It’s sometimes easy to forget some of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the baseball world. After delaying as long as possible, MLB finally managed to play a 60-game schedule despite games being played in virtually empty stadiums. The minor league seasons were canceled entirely, while the NCAA (and high schools) got their season started in late February, only for things to shut down completely just a month later.

With all of the moving parts and schedule interruptions, MLB briefly considered skipping the 2020 Draft. Instead, despite scouts being unable to view potential prospects in person, the league opted to run a shortened five-round draft that June.

Ahead of the 2020 Draft, there was a widespread consensus about the top three players at the top of the class: Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson, Vanderbilt outfielder Austin Martin, and Texas A&M left-hander Asa Lacy. MLB.com’s Jim Callis was clear on the industry’s thoughts with his final mock draft that May:

Torkelson would indeed go to Detroit with the first overall pick. Baltimore shifted outside Callis’s projection, selecting University of Arkansas outfielder Heston Kjerstad second overall. Miami then used the third pick to take University of Minnesota right-hander Max Meyer. Lacy was selected fourth by Kansas City. Martin went fifth to Toronto.

Asa Lacy made four starts for the Texas A&M Aggies before the season was cut short, posting a 0.75 ERA with 46 SO in 24.0 IP. After the Royals selected him with the 4th overall pick, they signed the southpaw to a franchise-record $6.67M signing bonus. Lacy ranked No. 30 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 ranking heading into the 2021 season.

Lacy made 14 starts at High-A that year, before a shoulder strain cut his season short. A back injury limited him to just 15 more appearances (5 starts) the next year. A subsequent back strain and two Tommy John surgeries (one after the 2023 season and one in 2025) have kept Lacy off the mound since (his last competitive outing came on Aug. 18, 2022).

Kansas City released Lacy (who was set to reach minor league free agency after the season) on Monday, per MLB.com’s Anne Rogers. In just 80.0 IP, Lacy posted a 7.09 ERA with 114 SO and 83 BB.

Following Lacy’s release, it seems appropriate to look back at the 2020 Draft class as a whole now that we have several years’ worth of results. Several draft pundits like The Athletic’s Keith Law have repeatedly called this draft class “cursed”, so let’s see how differently the first round could have played out.

(All stats and career bWAR totals are entering play on April 22.)

1. Detroit Tigers

Redraft pick: OF Pete Crow-Armstrong, 8.9 bWAR in 316 games

Actual pick: 1B Spencer Torkelson, 1.7 bWAR in 539 games

Under normal circumstances, the easy redraft pick here would be Garrett Crochet (who we’ll get to in a moment), but Detroit was dead-set on selecting a position player with the first-overall pick in the draft. The Tigers boasted a deep farm system at the time, with four players ranked in the top half of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100, including three pitchers in the mix: Casey Mize (7), Matt Manning (24), and Tarik Skubal (46). For the sake of argument, let’s assume they still follow through with taking a non-pitcher here, and that means adding PCA to the core of the team’s outfield defense (and would plug a hole in center field that the club has sought to fill for years).

2. Baltimore Orioles

Redraft pick: LHP Garrett Crochet, 11.3 bWAR in 141 games

Actual pick: OF Heston Kjerstad, -1.1 bWAR in 106 games

Once Detroit passed on Crochet, he’s the obvious choice for Baltimore (and, surprise, he addresses the team’s single biggest need in recent seasons). Crochet was both the first pick from the 2020 Draft to reach the big leagues, and he’s been the most successful player taken from the entire five-round draft by a healthy margin. The O’s would love to be able to go back and add his left-handed arm to their pitching staff.

3. Miami Marlins

Redraft pick: RHP Spencer Strider, 7.7 bWAR in 90 G

Actual pick: RHP Max Meyer, 0.2 bWAR in 30 G

Max Meyer seems to finally be breaking out in 2026, but with the benefit of hindsight, it’s Strider who the Marlins would select if we could redraft things today. The live-armed right-hander has been a steady force in the Braves’ rotation (when healthy) and would have made a substantial impact on the Marlins instead (just picture a rotation with Strider lined up between Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez).

