The 2020 MLB draft is right around the corner, and that means your team could be selecting its next superstar in the coming days. Since baseball draft prospects are often not household names when selected, we found current MLB stars who are the best big league comparisons for five top prospects sure to come off the draft board early in the first round — and perhaps even No. 1 overall — on June 10.
Watch the 2020 MLB draft on ESPN and the ESPN App
Wednesday, June 10: Round 1, starting at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Thursday, June 11: Rounds 2-5, starting at 5 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Kiley McDaniel’s latest mock draft
Team-by-team draft guide: Fits, needs for all 30 teams
Ranking the top 150 MLB draft prospects
Spencer Torkelson is the next … Pete Alonso
With 70-grade raw power (out of 80), Torkelson projects for 30 to 40 homers in the big leagues, but what sets him apart from other mashers is his above-average contact ability and pitch selection, to go with a peerless performance record for the past three seasons at Arizona State.
Torkelson’s mock draft landing spot: No. 1 to Tigers
Austin Martin is the next … Justin Turner
Martin isn’t a Justin Turner type right now; his multipositional, hit-over-power style is a little closer to Ben Zobrist. But many teams think the tools are in place (sneaky, above-average raw power, elite contact and pitch selection) for Martin to begin lifting the ball more and turn into a Turner-type player in the majors.
Martin’s mock draft landing spot: No. 2 to Orioles
Max Meyer is the next … Walker Buehler
Meyer has close to the best, if not the best, raw stuff in the draft, with an 80-grade slider and a fastball that has been clocked up to 100 mph. His stature (6-foot, 185 pounds) along with his mechanics are reminiscent of Buehler. The concerns are that Meyer throws too many sliders, his velocity will scale back on regular pro rest, and his build might limit his innings upside.
Meyer’s mock draft landing spot: No. 5 to Blue Jays
Asa Lacy is the next … James Paxton
Both Lacy and Paxton are big lefties with premium power stuff headlined by a mid-90s heater and slider. While Lacy has been healthy thus far, there is a little worry that he might not be a perennial 200-inning starter, which has also limited Paxton’s career.
Lacy’s mock draft landing spot: No. 3 to Marlins
Emerson Hancock is the next … Luis Castillo
The right-handed starting pitcher who uses a changeup more than either breaking ball is a small fraternity, and Castillo is the class of it.
Hancock also sits in the mid-90s and is a premium strike-thrower with an above-average breaking ball, but the worry among clubs is that Hancock’s fastball — which is more sinker than four-seamer — is too hittable right now.
Hancock’s mock draft landing spot: No. 9 to Rockies
