Brewers select UCLA outfielder Mitchell
Speedy first-round pick is a strong defender
The Milwaukee Brewers used the 20th pick in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft Wednesday evening to select UCLA outfielder Garrett Mitchell, considered one of the best hitters in the college ranks.
The Brewers selected Mitchell, a premier defender with great speed, despite the concerns by some teams over him playing with Type 1 diabetes. He overcame that condition to become a star for the Bruins and impact player with his speed though he has flashed little power to this point.
The Brewers have shown a tendency to covet middle-of-the-field players and did so again by picking Mitchell.
By virtue of having the worst record in the majors (47-114) in 2019, the Detroit Tigers had the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and, as expected, selected Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson.
The first collegiate first baseman to be taken with the first pick, though categorized as a third baseman by the Tigers, Torkelson was just three homers shy of breaking Bob Horner's ASU record (56) when play was halted by the pandemic.
It didn't take long for the first surprise of the opening round to take place. With the second pick, Baltimore took Arkansas outfielder Heston Kjerstad, who was projected by most draft publications to go several slots lower. Kjerstad's raw power was his major calling card, and he put it on display this spring with six home runs through 16 games before the Razorbacks' season was halted.
The next pick was a bit surprising as well as Miami took Minnesota righthander Max Meyer, also projected to go lower in the opening round. Meyer was the highest draft pick from the Gophers program since the Brewers took infield Wednesday
er Paul Molitor at No. 3 in 1977.
Texas A&M's Asa Lacy was considered the top left-hander in the draft and the Kansas City Royals made him the fourth pick. Lacy compiled huge strikeout numbers in college with a high 90s fastball, wipe-out slider, solid changeup and power curveball, giving him the repertoire to get to the majors quickly.
Infielder-outfielder Austin Martin of Vanderbilt, considered the best pure hitter in the draft, was taken fifth by the Toronto Blue Jays. After playing third base initially for the Commodores, Martin moved to center field this spring but was announced as a shortstop by the Blue Jays, a sign of his athleticism and versatility. Toronto already has a top young shortstop in Bo Bichette.
Another top collegiate pitcher, Georgia's Emerson Hancock, was taken with the sixth pick by the Seattle Mariners. One of Hancock's best tools is his fastball command, resulting in only 1.1 walks per nine innings in his first four starts in 2020 before play was stopped.
The historic run on college players atop the draft continued when Pittsburgh selected New Mexico State shortstop Nick Gonzales at No. 7. A second baseman in his first two collegiate seasons, Gonzales moved to shortstop this year but it's his bat that had teams excited entering the draft.
A high school player finally ended the string of collegiate picks when outfielder Robert Hassell of Thompson's Station, Tenn., was taken with the eighth pick by the San Diego Padres. A centerfielder with a commitment to Vanderbilt, the left-handed Hassell was considered the best pure hitter in the prep ranks.
Another high school outfielder went at No. 9 to the Colorado Rockies, who selected Zac Veen of Port Orange, Fla. A big (6-5, 200), strong left-handed hitter, Veen has been considered one of the best hitters in the prep ranks for some time but might have to move from center to a corner spot as he matures and gets bigger.
It was a return to college pitchers, and lefties in particular, with the next two selections as the Los Angeles Angels
took Louisville's Reid Detmers and the Chicago White Sox picked Tennessee's Garrett Crochet. Detmers was considered one of the most polished pitchers in the collegiate ranks and Crochet was considered to have some of the best stuff.
Austin Hendrick joined Hassell and Veen as the prep outfielders to crash the party when he was taken by the Cincinnati Reds with the 12th selection. Hendrick played in Imperial, Penn., and attracted the attention of scouts with budding power in summer showcases last year.
Two of the best college players at their positions were selected next when San Francisco took N.C. State catcher Patrick Bailey at No. 13 and the Texas Rangers followed by drafting Mississippi State second baseman Justin Foscue. Bailey's defensive skills were rated very highly with a potential to hit for power, and Foscue also has considerable pop.
Right-hander Mick Abel of Portland, Ore., considered the top high school pitcher in the draft, was the 15th player taken in the first round by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Picking 16th, the Chicago Cubs made in essence a local pick by taking prep shortstop Ed Howard of Mount Carmel, Ill.