MLB 2020 Draft

[Spanky99]

I know... but it's not like I'm complaining that the Jays chose Chad Jenkins instead of Mike Trout.

 

Maybe I'm misremembering, but the Romero pick came out of nowhere didn't it?? Didn't Riccardi override the scouts? Obviously guys miss all the time, I just remember that as being a legendary draft, full of can't miss position players, and even at the 6th pick, it was 100% guaranteed that one of the good position players would be there for the taking... And then they announce Romero!

 

Yes, Ricciardi supposedly done that. Egad.

[Captain Adama]

I know... but it's not like I'm complaining that the Jays chose Chad Jenkins instead of Mike Trout.

 

Maybe I'm misremembering, but the Romero pick came out of nowhere didn't it?? Didn't Riccardi override the scouts? Obviously guys miss all the time, I just remember that as being a legendary draft, full of can't miss position players, and even at the 6th pick, it was 100% guaranteed that one of the good position players would be there for the taking... And then they announce Romero!

 

Could've been worse. They could've been the Mariners.

[baubau]

I know... but it's not like I'm complaining that the Jays chose Chad Jenkins instead of Mike Trout.

 

Maybe I'm misremembering, but the Romero pick came out of nowhere didn't it?? Didn't Riccardi override the scouts? Obviously guys miss all the time, I just remember that as being a legendary draft, full of can't miss position players, and even at the 6th pick, it was 100% guaranteed that one of the good position players would be there for the taking... And then they announce Romero!

 

If you trust Keith Law apparently Shapiro/Atkins don't override their souts (Bichette) so there is a solid difference this time around.

[Slade]

BA's latest mock after order finalization.

 

1. Tigers — Austin Martin, SS/OF, Vanderbilt

 

It’s tempting—very tempting—to go with Detroit’s status quo here and give them Georgia righthander Emerson Hancock. The Tigers have had the No. 1 overall pick in the draft on two occasions and both times they dipped into the college righthander demographic, selecting Rice righthander Matt Anderson in 1997 and Auburn righthander Casey Mize in 2018. Hancock checks most of the boxes of a No. 1 overall pick, with plus pitches throughout his arsenal, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame, high school pedigree and SEC performance.

 

However, wouldn’t it make more sense for Detroit to add an impact bat to a system in dire need of one? Martin gives the Tigers that sort of bat with a terrific SEC track record over the past two years (.376/.479/.521). He took a big step forward in the power department as a sophomore, and he has the potential to handle a premium defensive position, whether at shortstop or in center field.

 

2. Orioles — Spencer Torkelson, 1B/OF, Arizona State

 

Hancock should be in play here as well, but we’d lean towards Baltimore’s group simply taking the bat they believe in at this spot, regardless of defensive profile. Right-right first baseman have a bad reputation in the draft, despite the fact that first basemen drafted high have a tremendous success rate. Torkelson has the biggest power in the 2020 class and has hit .337/.443/.723 with 48 home runs over two seasons with Arizona State. If he is drafted here by the Orioles, don’t be surprised to see him taken as an outfielder. This decision-making group drafted Seth Beer as an outfielder in the first round in 2018, and Torkelson is much more athletic than Beer was at the same time.

 

3. Marlins — Emerson Hancock, RHP, Georgia

 

The Marlins moved away from targeting high school players at the top of the draft in 2019, and the 2020 class should give them plenty of collegiate options at No. 3 if they choose the same route. It’d be fun to see the team reunite Vanderbilt teammates JJ Bleday and Austin Martin, but with Martin being taken, let's grab the best pitcher in the class and add Hancock to a system that has just two righthanders among its Top 10.

 

4. Royals — Nick Gonzales, 2B, New Mexico State

 

Bobby Witt Jr. was the only exception to Kansas City’s recent college-heavy approach during the first two days of the draft in 2018 and 2019, and at this moment the 2020 draft class doesn't offer a talent like his. In that case, the Royals could take their pick of the college pitching crop sans Hancock, or go with the best available bat. That could very well be Gonzales, who led the nation in hitting this spring before becoming the No. 1 prospect in the Cape Cod League this summer. This pick would make Gonzales the second-highest drafted second baseman ever, behind Rickie Weeks, who was drafted No. 2 overall out of Southern University in 2003 by the Brewers.

