2020 Maryland Draft preview

James Gordon 2020 Draft Preview

The 2020 MLB Draft will look a lot different than previous years’ drafts. With multitudes of change being seen in the baseball world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the typical 40-round draft will only be five rounds, drastically affecting the chances of getting drafted for many collegiate and high school players, including many Terps.

With that being said, there are a handful of Terps that may have their name called Wednesday and Thursday nights. Here’s a look at the Maryland players who are draft-eligible as well as incoming recruits who could also be drafted.

LHP Tyler Blohm, Sr.

Tyler Blohm saw the 2020 season end the weekend he was supposed to return to the mound after spending the young season rehabbing from shoulder surgery. The senior’s chances of getting selected in the five-round draft are slim to none, but the 2020 season won’t be Blohm’s last year in College Park, Maryland, thanks to the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility to senior spring athletes.

RHP Elliot Zoellner, Sr.

Elliot Zoellner will also benefit from the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility, and that extra year may allow Zoellner to improve his draft stock after the work he put in during the 2020 season.

In seven appearances, the senior was just one of three pitchers on Maryland’s staff to not allow a single run. He also paced the Terps’ bullpen in strikeouts (16).

OF Randy Bednar, Jr.

Bednar was on pace for his best season as a Terp, leading the team in hits (24), RBI (16), doubles (9), and total bases (36). His batting average also stood at an exceptional .337.

Although Bednar’s name hasn’t shown up in many mock drafts, some MLB clubs may show interest in the latter rounds of the draft. The junior was named a 2020 NCBWA Third Team All-American, adding to the honor of Second Team All-Big Ten that he earned in 2019.

IF Tommy Gardiner, Jr.

Gardiner was only able to make six starts at third base during the short season due to an injury.

While he posted a .350 batting average in those six games — a great improvement from his past two seasons despite the sample size — it is not likely that he will get selected.

OF Chris Alleyne, Jr.

After somewhat of a breakout season in 2019 when he slashed .223/.337/.412 in 45 games, Alleyne was on pace to surpass that over a full 2020 season.

In 15 games this spring, Alleyne’s on-base plus slugging percentage stood at .913 as he led the Terps in runs (18) and stolen bases (6). He’ll likely need to repeat his effort during his senior year next spring to have a chance at getting drafted.

C Justin Vought, Jr.

Vought also missed some time this season due to injury, but the junior catcher struggled in the seven games he started.

After slashing .222/.354/.432, Vought had proven that he was in for a big 2020, but prior to the injury, he had only gotten four hits in 21 at-bats.

LHP Sean Fisher, Jr.

Fisher spent his shortened 2020 season as the Terps’ Friday night starter, where the junior made noticeable leaps from past seasons when he strictly pitched out of the bullpen.

In three of Fisher’s four starts, he recorded quality starts. He did experience a road bump versus a talented Coastal Carolina team when he allowed nine runs in three innings, but his overall performance may indicate that the junior is in for a big for 2021 season.

RHP Mark Diluia, Jr.

Diluia was limited to only five appearances out of the bullpen during the 2020 season, but he made the most out of the five innings he pitched. Just like Blohm, Diluia was part of the pitching trio that succeeded at surrendering zero runs over the season.

IF/C Brenton Davis, Jr.

Davis’s first season with Maryland was cut short, and only starting two games, the Southeast Community College (Beatrice, NE) transfer was limited to six at-bats. Although he didn’t have much of a chance to impress at UMD, it’s worth noting that at Southeast CC, Davis hit at a .328 clip with nine home runs and 40 stolen bases over two seasons.

IF Austin Chavis, Jr.

The Bel Air, Maryland, native started ten games at second base during the shortened season, slashing .194/.268/.306.

Chavis transferred to Maryland over the summer from Potomac State College, where he had two very strong seasons. Most notably, his sophomore campaign featured a 1.051 OPS.

RHP Mike Vasturia, R-Jr.

Vasturia made just two appearances out of the bullpen in 2020, including a 3 1/2-inning long relief appearance versus Coastal Carolina when he recorded a career-high five strikeouts. He also threw one scoreless inning versus Bryant.

LHP Billy Phillips, R-Jr.

Phillips did not make an appearance during the 2020 season.

C Tavan Shahidi, R-Jr.

After serving a redshirt season due to an injury in 2019, Shahidi came back strong in 2020, starting six games at catcher and posting a .412 OBP.

This season was Shahidi’s first time playing since he slashed .336/.445/.611 at Iowa Lakes Community College.

RHP Zach Thompson, R-Jr.

Zach Thompson saw his role shift to midweek starter after recording a 5.08 ERA in 2019 as the Saturday starter.

In his new role, Thompson had seen similar struggles, posting a 6.75 ERA in three starts, although his season debut versus George Mason had shown promise with a five-inning, one-run performance.

IF Maxwell Costes, So.

Maxwell Costes followed up his 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year season with an even bigger offensive onslaught and he very well may have the attention of several MLB clubs, despite the draft being just five rounds.

In the shortened 2020 season, Costes started all 15 games and led the team in batting average (.432), OBP (.620), SLG (.750), and home runs (4). His strong 2020 performance helped him be named a 2020 Collegiate Baseball Third Team All-American.

RHP Alex Santos, Commit (Mount Saint Michael Academy)

Alex Santos is Maryland’s prized possession in the 2021 recruiting class but has been labeled as a potential top-50 pick in Wednesday night’s draft.

According to MLB Pipeline, the New York native is No. 56 in the Top 200 Prospects ranking.