Jamie Cameron

Why is the farm system 'vaunted'? I think it's widely acknowledged to be the weakest its been in a long time.

So many kinder ways you could share that I made an error

The Twins dropped the opener of their two game series against the Brewers 6-3. Josh Winder struggled, the offense had little to offer, and three rain delays piled on the misery. Box Score Starting Pitcher: Josh Winder 5.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO, 2 HR (85 pitches, 55 strikes) Homeruns: Jorge Polanco (13) Bottom 3 WPA: Josh Winder -.349, Gio Urshela -.169, Byron Buxton -.100 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) On Tuesday evening, after an off day, the Twins opened a two-game series against the Brewers, as part of a six-game homestand leading into the All-Star break. Here’s how the Twins lined up behind Josh Winder. Josh Winder, coming off a strong performance last time out, was looking to help the Twins rotation get back on track after significant recent struggles. In the top of the first inning, Andrew McCutchen drilled a two-run home run into the flower boxes in right field, giving the Brewers an early 2-0 lead. Brewers starting pitcher Jason Alexander hardly looked impressive to begin the game, almost beginning the game with back to back walks but being bailed out by some poor Twins at bats. In the second inning, the Twins cut the lead to one, with a solo shot to right field from Jorge Polanco, who has been incandescent since returning from the IL. Rain was the other significant factor early in the game Both of Gio Urshela’s first two at-bats were interrupted for the first two rain delays of the game, in the second and fourth inning respectively. After returning from the second rain delay, Winder ran into trouble. He walked Jace Peterson to lead off the inning, before a Jonathan Davis single scored Peterson from second. Willy Adames then hit his 18th home run of the year, a two run shot, to increase the lead to 5-2. It was a poor inning from Winder to cap what has been a desperate stretch from the rotation. Therein lies the frustration of the 2022 Twins at the moment. One phase of the team always seems to be struggling. After Carlos Correa hit into a double play to quickly cancel out a Luis Arraez walk in the bottom of the fifth inning, the game went into its third rain delay. After a 66 minute break, the teams resumed in the top of the sixth inning, with Trevor Megill relieving Josh Winder. Andrew McCutchen led off with a single before a throwing error from Megill on a pickoff attempt moved him to second base. Megill then threw a middle-middle fastball to Jace Peterson, who singled, extending the lead to 6-2. The Twins had a rally going in the sixth inning, with a two out walk to Jorge Polanco and Alex Kirilloff getting grazed by a pitch. Kyle Garlick pinch-hit for Nick Gordon and was hit to load the bases. Gio Urshela grounded to short to end the threat and keep the lead 6-2. Megill and Jovani Moran combined for a scoreless seventh inning. The Twins clawed a run back in the bottom of the seventh. Luis Arraez just missed a home run to right center field, settling for a double. After a Carlos Correa single and a Byron Buxton fielders choice, the score was trimmed to 6-3 in favor of the Brewers. Moran added a scoreless eight inning before the Brewers bullpen heavy hitters went to work. Devin Williams entered the game and made the Twins look silly, inducing two weak groundouts and striking out Kyle Garlick in the eighth. Josh Hader entered the game in the ninth and that was the game. The loss drops the Twins to 48-41. Cleveland and Chicago split a double header. The Twins lead the AL Central by 3.5 games over Cleveland and 5 over the White Sox. Bullpen Usage Chart THU FRI SAT SUN TUE TOT Duffey 0 0 26 21 0 47 Megill 0 0 22 0 24 46 Cotton 0 42 0 0 0 42 Thielbar 0 13 0 23 0 36 Duran 0 0 14 16 0 30 Jax 0 0 15 11 0 26 Pagan 0 10 0 0 13 23 Moran 0 0 0 0 22 22 Next Up On Wednesday, the Twins will conclude their series against the Brewers. Joe Ryan goes for Minnesota against Aaron Ashby for Milwaukee. First pitch is 12:10 CT. Postgame Interviews - Coming Soon View full article

We are foolish and suckers for punishment ?

