How Well Did Each Team Do During the 2020 MLB Draft?

For the last two days, we finally had some Major League Baseball! Well, sort of. Despite not having the usual 40 rounds in the MLB Draft, the dream came true for 160 hopeful players to hear their names called to be drafted by a major league organization.

In this year’s draft, we have seen some players names that were expected like Arizona State’s Spencer Torkelson being drafted to Detroit and some players that we did not expect like Nick Yorke being selected by the Boston Red Sox.

Below I have tabulated the grades for each team’s draft class. Each grade is based on position needs and 2020 prospect ranks. A couple of teams had a great draft like the Detroit Tigers and Miami Marlins while other teams like the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros did not do so well.

Arizona Diamondbacks: B

I don’t think the Diamondbacks necessarily need pitchers at the big level, but the managed to help their farm system with two of the best pitchers in this year’s draft, including Duke’s Bryce Jarvis. Jarvis did not do much for the Blue Devils during the regular season, but his ability to shine in big games like the postseason makes him a great first-round pick.

1. Bryce Jarvis – RHP/Duke

2. Slade Cecconi – RHP/Miami

3. Liam Norris – LHP/Green Hope HS (NC)

4. AJ Vukovich – 3B/East Troy HS (WI)

5. Brandon Pfaadt – RHP/Bellarmine

Atlanta Braves: A-

The Braves have an act for drafting NCAA Division I prospects from powerhouse programs like Michigan and Wake Forest. They delivered that this year when drafting Wake Forest’s pitcher Jared Shuster and Michigan outfielder Jesse Franklin.

I do see Shuster staying at Wake Forest for one more season as he has a lot of room for improvement. As for Franklin, despite missing 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and injury before the season started, it will be interesting to see if he decides to play for Atlanta or stay with the Wolverines.

1. Jared Shuster – LHP/Wake Forest

2. Jesse Franklin V – CF/Michigan

3. Spencer Strider – RHP/Clemson

4. Bryce Elder – RHP/Texas

Baltimore Orioles: C-

The Orioles got some good talent for the outfield in Heston Kierstad and Hudson Haskin, but that’s not what they needed. I expected the O’s to draft more pitchers.

They pulled through with their last pick in Carter Baumler from Dowling Catholic High School in Iowa, but the Orioles should have gone for some college pitchers.

1. Heston Kjerstad – RF/Arkansas

2. Jordan Westburg – SS/Mississippi State

3. Hudson Haskin – CF/Tulane

4. Anthony Servideo – SS/Ole Miss

5. Coby Mayo – 3B/Stoneman Douglas HS (FL)

6. Carter Baumler – RHP/3B/Dowling Catholic HS (IA)

Boston Red Sox: C

The Red Sox shocked the world by drafting Nick Yorke, a high school kid that nobody has ever heard of in the baseball world, in the first round. However, they regrouped in a big way by drafting third baseman Blaze Jordan fro DeSoto Central High School in Mississippi.

Jordan has unbelievable power and fielding ability at third base. Perhaps Boston just found their Aaron Judge. It’s going to be an interesting campaign for those two players.

1. Nick Yorke – 2B/Archbishop Mitty HS (CA)

2. Blaze Jordan – 3B/DeSoto Central HS (MS)

3. Jeremy Wu-Yelland – LHP/Hawaii

4. Shane Drohan – LHP/Florida State

Chicago Cubs: B-

The Cubs got a steal in the fourth-round drafting Luke Little from San Jacinto Junior College. This guy needs work on his control, but he has the best velocity we will ever see in an MLB pitcher. In a training session before the draft, he threw a 105-mph fastball. We could be looking at the next Aroldis Chapman. He just to needs to get better control before he kills somebody with that heater!

The Cubs also made a kid’s dream come true when drafting Chicago Native Ed Howard from Mount Carmel High School. Hopefully, he will get to play in his hometown as the first-round pick if he does well in the minor leagues.

