These grades are written with a few points of emphasis in mind. I heavily considered numbers of picks, pick position, and bonus pool as I graded each team. For example a team that I feel underperformed based upon overall talent in relation to pool resources will be ranked below a team that did more with less.
I feel it’s important to understand the important role the bonus pool number plays in the MLB draft and where players are picked and by whom. The money sometimes wields more weight than a higher draft choice and in a five-round draft the strategy and execution of that strategy was even more paramount. So as I go through team by team keep in mind we’re grading on a scale and how well each organization did with the resources available holds more weight than anything.
Teams are listed in alphabetical order.
Team: Arizona Diamondbacks
Picks: 18, 33, 90, 119, 149
Bonus: $7,184,900
Players Drafted: Bryce Jarvis RHP Duke, Slade Cecconi RHP Miami, Liam Norris LHP Green Hope HS (NC), A.J. Vukovich 3B East Troy HS (WI), Brandon Pfaadt RHP Bellarmine University
Ralph’s Take: College arms with upside college picks wedged in between. This draft is a tale of two sides. First popping the trending Jarvis at 18 and following that up with the falling Cecconi at 33. Due to a nearly 60 pick delta between their CB round A pick and third rounder (no second due to the signing of Madison Bumgarner) the Diamondbacks chose to land certainty with their early picks. Landing arguably the best pair of starters in the draft. Their next two picks in North Carolina lefthander Liam Norris and imposing Wisconsin masher A.J. Vukovich. Each has a loud tool, Norris is up to 96 mph from the left side and Vukovich has plus raw, but issues with refinement. I caught 5th rounder Brandon Pfaadt on the Cape in 2019, and despite some velo and heavy sink in his fastball he profiles best as a reliever due to his inability to sustain his velocity. A solid class with highlights at the top and some upside in the middle. No stars but they may have a few major leaguers.
Grade: B
Team: Atlanta Braves
Picks: 25, 97, 126, 156
Bonus: 4,127,800
Players Drafted: Jared Shuster LHP Wake Forest, Jesse Franklin OF Michigan, Spencer Strider RHP Clemson, Bryce Elder RHP Texas
Ralph’s Take: An entirely college class for the Braves, and all things considered, as they sported one of the lower bonus pools in the draft they did fairly well. Shuster was a small sample breakout between the CCBL last summer and strong early performance with Wake this spring. The lefty’s fastball was up to 96 mph this spring and comfortably worked 93-94 mph deep into starts, mixing in a plus changeup to keep hitters at bay. He’s likely a backend rotation starter but one that can give you above replacement level performance and eat innings.
Their third rounder Franklin is a strange case as he was up and down his first two years at Michigan and on the heels of a solid if unspectacular Cape performance he seemed to get trending upward, but a freak ski accident this off-season resulted in a collarbone injury and a delayed start that never began due to the shortened season. Spencer Strider out of Clemson in the 4th is their most intriguing pick. Well known out of high school, Strider put together a solid freshman campaign in the ACC. However his mechanics were rough, his elbow, and had TJS. Over the extended break he remade his mechanics and improved his conditioning. A year removed from surgery he was sitting 93-94 up to 97 with rise and run. Fastball heavy but feel for your secondaries is the last thing to come back. Their 5th rounder Bryce Elder is a name I’ve had on my watch list for a few years, but he’s never gotten command of his stuff. Likely a relief arm with a decent fastball+cutter combo.
All in all Atlanta did a fair job of landing some value with limited resources. Shuster, Strider, and Franklin all present unusual risk/reward potential for college selections.
Grade: C+
Team: Baltimore Orioles
Picks: 2, 30, 39, 74, 103, 133
Bonus: $13,894,300
Players Drafted: Heston Kjerstad OF Arkansas, Jordan Westburg SS Mississippi State, Hudson Haskin OF Tulane, Anthony Servideo SS Ole Miss, Coby Mayo Stoneman Douglas (FL), Carter Baumler RHP Dowling Catholic (IA)
Ralph’s Take: In what was set up to be the bully of the draft board Baltimore took a somewhat unusual path to their position of leverage. Spreading dollars across the board landing Top 100 or better talents at all their selections. How much passing on Austin Martin will haunt them is another story. Kjerstad is a unique talent in his own right but he lacks defensive value which will put extra pressure in his bat. Beyond that Baltimore landed upside plays in Jordan Westburg, Hudson Haskin, and the coup de grâce Coby Mayo and Carter Baumler at picks 103 and 133 respectively. The Orioles had first round grades on Haskin and Westburg, meaning they landed three players in their first round board, a strong defensive player in Servideo with upside in the stick, and a pair of overslot prep talents. While it lacked the fireworks of the rumored Kjerstad+Bitsko combination, Baltimore did a good job of adding five strong talents to a system slowly being remade by Mike Elias and Co. One little tidbit, I’ve been told by a source close to the Orioles organization that Bryce Jarvis was the arm the Orioles hoped fell to 30, and that they had no interest in Bitsko. Take that for what it’s worth but it’s an interesting tidbit.
Grade: B+
Team: Boston Red Sox
Picks: 17, 89, 118, 148
Bonus: $5,129,900
Players Drafted: Nick Yorke 2B Archbishop Mitty HS (CA), Blaze Jordan 3B Desoto HS (MS), Jeremy Wu-Yelland LHP Hawaii, Shane Drohan RHP Florida State
Ralph’s Take: The Nick Yorke pick was the shock of the night. I knew he was in play in the late to mid-second as teams loved his bat to ball skills but going in the first 20 picks seemed like a shock. Obviously this was done with a below slot deal in mind that allowed them to pull Blaze Jordan down from the early second down to the mid-3rd. Jordan is an exciting and divisive talent. While it’s true he’s incredibly young for the class, he struggled to hit against high level competition throughout the summer. His elite bat speed and high end exit velocities point to potential middle of the order upside. However, he’ll need to keep his conditioning in check, and work on his overall refinement at the plate. A risk/reward gamble by Chaim Bloom in his first draft at the helm.
