2020 MLB Draft Preview from Oklahoma State Baseball Perspective
STILLWATER -- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic Oklahoma State baseball was halted just one week short of one of the most important events in program history with the opening of the new home for Cowboys baseball, O'Brate Stadium. With the remainder of the season canceled and the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft set to being picking off top collegiate, junior college, and high school talent on Wednesday night the question begs, which Cowboys or future Cowboys will never play in O'Brate.
The MLB Draft is shortened with just five rounds and around 160 players. That means the odds are greater that Oklahoma State might not lose any key pieces to the Cowboys baseball future. However, Oklahoma State's elevated recruiting this past cycle and being able to recruit top talent into the newest, nicest college baseball facility in the country has big league scouts looking closely at the Cowboys recruiting haul.
The two top prospects for the five round draft that have Oklahoma State connections are out of the 2020 recruiting class, so not even on campus yet.
Nolan McLean is a right-handed pitcher from Magnet High School from Garner, N.C. The Cowboy signee can certainly throw with a 91-93 mph fastball and a curve that runs around 74 mph. He is 6-3, 220-pounds and if he arrives at Oklahoma State he might also want to try playing quarterback. Perfect Game had him rated as the No. 66 prospect for the MLB Draft.
Another pitcher, Jacob Misiorowski from Grain Valley, Mo. is a long lean right-harded pitcher. He measures 6-6, 190-pounds, but he measures 85-88 mph for his fastball, 70-72 mph on his breaking ball, and 79-82 mph on the change-up. Last season at Grain Valley he was 9-2 with a 1.49 ERA and 67 strike outs in 47 innings.
The top prospect on the team currently is infielder Kaden Polcovich, who played mainly second base this season. In the shortened season he was hitting .344 with 21 RBI. He had five doubles, two triples, and two home runs. Gut feeling here is the junior won't be picked in the five rounds of the Draft.
The top Oklahoma prospect in the signing class is Edmond Santa Fe's Dominic Johnson. I actually coached Dominic in football with his dad and former Oklahoma State cornerback player Andre Johnson. He is an explosive athlete that last season hit .415 for the 2019 State Champion Santa Fe Wolves as a teammate of current Oklahoma State defensive end Trace Ford. Johnson had seven doubles, two triples, and a home run. He scored 22 runs and knocked in 10. He is very fast, 4.0 to first base and he has 6.22 in the 60.
He also likely won't be picked in the Draft and as we all know the signing bonus for players not picked in the draft is set at $20,000.
Oklahoma State 2020 Baseball Recruiting Class
Robert Bavon, RHP, Little Rock (Little Rock Catholic), Ark.
John Bay, 3B, Shattuck, Okla.
Jacob Bookout, RHP, Oklahoma City (Oklahoma Christian), Okla.
Marcus Brown, SS, Springdale (Shiloh Christian), Ark.
Jaxson Crull, OF, Bixby, Okla.
Trainer Flores, OF, Santo Domingo (Genapec), Dominican Republic
Connor Gore, SS, Enid, Okla.
Francisco Hernandez, OF, Laredo (Alexander), Texas
Dominic Johnson, OF, Edmond (Santa Fe), Okla.
Trevor Martin, RHP, Asher, Okla.
Nolan McLean, RHP, Garner (Magnet), N.C.
Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Grain Valley, Mo.
Mike (M.J.) Rodriguez, C, Corpus Christi (Memorial), Texas
Orlando Salinas, SS, Corpus Christi (King), Texas
Cade Sumbler, C, Midlothian (Heritage), Texas
