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Draft Day is finally upon us! You've found the right place to follow the day's events, and you're all invited to be a part of the conversation. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo This year’s draft will again feature just 20 rounds. Day 1, which begins tonight at 6 p.m. CT and can be viewed on ESPN and MLB Network, will include the first and second rounds as well as both competitive balance rounds and all compensation rounds. There will be 70 selections total. The Twins will make three picks tonight, with the first one coming fifth overall in the first round. They will also draft 34th overall in the competitive balance round A and 49th overall in the second round. The draft will continue on Monday with Round 3, beginning at 1 p.m. CT. We're excited to bring back the Twins Draft Tracker which will be kept up-to-date not only during the draft but through the entire signing period. So keep coming back for updates! There will be a lot going on during the draft both on and off this website. We will try to make updates to the story (and add links) as things happen, so keep refreshing! Otherwise, there will be plenty of activity in the comments. This is the place to be tonight during the draft! In the meantime, you can catch up on all of our Twins-related draft content below: Articles and ProfilesPaul SkenesWalker JenkinsMax ClarkNoble MeyerRhett LowderJacob GonzalezJacob WilsonWyatt LangfordKyle TeelChase Dollander Twins 10-round Mock Draft Nygaard Mock Draft v.3 Final Consensus Big Board Update (Print it out, cross players off as they are drafted. You won't find a better resource anywhere on the web.) Consensus Big Board Profiles: 26-50 Consensus Big Board Profiles: 1-25 View full article

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

My final attempt at how the first 30 picks will play out. There’s been a lot out there. How much is completely bogus? How much is credible? Who knows!? This is how I think the first round will play out. Not how I would pick for each team. 1.) Pirates – Max Clark, OF, Indiana prep - I wouldn’t take Clark one. I wouldn’t take him second or third either. And maybe not fourth. But I’m not faced with screwing up having a ton of money in a loaded draft. Clark - in a normal year - is a legitimate contender to go 1-1. This year, there are three college players who are simply better options, but the Pirates can’t mess this up and decide to take a really good prospect while also allowing them to take more really good prospects later. Previous: Dylan Crews 2.) Nationals – Paul Skenes , RHP, LSU - Having to choose between Skenes and Dylan Crews is like the Nationals having to decide between Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg. (They paid Strasburg, not Harper.) Either pick would be a great pick, so the Nationals are going to be winners of this draft either way. Previous: no change 3.) Tigers – Wyatt Langford , OF, Florida - It would be easy to switch this to Dylan Crews, but I think the Tigers have been focused on Langford for a while now and won’t have to blow up their pool to get him. Previous: Wyatt Langford 4.) Rangers - Dylan Crews , OF, LSU - Yes, the Rangers have a pool of less than $10 million. Yes, there’s a rumor out there that Boras wants $10 million for Crews. But, yes, Scott Boras also brokered huge deals between the Rangers and Corey Seager and Marcus Semien recently and may be doing work behind the scenes to get Crews to the biggest market possible while also convincing the Rangers to spend big on his client. The $10 million rumor may just be a tactical move to get exactly what Scott Boras wants. Previous: Dylan Crews 5.) Twins – Jacob Gonzalez , SS, Mississippi - I’m believing the smoke here. (Or at least convincing myself to believe the smoke to prepare myself for the disappointment.) I usually give myself more time in between my 10-round Twins mock and my final mock than 24. But I’m going to stick with it. I also believe that the Twins will use their savings to get Noble Meyer to fall to their next pick. Previous: Kyle Teel 6.) A’s – Brayden Taylor , 3B, TCU - It’s too early to take Taylor, Matt Shaw or Jacob Wilson in my opinion, but the A’s make bad decisions. Previous: Jacob Wilson 7.) Reds – Walker Jenkins, OF, North Carolina prep - Cincinnati will end Jenkins' slide like they ended Cam Collier’s last year. Previous: Rhett Lowder 8.) Royals - Kyle Teel , C, Virginia - This seems to be a common fit. Salvador Perez can’t play forever - though he may try - and Teel will be a solid regular for many years. Previous: Thomas White 9.) Rockies - Rhett Lowder , RHP, Wake Forest - I haven’t changed this description for any mock: The best chance for the Rockies to add pitching is through the draft. Their board should go Skenes, Lowder, Waldrep, Dollander, Floyd… and they take the first one available. Previous: Hurston Waldrep 10.) Marlins – Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Vanderbilt - Bradfield is going to have a team that believes in his bat and loves