2020 Major League Baseball draft
The 2020 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft took place on June 10 and 11, 2020. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. The draft order was set based on the reverse order of the 2019 MLB season standings. In addition, compensation picks were distributed for players who did not sign from the 2019 MLB draft and for teams who lost qualifying free agents.[1] On March 26, 2020, MLB and the MLBPA reached a deal that included the option to shorten the draft to five rounds, and also shorten the 2021 draft to 20 rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] In a plan to allow teams to sign an unlimited amount of undrafted players for $20,000 each, MLB ultimately opted to shorten the 2020 draft to five rounds.[3] The draft was originally planned to be hosted live for the first time in Omaha, Nebraska, to accompany the since-cancelled 2020 College World Series. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the draft was instead held remotely from MLB Network's studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.[4][5][6] With sponsorship from T-Mobile, the event was officially the 2020 MLB Draft Presented by T-Mobile,[7] with ESPN providing live coverage for the first time since 2008, alongside MLB Network.[8]
| 2020 Major League Baseball draft | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Date(s) | June 10–11, 2020 |
| Location | Virtual Omaha, Nebraska (original planned location) |
| Network(s) | MLB Network ESPN/ESPN2 ESPN Deportes |
| Overview | |
| 160 total selections in 5 rounds | |
| First selection | Spencer Torkelson Detroit Tigers |
| First round selections | 37 |
The Detroit Tigers, who had the worst record of the 2019 MLB season, selected Spencer Torkelson with the first overall pick in the draft.[9] As punishment for their role in the sign stealing scandal, the Houston Astros forfeited their first- and second-round picks in the draft.[10] The Boston Red Sox also forfeited their second-round pick in the draft as punishment for their own sign-stealing violations.[11] Among the selected players, there were 41 who had played for the United States national baseball team[12] and 2 who had played for the Canada national baseball team.[13]
Draft selections
| * | Player did not sign |
|---|
First round
Competitive Balance Round A
Second round
Competitive Balance Round B
| Pick | Player | Team | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | Kyle Nicolas | Miami Marlins | Pitcher | Ball State |
| 62 | Daniel Cabrera | Detroit Tigers | Outfielder | LSU |
| 63 | Tink Hence | St. Louis Cardinals | Pitcher | Watson Chapel High School (AR) |
| 64 | Connor Phillips | Seattle Mariners[Trades 2] | Pitcher | McLennan Community College |
| 65 | Jackson Miller | Cincinnati Reds | Catcher | J. W. Mitchell High School (FL) |
| 66 | Clayton Beeter | Los Angeles Dodgers | Pitcher | Texas Tech |
Compensatory round
| Pick | Player | Team | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | Nick Swiney | San Francisco Giants[Compensation 1] | Pitcher | NC State |
| 68 | Jimmy Glowenke | San Francisco Giants[Compensation 2] | Shortstop | Dallas Baptist |
| 69 | Isaiah Greene | New York Mets[Compensation 3] | Outfielder | Corona High School (CA) |
| 70 | Alec Burleson | St. Louis Cardinals[Compensation 4] | Outfielder | East Carolina |
| 71 | Sammy Infante | Washington Nationals[Compensation 5] | Shortstop | Monsignor Edward Pace High School (FL) |
| 72 | Alex Santos | Houston Astros[Compensation 6] | Pitcher | Mount Saint Michael Academy (NY) |
Third round
Fourth round
Fifth round
Summary
Selections by school and conference or state
| Conference | Round 1 | CB Round A | Round 2 | CB Round B | Comp Round | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High school baseball states | |||||||||
| Arkansas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Arizona | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| California | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| Colorado | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Florida | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Georgia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Hawaii | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Illinois | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Iowa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Mississippi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| New York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| North Carolina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Ohio | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ontario | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Oregon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Texas | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| NCAA Division I baseball conferences | |||||||||
| American | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| ACC | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 16 |
| ASUN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Big 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| Big Ten | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Big West | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| C-USA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| MAC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| MW | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| OVC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Pac-12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| SEC | 6 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 26 |
