Top Arizona 2020 MLB Draft Prospects

Image credit: Spencer Torkelson (Photo by Bill Mitchell)

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(Stars are listed on a 1 to 5 scale relative to what the state typically produces, with 1 being the weakest)

Nat Rank	Player	Pos	School	Ht	Wt	B-T	Commit/Drafted
1	Spencer Torkelson	1B	Arizona State	6-1	205	R-R	Never Drafted
Undrafted after his four-year high school career in Northern California, Torkelson exploded onto the collegiate baseball scene at Arizona State with one of the best freshman seasons ever, leading the nation with 25 home runs. He was just as strong in his sophomore and junior seasons, but the early end to what is expected to be his final season left him three homers short of breaking Bob Horner’s ASU career record. Torkelson’s terrific hitting ability, advanced approach and plate discipline, plus bat speed, and plus-plus power make him one of the favorites for the first overall pick. Hitting with power to all fields, Torkelson showed more of an ability to pull pitches over the middle of the plate during his abbreviated junior season. There are still some tweaks to his swing that can be made, as he at times was too much out on the front side this season, pulling off and taking away the bottom half. He’s an above-average defender now at first base thanks to his agility and good hands, with the strong work ethic to continue improving. Torkelson played some outfield during his time with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, where he ranked as the top prospect last summer. While he has below-average speed, he runs well underway and improved his throwing technique. He could be at least adequate in left field, but most observers want him to stay at first base where he can focus on being a middle-of-the-order masher. Torkelson may be the safest pick among those at the top of the draft thanks to his outstanding hitting ability and the most usable power in the class. He could rise quickly through the minor leagues, and gets compared to Mets first baseman Peter Alonso. If he does go 1-1, Torkelson would be the first ever college first baseman to do so.
21	Austin Wells	C	Arizona	6-1	200	L-R	Yankees ’18 (35)
Picked by the Yankees in the 35th round in 2018 out of perennial high school powerhouse Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, Wells instead chose to follow in his father’s footsteps by heading to Arizona. He’s posted outstanding hitting stats in both of his seasons with the Wildcats as well as last summer in the Cape Cod League. Wells has an outstanding approach at the plate with plus raw power, using a simple swing with good bat control. In both of his college seasons, he walked more than he struck out, impressive for any hitter but especially for a power hitter like Wells. A hole in his swing gives him problems with pitches away, but that’s a fixable problem. The bat is impressive enough that most teams view him as a first-round player, but questions remain as to where he fits best on the field. If he could stay behind the plate, he’d be a certain first-round pick, but there are more scouts who are skeptical of Wells’ receiving ability than think he can make it as a catcher. He has trouble blocking and receiving pitches, especially knee to knee on the glove side, and there’s a record of elbow issues dating back to high school. An arm that once earned plus grades is now too frequently below-average. He focused heavily on improving his defensive reputation over the offseason but didn’t have much opportunity to showcase the results in a shortened 2020 season. He’s seen time at both first base and all three outfield positions since leaving high school. Some observers believe Wells is athletic enough to handle the outfield and that the range and instincts can be developed, while others think he’s not twitchy enough for the outfield and doesn’t have the footwork for first base. He’s an average runner. If concerns with his defense cause Wells’ draft position to drop more than expected, he’s got the leverage to return to Arizona for his junior year but lefthanded bats of his quality are typically highly sought after.
31	Alika Williams	SS	Arizona State	6-2	180	R-R	Yankees ’17 (32)
Williams has drawn some comps to former Sun Devil shortstop Deven Marrero and will likely be the highest drafted ASU shortstop since Marrero went in the first round in 2012. While Williams has gotten some first-round buzz, there are plenty of opinions that he fits better in the second round. He’s at least an above-average defensive shortstop, earning plus grades from some talent evaluators, with sure hands and first-step quickness that consistently puts him in good fielding position. His solid-average arm plays up because of his footwork and quick exchange. Williams controls the strike zone well, walking more than he struck out during his college career, and his hands work well at the plate. He was miscast as a cleanup hitter during parts of his Sun Devil career, with observers believing he was pulling too many balls in the air instead of hitting to his strengths, which is making outstanding contact going gap to gap. He has room to add strength which would give more impact to his bat, but regardless he’s a glove-first shortstop who can stay at the position throughout his career. He’s no more than an average runner with good instincts on the bases, but speed will never be a big part of his game. Williams wisely chose not to sign when the Yankees took him in the 32nd round in 2017 out of Rancho Bernardo (Calif.) High but he should get selected high enough in 2020 to start his pro career.