They finished off with a pair of powerful left handed arms in Jeremy Wu-Yellend and FSU’s Shane Drohan. Wu-Yelland was up to 97 but had command issues. Drohan is raw but shows promise as a starter with a three pitch mix and above average athleticism. Drohan is arguably my favorite pick from Boston’s Draft.
An uneven effort, even with the fifth lowest bonus pool, there were numerous players available at 17 worth taking over the Yorke+Jordan pairing.
Grade: D
Team: Chicago Cubs
Picks: 16, 51, 88, 117, 147
Bonus: $6,721,600
Players Drafted: Ed Howard SS Mount Carmel (IL), Burl Carraway LHP Dallas Baptist, Jordan Nwogu OF Michigan, Luke Little LHP San Jacinto JC, Koen Moreno RHP Panther Creek
Ralph’s Take: An exciting group the Cubs landed with their five picks. Sandwiched between two upside prep players, were a trio of college players with a loud tool. Howard was rumored to be in play as high as 11 and as late as the Competitive Balance Round A. So he was a true first round talent, and the only prep shortstop with that distinction in the class. He’s a homegrown talent from the Chicagoland area and a player with projectability on both sides of the ball.
Both Dallas Baptist’s Burl Carraway and San Jacinto’s Luke Little are lefties with major juice. Carraway is 100% relief only while Little has around a 10% of starting. Both are power relief arms that can play out of the pen. Carraway is still mastering his control but far closer to a finished product than the ceviche raw Little. Third rounder Jordan Nwogu, is an athletic power hitter with plus wheels in his hulking frame. He’s a bat first prospect with little defensive value in left. There’s some hit tool concerns and risk of a heavy three true outcome profile. Moreno is a sneaky pick in the mid-5th, an athletic righthander with a quick arm, a low-90s fastball, and a three pitch mix headed by a plus changeup. Moreno is the type of arm that had a chance to boost his stock in a normal year, and may turn out to be a windfall for the Cubs.
A solid and exciting group, but one that lacks the top to bottom upside of the best classes.
Grade: B-
Team: Chicago White Sox
Picks: 11, 47, 83, 112, 142
Bonus: $7,764,800
Players Drafted: Garrett Crochet LHP Tennessee, Jared Kelley RHP Refugio (TX), Adisyn Coffey RHP Wabash Valley JC, Kade Mechals RHP Grand Canyon University, Bailey Horn LHP Auburn
Ralph’s Take: It’s interesting to see the different tactics taken by teams in a five round draft, and it should come as no surprise the White Sox came out gambling. The best example of a top heavy philosophy, Chicago punted their final three round picks on two underslot college arms (Kade Mechals and Bailey Horn) and a Juco pitcher in Adisyn Coffey. The most interesting of that group is Horn, more on him later. At the top one could argue that the White Sox landed the second best college lefthander in the draft and its second best prep righthander. A nice boost of pitching talent at the top for an organization lacking in high end arms after recent and impending graduations. There’s also significant risk in both Crochet and Kelley. Crochet’s murky injury history and high effort mechanics lead to questions about his long term viability as a starter. Kelley's fastball, though hard, lacks the movement profile desired by most clubs, and his slider lags behind his plus changeup. Regardless there’s tremendous upside in both arms, and it’s an aggressive move that just may pay off.
As for the trio of arms taken in rounds three through five, Auburn’s Bailey Horn stands out among the bunch. A 2019 Juco transfer from the well known McLennan program in Texas, Horn performed well in his first season in Auburn’s rotation on the heels of a 2018 Tommy John surgery. However, his stuff saw a jump this spring flashing a mid-90s fastball with a near-12:00 axis and high efficiency, as well as slider and changeup. He’s an intriguing last round flier and one I rank higher than either Coffey or Mechals.
Aggressive approach at the top with a no risk/upside final selection.
Grade: B
Team: Cincinnati Reds
Picks: 12, 48, 65, 84, 113, 143
Bonus: $8,552,100
Players Drafted: Austin Hendrick OF West Allegheny HS (PA), Christian Roa RHP Texas A&M, Jackson Miller C J.W. Mitchell HS (FL), Bryce Bonin RHP Texas Tech, Mac Wainwright OF St. Edward HS (OH), Joe Boyle RHP Notre Dame
Ralph’s Take: No one played the risk/reward game as well as the Reds in 2020. They started off landing arguably the most powerful of the quartet of left handed hitting prep outfielders at the top of the draft. Followed by a late-blooming college arm in Christian Roa in the second, a prep catcher with a plus bat to ball profile at the plate and athleticism behind it, a pair of college arms with arguably the biggest raw stuff in the draft with a powerful cold-weather prep hitter sandwiched between.
The trio of arms is more intriguing due to the pitching minds at the helm of player development in the Cincinnati organization, but in a draft of standout college pitchers the Reds didn’t land any. Roa has interesting traits but lacks a dominant secondary and has a limited track record of success. Both Bonnin and Boyle throw hard, but lack command. Bonnin sits 93-95 topping out at 97, while Boyle can sit 100 mph in short stints, each has a go to secondary in their sliders, but each has trouble holding command from at bat to at bat. Kinks I’m sure the Cincinnati braintrust feels they can iron out. Both Miller and Wainwright are intriguing talents in their own right. Miller with a combination of contact and advanced feel at the plate and athleticism behind it. Wainwright is a freak athlete with football pedigree, who combines a power/speed outfield profile with a chance to stick in center.
