ll still be 20 when the draft takes place. As part of one of the best infields among Division I college teams, Workman has primarily played third base in deference to teammate Alika Williams but saw action at shortstop during his two summers in the Cape Cod League. Workman has gotten bigger and stronger since arriving at Arizona State, and while he’s slow out of the box he runs well underway and projects to have an intriguing combination of power and speed. A switch-hitter, Workman has better bat speed and more power from the left side. There’s some swing-and-miss to his approach, but he’s got plus raw power that will show better in games when he gets more experience. Workman is athletic and rangy, with the tools to be a plus defender at third base and has at least a solid-average arm with good carry. Some area scouts prefer Workman over Williams because of his more impressive set of tools. There’s still rawness to his game and he likely would have benefited significantly from having a full junior season, but Workman is toolsy with a chance to be solid at either position on the left side of the infield.

 

73

Last: 74

Freddy Zamora

Miami

SS

Notes:

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 190 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.6

 

Zamora was among the top tier of college shortstops in the 2020 class entering the season. If it weren’t for Arizona State’s Alika Williams, there would be an argument for Zamora as the top defender in the class, and Zamora brings more offensive upside to the table as well. Zamora hit .300/.391/.429 with more walks than strikeouts over his first two years with Miami, but a knee injury suffered in a preseason practice wiped out his junior season before it began. He had started to tap into more power in his 2019 season (going from one home run to six) and would have been right in the middle of the Hurricanes’ lineup as well as their defensive leader at shortstop. Zamora has the tools to be an impact defender at shortstop, though he showed a tendency to get a bit lazy on routine plays. If he cleaned those up, Zamora would have easy plus potential with the glove, with impressive hands, solid range and a reliable throwing arm. Zamora’s power is fringe-average, but he shows a solid understanding of the strike zone and has at least an average hit tool. He’s an above-average runner and does a nice job on the bases, going 33-for-40 (82.5 percent) in steals over his first two seasons. A solid all-around player who is likely to stick at shortstop long-term, Zamora could have easily played his way into first-round consideration if healthy and hitting well. He should slide a bit because of his injury but will still be in day one consideration thanks to very few holes in his game.

 

87

Last: 88

Zach DeLoach

Texas A&M

OF

Notes:

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 210 | B-T: L-R

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.9

 

Perhaps no one could have used a full 2020 season more than DeLoach. After hitting .236/.338/.338 over his first two years with Texas A&M, DeLoach exploded in the Cape Cod League. With Falmouth, DeLoach hit .353/.428/.541 with five home runs and eight stolen bases. Coaches said DeLoach got some early confidence after having success and just kept rolling throughout the summer, faring particularly well against same-side lefthanded pitchers. He kept that up through 17 games in 2020, hitting .421/.547/.789 with six home runs and six stolen bases (both career highs) with 14 walks to just three strikeouts. Having that sort of loud offensive production against SEC competition could have shot him up into the second or even potentially the first round. DeLoach has a solid all-around tool set, but perhaps no plus tools. He has always shown a solid approach with good discipline at the plate, but scouts think he might have a bit of a grooved swing without a ton of bat speed. He dives in on pitches aggressively and there are questions about how his lower half works, but evaluators also didn’t get a full season to really figure out if the adjustments he made over the summer were real. Scouts think DeLoach has fringe power more than average or 55-grade juice, but he was off to a much better start in that department in 2020 and had bulked up a bit as well. Now listed at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, DeLoach fits best in a corner-outfield spot as a solid runner with solid-average arm strength, though some scouts believe he needs to refine his route-running.

 

91

Last: 92

Anthony Servideo

Mississippi

SS

Notes:

Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 175 | B-T: L-R

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.3

 

Maybe it’s the hair. For the past two years at Ole Miss, Servideo had played out of position in deference to 2019 second-round pick Grae Kessinger, bouncing between right field, center field and second base. But this was Servideo’s year to take over at shortstop, and like many Rebels shortstops before him, he bleached his hair, transforming his brown hair with a shaggy blonde flow. It’s hard to argue with the results. Servideo showed significantly more strength and power, cranking five home runs in 59 at-bats, after hitting four in his first two seasons combined. His .390/.575/.695 start to the season helped erase the memories of his awful 2019 summer in the Cape, where he hit only .149/.277/.228 with a wood bat. Servideo’s offensive emergence is significant because scouts were already comfortable with his defense. He’s one of the best defensive shortstops in college baseball. A plus runner, Servideo has the first-step quickness, footwork and hands to be a plus defender at shortstop and he has an above-average arm that lets him plant and fire on balls to his right. Servideo is small-framed (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) but his strong start to the spring will likely push him into third-round consideration.

