Jeremy Nygaard

If you've been following mock drafts at all over the last couple of the months, Jacob Berry, a switch-hitter from LSU, is a name that you're familiar with. Let's take a look at both why the Twins might draft him and also why they might not. Over the next two weeks, we're going to be providing you with profiles of 10 players the Twins could take with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft on July 17. Who is He? Jacob Berry is a plus hitter and a near-consensus Top 8 prospect in this draft. In their most-recent rankings, MLB.com, Baseball America, and ESPN all have Berry ranked #7. The lone, biggest dissenter is The Athletic's Keith Law, who ranks Berry all the way down at 27. We'll get into why there is a big discrepancy a little later. Berry started his collegiate career at Arizona and finished it at LSU. As a college hitter, Berry put up a .360/.450/.655 (1.105) slash line over two years, hitting 32 home runs. In this past year at LSU, he walked 27 times compared to only 22 strikeouts. Why the Twins Will Draft Him The Twins love hitters with power. Plain and simple, they have a history of taking guys with a valuable bat. In 2020, the Twins took Aaron Sabato who was considered to have some of the biggest raw power in the entire draft. Two years prior, it was Trevor Larnach who flew into the first round after showing off his power at Oregon State. In 2016, it was Alex Kirilloff who was a prospect with exciting power potential. If you sense a pattern, you're not alone: In even years, the Twins are going to take a college hitter with a power profile. Jacob Berry is the draft prospect who fits that profile better than anyone. And if the Twins board is anything like that of the national pundits, it makes perfect sense. Why the Twins Won't Draft Him This is where it gets interesting for two really good reasons. First, unlike the three hitters mentioned above, Berry does not have an obvious future home defensively. He's been tried at third base and many aren't convinced he can stick there. He's spent time at both outfield corners and there are concerns that he can even stick there. That leaves first base and DH (and the reason that Law is so low on him). It's relatively unheard of to draft a first-base only player in the Top 10. And given the lack of success that Sabato has had, is it possible that the Twins don't want to take the risk of missing on a hitter again? The second reason that the Twins don't draft him is - despite their affinity to draft college hitters - they haven't gone this route with any of their recent Top 13 picks 2019: Keoni Cavaco (13th overall) 2017: Royce Lewis (1st overall) 2015: Tyler Jay (6th overall) 2014: Nick Gordon (5th overall) 2013: Kohl Stewart (4th overall) 2012: Byron Buxton (2nd overall) With the exception of Tyler Jay, all of those selections were prep players, and besides Stewart, they were all prep hitters. Taking a college hitter with a low floor doesn't jive with their habit of taking big swings with higher picks. What do you think? Would you take Berry if you were making the call? View full article

Hard to say at this point. He didn't use it much in the limited amount of innings he threw collegiately. He'll be FB/SL first.

Green went much higher (third, I think), so it was Prielipp, Berry or Neto. (Both of those other guys dropped another ten picks I believe.) I took Prielipp not because he's connected as much to the Twins as those other guys, but because I think he has the highest ceiling of anyone else available. And the floor of a left-handed pitcher that will be mid-90s with a nasty slider and a usable changeup is also pretty high.

I took part in the Prospects Live Mock Draft last night and listened to them rave about Green. In fact, at one point one of them said, "I know it says crazy, but I think a good Green comp is a more physical Byron Buxton." They also talked about how he struggled early and since he was so well known teams may have stopped scouting him hard before he turned it around. One guy made the comment that he watched Green go 0-8 with five strikeouts but still came away impressed. So maybe I'm selling him short too.

Jeremy runs through his latest mock draft for the upcoming MLB draft in July. View full video

