Mock Draft 2.0: White Sox could be in for a surprise

Reid Detmers (Kevin Schultz/CSM)

The 2020 MLB Draft opens on Wednesday, when the first-round picks will come off the board, followed by the second through fifth rounds on Thursday.

Since my last mock draft, there are no changes for the top three picks. There is some clarity on the group of players who will be taken at picks four through nine, but after Colorado, it gets murky. It is hard to pinpoint what the Los Angeles Angels will do since most of their scouting department has been furloughed. Will they reach to make an under slot deal to save money? Will they get lucky and have a top-five talent fall to them?

Or are they the team that could punt the draft?

No doubt that the Angels have a significant influence on who the White Sox will take at pick 11. Don’t forget: You can make your selections in the Sox Machine MLB Draft Pick’em Contest, and we will be streaming live tomorrow, covering the White Sox pick. You can follow the visuals on MLB Network or ESPN starting at 6 p.m. CT.

Mock Draft 2.0

  1. Detroit Tigers – Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Arizona State
  2. Baltimore Orioles – Austin Martin, 3B/OF, Vanderbilt
  3. Miami Marlins – Asa Lacy, LHP, Texas A&M

I don’t suspect anything changes with the top three picks. If Baltimore doesn’t select Austin Martin and goes under slot to have more bonus pool money on hand for picks 30 and 39, that would be a mild surprise. As our good friend Jim Callis would say, it’s not worth getting cute towards the top of the draft.

  1. Kansas City Royals – Zac Veen, CF, Spruce Creek HS (FL)

Zac Veen would make a good pairing with last year’s first-round pick, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., in helping the Royals’ rebuilding efforts.

  1. Toronto Blue Jays – Max Meyer, RHP, Minnesota

If Veen makes it to the Blue Jays, I think they take him. If Veen doesn’t, when I ask around, most agree that the Blue Jays will choose the best remaining college starter on the board. This is subjective, because it’s really up to the scout and analyst who they prefer between Emerson Hanock and Max Meyer. I’m guessing Meyer here, but it could be a coin flip between the two.

  1. Seattle Mariners – Nick Gonzales, 2B, New Mexico State

On Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto’s podcast, he mentioned a preference for middle of the field bat with Pick 6. That was back in late April, and maybe his mind has changed since then, but Gonzales is too good to pass up at this spot. 

  1. Pittsburgh Pirates – Heston Kjerstad, RF, Arkansas

When it comes to Heston Kjerstad, I’ve heard as a deep sleeper for Baltimore at Pick 2, a long shot for Kansas City at Pick 4, and everyone thinks he’ll be off the board before the White Sox pick. It’s hard to peg what new GM Ben Cherington wants to do, but I have the Pirates taking Kjerstad.

  1. San Diego Padres – Mick Abel, RHP, Jesuit HS (OR)

No matter what, I think the Padres take a prep player at Pick 8. Mick Abel is the highest ranking prep player on the Average MLB Draft Prospect Rankings Board. This could also easily be prep outfielder Robert Hassell, who I have going to . . .

  1. Colorado Rockies – Robert Hassell, CF, Independence HS (TN)

If the Padres take Hassell at No. 8, I could see Patrick Bailey get selected here over the prep pitching options.

  1. Los Angeles Angels – Emerson Hancock, RHP, Georgia

Towards the end of the 2019 College Baseball season it appeared that Hancock was the early favorite to be the 1-1 pick. With a short 2020 season and teams concerned about his TrackMan metrics, I think Hancock slips a bit in the draft. Which is great news for the Angels as they get one of the best college starting pitchers in this class…

… if they don’t punt the draft, that is. If the rumor is true that a Top-10 team is looking to skip this year’s draft, my money is on the Angels. They already furloughed most of their scouting staff and plan on furloughing the remaining scouts after the draft. The player they could select with little intentions of signing would be prep third baseman Drew Bowser out of Harvard-Westlake High School, who is reported to be a strong commit to Stanford.

  1. Chicago White Sox – Reid Detmers, LHP, Louisville

Hancock slipping to the Angels is also great news for the White Sox, because they get one of the better college starting pitchers in Reid Detmers. I think this is Detmers’ floor in the draft. Earlier landing spots include Pittsburgh at No. 7, or if Hancock is also off the board, that the Angels take him at Pick 10.