 

150

Last: 151

Jesse Franklin

Michigan

OF

Notes:

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 215 | B-T: L-L

Commit/Drafted: Mariners '17 (37)

Age At Draft: 21.5

 

The headliner of Michigan’s 2017 recruiting class, Franklin wasted no time putting his mark on the program, leading the team in home runs (10), slugging (.588) and RBI (47) in 2018. His hitting dipped a bit as a sophomore, though he did increase his walk rate significantly, and he does have some track record hitting in the Cape Cod League, though a 2018 stint was more successful than 2019. Franklin’s medical sheet has piled up over the years, as he’s dealt with labrum issues, hamstring issues and didn’t play a game in the shortened 2020 season thanks to a broken collarbone. That leaves Franklin as a bit of an unknown, as scouts like his all-around package of average tools and believed in his work ethic and plus-plus baseball instincts to make the most of them. Franklin has a professional approach at the plate and doesn’t strike out frequently, though some evaluators have noted that a wide stance can cause his swing to get too lengthy, which causes issues timing up fastball velocity. When he’s able to let his hands work, Franklin has above-average power potential. A center fielder for Michigan, Franklin will likely be pushed to a corner outfield spot at the next level. He gets terrific reads and has an electric first step but lacks the dynamic running ability that separates major league center fielders. He should be an above-average defender in a corner. While a short season and injuries have clouded Franklin’s draft status, those who have a history with him believe he’s a high probability major leaguer in some capacity.

 

190

Last: 191

Blake Dunn

Western Michigan

OF

Notes:

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 205 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.8

 

Dunn’s package of tools is among the best in the Upper Midwest area of the country. A plus-plus runner with huge arm strength and raw power, it’s easy to fall in love with the many ways that Dunn can impact the game. A multi-sport athlete coming out of high school, Dunn has electric athleticism, and that combined with his running ability makes him a no-doubt center fielder at the next level where he can track down baseballs deep in the gaps and also throw runners out with his potential 70-grade arm. On top of his defensive ability, Dunn is a dynamic baserunner, with 47 stolen bases over his three-year career with Western Michigan in 59 attempts—good for a 79.7 percent success rate. His 30 stolen bases in 2019 were good for the second-best single season mark in program history. While Dunn’s physical tools are obvious, his hitting ability is what prevents him from being ranked higher. He could have used a strong 2020 season to answer questions about the quality of his bat, as Dunn hit just .229/.338/.298 with a 25 percent strikeout rate in the Cape Cod League last summer. His numbers with Western Michigan in the Mid-American Conference are significantly better—he’s a career .335/.420/.457 hitter with the Broncos—but scouts are worried he might be a below-average hitter. If he has even a fringe-average hit tool, Dunn could offer a team plenty of value with his defense, running ability and power potential, but without a full 2020 season to gauge the quality of his bat, Dunn’s draft status is a bit less clear. His upside remains exciting.

 

192

Last: 193

Zach Britton

Louisville

OF

Notes:

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 200 | B-T: L-R

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.8

 

A 6-foot-1, 200-pound outfielder who was one of just three Louisville players to start all 17 games during the 2020 season, Britton has a fairly loud lefthanded bat. A career .280/.395/.455 hitter in 110 games with the Cardinals, Britton has a pretty lefthanded swing with good bat speed and some impressive exit velocity numbers. His hitting ability is the best tool in his box, and before play shut down for the 2020 season, Britton led all Division I hitters with 11 doubles. His power has been more doubles than over-the-fence in his time in the ACC, though he did hit five home runs in 28 games with a wood bat last summer in the Cape Cod League. It’s possible with a few swing adjustments Britton could be geared for more home run juice. Defensively, Britton fits best in left field, where he’s a fringy runner with an arm that ranges from a 45- to 50-grade tool. He’s caught in the past but has been behind catchers at Louisville and during his time in the Cape and scouts don’t think he’s a good receiver behind the plate. Britton’s value comes from his bat, and his power potential from the left side puts him somewhere in the 5-7 round range.

 

197

Last: 198

Jordan Nwogu

Michigan

OF

Notes:

Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 235 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.3

 

A straight-A student in high school, Nwogu had Division I offers as a defensive end/linebacker, but he opted to go to Michigan on an academic scholarship to study computer engineering and play baseball. Nwogu earned a starting role midway through his freshman season and has been Michigan’s leadoff hitter for the past two years. Nwogu still looks like a football player (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) and he has plus-plus raw power and plus speed. Scouts are not all that excited about his funky swing—he gets good weight transfer and has plenty of bat speed, but it’s a very top-hand heavy swing. So far, funky or not, it has been extremely effective. He is a career .334/.430/.545 hitter for the Wolverines and his ability to control the strike zone has improved dramatically over his collegiate career. Nwogu’s defense was rough as a freshman, but he has steadily improved. He likely ends up in left field thanks to his below-average arm. That’s where he’s mainly played for Michigan, but the Wolverines started to play him in center field this year.

 

Prep Bats:

34

Jordan Walker

Decatur (Ga.) HS

3B

Notes:

Ht: 6-5 | Wt: 220 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Duke

Age At Draft: 18.1

 

The best high school third baseman in the class, Walker is a massive-framed, 6-foot-5, 220-pound slugger committed to Duke. He’s also the top-ranked prep prospect out of Georgia, which has been more pitcher-heavy than bat-heavy in recent years. Walker was one of the high school players who managed to get seen early and often during the shortened 2020 season. He performed at a high level against solid competition while all those eyes were on him. Walker has a solid feel to hit with plus raw power and plenty more projected as he grows into more strength. While there are some questions about his natural feel to hit thanks to the length of his arms and some swing-and-miss concerns, Walker has progressed in the right direction with his hit tool and could be an average or slightly better hitter. He moves remarkably well considering his size, though many scouts don’t think that will be enough to prevent a move to first base or a corner outfield spot in the future. Walker was something of a polarizing player last summer for scouts, largely thanks to questions about his profile, but he performed at the right time this spring and could go off the board at the end of the first round or shortly thereafter. Scouts praise Walker’s heady, cerebral nature and believe he could be a tough sign out of Duke, where he could elevate his draft stock with a few years of ACC performance.