4. Kansas City Royals

Redraft pick: SS Masyn Winn, 7.7 bWAR in 335 G

Actual pick: LHP Asa Lacy, never reached the majors

Just a year removed from selecting Bobby Witt Jr. with its first pick in the 2019 Draft (2nd overall), maybe it’s unlikely the Royals would dip into the high school shortstop pool again with their top pick in 2020 but that’s just what we have KC doing here (the Royals did select IF Nick Loftin with their supplemental pick after the 1st round, No. 32 overall). Winn (or Westburg) would be the logical choice here, seemingly giving the Royals a superior middle infield tandem alongside Witt.

5. Toronto Blue Jays

Redraft pick: SS Jordan Westburg, 5.1 bWAR in 260 G

Actual pick: SS Austin Martin, 0.5 bWAR in 164 G

Martin would be traded to Minnesota (along with Simeon Woods-Richardson) for José Berrios barely a year after being drafted by the Blue Jays. Perhaps the Jays wouldn’t have needed to make that deal had they drafted Westburg instead (or perhaps a different player would have been involved altogether). Either way, Westburg has produced far more than Martin to date, both at the plate and in the field.

6. Seattle Mariners

Redraft: LHP Reid Detmers, 5.0 bWAR in 141 G

Actual: RHP Emerson Hancock, 0.0 bWAR in 42 G

Hancock also seems to finally be breaking out in 2026 (like Meyer), but the Mariners thrive on assembling a deep pitching staff. There’s little question they would once again select a talented collegiate arm here, so instead of Hancock (the Univ. of Georgia right-hander was viewed as a potential No. 1 overall pick before the college season, and worldwide pandemic, began), the pick would be Detmers (the southpaw had a solid career at the Univ. of Louisville and was viewed by most as the No. 2 left-hander in the class behind Lacy).

7. Pittsburgh Pirates

Redraft: OF Evan Carter, 5.1 bWAR in 154 G

Actual: IF Nick Gonzales, 0.3 bWAR in 245 G

Gonzales was among the top college hitters in the draft class, but that talent has yet to translate into regular playing time in the big leagues as the Pirates repeatedly turn to other options first. Carter wasn’t prominently named in mock drafts after the high school seasons were cut short, ultimately being a 2nd round pick by the Rangers after a local scout’s recommendation. Carter has had injury concerns and might profile best in an outfield corner rather than center field, but it’s hard to see the Pirates pass on adding his speed to their lineup.

8. San Diego Padres

Redraft: OF Garrett Mitchell, 4.2 bWAR in 161 G

Actual: OF Robert Hassell III, -0.1 bWAR in 70 G

Hassell was viewed by many as one of the top high school hitters in the draft class, and scouts connected him to the Padres early that spring, a theme that remained consistent through months of mock drafts until San Diego made its selection on draft day. Considering Hassell was a key piece of San Diego’s acquisition of Juan Soto two years later, it’s hard to say the team fumbled the selection, but hindsight lets the Padres go back and select Mitchell here instead. The California native has produced with Milwaukee, but staying healthy has remained a concern.

9. Colorado Rockies

Redraft: C Dillon Dingler, 3.9 bWAR in 174 G

Actual: OF Zac Veen, -0.3 bWAR in 12 G

Scouts were enamored with Veen’s power potential as a high schooler, but many still saw potential concerns (notably a high strikeout percentage) in his prospect pedigree. The Rockies seemed thrilled to see him fall to them with the 9th pick, but Veen has yet to break out in the big leagues (despite a fantastic showing this spring after reportedly “getting sober and gaining more than 50 pounds of muscle” since the end of last summer. It’s a new regime in Colorado, so let’s safely say they’d go a different direction with the pick, which points the Rox to Dingler. Pairing him behind the plate with Hunter Goodman would certainly lengthen the Colorado lineup (and allow one to get regular at-bats at DH).

10. Los Angeles Angels

Redraft: C Tyler Soderstrom, 3.8 bWAR in 288 G

Actual: LHP Reid Detmers, 5.0 bWAR in 141 G

Detmers is something of an enigma. He showed promise in his first full season as a starter (2022) and was solid being used strictly in relief last season, but the two seasons between were more inconsistent. It’s tough to know exactly what kind of pitcher he is at this point, but with Detmers already off the board here, the Angels stick in-state and make Soderstrom the pick. He may have been drafted as a catcher, but it didn’t take long for him to settle in as a solid left fielder once the A’s decided to make a position change (he wasn’t going to displace Shea Langeliers).

