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I'm pretty sure all the experts are saying the Twins should take the best pitcher available. The whole under slot McGuire thing comes from their Twins sources. I don't understand the big deal of exploring your options. The Twins front office would be stupid to even consider such a thing? People said they were stupid last year for taking Buxton over a pitcher and how has that turned out? While I prefer BPA than going under slot, I just don't see the big deal in exploring other options.

For all those people want the Twins to draft Windle. From BA's chat yesterday Gophers LHP Tom Windle- Sandwich round guy? Jim Callis: Yes, sandwich or second round. Solid fastball and plus slider. There’s some debate on his delivery and athleticism, and whether he’s better as a starter or reliever, but it’s defintely a quality lefty arm. And Law's chat today: Tom Windle in the first round? Possible? [h=6]Klaw (1:28 PM) [/h] Possible, unlikely. Better college arms available.

nailed it kab. Last year the Astros were able to take a player they valued similarly to Buxton but at a lesser cost. While I personally don't see McGuire being similar value to the other talents at 4, according to reports a lot of teams feel he is a top 10 talent. If the Twins feel McGuire, or another prospect for that matter, is close to say Frazier or Stewart talent wise but will sign cheaper it isn't a bad strategy. While prefer a lot of names to McGuires but what do I know? I'm no scout. I always support the strategy of BPA but every good team has to at least look at this strategy. The Twins didn't use this strategy last year when they could have gotten a player of need, Gasusman was floating taking less money to go higher, so I doubt they do it this year.

With BA's fifth installment of Prospect Hot Sheet brings a familiar name back in the top 13. After making the list 3 straight times, 8th 1st and then 3rd, Sano missed last weeks list but came back strong at 6th this week. Making his first appearance, under the team photo section, is D.J. Baxendale. Here is what they had to say about the Twins pitcher: With so many Twins prospects off to great starts, don’t overlook what Baxendale has done in high Class A Fort Myers. The 22-year-old has a 1.49 ERA with a 35-6 K-BB mark in 36 1/3 innings, a fine start to the first full season for Minnesota’s 10th-round pick in last year’s draft. Like always, I will post the chat questions that deal with the Twins after the 3 o'clock chat. For the full list and to see what they have to say about Sano click the link below: http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/prospect-hot-sheet-may-10-christian-yelich-keeps-lining-lasers/

Coon Rapids right-handed pitcher Logan Shore hit 91 mph in the seventh inning of his start on Tuesday. Scouts love to see that sustained arm strength. He's expected to go in the top 75 of the draft, then will have to decide if he'll go pro or use his scholarship offer to Florida. According to Shore and his coach, Jerry Coe, the Twins, Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Oakland A's, Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets have shown the most interest.

BA had Buxton 1 and Correa 2. Sickels had Correa his #1 last year. Law said while he had Buxton as his #1 prospect all year that it wouldn't surprise him if Correa ended up being the best player from the draft. They have comparable talent but one came at a significant discount. I see nothing wrong with what they did. Don't forget, Correa is a year younger than Buxton so he has plenty of time to catch up. Back to the Twins. I have no problem if the Twins taking a under slot guy at 4 BUT the guy they take still has to be a top talent. Also, its too early to know who might slip due to signability but if they are saving money for later they better spend it.

While i prefer to use the number 4 pick on the highest upside player there at 4, it wouldn't be a tragedy if they went this way. I'm not a big fan of McGuire but it sounds like a lot of teams see him as a top 10 pick. They have real scouts while I have the inter web. If the Twins see him as a top 10 talent who will also take under slot then go for it as long as you use your extra money wisely.

