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.

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.

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.