Official 2014 Draft Day Thread, Day 1

[Brock Beauchamp]

Tomorrow is the big day. Post your comments, thoughts, and player breakdowns here in preparation for tomorrow's draft.

 

Twins Daily draft page: http://twinsdaily.com/list.php/category/43-MLB-Draft-2014

 

Player write-ups

Alex Jackson, C: http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/3052-Twins-Draft-Preview-Alex-Jackson

 

Carlos Rodon, LHP: http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/3048-Twins-Draft-Preview-Carlos-Rodon

 

Nick Gordon, SS: http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/3047-Twins-Draft-Preview-Nick-Gordon

 

Tyler Kolek, RHP: http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/3034-Twins-Draft-Preview-Tyler-Kolek

 

Brady Aiken, LHP: http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/3029-Twins-Draft-Preview-Brady-Aiken

 

Kyle Freeland, LHP: http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/3023-Twins-Draft-Preview-Kyle-Freeland

 

Tyler Beede, RHP: http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/3010-Twins-Draft-Preview-Tyler-Beede

 

Aaron Nola, RHP: http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/3002-Twins-Draft-Preview-Aaron-Nola

 

Trea Turner, SS: http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/3001-Twins-Draft-Preview-Trea-Turner

 

Latest Mock Draft

Jeremy Nygaard: http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php/3065-Twins-Draft-Preview-Mock-Draft-v-3-0

 

Twins Hangout

Draft Edition: http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php/3064-Draft-Special-presented-by-Twins-Hangouts

[Paul Pleiss]

Please draft Nick Gordon, please draft Nick Gordon, please draft Nick Gordon.

-repeats forever until it becomes truth.

[30whales]

I want Touki! (But I wouldn't mind Nick Gordon beings that is a bit more realistic)

[InfraRen]

Some Doogie "scoops" for the AM:

 

Darren Wolfson @DarrenWolfson

(1/2) Big-shots Radcliff & Johnson each have seen HS SS Nick Gordon in person over 10 times. Told #MNTwins have seen him more than anyone.

 

Darren Wolfson @DarrenWolfson

(2/2) Radcliff: "Profiles as a SS and has hit skills. Real talented player." I'll continue to make Gordon the favorite if he's there at 5.

 

Darren Wolfson @DarrenWolfson

One of many players to watch at No. 46: Arkansas Jr. IF/OF Brian Anderson. #MNTwins took him in 2011, but didn't sign.

 

Darren Wolfson @DarrenWolfson

Great question. Don't have great feel. Lean Gordon. RT @bwelshons: @DarrenWolfson Some have Kolek sliding. Think they go Gordon over Kolek?

 

 

 

[ericchri]

I'll be honest, I kinda want Touki too. More of a risk, so I don't really expect it, but it would definitely put a smile on my face. Lots of guys have 95+ fastballs, give me somebody with a monster breaking pitch. Having read about all these guys for a while, I can see why everyone has their favorites for the various factors they prefer, but in the end I think anyone we get here has the potential to be a really good player so I won't get too worked up about it.

[gunnarthor]

If, as rumored, one of Rodon or Kolek is there at #5, I can't see the Twins passing on them. Should be an interesting night though.

 

Brian Anderson at #46 seems like a reach (on the little I know). MLBpipeline has him ranked 121. But he is a MI and if they take Kolek in the first round I'd be ok with Anderson in the second. But I don't see them taking Gordon and then a guy like Anderson.

[gunnarthor]

BP last mock - http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=23785

 

Twins taking Nola with Aiken, Rodon, Kolek and Gordon going 1-4.

[InfraRen]

BP last mock - http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=23785

 

Twins taking Nola with Aiken, Rodon, Kolek and Gordon going 1-4.

 

I'm a Gordon over Jackson guy, but if Gordon is gone I prefer Jackson to Nola. If they do go Nola though, I get it. He seems to be a potential fast-riser, so a near future rotation with Meyer, Hughes, Nolasco, Gibson, May roto with Stewart, Berrios, Nola, Gonsalves, Thorpe waiting in the wings does sound solid.

 

When the heck did we get some starting pitching depth???

[2wins87]

Brian Anderson at #46 seems like a reach (on the little I know). MLBpipeline has him ranked 121.

 

MLB is lower on him than any other ranking I've seen. Kiley McDaniels has him 36th, most other rankings I've seen have him 60th or so. So it's a possibility.

 

I'd hope they go with the strength of the draft and load up on pitchers in the first few rounds. Getting Jackson or Gordon in the first round and then going after the deep pitching class with most of their next early picks would seem like a pretty good draft to me.

[jokin]

Some Doogie "scoops" for the AM:

 

 

Darren Wolfson @DarrenWolfson

One of many players to watch at No. 46: Arkansas Jr. IF/OF Brian Anderson. #MNTwins took him in 2011, but didn't sign.

 

FWIW.....Anderson is all over the map.....Baseball America projects Anderson at #32, while Perfect Game has him right around #46-50, MLB.com has Anderson at #121, Prospect Digest- "3rd or 4th round."

