NEWSLETTER
Yesterday, the Chicago Cubs and MLB kicked off the 2020 MLB Draft with round one and the Competitive Balance Round A. Picking 16th overall, the Cubs were able to grab local Chicago shortstop Ed Howard, and everyone seems pretty darn happy about it.
In case you missed our deep dive earlier, take a look:
A Deep Dive on New Cubs Prospect Ed Howard’s Exciting Profile https://t.co/cqf4HLIEhZ pic.twitter.com/1B2XrS5ZwQ
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) June 11, 2020
Today, starting at 4:00pm CT, the league will play out Round 2 in full (picks 38-60), before moving onto Competitive Balance Round B (picks 61-66), then the Compensation picks will happen (picks 67-72), followed by the rest of the picks from rounds 3-5 (picks 73-160).
Tonight’s draft broadcast has been moved from ESPN to ESPN 2, but you can also watch the live stream right here:
The Cubs next pick comes in the second round (51st overall), followed by the third round (88th overall), fourth round (117th overall), and fifth round (147th overall).
Just for a little (fun?) context, back in 2016, the Chicago Cubs didn’t make their first pick until 104th overall. Tonight, they’ll have nearly made four picks before that time comes. Combined with the expectedly impressive IFA class and the upside of Ed Howard, and this can be a very big year for the Cubs minor league system, the first under the eye of new Scouting Director Dan Kantrovitz.
Round 2
38. Detroit Tigers
39. Baltimore Orioles
40. Miami Marlins
41. Kansas City Royals
42. Toronto Blue Jays
43. Seattle Mariners
44. Pittsburgh Pirates
45. San Diego Padres
46. Colorado Rockies
47. Chicago White Sox
48. Cincinnati Reds
49. San Francisco Giants
50. Texas Rangers
51. Chicago Cubs – Burl Carraway, LHP, Dallas Baptist
Here’s what MLB.com has to say on the 6 foot left-handed reliever:
Carraway has a pair of overpowering pitches in his fastball and curveball. His heater sits at 93-96 mph and touches 98 with riding action, while his downer curve usually parks in the upper 70s. His pitches play up because they have high spin rates and he gets good extension in his delivery, and both can grade as well above average when at their best. As a 6-footer who lacks physicality and features a lot of effort in his high three-quarters delivery, Carraway is strictly a reliever. His control and command have improved in college but still need to get better if he’s going to hold down a high-leverage role in the big leagues. He should be one of the first players from the 2020 Draft to reach the Majors.
No doubt the Cubs like his two above average pitches – and possibly even his ability to reach the majors soon – but with great extension and a great spin rates, this reasoning might be simpler than that. MLB.com believes he’s “strictly a reliever” but we’ll wait to see what the Cubs have planned.
UPDATE: More on Carraway here.
52. New York Mets
53. Milwaukee Brewers
54. St. Louis Cardinals
55. Washington Nationals
56. Cleveland Indians
57. Tampa Bay Rays
58. Oakland Athletics
59. Minnesota Twins
60. Los Angeles Dodgers
* Astros and Red Sox forfeited their second-round picks as part of their sign-stealing punishment
**Angels (Anthony Rendon), Phillies (Zack Wheeler), Diamondbacks (Madison Bumgarner), Braves (Will Smith) and Yankees (Gerrit Cole) lost second-round picks for signing free agents
Competitive Balance Round B
61. Miami Marlins
62. Detroit Tigers
63. St. Louis Cardinals (received in trade from the Rays)
64. Seattle Mariners (received in trade from the Brewers)
65. Cincinnati Reds
66. Los Angeles Dodgers (received in trade from the Twins)
Compensation Picks
67. San Francisco Giants (for losing Madison Bumgarner)
68. San Francisco Giants (for losing Will Smith)
69. New York Mets (for losing Zack Wheeler)
70. St. Louis Cardinals (for losing Marcell Ozuna)
71. Washington Nationals (for losing Anthony Rendon)
72. Houston Astros (for losing Gerrit Cole)
Round 3
Twins gave up their third-round pick for signing Josh Donaldson.
