Baltimore Orioles End 2020 MLB Draft With A Bang

The Baltimore Orioles closed out the 2020 MLB draft with two very intriguing picks.

Baltimore Orioles fans weren’t feeling overly enthusiastic about the pair of selections made on day one of the 2020 MLB draft, but those feelings of skepticism were quieted a bit as the Orioles closed out their draft process with two highly intriguing high school prospects.

Baltimore dove headfirst into the SEC with their first two selections, including Arkansas outfielder Heston Kjerstad with the second overall pick and Mississippi State shortstop Jordan Westburg with the 30th overall pick.

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This meant the bypassing of names like Austin Martin and Asa Lacy at the top of the draft and missing out on top pitching talents like Pennsylvania high school arm Nick Bitsko by the time their second pick in the draft came around.

There were legitimate reasons to question the Orioles strategy of taking Kjerstad, but day two brought a new day a plethora of high-profile names still on the board, like Georgia’s Cole Wilcox and high school arm Jared Kelley.

What did the Orioles do with pick #39? They stayed in the college ranks, going with Tulane outfielder Hudson Haskin, a draft-eligible sophomore with impressive speed and defensive abilities, but questions about what attracted the Orioles to him so early. While outlets like MLB Pipeline and Baseball America believe he can develop into a 20/20 player in the big leagues, Orioles fans began to really question what they were watching unfold.

In true baseball fashion, patience is key and just might pay off for Orioles fans hoping for a big hit with the 2020 draft.

With their fourth-round pick, the Orioles selected third baseman Coby Mayo out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. A Florida commit, Mayo is already listed at 6’5” and 215 pounds as an 18-year-old and brings an impressive power tool to the organization.

Scouting reports rave about his elite raw power from the right side and arm strength on the left side of the diamond. Per Baseball America, Mayo has one of the strongest arms in this year’s draft class. A few seasons at Florida could have propelled him into the first round at a later date. Instead, he appears to be heading to Baltimore with a deal in place, per MASN’s Roch Kubatko.

The Baltimore Orioles closed out their draft with high school right-handed pitcher Carter Baumler. According to the Des Moines Register, Baumler turned down other offers on draft night but plans to sign with Baltimore after the Orioles were able to match his undisclosed bonus demand.

Picks like Baumler and Mayo are why the Orioles drafted the way they did early on.

Baumler was a TCU commit and was announced as an RHP/3B, but claims the plan moving forward is to pitch for the Orioles. The lone pitcher to be drafted by the Orioles this year, Baumler already works his fastball up to 94 mph and has a changeup and curveball in his repertoire.

All 30 teams talked with Baumler at some point during the draft process, per Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register. The Baltimore Orioles came out winners in this sweepstakes.

Like Mayo, Baumler has first-round talent and joins an Orioles system committed to an analytical approach to player development under general manager Mike Elias. Orioles fans may have questioned a pick like Baumler in previous years, but with new philosophies in place, the old narrative surrounding Orioles player development is slowly disappearing.

It’s going to take a few years to evaluate this draft class, but the picks of Coby Mayo and Carter Baumler may be the two picks who fans look back at as the crown jewels of the 2020 draft class.