his speed and defense so much he will go higher than we see him in most mock drafts. Stealing bases is cool again. Previous: Max Clark 11.) Angels – Nolan Schanuel , 1B, Florida Atlantic - When the biggest names in the media start to agree on every part of a team’s strategy, there’s got to be a reason for it. Schanuel has one of the most impactful bats in the draft class. Previous: Jacob Gonzalez 12.) Diamondbacks – Chase Dollander , RHP, Tennessee - Who knows where Dollander ends up. He could be the second pitcher off the board. He could be the sixth or seventh if prep pitchers start to go. His stuff is off the charts… he just couldn’t put it all together this season. Previous: no change 13.) Cubs – Arjun Nimmala, SS, Florida prep - This is a fit that continues to make too much sense for me. I think Nimmala could end up being the steal of the draft. Previous: no change 14.) Red Sox – Matt Shaw , SS, Maryland - There’s going to be a run on infielders in the middle of the first round and it’s going to be heavy with college guys. Previous: no change 15.) White Sox – Hurston Waldrep , RHP, Florida - The White Sox are another team that I feel like needs to shoot their shot on pitchers. Waldrep dropping to the middle of the first round would be a revelation for them. Previous: Tommy Troy 16.) Giants – Tommy Troy , SS, Stanford - Seems like a good fit to go relatively local and in a spot that makes a lot of sense. Previous: Enrique Bradfield Jr 17.) Orioles – Jacob Wilson , SS, Grand Canyon - This is the Orioles favorite demographic in the first round and Wilson should go in this range. Previous: Colin Houck 18.) Brewers - Chase Davis, OF, Arizona - The Brewers have gone the college route a lot recently and Davis is probably underappreciated for the type of year he had and the data that he put up. Previous: Brayden Taylor 19.) Rays – Aidan Miller, 3B, Florida prep - The opportunistic Rays have a prospect who was injured and missed the majority of his senior season fall into their laps. Previous: Noble Meyer 20.) Blue Jays – Yohandy Morales , 3B, Miami. Previous: Chase Davis 21.) Cardinals – Ty Floyd , RHP, LSU. Previous: Aidan Miller 22.) Mariners – Brock Wilken , 3B, Wake Forest Previous: Nolan Schanuel 23.) Guardians – Colt Emerson, SS, Ohio prep Previous: no change 24.) Braves – Colin Houck, SS, Georgia prep Previous: Dillon Head 25.) Padres - Bryce Eldridge, 1B/RHP, Virginia prep Previous: no change 26.) Yankees – Sammy Stafura, SS, New York prep Previous: no change 27.) Phillies – Charlee Soto, RHP, Florida prep Previous: no change 28.) Astros - Jack Hurley , OF, Virginia Tech Previous: no change 29.) Mariners – Blake Mitchell, C, Texas prep Previous: no change 30.) Mariners – Thomas White, LHP, Massachusetts prep Previous: Kevin McGonigle Articles and ProfilesPaul SkenesWalker JenkinsMax ClarkNoble MeyerRhett LowderJacob GonzalezJacob WilsonWyatt LangfordKyle TeelChase Dollander Twins 10-round Mock Draft Nygaard Mock Draft v.3 Final Consensus Big Board Update (Print it out, cross players off as they are drafted. You won't find a better resource anywhere on the web.) Consensus Big Board Profiles: 26-50 Consensus Big Board Profiles: 1-25 View full article

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

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

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

The latest mock featured here is a dual mock draft done by Jamie Cameron and me. We alternated back and forth for the Top 39 selections in the upcoming draft. Image courtesy of Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK. (Max Clark pictured) Our inaugural attempt was met with minimal success. We didn't strike out, though; you can check it out for yourself here. Additionally, you'll notice an uptick in draft coverage beginning Monday with potential draftees' profiles. 1. Pirates (JN) - Dylan Crews, OF, LSU Crews is simply too good to consider playing money games with any other prospect. Slam-dunk, open-and-shut. Crews to the Pirates and straight to the Top 10 prospects in all of baseball. 2. Nationals (JC) - Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU Skenes is the best pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg. He’s had a historical season and represents an incredibly rare opportunity to draft an ace. Mike Rizzo likely won’t pass up the chance to draft a generational pitching talent. 3. Tigers (JN) - Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida If it wasn’t for the giant shadow that Crews casts, Langford would have a great shot to hear his name called first overall. A boon for the Tigers. Langford will immediately be their #1 prospect. 4. Rangers (JC) - Walker Jenkins, OF, South Brunswick HS, NC The Rangers, who don’t have a ton of financial flexibility coming into this draft, have been all over Jenkins this spring. Jenkins and Clark form an impressive prep tandem at the top of this class. It’s simply a matter of what your preferred profile is. 5. Twins (JN) - Max Clark, OF, Franklin HS, IN All indications suggest the Twins aren’t going to simply take whoever remains from the “top 5,” but Clark is the top prospect available and, aside from overthinking it, should be a relatively easy choice for the Twins. 