Top-ranked Gamecock commit withdraws from MLB draft, coming to Columbia
The top-ranked high schooler in South Carolina baseball’s 2020 recruiting class will be bypassing the MLB draft and coming to campus.
Outfielder Brandon Fields, a two-sport athlete who initially committed to the Gamecocks for football as well, announced his intent to withdraw from the 2020 draft on Saturday.
Baseball America has Fields ranked at No. 136 among all draft prospects, which made him the top-ranked high schooler committed to USC in this class, behind only JUCO pitcher Luke Little. Perfect Game ranked him No. 31 in the nation and gave him a 10 grade, reserved for a “potential very high draft pick and/or elite level college prospect.”
“Very athletic build with excellent present strength,” Perfect Game’s most recent evaluation of Fields reads. “6.50 runner, has smooth actions through the ball in the outfield, has a quick first step and will have plenty of range to play center field, shows some carry on his throws. Right handed hitter, short move into contact from a fluid load, weight tends to stay on his back side, short inside hand path to the ball, hands are very strong and the ball jumps hard, has a short swing for a hitter with big power potential. High ceiling power speed combination once he develops as a hitter.”
But with the MLB choosing to limit this year’s draft to five rounds due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Fields was in the range of prospects not guaranteed to be drafted. If he had not been chosen, the most he could have signed for was $20,000.
The limited draft this year, which is scheduled to take place on June 10 and 11, will have a major impact on college rosters across the country, as players who would normally go pro either return to or arrive on campus. The NCAA has waived the usual 35-player roster limit, but only for seniors returning after most of the season was canceled due to COVID-19.
For South Carolina and coach Mark Kingston, who is set to welcome a top-15 recruiting class according to both Baseball America and Perfect Game, that will likely mean increased competition for roster spots and playing time.
With Fields withdrawing from the draft, redshirt sophomore pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski remains the safest bet among Gamecock players and commits to be drafted — he is widely considered a first-round selection. After him, left-hander Luke Little is now the only other player in the top 150 with South Carolina ties, according to Baseball America.
Fields also announced Saturday that he would not try to play football at the collegiate level. As a running back in high school, he picked up offers from several major programs, but he was not announced as part of South Carolina football’s 2020 signing class.
This story was originally published May 23, 2020 at 3:31 PM.