Twins next picks are: 48 - second round 68 - comp B 114 - fourth round They forfeited their third round for Correa, I believe. Very hard to predict past about 20 picks. Getting to 50 with any kind of accuracy is impossible lol

Definitely long odds but wanted to write this for the sake of thoroughness as someone is likely to fall. I've seen him get to #9 overall in mocks, so I'll keep dreaming ?

Kevin Parada had one of the great seasons from a college catcher in 2022. Could he fall to the Twins at number eight overall? As we continue to profile players the Twins might select at number eight overall on July 17th we look at Kevin Parada, a catcher from Georgia Tech who had a season for the ages in 2022. Who is He? Kevin Parada is a 6’1, 210 pound catcher out of Georgia Tech University. Across five major industry sources, his ranking on big boards ranges from sixth to seventh overall, making him one of the most consistently evaluated prospects in the top ten. Parada checks in at seventh overall on the Twins Daily Consensus Big Board. He will be 20 on draft day. Why the Twins Will Draft Him Simply put, Kevin Parada is an absolute baller. In 2022, Parada put up one of the great recent seasons by a catcher in college baseball. He hit .360/.453/.715 with 26 home runs, 88 RBIs, 30 walks, and just 31 strikeouts in 59 games. Sheesh. Parada has history and pedigree as a prospect. He was one of the best catching prospects in the country as a high schooler approaching the 2020 draft. Instead, he chose to fulfill his commitment to Georgia Tech. Parada has an extremely unorthodox-looking approach at the plate, his bat almost laying on his back pointed at the ground. It’s hard to argue with the results, however. Parada has 60-grade hit and power tools and projects as a 20-25 home run hitter with a .275-.290 average at the big league level at a premier defensive position. Parada also cut his strikeout rate in 2022 from 16.9% to just 9.5%. His ability to adjust and improve quickly will be key defensively, where his skill set has drawn mixed reviews. With his proven and complete offensive skillset in place, however, who cares? Why the Twins Won't Draft Him Parada is one of very few prospects in the consensus top ten to have such a tightly knit clustering of evaluations (Druw Jones and Gavin Cross are the other two). While it’s likely that a team throws a wrench in the works in round one and a consensus top seven player falls to the Twins, it seems unlikely that it will be Parada. His combination of prospect pedigree going back to high school, incredible production at Georgia Tech, and defensive position at catcher make him extremely likely to be a top-six overall pick. If he falls to eight, the Twins should be ecstatic, as he’s a high-upside, long-term solution at one of the most challenging positions in the game. What are your thoughts on the Twins drafting Kevin Parada? Do you think he’s a good fit for Minnesota? Share your thoughts in the comments. View full article

Overall, hard agree on this. I'm encouraged by how consistently he is evaluated also. Number 8 overall on the Consensus Big Board, which drops on Thursday.

Gavin Cross is the draft prospect most linked with, and mocked to the Twins. Who is he? Why might the Twins draft him at eight? Why might they go another direction? As we continue to profile players the Twins might select at number eight overall on July 17th, we look at a consistent staple in industry rankings, Gavin Cross. Who is He? Gavin Cross is a 6’3, 210-pound outfielder out of Virginia Tech University. Across five major industry sources, his ranking on big boards only ranges from the number eight overall player to the number ten overall player, speaking to the consensus around his tools and performance. Cross will be 21 years old on draft day. Why the Twins Will Draft Him Predicting the MLB draft is one of the most challenging and foolish things a person can do. However, if I was a betting man and I had to pick one player the Twins are ‘most likely’ to take at number eight overall, it would be Cross. Cross is a left-handed corner outfielder who does everything well. While Twins fans may be tired of this profile, high-floor college bats are certainly a type that this front office targets in early rounds. As a college junior in 2022, Cross clubbed 17 home runs, cut his strikeout rate by 6% and increased his walk rate by 4% while playing excellent defense in center field. Cross will likely eventually be a corner outfielder but will play strong defense with a good arm and good range. He projects for plus (60-grade power) and a plus hit tool if he can continue his improvements in controlling the strike zone. He consistently produced some of the most consistently high exit velocities in the country in 2022, a trend across recent Twins draft picks. Cross is virtually a lock to go in the first 12 picks on July 17th. If the Twins take him, they’ll be getting one of the most consistently evaluated players in the draft. Why the Twins Won't Draft Him Cross has exercised some of the concerns about his approach at the plate with a 10% positive swing in his combined BB% and K% in 2022, an impressive feat in a power five conference. The Twins selection of Cross in many mock drafts is predicated on all of the top seven consensus players being off the board by the time they pick. History tells us that there will be some surprises early in the first round. If one of the elite prep bats (Jones, Johnson etc.) fell to the Twins, or another college hitter such as Kevin Parada or Brooks Lee, they would undoubtedly warrant consideration. Make no mistake, if the Twins take Cross, you should be excited, he’s a terrific, well-rounded prospect. What are your thoughts on the Twins drafting Gavin Cross? Do you think he’s a good fit for Minnesota? Share your thoughts in the comments. View full article

