Jeremy Nygaard

Did any of you watch Moore on Friday night? Hit for the cycle, looked like an absolute beast? I'd drat him at 21 with zero reservations about what position he plays.

2024 MLB draft coverage is kicking off with positional previews. During this focus - second baseman - you’ll notice that it’s exclusively college players. The reason for that is pretty simple: all the preps are paying shortstop and won’t become second baseman until they are moved off the position after being drafted… or in college. We’re excited to ratchet up 2024 MLB Draft content in the coming weeks. We’ll start with a series of articles detailing each positional demographic. These pieces aren’t meant to be an exhaustive list, but rather, an overview of the caliber of talent at the position (or, in this case, region). For each player, we'll run down some basic information, in addition to some strengths and weaknesses. You’ll also find their current position on the Consensus MLB Draft Board in parentheses next to their name. The second basemen group has decent depth but is headlined by two players destined to go in the Top 10, possibly higher, with one of them likely to go first or second overall. Travis Bazzana, L/R 2B, Oregon State (2) Bazzana is a 6'0, 200-pound Australian second baseman who has hit at an extremely high level since arriving on campus at Corvallis. Bazzana has some interesting elements to his swing, starting with a shoulder-level bat-tip and having a decent-sized leg kick. His swing is direct to the ball, however, and his offensive profile is underpinned by a great combination of excellent bat-to-ball skills and a great eye at the plate. Defensively, Bazzana is strong at second base, with good defensive actions and an average arm. He's also a problem on the base paths, with plus speed that has led to 50 stolen bases over his first two seasons for the Beavers. After hitting 11 home runs in 2023, Bazzana worked at Driveline before the 2024 season to tap into more power and the results were positive. He batted .407/.568/.911 (1.479) on the season with 28 home runs and double the amount of walks (76) than strikeouts (37). He also stole 16 bases. Bazzana is the betting favorite to go first overall to Cleveland. JJ Wetherholt, L/R 2B, West Virginia (7) At 5'10, 190 pounds, JJ Wetherholt is a compact second baseman with maybe the best hit tool in the entire 2024 draft class. Wetherholt had a massive breakout in his sophomore season at West Virginia, hitting .449/.517/.787 with 16 home runs and 36 stolen bases. Wetherholt has a smooth, simple swing from the left side of the plate, with good bat speed and quick hands. He recognizes pitches out of the hand well and hasn't yet shown significant struggles against higher velocity, or breaking pitches. Wetherholt's bat-to-ball skills are some of the best in the class, and he ran a Contact% of ~90% in 2023. His sophomore season showed more evidence of power and that projects to be at least average as a professional. Defensively, Wetherholt is playing shortstop for the first time in 2024 having previously played at second and third base. His ability to adjust to the position defensively will have a bearing on his draft stock, if a drafting team believes he can stick at short, that's a significant value add. More of an above-average, savvy, aggressive runner than a burner, Wetherholt will likely continue to steal plenty of bases at the next level. Regardless of the defensive uncertainty, the bat-to-ball skills are special and he'll still likely hear his name called in the first handful of picks in July despite missing a significant portion of his junior season due to a hamstring injury. In 36 games, Wetherholt batted .331/.472/.589 (1.061), which were significant drops from his sophomore season. The leg injury may have sapped his power (24 doubles, five triples, and 16 home runs to eight doubles and eight home runs), but Wetherholt still showed a great eye at the plate, walking 30 times to only 17 strikeouts. Christian Moore, R/R 2B, Tennessee (33) Moore epitomized consistent SEC production in his first two years as the starting second baseman at Tennessee, following up a 1.062 OPS as a freshman with a 1.046 OPS in 2023, his first season as a full-time player, but then blew up as a junior posting a .375/.453/.796 (1.249) slash for the country’s best team coming into the College World Series. A stockily built player at 6'1, 210 pounds, Moore has plenty of physicality and athleticism that leads to good bat speed and the potential for above-average to plus power to all fields with a swing designed to lift the ball. Moore does have some areas of refinement in an intriguing offensive profile. He takes plenty of walks, but his on-base skills are offset by a propensity to chase and some questions about his bat-to-ball skills. The concern has been somewhat quieted by taking 35 walks versus 45 strikeouts, an improvement from the 67 strikeouts last year (though he did walk 50 times). Defensively, it's a set of solid average tools. Moore doesn't have a ton of burst but moves well on the bases when he gets going. A solid glove and average arm make second base his most likely defensive home as a professional. Moore has been climbing boards all spring and should go in the first round. Peyton Stovall, L/R 2B, Arkansas (91) Stovall was one of the best prep prospects in the 2021 class to make it to campus, turning down top 40 interest to do so. His progress and performance as a college player have been somewhat dampened by injuries. Stovall has an above-average hit tool underpinned by a picaresque left-handed swing. It's line drive power all over the field, he can pull a home run but his power tool projects to be fringy to average at best. Stovall fits best as a second baseman professionally, with a solid glove and arm, and above-average speed. Coming off surgery in the back half of 2023 to repair his labrum, Stovall had a healthy 2024 and produced a .340/.409/.535 (.944) slashline, all of which were career highs, though the power and speed profile remains limited. Honorable Mentions: Emilien Pitre, L/R 2B, Kentucky (182), Duce Gourson, L/R 2B, UCLA (210), Kolby Branch, R/R, Georgia (281) Who excites you from the second basemen class in 2024? Who are you higher on than other prospects? Jump into the draft conversation in the comments below. --- Find more draft coverage here: 2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Midwest Highlights 2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Third Basemen 2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Shortstops 2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Catcher Mock Drafts! Mock Draft v. 1.0 (Nygaard Edition): An Unusual Target Mock Draft v.2.0 (Cameron Edition): Twins Lean into Prep Class View full article

