Brad Swanson

Thanks! Zimmermann is great. I was surprised how good his stats were over the past three seasons. I agree with you on Florimon and Parmelee. With Florimon, I'm employing blind optimism, just because the Twins rarely keep a competent shortstop and they seem to like Florimon. I'm with you on Parmelee and I'm about ready to see him put on the bench.

I would hope that a future outfield contains Buxton and Hicks, but I do agree with the general sentiments here.

The Scott Diamond Matrix? I made you a matrix: [TABLE=class: grid, width: 439] [/TD][TD]Plus Command Average Command Plus Stuff Jordan Zimmermann Sam Deduno Average Stuff Scott Diamond Rich Robertson [/TABLE] I chose to use the word "average" to be kind to all stakeholders. By average, I mean not plus. By plus, I mean great. In hindsight, these words would have been fine. Moving on, when you look at Jordan Zimmermann's numbers, you don't see a pitcher that much different from Scott Diamond. He doesn't strike out a ton of batters, although certainly more than Diamond. He gets ground balls and limits home runs. When you watch the two, especially when they pitch against each other, you can see the differences clearly. Zimmermann has better stuff. His fastball is better, he locates that fastball better and his secondary stuff is better. You wouldn't necessarily see that on paper, but it's hard to ignore when watching the two throw baseballs at batters. I threw in Sam Deduno and Rich Robertson to complete the matrix, not to take shots. Diamond will never have Zimmermann's stuff, so his margin of error is smaller. Deduno will never have Zimmermann's command, so he needs to rely more on his stuff. Rich Robertson is retired, so he will really struggle to get MLB hitters out. Pedro Florimon is pretty cool. Pedro Florimon has become pretty much what I had hoped he would become. In fact, I'm on record in the pro-Florimon column prior to the season's start. Don't believe me? Pudding. See, I'm so amazeing. Whoops, spelled that wrong. Cancelled out. Regarding Florimon, he's a steady, sometimes spectacular shortstop who can hit above .220. His plate discipline has improved, as his strikeout rate has decreased and his walk rate has increased. By any WAR-type measure, Florimon has been worth around one win this season. This projects to a 2.5-3.0 WAR player by season's end. I'll take that at shortstop, especially at a league minimum salary. Chris Parmelee is underwhelming. I was in the middle of writing about how I don't think Chris Parmelee is getting better when he lined a double off the top of the wall in the 6th inning of Game 1 on Sunday. I thought to myself, "Brad, he's got a nice swing, he hits some doubles, give him a chance." Then FSN put the "Chris Parmelee - 6th double on the season" graphic up. I feel my original thoughts are confirmed. Parmelee isn't getting better. I still think it would be wise to give him at least another month of starts. By July, if he is still hitting like he is right now, I'd call up Oswaldo Arcia and improve the team. Defending Aaron Hicks^n, when n = all the time I'm not going to expend any more energy writing about Aaron Hicks. I defended him immensely in my Friday mailbag. While it may seem crazy to move a .175 hitter up in the batting order, I think it is a wise move. Looking at who sits at the bottom of the order, Hicks at least has some power. He's still not going to get a lot of hits, but when he does, those hits could lead to runs. It makes sense while not making any sense. Speaking of not making any sense, here is some madness: Photoshop/Baseball Card from Past: Twins Daily member chuchadoro enjoyed my FSN girls/Gary Wayne photoshop but said that he prefers Keith Atherton to Gary Wayne. Fair enough. I dug up an Atherton card and made him this: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--PcrjmzAqXc/UbTmbouf8KI/AAAAAAAAAuA/SlpdH5KJS-Y/s320/foxsportsathertongirls.png You know what? I think we're on to something. Former Twin Update: Francisco Liriano More like Fantastic Liriano! Through 36 innings with Pittsburgh, he's posted an ERA of 1.75 with a 1.17 WHIP. He currently has a walk rate lower than he has posted since 2010. He is also posting a higher strikeout rate than any season since before his TJ surgery. I don't think the Twins should have signed him, simply because of their history, but I am not surprised that he is pitching well. He isn't this good, but he should help the Pirates as they try to make the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. Random Facebook Question - In reference to 1st-round pick Kohl Stewart Q: Great! So we'll see him in 6 years? That's if he doesn't go play QB for Texas A&M and go pro right? A: Oh, you are just the best kind of fan. Does everyone remember the scene at the end of Major League 2 when "Wild Thing" comes out of the bullpen to face Parkman in the ALCS and that one annoying fan has been razzing him for months? Vaughn basically tells the fan to "stick it" but with more colorful language. So, fans like these should be repeatedly told where they can stick comments like these and they should be told these things directly by the players. My proposal: One offensive fan per game. At the beginning of the game, the fan stands in the outfield while each player on the roster walks past telling them what their "loyalty" means to them. Basically, it's the hockey playoffs "props" line, but with insults and possibly curse words added in place of handshakes. The fan has to just stand there and take it. It's certainly controversial, but I know I would enjoy it. It might get me to a game in person too. Top 5 List - Why is Clete Thomas batting second? Clete Thomas wears number 11 and 1 + 1 = 2 2 people think it's a good idea, so that's where he'll bat Batting second enhances his arm accuracy and arm strength Lineup is alphabetical (this could be refuted using knowledge) This turkey was put in charge of making the lineup: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yCzQ2Pn4Sto/UbTlcm6i7FI/AAAAAAAAAt4/kFuYkJl51A0/s320/turkey1.jpg Link to Something I wrote: I found some fun Twins batting records a couple months ago. You can read it here. The only reason I post this now is that I promised to find pitching records and I still plan to do so. Perhaps this week. I appreciate your patience, I am very busy photoshopping Keith Atherton and Gary Wayne's head in places. Poll Results! I had posted a poll on my blog and I have the results! Question - Which Twins Prospect do you look forward to the most? - 157 votes Byron Buxton - 78 votes Miguel Sano - 53 votes Alex Meyer - 5 votes Frank Stallone - 21 votes Ouch, I would have expected Meyer to fare better than Stallone, but you never know until you collect the data. Buxton surged ahead of Sano in the past week or so. I posted a new poll, please take a moment to vote. Democracy! Parting Haiku: Here come the Phillies Ben Revere is back for now Straighten your hat, man Have a great week!