 

Scouting Report:

 

The bat plays pretty well in the middle infield, but his size may eventually push him into an outfield role. Anderson’s sort of like a poor man’s Jason Kipnis- double-digit power potential with decent plate discipline. More likely, though, his ceiling will fall somewhere between Quad-A status and solid big league bench bat.

 

Except he's the same size as Ben Zobrist at 6'3", not Kipnis at 5'11". Why compare him to 2 big leaguers, at all? For the record, Zobrist was a 6th round pick out of a tiny NAIA school that no one has ever hear of.

 

And Anderson looks like he can hit in pressure situations (and bats clean-up, BTW)- like the just-concluded NCAA regional:

 

Brian Anderson was truly about the only bright spot for Arkansas in the Charlotesville Regional. The junior had a tremendous Sunday, and led the team with eight hits in the tournament. He came to the plate with the bases empty all four trips vs Virginia because the 1-2-3 hitters in the lineup went a combined 0-12 in the game.

 

2014 slash line: .328/.401/.498/.900

[gunnarthor]

I'm a Gordon over Jackson guy, but if Gordon is gone I prefer Jackson to Nola. If they do go Nola though, I get it. He seems to be a potential fast-riser, so a near future rotation with Meyer, Hughes, Nolasco, Gibson, Nola roto with Stewart, Berrios, May, Gonsalves, Thorpe waiting in the wings does sound solid.

 

When the heck did we get some starting pitching depth???

 

Don't forget May. He's a legit arm that the Twins will plug into the rotation for years. A year ago, even while he was struggling, an unnamed FO person told Reusse that May would be that innings eater that Radke used to be.

[InfraRen]

^He's in there

[gunnarthor]

^He's in there

What, you think I can read?

[tobi0040]

If this is the official thread, should the "MLB Draft Day 1" be shut down to avoid duplication?

 

My board, if anyone cares is 1. Aiken 2. Rodon 3. Jackson 4. Kolek 5. Newcomb 6. Touki 7. Gordon

[Dman]

If this is the official thread, should the "MLB Draft Day 1" be shut down to avoid duplication?

 

My board, if anyone cares is 1. Aiken 2. Rodon 3. Jackson 4. Kolek 5. Newcomb 6. Touki 7. Gordon

 

Maybe it is group think but I like that order. Not sure about Kolek anymore but he has been top three or four the whole time so no need to have doubts now. I still think Newcomb and Touki should be higher than Gordon but lot's of experts disagree. I like the idea of going Pitcher as I don't see us back in the top five for a long time. Maybe top 10 but I think the 90 lose seasons are over and there is too much talent coming up to go back there anytime soon.

[twinkiesfan11]

MLB is lower on him than any other ranking I've seen. Kiley McDaniels has him 36th, most other rankings I've seen have him 60th or so. So it's a possibility.

 

I'd hope they go with the strength of the draft and load up on pitchers in the first few rounds. Getting Jackson or Gordon in the first round and then going after the deep pitching class with most of their next early picks would seem like a pretty good draft to me.

 

Think about it though...if the strength of the draft is pitching and position players are more scarce why wouldn't you snap up a guy like Anderson if he's there for you at 46? The pitching in this draft sounds to be deep enough that you can still get some quality pitching in rounds 3, 4 and beyond.

 

Plus look at the current lineup in Cedar Rapids and the prospective lineups in E-Town and GCL. The Twins have drafted very pitching heavy the past 2-3 years and it's starting to show in the low minors rosters. I for one would be thrilled with Gordon at 5 and Anderson at 46.

[markos]

When the heck did we get some starting pitching depth???

 

It has been a dedicated 2 year effort, but that's what happens when you prioritize pitching for an extended period of time. Here are the young-ish pitchers they have acquired since the 2012 draft (in roughly chronological order):

Berrios

Bard

Melotakis

Chargois

P. Hernandez

Sulbaran

Meyer

May

Worley

Stewart

Eades

Gonsalves

Slegers

K. Johnson

Gilmartin

 

Position players in the same time period:

Buxton

Adam Walker

Eduardo Escobar

Stuart Turner

Brian Navarreto

Mitch Garver

Alex Presley

[tobi0040]

I like the idea of going Pitcher as I don't see us back in the top five for a long time. Maybe top 10 but I think the 90 lose seasons are over and there is too much talent coming up to go back there anytime soon.

 

I agree about a pitcher becuase we won't be this high for awhile. I am hoping Gordon goes ahead of us and we pick between Kolek and Newcomb.

[jaspatrick]

So, if the draft shakes out 1. Aiken 2. Rodon 3. Kolek/Nola 4. Gordon, do we take either whoever is left between Kolek/Nola? I get the feeling that we are skipping Kolek (and Jackson) even if there and taking Nola or Newcomb. Law, McDaniel, and Callis have all implied that if Kolek doesn't go 3, which he still has a very good chance of doing, he might fall to the back half of the top 10.