| SoCon | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Southland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Sun Belt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| WCC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| WAC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| NCAA Division II baseball conferences | |||||||||
| CCAA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| GLVC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| NE10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| NCAA Division III baseball conferences | |||||||||
| SCIAC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| NJCAA baseball conferences | |||||||||
| GRAC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| NTJCAC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Panhandle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| SJCC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Selections by position
| Position | Round 1 | CB Round A | Round 2 | CB Round B | Comp Round | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitcher | 11 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 87 |
| Catcher | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| First base | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Second base | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Third base | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 9 |
| Shortstop | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 22 |
| Outfield | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 28 |
Schools with multiple draft selections
| Selections | Colleges |
|---|---|
| 5 | Arizona State |
| 4 | Michigan, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt |
| 3 | Louisville, U. of Miami, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Texas A&M |
| 2 | Arizona, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Dallas Baptist, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Long Beach State, LSU, NC State, Ole Miss, San Diego State, San Jacinto College North, Texas Tech, UCLA, Virginia Tech |
Notes
- Compensation picks
- Compensation pick for the Arizona Diamondbacks signing Madison Bumgarner
- Compensation pick for the Atlanta Braves signing Will Smith
- Compensation pick for the Philadelphia Phillies signing Zack Wheeler
- Compensation pick for the Atlanta Braves signing Marcell Ozuna
- Compensation pick for the Los Angeles Angels signing Anthony Rendon
- Compensation pick for the New York Yankees signing Gerrit Cole
- Trades
- Rays acquired José Martínez, Randy Arozarena, and the 37th pick from the St. Louis Cardinals for Matthew Liberatore, Edgardo Rodriguez, and the 63rd pick.[14]
- Mariners acquired Adam Hill and the 64th pick from the Milwaukee Brewers for Omar Narváez.[15]
Further reading
- "2020 MLB draft tracker: Analysis, highlights and every pick from Rounds 1 through 5". ESPN. June 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- Callis, Jim; Mayo, Jonathan; Rosenbaum, Mike (June 12, 2020). "Experts' favorite Draft pick for all 30 teams". MLB.com. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- Callis, Jim (June 10, 2020). "Draft Day 1: Pick-by-pick rundown, analysis". MLB.com. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- Rosenbaum, Mike (June 13, 2020). "Draft Day 2: Pick-by-pick rundown, analysis". MLB.com. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- Zielinski, Dan III (June 5, 2019). "2020 MLB Draft: Top Prospects". baseballprospectjournal.com. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
References
- Tayler, Jon (November 7, 2017). "MLB's New Free Agent Compensation Rules Are Incredibly Complicated, So Let's Break Them Down". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- Baer, Bill (March 26, 2020). "MLB, MLBPA reach agreement on service time, pay, draft". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
- Passan, Jeff; McDaniels, Kiley (May 8, 2020). "Sources: MLB shortens 2020 draft from 40 rounds to 5". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- "2020 MLB draft relocating to Omaha ahead of College World Series". NCAA.com. December 12, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- Waszak, Jr, Dennis (June 10, 2020). "SEC players fill five of first 11 picks in MLB draft". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- "NCAA cancels remaining winter and spring championships" (Press release). Indianapolis, Indiana: National Collegiate Athletic Association. March 12, 2020.
- "MLB Network to air every round of 2020 MLB Draft presented by T-Mobile on June 10 & 11". MLB.com (Press release). June 5, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- Brown, Maury (June 10, 2020). "MLB Draft Returns To ESPN For First Time Since 2008". Forbes. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- Beck, Jason (June 11, 2020). "No. 1 pick Torkelson's got the power, will to win". MLB.com. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- Davis, Bradford William (January 13, 2020). "Manager A.J. Hinch, GM Jeff Luhnow get one-year suspensions for Astros' sign-stealing; Carlos Beltran not punished". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
- "Commissioner decision on Red Sox investigation". MLB.com. April 22, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- "Forty-One USA Baseball Alumni Selected in the 2020 MLB Draft". USA Baseball. June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- "MLB DRAFT RECAP: Padres make Caissie top Canadian selected in 2020 MLB Draft". Baseball Canada. June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- "Cardinals send Jose Martinez, Randy Arozarena to Rays for pitching prospect Matthew Liberatore". CBS Sports. January 9, 2020.
- "Mariners deal Narváez to Crew for RHP prospect". MLB. December 5, 2019.