http://kingsofkauffman.com/2015/05/05/kansas-city-royals-prospect-kyle-zimmer-injured-again/

 

If anyone remembers the debates about the 2012 draft, they'll remember that three college pitchers were seen as top talents. Most mocks had Appel going #1 to Houston and there were tons of threads on which pitcher the Twins should draft at #2.  Instead, Houston took Correa and the Twins took Buxton.  While neither has yet to make the majors, it looks like Houston and MN are pretty happy with those picks.

 

Those three pitchers are having growing pains.

 

Appel went #1 a year later to Houston but is struggling in AA this year.  The 23 year old is in AA with a 4.57 era and is only striking out 20% of hitters while walking 8.5%.  For comparison, Jose Berrios, also in AA, is striking out 30% and walking 8%.  Appel will still probably make the majors this year but the idea that he'll be a #1 pitcher is probably gone.

 

Kevin Gausman was nabbed by Baltimore at #4.  He's been moved along slowly and is currently in their bullpen after making 20 starts last year.  He's expected to be moved into the rotation eventually this year.  He's still learning at the ML level but has had some ML success.  He's not the next Matt Harvey but he should be a good pitcher.

 

And lastly, Kyle Zimmer went #5 to the Royals.  When he's pitched, his numbers have looked pretty good and you can see why he was in consideration for #1 overall.  Unfortunately, while rehabbing in EST, he felt more shoulder sourness and won't be coming leaving EST on May 10th as planned.  "There is the good news that Zimmer’s shoulder is still structurally sound. However, this is the third shoulder issue that he has had in the past couple of years. While Zimmer still has all the talent and the explosive arsenal, one has to wonder if he will ever be able to be healthy."  Pretty bad news for KC, who had a string of high first round picks not really pan out - Crow, Colon, Starling.  

Seems relatively likely that with Buxton and Berrios alone, 2012 will go down as possibly the greatest Twins draft ever.  Add to that names like Walker, Z. Jones, Duffy, T. Rodgers, Melotakis, Chargois, J. Fernandez (currently playing very well in Cedar Rapids), all of whom have a shot to be major league contributors, and it seems like 2012 will be the standard by which all future Twins drafts are measured.

Edited May 6, 201511 yr by nytwinsfan

I was irate we didn't take Appel. 

 

I am slightly less irate now.

You can't win without top pitching. You can't identify which young top pitchers will make it. Very few unheralded pitchers emerge as top talent. It's a real dilemma for any team that can't/won't go out and acquire proven top talent at top prices.

 

I kind of like the Twins 2014 approach to the draft. Best Player Available for high first round. Pitcher after pitcher, after that for several rounds.

TINSTAAPP.

 

You can't win without top pitching. You can't identify which young top pitchers will make it. Very few unheralded pitchers emerge as top talent. It's a real dilemma for any team that can't/won't go out and acquire proven top talent at top prices.

 

I kind of like the Twins 2014 approach to the draft. Best Player Available for high first round. Pitcher after pitcher, after that for several rounds.

 

Well said.  The funny thing about Appel was many scouts were saying he was not only a #1 or #2, but that he could be in the majors the same year he was drafted.

 

In fact, I can't remember who it was...Law maybe suggested that Appel could be more signable if the team agreed to put him in the majors by July 1. 

TINSTAAPP.

That's the other way of saying it. But IMO if taken too seriously it presents a pessimistic view that would lead to inertia at best. Instead you have to push push push. YCNHTMGP. (And yet, you have to do this without degrading your ability to draft/sign impact position players too. If it was easy everybody would be in first place.)