We're closing in on two weeks until the draft kicks off. We'll be posting almost-daily articles to help you get ready. Tonight: it's our second mock draft! Let's kick it off. Without further adieu... TwinsDaily/Brewer Fanatic Mock Draft v.2.0. 1.) Orioles - Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly - There’s still so much uncertainty around what the Orioles may do, but, for me, Lee makes the most sense given their current set-up. They have their best prospects either in the show or on the doorstep and Lee would be able to join that group within the next couple of years. (Previous: Lee) 2.) Diamondbacks - Druw Jones, OF, Georgia prep - If the Orioles take Jones first or cut a deal with Termarr Johnson, then Jackson Holliday makes sense. But in this scenario, Jones has to go. (Previous: Jones) 3.) Rangers - Jackson Holliday, SS, Oklahoma prep - The Rangers will be happy if Holliday falls. They also would be thrilled to draft Kevin Parada if Holliday is gone. (Previous: Holliday) 4.) Pirates - Cam Collier, 3B, Chipola JC - Collier has done all he can to fly up the board and though the Pirates seem to have their left side of the infield figured out, they take the best player available. (Previous: Cole Young) 5.) Nationals - Jacob Berry, DH, LSU - Interestingly enough, after being connected to Parada for so long, Berry has become the front-runner. (Previous: Kevin Parada) 6.) Marlins - Kevin Parada, C, Georgia Tech - Marlins could go with Parada or either of the two best high-school hitters left (Johnson or Green). (Previous: Elijah Green) 7.) Cubs - Termarr Johnson, 2B, Georgia prep - Johnson may have the widest range of outcomes for any of the players projected to go in the Top 7, which makes you wonder even more about the Orioles (or someone else) cutting a deal with him. (Previous: Johnson) 8.) Twins - Elijah Green, OF, IMG Academy - While it seems like the Top 7 names are relatively set (and that includes Green), the Nationals interest in Berry pushes that list to eight names and sets Green at the Twins doorstep. They also seem more destined to land a college hitter, but that top tier has been plucked from. If given the choice (right now), I’d take Connor Prielipp over Green, but I’m not making this decision (thankfully!) (Previous: Collier) 9.) Royals - Connor Prielipp, LHP, Alabama - I had Prielipp at 14 last time (and climbing) and I don’t think the climbing is done. (Previous: Brock Porter) 10.) Rockies - Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech - The Rockies are in a great position to take BPA and Cross is getting a lot of love in the Top 10. (Previous: Berry) 11.) Mets - Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech - The Mets will select two players in the next four picks, so they have loads of flexibility, including taking a lower-ranked player here, signing them for underslot to protect themselves from eventually losing this compensation pick and being able to push another player down to them at 14. Here though, they get the best bat available. (Previous: Jung) 12.) Tigers - Jordan Beck, OF, Tennessee - We’ve really entered into the land where anything’s possible (i.e. welcome to the draft, pitchers!) But we're still going hitter here. (Previous: Susac) 