Bluebird Banter - Blue Jays 2020 MLB Draft CoverageRoster moves R Us.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47723/bluebird-fv.png2020-06-12T18:56:28-04:00http://www.bluebirdbanter.com/rss/stream/210495122020-06-12T18:56:28-04:002020-06-12T18:56:28-04:00Blue Jays select OF Zach Britton in the fifth round
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<figcaption>Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>No, not that Zach Britton</p> <p id="8er9PC">With the 136th overall pick in the fifth and final round of the 2020 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-draft">MLB Draft</a>, the <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/">Blue Jays</a> selected outfielder <span>Zach Britton</span> from the University of Louisville — no relation to the relief ace who famously was left standing in the Baltimore bullpen waiting for the save opportunity that never came when <span>Edwin Encarnacion</span> walked off the <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/">Orioles</a>’s season in the 2016 wild card game. </p>
<p id="pBMfXZ">That might be particularly a propos considering that this is likely a pick that will bank some pool dollars compared to slot for Austin Martin at the top of the draft, who only landed in the Jays’s lap when the Orioles unexpected passed on him. </p>
<p id="24ySMZ">While not the classic “senior sign” slot saver/org guy, <span>Britton</span> was drafted well ahead of where he’d otherwise have ended up in a normal draft, that is, more in rounds 7-10 or on the third day and signing for $125,000 or so. </p>
<p id="Fil6mk">A reasonably high profile recruit out of high school (Louisville’s fifth best rated recruit to make it to campus), <span>Britton</span> hit .239/.400/.375 in 115 PA of sporadic playing time, his OBP boosted by drawing 10 HBPs in addition to 15 walks. That improved to .288/.368/.470 with 5 home runs over 155 PA in closer to everyday playing time in 2019. </p>
<p id="BEZHlk">that time was split between several positions, including behind behind the plate which was his primary position coming out of high school. He transitioned out from behind the plate to essentially full time outfield, and his bat has taken off coincident with that. Last summer he got into 28 games with Orleans, his production holding up with a wood bat to the tune of .286/.358/.500 in 110 PA. The power coming along was notable, but then so was a 27% strikeout rate. </p>
<p id="fVzGDE">In his abbreviated 2020 junior season, Britton’s production jumped again to .322/.446/.542 against reasonable largely non-conference opponents. So perhaps he was breaking out and would have pushed himself higher in the draft. That said, it remains a tough profile — a corner outfielder with modest power and without plus speed. But the Jays seem to see <a href="https://www.si.com/college/louisville/othersports/britton-had-no-doubt-2020-draft">something they like in the adjustments</a> he’s made, and perhaps he’ll hit his way up the chain.</p>
https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2020/6/12/21217969/blue-jays-select-of-zach-britton-in-fifth-round-2020-mlb-draftMatt W2020-06-12T15:07:40-04:002020-06-12T15:07:40-04:00Blue Jays select RHP Nick Frasso in fourth round
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<figcaption>Photo by Simon M Bruty/AnyChance Productions/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="HRQvEd">With the 106th overall overall pick in the fourth round of the 2020 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-draft">MLB Draft</a>, the <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/">Blue Jays</a> selected right-handed pitcher from Loyola Marymount University in California. As was mentioned on the MLB broadcast, there’s a special significance in that Dave Stieb was picked with the 106th overall pick in 1978 (the year after <span>Tim Raines</span> went to the Expos 106th overall). It also marked the team’s first foray out of Florida.</p>
<p id="LV0sWn">Frasso is more of a development project, a 6’5”, 200 pounder who divided his time between baseball and basketball in high school, only focussing on baseball at LMU. Both his freshman and sophomore years were split between the rotation and bullpen, with very similar performance: ERAs of 3.15 and 2.22 in 60 and 56.2 innings, 17 walks both years against 74 and 73 strikeouts. </p>
<p id="b1ht2n">Last summer he briefly appeared on the Cape, making a couple appearances for Orleans before being added to the USA College National team and throwing four shutout innings against Cuba. The combination of stuff, performance, and remaining projection gave him some first round buzz coming into the year if everything came together, but two short starts (8.2 innings, 4.15 ERA, 11 K) before elbow tightness sidelined him and the premature end of the season prevented that from coming to pass. </p>
<p id="Tr8zLg">In that sense, the Jays could potentially be getting a bargain. Frasso’s fastball wil touch the upper 90s, but sit in the low 90s as a starter. His main secondary is a sweeping breaking ball, with curveball speed in the mid-70s. He can at least flash a quality change-up, as he does a few times in the video to some lefty batters. </p>
