Jeremy Nygaard

In the simplest form, yes I would like to see MLB allowing teams to trade draft picks. But without really tight rules in place, it would be a disaster. Agents already manipulate players going to certain teams. (Absolutely what Boras is doing with Crews.) Could you imagine how this would play out if the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers or Padres could just trade into the Top 5? There's a reason they have access to the least amount of pool money and that's to keep it from happening. Do you also allow future picks to be traded? That's how teams move up in other drafts. But that would be super difficult to do when teams could lose their pick (or have the pick drop). The whole idea is just too complex right now.

re The Gonzalez Hate: I'm not a huge fan either and I hoped that people would see that. But I don't necessarily think it's a fireable offense. A year ago the idea of the Twins being able to draft Gonzalez while also leading the AL Central would have seemed very far-fetched. He was considered to be one of the elite prospects and had a lengthy track-record of success. He just wasn't as good this year. With that said, if they pass on Jenkins to draft someone else, there are a lot of other players I'd want before Gonzalez. I honestly thought Jenkins sounded like exactly who the Twins would want. But he was born with hip issues and, despite having surgery, it's conceivable that they've red-flagged him. That would change the narrative, right? (I would love to get @Lucas Seehafer PT take on this.) It will be hard to make any judgment until they finish out their night. I understand the risk of taking a high school pitcher fifth, but if the Twins can float Noble Meyer by taking Gonzalez plus get another sandwich-round-type value, I'd consider that a huge win. Ideally, if the Twins aren't going to go Big Five, I'd prefer Kyle Teel, Arjun Nimmala, Noble Meyer, Rhett Lowder or Matt Shaw. If I could get two of them, I'd be ecstatic. If I could get two of them plus another prep like Blake Mitchell, Thomas White, Dillon Head or Charlee Soto, I'd be over the moon. I was prepared for the worst last year (Jacob Berry) and ended up being very excited with Brooks Lee and Connor Prielipp. Hopefully it works out in a similar way.

Jenkins is also repped by Boras, I've heard... but pushing him past the Rangers, who have a smaller bonus pool, to the Twins does make a little bit of sense. I actually posted a similar idea on Twitter a few days ago. I think you're looking at a 1% chance, but... I guess I'm saying there's a chance!