13.) Angels - Brock Porter, RHP, Michigan - The odds suggest the Angels go pitcher her, but they could go with either a college or a prep one. Projecting a prep pitcher anywhere is risky; Porter is currently committed to Clemson. (Previous: Prielipp) 14.) Mets - Brandon Barriera, RHP, Florida prep - Whatever the Mets do (or don’t do) with these two Top-15 picks is likely to be one of the main headliners of the night. (Previous: Cross) 15.) Padres - Dylan Lesko, P, Georgia prep - This is still a pick that makes a ton of sense, even though the irony of having the Mets select a player with a repaired elbow is not lost on me. (Previous: Lesko) 16.) Guardians - Daniel Susac, C, Arizona - Cleveland always seems to unearth great pitchers later in the draft, so instead of going that route, they’ll take the second best catcher. (Previous: Chase DeLauter) 17.) Phillies -Robby Snelling, LHP, Nevada prep - Snelling is moving up board and this is the Phillies favorite demographic, but will Snelling choose LSU and it’s new pitching coach over going pro? (Previous: Barriera) 18.) Reds - Cole Young, SS, Pennsylvania prep - The Reds don’t seem to be going for it, so taking a high school middle infielder seems about right. (Previous: Justin Crawford) 19.) A’s - Zach Neto, SS, Campbell - Just like I said the first time I mocked this connection, “Yep, that makes sense.” (Previous: Neto) 20.) Braves - Gabriel Hughes, RHP, Gonzaga - Hughes could go earlier for sure, but the Braves have gone college pitching for a few years, so Hughes’ slide ends here. (Previous: Hughes) 21.) Mariners - Justin Crawford, OF, Nevada prep - Crawford has really impressed lately and could hear his name come off the board much earlier. (Previous: Blade Tidwell) 22.) Cardinals - Kumar Rocker, RHP, Vanderbilt/Indy ball - We’re still not seeing a ton of Rocker in mock drafts, but he’s been pitching again and well enough to hear his name called on the first day. (previous: Snelling) 23.) Blue Jays - Sterlin Thompson, OF, Florida - No change here. Blue Jays can add another solid bat to their stable. (Previous: Thompson) 24.) Red Sox - Tucker Toman, 3B, South Carolina prep - Red Sox have had success with prep hitters on a number of occasions. (Previous: Jett Williams) 25.) Yankees - Chase DeLauter, OF, James Madison - If the Yankees were drafting for need, they certainly wouldn’t take an outfielder. But teams should never draft for need. (Previous: Hjerpe) 26.) White Sox - Drew Gilbert, OF, Tennessee - A midwest kid finds his way back home (sorta). (Previous: Beck) 27.) Brewers - Jett Williams, SS, Texas prep - An undersized infielder who is committed to Mississippi State. Williams is going to get by with quick, clean actions. (Previous: Rocker) 28.) Astros - Jud Fabian, OF, Florida - When I really like a match, I have a hard time changing it. (Previous: Fabian) 29.) Rays - Cade Horton, RHP, Oklahoma - No one improved their stock more in the last few weeks than Horton. (Previous: Carson Whisenhunt) 30.) Giants - Cooper Hjerpe, LHP, Oregon State - You could see any number of college pitchers going in the back half of the first round. Hjerpe is perhaps one of the safest of them all. (Previous: Peyton Pallette) There it is. What do you think? View full article