73. Detroit Tigers
74. Baltimore Orioles
75. Miami Marlins
76. Kansas City Royals
77. Toronto Blue Jays
78. Seattle Mariners
79. Pittsburgh Pirates
80. San Diego Padres
81. Colorado Rockies
82. Los Angeles Angels
83. Chicago White Sox
84. Cincinnati Reds
85. San Francisco Giants
86. Texas Rangers
87. Philadelphia Phillies
88. Chicago Cubs – Jordan Nwogu, OF, Michigan – Nwogu, probably a corner outfielder long term (though he has played center), was “the Wolverines’ best offensive performer in 2019, when they surprisingly finished second at the College World Series, and again this spring. One of the most physical players in this year’s Draft, he offers more offensive upside than former Michigan outfielder Jordan Brewer, an Astros third-rounder last June.”
Nwogu is a big kid at 6’3″, 235 lbs, but has plus speed, according to MLB.com. And although he already generates a ton of power, he’s said to have an unorthodox swing, which is the type of profile professional coaches love to get their hands on. In other words, you’ve found success despite yourself so far, now let’s us show you what you can really do. Nwogu was the 108th ranked prospect heading into the draft, but Dan Kantrovitz and Theo Epstein know what they’re doing.
Much more on Nwogu soon.
89. Boston Red Sox
90. Arizona Diamondbacks
91. New York Mets
92. Milwaukee Brewers
93. St. Louis Cardinals
94. Washington Nationals
95. Cleveland Indians
96. Tampa Bay Rays
97. Atlanta Braves
98. Oakland Athletics
99. New York Yankees
100. Los Angeles Dodgers
101. Houston Astros
Round 4
102. Detroit Tigers
103. Baltimore Orioles
104. Miami Marlins
105. Kansas City Royals
106. Toronto Blue Jays
107. Seattle Mariners
108. Pittsburgh Pirates
109. San Diego Padres
110. Colorado Rockies
111. Los Angeles Angels
112. Chicago White Sox
113. Cincinnati Reds
114. San Francisco Giants
115. Texas Rangers
116. Philadelphia Phillies
117. Chicago Cubs – Luke Little, LHP, San Jacinto College North (TX)
If anything, Luke Little has a big story to live up to, as San Jacinto (Texas) JC has produced 18 big league pitchers, including Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and the Nationals 2019 first-rounder Jackson Rutledge. Little also missed four weeks with a tweaked back earlier this year and was only able to return for a handful of relief outings. But he also throws HEAT. According to MLB.com, “Little has the highest maximum velocity of any southpaw in the 2020 Draft.” What’s not to like about ANOTHER left-handed fireballer?
Much more on Little coming soon.
118. Boston Red Sox
119. Arizona Diamondbacks
120. New York Mets
121. Milwaukee Brewers
122. St. Louis Cardinals
123. Washington Nationals
124. Cleveland Indians
125. Tampa Bay Rays
126. Atlanta Braves
127. Oakland Athletics
128. Minnesota Twins
129. New York Yankees
130. Los Angeles Dodgers
131. Houston Astros
Round 5
Yankees gave up their fifth-round pick for signing Gerrit Cole.
132. Detroit Tigers
133. Baltimore Orioles
134. Miami Marlins
135. Kansas City Royals
136. Toronto Blue Jays
137. Seattle Mariners
138. Pittsburgh Pirates
139. San Diego Padres
140. Colorado Rockies
141. Los Angeles Angels
142. Chicago White Sox
143. Cincinnati Reds
144. San Francisco Giants
145. Texas Rangers
146. Philadelphia Phillies
147. Chicago Cubs – Koen Moreno, RHP, Panther Creek HS (NC)
A 6’2″ high school right-hander with a 93 MPH fastball. According to Baseball America, “Moreno is a projection arm in the true sense of the definition, with plenty of room remaining on a lean frame, athleticism that should allow him to make big strides in the future and an innate feel for spinning a baseball. Scouts didn’t see him pitch much at all this spring with a shortened 2020 season, but he was a candidate to take a step forward stuff-wise.”
An under-the-radar name that @CarlosACollazo likes this week?
Prep righty Koen Moreno, who is currently committed to ECU.
See where he ranks + his full BA 500 scouting report: https://t.co/U84XhpXQrx pic.twitter.com/n38npwNxAo
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) June 9, 2020
148. Boston Red Sox
149. Arizona Diamondbacks
150. New York Mets
151. Milwaukee Brewers
152. St. Louis Cardinals
153. Washington Nationals
154. Cleveland Indians
155. Tampa Bay Rays
156. Atlanta Braves
157. Oakland Athletics
158. Minnesota Twins
159. Los Angeles Dodgers
160. Houston Astros
