Seth Stohs

On Day 1, the Minnesota Twins used their first round draft pick on prep shortstop Nick Gordon. They followed that by selecting flame-throwing Louisville closer Nick Burdi with their second round pick. On Day 2, the Twins made eight selections and seven of their were pitchers. All eight came from the college ranks. So, what will the Twins do on Day 3? They will draft 30 more players. At noon, the draft will resume, and Twins Daily will continue to update you on the Twins selections. Looking at the current Minnesota Twins roster, it becomes clear that although few from Day 3 will make it to the big leagues, it is where you can sometimes find a hidden gem. Jason Kubel was drafted out of high school by the Twins in the 12th round of the 2000 draft. He's had a very solid career. Twins cleanup hitter Josh Willingham was the 17th round pick of the Florida Marlins in 2000. Casey Fien was the Tigers 20th round pick in 2006. Caleb Thielbar was drafted by the Brewers in the 18th round of the 2009 draft. Michael Tonkin was a 30th round pick in 2008 by the Twins. Of course, in the 17th round of the 1978 draft, the Twins took a kid from Bloomington. Kent Hrbek went on to have a Twins Hall of Fame career. Of course, a year earlier in the 17th round, the Twins selected Scott Ullger, and he's still in uniform with the team! In all, 900 players will be drafted on Saturday. Which 30 will the Twins take? 11th Round (320) - Tanner English - CF - South Carolina English has game-changing speed and top-flight defensive ability. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf7qV2eF_I8&app=desktop 12th Round (350) - Pat Kelly - 2B - Nebraska (from Red Wing, MN) Kelly helped recruit Ryan Boldt to Nebraska (and I thought for sure I had mentioned him in a draft story at some point, but can't find it) and now he's heading home. Eventually. Hopefully. He's homered at Target Field before, so there's that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsB4JXG9meI And defense: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkRiv2zLtpshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkRiv2zLtps 13th Round (380) - Zach Tillery - RHP - Florida Gulf Coast (Dunk City) 14th Round (410) - Tyler Mautner - 3B - U. of Buffalo When I saw this name the first time, I thought for sure I read "Taylor Lautner", which, of course, would be pretty radical if you're into werewolves. 15th Round (440) - Roberto Gonzalez - RF - High School (!!) My favorite Day 3 pick. I've heard great things about the Miami-Dade CC commit. He's almost like a Dominican guy, you're dreaming on him. He's raw, and that's an understatement. Has shown glimpses of plus power, speed and arm throughout the fall, but can't put them all together. Sounds like signing him could be an issue, but if that gets done, you're looking at a guy with all the tools. 16th Round (470) - Tyler Kuresa - 1B - UC-Santa Barbara (Twins drafted him in the 11th round in 2010) (Sr) 17th Round (500) - Mat Batts - LHP - UNC-Wilmington (5th-year Sr) 18th Round (530) - TJ White - 3B - UNLV 19th Round (560) - Jarrard Poteete - C - Connors State College (OK) - JC 20th Round (590) - McCarthy Tatum - 3B - Clovis (CA) high school Tatum is committed to Fresno State and will likely end up there. High school teammate of Jacob Gatewood. 21st Round (620) - Onis Farfan - LHP - Ridgewater (MN) College - JC - He's from New Hope, MN. 22nd Round (650) - Trevor Hildenberger - RHP - Cal Berkeley (5th-year Sr) 23rd Round (680) - Miles Nordgren - RHP - Birmingham Southern (Sr) 24th Round (710) - Alex Real - C - New Mexico 25th Round (740) - Taylor Hearn - LHP - San Jacinto College North (JC) 26th Round (770) - Blake Schmit - SS - Maryland (Sr) (from Eden Prairie) 27th Round (800) - Gabriel Ojeda - C - Puerto Rico HS 28th Round (830) - Austin Diemer - CF - CS Fullerton 29th Round (860) - Cameron Avila-Leeper - LHP - California HS 30th Round (890) - Theo Theofanopoulos - LHP - Cal Berkeley 31st Round (920) - Sam Hilliard - LHP - Crowder College (Missouri) 32nd Round (950) - Orynn Veillon - RHP - High School in Lafayette, Louisiana 33rd Round (980) - Trey Vavra - 1B - Florida Southern U (Joe's son, Tanner's brother) 34th Round (1,010) - Mike Baumann - RHP - Mahtomedi (MN) High School 35th Round (1,040) - Brad Mathiowetz - C - Rochester Mayo High School (MN) 36th Round (1,070) - Kirvin Moesquit - SS - High School in Florida 37th Round (1,100) - Tyree Davis - CF - High School in California 38th Round (1,130) - Brett Doe - C - Baylor University 39th Round (1,160) - John Jones - C - High School in Florida (Orlando, again) 40th Round (1,190) - Dalton Guthrie - SS - High School in Florida. He is the son of former Twins pitcher Mark Guthrie.