The Scott Diamond Matrix? I made you a matrix: [TABLE=class: grid, width: 439] [/TD][TD]Plus Command Average Command Plus Stuff Jordan Zimmermann Sam Deduno Average Stuff Scott Diamond Rich Robertson [/TABLE] I chose to use the word "average" to be kind to all stakeholders. By average, I mean not plus. By plus, I mean great. In hindsight, these words would have been fine. Moving on, when you look at Jordan Zimmermann's numbers, you don't see a pitcher that much different from Scott Diamond. He doesn't strike out a ton of batters, although certainly more than Diamond. He gets ground balls and limits home runs. When you watch the two, especially when they pitch against each other, you can see the differences clearly. Zimmermann has better stuff. His fastball is better, he locates that fastball better and his secondary stuff is better. You wouldn't necessarily see that on paper, but it's hard to ignore when watching the two throw baseballs at batters. I threw in Sam Deduno and Rich Robertson to complete the matrix, not to take shots. Diamond will never have Zimmermann's stuff, so his margin of error is smaller. Deduno will never have Zimmermann's command, so he needs to rely more on his stuff. Rich Robertson is retired, so he will really struggle to get MLB hitters out. Pedro Florimon is pretty cool. Pedro Florimon has become pretty much what I had hoped he would become. In fact, I'm on record in the pro-Florimon column prior to the season's start. Don't believe me? Pudding. See, I'm so amazeing. Whoops, spelled that wrong. Cancelled out. Regarding Florimon, he's a steady, sometimes spectacular shortstop who can hit above .220. His plate discipline has improved, as his strikeout rate has decreased and his walk rate has increased. By any WAR-type measure, Florimon has been worth around one win this season. This projects to a 2.5-3.0 WAR player by season's end. I'll take that at shortstop, especially at a league minimum salary. Chris Parmelee is underwhelming. I was in the middle of writing about how I don't think Chris Parmelee is getting better when he lined a double off the top of the wall in the 6th inning of Game 1 on Sunday. I thought to myself, "Brad, he's got a nice swing, he hits some doubles, give him a chance." Then FSN put the "Chris Parmelee - 6th double on the season" graphic up. I feel my original thoughts are confirmed. Parmelee isn't getting better. I still think it would be wise to give him at least another month of starts. By July, if he is still hitting like he is right now, I'd call up Oswaldo Arcia and improve the team. Defending Aaron Hicks^n, when n = all the time I'm not going to expend any more energy writing about Aaron Hicks. I defended him immensely in my Friday mailbag. While it may seem crazy to move a .175 hitter up in the batting order, I think it is a wise move. Looking at who sits at the bottom of the order, Hicks at least has some power. He's still not going to get a lot of hits, but when he does, those hits could lead to runs. It makes sense while not making any sense. Speaking of not making any sense, here is some madness: Photoshop/Baseball Card from Past: Twins Daily member chuchadoro enjoyed my FSN girls/Gary Wayne photoshop but said that he prefers Keith Atherton to Gary Wayne. Fair enough. I dug up an Atherton card and made him this: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--PcrjmzAqXc/UbTmbouf8KI/AAAAAAAAAuA/SlpdH5KJS-Y/s320/foxsportsathertongirls.png You know what? I think we're on to something. Former Twin Update: Francisco Liriano More like Fantastic Liriano! Through 36 innings with Pittsburgh, he's posted an ERA of 1.75 with a 1.17 WHIP. He currently has a walk rate lower than he has posted since 2010. He is also posting a higher strikeout rate than any season since before his TJ surgery. I don't think the Twins should have signed him, simply because of their history, but I am not surprised that he is pitching well. He isn't this good, but he should help the Pirates as they try to make the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. Random Facebook Question - In reference to 1st-round pick Kohl Stewart Q: Great! So we'll see him in 6 years? That's if he doesn't go play QB for Texas A&M and go pro right? A: Oh, you are just the best kind of fan. Does everyone remember the scene at the end of Major League 2 when "Wild Thing" comes out of the bullpen to face Parkman in the ALCS and that one annoying fan has been razzing him for months? Vaughn basically tells the fan to "stick it" but with more colorful language. So, fans like these should be repeatedly told where they can stick comments like these and they should be told these things directly by the players. My proposal: One offensive fan per game. At the beginning of the game, the fan stands in the outfield while each player on the roster walks past telling them what their "loyalty" means to them. Basically, it's the hockey playoffs "props" line, but with insults and possibly curse words added in place of handshakes. The fan has to just stand there and take it. It's certainly controversial, but I know I would enjoy it. It might get me to a game in person too. Top 5 List - Why is Clete Thomas batting second? Clete Thomas wears number 11 and 1 + 1 = 2 2 people think it's a good idea, so that's where he'll bat Batting second enhances his arm accuracy and arm strength Lineup is alphabetical (this could be refuted using knowledge) This turkey was put in charge of making the lineup: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yCzQ2Pn4Sto/UbTlcm6i7FI/AAAAAAAAAt4/kFuYkJl51A0/s320/turkey1.jpg Link to Something I wrote: I found some fun Twins batting records a couple months ago. You can read it here. The only reason I post this now is that I promised to find pitching records and I still plan to do so. Perhaps this week. I appreciate your patience, I am very busy photoshopping Keith Atherton and Gary Wayne's head in places. Poll Results! I had posted a poll on my blog and I have the results! Question - Which Twins Prospect do you look forward to the most? - 157 votes Byron Buxton - 78 votes Miguel Sano - 53 votes Alex Meyer - 5 votes Frank Stallone - 21 votes Ouch, I would have expected Meyer to fare better than Stallone, but you never know until you collect the data. Buxton surged ahead of Sano in the past week or so. I posted a new poll, please take a moment to vote. Democracy! Parting Haiku: Here come the Phillies Ben Revere is back for now Straighten your hat, man Have a great week!

I aim to please...

Thanks again! I'll look for a good Keith Atherton card to photoshop for the future. I'm always willing to take requests.

Thanks guys! I'm totally irrational about two things: Aaron Hicks and putting Gary Wayne's head on things.

