GDT: MLB Draft, June 10, 2020

[Carlos Danger]

The talent in this crop available in second round is very deep. There’s a bunch more names than this.

 

I have a hard time seeing either Jared Kelley or JT Ginn sign without a very lucrative offer, we don’t have the money to pull this trigger. Even Daxton Fulton would require a significant bonus or he’ll choose college. But this is all must speculation. If we had to pick from who was left:

 

Pitchers: Cole Wilcox > Jared Jones = Tanner Witt = Chris McMahon > Masyn Winn = Clayton Beeter = Cole Henry > Alex Santos = Carson Montgomery > Connor Phillips > CJ Van Eyk

 

I could change my mind but that’s my current preference, don’t mind the order too much I didn’t thinking too hard about it. I don’t know some of these guys well enough to be convicted into one name, but heard good things about all the guys above to some degree.

 

Position players: Casey Martin > Dillon Dingler > Enrique Bradfield = Daniel Cabrera > Chase Davis = Zach DeLoach > Kevin Parada > Petey Halpin > Blaze Jordan > Freddy Zamora = Anthony Servideo = Yohandy Morales

 

If we can sign Blaze Jordan, do it! I have no idea if he is any good, but that is an epic baseball name!

[Slade]

There is going to be a s*** ton of great talent available for the Jays in Round 2

 

College Pitchers

 

JT Ginn

Clayton Beeter

Cole Wilcox

Logan Allen

Christian Roa

Chris McMahon

 

College Bats

 

Dillon Dingler

Zach DeLoach

Casey Martin

 

High School Arms

 

Tanner Witt

Masyn Winn

Dax Fulton

Jared Kelley

 

Who do you guys want? Who's your guy?

 

I like Beeter, but Tanner Witt would be insane if we can afford him.

 

Some names I like for the 2nd round and 3rd. I'm not loving Cole Wilcox from what I read he hasn't improved his stuff since highschool and for a 100MPH fastball it's very hitable.

 

College Pitchers

 

JT Ginn

CJ Van Eyk

Clayton Beeter

Brad Birdsell

 

College Bats

 

Casey Martin

Daniel Cabrera

Dillon Dinger

Zach DeLoach

Gage Workman

Jordan Nwogu

 

High School Arms

 

Jared Jones

Carson Montgomery

Tanner Witt

Dax Fulton

 

High School Bats

 

David Calabrese

Drew Bowser

Chase Davis

[BlueRocky]

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2020-mlb-mock-draft-heres-every-prediction-weve-made-this-year/

A look at all of Baseball America’s mocks leading up to the draft

 

I started posting about Zac Veen and Max Meyer between ver 1.0 and 2.0, at the time I thought it would be a slight reach but if they had a full season they would’ve gone higher.

 

Funny enough the closest mock to the actual thing was ver 5.0 when they explored Zac Veen as the Orioles underslot pick, and cited Kjerstad as a possibility. But pretty much nobody saw Meyer to Marlins coming. The only time it was mentioned seriously was this morning from Keith Law that Meyer was on their short list for Miami.

Edited June 11, 2020 by BlueRocky

[BlueRocky]

Jim Bowden talks about the Blue Jays pick:

[Ray]

Seems like it was equal parts ineptitude from the teams drafting before us and good timing and luck that allowed us to select Martin. The teams drafting 2-3-4 are notoriously cheap teams that may have had restrictions on the amount they could spend on Martin. Maybe the Marlins/Royals really leaned college pitching over hitting. Maybe the didn’t want to deal with Boras. Either way, glad we could take advantage of it. But if there were any other combination of teams picking 2-3-4, I can’t imagine Martin falls to us.

 

Really no reason for the O’s to not draft Austin Martin there. Especially since they didn’t end up going overslot for their next pick.

[Spanky99]

Apparently Max Meyer has already signed underslot, pending physical, interested in seeing who they take next.

[G-Snarls]

Orioles suck

 

Marlins and Royals dead set on drafting an arm

 

We win big

 

Happy AF

[BurnItAll]

 

Really no reason for the OÂ’s to not draft Austin Martin there. Especially since they didnÂ’t end up going overslot for their next pick.

 

Not that I like the strategy or anything but they could still go overslot with pick 39 (the second pick today). If they were confident in the deal they struck with one of the pitchers (Kelley? Wilcox? Ginn?), they could afford to wait on that guy and grab Westburg who probably wasn't going to be there today. It could be a solid haul overall even if passing on a talent like Martin is a hell of a risk to take.