This class has immense upside, but also a pretty low floor outside Hendrick. The Reds pushed their chips into the middle on risky players I’m not sure other clubs valued as much.
Grade: C+
Team: Cleveland Indians
Picks: 23, 36, 56, 95, 124, 154
Bonus Pool: $7,662,800
Players Drafted: Carson Tucker SS Mountain Pointe (AZ), Tanner Burns RHP Auburn, Logan Allen LHP Florida International, Petey Halpin OF Mira Costa HS (CA), Milan Torentino SS Santa Margarita HS (CA), Mason Hickman RHP Vanderbilt
Ralph’s Take: I’m not going to go into player specifics in terms of breakdowns. Cleveland utilized their pool money to dominate the five round setup, landing multiple first round talents throughout the draft. Successfully targeting college pitching with analytical traits they desire, and high upside up-the-middle prep talents with everyday upside. Carson Tucker, Petey Halpin, and Milan Torentino were all top 50 prep players in the class with blossoming offensive profiles and a chance to stick in up-the-middle defensive roles long term. In Auburn’s Tanner Burns and Vanderbilt’s Mason Hickman they may have landed the two pitchers with the best fastball command in the class. Allen isn’t far behind, but he’s another pitchability arm with elite feel for his secondaries (changeup and slider) a profile the Indians have had great success developing. Arguably my favorite class.
Grade: A
Team: Colorado Rockies
Picks: 9, 35, 46, 81, 110, 140
Bonus: $10,339,700
Players Drafted: Zac Veen OF Spruce Creek HS (FL), Drew Romo C The Woodlands (TX), Chris McMahon RHP Miami, Sam Weatherly LHP Clemson, Case Williams RHP Douglas County HS (CO), Jack Blomgren SS Michigan
Ralph’s Take: An uneven draft from Colorado, but one with a strong trio of talent at the top. Zac Veen, arguably the best prep player in the draft, slipped to them at nine, before shocking some folks with an aggressive pick of Texas high school catcher Drew Romo at pick 35 in the first Competitive Balance round. Miami righthander Chris McMahon slid to them at pick 46, and they prudently took advantage. I like the player in Sam Weatherly at pick 81, but would prefer him in a better pitching development organization, as he still has kinks to iron out mechanically. Right Hander Case Williams was the top prep arm in Colorado this season, but wasn’t among the top 30-40 prep arms available. Fifth rounder Jack Blomgren is a makeup over tools player that was a “heart and soul” type on Michigan’s Cinderella College World Series runner-up finish.
A half and half cookie of a class, with three great picks at the top followed by a poor organizational fit and two below market talents. The amount of pool money spent to land both Veen and Romo is worth the later round punts.
Grade: B
Team: Detroit Tigers
Picks: 1, 38, 62, 73, 102, 132
Bonus: $13,325,700
Players Drafted: Spencer Torkelson 3B Arizona State, Dillon Dingler C Ohio State, Daniel Cabrera OF LSU, Trei Cruz SS Rice, Gage Workman 3B Arizona State, Colt Keith 3B Biloxi HS (MS)
Ralph’s Take: In a shocking turn of events the Tigers drafted incredibly well, taking advantage of their pool money and picks position as much as any team outside Cleveland in the draft. The first selection was somewhat clearcut, but landing the athletic and upward trending Dingler with the first pick of day one provided excellent value and set the tone for a really strong day two from the Tigers.
They landed another college performer in Daniel Cabrera, followed by a pair of upside college infielders and Cape League All Stars in Gage Workman and Trei Cruz. The cherry on top was landing Mississippi Gatorade player of the year Colt Keith in round five. A two way talent that will pursue his professional career as an everyday player at third base. It’s a talented class with floor (Torkelson, Cabrera, and Dingler) as well as upside (Tork, Dingler, Workman, and Keith). Many are split on the Cruz pick, but that’s not much of a knock to a very strong class overall.
Could Detroit chase more upside in the second and third rounds? Possibly, but upside and development projects are not the Tigers forte.
Grade: A-
Team: Houston Astros
Picks: 72, 101, 131, 160
Bonus: $2,202,600
Players Drafted: Alex Santos RHP Mount Saint Michael Academy (NY), Ty Brown RHP Vanderbilt, Zach Daniels OF Tennessee, Shay Whitcomb SS UC San Diego
Ralph’s Take: The Astros lost both their first and second rounders due to the sign stealing scandal and entered the draft with a bonus pool smaller than the slot value of the first 32 picks in the draft. With this in mind the Astros did fairly well. Santos is one of the more Interesting cold weather prep arms in the draft and a player ranked higher than his pick 72 spot. They paired that with a trio of college players with role players upside. Ty Brown is a relief arm from the Vanderbilt pen, while Daniels and Whitcomb were both players I caught on the Cape last summer. Daniels is a bag of raw tools that lacks the all important hit tool, while Whitcomb is a hit tool first middle infielder that performed well down the Cape last summer. An all in gamble on Santos that’s likely worth it, but the weakest class overall.
