Jeff Criswell highlights final A's picks of abbreviated 2020 MLB Draft

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The A's picked a high-school catcher in the first round of the abbreviated 2020 MLB Draft and followed it with four players from the college ranks. That’s standard protocol for the A's especially when it comes to pitching.

Oakland took three right-handed hurlers and an outfielder on Thursday, a day after Wednesday’s featured first round.

The A's added a legacy draft selection in the second round in right-handed fireballer Jeff Criswell, went with speedy Georgia Tech center fielder Michel Guldberg in the third and wrapped a short proceeding with Oklahoma hurler Dane Acker and Washington right-hander Stevie Emanuels in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively.

Let’s take a closer look at everyone the A’s acquired on the MLB draft’s second and final day.

P Jeff Criswell

Draft selection: Round 2, No. 58 overall
School: Michigan (fourth-year junior)
Throws: Right
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 225 pounds
Fun fact: Criswell is a legacy draft pick. His father Brian Criswell was the A’s 17th-round pick in 1984.
A’s director of scouting Eric Kubota on Criswell: ”He has a strong fastball that tops out at 97 mph. He has a very good breaking ball. He has some delivery issues that we feel can be worked out, but he has been a successful starting pitcher at a very good college program, so there’s a chance we think he could start. Once again, he’s physical and has really good stuff.”

[RELATED: What you need to know about Criswell]

OF Michael Guldberg

Draft selection: Round 3, No. 98 overall
School: Georgia Tech (fourth-year junior)
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Height: 6-feet
Weight: 171 pounds
Fun fact: His mother, father and only sister also went to Georgia Tech.
Kubota on Guldberg: ”We think he’s a center fielder. He’s a plus runner and we think he’ll be a good center fielder in professional baseball. He can really hit. … We definitely evaluated [his shoulder issues]. We spent some time with that, but our medical people felt comfortable with it considering he’s not a pitcher. We vetted that and, at the end of the day, we felt comfortable with the risk.”

P Dane Acker

Draft selection: Round 4, No. 127 overall
School: Oklahoma University (fourth-year junior)
Throws: Right
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 189 pounds
Fun fact: He threw a no-hitter earlier this year against LSU, becoming the first Oklahoma pitcher to do so since 1989.
Kubota on Acker: ”I saw Dane Acker throw a nine-inning no-hitter at the Minute Maid College Classic. He’s an advanced pitcher with a starter’s look to him. He touches 94 mph. We think there’s some projection left to his breaking ball. There’s upside, but he can really pitch now.”

[RELATED: How Soderstrom's father, ex-Giant, helped his road to A's]

P Stevie Emanuels

Draft selection: Round 5, No. 157 overall
School: Washington
Throws: Right
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 210 pounds
Fun fact: He made the transition from closer to starter before this season, which was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.
Kubota on Emanuels: He has mainly been a relief pitcher in his career… but we think he has a starter’s [pitch] mix. We think he has projection left to him and we’re excited to put him into the system in the fifth round. He has a fastball up to 93-94 mph and a slider that is kind of his out pitch and a developing changeup.”

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