Who do you want the Twins to draft?

[Brodin4Calder]

I wouldnt mind getting Appel or Gray because they are both potential aces and they arent to far from the majors, but we all know for even one of them to fall to us it would be a miracle. So who does that leave? For me its 3 guys: Sean Manaea, Kris Bryant and Kohl Stewart. I think Kohl Stewart has the potential to be the best pitcher to come out of this years draft but hes a 3-4 year project. Sean Manaea has the stuff to be a great top of the roto guy but hes hasnt been to good lately. Then theres Kris Bryant, I think hes the best overall batter in the draft. Hes projected to play 1B and the Twins dont have alot of good 1B prospects.

 

Unless Gray or Appel fall to us I think the Twins take Bryant. Who do you guys think we should draft?

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

I want Kohl Stewart. I think he's got some of the best upside in the draft and we need pitching prospects at the lower levels to "reload". It will only take 1-2 years before May, Meyer, and Gibson are up and Berrios (maybe Baxendale and Duffey) would be the only good pitcher we have. Not only does it satisfy positional need (the last thing you draft for), he's definitely one of the best talents available. A 18 year old who throws 96 with good looking out pitch (that isn't the famed Twins changeup) just seems to good to pass up.

[Twins Twerp]

I agree with Manaea, Stewart or Bryant. They are almost guaranteed two have their choice of two of them. I have an eerie feeling that Bryant is going three. That leaves the Twins with, what I feel, a very difficult decision: Do you take the not so polished college lefty in Manaea, or the HS Righty. The Twins rarely take high school pitchers. If Manaea were a typical top of the draft rated college pitcher, I think they jump on him. BUT, Manaea has a lofty ceiling. He had one good summer in the Cape Cod, and has not been the same. I have not decided which one I would like. I guess I would be happy with both. I would be extremely disappointed with Frazier or Meadows. Their have been multiple reports that the Twins will take Frazier, I hope they are false reports.

[Vervehound]

i'm still in love with manaea and would love for the twins to pick him but the scouting reports on stewart this spring have been glowing. keep in mind that manaea probably wouldn't be ready to contribute until 2015 and a fast-tracked prep arm would be ready right around the same time. for that reason, I've started to lean stewart.

[Brodin4Calder]

i'm still in love with manaea and would love for the twins to pick him but the scouting reports on stewart this spring have been glowing. keep in mind that manaea probably wouldn't be ready to contribute until 2015 and a fast-tracked prep arm would be ready right around the same time. for that reason, I've started to lean stewart.

 

I hear you on Manaea, he has great stuff and theres not alot of lefties like him. He was amazing before his recent struggles and you cant ignore that. He showed what hes capable of and maybe with better coaching he could be more consistent. Hes my favorite other than Gray or Appel but only because he could be in the bigs before Stewart.

[Ncgo4]

Clint Frazier. That bat speed makes him a crazy prospect. Mark my words, three years from now it will be like Michael Jordan being passed over for Olajuwon and Sam Bowie. Everyone will be saying how dumb lucky the Twins were. They stole Sano fom everyone in the Dominican, Buxton fell into their laps at number 2 and then Frazier at number 4.

 

Go Twins! Draft Clint!

[Einstein]

I'd rank my top 3 as Gray, Appel and Bryant, in that order. If all 3 of those guys are gone, I'd pick between Frazier and Meadows (probably Frazier). Manaea's recent troubles scare me and I'm not a fan of high school arms that high.

[clutterheart]

Clint Frazier. That bat speed makes him a crazy prospect. Mark my words, three years from now it will be like Michael Jordan being passed over for Olajuwon and Sam Bowie. Everyone will be saying how dumb lucky the Twins were. They stole Sano fom everyone in the Dominican, Buxton fell into their laps at number 2 and then Frazier at number 4.

 

Go Twins! Draft Clint!

 

I would not mind this at all. Take the best player and don't worry about the future roster log jams.

[Brodin4Calder]

If Appel, Gray or Bryant is there at 4 I say the Twins take whoever it is. If they are all gone I think they have to take Stewart or Manaea. We have a few good young bats but we need a potential ace. Yea we have several prospects that could be really good top of the roto guys but Stewart and Manaea have better potential than any of them. Pitching can win you a world series, especialy when your team doesnt have the biggest payroll.

[Oxtung]

I would like the Twins to take either Manaea, if they feel his struggles this year are because of injury and that injury will heal fully with no consequences in the future, or Kohl Stewart. Give me the pitcher with the best chance to be an Ace.

 

I think the Twins will either go Manaea or the toolsy of the Georgia OF's (I always get the 2 confused). The track record of drafting toolsy OF's and College arms is just too strong to ignore.

[Badsmerf]

I agree with you about taking Manaea or Stewart Oxtung. I really don't think the Twins will draft yet another toolsy OF with their first pick. They've done that 4 of the last 7 drafts and the OF doesn't need any more help.

