Baseball's Financial Situation Could Help Vanderbilt in 2020 Draft
The Major League Baseball Draft is now hours away from the Detroit Tigers making the first selection and speculation is at an all-time high surrounding the event because of the current financial and labor situations in the sport brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Just how this year's draft will play out is anyone's guess, but those close to the sport believe that the financial issues currently impacting the game will lead to a different approach as teams begin making selections in the five-round event.
Because of the money and the fact that major league teams have all but shut down their minor leagues, teams now feel an urgency to have players who are major league ready and could potentially help their clubs this season.
What does that mean for Vanderbilt?
The Commodores have two potential major leaguers currently committed that are viewed as possible first-round draft selections in Robert Hassell III and Pete Crowe-Armstrong. However, neither of those players, as physically gifted as they seem ready to jump from high school to the big time this year.
Player development in baseball often takes years of work in the minors before a player can make it to "the show."
Drafting a player this year out of high school and attempting to get anything from them at the big league level could stunt a player's development and cost the franchise that player's future.
Sources indicate small market franchises seem poised to look to college baseball to find players in this draft. While not as talented as some high school prospects, those college players are more physically ready and could potentially provide something at the top level as soon as this season.
Large market franchises are also thought to be willing to take the more ready college players in this draft. Those clubs could go about adding players through free agency next year while sending this year's draft class to the minors without possibly damaging their confidence should they struggle at the top.
Should the first round play out with teams following these rumors and players such as Hassell or Crowe-Armstrong fall into the late first, early second-round range, those players could opt for college and come back to the draft again at a later date when things have gone back to normal.
There are no guarantees that this will happen, but if you are a fan of Vanderbilt baseball, you might be cheering for college players tonight, especially in the 12 to 25 range of round one.
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