Much more enjoyable than June so far! Offense was clicking tonight!

The Twins put on an offensive showcase on Tuesday night, touching up White Sox pitching for five home runs. The win secured the series and the Twins moved to 5-0 against the White Sox in 2022. Box Score Starting Pitcher: Josh Winder 5.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO (77 pitches, 49 strikes) Homeruns: Max Kepler (9), Jose Miranda (6), Jorge Polanco (10), Alex Kirilloff 2 (3) Top 3 WPA: Jorge Polanco .159, Jose Miranda .133, Josh Winder .108 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) On Tuesday evening, after an extra-inning win to open the series, the Twins resumed their three-game set in Chicago. Here’s how they lined up. Josh Winder got the start for the Twins after being added to the taxi squad on Monday. In the corresponding move, Chris Archer was added to the 15-day injured list with a hip strain. Archer’s IL stint means that each of the Twins seven primary 2022 starters have spent at least one stint on the IL, with Gray and Ober having spent two, and Chris Paddack being out for the season. Michael Kopech looked extremely shaky for the White Sox early. He walked three in the first inning, loading the bases, but recovered to get out of the jam unscathed. The Twins struck first in the third inning. Max Kepler hit a center-cut fastball over the right-field wall for his ninth home run of the year. The Twins added two more in the fourth inning. Alex Kirilloff laced a single before Jose Miranda crushed a hanging breaking ball 105 mph into the left-field bleachers for a two-run home run, continuing his impressive hitting. Notably, Miranda looked much more comfortable getting the start at third base, making several sharp plays in the first few innings. The White Sox got a run back in the bottom of the fourth inning. A Luis Robert single was followed by a Yoan Moncada double to cut the lead to 3-1. The Twins did not let up on Kopech however. In the sixth inning Jorge Polanco hit a two-run home run off Kopech (after a Kepler single), and Alex Kirilloff went back to back. In the fifth inning alone, Kopech gave up three consecutive batted balls of at least 104 mph. While his command was poor, the Twins did an excellent job taking full advantage, knocking him out of the game in the fifth inning. Winder ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth inning, surrendering a double and single to lead off the inning. Winder managed to rebound well from any trouble he ran into, limiting the damage to just one run and leaving the game after pitching five innings of two-run baseball. While he returned to the rotation through injury, it’s pretty clear, stuff-wise, that Winder needs to be with the MLB team permanently. Whether that is in the rotation or in the bullpen, he’s a contributor. Caleb Thielbar relieved Winder in the sixth inning and was dominant, striking out the side on just 11 pitches. In the bottom of the sixth, Alex Kirilloff took Reynaldo Lopez deep to left center field for his second home run of the game. Tyler Duffey ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh. He gave up back-to-back hits to lead off the inning, before striking out Tim Anderson. Andrew Vaughn then lined into a double play on a batted ball with a .730 xBA. Trevor Megill entered in the eighth inning and got one out before the heavens opened. The game went into a 35 minute rain delay. When the teams returned, Jharel Cotton took over in relief for Minnesota and Kyle Garlick entered as a replacement for Max Kepler. The White Sox put Josh Harrison on the mound for the ninth inning. Remarkably, Jose Miranda grounded into a double play after back to back singles to keep the score locked at 8-2. Jharel Cotton returned to finish the game, leaving the bullpen in a good spot for the series finale, where the Twins will go for the sweep. The win moved Minnesota to 47-37 on the season. Cleveland lost to Detroit, so the Twins lead is 4.5 games over the Guardians, and 6.5 games over the White Sox. Bullpen Usage Chart FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Cotton 0 38 0 0 21 59 Duffey 0 0 0 13 18 31 Pagán 0 10 0 18 0 28 Jax 0 0 0 26 0 26 Thielbar 12 0 0 0 11 23 Duran 0 0 0 20 0 20 Moran 0 0 18 0 0 18 Megill 0 0 0 0 2 2 Next Up On Wednesday, the Twins will conclude their series against the White Sox. Joe Ryan goes for Minnesota against Lance Lynn for Chicago. First pitch is 1:10 CT. Postgame Interviews View full article