 

5. Blue Jays — Asa Lacy, LHP, Texas A&M

 

Lacy has struck out 178 batters in 128 innings (12.5 strikeouts per nine innings) so far in his collegiate career and posted a 2.32 ERA over two seasons. He could get even better if he improves his control a bit—he has a career walk rate of 4.2 batters per nine with Texas A&M—and gets more power out of his lower half. Either way, a mid-90s fastball from the left side with natural ability to spin a sharp slider and Lacy’s track record of performance put him among the top arms in the class. In this scenario, Lacy would be the first lefthander the Blue Jays have selected in the first round since 2006, when the team drafted Ricky Romero out of Cal State Fullerton.

 

Nick_Gonzales (Jan Volk - SportsPix).jpg

2019 Cape Cod League Top Prospects: 1-10

Ranking the best college baseball prospects in the Cape Cod League this year, beginning with Nick Gonzales.

 

6. Mariners — Casey Martin, SS, Arkansas

 

If the Mariners continue to target college players like they have in recent years, Casey Martin makes a lot of sense here. He’s an athletic infielder with pop in his bat—13 home runs as a freshman and 15 in his sophomore season—and a chance to play shortstop. If the draft unfolded with six college players going off the board in the first six picks, as we are predicting here, it would be the first time since 2006 that high school players were avoided with each of the first six picks. A college player fits the Mariners’ recent draft tendencies and also lines up better with the sort of rebuild that GM Jerry Dipoto has talked about, with a goal of being competitive in 2021 or 2022.

 

7. Pirates — Jared Kelley, RHP, Refugio (Texas) HS

 

Pittsburgh was one of just three teams to select a high school pitcher with a first-round pick in 2019, and the club has a history of liking power-oriented arms like Kelley. The Pirates took the first prep pitcher in the 2019 draft with righthander Quinn Priester at No. 18, but Kelley’s overall profile is a much more traditional fit for a top-10 high school arm—though it’s also a profile that comes with plenty of risk. The physical, 6-foot-3, 215-pound righty from Refugio (pronounced Reh-fury-oh) has the best now-stuff in the class, with a fastball routinely up to 98 mph and a future plus changeup. Kelley has a pretty easy delivery and impressive command in addition to his pure stuff.

 

8. Padres — Mick Abel, RHP, Jesuit HS, Portland

 

It’s tempting to give the Padres a college player here, given the current state of San Diego’s farm system and their burgeoning competitive window. But would AJ Preller balk at having his pick of the high school class, outside of Kelley? San Diego has been one of the most aggressive clubs in targeting high-upside prep products, and Abel certainly fits that bill. A 6-foot-5, 180-pound righthander who oozes future potential as he continues to fill out, Abel has been up to 97 mph with his fastball—though he more regularly pitches in the low 90s—and has one of the better breaking balls in the prep class as well. Virginia lefthander Nate Savino checks a lot of the same boxes and wouldn’t be a surprise either given how the Padres have coveted prep lefties. Either way, this might wind up being a great spot to pick for a team that isn’t afraid to go after high school players.

 

9. Rockies — Carmen Mlodzinski, RHP, South Carolina

 

Colorado has taken the exact opposite approach of the Padres over the last two years. The only high school player the team signed in its last two draft classes (out of 64 total players) was high school first baseman Grant Lavigne in 2018. If they continue that path again in 2020, there should be a number of interesting college arms to choose from here, including Mlodzinski, who had high school pedigree but isn’t as famous as some of the other college names on this list after breaking his foot this spring and making just three starts for the Gamecocks. After getting back on the mound in the Cape Cod League this summer, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound righty wowed with an electric fastball and a swing-and-miss slider that helped him strikeout 40 batters and walk just four in 29.1 innings.