 

The first tier of players is obviously Gray and Appel. I'm pretty convinced Gray is going first to the Astros since he will be cheaper. The next tier of guys are all pretty similar I think. They all have minor questions about their future. In that case, you take the guy that has the best chance to be an Ace IMO. Elite pitching wins. The Twins won division tittles with a solid rotation for almost a decade. I have faith they will take Stewart if he's on the board.

[Vervehound]

I hear you on Manaea, he has great stuff and theres not alot of lefties like him. He was amazing before his recent struggles and you cant ignore that. He showed what hes capable of and maybe with better coaching he could be more consistent. Hes my favorite other than Gray or Appel but only because he could be in the bigs before Stewart.

 

the nagging injury has made him really hard to evaluate - in the early spring i was praying we'd have a shot at him and now that we likely will, i'm having a hard time pulling the trigger. when he's on, no one squares this guy up, unlike a guy like appel who throws hard, but straight as hell.

[Vervehound]

Clint Frazier. That bat speed makes him a crazy prospect. Mark my words, three years from now it will be like Michael Jordan being passed over for Olajuwon and Sam Bowie. Everyone will be saying how dumb lucky the Twins were. They stole Sano fom everyone in the Dominican, Buxton fell into their laps at number 2 and then Frazier at number 4.

 

Go Twins! Draft Clint!

 

i'd pick frazier over meadows but frazier has the floor of a one-tool player - despite his bat speed his hit tool isn't overly polished.

[Monkeypaws]

I'm leery of Manaea.

 

Stewart sounds like my kind of pick; otherwise, Frazier.

[Brodin4Calder]

I keep doing research and I think this years draft has 3 players that are above the rest. I think Bryant, Appel and Gray are the 3 best players. Stewart has the potential to be as good or better than Appel and Gray but he has some minor red flags and some think he might never be a 200IP guy because of a few small injuries he has had. Manaea is the biggest risk/reward, hes got the stuff to be great but has struggled recently.

 

I really hope either Bryant, Appel or Gray falls to the Twins.

[diehardtwinsfan]

I don't see Gray going cheaper. He's going to want slot and should get it. I see no scenario where he falls past number 4. If Houston wants cheap, they may cut a deal with Stewart or one of the HS catchers. Given their circumstances, Stewart makes a lot more sense for them as their core of players is farther away.... Now if Bryant can cast a spell on Colorado....

[Tecmo]

Brandon Shipley out of Nevada is another one who could get into the conversation after Appel, Gray and Bryant. A bit raw as he is a relatively recent convert to pitching but has really good stuff. Mid to high 90s fastball, excellent changeup and a curve that has potential. Seems similar to a pitcher the Twins were supposedly interested in last season, Kyle Zimmer.

[Vervehound]

Brandon Shipley out of Nevada is another one who could get into the conversation after Appel, Gray and Bryant. A bit raw as he is a relatively recent convert to pitching but has really good stuff. Mid to high 90s fastball, excellent changeup and a curve that has potential. Seems similar to a pitcher the Twins were supposedly interested in last season, Kyle Zimmer.

 

i love shipley (it's braden, btw). i'm leery of spending a high first round pick on a guy without a breaking ball, though. he's probably no better than a number three starter without a useable third pitch, but if you think it has potential, he'd be right there with the group of players after gray and appel.

[cmb0252]

His brother just got traded to the Ravens yesterday.....has nothing to do with this thread but just saw it scroll across my TV.

 

Shipley has huge upside but like Manaea he has too many question marks for a #4 pick for my taste. If I want a lottery ticket I'm spending it on Stewart. His fastball is already just as good as Shipley's and has a 65 grade slider to go with it.

[Brodin4Calder]

I think if Bryant, Gray and Appel are gone the Twins should take Manaea. At one point he was considered to be the 1st overall pick until his recent struggles. Hes a big lefty that throws hard and has a good slider that is his potential knockout pitch. Theres not alot of lefties with his potential.

 

Stewart has the stuff to be the best pitcher out of this draft. That being said theres just too many red flags and questions. Hes had some minor injuries leading to people questioning his durability. Some Experts say he might never be a 200IP starter. Another big question is if he is truly commited to baseball. Hes commited to playing Baseball and Football at TEX A&M, hes also one of the top QB prospects. So is hes more commited to playing in the MLB or NFL?

 

I just think Manaea would be the smart choice. I wouldnt be mad if they took Stewart either. I just hope they take one of the 2.

[mudcat14]

I hope the Twins stay away from Bryant. I think we've already got him in Adam Walker and Miguel Sano. Give me a power arm like Manaea or Stewart, or another toolsy OF like Frazier or Meadows. I trust their scouts to choose which one they prefer. But Bryant to me is just too one dimensional and too comparable to both of the aforementioned Twins prospects.