I think that's a legit option, whether it's Neto, Gilbert, or whoever. There are very good prep/college arms in play at 48 and someone is bound to fall. Maybe I'll write up some options for the 48 pick if the Twins chose to go under slot at 8 if folks are interested...

A couple more names the Twins have been linked with in recent days: Drew Gilbert (OF, Tennessee and a Stillwater, MN native), and Cade Horton, RHP out of Oklahoma

Another guy who had a really aggressive leg kick coming out? Royce Lewis. Agree, it doesn't matter. I think the Twins have created a pretty 'player friendly' development environment where they work with what a player has and don't try to change too many fundamentals. Agree that Cross is probably the favorite. One big challenge in parsing the information. When industry types source info from teams, it's usually with assumptions about who will be left on the board, that gives us little to go on in terms of what the Twins think about guys like Brooks Lee, Elijah Green etc. I'm pretty confident there will be at least one curveball in the top 7 picks.

Zach Neto, a two-way college shortstop, has been heavily linked with the Twins in recent weeks. Who is he? Why might the Twins select him? Why might they stay away? Over the next week leading up to the draft, Jeremy and I will be writing more in-depth previews on ten players the Twins might take with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. Today, we look at a late riser in the draft process, Zach Neto, a college shortstop from Campbell University. Who is He? Zach Neto is a 6’0, 185-pound shortstop out of Campbell University in North Carolina. Neto will be 21 on draft day, having just completed his redshirt sophomore season. He was named Big South Conference player of the year in both 2021 and 2022. This season, he was a two-way player (an infielder and a relief pitcher) but will be drafted as an infielder in July. He’s likely to be Campbell’s first-ever 1st round pick in the MLB Draft. Why the Twins Will Draft Him Neto has an extremely strong all-round game. Throughout his college career, he put up a .751 SLG in three seasons and slugged 12 home runs in 2022. He posted a 3.43 ERA as a relief pitcher in 2022, through 21 innings. Finally, he is a strong base runner, going 28-33 in stolen bases throughout his college career. He also allayed fears of over-performing against pitching in a weaker conference by playing well in the wood-bat, Cape Cod league. Neto pumped a 93 mph fastball as a relief pitcher. While he will be drafted as an infielder, its indicative that he has the arms needed to stick at shortstop. Neto shows strong all-round tools, all grading at 55 better, except fielding (50). While he hasn’t developed a ton of power, his bat speed and barrel control are good enough to think it will develop in time. Neto is an intriguing prospect for the Twins. They have been heavily linked to him in the pre-draft process by a number of industry sources. It’s possible the Twins draft Neto, sign him to an under-slot deal, and use the additional bonus pool money on an arm at pick 48 as there are a number of intriguing options in that range. Why the Twins Won't Draft Him This is the first time since 2017 that the Twins will pick in the top ten, and hopefully, the last for a while. Neto doesn’t have one outstanding tool. It’s possible the Twins would be balking at a much better bat (hit, power, or both) by selecting him. Neto has a strange approach at the plate with a big leg-kick, a pause in his swing, and does not have elite bat speed. That approach could be something that hinders him at the plate against professional pitching. If one of the top seven consensus players in the draft (Jones, Holliday, Johnson, Green, Parada, Lee, Collier) were to make it to eight, the Twins may have a hard time passing a potentially elite upside. Neto is plenty to be excited about, however. His upside is a defensively sound, starting shortstop who hits well with 15-20 home run power potential. What are your thoughts on the Twins drafting Zach Neto? Do you think he’s a good fit for Minnesota? Share your opinions in the comments. View full article

