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

4. Tampa Bay Rays Potential Draft Pick – RHP Nick Bitsko, Central Bucks High School East (PA)

Bitsko was among the top-ranked prospects in the 2021 draft class, but after deciding to graduate early from Central Bucks East High he is now eligible for selection in the 2020 draft making this class even more loaded. A 6- foot-4, 220-pound righty, Bitsko has tremendous upside at his young age. Bitsko’s talent was apparent very early on as he was offered a scholarship from the University of Virginia after his freshman season.

His fastball right now typically sits around the mid-90s and he is great at throwing strikes. He also utilizes an excellent curveball that sits around the upper-70s to low-80s and makes his opposition look silly. Every scout agrees that Bitsko has exceptionally clean mechanics for a player of his age and that should go a long way in helping him progress his game further.

There are some concerns however, as with most other high school prospects, about where he will be drafted. After the shortened COVID-19 season, it’s hard for organizations to feel comfortable drafting a guy who they have barely seen pitch in the spring, and especially for a player like Bitsko who’s graduating early.

Just because they look the part doesn’t mean they are a lock, seeing a guy throwing his best stuff against the in-game competition is an important part of the draft process. So, while he is definitely a very interesting prospect, it remains to be seen how willing teams are going to be to draft a guy they’ve seen very little of.