Hmm.....the guy who did the sports illustrated mock has very....interesting takes on players. He mentions before the mock he has Frazier as the #1 prospect in the draft. Here is his right up for the twins and Frazier: The Twins are building an excellent core of young position players in Trevor Plouffe, Aaron Hicks, Chris Parmalee and last year's number two overall pick, outfielder Byron Buxton. Adding Frazier could give Minnesota the best and most athletic outfield in the majors in five years time. He has legitimate five-tool talent, possesses electric bat speed and is tremendously fast, which allows him to steal bases and be an outstanding defensive player. His closest major league comparison is probably Pirates star Andrew McCutchen. I have never seen a Frazier-McCutchen comparison before. Interesting Read More: MLB Mock Draft: Gray looks like best bet at No. 1 -- for now - MLB - SI.com

Updated the list with sports illustrated's mock.

Updated the list above with the West Region. All of Matt's region boards should be up now and later I will get BAs up.

From Jim Callis' draft chat: Who is likely to be there at 4 for the Twins and who do they take? Jim Callis: Appel and Gray are almost certainly gone and San Diego 3B Kris Bryant probably won’t be there. I think the Twins take whoever they believe is the best pitcher left. In my mind, that would be Kohl Stewart.

From Jim Callis draft chat: Do you believe Kohl Stewart is potential ace and how much development is necessary for him to get there? Jim Callis: I do. One scouting director told me his stuff is just as good as Appel’s and Gray’s, and he’s more athletic. Stewart will need some time to get acclimated to pro ball, do things like refine his command and use his changeup, build up the durability to pitch every fifth day. But with his stuff, he could be in the big leagues in 2015.

From Jim Callis at BA: Is Kris Bryant polished enough to make a Ryan Zimmerman like ascent to the majors? Jim Callis: Not that quick, because he’s not as polished a defender as Zimmerman was and swings and misses more than Zimmerman did. Bryant won’t need a lot of time in the minors, but I don’t see him up this September.

From Jim Callis draft chat: Could you rank by highest upside: Matt Krook, Phil Bickford, Jake Brentz and Hunter Harvey Jim Callis: Interesting. I’ll put Krook first because at times he can show you 95 mph along with a killer curve. Bickford second, his fastball is nasty and he’s flying up draft boards. Brentz over Harvey because similar velo but he’s lefthanded. Ranking them as prospects, I’d go Bickford, Krook, Harvey, Brentz.

Jim Callis at baseball America took some draft questions and here is what he had to say about these pitchers: Can you talk about what scouts are saying about Jonathan Crawford? I'm surprised to see him still in the first round considering the year he's had. I was secretly hoping he'd fall far enough that a return to school was possible. Jim Callis: With the college arms, Appel (Stanford) and Gray (Oklahoma) are on a tier to themselves. Next group is Shipley (Nevada), Stanek (Arkansas) and Manaea (Indiana State) in some order. After that, Crawford (Florida) is in a bigger group that includes Anderson (Jacksonville), Wahl (Mississippi), Eades (LSU), Blair (Marshall), Balog (San Francisco) and Alex Gonzalez (Oral Roberts). That third group is still sorting itself out. Crawford could go in the first round, just as easily could last into the second. I did't see Vanderbilt Kevin Ziomek in your list. Do you see him as a potential supplemental round pick? Jim Callis: Could fit at the bottom of the first round. He’s in that third tier of college pitchers, a few of which will go in the first round. Sandwich pick or second-rounder at the latest. I like Ziomek a little more than most of our writers, I think. With the Cubs dearth of starting pitching, who are a couple of 2nd round arms that they could target? Jim Callis: I’ll list several college candidates: Bobby Wahl (Mississippi), Ryan Eades (LSU), Aaron Blair (Marshall), Alex Balog (San Francisco), Alex Gonzalez (Oral Roberts), Andrew Thurman (UC Irvine), Tom Windle (Minnesota), Corey Knebel (Texas), Trey Masek (Texas Tech), Andrew Mitchell (TCU), Jason Hursh (Oklahoma State), Kevin Ziomek (Vandy). Some HS names: Devin Williams, Blake Taylor. They will have several attractive options. No Alex Gonzalez from Oral Roberts in the 1st round? Why? Jim Callis: He’s in the mix for some teams. As we get closer, I’ll be able to pin down possible destinations.