Grade: C-
Team: Kansas City Royals
Picks: 4, 32, 41, 76, 105, 135
Bonus: $12,521,300
Players Drafted: Asa Lacy LHP Texas A&M, Nick Loftin SS Baylor, Ben Hernandez RHP De La Salle Institute (IL), Tyler Gentry OF Alabama, Christian Chamberlin LHP Oregon State, Will Klein RHP East Illinois
Ralph’s Take: Armed with four picks in the top 80 and over $12.5 million in slot money Kansas City was poised to dominate the draft. They took Lacy at four after the lefty from Texas A&M landed in their lap. They followed that with consecutive picks at 32 and 41 that landed on opposite sides of the spectrum. A polished and versatile college infielder in Loftin and a promising prep arm with one of the best changeups in the class. Their final three picks were underwhelming in a possibly positionless slugger in Tyler Gentry and a pair of arms that profile best as relievers. Christian Chamberlin, their fourth rounder showed the ability to miss bats at Oregon State, but he’s an undersized lefty that sits low-90s as a starter. Klein is a two pitch guy from a smaller school with some zip on his fastball and a power curveball to play off it.
Grade: B
Team: Los Angeles Angels
Picks: 10, 82, 111, 141
Bonus: $6,397,100
Players Drafted: Reid Detmers LHP Louisville, David Calabrese OF St. Elizabeth (ON-CAN), Werner Blakely SS Detroit Edison HS (MI), Adam Seminaris LHP Long Beach State
Ralph’s Take: Pitchability lefties and high upside prep talents that’s an succinct way to describe the Angels 2020 draft. With rampant rumors of the club potentially punting the draft, they did the opposite coming away with a solid if unspectacular group with their four picks. Detmers is one of the most major league ready arms in the draft. Despite lacking top of the line stuff, Detmers shows innate pitchability and feel for his arsenal.
Their fifth rounder Adam Seminaris out of Long Beach State is a similar pitcher in profile but not pedigree. Seminaris was a standout performer showing elite control of his pitch mix. Calabrese is a toolsy Canadian prep that reclassified to 2020. He’s an 80 runner with a swing geared toward hard line drive contact. He’s gap to gap now, but could grow into more over the fence power has his body matured. Likely to stick in centerfield long term Calabrese was a good get at pick 82. Blakely is a raw shortstop from a cold weather state that has his fans in the scouting community.
Overall no bad picks, one safe pick at ten and a high value upside plays at 82 and 111.
Grade: B-
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Picks: 29, 60, 66, 100, 130, 159
Bonus: $5,928,400
Players Drafted: Bobby Miller RHP Louisville, Landon Knack RHP East Tennessee State University, Clayton Beeter RHP Texas Tech, Jake Vogel OF Huntington Beach (CA), Carson Taylor C Virginia Tech, Gavin Stone RHP Central Arkansas
Ralph’s Take: We really should come to expect it at this point, but despite the 8th smallest pool in the draft the Dodgers may have landed one of its better classes. Both Miller and Beeter had first round grades with some rumors he was in play as high as the mid-first round. They nabbed Miller at 29 but may have pulled off one of the bigger draft coups in recent memory pulling Beeter down to 66. They followed that up with another shocking snag at pick 100 landing local prep talent Jake Vogel. Carson Taylor is a switch-hitting catcher coming into his own this season at Virginia Tech and Gavin Stone a reliever that transitioned to starter and who was breaking out as one of the top arms in the mid-major scene before the season was cut short. All in all a strong class top to bottom, even landing some of the better underslot college arms in the draft to supplement funds at 66 and 100. A masterful job by the Dodgers.
Grade: A
Team: Miami Marlins
Picks: 3, 40, 61, 75, 104, 134
Bonus: $12,016,900
Players Drafted: Max Meyer RHP Minnesota, Dax Fulton RHP Mustang (TX), Kyle Nicolas, RHP Ball State, Zach McCambley RHP Coastal Carolina, Jake Eder LHP Vanderbilt, Kyle Hurt RHP USC
Ralph’s Take: No one drafted as much raw stuff as Miami did this year. Starting at the top with Max Meyer the Marlins landed arm after arm with electric stuff in Dax Fulton, Kyle Nichols, Zach McCambley and a pair of inconsistent college arms with pedigree in Jake Eder and Kyle Hurt. If the goal was to load up on arms a year after loading up on positional talent then Miami achieved it. They showed great confidence in their organizational pitching dev, and they were clear about that in post draft comments. Meyer is the most electric arm in the class, with some possibly unfounded relief risk due to his size, Fulton is a raw but somewhat enigmatic talent as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
Both Nicolas and McCambley were teammates in the Cape and each possess unique fastball characteristics that make them desirable players to the right organization. As previously mentioned both Eder and Hurt pitched at big time programs but lacked the ability to hold their best stuff from start to start.
Not in the argument for the draft’s best class but a really good one.
Grade: B+
Team: Milwaukee Brewers
Picks: 20, 53, 92, 121, 151
Bonus: $6,078,300
Players Drafted: Garrett Mitchell OF UCLA, Freddy Zamora SS Miami, Zavier Warren C/3B Central Michigan, Joe Wiemer OF Cincinnati, Hayden Cantrelle SS Louisiana- Lafayette
Ralph’s Take: Milwaukee pulled off a sneaky good class despite having a low pool. While they didn’t do quite as well as the Dodgers, they landed five upside plays that gamble on their internal player development. Mitchell is a divisive talent with big tools but some question about how much juice is in the bat at peak. He’s an odd case of a high profile college hitter with a need to make adjustments at the plate to get to more in game power. Zamora was a rumored first rounder a year ago, but injury and off the field issues led to diminished stock. He’s still an exciting talent, as are all of the Brewers picks.
Zavier Warren was a mid-major standout in the Cape last summer playing third base and some shortstop. Lots of teams like his arm behind the plate and Milwaukee announced him as a catcher, a position he played in high school. Joe Wiemer has one of the more eccentric setups in the class, drawing Hunter Pence comps for his quirky swing. He’s an athletic player with above average run times, and a tall strong body. There’s some juice in the bat as well. Hayden Cantrelle was my favorite pick of the Brewers draft. The dynamic Louisiana-Lafayette infielder showed well last summer on the Cape, flashing the ability to get on base at a high clip while wreaking havoc in the bases. He’s not a slash and dash hitter and has some bat speed and power in his bat. Overall Milwaukee landed one of the more athletic classes with Mitchell, Zamora, and Cantrelle all plus runners, while Warren and Wiemer each flash athletic traits.
