Twins Draft Preview: Jon Harris

Who is this guy?

A guy that could end the dry spell of college pitchers is Missouri State RHP Jon Harris. Harris, 6’ 4, 185 pounds, has jumped up draft boards due to a strong spring that saw him go 8-1, 1.85 while striking out 113 in 97.1 innings. Harris has shown well, armed with a fastball that sits in the 90-93 range and touches 95, a 12-to-6 curveball, a mid-80s slider and a change-up. All three secondary pitches have flashed as a plus pitch at some point during this season.

Harris was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 33rd round out of high school, but decided to attend Missouri State instead and profiles as a mid-rotation starter. Unlike the other top collegiate pitchers, there is no doubt that Harris's future is in a rotation.

Why the Twins will pick him

The Twins are in a position to select the best player available - regardless of position - and Harris has a case to be that player. He was able to avoid serious injury in a season where many of the top draft-eligible players weren’t. (He did miss two starts with an ankle injury, but showed no ill-effects when he returned.)

A quick glimpse at the Twins farm system probably shows a lesser need for a starting pitcher than it has in any of the last handful of seasons, but there is yet to be a team that has had too many quality arms. Harris wouldn’t be a quick-to-the-bigs-type player, but he could move through low- and high-A next season and be big-league ready by the middle of 2017, along with a slew of other potentially helpful arms.

For a team that has had a history - though not a recent one - of drafting college pitchers, Harris is likely to be the best of the lot when the Twins step up to the podium.

Why the Twins will not pick him

Harris doesn’t have the pedigree that the last two college pitchers - Kyle Gibson and Wimmers - had coming out of school. Gibson was a rumored Top 5 pick before an arm injury sent him into a tailspin. Wimmers was the most-decorated Big Ten arm in recent memory who was supplied with a MLB-ready curveball.

You see how quickly things can change.

Harris has answered almost all the questions. There are two weaknesses to his game: He doesn’t have pinpoint accuracy. He walked 3.2 batters per nine innings this year. The other thing that causes some pause among evaluators is that he hasn’t been pitching against top-notch competition in the Missouri Valley Conference. Even in his start in the Regionals, he squared off against Canisius, who gave him little resistance through eight three-hit innings.

Harris will get another opportunity to solidify his spot in the draft this weekend when Missouri State travels to Arkansas in the Super Regionals.