Cody Christie

He might never be an ace but he could fit nicely into the middle of the Twins' rotation for multiple seasons.

There always seems to be questions about prep arms. He is a teenager and still has time to grow into his body over the next handful of years. When his "man muscles" arrive, he should be able to chuck it across the diamond. I've heard more questions about his footwork in the infield.

Not that it matters but the Rays have announced they will let McKay play first base and pitch to start his professional career. http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/rays-go-bogo-brendan-mckay/#hYCXZgBhOJz7egTR.97 I wonder if the Twins weren't going to be as flexible on him continuing as a two-way player.

Could happen. They do have the third highest draft pool. Not sure how often a team goes over slot on a top-5 pick with the new system. They are usually trying to save money for picks in later rounds.

This seems like a fun list to make. What are the least desirable MLB teams to play for?

Gordon could be in the big leagues as soon as the end of this year. There are still questions about his ability to stick at shortstop which is why he has been spending some time at second. Lewis is going to take time to develop. Ideally, they both can stick at short and develop some power. If the Twins have to make a decision at some point, they will move one of them off of the position.

The 10 fans he will get to play in front of on a nightly basis will be proud to call him one of their own.

I think two-way players would get overwhelmed with trying to fix their swing, work on their pitching mechanics, and watch video of opposing batters and pitchers.

I know it's easy to get down on Buxton. He was coming from rural Georgia where he faced very little competition. Lewis played in California and has faced very good competition throughout his prep career.

Jorge is quietly putting together quite the season. It will be interesting to see if he gets a look with Rochester in the second-half

I like the fact that Lewis is an everyday player with a high ceiling. McKay's lack of up the middle defensive position had me leaning towards Lewis over McKay

This was some of my thinking. I believe he is passionate about both but his desire to be an everyday hitter might have been the tipping point in favor of the Rays.

Realistically, it was probably a coin flip between many of the top prospects. I like the fact that they went after an everyday player with lots of upside.

Yesterday became a whirlwind as the hours and minutes counted down to the Twins making the first overall selection. No experts or reporters were able to crack the Twins front office and figure out who the club would be taking at the top of the draft. It really did feel like it was coming down to the wire. Eventually, the Twins decided on prep shortstop Royce Lewis. He wasn't the highest ranked prospect on many draft boards so why did he end up in Minnesota? Did the Twins have a different plan with the first pick?Most predictions leading into Monday night had the Twins going after college pitcher/first baseman Brendan McKay. Multiple reports surfaced on Monday that McKay was the target for the Twins but he declined the offer the Twins had on the table. McKay would fall to the Tampa Bay Rays with the fourth overall pick. It might have come down to the dollar amount. The assigned value for the first overall pick is $7,770,700 but team's rarely hand out the total amount of that bonus. For the fourth pick, the assigned value was $6,153,600 which is over $1.6 million less than the top spot. It also looks like the Twins offer to Lewis could save the team up to $1.3 million. In interviews last night, McKay made it clear that the Twins had approached him with an offer. He said, "They had offered a number that we felt that we could get a better offer from another team." The Twins saved some money on the top pick and wanted to transfer that savings to later picks in the draft. It's just hard to imagine their offer to McKay would have been less than the value of the fourth pick. Another reasons McKay might have turned down the Twins was his on field position. McKay had told different media outlets that the Twins preferred him as a pitcher. When the Rays called McKay's name, he was announced as a first baseman. He clearly likes playing both positions and there's a possibility that some teams were taking a harder stance on him playing one position over another. Teams could float the idea of him doing both during his time after he signs. "It could be just for that initial summer," said McKay, "but it'd be fun to be able to do both and see where it takes you." The possibility of a true two-way player could be intriguing but it seems like a very hard path to follow to the big leagues. No one will ever know what type of conversations happened between the Twins and the top players in the draft. There is a lot of posturing that happens with the top players in the draft. However, the Twins are saying all the right things when it comes to Lewis, "We see this guy as an impact player on both sides of the ball," Mike Radcliff, Twins vice president of player personnel, said. "He also has a unique ability to impact the clubhouse and the community. This guy gets it. He's got that 'it' factor that a No. 1 pick needs to survive and move forward and have success at the end of the journey. He checked all the boxes for us." We will never know if the Twins got the top player on their board but it's clear that an offer was made to McKay. Did the Twins miss out on their top pick? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

