Baltimore Orioles: Week Two MLB Draft Stock Watch

Who will the Baltimore Orioles take with the second overall pick in this year’s draft? Here’s how a few of the top options are performing.

Before the college baseball season begins week three of competition later today, we’re taking a quick look at how some of the names at the top of this year’s MLB draft board performed over the past week and a peek at who they are scheduled to take on this weekend.

As with our first look around the college scene, we’re focusing on five names who the Baltimore Orioles could select with the second overall pick in the 2020 draft, including Georgia RHP Emerson Hancock, Texas A&M LHP Asa Lacy, Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson, Vanderbilt infielder Austin Martin, and New Mexico State second baseman Nick Gonzales.

How did each player perform last week? For the second week in a row, we saw a lot of video game like numbers from some of these guys.

1B Spencer Torkelson, Arizona State

Torkelson and his Arizona State teammates picked up a sweep over ACC foe Boston College over the weekend, followed by a Tuesday night victory over New Mexico State in a battle of unbeaten teams. Torkelson went 4-11 against Boston College with two home runs and three walks. He then went 0-1 on Tuesday with five walks, three of them intentional.

Torkelson is going to get the Barry Bonds treatment all year long. In nine games, Torkelson is hitting .320 with a .605 on-base percentage, four home runs, and 18 walks to just eight strikeouts.

Arizona State continues their long homestand to start the season with a three-game set against Nebraska this weekend.

RHP Emerson Hancock, Georgia

Hancock bounced back in a big way with his second start of the season last weekend, a Georgia win over Santa Clara. Hancock allowed just two hits across seven shutout innings, walking none and striking out eight. He needed only 86 pitches to get through his outing. Hancock and the Bulldogs will take on rival Georgia Tech this weekend in Athens.

Hancock is the top pitching prospect in this year’s draft, as of now, and he is likely to be available when the Orioles pick at #2. Do you prefer an arm or a bat with the pick? It’s sure to be a fun debate leading up to the draft.

LHP Asa Lacy, Texas A&M

Don’t overlook this Aggie left-hander as the draft approaches. Going second overall might be a bit too high, but his name is sure to become more and more well-known as the college season progresses. Lacy struck out 14 hitters in five innings of work against Army last weekend. He allowed one run on four hits and one walk.

Lacy is now 2-0 on the year with a 1.64 ERA and a 22/3 K/BB ratio in 11 innings in his two starts against Miami (Ohio) and Army. The Aggies will face strong competition this weekend at The Frisco Classic in Texas. They take on Illinois Friday night, followed by #8 UCLA on Saturday and #17 Oklahoma State on Sunday.

IF Austin Martin, Vanderbilt

Will he play third base, shortstop, second base, or center field in the big leagues? The versatile Martin has settled in nicely at the plate for Vanderbilt, hitting .394 and leading the team with four doubles and three home runs. He also leads the way with eight walks and has struck out just one time in 45 plate appearances. The Commodores welcome Hawaii to Nashville for a weekend series where they are 7-0 this season.

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2B Nick Gonzales, New Mexico State

He may not go #2 overall, but Nick Gonzales is quickly becoming my favorite prospect in this year’s draft. It doesn’t matter if he’s hitting at home in one of the more hitter-friendly ballparks in the country or if he’s on the road, Gonzales knows how to hit a baseball and is sure to be a rare second baseman drafted in the first round of the MLB draft.

Gonzales recorded nine hits last weekend, including a 5-6 day at the plate on Sunday where he recorded a cycle with a double, a triple, two home runs, five runs, and seven RBI. He went hitless on Tuesday against Arizona State, but he did record two walks and scored a run.

On the year, Gonzales is hitting .515 with 11 extra-base hits (seven home runs), 26 RBI, and 12 walks to just five strikeouts.