Welcome to Rookies Regraded — our series revisiting the draft classes that shaped the hobby. We look back to see which players became stars, how their markets evolved, and whether the wax still holds up. Each installment breaks down the class, the key rookies, and today’s wax landscape to deliver one verdict: buy, rip, or skip.
So how does the 2020 MLB rookie crop stack up today? Let’s rip in.
Snapshot — What We Thought Then
In 2020, it felt like the next generation of MLB was ready to take over.
The pandemic-shortened season gave collectors something they almost never get: extra time. Time to research. Time to build hype. Time to get fully locked in on the latest wave of prospects about to hit the big leagues.
Luis Robert was the headliner. A true five-tool talent with premium defense, real speed, and enough thump to profile as a middle-of-the-order force. Evaluators didn’t hedge much. The words “limitless potential” got thrown around. He earned them.
Kyle Lewis wasn’t exactly a household name heading into 2020. But after he found his power stroke in the minors and put up 0.5 WAR in fewer than 20 big-league games during a 2019 September call-up, collectors were paying attention.
Then there was the guy who’d already made everyone’s jaw drop. Yordan Alvarez got called up too late in 2019 to qualify for a rookie card, but 27 homers and a 1.067 OPS in a partial season had collectors foaming at the mouth waiting to rip his first official RC. He looked like a franchise cornerstone from day one.
On the mound, Jesús Luzardo was as polished a pitching prospect as you could find. This wasn’t just a fireballer with raw stuff. Scouts loved how advanced the complete package already looked at his age. A legitimate ace in the making. Or so we thought.
So how did it actually shake out?
