2020 MLB Draft Day 1

The evening started with a couple of important comments.

1. Per Rob Manfred – “We’re going to play Baseball in 2020”
2. Announcement with all 30 GMs united in their support for Black Lives Matter.  The united front was the brainchild of Theo Epstein.  It is certainly a fantastic program in light of current events, but it needs to be more than just feel good platitudes in order for there to be any change.  But it is an excellent first step.  Let’s see what happens with their next step. 

If MLB and MLBPA can agree to start the 2020 season in quick order, and make positive strides to help quell racial tensions, they will go a long way to improve the current MLB image.

Now to the actual draft.  This is considered a very deep draft as it relates to HS OF and college RHP, and that proved to be true.  There were four HS OFers selected in the first 19 picks. There were also eight college RHP in the first 37 picks, including the Dodgers pick at #29, University of Louisville RHP, Bobby Miller.  Not one of the eight mock draft publications I followed selected Bobby Miller as the Dodgers #1, but I do believe someone on LADT made that pick. 

As indicated, I  followed eight mock drafts for the first round:

• MLB.com – Jim Callis
• MLB.com – Jonathan Mayo
• Baseball America – Carlos Collazo
• Fangraphs – Eric Logenhagen
• ESPN – Kiley McDaniel
• The Athletic – Keith Law
• Prospects365 – Ian Smith
• Bleacher Report – Joel Reuter

There were many others, but these are the most prominent baseball publications with the best baseball amateur evaluators.  While they may have a few of those anonymous contacts, they are guessing just like everybody else.

One of the MLBTV crew comments was that teams have already been in contact with the players to determine signability and expected contract amount.  With only five rounds, these became much more important to have thorough knowledge.  That seems to be borne out since at least two have already agreed to terms this evening. 

The first round went fairly close to expected.  Everyone projected Arizona State University 1B, Spencer Torkelson to be the 1/1.  While Torkelson was the selection, he was drafted as a 3B and not a 1B, which came as surprise to all.

Certainly, Baltimore threw a curve when they selected Arkansas OF Heston Kjerstad over Austin Martin and Asa Lacy.  While Austin Martin is considered the best overall talent, Kjerstad is considered the best college left hand bat.  It is also Then Miami followed with another slight surprise by selecting University of Minnesota RHP Max Meyer over the same two who were projected to go #2 and #3.  One pick that we Dodger fans are going to need to follow will be the Colorado pick at #9, BIG Zach Veen, 18 year old RF from Spruce Creek HS, Port Orange, FL.  His stance and swing are compared favorably to Cody Bellinger.  He has a monstrous LH power bat.  In Colorado?  Another potential Larry Walker?

While not necessarily in the correct order, the first ten picks went just about as expected.  Two of the eight correctly identified 8 of the first ten picks (Ian Smith and Keith Law), two of the eight correctly identified 9 of the firs ten picks (Carlos Collazo and Joel Reuter), while the other four, selected all ten (Kiley McDaniel, Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo, and Eric Logenhagen).

There were a couple of surprises in the next several rounds.  While the consensus of the panel agreed that the best strategy especially for the first round is best player available, the group seemed to be caught off guard when Farhan Zaidi and the San Francisco Giants selected Patrick Bailey, highly considered the best catcher in the draft.  With Joey Bart just about ready to assume the every day catcher position, it was considered a strange pick to select the top college catcher with so many other top players still available at pick #13. 

The most ironic selection was the Cubs at #16.  With Theo Epstein orchestrating MLB’s Black Lives Matter United For Change program, he selected Mount Carmel High School SS, Ed Howard, as the first African American selection in the draft, and a Cubs fan.  This was not a throw away pick as Howard is considered the best high school defensive SS in the draft pool. Strictly from a baseball standpoint, this was a solid pick with a lot of potential upside.  The worst part of Ed’s evening was that he could not get the audio to work for his interview with MLBTV.

The biggest reach of the night came the very next pick from Boston.  Boston has already been stripped of their #2 draft pick in 2020, so this seemed to be a very important pick.  They selected lightly regarded 2B Nick Yorke from Archbishop Mitty HS, San Jose CA.  Baseball American had him ranked at #96, MLBPipeline had him ranked at #139, and Fangraphs had him ranked at #165.  Boston is confident they will sign him for a below slot contract.  What gives Boston fans some hope is that the great Vanderbilt Baseball Coach, Tim Corbin, said that they recruited him very hard, and that they considered him to have the best high school bat.

Harvard Westlake HS, Studio City had another 1^st round pick, although this time it was not a pitcher.  Previously selected first round pitchers from Harvard Westlake include Max Fried (Padres #1 2012), Jack Flaherty (Cardinals #1 2014), and Lucas Giolito (Washington #1 2016).  This time it is perhaps the best defensive CF in the entire draft (HS or College), Pete Crow-Armstrong.  Crow-Armstrong was the #1 pick for the New York Mets.