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<p id="V4X9FJ">His delivery is variously described as “herky-jerky” and “gangly arms and legs”, which is evident in especially the first half of the video below (from last summer). It looked quieter in to me in the above video from this video. </p>
<div id="dyAviJ"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/m/2020-draft-nick-frasso-rhp" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="QolyhA">Oh, and he can do this:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BlueJays</a> fourth-round draft pick <a href="https://twitter.com/nickfrasso?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nickfrasso</a> is a FREAK athlete. Here's a video of the former <a href="https://twitter.com/FirebirdsCCBL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FirebirdsCCBL</a> right-hander putting on a dunk clinic during a rain delay this past summer. <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MLBNetwork</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/karlravechespn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@karlravechespn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Official_CCBL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Official_CCBL</a> <a href="https://t.co/FJWbZonMbB">pic.twitter.com/FJWbZonMbB</a></p>— Josh White (@_JoshRWhite) <a href="https://twitter.com/_JoshRWhite/status/1271239036364115968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2020</a>
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<p id="qEBRzh">That athleticism is a main reason for thinking he’ll have the command to start, which as mentioned above had he been able to firmly establish in 2020 would have have had him going a lot higher. And if not, there’s relief potential and he’s already had success in that role. It’s also worth noting that Frasso was in new scouting director Shane Farrell’s coverage area with the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a>, so there’s likely a level of familiarity there that may have factored in especially with the abbreviated season.</p>
https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2020/6/12/21224256/blue-jays-select-rhp-nick-frasso-in-fourth-round-2020-mlb-draftMatt W2020-06-12T09:20:05-04:002020-06-12T09:20:05-04:00Blue Jays select RHP Trent Palmer in third round
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<img alt="2020 Major League Baseball Draft" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yr_CYaA1LWu8jxF-6Q2ZCm4UG70=/0x0:4587x3058/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66926847/1219407787.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Florida, Florida, Florida</p> <p id="UsTtT9">With the 77th pick in the third round of the 2020 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-draft">MLB Draft</a>, the <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/">Blue Jays</a> stayed in the state of Florida and selected RHP Trent Palmer from Jacksonville University.</p>
<p id="nO5Opz">A 6’1”, 230 pound pitcher, Palmer pitched out of the bullpen his freshman season and split 2019 between starting and the bullpen, moving from the former to the latter midway through the season after a run of rough starts. He recorded 70 strikeouts in 61.1 innings but struggling with inconsistency en route to a 4.55 ERA. </p>
<p id="LFJxqc">It was his summer league results that were more impressive: a 2.08 ERA in 30.1 innings with 34 strikeouts against 10 walks in the Northwoods League in 2018, followed 18.2 innings in the Cape Cod League last summer over seven appearances to a 1.45 ERA with 21 strikeouts against 8 walks. He further raised his profile with an electric start to 2020 as JU’s Friday night starter, striking out 41 while walking just 5 in 27.2 innings with a 1.30 ERA and finishing the season with a complete game and three straight double digit strikeouts.</p>
<p id="kEbCA3">That put significant helium in the draft stock of a previously more under-the-radar Palmer, and given the late rise and exceptional circumstances resulted in a wider range of rankings. Keith Law had him 76th (right around where he went), MLB Pipeline had him 114th, and FanGraphs 159th. One might thus be inclined to see him as an overdraft, but had the season not abruptly ended and he continued to dominate, his stock would have continued to rise and he probably wouldn’t have made it to the 3rd round.</p>
<p id="tfcVjG">In light of that, it shouldn’t be surprising that there’s significant divergence in reports on the quality of his stuff. The one thing that seems universal is plus fastball velocity, able to touch the mid/upper 90s, with Pipeline noting an ability to hold velocity when starting. There’s more divergence when it comes to his offspeed, with Fangraphs noting “occasionally average offspeed pitches [and a] relief fit” whereas others as more effusive: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Palmer was a late riser, big physical kid with a fastball that works up to 98 or so with bowling-ball sink. One of the best sliders in the college class, some reliever risk <a href="https://t.co/QfHzBej9HI">https://t.co/QfHzBej9HI</a></p>— Vinnie Cervino (@vcervinoPG) <a href="https://twitter.com/vcervinoPG/status/1271216690945277958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2020</a>