Ugh, at this point you have to believe they are in on him.

Thanks for the post! I will add BAs mock to the list!

I believe Snelton profiles as a relief pitcher due to his delivery and lack of a third pitch. Being a LHP who can hit 95 will get a lot of looks though. Also, I posted my own personal top 10 above. Feel free to make fun of my choices and post your own boards. I know I'm not the only loser who has a draft board!

Fun question for people. How would you feel if the Twins took one of the HS OFs (your choice on which one you like better) and then had Boldt fall to them at 43? I ask this because this actually could happen. While they need arms could they really pass up a local talent like Boldt?

Right as I finished posting this Law releases his updated list. While it is behind a money wall here is his top 5: Appel, Gray, Bryant, Meadows, Stewart. Also, for those interested in the MN kids he has Anderson at 25, Shore at 37, Boldt at 40, Windle at 60, and Snelton at 71. If anyone has specific ranking questions on guys let me know.

Yeah, Mayos lists are always linked together. Annoying but what can you do? Also a warning about Mayo's list, while the draft order is updated the player information is not. All of the player information is from before the year started.

Matt Garrioch at minorleageball.com has been doing a break down on regional draft talent which once he finishes he will put together a big draft board. Once he does that I will post his updated board up above hut to ill then you read through these great lists. NOTE: To understand his grades read this thread first! 2013 MLB Draft: Regional Reports Primer - Minor League Ball Atlantic Region: 2013 MLB Draft: Atlantic Region Report - Minor League Ball Northeast region: 2013 MLB Draft: Northeast Region Report - Minor League Ball California Region: 2013 MLB Draft: California Report - Minor League Ball Central Region: 2013 MLB Draft: Central Region Report - Minor League Ball Florida/ Puerto Rico Region: 2013 MLB Draft: Florida/Puerto Rico Region Report - Minor League Ball Southeast Region: 2013 MLB Draft: Southeast Region - Minor League Ball Texas/Oklahoma Region: 2013 MLB Draft: Texas/Oklahoma Region - Minor League Ball West Region: http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/5/10/4315698/2013-mlb-draft-west-region-report Also, for those of you who only care about Minnesota, Central Region, they have 3 of the top 9 names there.