One of my favorite articles to write is trying to project a Twins-only Top 10 round mock draft. The inaugural Twins-mock was posted in 2014. Nick Gordon (Round 1) and Max Murphy (Round 9) were hits. But only three (including Gordon) ever made a major league appearance. There were two more hits in 2015 (Kyle Cody and Trey Cabbage). I was taking Jake Cronenworth in the seventh round - which was where he was selected - but as a pitcher. Cronenworth went on to finish runner-up in the 2020 Rookie of the Year race and made the All-Star game in 2021. In 2016, I only correctly predicted Alex Kirilloff. My last attempt before a long hiatus came in 2017, when I incorrectly projected the Twins to select Kyle Wright. My streak of getting at least one right continued as I correctly pegged Blayne Enlow going to the Twins. The Twins-only mock draft returned last year, but it was a dud. For the first time, I dropped an "oh-fer." I probably should just retire the bit.. but it's too fun. Here goes the 2023 edition with some quick caveats: I anticipate the Twins missing out on their Top 4 (Crews, Skenes, Langford and Clark) and playing the savings game. It's not that I'm not a fan of the approach, necessarily. I do believe, though, that teams are assuming a lot of risk in hopes that your intended target drops to where you want him to. We saw the Rangers successfully employ this approach with Kumar Rocker and Brock Porter last year. But how many times does a player not fall (that we never hear about)? How would it have worked for the Rangers if Porter got drafted by someone else? It's a risky endeavor... but one I think the Twins choose to partake in this year (assuming the top three college players are gone). I'm going to play this more conservatively. It's not going to be a huge reach at #5 (though disappointing to some, me included) and then the intent to spread that savings out to a few players instead of trying to lure a Top 15 talent out of the first round. Round 1 (Pick 5 - $7,139,700): Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Ole Miss. I won't love it. The Twins got so lucky moving up in the lottery and have a chance to take a big swing... and they'll settle for good, solid contact, a better chance to walk than strikeout and someone who probably ends up at third base (but doesn't really offer the power profile of a third baseman). The Twins paid Brooks Lee $5,675,000 last year. I'm going to anticipate a signing bonus of $5,500,00 (in between slots nine and 10; resulting in a savings of $1,639,700) for a lesser version of Brooks Lee. With the savings, I'm going to look to throw some extra money at the next two picks. With the savings and the draft slots, that's about $5.86m to split over the other two first day selections. Comp Round A (Pick 34 - $2,481,400): Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech. The Twins were said to be fans of Gavin Cross last year, drafted Tanner Schobel (who has been excellent) and certainly saw plenty of their teammate Jack Hurley. Hurley checks all the boxes to go higher, but in a stacked draft like this one will probably slide out of the first round. The Twins will gladly add another bat to the mix. Hurley should be a slot-type signee. Round 2 (Pick 49 - $1,741,500): Thomas White, LHP, Massachusetts prep. Once the Twins get on the board at 34, they will have a pretty good idea who they can float to 49. White is committed to Vanderbilt and is probably ticketed to be drafted between picks 20 and 30 (without knowing his specific demands). He'd probably command a bonus in the $3 million-plus range, which is doable in this scenario. Round 3 (Pick 82 - $859,700): Sean Sullivan, LHP, Wake Forest. Sullivan pitched for the best team in college baseball for much of the season and was someone worth watching as the Demon Deacons made their run to the College World Series. He's more of a "funky lefty" right now, but the Twins have had success adding velocity once drafting players and could reap the rewards of adding a player like Sullivan to their system. Round 4 (Pick 114 - $586,000): Zion Rose, C, IMG Academy. Rose is another player who I've had my eye on and this is the range in which he should be drafted. He might be a tough sign for $600,000, but the Twins should still have a couple hundred thousand left in their pool and can draft some seniors later, allowing Rose to sign for closer to $1m. Round 5 (Pick 150 - $412,600): George Klassen, RHP, Minnesota. Klassen throws gas and the Twins have - more so in the distant past than recent past - tried to protect their background. He'll have to refine his command, but the velocity is legit. Round 6 (Pick 177 - $322,900): Brody Hopkins, RHP, Winthrop. The Twins have a good track record of unearthing pitchers from lesser-known baseball schools, names like David Festa and Cade Povich come to mind. Hopkins was a two-way player in college and has unlimited potential as a pitcher. Round 7 (Pick 207 - $252,500): Jared Sprague-Lott, SS, Richmond. Sprague-Lott has shown good potential in the batter's box, batting over .300 this past season with 44 walks to only 31 strikeouts. If he can stick as shortstop, that's an added benefit, but the Twins are simply looking for hitters. Round 8 (Pick 237 - $202,200): Bryson Hammer, LHP, Dallas Baptist. The results haven't been there. He's bounced around and only threw 45 innings at DBU this year. He's shown the ability to throw three pitches effectively. He's also shown that he has a long way to go and might profile as a reliever. Round 9 (Pick 267 - $179,000): Blake Money, RHP, LSU. Money is a big dude with a big arm. Fastball/change-type out of college which make you believe that Wes Johnson knew what he was doing moving him to the bullpen. How is the Twins relationship with Wes after he bailed on them? Who knows... but you can never have too many arms especially when you follow up drafting a guy named "Hammer" by drafting a guy named "Money." Round 10 (Pick 297 - $168,100): Brock Rodden, 2B/SS, Wichita State. Call this the Sean Johnson Special. Aside from hitting the ball well, which is a trait the Twins love, Rodden is from Wichita State, Johnson's alma mater. He also measures in a 5' 9", 170 pounds (which are almost identical to Dustin Pedroia's measurements). Who is an all-time favorite of Johnson's? Dustin Pedroia. Find something that makes more sense. So there you have it: Of the 11 projected picks, only two are prep players. Six pitchers, five hitters. Lots of upside. It may not be a perfect draft, but is it good enough to get your approval? Let me know in the comments. View full article

The plan is mapped out pretty well in advance. And Skenes was the 10th in case someone else jumped into the picture late. It didn't happen... and it's enjoyable to read about Paul Skenes and watch Paul Skenes and dive deeper into Paul Skenes. So... yeah, it's a pretty slim chance he'll be around. But there were mock drafts not that long ago that had him falling to the Twins and crazy things happen. I, for one, would support this crazy thing.