The overall grade is deterred by the extreme amount of risk up and down the board for the Brewers.
Grade: B
Team: Minnesota Twins
Picks: 27, 59, 128, 158
Bonus: $4,528,600
Players Drafted: Aaron Sabato 1B UNC-Chapel Hill, Alerick Soulaire OF Tennessee, Marco Raya United South HS (TX), Kala’i Rosario OF Waiakea HS (HI)
Ralph’s Take: The Twins had just four picks in the draft and the fourth lowest bonus pool in the draft. While they came away with no stars, they began and ended the draft with two bats with massive raw power. Alerick Soulaire was a Juco transfer in 2019 that broke out in his first season with the Volunteers. He’s still yet to tap into his raw power in game and is subpar in the outfield likely relegating him to left field. Marco Raya is hands down the most interesting pick of Minnesota’s draft. Raya was an under the radar Texas prep arm with five distinct pitches, led by a plus slider up to 3000 rpms and a fast that sits low-90s touching 94 with plenty of projection remaining. Their final pick Rosario is a Hawaiian prep talent that challenged Red Sox third rounder Blaze Jordan for most raw power in the class. He’s a physically mature power bat with hit tool concerns not a highly successful profile. While the Twins didn’t draft any bad players the overall class lacks overall upside.
Grade: C
Team: New York Mets
Picks: 19, 52, 69, 91, 120, 150
Bonus: $7,174,700
Players Drafted: Pete Crow-Armstrong OF Harvard Westlake HS (CA), J.T. Ginn RHP Mississippi State, Isaiah Greene OF Corona (CA), Anthony Walters SS San Diego State, Matthew Dyer C Arizona, Eric Orze RHP New Orleans
Ralph’s Take: The Brodie Mets love to go big early and then for all intents and purposes go home. It’s a top heavy strategy not all that different from what the White Sox employed. The trio at the top, while not all prep, is not that dissimilar to the Baty, Wolf, Allen combination in 2019. At the top Crow-Armstrong is one of the better prep talents in this class, and he has the best chance to stick in center of the four left handed prep outfielders taken in the first round. Ginn had first round buzz prior to an early spring UCL injury that led to TJS, and California prep outfielder Isiaiah Greene had been rumored as high as the late first round. Two talented left handed hitting prep outfielders with a ton of upside, and a college arm that can rival those at the top of the draft when healthy. The rest of the draft was low-slot talents led by Arizona catcher Matthew Dyer who has a shot to play a super utility role due to impressive athleticism for a catcher. Their fifth rounder Eric Orze is a feel good story as a fifth year senior who’s beaten cancer twice. He’s up to 95 in the mound with a splitter as his go-to secondary.
A top heavy class that landed a trio of true top 50 talents followed by a punt strategy to backfill bonus demands at earlier picks. Can the Mets sign this entire class?
Grade: B
Team: New York Yankees
Picks: 28, 99, 129
Bonus: $3,520,000
Players Drafted: Austin Wells C Arizona, Trevor Hauver 2B/OF Arizona State, Beck Way RHP Northwest Florida JC
Ralph’s Take: The Yankees had just three picks in the five round draft and the second lowest bonus pool at just a hair above $3.5 million. Despite this the Yankees may have found as much value as any team not named The Dodgers. You can argue Wells is a top five college bat in the class and has the athleticism to stick in a corner outfield spot should he ditch catching. Trevor Hauver is another PAC-12 performer who was a standout his sophomore season before performing reasonably well on the Cape. An on base driven player Hauver led off his breakout sophomore season but was moved down to third in the lineup due to the juice in his bat. He played left field during his time at ASU but is a natural infielder that believes he can still find a home in the dirt. He was announced as a second baseman on Thursday for whatever that is worth. Their final pick in the fifth round was a live Juco arm in Beck Way. Another player I caught down the Cape over the summer of 2019 with stuff that stuck out. He’s 92-95 mph touching 98 mph on the fastball with a devastating plus changeup and an improving slider.
I’m likely the highest on this group but the Yankees did more with less as well as anyone. Therefore their grades, as all team grades on this list, are on a sliding scale based on resources.
Grade: B+
Team: Oakland Athletics
Picks: 26, 58, 98, 127, 157
Bonus: $5,241,500
Players Drafted: Tyler Soderstrom C Turlock (CA), Jeff Criswell RHP Michigan, Michael Guldberg OF Georgia Tech, Dane Acker RHP Oklahoma, Stephens Emanuels RHP Washington
Ralph’s Take: It can be argued that the Athletics landed the best value in the first round with the selection of California prep catcher Tyler Soderstrom. Rumored as high as the backend of the top ten Soderstrom owns one of the best bats in the prep class. One would assume Soderstrom took up a sizable chunk of the $5.2 million pool Oakland had at their disposal. They loaded up on college pitching taking Michigan’s Jeff Criswell in the 2nd, Oklahoma’s Dane Acker in the 4th, and Emanuels the y’all righthander from Washington.
Criswell was a solid pick in the second round as a starter that’s had big moments over the last two seasons, but struggled to find consistency with his mechanics and subsequently his command. He has a real chance to start due to his repertoire and stuff but he’s a project. Acker and Emanuels both pitched on the Cape and feature low to mid 90s fastballs and average secondaries. Third rounder Michael Guldberg is a hit over power corner outfield bat that’s had some injury issues. He’s yet to regain his throwing strength after a 2018 shoulder injury, and it's limited him to left field and DH duties in the years since. He’s been a college performer with strong bat to ball skills.