WARNING! Just in case you didn't know I'm not a professional scout and the Twins front office doesn't care what I have to say! I built this list from things I have read, videos I have seen, the few players I have seen live, and my gut.....which thanks to beer is a lot larger than it should be. I started making draft boards when the mlbnetwork started to air the draft, 3 years ago, and have found it makes the draft a lot more interesting. Like betting, but with out losing large amounts of money. By draft day I will have about 50 players ranked but for the forums sake I will only post my top 10. When I set up my board I not only go from 1-50 I also separate players into tiers. While the number next to their name shows where I rank them, in reality I could argue any player in that specific tier could be flipped around. While I specifically follow the Twins this board is ranked in talent, not need. I don't rank pitcher higher just because the Twins need them. With out further a do, here is my board. Feel free to tell me how dumb I am. Also, don't be scuurrred to post your own board. Tier 1 1) Jon Gray- Yes, I have Gray ahead of Appel. While Appel has a better third pitch and command, give me the guy with better "stuff". 80 grade fastballs don't grow on trees and I feel his slider is a grade above Appel's too. 2) Mark Appel- Long track record, above average command, and 3 pitches that range from 60-70 grade. Boras as his advisor doesn't bug me as much as the fact he has a ton of mileage on his arm already. Both him/Gray profile as aces. Tier 2 3)Kris Bryant- Leads all of college baseball in walks and more importantly HRs (by 6). While I put it around 40% that he could stick at 3B, at best, it wont matter because his bat will play any where. The only questions in my mind is if he will make enough contact to harness his 70 grade power. 4) Kohl Stewart- Is super athletic and already has two plus pitches in a 92-96 fastball with a hard breaking slider. Has a chance to have 4 above average pitches. He has a strong commitment to A&M but if he is selected high enough I don't think he will pass on baseball. The bigger issue are the injuries. 5) Clint Frazier- What can I say? I love bat speed! Quoting Law, "fastest bat speed in the draft-- possibly best I have seen from an amateur ever." While he will be stuck to a corner OF, he should be a plus defender in right, but like Bryant has a bat that can play anywhere. Biggest question is if he can make adjustments to big league pitching. Lots of swing and miss potential. 6) Meadows- Super athletic, has a chance to have plus power, 8 months younger than Frazier, and has a chance to stick at center. While he has a higher ceiling than Frazier my gut tells me Frazier is going to be a better big leaguer. Questions have come up about Meadows effort and commitment which scare me a little. Tier 3 7) Moran- Has a 4-1 BB/K ratio which isn't only insane but typically is a good indicator for future success. Has answered some questions about his power this year but there is a fear if he is moved from third to first he might become the next James Lonely. If you truly believe he can stick at 3B I could see an argument for having him higher. 8) Manaea- Big time lefty who even though his fastball was a tick down from the Cape Cod league was still a 60 grade pitch. While his change up has improved his slider, which was flashing a 70 grade, has been so inconsistent I don't know what to make of it. Also has injury concerns. 9) Shipley- Reminds me a lot of Zimmer from last year. Super athletic, converted SS, and has a 60 grade fastball/65 grade secondary pitch/average third offering that flashes plus. Difference is Zimmer had a 65 grade curve ball while 65 grade change up. Quoting Law again, "you can be taught a great change up, you are born with a great breaking ball." 10) Stanek- Came into the year as a top 5 talent but has slid due to inconsistency. Still has filthy stuff but just cant harness it. Due to his violent delivery some scouts see him as a reliever but if someone can fix his inconsistency issue they might have a steal. Has 3 pitches that could be plus.

After posting the "The Mocks" thread I realized that with out seeing draft boards they make little sense. With Law releasing his updated board some point today and BA releasing theirs tomorrow I figured no better time then the present. Im only posting boards that have been updated recently and from credible sources. As I say this don't be afraid of posting your personal draft board, if you are a nerd like me and actually have one, because they are helpful to sparking up debate. Christopher Crawford: http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2013/05/the-board-2013-volume-vii/ Jonathan Mayo: 2013 Prospect Watch | MLB.com: News Laws Board(stuck behind insider): http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9255085/mark-appel-jonathan-gray-kris-bryant-top-prospects-2013-mlb-draft Baseball America: http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft-preview/ Bleacher Report: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1638411-mlb-draft-big-board-2013-mike-rosenbaums-complete-pre-draft-rankings Matt Garrioch: http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/5/17/4335648/2013-mlb-draft-matt-garriochs-draft-board (Like with the mock page if you find one I missed post it on here and I will update the thread)

On ESPN, insider required, Jason Churchill put out an article called Draft Could Produce Run on Bats. It talks specifically about the age old Need vs BPA and how this is such a deep college pitching draft that teams might grab bats early. One executed said: " [There's] a better chance of getting that [college] pitcher with your second pick than the bat you're looking to add," said one high-ranking executive, whose club is not alone in such a realization. And: "top guys, Appel, Gray, Stanek, Shipley, those guys, they aren't going to fall out of the first round, the senior scout opined. "Some of the second-tier guys that have first-round abilities ... they could drop if the bats start to go quickly and teams react to it." While the Twins might he "stuck" taking a bat at 4 that doesn't mean they can't grab a college arm at 43. Last year after taking Buxton at two they went pitcher heavy and might do the same thing this year. Link to article below: http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog/_/name/mlb_draft/id/9258106/with-much-dominant-young-pitching-mlb-focus-turned-bats-mlb