The next surprise was St Louis’ pick at #21 of HS 3B Jordan Walker.  Jordan is a big athletic 3B with a high ceiling.  He also has a mid-low floor.  But he had a lot of helium coming into the draft, and was able to get a first round pick..

The Nationals got another big hard throwing RHSP in Cade Cavalli, Oklahoma.  He will probably be ready just about the time Max Scherzer really begins to tail off.

Pittsburgh’s Cole Tucker’s younger brother, Carson Tucker was selected by Cleveland at #23.  Tucker has a Dodger tie in that both Cole and Carson are very close friends with Cody Bellinger. Carson seems somewhat of a reach with Baseball America rating him #61 and MLB #52.

Everybody had a special interest in 17 year old RHP Nick Bitsko.  He is one I cannot wait to watch develop.  Tampa Bay, owners of the best MiLB system in MLB, has plenty of time to bring Bitsko around properly.  It sure would have been interesting had Bitsko been available when LAD selected.

One pitcher I considered in my Dodgers mock draft for the first round was Wake Forest LHP, Jared Shuster.  I was scared of with Baseball America ranking of #43 and MLB #77.  But Atlanta got another good LHP with their pick at #25. 

There were several prospects that were projected as possible LAD picks that went in the competitive balance round (#30 – #37).  All mentioned as possible Dodger picks:

• Jordan Westburg, SS Mississippi State (#30 Baltimore)
• Carmen Mlodzinski, RHP University of South Carolina (#31 Pittsburgh)
• Nick Loftin, SS Baylor (#32 Kansas City)
• Slade Cecconi, RHP University of Miami (#33 Arizona)
• Justin Lange, RHP Llano HS, Llano, TX (#34 San Diego)

Thursday concludes the 2020 MLB draft.  There are still a lot of good players available in the draft. The one I believe will be very fast off the board is Georgia RHP, Cole Wilcox.  He was pretty much a consensus first rounder in the mock drafts.  Another one who should go quickly will be Ohio State catcher, Dillon Dingler.  It was curious that HS RHP Jared Kelley (Refugio HS, Texas) was not selected.  I wonder if the teams have determined that a big RHP from Texas, committed to the University of Texas would be too hard to sign. 2D2’s selection in the mock draft was another HS RHP, Jared Jones, also committed to University of Texas.  There may have been some discussion going on there.

JT Ginn is still available.  I also wonder if he has told the organizations that he is going back to Mississippi State.  I would also be curios as to whether he agreed to allow LAD to select him if they wanted to.  Ginn could refuse the Dodgers selecting him if that is what he wanted.

Thursday at 2:00 PM begins Day 2 of the 2020 MLB draft.  2D2 will have a write up on those rounds.

UPDATE – LOS ANGELES DODGERS RELEASE BOBBY MILLER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                  Contact: Public Relations

Wednesday, June 10, 2020                                                                                           (323) 224-1301

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DODGERS SELECT RHP BOBBY MILLER WITH THE 29^th OVERALL PICK IN THE 2020 MLB DRAFT

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers selected right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller from the University of Louisville with the 29^th overall selection in the 2020 First Year Player Draft.

Miller, 21, made four starts for the Cardinals in 2020, going 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA (6 ER/23.1 IP) with 34 strikeouts against nine walks. He tallied three quality starts in four chances, striking out a career-high 12 batters over 6.2 innings on February 22 against Valparaiso University

In 2018, the McHenry, IL native earned Freshman All-America honors and was selected All-ACC Third Team and All-ACC Freshman Team after going 6-1 with a 2.97 ERA (22 ER/66.2 IP) and 55 strikeouts over 17 games (nine starts). In three seasons with Louisville, he recorded a 15-2 record with a 3.28 ERA (62 ER/170 IP) with 175 strikeouts in 41 appearances (25 games).

“Tremendous night for the Dodgers and we are ecstatic to select Bobby,” said Vice President of Amateur Scouting Billy Gasparino. “He’s a very talented pitcher with huge upside that we are looking forward to developing into a quality Major League pitcher.  His work ethic and character will fit in well with our current culture.”

He was a four-year letter winner at McHenry High School West Campus and was selected in 38^th round of 2017 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles before electing to attend the University of Louisville. He finished his senior season with a 0.80 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 52 innings and was a Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American.

The 2020 First-Year Player Draft will continue tomorrow with the final four rounds beginning at 2:00 p.m. PST and televised on ESPN2 and MLB Network. The Dodgers will have five selections in the second day of the draft beginning with the 60^th overall selection.

Audio/Video Assets can be downloaded here.

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