A’s, Giants ready for today’s delayed draft.
This year’s draft depth lies in college-level pitchers; A’s will pick 26th overall
The delayed amateur draft will be the first live MLB action since March, and there will be no shortage of intrigue for the A’s during the truncated two-day event or after.
The A’s have the 26th overall pick in today’s first round, then four more picks on Thursday. No extra compensation, no competitive balance picks. Then there is, perhaps, the lingering stigma leftover from A’s owner John Fisher’s since-rescinded decision to cut minor leaguers’ $400 stipend. That could be a big deal since this year’s draft has been reduced to just five rounds, and any players not selected are free agents and can sign with any team for $20,000.
“John has obviously reversed that decision and I have confidence in the relationships that our scouts have with players and their ability to go out there and get that done,” A’s general manager David Forst said.
With 35 fewer rounds, teams likely will focus more on immediate needs within the
system over a preferred bestplayer-available approach Forst says the A’s will maintain.
Scouting this class was particularly difficult. Most colleges had played about a dozen games before NCAA baseball shut down because of COVID-19. Most high school players never got on the field.
The pandemic confined scouting director Eric Kubota and a crew to a host of Zoom calls to confer over year-old (or more) analysis.
“It’s not quite the same as being at a game, but we’re using whatever video we have,” Kubota said recently. “We have video from past seasons, we have video from the portion of the college season that happened this year. It’s a little harder for the high school guys.”
So who might the A’s pick?
Of the A’s last six firstround picks, outfielder Austin Beck in 2017 is the lone high schooler drafted. The others?
2019 (No. 29 pick): Logan Davidson, SS, Clemson
2018 (No. 9 pick): Kyler Murray, OF, Oklahoma
2016 (No. 6 pick) : A.J. Puk, LHP, Florida
2015 (No. 20 pick): Richie Martin, SS, Florida
2014 (No. 25 pick): Matt Chapman, 3B, Cal State Fullerton
In other words, if the A’s stay true to form expect established college players.
What the A’s might need
Pitching, particularly lefthanded pitching.
Two of the A’s prized lefthanded pitching prospects, Jesús Luzardo (No. 1 prospect) and Puk (No. 3 prospect), inevitably cracking into the big league roster leaves nearly barren LHP presence on the team’s top prospect list. Hogan Harris, who spent last season in Double A with the Midland Rockhounds, is the only other southpaw on MLB’s Top 30 prospect list.
The good news? This draft is brimming with college-level pitching talent.
Names we might hear, if the A’s take a LHP: Tennessee’s Garrett Crochet and Florida International’s Logan Allen. If the A’s feel like plunging into the high school pool, they could select Dax Fulton from Mustang High School in Oklahoma.
Why not a RHP?
That’s certainly possible. Pitching depth is thin in the lower levels of the minor leagues. Daulton Jefferies, James Kaprielian, Grant Holmes, Brian Howard, Miguel Romero, Parker Dunshee and Brady Feigl make up seven of the nine right-handed pitchers on the top prospects list, and all have advanced above A-ball.
Tyler Baum and Gus Varland are the two highranked right-handers that remain.
Some names we might hear if the A’s go with a right-handed pitcher: Auburn’s Tanner Burns, Miami’s Chris McMahon, South Carolina’s Carmen Mlodzinski, Oklahoma’s Cade Cavalli, Duke’s Bryce Jarvis, Georgia’s Cole Wilcox, Texas Tech’s Clayton Beeter.
Where are the A’s stacked?
Marcus Semien’s MVPcaliber progression caps an A’s system rife with middle infield talent that could come bursting at the seams in the coming years.
Shortstop Nick Allen, their 2017 third-round pick, has risen to the No. 5 overall spot on the A’s prospect list. Fellow shortstop Robert Puason, at just 17-yearsold playing rookie ball, is at No. 4.
Further advanced middle infield prospects are Sheldon Neuse (No. 6), Jorge Mateo (No. 7), 22-year-old Davidson (No. 8) and Jeremy Eierman (No. 22).
What do the experts say?
The Athletic’s Keith Law has the A’s taking Ohio State “defense-first” catcher Dillon Dingler. MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo says the A’s will lean toward a college pick, as they typically do.
Mayo has the A’s taking the right-handed pitcher route, selecting Miami’s McMahon. At 6-foot-2, McMahon is considered one of the more polished college arms. He was a three-sport athlete in high school, drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the third round of the 2017 draft, but opted to attend college.
And finally ...
With no minor league season this summer, where will the drafted players go?
They’ll have to wait to play, said Forst: “I don’t think there’s any expectation that these guys are going to play anywhere this year. Minor league season is up in the air. Rumors of some instructional league are way down the line, you go in with expectation that you get these guys ready for 2021.”