 

10. Angels — Austin Hendrick, OF, West Allegheny HS, Imperial, Pa.

 

The last time the Angels picked in the top 10, they took Ballard High product Jo Adell with the No. 10 overall pick in 2017. Despite serious swing-and-miss concerns, that selection has looked pretty good for Los Angeles, as Adell now ranks as the No. 2 prospect in baseball. Hendrick isn’t the athlete that Adell—or 2018 first-round pick Jordyn Adams—is, but he has a high ceiling with some of the loudest raw power in the prep class, elite bat speed and plus arm strength. There are some swing-and-miss concerns here, but grabbing the No. 2 prep player in the class and the top-ranked high school bat could wind up being a steal if he hits.

[Abomination]

Develop bats and buy arms, please.

[jaysguy44]

Asa Lacy seems to be the pick for the Jays in a lot of mocks I've seen, which means absolutely nothing but it's somewhat interesting.

[Krylian]

Asa Lacy seems to be the pick for the Jays in a lot of mocks I've seen, which means absolutely nothing but it's somewhat interesting.

 

The Jays will select someone that isn't even in the Top 20 right now.

 

Mocks really hold very little weight until you get to April/May. Have a rundown of the Top 20 prospect heading in to 2020, sure...but assigning teams to these players...waste of time.

[Laika]

Mocks really hold very little weight until you get to April/May. Have a rundown of the Top 20 prospect heading in to 2020, sure...but assigning teams to these players...waste of time.

 

This is very true.

 

See, for example: http://baseball-farm.com/index.php/2018/11/25/2019-mlb-mock-draft-tldr-at-bottom/

 

Coincidentally that actually did have Toronto picking Manoah. The rest of it makes your point, though.

[jays4life19]

And now for my favorite HS lefty in the class, Spencer Jones. The Rays love two way players and Jones is the best in the class for my money, but he won’t cost as much as Barco. I prefer him as a pitcher, where his projectable 6-7 frame launches 91-93 mph fastballs with excellent downhill plane and high spin rate heartbreaker slurves. He mixes in a changeup that flashes but isn’t yet consistent. With his frame and minor mechanical bugs, a sizeable velocity uptick should be coming. When he learns to get better extension, the perceived velocity could be “Big Unit”-esque. He needs to refine his command, but that will come with reps. At first, his swing is a bit long and he needs to learn to drive from his lower half better, but monster raw power is there and he’s a much better athlete than you’d expect. Again, highly projectable and there is easily potential for 70 raw power at maturity (albeit with a likely high strikeout rate). All in all, Jones is an extremely likable guy (op-notch student, good makeup) highly projectable guy on both sides with two-way genuine star potential. The floor is lower than your Barco’s or Malone’s but the upside is sexy. It might costsomee money to get him away from Vanderbilt’s open arms, but not as much as Barco and he’s the perfect system fit for the Rays. If he goes to Vandy, look for him at #1 overall in 2021.

[jays4life19]

I like this site.

[Ray]

MLB Pipeline Top 200 Draft Prospects for 2020 http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2020?list=draft

 

Top 10:

 

1. Emerson Hancock, RHP, Georgia

2. Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Arizona State

3. Austin Martin, SS, Vanderbilt

4. Nick Gonzales, 2B, New Mexico State

5. Asa Lacy, LHP, Texas A&M

6. Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA

7. Jared Kelley, RHP, Refugio (Texas) HS

8. Mick Abel, RHP, Jesuit (Ore.) HS

9. Garrett Crochet, LHP, Tennessee

10. Austin Hendrick, OF, West Allegheny (Pa.) HS

Edited December 5, 2019 by Ray

[Ray]

Seems like an incredibly deep draft this year.

[jays4life19]

MLB Pipeline Top 200 Drat Prospects for 2020 http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2020?list=draft

 

Top 10:

 

1. Emerson Hancock, RHP, Georgia

2. Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Arizona State

3. Austin Martin, SS, Vanderbilt

4. Nick Gonzales, 2B, New Mexico State

5. Asa Lacy, LHP, Texas A&M

6. Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA

7. Jared Kelley, RHP, Refugio (Texas) HS

8. Mick Abel, RHP, Jesuit (Ore.) HS

9. Garrett Crochet, LHP, Tennessee

10. Austin Hendrick, OF, West Allegheny (Pa.) HS

 

Damn Blaze Jordan all the way down to 53

[jaysguy44]

I swear 95% of mock drafts/rankings have Lacy at #5, obviously a lot can change though.