1. Ed Howard – SS/Mount Carmel HS (IL)

2. Burl Carraway – LHP/Dallas Baptist

3. Jordan Nwogu – LF/Michigan

4. Luke Little – LHP/San Jacinto College North

5. Koen Moreno – RHP/Panther Creek HS (NC)

Chicago White Sox: E

The White Sox had the right idea drafting only pitchers, but didn’t get the ones that could make an impact. They did manage to draft two of the best pitchers in the prospect class in Tennessee’s Garrett Crochet and Jared Kelley from Refugio High School in Texas, but then went downhill when they drafted three unranked pitchers. Those three will likely start and end in short-season single-A.

1. Garrett Crochet – LHP/Tennessee

2. Jared Kelley – RHP/Refugio HS (TX)

3. Adisyn Coffey – RHP/Wabash Valley CC

4. Kade Mechals – RHP/Grand Canyon

5. Bailey Horn – LHP/Auburn

Cincinnati Reds: C+

The Reds wasted no time in drafting one of the best high school players in the country in Austin Hendrick from West Allegheny High School in Pennsylvania. As a Pennsylvania native, I’m thrilled for him. Hendrick does have some room to improve to make it to Cincinnati, but he will give their minor league system a big boost in the next few years.

1. Austin Hendrick – RF/West Allegheny HS (PA)

2. Christian Roa – RHP/Texas A&M

3. Jackson Miller – C/JW Mitchell HS (FL)

4. Bryce Bonnin – RHP/Texas Tech

5. MacKenzie Wainwright – RF/St. Edward HS (OH)

6. Joe Boyle – RHP/Notre Dame

Cleveland Indians: B+

The Indians surprised me when they drafted Carson Tucker in the first round since he’s a second-round prospect, but they rebounded with drafting Auburn pitcher Tanner Burns. Although Burns’ record at Auburn is not the best at 14-9, his command is unbelievable (threw 210 strikeouts in three seasons). Burns is also the second pitcher in Auburn history to throw at least 100 career strikeouts.

1. Carson Tucker – SS/Mountain Pointe HS (AZ)

2. Tanner Burns – RHP/Auburn

3. Logan Allen – LHP/Florida International

4. Petey Halpin – CF/Mira Costa HS (CA)

5. Milan Tolentino – SS/Santa Margarita HS (CA)

6. Mason Hickman – RHP/Vanderbilt

Colorado Rockies: B

I’m not surprised by the Rockies drafting a local talent in Case Williams from Douglas County, Colorado, but they had a big first pick in drafting Zac Veen from Spruce Creek High School in Florida. He’s got the batting numbers and speed that any MLB team looks for. The best part is that he’s young, so we could potentially be looking at the next Bryce Harper.

1. Zac Veen – RF/Spruce Creek HS (FL)

2. Drew Romo – C/The Woodlands HS (TX)

3. Chris McMahon – RHP/Miami

4. Sam Weatherly – LHP/Clemson

5. Case Williams – RHP/Douglas County HS (CO

6. Jack Blomgren – SS/Michigan

Detroit Tigers: A-

The Tigers would have been crazy to not draft Spencer Torkelson with the top overall pick. This is a guy who has unbelievable power and fielding ability. I don’t expect Torkelson to get to the show in 2020 or 2021, but he will get there eventually and make a huge impact for Detroit.

1. Spencer Torkelson – 3B/Arizona State

2. Dillon Dingler – C/Ohio State

3. Daniel Cabrera – LF/LSU

4. Trei Cruz – SS/Rice

5. Gage Workman – 3B/Arizona State

6. Colt Keith – SS/Biloxi HS (MS)

Houston Astros: D

I’m curious to know what all four of these prospects think of being drafted by a team that got itself in big trouble. It’s most likely that Tennessee’s Zach Daniels and UC San Diego’s Shay Whitcomb will return to school.

Daniels had a great short season in 2020, but I’m sure he would love to get one extra year with the Volunteers. As for Whitcomb, although his dream is to play professional baseball, he is a Dodgers fan. So maybe he will pass on Houston? I guess we’ll find out eventually.

