Why Kohl Stewart Is Most Important Piece to Twins' Rebuild

[Chris Schad]

Sano and Buxton are nice pieces to have, but if Stewart doesn't become the team's ace, it won't matter how many runs these studs (and the rest of the lineup) can put up.

 

Y! SPORTS

[Seth Stohs]

Disagree?? Obviously it would be great if he becomes what the Twins scouts believe he can become, but there are Meyer and May and Gibson who can all be top of rotation types, someone else may come up and surprise. It's too much to put that much on any one person.

[ThePuck]

Disagree?? Obviously it would be great if he becomes what the Twins scouts believe he can become, but there are Meyer and May and Gibson who can all be top of rotation types, someone else may come up and surprise. It's too much to put that much on any one person.

 

Imagine in 4 years. Meyer, Stewart, Gibson, May, Berrios.

[greengoblinrulz]

I expect MN to treat Kohl a little easier than Berrios w/him playin in GCL this year & ELIZ next year before his MWL debut like they have done with other pitchers.

many of us were pleasantly shocked to see J.O. start in Cedar Rapids, but I got a feeling that they wont do this with Kohl (unless of course he absolutely dominates like Berrios did, I guess).

[Guest USAFChief]

No HS pitcher, just signed, is the "most important piece" to any organization in baseball, including the Twins.

[drjim]

No HS pitcher, just signed, is the "most important piece" to any organization in baseball, including the Twins.

 

He is not even the most important pitching prospect in the organization right now.

[Brock Beauchamp]

No HS pitcher, just signed, is the "most important piece" to any organization in baseball, including the Twins.

 

Yep. I'd say Alex Meyer is the most important piece in the org right now. A lot is riding on that arm's future. Any one if the offensive prospects can fail and the org is still okay but if Meyer fails, you're looking at Berrios as the only real plus arm.

[cmb0252]

Yep. I'd say Alex Meyer is the most important piece in the org right now. A lot is riding on that arm's future. Any one if the offensive prospects can fail and the org is still okay but if Meyer fails, you're looking at Berrios as the only real plus arm.

 

Only plus arm outside of Berrios and Stewart?

[Brock Beauchamp]

Only plus arm outside of Berrios and Stewart?

 

Well, yeah, but Stewart hasn't thrown a pitch yet.

[Mike Sixel]

Well, it would hurt a lot if the 4th overall pick was as bad as Adam Johnson......but I don't know if he's the most important player. Frankly, outside of a handful of players in MLB history, this is a team game, and it's about the Twins' ability to develop mulitiple players, not zero, one or two players.......

[gil4]

A high school pitcher is a roll of the dice. Hopefully one taken at #4 overall has a better chance of a payout and the possibility of a very big payout, but the chances of no payout at all are still pretty high.

 

There is a long road from the starting line to Roger Clemens Estates or Justin Verlander Way, and there are a lot of lesser side roads like Brien Taylor Place and Todd Van Poppel Lane. While sayings like "There is no such thing as a pitching prospect" and "There are no prospects below AA" are more hyperbole than fact, they should at least help temper excessive enthusiasm such as this.

 

I don't want to wait for a rebuild that has Stewart as a key piece. He had better be part of a re-load, unless he turns into Doc Gooden and hits the majors at age 19 next summer.

[diehardtwinsfan]

There were some that thought he could make it to the show about the same time as Manaea (before the injury). If that's the case, I could see Stewart being a key piece, but he doesn't need to be. I'm guessing 2016 at the earliest, at that point the next wave should be fairly well established... though I suspect they will still need pitching.

[Kwak]

The fallacy of your premise was shown in the 2012 draft--if a #1 SP was the cornerstone Appel should have been drafted rather than Buxton. While a strong case can be made for a top SP vs the top "toolsy" OF, it's clear that the Twins don't agree with that hypothesis.

[IdahoPilgrim]

The fallacy of your premise was shown in the 2012 draft--if a #1 SP was the cornerstone Appel should have been drafted rather than Buxton. While a strong case can be made for a top SP vs the top "toolsy" OF, it's clear that the Twins don't agree with that hypothesis.

 

Of course, Appel may have never been in the discussion because his contract demands may not have been realistic. It sounds like he really did want to go to Houston - and he got his wish.

[cmb0252]

Of course, Appel may have never been in the discussion because his contract demands may not have been realistic. It sounds like he really did want to go to Houston - and he got his wish.

 

People have come out and said Buxton was #1 on the Twins board.