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<p id="2zFXnT">There’s a couple of sliders in this video of his last 2020 start (the complete game with 113 strikeouts on 111 pitches), and it definitely looks like it’s got some sharp late break:</p>
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<p id="XyJ4aj">Pipeline notes his third pitch is a splitter, with a slower curveball as at least a show-me offering. Between the history mostly in relief and the frame, there’s inclination to typecast Palmer as a reliever. Taking him in the third round, the Jays surely are investing in his potential as a starter, but with the fastball/slider combination if that doesn’t work out a power bullpen arm would appear to be a viable fallback option. </p>
https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2020/6/12/21226296/blue-jays-select-rhp-trent-palmer-in-third-round-2020-mlb-draftMatt W2020-06-11T22:51:23-04:002020-06-11T22:51:23-04:00Blue Jays select RHP CJ van Eyk in the second round
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<img alt="COLLEGE BASEBALL: MAY 27 ACC Baseball Championship" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BOf89klTdf9GvdMKeJXo_ygiY0I=/0x265:2401x1866/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66925640/963979754.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="zFtLeE">With the 42nd overall pick of the 2020 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-draft">MLB Draft</a>, the <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/">Blue Jays</a> selected right-handed pitcher C.J. van Eyk from Florida State University in the second round. Not only did the Jays take a second successive native of the state of Florida, van Eyk is a 2017 graduate of Steinbrenner HS in nearby Lutz, Florida where he played alongside 2017 draftee and current minor leaguer PK Morris.</p>
<p id="uhYZrq"> He was a highly rated coming out of high school for the 2017 draft (ranked 120 by MLB Pipeline) after his fastball velocity jumped up to touching 95 complementing advancedpitchability. Arm soreness that cost a bunch of his senior year dashed any realistic chances of going pro at that point, instead sending to college at Florida State where he had committed. </p>
<p id="rJjfIc">Working largely out of the bullpen in his freshman season, he posted a solid 2.86 ERA in 56.2 innings, piling up 71 strikeouts though some control issues with 30 walks. He not only moved into the weekend rotation in 2019, but emerged as FSU’s ace and most consistent pitcher in a very up-and-down season that saw them salvage a slow start and earn a trip to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-world-series">College World Series</a> in Mike Martin’s swan song. </p>
<p id="S1aWQ9">All told, van Eyk posted a 3.81 ERA in 99.1 innings, again with an impressive strikeout rate in piling up 129 punchouts against 48 free passes. He was off to an even stronger start this year, with a 1.31 ERA in 20.2 innings, 25 strikeouts against 12 walks (and 3 HBP), against a mixed bag competition wise. It’s a solid track record in the ACC, the second or third strongest <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-baseball">college baseball</a> conference.</p>
<p id="bxdFh7">In terms of velocity, his fastball still top around around 95, but sits in the low-90s. His best pitch is a sharp 12-6 curve that he can both drop in the zone for strikes and bury down as a swing-and-miss weapon. There’s some mixed reviews on his change-ups, with Baseball America indicating a pitch that fools hitters, and FanGraphs implying it at least flashes plus.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">CJ Van Eyk, Fastball and Curveball (individual pitches + overlay/tails). <a href="https://t.co/3MAJJDV9K7">pic.twitter.com/3MAJJDV9K7</a></p>— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) <a href="https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1271194367580045315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2020</a>
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<p id="iHvSmr">There’s definitely some reliever risk for the 6’1”, 198 pounder, with the collegiate track record consistently pointing to control issues, and in the pro ranks he’ll face much more consistent hitters. But he gets good marks for his delivery, and the Jays wouldn’t be taking him in the second round if they didn’t believe in his ability to start and will of course give him every opportunity to do so. If it all comes together, the ceiling would be a mid-rotation starter with a solid three pitch mix.</p>
<p id="5y4NlH">It’s certainly not an obvious overdraft, as van Eyk was ranked 39th on the MLB Pipeline board, 42nd at Fangraphs and 46th by Baseball America, with Keith Law mentioning him as a possible late first rounder. I will be particularly interesting to see what he signs for compared to Jared Jones, the high school pitcher who went two spots later, and also the next two college pitchers selected in Chris McMahon and J.T. Ginn (the latter more intriguing to me).</p>