PERTINENT: 2020 MLB Draft Player Profile: Reid Detmers

Now, if the Detmers doesn’t fall to the White Sox, a name I keep hearing as a possibility at No. 11 is Tennessee’s left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet. If the White Sox did pick Crochet, I think the hope is he could develop into a starter but with a fallback plan of being an electric bullpen arm. Remember, Alex Colomé is a free agent after this season and the White Sox will need to find replacements for the bullpen.

If the Angels do decide to select Drew Bowser, then in this situation Emerson Hancock would fall to the White Sox. That was unfathomable just a week ago. Between Hancock or Detmers, I think the pick would have to be Hancock.

  1. Cincinnati Reds – Cade Cavalli, RHP, Oklahoma
  2. San Francisco Giants – Nick Bitsko, RHP, Central Bucks East HS (PA)
  3. Texas Rangers – Patrick Bailey, C, NC State
  4. Philadelphia Phillies – Tyler Soderstrom, C, Turlock HS (CA)
  5. Chicago Cubs – Garrett Mitchell, CF, UCLA
  6. Boston Red Sox – Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF, Harvard-Westlake HS (CA)
  7. Arizona Diamondbacks – Austin Hendrick, RF, West Allegheny HS (PA)
  8. New York Mets – Jared Kelley, RHP, Refugio HS (TX)

Rumor has it that Tyler Soderstrom, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Austin Hendrick, and Jared Kelley are looking for Top-20 money. If they don’t go in the first 20 picks, their situations are worth watching. Teams like Baltimore and San Diego might attempt to pick them in the comp rounds by going over slot.

  1. Milwaukee Brewers – Dillon Dingler, C, Ohio State
  2. St. Louis Cardinals – Cole Wilcox, RHP, Georgia
  3. Washington Nationals – Garrett Crochet, LHP, Tennessee

If there is one pick that I was way off on, it’s Crochet dropping to Washington. There is some chatter that Colorado and Los Angeles are considering Crochet.

PERTINENT: 2020 MLB Draft Player Profile: Garrett Crochet

  1. Cleveland Indians – Ed Howard, SS, Mount Carmel HS (IL)

I see this pick going one of two ways for Cleveland. In this situation, Ed Howard falls to them and they pick their future shortstop to replace Francisco Lindor when they let him walk. The second way is that Cleveland takes prep third baseman, Jordan Walker. If Howard is off the board by Pick 23, expect Walker. 

  1. Tampa Bay Rays – Bryce Jarvis, RHP, Duke
  2. Atlanta Braves – Slade Cecconi, RHP, Miami
  3. Oakland Athletics – Nick Loftin, SS, Baylor
  4. Minnesota Twins – Austin Wells, 1B, Arizona
  5. New York Yankees – Carmen Mlodzinski, RHP, South Carolina
  6. Los Angeles Dodgers – Tanner Burns, RHP, Auburn

(Photo of Reid Detmers by Kevin Schultz/CSM)

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MrTopaz

I’m just hoping it’s not Bailey. No offense to the young man, I wish him well, I just thought he had an uninspiring “whozzat?” quality even before Jim wrote his piece about first round catchers. I also find Detmers to be unexciting, but at least as a Sox fan I have recentish memories of a maximum pitchability/minimum stuff lefty to fall back on. Best of luck to whoever they take. We’re going to need it.

knoxfire30

He feels like the lance broadway of catching prospects…. he will probably get to the bigs but the chances he makes a big impact seem very low. Sox should be taking aim at someone with a higher ceiling.

WhiteSoxwinner

I agree on Bailey and Detmers . Since hopefully this will be the lastTime we have a high pick in sometime, I’d sure like to get someone with a high ceiling and not just a high floor. Give me Emerson, Cavalli, or even one of the top prep pitchers or hitters if they fall.

egib52

You would rather have Cavalli than Detmers? Interesting. I see Detmers as having the possibility of being a Kyle Hendricks or Buehrle-lite type of pitcher. Granted without a dominant fastball you have to spot pitches better and his control interests me. That being said I don’t see him being a perennial all-star. I would prefer them to swing for the fences with Soderstrom, Bitsko or Howard. However, I would not be upset with Detmers. Bailey or Cavalli would frustrate me.

Eagle Bones

I think it was Lognenhagen who mentioned using Soderstrom in kind of a C / 3B / COF hybrid role which would be really interesting, but also something that I probably wouldn’t trust this org to implement.

Is Howard really that high of a ceiling? From what I’ve read, he sounds more like averagish tools with solid SS defense. Would be opposed to him at the pick, but does he really give you that much upside?

