MLB Draft: Five of the biggest risers in latest mock drafts
By Nick Stevens
Based on recent discussions and mock drafts, these five names appear to be quickly rising up MLB draft boards.
We may not have a date for the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season, but we are quickly approaching this year’s MLB draft, one of the deeper drafts in recent memory.
The five-round amateur selection process will take place next week, with first-round and Competitive Balance A picks taking place on June 10th (7 pm, ESPN) and rounds two-five taking place the following day (5 pm, ESPN2).
The 2020 MLB draft has long been heralded for it’s college pitching depth. This year’s crop of college arms are so deep, teams like the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers will have the opportunity to select prime first-round arms into round two of the draft as they use large bonus pools and multiple early picks to continue to stock their farm systems with talent.
Without a high school baseball season this year, teams are expected to stick to picking out of the college ranks where more data is available and scouts have had the opportunity for more live looks. But don’t be shocked to see some of the more elite high school talents go very early in this year’s draft.
Two types of players have seen their stock rise the most over the last few days, those college pitchers and high school studs. Here are five of the biggest risers in next week’s draft, based on movement in recent mock drafts.
Outfielder Zac Veen- Spruce Creek High School, Florida
The team over at Baseball America dropped a bit of a bombshell on Wednesday morning with the release of their latest mock draft.
Carlos Collazo continued to mock Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson to the Detroit Tigers, but shook things up by mocking high school outfielder Zac Veen to the Baltimore Orioles at number two overall.
It’s been widely assumed that the Orioles would go with Vanderbilt’s Austin Martin or Texas A&M’s Asa Lacy, maybe even New Mexico State’s Nick Gonzalez. However, it now appears that recent discussions have led to a real possibility of the Orioles selecting Veen out of Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Florida.
Veen is listed at 6’5” and 200 pounds, with plenty of projection left in his frame and powerful swing from the left side of the plate. At 18 years old, scouts have a plus-grade on Veen’s raw power with an above-average hit tool and a strong outfield arm that could play well in a corner spot as he likely moves off center field as he continues to grow into his 6’5” frame.
This pick makes a lot of sense for the Baltimore Orioles. With a large crop of pitchers with first-round grades sure to be available when the Orioles come back at pick number 30 and 39 overall, many of whom are likely to fall due to high signing bonus demands, the Orioles can grab themselves an elite outfield bat and save some money to go after tougher signs later in the draft.
Veen currently ranks fifth on Fangraphs’ big board and seventh on Baseball America’s. If the Orioles decide to go with Veen second overall, it would certainly make the first round of the draft a bit more exciting.