SEE ALSO: Draft Pick By Pick, Team Lineups

The sports world was turned upside down this spring with the coronavirus outbreak canceling seasons at all levels, not to mention the global crisis it has caused. With social distancing and isolation in effect for the foreseeable future, there are question marks around how the 2020 MLB Draft will go. Last week, Major League Baseball announced that it would take place no later than July 20 and consist of as few as five rounds, possibly 10.

It remains to be seen if players will be able to play any kind of games or even work out for teams before the draft happens. With that in mind, D1Baseball.com and Prep Baseball Report teamed up to create the Sandlot Collegiate Summer League—a hypothetical league that would provide the players a chance to play in front of scouts one more time before being drafted. There is emphasis on hypothetical. This exercise was done for fun, to create conversation and some friendly debate (trash talk).

So, Aaron Fitt, Shooter Hunt, Nathan Rode, Kendall Rogers and David Seifert, conducted a 25-round draft to put together their teams. The parameters are simple: build a team to win a summer league championship using collegiate players eligible for the 2020 draft. Assume all selected will play. If this were to happen in real life, it’s unlikely LHP Asa Lacy (Texas A&M) would suit up. He has established his value and wouldn’t risk injury or hurting his draft stock.

Below you’ll find each team’s draft results and analysis. The analysis includes where the players came from, how the respective GM approached the draft and their feelings on the outcome. Each also pointed out an opponent’s pick they liked and one they questioned. There is also a scout’s take. A national scout for a major league organization looked over the rosters, provided his own analysis and ranked the teams.

Bloomington Normals (David Seifert)

Source of Talent: Diverse mix of talent from around the country with a roster from eleven D1 conferences and one Juco; SEC (6), Pac-12 (4), ACC (3), Big 12 (2), Big Ten (2), Sun Belt (2), American (1), A-Sun (1), C-USA (1), MAC (1), MVC (1).

Approach: Select pitchers who throw power strikes (Meyer, Cavalli, Crochet, McCambley, Palmer, Ragsdale, Shuster) and high end pitch ability (Abel, Bedell, Hickman, Pettway). The latter three all have the ability to throw seven innings on 85-90 pitches, which bodes well for countering Abel who will likely be on a pitch count after TJ surgery in April 2019 (14 months post-op on Sandlot Opening Day). Also, targeted position players with well-rounded tools, athleticism and the ability to play the game right now; did not see a reason to take “lightning in a bottle” guys or those who needed development. For the lineup, I wanted a balanced mix of speed, power and hit ability. Defensively, looked for sure-handed, sound defenders who make the routine play.

Self Analysis: Plan executed. Balanced power arms and pitchability in both the rotation and pen. Drafted speed (Cantrelle, Lucas Dunn, Donta Williams) and thunder in the lineup (Cruz, Dingler, Gentry, Lanzilli, Torkelson, Westburg) with reasonable strikeout rates. No defensive liabilities anywhere on the diamond with loads of versatility between Cantrelle, Warren, Westburg, Cruz, Auerbach and Dunn. Warren also showed some of the best hands I’ve ever seen last summer while playing mostly at the hot corner in the Cape.

Pick I Liked: Fittastics 15th round pick to end Day 1, Kaden Polcovich. Very versatile defender who is a tough out in the batter’s box. I almost pulled the trigger by taking him with the first pick in the 15th round, but instead opted for the big power of Lanzilli.

Pick I Questioned: With all the need for a backup, defense-first catcher, nobody selected Adam Kerner (San Diego), as well as why I did not select Bobby Miller (who went undrafted) with any of my 25 picks.

Scout’s View: Lineup with a mix of speed, thump, and guys that can flat out hit. Rotation with a solid blend of power and pitchability, then an embarrassment of riches in the bullpen. Electric arms that can also provide multiple innings, runs will be hard to come by off this club. RANK: 1

Durham Rescue Dogs (Nathan Rode)
Source of Talent: The ACC is extremely strong this year and I went to that well the most, taking seven players from the conference. You can’t sleep on talent from non-Power Five programs and I plucked six players from mid-major programs—though two of them would be considered power majors—and even picked up a junior college arm and Division II bat. Five came from the SEC, four from the Pac 12 and I got one from the Big Ten.

