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3 Draft Picks Tigers Could Make in 2020 First Round

By Steven Kubitza

The Detroit Tigers own the top pick in the 2020 MLB Draft.
The Detroit Tigers own the top pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. / Mark Cunningham/Getty Images

The condensed 2020 MLB Draft begins June 10 and teams are facing a ton of pressure to hit on each and every pick as there will only be five rounds. The Detroit Tigers are perhaps facing the most pressure, owning the No. 1 pick after a disastrous 47-114 season. Detroit has one obvious top target to go after, but could decide to go in a different direction and surprise us all. Three players stand out as potential No. 1 overall picks in 2020.

3. Emerson Hancock

Emerson Hancock would be a bit of a wild card pick for the Tigers. The right-hander out of Georgia made 33 starts in his college career, finishing with a 3.47 ERA and 9.7 K/9. He also had 34 strikeouts in 24 innings before the 2020 season was cancelled. Hancock is about to turn 21 years old and would provide a power arm to the Tigers rotation without needing much time in the minors. He would instantly join Casey Mize and Matt Manning as potential aces of the future in Detroit.

2. Asa Lacy

Asa Lacy is a southpaw who was off to a 3-0 start with a 0.75 ERA at Texas A&M in 2020. Lacy moved into the starting rotation in 2019 and is regarded as a potential top pick in the draft. He struck out batters with ease in college and finished his career with 224 strikeouts in only 152 innings. The lefty had an insane 17.3 K/9 in his limited 2020 season. The selling point for Detroit is Lacy being a left-handed starter. That adds a new dynamic to the rotation and helps mix things up considering the other top arms in the system.

1. Spencer Torkelson

Spencer Torkelson is the current favorite to go No. 1 overall. The Arizona State first baseman slashed .337/.463/.729 during his college career and added 54 home runs and 33 doubles. He is only 20 years old and given the fact he showed up as a teenager in 2018 and hit 25 home runs there is no reason to believe he will spend much time in the minors. The Tigers have C.J. Cron under contract through this season. If the team is still expected to be bad in 2021 then Torkelson can get some much-needed experience right away.