Chicago Cubs: 3 first round college bats to target in 2020 Draft

Nick Loftin, Baylor

Baseball America pegs Baylor infielder Nick Loftin as the 29th best prospect in this class. He’s gained quite a bit of traction over recent weeks, going from an early second-round pick to a late first-round pick. He made the majority of his starts at shortstop for the Bears. But Loftin also saw time in left field as well as a couple of starts at second base.

He posted a .803 OPS in 55 games as a freshman, including 12 doubles, six home runs, and 36 RBI while taking more walks than strikes. Loftin participated in the Northwoods League after his freshman year and hit .253 in 49 games.

The following year, he posted a .882 OPS in 53 games with 18 doubles, six home runs, and 41 RBI. Loftin is your ideal contact hitter, striking out in less than eight percent of his at-bats, which is fairly remarkable. He earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors following his sophomore campaign, and once again, he participated in a wood-bat league.

This time at the Cape Cod League, Loftin hit .316 in nine games. Back on campus, he was on pace for a monster year prior to the shutdown. In 14 games, he had a .298/.339/.544 line with four doubles, two triples, two home runs, and already had 15 RBI on the young season.

While the majority of his starts came at shortstop, Baseball America indicates that because he’s an above-average defender at short, his versatility will translate to other positions on the infield.