1. Alex Santos II – RHP/Mount Saint Michael HS (NY)

2. Tyler Brown – RHP/Vanderbilt

3. Zach Daniels – RF/Tennessee

4. Shay Whitcomb – SS/UC San Diego

Kansas City Royals: C

The Royals did well with their first two picks in Texas A&M’s Asa Lacy and Baylor’s Nick Loftin, but then it went downhill from there. They drafted pitchers in three of their last four picks that do have good control, but not major-league velocity. I expect Lacy to get up to the show eventually, but other picks like Will Klein and Tyler Gentry will likely be career minor leaguers.

1. Asa Lacy – LHP/Texas A&M

2. Nick Loftin – SS/Baylor

3. Ben Hernandez – RHP/De La Salle Institute (IL)

4. Tyler Gentry – RF/Alabama

5. Christian Chamberlain – LHP/Oregon State

6. Will Klein – RHP/Eastern Illinois

Los Angeles Angels: D-

The Angels went big with their first pick in Louisville pitcher Reid Detmers, but they got some high school position players that the big club doesn’t need. David Calabrese is a good high school outfielder, unfortunately, he’s not Mike Trout good.

1. Reid Detmers – LHP/Louisville

2. David Calabrese – CF/St. Elizabeth Catholic HS (CAN)

3.Werner Blakely – SS/Detroit Edison HS (MI)

4. Adam Seminaris – LHP/Long Beach State

Los Angeles Dodgers: B+

I think the Dodgers have a thing for Louisville, as Bobby Miller became the third Louisville player in the last six years to be drafted in the first round by the Dodgers. Also, Miller had a dream of playing for the Dodgers, which will give him the big boost he needs to do well in the minor leagues. Miller has the right stuff to make it to the show with a 98-mph fastball and a 90-mph slider.

1. Bobby Miller – RHP/Louisville

2. Landon Knack – RHP/East Tennessee State

3. Clayton Beeter – RHP/Texas Tech

4. Jake Vogel – CF/Huntington Beach HS (CA)

5. Carson Taylor – C/Virginia Tech

6. Gavin Stone – RHP/Central Arkansas

Miami Marlins: A

Derek Jeter and the Marlins are still a work in progress, but they improved in a big way drafting six needed pitchers, including Minnesota’s Max Meyer with the third overall pick. They might also have a big steal with their fourth-round pick in Vanderbilt’s Jake Eder, who was an animal for Vanderbilt.

The Marlins still need some hitters, but their farm system just stepped up with only drafting pitchers.

1. Max Meyer – RHP/Minnesota

2. Dax Fulton – LHP/Mustang HS (OK)

3. Kyle Nicolas – RHP/Ball State

4. Zach McCambley – RHP/Coastal Carolina

5. Jake Eder – LHP/Vanderbilt

6. Kyle Hurt – RHP/USC

Milwaukee Brewers: C

The Brewers took a chance in drafting UCLA’s outfielder Garrett Mitchell. Mitchell has had Type 1 diabetes since he was nine years old, but his pride and enthusiasm as well as his abilities makes him a great pick. Although he was drafted 20th overall as the sixth-ranked player in the 2020 prospect list, he could make a huge impact for Milwaukee.

1. Garrett Mitchell – CF/UCLA

2. Freddy Zamora – SS/Miami

3. Zavier Warren – C/Central Michigan

4. Joey Wiemer – RF/Cincinnati

5. Hayden Cantrelle – SS/Louisiana-Lafayette

Minnesota Twins: C

The Twins had a great first round drafting UNC’s Aaron Sabato, who has the best exit velocity in the country. Although he tends to swing and miss at a lot of pitches in and out of the strike zone, he crushes the ball out of the stadium, which kind of reminds us of Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton.

1. Aaron Sabato – 1B/North Carolina

2. Alerick Soularie – LF/Tennessee

3. Marco Raya – RHP/United South HS (TX)

4. Kala’i Rosario – OF/Walakea HS (HI)

New York Mets: B

The Mets did great with their first three draft picks. Pete Crow-Armstrong has the potential to be a leadoff hitter for the Mets, Mississippi State’s JT Ginn could have been a top-10 pick if he didn’t get injured last season, and Isaiah Greene, who went to Corona High School in California has great power.