Approach: I’m a big believer in having strength up the middle, and I aimed for that on offense as well as defense. I knew the college class was deep with pitching, so I was content with waiting on arms at first.

Self Analysis: I felt like I executed my plan well. I may have been able to hold off for another round on an arm and gone after a center fielder earlier, but I’m perfectly happy with the group I have. The pitching depth in the class showed, as I was able to load up on some power arms, both in the rotation and bullpen.

Pick I Liked: Aaron picked my pocket with Bryce Jarvis in the fourth round. I would’ve loved to have him atop my rotation. Shooter getting Jack Leftwich in the 17th was a steal.

Pick I Questioned: Alec Burleson is very good and would be very valuable to Aaron this summer, but I think he could have waited a couple rounds and gotten some more higher upside and impact guys early.

Scout’s View: The Moneyball squad...Lot of young guys that put up professional ABs, take their free passes but also can put the ball into the seats. On paper it's the best all-around club defensively. Starting staff is LOADED with velo, as is the pen. They have a chance to shorten the game in a hurry on you. RANK: 3

The Fittastics (Aaron Fitt)
Source of Talent: The SEC and ACC are by far the two most loaded conferences in college baseball this year, and also the two conferences I scouted most heavily in the fall and the abbreviated spring, so I had the most confidence in my evaluations of players from those two leagues. As a result, my breakdown looks like this: ACC (10), SEC (7), Big 12 (2), American (2), Big Ten (1), MWC (1), Sun Belt (1), Big West (1).

Approach: Pitching depth is crucial in a summer ball setup where teams are playing just about every day, so I wanted to load up on quality arms — though my original plan was to wait a bit before stock-piling pitching because there’s so much pitching depth in this class. I figured stocking up on elite two-way players would provide me a competitive advantage by enabling me to have the deepest pitching staff in the league. I always prioritize standout defenders up the middle, and I also targeted versatile multi-position athletes in order to maximize my lineup depth.

Self Analysis: I wound up taking elite arms earlier than I planned to because I just couldn’t pass up polished sure things with elite secondary stuff like Reid Detmers and Bryce Jarvis. But I was elated when Aaron Sabato fell into my lap at the round 3/4 turn, giving me a Torkelson-esque righty power bat to anchor my lineup without having to pay a first-round price. I succeeded in landing the two best two-way players in the country (Alec Burleson and Casey Schmitt) and got a bonus two-way guy late (Joey Lancellotti), giving my roster unparalleled versatility and depth. Mid-round selections Kaden Polcovich and Tyler McDonought also provide exceptional versatility, as both are capable infielders or outfielders, and both are switch-hitters who hit for average, control the strike zone and can run.

I succeeded in building a strong up-the-middle core in Casey Opitz (one of the nation’s premier defensive catchers and a Team USA alumnus), Parker Chavers (a premium center fielder who slipped due to shoulder surgery but is slated to be healthy again by May), Anthony Servideo and Luke Waddell (both of whom have proven themselves as high-level defenders at both shortstop and second, and both of whom are on-base machines with speed who will make this offense go). I wanted to get some power bats for the outfield corners and the bench, and I found them with lefty bats Tanner Allen and Baron Radcliff plus righties Randy Bednar and Shane Muntz.

And I believe I built the best pitching staff in this league, anchored by four potential first-rounders in the rotation (Detmers, Jarvis, Burns and Mlodzinski). Nick Swiney, Levi Prater and Alec Burleson give me three more quality lefthanded starting options for my piggyback system, and I landed one of the nation’s most polished strike-throwing aces in Trenton Denholm at the start of day two. My bullpen has high-end power righties (a proven national-title-caliber closer in Tyler Brown plus the electric Christian Scott, the fearless Lancellotti and the accomplished Schmitt) along with outstanding lefties (Michael Kirian, Burleson and the funky lower-slot Caleb Wurster).

Bottom line: I built a championship-caliber team here.

Pick I Liked: Ian Bedell to Seifert in the 19th round is an insane value for a third-team preseason All-American. I nearly picked him to start Day Two in round 15 before opting for Trenton Denholm, but it was a coin toss. Loved Rode’s pick of Stevie Emanuels in round 23 — a super-competitive RHP that can provide value as a starter, swingman or closer. I kicked myself for not taking Holden Powell before Shooter scooped him up in round 13. What a steal for a guy I consider the best closer in the country; his stuff was utterly overpowering this year and his track record is superb. Loved Kendall’s choice of Dylan Neuse in the 18th round. That’s a high-end athlete with premium speed whose versatility will be invaluable.