Not the sexiest pick but a solid profile. It’s Soderstrom, Criswell, and a lot of borderline role 40 talents.
Grade: C+
Team: Philadelphia Phillies
Picks: 15, 87, 116, 146
Bonus: $5,444,200
Players Drafted: Mick Abel RHP Jesuit HS (OR), Casey Martin SS Arkansas, Carson Ragsdale RHP South Florida, Baron Radcliff 1B/OF Georgia Tech
Ralph’s Take: Mick Abel is hands down my top prep arm. Bitsko is close, Jared Kelley is intriguing but Abel is on another level. It’s true prep righthanders are a fickle mistress but Abel’s stuff is that nasty with a mid-90s heater and a plus slider. Great pick by the Phillies, outside of that I really don’t like this class.
Casey Martin has seen his stock tumble as much as any player in the class and with the good reason. Despite oodles of tools Martin lacks baseball skills. He makes easy mistakes in the field and really struggles against spin and advanced pitching. Despite pedigree I’d be shocked if Martin is an everyday major leaguer. Radcliff is similar in a lot of ways, Radcliff is a specimen. Built like a tight end with tons of strength throughout his physique Radcliff looks like a middle of the order masher. After live looks at Radcliff at Georgia Tech in the spring of 2019, and again with Falmouth this summer I’m really underwhelmed by his hit tool. To the point I question if he ever gets to the power. Regardless due to the raw pop in his bat Radcliff will remain a fun follow. Their fourth rounder Carson Ragsdale is an extra tall projection play, a Phillies specialty in recent drafts. He’s up to 95 in the mound with room for more velocity with a curveball that flashes plus. It’s a heavy two pitch profile at the moment.
Others may disagree with me but this was simply a case of the Phillies taking Abel and three players I don’t rate highly.
Draft: C+
Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
Picks: 7, 31, 44, 79, 108, 138
Bonus: $11,154,500
Players Drafted: Nick Gonzales 2B New Mexico State, Carmen Mlodzinski RHP South Carolina, Jared Jones RHP La Mirada (CA), Nick Garcia RHP Chapman University, Jack Hartman RHP Appalachian State, Logan Hofmann RHP Northwestern State
Ralph’s Take: Things broke the right way for the Pirates, as Nick Gonzales slipped down to seven and the Pirates. Gonzales was in play as high as pick two and has been one of the top performers in college baseball the last two seasons. He’s limited defensively to second or possibly left field but he’s leveraged for power with innate bat to call skills. Despite landing a top talent Pittsburgh had enough picks and resources to land four of day two’s most exciting arms. Landing the top hitter on the 2019 Cape circuit wasn’t enough, they had to pair it with CCBL breakout performer Carmen Mlodzinski, the league’s top arm.
\The Pirates then strayed from the college ranks landing one of the most talented and athletic arms in the prep ranks in righthander Jared Jones. In rounds three through five they selected three more arms starting with Division III breakout Nick Garcia. They then took Jack Hartman out of Appalachian State followed by a great final round pick in righthander Logan Hofmann. Despite his lack of pedigree Hofmann has dominated at each level he’s pitched. He shows great feel for his fastball pounding the zone with the pitch mixing in a curveball that flashes plus. There’s a ton of effort in the mechanics and he’s undersized, but the stuff is real. Based on my off the record conversations many analytically inclined teams were fans of Hofmann’s pitch data.
One of the better classes, as they landed a top bat, a top 10-15 college arm in a very deep class, and a top five prep arm. Then followed that up with a pair of value picks on arms from small schools.
Grade: A-
Team: San Diego Padres
Picks: 8, 34, 45, 80, 109, 139
Bonus: $10,674,000
Players Drafted: Robert Hassell OF Independence (TN), Justin Lange RHP Llano HS (TX), Owen Cassie SS Notre Dame (ON-CAN), Cole Wilcox RHP Georgia, Levi Thomas RHP Troy, Jagger Haynes LHP West Columbus (NC)
Ralph’s Take: Lets address the elephant in the room, the Cole Wilcox pick. A.J. Preller May be despised among his peers he keeps things interesting. It was assumed that Cole Wilcox would head back to Georgia for his junior season as the school’s Friday night starter. When his name was called at pick 80 it sent a jolt into the draft as the Padres had potentially landed a first round talent. The questions followed, “How are they going to sign all these guys?” “Do they have enough money to sign everyone?” Etc. The simple answer is, I don’t know. Hassell, Lange, Cassie, and Thomas all seem singable (I’m less sure of Haynes), but how much money can they pull from those five picks to overslot pick 80 by nearly $2.5 million. San Diego did this last season with Hudson Head and continue to take calculated risks. They landed four top 50-70 draft talents in Hassell, Lange, Cassie, and Wilcox and a nice upside play in round five in North Carolina prep lefty Jagger Haynes. I don’t need to go through the strengths of Hassell, Lange, Cassie, and Wilcox, they’re well known but they provide San Diego with a nice balance of young positional talent and upside arms with power stuff.
