Providing a draft ranking and a Palmer take

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

April 02, 2020, 3:00pm

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At a time when we hope, but don't know for sure, that there will be a baseball season, we do know for sure there be a First-Year Player Draft. The draft is going to be held, although we don't yet know for certain if it will be limited to five rounds. But it may be just five.

At a date yet to be decided - reportedly between June 10 and July 20 - there will be an amateur draft and the Orioles will make the No. 2 overall selection for the first time in club history.

Readers here have asked several times which player I would pick for the Orioles. Today, I'll rank my top five. Keep in mind that outside of a few highlights, I've not seen this group play. My opinions are based on a few conversations with some analysts more in the know and from reading several scouting reports and rankings.

Currently, the top five as ranked by MLBPipeline.com are right-handed pitcher Emerson Hancock from the University of Georgia followed by first baseman Spencer Torkelson of Arizona State, infielder/outfielder Austin Martin of Vanderbilt, second baseman Nick Gonzales of New Mexico State and left-handed pitcher Asa Lacy of Texas A&M. Baseball America recently revised its rankings this way: Martin, Torkelson, Lacy, Hancock and Gonzales.

I'll go this way: Torkelson, Martin, Hancock, Lacy, Gonzales.

I was all ready to list Martin No. 1 based on the fact he is the most complete player in this draft. He is considered above average on defense, but his position was either third base or center field this season at Vanderbilt and not shortstop. It appears he may not be a shortstop in pro ball. So he loses a point or two on defense for that.

Torkelson is expected to hit for both average and power and he may have elite power. Martin is lacking in the pop department. So his offense is not as complete as Torkelson, who hit 25 homers as a college freshman, 23 last year and six this year in 17 games. Some reports list Torkelson's defense at first base as solid, at least average. He doesn't hurt you there and he may even be able to move to left field.

Among the three position players, I have Gonzales last despite his incredible stats through 16 games before this season was shut down. He hit .448 with 12 homers and 36 RBIs. Gonzales' power numbers produce some skepticism because he plays at high altitude, but he did hit seven homers in the Cape Cod League last summer. I was a bit surprised to see MLBPipeline.com put just a 45 grade on his power and he's considered an average defender.

Just based on 2020 college stats, Lacy was ahead of Hancock among the two pitchers. The lefty went 3-0 with an 0.75 ERA and fanned 46 to just eight walks in 24 innings. Hancock went 2-0 with a 3.75 ERA with three walks to 34 strikeouts in 24 innings.

But MLB rated Hancock with the better fastball, 65 to 60 and Hancock recorded three 60 grade pitches to one for Lacy. Hancock's slider and changeup get 60 grades.

Hancock had an incredible 2019 season which helped put him atop the pitcher rankings heading into this season. He went 8-3 with a 1.99 ERA. His stats in the incredibly tough SEC were stellar. He went 4-2 with a 1.69 ERA. Over 58 2/3 innings he walked 12, fanned 66 and allowed a .157 batting average against.

Cakes' take: Orioles' Hall of Famer Jim Palmer was a guest earlier this week on the "Inside Access" radio show with Jason LaCanfora and Ken Weinman on 105.7 The Fan.

Palmer told the hosts he had spinal fusion surgery Jan. 27, but said he would have been ready to work the opening day broadcast on March 26 if there had been one. That is certainly good news.

He was asked how long a second spring training would take.

"Three weeks to a month," said Palmer. "The game is different. Maybe it wouldn't take that long to get your pitching staff ready, but I would think a minimum of three weeks. We used to throw anywhere from 37 to 42 innings in spring. We had nine-man staffs.

"Now you have 13-man staffs on a 26-man roster. But they're not coming out of spring training ready to throw 150 or 170 pitches in the first game, which is what we trained for. So I suppose they could get the pitchers in shape maybe in a little less time and maybe they look at expanding the rosters.

"Boy, there are so many moving parts. It's a fluid situation and a lot has to fall in place for us to have baseball in 2020. I hope we have baseball to some degree. There are 65 scheduled games after the All-Star break. Maybe if you throw some doubleheaders in you get to half a season. But the most important thing is to do the right thing."

Neutral site games: Appearing on MLB Network Radio yesterday, former Oriole Zack Britton said if and when baseball returns, some teams could be forced to play outside of their home city at a neutral site. A team like his current club, the New York Yankees.

This morning on @MLBNetworkRadio:

Zack Britton tells @StevePhillipsGM @CJNitkowski that MLB and the MLBPA have discussed "four or five" neutral sites that could host a displaced Major League team when baseball returns. pic.twitter.com/yMnkpIJH1i
-- MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) April 2, 2020