I think the theme of the Minnesota Twins draft day two is, “You can never have enough pitching.” The team made eight picks and seven of them were college pitchers. On the field, the Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros began a three-game series with a rain delay. The young, talented Astros showed some power against Phil Hughes and the Twins. But hey, on Saturday, Lewis Thorpe will make his full-season debut for the Cedar Rapids Kernels while Alex Meyer pitches for the Red Wings. Eddie Rosario was promoted to New Britain after his stint in Ft. Myers. He showed that he was ready. Speaking of getting ready, check out the big hit in the top of the first inning for the Rochester Red Wings. And which farmhand launched two home runs tonight? And, which prospect added to his organizational lead in home runs? And, which prospect carried his team to victory by knocking in all of his team’s runs. [h=4]Malcolm MacMillan, founder of TheBallparkGuide.com[/h]Without further ado, here is what happened in the Twins' farm system on Friday night: RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 13, Charlotte 4 Box Score It’s always fun beating the White Sox, even when it is at the AAA level. Charlotte is the AAA affiliate of the South Siders. The Red Wings got off to a quick start and didn’t look back. In the first inning, Chris Colabello came up with the bases loaded and chose the perfect time to knock his first Red Wings home run. Wilkin Ramirez hit his first and second home runs of the season and drove in three. James Beresford was 2-5 and walked once. Chris Rahl was 2-4. Brad Nelson was 2-4 with a walk. Pedro Florimon was 2-5. Dan Rohlfing was 1-3 with two walks. It was a good game for the offense. Yohan Pino had arguably his worst outing of the season, and yet his offense helped him to the win. In five innings, he gave up four runs on eight hits, three of which were home runs. He walked one and struck out five. Edgar Ibarra and Deolis Guerra each threw two scoreless innings. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 6, Binghamton 3 Box Score Eddie Rosario returned to the New Britain Rock Cats after a short stint with the Ft. Myers Miracle following his 50-game suspension. He had a good game. He batted second and played center field. He went 2-5 with a double. However, on this night, his story falls to the performance of his countryman Kennys Vargas. Down 4-2 in the fifth, Vargas came up with the bases load. He cleared them with his ninth home run of the season. An inning later, he drove in two more runs with his 12th double. He had a single as well and finished a triple short of the cycle. Tony Thomas went 3-5. Mike Kvasnicka was 3-4 in the game. Nate Hanson added a single and walked twice. Virgil Vasquez started for the Rock Cats and improved to 4-2. He went six innings and gave up three runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out seven. Dan Turpen struck out one in a scoreless seventh inning. In the eighth, Matt Summers struck out two without allowing a run. Lester Oliveros recorded his eighth save with two strikeouts in the ninth inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Lakeland 4 (11 innings) Box Score The Miracle got another great start from their ace, and a big jolt from their power supplier, but they fell in extra frames. JO Berrios started and gave up three runs (two earned) on eight hits in eight innings. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out nine. Two of the runs, including the unearned run, scored in that eighth inning. Mason Melotakis worked two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out one. In the 11th, Madison Boer gave up an unearned run on two hits to take the loss. The Miracle had eight hits in the game. Adam Walker went 2-5 and hit his 13th home run of the season. It was a three-run blast that gave the Miracle all three of their runs. Stephen Wickens was the only other Miracle hitter to get on base more than once. He had a single and a walk. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Wisconsin 12 Box Score The funny thing about the MLB draft is its uncertainty. Sure things are not sure things. In 2013, the Twins took Ryan Eades in the second round with the industry-wide belief that he could be a fast mover. He may figure some things out in time, but fast-moving is probably out of the question. He is now 3-7 with a 7.07 ERA after another rough start. On this night, he gave up nine runs on eight hits in just two innings. He walked two, hit one and struck out two. Jared Wilson came on and was charged with three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk in three innings. Chris Mazza worked two scoreless innings and struck out two. Todd Van Steensel worked a quiet, scoreless inning. The Kernels got plenty of offense. They had seven hits and walked seven times. Chad Christensen led the way. He went 4-5 his tenth double and three RBI. He also stole his 15th base. Ryan Walker went 2-4 with a walk and scored three runs. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – JO Berrios, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Kennys Vargas, New Britain Rock Cats SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Gwinnett (6:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) New Britain @ Binghamton (6:05 CST) – Pat Dean (Listen) Lakeland @ Ft. Myers (5:05 CST) – Matt Tomshaw (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 CST) – Lewis Thorpe (Listen) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games.