Grade: A (If Wilcox doesn’t sign this grade drops to a B)
Team: San Francisco Giants
Picks: 13, 49, 67, 68, 85, 114, 144
Bonus: $9,231,800
Players Drafted: Patrick Bailey C NC State, Casey Schmitt 3B San Diego State, Nick Swiney LHP NC State, Jimmy Glowenke SS Dallas Baptist, Kyle Harrison LHP De La Salle (CA), R.J. Dabovich RHP Arizona State, Ryan Murphy RHP Le Moyne
Ralph’s Take: Not my favorite class in all honesty. I didn’t quite understand the Bailey pick a few short years after spending heavy draft capital on Joey Bart two years ago. Bailey went around where he was expected to go, and is arguably the top catcher in the class. He’s a switch hitter with a power over hit profile. Not a bad player but by no means a cornerstone everyday catcher in the mold of Rutschman or Bart. While it’s not a bad pick, it seemed like a poor decision based on the organization’s need for pitching the glut of available options on the board. Their second rounder Casey Schmitt is one of the top two way players in college the past few seasons, but is likely to play third base full time in pro ball. He performed well on the Cape playing mostly third base for Cotuit and pitching when the pen was taxed. He has some natural loft in his swing and showed above average plate discipline last summer over several looks. Schmitt is a really nice player with everyday regular upside if he continues to grow and mature from a quality of contact standpoint. He seemed like an overdraft at 49.
In all likelihood it’s an underslot play along with fellow Cape performer Dallas Baptist shortstop Jimmy Glowenke in order to land Nick Swiney at 67 and Kyle Harrison at 85. Swiney was one of my favorite picks in the draft, his three pitch mix is heavily dependent on his plus changeup but Swiney has shown feel for all of his pitches including a fastball that works 89-93 mph he’s an arm with a short track record of pitching but one that could take tremendous strides forward in the coming years as he adds velocity and feel for his curveball. Kyle Harrison was one of the top lefthanders in the prep class and an arm many expected to get to campus at UCLA. The Giants landed a top 50 arm at 85 and followed it up with a really interesting upside college arm in R.J. Dabovich from Arizona State. He was up to 99 mph as ASU’s closer this season and a three pitch secondary mix led by a plus slider gives him a real shot to transition to starting in pro ball. Fifth rounder Ryan Murphy is a righthander from the same small central New York school that produced Josiah Gray.
While I’m critical of the fit of Bailey in the first, and the Glowenke and Schmitt picks seem overly safe, San Francisco did a good job of collecting talent all over the board. The trio of Swiney, Harrison, and Dabovich offer serious upside to an organization lacking much of that among their pitching ranks.
Grade: B
Team: Seattle Mariners
Picks: 6, 43, 64, 78, 107, 137
Bonus: $10,265,500
Players Drafted: Emerson Hancock RHP Georgia, Zach DeLoach OF Texas A&M, Connor Phillips RHP McLennan CC, Kaden Polcovich 2B Oklahoma State, Tyler Keenan 3B Ole Miss, Taylor Dollard RHP Cal Poly
Ralph’s Take: Anytime the preseason consensus drops to you at six you’re likely getting a deal. Hancock’s stock dropped in the months leading up to the draft as more analysis of his pitch data became public. He lacked the stuff of Max Meyer and Asa Lacy, and that dropped him down the boards of teams in the top five. There’s still a strong foundation of skills and pitchability meaning Hancock remains one of the top arms in the class. After Hancock it felt Seattle got too safe. With a bonus pool north of $10 million and six picks throughout the draft I expected Seattle to come away with more upside across the class. Instead they landed a trio of safe college bats in Zach DeLoach of Texas A&M, Kaden Polcovich of Oklahoma State, and Tyler Keenan of Ole Miss. I caught Polcovich and DeLoach in the Cape last summer but missed Keenan’s ten game soirée on the peninsula.
Both DeLoach and Polcovich exhibit feel to hit and good zone recognition skills but neither provide much in the way of defensive value, as a bat first left fielder and bat first second baseman. Keenan is a masher with a big uppercut swing and Paul Bunyan strength. I have some concerns about his ability to hit in pro ball long term as he’s very susceptible to spin. He’s a bottom of the scale runner and lacks any range at third despite solid hands and an average or better arm. Connor Phillips was ranked by many as the top JUCO player available. He’s young at just 19 with a quick arm, velocity, and a breaking ball that will flash plus. There’s still refinement needed in his command and his changeup feel but it’s an exciting talent to land at pick 64. Their fifth rounder Taylor Dollard is a pitchability righthander with advanced feel for a high-80s-low-90s fastball and a three average secondaries.
Grade: C+
Team: St. Louis Cardinals
Picks: 21, 54, 63, 70, 93, 122, 152
Bonus: $7,901,100
Players Drafted: Jordan Walker 3B Decatur HS (GA), Masyn Winn SS/RHP Kingwood (TX), Tink Hence RHP Watson Chapel (AR), Alec Burleson OF East Carolina, Levi Prater LHP Oklahoma, Ian Bedell RHP Missouri, LJ Jones IV OF Long Beach State
Ralph’s Take: With the most picks in the draft but a bonus pool amount outside the top ten the Cardinals needed to find value across the board to make their draft work. In some ways they achieved this landing three high upside prep players with their first three selections in Walker, Winn, and Hence. While each presents off the charts tools and off the charts risk. Walker’s contact issues and struggles with spin are well documented. While Masyn Winn the draft’s most exciting two way player is raw on both sides of the ball, with violent mechanics on the mound and a limited track record as a shortstop. Hence is a fascinating prospect, a freak athlete that’s gotten his fastball up to 96 mph with feel for a breaking ball and a changeup. He’s undersized at 6-foot-1 170 lbs. His off the charts athleticism gives him a chance to start, but his size makes it a question. The remainder of the draft is a trio of solid college players in Cape standout Ian Bedell, pitchability lefthander Levi Prater of Oklahoma, and left handed hitting Alec Butleson who’s likely to give up pitching (something he did at ECU) and pursue his career as a position player. Though that position is somewhat up in the air. Their fifth rounder LJ Jones missed all of his Sophomore season with injury but looked like an under the radar breakout in the early season.