Pick I Questioned: I’ll admit that I’d never heard of Jordan Barth until Shooter drafted him in the 25th round. Taking a final-round flier is fun, but it’s hard to believe some of the guys who didn’t get drafted at all (Bailey Horn, Bobby Miller, Kyle Nicolas and Adam Seminaris were my favorite guys who somehow didn’t get picked — but that just shows you how deep the pitching is this year).

Scout’s View: Lineup riddled with pests, they're going to put the ball in play and impact the game on the basepaths. Rotation might lack the eye-popping stuff of some of these other squads, but it's oozing with savvy and pitchablity. Elite performers that are going to win you ball games and give the skipper plenty of time to get a bite at the Red Nun before it closes. RANK: 4

Stumptown Spin (Shooter Hunt)

Source of Talent: With five of my first six picks being out of the SEC (eight overall), there is no doubt that there was a concerted effort to acquire the top players from the conference where “it just means more.” However, a considerable number (six) of players came from the Pac-12 along with one out of the Big West showcasing the plethora of talent, and more importantly the winning-ways of the West Coast. High upside guys with elite tools always shine in the summer, especially arms, so pairing them with a couple of polished defense-first catchers from strong programs was also of importance. 

Approach: Stack the lineup and apply the pressure! After combing over the draft list, I really felt that there would be good arms available in later rounds, so focusing on the top position players in the country was a no-brainer. Austin Martin’s versatility along with his speed and power made for an easy decision at No. 1, and surrounding him with two left-handed bats (Kjerstad and Mitchell) had me feeling good early. Kjerstad has done nothing but rake since he got on campus and forces pitchers to make pressure pitches at all times. I liked Mitchell in high school, but thought he needed to polish his game some at UCLA. He did exactly that as a sophomore, and was geared for an even bigger junior year. The look of a middle-of-the-order player with the athleticism to hit leadoff (which he will for us). From there, I crossed my fingers to get Justin Foscue in the fourth round. He was the best hitter that I watched this year, and has a Keston Hiura-type feel in the box. The dude just hits. He provided protection for a stout lineup the past two years, and his approach is unmatched. Having a professional hitter behind the first three picks was of utmost importance. Seeing Daniel Cabrera on the board in the fifth was too good to pass up, and completed my left-handed hitting outfield trio. Cabrera was a bit streaky for me at times across two-plus seasons, but was starting to heat up for LSU, and I think he is going to really hit in the professional ranks and will be a doubles-machine during this mythical summer. Finally, the pitching barrage kicked in: four straight Friday night starters. Tommy Mace floods the zone with big time stuff, and is a sub 1.0 WHIP guy who is not scared of the bright lights. Christian Chamberlain was my favorite pick of the draft. He may not have the big frame that scouts crave, but he has big velo, big spin, and big game experience. In short, he is not scared of the moment, and I expect him to set the tone for this squad amongst a plethora of big-bonus prospects. Sure to be on pitch-counts throughout the summer, I was not terribly concerned with starting pitching like I was with finding power-arms to come out of the pen. San Jac flame-throwing left-handers, Luke Little and Mitchell Parker, will be as uncomfortable of a look for any hitter in the league, and it also eliminates Kjerstad and Mitchell from having to face them. The glue of my bullpen comes from a couple major programs in UCLA RHP Holden Powell and Virginia LHP Andrew Abbott. Powell sports an upper-90s fastball, and I will be confident giving him the ball to close out any game, and feel even more comfortable coming from the fact that he has been under the tutelage of Coach Savage for three years. Abbott is Mr. Versatility, and he will be used in a plethora of ways perhaps even starting. His athleticism and ability to spin were valued. Finally, getting a West Coast shortstop who can really swing it (Tanner Murray), and a couple high-character, defense-first catchers behind the plate (Donovan and Claunch) really cements the squad and solidifies the defense.

