It is rare for a team to choose a first baseman with the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB draft. 

If the Detroit Tigers select Arizona State's Spencer Torkelson, as many expect, he would be the third player at his position to be the top selection.

The right-handed power hitter would join Ron Blomberg in 1967 and Adrian Gonzalez from 2000 as the only first basemen to top the draft. 

In the time since Gonzalez was taken first overall by the then-Florida Marlins, eight pitchers, six shortstops, three outfielders and two catchers have landed at No. 1. 

Detroit's selection will kick off a five-round, two-day event that begins with the first round Wednesday.

2020 MLB 1st-Round Mock Draft

1. Detroit Tigers: Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Arizona State

2. Baltimore Orioles: Austin Martin, 3B/OF, Vanderbilt

3. Miami Marlins: Asa Lacy, LHP, Texas A&M

4. Kansas City Royals: Zac Veen, OF, Spruce Creek HS (Fla.)

5. Toronto Blue Jays: Emerson Hancock, RHP, Georgia

6. Seattle Mariners: Nick Gonzales, 2B, New Mexico State

7. Pittsburgh Pirates: Heston Kjerstad, OF, Arkansas

8. San Diego Padres: Max Meyer, RHP, Minnesota

9. Colorado Rockies: Reid Detmers, LHP, Louisville

10. Los Angeles Angels: Robert Hassell III, OF, Independence HS (Tenn.)

11. Chicago White Sox: Patrick Bailey, C, NC State

12. Cincinnati Reds: Austin Hendrick, OF, West Allegheny HS (Pa.)

13. San Francisco Giants: Tyler Soderstrom, C, Turlock HS (Calif.)

14. Texas Rangers: Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA

15. Philadelphia Phillies: Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Harvard-Westlake HS (Calif.)

16. Chicago Cubs: Garrett Crochet, LHP, Tennessee

17. Boston Red Sox: Mick Abel, RHP, Jesuit HS (Ore.)

18. Arizona Diamondbacks: Nick Bitsko, RHP, Central Bucks East HS (Pa.)

19. New York Mets: Cade Cavalli, RHP. Oklahoma

20. Milwaukee Brewers: Clayton Beeter, RHP, Texas Tech

21. St. Louis Cardinals: Justin Foscue, 2B, Mississippi State

22. Washington Nationals: Cole Wilcox, RHP, Georgia

23. Cleveland Indians: Jared Kelley, RHP, Refugio HS (Texas)

24. Tampa Bay Rays: Nick Loftin, SS, Baylor

25. Atlanta Braves: Tanner Burns, RHP, Auburn

26. Oakland Athletics: Dillon Dingler, C, Ohio State

27. Minnesota Twins: Carmen Mlodzinski, RHP, South Carolina

28. New York Yankees: Bryce Jarvis, RHP, Duke

29. Los Angeles Dodgers: Slade Cecconi, RHP, Miami

Predictions For Most Coveted Prospects

Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Arizona State

Torkelson is by far the most coveted player in the 2020 draft class. 

Many experts project he will be the Tigers' second No. 1 pick in three years, but general manager Al Avila has not revealed the team's decision in public yet, per The Detroit News' Lynn Henning. 

"We're not ready to disclose, we're still talking a lot of different scenarios," Avila said. "It's no different from any other year. You know the possibilities—you know who you like. Who's on the board."

Torkelson produced a pair of seasons with 20 home runs at Arizona State, and if the 2020 campaign was completed in full, there was a good likelihood he would have put up a third. 

He finished his career with 168 hits, 152 runs, 130 RBI, 110 walks and 54 home runs. 

Torkelson does not come with a strikeout issue that most power hitters possess, as he was fanned no more than 45 times in a single season. 

The Athletic's Keith Law described all of the qualities at the plate that placed Torkelson atop the draft class. 

"Torkelson is extremely strong, hitting for all this power with almost no stride and a two-handed finish that makes his swing almost short by comparison to most power hitters, and while he's shown some swing-and-miss he's also been willing to take walks, leading the country this spring before the shutdown." 

Given all the scuttlebutt linking Torkelson and Tigers, the surprising decision Wednesday night would be if Detroit does not select him.

Prediction: No. 1 overall to Detroit. 

Asa Lacy, LHP, Texas A&M

If Torkelson is not in the Tigers' plans, Texas A&M left-handed pitcher Asa Lacy could be the selection. 

ESPN.com's Kiley McDaniel projected there was a 15 percent chance Lacy is the No. 1 overall pick, while CBS Sports' Mike Axisa reported the southpaw is the "more likely" alternative to Torkelson over Vanderbilt's Austin Martin. 

Lacy confirmed his position as the draft's top pitcher with four impressive outings in 2020. He went 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA and 46 strikeouts over 24 innings. 

He produced a career record of 14-5 with a 2.07 ERA, 13.3 strikeouts-per-nine innings and a 3.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

During his time at Texas A&M, Lacy perfected his fastball and slider, and those two pitches have pushed him above other pitching prospects, as McDaniel noted. 

"The reason he's the top-rated pitcher is his mid-90s heater and upper-80s slider that are 65-grade pitches on the 20-80 scale for some scouts," McDaniel said. 

If Lacy is not a surprise top selection, he will likely become a member of the Miami Marlins with the No. 3 pick. 

There is still a small chance Baltimore selects a player it can sign for less money than the allotted slot money, which would drop Martin to No. 3. 

But that appears to be a less-than-likely scenario, and most signs point to Lacy landing with the Marlins.

Prediction: No. 3 overall to Miami.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from Baseball Reference