Definitely agree that the Twins don't have good organizational depth at Catcher. However, i think the Twins are going to fall between the two you mention. Parada will be gone I think in the 4-7 range, maybe the teens for Susac.

Agree with you mostly, as usual. I started with Prielipp only as Jeremy took him as the Twins pick in the prospects live draft. I think the Twins will likely pass on him. I think he'll go early to mid teens though. If you are picking in the range, think about how appealing that upside is, with slightly less risk of not being a top ten pick. Most industry stuff still points towards a bat.

Alabama starting pitcher Connor Prielipp is a name who has been linked with the Twins in recent weeks ahead of the MLB Draft. Who is he? Why might the Twins draft him? Why might they go in another direction? Over the next week leading up to July 17th, Jeremy and I will be writing more in-depth previews of ten players the Twins might take with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. On Wednesday night, Jeremy selected for the Twins in the annual Prospects Live Mock Draft, taking Connor Prielipp, a left-handed starting pitcher from the University of Alabama, so let’s start there. Who is He? Connor Prielipp is a 6’2, 210 lb. left-handed starting pitcher out of Tomah, Wisconsin. Prielipp has been on the prospect map for a while. He was the Wisconsin player of the year in 2019 and was drafted by the Red Sox in the 39th round. He fell due to concerns about his signability with a commitment to the University of Alabama in hand. Why the Twins Will Draft Him Prielipp is the lone pitcher the Twins have been publicly connected with in the industry during the pre-draft process, most recently by MLB.com. Make no mistake, prior to his injury in 2021, he was being touted as a lock to be picked in the 5-10 range in the first round of the draft. Prielipp has a serious pedigree and a serious arsenal of pitches. In his freshman season at Alabama, he didn’t allow a run in 21 innings of work (striking out 35) before COVID-19 halted the season. Prielipp’s slider is one of the better pitches in the entire draft (it generated close to a 50% whiff rate in college), and as we know, it’s a slider league. The pitch approaches 90 mph and has a sharp, late break. His fastball sits in the low to mid-90s. After throwing a bullpen in front of evaluators in May and at the MLB Draft Combine, many have suggested Prielipp could continue to add velocity to his fastball, with fluid, repeatable mechanics. Prielipp also has a changeup that has not been significantly developed yet, but could be an average pitch. Add 55-grade control to this mix and you have a possible left-handed, front of the rotation starting pitcher. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel calls Prielipp ‘clearly the best college arm in the draft’. Why the Twins Won't Draft Him The Derek Falvey-led front office does not have a track record of drafting college arms early. Drafting prep pitcher Chase Petty in 2021 was an extreme bucking of a trend of taking high floor, corner outfield or corner infield bat first college players. What’s different in 2022, however, is that the Twins have their highest draft selection since they took Royce Lewis number one overall in 2017. There are two primary reasons the Twins might not take Prielipp. Firstly, the way the top of the draft board is stacked. The presumptive top seven players in the draft when looking at trends across evaluators are (in no particular order) Druw Jones, Jackson Holliday, Elijah Green, Temarr Johnson, Cam Collier, Brooks Lee and Kevin Parada. If any team throws a wrench in the works and an outstanding bat on that list falls to the Twins at eight, I think they would jump at the chance. Finally, Prielipp’s injury muddies his status significantly. As Keith Law points out ‘he could be a high-end starter, he could easily end up in the bullpen. He’s thrown so little in games that the range of his potential outcomes is huge’. What are your thoughts on the Twins drafting Connor Prielipp? Do you think he’s a good fit for Minnesota? Would you take a chance on a limited track record? Share your thoughts in the comments. View full article