[BlueRocky]

[BlueRocky]

[Spanky99]

Not that I like the strategy or anything but they could still go overslot with pick 39 (the second pick today). If they were confident in the deal they struck with one of the pitchers (Kelley? Wilcox? Ginn?), they could afford to wait on that guy and grab Westburg who probably wasn't going to be there today. It could be a solid haul overall even if passing on a talent like Martin is a hell of a risk to take.

 

This is what I'm waiting to see. If they don't go overslot here than it's a brutal selection.

[Krylian]

 

Caissie doesn't turn 18 until next month. This FO seems to really like the 'young for the draft class' type I'm noticing.

[Spanky99]

Hah...

 

[Deadpool]

 

I could get behind that, he's got a really pretty swing from the video I've seen. Sounds like a reach at 42, but maybe we save a bit of cash there to use towards Martin.

[Slade]

I'm not sure how reliable McRae is but he also says they like Ronan Kopp. BA has him ranked at 234 but the video of him looks good. A slim 6-5 lefty with a projectable frame.

 

 

Ht: 6-5 | Wt: 200 | B-T: L-L

Commit/Drafted: Arizona State

Age At Draft: 17.9

 

Kopp presents one of the biggest quandaries for area scouts after his few appearances this spring. He came out of the summer showcase circuit with plenty of helium, a premium commodity because of his size and handedness. But his limited outings, going back to a tournament in January, left scouts scratching their heads trying to figure out what to make of him. His fastball velocity has fluctuated from topping out at 96-97 mph in at least one game to sitting in the mid-80s in another, and he’s had well below-average command. When he’s right, Kopp throws strikes with a fastball into the 90s and a curveball that he manipulates and lands consistently. But that version of Kopp didn’t emerge this spring. With a shorter draft planned for this year, it’s likely that Kopp will head to Arizona State. Even so, a team that thinks it can get him back on track and add more consistency might roll the dice on his upside.

[Krylian]

If we can sign Blaze Jordan, do it! I have no idea if he is any good, but that is an epic baseball name!

 

He's all or nothing.

[Brownie19]

Isn't Owen Caissie projected as like a 5th round pick? Can't we take him at 77th and still get him to sign well under slot? Seems like there are some really talented kids at 42 that we shouldn't pass on.

[BurnItAll]

I'm not sure how reliable McRae is but he also says they like Ronan Kopp. BA has him ranked at 234 but the video of him looks good. A slim 6-5 lefty with a projectable frame.

 

Kopp sounds very much like a Shapiro pick, a "trust your development people" pick.

[Deadpool]

Isn't Owen Caissie projected as like a 5th round pick? Can't we take him at 77th and still get him to sign well under slot? Seems like there are some really talented kids at 42 that we shouldn't pass on.

 

MLB.com has him at #75 on their list, not that that means anything necessarily...

 

Edit: And it really depends on how much they think they'll need to save for Martin, if they think he'll sign for close to 5th pick money, then they don't need to fudge too much, if they think he's going to want a couple extra million, then they need to be more creative.

[BurnItAll]

MLB.com has him at #75 on their list, not that that means anything necessarily...

 

Edit: And it really depends on how much they think they'll need to save for Martin, if they think he'll sign for close to 5th pick money, then they don't need to fudge too much, if they think he's going to want a couple extra million, then they need to be more creative.

 

He doesn't fall to 5 in the first place if Boras is willing to settle for 5th pick money.

[Spanky99]

MLB.com has him at #75 on their list, not that that means anything necessarily...

 

Edit: And it really depends on how much they think they'll need to save for Martin, if they think he'll sign for close to 5th pick money, then they don't need to fudge too much, if they think he's going to want a couple extra million, then they need to be more creative.

 

He doesn't fall to 5 in the first place if Boras is willing to settle for 5th pick money.

 

I'm guessing they'll sign him around 7.5M... 2nd slot money. It's certainly a reason he slid.

[BlueRocky]

Isn't Owen Caissie projected as like a 5th round pick? Can't we take him at 77th and still get him to sign well under slot? Seems like there are some really talented kids at 42 that we shouldn't pass on.

 

Probably 2nd to 3rd round talent. But yeah, it really depends how much $ they need for Austin Martin.

 

It’s almost like trading pick #5 and #42 for #2 and #75. Most teams would do that right?