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

I keep doing research and I think this years draft has 3 players that are above the rest. I think Bryant, Appel and Gray are the 3 best players.

 

There's nothing that makes me think Bryant is on that level. He's on par with Frazier, Stewart, and Meadows as the 2nd tier.

[nicksaviking]

I hope the Twins stay away from Bryant. I think we've already got him in Adam Walker and Miguel Sano. Give me a power arm like Manaea or Stewart, or another toolsy OF like Frazier or Meadows. I trust their scouts to choose which one they prefer. But Bryant to me is just too one dimensional and too comparable to both of the aforementioned Twins prospects.

 

I'd like a power arm too, but Manaea does not appear to have that at present. He's been throwing in the mid to high 80's most of the spring and only recently got into the low 90's.

 

I don't know what you like in Frazier or particularly Meadows that you don't like in Bryant. He has great plate discipline and walks nearly a third more than he strikes out. Frazier profiles to be a much bigger swing and miss bat. Meadows' entire hit tool is in question. Bryant now plays 3B but could also profile as a corner OF and surely a 1B as well. If you're simply looking at Frazier's HS offensive numbers, Bryant was pretty comparable, but of course now he is much closer which also reduces some uncertainty.

 

Edit: I forgot, I wanted to see if I got this straight. You said the Twins already had Bryant in Sano and you instead want Fraizer or Meadows. Is it really your opinion that Frazier and Meadows are better talents or prospects than Miguel Sano?

[30whales]

I vote for Kohl Stewart. Not a whole lot of knowledge behind this subject but just by looking at rankings and hearing you guys talking about prospects, Stewart is the one that intrigues me the most behind what seems to be the consensus top 3. Frazier or Meadows look like nice prospects too but as others have said we have drafted toolsy outfields with our top pick a lot in recent drafts and it seems unlikely they'd do it again this season.

[Brodin4Calder]

I keep going over who I want to get and I know have my favorite batter and pitcher. Kohl Stewart and Clint Frazier. Stewart has potential to be an ace and Frazier has a great all around game including great power.

[gunnarthor]

I think my preference, right now, would be Gray, Appel, Bryant, Stewart. I don't know enough about Shipley but wonder if he could be a quick to the majors type who might sign for less than slot at #4 and allow the Twins to spend more down the draft. I don't really want the team to abandon BPA but they might.

[Mike Sixel]

I think my preference, right now, would be Gray, Appel, Bryant, Stewart. I don't know enough about Shipley but wonder if he could be a quick to the majors type who might sign for less than slot at #4 and allow the Twins to spend more down the draft. I don't really want the team to abandon BPA but they might.

 

Given what little I know about the amatuer baseball world, this is also my list, with Appel before Gray.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Gray/Appel Stewart/Manaea. I'm guessing Gray and Appel won't be there at 4, and I'm leaning Stewart, who has the same upside but will require seasoning. It sounds like Manaea's problem is that hip injury, which should heal, so I'm not against that either, though I suspect he's going to need a year or two in the minors.

[AlwaysinModeration]

This year's top draft pick is hugely more interesting than last year. Probably for two reasons...first, there are a lot more possibilities (as we learned last year, it is viable to sign someone cheap early), and second, the Twins minors are bursting with interesting prospects, and it's exciting to think about adding to that system.

 

I'm leery about drafting a high school prep arm, but I keep thinking "Dylan Bundy.". My vote is for Kohl Stewart.

 

A lot of possibiilities, though. The biggest surprise would be seeing the Cubs take a 2-for-1 approach, evidently. So let's hope for that.

[mudcat14]

I'd like a power arm too, but Manaea does not appear to have that at present. He's been throwing in the mid to high 80's most of the spring and only recently got into the low 90's.

 

I don't know what you like in Frazier or particularly Meadows that you don't like in Bryant. He has great plate discipline and walks nearly a third more than he strikes out. Frazier profiles to be a much bigger swing and miss bat. Meadows' entire hit tool is in question. Bryant now plays 3B but could also profile as a corner OF and surely a 1B as well. If you're simply looking at Frazier's HS offensive numbers, Bryant was pretty comparable, but of course now he is much closer which also reduces some uncertainty.

 

Edit: I forgot, I wanted to see if I got this straight. You said the Twins already had Bryant in Sano and you instead want Fraizer or Meadows. Is it really your opinion that Frazier and Meadows are better talents or prospects than Miguel Sano?

 

No. What I'm saying is that Sano, Walker & Bryant are all big, Right-handed sluggers that will likely end up at 1B or RF. Sano & Bryant each have an outside shot at sticking at 3B, but that's up for debate. Frazier & Meadows are both more toolsy in terms of of athleticism, with Meadows batting lefty. I guess I'm of the philosophy that you can never have too many toolsy OF's, though I'd rather have an Ace hurler at this point. Either way, I'm not gonna make the call from the interweb. I'll trust our scouting dept. to select the BPA, regardless of postion.