 

39

Drew Romo

The Woodlands (Texas) HS

C

Notes:

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 205 | B-T: B-R

Commit/Drafted: Louisiana State

Age At Draft: 18.8

 

Romo has been regarded as an elite catch-and-throw backstop from essentially the first day he started playing high school baseball. Area scouts were quick to take note of his prowess behind the plate, and some think he’s been the best defensive catcher in the state for four years—and Baylor backstop Shea Langeliers was a top-10 pick in 2019. He’s at the top of a deep prep catching class in 2020, alongside the offensive-oriented Tyler Soderstrom, and teams believe he’s as high a likelihood major leaguer as you’ll find out of one of the riskiest draft profiles. Romo has soft hands, is an excellent blocker and receiver and brings a strong, accurate arm to the table as well. By the way scouts talk about his defensive reputation and ability, he has a chance to be a plus-plus defender with plus arm strength. On top of that, Romo offers solid raw power from both sides of the plate. His swing is a bit more grooved from the left side, where his righthanded swing is rigid with a tick more power. The biggest questions with Romo are how frequently he’s going to hit. He’s shown some swing-and-miss concerns and there’s reason to wonder how well he’ll hit against better pitching. Still, he has a good understanding of the strike zone and could carve out offensive value thanks to that, with some ambush power. The baseline for catcher offense in today’s game is low, and the scouting industry almost unanimously sees Romo as an impact defender at the game’s most premium position. So despite any offensive concerns, the Louisiana State commit has a chance to go in the first round or supplemental first round.

 

48

Kevin Parada

Loyola HS, Los Angeles

C

Notes:

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 192 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Georgia Tech

Age At Draft: 18.9

 

Parada won MVP of the 2018 WWBA World Championships as a junior and continued to perform at every major showcase last summer. He got off to a red-hot start this spring and had Southern California area scouts buzzing before the season shut down. Parada is widely considered one of the best prep hitters in the class. He’s a strong, powerful hitter who crushes both fastballs and offspeed pitches, and he has a long track record of performing against good competition. Parada stays in the strike zone, covers the whole plate and already posts exit velocities near 100 mph. Evaluators see a potential .280 or better hitter with a chance to hit 20 or more home runs. Parada is less certain to remain a catcher. He’s a good athlete, but he’s a fringe-average defender whose flexibility is a concern. His above-average arm strength is nullified at times by a long arm action. Some clubs want to make Parada an outfielder and let him focus on hitting. He is strongly committed to Georgia Tech and may be difficult to sign.

 

49

Isaiah Greene

Corona (Calif.) HS

OF

Notes:

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 180 | B-T: L-L

Commit/Drafted: Missouri

Age At Draft: 18.8

 

Greene jumped on national radars last summer when he outplayed most of USA Baseball’s 18U National Team while facing them in scrimmages with a scout team. He got off to a slow start this spring before the season shut down, but still drew positive reviews from evaluators. Greene’s best asset is a smooth, lefthanded stroke that turns around high-end velocity. He drives the ball hard with ease, drawing comparisons to Garret Anderson and Michael Brantley, and projects as a consensus plus hitter with a chance to hit .300 in his best years. Greene’s power is still developing, but he has plenty of room to get bigger and stronger and makes enough hard contact to project above-average power. Greene is a plus runner with a chance to stay in center field, but his fringe-average arm and poor route-running have some scouts projecting him to left field. Like Anderson, Greene has a quiet demeanor and approach that is sometimes confused with a lack of effort. Greene’s hitting ability and overall athleticism have him safely among the top 50 players in the draft class. He is committed to Missouri.

 

55

Last: 56

Chase Davis

Franklin HS, Elk Grove, Calif.

OF

Notes:

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 210 | B-T: L-L

Commit/Drafted: Arizona

Age At Draft: 18.5

 

A toolsy, physical outfielder out of Northern California, Davis has a strong 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame, impressive bat speed, raw power and a big arm. Davis is the type of athlete who jumps off the field quickly in a showcase environment thanks to his tool set. He recorded a 99 mph throw from the outfield at Perfect Game’s National showcase at the start of the summer, and scouting departments voted Davis as the second-best outfield arm in the 2020 class. Additionally, he can show impressive raw power in batter practice. The Arizona commit has also shown the ability to get to his tools during games. He was particularly impressive last fall in Jupiter, where he hit a home run, two triples and a double in six games, showing solid contact and the ability to drive the ball in a game setting. Davis’ swing can get a bit long, which can hurt him, as does his ability to pick up and recognize offspeed offerings. When he stays within himself and times up pitchers, however, he does a lot of damage. Some scouts have given him 70-grade bat speed and love how long he keeps the barrel in the zone. Mechanically, he can get himself into poor positions with a deep, tight bat wrap, but when he launches for contact his bat path is direct with natural loft that helps him get to his above-average power. Defensively, Davis needs continued refinement, but he’s a solid enough runner to develop into at least an average defender in a corner with more than enough arm to fit in right field. Davis has an impressive work ethic and loves to get in the gym, as his physique suggests.