51	Gage Workman	3B	Arizona State	6-3	185	B-R	Brewers ’17 (14)
Workman re-classified while at Basha (Ariz.) High to graduate a year early, making him one of the younger college players for the 2020 draft, perhaps with more growth potential than other college juniors. He’ll still be 20 when the draft takes place. As part of one of the best infields among Division I college teams, Workman has primarily played third base in deference to teammate Alika Williams but saw action at shortstop during his two summers in the Cape Cod League. Workman has gotten bigger and stronger since arriving at Arizona State, and while he’s slow out of the box he runs well underway and projects to have an intriguing combination of power and speed. A switch-hitter, Workman has better bat speed and more power from the left side. There’s some swing-and-miss to his approach, but he’s got plus raw power that will show better in games when he gets more experience. Workman is athletic and rangy, with the tools to be a plus defender at third base and has at least a solid-average arm with good carry. Some area scouts prefer Workman over Williams because of his more impressive set of tools. There’s still rawness to his game and he likely would have benefited significantly from having a full junior season, but Workman is toolsy with a chance to be solid at either position on the left side of the infield.
61	Carson Tucker	SS	Mountain Pointe HS, Phoenix	6-2	180	R-R	Texas
Tucker is following in the footsteps of his brother, Cole, a first-round pick of the Pirates in 2014. The younger Tucker was under 6 feet during his junior season, but he has gotten taller and stronger. Not only has he grown bigger, but he’s also gotten a tick faster, with reports of plus run times. Tucker isn’t a flashy tools guy, but rather a steady ballplayer who makes the game look easy. He projects to be able to stay at shortstop as a reliable defender with an above-average, accurate arm that he knows when to unleash. Tucker should be able to hit, using an open stance with a swing that’s short to the ball and consistent. He overhauled his swing in the offseason by getting his body better in sync with a kickback/scissor approach, and the results showed in the few high school games he got to play this spring. It’s a line-drive stroke but with the potential to add more power with strength. While his business-like approach on the field can sometimes be misinterpreted as being more aloof compared to his brother’s obvious zeal, Tucker is engaged in the game and loves playing baseball. A Texas commit, Tucker could go off the board in the second round, and with few standout prep shortstops in the 2020 class, his all-around package could excite many teams.
130	RJ Dabovich	RHP	Arizona State	6-3	215	R-R	Royals ’18 (18)
Dabovich was drafted by the Royals in the 18th round in 2018 after his freshman season at Central Arizona before he transferred to Arizona State. He pitched in both relief and in the rotation in his sophomore season before serving as the Sun Devils’ closer this year. Dabovich is expected to attract plenty of draft attention because of the plus velocity on his fastball—it sits 92-95 mph and touches 98 with good spin rates. Some observers like the 82-86 mph slider best among his secondary pitches, as it flashes plus but also gets flat at times, while others prefer the solid-average curveball that comes in at 75-78 mph. Dabovich also occasionally throws a mid-70s splitter and a changeup in the low 80s. He changed his repeatable delivery this year from high three-quarters to being more overhead. He has average command of all his pitches and is generally around the plate. If he turns pro this year, Dabovich could get another try as a starting pitcher but has the velocity to handle a relief role.
201	Trevor Hauver	OF	Arizona State	6-0	205	L-R	Royals ’17 (37)
A high school shortstop, Hauver has primarily played outfield during his three-year collegiate career because of the plethora of infielders on the Arizona State roster. He’s been a bat-first player, hitting in the middle of the Sun Devil lineup and posting an OPS of over 1.000 in each of the last two seasons. The biggest step forward for Hauver, who already had a good approach at the plate and good barrel control, was his improved pitch selection, walking more than he struck out during the abbreviated 2020 college season while still hitting for both average and power. He projects to have average or better power, but that pop comes with some swing-and-miss. Hauver will need to hit at the next level because he’s just an average defender or a tick below, with not enough range for center field or enough arm for right field. Some observers believe Hauver could be an average defender at third base, which could boost his draft stock if a team believes he has a shot at the position. He projects to go off the board somewhere in the second half of the top ten rounds.
