Major League Baseball 2020 Mock Draft
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The 2020 MLB amateur draft takes place later tonight and it will be unlike any draft we’ve seen.
With owners crying poor and minor league systems set to be permanently compressed, the draft has been slashed from the normal 40 rounds to just five — although teams will be able to sign undrafted players as free agents for no more than $20,000. This means we will likely see a lot of high school players opt for the college or junior college routes and some college juniors opt for a senior year — although the pandemic has also put college programs at risk.
This draft, with only five rounds, will put a huge amount of pressure on scouting directors and their departments to get it right. In past drafts, you could find gems in later rounds to help offset the sting of swinging-and-missing on a first or second-round pick. This may be less likely to happen now. The one bit of good news for MLB teams is that this is a fairly deep draft — especially on the college side.
The 2020 MLB Mock Draft
Today, we’re looking at the players I would select based on true baseball talent — not just from a fantasy perspective although in truth there isn’t a huge divide from the two perspectives. I’ve spent weeks pouring over video, scouting reports, and data to make my selections for each team as if I were their scouting directors. Next week, we’ll take a look at how the first round actually played out and how those choices could impact the players’ future fantasy values.
I’ve been mock drafting ahead of the amateur draft for well over 10 years now. The 2011 draft was one of my strongest when I advocated for Gerrit Cole first overall, followed by Anthony Rendon and then Trevor Bauer. I broke with the industry consensus in 2012 — along with the Astros, as it turned out — and selected Carlos Correa first overall. Kris Bryant was another great added with the first pick in 2013 as the Astros real pick — Mark Appel — was a huge miss. Below, I’ll list the players I selected in both the 2018 and the 2019 mock drafts.
Below, you’ll also see the players that were selected by myself for the listed teams during the 2018 and 2019 mock drafts. It’s a fun little way to see how well I’ve helped (or hurt) your favorite teams over the past three years.
1. Detroit Tigers: Zac Veen, OF, Florida HS
2018 and 2019 Picks: Casey Mize and J.J. Bleday
Let’s shake up things right off the bat. Veen has an advanced bat for his age and projects to hit for both power and average. I love his low-maintenance but potent swing and his 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame, which has room to add additional muscle. I was a huge fan of both Jarred Kelenic and Corbin Carroll in the last two drafts but Veen could be even better. Because he’s not the consensus best player, I can likely save some money for the Tigers with this pick to help with the other four rounds and still deliver the top option much as I did for Houston in 2012 with Carlos Correa.
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Read More: Major League Baseball 2020 Mock Draft 2020-06-09 12:14:44