Today we conclude the 10-part series previewing potential selections for the Minnesota Twins on Sunday night with the fifth overall pick. Today's profile contains the best collegiate pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg and a likely pipe-dream for the Minnesota Twins at #5. Paul Skenes is an absolute stud and whoever gets him is getting, arguably, the top pitching prospect in all of baseball. Image courtesy of Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports Who is He? Paul Skenes is a generational talent who just completed his junior year leading the LSU Tigers to the National Championship. He spent his first two years pitching for Air Force Academy (the former home of current Twins reliever Griffin Jax). Skenes transferred before he would be required to put his baseball career on pause as Jax had to do before committing to baseball full-time. And Wes Johnson unlocked a pitcher rarely seen in the college ranks. Skenes has an 80-grade fastball that routinely hits triple-digits, a plus-slider that will give hitters fits and a usable change-up that he will continue to develop. He's also actually a very good hitter as well and jokes that he wants to hit too. He might not give Shohei Ohtani a run for best two-way player in the MLB, but there's no doubt that he's a different type. At 6' 6" and over 230 pounds, Skenes checks every box that you'd look for in a future MLB ace. Why the Twins Will Draft Him It should be as simple as "if, by act of divine intervention, the teams drafting in the first four spots forget about Paul Skenes, the Twins need to rush to the podium to draft him." Skenes would cost a king's ransom on the open market, so getting six years of service for pennies on the dollar is one of the greatest heists in sports. He'd be an organizational asset that could, potentially, net more than any other signal player in all of baseball (when you factor in cost in terms of prospects and what a team would have to pay him contractually). It would be a no-brainer. If he's available: Draft the man. Pay the man. And, probably, consider pitching him during the stretch run if you need to. (Many of these same things can be said about Dylan Crews, too, who we didn't profile. The likelihood of either player falling to the Twins is relatively slim.) Why the Twins Won’t Draft Him Well, because Skenes will be gone. The Nationals, according to rumors, can't wait to draft him at #2 and the only thing that would make them reconsider is if Dylan Crews is available. In that event, it would be hard to imagine that the Tigers would pass on him at #3 (and wouldn't that be lovely in the American League Central). A Skenes-tumble would, for all intents and purposes, have to do with excessive salary demands and, though the Twins are one of the most well-equipped teams to meet anyone's demands, it's possible that they would balk at punting the rest of the draft to draft him. Personally, I don't think it would be outrageous to sacrifice other picks to pay Skenes more, but I'm not running a draft room or signing the checks. Unless a catastrophic injury gets in the way, Paul Skenes will be a multi-time All-Star, a perennial Cy Young contender and will make hundreds of millions of dollars for being really, really good at throwing a baseball. What do you think of Paul Skenes as a prospect? How would you feel about the Twins taking him fifth overall in the Draft? Join the discussion in the comments. Previous Draft Articles and Profiles Walker Jenkins Max Clark Noble Meyer Rhett Lowder Jacob Gonzalez Jacob Wilson Wyatt Langford Kyle Teel Chase Dollander Nygaard Mock Draft v.2 Consensus Big Board Profiles: 26-50 Consensus Big Board Profiles: 1-25 View full article

No. I'm reading between the lines and assuming that Boras has Crews and Jenkins, but not the other three.

Noble Meyer is the highest ranked high school pitcher in this year's draft. Checking in at 12th overall on the Consensus Big Board, Meyer offers a full arsenal already, but comes from the most debated demographic: prep right-handed pitchers. Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Over the next two weeks, we're going to be providing you with profiles of 10 players the Twins could take with the 5th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Who is He? Noble Meyer is an 18-year-old from Oregon who, unfortunately, happened to graduate high school in the same year that the draft is loaded. Due to the COVID-shortened 2020 draft - which pushed many high school players to college - there is an abundance of top-end talent. Players like Noble Meyer become more afterthoughts than they would in a typical year. Meyer hails from the same high school that produced Mick Abel and is exactly what you want a pitching prospect to be. He's tall (6' 5") but has room to fill out. He already throws a plus fastball that has hit triple digits and a plus slider in the mid-80s. He's shown good feel for a change-up as well. It's *easy* to project his ceiling as someone who leads a rotation. In a normal year, Meyer is getting a lot of love in the Top 5. Why the Twins Will Draft Him Remember when the Twins drafted Kohl Stewart fourth overall in 2013? I do and am not afraid to admit that I loved the pick at the time. Since the Twins have avoided using any of their high first round picks on a high school pitcher. They did draft Chase Petty - and flipped him for Sonny Gray - but that was a late round pick. Kohl Stewart - and now Noble Meyer - oozed upside. And when you want to take a big swing, swing for the fences. That's what Noble Meyer would be. Sure, the team missed on Kohl Stewart. Sure, the team looks like they missed on Keoni Cavaco. But the third time could be a charm. Right now, the Twins top-end pitching shelf is pretty bare. Connor Prielipp is having arm issues, but was a welcome gamble last year. Marco Raya, recently promoted to Wichita, was a true gem found in the 2020 draft. But neither really project as a guy to lead a rotation. Noble Meyer could. Yes, there would be significant risk. It would require lots of patience. The luck went the Twins way in the lottery... and it could go their way again with Noble Meyer. Why the Twins Won't Draft Him Aside from all the reasons listed above, namely the risk being enormous, there's also the case of how the Twins set their draft board. Obviously, we're not in the draft room. (If you're reading this and are someone who is in the draft room, consider extending me an invitation. Only as a spectator.) But the way of the Twins recently is to draft bats in the first round and maybe with one of the next two picks before transitioning to drafting mostly, if not all, pitchers on the second day. Take a bat you believe in first, the best player(s) on your board to round out Sunday, then take the best pitcher on your board for the rest of the first 10 rounds. Take as many swings at the pitching pinata as you can.... just not necessarily with your first swing. Maybe the Twins view Meyer differently. Maybe he's the exception to the rule - and there's certainly steam that they like him. Or maybe... just maybe... the Twins have visions of grandeur and think they can manipulate their pool to get Meyer, just not at #5. What do you think of Noble Meyer as a prospect? How would you feel about him being the Twins pick at 5 overall? Join the discussion in the comments. Previous Draft Articles and Profiles Rhett Lowder Jacob Gonzalez Jacob Wilson Wyatt Langford Kyle Teel Chase Dollander Nygaard Mock Draft v.2 Consensus Big Board Profiles: 26-50 Consensus Big Board Profiles: 1-25 View full article