 

As far as pitcher in the top 5 picks because we won't be back for awhile, I think that only applies if you believe he has ace potential. If his "ceiling" is 2/3 starter, which some have said about Nola, why can't you just as easily get that type of guy at pick 10-20 (although probably with lower floor than Nola)?

[drock2190]

Remember Tim Beckham?

 

How does his high school stats compare to Nick Gordon? Just curious what the scouting reports were because he looks like a big flop from a good drafting organization.

[Willihammer]

It was interesting to hear Terry Ryan talk about drafting commodities earlier this week. He mentioned lefthanded pitching, and there's no doubt good lefthanders are valuable. But, I also think you have to take what's given to you. The strength of this draft still seems to be high school pitching. Maybe the best course of action is to play to the pool's strength, and take the best high school arm available at 5, rather than targeting specific profiles. They would probably have their choice of everyone except Brady Aiken. But, the others are all righthanded.

[tobi0040]

, I think that only applies if you believe he has ace potential. If his "ceiling" is 2/3 starter, which some have said about Nola, why can't you just as easily get that type of guy at pick 10-20 (although probably with lower floor than Nola)?

 

I think Touki and Newcomb, specifically have features that could make them #1 starters.

 

Totally agree about Nola. You also have free agency. We signed two guys in the 2-3 mold last off-season alone.

[twinkiesfan11]

Remember Tim Beckham?

 

How does his high school stats compare to Nick Gordon? Just curious what the scouting reports were because he looks like a big flop from a good drafting organization.

 

And if I had 20 minutes to do the research I could name probably at least a dozen or two high school and college pitchers that were drafted in the top 5 and flopped. Not really sure what your point is...

[diehardtwinsfan]

yeah, I kind of hope someone takes Nola and Gordon in the 1-4 slots, but I suspect both will be there. I'm hoping they take one of Kolek, Touki, or Newcomb. In round 2, I'd grab a high ceiling prep arm or Hoffman/Fede/Gatewood if one of them really falls.

[InfraRen]

Keith Law's final mock is out. Has Twins taking Gordon:

http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/mlb/500/Min.png?w=50&h=50&transparent=true

 

Analysis: This is the lock of the draft. Unless Brady Aiken gets here, which he won't, they're taking Gordon. | Scouting video http://assets.espn.go.com/icons/watch.png

PLAYER CARD

 

[gunnarthor]

Best rumor of the day - Manual at BA: "One scouting source in the top 10 believed both San Diego prep players, Aiken and Rancho Bernardo’s Alex Jackson, were falling to the back of the top 10 due to signability questions." If Aiken was there at #5 ... Anyway, Manual's mock has us taking Gordon.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/mock-draft-5-0-aiken-looks-like-no-1/

[twinsfanstreif]

Remember Tim Beckham?

 

How does his high school stats compare to Nick Gordon? Just curious what the scouting reports were because he looks like a big flop from a good drafting organization.

 

http://www.milb.com/milb/events/draft_report/y2008/index.jsp?mc=tbeckham this is his scouting report, it sounds a ton like Gordon to me, that scares me a ton. What makes me feel a little better is that Correa had similar reports

[tobi0040]

Best rumor of the day - Manual at BA: "One scouting source in the top 10 believed both San Diego prep players, Aiken and Rancho Bernardo’s Alex Jackson, were falling to the back of the top 10 due to signability questions." If Aiken was there at #5 ... Anyway, Manual's mock has us taking Gordon.

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/mock-draft-5-0-aiken-looks-like-no-1/

 

Beware of the last minute rumor. Could have been started by anyone at 3-8 hoping to get lucky.

[gunnarthor]

Callis last mock has no surprises - Twins take Gordon (but would love Rodon or Aiken to fall)

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/mock-draft-jim-callis-picks-for-the-first-round?ymd=20140605&content_id=78353170&vkey=news_mlb

[nicksaviking]

Humor me but I this is a list of who I think may be Twins targets.

 

If available in round 2:

AJ Reed 1B/RHP KY

Jake Stinett RHP MD

Cameraon Varga RHP HS (OH)

Ti'quan Forbes SS HS (MS)

Jacob Gatewood HS (CA) (duh)

Brian Anderson 2B/OF AR

Nick Burdi RHP Louisville

 

Later:

Cole Tucker SS HS (AZ); Ryan Castellani RHP HS (AZ); Gunner Heidt SS C of C (SC); Grayson Greiner C SC; Jordan Montgomery LHP SC; Andrew Chin LHP BC; Mitch Keller RHP HS (IA); Max Povse RHP UNC Greensboro; John Little OF HS (OK); Austin Cousino OF KY; Jordan Schwartz RHP Niagra; Spencer Turnbull RHP ALA; Matt Morgan C ALA; Chris Oliver RHP AR; Brian O'Keefe C St Joe's; Bradley Roney RHP S Miss; JD Davis 1B Cal St Fullerton