208	Justin Fall	LHP	Arizona State	6-6	240	L-L	Royals ’19 (34)
At 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, Fall certainly looks the part on the mound. He came to Arizona State after a strong two-year juco career at Brookdale (N.J.) JC, passing on a chance to turn pro when the Royals picked him last year in the 34th round. Fall had mixed results in just four starts with the Sun Devils prior to the early end of the college season. He delivers his fastball with a compact, loose arm, sitting 89-92 mph and touching 94, but with below-average command. The life on the heater plays down and he doesn’t miss enough bats. Both secondary pitches—slider and changeup—are below-average offerings but with potential to be average pitches. His slider remains inconsistent and gets too flat at times, lacking tilt or angle. While he walked only 13 batters in 64.1 innings in his final juco season, Fall issued 13 walks in 19 innings this spring, albeit in a small sample size. He could go in the top five rounds to a team that likes the frame and believes that the command and secondaries will improve with experience. Otherwise he may wind up back at Arizona State for another season.
219	Jacob Berry	3B	Queen Creek (Ariz.) HS	6-0	200	B-R	Arizona
Four Corners area scouts didn’t get too many looks at Berry before the Arizona high school season was shut down, but the switch-hitting third baseman made good use of his limited game action to move up draft boards. The strong and athletic Berry has an aggressive swing with plus bat speed, consistently registering good exit velocities. He projects as an above-average hitter with at least average power, with a solid approach at the plate. He needs to get better on defense at the hot corner but has the makeup and work ethic to continue making strides. He’s a tick below-average defender now with an average or better arm. Berry is no more than a fringe-average runner but is aggressive on the bases. In addition to his makeup, talent evaluators see his ability to handle velocity as a sign that his bat could play up at the next level. While he’s become a favorite of scouts, the consensus is that Berry will be a tough sign and likely winds up on campus at Arizona.
246	Hunter Haas	SS	Corona del Sol HS, Tempe, Ariz.	6-0	170	R-R	Arizona State
Haas had a busy summer between his junior and senior high school seasons, participating in USA Baseball’s PDP League as well as playing for USA Baseball’s 18U National Team. The Arizona State commit stands out more for his outstanding attitude, gamer mentality and feel for the game than he does for his tools. He has good hand-eye coordination and bat-to-ball skills and consistently puts balls in play, but with not enough strength and lower half explosiveness to impact the baseball. He slowed down this year and now grades as a below-average runner. Lacking the range or arm to handle shortstop at the next level, second base is Haas’ likely position. He could be a tough sign if he’s drafted, with many scouts believing that he’ll be better off going to college and hitting for three seasons with the Sun Devils.
269	Ronan Kopp	LHP	Scottsdale Christian Academy, Phoenix	6-5	200	L-L	Arizona State
Kopp presents one of the biggest quandaries for area scouts after his few appearances this spring. He came out of the summer showcase circuit with plenty of helium, a premium commodity because of his size and handedness. But his limited outings, going back to a tournament in January, left scouts scratching their heads trying to figure out what to make of him. His fastball velocity has fluctuated from topping out at 96-97 mph in at least one game to sitting in the mid-80s in another, and he’s had well below-average command. When he’s right, Kopp throws strikes with a fastball into the 90s and a curveball that he manipulates and lands consistently. But that version of Kopp didn’t emerge this spring. With a shorter draft planned for this year, it’s likely that Kopp will head to Arizona State. Even so, a team that thinks it can get him back on track and add more consistency might roll the dice on his upside.
296	Ethan Long	3B/RHP	Mountain Pointe HS, Phoenix	6-2	220	R-R	Arizona State
Long has been on the radar for Four Corners scouts through much of his high school career. Originally committed to Arkansas, he’s now signed to hometown Arizona State with a good chance of making it to campus. Long is a gamer type with a tough, competitive mindset and a stocky, muscular build. He generates big exit velocities with a fluid swing and plenty of bat speed. He’s got plus raw power, but with that pop comes plenty of swing and miss. Long is a below-average defender at the hot corner but with a plus arm throwing from different arm slots. He also uses that arm strength on the mound, delivering a fastball in the low-to-mid-90s, touching as high as 96-97, and a curveball with good shape. With further refinement and coaching Long could have more upside on the mound as a late-inning power reliever.