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! With the conclusion of my landmark 25 drafts in 25 days feature, I decided that I needed to stop relying so heavily on gimmicks. It's time to do some real analysis and actually offer something of value. No more insulting everyone with silly lists and bad photoshops. It's time to take things very seriously. So, here's a fake mailbag: What do you think of the Kohl Stewart pick? ~Prospect Guys, Twins Daily (question likely aimed at someone with more knowledge/street cred/common sense) I love it. Considering the players who were available, Stewart was the best pick. Obviously, if any of the "big three" had fallen to four, I would have liked for the Twins to jump on them. However, with those three drafted, it seems that Stewart was clearly the best available prospect and he filled a need to boot. While Stewart is unlikely to contribute to the Twins within the next few years, he certainly helps add to the excitement for the future. If fans can be patient for a year or so more, things will start to turn around. Teams with oodles of top prospects improve. Unless they're the Royals. Then they don't. Kansas City is a nice place though. Also, even if Stewart never reaches Minnesota, it can still be the right pick. The MLB draft is so hard to predict and taking a teenager is no sure bet. Stewart can flame out and still be the right choice. Things change; that's the way it is. Clete Thomas was called up recently. Don't you think he deserved it? Don't you expect him to be freaking fantastic? ~Everyone, Twitter No and no. Clete Thomas played well at AAA but unless he's bringing AAA pitchers with him to Minnesota, I don't see his MLB career taking off any time soon. Thomas is a replacement level player who can play center field if needed. Hopefully, he'll be around to spell Aaron Hicks from time to time and nothing more. I don't expect him to help the team win and I don't expect him to do anything of significance. I also don't think he'll be on the team at the end of the season. Summary: Not a fan. I also don't think he "earned" a call-up. Sure, he played well for Rochester, but he's 29. He's not part of the future and he doesn't help enough in the present. It's great that he mastered AAA but that's all his performance means. I don't really care that he is on the active roster, so long as he doesn't start playing regularly. Basically, stay off my lawn, Clete Thomas. What do you think of the Fox Sports North Girls? How would you improve their role with the Twins? ~Wife, St. Paul, MN Well, I have one idea: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MPeREQtthSA/UbE_6J6pBpI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/9LPH4uEu4zM/s320/foxsportswaynegirls.png Replacing the Fox Sports North Girls with three Gary Waynes could be profitable. Byron Buxton? ~B. Swanson, St. Paul, MN Excellent question. Yes. Holy smokes this guy is crazy. It seems like his legend grows every day. Keith Law rated him as the second best prospect in baseball. Jason Parks seems somewhat smitten. The experts and scouts are comparing him to Eric Davis, Mike Trout and Willie Mays. Yowee. Is there any harm in this? I don't think so. Honestly, the fact that he is building a legend when so far from the Majors kind of makes it more fun. Even if he flames out (and I don't see that happening) we will at the very least have this legendary figure that we will remember for a long time. I love it. I love larger than life figures. Can you imagine Buxton's MLB debut? How electric is that crowd going to be? He isn't going to be a normal prospect; he's gone mainstream. The average top prospect is still a relative unknown. My father-in-law sent me a text about Buxton this week and his Twins texts are usually devoted to talking about how Joe Mauer doesn't hit home runs or misspelling names like Donit and Parmesan. He wants to release Aaron Hicks. Just release him. Buxton has crossed over. He's the Enrique Iglesias of the Twins Minor Leagues. If he wants to Bailamos, I'll do it. Just watch me. What's your deal with Aaron Hicks? ~Haters, Everywhere There is a classic scene in the classic movie Little Big League when classic character Billy Heywood watches his favorite player get a seeing-eye single for his first hit in what must have been ages. Billy gets very excited and turns to his pitching coach as if to say, "see, I told you so." The wise pitching coach basically points out that if Billy is this excited about a seeing-eye single, then what does that really say about his favorite player? I now realize that I act in the same way when Aaron Hicks gets a hit. It's quite sad. I've basically turned into a 10-year-old MLB manager, which is pretty much everything I hate. Every Hicks hit ends with me pumping my fist, running around my living room and doing the Charleston. Billy ends up releasing his favorite player; what will happen to me? I so badly want Aaron Hicks to break out or just string together a few good games in a row. He's certainly playing better than he was in April, but he's still not great. Now Clete Thomas is around to bogart at bats with his weird eyes and I feel threatened. Hicks has made improvements, but maybe not enough. I don't know anymore. I feel as though I have been constantly defending him and the Twins' decision to keep playing him. It's exhausting. I still don't see any reason to send him to AAA, but I've also clearly snapped. I wrote this "piece" a few weeks ago which basically called for the limitation of free speech. Free speech is one of my favorites! I've gone mad. I just hope I don't have to be the one to tell Hicks that he has to go to Rochester. I would be an odd choice for a variety of reasons. What is the one thing you would do to improve baseball? ~@bridman77, on Twitter Two words: Magnets everywhere. Thanks for reading everyone, have a nice weekend!

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! With the conclusion of my landmark 25 drafts in 25 days feature, I decided that I needed to stop relying so heavily on gimmicks. It's time to do some real analysis and actually offer something of value. No more insulting everyone with silly lists and bad photoshops. It's time to take things very seriously. So, here's a fake mailbag: What do you think of the Kohl Stewart pick? ~Prospect Guys, Twins Daily (question likely aimed at someone with more knowledge/street cred/common sense) I love it. Considering the players who were available, Stewart was the best pick. Obviously, if any of the "big three" had fallen to four, I would have liked for the Twins to jump on them. However, with those three drafted, it seems that Stewart was clearly the best available prospect and he filled a need to boot. While Stewart is unlikely to contribute to the Twins within the next few years, he certainly helps add to the excitement for the future. If fans can be patient for a year or so more, things will start to turn around. Teams with oodles of top prospects improve. Unless they're the Royals. Then they don't. Kansas City is a nice place though. Also, even if Stewart never reaches Minnesota, it can still be the right pick. The MLB draft is so hard to predict and taking a teenager is no sure bet. Stewart can flame out and still be the right choice. Things change; that's the way it is. Clete Thomas was called up recently. Don't you think he deserved it? Don't you expect him to be freaking fantastic? ~Everyone, Twitter No and no. Clete Thomas played well at AAA but unless he's bringing AAA pitchers with him to Minnesota, I don't see his MLB career taking off any time soon. Thomas is a replacement level player who can play center field if needed. Hopefully, he'll be around to spell Aaron Hicks from time to time and nothing more. I don't expect him to help the team win and I don't expect him to do anything of significance. I also don't think he'll be on the team at the end of the season. Summary: Not a fan. I also don't think he "earned" a call-up. Sure, he played well for Rochester, but he's 29. He's not part of the future and he doesn't help enough in the present. It's great that he mastered AAA but that's all his performance means. I don't really care that he is on the active roster, so long as he doesn't start playing regularly. Basically, stay off my lawn, Clete Thomas. What do you think of the Fox Sports North Girls? How would you improve their role with the Twins? ~Wife, St. Paul, MN Well, I have one idea: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MPeREQtthSA/UbE_6J6pBpI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/9LPH4uEu4zM/s320/foxsportswaynegirls.png Replacing the Fox Sports North Girls with three Gary Waynes could be profitable. Byron Buxton? ~B. Swanson, St. Paul, MN Excellent question. Yes. Holy smokes this guy is crazy. It seems like his legend grows every day. Keith Law rated him as the second best prospect in baseball. Jason Parks seems somewhat smitten. The experts and scouts are comparing him to Eric Davis, Mike Trout and Willie Mays. Yowee. Is there any harm in this? I don't think so. Honestly, the fact that he is building a legend when so far from the Majors kind of makes it more fun. Even if he flames out (and I don't see that happening) we will at the very least have this legendary figure that we will remember for a long time. I love it. I love larger than life figures. Can you imagine Buxton's MLB debut? How electric is that crowd going to be? He isn't going to be a normal prospect; he's gone mainstream. The average top prospect is still a relative unknown. My father-in-law sent me a text about Buxton this week and his Twins texts are usually devoted to talking about how Joe Mauer doesn't hit home runs or misspelling names like Donit and Parmesan. He wants to release Aaron Hicks. Just release him. Buxton has crossed over. He's the Enrique Iglesias of the Twins Minor Leagues. If he wants to Bailamos, I'll do it. Just watch me. What's your deal with Aaron Hicks? ~Haters, Everywhere There is a classic scene in the classic movie Little Big League when classic character Billy Heywood watches his favorite player get a seeing-eye single for his first hit in what must have been ages. Billy gets very excited and turns to his pitching coach as if to say, "see, I told you so." The wise pitching coach basically points out that if Billy is this excited about a seeing-eye single, then what does that really say about his favorite player? I now realize that I act in the same way when Aaron Hicks gets a hit. It's quite sad. I've basically turned into a 10-year-old MLB manager, which is pretty much everything I hate. Every Hicks hit ends with me pumping my fist, running around my living room and doing the Charleston. Billy ends up releasing his favorite player; what will happen to me? I so badly want Aaron Hicks to break out or just string together a few good games in a row. He's certainly playing better than he was in April, but he's still not great. Now Clete Thomas is around to bogart at bats with his weird eyes and I feel threatened. Hicks has made improvements, but maybe not enough. I don't know anymore. I feel as though I have been constantly defending him and the Twins' decision to keep playing him. It's exhausting. I still don't see any reason to send him to AAA, but I've also clearly snapped. I wrote this "piece" a few weeks ago which basically called for the limitation of free speech. Free speech is one of my favorites! I've gone mad. I just hope I don't have to be the one to tell Hicks that he has to go to Rochester. I would be an odd choice for a variety of reasons. What is the one thing you would do to improve baseball? ~@bridman77, on Twitter Two words: Magnets everywhere. Thanks for reading everyone, have a nice weekend!

