MLB Draft: Five of the biggest risers in latest mock drafts
By Nick Stevens
Where will RHP Nick Bitsko go in the 2020 MLB draft? It may be earlier than expected.
RHP Nick Bitsko- Central Bucks East High School, Pennsylvania
Let’s stick in the high school ranks and look at right-handed pitcher Nick Bitsko, a University of Virginia commit out of Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Bitsko is ranked 16th and 19th according to Fangraphs and Baseball America, respectively, and has been mocked as a mid-first round pick to possibly falling deep into the first round/early second round due to his likely high price tag and the fact that teams haven’t seen him pitch in about a year.
Bitsko reclassified to graduate early and head to UVA next year, but has seen his draft stock rise significantly over the last few days. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel released an in-depth profile on the prep arm, highlighting his elite pitch-mix that compares favorably to some of the current top arms in the major leagues.
Bitsko is just 17, yet as McDaniel uncovered with some fascinating pitch data from recent workouts, he might have the highest ceiling of any player in the 2020 draft. It’s hard to read McDaniel’s piece and not instantly fall in love with Bitsko’s potential.
Baseball America has Bitsko going as high as eighth overall to the San Diego Padres in their latest mock draft (with a mention of him possibly falling to the Orioles at number 30). The Padres aren’t afraid to go after high-risk/high-reward high school talents early in the draft, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that general manager AJ Preller joins Mike Elias in shaking things up a bit.