Cal Baseball: Darren Baker Might Be Selected in Wednesday's MLB Draft
Several Cal players might be taken in Wednesday's modified Major League Baseball draft, but the most likely Golden Bears player to be drafted is second baseman Darren Baker.
Wednesday's draft will be different, as Cal baseball coach Mike Neu notes in the video above. Typically the MLB draft has 40 rounds, but this year, because of issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be just five rounds.
Baker as well as two fellow Cal juniors--outfielder Brandon McIlwain and third baseman Quentin Selma--and senior outfielder Max Flower would all no doubt be taken in a typical 40-round draft. This year their chances of being drafted are reduced significantly.
However, it is Baker who had the best shot, with a fourth- or fifth-round selection being possible. (Baker is pictured in the cover photo for this article, and the photo was taken by Marcus Edwards of KLC Fotos.)
Players with pro potential who are not drafted will likely be signed as free agents, and it is assumed there will be a large number of free-agent signings this year with the limited number of rounds in the draft.
All four of Cal's draft hopefuls will have the option of returning to Cal next season, and that includes Flower since the NCAA gave all spring-sport athletes an additional year of eligibility following the cancellation of most of their season.
However, all four are likely to sign with major-league clubs if they are drafted or get a reasonable offer. Flower and McIlwain have already graduated from Cal.
None of the four is listed among MLB.com's top 200 prospects, but Baker, the son of Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker, has the elements pro teams might want.
https://www.mlb.com/draft/tracker
"At the start of the year I think we predicted him to go somewhere between the third and the sixth round," Neu said Tuesday, "and I think he has a very good chance to go somewhere after the first round somewhere and sign.
"Obviously a really good infielder, great defensive player with a good amount of speed, played really well for us all three years . . , and really did well in the Cape Cod League, which was good because he got a chance to be seen more.
"Being his junior year he didn't get to be seen quite as much because of the shortened season, but he did really well on the tape, and I think that will help him out."
Baker hit .286 with four steals in 16 games this season.
(Click here for some video highlights of Baker.)
McIlwain was drafted last year, and thought seriously of signing last year before opted to come back to Cal. He might get drafted again this year, but is more likely to try to sign as a free agent.
McIlwain hit .200 with one homer in 16 games.
Selma had a good junior season, hitting .293 with one homer and an .825 OPS, while Flower hit .233 in 13 games.
Arizona State first baseman Spener Torkelson might be the first player taken in Wednesday's MLB draft, and UCLA outfielder Garrett Mitchelk might be a top-10 pick as well.