I am grateful for that accidental click. I'm glad you enjoyed them!

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! I have reached the end of my journey. Although we've come to the end of the road, still I can't let you go, Twins' drafts. It's unnatural. As such, I wanted to thank everyone for the positive feedback and for simply reading these recaps. I really enjoyed the research and I really enjoyed sharing what I found. I also appreciate the support from Twins Daily and their willingness to put these on the Front Page. I think the proudest moment I have had in my short time blogging is seeing the phrase "Do you remember the Willenium?" on the front of Twins Daily. But seriously, more people have read these than I could have ever dreamed and that really means a lot to me. Thanks to this wonderful community of Twins fans. If you missed 2011, just click the year. I don't quote any 90s R&B, but I did disparage the city of Circle Pines. Also, if you missed any from before that, I did try to organize all of the recaps in one place. This is that one place. Here is 2012: You'll have to forgive me if this final draft recap is a bit hard to read. I am literally crying while typing it. Finishing anything is always bittersweet, plus when I cry, I breathe very heavily and wheeze so that I am literally blowing tears from my mouth while sobbing and sniffling. You can imagine what that does to a laptop. I'm very resilient, so I present to you the final installment of 25 drafts in 25 days, at least until I decide that I am out of other ideas. Oh yeah, 2012 was like a year ago, so this should all be berry fresh. 1st Round Picks BYRON BUXTON! I'm guessing it won't be long until we are all typing his name like that. Buxton was the second overall pick and is currently pillaging Cedar Rapids with his bat and glove. Honesty time - I thought the Twins should have taken Albert Almora. I'm so freaking stupid sometimes (all the time). I just thought Almora was equally toolsy, younger and had a better track record (track record for Pete's sake, we're talking about high school kids, what kind of track record... such an idiot). Obviously, I was wrong. The Twins also added Jose Berrios who looks like he might be the most confident person on the planet, with the 32nd overall pick and Luke Bard, who has an older brother, with the 42nd overall pick. Now, had the Twins drafted Almora with one of these picks, it would have been genius. It would have also been illegal. Ah, but what if? Well, Kevin Gausman is in the Majors... That is an inside joke that I'm not fully sure that I understand. If the Twins had selected any player over Buxton, there would be riots in the streets of Anoka County. One might ask, "did the Gopher hockey team just win another National Championship?" Nope, Twins fans are rioting because people are comparing Buxton to Willie Mays and the Twins selected Albert Almora and his broken hand. Luckily, I am barely in charge of making decisions in my house, much less for the Twins, so it's all good. Best Late Round Pick Oh goodness, I don't know, D.J. Baxendale? He was the Twins' tenth-round pick and he carved up Fort Myers like Razor Ramon. He was such a chico that the Twins moved him to New Britain. He's moving fast, which I think people enjoy. Who'll be the first to reach the Majors? Baxendale is certainly in the lead, as he is currently in AA. However, I'm going to defy all logic and guess that it will be Buxton. Here's how I see it playing out. Buxton just shows up at Target Field one night and stares at Ron Gardenhire until he gets put in the lineup. He then goes 5-5, hits for the cycle, robs a home run, pitches a scoreless ninth for the save, posts a triple-double, assists on two goals, solves the energy crisis and reunites the rest of Nirvana with Zombie Kurt Cobain. He then disappears forever. But more likely, Baxendale since he's already in AA. Best Prospects BUXTON! Jose Berrios just turned 19 and looks to be a player who will continue to rise up through the system and up prospect lists. If I remember correctly, he wasn't a big-time prospect because he wasn't very tall. That's crazy. Regardless, the Twins benefit from this blatant height discrimination as Berrios looks like a stud. Third-round pick Adam Walker has a crud-load of power. He hit a whole mess of bombs in rookie ball last season, and is adding more bombs at Cedar Rapids this season. Walker has huge power, but strikes out a lot. Oh well, so do a lot of guys. Power plays, and he's only 21. He's from Milwaukee, but clearly hated it enough to go to college in Jacksonville, Florida. Fifth-round pick Tyler Duffey is allergic to walks. He has walked just eight batters in 77.1 pro innings. That sounds awfully Slowey to me. Hopefully, he hates books so he can fit in with the other players. Luke Bard throws hard. That's fantastic. He shares half of his DNA with brother Daniel, but that is just science. He is going to try to make a successful conversion to become a starter, but still might have value as a reliever if all else fails. Best Name Alex Liquori in the 39th round. Fun Facts As is common with most recent drafts, the Twins can boast a lot of interesting prospects from the 2012 draft. Including: second-round pick Mason Melotakis, second-round comp pick J.T. Chargois, 4th-round pick Zach Jones, and 11th-round pick Taylor Rogers. 21st-round pick Bo Altobelli is a talented hair-stylist. Not true. The Twins received compensation picks in the first and second rounds for Michael Cuddyer, but just a first-round comp pick for Jason Kubel. 9th-round pick L.J. Mazilli did not sign with the team, but come one, he was a 9th-round pick and none of those guys ever pan out. Right, Frank Catalanotto? 2013 Twins? Come on, this is a stupid category. These guys were just drafted. Although, I won't rule out the Buxton scenario I outlined earlier. One Sentence Summary Researching 25 Minnesota Twins drafts in 25 days was really fun; thank you all for reading! Link to the Twins' 2012 draft from Baseball Reference