John SF

Howard really that high of a ceiling?

I think he’s a little-to-no-doubt MLB short stop, with projectable power Potential and great makeup. That’s doesn’t sound like a perennial all star, but it does count as high ceiling b/c that’s like a reliable 3 WAR player with possibly a few all star seasons in him. It’s not crazy high upside like Machado or Lindor but it’s still upside.

Eagle Bones

Ok, maybe we’re just defining upside differently. I just don’t see him having star potential based on what I’m reading. Then again, Jim invoked Gavin Lux’s name when he came up in today’s post and he certainly looked similar coming out and he’s turned into a possible star, who who knows?

HallofFrank

I do feel that way about Bailey, but not Detmers. He may not have a tremendous ceiling, but he’s a good bet to be a middle of the rotation starter. What he lacks in “stuff” he makes up with… something, because he struck out *a lot* of guys playing at an elite college program (and was probably the best pitcher for team USA last summer). In 2019, he struck out 167 guys in 113.1 IP. In 2020, he started even better with 48 K in 22 IP (before conference play, but he did start against Ole Miss and Wake Forrest).

All that to say: I’d be excited if they got Detmers at #11. But Hancock would really be great…

knoxfire30

Agree, I think Detmers has a chance to be a solid starter. Maybe a Kyle Hendricks type where all he does is get results despite not the eye popping stuff. Plus its a lot easier to be that type of pitcher from the left side.

MrTopaz

I’m sure I’d be fine with Detmers, it’s just the lack of stuff gives him so little margin that I feel like he’s the draft equivalent of eating your vegetables. Like, I don’t NOT like vegetables, and I absolutely understand the necessity of adding vegetables to make a meal healthy, but there’s absolutely other things I’d rather have on my plate. For some reason, the last couple years, one of those other things has been left handed prep bats, which makes me lean towards Soderstrom. I’m still slightly bummed the Sox didn’t take Nolan Gorman a few years ago.

HallofFrank

Yeah, that’s fair. If the Sox were drafting 5th or 6th, I’d be much less thrilled with Detmers. But he seems like a get at #11.

I actually feel like Crochet is the vegetables of this draft—and maybe the raw, unseasoned vegetables. Maybe I just don’t know enough about it, but it feels like such a “blah” pick… and he’s who the mocks seem to be favoring.

Eagle Bones

With you on Bailey, but I feel like this “no stuff” label that keeps getting put on Detmers is a little unfair (at least based on what I’ve read). He’s not a big velocity guy, but it’s not like he’s just got some average breaking ball that he locates well. It’s a legit plus pitch (Longenhagen described it as maybe the best pitch in the draft).

itaita

Stupid dyslexia. I thought it said Ass Lacy for a second. Also, Spencer Torkelson is not a superstar name and i would not draft him #1.

Jim Margalus

Tencer Sporkelson is a fun spoonerism, though.

asinwreck

Had, exactly one year ago, you told me the Sox would have a realistic opportunity to draft Hancock, I would have assumed the MLB team had completely collapsed in July .

With half a day left before speculation turns to results, I am especially curious to learn what the Pirates do. The mocks I have seen have little consensus.

Eagle Bones

If they end up with Hancock, I’ll be ecstatic. I’d be good with Detmers. Hoping they steer away from Bailey and the HS arms (in the 1st that is).

PauliePaulie

I hope the Sox go upside early. Abel or Howard under slot in round 1. Then back to the high ceiling HS pool in round 2 with Dax Fulton, Mason Winn or Justin Lange. With Dalquist and Thompson, they’re the needed next wave for sustained success.
The 2020 draft hack is upside High Schoolers. Teams are really risk averse this year and the youngsters are falling like stones. One will be there at 47, if they have the $.
My fear is the Sox are the Sox. Round 1 is future back-up C, Bailey. Round 2 is Ball State pen arm Kyle Nicolas.

Eagle Bones

Do they have the pool money to push a guy all the way to 47 though? There are so many teams with a ton more pool money in front of them that would likely snap those guys up in the comp round or the first part of round 2, no?

PauliePaulie

Certainly a concern. Sox would have to have really done their homework on the higher rated high school kids.
But I’m guessing they won’t need to push.
The teams with the big $ this year aren’t known for utilizing that strategy in a normal season. (Orioles, Tigers, Royals, Marlins, Pirates)
By all accounts, teams are being even more conservative with this draft.