CARY, N.C. -- Twenty USA Baseball alumni were selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft on Wednesday night, including number one overall pick Spencer Torkelson. USA Baseball has had 524 total athletes drafted in the first round since 1972, and 2020 marks the 18th time in the last 20 years that the first overall pick played for Team USA.
Torkelson (No. 1, Detroit Tigers) became the eighth consecutive USA Baseball alum to be selected number one overall following Adley Rutschman (2019), Casey Mize (2018), Royce Lewis (2017), Mickey Moniak (2016), Dansby Swanson (2015), Brady Aiken (2014) and Mark Appel (2013). The Tigers have selected a member of Team USA with the first overall pick for the second time in three years after also drafting Mize in 2018.
In total, 33 alumni have been selected with the number one overall pick since 1972.
Five consecutive USA Baseball players were taken to begin the Draft for the third time in the organization's history (2007, 2010) with Torkelson, followed by Heston Kjerstad (No. 2, Baltimore Orioles), Max Meyer (No. 3, Miami Marlins), Asa Lacy (No. 4, Kansas City Royals) and Austin Martin (No. 5, Toronto Blue Jays), respectively. All five were teammates on the 2019 Collegiate National Team.
Additionally, 11 of the first 15 selections in the 2020 Draft have donned the red, white and blue in their career. 2019 USA Baseball Richard W. "Dick" Case Award winner and 18U National Team alum, Robert Hassell III, was taken with the eighth overall pick by the San Diego Padres and was followed by Reid Detmers (No. 10, Los Angeles Angels), Austin Hendrick (No. 12, Cincinnati Reds), Patrick Bailey (No. 13, San Francisco Giants), Justin Foscue (No. 14, Texas Rangers) and Mick Abel (No. 15, Philadelphia Phillies).
Four-time national team alum Pete Crow-Armstrong was the next USA Baseball player taken with the 19th pick by the New York Mets and the first round ended with eight more Team USA members being selected: Garrett Mitchell (No. 20, Milwaukee Brewers), Cade Cavalli (No. 22, Washington Nationals), Carson Tucker (No. 23, Cleveland Indians), Tyler Soderstrom (No. 26, Oakland Athletics), Nick Loftin (No. 32, Kansas City Royals), Drew Romo (No. 35, Colorado Rockies), Tanner Burns (No. 36, Cleveland Indians), and Alika Williams (No. 37, Tampa Bay Rays).
Four national team programs were represented in the 2020 Draft, including 13 players from the Collegiate National Team, seven from the 18U National Team, and two from both the 12U and 15U National Teams. In total, the 20 alumni selected in the opening round have won a cumulative five international gold medals and nine silver medals.
The 2020 MLB Draft will continue on Thursday, June 11, at 5 p.m. ET.
The full list of USA Baseball alumni selected in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft is as follows:
Round-Pick; Name; MLB Team; USA Baseball Team(s)
1-1; Spencer Torkelson; Detroit Tigers; 2018-19 Collegiate National Teams
1-2; Heston Kjerstad; Baltimore Orioles; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-3; Max Meyer; Miami Marlins; 2018-19 Collegiate National Teams
1-4; Asa Lacy; Kansas City Royals; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-5; Austin Martin; Toronto Blue Jays; 2014 15U, 2019 Collegiate National Teams
1-8; Robert Hassell III; San Diego Padres, 2019 18U National Team
1-10; Reid Detmers; Los Angeles Angels; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-12; Austin Hendrick; Cincinnati Reds; 2019 18U National Team
1-13; Patrick Bailey; San Francisco Giants; 2016 18U, 2018-19 Collegiate National Teams
1-14; Justin Foscue; Texas Rangers; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-15; Mick Abel; Philadelphia Phillies; 2019 18U National Team
1-19; Pete Crow-Armstrong; New York Mets; 2014 12U, 2017 15U, 2018-19 18U National Teams
1-20; Garrett Mitchell; Milwaukee Brewers; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-22; Cade Cavalli; Washington Nationals; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-23; Carson Tucker; Cleveland Indians; 2013-14 12U National Teams
1-26; Tyler Soderstrom; Oakland Athletics; 2019 18U National Team
1-32; Nick Loftin; Kansas City Royals; 2019 Collegiate National Team
1-35; Drew Romo; Colorado Rockies; 2018-19 18U National Teams
1-36; Tanner Burns; Cleveland Indians; 2018 Collegiate National Team
1-37; Alika Williams; Tampa Bay Rays; 2019 Collegiate National Team