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! I have reached the end of my journey. Although we've come to the end of the road, still I can't let you go, Twins' drafts. It's unnatural. As such, I wanted to thank everyone for the positive feedback and for simply reading these recaps. I really enjoyed the research and I really enjoyed sharing what I found. I also appreciate the support from Twins Daily and their willingness to put these on the Front Page. I think the proudest moment I have had in my short time blogging is seeing the phrase "Do you remember the Willenium?" on the front of Twins Daily. But seriously, more people have read these than I could have ever dreamed and that really means a lot to me. Thanks to this wonderful community of Twins fans. If you missed 2011, just click the year. I don't quote any 90s R&B, but I did disparage the city of Circle Pines. Also, if you missed any from before that, I did try to organize all of the recaps in one place. This is that one place. Here is 2012: You'll have to forgive me if this final draft recap is a bit hard to read. I am literally crying while typing it. Finishing anything is always bittersweet, plus when I cry, I breathe very heavily and wheeze so that I am literally blowing tears from my mouth while sobbing and sniffling. You can imagine what that does to a laptop. I'm very resilient, so I present to you the final installment of 25 drafts in 25 days, at least until I decide that I am out of other ideas. Oh yeah, 2012 was like a year ago, so this should all be berry fresh. 1st Round Picks BYRON BUXTON! I'm guessing it won't be long until we are all typing his name like that. Buxton was the second overall pick and is currently pillaging Cedar Rapids with his bat and glove. Honesty time - I thought the Twins should have taken Albert Almora. I'm so freaking stupid sometimes (all the time). I just thought Almora was equally toolsy, younger and had a better track record (track record for Pete's sake, we're talking about high school kids, what kind of track record... such an idiot). Obviously, I was wrong. The Twins also added Jose Berrios who looks like he might be the most confident person on the planet, with the 32nd overall pick and Luke Bard, who has an older brother, with the 42nd overall pick. Now, had the Twins drafted Almora with one of these picks, it would have been genius. It would have also been illegal. Ah, but what if? Well, Kevin Gausman is in the Majors... That is an inside joke that I'm not fully sure that I understand. If the Twins had selected any player over Buxton, there would be riots in the streets of Anoka County. One might ask, "did the Gopher hockey team just win another National Championship?" Nope, Twins fans are rioting because people are comparing Buxton to Willie Mays and the Twins selected Albert Almora and his broken hand. Luckily, I am barely in charge of making decisions in my house, much less for the Twins, so it's all good. Best Late Round Pick Oh goodness, I don't know, D.J. Baxendale? He was the Twins' tenth-round pick and he carved up Fort Myers like Razor Ramon. He was such a chico that the Twins moved him to New Britain. He's moving fast, which I think people enjoy. Who'll be the first to reach the Majors? Baxendale is certainly in the lead, as he is currently in AA. However, I'm going to defy all logic and guess that it will be Buxton. Here's how I see it playing out. Buxton just shows up at Target Field one night and stares at Ron Gardenhire until he gets put in the lineup. He then goes 5-5, hits for the cycle, robs a home run, pitches a scoreless ninth for the save, posts a triple-double, assists on two goals, solves the energy crisis and reunites the rest of Nirvana with Zombie Kurt Cobain. He then disappears forever. But more likely, Baxendale since he's already in AA. Best Prospects BUXTON! Jose Berrios just turned 19 and looks to be a player who will continue to rise up through the system and up prospect lists. If I remember correctly, he wasn't a big-time prospect because he wasn't very tall. That's crazy. Regardless, the Twins benefit from this blatant height discrimination as Berrios looks like a stud. Third-round pick Adam Walker has a crud-load of power. He hit a whole mess of bombs in rookie ball last season, and is adding more bombs at Cedar Rapids this season. Walker has huge power, but strikes out a lot. Oh well, so do a lot of guys. Power plays, and he's only 21. He's from Milwaukee, but clearly hated it enough to go to college in Jacksonville, Florida. Fifth-round pick Tyler Duffey is allergic to walks. He has walked just eight batters in 77.1 pro innings. That sounds awfully Slowey to me. Hopefully, he hates books so he can fit in with the other players. Luke Bard throws hard. That's fantastic. He shares half of his DNA with brother Daniel, but that is just science. He is going to try to make a successful conversion to become a starter, but still might have value as a reliever if all else fails. Best Name Alex Liquori in the 39th round. Fun Facts As is common with most recent drafts, the Twins can boast a lot of interesting prospects from the 2012 draft. Including: second-round pick Mason Melotakis, second-round comp pick J.T. Chargois, 4th-round pick Zach Jones, and 11th-round pick Taylor Rogers. 21st-round pick Bo Altobelli is a talented hair-stylist. Not true. The Twins received compensation picks in the first and second rounds for Michael Cuddyer, but just a first-round comp pick for Jason Kubel. 9th-round pick L.J. Mazilli did not sign with the team, but come one, he was a 9th-round pick and none of those guys ever pan out. Right, Frank Catalanotto? 2013 Twins? Come on, this is a stupid category. These guys were just drafted. Although, I won't rule out the Buxton scenario I outlined earlier. One Sentence Summary Researching 25 Minnesota Twins drafts in 25 days was really fun; thank you all for reading! Link to the Twins' 2012 draft from Baseball Reference

