Toolshed dream lineup: The 20-year-olds

There may be no Minor League Baseball games yet, but that's not going to stop us from dreaming about lineups.
In the coming weeks, Toolshed will craft the best possible prospect lineups, sorted by age. The opening edition focused on teenagers. This time, we turn our attention to prospects entering their age-20 seasons. Eligibility is determined by a player's age on June 30, roughly the midpoint of a regular season -- the same date used by Baseball-Reference in its age calculations. Also, to keep this as clean as possible, a player will only be placed at his primary position, with an exception of a designated hitter spot.

With those ground rules set, here is the most prospect-laden roster of age-20 players headed into 2020.

Third baseman -- Nolan Gorman, Johnson City Cardinals 2018: *Gorman's power was already well-known when he went 19th overall in 2018, and it's only because of that hype that his 15 homers and .439 slugging percentage between Peoria and Palm Beach last year felt like slight letdowns. Strikeout rates around the 30 percent mark at both stops didn't help matters, but that aside, he still posted a wRC+ above 100 at each stop. That's promising for a player who entered his first full season at just 18 years old. (He'll turn 20 on May 10, making him eligible for this list.) MLB.com's No. 47 overall prospect also still shows top-of-the-line raw power, and his defense has improved to the point where he looks more likely than ever to stick at third.

Outfield -- Jarred Kelenic, Kingsport Mets 2018: **There's no doubt about the star of this group. Kelenic is one of only three selections here to have reached Double-A so far, and he's done so with easily the most success. The Mariners got aggressive with the left-handed slugger, who doesn't turn 21 until July 16, and reaped the rewards by seeing Kelenic hit .291/.364/.540 with 23 homers and 20 stolen bases over 117 games across three levels. His wRC+ was above 129 at each stop, and he managed a .542 slugging percentage at Double-A Arkansas, despite being roughly five years younger than the average Texas Leaguer. All five of Kelenic's tools have above-average potential, and his overall hitting, running and throwing are all considered plus. The only quibble might be that he has to move from center to right for this group, but that's minor considering his arm should be a weapon from that spot.

Designated hitter -- Brett Baty, Kingsport Mets 2019: *A thumper with some questions about his future defensive home? Sounds like a good fit for the DH. Baty knows a little about that life already, despite being drafted 12th overall last June. The Texas native was especially old for his class and turned 20 in November. It's possible if he was a little younger, he could have cracked the top 10. The left-handed slugger has already shown off a solid approach and good power with a .368 OBP, .452 slugging percentage and 25 extra-base hits in 51 games across three levels, the top being Class A Short Season Brooklyn. Strikeouts could be an issue, but the power alone has the chance to make up for it. Given his size at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, it's a question of whether he'll move over to first someday soon like Casas did, but we don't have to worry about that here. Put Baty in the Age-20 Home Run Derby next to Casas, Gorman and Kelenic, and you'll get a show.

Left-handed pitcher -- Matthew Liberatore, Princeton Rays 2018: *Liberatore gives the Cardinals three prospects in this group, having just joined the club in a trade from the Rays this offseason. Upon his arrival, MLB.com's No. 58 overall prospect gave St. Louis a much-needed star pitching prospect. His bread-and-butter is his plus curveball, but his fastball, capable of touching the mid-90s, is considered a plus pitch as well. Like Patiño, Liberatore works in total with a four-pitch mix and decent control. The 6-foot-5 southpaw might lack the knockout heat of his right-handed counterpart, but the overall package still points to a future spot in a Major League rotation. Of note: he's the youngest ranked among MLB.com's top 10 left-handed pitching prospects.

Honorable Mentions to the lineup:

Shortstop -- Jordan Groshans, Bluefield Blue Jays 2018

Catcher -- Gabriel Moreno, Bluefield Blue Jays 2018