The 2020 MLB draft will be held on June 10-11, and it will consist of five rounds. Teams will also be able to sign non-drafted players for a maximum $20,000 bonus.
The Pittsburgh Pirates own the seventh overall pick in this draft, as well as the 31st and 44th overall picks. Their draft bonus pool for five rounds was announced last month (that link has been updated since the Red Sox lost their second round draft pick). Each Saturday, we have been taking an in depth look at draft prospects who could be a good fit for that seventh overall pick, as well as players who fits better with those two lower picks. We have run out of guys who have been mentioned near the seventh pick, but we still have plenty of options for the two lower picks. In case you missed it, here’s our draft preview article.
We have posted 18 Draft Prospect Watch articles so far, which are all linked here:
Nick Gonzales and Jordan Westburg
Asa Lacy, JT Ginn and Emerson Hancock
Garrett Mitchell and Freddy Zamora
Austin Wells and Patrick Bailey
Tyler Soderstrom and Drew Romo
Heston Kjerstad and Daniel Cabrera
Robert Hassell and Pete Crow-Armstrong
Carson Montgomery and Tanner Witt
Austin Hendrick and Garrett Crochet
Dillon Dingler and Casey Martin
Cole Wilcox and Clayton Beeter
Today we look at two of the top ranked players who haven’t been covered here yet. Both are strong possibilities for the 31st overall pick. Speaking of which, Tanner Burns went to the Pirates with the 31st overall pick in Baseball America’s latest mock draft. Burns ranks 28th for MLB Pipeline. He’s 6’0″, 215 pounds and he turned 21 back in December.
Burns had a 2.42 ERA in 22.1 innings this year at Auburn before play was halted. He had a .188 BAA and a 32:7 SO/BB ratio. As a sophomore last year, he had a 2.82 ERA in 79.2 innings, with a .218 BAA and a 101:23 SO/BB ratio. He pitched well as a freshman in 17 starts, posting a 3.01 ERA in 86.2 innings, with a .225 BAA and a 77:37 SO/BB ratio.
Burns can get up to 97 MPH with his fastball, though he sits 92-94 more often. He commands his fastball to both sides of the plate, making it an effective pitch in any count. He also throws a slider and a curve, with scouts saying that the pitches will play very similar at times. His changeup is either average or above average, depending on who you believe, but it’s a fourth offering that he doesn’t go to often.
With his strong build, pitch mix, fastball command and success in a tough college conference, there’s a lot to like about Burns. He doesn’t have any projection left in his frame and he’s a fairly polished pitcher, so he should move quickly through the minors. It sounds like he could add some consistency to his breaking pitches and use his changeup a little more often before he’s ready for the majors. The upside here is a mid-rotation starter, but the floor is very high here, so he’s a safe pick for a pitcher.
Here’s video on Burns, starting with last March when he struck out 15 batters
This video is from this year, ten strikeouts vs Chicago State
Bobby Miller from Louisville was rated 28th overall by Baseball America in their latest top 500 prospects update. MLB Pipeline has him ranked 26th. He’s a 6’5″, 220 pound right-handed pitcher, who just turned 21 years old.
Miller pitched 23.1 innings this year before play was halted. He had a 2.31 ERA, a .181 BAA and a 34:9 SO/BB ratio. He split his first two seasons between starting and the bullpen and put up solid numbers each year. As a freshman in 66.2 innings, he had a 2.97 ERA, a .198 BAA and a 55:21 SO/BB ratio. He followed that up in 2019 with a 3.83 ERA in 80 innings, with a .204 BAA and an 86:38 SO/BB ratio.
Miller has filled out a lot since high school, giving him the frame to be a workhorse starter. He was topping out at 94 MPH then, and has added approximately five MPH to his fastball, now sitting upper-90s in short outings. He was starting full-time this year and will sit mid-90s throughout his starts. He throws a sinker with “heavy life”, which was a term used to describe the pitch by both BA and MLB Pipeline. He throws a hard slider, a changeup with good separation and a mediocre curve. Miller has effort in his delivery, but he holds his velocity well.
There is a possibility that the control and high effort delivery could lead him to a relief role. That would get him to the majors quicker and allow his velocity to play up. If he stays as a starter, you have a chance at a mid-rotation innings eater, who had three solid pitches that all flash above average. If his control continues to improve, then there’s a chance that he exceeds that ceiling.
Here’s video for Miller, striking out 12 batters in February
Here’s video from 2080 Baseball from last summer
