Incoming Maryland Pitcher Drafted By Houston Astros
After losing their first two picks, the Houston Astros made their first selection in the 2020 MLB Draft as the franchise looks to turn the page under new manager Dusty Baker.
The Astros used their 72nd overall pick on Maryland pitcher Alex Santos, who signed with the Terps as a member of the 2020 class. The right-handed incoming freshman out of Mount St. Michael Academy was the 19-best prospect in the country, according to Prep Baseball Report, as he was one of two top-50 signees for head coach Rob Vaughn.
His two-year verbal commitment became final when he, along with pitcher Jason Savacool, signed their letter of intent last November to bolster the Terps’ rotation.
“Jason and Alex are elite level arms and we are thrilled that they have chosen to make Maryland home,” Maryland head coach Rob Vaughn said in a statement. “They are fantastic kids that come from amazing families. We are pumped to add them as well as the rest of our class and look forward to competing for championships.”
Santos struck out nine in nine innings during this summer’s MLB Prospect Development Pipeline League, a league designed to showcase the top players looking to qualify for the USA Baseball U18 National Team. The Bronx native received high praise as he entered the draft ranked the 56-best draft prospect, according to MLB.com.
Santos is tall and projectable with long limbs who has the chance to have a three-pitch mix, though he's a bit raw. Over the summer, he consistently showed a fastball in the 90-94 range with good life, sitting in the 92-93 mph range in most of his outings. Given his size and a frame that should allow him to add strength, it's easy to dream about velocity gains. He'll throw a 76-78 mph slider to complement the fastball and he has good feel for a changeup that touches the low-80s.
While he's more projection than now stuff, Santos did show an ability to pitch without his best stuff during the Area Code Games, pitching more off his changeup effectively. Teams might have to be patient, but the Maryland recruit is the kind of high-ceiling prep arms that many organizations covet.
Maryland has eleven commitments in the 2020 class.