Draft tandem Jeremy Nygaard and JD Cameron team up for a podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues and the MLB draft, produced by Theo Tollefson. Jamie and Jeremy talk about a few topics like dog bites and internet outages before looking at a notable performance by one of the organization's minor leaguers. Later they dive into two positional demographics of the upcoming draft and end by taking listener questions. 0:00 Intro 3:00 News and Notes 10:21 MiLB Prospects 26:00 Catcher Demographic 42:58 Second Base Demographic 51:00 Listener Questions You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes and Spotify. If you enjoy the content, consider leaving us a five-star rating and review in addition to sharing or retweeting DTS-related content. You can follow us on Twitter @DTS_POD1, @Jeremynygaard, @J_D_Cameron, and @TheodoreTollef1. You can also find full episodes and clips of our shows on our YouTube page @DestinationTheShow. View full article

The Twins will be picking 21st overall in the first round of the draft. Carlos Collazo shares his expertise on who is most likely to land at that spot for Minnesota and who he thinks will be the best pick for the team's current needs and future development. View full video

The first Twins Daily Mock Draft has been posted and Jamie Cameron tells fans a little bit about Dakota Jordan as well as some other players to keep their eye on. View full video

I think all of them would be options. Slade Caldwell is someone I think the Twins would absolutely love and that selection would surprise me zero.

That's the thing with Jordan and drafting 21. There's some freaky data there that the Twins will absolutely love. There are also warts, but that's why he's not going Top 5. The x-factor is that the Twins are going to take a high-character guy and that's not publically available information.

I looked back on the drafts starting in 2013 and, just by eyeballing it (using bWAR), it looks about the same. Higher volume of righties drafted (obviously) but a lot more misses than hits in both demographics. The best example of this is the 2014 draft. Carlos Rodon (LHP, 3rd overall) 16.8 bWAR Aaron Nola (RHP, 7th overall) 32.9 bWAR Kyle Freeland (LHP, 8th overall) 16.9 bWAR Jeff Hoffman (RHP, 9th overall) 2.6 bWAR Tyler Beede (RHP, 14th overall) -1.2 bWAR Sean Newcomb (LHP, 15th overall) 2.6 bWAR Generally, lefties have a higher floor. And I think that's why I lean that side if it's a toss-up. I think *some* teams do that as well. Look at the history of the Rockies draft picks, they have taken a ton of left-handed pitchers... so, yeah, I think the Rockies should take a pitcher and because they're close, take the lefty.