6. Athletics (JC) - Kyle Teel, C, Virginia The Athletics are surely hoping one of the consensus top-five drops to them at six. That’s not what happens in this scenario, so they target someone from the next group of college bats. Teel showed development in all aspects of his game this spring. A left-handed hitting catcher with a great offensive profile is hard to find. 7. Reds (JN) - Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest After going pitch-for-pitch with Paul Skenes, Lowder has elevated his profile enough to the point where he seems like the definite second college pitcher off the board and a Top 10 pick. 8. Royals (JC) - Arjen Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest HS, FL The Royals are miles away from competing and have shown a propensity to the highly productive prep shortstop demographic in the past. Nimmala fits the dual profile of ‘incredible tools with a high ceiling’. The Royals have time to let him develop. 9. Rockies (JN) - Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Florida The Rockies went the college pitching route last year when it didn’t seem like the obvious move. Fortunately, even after seeing two college pitchers come off the board early, they still have a choice between Waldrep and Dollander. 10. Marlins (JC) - Chase Davis, OF, Arizona I think Davis will be this year’s Kumar Rocker. The Marlins have a stable of excellent young starting pitching talent but have struggled to develop bats. Davis is one of the best upside plays in the draft, with underlying numbers that rival Crews and Langford. 11. Angels (JN) - Matt Shaw, SS, Maryland After hitting on Zach Neto last year, the Angels are focused on college hitters. Enrique Bradfield is another name to consider, but Shaw can be a quick-moving hitter who become Neto’s double-play partner in the near future. 12. Diamondbacks (JC) - Aidan Miller, 3B, Mitchell HS, FL Miller has been ‘out of sight out of mind’ a little this spring due to injury, but he’s one of the most physical, highest-upside preps in the class. An injury-free Miller would easily have been a top-ten pick in this loaded draft class. 13. Cubs (JN) - Colin Houck, SS, Parkview HS, FL Would be a natural stopping point for Dollander’s fall or a place to consider Noble Meyer. But all indications are that the Cubs are focused on a hitter. Shaw and Miller may both be higher on their board, but Houck is an excellent consolation prize. 14. Red Sox (JC) - Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee The slide stops here. It’s hard to predict where Dollander will end up after an uneven 2023, but the middle of the first feels like the floor. He’s shown front-of-the-rotation potential and lots of the buzz on his 2023 season has been that his issues are mechanical. This pick could end up a steal. 15. White Sox (JN) - Enrique Bradfield, OF, Vanderbilt Bradfield hasn’t been linked to the White Sox much, but the value of an 80-grade runner and defender is too much to pass up at this point in the first round. 16. Giants (JC) - Tommy Troy, 2B, Stanford Troy is the eighth overall player on the Consensus Board, so this is both a value play and a logical fit. The Giants have been linked to college bats all spring, and Troy has a solid all-around profile and a high floor. 17. Orioles (JN) - Bryce Eldridge, 1B/RHP, James Madison HS, VA The Orioles are loaded and can take somewhat of a gamble on a potential two-way player in Eldridge. There’s a lot of smoke behind this pairing. 18. Brewers (JC) - Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Mississippi Once a consensus top-five prospect in the class, Gonzalez’s stock has been hurt by a 2023 season in which Ole Miss failed to qualify for the postseason and his power production was down from 2022. There’s a ton to like here, excellent bat-to-ball skills and a good approach. This is great value at 18. 19. Rays (JN) - Brayden Taylor, 3B, TCU Taylor’s stock was much higher before the season, then fell off… before rebounding after a strong close to this season. He may be off the board by this point, but the Rays are getting great value if he drops to them. 20. Blue Jays (JC) - Noble Meyer, Jesuit HS, OR The Blue Jays have been linked with both prep and college players. After drafting Brandon Barriera with their first pick in 2023, they land comfortably the best prep arm in the 2023 class. Meyer has nasty stuff and a ton of upside. 21. Cardinals (JN) - Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Florida Atlantic The Cardinals have been a giant disappointment this season and maybe be sellers at the deadline. Schanuel isn’t going to help immediately but may be the first baseman of the future in the post-Goldy era… which is coming sooner than anyone expected. 