Jordan, Weins included in early watch list for 2021 draft
Yes, we're only a day removed from the end of the 2020 MLB Draft but it's never too early to begin looking at next year's event.
PerfectGame already released a list of 120 names Friday morning as names to follow for the 2021 MLB Draft with three players with South Carolina ties making the list.
One of the biggest names is Brannon Jordan, who will likely have a lot of hype building around him—and fellow starter Thomas Farr, although Farr didn't make the list—after he spurned the draft and is expected to return to school for his repeat junior season.
Also see: Scoop from the MLB Draft and what it means for next season
Jordan was one of the best pitchers on the staff last season, allowing just four earned runs in 21 innings pitched with 32 strikeouts and a .762 WHIP and a batting average against of .104.
Also on the list is 2020 signee CJ Weins, who will enroll this fall after spending the last two seasons at Wabash Valley
This season in just five appearances (18.2 innings) he was 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA and a K/9 of 16.87. Entering this year's draft he was considered the No. 11 junior college player in the country by PerfectGame.
I think that’s a guy that comes in and I’m sure they’re going to try and start him. He throws enough strikes, he’s got a full arsenal to be able to do it. It’s just a funkier delivery and there are some things that aren’t starter-profile mechanically that make me think for the purposes for pro ball to let’s make this dude a power two-pitch reliever," PerfectGame's Brian Sakowski told GamecockCentral before the draft.
"But, at the college level, and this will be up to Skylar (Meade) and Mark (Kingston), I think you come in and at the very least he’s a guy who can potentially close out games. I think he could be the closer if they see that. But why not give him a shot in the rotation."
Also see: Breaking down the wide receiver board
The only commitment for 2021 included on the very, very early list was shortstop Michael Braswell, who's considered the No. 14 player in the country coming out of Campbell High School in Georgia.
The Gamecocks only had one current player (Carmen Mlodzinski) and one signee (Luke Little) get drafted, which means they'll have almost their entire team back and incorporate most of their a top 10 recruiting class as well.
