When Baseball America released their first expanded look at their 2020 MLB Draft rankings, the BA 300, it was expected that quite a few alumni of the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series powered by Program 15 would make the list.
But, perhaps it shows the true impact that the NBBFSS has made that a whopping twenty-one former players have cracked the Top 300 for the upcoming draft. In addition, two players, Justin Lange and Ricky Tiedemann (pictured), both of whom starred on the mound for the National Team at the most recent International Week event held at Fenway Park, were mentioned in a separate piece on ten prospects who did the most to rise their stock heading into the year.
8 – Zac Veen
Veen jumped eight spots since BA’s latest rankings, and seems to be a lock to not only be taken in the first round, but very early in it. The left-handed hitting outfielder stood out on a stacked Scorpions team at the national tournaments, then homered for the National Team at IW.
12 – Mick Abel
Abel first appeared at a FSS event as a member of 503 Baseball back in 2017, and truly got on the map later that year as the youngest player at the inaugural IW event. He’s since gone to two more, and is expected to be one of the first two prep pitchers taken.
26 – Drew Romo
Romo drew a lot of attention with the Scorpions at the national tournaments, and for good reason. In a draft class stacked with catching talent, he’s expected to be one of the first off the board.
62 – Justin Lange
Lange’s draft stock has seen a meteoric rise since his outing early at this year’s IW, where he flashed a heavy fastball that has since reached 100 miles per hour. There’s much speculation that he could end up as a first-round pick.
65 – Dylan Crews
Crews homered twice at the national tournaments as a teammate of Veen and Romo with the Scorpions, and then turned even more heads with a double off the Green Monster at Fenway Park during the most recent IW.
82 – Petey Halpin
Halpin was arguably the top performer at this year’s IW, going 6-for-8 with four RBI and four walks at the plate. The Texas commit has largely been underrated and overlooked, but will be an exceptional value for a team if his spot on draft boards stays put.
90 – Ricky Tiedemann
Tiedemann is a big lefty who made an impact for the National Team at International Week, striking out four of the eight batters he faced. BA writes that he’s “become something of a favorite for SoCal area scouts who dream on the potential he offers.”
113 – Nate Wolgemuth
Wolgemuth was another member of that stacked National Team pitching staff at the most recent IW, and also recorded four strikeouts during his start in Pawtucket.
115 – David Calabrese
Calabrese played for both the Ontario Blue Jays at the national tournaments in Cypress and the World Team at the most recent IW, and produced highlight-reel worthy performances at both events. Many consider him to be an 80 runner, and he displayed that on multiple occasions for the FSS.
140 – Markevian “Tink” Hence
Hence was a member of a very talented Sticks team at the national tournaments, and earned an invite to IW as a member of the National Team, where he struck out three batters at Fenway Park.
141 – Koen Moreno
Moreno impressed FSS officials with a strong showing for the Dirtbags at the national tournaments, and certainly didn’t disappoint at International Week either; he retired six of the seven batters he faced, including three strikeouts, during his Fenway Park outing.
162 – Kyle Russell
Russell was a standout for Showtime at the 2018 national tournaments, and earned an invite to the 2019 IW event, but was largely unable to participate outside of a brief pinch running role due to injury.
163 – Nick Griffin
Griffin, like Hence, was a star at the national tournament with the Sticks, and earned the start for the National Team at Fenway Park for the IW event. He struck out five batters in just three innings of work.
165 – Tommy Troy
Troy turned in a strong, under-the-radar showing for the National Team at International Week, delivering a big, two-run double at Fenway Park in Game 2.
173 – Levi Wells
Wells was one of the top prospects at the 2018 national tournament as a member of the Houston Athletics.
186 – Joseph Gonzalez
Gonzalez pitched for the World Team at the most recent IW event, and did well against a lineup that features many players that are seen on this list.
198 – Max Carlson
Carlson was one of the original standouts at FSS events, emerging as one of the top prospects in his class after a strong showing with Blizzard Baseball at the 2017 national tournament. He also pitched for the National Team in the 2018 installment of IW, striking out the last two batters that he faced.
233 – Jake Deleo
Deleo wowed those in attendance at the most recent national tournaments in Cypress with a big home run as a member of the Dirtbags, and then backed it up by reaching base six times during the 2019 IW event as a member of the National Team.
240 – Nolan McLean
McLean starred as a two-way player for the Dirtbags at the national tournaments, and has since committed to Oklahoma State as both a baseball and football player.
265 – Marco Raya
Raya was a no-brainer selection to the all-tournament team as a member of Warstic at the national tournament, and it was just as easy to add him to the National Team for IW as well, where he recorded two strikeouts.
289 – Franco Aleman
Aleman goes back to 2017 with FSS; he recorded three strikeouts in an outing at the inaugural International Week event in Sugar Land. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2018, but elected not to sign, and has since re-established himself at FIU.
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