Mock drafts have been wrong before, but it’s worth noticing when they reach a consensus. And pretty much every Major League Baseball mock draft you saw in recent weeks linked the Washington Nationals to the same prospect: Cole Wilcox.
The Nationals will pick 22nd overall when the MLB draft begins Wednesday evening, and while they’ll have their choice of a number of available players, the University of Georgia right-handed pitcher is a key name to keep an eye on.
Why? Washington already drafted Wilcox two years ago.
A high schooler then, Wilcox was MLB.com’s 19th-ranked prospect but opted to go the college route after he slipped out of the first round. But the Nationals still spent a late-round pick on Wilcox, not quite an informal “dibs” but a move that tipped their interest in him.
One full college season plus a COVID-19-shortened sophomore campaign later, Wilcox is one of several hard-throwing pitchers projected to go in the first round. Nationals front office executives have said they prefer to draft college pitchers. Wilcox would mark the fourth straight year the team drafted a pitcher in the first round, three of which would have come from college.
“Wilcox has some of the best pure stuff in the draft,” MLB.com’s scouting report says. “His fastball usually ranges from 92-97 mph and can reach 100 with some sink and armside run. Both of his mid-80s secondary pitches show signs of becoming plus offerings, with his fading changeup a tick more reliable than his power slider.”
If not Wilcox, Mississippi State’s J.T. Ginn, Miami’s Chris McMahon and Duke’s Bryce Jarvis — all righties — would also be options in that part of the first round that would satisfy Washington’s preference.
Each pick is more important than ever this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Rather than the typical 40-round draft stretched across three days, there will be just five rounds and 160 total picks, a cost-cutting move the players’ association and the league agreed to last month. Teams will save an estimated $30 million each, but will add far fewer players into their farm systems during a time when they’ve also reportedly cut hundreds of minor leaguers.
After Wednesday’s first round and competitive-balance first round, which will be broadcast live on ESPN at 7 p.m., Rounds 2 through 5 will follow on Thursday. Teams can sign an unlimited number of undrafted free agents.
Even though the Nationals are reigning World Series champions, they pick 22nd instead of last in the first round because baseball, unlike football, basketball and hockey, disregards playoff finish when determining draft order. Their other picks are Nos. 55, 71, 94, 123 and 153.
It’s generally believed that the Detroit Tigers will take Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson at No. 1, which would make him the first collegiate first baseman ever drafted first overall. The 6-foot-1 right-handed slugger is known for a great eye and patience at the plate. He hit 54 career homers at Arizona State and would have broken the school record if the 2020 college baseball season wasn’t interrupted.
The Houston Astros lost their first- and second-round picks as part of the punishment for their electronic sign-stealing scandal. Similarly, the Boston Red Sox lost their second-rounder following the league’s investigation into their own use of in-game video for a competitive advantage.
Teams must sign drafted players by Aug. 1.
This story is based in part on wire service reports.
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