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https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2020/6/11/21228208/blue-jays-select-fsu-rhp-cj-van-eyk-in-second-round-2020-mlb-draftMatt W2020-06-11T16:57:18-04:002020-06-11T16:57:18-04:002020 MLB Draft Day 2 Open Thread
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<img alt="2020 Major League Baseball Draft Previews" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aDLWp3Ifj2x_PIcRzvHUAa3-HtE=/0x0:5336x3557/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66924007/1218644255.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="88IxEA">The remaining four rounds of the greatly abbreviated 2020 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-draft">MLB Draft</a> will conclude today, getting underway at 5:00 PM EDT (<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/how-to-watch-the-2020-mlb-draft">link to MLB.com broadcast</a>). The <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/">Blue Jays</a> will have the following selections”</p>
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<li id="hTD1xc">2nd round, 42th overall — $1,771,100 slot value</li>
<li id="7Jz70S">3rd round, 77th overall — $805,600 slot value</li>
<li id="CdhGeS">4th round — $549,000 slot value</li>
<li id="lPQXkk">5th round, 136th overall — $410,100 slot value</li>
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<p id="komykL"><a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2020/6/10/21239376/blue-jays-select-vanderbilt-ss-austin-martin-5th-overall">After selecting Vanderbilt SS Austin Martin yesterday</a> — represented by Scott Boras and likely to sign in excess of the slot value of of $6,180,700 — it’ll be interesting to see how the Jays draft today. With a day to have got some sense of the demands, will they play things straight up and take players who will require full slot to sign, or they they consciously make a pick or picks to create some slot room. When you only get five picks total, punting has a much higher opportunity cost. </p>
<p id="xPMKYi">With the 5% cushion on their overall pool of $9,716,500 that gives the Jays another $485,825 to work with. If they don’t want to punt any picks, one strategy could be to simply the other four guys, and then make a ~$6.66-million of all the remaining room and dare Boras and Martin to turn it down. But either way, we should get some idea by later today. </p>
https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2020/6/11/21213640/2020-mlb-draft-blue-jays-day-2-open-threadMatt W2020-06-10T22:30:19-04:002020-06-10T22:30:19-04:00Blue Jays select SS Austin Martin 5th overall
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<img alt="College World Series - Michigan v Vanderbilt - Game Three" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fkECkFu5AwYPfo_zY5pLCd3T6sM=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66920300/1152108925.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Blue Jays may have landed the steal of the draft</p> <p id="JFHhcp">The 2020 MLB Draft proceeded according to expectation for precisely one pick, with the <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a> taking Spencer Torkelson first overall. Then Baltimore threw a curveball, and the biggest beneficiary may turn out to be their division rivals. </p>
<p id="EpzEg7">Rather than take the player who was second in most rankings and first for some in Vanderbilt shortstop Austin Martin, the <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/">Orioles</a> went down the board and presumably underslot for Heston Kjerstad. Miami and Kansas City opted for college right-hander Max Meyer and lefty Asa Lacy, receptively, and leaving Martin right in the <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/">Blue Jays</a>’s lap where they ended his unexpected slide.</p>
<p id="hFQEr4">Indeed, just an hour beforehand it seemed improbable that Martin would fall past the first two or maybe three picks, for the simple reason that he was considered the top pure hitter available in the draft. If you’re going to pick one carrying tool, it’s the hit tool. And on top of that, he projects to play some sort of premium defensive position.</p>
<p id="0rp1VA">A highly rated player out of high school in Florida, Martin follows in a long line of Vanderbilt commits whose development takes off in Nashville and end up elite draft picks three years later. Indeed, it’s the second straight year a Commodore hailing from Florida was the 5th overall pick, after J.J. Bleday last year. </p>
<p id="XCozBD">Martin stepped right into the lineup for Vanderbilt as a freshman, not just holding his own but hitting an impressive .338/.452/.414 in 273 PA, with notably strong plate discipline (13% BB rate, 17% K rate) if little power output.</p>
<p id="VKxEFm">That was merely a launching point for 2019, in which Martin was a catalyst for the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-world-series">College World Series</a> champions. His .392/.486/.604 line speaks for itself, but what’s even more impressive is what he did in SEC conference play. Often, huge college hitting lines are padded by beating up on weaker early season opponents and midweek games, but Martin hit .424 in 28 SEC games, against the best pitching in <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-baseball">college baseball</a>. While continuing to walk 12% of the time, his strikeout rate was cut back to 10.5%.</p>