It's been an eventful week in the Twins organization. Minor league teams are playing their first full week in the second half of their seasons and the major league team is providing a better rollercoaster ride than anything Valleyfair offers. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photos of Jair Camargo) Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. Please check out all the upcoming draft content here! TRANSACTIONS RHP Marco Raya - arguably the top pitching prospect in the system - has been promoted from Cedar Rapids to Wichita. RHP Jose Bravo was placed on Wichita's Development List. RESULTS Monday (6/26): David Festa Named to Futures Game Tuesday (6/27): Complex Pirates Take Care of Complex Twins Wednesday (6/28): Camargo Walkoff Highlights Huge Offensive Day for Twins... Minor Leaguers Thursday (6/29): Wallner Stays Hot for Saints Friday (6/30): Saints Lose No-Hit Bid In 7th Inning, Wallner Keeps Mashing Saturday (7/1): Saints March On, Ross Powers Another Kernels Win Sunday (7/2): Minnesota Farm Provides Some Early Fireworks MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month: June 2023 Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month: June 2023 Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month: June 2023 Marco Raya Is Refining His Repertoire in Cedar Rapids Top Twins Minor League Performers in Season's First Half WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 48-31 (5-0 last week) Overview: A great week for the Saints, going for the sweep against Gwinnett on Monday night. 🔥: It's time for the Twins to get Matt Wallner back in their lineup. Nine hits in 20 at-bats over the last seven days including two home runs. He scored six runs but struck out five times (with zero walks). 🔥: Randy Dobnak was great in his lone start. He pitched five innings and allowed only a hit and a walk resulting in an impressive 0.67 WHIP. He struck out six. A return to the Randy of old would be a huge boost. 🔥: Jair Camargo drove in a team-leading 10 runs for the Saints and tied Wallner for a team-high with nine hits (including four doubles). The Twins might just have a legitimate catching prospect on their hands. He also hit a walk-off grand slam and the pictures (included) were awesome! 🔥: Blayne Enlow threw five innings in his start and allowed no hits (!), but walked five (!). He struck out three. 🔥: Dallas Keuchel allowed three hits and four walks, but struck out three and allowed three hits in 4 1/3 innings. 🥶: Jose Miranda earned that promotion by posting a team-low .696 OPS over the last week. 🤨 🥶: Louie Varland pitched 4 2/3 innings and issued five walks and allowed six hits (including two home runs) and six earned runs. What's Next: The Saints will pay a visit to the Iowa Cubs beginning on Tuesday. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 32-41 (4-1 last week) Overview: The Wind Surge saw a four-game winning streak end on Sunday and will finish their series on Monday evening. 🔥: Aaron Sabato hit two home runs among his six hits. He had a 1.170 OPS though he needs to cut down on the strikeouts (seven in 19 at-bats). 🔥: Travis Adams threw five two-hit, one-run innings while striking out seven. 🔥: Yunior Severino hit three home runs. (He also needs to cut down on his strikeouts - nine in 20 at-bats.) 🔥: Brooks Lee led the team with seven RBI. 🥶: Regi Grace allowed two home runs in his 4 2/3 innings. He did strike out six but also allowed five hits, a walk, and four runs. 🥶: Both Will Holland and Seth Gray got only two hits in their ten or more at-bats. What's Next: Wichita heads to Tulsa before the All-Star Break. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 5-3 in the second half. (3-2 last week) Overview: The Kernels got a late start to their week, getting three days off before a doubleheader on Thursday. They'll finish their Peoria series on Monday night. 🔥: Tanner Schobel has done everything he can to deserve a promotion. In the last seven days, he led the team with eight hits, two home runs, eight RBI, and four runs. 🔥: Kyle Jones struck out five in 5 1/3 shutout innings. He allowed two hits and two walks. 🔥: C.J. Culpepper only struck out two in six innings. But he allowed no runs on three hits and a walk. 🥶: Marco Raya looked human - allowing four hits and two walks - in 2 2/3 innings. He struck out four... and got promoted. 🥶: Emmanuel Rodriguez is quite something. He'll do some unbelievable things... both good and bad. This week, it was bad. He went 0-for-14 while striking out nine times. But he did draw eight walks... which resulted in a .364 OBP. 🥶: Noah Miller (4-19), Kala'i Rosario (1-17), Jose Salas (3-15), and Misael Urbina (1-11) all would deserve their own line, but collectively... woof. What's Next: Cedar Rapids will host Quad Cities beginning on Tuesday. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 3-5 in the second half. (2-3 last week) Overview: After taking the first two from Lakeland, Fort Myers has lost three straight and finish the series Monday night. 🔥: Dylan Neuse went 5-11 and scored seven runs. He drew nine walks (which is the same amount as the second- and third-place walkers on the team combined). His on-base percentage was a freakish .727. 