[metafour]

He doesn't fall to 5 in the first place if Boras is willing to settle for 5th pick money.

 

This. There isn't a chance in hell Boras is letting this kid sign for anything below $7 million.

[Ray]

What about going overslot on #42 and getting a guy like Cole Wilcox or Chris MacMahon who were supposed to be first rounders? Punt the next 2 picks on seniors, but you’d be leaving the short draft with two quality players.

[Brownie19]

Probably 2nd to 3rd round talent. But yeah, it really depends how much $ they need for Austin Martin.

 

It’s almost like trading pick #5 and #42 for #2 and #75. Most teams would do that right?

 

Sorry BR - I was going off your 'bored' mock drafts where I think you tabbed Caissie as our 5th round pick!

[Brownie19]

This. There isn't a chance in hell Boras is letting this kid sign for anything below $7 million.

 

Can I just say I f***ing hate this component of the MLB draft?

[Spanky99]

Can I just say I f***ing hate this component of the MLB draft?

 

lol

[BlueRocky]

Probably 2nd to 3rd round talent. But yeah, it really depends how much $ they need for Austin Martin.

 

It’s almost like trading pick #5 and #42 for #2 and #75. Most teams would do that right?

 

Just for fun hypothetical scenario of trading pick 5 for pick 2 in past MLB drafts, here are a couple interesting ones:

 

1999: BJ Garbe (0 WAR) for Josh Beckett (35.7 WAR)

2001: Mark Teixeira (50.6 WAR) for Mark Prior (16.6 WAR)

2002: Clint Everts (0 WAR) for Melvin Upton jr (16.8 WAR)

2003: Chris Lubankski (0 WAR) for Rickie Weeks (11.5 WAR)

2004: Mark Rogers (1.1 WAR) for Justin Verlander (71.6 WAR)

2005: Ryan Braun (46.8 WAR) for Alex Gordon (35 WAR)

2007: Matt Wieters (18.2 WAR) for Mike Moustakas (15.3 WAR)

2008: Buster Posey (42.8 WAR) for Pedro Alvarez (5.1 WAR)

2012: Kyle Zimmer (-0.7 WAR) for Byron Buxton (9.8 WAR)

2013: Clint Frazier (-0.2 WAR) for Kris Bryant (23.9 WAR)

2015: Kyle Tucker (0 WAR) for Alex Bregman (22.4 WAR

[Jimcanuck]

Top 20 for the start of Rd 2 from BA.

 

 

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Jared Kelley

Refugio (Texas) HSRHP

Notes:

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

Commit/Drafted: Texas

Age At Draft: 18.7

 

A man among boys in the high school class, Kelley is the most MLB-ready prep pitcher thanks to his current stuff and physicality. Standing 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Kelley runs his fastball up into the 97-99 mph range with shocking ease. He looks like he’s playing catch on the mound with a loose, fluid delivery and little to no head whack in his finish. Perhaps in part because of the ease of his entire operation, Kelley locates his premium stuff in a way that’s beyond his years, with some scouts projecting him to have future plus command. The ease in which he does everything makes it look like his fastball explodes out of his hand, and he pairs that pitch with a low-80s plus changeup that he throws with good arm speed. The pitch is a swing-and-miss offering with excellent diving life and, like he does with his fastball, Kelley shows good feel to spot it where he wants in or out of the strike zone. The biggest question with Kelley entering the spring was in regard to his breaking ball. Over the summer he showed a slider in the low 80s, sometimes-slurvy slider. It was inconsistent and far from the wipeout projection that teams would like to see out of the top high school pitcher in the class. While Kelley didn’t get a full spring season, scouts still saw signs of improvement from his breaking ball and gave it a chance for it to become average or above-average. Kelley will battle the stigma and spotty track record that comes with being a hard-throwing high school righty, while also competing in one of the strongest college pitching classes in recent memory. Still, he does several things at an exceptionally high level that are impossible to teach, and has No. 2 starter upside. Kelley is committed to Texas.