1. Pete Crow-Armstrong – CF/Harvard-Westlake HS (CA)

2. JT Ginn – RHP/Mississippi State

3. Isaiah Greene – CF/Corona Senior HS (CA)

4. Anthony Walters – SS/San Diego State

5. Matthew Dyer – C/Arizona

6. Eric Orze – RHP/New Orleans

New York Yankees: B-

For only having three draft picks, the Yankees did good. I wouldn’t say great, but good. With their final pick, I was hoping for another player out of Arizona just to see an all-Arizona class for the Yankees. Arizona catcher Austin Wells has a cannon for an arm. He could get up to the show competing for the role against Gary Sanchez, but expect him to do well in the minor leagues.

1. Austin Wells – C/Arizona

2. Trevor Hauver – 2B/Arizona State

3. Beck Way – RHP/Northwest Florida State JC

Oakland Athletics: C

The Athletics were lucky to get catcher Tyler Soderstrom with the 26th overall pick as he was a potential top-10 pick and they got Michigan’s Jeff Criswell who was a great pitcher for the Wolverines. I do see both of those players making it to Oakland, but I don’t know what to think about the rest of their picks.

1. Tyler Soderstrom – C/Turlock HS (CA)

2. Jeff Criswell – RHP/Michigan

3. Michael Guldberg – OF/Georgia Tech

4. Dane Acker – HP/Oklahoma

5. Stevie Emanuels – RHP/Washington

Philadelphia Phillies: B

I’m surprised the Phillies didn’t draft a local product in Nick Bitsko in the first round, who eventually went to Tampa Bay. Not because he’s from the Philadelphia area, but because he’s one of the better prospects in this year’s draft. However, Joe Girardi did Joe Girardi things selecting some of the better prospects in Mick Abel from Jesuit High School (OR) and Arkansas’ Martin Casey. Casey is by far one of the best prospects in the draft and I do expect him to make it to Citizens Bank Park within five years.

1. Mick Abel – RHP/Jesuit HS (OR)

2. Casey Martin – SS/Arkansas

3. Carson Ragsdale – RHP/South Florida

4. Baron Radcliff – OF/Georgia Tech

Pittsburgh Pirates: C+

The Pirates came up big with drafting one of the best shortstops in the country in Nick Gonzales from New Mexico State. Although NM State is not a powerhouse program, the awards he received there are the ones MLB is looking for. For example, he was the 2020 National Player of the Year, All-American, made the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team, and one national player of the week twice. He was also the 2019 NCAA Batting champion with a .432 batting average. I expect Gonzales to make it to the show within one or two years.

1. Nick Gonzales – SS/New Mexico State

2. Carmen Mlodzinski – RHP/South Carolina

3. Jared Jones – RHP/La Mirada HS (CA)

4. Nick Garcia – RHP/Chapman

5. Jack Hartman – RHP/Appalachian State

6. Logan Hofmann – RHP/Northwestern State

San Diego Padres: D+

The Padres have an act for drafting high school kids, which is great for the farm system, but not so much for the big team in San Diego. They ended the draft selecting two unranked players in the MLB Network prospect list.

The Padres did manage to grab a steal in the third round with Georgia’s Cole Wilcox. He might stay at Georgia for another year, but Wilcox could be a big addition for San Diego.

1. Robert Hassell III – CF/Independence HS (TN)

2. Justin Lange – RHP/Llano HS (TX)

3. Owen Caissie – RF/Notre Dame Catholic HS (ON)

4. Cole Wilcox – RHP/Georgia

5. Levi Thomas – RHP/Troy

6. Jagger Haynes – LHP/West Columbus HS (NC)

San Francisco Giants: D

The Giants drafted arguably the best catcher in this year’s draft, but the Giants don’t need one since they still have Buster Posey. I do see Bailey making it to the show eventually, but not while Posey is still at San Francisco.

Other than that, the Giants did need some pitchers after losing Madison Bumgarner and they delivered with San Diego State’s Casey Schmitt, who is one of the few college players that can pitch and hit very well.