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! I didn't catch any of the Twins' series with Seattle this weekend, so it seemed a bit disingenuous to write about it. I'm sure everyone will survive a week without stupid photoshops and my silly antics. Instead, I present to you another draft, one day early. If you missed my 2008 or 2009 summary, you can click the year and check them out. I did declare my secret love for a player, so that is certainly worth seeking out. Here is 2010: 2009 was the final Twins' draft to produce a Twins player. Obviously, these recent drafts are quite recent and thus there is plenty of time to produce some MLB players in the future. It just hasn't happened yet. As such, these recaps need to change a bit. As Shannon Hoon said, "when life is hard, you have to change." Life is hard, so even though I just made changes a few drafts ago, further changes are needed. I'm not sure why you need to know this. Perhaps I couldn't come up with a good opening. We'll never know. 1st Round Pick The Twins selected The Alex Wimmers, a right-handed starter out of The Ohio State University, with the 21st overall pick. The Twins went consecutive drafts selecting college starters who appeared close to MLB-ready with picks in the early 20s. Wimmers, and Kyle Gibson the year prior, have not made their MLB debuts. Wimmers looked fantastic in his pro debut back in 2010. Since then, he has had a lot of troubles throwing strikes and then he had Tommy John surgery in 2012. Wimmers is likely to miss almost all of this season. He may return for some Winter ball, but he'll basically be starting over as a prospect next season. Even so, if he recovers from his injury and can get his command back, he could be playing for the Twins by 2015. If that happens, this was a good pick. If not, it was an unfortunate pick. Ah, but what if? This is a little tougher now, due to the youth of these players. However, Christian Yelich was drafted two picks after Wimmers and he looks like a can't miss prospect. Yelich can flat-out hit. Of course he's an outfielder and the Twins have like 455 outfielders/outfield prospects. If the Twins preferred a pitcher, they could have taken Jesse Biddle (27th overall), Zach Lee (28), Aaron Sanchez (34), Noah Syndergaard (38) or Taijuan Walker (43). Each is considered a good prospect, while Sanchez and Walker are elite. Of course, they also could have taken Peter Tago (47) because he has a cool name. Best Late Round Pick I like 10th-round pick J.D. Williams. He was drafted out of Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School in Tampa, Florida. I always like schools that sounds like Law Firms, so this one makes me happy. Williams wasn't anything special for Beloit last season, but he has been great with Cedar Rapids this season. Sure, he's repeating a level and he's 22 and in the Midwest League, but blah blah blah, I don't care. If he can keep developing as an outfielder (he signed as a shortstop) and keep developing as a hitter, then he'll be one of the best 10th round picks from this draft. That's something, right? San Diego drafted Houston Slemp with their 10th round pick and I'm pretty sure that's a fake name. Just some perspective. Oh, 10th round isn't late enough for you? You ingrate. Fine. A.J. Achter was drafted in the 46th round, which is pretty freaking late. Achter was drafted out of Michigan State and just recently earned a promotion to AA New Britain. If he even sniffs the Majors out of the 46th round, he'll be the best 46th round pick ever!!!!! That may not be true, but I refuse to do research. This isn't school. Who'll be the first to reach the Majors? This is tough. There are quite a few guys at New Britain, but none are very exciting. I'm going to guess Eddie Rosario, simply because I think he is the best prospect and therefore, he has the best chance to actually reach the Majors. Rosario was the Twins' fourth-round pick and he's real and he's spectacular. The man can hit. He's only at Fort Myers, so he won't be a Twin soon, but his talent should carry him to Minnesota before anyone else in this draft. Best Prospects Gold Silver Rosario, for reasons I just explained. Seriously, I just explained them. Second-round pick Niko Goodrum and not just because he has a sweet name. He's a shortstop and he's starting to hit. He was carried off of the field on a stretcher a few nights ago, but hopefully he will be ok and can resume his breakout season. I love him. I love him like a milkshake. Wimmers. I know he was wild and I know he is hurt, but he had number 3/4 upside when he was drafted and if he can recover from his injury, there's no reason he can't recover his ceiling. 5th-round pick Nate Roberts. OBP machine/mustachioed mofo. Best Name James Buckelew, the Twins' 45th-round pick. Fun Facts 3rd-round pick Pat Dean has two Baseball Reference pages. Seriously. Here's the other one. Four Twins' 2010 draftees are currently pitching for New Britain: Dean, Achter, 6th-round pick Logan Darnell, and 7th-round pick Matt Hauser. 9th-round pick Kyle Knudson is also playing for New Britain, but he is not a pitcher, so the others probably razz him. Twins' 23rd-round pick Dallas Gallant has the most Texas name of all time. That Law Firm High School I talked about earlier? J.D. Williams wasn't the only Twins' 2010 draftee from that school. The Twins also selected Kelvin Mention in the 36th round. These two jokers make up half of the players ever drafted from this Firm. The Twins drafted Lance Ray in the 8th round and Jared Ray in the 38th round. I don't think they are brothers, but there is certainly a Ray of hope that they are. 2013 Twins? None, but perhaps a couple in 2014? Eh? EHH? One Sentence Summary If Niko Goodrum needs a house family, he is welcome at my house - although he is playing 250 miles away and should probably have a home by now. Link to the Twins' 2010 draft from Baseball Reference

