Detroit Tigers: Early Thoughts On The First Overall Draft Pick
By Tyler Kotila
The Detroit Tigers have the first overall draft pick in the 2020 First-Year Amateur Player Draft, but with a few months to go, they have to narrow their sights on who they will select. If the front office has any brains, they will select a hitter and not another pitcher.
In 2018, the Baltimore Orioles selected catcher Adley Rutschman with the first overall draft pick. Their pick was all but known in the months leading up to the draft and it was no secret. This season, it is not fully known yet months in advance, with the 2020 NCAA College season still yet to take place, take a look into two hitters who the Detroit Tigers should select with that first overall pick.
Currently, MLB Pipeline dot com has a right-handed pitcher, Emerson Hancock, from the University of Georgia, ranked as the top draft prospect. However, if the Tigers take a pitcher, it is fairly certain the remaining fans may riot.
Spencer Torkelson- OF, Arizona State University
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The Arizona State University Sun Devils have a power-hitting outfielder that hits clean up in their lineup. Spencer Torkelson is a right-fielder who has a phenomenal power tool that should rank really highly amongst scouts as the season rolls on in 2020.
Last season, Torkelson played in fifty-seven games for the Sun Devils with a .351/.707/.446 slash line while mashing twenty-three home runs and sixty-six RBI. Torkelson is entering his junior year with Arizona State. He is a right-handed power threat that the Tigers would be more than lucky to have in their lineup.
Even with the team selecting high school outfielder Riley Greene in the 2019 First-Year Amateur Player Draft with the sixth overall selection, Torkelson would not be a bad pick this year. Torkelson’s power and strength in the batter’s box are just too good to pass up for the Tigers. If he has another power-filled season with similar numbers to those of the past two seasons, there’s no reason not to select him with the first overall selection.
Austin Martin- INF, Vanderbilt University
The National Championship winning Vanderbilt University team has an infielder in Austin Martin who has the chance to become an even better choice than Torkelson.
Martin is an infielder who also has the ability to play stellar defense at several positions in the infield. On top of that, Martin can play in the outfield if necessary if needed. In 2019, for the National Champs, Martin played in fifty-nine games, managing a .410/.619/.503 slash line with eight home runs and forty-two RBI.
Not having as much of a power threat as Torkelson, Martin had eighteen stolen bases on twenty-three attempts in 2019 adding a speed element to his game. If the 2020 season goes similar to 2019, or he shows even more improvement in his game, the Tigers should select Austin Martin in a heartbeat.
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Martin made incredible strides from 2018 to 2019, and the Tigers should definitely be giving Martin quite the look before they settle on anyone at the 2020 draft.