Mock Draft season is upon us. We're still six weeks from having any clarity, but it's always fun to start speculating. There is still plenty of college baseball to be played, which will have an impact on some players' stocks. The Draft Combine will happen in two weeks, and that will provide some more information about what teams are after. Mock Drafts are a lot of fun, even a month and a half ahead of the actual event. The Guardians were the lucky winners of this year's draft lottery, and there is plenty of uncertainty in terms of what they will do, as well as the teams behind them. Last year appeared to be a top tier of five players. This year, there are about 10 college hitters (a few of whom have separated themselves), two college pitchers, and two prep players who seem to be part of the "top group." All that means, though, is that there is going to be a wide-open field of possibilities as players and teams try to match up evaluations, bonus demands, and pool manipulations. Here is my first mock draft of the 2024 season. Jamie Cameron will also be doing his own. More to come, and much, much more detail on the potential top picks. Please share your thoughts on this mock draft. How would you feel about the picks made for the Twins? 1. Cleveland Guardians - Charlie Condon, 3B, Georgia There has been a lot of Travis Bazzana steam here lately, and since he's an up-the-middle defender, that makes sense. Ultimately, my personal preference is to land the nation’s best hitter; that’s Condon. 2. Cincinnati Reds - Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State While the Reds haven’t been heavily tied with Bazzana (and they have a ton of infielders), take the best player available and move on. 3. Colorado Rockies - Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas Now, let me go back on everything I’ve said about not drafting for need, and say this instead: “The Rockies need to take pitchers in the draft, because no one actually wants to pitch in Colorado.” Smith hasn’t been as good as Chase Burns lately, but when in doubt, take the lefty. 4. Oakland Athletics - Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M It was really a toss-up here, between Montgomery and Jac Caglianone. Montgomery has a higher ceiling, and the A’s are desperate for stars. 5. Chicago White Sox - Jac Caglianone, 1B, Florida If Hagen Smith is on the board, he just makes too much sense here. But with him gone, there is one hitter left in the top tier, and that’s whom the White Sox take. 6. Kansas City Royals - Konnor Griffin, SS, Jackson Prep (Miss.) HS Not a lot of steam at this point, but it wouldn’t be hard to see the Royals popping the draft’s first prep player. It fits their patterns. 7. St. Louis Cardinals - Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest Burns has been awesome lately, and could hear his name called before this point. 8. Los Angeles Angels - James Tibbs, OF, Florida State The Angels have no use for more minor leaguers (or something like that), and after rapidly promoting their last two first-round picks, they’ll do it with an outfielder this time. 9. Pittsburgh Pirates - J.J. Wetherholt, SS, West Virginia The pitching is starting to line up. Now it’s time to address the hitters, and Wetherholt, coming off an injury-riddled season, would be great value at No. 9. 10. Washington Nationals - Bryce Rainer, SS, Harvard Westlake (Calif.) HS Lots of smoke around the Nationals going the prep route. 