11. Chicago White Sox

Redraft: RHP Bryce Elder, 3.4 bWAR in 84 G

Actual: LHP Garrett Crochet, 11.3 bWAR in 141 G

Chicago reaped the benefits of Crochet’s talent, only to watch him further break out last season after a trade to Boston. In this scenario, though, he’s long since come off the draft board, so that pushes the White Sox to look elsewhere for an arm. Elder jumps into the mix here, after originally being a 5th-round pick by the Braves out of the Univ. of Texas. A deep rotation of arms in Atlanta has slowed Elder’s ascent into a regular rotation spot, but he’s continued to pitch well when given opportunities.

12. Cincinnati Reds

Redraft: RHP Carmen Mlodzinski, 3.3 bWAR in 114 G

Actual: OF Austin Hendrick, hasn’t reached the majors

The Reds were seemingly locked in on high school outfielders with this pick, as industry sources suggested for weeks leading up to the draft that the team would select either Hassell (if he got past SD) or Austin Hendrick here. The latter would reach the Reds, and he’s yet to play above Double-A. Instead, we have Cincinnati selecting a serviceable swingman in Mlodzinski (who just happens to have a 3.86 ERA and 1.029 WHIP in six career appearances at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark).

13. San Francisco Giants

Redraft: C Patrick Bailey, 3.3 bWAR in 371 G

Actual: C Patrick Bailey

It’s purely a coincidence that Patrick Bailey ends up being the pick here, as he has the 13th-highest bWAR total from the entire 2020 Draft class. The two-time Gold Glove Award winner has been a vital piece of the Giants’ lineup over the last several seasons because of his glove work behind the plate, despite holding a career .230/.287/.340 (78 OPS+) line entering the 2026 season.

14. Texas Rangers

Redraft: OF Alec Burleson, 3.0 bWAR in 437 G

Actual: 2B Justin Foscue, -0.8 bWAR in 19 G

After slashing .297/.380/.482 over three seasons with Mississippi State while playing all over the infield, Foscue hardly appeared to be a poor selection for Texas at No. 14. He’s continued to hit in the minors (a .274/.375/.490 line in almost 2100 PA), but the Rangers seemingly refuse to give him an extended opportunity in the big leagues. Burleson would be a suitable alternative with hindsight, and there’s no question the Rangers would welcome the addition of his left-handed bat to their lineup.

15. Philadelphia Phillies

Redraft: C Austin Wells, 2.9 bWAR in 279 G

Actual: RHP Mick Abel, 0.4 bWAR in 14 G

It’s highly unlikely there’s regret in Philadelphia over selecting Abel out of high school here. The right-hander never seemed to look overmatched once his pro career started the next spring, ultimately climbing up Philly’s minor league system until he made his debut last summer, only to then be traded (along with Eduardo Tait) for Jhoan Duran to finally address the Phillies’ void at the back of the bullpen. But with hindsight, it’s easy to see the Phillies going a different direction and selecting Wells with this pick. In fact, it’s fair to wonder if having Wells in-house would have allowed the Phillies to move on more quickly from J.T. Realmuto.

16. Chicago Cubs

Redraft: 2B Colt Keith, 2.7 bWAR in 306 G

Actual: SS Ed Howard, hasn’t reached the majors

Cubs fans were thrilled when Chicago selected the hometown Howard with this pick (even if he was a White Sox fan as a kid). Howard looked like one of the best prep position players to come out of the Chicagoland area in recent years, so being drafted by the hometown team was a big deal. Still just 24, Howard has just 50 PA above Double-A and has shown little indication that the major leagues are in his future. Given a second chance, the Cubs select Keith, who, while inconsistent, has fashioned a decent career with the Tigers (even if the long extension they gave him before his debut may have been premature).