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JT Ginn

Mississippi StateRHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 192 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Dodgers '18 (1)

Age At Draft: 21.1

 

After being selected by the Dodgers in the first round out of high school in 2018, Ginn entered the 2020 season as a draft-eligible sophomore with a chance to double up on the accomplishment. However, he made it through just three innings of his first start of the season against Wright State before exiting the game. It was later announced the Ginn would need surgery on his right elbow and that he would miss the season. While the rest of the college season was canceled due to the novel coronavirus, Ginn’s status is more up in the air after being considered a top-15 caliber player in the 2020 draft class. He has plenty of prospect pedigree going back to his high school days, when his pure stuff stacked up among the best arms of a loaded 2018 prep pitching class. As a high schooler, Ginn ratcheted his fastball up to 99 mph and buried a mean, wipeout slider as well. Rather than sign with Los Angeles at the back of the first round, he had a strong freshman season at Mississippi State and proved he could be a dominant starter. He posted a 3.13 ERA over 17 starts and 86.1 innings, while striking out 105 batters and walking 19. When healthy, Ginn possesses two potentially double-plus pitches. His fastball has impressive velocity, but the pitch’s life and running action makes it even more impressive. His slider has also been graded as a future plus-plus offering by some evaluators, and he has a solid changeup as well. Ginn showed he could hold his stuff over longer outings, repeat his delivery consistently and throw enough strikes to start, but now teams will have to decide whether to take the risk on his health. He could again be a difficult sign because of the additional leverage that comes with being a draft-eligible sophomore.

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Cole Wilcox

GeorgiaRHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-5 | Wt: 232 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Nationals '18 (37)

Age At Draft: 20.9

 

Wilcox was in the middle of an extremely talented Georgia prep pitching class in 2018, along with arms like Indians righty Ethan Hankins and Vanderbilt righty Kumar Rocker. Wilcox was seen as a day one talent at the time, with a projectable frame, plus fastball and two promising secondary offerings, but the depth of the class and his commitment to Georgia allowed him to slide. Two years later, Wilcox is again a potential first-round pick and one of many impressive draft-eligible sophomores in the 2020 class. Wilcox has worked with Georgia’s strength and conditioning coach, Ryan Gearhart, to add significant muscle to his 6-foot-5 frame in his two years at school. He’s now listed at 232 pounds and is one of the more physically intimidating pitchers in the country. His stuff matches his size, as Wilcox attacks hitters with a fastball that frequently gets into the 97-98 mph range and has touched 100 mph. After spending most of his time as a reliever in 2019, Wilcox entered the 2020 season as the Bulldogs’ Saturday starter behind Emerson Hancock and was off to a great start before the season was cut short. Wilcox posted a 1.57 ERA in four starts, with 32 strikeouts and just two walks in 23 innings. That walk rate is encouraging for teams, who are skeptical of Wilcox’s strike-throwing ability after he walked close to six batters per nine innings in 2019. Scouts would have liked to see him continue that trend against SEC batters, as Wilcox has a tendency to get scattered and miss the zone, but his stuff is overpowering enough that overmatched hitters would still chase out of the zone. Wilcox pitched mostly off of a 93-96 mph fastball as a starter, with a mid-80s slider that also grades as plus. He also throws a changeup in the same mid-80s range that could give him an average or better third offering. Wilcox was trending in the right direction prior to the season ending and was already a first round-type of talent entering the year, so how much a team likes his upside and buys into his improved control will determine where he goes. As an eligible sophomore, Wilcox will have more leverage than most college players and could be a costly sign.

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Dillon Dingler

Ohio StateC

Notes:

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

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted

Age At Draft: 21.7

 

Dingler has been a regular in Ohio State’s lineup since he first set foot on campus in Columbus. As a freshman he showed impressive defensive versatility at two premium positions, playing both catcher and center field. He settled in as the team’s starting catcher during his sophomore season, and scouts believe in his catch-and-throw skills and athleticism behind the plate. A natural leader and a captain for the Buckeyes, Dingler has big league arm strength, and over 115 total games with Ohio State threw out 21 of the 42 (50 percent) runners who attempted to steal against him. He has a strong, 6-foot-3, 222-pound frame that would be durable enough to handle the grind of the position, and he’s more athletic than most backstops with that sort of size. Offensively, Dingler was just starting to tap into his potential, improving year over year. He improved his OPS from .701 as a freshman to .816 as a sophomore. His numbers might have been even louder if he didn't miss some time early in the season due to a broken hamate that could have sapped some of his power even after returning to the field. Through 10 games in 2020 upped that mark to 1.164 with five home runs, a triple and four doubles through 35 at-bats. Dingler has always controlled the strike zone well throughout his Big 10 career (12.8 strikeout percentage, 11.6 walk percentage) but never really showed the ability to tap into his above-average raw power consistently in games. Some scouts believe he’s more of an ambush power hitter, who ran into his homers, and now without a full junior season to see if that is true, they’ll have to guess. With a strong offensive 2020 season, Dingler had the potential to go in the first two rounds and his everyday potential and big arm could keep him in that range even with a shortened season.