<p id="jWyxzG">Martin started similarly in 2020, a .377/.507/.660 line against unremarkable non-conference competition. The hitting ability at the highest level of college baseball is well established, with gap power. Defensively, he’s moved around the diamond, playing 2B and 3B last year, expected to man short this year but ending up mostly in centre this year apparently due to issues with his throwing and arm (his weakest tool).</p>
<p id="aSyDmq">As <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2020/6/10/21286788/two-draft-candidates-not-expected-to-make-it-to-the-jays">noted in the brief profile</a> earlier today, there’s potential for him to be a Swiss army knife type utility player, moving around the diamond as needed, with <span>Ben Zobrist</span> type comp (keeping reality in mind; <span>Zobrist</span> had had a Hall of Very Good type career; Martin would be a greatpick if had half that career). The Jays announced him as a shortstop, and there’s really no reason not to see what he can do, though that could be complicated if he’s so advanced offensively he pushes his way quickly upward. </p>
<p id="TrU0BZ">This selection sets up what will surely be an interesting negotiation. Martin is represented by Scott Boras, who will surely push for an overslot bonus given that Martin was expected to go higher (slot is $6.18-million). Working in his favour in terms of leverage is that Martin could return to Vanderbilt as a junior in 2021. </p>
<p id="hYVmvU">Moreover, given the depth of this draft and fortune of Martin galling to them, the Jays would be unlikely to do as well or better with the 6th pick next year. The ability to go 5% over their pool with just an overage tax means the Jays could pay about $6.66-million without requiring savings elsewhere. On the flip side of course, with all the uncertainty in the world, the Jays could essentially dare him to turn down over $6-million. Who knows next season will look like, or even what the draft will look like financially. </p>
<p id="WnzOWj">All in all, it’s hard to see it as a coup that the Jays were able to land Martin picking 5th,with draft analysts universally effusive of the value. Keith Law ranked him as the top player on his board, rating him as having the best chance of being an offensive superstar and would plan on starting him in AA next year. </p>
<p id="RVYeOM">An interesting parallel:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Don't get me wrong - I like Lacy a lot, and would have been thrilled to get him 30 minutes ago.<br><br>But Austin Martin falling to #5 reminds me of Anthony Rendon in 2011, where teams (including KC!) passed on the best college position player because they overthought things.</p>— Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) <a href="https://twitter.com/jazayerli/status/1270862164723712000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2020</a>
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<p id="xDTyLc">It’s not a perfect comparison, since Rendon slid due to serious ankle and shoulder injuries, and there are some question marks around Martin’s arm. The striking similarity is that like 2011, the 2020 draft was deep at the that without a firm pecking order. If a player starts unexpectedly sliding, teams might be prepared or willing to pivot, and that may well be what happened tonight with Martin. </p>
<p id="Xdb4jx">Martin becomes the third player drafted fifth overall in the June draft in franchise history. Hopefully, his career ends up more like that of Vernon Wells (1997) than that of Matt Williams (1981; the right handed pitcher who had only a cup of coffee, not the slugger who ranks 75th overall in career home runs). </p>
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https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2020/6/10/21239376/blue-jays-select-vanderbilt-ss-austin-martin-5th-overallMatt W2020-06-10T18:51:46-04:002020-06-10T18:51:46-04:002020 MLB Draft Day One Open Thread
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<figcaption>Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="QGS6Rw">The 2020 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-draft"><strong>MLB Draft</strong></a> gets underway at 7:00 EDT, this year carried on TSN3 as well as <a href="https://www.mlb.com/video/2020-mlb-draft-live-1243?t=mlb-draft"><strong>livestreamed on MLB.com</strong></a> (hmm, I wonder what could possibly account for ESPN and TSN’s sudden interest in televising the MLB Draft?). Unlike the past few years, only the first round and competitive balance round will be tonight rather than the first two rounds and associated sandwich rounds. with five minutes in between picks in the first round, and then one minute per pick afterwards with some short breaks in betwen rounds.</p>