11. Detroit Tigers - Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguaro (Ariz.) HS Pegging a landing spot for prep pitchers is the hardest thing to do. 12. Boston Red Sox - Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest Kurtz should go higher, but there’s been a shoulder issue that may scare some teams off. 13. San Francisco Giants - Seaver King, SS, Wake Forest The Giants luck into the last of this tier of college hitters. 14. Chicago Cubs - Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina The college hitter pool would be the preferred demographic, but getting the third-best college pitcher would be a fine consolation prize. 15. Seattle Mariners - Ryan Sloan, RHP, York Community (Ill.) HS Sloan is another example of a player getting paid for being a top prep arm, regardless of where he actually ends up. 16. Miami Marlins - Caleb Lomavita, C, Cal There are a handful of college catchers who will be in play in the back half of the first round. 17. Milwaukee Brewers - Cameron Smith, 3B, Florida State The Brewers got a haul of “could-be third baseman" types in the 2023 draft, so let’s add another. 18. Tampa Bay Rays - William Schmidt, RHP, Catholic (La.) High School Why not place a prep pitcher with the Rays? 19. New York Mets - Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina Honeycutt is a polarizing prospect, but seems destined to play in the bright lights of New York. 20. Toronto Blue Jays - Carson Benge, OF, Oklahoma State A large tier of college hitters will be in consideration for a long stretch here. 21. Minnesota Twins - Dakota Jordan, OF, Mississippi State Jordan might not be the perfect offensive profile match for the Twins, but he’s a freaky athlete with loud tools and a high ceiling. 22. Baltimore Orioles - Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa The Orioles are loaded with hitters. Now, let’s give them an explosive arm. 23. Los Angeles Dodgers - Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee Moore has been climbing, and the Dodgers will keep him going. 24. Atlanta Braves - Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford The second college catcher finds his way into the first round. 25. San Diego Padres - Theo Gillen, 2B, Westlake (Texas) HS Gillen is full of upside, and the Padres love upside. 26. New York Yankees - Slade Caldwell, OF, Valley View (Ark.) HS Caldwell is undersized (to say the least), but has first-round talent. 27. Philadelphia Phillies - Tommy White, 3B, LSU “Tanks” is as well-known as any draftable player. But there are questions about his profile. 28. Houston Astros - Jurrangelo Cijntje, RHP/LHP, Mississippi State A switch-pitcher who has climbed with an impressive year in the SEC. 29. Arizona Diamondbacks - Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston State The last of three first-round catchers drafted out of college. 30. Texas Rangers - Billy Amick, 3B, Tennessee The Rangers are lucky to get a college bat of this quality to fall. 31. Arizona Diamondbacks - Kash Mayfield, LHP, Elk City (Okla.) HS 32. Baltimore Orioles - Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Kentucky 33. Minnesota Twins - Kaelon Culpepper, SS, Kansas State 34. Milwaukee Brewers - Caleb Bonemer, SS, Okemos (Mich.) HS 35. Arizona Diamondbacks - Kellon Lindsey, SS, Hardee (Fla.) HS 36. Cleveland Guardians - Joey Oakie, RHP, Ankeny Centennial (Iowa) HS 37. Pittsburgh Pirates - Wyatt Sanford, SS, Independence (Tex.) HS 38. Colorado Rockies - Jonathan Santucci, LHP, Duke 39. Kansas City Royals - Carter Johnson, SS, Oxford (Miss.) HS Do you have any favorites in this group for the Twins, or guys you expect to go higher or lower than listed? Sound off below. View full article

