Minnesota Twins Have Opportunity to Load Up in MLB Draft

[SoCalTwinsfan]

Most mock drafts I've seen have the Twins picking prep pitcher Kohl Stewart. I wrote about the draft and how unusual it would be for the Twins to take a high school pitcher.

 

The Twins haven't picked a high school pitcher as their overall first pick of the draft since Dan Serafini in 1992. In fact, the best high school pitcher the Twins ever drafted in the first round was Todd Ritchie in 1990, so it wouldn't be surprising if they decide to avoid going this route despite Stewart's power arm.

 

You can read the rest of Minnesota Twins Have Opportunity to Load Up in MLB Draft at Yahoo! Sports.

 

What do you think? Should the Twins go a safer route with their first pick? Should they load up on as many power arms as possible? Should they draft Appel if he falls that far and risk overpaying or not signing him at all?

[diehardtwinsfan]

If Appel fell to them at 4, I'd take him... I'll be very disappointed if the Twins don't end up with one of Appel, Gray, Bryant, or Stewart.

[Nick Nelson]

If the Big Three are gone, I don't know if the Twins get much "safer" than Stewart. Gotta bet on talent above everything else.

[Riverbrian]

I wish I could get revved up about the possibilities tonight.

 

I think these drafts are big moments for the club and I am extremely curious.

 

I read everything I can to try and get myself revved up for it and knowledgable... But, in the end... I really dont know enough about the guys who are writing the opinions that I'm reading to give me the passion necessary to get revved. I cant help assuming that if they were really good at what they do... They'd have major league jobs.

 

I also haven't seen these guys play to draw my own impression and peer comparison using stats from High School and even College can be mis-leading because they face varied degrees of competition that will skew things.

 

Like I said... I want to get revved because the draft is important... All I can do is remain hopeful for a college Pitcher because we could use some arms in the majors yesterday and the college arm could be here quicker potentially. After that... I have no choice but to place my faith in the scouts and watch and draw my own conclusions later.

 

Heres to hoping that we stock our shelfs well.

[Seth Stohs]

It's true, we all think we know more than the teams... that's part of why it's so intriguing...

 

Also, just because the Twins don't typically draft high school pitchers high doesn't mean that they shouldn't. Stewart certainly has some huge potential! that's what the draft is, and should be, all about.

[Craig Arko]

It's true, we all think we know more than the teams... that's part of why it's so intriguing...

 

Professional baseball scouts don't tell me how to do my job; I'm actually okay with returning the courtesy.

[nicksaviking]

The Twins used to pick HS pitchers with their 1st pick often in the 80's and early 90's. Serafini, Todd Ritchie, Willie Banks, Derek Perks and Jeff Bumgarner all between 1985 and 1992. Were they basically busts? Yes but so was just about every other Twins 1st round draft pick. In fact Todd Ritchie's career 6.3 WAR (I know, I know WAR sucks) is the 9th highest career WAR for any Twins 1st round draftee who ever actually put on a Twins uniform.

[bird]

Revved up is one thing, worked up is another. I'm revved up, regardless of who they take. Just like last year. And 2001 too. I was a lot less revved up when our draft number was 31, or 22 , or even 14. Those tend to result in Michael, Wimmers, and Hicks, not Buxton or Kohl Stewart types. A top ten pick isn't a sure thing, but if it clicks, it can change things for the franchise. So, I won't get worked up, regardless of the pick, because we just won't know enough to render a valid opinion about it. But a top 5 pick skews the odds so damn favorably, and picking at the front of the order, round after round is certainly advantageous.

[nicksaviking]

It's true, we all think we know more than the teams... that's part of why it's so intriguing...

 

Speak for your self, some of us think, others of us KNOW.

[bird]

The Twins used to pick HS pitchers with their 1st pick often in the 80's and early 90's. Serafini, Todd Ritchie, Willie Banks, Derek Perks and Jeff Bumgarner all between 1985 and 1992. Were they basically busts? Yes but so was just about every other Twins 1st round draft pick. In fact Todd Ritchie's career 6.3 WAR (I know, I know WAR sucks) is the 9th highest career WAR for any Twins 1st round draftee who ever actually put on a Twins uniform.

 

While teams still deal with imperfect information, I really think things are different now, and that it's not quite the crapshoot as it was even five years ago. And somehow I think this is especially true for the truly elite talent.

[IdahoPilgrim]

It's true, we all think we know more than the teams... that's part of why it's so intriguing...

 

Also, just because the Twins don't typically draft high school pitchers high doesn't mean that they shouldn't. Stewart certainly has some huge potential! that's what the draft is, and should be, all about.

 

Armchair quarterbacking is a part of our cultural heritage. I even think it's tucked into the Bill of Rights somewhere.

[ashbury]

Armchair quarterbacking is a part of our cultural heritage. I even think it's tucked into the Bill of Rights somewhere.

 

My wife will vouch, they'll have to pry my armchair from my cold dead fingers.

[nicksaviking]

While teams still deal with imperfect information, I really think things are different now, and that it's not quite the crapshoot as it was even five years ago. And somehow I think this is especially true for the truly elite talent.

 

 

I agree, we have many more tools for evaluation and much more knowledge about what works and what doesn't. The scare with HS pitchers was largely the unknown. Not all, but some of the unknown is now available knowledge due to a better understanding of specific concerns and principles.