Draft Series

[Jeremy Nygaard]

As we approach the draft - we're only two months away - I plan to start a draft series. Currently there is a lot of draft stuff on the site: this thread as well as my original draft board among other things. In the past, I've posted articles that focused on certain areas as well as breakdowns of positions that included my "personal cheeseballs".

 

The fact of the matter is, there are only going to be 40 guys drafted by the Twins of the thousands of guys I could write about. Last year, the only non-Kohl Stewart draftee that I went in depth about pre-draft was Brian Navaretto.

 

So that's why I'm reaching out to you guys. What do you want to see? If there is anything in particular you want to read about? I'm all ears. Let me know!

[maxisagod]

A Grant Hockin Profile.

[twinsin17]

I'd like input from scouts on a number of things. Obviously it would be fun to hear from Twins scouts on who they like as it would give us insider info on who we may pick. I am also interested in how they measure mechanics in hitting and pitching, how they project growth, velocity increases, power, how they calibrate to remain consistent with each other, if there are any new scouting tools they have deployed, what kind of interaction they have with players, parents and coaches regarding signability and character, etc. As far as draft profiles and mocks go the internet seems to have these covered pretty well but if you choose to go this path a series on top 5 - 10 available by position would be handy. Hope this helps.

[gunnarthor]

It's also good to get some gossip on the top guys but I also think it's pretty accessible. We know the Twins will take one of about 10 guys, so please write about them (esp if you have insider info from Twins scouts - I'd love to know what they think of Hoffman and Jackson). That said, I'm a lot more interested in who we might get to fall to us in the second round.

 

Last year, for instance, mlbpipeline's draft list had Ryan Eades #29 and he fell to us at 43. So I'd like to read more about guys that the Twins might nab. Burdi? Alex Verdugo? Mac Marshall? Admittedly that's a tall order.

[Willihammer]

I am also interested in how they measure mechanics in hitting and pitching, how they project growth, velocity increases, power, how they calibrate to remain consistent with each other, if there are any new scouting tools they have deployed, what kind of interaction they have with players, parents and coaches regarding signability and character, etc.

 

Echo all of this

[Jeremy Nygaard]

A Grant Hockin Profile.

 

I don't have enough to write a bunch on Hockin, but he might be a guy you'd consider to be a "favorite" for the Twins.

 

One of the top prep arms in Cali, commands four pitches. Oh, and he's the grandson of Harmon Killebrew. (Which I'm guessing you knew!)

[clutterheart]

I would like to see a focus on system wide needs.

 

For example, twins have a strong group of Arms in the low minors with lots of "first round" upside. I look at the hitting prospects upcoming in the low minors and there seems to be a lack of "Type B" guys in the system below Fort Meyers.

 

So maybe a High Risk High reward pitcher isn't the best move if there is an impact bat waiting for them.

 

That kind of thing.

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

I'm a lot more interested in who we might get to fall to us in the second round.

 

1. I echo this. There's been a lot of steam about not wanting to yield this spot in the draft as a compensatory penalty for picking up a free agent. So it will be interesting to hear speculation on who might fall down to #45.

 

2. It's always interesting to hear about homegrown talent--Gophers who might get drafted, how they are doing, and when they might get picked. Also top HS players too.

[gunnarthor]

To add on to this, Jackson Reetz sounds like a guy that would be on the Twins radar for that second round pick. HS catcher, good defense, will stick behind the plate, MVP of the perfect game showcase. Fairly local, being from Nebraska.

[Lonestar]

Who are possibilities like Paul Goldschmidt -- sluggers who won't get drafted in the first two rounds because at the next level they're going to have to hit.

[drock2190]

Why don't you just ask for their draft board?

[twinsin17]

I'd like to learn more about two way prospect AJ Reed from Kentucky. He mashes and is a solid lefty on the mound as well. Is he someone the Twins may consider in Round 2? His position may be limited to 1B due to his size his bat has a lot of value.

