Article: Twins MLB Draft Profile: Austin Meadows, OF

[Seth Stohs]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1748-Twins-MLB-Draft-Profile-Austin-Meadows-OF

[Shane Wahl]

Well, I was wrong about Buxton vs. Gausman. But now that it happened last year, I seem to be more justified in finding A PITCHER instead of AN OUTFIELDER for this pick. The context is now different. I am allowed to "flip-flop" and say that while BPlayerA worked well and I would not take it back, now BPitcherA really needs to take affect. Manaea is going to be available. I know of his abilities even while he was a "lazy student" in high school (dude could have gone to a Big Ten school otherwise) he is not lazy on the mound.

[Seth Stohs]

I admit that I wanted Gausman a year ago, and he's on the verge of the big leagues, so it would not have been a bad pick either.

 

I always will advocate for Best Player Available, but if it's close between two players, go with the pitcher...

[cmathewson]

I don't think Meadows will be the best player available at #4. You say he has all five tools, but he does not have a ton of power and his arm is destined for left field. As a pure hitting left fielder, Frazier is the better prospect.

 

Still, at 3-4, there are two better players than either of these high school position players--Manaea and Bryant. And if the Twins want a high-schooler, I'd rather have Stewart than either bat.

[Seth Stohs]

I agree... Most do seem to think that because of his size and his swing, that he'll develop a lot of power. hasn't shown a ton yet, but he certainly could.

 

Note - I definitely don't think he will be best available by any means, but I do think he's a top 10 pick.

[Mike Sixel]

Meadows is not even in the top 7, let alone top 4. And, while Buxton has been great in low A, Gausmann is likely to pitch in the majors this year. And he looks even better than people expected. While Buxton slowly works his way up over the next three years, the Orioles will be winning games that Gausmann starts, starting this year. Meanwhile, Mauer will be getting older and older. So I think we are counting our chicks a bit here before the egg has even hatched. It doesn't really matter how good Buxton is, if Correia, Worley, Pelfrey, Marquis, Blackburn, et.al. are your pitching staff.

 

I'll be very disappointed if Meadows is the pick.

[cmathewson]

The projected pitching staff when Buxton arrives in 2015:

 

Meyer

Gibson

May

Diamond

Baxendale/Worley

 

When Buxton is the core of a team of stars including Sano, Rosario, Arcia and Mauer, the rotation will look like this:

 

Meyer

Berrios

Gibson

May

Baxendale

[Mike Sixel]

cmat, I hope you are right, but the odds of that are pretty low. by 2015, I assume you mean a September call up. Buxton will be in A ball all year this year. He might be in AA next year.

[nicksaviking]

The projected pitching staff when Buxton arrives in 2015:

 

Meyer

Gibson

May

Diamond

Baxendale/Worley

 

When Buxton is the core of a team of stars including Sano, Rosario, Arcia and Mauer, the rotation will look like this:

 

Meyer

Berrios

Gibson

May

Baxendale

 

Well that's the plan. Though I think your optimism might let you down at some point. If a third of these guys pan out we should be extremely excited.

[cmathewson]

cmat, I hope you are right, but the odds of that are pretty low. by 2015, I assume you mean a September call up. Buxton will be in A ball all year this year. He might be in AA next year.

 

He's on the fast track. I think he will spend the second half of 2013 in Fort Myers. I think he will start 2014 in AA, and get promoted to AAA mid-year, with a September call-up. I think he'll be the starting center fielder in 2015. With his tools and uncommon maturity, it is not all that outlandish.

[Mike Sixel]

Like I said, I hope you are right.

[Turd Furgeson]

Drafted players are assets. Those assets can be traded to fill positions where our team is weak. They did that with Revere not even a year ago. Imagine that we had an Austin Meadows or Aaron Hicks or what have you who may end up being considerably better than Revere was last year and they could be used to leverage a better pitcher.

 

I will never support the idea of drafting for need unless it's between two equal prospects.

 

Also, I will add that the free agent market can and should be used to supplement our roster, and to fill any weak spots that we have. Granted, the Twins haven't been known to do that much, historically but hopefully this is a different Twins team when some of these high profile prospects finally come up.

[jimbo92107]

I don't know, man...I've been reading up on Clint Frazier, and he has a very Bryce Harper look to him.