22. Mariners (JC) - Jacob Wilson, SS, Grand Canyon The Mariners control the latter end of the first round, with three picks in quick succession. Wilson is a unique talent with elite bat-to-ball skills (he struck out 12 times over two seasons for Grand Canyon). The Mariners are another team that has developed pitching well but needs more bats in the system and Wilson is great value here. 23. Guardians (JN) - Thomas White, LHP, Phillips Academy, MA Whenever I have to choose for Cleveland, I look for a pitcher I would want my favorite team to pick. There wasn’t a great college option in my opinion, so I was torn between White and Charlee Soto. When in doubt, go with the southpaw. 24. Braves (JC) - George Lombard Jr, 3B, Gulliver Prep HS, FL The Braves have been linked to a bunch of prep hitters. Lombard is one of the best of the bunch. He should develop excellent power and stick at a corner infield spot. 25. Padres (JN) - Blake Mitchell, C, Sinton HS, TX There is no high-profile injured pitcher to take, so it’s the highest-upside hitter. Mitchell could go much higher; Preller will stop the fall. 26. Yankees (JC) - Kevin McGonigle, SS, Monsignor Bonner HS, PA The Yankees have been linked with all kinds of players this spring, particularly prep hitters. This is a sweet spot in the draft for that demographic. Lombard and Walker Martin would also be good fits here. McGonigle has a great hit tool to build on. 27. Phillies (JN) - Charlee Soto, RHP, Reborn Christian HS, FL Philadelphia always seems to have pitchers fall into their laps. I’m not sure which pitcher they prefer of the next wave available, but Soto has the potential to be very good. 28. Astros (JC) - Brock Wilken, 3B, Wake Forest The Astros went with a good value college hitter in 2022 with Stillwater’s Drew Gilbert. Wilken has had an outstanding 2023, matching his power output with newfound patience at the plate. He’s a great fit coming from an analytically friendly college program. 29. Mariners (JN) Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick - Dillon Head, OF, Homewood-Flossmoor HS, IL Wanted to pair Seattle with a tumbling prep pitcher with their added picks and money, but sniped myself with White and Soto. Head is the top prep still available. Competitive Balance Round A 30. Mariners (JC) - Walker Martin, SS, Eaton HS, CO The Mariners have a huge bonus pool available and are in a position to pick back-to-back from the prep-rich bats portion of the draft. Martin is an incredibly talented shortstop prospect who developed prodigious power in 2022. 31. Rays (JN) - Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami Doubling up on college third basemen may seem redundant, but it’s the Rays and they have a special way of going about things. 32. Mets (JC) - Roch Cholowsky, SS, Chandler HS, AZ The hard luck Mets finally got a pick. Cholowsky is an impressive two-sport athlete who might be a tough sign away from UCLA. He does everything in the infield well and put up some gaudy numbers at the combine. 33. Brewers (JN) - Steven Echavarria, RHP, Millburn HS, NJ There are a number of arms that could come off the board in this range and finding the right prep pitcher is going to be very dependent on price tags. The Brewers would have to keep Echavarria from a Florida commitment, but there is a high upside here. 34. Twins (JC) - Colton Ledbetter, OF, Mississippi State A strong floored college bat makes sense for the Twins at 34. Ledbetter has an elite approach at the plate and burgeoning power after transferring to the SEC in 2023. He has some of the best analytical markers of any college bat in the class. 35. Marlins (JN) - Cole Carrigg, C/SS/OF, San Diego State The Marlins are reaping the benefits of having hitters without defined (or - you could argue - strong) defensive positions. Carrigg had a strong combine and can provide both a bat and strong defense at multiple positions. 36. Dodgers (JC) - Sammy Stafura, SS, Walter Panas HS, NY Stafura is a helium cold-weather shortstop who does everything well. He’s gone from anonymous to a borderline first-round prospect in a matter of months and the Dodgers' player development is second to none. 37. Tigers (JN) - Travis Sykora, RHP, Round Rock HS, TX Sykora is a big, strapping, explosive pitcher with enormous upside. Allowed to pick a safe pick in Langford earlier, the Tigers can take a big swing with the young Texan. 38. Reds (JC) - Joe Whitman, LHP, Kent State Whitman is another prospect who has zoomed up draft boards in the late spring. After struggling at Purdue he transferred to Kent State and dominated before a promising start on the Cape. Hard-throwing left-handed college pitchers are a sought-after demographic and Whitman has overtaken Hunter Owen as the best in the class. 39. Athletics (JN) - Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech After drafting Teel in the first round, the A’s get another strong college bat (among other tools as well) in Hurley. He has had success in front of big crowds - something he’ll hopefully get to play in front of again someday. What do you think of our mock draft of the first round? Who will get more selections correct? Which picks are most wrong? Discuss in the COMMENTS today. View full article

