2020 was a really difficult year for so many people, and in the world of sports, drafting amateur talent became a chaotic endeavor. And yet, the St. Louis Cardinals hit a home run with that year's draft class.
The Kansas City Royals recently released the fourth overall pick of the 2020 MLB Draft, Aca Lacy, bringing even more light to how many "misses" were in the top 10 of that year's class. The "highlights" of that year's top of the class have ended up being Spencer Torkleson, Max Meyer, and Reid Detmers, who, to this point, have not lived up to the hype.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, were able to snag Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, and Alec Burleson with three of their first four selections, setting up their future in a major way.
The Royals released 2020 fourth overall pick Asa Lacy yesterday.
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) April 21, 2026
He hasn't pitched since 2022 because of injuries.
The top of the 2020 draft 😬 https://t.co/H7ECMHEA3m pic.twitter.com/5P2xh8LUm8
Winn, who the Cardinals selected 54th overall, has amassed the third most bWAR of any player from the 2020 class thus far, behind just Garrett Crochet, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and tied with Spencer Strider. Burleson, who was selected with the 70th pick, ranks 13th in bWAR among all draftees thus far and continues to get better and better each year at the plate.
Oh, and let's not forget Walker, who so far in 2026 looks like he is breaking out into a true star, which could make him one of the best selections of that year's draft as well. Yes, we need to see more from him to fully buy into that, but the signs are very positive thus far.
The Cardinals scouting and development group deserves major props for the 2020 draft
For all of the flak the Cardinals' front office got for what happened to the organization as John Mozeliak's era fizzled out, they really do deserve major props for nailing a draft that many organizations really struggled with.
The Cardinals did not have a top 10 pick, and yet they ended up with at least one, if not up to three top 10 players from the class when it is all said and done. The Cardinals also made the most of a difficult situation, letting Marcell Ozuna walk in free agency after a terrible trade, and managing to snag Burleson with the comp pick they received for that.
The only premium selection the Cardinals likely wish they could have back is Tink Hence, who seems to be off track as a starter now and will have to try to make his mark as a reliever. But even then, he still has potential, and if the Cardinals get a big leaguer out of that pick, that's extremely impressive to add to that dynamic trio of Walker, Winn, and Burleson from that draft.