2017 MLB Draft Retrospective: Missed Opportunities and Mistakes Define a Once-Tantalizing Class

1 hour ago, Patzky said:

Ehh Rooker had a great 2024 but isn't up to much so far. Too bad Ryan Leaf didn't play baseball huh.

Rooker has warmed up the last couple of weeks after a slow start. I always liked Rooker's ability to show growth at each level after his initial struggles upon promotion. He showed the ability to make adjustments and figure out how to be productive. But it was a huge question mark whether it would happen at the MLB level so I don't blame the Twins for moving him in a roster crunch.

I haven’t studied the 2018 draft but I’d like to see what came out of that draft that we “missed”. We can look at every draft by every team and find early picks that flamed out. I can hear the arguments about Greene vs. Lewis but after that it was mostly a crapshoot.

43 minutes ago, Hrbeks Divot said:

I haven’t studied the 2018 draft but I’d like to see what came out of that draft that we “missed”. We can look at every draft by every team and find early picks that flamed out. I can hear the arguments about Greene vs. Lewis but after that it was mostly a crapshoot.

It was Lewis, Greene, Mackenzie Gore, Brendan McKay and Kyle Wright.  All seen as 1/1 possibilities that year.  I believe Lewis came cheapest so hard to argue the pick.

3 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

As for Rooker..... Every team agreed with the Twins, so no chance anyone saw this coming. At the time, they were competitive, and Rooker needed to be on the forty man, and I'm curious who people think they should have cut, without hindsight.... But this site will never let this go, despite ever team agreeing with the Twins.

Thirty years from now there will still be complaining on how the Twins messed up with Rooker. This is an extremely flawed argument that I am shocked people still try to claim. It really needs to be let go.

These 20/20 hindsight articles don't really provide any new information, just more complaining and rehashing about how the Twins "messed up" by not being able to predict the future 5 years from now.

Rooker was in 7 games in 2020 and 58 games in 2021 with over 200 plate appearances. He hit a whopping .201, with a 37% k rate

This is always a fun topic but it’s just that. Baseball has gotten better at evaluating future projected talent but it’s still a bit of a crapshoot after a few rounds. Always will be. Still fun though.

The Padres and the Royals also gave up on Rooker,  it isn't like the Twins alone totally blew that call.  Although I remember watching him when they called him up as a rookie and before he broke his arm and thinking "wow".  

This just in:  Hindsight is 20/20

16 hours ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

Thirty years from now there will still be complaining on how the Twins messed up with Rooker. This is an extremely flawed argument that I am shocked people still try to claim. It really needs to be let go.

These 20/20 hindsight articles don't really provide any new information, just more complaining and rehashing about how the Twins "messed up" by not being able to predict the future 5 years from now.

Not only the Twins, but also the Padres and even the (then) lowly Royals also parted ways with Rooker relatively quickly. Oakland was his last chance and credit to him for making the most of it, but I honestly don't think the Twins made any sort of mistake adding him to that trade package. 

9 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

If you dig back far enough in the archives I liked Mackenzie Gore the most. He’s been okay but not a game changer. Greene was on our radars obviously but there’s tons of risk with HS pitchers. 

Gore, Greene, and also the 2-way guy McKay were all projected top 5 picks in that draft. Never any sure things, but I still wish we had gone with a pitcher in that draft. Of course when Royce Lewis comes back from the IL (eventually?) and looks like an All-Star, I will eat my words again. 

1 hour ago, Doctor Wu said:

Not only the Twins, but also the Padres and even the (then) lowly Royals also parted ways with Rooker relatively quickly. Oakland was his last chance and credit to him for making the most of it, but I honestly don't think the Twins made any sort of mistake adding him to that trade package. 

Pretty good chance that if Oakland isn't a **** show he doesn't even get a chance there.  Also, not like he's the only hit first defense seldom corner OF type they've moved on from at similar career points.  They've been right their fair share too.  Not to mention, thoughts on adding him to the trade package might have changed had the return panned out a little better as well.

16 hours ago, Ricky Vaughn said:

Rooker was in 7 games in 2020 and 58 games in 2021 with over 200 plate appearances. He hit a whopping .201, with a 37% k rate

exactly ..another K King... the type of player Twins seem to develop over and over again.. a little pop in his bat but no plate discipline...can we please fill a roster with .270 average plus guys and K rates around 20% or lower...please

14 hours ago, FargoFanMan said:

This is always a fun topic but it’s just that. Baseball has gotten better at evaluating future projected talent but it’s still a bit of a crapshoot after a few rounds. Always will be. Still fun though.

Spencer torkleson says it is still a crapshoot

It's fun to wonder how much better this team would be if we had taken Greene instead of Lewis. An ace at the top of our rotation to pair with Lopez or a guy who has become a professional IL placeholder:)

I was against the Paddack/ Pagan trade from the beginning. I didn't like trading away our only stable BP force (Rogers) for an arm that was ready to fall off & at best a middle RP. It turned out to be a mess & I'm not counting Rooker.

I'd still pick Royce Lewis. Hind-sight is 20/20 & does no good to focus on it. Royce still has a very bright future, so look ahead, not behind. We have too many short-sighted people in this world.

Baseball drafts are always about failure. You can virrually always find someone in hindsight they should have drafted in that spot unless of course you draft Bailey Ober in the 12th round and he has the 4th most WAR in the class. There will always be players that need more time than options allow and end up making it with another team.

If there was a redraft today would Royce and Bailey be in the top 10 picks? That would seem a success.

If you summed the WAR of the players selected and signed where would the Twins rank? I think the DBacks might be number 1 with Varsho and Caballero though neither is in the organization any longer. They do still have Lourdes Gurriel in trade for Varsho. Nothing for Caballero. The Twins might slot in number 2 in total WAR of drafted and signed players.

I think that I would need to go way down the list of mistakes the Twins organization has made in the last 8 years before I would put 2017 draft on the list.

It’s somewhat a byproduct of a couple of their guiding principles. They have been reluctant to use high draft picks on pitchers so selecting Greene may not have even been on their list. I believe they got Royce to sign for under slot so they got one of the pitchers for over slot. This was one of the first times where I notice that Falvey was going to outsmart everyone. 
I mean anyone saying they wouldn’t want Greene over Royce right now is crazy but thats hindsight. Royce could still end up being the better pick as they both should have many years left. 

23 hours ago, MinnInPa said:

exactly ..another K King... the type of player Twins seem to develop over and over again.. a little pop in his bat but no plate discipline...can we please fill a roster with .270 average plus guys and K rates around 20% or lower...please

I was thinking .300 guys who hit 30 home runs, steal 30 bases, drive in a hundred and score a hundred but, sure, that'll work too.

19 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

I was against the Paddack/ Pagan trade from the beginning. I didn't like trading away our only stable BP force (Rogers) for an arm that was ready to fall off & at best a middle RP. It turned out to be a mess & I'm not counting Rooker.

I'd still pick Royce Lewis. Hind-sight is 20/20 & does no good to focus on it. Royce still has a very bright future, so look ahead, not behind. We have too many short-sighted people in this world.

Isn't short-sightedness a pre-requisite  for being a Twins fan?  And a keen understanding that THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!!!!!!!!!