The MLB Draft resumes today at 12:00 (central time) with each organization making their 3rd round through 10th round draft picks. The Minnesota Twins will have the fifth pick in each round. Throughout the day, Twins Daily's draft guru, Jeremy Nygaard, will be here posting the Minnesota Twins draft picks and providing some analysis on the player and the selection. He'll also be in the forums answering other questions you may have. These picks are all important and there is a strategy to them. The Twins have about $7.5 million to spend on their first 10 draft picks and about $3.85 million is allotted to their top pick, Nick Gordon. What will they do? See below. 3rd Round (79; $703,900) - RHP Michael Cederoth, San Diego State An interesting pick at #79, Cederoth started the season with mid-first round buzz. Hailing from the same school as Stephen Strasburg, there were some unfair comparisons, but the velocity is there (98-100 mph). The Twins seem poised to give Cederoth an opportunity to start. His slider is his strikeout pitch in the mid-80s. He also features an average changeup, which he didn't throw much this year, and a slower curveball. Cederoth is a big, lanky dude (6'6, 215) and has a violent delivery and a penchant for missing the strike zone - the difference between being a 3rd rounder and a 1st rounder. While the rumor had been that Cederoth was looking for a seven-figure deal, I've been assured that that is not accurate and my assumption is that he'll sign for slot. Pre-draft rankings: Baseball America, 45; MLB.com, 59; Perfect Game, 63; Scout, 75. 4th Round (110; $476,100) - LHP Sam Clay, Georgia Tech Clay is a draft-eligible sophomore who projects as a reliever. Clay isn't as hard of a thrower as the previous two players who were selected, reaching the low-90's. He also has a slider, who some believe can be a plus pitch. Clay has a lot of raw ability, but will need to harness it and cut down on walks. Pre-draft rankings: Baseball America, 144; Perfect Game, 226; MLB.com, unranked; Scout, unranked. 5th Round (140; $356,400) - RHP Jake Reed, Oregon Another reliever... well, Reed was a starter for two seasons, but was much better after being converted to a closing role. Reed features a three-pitch mix: low-90s fastball, a slurvy slider and a circle-change. Some consider him another guy that could move quick, though probably not as a closer. Pre-draft rankings: MLB.com, 123; Baseball America, 144; Perfect Game, 226; Scout, unranked. 6th Round (170; $266,900) - RHP John Curtiss, Texas Unlike any of the previous picks, Curtiss projects to be a starter - even though he closed for the Longhorns in 2014 - with an upside of a #2. Despite being a redshirt sophomore - he missed 2013 after undergoing Tommy John surgery - Curtiss is already graduated and appears to be signable. Curtiss has a mid-90s fastball and three ordinary secondary pitches. There's still some projection based on the missed time. If his slider and change-up can develop, there's hope that Curtiss can stick in the rotation. Pre-draft rankings: MLB.com, 88; Perfect Game, 158; Baseball America, 159; Scout, 246. 7th Round (200; $199,900) - RHP Andrew Cutura, SE Louisiana U Cutura is a junior. The short (6' 0) right-hander isn't on a lot of radars, but came as a recommendation of area scout Greg Runser, who has had his hand in drafting a lot of pitchers recently. Cutura was a three-year starter for SE Lousiana. Cutura is a bulldog. He has a 88-92 mph sinker, a hybrid breaking ball that sits in the mid-80s, and a changeup around 80 mph. He commands all three pitches well and knows how to put guys away. Pre-draft rankings: MLB.com, unranked; Perfect Game, unranked; Baseball America, unranked; Scout, unranked. 8th Round (230; $161,300) - RHP Keaton Steele, Missouri Steele missed the 2011 season due to shoulder injuries. He's been a two-way player, but will pitch as a professional. Steele has another year of eligibility due to the injury, but has graduated and is signable as a redshirt-junior. Steele closed for Missouri this year and features a low-90s fastball and a mid-80s slider. It remains to be seen if he's viewed as a starter or reliever. He was moved to Missouri's rotation late in the year and had a couple complete games. Pre-draft rankings: Scout, 146; MLB.com, 177; Baseball America, 275; Perfect Game, 428. 9th Round (260; $150,600) - OF Max Murphy, Bradley According to Chris Cotillo, Murphy and the Twins have agreed to a $130k deal. This is what I said about Murphy when I had him pegged for the 260th overall pick in my 10-round Twins mock: The organizational dearth of outfielders may have the Twins going to the college ranks to draft outfielders even earlier. Murphy is a guy who makes a ton of sense for the Twins, partially because he played his high school ball in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Murphy's best tool is he power. He's compact (only 5' 11"), runs well and has a clue in the outfield. While his arm could play in right (his current position), some think he could move to center. The question about Murphy is his hit-tool. Pre-draft rankings: Baseball America, 275; Perfect Game, 327; Scout, unranked; MLB.com, unranked. 