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Chris McMahon

MiamiRHP

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.

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Casey Martin

ArkansasSS

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.

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Carson Montgomery

Windermere (Fla.) HSRHP

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.

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Jared Jones

La Mirada (Calif.) HSRHP

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.

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Daniel Cabrera

Louisiana StateOF

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.

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Cole Henry

Louisiana StateRHP

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.

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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.

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CJ Van Eyk

Florida StateRHP

Notes:

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

Commit/Drafted: Mets '17 (19)

Age At Draft: 21.8

 

Van Eyk established himself as one of the more polished prep pitchers in the 2017 draft class. He ranked No. 109 on the BA 500 that year and would have been solidly in the top 100 of the class if it weren’t for health questions that stemmed from a forearm injury. Perhaps because of that, Van Eyk made his way to Florida State, where he has been extremely consistent. After starting just five games as a freshman, Van Eyk made a successful transition to a starting role in 2019, when he posted a 3.81 ERA over 99.1 innings and 18 starts, with more than 11 strikeouts per nine innings. He was off to another successful season in 2020, posting a 1.31 ERA over four starts and 20.2 innings with 25 strikeouts and 12 walks. Van Eyk gets things done with a solid three-pitch mix, including a fastball in the 90-95 mph range, a sharp, 78-80 mph downer curveball and an 81-84 mph changeup with sinking action that fools hitters on both sides. All three of those pitches are solid-average or better. Van Eyk can also spin a slider, but the pitch has less depth and less swing-and-miss potential than his curve. Van Eyk’s operation is clean, with a loose, fluid arm that comes from a deliberate windup with very little coil or torque in his lower half, some hooking action in the back and an easy, balanced finish. Everything about the operation screams starter, but Van Eyk’s stuff isn’t quite as explosive as the top-end pitchers in the class, which could make him more of a late first- or second-round pick.

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Masyn Winn

Kingwood (Texas) HSSS/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.

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Kevin Parada

Loyola HS, Los AngelesC

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.

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Isaiah Greene

Corona (Calif.) HSOF

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.

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Gage Workman

Arizona State3B

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.

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Daxton Fulton

Mustang (Okla.) HSLHP

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.

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Jeff Criswell

MichiganRHP

Notes:

Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 225 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Tigers '17 (35)

Age At Draft: 21.3

 

Criswell showed promising stuff coming out of high school, with a fastball that got into the mid-90s at its best, and a projectable, 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame. He was a projection arm who scouts wanted to see go to college and add strength and consistency—which is exactly what he did. Criswell stepped into a high-usage reliever role as a freshman and led Michigan with 24 appearances while posting a 2.23 ERA. While his walk rate was a bit erratic, he improved that mark in his second season as he transitioned into a starting role. Again, he had success, posting a 2.72 ERA and improving his strikeout and walk rates. As a junior, Criswell is now listed at 6-foot-4 with a strong, 225-pound frame and a solid three-pitch mix. His fastball regularly gets anywhere from 94-97 mph, and he pairs the offering with a slider and changeup that both have average potential. Scouts would have liked to get more time to bear down on Criswell this spring, but he threw just 24 innings over four starts, getting hit around a bit by Pepperdine in his last outing. There is some concern about whether Criswell fits best in a starter or reliever role. He has enough stuff to succeed in either, but without improved control at the next level (he’s walked 4.5 batters per nine through his Michigan career) he might fit best in the bullpen. However, he has taken steps to improve the walk rate each season, so he could simply continue learning how to harness his repertoire and limit the damage he does to himself. Criswell is a day one pick in a normal draft and should be off the board by the third round.

[The Iceman]

 

My son played with Owen from 7 years old to 14. Just taken off, he hit a monster HR off a 26 year old Blue Jay farm hand when our jr Nationals played the Jays this spring.

Has grown to over 6'4" and 220 pounds and he is still just 17 years old.

Plus runner, 90 MPH + velocity on throws. This kid will hit!!!

 

I was hearing won't get past Detroit 3.1 so Jays either take him in round 2 or lose him.

Now there is no sure thing he signs either. Full ride to Michigan and he can re-enter draft @ 19