 

61

Last: 62

Carson Tucker

Mountain Pointe HS, Phoenix

SS

Notes:

Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 180 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Texas

Age At Draft: 18.4

 

Tucker is following in the footsteps of his brother, Cole, a first-round pick of the Pirates in 2014. The younger Tucker was under 6 feet during his junior season, but he has gotten taller and stronger. Not only has he grown bigger, but he’s also gotten a tick faster, with reports of plus run times. Tucker isn’t a flashy tools guy, but rather a steady ballplayer who makes the game look easy. He projects to be able to stay at shortstop as a reliable defender with an above-average, accurate arm that he knows when to unleash. Tucker should be able to hit, using an open stance with a swing that’s short to the ball and consistent. He overhauled his swing in the offseason by getting his body better in sync with a kickback/scissor approach, and the results showed in the few high school games he got to play this spring. It’s a line-drive stroke but with the potential to add more power with strength. While his business-like approach on the field can sometimes be misinterpreted as being more aloof compared to his brother’s obvious zeal, Tucker is engaged in the game and loves playing baseball. A Texas commit, Tucker could go off the board in the second round, and with few standout prep shortstops in the 2020 class, his all-around package could excite many teams.

 

66

Last: 67

Enrique Bradfield

American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.

OF

Notes:

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 155 | B-T: L-L

Commit/Drafted: Vanderbilt

Age At Draft: 18.5

 

The best runner in the prep class, Bradfield has posted sub-6.3 60-yard dash times, which are 80-grade times, and incorporates that speed in all phases of the game. A no-doubt center fielder, Bradfield uses his blazing speed to cover huge swaths of outfield grass, getting to balls in the gap that other fielders wouldn’t dream of catching. He’s more than just a fast runner though, as Bradfield consistently shows advanced route-running ability and has an elite first-step when reading balls off the bat. All of those traits combine to give him elite defensive potential at a premium position, and he also has solid arm strength. There are more questions about the offensive side of his game. Bradfield sets up with a wide stance and has impressive bat-to-ball skills, but he has well below-average raw power and there’s little in his frame to suggest he will ever grow into average power in the future. Instead, he should be a slappy, line-drive hitter who succeeds by putting balls into the outfield gaps, bunting and using his speed to collect extra-base hits and put pressure on the defense. His dynamic speed should be an asset on the bases as well, even at a time when stealing has become less of an emphasis in the major leagues. Bradfield could be a tough sign out of a Vanderbilt commitment, but he has the athleticism and game-breaking running ability that every team covets.

 

67

Last: 68

David Calabrese

St. Elizabeth Catholic HS, Vaughan, Ont.

OF

Notes:

Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 160 | B-T: L-R

Commit/Drafted: Arkansas

Age At Draft: 17.7

 

The top Canadian prospect in the 2020 class, Calabrese has a shot to be the highest drafted outfielder from the country since 1997, when the Orioles took Ntema Ndungidi in the supplemental first round with the 36nd overall pick. He’s likely not as fast as Dasan Brown, an 80-grade runner and Canadian outfielder from the 2019 class, but Calabrese is a plus-plus runner himself who’s shown flashes of a very good lefthanded bat. Calabrese could be a challenge for teams to evaluate, as he didn’t attend a ton of high-profile events over the summer and also didn’t get to showcase his ability this spring with Team Canada. Still, he raised eyebrows at events like the Future Stars Series last fall at Fenway Park, where he ran a 6.47 60-yard dash, hit several doubles and made a few highlight-reel plays in center field. Calabrese has a simple, efficient swing from the left side. At 5-foot-10, 160 pounds he doesn’t offer much power, but there are scouts who think he could grow into average raw power in the future. He shows good baseball instincts on both sides of the ball and should be a safe bet to stick in center field thanks to those instincts, as well as his athleticism and speed. Teams will also like the fact that Calabrese won’t turn 18 until late September, making him one of the youngest players in the draft class. He’s committed to Arkansas.

 

82

Last: 83

Petey Halpin

Mira Costa HS, Manhattan Beach, Calif.

OF

Notes:

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 180 | B-T: L-R

Commit/Drafted: Texas

Age At Draft: 18.1

 

Halpin ranked as one of Northern California’s top draft prospects before transferring to Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) High in suburban Los Angeles for his senior year. A well-rounded, top-of-the-order type, Halpin is an above-average runner and has a short, line-drive swing with solid plate coverage. He controls the strike zone, makes adjustments and altogether projects as an above-average hitter. While Halpin doesn’t have a ton of power currently, scouts like the ease of his operation in the box and some believe he’ll add enough strength in the future to run into enough extra-base hits. Halpin is a high-energy player who has a chance to stick in center field, but he’s a divisive defender who figures to slow down as he ages and might have to move to a corner. His arm is wildly inconsistent, ranging from below-average to above-average. Halpin’s bat has him in second-to-fourth-round consideration even with questions about his power and future position. He is committed to Texas.