1. Patrick Bailey – C/North Carolina State

2. Casey Schmitt – 3B/RHP/San Diego State

3. Nick Swiney – LHP/North Carolina State

4. Jimmy Glowenke – SS/Dallas Baptist

5. Kyle Harrison – LHP/De La Salle HS (CA)

6. RJ Dabovich – RHP/Arizona State

7. Ryan Murphy RHP/Le Moyne College

Seattle Mariners: C-

Georgia’s Emerson Hancock will give Seattle’s farm system a big boost, but I honestly don’t see any of these picks making it to the show anytime soon. Seattle did well only drafting college players, but they all still have some skills to improve on.

1. Emerson Hancock – RHP/Georgia

2. Zach DeLoach – CF/Texas A&M

3. Connor Phillips – RHP/McLennan CC (TX)

4. Kaden Polcovich – 2B/Oklahoma State

5. Tyler Keenan – 3B/Ole Miss

6. Taylor Dollard – RHP/Cal Poly

St. Louis Cardinals: A

The Cardinal’s first-round pick Jordan Walker is a massive 6-foot-5 high school kid from Georgia that has enormous power. Although he wasn’t a projected first-round prospect, he could be an absolute steal in this year’s draft.

1. Jordan Walker – 3B/Decatur HS (GA)

2. Masyn Winn – RHP/SS/Kingwood HS (TX)

3. Markevian Hence – RHP/Watson Chapel HS (AR)

4. Alec Burleson – OF/East Carolina

5. Levi Prater – LHP/Oklahoma

6. Ian Bedell – RHP/Missouri

7. LJ Jones IV – OF/Long Beach State

Tampa Bay Rays: A 

As a sports reporter from the Philadelphia area, I have seen Nick Bitsko throw for Central Bucks East. As soon as I saw him throw, I knew he had the potential to be a first-round pick. Although I’m surprised the Phillies didn’t select him, he will be a fine fit for the Rays.

1. Nick Bitsko – RHP/Central Bucks East HS (PA)

2. Alika Williams – SS/Arizona State

3. Ian Seymour – LHP/Virginia Tech

4. Hunter Barnhart – RHP/St. Joseph HS (CA)

5. Tanner Murray – SS/UC Davis

6. Jeff Hakanson – RHP/Central Florida

Texas Rangers: D

The Rangers were off to a good start drafting Mississippi State’s second baseman Justin Foscue, but then they drafted some players I never heard of like Evan Carter from Elizabethton, TN, and Thomas Saggese from Carlsbad High School in California. The Rangers see something in them, but who am I to judge? They could be a steal for all we know.

1. Justin Foscue – 2B/Mississippi State

2. Evan Carter – OF/Elizabethton HS (TN)

3. Tekoah Roby – RHP/Pine Forest HS (FL)

4. Dylan MacLean – LHP/Central Catholic HS (OR)

5. Thomas Saggese – SS/Carlsbad HS (CA)

Toronto Blue Jays: B

The Blue Jays surprised a lot of people with their last draft pick, grabbing Louisville outfielder Zach Britton. Although he has no relations to Yankees pitcher Zach Britton, He’s not a power hitter by any means, but his ability to get on base and drive in some runs makes him a potential big-league outfielder.

1. Austin Martin – SS/Vanderbilt

2. CJ Van Eyk – RHP/Florida State

3. Trent Palmer – RHP/Jacksonville

4. Nick Frasso – RHP/Loyola Marymount

5. Zach Britton – LF/Louisville

Washington Nationals: B-

I don’t know why the defending world champions went heavy for right-handed college pitchers, but they helped their farm system in a big way. If Oklahoma’s Cade Cavalli and LSU’s Cole Henry can stay healthy through the minor leagues, I can see them going up to the middle rotation for the Nationals.

1. Cade Cavalli – RHP/Oklahoma

2. Cole Henry – RHP/LSU

3. Sammy Infante – SS/Monsignor Edward Pace HS (FL)

4. Holden Powell – RHP/UCLA

5. Brady Lindsly – C/Oklahoma

6. Mitchell Parker – LHP/San Jacinto College North