[goulik]

I like the local angles as we tend to be more likely to draft these as well as the former gophers/Minnesota collegians likely to be picked. The third local angle the Twins trend toward that also intrigues me is family members (Grant Hockin, Tanner Vavra, Jake Mauer, Toby Gardenhire)

[amjgt]

The thing that I find the most interesting is in depth historical analysis

 

HS Pitchers drafted in the top 5, top 10, top 20, 1st rd, 2nd rd,....

HS Hitters drafted in the top 5, top 10, top 20, 1st rd, 2nd rd,....

College Pitchers drafted in the top 5, top 10, top 20, 1st rd, 2nd rd,....

College Hitters drafted in the top 5, top 10, top 20, 1st rd, 2nd rd,....

 

How many made the majors, how many got 1+ years, 5+ years, etc

 

How many never made it past A-Ball?

[chuchadoro]

1. Continued excellent coverage on top prospects. Twins Daily plus the ineptitude of the 2011 Twins got me a lot more interested in the Rule IV draft. The 5th overall pick likely becomes a top 5 prospect in the organization instantly and there will be lots of debate over our personal favorites.

 

2. Personal cheeseballs. A great series of profiles about players I would otherwise never be aware of.

 

3. Potential 2nd round picks. Like gunnarthor, I'm interested in who could slip to 45 for the Twins. Greed Guy makes a good point about the consternation regarding the loss of this pick in exchange for signing Jimenez, Santana, Drew or Morales. I want to find out who I might be channeling my misdirected anger towards in the near future:s-chainsaw:. Additionally, does the Twins' choice at 5 affect the choice at 45? If Gordon and Turner don't appear to be options, is it more likely the Twins look for a shortstop at 45? If so, profiles of prep shortstops like Josh Morgan, Greg Deichmann and/or Jack Flaherty might be fitting. If there is a bunch of Alex Jackson-to-the-Twins steam, is it less likely the Twins go prep bat or corner OF at 45? If so, cross those types off and give us MOAR pitchers. Maybe look at over/under slot possibilities if any rumors of those kind pop up. Maybe none of these aforementioned scenarios matter at all since BPA is the baseball draft mantra. I'm sure there is extreme variance on draft boards once the draft gets this deep and certainly is tougher than profiling top 10 guys. I think it's well worth covering given the offseason talk regarding this pick, though.

 

4. High-upside types who might slip due to disciplinary concerns. Gonsalves and Navaretto were both hurt by minor-to-non transgressions and the Twins were able to add high-upside talent in the 4th and 6th rounds in 2013. I think the Twins will do their homework again and possibly draft the kid spotted at the party or tweeted a bad Twitter or whatever. Call it "personal screwballs".

 

5. Blog or Forum posts from the TD community. Jeremy does a fantastic job covering the draft but he can only profile a limited number of the approximately eleventy billion players players drafted this year. The 2014 Draft Board Forum is pretty active so the interest is there. Members could possibly drop Jeremy a PM to check if a player they are interested in is on his radar. He probably doesn't need 20 PMs regarding Kolek or Aiken but maybe you have your own personal cheeseballs. Maybe an Adopt-a-Prospect type forum for potential draftees. I don't know the best way of going about this is, I don't even really work here.

 

6. Draft homepage with links to all prospect profiles. If this has already been done in the past, good job.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Thanks for all the great ideas. This series is going to kick off this weekend with a look at local possibilities.

[cmb0252]

Last year after the draft there was a Diamond Backs article that had a paragraph from each scout responsible for scouting each pick. Was pretty cool to get their inside take. I would love to see something like that. Area scouts don't get enough love.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Last year after the draft there was a Diamond Backs article that had a paragraph from each scout responsible for scouting each pick. Was pretty cool to get their inside take. I would love to see something like that. Area scouts don't get enough love.

 

I'll try. It's a daunting task, but it obviously would be the best thing ever.

[cmb0252]

I'll try. It's a daunting task, but it obviously would be the best thing ever.

 

Haha, yeah it would be. Hell, even if you get 1 or 2 area scouts to give a little info on why they wanted the Twins to sign a pick would be a great read.