 

90

Last: 91

Blaze Jordan

DeSoto Central HS, Southaven, Miss.

3B/1B

Notes:

Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 218 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Mississippi State

Age At Draft: 17.5

 

One of the most well-known prospects in the 2020 class thanks to his loud home run displays at showcases and viral YouTube videos that started appearing when he was just a freshman, Jordan is also one of the youngest players in the 2020 class after reclassifying from the 2021 class. He doesn’t turn 18 until December and has had little trouble hitting with impact against the top pitching in his class and against older players throughout his high school career. Jordan has a mature approach at the plate, with quick, fluid hands and an all-fields approach in batting practice and in games despite his plus raw power. Teams were impressed with how he cut down his frame to give himself a chance to handle third base, though he needs plenty of improvement with his footwork, hands and throwing ability to stick there. It’s still likely he winds up at first base, which puts even more pressure on his bat. This spring, scouts believed Jordan’s weight loss affected his power output and he didn’t impress with the bat as much as the right-right corner infield prospect needed to this spring or last summer. He shows flashes of the impact hitter he could be, but didn’t do it consistently enough for scouts to put him higher than the third- or fourth-round range. Jordan could make it to campus at Mississippi State and fully tap into his hitting ability and power potential against SEC competition, but he might be a tough sign for teams as a below-average runner and a right-right likely first base prospect down the line. Teams frequently make players of Jordan’s profile prove their bat in college, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Jordan did just that.

 

96

Last: 97

Nick Yorke

Archbishop Mitty HS, San Jose, Calif.

SS

Notes:

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 195 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Arizona

Age At Draft: 18.2

 

Some evaluators believe Yorke is the best pure hitter on the west coast, among high schoolers. A 6-foot, 195-pound shortstop committed to Arizona, Yorke has a long track record of performing as a high schooler, with a well-balanced swing that’s routinely on time. This spring before the coronavirus shut down the 2020 season, Yorke was tapping into a bit more power as well, hitting the ball with authority to the pull side and up the middle. He has a chance for a future plus bat and fringe-average power while handling a middle infield spot. Yorke dealt with a shoulder injury prior to his junior year and is still recovering from that, which leads some scouts to believe he’ll be a better fit as an offensive second baseman. Still, other scouts have said his arm has looked good, with a better arm stroke recently and above-average arm strength. With solid footwork, instincts and an internal clock, he has a chance to stay at shortstop, or he could slide to third base. Wherever he ends up defensively, teams love the bat that Yorke brings to the table. There are a number of teams that have Yorke evaluated in the second- or third-round range, but he could be a difficult sign out of Arizona.

 

106

Last: 107

Colby Halter

Bishop Kenny HS, Jacksonville

SS

Notes:

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 195 | B-T: L-R

Commit/Drafted: Florida

Age At Draft: 18.8

 

A 6-foot-1, 195-pound Florida commit who performed with USA Baseball’s 18U National Team and generally does well with the bat wherever he’s playing, Halter doesn’t overflow with tools but impresses scouts with his hitting ability and versatility. A utility player with Team USA who can handle any infield position in a pinch, Halter is a shortstop for his high school team but scouts think he’ll have to move off the position at the next level. He has an above-average, accurate arm that could play anywhere on the infield, but doesn’t have the elite actions or footspeed teams like to see out of a shortstop. Additionally, Halter doesn’t currently have the power that makes him an obvious candidate to profile super well at third base or another corner position, but scouts keep coming back to his natural hitting ability. Halter hit .419/.486/.548 with Team USA, good for third on the team in hitting, and he got plenty of national heat early this spring before the 2020 season was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Teams who believe in Halter’s lefty bat will draft him in the second or third round and figure out the position later—similar to Reds second baseman Tyler Callihan from the 2019 class—while others would be more inclined to let him reach campus at Florida and prove it.

 

133

Last: 134

AJ Shaver

South Lake HS, Groveland, Fla.

OF

Notes:

Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 197 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Florida State

Age At Draft: 18.7

 

A 6-foot-2, 197-pound outfielder committed to Florida State, Shaver impressed with his raw power and rhythm at the plate last summer at East Coast Pro. While there, he showed impressive pull side pop and an intriguing bat with above-average bat speed. Scouts continued to be impressed with Shaver early this spring and were able to see him take a jump before the coronavirus shut down the 2020 season. Shaver has an exciting package of tools, including plus running ability, above-average arm strength and raw power. He brings athleticism and strength to the table, and while Shaver still has some room to improve his offensive approach and pure hit tool, some evaluators have been excited with the steps he’s taken in that area to bet on his bat moving forward. With a chance to stick in center field at the next level, his power profiles well and some teams like him in the 3-5 round range.

 

180

Last: 181

Owen Caissie

Notre Dame Catholic SS, Brampton, Ont.

