With a five-round MLB Draft these local baseball players are likely to get selected
Major League Baseball, it’s your turn.
The NFL and WNBA drafts have occurred, and MLB on Friday announced that its 2020 selection process has been set for June 10-11. However, it won’t be a 40-round process like it has been in recent years. Instead, MLB will hold a five-round, 161-player draft.
But even with the abbreviated format, there are more than a dozen players with Dade or Broward county ties who figured to get selected.
Here’s the list, with rankings among all draft-eligible players in parenthesis, as per Baseball America:
▪ Chris McMahon (30), Miami Hurricanes right-hander: McMahon, a 6-2, 215-pound junior whose fastball sits 92-94 mph and has touched 97, was dominant this year, going 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA in four starts. In 25.2 innings, McMahon struck out 38, walked five and allowed batters to hit just .207.
▪ Slade Cecconi (32), Hurricanes right-hander: A 6-4, 220-pound draft-eligible sophomore, Cecconi went 2-1 with a 3.80 ERA this year, holding batters to a .190 average with 30 strikeouts and seven walks in 21.1 innings. He also has perhaps the highest spin-rate numbers in the nation.
▪ Victor Mederos (46), Westminster Christian right-hander: A Hurricanes recruit, Mederos has the look of a first-rounder with an impressive frame (6-4, 215 pounds), a power fastball (95-96 mph) and a nasty curve.
▪ Enrique Bradfield (55), American Heritage center fielder: A Vanderbilt recruit, Bradfield is the fastest runner in the draft and an elite defender. A lefty hitter, the questions about Bradfield are about his offense and whether a pro offer can beat his commitment to Vandy.
▪ Logan Allen (56), FIU lefty: He wins with guts, deception, command and a plus changeup. His fastball velocity is average (usually 90-91 mph but as high as 94). However, he had 41 strikeouts, six walks and a 2.45 ERA in 25 2/3 innings this year.
▪ Alejandro Rosario (61), Miami Christian right-hander: A Hurricanes recruit, Rosario is an exciting prospect because his fastball hits 97-98 mph. Undersized for his position at 6-1, 165, Rosario could end up at UM to refine his breaking pitches, but MLB teams may find his fastball too good to pass on in this draft.
▪ Freddy Zamora (74), Hurricanes shortstop: A knee injury caused him to miss the 2020 season. Prior to that, he was seen as a possible first-rounder and one of the two best defensive shortstops in the nation. He was also an above-average runner before he went down, but will MLB teams back off of him now due to the injury? If they do, he could return to UM for one more year.
▪ Yohandy Morales (77), Braddock shortstop: A Hurricanes recruit, Morales has plus power and a strong arm in a big frame (6-4, 195). He could end up a third base.
▪ Coby Mayo (78), Douglas third baseman: A 6-5, 215-pound third baseman, Mayo has power and one of the strongest arms among all infielders in the draft. There’s a chance he plays for the Florida Gators before turning pro in 2023.
▪ Timmy Manning (129), Cardinal Gibbons left-hander: A Gators recruit, Manning has one of the best breaking pitches in the draft. However, he could end up in college to fill out his frame (6-2, 175 pounds) and improve his fastball (87-91 mph).
▪ Carlos Perez (131), Florida Christian catcher: A switch-hitting Hurricanes recruit, Perez is known for his excellent defense – throwing, blocking and receiving. But he may go to UM if scouts aren’t high enough yet on his offense.
▪ Sammy Infante (147), Monsignor Pace shortstop: The Hurricanes recruit could opt to go to college and be eligible for the draft again after his sophomore season in 2022.
▪ Alex Toral (151), Hurricanes first baseman: He showed big-time power last year with 24 homers. This season, he demonstrated improved plate discipline with more walks (13) than strikeouts (nine) while slugging five homers in 16 games (1028 OPS).
THIS AND THAT
▪ If Baseball America’s rankings align with the viewpoints of MLB scouts, then among the players who will likely return to college are former American Heritage and current Gators infielder Cory Acton (293 ranking); Hurricanes third baseman Ray Gil (336); FIU right-hander Tyler Myrick (393); and FIU outfielder Justin Farmer (452).
▪ Other top-500 players with South Florida ties who could go undrafted are Miami Christian right-hander Carlos Rodriguez (209), who is a Hurricanes recruit; ex-FIU right-hander Franco Aleman (315), who has signed with the Gators for 2021; American Heritage first baseman and Vanderbilt recruit Gavin Casas (385); and American Heritage shortstop Jordan Carrion (397).