🔥: Ben Ethridge picked up the torch for all the recently-promoted starters by throwing five shutout innings. He struck out five and allowed only one hit and two walks. 🥶: Rubel Cespedes finished the week 2-for-22 with five strikeouts. 🥶: Miguelangel Boadas allowed five runs on five hits and four walks in two innings. What's Next: Fort Myers will head to Jupiter. Rookie: FCL Twins Overall: 10-11 (1-6 last week), 5.0 games behind the FCL Pirates in the FCL South. 🔥: Jose Rodriguez and Andres Centeno tied for the team lead with five hits each. But also had seven and eight strikeouts, respectively, which paced the team as well. 🔥: Six different players hit home runs, including Rodriguez. 🔥: Brayan Medina allowed no earned runs in six innings, while striking out four. 🤔: Bryan Acuna went 4-for-15 with a home run. I'm just waiting for him to immediately turn into his brother at any time. 🤔: Kyle Bischoff struck out eight in four innings, but also allowed five earned runs and two home runs. 🥶: Matt Gabbert pitched four innings and allowed 11 hits and six runs. Rookie: DSL Twins Overall: 6-15 (1-5 last week), 9 games back in the DSL South. 🔥: Jayson Bass had a team-high seven hits (in 17 at-bats). He also stole two bases. 🔥: Adrian Bohorquez and Eduardo Soriano paced the team with six strikeouts each. 🔥: Yilber Herrera and Moises Lopez hit home runs. 🥶: Jesus Peraza only managed one hit in 14 at-bats. 🥶: Jose Vasquez allowed eight runs on five hits and four walks while only recording five outs. PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated on the first of each month throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. Season-long stats will be in parenthesis. Fielding stats are since the last update three weeks ago. 20. Michael Helman, UTIL, St. Paul: On the 60-day Injured List with a dislocated shoulder. (.333/.434/.711. 1.145 OPS) 19. Yunior Severino, 3B, Wichita: 5-20, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, BB, 9 K, CS. (.274/.345/.517. .862 OPS). 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: 5-21, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB, 7 K. (.289/.351/.422. .773 OPS) 17. Blayne Enlow, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, 0 H, 5 BB, 3 K. (AAA/AA combined 1.19 WHIP, .230 BAA) 16. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 15. Brent Headrick, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: (1.30 WHIP, .270 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 14. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: (1.60 WHIP, .261 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 13. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 4-19, RBI, R, BB, 5 K. (.208/.278/.275. .553 OPS), played shortstop in 14 games (59 total) and committed one error in 74 chances (six errors in 253 total chances); played no games (six total) at second base (no errors in 16 total chances). 12. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 3-15, 3 K, SB, 2 CS. (.168/.263/.236. .499 OPS), played no games at shortstop (11 total; three errors in 36 chances total), played three games (13 total) at third base and committed no errors in nine chances (three errors in 31 total chances). He played 10 games (35 total) at second base with one error in 45 chances (three errors in 145 total chances). 11. Austin Martin, SS, St. Paul: Debuting Monday. Had been rehabbing with the FCL Twins and Fort Myers up to this point. 10. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: hasn't played since June 19, but isn't on the injured list. (.143/.240/.190. .430 OPS) 9. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: 9-20, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R, 5 K. (.309/.416/.570. .986 OPS); Minnesota: (.368/.520/.579. 1.099 OPS) 8. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, HRA, 4 K. (1.42 WHIP, .262 BAA) 7. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 1-0, 5.40 ERA, 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, K (1.88 WHIP, .311 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 6. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K. (0.92 WHIP, .192 BAA) 5. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: On a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins, but hasn't thrown since June 9. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 4. Edouard Julien, 2B, Minnesota. St. Paul: (.293/.435/.496. .931 OPS), has played all 34 games at second base and has committed three errors in 158 chances; currently up with the Twins. 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 0-14, R, 8 BB, 9 K. (.211/.376/.422. .798 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: Minnesota. Currently on the injured list and expected to miss six weeks. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 5-19, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K. (.265/.342/.428. .770 OPS), played 15 games (63 total) at shortstop and committed five errors in 70 chances (10 errors in 267 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK will return next week when we can vote on a day when there are no games. Ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects in the COMMENTS below. View full article