308	Drew Smith	2B	Grand Canyon	5-10	190	R-R	Never Drafted
The Nebraska native stayed in-state for his first three post-scholastic seasons, playing in just six games as a freshman at Creighton before heading to Northeast Community College for his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons. Smith earned the 2019 Spalding National Junior College Athletic Association D-II Player of the Year award after hitting .465/.538/.897 slugging percentage at Northeast. His career at Grand Canyon got off to a bang when he went 7-for-14 in the opening weekend series against Oklahoma State. Smith is described as being a second baseman in the mold of former big league infielder Andy Stankiewicz, who happens to be his coach at GCU. He’s got a strong, stocky frame with no flashy tools but with a gritty-gamer approach. He’s a good contact hitter with plate discipline, taking good at-bats with a line-drive swing. Smith has below-average raw power, is an average runner and an above-average fielder at second base, and an instinctual defender with good hands. Smith could be taken in the top 10 rounds by a team valuing this profile and his performance.
333	Matthew Dyer	C	Arizona	6-4	174	R-R	Never Drafted
Dyer expanded his Swiss army knife role in his second season at Arizona, with the redshirt junior getting some starts at second base and third base in addition to his usual role as a corner outfielder and backup catcher. The rap on Dyer in the past has been his slender frame, but he added some weight in the offseason to get his tall, lanky frame closer to 200 pounds. He started off the Wildcats’ abbreviated season slowly, hitting just.220/.329/.441 in 15 games. Dyer uses a two-part swing with good hand-eye coordination, with enough power for a utility role but not for a starting corner outfielder job. He doesn’t have the size or strength to catch every day, and his defense in the infield is still very much a work in progress. A solid-average runner, Dyer shows off a plus arm in the outfield. While he can play a lot of positions, adding value to his profile, he’s no better than an average defender wherever he plays. Dyer was considered a tough sign last year, causing him to go undrafted, and he may face the same fate this year.
352	Boyd Vander Kooi	RHP	Arizona State	6-5	220	R-R	D-backs ’17 (36)
Vander Kooi filled just about every role possible on the Sun Devils pitching staff in his shortened junior season, going deep into games as a starter as well as pitching a seven-inning relief outing and a shorter bullpen stint. Despite his ever-shifting role, Vander Kooi was at his best in his junior year, posting an ERA of 0.70. The key was the significant improvement in his control, as he walked just two batters in 25.2 innings. Vander Kooi comes at hitters from a high three-quarters slot with an over-the-top delivery, an arm action that isn’t particularly clean or fluid. His best pitch is a sinking fastball typically in the 88-90 mph range, although at times he was up to 94. All of his pitches are fringy with no real out pitch. The curveball and changeup have a chance to be average offerings in time with the slider being a below-average pitch. At best, he projects as a big-bodied fifth starter type or more likely as a long reliever. While Vander Kooi doesn’t have a high upside, his Arizona State pedigree and performance will likely get him taken in the top 10 rounds.
416	Drew Swift	2B	Arizona State	6-0	144	R-R	Never Drafted
A high-profile shortstop in the Phoenix area with perennial powerhouse Hamilton High school, Swift stayed home to play at nearby Arizona State, a three-year starter primarily at second base. The bat is too light to project him as anything more than a bench player, but he showed progress in his abbreviated junior season with the Sun Devils when he looked more comfortable and focused at the plate. He’s a below-average hitter with well below-average power, but he has plus-plus hands and is a plus runner. Swift has quick actions in the infield, with an average arm that would meet the need for either middle infield position in his ceiling role as a utility infielder. Swift added to his versatility in 2020 by getting some starts in center field and he certainly has the speed to handle the position with more reps there. Swift will likely return to school unless an organization that values his speed, instincts and versatility selects him higher than projected.
431	Donta Williams	OF	Arizona	5-10	172	L-L	Never Drafted
A Las Vegas native, Williams was one of the top prep players in Nevada, but after not being drafted out of high school the lefthanded-hitting outfielder headed to Arizona. Williams had a promising sophomore season for the Wildcats and followed it up with a very good junior year, batting .348/.527/.500 before the season was cut short. He has plus instincts at the plate with good feel to hit, below-average power and advanced plate discipline, walking nearly twice as many times as he struck out in his 15-game junior season. At least an average runner with good instincts on the bases and in the outfield, Williams is a plus defender with an average arm that gets good carry.