OF

Notes:

Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 190 | B-T: L-R

Commit/Drafted: Michigan

Age At Draft: 17.9

 

Like Caissie’s Canadian counterpart, David Calabrese, Caissie is young for the 2020 draft class and doesn’t turn 18 until July. Originally a member of the 2021 class, Caissie offers exciting upside with a 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame and power potential from the left side. Caissie’s power potential is his biggest attribute. He was one of the leaders in exit velocity at Prep Baseball Report’s Super 60 Showcase and has plus raw power and homered against pro pitching with Canada’s Junior National Team before the 2020 season was shut down. Caissie has a handsy swing, but he’s also shown some significant swing-and-miss concerns, albeit against better pitching than almost any 17-year-old will have to face. He’s athletic with plenty of room to fill out, and while he’s managed plus 60-yard dash times, most scouts think he’s more average underway and has a corner outfield profile. Caissie is committed to Michigan.

[BlueRocky]

Bored Sunday fun mock #1:

5) OF Zac Veen

42) RHP Justin Lange

77) LHP Nick Swiney

106) LHP Luke Little

136) OF Owen Caissie

 

Bored Sunday fun mock #2:

5) RHP Emerson Hancock

42) OF Daniel Cabrera

77) RHP Tanner Witt

106) RHP Connor Phillips

136) OF Zach Britton

 

Bored Sunday fun mock #3:

5) 2B Nick Gonzales

42) LHP Daxton Fulton

77) OF Enrique Bradfield

106) OF Zach DeLoach

136) RHP Landon Knack

Edited June 7, 2020 by BlueRocky

[BlueRocky]

Video:

[Iggy]

I didn't realize the draft is on TV but it is ...

 

TSN3 at 7:00pm ET

[Spanky__99]

I didn't realize the draft is on TV but it is ...

 

TSN3 at 7:00pm ET

 

Yeah, they'll use ESPN's feed.

[P2F]

Longenhagen's penultimate mock was released today. The final one will be Wednesday morning.

 

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/mock-draft-2-0-2/

 

He has Meyer to the Jays as the 'heavy favourite' at this point, with Veen and Gonzo also in the mix.

[BlueRocky]

Good articles covering the Blue Jays pick from Keegan and Ben.

[L54]

If it's not Veen I hope they take Meyer.

[Slade]

Has Todd posted on any notables he likes in this draft?

[Slade]

Latest BA Mock, I think there will be a final one on draft day.

 

 

1

det400x400.JPG

Spencer Torkelson

Arizona State1B

Notes:

This one just continues to feel like a lock to happen. There’ve been no credible rumors to this point about the Tigers going for an underslot deal or taking a different player. We still feel like Texas A&M lefty Asa Lacy is the backup.

 

LESS

VIDEO

2

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Austin Martin

VanderbiltOF

Notes:

Like we mentioned last week when we explored an underslot deal with the Orioles, Martin remains the favorite at No. 2. Baltimore has been consistently linked to underslot deals and rumored with off-the-board players in recent drafts—including last year when they had the No. 1 pick with a clear-cut No. 1 player available in Adley Rutschman—but at the end of the day, talent wins out. This does remain an interesting fulcrum point for the draft though, and if the Orioles did go for a Nick Gonzales or Zac Veen, this mock gets blown up in a hurry. Gonzales or Veen seem more likely than Lacy here.

 

LESS

3

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Asa Lacy

Texas A&MLHP

Notes:

This 1-2-3 has been discussed with as much certainty as any trio of players in this class. It sounds like the Marlins really want an arm at this spot, and in this scenario they get the best all-around pitcher in the class.

 

LESS

VIDEO

4

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Zac Veen

Spruce Creek HS, Port Orange, Fla.OF

Notes:

Another fulcrum of the draft is this spot with Kansas City. It’s less clear than the previous three picks, but we do think the Royals are deciding between Veen and Nick Gonzales. As opposed to the Marlins, we’re hearing the Royals want a bat, and with the top two bats in the class gone, the Royals could chase massive upside with the top prep player in the class, who was seen early and often this spring in Florida.

 

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Max Meyer

MinnesotaRHP

Notes:

If Veen is on the table here, it sounds like Toronto might bite. If he’s not—as is the case in this scenario—we have them linked to college pitching. That means Emerson Hancock and Reid Detmers have to be in the conversation as well as Meyer, who is the pick.

 

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Nick Gonzales

New Mexico StateSS

Notes:

We have heard the Mariners tied heavily to college arms as well, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them take Hancock here, though it might be hard for them to pass up Gonzales’ bat if he makes it this far. If Gonzales does wind up going No. 4 to the Royals and the Blue Jays don’t pop Veen, we would expect Seattle to pass on Veen and take the best college arm available.

 

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Emerson Hancock

GeorgiaRHP

Notes:

The Pirates are another fulcrum of sorts in this draft, simply because of the number of rumors of who they are interested in. They could go with plenty of different options, but Hancock is consistently linked in this top group of players and we have Pittsburgh simply taking the best player available here. The Pirates sound interested in Veen, but he’s unlikely to be available and this also might be the high-water mark for prep righthander Mick Abel.

 

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Robert Hassell

Independence HS, Thompson's Station, Tenn.OF

Notes:

San Diego might really want Veen or Meyer, but both of those players are off the table in this scenario. There’s been some chatter that the Padres could take Hassell—the best pure hitter in the high school class—and save some money on him to put towards a later pick.

 

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Heston Kjerstad

ArkansasOF

Notes:

The names that pop up here are Kjerstad and Hassell. Louisville lefthander Reid Detmers would represent the best available talent on the BA 500, but they might be more inclined to grab a hitter if Lacy, Hancock and Meyer are all off the table and then pick up an arm with their comp round pick at No. 35.