2024 MLB draft coverage is kicking off with positional previews. This update comes with a slight deviation as it’s not a specific position group, but instead a geographical group. Who are the players from the Midwest region drawing the interest of professional scouts? We’re excited to ratchet up 2024 MLB Draft content in the coming weeks. We’ll start with a series of articles detailing each positional demographic. These pieces aren’t meant to be an exhaustive list, rather, an overview of the caliber of talent at the position (or, in this case, region).. For each player, we'll run down some basic information, in addition to some strengths and weaknesses. You’ll also find their current position on the Consensus MLB Draft Board in parentheses next to their name. This “local” group has a couple of players who should hear their name called on Day One, plus more who could be drafted on the second day. One of the caveats here, though, is that many midwest prep players make their way to college campuses. Brody Brecht RHP, Iowa (18) A former two-sport college athlete at Iowa (baseball and football), Brody Brecht dropped football (WR) to concentrate on pitching full-time ahead of his junior season in 2024. At 6'4, 235 pounds, Brecht has some of the most dominant stuff in the history of college baseball. Brecht is an exceptional athlete with an incredibly quick arm who has added some deception to his delivery by shortening his arm stroke in his time at Iowa. The stuff is 'Skenesian', headlined by a fastball that averaged 97.5 mph in 2023. He runs it up to 101mph, but it sits in the high 90s in games, with plenty of run. Brecht's best secondary offering is a diabolical slider that he throws, leveraging two different shapes, one with more bite, and the other with more sweep. It has the potential to be a double-plus pitch and generates a ton of whiffs. Brecht has also added a splitter, which is newer in his arsenal, and thrown a curve, although less frequently than the FB/SL one-two punch. Entering 2024, Brecht's Achilles heal was control and command and he didn’t do much this season to qualm those concerns. In 78 1/3 innings, he walked 49, threw 10 wild pitches and hit 12 batters. It’s easy to see top-of-the-rotation stuff, but it’s just as easy to see giant reliever risk. Some team, though, will look past the risk and add an elite arm to their organization. Caleb Bonemer R/R SS/3B, Okemos HS, MI (38) Bonemer was one of the biggest board risers on the prep side this winter after a great summer in 2023. He is one of the better athletic profiles and potentially one of the most exciting power/speed combinations in the 2024 class. The prep is committed to Virginia, which has been able to sway a number of players to skip the draft in the last handful of years. A quiet, efficient, short swing produces good bat speed and Bonemer is already showing above-average in-game power (typically to the pull side) that may eventually become plus power. Defensively, he's a solid mover with an above average arm at shortstop who can make all the throws. He may eventually grow off shortstop to third base, but it'd be potentially plus defense there with the offensive profile to make it not matter. Bonemer has also posted plus run times, making him a threat on the base paths and in the run game. One area of opportunity is refining his approach some at the plate, as there's some swing and miss and a bit too much chase in the profile currently. If he can work through those needs and get the hit tool to average, it's going to be a strong overall profile and one of the first prep names to go in July. Joey Oakie RHP, Ankeny Centennial HS, IA (40) Throwing from a low launch and lower three-quarter slot, prep righty Joey Oakie has some of the best stuff of any high school pitcher in the 2024 class. A long athletic frame with projection left and a quick, whippy arm is indicative that there is likely more in the tank for Oakie, velocity-wise. On the mound, he throws a fastball that's been up to 97 mph with a ton of run. It's one of the most movement-heavy fastballs in the class. One wonders, given his release, if he might add a four-seamer to play up in the zone further down his development path. For secondaries, Oakie has a nasty slider. It has downward bite and a ton of sweep and has generated upwards of 20 inches of horizontal movement, with gaudy spin rates to match. Oakie also has a changeup, that is a fringy, developmental pitch (that he hasn't needed much). Oakie has the athleticism and actions to have at least average control. Add that to the excellent fastball/slider package and there's excellent clay to mold. Oakie is committed to Iowa, but given his projection to be drafted on the first day, there’s little reason to believe he will ever pitch for the Hawkeyes. Dante Nori L/L OF, Northville HS, MI (78) Nori is an intriguing prospect. One of the oldest prepsters in the draft class, he'll turn 20 a few months after the draft and is likely maxed out in terms of physical projection. Despite those minor dings, he has an explosive and intriguing skillset for a drafting organization. The Mississippi State commit has a stocky, muscular frame, with an incredible amount of strength for an undersized player. At the plate it's a quiet operation, with a short, compact, and direct swing. There's currently mostly line drive present power there, but Nori pulls the ball in the air to good effect and maybe projects for average power when he's had some pro instruction. Nori has easy plus speed and may be the fastest player in the draft class, making him a menace on the base paths. Defensively, there's an above-average arm to go with elite speed that makes him a great bet to stick in centerfield long-term for his defensive home. Nori's draft stock will be interesting to monitor to see how teams ding his age and lack of projection, but this is an above-average to plus hit tool with elite speed at a premium defensive position. Also of note, Dante is the son of Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori. Micah played collegiately at Indiana. Blake Larson LHP, IMG Academy (96) What’s local about Bradenton, Florida? Well, not much. But Larson was born in Iowa before finishing his prep career at IMG Academy. Larson is a left-handed pitcher with a projectable frame, loud stuff, and tough to pick up arm slot. There's a lot going on in Larson's delivery, it's pretty high effort with plenty of moving parts. It's undoubtedly a quick arm though, and Larson's release and angle generate plenty of horizontal movement on his pitches. His fastball sits in the low 90s but has been as high as 97mph in shorter outings with run. Larson also has an excellent sweeper, which generates a ton of horizontal movement and is extremely tough for hitters to pick up. As with many prep arms, Larson has a changeup, but it's more of an emerging pitch for him. Larson's profile is a great mix of present velocity and stuff from the left side. I'd anticipate quietening down the operation on the mound and finding a consistent third pitch will be key if he's to stick as a starter long-term. Honorable Mentions: Drew Rerick, RHP (140), J.D Dix, SS (144), Who excites you from the Midwest region in 2024? Who are you higher on than other prospects? Jump into the draft conversation in the comments below. --- Find more draft coverage here: 2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Third Basemen 2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Shortstops 2024 MLB Draft Position Previews: Catcher View full article

