Minnesota Twins 2021 Draft Retrospective: Trade Bait

Major League Baseball's 2023 Draft is scheduled to start on July 9, 2023. Each team prepares for the draft with a specific plan, and sometimes those plans play out better than others. To prepare fans for the upcoming draft, this series will examine recent Twins drafts and how those players have performed so far in their professional careers.

First Round: Chase Petty, Noah Miller
High school pitchers can follow various development paths during their professional careers. It is one of the most challenging player types to draft and develop in an organization. The Twins had two picks near the back of the first round in 2021 and used their first selection (26th overall) on Chase Petty, a high school flamethrower from New Jersey. His time in the Twins organization was limited to two appearances because the team traded him to Cincinnati before the 2022 season for Sonny Gray. Last season, he pitched 98 1/3 innings between Low-A and High-A with a 3.48 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and an 8.8 K/9. From Minnesota's perspective, they received two strong seasons from Sonny Gray, and they can give him the qualifying offer. The Twins receive draft pick compensation if he declines the offer and signs with another team. It's easy to see why the Twins pulled the trigger on this deal. 

Miller is entering his third professional season and has shown various skills. His defense at shortstop continues to improve, and he is a strong base runner. At the plate, he needs to refine his swing and make more consistent contact. Last season at Low-A, he hit .212/.348/.279 (.627) with 18 extra-base hits in 108 games. Miller faced older batters in nearly 92% of his plate appearances as a teenager in the Florida State League. The Twins moved Miller to Cedar Rapids for the 2023 season, where he continues to play shortstop while also playing second base for the first time in his professional career. In the season's first 51 games, he posted a .562 OPS, while facing older pitchers in all but two at-bats. Clearly, the front office believes he can hold his own against older competition, so it will be interesting to see if he gets more comfortable at his level in 2023. 

Second Round: Steve Hajjar
Hajjar was a very intriguing pick for the Twins as a strong college left-handed pitcher with some room to grow. In 2022, he made the majority of his starts in Fort Myers, where he posted a 2.47 ERA with 71 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings. At the trade deadline, Minnesota included him as one of the pieces in the Tyler Mahle trade that hasn't worked out in the team's favor. His time in the Reds organization was also minimal because they traded him to the Guardians in March. Hajjar missed time to begin the 2023 season but is currently on a rehab assignment. Twins fans might see plenty of Hajjar in the future now that he is back in the AL Central. 

Third Round: Cade Povich
Like Hajjar, Povich was a Big Ten college pitcher that the Twins thought highly of entering the draft. During the 2022 season, he pitched at Cedar Rapids and posted a 4.46 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP in 78 2/3 innings. Minnesota dealt him to the Orioles in the Jorge Lopez trade, and he has spent the 2023 campaign pitching at Double-A. In his first 11 starts (47 innings), he allowed 29 earned runs on 48 hits with a 69-to-24 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

Fourth Round: Christian Encarnacion-Strand
Twins fans will follow Encarnacion-Strand's career because of his connection to the Tyler Mahle trade. During the 2022 season, he split time between High-A and Double-A while hitting .304/.368/.587 (.955) with 31 doubles, five triples, and 32 home runs. His stock was rising at the trade deadline, and he has built off his success in 2023. He has been crushing the ball at Triple-A this season with a 1.162 OPS with 13 doubles and 17 home runs in 42 games. He's on the doorstep of the big leagues and will likely make his debut later this season. 

Other Prospects Still in the Organization

• Christian MacLeod (5th round): He missed the entire 2022 season with Tommy John surgery. He's made four starts this season between Low-A and High-A with mixed results. His performance should improve as he gets further from surgery. 
• Travis Adams (6th round): He's pitched the entire 2023 season in the Wichita rotation with a 6.55 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP. Last season he threw over 100 innings with a 3.93 ERA between Low- and High-A. 
• Jake Rucker (7th round): The Twins have used Rucker as a utility man during his professional career. In 2022, he played at three levels, including Triple-A, when there was a late-season need (after the Kernels season ended). He posted a .711 OPS in 124 games. He's been a regular for the Wind Surge with a .715 OPS in 52 games.
• Noah Cardenas (8th round): He played nearly 100 games for Fort Myers in 2022 with an .834 OPS while playing catcher and first base. His OPS has dropped by over 70 points at High-A this season. 
• Pat Winkel (9th round): Winkel has been an on-base machine during his professional career with a .351 OPS, which is over 100 points higher than his batting average. Wichita has used him as one of the team's primary catchers in 2023. 
• Ernie Yake (10th round): Minnesota used him at four levels in 2022, including the organization's two highest levels. This season, he has a .753 OPS with appearances at High-A and Triple-A. 
• Kyler Fedko (12th round): Fedko finished 2022 at Cedar Rapids, and that's where the Twins sent him to begin 2023. In 25 games, he is hitting .169/.330/.310 (.639) with five extra-base hits. 
• David Festa (13th round): He put himself on the prospect map with a strong performance last season. In 103 2/3 innings, he posted a 2.43 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP and a 9.4 K/9. His strikeout rate has risen at Double-A this season (10.6 K/9), but he has allowed 22 earned runs in 41 2/3 innings (4.75 ERA). He is arguably the highest-rated prospect left in the Twins organization from this draft class, and he has the potential to be a middle-of-the-rotation starter at the big-league level. 
• Pierson Ohl (14th round): He had a 3.53 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP and 101 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings at Low-A during the 2022 season. Ohl has made starts for High-A and Double-A in 2023 with a 5.24 ERA and 8.7 K/9.
• Mikey Perez (15th round): In 2022, Perez posted a .728 OPS while playing at three levels in the Twins' system. He's played at Fort Myers in 2023, hitting .212/.282/.323 (.605) through 34 games. 
• Johnathan Lavallee (16th round): The Twins have used Lavallee primarily as a reliever in his professional career. In 14 appearances, he has a 5.31 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP and 13.3 K/9. 
• Dylan Neuse (17th round): He has been one of the most consistent hitters in the Fort Myers line-up this season while hitting .298/.382/.436 (.817) with 11 extra-base hits in 39 games. Neuse can play all three outfield positions but gets most of his defensive reps in center field. 
• Mike Paredes: (18th round) Paredes split time as a starter and reliever in 2022, but he's been primarily used in a relief role this season. In 11 appearances, he has a 2.49 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP and 6.8 K/9. 
• Jaylen Nowlin (19th round): Minnesota went over slot to sign Nowlin in the 2021 draft, and he rewarded them with a strong 2022 season (3.80 ERA in 22 appearances). With Cedar Rapids, he has posted a 3.86 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP and 9.6 K/9 in 2023. 
• Dillon Tatum (20th round): He has added catching depth to the Twins system while also playing some at first base. Tatum is on pace to set career highs in multiple offensive categories. 

 OTHER POSTS IN THE SERIES
-2020 Draft Retrospective
-2019 Draft Retrospective
-2018 Draft Retrospective
-2017 Draft Retrospective
-2016 Draft Retrospective

What are your impressions of the 2021 draft class? Which traded player do the Twins want back the most? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!