May 20, 201610 yr What...too early? Yeah, you're probably right. But in the midst of a lost season after a 10-30 start, the prospect of a #1 pick looms as likely in 2017, and it's distracting to think of who might stand out in a year and how they might fit. Fortunately, the early favorite for #1 from many sources also plays a position without much talent or depth in the Twins system...catcher. Despite the horrible start to this season, there is a reasonable chance that this team could be a contender in 4-5 years if highly-touted prospects perform anywhere near their ceilings...especially if they have a solid-defending power hitting catcher ready by then. And that's why we should be keeping an eye on Gator sophomore JJ Schwarz. He's always had the reputation of being a very good defensive catcher, but he also hit .332 with 18 HRs and 73 RBI in 70 games as a freshman. He's not hitting as well as a sophomore (a lot more walks indicates opponents might have pitched around him), but his defense continues to impress. He's 20 years old, so if he continues to progress, would likely be able to contribute in 4-5 years when some of the studs now at Ft. Myers might be ready to join Berrios and Duffey in the rotation. And hopefully superprospects Sano and Buxton will be reaching their prime by them too. I'm a sensitive guy, so I need something else to think about as the Twins continue to play horrible baseball. I'm choosing to think about a #1 pick in 2017, and my sights are on Schwarz. Florida is currently ranked #1 in college baseball, so there should be ample opportunities to watch him against top competition in June.
May 20, 201610 yr Not too early. I'm guessing top 5 is pretty realistic and 1 overall is a possibility. The odd thing is that given the state of the team and the youth movement in the minors, we could be in a real good position with that pick. The only real issue at this point is that 2017 lists that are made right now will be completely different 1 year from now.
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