 

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Reid Detmers

LouisvilleLHP

Notes:

There’s some buzz that Detmers could slip out of the top 10, but he should go off the board quickly if that were to happen. We’ve heard the Angels linked fairly heavily with Hassell in recent hours, but he’s unavailable in this scenario. If No. 10 is a legitimate landing spot for Hassell, the Padres might not be able to get quite a significant haircut with him at No. 8. There’s only $437,000 separating the value of the two picks, but the Padres have a significantly bigger bonus pool ($10,674,000) to work with compared to the Angels ($6,397,100).

 

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Mick Abel

Jesuit HS, Portland, Ore.RHP

Notes:

Abel is getting plenty of interest in the 7-14 range, and is becoming the favorite to be the first prep righthander off the board. He has a real chance to sneak into the top 10, and we’re hearing the White Sox might be one of the teams just outside that range who’s intrigued with his upside. This would certainly be a departure from Chicago’s typical tendency, as they’ve gone with a college player with their last seven first-round picks and haven’t drafted a high school righthander in the first since 2001 (Kris Honel). However it’s worth noting that the White Sox took prep arms with their second- and third-round picks in 2019 (and a high school outfielder in the fourth round). We’ve also heard the White Sox are interested in Garrett Crochet.

 

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Austin Hendrick

West Allegheny HS, Imperial, Pa.OF

Notes:

While we feel reasonably good about the top 11 players in this mock, this is where things get a bit dicier and more uncertain. Hendrick’s landing spot seems to be somewhere in the 12-17 range and Cincinnati has consistently been tied to prep outfielders, but they could also opt for a college arm or a different prep hitter. The Reds selected a Pennsylvania prep hitter in the first round in 2007 (Devin Mesoraco). There’s only been one Pennsylvania prep hitter taken in the first round since (Alex Kirilloff to the Twins in 2016).

 

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Cade Cavalli

OklahomaRHP

Notes:

The Giants have been tied with the top high school catcher in the class, Tyler Soderstrom. That would be fun if only because of the regional connection—Soderstrom plays at Turlock (Calif.) High, which is just two hours away from Oracle Park. However, Cavalli’s name is being heavily mentioned in the 11-15 range.

 

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Aaron Sabato

North Carolina1B

Notes:

This is perhaps the biggest mover of today’s mock draft. Aaron Sabato could go much higher than where he’s been mocked previously, and we think the Rangers could be one of the teams who’s in on him. If Texas does like the UNC masher, they might have to jump up and take him here, because their second pick doesn’t come until pick No. 50 in the second round, where he’s sure to be gone.

 

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Patrick Bailey

North Carolina StateC

Notes:

This would seem like the lower range for the North Carolina State catcher, who is routinely mentioned as a top-15 player because of his consistency in the ACC, his defensive chops and the fact that teams love proven college catchers.

 

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Garrett Crochet

TennesseeLHP

Notes:

Crochet has a few different suitors throughout the teens. There’s a lot of risk, but Chicago sounds like one of the teams who might be too infatuated with his significant upside. They might not let him get passed 16.

 

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Pete Crow-Armstrong

Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif.OF

Notes:

It’s difficult to gauge what the Red Sox are targeting here at 17, but we have them taking the best hitter available on the BA 500. They could also be intrigued with college arms like Cavalli or Crochet.

 

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Garrett Mitchell

UCLAOF

Notes:

Earlier in the week we were hearing that Mitchell was sliding due to concerns about his medical. We’ve also heard conflicting reports that he’s rising. He continues to be a head scratcher, but the simplest answer seems to be that teams have entirely different perspectives on how his Type I Diabetes will affect him long-term. We’ve heard rumors that he could fall into the 20s. More recently we’ve heard that he’s going off the board in the 11-18 range. He remains one of the biggest first-round wild cards.

 

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Justin Foscue

Mississippi State2B/3B

Notes:

It sounds like the Mets might be crossing their fingers for Crochet to fall to them, but that’s seeming more unlikely than it may have been a few weeks ago. We have them instead going for one of the most consistent college bats available, who we’ve heard the Mets are interested in. We’ve also heard them linked to Detmers’ Louisville teammate Bobby Miller.

 

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Tyler Soderstrom

Turlock (Calif.) HSC

Notes:

Soderstrom gets pushed out of the teens in this mock, because of the action on college players in front of him, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the NorCal catcher took an underslot deal above this mark.

 

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Dillon Dingler

Ohio StateC

Notes:

Dingler could wind up being the second catcher taken if Soderstrom continues to fall, but we find it hard to believe he’ll be the first. He doesn’t get mentioned as frequently as Bailey in the top half of the first round, but is mentioned plenty in the early 20s. Yadier Molina can’t play forever.

 

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Cole Wilcox

GeorgiaRHP

Notes:

It sounds like Wilcox has a pretty steep asking price, but even so, many teams don’t expect him to return to college in the current landscape with so many clubs having first-round evaluations on him right now. He has plenty of traits the Nationals have liked.