Self Analysis: The plan was executed to perfection early: gobble up as many premium bats, and then find a place to put them. The lineup stretches deep including having a potential top 50 pick in Hudson Haskin (Tulane) flipping the order from the nine-hole. The draft sped up on me a bit in the final 10 rounds, but getting Murray in the 23rd was huge.

Pick I Liked: Kendall getting SS Cam Shepherd in the last round will forever haunt me as I was looking for a premium defender at shortstop, and simply forgot about him, which was probably due to the fact that Aaron picked Anthony Servideo in the 10th round and completely destroyed some of my plans.

Pick I Questioned: Though I, too, considered taking RHP Kevin Abel, Seif’s choice in the 20th round raises some eyebrows given the fact that his frontline LHP Garrett Crochet missed time early in the year with a lingering injury. Some rustiness coming off of Tommy John surgery, and most definitely a pitch-limit on a guy who works deep in counts combined with a likely pitch-count for Crochet might have the Normals looking for some “temp” help in the bullpen throughout the summer.

Scout’s View: The All-Tools Team, explosive bats up and down the lineup, offense has a chance to put runs up in bunches. Stout starting rotation and you might have 100 mph coming at you from either hand late in ball games, good luck! RANK: 2

Texas Team Haters (Kendall Rogers)

Source of Talent: Unlike Fitt and some others, I’m not an SEC and ACC homer. Okay, I’m joking about that. But in all seriousness, I was a little surprised to see my lack of SEC players. Still, the SEC leads the way with seven on my roster, along with the Big 12 coming in second with five players. The Pac 12, Conference USA and Big Ten are all tied with three, while the ACC comes in with just two players. The CAA and Big West each have one representative. I’m truly the coach who cares about the entire country being represented.

Approach: After getting Texas A&M’s Asa Lacy and Georgia’s Emerson Hancock in the first couple of rounds, it was extremely important to have a strong defensive team, while also finding ways to score runs at the plate. Defensively, I feel very good about Nick Loftin and Jack Blomgren -- two exceptional defenders and consummate dirtbaggers, while Cam Shepherd gives me some defensive stability should one of those two guys get hurt. The outfield is in terrific shape with speedsters Casey Martin and Braiden Ward leading the way, while the offensive lineup is loaded with power and versatility. I was able to check off all the goals I had coming into the draft.

Self Analysis: I feel pretty good about the team I’ve assembled. We have some excellent starting pitching at the front-end with Lacy, Hancock and Texas righty Bryce Elder as the headliners, while Seth Lonsway and Tanner Bibee have the ability to go out there and dominate opposing teams. I also have some flexible relievers with Luke Smith and Zarion Sharpe both showing an ability to go out, start, and dominate should they be counted on in that role. There’s power in the lineup with Tyler Keenan, Nick Loftin, Bobby Seymour, Austin Wells, Jordan Nwogu, Trevor Hauver and Casey Martin, while there’s also plenty of speed that can make things happen with Martin and Ward leading the charge. This is a balanced, versatile, club that will cause issues for opposing lineups, while also putting a ton of pressure on opposing pitching staffs and defenses.

Pick I Liked: Casey Martin, fifth round. There’s no doubt Casey was having a tough spring for the Razorbacks, particularly from a plate discipline standpoint. However, Martin has elite speed, big-time power when he’s clicking on all cylinders, and I’m confident the Texas Team Haters’ hitting coach would get him back on track. When Martin is good, he’s a first or second round pick. Fifth round? Like taking candy from a baby, boys. As for someone else’s pick, I really liked Shooter getting CJ Van Eyk in the eighth round, along with Cole Henry in the 9th round. Those two guys are premier pitchers, and I’ve never seen Eyk better than he was at the Baton Rouge Super Regional last season. Two terrific picks from the college baseball legend.

Pick I Questioned: Frankly, I liked almost all the picks out there, but Nathan taking Zach Daniels before guys like Reese Albert surprised me a little. There’s no doubt Daniels was off to a terrific start this spring, but Albert has more long-term staying power on a summer league team, in my opinion.

Scout’s View: Balanced 1-9, a lot of guys that simply have a knack for barreling the baseball. The defense up the middle is second to none. The rotation is stacked with LHPs that can either overpower hitters or flat out carve them up. Pen options offer up some of the best breaking stuff in the class. RANK: 5