17. Boston Red Sox

Redraft: 1B Spencer Torkelson, 1.7 bWAR in 539 G

Actual: 2B Nick Yorke, 0.2 bWAR in 51 G

It’s probably safe to say Boston would like a do-over here, at least somewhere along the process. Yorke continued to develop as a hitter and steadily climbed up Boston’s minor league system, only for the Red Sox to trade him ahead of the 2024 trade deadline to add Quinn Priester (who they would turn around and deal away six months later, just to see him break out with Milwaukee). Given the existing logjam of position players on the Red Sox roster, it’s hard to say if Yorke would be receiving more opportunities had he not been dealt. Instead, the Red Sox end up with Torkelson here (who, in some ways, has been the total opposite of Triston Casas), and maybe this offseason’s addition of Willson Contreras wouldn’t have been needed.

18. Arizona Diamondbacks

Redraft: OF Joey Wiemer, 1.8 bWAR in 197 G

Actual: RHP Bryce Jarvis, 1.2 bWAR in 67 G

Arizona went with the family connection here. Kevin Jarvis made five appearances for the D-backs in 2006 at the end of a 12-year career. His son, Bryce Jarvis, had an excellent spring at Duke University before Arizona used this pick on him. After two-plus seasons in the Diamondbacks’ bullpen, he now seems stuck back at Triple-A. Given a chance to shift gears, the club could add a bat to the outfield mix in Wiemer, who has shown big power potential despite other inconsistencies during his well-traveled career.

19. New York Mets

Redraft: LHP Kyle Harrison, 1.8 bWAR in 46 G

Actual: OF Pete Crow-Armstrong, 8.9 bWAR in 316 G

PCA is long gone at this point in our re-draft. If he were still available, it’s likely the club would indeed select him again, but this time he might not see himself traded away (for a three-month rental of Javy Baez). Re-doing a 2021 trade isn’t the exercise here, though, so let’s get back on track. The Mets may boast a deep collection of starting options, but it’s hard to see them pass on an opportunity to add another here. Harrison, like many others in this draft class, has seen inconsistent opportunities for playing time and has been traded several times.

20. Milwaukee Brewers

Redraft: RHP Jared Jones, 1.6 bWAR in 22 G

Actual: OF Garrett Mitchell, 4.2 bWAR in 161 G

Mitchell came off the board a while ago, so Milwaukee will need to go in a different direction here. Despite last summer’s elbow injury (he still hasn’t started a rehab assignment, but should be back before the end of 2026), Jones has been the best (and may have the highest ceiling) among the group of arms that make up these next few picks (it’s probably a toss-up between him and Harrison, honestly).

21. St. Louis Cardinals

Redraft: RHP J.T. Ginn, 1.5 bWAR in 37 G

Actual: 3B Jordan Walker, -0.8 bWAR in 302 G

Walker may finally be breaking out in 2026, but the Cardinals also may be at their breaking point in being patient with him. The club is in the early stages of what should be a significant rebuild, so much of the offseason was spent collecting as many arms as possible. If we’re re-drafting the class from 2020, it’s easy to see the current Cardinals front office select Ginn here. He’d already been a 1st-round pick in 2018 before Tommy John surgery pushed him back to college for another season.

22. Washington Nationals

Redraft: RHP Bryce Jarvis, 1.2 bWAR in 67 G

Actual: RHP Cade Cavalli, -0.1 bWAR in 16 G

Injuries delayed Cavalli’s arrival in the big leagues, but it’s fair to say there’s still promise in his right arm. Still, given the results and given a chance to pick differently, Jarvis ends up being the selection here. His career has been somewhat inconsistent, as we mentioned above, but the Nationals are currently throwing anyone with a live arm onto the active roster in an effort to find someone who can reliably fill a role.

23. Cleveland Indians

Redraft: LHP Logan Allen, 1.1 bWAR in 74 G

Actual: SS Carson Tucker, hasn’t reached the majors

Cleveland went with Tucker with their first pick. The Arizona high school infielder has been a bust: he barely hit over three seasons before being released, he sat out a full season, and he spent a year playing in the independent leagues before finally returning to affiliated ball with the Padres this year. Cleveland’s second pick was Allen, an easy choice to slide up to the first round here. The southpaw has spent most of the last three seasons in the Guardians’ rotation, though he’s back at Triple-A to begin 2026.