 

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Jared Kelley

Refugio (Texas) HSRHP

Notes:

This is the first time we’ve had Cleveland tied with Kelley in a mock, but it isn’t the first time we’ve thought about doing it. The Indians are absolutely the team who has no issues with prep righthanders in the first round, as they’ve made clear by taking Ethan Hankins and Daniel Espino in recent years. Kelley shares similar traits to both of those players, as a pitcher with the best pure heater in the 2020 prep class.

 

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Ed Howard

Mount Carmel (Ill.) HSSS

Notes:

We previously had the Rays tied with Sabato, but he doesn’t make it to this spot in today’s mock. They could be inclined to add to their seemingly endless group of shortstops with Howard, who gets mentioned more in the 20s than the teens despite most teams loving his defense at shortstop.

 

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Bryce Jarvis

DukeRHP

Notes:

We mocked Jarvis to the Braves in last week’s mock and we’re sticking with it here. He’s gotten plenty of buzz in this range and could line up with what Atlanta likes.

 

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Nick Loftin

BaylorSS

Notes:

With Howard off the board, we have the A’s going for the next-best shortstop in a down year for the position, Loftin. There’s a good chance Loftin goes off the board before this pick given his all-around ability.

 

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Bobby Miller

LouisvilleRHP

Notes:

Miller’s name has been gaining a bit of steam, and it’s easier to tie Minnesota to college arms than prep arms. Miller has good size, an explosive fastball and was trending in the right direction early this season.

 

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Jared Shuster

Wake ForestLHP

Notes:

Shuster could sneak into the back of the first considering his progress over the last year. With refined control and a fastball that gets more into the mid-90s, Shuster has impressive starter traits with a better ceiling than teams would have expected a year ago at this time.

 

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Carson Tucker

Mountain Pointe HS, PhoenixSS

Notes:

Tucker’s name gets some buzz at the back of the first and the comp round. Perhaps he’s a fit with the Dodgers, who love athleticism and have as good a track record developing hitters as any.

 

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Tanner Burns

AuburnRHP

Notes:

By going with the top talent available at No. 2 it could be more difficult to grab an underslot player who falls at this spot, but Burns is as proven as any college arm in the class.

 

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Slade Cecconi

MiamiRHP

Notes:

There could be a run of college arms in the comp round, and we have the Pirates following the Orioles and taking one in Slade Cecconi, who has more upside than Burns but less track record.

 

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Carmen Mlodzinski

South CarolinaRHP

Notes:

We continue to hear Mlodzinski’s name more in the comp and back of the first-round range than in the middle of the first round, but he has plenty of upside if he can rediscover his 2019 summer form. Tommy Mace is an interesting name for Kansas City’s next pick.

 

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Isaiah Greene

Corona (Calif.) HSOF

Notes:

After pegging Arizona to Mitchell at pick No. 18, perhaps it’s more prudent to give them an arm here, but it’s hard to get over the team’s love of polished bats, and that describes Greene.

 

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Nick Bitsko

Central Bucks East HS, Doylestown, Pa.

Notes:

There’s a real chance Bitsko slides to this range to a team with multiple picks and gets a healthy overslot deal to stay away from a Virginia commitment. That’s how we have it playing out with the Padres, but there’s a real chance he gets popped by a team before this.

 

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Kyle Nicolas

Ball StateRHP

Notes:

Mlodzinski would be a good fit for Coors Field, but he’s unavailable in this scenario. Instead how about a rising arm out of Ball State, who’s gotten plenty of buzz lately and could be a fit in this range.

 

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Cole Henry

Louisiana StateRHP

Notes:

The analytics on Henry’s pitch-mix is getting teams excited late in the process, and he’s in the mix with this tier of college arms.

 

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Clayton Beeter

Texas TechRHP

Notes:

Our comment on Cole Henry could be copied and pasted here for Beeter, who similarly shines in the pitch data department.

 

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[Carlos Danger]

So here is some random information, but what the hell else is going on....

 

I was a frequent member of another board in 2010. The board consensus ( a whole lot of guys living in their mom's basement) was some guy named Chris Sale.

 

Same as this board, we did mocks and discussed for months... Draft night came, it came to our pick, #11, C, Sale was still on the board, we were stoked, FOR SURE we were taking Chris Sale....

 

 

With the 11th pick of the 2010 MLB draft, the Toronto Blue Jays pick Deck McGuire.... .. WTF!!!!!!! mad emojis etc.

 

That was a case where some random Blue Jay chat board was smarter then the Blue Jays FO.

 

The # 1, (Harper), #2 (Taillion ) *when not hurt) #3 (Machado) and #5 (Pomeranz) picks worked out pretty well in that draft.. #4 not so much..

 

The best pick of the draft in retrospect/or right now (if there were a season) the #23 over all pick by the Marlins (Christian Yelich).

 

Three (3) of those guys were High School picks, Muchado, Yelich and Taillion..

Edited June 8, 2020 by Carlos Danger

[Boxcar]

If we pass on Nick Gonzales or Emerson Hancock for Max Meyer I will be momentarily unhappy

[glory]

In my completely uninformed opinion I'd prefer Veen over Gonzales for position players, and Meyer over Hancock for pitchers. Three of those four should be available when the Jays pick (Royals will take one of them), so curious to see how the Jays rank them. Have read so many differing mocks.