On a night when big league teams were changing the future of their franchise, three Twins affiliates were continuing to try to secure first half playoff spots. Chattanooga entered play on Monday with a slim half game lead over Tennessee. Montgomery, the Lookouts' opponent on Monday, sits two games behind Chattanooga. Cedar Rapids is in a similar situation. They enter the final week of the first half with a one game lead over Kane County and a two game lead over Quad Cities. The Kernels start a series in Quad Cities on Tuesday but they couldn't look past their Monday match-up with Burlington. Did either team get closer to clinching a playoff birth?News and Notes: Nik Turley was named International League Pitcher of the Week. The left-handed pitcher struck out a career-high 15 batters over six scoreless innings. He was rewarded for his strong start as he made his MLB debut on Sunday. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Montgomery 0 Box Score Felix Jorge pitched into the seventh inning for the sixth straight start and he allowed two runs or fewer for the fourth straight appearance. In this game, he pitched seven scoreless frames and limited the Biscuits to three hits. Jorge struck out five and walked two as he lowered his season ERA to 3.00. The Lookouts improved to 11-1 in games started by Jorge this season. Chattanooga took a while to get their bats moving in this one. In the top of the fifth, Dan Rohlfing singled before Nick Gordon's 18th double of the season moved him to third. Edgar Corcino drove in the first run of the game with a one-out single. However, Gordon ended up being stranded ninety feet from home. When the seventh frame rolled around, the Lookouts scored without recording a hit. Edgar Corcino walked and moved around the bases on a passed ball and two wild pitches. Things opened up in the top of the ninth with two outs. Corcino singled and LaMonte Wade reached on a throwing error that saw both runners move up a base. Jonathan Rodriguez collected a two-run single and came around to score on a Andy Wilkins double. Two more wild pitches pushed across another run to make the score 6-0. Mason Melotakis struck out the side during a perfect eighth inning. After watching a long top of the ninth, Melotakis allowed a double in the bottom half of the inning, He still managed a pair of strikeouts to end the night with five strikeouts in two innings of work. Tennesse lost for the second straight day so the Lookouts moved to a game and half up in their division. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers --, Charlotte -- (Postponed) Fort Myers and Charlotte were postponed on Monday. The teams will play a doubleheader on Tuesday starting at 4:30 CST. Each game is scheduled to be seven innings. The Miracle have already been eliminated from first-half playoff contention. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Burlington 1 Box Score The Kernels were nearly no-hit hit in this contest as an eighth inning single from Travis Blankenhorn was the lone hit. Blankenhorn reached base twice in four plate appearances. Mitchell Kranson drew a pair of walks. Christian Cavaness and Ben Rortvedt also reached base once. Cedar Rapids only had two opportunities to bat with a runner in scorning position. Tyler wells did his best to keep the game close. He allowed one run on four hits over five innings of work. He struck out eight and walked two. It was his first loss since last August. Ryan Mason and Alex Robinson each pitched two shutout frames with neither walking a batter. Mason struck out one and Robinson struck out two. Had they been no-hit it would have been the first time since May 1, 2015. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Felix Jorge, Chattanooga Lookouts (7 IP, 0 ER, 5 K, 2 BB, 3 H) Hitter of the Day – Andy Wilkins, Chattanooa Lookouts (2-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, R) TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/WB (5:35 CST) - TBD Chattanooga @ Montgomery (7:05 CST) - TBD Fort Myers vs. Charlotte (4:30 CST) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (0-2, 1.38 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Charlotte (Game 2)- RHP Brady Anderson (2-2, 3.86 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:35 CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (4-1, 2.63 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article

Rookie leagues start on June 22 so there will be some movement before that point. There are always promotions around the season's mid-way point after leagues have their All-Star Game. There is less than a week left in the minor league first half. I would expect to see the start of some moves after that point.

With Turley getting the call-up, there were a lot of spot starts for the different affiliates. Teams were able to come-up with some big wins in close games.

