Colorado Rockies simulated MLB Draft nabs pitching with ninth pick

The FanSided MLB Division held a mock draft on Tuesday night, ahead of the real MLB draft slated to begin on Wednesday. Representing the Colorado Rockies, we went with pitching with the ninth overall pick.

With each FanSided site representing its own team, site experts chose in the exact order that the 2020 MLB Draft will go down on Wednesday (starting at 5 p.m. MT on ESPN and MLB Network, as well as streaming on MLB.com). With the ninth overall pick, we, as the Colorado Rockies, selected southpaw pitcher Reid Detmers out of the University of Louisville.

Here’s how the top 10 of the FanSided mock draft broke down last night:

1. Detroit — Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Arizona State
2. Baltimore — Asa Lacy, LHP, Texas A&M
3. Miami — Austin Martin, OF/3B, Vanderbilt
4. Kansas City — Nick Gonzales, 2B, New Mexico State
5. Toronto — Zac Veen, OF, Spruce Creek (HS), Florida
6. Seattle — Emerson Hancock, RHP, Georgia
7. Pittsburgh — Max Meyer, RHP, Minnesota
8. San Diego — Robert Hassell, OF, Independence (HS), Tennessee
9. Colorado — Reid Detmers, LHP, Louisville
10. Los Angeles Angels — Patrick Bailey, C, North Carolina State

In this article, ESPN draft insider Kiley McDaniel said that, in his latest mock draft, he had Emerson slipping all the way to ninth and the Rockies grabbing him. However, that’s not how it played out in this draft with Seattle taking him sixth.

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McDaniel also said that the Rockies were “very interested” in Hassell. However, as McDaniel also said, so were the Padres and they nabbed him just before Colorado was on the clock.

Another player that has been linked to the Rockies on several occasions is Arkansas outfielder Heston Kjerstad. He was taken 12th overall by Cincinnati in our mock draft.

As Colorado’s vice president of scouting, Bill Schmidt, told The Denver Post on Tuesday, “there is some real strength in the college pitching crop,” this year. With that in mind, when the ninth pick came around, we went with Detmers.

MLB.com calls Detmers “the most polished left-hander available.” Here’s some more on the 20-year-old from that same article.

"Detmers is similar to former Cardinals star Brendan McKay, with an almost identical build and slightly less stuff. His fastball usually ranges from 90-94 mph but plays better than its average velocity because hitters don’t seem to see it and he commands it so well. His 72-76 mph curveball has good shape and can be a plus pitch at its best, while his sinking changeup is effective as well."

What do you think of the pick? Would you have taken someone different? Let us know in the comments section below. And keep up with us on social media on Wednesday night as we analyze Colorado’s real first-round pick.