After selecting University of Arizona catcher Austin Wells with the No. 28 overall pick on Day 1 of the 2020 MLB Draft, the Yankees rounded out their draft haul with two picks on Day 2. The team had selections in the third and fourth rounds, having forfeited their second and fifth-round picks when they signed Gerrit Cole. Below are some quick capsule profiles of those players chosen by the Yankees in the third and fourth rounds:
Round 3, No. 99 overall: OF Trevor Hauver, Arizona StateHauver was a 32nd-round pick of the Royals out of high school in 2017, but chose to go to Arizona State, and the Sun Devils were glad to have him. He started 95 of 116 games over three years in Tempe, hitting .316 with a .963 OPS and 77 RBI.
A shortstop in high school, Hauver moved to the outfield in college due in part to ASU’s infield depth, and that has led to MLB.com comparing him as potentially a Daniel Murphy-type in the future: someone who can play a few positions around the diamond while hitting for both average and power, with the bat as his carrying tool.
Round 4, No. 129 overall: RHP Beck Way, Northwest Florida JCA 6’4” righty, Way went the D-II to JUCO route in an attempt to boost his future stock, and it pays off in a fourth-round selection by the Yankees.
He started his career at Belmont Abbey College, making 19 appearances out of the bullpen as a freshman, and transferred to Northwest Florida for his sophomore season. Prior to that, though, Way was a force in the 2019 Cape Cod League, and moved into the rotation in JUCO, going 5-0 with a 0.6 ERA in six starts in an abbreviate season.
Way’s MLB.com profile notes he has a “three-quarters deliver to bring three pitches which have the chance to be average or better,” including a low-90s fastball, a currently inconsistent slider, and a little-used changeup that shows signs of improvement.
The key here is that Way is committed to LSU, and as a third-year collegian would be eligible to be re-drafted in 2021.