24. Tampa Bay Rays

Redraft: RHP Connor Phillips, 1.3 bWAR in 39 G

Actual: RHP Nick Bitsko, hasn’t reached the majors

Tampa Bay took a huge gamble on Bitsko, who had already taken a big gamble on himself after reclassifying late for the 2020 Draft class (he graduated HS early, allowing him to be eligible a year ahead of schedule). He threw all of one bullpen session in front of pro scouts, which proved enough to land with the Rays. Injuries and ineffectiveness have limited him to just 33.1 IP as a pro since, all but 9.0 of them coming in the Florida Complex League. Instead, the Rays can select a useful arm in Phillips, who has broken out over the last two seasons in the Reds’ bullpen after Cincinnati acquired him as part of their trade sending Eugenio Suárez to Seattle.

25. Atlanta Braves

Redraft: RHP Gavin Stone, 1.0 bWAR in 33 G

Actual: LHP Jared Shuster, 0.4 bWAR in 64 G

Shuster’s numbers at Wake Forest were solid, though hardly spectacular. Atlanta clearly felt their pitching development could bring something more out of the left-hander’s arm. He’s since bounced around the league a bit, now pitching with his fourth organization. Like several players from this draft class (perhaps a reason why Law called the group cursed?), Stone has missed significant time due to injuries. His 2024 season in the Dodgers’ rotation was solid (11-5 with a 116 ERA+ in 25 starts), but he hasn’t thrown a pitch professionally since.

26. Oakland Athletics

Redraft: RHP Landon Knack, 0.9 bWAR in 25 G

Actual: C Tyler Soderstrom, 3.8 bWAR in 288 G

Soderstrom is no longer an option for the A’s here, so instead, another Dodgers arm comes off the board. L.A. selected Stone (above, 5th round) and Knack (2nd round) among a pitching-heavy draft class (that also included Bobby Miller and Clayton Beeter). The Dodgers’ depth has limited the opportunities for some of these players to pitch innings in the big leagues, which is not a “problem” the A’s can easily relate to.

27. Minnesota Twins

Redraft: RHP Brandon Pfaadt, 0.6 bWAR in 88 G

Actual: 1B Aaron Sabato, hasn’t reached the majors

Sabato appeared to be a strong pick for the Twins. The first baseman slashed .332/.459/.698 with 25 HR in two seasons at North Carolina, but he’s managed just a .222/.335/.423 slash line in over 2,000 PA in the minor leagues. With five seasons of hindsight, Minnesota opts for Pfaadt as the pick instead.

28. New York Yankees

Redraft: LHP Luke Little, 0.6 bWAR in 40 G

Actual: C Austin Wells, 2.9 bWAR in 279 G

By this point in the redraft, there are only a few options remaining who have some degree of proven success in the big leagues. Wells is long gone, so the Yankees will need to look elsewhere with this pick, which puts the 6’8” left-hander on the table. Little spent just one season working as a starter before shifting to the bullpen and seeing a quick rise to the majors. Control issues, including a 17.6 BB% (twice the league average) in 36.1 IP, have kept Little from seeing more consistent opportunities in the Cubs’ bullpen.

29. Los Angeles Dodgers

Redraft: 3B Casey Schmidt, 0.6 bWAR in 243 G

Actual: RHP Bobby Miller, -0.2 bWAR in 37 G

Finally, we’ll let the Dodgers pick up a versatile position player instead of sticking to their previously mentioned pitcher-hoarding. Schmidt has played all four infield positions during his four seasons with the Giants, but has yet to break out at the plate. He’s getting more regular at-bats early in 2026 with San Francisco under new leadership in the dugout.

The Houston Astros forfeited their first- and second-round picks in the 2020 and 2021 Drafts as part of the penalties imposed by Commissioner Rob Manfred following the league’s investigation into the team’s use of technology to steal signs from opposing teams during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Houston would not make a selection until pick No. 72 overall in 2020 (RHP Alex Santos II).

Other notable players selected in 2020: C Drew Romo (COL, 1st Rd., -0.3 bWAR), OF Owen Caissie (SDP, 2nd, -0.3 bWAR), SS Freddy Zamora (MIL, 2nd), RHP Tink Hence (STL, 2nd), Coby Mayo (BAL, 4th, -0.7 bWAR), IF Tommy Saggese (TEX, 5th, 0.0 bWAR).