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It’s time to get weird. We’re only a couple of weeks out from the 2024 MLB Draft, so we’re going to highlight some potential targets for the Twins at pick No. 21 overall.
This is a tough exercise at the best of times. This year, it might be impossible. After the first 10 picks, the first round promises to be an inscrutable mess. We could make an argument for many more players than we have time to cover. Let’s do our best, anyway. Instead of looking at these articles as predictive in any way, I’d rather folks view them as a talent barometer. Here’s an overview of the caliber of talent (and some of the names) the Twins might target at pick 21.
It should go without saying that there’s a cluster of names I’m going to assume are gone by the time we get to pick 21. If James Tibbs, Seaver King, or Cam Smith are still on the board, I’d expect them to be in play for the Twins. I regard that as unlikely, though. Here are some names they might consider at 21, listed in order of their current ranking on the MLB Draft Consensus Board.
Carson Benge, OF, Oklahoma State (15)
Benge played as a two-way player at Oklahoma State, but will be drafted as an outfielder. Benge has an exciting offensive toolkit, led by good bat speed that produces consistently high exit velocities. This is paired with a chase rate under 20% and a contact rate over 80%, a potent combination. The thorn in Benge's side in 2023 was a very high ground-ball rate that he'll need to clean up in order to properly leverage the rest of his offensive skills.
Benge has average speed, a plus arm, and an above-average glove that should lend itself to a really solid right-field profile defensively. It's been a strong 2024, offensively. Benge hit .335/.444/.665, with 18 home runs, 24 doubles, 49 walks and 51 strikeouts through 61 games. He's firmly a middle of the first round prospect, for me.
Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa (18)
Brecht is an exceptional athlete with an incredibly quick arm who has added some deception to his delivery by shortening his arm stroke in his time at Iowa. The stuff is "Skenesian," headlined by a fastball that averaged 97.5 mph in 2023. He cranks it up to 101, but it sits in the high 90s in games, with plenty of run.
Brecht's best secondary offering is a diabolical slider that he throws with two different shapes: one with more bite, and the other with more sweep. It has the potential to be a plus-plus pitch and generates a ton of whiffs. Brecht has also added a splitter, which is newer in his arsenal, and thrown a curve, although much less frequently than the FB/SL one-two punch.
Entering 2024, Brecht's Achilles heel was control and command, with consistent strike throwing having proven a challenge. He walked 61 in 77 innings in 2023 for the Hawkeyes, and there's significant reliever risk to the profile unless that improves in 2024. Brecht did reduce the number of free passes in 2024, going from 7.1 BB/9 to 5.6. It's tantalizing arm talent, but also feels like one of the widest potential ranges of outcomes of any first-round pick.
Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View HS, AR (20)
Caldwell was the Arkansas player of the year in 2023. At 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, he's an undersized player who will naturally draw comparisons to Jett Williams, a first-round selection in 2022. While Caldwell is small, he's an explosive athlete. A sweet, quick left-handed swing generates sneaky-good bat speed, and he sprays line drives, able to find value in all parts of the ballpark.
Caldwell has fringe-average power, and while that is unlikely to transform into plus pop, he can hurt you a ton of different ways. A double-plus runner, he's a problem on the base paths. This is augmented by his discerning approach at the plate; he has a great eye and feel for the strike zone.
Defensively, he has the speed and athleticism to easily stick in center field as a pro, although a below-average throwing arm lessens the appeal slightly. At worst, he'll be a plus defender in left who gets on base a ton and steals plenty of bases.
There's a bit of a Corbin Carroll profile here, minus some of the power. Even so, it's plenty to get excited about for a drafting team.
Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston State (25)
After back-to-back solid seasons for Sam Houston State, Walker Janek broke out in a major way in 2024 to strengthen an already interesting college catching demographic.
Simply put, Janek has a solid all-around profile in both his offensive and defensive game. At the plate, he has good bat speed and finds the barrel often. There's present pull-side power and good bat-to-ball skills. Although Janek does have a tendency to chase (especially against secondaries), there's a good shot that it's an above-average hit and average power tool when he's done developing, which would play well at catcher.
Defensively, he has one of the better arms in the catcher class, taking down a solid number of would-be base stealers with good pop and release times behind the plate. All the other prerequisites needed to be solid defensively are present. Janek moves laterally and blocks well, has solid ability to frame, and while his receiving needs some work, there's plenty to work with.
Janek put together a .364/.476/.709 line, with 17 home runs, 40 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 58 games in 2024, building on a solid Cape stint in 2023. Janek is my pick for the best catcher in the class. It's the strongest defensive profile, and there are above-average offensive tools across the board.
Theo Gillen, SS, Westlake HS, TX (28)
Gillen moved up draft boards after a loud 2024 season in which his offensive impact is beginning to match his enormous potential and athleticism. After returning from shoulder surgery in 2022, he's grown a ton, now standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 200 pounds. There might still be more in that frame, too.
At the plate, Gillen starts in an upright stance, with a bat tip straight behind his left shoulder. A small stride gets him moving forward into his compact left-handed swing. Gillen's offensive profile is underpinned by excellent bat-to-ball skills. While his profile used to feature more line drive power, he's begun to develop more home run juice, particularly to the pull side, with a frame that suggests that more in the tank.
Defensively, Gillen is a good mover, with a quick first step and smooth actions. He might move off shortstop as he continues to grow. Additionally, much will depend on his throwing arm, which has been the suspect body part in some of his injuries.
Gillen has shown plus speed, so there are plenty of defensive homes available (second base, or even center field). All of this likely won't matter too much, as Gillen has one of the best offensive profiles in the prep infield class.
Honorable Mentions: Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford (22), Caleb Lomavita, C, Cal (26), Wyatt Sanford, SS, Independence HS, TX (33)
Who do you want to see the Twins take at 21st overall? Join the discussion with a comment below.
Check out our 2026 mock draft board, updated regularly, and with detailed player write-ups!
View The Mock Draft Board
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