2020 MLB Mock Draft: Final Predictions for Each First-Round Selection

1. Detroit Tigers: Spencer Torkelson - 1B, Arizona State
2. Baltimore Orioles: Austin Martin - IF/OF, Vanderbilt
3. Miami Marlins: Asa Lacy - LHP, Texas A&M
4. Kansas City Royals: Zac Veen - OF, Spruce Creek High School (FL)
5. Toronto Blue Jays: Max Meyer - RHP, Minnesota

Perhaps it's not a fait accompli that the Detroit Tigers will select former Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson with the No. 1 overall pick, but it seems as though it would be pretty surprising if they went in another direction. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel says that Torkelson reminds him of New York Mets' first baseman Pete Alonso, who won the 2019 National League Rookie of the Year after he slugged 53 home runs and drove in 120 runs. MLB Pipeline says that the Tigers have the No. 5 farm system in baseball, but their major-league team went just 47-114 a year ago and is largely devoid of talent, so they need to continue to stack young talent.

6. Seattle Mariners: Emerson Hancock - RHP, Georgia
7. Pittsburgh Pirates: Nick Gonzales - 2B, New Mexico State
8. San Diego Padres: Robert Hassell III - CF, Independence High School (TN)
9. Colorado Rockies: Heston Kjerstad - OF, Arkansas
10. Los Angeles Angels: Patrick Bailey - C, North Carolina State

Since A.J. Preller took over as the Padres' general manager in August of 2014, the team has yet to post a winning record. However, the organization is flush with talent and set up to be one of the most successful teams this decade. Not only do the Padres already have Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Chris Paddack at the major-league level, but MLB Pipeline says they possess the No. 2 farm system in baseball, headlined by lefty MacKenzie Gore, the No. 5 prospect in the sport. Robert Hassell III, a Vanderbilt-commit, was described as having "the best strike zone recognition I've ever seen" by Summit High School head coach Chad Kirby. Assuming the Padres would be able to convince him to turn professional, rather than attending college, Hassell III could join an already-established Padres team in a few seasons.

11. Chicago White Sox: Garrett Mitchell - OF, UCLA
12. Cincinnati Reds: Austin Hendrick - RF, West Allegheny High School (PA)
13. San Francisco Giants: Reid Detmers - LHP, Louisville
14. Texas Rangers: Garrett Crotchet - LHP, Tennessee
15. Philadelphia Phillies: Cade Cavalli - RHP, Oklahoma

In our last mock, we had the Phillies taking righty Nick Bitsko, a local product that attended Central Bucks East High School. However, Insider Keith Law poured cold water on what would be a cool story, saying that the Phillies "seem open to any player type except high-school pitching." The Phillies, who have struggled to develop left-handed starting pitching since Cole Hamels, would probably love for Reid Detmers to fall to them at pick No. 15, though that feels unlikely. Law has the Phillies selecting Cavalli - who possess a fastball, curveball combination that ESPN's Kiley McDaniel has raved about - and we're inclined to agree. In a few short years, Cavalli could potentially join Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and top prospect Spencer Howard to build an elite rotation.

16. Chicago Cubs: Pete Crow-Armstrong - OF, Harvard-Westlake High School (CA)
17. Boston Red Sox: Mick Abel - RHP, Jesuit High School (OR)
18. Arizona Diamondbacks: Tyler Soderstrom - C, Turlock High School (CA)
19. New York Mets: Nick Bitsko - RHP, Central Bucks East High School (PA)
20. Milwaukee Brewers: Jared Kelley - RHP, Refugio High School (TX)

During Chaim Bloom's 15 seasons in the Tampa Bay Rays' organization - the final four of which he was the senior vice president of baseball operations - the small-market organization remained consistently competitive in the American League East, despite not being able to compete financially with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Now Boston's chief baseball officer, Bloom obviously has a ton of resources available to him that he didn't in Tampa Bay. But as Andrew Friedman has done in Los Angeles, don't expect Bloom to bail on what got him the job in Boston - the Red Sox are going to draft and develop really well under Bloom. WEEI's Rob Bradford recently spoke with pitching whisperer Kevin Gunderson, who compared high-school righty Mick Abel to three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer from a competitiveness standpoint. It's a great read, and Abel appears to be a strong fit in Boston, who doesn't possess a ton in the way of short or long-term certainty in the starting rotation.

21. St. Louis Cardinals: Cole Wilcox - RHP, Georgia
22. Washington Nationals: Justin Foscue - 2B, Mississippi State
23. Cleveland Indians: Bryce Jarvis - RHP, Duke
24. Tampa Bay Rays: Dillon Dinger - C, Ohio State
25. Atlanta Braves: J.T. Ginn - RHP, Mississippi State

There would perhaps be much more clarity on former Georgia right-hander Cole Wilcox's place in the 2020 MLB Draft if his final college season hadn't been halted because of COVID-19. Wilcox was nasty in his first - and ultimately, only - four starts of the 2020 season, going 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA. Keith Law ranks him as the 14th-best overall prospect in this class, and talks about how he has reached 100 MPH with his fastball. So why isn't Wilcox a top-five pick? In 19 games, six of which were starts, in 2019, Wilcox posted a 4.07 ERA. He struggled mightily in two summer-league appearances as well. Wilcox, as Law notes, is far from a sure thing, and may take longer to develop than some of the other college righties expected to be taken in the first round. Having some patience may ultimately land the Cardinals - a team that's already pretty flush with talented starting pitching - a front-line starter. But that's far from a guarantee, which is why Wilcox is still on the board at this stage.