With the 2020 MLB Draft taking place this week, teams are facing a bit of a new reality as the two-day event will be held virtually and limited just to five rounds because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Los Angeles Dodgers will be represented by president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, though it largely has been director of amateur scouting Billy Gasparino who has led the organization’s draft preparation efforts.
While Gasparino and the Dodgers have developed a reputation for drafting well, the uniqueness of the year and required changes have brought about challenges. “Probably the most difficult one would be how much to make of this short sample size of a spring season,” Gasparino recently said.
“For instance, I think colleges played about 25% of their games. How much weight do you put in that performance, good or bad? Versus their history and track record. A lot of the challenge is with some of the northern high school kids who never stepped foot on the field (in 2020) and how to value those guys. It’s different. It’s going to be a challenge.
“The good thing is we kind of treat this as a 365-day process, so we have seen these players for roughly nine and a half months, and have a good foundation. We would always like more and you can definitely argue the last two and a half months is the most important time period to evaluate.
“But we do have a strong foundation, so that’s in our favor quite a bit. And I think it’s just changing your mindset a little bit to accept a little more risk. You have to be willing to go with a little more unknown and a little more risk and be comfortable with it.”
MLB has permitted players who are eligible for the 2020 MLB Draft to submit videos of their workouts, and teams can communicate with them via phone calls, text messages and via Zoom and other chat services.
Gasparino said the general reaction from the scouting community was disappointment over the draft being reduced so drastically, and he’s curious to see if undrafted players will opt to return to college rather than sign for up to $20,00.
“I think most players, for that amount of money, would rather just go back to school. Either to continue their education or take their chances in a better draft atmosphere next year,” Gasparino said.
The Dodgers have the No. 29 overall pick, a second-round selection at No. 66, and the 66th pick (Competitive Balance Round B) in addition to turns in rounds three through five.
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