20 College Names to Know For 2020
With the College World Series in full swing, here’s 20 college names to know as we begin the long march to the 2020 MLB Draft. All these guys are participating in the World Series tournament this year.
Reid Detmers, LHP, Louisville
Detmers was the 2019 ACC Pitcher of the Year and he has one of the best curveballs in the class- it has the ability to become a plus or better pitch. He also has pretty good command of his 4-pitch mix and was the best Friday Night Starter in the ACC as a Sophomore.
Bobby Miller, RHP, Louisville
Bobby had one of the most impressive starts to help Louisville advance to the College World Series, he threw 8 no hit innings against East Carolina. He sits mid 90s with his fastball and has topped out at 99mph, and he also has the makings of a plus slider and a solid changeup. There is a good chance he could be one of the fastest risers if he can still improve his velocity which is already among the best in college, and he still has plenty of upside due to his strong projectable frame.
Casey Martin, SS, Arkansas
A potential 5-Tool Talent with the ability to play up the middle, he has been a force ever since a Freshman year in which he helped lead Arkansas to the College World Series while hitting .345 with 14 Home Runs.
Heston Kjerstad, OF, Arkansas
Heston is a strong powerful left handed hitter who was an All-SEC selection the last 2 seasons.
J.T. Ginn, RHP, Mississippi State
The 30th overall pick in 2018, he decided to not sign with the Dodgers and opted to go to college. He is a draft-eligible Sophomore who won the SEC Freshman of the Year Award this spring. He has a chance to have 4 above average pitches.
Austin Martin, 2B, Vanderbilt
One of the best right handed hitters for 2020, he was an all SEC 1st Team Selection while hitting .414 and lead the SEC in hitting to go along with a .613 Slugging percentage. He is a versatile player who could possibly play defensively almost anywhere on the infield or outfield.
Justin Foscue, 2B, Mississippi State
Foscue was an All-SEC 1st Team selection. He lead Mississippi State in Home Runs (14) and Slugging Percentage (.590).
Tanner Allen, 1B, Mississippi State
Allen was an All-SEC 1st Team selection. He might not hit for much power now (7 HR’s) but he should be able to develop more as he matures. He lead Mississippi State in OBP (.427) and RBI’s (63).
Jordan Westburg, SS, Mississippi State
Westburg might not get as much praise as Tanner Allen or Justin Foscue, but he has ranked among the top 3 on Mississippi State in a bunch of categories such as OBP (3rd, .409), Runs Scored (2nd, 64), RBI’s (2nd, 59), Walks (1st, 38), and Stolen Bases (3rd, 6), and he is the youngest of the 3.
Tanner Burns, RHP, Auburn
It isn’t easy replacing a number one overall pick but someone has to try- Tanner Burns did a very good job of doing his best Casey Mize impersonation early on this spring, but struggled to stay healthy. If he can regain his form and manage to stay healthy he could hear his name up near the top of next year’s draft.
Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA
Garrett has a nice left handed swing that has allowed him to hit over .370 and Slug over .600 in PAC-12 play this year. He has yet to show the ability to hit for in game power but he could improve on that in a similar fashion as JJ Bleday did this year and Trevor Larnach did in 2018.
Asa Lacy, LHP, Texas A&M
A strong Left-Handed Pitcher with tons of potential, Asa has a 3-pitch mix where each pitch could be plus or better. He tops out at 98 MPH and is considered one of the top draft prospects for 2020.
Emerson Hancock, RHP, Georgia
A well polished college pitcher who still offers plenty of projection, some minor injuries have held him back. He has a chance to have 3 above average pitches and his fastball tops out at 97 mph.
Patrick Bailey, C, N.C. State
A Switch Hitting Catcher who has been an All-ACC Selection the last 2 years, he has a good chance to be an early first round pick. He has had success hitting with wood and has been a member of Team USA for a few years now.
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Arizona State
A strong powerful right handed hitter who led D-1 in homeruns as a freshman last year (and broke Barry Bonds freshman record for homeruns) he’s had success again in 2019. As a 1st Team All-Pac-12 selection again, he hit 14 Home Runs and slugged .720 in conference play.
Alerick Soularie, OF, Tennessee
Alerick has some of the best power in the country with quick hands and excellent bat speed, it might be more pull power than all fields right now. He is still somewhat raw but shows plenty of potential and he has shown the ability to improve his game as he made the 2019 All-SEC 1st Team and hit .364 in SEC play in his first year playing for the Vols after transferring from San Jacinto CC.
Daniel Cabrera, OF, LSU
In 2018 Daniel Cabrera was a member of Team USA and led them in homeuns. This spring he led the LSU Tigers in homeruns heading into the College World Series. He is a strong, powerful left handed hitter who could take off next year.
Kevin Abel, RHP, Oregon State
People who watched Oregon State win theCollege World Series last year might remember his performance as the pitcher in that deciding game 3 victory in which he shutout Arkansas. He looked that part thru his first few starts but needed to get Tommy John surgery. If he can regain his form he could be a potential first round pick next year.
Gage Workman, 3B, Arizona State
Workman is an athletic switch hitter who has potential for plus power to go along with an above average hit tool. He had a slash rate of .321/.424/.606 in Pac-12 conference games this spring.
David Nwogu, OF, Michigan
David is a big, strong athlete who hits for power and generates plenty of bat speed. He hit 2 home runs in the opening round of the College World Series at the Corvallis Regional and put up a slash line of .333/.471/.580 in Big Ten play this year.
