Cards To Watch For on Day 2 of the 2020 MLB Draft

The first day of the 2020 MLB Draft was a historic one for the University of Louisville baseball program, as two Cardinals were selected in the first round for only the second time in program history and the first time since 2016.

First up was junior LHP Reid Detmers, being selected by the Los Angeles Angels with the No. 10 overall pick to become the third highest-drafted player in Louisville history behind only LHP/1B Brendan McKay (No. 4 in 2017) & OF Corey Ray (No. 5 in 2016). Then with the final pick of the first round, junior RHP Bobby Miller was the next Louisville player to hear his name called, getting drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the No. 29 overall pick.

Both of Louisville's main 2020 draft prospects might have already been taken off the board, but there are still other Cardinals waiting for their moment. Even though this year's iteration of the First-Year Player Draft is only lasting five rounds as opposed to the normal forty due to budget shortfalls caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, several Louisville baseball players could still wind up hearing their name called by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.

Luke Smith - RHP

Coming as a JUCO transfer from Parkland College following his sophomore season, the Champaign, IL. native quickly became one of the figureheads in the clubhouse due to his leadership abilities. He progressed at a rapid pace, and had his best performances when the stakes were the highest. In the 2019 postseason, he took the ball vs. Illinois State & Vanderbilt, combining for 17 strikeouts over 16.2 innings pitched and eating 250 total pitches, while only surrendering five earned runs. Has a career 4.03 ERA while at Louisville. He is listed as the No. 130 college prospect by D1Baseball

Lucas Dunn - INF/OF

Dunn has been one of the most consistent hitters during his tenure as a Louisville Cardinal. He sports a lifetime .306 batting average & .398 on-base percentage in over 105 games played and 268 at-bats. In his first full season in 2019, he placed fifth on the team in runs with 48 and third on the team in stolen bases with 15. Had the junior from Panama City Beach not been hampered by a hamate injury to start the season, he might be more widely regarded as a 2020 draft prospect. He is listed as the No. 144 college prospect by D1Baseball.

Zach Britton - OF/C

Need a clutch at-bat? Britton is your guy. In 2019, the junior from Batesville, IN hit a staggering .377 in the sixth inning or later, and 12-21 (.571) as a pinch hitter. Overall that year, he also posted a slash line of .288/.368/.470 with five home runs and 28 RBI. 2020 seemed like it was bound to be his breakout year, as he finished the shortened season with a .322 batting average and a D1-best eleven doubles. He is listed as the No. 185 college prospect by D1Baseball.

Michael Kirian - LHP

While Michael McAvene was the reliever who garnered the most attention in 2019 due to his ability to touch 100 on the radar gun, statistically you could have made the case that Kirian was the better reliever. After posting a team-worst 12.71 ERA in his freshman year, the junior from New Riegel, OH followed that up with a team-best 1.69 ERA and three saves over eleven appearances in 2019. His 2020 season had a fantastic start, as he registered a save in all six of his appearances and struck out 11 over 6.1 innings pitched. He is listed as the No. 190 college prospect by D1Baseball.

Day 2 of the 2020 MLB Draft starts at 5:00pm EST on ESPN2 and MLB Network.

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