I don't think the Twins pass on Collier. But I think there are three other teams thinking they won't pass on him either.

News broke Sunday that Wes Johnson will be leaving the Twins after this week and joining the LSU Tigers as their new pitching coach. Unexpected, big news for the first-place Twins. View full video

Mock draft season is going to really heat up over the next few weeks. Players' demands become clearer and teams must solidify their board with as much information as they possibly can. Keith Law of The Athletic and both Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com have released updated mocks over the last week. Baseball America did a "staff mock draft." We'll have Twins Daily/Brewer Fanatic Mock Draft v.2.0 posted right here next week. Keith Law and joined an earlier Jim Callis mock draft, projecting the Twins to select Campbell SS Zach Neto. Now, how high Neto is on their board remains to be seen. Law has them taking Neto over Gavin Cross (OF, Virginia Tech) and Cole Young (SS, Pennsylvania prep), while Callis arrives on Neto because Termarr Johnson (2B, Georgia prep) and Cam Collier (3B, Florida prep) are off the board. Says Baseball America about Neto, who they currently rank him 16th on their board: At this point, every connection made to the Twins and their first pick has involved a hitter, though it's been split on a college or prep hitter. Callis, more recently, pairs the Twins with Jacob Berry (hitter, LSU) and Jonathan Mayo has the Twins selecting Gavin Cross (OF, Virginia Tech) for the third straight time. Both are being selected on the strength on their bat, while Cross projects as a much more serviceable defender than Berry. Of note, *maybe*, Callis mentions other players the Twins may be interested in and actually lists a pitcher, Connor Prielipp (LHP, Alabama) who hasn't pitched while recovering from Tommy John surgery. On the heels of a promising throwing session at the Draft Combine, Prielipp is now under consideration for a Top 10 pick. JJ Cooper of Baseball America go the responsibility of making the selections for the Twins in Baseball America's two-round "staff draft." Cooper was hoping to take Cam Collier with the 8th pick, but saw him go to the Cubs one pick earlier. Instead he paired the Twins with Jace Jung (2B, Texas Tech) who is another strong hitter with a questionable defensive future and Thomas Harrington (RHP, Campbell) in the second round. Harrington doesn't represent an overly high-floor selection, but he would be a pretty safe pick who projects as a mid-rotation starter. TWINS MOCK DRAFTS Callis Law Mayo Baseball America McDaniel TwinsDaily Jacob Berry 3B/OF LSU (6/22) Zach Neto SS Campbell (6/21) Gavin Cross OF Virginia Tech (6/15) Cam Collier 3B Chipola JC (6/3) Jacob Berry RF LSU (6/1) Cam Collier 3B Chipola JC (5/26) Zach Neto SS Campbell (6/8) Cole Young SS Pennsylvania HS (5/19) Gavin Cross OF Virginia Tech (6/1) Jacob Berry 3B/1B LSU (4/1) Jacob Berry 3B/OF LSU (5/25) Gavin Cross OF Virginia Tech (5/18) Chase DeLauter OF James Madison (2/10)"}" style="padding:2px 3px 2px 3px; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle">Chase DeLauter OF James Madison (2/10) Jace Jung 2B Texas Tech (5/11) Jacob Berry 3B/OF LSU (4/27) JEREMY's BIG BOARD will return after next week's mock draft. MOCK DRAFTS / PROSPECT BOARDS Baseball America - Staff Draft (6/22/22) / v4.0 (5/26/22) the draft changed but the link stayed the same / v2.0 (4/1/22) / v1.0 (2/10/22) / Top 300 (4/27/22) / Staff Draft v.1.0 (4/20/22) MLB.com - Mayo Mock Draft (6/1/22) / Callis Mock Draft (5/25/22) / Mayo Mock Draft (5/18/22) / Callis Mock Draft (5/11/22) / Mock Draft (4/27/22) / Callis - Top 10 (12/15/21), Mayo - Top 20 (7/20/21) / Top 150 (4/25/22) The Athletic - Law Mock Draft (6/21/22) / Bowden Top 10 (6/1/22) / Law Mock Draft (5/19/22) / Law Top 100 (5/5/22) / Law Top 30 (3/10/22) ESPN - McDaniel Mock Draft (6/1/22) / Early Draft Rankings (7/26/21) ($$$ - ESPN+) / McDaniel’s Draft Rankings (2/24/22) / Draft Rankings 2.0 (4/27/22) Fangraphs - The Board / 2022 MLB Draft Rankings and Offseason List Primer (11/30/21) Prospects Live - v3.0 (6/6/22) / v2.0 (4/21/22) / v1.0 (1/4/22) View full article