Rhett Lowder is a right-handed pitcher from Wake Forest. He has seen his stock rise and ascended to 13th on the Consensus Big Board after his performance in the College World Series. Along with Chase Dollander and Hurston Waldrep, Lowder is solidly in the second tier of college pitchers (behind the tier that includes only Paul Skenes). Image courtesy of Steven Branscombe_USA TODAY Sports Over the next two weeks, we're going to be providing you with profiles of 10 players the Twins could take with the fifth overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Who is He? Rhett Lowder is a three-year starter for Wake Forest who put up impressive numbers over his three-year career and his 2023 season would have been talked about it even more if it wasn’t for what Skenes did at LSU. Over three seasons, Lowder was 30-5 with a 3.29 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP and a K/9 of 10.2. As impressive is that is over three years, Lowder put up an otherworldly 2023 for a Wake Forest team that entered the NCAA Tournament as the #1 overall seed, won the most games in the nation and didn’t lose back-to-back games. He was 15-0 with a 1.87 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP and a 10.7 K/9. He went pitch for pitch in the showdown with Skenes in Omaha. Why the Twins Will Draft Him As the draft approaches, it's unclear what the Twins want to do. In an ideal world, Wyatt Langford is there for the taking. I also can't imagine they wouldn't be doing somersaults if Dylan Crews somehow fell and was signable at #5. They don't seem to be enamored with the high school bats. It seems to early to draft Noble Meyer (but it's possible). That only leaves reaching for a college bat or settling on the last demographic - the college pitcher - and Paul Skenes is already going to be taken. Enter: Rhett Lowder. Lowder has a plus change-up, potentially the best in the draft. Additionally, his fastball is in the mid-90s and he has a usable slider, though it needs improvement. There isn’t much more to ask for - which also limits his upside - so any team who drafts Lowder may have a mid-rotation starter they can place on the fast-track to the big leagues. With development of the slider, he could be more than that. Why the Twins Won't Draft Him The growing sentiment is that the Twins draft model doesn't value pitchers as much as hitters. Which is both too bad (because no one wins without pitching) but also makes sense (because the Twins have put together a rotation almost exclusively through trades). The Twins believe and have put into practice the idea that they can take college hitters early, develop them and flip them for big-league ready starters. They'll take a bunch of shots at the dartboard with college pitchers on Day 2, hoping that they hit the bullseye. Or, at the very least, combine the two to be able to take big shots at the deadline. They made two big dart throws at last year's deadline. The tip broke upon immediately upon release of one dart. And the other dart, well... that's not looking good right now either. But it all comes back to the same point: the Twins believes it's easier to hit on a pitcher who is close to or already at the big-league level than it is to hit on a pitcher out of high school or college. And as it comes to Lowder specifically, there’s some concern with his delivery that may eventually necessitate a move to the bullpen. He threw a lot of innings for Wake Forest, but was very well protected by the coaching staff, only throwing 100 or more pitches two times. What do you think of Rhett Lowder as a prospect? How would you feel about him being the Twins pick at fifth overall? Personally, I get the same feeling as when there were rumors the team was interested in Aaron Nola in 2014 draft. Nola wasn't the shiny prep prospect that Nick Gordon or Alex Jackson was. He wasn't the high upside college hitter that Michael Conforto or Trea Turner was. But you know what? Aaron Nola has produced 30.8 fWAR, tied with Trea Turner for most in the entire 2014 draft. Sometimes, you just have to go with solid and Rhett Lowder is, at a minimum, solid. Join the discussion in the comments. View full article

