The MLB Draft is happening is just a few days! It sure doesn’t seems like the yearly event should be arriving this quickly, but here we are in June already. This week I am taking a look at some of the names in the 2020 draft class that have really caught my eye during my studies over the past couple of months.

Yesterday I dug into a handful of high school hitters that I wouldn’t mind the Cubs taking in rounds one through five, and today I am going to run through just four prep arms that I really like. The list of players from the high school ranks is much smaller than the number of guys I have prepped for release over the next couple of days from college mostly because of familiarity. It is easier to get good video and better feel for players the more we have seen them play in the public’s eye.

Now let’s take a dive into four ultra-talented youngsters.

Take If He Falls

I would be shocked if a high school pitcher was taken in the top ten picks of this draft. The very top of this draft is so loaded with college bats and arms that there is no reason for a team to take a risk by going with a high school arm. That doesn’t mean there isn’t talent, though. Luckily for the Cubs, it just means that talent should be hanging around when it is time for them to make their first round selection at #16.

Good Fits At 16

Nick Bitsko is a guy that wasn’t even supposed to be on this board. He reclassified in high school to graduate early and now we get to see him a year sooner than we expected. But just because he is only 17-years-old, that doesn’t mean he is built like a teenager. Bitsko is every bit of 6’4″, 225 pounds, and features a heater in the mid-90s with an advanced breaking ball and already impressive changeup. No other prep arm profiles as a prototypical workhorse starting pitcher better than this kid and the only real question will be the likelihood of signing him away from his University of Virginia commitment, a school that has been known as one of the toughest schools to sign high schoolers away from over the years.

A guy that is slipping and sliding down draft boards is Mick Abel, and honestly I don’t get it. He should be the first high school arm drafted regardless, and for good reason. He big (6’5″), has mid-90s heat, a plus slider, and has been heralded for his makeup and presence on the mound. The Cubs could use another pitcher in the lower minors, alongside Kohl Franklin, that profiles as a top of the rotation starter and Abel could be that guy.

Other Guys I Like

Can I interest you in a big righty from Texas that throws his fastball in the mid-90s with sink and can gas it up to 100 MPH if need be? Justin Lange is your guy in the second round. He has a little slide piece that shows some promise, but honestly this is all about the cheddar. In case you weren’t aware, Texas hardball is no joke.

I featured a local Chicago kid in yesterday’s high school bats preview with Mt. Carmel’s Ed Howard getting some love. Today the local product is Ben Hernandez out of De La Salle High School. If the Cubs are able to nab Hernandez in the third round, it might be the steal of the entire draft. He has advanced feel for the mound as evidenced by an advanced changeup. Everyone knows how much I like high schoolers that feature a real nice change (insert second plug for Kohl Franklin) and Hernandez’s is filthy with some serious fade on it. He throws in a fastball that can get up to 95 MPH for good measure, and now you are looking at a legit top 10 prospect in the system.

I’ll be back tomorrow to begin breaking down the crop of college talent, starting with some big time bats.