The Twins are back home to host the Guardians and Rockies. They'll make a trip to Cleveland before heading back home to host the Orioles. And, oh yeah, the Brewers are crossing the board in less than a month. Check out some of the giveaways the team has coming up for those series. View full video

I think this is just the way people naturally think. The top of this draft is going to be a mess. If the Top 7 on my board are the seven to get drafted, I'd be really surprised. The Twins have really focused on hitters (with Cavaco being the least hitter-ish of the bunch) and this draft has a lot of high-end ones. I think the Twins would love for Lee or Johnson to fall to them, even though their futures are likely at third and second, respectively. Neto is interesting as he's not in that top tier of hitters, but is probably in the top tier defensively. I'm curious to see how creative teams get with their bonus pool, that always adds intrigue to the first night.

With a little over a month left until the 2022 MLB Draft kicks off, things seem to have started to settle down. And by “settle down,” I mean “players have stopped getting hurt so frequently.” (Immediately knocks on wood.) In this update, we’re going to focus on three names. The first name is one you’ve probably heard, but definitely haven’t seen pitch this year (up until his debut over the weekend) and that’s Carson Whisenhunt. Whisenhunt, a left-handed pitcher from East Carolina was suspended for the season after a failed drug test. He claims that test came as a result of taking a supplement from a nationwide nutrition store. At any rate, Whisenhunt was not allowed to pitch all year. Obviously missing a full season of college ball didn’t give teams 15 or so opportunities to watch Whisenhunt pitch, but his absence may not necessarily all be bad in the long run. He made ito June healthy and is now able to showcase his skills in the Cape Cod League. Whisenhunt made his debut on Sunday night. Though it was of the shorter variety (only three innings), Whisenhunt struck out five and walked one. He allowed three earned runs on two hits and a walk. His stuff wasn’t bad. Topping out at 95 mph, his fastball sat a few clicks lower. He threw his change-up and curveball as well. As you can expect after the long layoff, he showed some rust. He will make a few more starts before the draft, but expect Whisenhunt’s pitching ability to put him back in the first-round conversation. How teams view Whisenhunt’s suspension and explanation about his suspension is another story. Across from Whisenhunt on Sunday was 3B Cam Collier. Collier’s path to the Cape is a unique one. He reclassified, instead heading to junior college to make himself draft-eligible quicker. And now he’s in the wood-bat league as one of the league’s youngest players ever. Through three games (as of Wednesday), Collier is batting 3-for-9 with three singles, three walks and three strikeouts. He’s been caught stealing in his only attempt. While playing two games at third base, he’s been perfect on the six balls he’s fielded. Collier continues to trend upward, where he may eventually settle in the top 5. Lastly, let’s talk some more about Kumar Rocker. As you probably know by now, Rocker was a potential #1 overall pick who fell to the Mets at #10 and agreed to an overslot deal before the Mets pulled out due to some arm concerns. Instead of going back to Vanderbilt for his senior season, Rocker instead joined the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Frontier League. Rocker made his second start on Friday night and reviews are mixed. On the surface, going backwards in pitches and max velocity from his first start to this start don’t seem promising. In his first inning of work on Friday, he walked a batter before hitting two batters to load the bases. But he worked his way out of the trouble and was able to throw three scoreless, two-hit innings that included five strikeouts. You can read a very thorough review of his second start here. If the draft were today, I’d have a hard time believing that Rocker makes it out of the first round. In a draft that lacks high-end pitching, someone is going to believe that the Kumar Rocker we watched pitch for Vanderbilt for three years still exists. JEREMY’S TOP 10 PROSPECTS 1.) Druw Jones, OF, Georgia prep (Vanderbilt commit) 2.) Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly (previously: 4) 3.) Elijah Green, OF, Florida prep (Miami commit) (Baseball America breaks down his game.) 4.) Jackson Holliday, SS, Oklahoma prep (Oklahoma State commit) (previously: 6) 5.) Termarr Johnson, 2B, Georgia prep (previously: 2) 6.) Cam Collier, 3B, Chipola JC (previously: 7) 7.) Kevin Parada, C, Georgia Tech (previously: 5) 8.) Connor Prielipp, LHP, Alabama 9.) Jacob Berry, Hitter, LSU (previously: unranked) 10.) Jace Jung, 3B, Texas Tech MOCK DRAFTS / PROSPECT BOARDS Baseball America - v4.0 (5/26/22) the draft changed but the link stayed the same / v2.0 (4/1/22) / v1.0 (2/10/22) / Top 300 (4/27/22) / Staff Draft v.1.0 (4/20/22) MLB.com - Mayo Mock Draft (6/1/22) / Callis Mock Draft (5/25/22) / Mayo Mock Draft (5/18/22) / Callis Mock Draft (5/11/22) / Mock Draft (4/27/22) / Callis - Top 10 (12/15/21), Mayo - Top 20 (7/20/21) / Top 150 (4/25/22) The Athletic - Bowden Top 10 ( 6/1/22) / Law Mock Draft (5/19/22) / Law Top 100 (5/5/22) / Law Top 30 (3/10/22) ESPN - McDaniel Mock Draft (6/1/22) / Early Draft Rankings (7/26/21) ($$$ - ESPN+) / McDaniel’s Draft Rankings (2/24/22) / Draft Rankings 2.0 (4/27/22) Fangraphs - The Board / 2022 MLB Draft Rankings and Offseason List Primer (11/30/21) Prospects Live - v3.0 (6/6/22) / v2.0 (4/21/22) / v1.0 (1/4/22) View full article

The Twins have been making roster moves on what seems like a daily basis, but they're still far away from having a clean roster. What moves have they made for the west coast road trip? What moves do they still have to make to get through this road trip? View full video