Jacob Gonzalez is a college shortstop, former national freshman of the year, College World Series champion, and U.S. Collegiate National Team member. He may not be a shortstop long-term, but it's not the glove you're buying here. Image courtesy of Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean Over the next two weeks, we will provide you with profiles of 10 players the Twins could take with the 5th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Who is He? Jacob Gonzalez is a three-year starter at shortstop for Ole Miss and helped bring the school their first-ever national championship in 2019, hitting .355 with an OPS slightly above 1.000. After checking it at #6 on the Consensus Big Board in June, Gonzalez has dropped to #11 on the latest not-yet-released update. He did not have the banner year people expected - his home run production has dropped (18 last year, 10 this year). He has slowed down as well (no triples or stolen bases this year after three and four, respectively, last year). But despite all of that, he's still an exceptional hitter, posting a .999 OPS with a career-high .564 slugging percentage, even though the homers and triples have fallen off. Why the Twins Will Draft Him The Twins have a type. In their data-driven analytical approach, certain players rise to the top. Gonzalez is that type of player. He's a professional hitter who takes good at-bats. He walks more than he strikes out. (Could you imagine a Twins lineup with guys with a penchant for striking out!?) He has both a high average and, at worst, average power. Indeed, that's oversimplifying things, but Gonzalez projects to be someone that can get it done in the box while having defensive value. You could do worse than drafting a player who can play the most difficult position on the field and have an above-average hit tool and above-average power. Gonzalez will be a solid player, a first-division regular who probably bats second, third, or sixth in a competitive lineup. Additionally, Gonzalez is a SoCal kid, and the Twins have always had a heavy scouting and draft presence in that area, and this is the team's preferred demographic. Why the Twins Won't Draft Him The comments will solidify any argument presented. Gonzalez isn't a Top 5 prospect in this draft. That's pretty open and shut. Everyone knows there are (at least) five better potential choices. He might be #6 on the Consensus Board right now, but he's #18 on MLB.com's latest update. Long-term, he probably won't cut it as a shortstop. He might need more arm strength to make it as a third baseman. He's not built for the corner outfield. So he's a second baseman? Is that what this organization needs? Taking Gonzalez doesn't check the "Best Player Available" or "Immediate Need' box. You don't take Gonzalez at five because he's not the right pick. This isn't potential #1 pick Brooks Lee didn't-think-we-had-a-shot-and-he-fell-into-our-laps like last year. That's how Paul Skenes or Wyatt Langford gets drafted by the Twins this year, not Jacob Gonzalez. Of course, the talk of the Twins being interested in Gonzalez may be mainly in part to the club doing its due diligence, which fans should hope and expect them to do. The Twins have strung together several solid drafts, and that happens because they turn over every stone and exhaust every option. Just because the team is a fan of someone doesn't mean they will reach for them. (If the Twins leave Day 1 with an infielder, Colt Emerson would be a likelier target with their second pick.) What do you think of Jacob Gonzalez as a prospect? How would you feel about him being the Twins pick at 5th overall? Join the discussion in the comments. View full article