Drafting pitchers is fraught with risk. It's also the most important position on a baseball team. The pitching position is, in most people’s opinions, the most important position on a baseball team in terms of having both quality and depth. Yet, the term “there is no such thing as a pitching prospect (TINSTAAPP)” is one that is used quite frequently. What you see as a high schooler or collegiate pitcher isn’t always what you get as a professional. Cases in point: Danny Hultzen was drafted second overall in the 2011 draft out of Virginia as one of the “safest” pitchers in recent memory. He made a six-game cameo in the majors and is out of baseball. Mark Appel is another great example of a sure thing being less than that. Brendan McKay was going to rival Shohei Ohtani as a two-way player. He briefly made the majors in 2019. These are only a handful of the hundreds examples that can be used. High school pitchers is even more of a mixed bags. And therein lies the rub. Teams need great pitchers and teams need a lot of pitchers. Yet drafting a pitcher can prove fruitless. The Twins have taken an approach lately where they will use their top pick (or picks) to draft bats. And then deal from their surplus of bats to land major-league ready pitching. In fact, their Opening Day rotation was made up exclusively of arms acquired by trade. The term “personal cheeseball” (better represented by #personalcheeseball) originated over twenty years ago in the Baseball America offices when former writer and current Twins scout John Manuel started using it as “shorthand for a personal favorite that does not reflect the popular consensus.” And that’s what you’ll see here. In the first five installments, we covered players from the midwest, catchers, shortstops, third baseman and outfielders. Today, we’ll look at some pitchers. And, again, as a warning, my radar isn’t reflective of any single team’s preferences or draft board. It would be really easy to just devote the next five minutes of reading to write-ups about Paul Skenes, LSU’s ace who could go as high as #2 overall and could be helping an MLB rotation in relatively short order. It would also be easy to write about the consensus top prep, Noble Meyer, the Oregon kid committed to stay in state and play for the Ducks, but much more likely to begin his pro career after going in the first round. But let’s look at some pitchers who are flying lower on the radar who may have a chance to make a big impact later. Kiefer Lord, Washington: Despite being far out west, there’s a midwest connection in that Lord transferred from a small D3 school in Minnesota. And he has been on an upward trajectory. The tough part about drafting anyone who has really improved their stock over a short period of time is that you can either take them while they’re still climbing (great!), as their progress starts to plateau (good) or right before they come back down to earth (bad). The track-record here is recent, but the velocity has risen and the secondaries have flashed. Joe Whitman, Kent State: A lefty equipped with a high-spin slider, Whitman throws in the mid-90s but lacks the third pitch to project him as a starter. There might not be a ton of projection left, but there’s enough present ability to potentially be a Day 2 pick. Jason DeCaro, New York HS (committed to North Carolina): DeCaro is unique in that he recently reclassified so there is going to be less scouting done on him and that he is extremely young (he just turned 17). He’s got a great pitcher’s build already (6’ 4”, 205), but there is plenty of development yet to come. Josh Knoth, New York HS (committed to Ole Miss): Knoth is going to be highly sought-after potentially on Day 1 but definitely early on Day 2 if he has any desire to go professional. In addition to increased velocity, Knoth has a curveball with freaky high spin rates. And if that’s not enough for the analytical crew to fall in love with, he also doesn’t turn 18 until August. Knoth could certainly go the route of college and be drafted in three years, but there’s too much helium here to think that’s the most likely scenario. Travis Sykora, Texas HS (committed to Texas): Sykora is a big-bodied righty with a really big fastball. The hardest-throwing prep in the draft is old for his grade and could be drafted again in two years if he goes to Texas. There are plenty of cautionary tales about players throwing 100 mph in high school. Sykora could be the next… or he could be the next big thing. And everything is bigger in Texas. Next week we will have our first mock draft of the season and later in the series we will take a look at more pitchers. There are plenty of others that could have been listed here. This isn’t to say anyone is or isn’t going to be a good draft or baseball prospect. If you have your own local #personalcheeseball, leave in the comments! View full article