Slowly. It may be just me - or probably the change in schedules - but it feels like it's been an especially long and slow-moving draft season. It also may be that the College World Series is almost here and our internal clocks tell us that means it's finally here. Only it isn't. What we have gotten to is a point where there are names that are more connected to the Twins than others. It doesn't necessarily mean anything, but it could. Take a look at the various mock drafts up to this point. TWINS MOCK DRAFTS Baseball America Mayo McDaniel TwinsDaily Law Callis Cam Collier 3B Chipola JC (5/26) Gavin Cross OF Virginia Tech (5/18) Jacob Berry RF LSU (6/1) Cam Collier 3B Chipola JC (5/26) Cole Young SS Pennsylvania HS (5/19) Jace Jung 2B Texas Tech (5/11) Jacob Berry 3B/1B LSU (4/1) Jacob Berry 3B/OF LSU (4/27) Chase DeLauter OF James Madison (2/10) The name most-prominently connected to the Twins is LSU switch-hitter Jacob Berry. He doesn't have a defensive home and don't confuse the various positions listed as versatility... his value is 100% tied up in his bat. But a bat that is in play at pick #1 and rarely gets by the Twins at #8 is a bat that experts think will surely play, regardless of where he will stand defensively (or sit, potentially, in the dugout as a designated hitter). Another name with helium towards the Twins is Chipola JC 3B Cam Collier. Collier is about to make his debut in the wood-bat Cape Cod League as a 17-year old. He's been taking parts in scrimmages and has been very impressive. It's entirely believable, at this point, that Collier could be both the Twins main target at #8 and gone well before they have the opportunity to select him. The most noteworthy draft news from the past week has been the return of Kumar Rocker. Rocker is originally best known for playing superhero in Vanderbilt's run to a national title in 2019. Then well-known for not signing with Mets last summer and not even getting an offer after initially agreeing to a $6 million signing bonus. But he's back now for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Frontier League. He looked the part of a first-round pick, reaching 99 mph with his fastball and showing off his devastating slider. It certainly could have gone better as Rocker appeared to tire in his fourth inning, his command wavering enough to hit a batter before giving up a home run. But it also could have gone much, much worse. Rocker appears to be very much the guy we watched pitch for Vanderbilt. He should continue to throw regularly as he looks to answer the questions that have been asked of him over the last 12 months. JEREMY’S TOP 10 PROSPECTS A few changes as we march forward into mid-June 1.) Druw Jones, OF, Georgia prep (Vanderbilt commit) 2.) Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly (previously: 4) 3.) Elijah Green, OF, Florida prep (Miami commit) (Baseball America breaks down his game.) 4.) Jackson Holliday, SS, Oklahoma prep (Oklahoma State commit) (previously: 6) 5.) Termarr Johnson, 2B, Georgia prep (previously: 2) 6.) Cam Collier, 3B, Chipola JC (previously: 7) 7.) Kevin Parada, C, Georgia Tech (previously: 5) 8.) Connor Prielipp, LHP, Alabama 9.) Jacob Berry, Hitter, LSU (previously: unranked) 10.) Jace Jung, 3B, Texas Tech Dropped out: Dylan Lesko, RHP, Georgia prep (Vanderbilt commit) (Baseball America breaks down his game.) (previously: 9) MOCK DRAFTS / PROSPECT BOARDS Baseball America - v4.0 (5/26/22) the draft changed but the link stayed the same / v2.0 (4/1/22) / v1.0 (2/10/22) / Top 300 (4/27/22) / Staff Draft v.1.0 (4/20/22) MLB.com - Mayo Mock Draft (5/18/22) / Callis Mock Draft (5/11/22) / Mock Draft (4/27/22) / Callis - Top 10 (12/15/21), Mayo - Top 20 (7/20/21) / Top 150 (4/25/22) The Athletic - Bowden Top 10 ( 6/1/22) / Law Mock Draft (5/19/22) / Law Top 100 (5/5/22) / Law Top 30 (3/10/22) ESPN - McDaniel Mock Draft (6/1/22) / Draft Rankings 2.0 (4/27/22) / McDaniel’s Draft Rankings (2/24/22) / Early Draft Rankings (7/26/21) ($$$ - ESPN+) Fangraphs - The Board / 2022 MLB Draft Rankings and Offseason List Primer (11/30/21) Prospects Live - v2.0 (4/21/22) / v1.0 (1/4/22) Just Baseball v1.0 (2/10/22) My MLB Draft (1/18/22) View full article

Kumar Rocker, famous at Vanderbily and famously unsigned by the Mets last year, made his debut for the Tri-City ValleyCats over the weekend and looked a lot like the old Kumar Rocker. How high can he go? How much do we know? View full video