10th Round (290; $140,700) - RHP Randy LeBlanc, Tulane LeBlanc missed his freshman year with an elbow injury that resulted in Tommy John surgery. Highly touted out of high school, LeBlanc has spent four years at Tulane and still has one year of eligibility left. He's back healthy ago and hitting 95 with ease. His breaking ball and change-up are below-average pitches, but, even at 22, still has some projection left. His got a good pitcher's body too (6' 4, 200). The Twins hope that with advanced instruction, he can turn his curveball and change-up into above-average offerings. Pre-draft rankings: MLB.com, 188; Baseball America, 236; Perfect Game, 327; Scout, unranked.

“We got our man!” Those were the words of Minnesota Twins scouting director Deron Johnson talking about the team’s first round pick, Nick Gordon. “Just to be picked by Minnesota, it’s the greatest feeling in the world.” That is how Nick Gordon described his emotions upon being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft. Photo by Rinaldi Photos It seems like a match made in heaven. The Twins are a team always looking for athleticism, and Gordon provides that. There is a lot to like about the young shortstop from Orlando, Florida. “(We liked) his ability to play shortstop. We think he’s offensive. He’s got a really good swing. I think he’s going to have power down the road. He’s going to stay at shortstop, in my mind. He’s got great work ethic. Great kid. Big league bloodlines with his brother and his dad. We expect big things from him.” His brother, Dee, is the second baseman of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is in his fourth season with the Dodgers and just now becoming the player many thought he would become. He is hitting .279/.327/.372 with 15 extra base hits. He already has 35 stolen bases and the season is just one-third over. Is Nick as fast as Dee? According to Johnson, “There’s not too many people in baseball with his brother’s speed, but he can run. He doesn’t show you a great time on the clock just because he’s got a pretty big swing, and he’s got power. But he’s a plus-runner.” Their father, Tom “Flash” Gordon debuted with the Kansas City Royals as a 20-year-old in 1988. He played for the Royals until 1995. He spent time with the Red Sox, the Cubs, the Astros, the White Sox, the Yankees, the Phillies and the Diamondbacks before retiring after the 2009 season. He had a solid major league career, though he really became a star once he moved into the bullpen. Nick Gordon has spent his life around the game of baseball thanks to his father. “It’s been all my life. Ever since I was born, my dad had me in a clubhouse. Always had a bat and ball, always trying to get on a baseball field.” He understands and appreciates what he has in his father and his brother. “Without my dad and my brother, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Everything I know and everything that they’ve taught me. I’ve used it in my game. It’s made me a totally better player and a better person, and I thank God for them every day.” Deron Johnson talked a little bit about how the bloodlines matter in scouting. “In the scouting world, we always say big league bloodlines are going to help at some point. You really don’t know, but the kid is made up right.” He added what might be the biggest advantage when a player does have family with that big league acumen. “(Confidence is) what really helps him out with the big league bloodlines because there’s a lot of peaks and valleys in baseball. He’s a pretty even-keeled kid.” But let’s not confuse things. Nick Gordon was not the fifth overall pick solely because his dad and brother are major league baseball players. Gordon has earned his lofty draft position. The Twins first saw him when he was a sophomore in high school when they were at his high school to see a couple other players they were scouting. Scouts talk about the five tools; hitting, hitting for power, fielding, arm and speed. The Twins believe he already has four of those tools. They believe he will hit. They believe he can stick at shortstop because he is a very solid, sure fielder. He also has the 90+ mph arm which will help him make those long throws from deep in the hole. Though he isn’t as fast as his brother, he also has great speed. Where even the Twins draft room was divided is whether or not he will develop the power tool. Johnson said he believes he will develop some power as he continues to grow and mature and learn the game. “I think he’s going to have power. We all think he’s going to hit for high average. If he hits for power, he can be a JJ Hardy type, or a Stephen Drew type.” For what it’s worth, Gordon also believes he will be able to hit the ball out