Five 2020 Florida signees to monitor during the 2020 MLB Draft

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With the 2020 MLB Draft less than a month away, GatorsTerritory looks at five commits in the Gators' 2020 recruiting class who could be potentially drafted.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the draft will only be five rounds compared to the usual 40 rounds. There will only be 160 picks taken in the entire draft, as there were 1,217 picks in the 2019 draft. With the draft shortened, it could also help the Gators keep most of their top signees committed when they typically lose most to the draft.

What that being said, here are five signees to monitor during the 2020 MLB Draft.

Veen is not only the top commit in the Gators' 2020 recruiting class; he’s also the nation's top-ranked high school player. He is one of the best hitters available in the draft due to his contact skills and tremendous, raw power.

Scouts have compared the Perfect Game All-American to N.L. MVP, Cody Bellinger, as well as Houston Astros top prospect and former first round pick, Kyle Tucker, who was also originally a Florida signee.

Veen will very likely be a top-10 pick and the first high school prospect selected. It would also mark the third year in a row the Gators lost their top outfield commit to the first round of the draft (Connor Scott in 2018 and Riley Greene in 2019).

Mayo is another Perfect Game All-American who signed with the University of Florida. He flipped his commitment from UCF to Florida last summer, as he quickly became one of the top high school prospects across the map.

Mayo is from Parkland, Florida and attended Stoneman Douglas High School, which has produced some top-shelf talent in recent years, such as Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, Oakland A’s pitcher Jesus Luzardo and Colorado Rockies prospect Colton Welker.

Mayo is one of the top power hitters in this draft class, and also has one of the strongest arms. He will be a prospect every Florida fan should keep an eye on during the draft. He has the potential to be a day-one starter at the University of Florida, whether it’s at third base, first base, left field, or as a designated hitter.

It’s too close to predict whether he will turn pro or honor his commitment to Kevin O'Sullivan's program.

Cardinal Gibbons pitcher, Timothy Manning, is one of the top left-handed pitchers in the country. Manning doesn’t wow scouts with velocity or arm strength; he grasps their attention with his ability to keep batters off balance by changing speeds and locating well.

Manning is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound lefty who doesn’t possess a power fastball like most top pitching prospects. His fastball tops out at 91 mph but sits in the mid to high 80s. His curveball is his best pitch, showcasing excellent spin and depth. He also has a good feel for his changeup, which could be a plus pitch as he continues to develop.

Going into his senior season, I would have guessed Manning would be a high draft pick and sign professionally. However, his velocity didn’t jump as some scouts hoped for and the draft has been dramatically shortened. Florida has a real shot of keeping Manning in the class. If he does make it to campus, Manning could see several innings as a freshman.

Another Florida signee to monitor is infielder Colby Halter. The Bishop Kenny product manufactured a stellar summer, batting .333 in PDP League play and then .419 in international competition for Team USA.

Halter doesn’t have any tools that are elite or eye-popping, but he's very solid at everything, especially hitting. Halter is a left-handed bat who drives the ball to all fields and proved he can make solid contact against good competition.

On defense, Halter can play all over the infield but projects to be a third or second baseman at the next level.

Due to his versatility and hitting ability, Halter is a player who has drawn interest from just about every MLB organization. He is the definition of a ball player and has been compared to Cincinnati Reds prospect, Tyler Callihan. Halter will likely need to be signed over slot value in order to keep him from attending Florida.

Going into his sophomore season, JUCO right-handed pitcher Franco Aleman was likely heading to professional baseball, but that might change due to the shortened draft.

When he transferred out of FIU, Aleman made a rare double commitment. He made a commitment to the Florida Gators, but also committed to St. John’s River State College in order to play during the 2020 season. Aleman was coming off a terrific summer in which he was an All-Star in the Cape Cod League.

Aleman posted a 3-1 record and 3.26 ERA in seven starts. He also struck out 51 in 38.2 innings pitched. Baseball America even named Aleman as the Preseason JUCO Pitcher of the Year.

If Aleman does make it to campus, expect him to compete for an opening in the weekend rotation. Tommy Mace is expected to be a top pick and Jack Leftwich will be another Gator arm selected in the draft.

If both pitchers are gone, that means two spots are available for the Saturday and Sunday roles, which Aleman could win in the fall.

Stay tuned to GatorsTerritory.