This will be the final installment in the #PersonalCheeseball series as we look at five pitchers who should expect to be off the board in the Top 10 rounds. Could any of these five pitchers exceed expectations and lead a rotation in the future? The term “personal cheeseball” (better represented by #personalcheeseball) originated over twenty years ago in the Baseball America offices when former writer and current Twins scout John Manuel started using it as “shorthand for a personal favorite that does not reflect the popular consensus.” And, again, as a warning, my radar isn’t reflective of any single team’s preferences or draft board. It’s pretty amazing that 10 of the 12 top active pitchers in career bWAR were first-round draft picks. Clayton Kershaw (7th overall), Justin Verlander (2nd), Zack Greinke (6th), Max Scherzer (11th), Cole Hamels (still active? Hmmm; 17th), Adam Wainwright (29th), Chris Sale (13th), Madison Bumgarner (10th), Gerrit Cole (1st) and Stephen Strasburg (1st) all went in the first round. Amazingly, all but two went in the top 13 picks. A vast majority of the elite pitchers in the game today never even had the opportunity to be drafted by most teams. There are only two others - Corey Kluber (4th round) and Jacob deGrom (9th round) - who are outliers to that trend. When teams draft a pitcher (or any player really) on the second day of the draft, they’d love to find someone who will eventually contribute at the big league level. Most don’t. And very few become stars at the major league level. But that doesn’t means teams don’t try. Today, we’ll look at five pitchers expected to go either late on Day 1 or on Day 2. Will any of them make a major league impact? That’s a question we won’t be able to answer for many years. Charlee Soto, Florida prep (committed to Central Florida): Soto has been trending up, so much so that he’s likely to be drafted on the first day, if not the first round. A long, young dude with a big arm, it’s easy to dream about Soto being at the front of a rotation in the future. Soto could be a prime candidate to “fall” to a team who just happens to have some extra money banked up and someone I'd put near the top of potential draft candidates at #34 or #49. Zander Mueth, Illinois prep (committed to Mississippi): It would be easy to say many of the same things about Mueth, who is also a big, young right-hander with electric stuff. Mueth trends a little lower as he battles control, but should hear his name called early on Day 2. At some point after that, he’d likely honor his college commitment and re-enter the 2026 draft. Sean Sullivan, Wake Forest: Sullivan will be pitching in the upcoming College World Series, so the lefty still has some time to make an impact on his draft stock. His stuff doesn’t jump out at you, but his results do as he has a K/9 of over 15 on the season. Some may consider him the best college lefty in the draft, while others don’t have him in the Top 100. For my money, he’d be a steal if he falls to the fourth round. Connor O’Halloran, Michigan: Another lefty who doesn’t have eye-popping stuff, but gets results, O’Halloran will probably come off the board during the second half of Day 2. I think there might be more in the tank, though, and with the right development, you could see a mid-rotation starter. And if not, he’s a serviceable bullpen arm. Lebarron Johnson, Texas: Johnson has the ideal pitcher build and a repertoire to support it. His mid-to-high 90s fastball works well with his low-90s slider. But there are enough other question marks to push Johnson to the second day. Some team is going to hope to develop him into a starter, knowing that even if that doesn’t pan out, the fastball/slider combo is playable. There are plenty of others that could have been listed here. This isn’t to say anyone is or isn’t going to be a good draft or baseball prospect. If you have your own local #personalcheeseball, leave it in the comments! View full article

We’ve covered all the positions in this series, so we’re going to circle back and look at three under-the-radar outfielders as well as two outfielders that are very much on the radar. The term “personal cheeseball” (better represented by #personalcheeseball) originated over twenty years ago in the Baseball America offices when former writer and current Twins scout John Manuel started using it as “shorthand for a personal favorite that does not reflect the popular consensus.” And, again, as a warning, my radar isn’t reflective of any single team’s preferences or draft board. Chase Davis, Arizona: Davis being projected as a late first-round pick or comp round pick is baffling to me. He put up ridiculous numbers with in-game power while walking more than he struck out. Even the behind-the-curtain numbers are really good. He may be a victim of a strong draft, but if a team gets him after #20 it will be an absolute steal. Duce Robinson, Arizona prep (committed to USC): But it’s a lot more complicated than that. Robinson isn’t committed to playing baseball at USC. He’s going to be a Trojan tight end. But he does sound committed to playing pro baseball… too. Whatever team drafts him - if he signs - will only have Robinson from spring training through July. He’ll then spend the