The Twins are less than 24 hours from an influx of talent into their farm system. Obviously, some of these players won't sign right away but this time of year can always pull minor league fans in opposite directions. It's great to add new talent but that also means other players could be out of a job as new players take their place. It's tough to consider but some players might be in their final days in a Twins uniform. With only three affiliates playing on Sunday, who stood out above the crowd? Read on to find out.Roster Moves RHP Nik Turley, contract purchased by Minnesota LHP Matt Tracy was moved from Chattanooga to Rochester LHP Randy Rosario was optioned from Minnesota to Chattanooga RHP Drew Rucinski, designated for assignment LHP Nick Greenwood, released RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Syracuse 5 Box Score Rochester got their offense moving in the second inning. Niko Goodrum singled to start the frame. ByungHo Park doubled before a J.B. Shuck triple plated a pair of runs. JR Murphy used a sac-fly to push the Rochester lead to 3-0. In the next inning, Matt Hague walked before a Tommy Field double moved him to third. Park singled and Shuck doubled as each batter drove in a run. After Syracuse scored three runs in the top of the fourth, Rochester needed to find some way to answer. Zach Granite started the frame with a double. Mitch Garver moved him to third on a come-backer to the mound. Matt Hague brought him in on a sacrifice fly to extend the lead back to three runs. With Nik Turley making his big league debut, Matt Tracy started for Rochester. He went five frames and allowed three runs on six hits. He struck out four and walked two. Trevor Hildenberger ran into some sixth inning trouble as he allowed two runs and the Chiefs were one run away from tying the game. Park, Shuck and Engelb Vielma were all 2-for-4. Alan Busenitz and Ryan Pressly each pitched a shutout inning to close the game. Busenitz allowed a double, a wild pitch, and a walk before a huge inning-ending double play. Pressly struck out the side in the ninth and all three strikeouts were swinging. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Montgomery 4 Box Score Chattanooga jumped early on Montgomery's pitching staff. Jonathan Rodriguez and Dan Gamache reached with a walk and a single to start the threat. With two outs, Jose Gonzalez walked to load the bases. A Ryan Walker single brought in the first two runs of the game. Nick Gordon finished the frame with a two-run triple to put Chattanooga up 4-0. In the next inning, Rodriguez singled and scored two batters later on a TJ White single to extend the Lookouts' lead. Randy LeBlanc had just pitched out of the bullpen three days ago so he was on a short pitch count. He scattered five hits and struck out five through four shutout frames. Raul Fernandez continued posting zeros as he didn't allow a run in two innings while striking out one. From there, things got a little dicey for the bullpen. Todd Van Steensel allowed a one-out double before a wild pitch moved the runner to third. A sacrifice fly scored Montgomery's first run of the game. Recently returned Randy Rosario ran into some trouble himself. He gave up three singles and a walk but a key strikeout kept the bleeding to one run. Jake Reed entered the ninth with a three-run lead and he needed every one of them. He walked two of the first four batters before a double cut the lead to 5-3. During the next at-bat, Reed uncorked a wild pitch that allowed the runner to scamper in from third. A line out to center ended the threat and the Lookouts came away with the big win. With the win, the Lookouts move into sole possession of first place in the Southern League North Division. Tennessee lost on Sunday and sits a half a game behind Chattanooga. Montgomery is two games back. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Burlington 4 Box Score The Kernels got out to a quick start as they used back-to-back doubles from Mitchell Kranson and Jaylin Davis to score the game's first run. Cedar Rapids had three hits in the first frame but they were held to only two more hits the rest of the way. Kranson is in the middle of a career-best seven game hit streak. Travis Blankenhorn went 2-for-4. Hitters five through nine in the Kernel's line-up reached base one time. Max Cordy made a spot start and had a career high-tying four shutout innings. He had to get out of a bases loaded jam in the second and then Davis had to throw out a runner at home in the fourth. Evan Sanders took the loss as he allowed three runs on three hits with two walks. Logan Lombana allowed a solo home run in his two innings with two strikeouts. Colton Davis struck out two as part of two scoreless innings. Even with the loss, the Kernels have their destiny in their own hands. Entering the final week of the first half, Cedar Rapids leads the Midwest League Western Division by one game over Kane County and sits two games above Quad Cities. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Randy LeBlanc, Chattanooga Lookouts (4 IP, 0 ER, 5 K, BB, 5 H) Hitter of the Day – JB Shuck, Rochester Red Wings (2-for-4, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester - Scheduled Off Day Chattanooga @ Montgomery (7:05 CST) - RHP Felix Jorge (6-1, 3.32 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Charlotte (6:05 CST) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (0-2, 1.38 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Burlington (12:05 CST) - RHP Tyler Wells (3-0, 2.05 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

He sits in the low-90s with his fastball. He mixes in a slider and a changeup which helps him to collect some strikeouts. At this point, I think the Twins will continue to use his as a starter. Maybe he could shift to relief and add some velocity but that won't happen this season.

He had under 300 IP as a pro coming into this season. The switch from position player to pitcher cost him some time. If he keeps pitching like this, he should get a shot at Double-A before the year is out.

MLB.com released their latest mock draft this morning. It sounds like they will have another mock up on Sunday and another one on Monday. http://m.mlb.com/news/article/235304580/round-1-forecast-mlb-draft-starts-monday/?topicid=151437456