<p id="l80BTq">The <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/"><strong>Blue Jays</strong></a> will pick 5th, so assuming the first pick comes in closer to 7:15 and five minutes or so in between, likely between 7:30 and 7:45 EDT. That will be their only pick tonight.</p>
<p id="ppu3nX">In addition to the profiles myself and Expos45 did of the most plausible candidates, here are a few useful resources:</p>
<ul>
<li id="HXUA4W"><a href="https://www.mlb.com/prospects/draft/">MLB.com top 200</a></li>
<li id="kaYA0H"><a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/the-board/2020-mlb-draft/summary?sort=-1,1&type=0">Fangraphs Big Board</a></li>
<li id="bU3NLF">Latest mock drafts: <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mock-draft-final-projections-for-2020-mlb-draft">MLB Pipeline</a>, <a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/mock-draft-3-0-the-day-of/">Fangraphs</a>
</li>
</ul>
<p id="S2LXmP">The consensus seems to have the Jays locked in on Minnesota RHP Max Meyer, and in recent years they’ve been pretty accurate, with frequent ties to Aek Manoah last year and Logan Warmoth and Nate Pearson in 2017. Will it come to pass this year? Tune and join us to find out!</p>
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https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2020/6/10/21216816/2020-mlb-draft-day-one-open-threadMatt W2020-06-10T17:50:55-04:002020-06-10T17:50:55-04:00MLB Draft Profiles: Asa Lacy and Reid Detmers
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<img alt="NCAA Baseball: College World Series-Louisville vs Mississippi State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zE__0DW-fDkWkyzjctG8e9rjBvw=/4x0:3811x2538/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66919197/usa_today_12930869.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="ovyhTP">Winding down the profiles of players likely to go in or around the top 10 picks, and thus conceivably options for the <a href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/">Blue Jays</a> at 5th overall are two players who are less likely to be realistic options for opposite reasons. </p>
<h4 id="lEmcnU">Asa Lacy</h4>
<p id="zouoyt">Lacy has emerged as likely to be the first college pitcher selected, and he seems pretty strongly linked to Miami with the 3rd pick so he’s probably not falling to the Blue Jays and thus like Torkelson and Martin not worth spending a whole lot of time on.</p>
<p id="faNVjF">But in short, like Hancock he was well known coming out of high school in 2017 as a hard throwing Texas lefty, but inconsistent and with some questions about his delivery and projection for command. So he ended up at Texas A&M, which worked out incredibly well. He was a solid performer as a freshman working out of the bullpen, but then exploded in 2019 in the weekend rotation. Lacy posted a 2.13 ERA with 130 strikeouts against 56 free passes in 88.2 innings. </p>
<p id="BHmxoN">He proceeded to be even more dominant to start 2020, with a 0.75 ERA and 46 strikeouts against 12 free passes in 24 innings against a mixed bag of non-conference competition. There’s still concerns about his delivery and effort level, and thus future command, but the mid-90s fastball and breaking ball are essentially some of the best stuff in the draft. In that sense, the profile is somewhat reminiscent of <span>Chris Sale</span> back in 2010, although there aren’t the same degree of question marks about his future role.</p>
<h4 id="ZNlK23">Reid Detmers</h4>
<p id="FFAiqv">Detmers by contrast was more under the radar out of high school in 2017, though not completely unknown as he was drafted by Atlanta in the 32nd round. Louisville has a long track record of developing players from cold weather states, and Detmers is the latest in a long line.</p>
<p id="ChleOF">After a decent freshman year (4.85 ERA in 55.2 innings, 69 K), as is often the case his sophomore year was his big coming out party. Detmers emerged as the staff ace, leading Louisvilleto the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-world-series">College World Series</a> in posting a 2.78 ERAin 113.1 innings driven by 167 strikeouts against 40 free passes. He was off to an even more spectacular start this year, with a 1.23 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 22 innings, against reasonably strong non-conference competition to boot.</p>
<p id="4yfvqV">He’s obviously a very polished college pitcher, but the question is one of projection. It’s a decent low-90s fastball, with his best secondary being a slow low-70s curve that won’t necessarily be a big swing and miss offering against professional hitters. The problem is there’s nothing really plus, that is a carrying tool. He’s considered the “safe, mid-rotation starter” — famous last words.</p>
<p id="7MjCrm">For me, it’s a profile that I wouldn’t have a major problem taking in the bottom half of the first round, but I’d be unsatisfied to disappointed with 10th overall, and not like at all overall. But he doesn’t seem to really be on the radar in the top half dozen picks or so (rightfully, in my view).</p>
https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2020/6/10/21247382/blue-jays-mlb-draft-candidate-profiles-asa-lacy-and-reid-detmersMatt W