Tampa Bay Rays: Top 5 Prospects for the 2020 MLB Draft

Tampa Bay Rays 2020 MLB Draft Preview.

For this article we are going to take a look at some of the prospects who the Tampa Bay Rays could potentially scoop uo in the 2020 first-year player draft.

The MLB Draft is not an inexact science. Before we move on the top five players likely to be available with the Tampa Bay Rays’ 24th pick, here are some resources to review the biggest draft busts and the five best first-rounders in franchise history.

• Rays: Top Three Draft Busts in Franchise History
• Rays: Top Five Players Drafted in First Round

Owning the 24th pick, Tampa has some options with who they could go with. We’re going to look at the five best potential players, in no particular order, that may possibly be available when the Rays are on the clock.

5.  Tampa Bay Rays Potential Draft Pick – RHP Bobby Miller, Louisville

There is a ton of right-handed pitching prospects in this year’s draft, and Bobby Miller is one of the many who will likely hear their name called in the 1st round. The 6’5, 220-pound righty out of the University of Louisville could be a great addition to the Rays’.

With being the 27th-rated prospect in this year’s draft by mlb.com he should likely be available when the Rays’ make their pick 24th overall.

As a freshman in 2018 he was named to the Freshman All-America Team after he posted an impressive 2.97 ERA with a 6-1 record over 17 games and 66.2 innings of work including nine starts.

He took a little step back his sophomore season as his ERA rose to a 3.83 over 80 innings and 12 starts, but he still managed to put up a 7-1 record. In the COVID-19 shortened season this year he got off to a great start putting up a 2.31 ERA over his first 4 games.

Perhaps Miller’s biggest asset is his fastball which he throws with a lot of velocity and movement. Getting opposing hitters to swing and miss on his upper 90’s fastball is a big part of his repertoire.

Other pitches in his arsenal include a slider and cutter and while he has had a lot of success with that slider, he doesn’t typically throw it with a great velocity which could lead to some concerns once he gets to the pros. Another area of concern is his ability to consistently throw strikes. At just 21-years-old if he can get some of those weaknesses straightened out he could become a solid big leaguer.

3. Tampa Bay Rays Potential Draft Pick – SS Casey Martin, Arkansas

While the Rays’ don’t necessarily need another middle infielder, Casey Martin could be the direction that they decide to go come draft day. The 5-foot-11 175-pound shortstop out of the University of Arkansas is a tad bit undersized, but with power, for days he makes for quite the interesting big-league prospect.

One of Martin’s big strengths is his athleticism. He has the speed and arm talent to play multiple positions including sliding him over to third base or putting him out in centerfield.

Martin has had a very productive career at the University of Arkansas. In his freshman year, Martin hit an outstanding .345 with 13 home runs and 49 runs driven in while posting a .974 OPS. For his performance that season he earned many accolades including being named to the SEC All-Freshman team, second-team All-SEC, and a freshman All-American.

While he didn’t quite hit those numbers again in his sophomore year, he still produced at a high level at the plate hitting .286 with 15 home runs and 57 RBI. He also swiped 10 bags, delivered 25 extra-base hits, and put together a .911 OPS. Over 15 games in the shortened season this spring, Martin was hitting .271 with 2 HRs and 10 RBI.

Offering high upside with his bat and versatility, Martin will garner some interest from a lot of teams including the Rays’. He could wind up being a great utility man for somebody. While he is not exactly a great defensive player if a team can find the right position for him they may strike gold with Martin.

2. Tampa Bay Rays Potential Draft Pick – RHP Slade Cecconi, Miami

Originally selected in the 38th round of the 2018 first-year player draft, Cecconi decided his best option was the college route to improve his draft position. After spending the last two seasons at the University of Miami, Cecconi finds himself in a position to be a first-round pick in this year’s draft.  Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 219-pounds Cecconi has the prototypical size of a big-league pitcher.

In his first year in a Hurricanes uniform, Cecconi pitched 80 innings including 13 starts while posting a 4.16 ERA. He struck out 89 batters walked 18 and posted a 5-4 record to go along with a 1.213 WHIP. Not exactly the most impressive of numbers but you could tell that Cecconi had a good amount of potential. In this spring’s shortened season Cecconi pitched 21.1 innings over 4 starts with a 3.80 ERA with a 1.031 WHIP.

Cecconi has a 4-pitch repertoire that includes a fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup. His fastball hits the mid to upper 90’s while his slider clocks in around the upper 80’s typically. Those are his two best pitches and he uses them very effectively in combination with one another. His curve and changeup are less than effective so if he wants to eventually become a part of the rotation he needs to develop those pitches further.

If not, he may wind up only being a decent option out of the bullpen at best. His command may also be an issue as he walked 7 batters in 21 innings this past spring as opposed to 2019 when he walked 18 over 80 innings. Cecconi also has stamina concerns as he does not pitch deep into starts very often. This could be another indicator that the bullpen may be Cecconi’s best fit at the big-league level.

1. Tampa Bay Rays Potential Draft Pick – RHP Tanner Burns, Auburn

Yet another right-handed pitching prospect! Tanner Burns was originally selected in the 37th round of the 2017 Major League Draft by the New York Yankees. Burns opted to improve his draft stock and attended the University of Auburn where he now finds himself in position to be a first-round selection.

According to mlb.com Burns is the 28th rated prospect in this year’s draft so the Ray’s should have their eye on him. The 6-foot 205- pound Burns has been a staple of the Tigers rotation for the past 3 seasons and is now ready to start his major league career.

In his true-freshman season in 2018, Burns posted an impressive 3.01 ERA in 17 starts. With only 77 strikeouts in 86.2 innings Burns wasn’t exactly overpowering opposing hitters but did a great job of limiting runs and getting out of jams.

For his efforts that season he was named to the SEC All-Freshman team and a Freshman All-American. Entering his sophomore season Burns was named to the preseason first-team All-SEC and he didn’t disappoint. Over 15 starts Burns posted a 2.82 ERA with 101 strikeouts over 79.2 innings of work to go along with a 1.105 WHIP. Going into the 2020 season Burns was again projected to be among college baseballs best pitchers as he was named a preseason All-American.

Burns’s best pitch is his fastball which he has great control of and usually slings it in the mid to upper 90’s. His strikeout rate in his last two seasons is also very encouraging as his K/9 was 11.4 in 2019 and 12.9 in this shortened season.

Teams may be turned off by his size as he has a smaller frame than some of the other right-handed prospects in this draft. His durability is also in question as he has already dealt with shoulder injuries that have caused missed time while at Auburn. Burns’s talent is without question as he been among the best college pitchers the past three seasons. If teams can look past the size and potential health concerns they might end up with a fantastic major league pitcher.

What do you think about these prospects? Who do you hope the Rays take with their first pick? Any player not mentioned here that you have a good feeling about? Sound off below in the comments!