of the park. “I think I can be a line drive, gap-to-gap hitter, but I also think I can hit 20 to 25 bombs a year. I can be that leadoff guy. I can be the next Carl Crawford leading off, or the next Derek Jeter leading off. I pattern my game after those guys at the plate. I know I can be a 1 or 2 or 3 hitter in the game someday.” Although it isn’t always listed with the other five tools, many people now put “plate discipline” in the category of the tools. It is an area that both Gordon and Johnson say he continued to improve in his senior year in high school. It’s a skill that is very important as he progresses up the organizational ladder. Plate discipline also speaks to poise and maturity which is important when you consider giving such a young man a large signing bonus. The slot amount for the number five pick this year is about $3.85 million. There is no question that Gordon will be able to handle the money and continue to work as hard as he has to get to this point. Beyond the bloodlines, Gordon has some of the intangibles that can take him to that next level. “I’m so competitive now. I love winning, and I love being a leader.” When asked who some of the players were who he looked up to and admired, we get a glimpse of what makes him so special as a person and as a prospect. “Derek Jeter and my brother. I get compared to my brother a lot, but I want to be the player Derek Jeter was one day. He’s a leader. He’s accountable. He’s always in the right place. He’s a professional on and off the field. My brother can really play the game. He plays the game hard, and he doesn’t take it for granted. Even through the struggles, he’s learned to work his way through them and make adjustments. I want to be able to do that when I get older, and I know I’ll be able to do that.” Last summer, Gordon came to the Twin Cities for the Perfect Game Nationals. He enjoyed it, but he understands the weather in Minnesota will not be the same as it was in Orlando. “One thing I really knew is it was really cold in Minnesota. I’ve got to make that adjustment. But if I’m cold, then everyone else is cold. I’m going to enjoy playing in the cold, and in the climate. Being away from home, I’m ready to see it.” When asked, Deron Johnson said that he didn’t know where Gordon would start his journey as a professional baseball saying that once he signs, it will be up to Brad Steil and the player development team. That said, we can make some assumptions based on history. On signing, he will begin his professional career, most likely with the Gulf Coast League Twins. If he performs and looks comfortable, there is a good chance he will end the year with a stint in Elizabethton. Following the season, he will likely be invited to Florida Instructional League. That is the path that the Twins went with Byron Buxton, their first round draft pick in 2012. That is the path that they went with both Kohl Stewart, last year’s top choice. In each of those cases, the players began their first full season in Cedar Rapids. It’s a long journey from high school draft pick to the big leagues and for Nick Gordon his journey with the Minnesota Twins is about to take off. It should be a lot of fun for us to watch at Twins Daily over the coming years.

With their 2nd round pick, 46th overall, the Twins selected someone they had drafted before. They drafted RHP Nick Burdi, a relief pitcher from Louisville that they selected in the 24th round in the 2011 draft out of high school. They couldn't convince him to sign then, but he should certainly sign this time around. Burdi throws serious heat, occasionally touching 100 mph on a radar gun. He immediately takes over the spot as the top-rated reliever in the Twins organization. Prior to the 2011 draft, many projected Burdi to be a 2nd or 3rd round pick, though he had committed to Louisville. Because teams knew he was unlikely to sign, he fell. He was happy that the Twins drafted him, but he wanted to honor his commitment to the Cardinals. He has been one of the most dominant relievers in the college ranks since his freshman year. He is blessed with an arm that reaches 100 mph regularly, and even touched 103 at one point. There is a fair question of what is too early to select a relief pitcher, but Burdi may be an exception. He was projected to be a mid-to-late first round pick this year and fell to the Twins. He immediately becomes the #1 relief pitching prospect in the organization, far ahead of Zach Jones or Michael Tonkin. He is the type who could move very quickly. In fact, he could probably (in theory) pitch for the Twins right now. The Twins will likely, and wisely, be more patient, protecting such a valuable arm. At 6-4 and 215, pounds, he was ranked the #31 prospect by MLB.com and #36 by Baseball America, so getting him at #46 would appear to be a great deal. In 33.1 innings for Louisville (so far) this season, he had 58 strikeouts and just ten walks. Opponents hit just .125 against him.