The 2020 Major League Baseball Draft will take place on Wednesday (round 1) and Thursday (rounds 2-5). Over the last six weeks we’ve gone through scouting reports for the top 30 prospects on the Baseball America list (at the start of the series – their list changed over time), but today is that day that I put up my personal top 30 prospects for the draft. There were only three players who are on my list who didn’t get a full scouting report. They will have reports below the list. Everyone else on the list is linked to their report (just click their name).
| Rank | Player | Position | School |
| 1 | Emerson Hancock | RHP | Georgia |
| 2 | Max Meyer | RHP | Minnesota |
| 3 | Spencer Torkelson | 1B | Arizona St. |
| 4 | Asa Lacy | RHP | Texas A&M |
| 5 | Nick Gonzales | 2B | New Mexico St. |
| 6 | Mick Abel | RHP | HS (OR) |
| 7 | Austin Martin | CF/2B | Vanderbilt |
| 8 | Zac Veen | CF | HS (FL) |
| 9 | Nick Bitsko | RHP | HS (PA) |
| 10 | Jared Kelley | RHP | HS (TX) |
| 11 | Garrett Mitchell | CF | UCLA |
| 12 | Austin Hendrick | OF | HS (PA) |
| 13 | Robert Hassell | OF | HS (TN) |
| 14 | Pete Crow-Armstrong | OF | HS (CA) |
| 15 | Patrick Bailey | C | NC State |
| 16 | Reid Detmers | LHP | Louisville |
| 17 | Austin Wells | C | Arizona |
| 18 | Heston Kjerstad | OF | Arkansas |
| 19 | Garrett Crochet | LHP | Tennessee |
| 20 | Ed Howard | SS | HS (IL) |
| 21 | Tyler Soderstrom | C | HS (CA) |
| 22 | Chris McMahon | RHP | Miami |
| 23 | Cade Cavalli | RHP | Oklahoma |
| 24 | Cole Wilcox | RHP | Georgia |
| 25 | Bryce Jarvis | RHP | Duke |
| 26 | Carmen Mlodzinski | RHP | South Carolina |
| 27 | Jordan Walker | 3B | HS (GA) |
| 28 | Slade Cecconi | RHP | Miami |
| 29 | Nick Loftin | SS | Baylor |
| 30 | J.T. Ginn | RHP | Mississippi St. |
While most of those players have reports already written, Bryce Jarvis, Jordan Walker, and Slade Cecconi are players that I haven’t written about yet. Their reports are below:
Bryce Jarvis Scouting Report
Height: 6′ 2″ | Weight: 195 lbs.
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Position(s): Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
In his three seasons at Duke, Bryce Jarvis has more relief appearances, 28, than starts, 20. As a freshman he posted a 2.45 ERA with 22 walks and 67 strikeouts – mostly as a reliever. As a sophomore he made 11 starts and 8 more relief appearances with a 3.81 ERA with 37 walks and 94 strikeouts in 75.2 innings. In 2020 he made 4 starts before the season came to an end and allowed just 2 earned runs in 27.0 innings (0.67 ERA) that also included just 2 walks and 40 strikeouts.
Jarvis entered 2020 with more velocity than he had shown in the past, throwing 92-96 MPH during the short season. It wasn’t just the fastball that improved, though. Both his breaking balls got better, too. His slider and curveball now both grade out as above-average offerings. His change up may be his best offering, though, and grades out as a plus offering. The control took a big step forward.
Where the concern could be
Bryce Jarvis seemed to take a big step forward in 2020. But that step forward only showed up for a few starts before the season came to an end. Scouts didn’t get a chance to see if it would hold up over the span of 15 starts. Jarvis is also one of the older players in the 1st round conversation in the draft, turning 22-years-old in December of 2019.
Jordan Walker Scouting Report
Height: 6′ 5″ | Weight: 220 lbs.
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Position(s): Third Base
A big, physical high schooler, Jordan Walker has some of the best power in the prep class. Listed at 6′ 5″ and 220 lbs, the right-handed hitter has plus to plus-plus raw power to tap into. His hit tool will range from average to slightly above-average depending on who you ask. A good athlete, he’s currently a third baseman – but some believe he may have to move to a corner outfield spot or perhaps first base down the line. If he had to move to right field, his plus arm strength would play well at the position.
Where the concern could be
At 18 he’s already very physical and he is likely to fill out some more. There’s a chance that he simply gets too big to provide much defensive value and has to hit a whole lot if he winds up at first base to provide good value.
Slade Cecconi Scouting Report
Height: 6′ 4″ | Weight: 212 lbs.
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Position(s): Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
A top prospect in high school, injuries led to his slip in the draft where he was ultimately drafted by the Orioles in the 38th round in 2018. He wound up at Miami with the Hurricanes. As a freshman he posted a 4.16 ERA in 13 starts and 4 relief appearances, striking out 89 with 18 walks in 80.0 innings. In 2020 he made 4 starts and picked up 30 strikeouts with 7 walks in 21.1 innings to go with a 3.80 ERA.
The draft eligible sophomore has a fastball that works in the mid-90’s and can touch higher. He’ll mix in a plus slider in the mid-to-upper 80’s, as well as solid curveball and change up. With good control, size, four pitches and two that could be plus, there’s a lot to like here.
Where the concern could be
He’s only made 17 starts in college, and while he’s flashes good stuff, he hasn’t quite put it all together yet. The upside is clearly there, but there’s not been a time where he’s put it all there and that’s why he’s lower in the rankings than some others who have similar stuff.