 

Would you guys be happy with him at #5? I don't really know a damn thing about him, but I'd prefer we go after a Bat.

 

Pearson

Lacy

Woods-Richardson

Manoah

Kloffenstein

Kay

 

Not too bad

[jays4life19]

I swear 95% of mock drafts/rankings have Lacy at #5, obviously a lot can change though.

 

Would you guys be happy with him at #5? I don't really know a damn thing about him, but I'd prefer we go after a Bat.

 

Pearson

Lacy

Woods-Richardson

Manoah

Kloffenstein

Kay

 

Not too bad

 

Hope we pick a bat. Nick Gonzales looks nice.

 

.521 wOBA as a sophmore is kinda okay. Walks more than he strikes out. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?ID=215167

 

Edited December 5, 2019 by jays4life19

[jays4life19]

Alright, fellas. After watching 20 seconds of YouTube and quickly glancing his stats and reading 2 scouting reports i can say with 100% certainty that Nick Gonzales should be the pick for the Jays

[Laika]

Alright, fellas. After watching 20 seconds of YouTube and quickly glancing his stats and reading 2 scouting reports i can say with 100% certainty that Nick Gonzales should be the pick for the Jays

 

Watched the video too

 

I will harm myself if Toronto does not get Nick Gonzales and Josh Lindblom

[jays4life19]

https://throughthefencebaseball.com/2020-mlb-mock-draft-3-0/ -- NickyG goes 17

[TheHurl]

https://throughthefencebaseball.com/2020-mlb-mock-draft-3-0/ -- NickyG goes 17

 

I wish sites would just rank players instead of mocking so we don't have to read s*** like:

 

Toronto wants to build more off the Alex Manoah pick from the 2019 draft and Lacy makes for a good one-two punch.

 

The Tigers need more bats and Torkelson is a foundation player. They’d be foolish to go pitcher at number one again.

 

Pittsburgh is a wild card. With the firing of Clint Hurdle and the ease of them gutting their farm system recently, it’s hard to get a feel for what their strategy will be. They need arms and infielders

[jays4life19]

Lol ya.

 

Mocks are pretty useless at this point but people read them so they won't be going away

[Laika]

Apparently the draft event will be in Omaha instead of New Jersey and a little bit later this year. More prospects are expected to attend now.

[Spanky99]

Apparently the draft event will be in Omaha instead of New Jersey and a little bit later this year. More prospects are expected to attend now.

 

You can put our trade through, dumn, dumn. I hope Lauer becomes something.

[Laika]

You can put our trade through, dumn, dumn. I hope Lauer becomes something.

 

He has the tools to be as good as say peak JA Happ but I don't think he'll get there and he shouldn't be that good in Milwaukee. I don't know if I'll even keep the reliever though.

[Spanky99]

He has the tools to be as good as say peak JA Happ but I don't think he'll get there and he shouldn't be that good in Milwaukee. I don't know if I'll even keep the reliever though.

 

Same as Lauer, lol. I'm kind of stacked with guys that are interesting.

[Todd]

Question as of last week the mlb draft sites the jays are now drafting 29?

[Deadpool]

Question as of last week the mlb draft sites the jays are now drafting 29?

 

No.

 

https://www.mlb.com/draft/2020/order

 

(Also, I'd like to punch whomever did the layout for that page, f***...)

[Pendleton]

Question as of last week the mlb draft sites the jays are now drafting 29?

 

We lost 5th overall when signing Ryu, but received 29 as compensation for Ben Cherington

[THANOS]

We lost 5th overall when signing Ryu, but received 29 as compensation for Ben Cherington

 

What?

[Krylian]

We lost 5th overall when signing Ryu, but received 29 as compensation for Ben Cherington

 

We also get the right to swap first rounders with Pittsburgh in 2021 for Steve Sanders. Hope they tank.

[Laika]

They really need to fix this in the next CBA. It's crazy that things like executives moving teams have anything to do with draft pick compensation, but he we are. f***ing Manfred.