Twins Daily 2022 Draft Coverage, March 17

[Jeremy Nygaard]

The last “draft update” came two weeks ago. But it feels like an eternity ago. Most importantly, Major League Baseball is back. And the Twins have been busy. There are so many Twin-centric things to talk about, yet the draft is quickly approaching and the Twins will be drafting in the Top 10.

Baseball America keeps pumping out content, updating their Top 200 prospects in addition to their weekly draft stock watch pieces. One name that has helium that both Carlos Collazo of Baseball America and our own Jamie Cameron of TwinsDaily has mentioned is Georgia Tech catcher Kevin Parada. Parada is one of Collazo’s “notable movers” of the early baseball season. Maria Torres of The Athletic has also taken note. 

Parada’s been dominant offensively so far this season and should be in the mix for the Twins at #8, given their recent proclivity to deal away most of their notable catching depth. There are questions about his defense, but you’re going to get that with just about every catching prospect who can hit.

Keith Law dropped his first Top 30 of the season. While the top four names are the same as mine, he drops some lesser-known names in the back half of his top 10 including Junior College third baseman Cameron Collier, a definite professional catcher in Logan Tanner of Mississippi State and, you guessed it, Parada. What he doesn’t list until 19th is his first college pitcher (Adam Mazur, Iowa).

The lack of college pitching has always been a storyline for this draft. And nothing has happened to change that theory. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel calls the college pitching class “ about as bad as (he) can ever remember one being” in his newest piece.

Though there is plenty of time between now and the still-unscheduled draft for players to shoot up draft boards, it is curious to see how this will impact teams' plans. Or may have this dearth of college pitching been a factor in the Guardians selecting college pitchers with 18 of the 21 picks last year? Or why the Twins took four college pitchers between the second and sixth round last year? (The Twins approach is way more common than the Guardians.)

At a minimum, if a team finds a college pitcher they like more than what their perceived industry value is, does it get teams cutting under slot deals with those guys early to give them more money to take a shot at someone that’s considered less signable later?

There are always a few unique things each year… and, right now, the lack of college pitching is a big one.

No change to my Top 8, though there are a few names in contention.

1) Druw Jones, OF, Georgia prep (Vanderbilt commit) - McDaniel mentions Jones in the same prospect realm as Bryce Harper, so thinking he might drop to #8 - for any reason besides money - is a pipe dream.

2) Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly

3) Elijah Green, OF, Florida prep (Miami commit)

4) Termarr Johnson, 2B, Georgia prep 

5) Jacob Berry, 3B, LSU

6) Dylan Lesko, SP, Georgia prep (Vanderbilt commit) 

7) Jace Jung, 3B, Texas Tech

8 ) Chase DeLauter, cOF, James Madison

MOCK DRAFTS / PROSPECT BOARDS

• Baseball America - v1.0 (2/10/22) / Top 200 (3/14/22)
• MLB.com - Callis - Top 10 (12/15/21), Mayo - Top 20 (7/20/21) / Top 100
• The Athletic - Law Top 30 (3/10/22)
• ESPN - Early Draft Rankings (7/26/21) ($$$ - ESPN+) / McDaniel’s Draft Rankings (2/24/22)
• Fangraphs - The Board / 2022 MLB Draft Rankings and Offseason List Primer (11/30/21) 
• Just Baseball v1.0 (2/10/22)
• Prospects Live v1.0 (1/24/22)
• My MLB Draft (1/18/22)

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[RJA]

I love the draft, so your article is right in my wheelhouse.  What is you take on DeLauter?  When he faced better pitching, he looked a bit overmatched.  If he doesn't see that quality of pitching on a regular basis, I can understand that he may require some adjustment time, but it raises the issue of just how good his competition is.  I agree completely on Parada--I think his hit tool is legitimate.  Thanks for the article, Jeremy.  Keep them coming!