439	Kiko Romero	OF/C	Central Arizona JC	6-0	180	L-R	–
Romero drew some draft interest last year during his senior high school season but wasn’t selected. The lefty hitter from Tucson instead headed northbound on I-10 to Central Arizona College where he was a solid middle-of-the-order hitter, leading the way for the Vaqueros with a .347/.457/.516 batting line in 28 games. A combo shortstop and catcher in high school, Romero switched to right field for his juco season, and his inexperience showed in the routes he took to balls. The tools are there to be able to improve his outfield play with more reps, as the athletic, loose-bodied Romero is a plus runner with a plus or better arm that gets good carry on throws. He has plus bat speed with a big leg kick that he shortens with two strikes. Romero didn’t show much over-the-fence pop in his season at Central Arizona, with more doubles and triples, but he’s got at least average or better future raw power. Romero wants to turn pro, and in a normal year it would be easy to see him being selected in the top 15 rounds. He also likes being behind the plate, so a future super-utility role could enhance his draft stock.
442	Ryland Zaborowski	3B	Basha HS, Chandler, Ariz.	6-5	210	R-R	Grand Canyon
At 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Zaborowski passes the eye test with his tall, strong frame, but it’s likely that the Grand Canyon commit will make it to campus in the fall. He generates impressive exit velocities on contact and gets good loft while using all fields. Despite having an above-average arm, Zaborowski is a below-average defender at the hot corner, lacking the footwork and quickness needed for the position. He will likely wind up across the infield especially if he continues to get bigger. A below-average runner, Zaborowski is better underway and won’t be a base clogger, but speed won’t be a big part of his game. Zaborowski fits the mold of a player who will greatly benefit from three years of college ball, so look for him to be more of a draft prospect in 2023.
451	Garrett Irvin	LHP	Arizona	5-9	173	L-L	Red Sox ’19 (40)
The crafty southpaw was at his third school in three years when heading to Arizona for his junior year. Irvin started his collegiate career at Point Loma in 2018, where he was the PacWest pitcher of the year, before heading to Riverside Community College and again was named that conference’s top pitcher. His debut Pac-12 season was off to an impressive start, with four strong outings before the Wildcats’ season was shut down. There’s nothing flashy about Irvin, who is just a bit short of 6 feet tall, as he’s best defined by outstanding pitchability and the potential to dissect hitters with a consistent four-pitch mix. He commands a fastball that has plus life and sink with darting action, sitting 88-90 mph and touching 92, and mixes in his equally effective slider, curveball and changeup. Irvin is aggressive on the mound and is a threat to any base runner with a plus-plus pickoff move. It’s not a sky-high ceiling, but Irvin is a relatively safe bet to consistently overachieve throughout his baseball career.
461	Erik Tolman	LHP	Arizona State	6-2	190	L-L	Never Drafted
Tolman was a two-way player in his sophomore year at Arizona State, but the draft-eligible lefthander’s future is on the mound. He pitched well as the Sun Devils’ Tuesday night starter, posting a 2.50 ERA and striking out 30 batters in 18 innings. Tolman is an athletic strike thrower with excellent feel to pitch. His loose arm generates speed from a compact, repeatable low-effort delivery, getting good angle on his pitches. Tolman delivers a fastball sitting 86-90, touching 92, with a frame that can still add strength, and he works in a 76-81 mph slider that is a consistent pitch for him. A strong competitor on the mound with the potential to take a big step forward with more experience, Tolman would be a strong candidate to be picked in a normal draft year, but observers expect him to return to ASU for his junior season.
471	Mat Olsen	RHP	Central Arizona JC	5-11	180	R-R	Arizona
Olsen headed to juco powerhouse Central Arizona JC after pitching scholastically at nearby Florence (Ariz.) High. After redshirting in his freshman year, Olsen wound up as one of the Vaqueros more intriguing pitchers, striking out 61 batters in 36.1 innings before the premature end of the season. With a quick arm and a balanced delivery that stays in sync, Olsen delivers a fastball that jumps on hitters, sitting 89-94 mph and touching 96. He also mixes in a 12-to-6 curveball from 71 to 74 mph coming out of the same slot as the heater. He infrequently used a changeup with fade and sink. There’s not a lot of projection in Olsen’s body but the velocity would likely tick up if he’s pitching out of the bullpen, his likely role at the next level. A hard worker who is aggressive on the mound, Olsen has a commitment to Arizona.