During the Falvey and Levine era, the Twins have become most notable for drafting college bats. Jeremy asks if this is the Twins scouting department's number one preference, or a matter of luck of where the Twins draft spots land. View full video

Draft tandem Jeremy Nygaard and JD Cameron team up for a podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues and the MLB draft, produced by Theo Tollefson. In Episode 37 of Destination: The Show, Jeremy and Jamie have to spend a few minutes talking about the Timberwolves before looking at notable minor league performances in players across the organizations. They finish out the episode by chatting about some rumors at the top of the draft, highlighting two players that are flying under the radar and discussing how each team's class would look if their selections followed the consensus board. 0:00 Intro 8:40 MiLB Notables (Brewers, Cubs) 28:57 Twins Talk 59:10 Draft Updates 1:00:00 Smith vs Burnes, top of the draft rumors 1:07:00 Draft Spotlights 1:11:00 Mock Draft Consensus Board 1:19:25 Outro You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes and Spotify. If you enjoy the content, consider leaving us a five-star rating and review in addition to sharing or retweeting DTS-related content. You can follow us on Twitter @DTS_POD1, @Jeremynygaard, @J_D_Cameron, and @TheodoreTollef1. You can also find full episodes and clips of our shows on our YouTube page @DestinationTheShow. View full article

Jamie opens this one up, as Jeremy deals with technical difficulties, overviewing the Twins draft method in recent years. Then Jeremy goes with who the Twins will likely go with ahead of their draft compensation pick several picks down the line. View full video

Draft tandem Jeremy Nygaard and JD Cameron team up for a podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues and the MLB draft, produced by Theo Tollefson. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo Jamie and Jeremy take their first shot at a mock draft, alternating choices and having a deeper discussion when the Cubs, Brewers or Twins are on the clock. Picks are done through the comp round (#1-39) with rationale for most selections. Let us know what you think. 0:00 Intro 4:30 Mock Draft starts 23:20 Cubs pick at #14 30:20 Brewers pick at #17 38:10 Twins pick #21 54:20 Twins pick #33 57:14 Brewers pick #34 1:06:20 Listener Questions You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes and Spotify. If you enjoy the content, consider leaving us a five-star rating and review in addition to sharing or retweeting DTS-related content. You can follow us on Twitter @DTS_POD1, @Jeremynygaard, @J_D_Cameron, and @TheodoreTollef1. You can also find full episodes and clips of our shows on our YouTube page @DestinationTheShow. View full article

The baseball calendar for a fan is fairly straightforward to follow, but what does it look like for MLB scouts, especially with the recent move of the MLB Draft from June to July? Twins Director and Vice President of Amateur Scouting Sean Johnson breaks down the modern calendar year for himself and his scouts with the Twins organization. View full video