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Oakland A’s 2020 Draft Recap: Rounds 2-5

By MJ Hurley

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 3: A view of the Oakland Athletics draft room after they make their first round pick in the MLB draft, during the opening day of the 2019 MLB draft, at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on June 3, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 3: A view of the Oakland Athletics draft room after they make their first round pick in the MLB draft, during the opening day of the 2019 MLB draft, at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on June 3, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /
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Oakland A's second round draft pick Jeff Criswell
(Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Let’s take a look at the rest of the Oakland A’s draft picks.

Although the MLB Draft was scaled down in 2020, the Oakland A’s made four smart selections in rounds 2-5 to provide some farm depth until the 20 round draft in 2021.

2nd Round, Pick 58: RHP Jeff Criswell from Michigan University

Standing at 6-4 225 pounds, Criswell has the frame and the durability to be a starting pitcher. Criswell went 7-1 with a 2.72 ERA in 22 appearances as a starter last season.

The 21-year-old is versatile overall, coming out of the bullpen often in college in key situations but also in long relief roles throughout his career as a Wolverine. During his freshman year, while coming out of the bullpen, Criswell posted a 2.23 ERA. Before sports were shut down in 2020, Criswell made four starts and struck out 26 in only 24 innings.

Paired with 1st round pick Tyler Soderstrom, Criswell will do well in the A’s organization. Although there have been some concerns about Criswell’s delivery, his fastball and off-speed pitches will compliment each other well. With Criswell’s strong frame and dominant 92-96 MPH fastball, his game should translate well to the minor and eventually major leagues.

3rd Round, Pick 98: OF Michael Guldberg from Georgia Tech University

The Athletics took their second straight college player by selecting 21-year-old outfielder Michael Guldberg in the third round. At about 6-0 and 170 pounds, Guldberg is on the smaller end which shows in his lack of power statistics.

Guldberg hit .374 with a .465 on-base percentage during his three years at Georgia Tech, clearly his most attractive traits. Although the career slash line is promising, the lack of power and overall lack of at-bats during his college career both raise question marks.

Unfortunately, Guldberg suffered a shoulder injury in 2018 and was mainly a designated hitter in 2019 because of that lingering problem. Due to these injury concerns and other defensive efficiency concerns, most analysts have Guldberg playing a corner outfield spot at higher levels.