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! I didn't catch any of the Twins' series with Seattle this weekend, so it seemed a bit disingenuous to write about it. I'm sure everyone will survive a week without stupid photoshops and my silly antics. Instead, I present to you another draft, one day early. If you missed my 2008 or 2009 summary, you can click the year and check them out. I did declare my secret love for a player, so that is certainly worth seeking out. Here is 2010: 2009 was the final Twins' draft to produce a Twins player. Obviously, these recent drafts are quite recent and thus there is plenty of time to produce some MLB players in the future. It just hasn't happened yet. As such, these recaps need to change a bit. As Shannon Hoon said, "when life is hard, you have to change." Life is hard, so even though I just made changes a few drafts ago, further changes are needed. I'm not sure why you need to know this. Perhaps I couldn't come up with a good opening. We'll never know. 1st Round Pick The Twins selected The Alex Wimmers, a right-handed starter out of The Ohio State University, with the 21st overall pick. The Twins went consecutive drafts selecting college starters who appeared close to MLB-ready with picks in the early 20s. Wimmers, and Kyle Gibson the year prior, have not made their MLB debuts. Wimmers looked fantastic in his pro debut back in 2010. Since then, he has had a lot of troubles throwing strikes and then he had Tommy John surgery in 2012. Wimmers is likely to miss almost all of this season. He may return for some Winter ball, but he'll basically be starting over as a prospect next season. Even so, if he recovers from his injury and can get his command back, he could be playing for the Twins by 2015. If that happens, this was a good pick. If not, it was an unfortunate pick. Ah, but what if? This is a little tougher now, due to the youth of these players. However, Christian Yelich was drafted two picks after Wimmers and he looks like a can't miss prospect. Yelich can flat-out hit. Of course he's an outfielder and the Twins have like 455 outfielders/outfield prospects. If the Twins preferred a pitcher, they could have taken Jesse Biddle (27th overall), Zach Lee (28), Aaron Sanchez (34), Noah Syndergaard (38) or Taijuan Walker (43). Each is considered a good prospect, while Sanchez and Walker are elite. Of course, they also could have taken Peter Tago (47) because he has a cool name. Best Late Round Pick I like 10th-round pick J.D. Williams. He was drafted out of Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School in Tampa, Florida. I always like schools that sounds like Law Firms, so this one makes me happy. Williams wasn't anything special for Beloit last season, but he has been great with Cedar Rapids this season. Sure, he's repeating a level and he's 22 and in the Midwest League, but blah blah blah, I don't care. If he can keep developing as an outfielder (he signed as a shortstop) and keep developing as a hitter, then he'll be one of the best 10th round picks from this draft. That's something, right? San Diego drafted Houston Slemp with their 10th round pick and I'm pretty sure that's a fake name. Just some perspective. Oh, 10th round isn't late enough for you? You ingrate. Fine. A.J. Achter was drafted in the 46th round, which is pretty freaking late. Achter was drafted out of Michigan State and just recently earned a promotion to AA New Britain. If he even sniffs the Majors out of the 46th round, he'll be the best 46th round pick ever!!!!! That may not be true, but I refuse to do research. This isn't school. Who'll be the first to reach the Majors? This is tough. There are quite a few guys at New Britain, but none are very exciting. I'm going to guess Eddie Rosario, simply because I think he is the best prospect and therefore, he has the best chance to actually reach the Majors. Rosario was the Twins' fourth-round pick and he's real and he's spectacular. The man can hit. He's only at Fort Myers, so he won't be a Twin soon, but his talent should carry him to Minnesota before anyone else in this draft. Best Prospects Gold Silver Rosario, for reasons I just explained. Seriously, I just explained them. Second-round pick Niko Goodrum and not just because he has a sweet name. He's a shortstop and he's starting to hit. He was carried off of the field on a stretcher a few nights ago, but hopefully he will be ok and can resume his breakout season. I love him. I love him like a milkshake. Wimmers. I know he was wild and I know he is hurt, but he had number 3/4 upside when he was drafted and if he can recover from his injury, there's no reason he can't recover his ceiling. 5th-round pick Nate Roberts. OBP machine/mustachioed mofo. Best Name James Buckelew, the Twins' 45th-round pick. Fun Facts 3rd-round pick Pat Dean has two Baseball Reference pages. Seriously. Here's the other one. Four Twins' 2010 draftees are currently pitching for New Britain: Dean, Achter, 6th-round pick Logan Darnell, and 7th-round pick Matt Hauser. 9th-round pick Kyle Knudson is also playing for New Britain, but he is not a pitcher, so the others probably razz him. Twins' 23rd-round pick Dallas Gallant has the most Texas name of all time. That Law Firm High School I talked about earlier? J.D. Williams wasn't the only Twins' 2010 draftee from that school. The Twins also selected Kelvin Mention in the 36th round. These two jokers make up half of the players ever drafted from this Firm. The Twins drafted Lance Ray in the 8th round and Jared Ray in the 38th round. I don't think they are brothers, but there is certainly a Ray of hope that they are. 2013 Twins? None, but perhaps a couple in 2014? Eh? EHH? One Sentence Summary If Niko Goodrum needs a house family, he is welcome at my house - although he is playing 250 miles away and should probably have a home by now. Link to the Twins' 2010 draft from Baseball Reference

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! Welcome once more to 25 drafts in 25 days. We are nearing the end of this endeavor, which means we are also nearing the actual 2013 draft. I know that I am very excited to see who the next wave of future Twins will be. In the meantime, here are my recaps from 2005 and 2006, to tide you over. Just click the years and enjoy the beautiful layout. Here is 2007: The 2005 and 2006 drafts were Snickers bars, just packed with peanuts. In this analogy, players are peanuts. The Twins added 2 current Twins and 10 more former Twins. While there were no superstars added to the organization, this is still a windfall of peanuts/players. The 2007 draft is more of a tumbleweed or perhaps a Milky Way with a rogue peanut. Only two players have reached the Majors and realistically, maybe two or three more have a chance to join them. However, one of the more popular recent Twins was added... 1st Round Pick The Twins selected the diminutive (required adjective) Ben Revere with the 28th overall pick in the 2007 draft. Revere was a high school kid out of Kentucky. He's small, listed at 5' 9" and 170 lb, but that is part of what made him so much fun to watch. Revere has crazy range in the outfield and could track down fly balls like a homing beacon. Plus, he was kind of clumsy, so he'd fall and do somersaults and whatnot. It was all very entertaining. Ah, but what if? The Twins pretty much nailed the Revere pick. If you can get a starting player with the 28th pick, it's a success. However, since I am legally obligated to present a "what if" scenario, you could make the case that Giancarlo Stanton would have been a nice selection. Stanton went 76th overall, which was somehow in the second round because there were roughly 400 compensation picks in 2007. For serious, take a look (at the bottom). Stanton is an excellent power hitter, but rarely falls down while trying to make amazing catches. Just stating the facts. Best Player Drafted Well hey, welcome back Ben Revere! I think I need to change these categories for the more recent drafts. The Twins finally rid themselves of the malcontent that is Ben Revere last off-season, acquiring Trevor May in a trade with the Phillies. Worst Player to Reach MLB Worst At Hat-Wearing I apologize for the previous section. Ben Revere is neither a malcontent or a "worst player" in any way. However, he is the only player who the Twins signed in 2007 who also made it to the Majors. Thus, in a totally unfair way, and based on an extreme technicality, he is the worst player to reach the MLB from this draft. More accurately, he always wore his hat poorly, and that cannot go unpunished. So, Revere is not the worst player, but he was the worst hat-wearer from the '07 draft. The One Who Got Away The only other Twins' 2007 draftee to make the Majors (so far) is Mickey Storey. Storey was drafted in the 22nd round, and went back to school to become a Senior and thus the "top dog" on campus. If I have learned anything from movies, he wasted this year partying before ultimately learning a lesson right before finals. He was drafted in the 31st round just one year later. Storey is currently pitching for the Blue Jays organization, and has a career ERA of 4.24. He strikes out a lot of batters. Best Name With the 1453rd overall pick in the 2007 MLB draft, the Twins selected Christopher Freshcorn, a catcher out of Alonso High School in Alonso, Florida. The Twins' 50th round selection does not have any stats. Fun Facts Despite Ben Revere being the only player from the 2007 draft to play for the Twins, he still has a higher WAR than all seven players drafted in 2006 who also played for the Twins combined. Andrew Schmiesing, the Twins' 11th-round pick, went to St. Olaf College and played for the St. Paul Saints. He's from Northfield, Minnesota! So many local angles! Third-round pick Angel Morales is currently playing with Fort Myers. He is a local Angel. He has played over 260 games in Fort Myers. He's spent more time in Fort Myers than long-time Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson, Jr. EEEYYY-OOO! That's actually not true. Twins' 8th-round pick and current Rochester Red Wing Danny Lehmann has hit eight career Minor League home runs in over 1000 at-bats. Twins' 14th-round pick Dan Rohlfing was playing in New Britain but just got the call to Rochester. He has seven career Minor League home runs in over 1100 at-bats, but of course, he hit one in his first AAA game. Your move, Danny Lehmann. Twins' 16th-round pick Nelvin Fuentes has never hit a professional home run. He's a pitcher, so that's not a fair way to assess him. In the 28th round, the Twins drafted Seth Rosin out of Mounds View High School. I went there! He did not sign and went to the University of Minnesota. I went there! In 2010, Rosin was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 4th round. Rosin is pitching well at AA for the Phillies now. This is more of a fun fact for me. I am going to really enjoy reading it later. All those drafted who made it to the Bigs (so far) Ben Revere and Mickey Storey. One Sentence Summary The 2007 draft was all about Ben Revere and that wonderful smile. Link to the Twins' 2007 draft from Baseball Reference

