June 10th and 11th were big days for the Baltimore Orioles. As the franchise progresses through a rebuild, the 2020 MLB Draft was an integral means of replenishing their farm system. General manager Mike Elias and his staff, admittedly, made some surprising selections, that on the surface were head scratching. Ultimately, they came away with some promising young players, to make up the 2020 Orioles draft class.
After winning more games than any other franchise from 2012-2016, the Orioles have fallen on hard times. Between 2019 and 2020, the team lost 223 games, making them the first overall-pick in 2019 and the second-overall pick in 2020. The former netted them switch-hitting catcher Adley Rutschman, currently the fourth-best prospect in MLB.
The organization adds six new players, five of whom are position players. The front office is making it clear that their direction is to build a core of position players as the foundation for their next contender. Although the margin for error was slim with the abbreviated draft, the Orioles made good selections to fit that mold.
Our #MLBDraft Class of 2020.
Welcome to #Birdland! pic.twitter.com/5rMPFYBRn8
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) June 12, 2020
Round One, Pick Two: OF Heston Kjerstad
The Orioles walked away with some of the best power in the entire MLB draft with their first pick. The assumption was that the Detroit Tigers would take Spencer Torkelson with the first-overall pick. This meant that Vanderbilt product Austin Martin, a versatile defender considered to be the best pure hitter in the draft, would be available. Instead, the Orioles selected Heston Kjerstad out of the University of Arkansas.
It is possible that the Orioles wanted to underslot him to have money available for the rest of the draft. Regardless if this is true, they still went with a talented player. Kjerstad was the tenth-overall prospect heading in to the draft, according to MLB.com.
He hit 37 home runs and drove in 129 RBI in college while slashing .343/.421/.590. His pure hitting ability is not as advanced as his power, but his left-handed swing will be a joy to watch in Camden Yards. He will also play solid defense with a plus arm.
Competitive Balance A, Pick 30: SS Jordan Westburg
Defense is the name of the game with Jordan Westburg. His best tools are his arm and his speed which allow him to range all over the diamond and make strong throws to first base.
He has good power. He was slugging .517 when the season was suspended, and he projects to hit 20 home runs as a MLB player. At Camden Yards, that is certainly doable. His pure hitting is behind his other tools, and he lacks consistency at the plate, leading to a lot of strikeouts. That being said, he did hit .326 with a wooden bat in the Cape Cod league.
Westburg was MLB.com’s 37th-ranked prospect, and the Orioles took him 30th overall. He is felt to have better defensive value and higher upside than Justin Foscue, his double play partner at Mississippi State University. Foscue went 14th overall to the Texas Rangers.
Round Two, Pick 39: OF Hudson Haskin
Hudson Haskin is a more well-rounded player than Kerstad and Westburg. All of his tools are graded as at least average with his speed being the best. Despite his game being more complete than the Orioles previous two picks, his ceiling is lower.
Once Haskin fills out, scouts foresee him being a 20-home-run player, as well. The Tulane University product was not the most aggressive base-stealing threat although that will change as a professional. Haskin was the 74th-ranked prospect, according to MLB.com, and he was drafted 39th to become the third member of the Orioles draft class.
Round Three, Pick 74: SS Anthony Servideo
Anthony Servideo is another player that will bring superb speed and defense to the Orioles farm system. Originally ranked the 110th-prospect by MLB.com, the team was sold enough on what he brings to the table defensively to take him 74th overall.
His speed and defense are well-above-average tools although there are concerns about his offense. His pure hitting is average and his power is below average. In fact, he put up the worst batting line in the Cape Cod league last year.
He looked like a different hitter in 2020 and scouts were hoping to see how that played out once Ole Miss got to SEC play. Unfortunately, that never happened and it is uncertain how sustainable his offensive production will be moving forward. If he can sustain that offense, he will add that to his ability to run fast and play great defense.
Round Four, Pick 103: 3B Coby Mayo
The 103rd pick in the draft was used on third baseman Coby Mayo. Mayo was the 132nd-ranked prospect, according to MLB.com, and he was the first high school player taken in the Orioles draft. He is a graduate of Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, and he is committed to play at the University of Florida.
Mayo could benefit from further development in college. He is not fast and his pure hitting and defense need work. However, his right-handed power is legitimate. He uses his great size of six-feet, five-inches tall and 215 pounds to crush pitches. The caveat is that the weakness of his pure hitting tool leads to trouble making contact and inconsistencies tapping into that power.
It may be best if Mayo moves off of third base down the road. His hands and footwork could improve as he develops, but his arm is well above average, and it may be better utilized in the outfield.
Round Five, Pick 133: RHP Carter Baumler
With their final pick, the Orioles drafted Carter Baumler 133rd overall. Baumler is the second high school selection and only pitcher in this Orioles draft class. He graduated from Dowling Catholic in Iowa, and he is committed to play at Texas Christian University. He was MLB.com’s 102nd-ranked prospect.
Baumler throws a three-pitch mix. His strength is his fastball, curveball combination, and scouts see the potential for both to be plus pitches. The fastball sits in the low-to-mid-90s with good life. He can afford to add some size to his six-feet, two-inch tall, 195 pound frame, and doing so will help him add velocity. His curveball has a history of inconsistency, but showed improvement late in the showcase circuit. He also throws a changeup that will develop as he throws it more often.
Baumler’s clean and smooth delivery will allow him to throw strikes and stay healthy in the long run. He is no guarantee to sign now that he has been drafted. Scouts felt he could have gone as high as the second round, and still noted it would be tough to lure him away from TCU in that scenario.
Outlook
While this is the case for most draft classes, this class is truly one that will need time to be properly evaluate. If these picks pan out, it will easily be one of the best draft classes from 2020.
At first glance, it is easy for one to read about the Orioles draft picks and scratch their heads. There is a lot of development needed in some of these players and there is a lot of swings and misses in these bats as well.
However, it is clear that Mike Elias had a plan and he executed it. Every position player drafted has a strong defensive component to their game, whether it is their actual defensive potential or their arms. From that perspective, every player has some combination of favorable defense, speed, and power. It is clear that Elias wants those tools to be the strong points of the team he is building.
There is certainly risk with some of these players although there is good upside if they all develop. It will be an added bonus if they manage to sign Baumler. While it will be tough to sign him away from TCU, they should save a good amount of money from underslotting their first five picks.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