rest of the year being a college football player. He hasn’t played a ton of baseball, but when he has he’s impressed. There’s certainly enough there for a team to take a risk, because there’s high-reward upside. Wyatt Langford, Florida: Langford is clearly an on-the-radar player in this draft. But probably underrated in that everything he does is in the shadow of Dylan Crews. This is an extremely strong draft and in a normal year, Langford has a strong debate to go first overall. There’s been so much talk about Crews and Paul Skenes that Langford hasn’t gotten the pub he deserves. Unfortunately, he’s probably gone before your favorite team drafts at #5. Over the past twenty years, teams have tried to find value in skills that other teams don’t. It was the basis for Moneyball. It’s been analytic-driven, for sure. From on-base percentage to exit velocities and spin rates. I suggested many years ago that I thought speed and stolen bases would become the next “market deficiency.” It hasn’t come to full fruition yet, but we’ve seen an uptick in teams stealing bases and I expect that trend to continue. Enrique Bradfield, Vanderbilt: I’ve written about Bradfield a few times and for good reason. He offers 80 speed and can be the catalyst for the next trendy idea to take the league by storm: super speed. Bradfield is not a power/speed combination player, so there will be plenty of opportunities to steal second (and third) base… assuming he can reach base. He’s a better-fielding version of Billy Hamilton as a floor and even as he ages - and Hamilton has - his speed should be a weapon for a long time. Tampa Bay has stolen 14 more bases than any other team, but doesn’t draft until nineteenth overall. I expect Bradfield to be long gone by then. I think the A’s (#6) and Reds (#7) to the Diamondbacks (#12) are the sweet spot for Bradfield. Zyhir Hope, Virginia prep (committed to North Carolina): Hope has elite speed. But the rest is, well… a lot of hope. I’d imagine teams are trying to get Hope in for private workouts to get a better gauge on him as a player and if someone believes enough in the bat, they may be willing to buy him out of what’s expected to be a strong commitment to the Tar Heels. And if not, he could always pitch too. Next week will be the final installment of the series. We’ll look at some pitchers who have raised their stock. There are plenty of others that could have been listed here. This isn’t to say anyone is or isn’t going to be a good draft or baseball prospect. If you have your own local #personalcheeseball, leave in the comments! View full article

After taking a week off of the Personal Cheeseball series to post our first mock draft of the season, we’re back to look at some first basemen. Drafting a first baseman - especially early - can be one of the most polarizing decisions in all of sports. It’s not that it never works out. It’s that it almost never works out. Prince Fielder (7th overall in 2002) is an exception. Adrian Gonzalez (1st overall in 2000) is an exception. Beyond that, it’s been pretty brutal. Matt LaPorta, the 7th overall pick in 2007, was a complete bust. Eric Hosmer (3rd overall in 2008) helped the Royals win a ring in 2015, but has always been attached to a terrible contract since. Michael Aubrey, Justin Smoak, Allan Dykstra are other examples of first-round busts. The latest wave of Spencer Torkelson and Andrew Vaughn, who went 1st and 3rd overall, has been disappointing so far. When the bat doesn’t play as expected, what’s left? Well, maybe that has teams viewing players differently. Let’s take a look at some of my favorite first basemen this year. -- The term “personal cheeseball” (better represented by #personalcheeseball) originated over twenty years ago in the Baseball America offices when former writer and current Twins scout John Manuel started using it as “shorthand for a personal favorite that does not reflect the popular consensus.” We’ve covered almost every position so far in this series. And, again, as a warning, my radar isn’t reflective of any single team’s preferences or draft board. Tre’ Morgan, LSU: If you’ve watched any LSU baseball this year, you’ve definitely noticed Morgan. And that’s probably because of the long curly bleached-blonde hair that can’t be contained by his hat. He’s also nothing like a typical first baseman. He’s sleek and athletic and likely has the ability to play other places around the diamond. There isn’t the power in the bat to play first, but he’s so good defensively that it works. It will be very interesting to see where he’s deployed at the professional level. Morgan probably comes off the board early on Day 2. Nolan Schanuel, Florida Atlantic: Schanuel will be the first pure first baseman to get drafted, but will he sneak into Round 1? At this point, it appears so. Schanuel profiles as more of an all-around hitter than power hitter despite putting up good power numbers. Teams that buy into analytics will appreciate him and his ability to put up impressive exit velocities. Brock Vradenburg, Michigan State: Vradenburg