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed! Welcome once more to 25 drafts in 25 days. We are nearing the end of this endeavor, which means we are also nearing the actual 2013 draft. I know that I am very excited to see who the next wave of future Twins will be. In the meantime, here are my recaps from 2005 and 2006, to tide you over. Just click the years and enjoy the beautiful layout. Here is 2007: The 2005 and 2006 drafts were Snickers bars, just packed with peanuts. In this analogy, players are peanuts. The Twins added 2 current Twins and 10 more former Twins. While there were no superstars added to the organization, this is still a windfall of peanuts/players. The 2007 draft is more of a tumbleweed or perhaps a Milky Way with a rogue peanut. Only two players have reached the Majors and realistically, maybe two or three more have a chance to join them. However, one of the more popular recent Twins was added... 1st Round Pick The Twins selected the diminutive (required adjective) Ben Revere with the 28th overall pick in the 2007 draft. Revere was a high school kid out of Kentucky. He's small, listed at 5' 9" and 170 lb, but that is part of what made him so much fun to watch. Revere has crazy range in the outfield and could track down fly balls like a homing beacon. Plus, he was kind of clumsy, so he'd fall and do somersaults and whatnot. It was all very entertaining. Ah, but what if? The Twins pretty much nailed the Revere pick. If you can get a starting player with the 28th pick, it's a success. However, since I am legally obligated to present a "what if" scenario, you could make the case that Giancarlo Stanton would have been a nice selection. Stanton went 76th overall, which was somehow in the second round because there were roughly 400 compensation picks in 2007. For serious, take a look (at the bottom). Stanton is an excellent power hitter, but rarely falls down while trying to make amazing catches. Just stating the facts. Best Player Drafted Well hey, welcome back Ben Revere! I think I need to change these categories for the more recent drafts. The Twins finally rid themselves of the malcontent that is Ben Revere last off-season, acquiring Trevor May in a trade with the Phillies. Worst Player to Reach MLB Worst At Hat-Wearing I apologize for the previous section. Ben Revere is neither a malcontent or a "worst player" in any way. However, he is the only player who the Twins signed in 2007 who also made it to the Majors. Thus, in a totally unfair way, and based on an extreme technicality, he is the worst player to reach the MLB from this draft. More accurately, he always wore his hat poorly, and that cannot go unpunished. So, Revere is not the worst player, but he was the worst hat-wearer from the '07 draft. The One Who Got Away The only other Twins' 2007 draftee to make the Majors (so far) is Mickey Storey. Storey was drafted in the 22nd round, and went back to school to become a Senior and thus the "top dog" on campus. If I have learned anything from movies, he wasted this year partying before ultimately learning a lesson right before finals. He was drafted in the 31st round just one year later. Storey is currently pitching for the Blue Jays organization, and has a career ERA of 4.24. He strikes out a lot of batters. Best Name With the 1453rd overall pick in the 2007 MLB draft, the Twins selected Christopher Freshcorn, a catcher out of Alonso High School in Alonso, Florida. The Twins' 50th round selection does not have any stats. Fun Facts Despite Ben Revere being the only player from the 2007 draft to play for the Twins, he still has a higher WAR than all seven players drafted in 2006 who also played for the Twins combined. Andrew Schmiesing, the Twins' 11th-round pick, went to St. Olaf College and played for the St. Paul Saints. He's from Northfield, Minnesota! So many local angles! Third-round pick Angel Morales is currently playing with Fort Myers. He is a local Angel. He has played over 260 games in Fort Myers. He's spent more time in Fort Myers than long-time Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson, Jr. EEEYYY-OOO! That's actually not true. Twins' 8th-round pick and current Rochester Red Wing Danny Lehmann has hit eight career Minor League home runs in over 1000 at-bats. Twins' 14th-round pick Dan Rohlfing was playing in New Britain but just got the call to Rochester. He has seven career Minor League home runs in over 1100 at-bats, but of course, he hit one in his first AAA game. Your move, Danny Lehmann. Twins' 16th-round pick Nelvin Fuentes has never hit a professional home run. He's a pitcher, so that's not a fair way to assess him. In the 28th round, the Twins drafted Seth Rosin out of Mounds View High School. I went there! He did not sign and went to the University of Minnesota. I went there! In 2010, Rosin was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 4th round. Rosin is pitching well at AA for the Phillies now. This is more of a fun fact for me. I am going to really enjoy reading it later. All those drafted who made it to the Bigs (so far) Ben Revere and Mickey Storey. One Sentence Summary The 2007 draft was all about Ben Revere and that wonderful smile. Link to the Twins' 2007 draft from Baseball Reference

Hey Sam, shouldn't you be icing your arm?

I couldn't agree more, BPA all the way! Baseball players take a long time to develop and so much can change over time. A need right now might be an area of strength in three years. It is just too hard to predict.

Yeah, I don't think either team would go for it.