A balanced group of talent with a variety of profiles and role types across the class.
Grade: B+
Team: Tampa Bay Rays
Picks: 24, 37, 57, 96, 125, 155
Bonus: $7,474,600
Players Drafted: Nick Bitsko RHP Central Bucks East (PA), Alika Williams SS Arizona State, Ian Seymour LHP Virginia Tech, Hunter Barnhart RHP St. Joseph’s HS (CA), Tanner Murray SS UC-Davis, Jeff Hankanson RHP Central Florida
Ralph’s Take: While Tampa’s class may lack the starpower of a Detroit or Miami, the Rays once again found value all over board and pulled some magic landing exciting Pennsylvania prep righthander at 24. Arguably my favorite pick of the draft. With their next several picks they continued to land value. Drafting two college performers at 37 and 57 in Alika Williams, arguably the draft’s best defensive shortstop and Virginia Tech lefthander Ian Seymour, a pitcher that’s remade his arsenal that analytical teams loved. Hunter Barnhart is a raw prep righthander with limited experience on the mound but tremendous upside. While Murray and Hankanson are more role types. The first four picks really hit on all cylinders landing two quality arms, a player with an above average hit tool and a no question shortstop defensive profile, and another high upside prep righthander that the Rays pitching development can mold.
The rich get richer and do as much with $7.5 Million as many teams with a higher budget by 20%+
Grade: A-
Team: Texas Rangers
Picks: 14, 50, 86, 115, 145
Bonus: $7,083,900
Players Drafted: Justin Foscue 2B Mississippi State, Evan Carter OF Elizabethton HS (TN), Tekoah Roby RHP Pine Forest HS (FL), Dylan MacLean LHP Central Catholic (OR), Thomas Saggese SS Carlsbad HS (NM)
Ralph’s Take: Despite having nearly two million more than the Dodgers, and even money with the Mets who employed a similar prep heavy strategy, the Rangers came away from the draft with an underwhelming return. Heavily rumored with Aaron Sabato at 14, the Rangers instead landed Mississippi State second baseman Justin Foscue. While Foscue isn’t a bad pick, he’s a better fit for a team at the back end of the first round than at 14 to a rebuilding team with players like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Mick Abel, Nick Bitsko, Cade Cavalli, etc on the board. At the end of the day it’s a huge missed opportunity to land a top end talent with star upside. The rest of the draft was just as off board. Evan Carter wasn’t expected to be drafted let alone in the top 50 selections. Both Tekoah Roby and Dylan MacLean are under the radar prep arms with upside. Neither of them were inside any top 100 rankings of the class. Doesn’t mean they weren’t good, more off the radar. Speaking of which I’m actually unfamiliar with their fifth round pick New Mexico prep shortstop Thomas Saggese. An underwhelming class, unless Texas knows things we don’t about these players.
Grade: D
Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Picks: 5, 42, 77, 106, 136
Bonus: $9,716,500
Players Drafted: Austin Martin SS Vanderbilt, CJ Van Eyk RHP Florida State, Trent Palmer RHP Jacksonville, Nick Frasso RHP Loyola Marymount, Zach Britton OF Louisville
Ralph’s Take: I’m going to go out on a limb and guess Austin Martin dropping to five was the best case scenario on the Blue Jays draft board. It was an easy pick for the Toronto brass at five and very much set in motion the rest of their draft. Despite Martin taking up a sizable chunk of Toronto’s draft pool they still managed to land value at each spot. While I’m not the biggest fan of CJ Van Eyk, he was solid value at 42, as was Nick Frasso at 106. The most impressive pick Toronto made in my opinion was Jacksonville’s Trent Palmer at 77. He’s a guy who’s Trackman data really popped down the Cape and a few analysts I spoke with echoed similar sentiments. His slider in the 80s has 9:00 spin axis and due to that tons of horizontal sweep. He throws a curveball as well with good traits. Many teams project him as a starter and he’s definitely a name to follow in coming years. Zach Britton was a college performer at a big time program that provides some outfield depth to a system needing some, he’s likely an underslot signing.
One of the strongest classes headed by Austin Martin at the top and one of the draft’s true sleepers in Palmer.
Grade: B+
Team: Washington Nationals
Picks: 22, 55, 71, 94, 123, 153
Bonus: $6,647,700
Players Drafted: Cade Cavalli RHP Oklahoma, Cole Henry RHP LSU, Samuel Infante SS Monsignor Pace, Holden Powell RHP UCLA, Brady Lindsly C Oklahoma, Mitchell Parker LHP San Jacinto
Ralph’s Take: The Nationals love college pitching, was there any doubt they’d leave the draft with even more? Starting at the top the defending champions landed two of the top college arms on the board with each of their first two selections at 22 and 55. I personally rated Cavalli inside the top fifteen players in the draft and ahead of a few arms that went ahead of him. He’ll need to improve his command and find a way to harness his elite stuff into results. Cole Henry was a thrower when he first entered LSU but has blossomed into a more refined pitcher. That’s not to say he’s not without his warts, primarily a murky injury history. Compensation round pick Samuel Infante is a hit first middle infielder with no standout tool but some feel to hit and juice in his bat, though he’s certainly not a shortstop long term. Third rounder Holden Powell out of UCLA is a relief only arm with a low to mid 90s fastball and a nasty slider that’s easy plus. He pitched with Cotuit on the Cape and showed well. Fifth rounder Mitchell Parker is a third time draftee at 20 years old. The San Jacinto lefthander features a deceptive low-90s fastball and a high-70s curveball.
Not a bad class and one very on brand for the Nationals as they add four college arms, a bat first middle infielder, and a catcher.
Grade: B