is sort of the opposite of Schanuel. He’s not going to be put up silly exit velocities, but his almost 1.300 OPS this season is an indication of how much power he has in his bat and his ability to work the zone. Vradenburg will likely go in the middle third of the second day. Drew Williamson, Alabama: The back half of the second day is going to be littered with seniors and that almost assuredly is where Williamson goes. He’ll save the signing team six figures and in return they’ll get a powerful first baseman who has a good eye and the potential to be more than organizational filler. He won’t have time on his side as he’ll make his pro debut as a 23-year-old, but there is potential here. Sam Harris, Iowa prep (committed to Duke): Harris will likely make it to campus and be a high pick in three years. He’s got the power profile and depending on how he develops may be able to spend some time in the outfield. If a team can bank up some money to throw at an early Day 3 pick, Harris would be a good option. Next week we will look at some more outfielders who didn’t make the first list. There are plenty of others that could have been listed here. This isn’t to say anyone is or isn’t going to be a good draft or baseball prospect. If you have your own local #personalcheeseball, leave in the comments! View full article

'Tis the season for mock drafts and the one on ESPN Tuesday morning is sure to cause consternation around Twins Territory. Image courtesy of Gary Cosby Jr. - Tuscaloosa News Kiley McDaniel is ESPN's resident baseball draft expert and his entire mock draft sits behind a paywall so we're not going to give up too much of his article. But we're going to focus on two things... and they present both the good and possibly ugly possibilities of the upcoming draft. First off, McDaniel presents a scenario where the Pirates don't take the player most project to go first overall, LSU's Dylan Crews, and instead take prep outfielder Max Clark. In turn, the Pirates will save some money and be able to throw Top 15 money at a prep pitcher with their second pick (at 42 overall). However the dominos fall after that, there will still be one of the Top 5 unselected when the Twins come on the clock - remember, there are five big names in this draft - and in this iteration, it's Paul Skenes of LSU who is available. Skenes is the best college pitching prospect in recent memory and there is belief that, if a team desired, Skenes could make his major-league debut this summer. McDaniel mocks Paul Skenes to the Twins. This would be very, very good for the Twins. --- But here's where the ugly comes in. This is not the first suggestion that the Twins prefer a college bat. College shortstops Jacob Gonzalez and Jacob Wilson both are names that have been suggested. McDaniel also suggests the Twins are high on top prep pitcher Noble Meyer. So why would the Twins pass on one of the top five to take someone else? I'll give you a few reasons. Teams stack boards differently. The "Top 5" is where the prognosticators have settled. But it's certainly not a consensus among the 30 major league teams. It's possible the Twins Top 5 are just different. I'd confidently say that Crews and Wyatt Langford are probably 1 and 2 on the Twins board. After that, though, it's anyone's guess. (And I'll make my guess later.) The Twins are privy to far more information than any expert. Area scouting, as it's been described to me, has a very similar feel to college recruiting. The team is going to get as much information as they can on every potential pick and part of that information includes how much it's going to take to get a signature on the dotted line. And the reality is if a team thinks similarly of Player A and Player B, and Player B is going to sign for $500,000 less, the team is taking Player B. What gets more interesting is when a team likes Player A a little bit more than Player B and Player B a little bit more than Player C. And Player C is going to cost $1 million less than Player A and $500,000 less than Player B. Because now you can get Player C and turn around and with the savings draft Player D, who you also covet. Maybe the Twins simply just love hitters. Both Gonzalez and Wilson have great hitter profiles. And it's worked for them. It's a little different at #5, but drafting the Spencer Steers and Christian Encarnacion-Strands of the world have given the organization great trade assets. But my question is this... if drafting solid hitters give you the best chance at collecting tradable assets, at what point do you realize that Paul Skenes (or whoever falls to #5) has the most value to the rest of the league and is the best tradable asset you could acquire? I think that it might be true that the Twins do have Jacob Gonzalez in their Top 5, but at the expense of Max Clark, not Paul Skenes. I'd stack the "here's my guess at the Twins draft board" like this: 1) Crews 2) Langford 3) prep outfielder Walker Jenkins 4) Skenes 5) Gonzalez What do you think? (Aside from "I think the Twins are overthinking this"?) View full article