I could see a prep pitcher to the Twins at #34 if one they like tumbles that far. That demographic is so hard to pinpoint. Blake Walters (Texas HS) maybe. The Twins have really hit California and the southeast (Georgia, North Carolina, etc) hard recently, so maybe they stay the college route with versatile Cole Carrigg (San Diego St) or Gino Groover (NC State).

I think it's less what Dylan Crews wants and more what Scott Boras wants for Dylan Crews. You may be right... but when the bat is on par with the other bats they seem to be considering, being a catcher (and a left-handed hitting one) might be enough to tip the scale.

We are only nine days away from the beginning of the 2023 MLB draft and will finally start to get answers to the many questions that are being asked. Will the Pirates take Crews first overall? Do the "top five" all go in the top five? Which team will make the first big shocking pick? Will any team play the money game and try to push another player to a later pick? It's been about a month since my first attempt at a mock draft, and Jamie Cameron and I also tried a dual mock draft last week. There will be one final mock draft the day before the draft begins. Without further talk about how much fun mock drafts are to both do and pick apart, here is version 2.0: 1.) Pirates – Dylan Crews , OF, LSU - We’ve legitimately reached a point in time where Paul Skenes is the more popular choice for the Pirates. Sure, Skenes is more than deserving and there are rumors that Scott Boras is doing his best to push Crews to Washington. But when it comes down to it, Crews is the best prospect and the Pirates should take the best prospect. Previous: no change 2.) Nationals – Paul Skenes , RHP, LSU - While it’s a possibility that Skenes goes first and also possible that the Pirates go with someone different, the Nationals will take Crews if he’s available and Skenes if Crews is gone. In the scenario, Skenes becomes the best Nationals pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg . Previous: no change 3.) Tigers – Wyatt Langford , OF, Florida - Wyatt Langford should be a 1-1 candidate, but is overshadowed by Crews. Wyatt Langford is a future all-start and a player Tigers fans will love. Previous: Walker Jenkins 4.) Rangers - Walker Jenkins, OF, North Carolina prep - Rumors have it that the Rangers are most focused on Jenkins and Max Clark. We’ll lean toward Jenkins as the Rangers have worked very closely with his agency in the recent past. Previous: Wyatt Langford 5.) Twins – Kyle Teel , C, Virginia - Ok, I’ll bite. The Twins don’t seem to believe as strongly in the “this is a five-man draft” as the media seems to. Recent reports suggest that the Twins prefer Max Clark to Jenkins and would take Clark here, but not Jenkins. But earlier reports suggest they aren’t super high on Clark either. Most rumors point towards college hitters over prep hitters. Jacob Gonzalez is a popular name, but Kyle Teel comes from the same tier (not the first) and also provides the organization with their best-catching prospect since Joe Mauer . As a Twins fan - and I haven’t seen this connection - I would love to see Arjun Nimmala get consideration here. Previous: Max Clark 6.) A’s – Jacob Wilson , SS, Grand Canyon - Too early to take Wilson in my opinion, but this is a connection that’s been made in multiple places. Nothing that the A’s do will surprise me. Previous: Enrique Bradfield 7.) Reds – Rhett Lowder , RHP, Wake Forest - Cincinnati could definitely end Max Clark’s fall, but the chance to add Lowder to an up-and-coming team wins. Aside from Skenes, Lowder might have the best chance to be the first from this draft class to debut in the big leagues. Previous: Kyle Teel 8.) Royals - Thomas White, LHP, Massachusetts prep - Looking at previous drafts, the Royals lead the league in making selections that make me raise my eyebrows. And, most recently, it is because they take a left-handed pitcher way too early. This isn’t White’s fault, he’s the best lefty available. Previous: Rhett Lowder 9.) Rockies – Hurston Waldrep , RHP, Florida - The best chance for the Rockies to add pitching is through the draft, even though I felt like this would be a great place to end Clark’s slide. Previous: Chase Dollander 10.) Marlins – Max Clark, OF, Indiana prep - The slide had to end somewhere and the Marlins are in a great position to add the best prospect on the board and put a centerfielder in center field. Previous: Jacob Gonzalez 11.) Angels – Jacob Gonzalez , SS, Mississippi - Gonzalez has been slipping on (media) boards and the preseason Top 5 pick finds himself out of the Top 10. Previous: Jacob Wilson 12.) Diamondbacks – Chase Dollander , RHP, Tennessee - Who knows where Dollander ends up. He could be the second pitcher off the board. He could be the sixth or seventh if prep pitchers start to go. His stuff is off the charts… he just couldn’t put it all together this season. Previous: Arjun Nimmala 13.) Cubs – Arjun Nimmala, SS, Florida prep - There are a plethora of infielders who could go here, but the Cubs pass up the college hitters for a prep one. Previous: Tommy Troy 14.) Red Sox – Matt Shaw , SS, Maryland - There’s going to be a run on infielders in the middle of the first round and it’s going to be heavy with college guys. Previous: Colin Houck 15.) White Sox – Tommy Troy , SS, Stanford - Probably would have gone with any of the top four college arms here, but they were all gone. So the infield run continues. Previous: Hurston Waldrep 16.) Giants– Enrique Bradfield Jr. , OF, Vanderbilt - Bradfield will go to someone who recognizes speed as the new market inefficiency. I’m not sure it’s the Giants, but he can’t slide forever. Previous: Bryce Eldridge 17.) Orioles – Colin Houck, SS, Georgia prep - I actually really like the idea of the Orioles taking Noble Meyer. But when it comes down to it, the Orioles have had success with upside prep bats and Houck represents that demographic well. Previous: Noble Meyer 18.) Brewers - Brayden Taylor , 3B, TCU - Taylor is one of many college bats that could be considered here. Previous: Matt Shaw 19.) Rays – Noble Meyer, RHP, Oregon prep - Nothing makes more sense than the Rays selecting my favorite prep pitcher. Previous: Thomas White 20.) Blue Jays – Chase Davis , OF, Arizona Previous: Brayden Taylor 21.) Cardinals – Aidan Miller, 3B, Florida prep Previous: Kevin McGonigle 22.) Mariners – Nolan Schanuel , 1B, Florida Atlantic Previous: Blake Mitchell 23.) Guardians – Colt Emerson, SS, Ohio prep Previous: Jack Hurley 24.) Braves – Dillon Head, OF, Illinois prep Previous: Brock Wilken 25.) Padres - Bryce Eldridge, 1B/RHP, Virginia prep Previous: Aidan Miller 26.) Yankees – Sammy Stafura, SS, New York prep Previous: George Lombard Jr. 27.) Phillies – Charlee Soto, RHP, Florida prep Previous: Colt Emerson 28.) Astros - Jack Hurley , OF, Virginia Tech Previous: Chase Davis 29.) Mariners – Blake Mitchell, C, Texas prep Previous: Nolan Schanuel 30.) Mariners – Kevin McGonigle, SS, Pennsylvania prep Previous: Colton Ledbetter What do you think? Who goes too high? Who goes too low? 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It's impossible to see through the smokescreens when it comes to draft season. How do some of these rumors impact the Twins? View full video

Austin Meadows is a comp I've seen on more than one occasion. Injuries have really derailed his once-promising career and there's some been some hip issues in Jenkins's past, so maybe it's an apt comparison. Kyle Tucker is another guy that's come to mind. Pretty swing, solid all the way around, without any extremely loud tools. I think Tucker might be more a ceiling comp, though, and I also don't think Jenkins will be as much of a threat in the run game. Twins fans will probably have the same expectations for Walker Jenkins as they did for Max Kepler, if that makes sense.