 

Baseball Prospectus | BP Unfiltered: Dissecting the Draft: Clint Frazier (Player Report)

 

Check the vid of his swing. Look at that efficient power transfer, his superb rhythm. Easy power. Notice after his home run, he gets a discreet low-five from the opposing 2B. Frazier is a jock's jock. They have a little club, and he's in it. Team leader.

 

The vid of his throwing arm also is revealing. I can't believe his coaches are letting him fall off the line of his throw after his follow through. The good news is, it's an easy thing to correct, and then you can add more accuracy to his upper 90's arm strength.

 

He's got a plus arm, plus speed, plus power, and when he fills out a bit, add more power. I have a feeling a lot of teams will be sorry if they pass on the Ginger Dynamo.

[ThePuck]

Meadows is not even in the top 7, let alone top 4. And, while Buxton has been great in low A, Gausmann is likely to pitch in the majors this year. And he looks even better than people expected. While Buxton slowly works his way up over the next three years, the Orioles will be winning games that Gausmann starts, starting this year. Meanwhile, Mauer will be getting older and older. So I think we are counting our chicks a bit here before the egg has even hatched. It doesn't really matter how good Buxton is, if Correia, Worley, Pelfrey, Marquis, Blackburn, et.al. are your pitching staff.

 

I'll be very disappointed if Meadows is the pick.

 

I wanted Gausman (first choice) or Zimmer (second choice) in last year's draft.

[Mike Sixel]

I wanted Gausman (first choice) or Zimmer (second choice) in last year's draft.

 

Appel, Gausmann, Zimmer, Buxton.....for me.

[Dance with Disco Dan]

Although every report I've read lauds Meadows' overall skill set, some have questioned his interest in the game/intensity/grittiness or whatever that special sauce is that convinces Gibson that the D'backs should trade J. Upton. Usually, I dismiss that type analysis out of hand. But for some reason it is bothering me about this player. For that reason, give me Frazier over Meadows if the Twins go for a high school bat.

[Mike Sixel]

JD Drew was a great player, if they get JD Drew with the 4th pick, you should be happy.

[Siehbiscuit]

I'm in the Frazier over Meadows camp as well. I personally value the power tool more than any other. Hit, speed, defense and arm are important but power is something that can only be developed so much. Much of it is just flat out, God-given ability. Same as the hitting tool. Average defense and average arms can be hidden. But a great power bat ALWAYS has value.

[Dance with Disco Dan]

JD Drew was a great player, if they get JD Drew with the 4th pick, you should be happy.

 

You are right, of course. I actually tried to remove the JD Drew comparison out of my post before anyone responded. Drew was a 44 WAR player. I just have a deep and abiding disdain for him as a player that is not supportable when I look at the career he put together. Hence, my failed attempt to timely remove my snarky comparison.

[Mike Sixel]

Oh, I get the JD disdain, I never felt it, but I know why others did.

[cmb0252]

Put me in the Frazier camp as well. Meadows has some great tools but no one, this year or maybe any year, has the bat speed like Frazier. One thing to note; Meadows is about six months younger than both Frazier and Stewart.

[mlhouse]

It is premature to make any claims about Buxton being the right choice, although he is playing well in Low-A. The benefits though of drafting a college pitcher like Gausman last year is that Buxton is about 4 years from even tasting the major league level and the college arm could have been in the rotation last season if we really wanted to fast track them. I really think that this year we need to go with a college starter, either the left hander Manaea or the right hander Bredan Shipley. Manaea has more upside but the injury issue really scares me given some of the problems we have had with Gibson and WImmer. I think Shipley could be a very good #2-3 starter and could be moved along quickly.

[cmb0252]

It is premature to make any claims about Buxton being the right choice, although he is playing well in Low-A. The benefits though of drafting a college pitcher like Gausman last year is that Buxton is about 4 years from even tasting the major league level and the college arm could have been in the rotation last season if we really wanted to fast track them. I really think that this year we need to go with a college starter, either the left hander Manaea or the right hander Bredan Shipley. Manaea has more upside but the injury issue really scares me given some of the problems we have had with Gibson and WImmer. I think Shipley could be a very good #2-3 starter and could be moved along quickly.

 

With pitch counts there is zero chance that a pitcher last year would be pitching in the bigs. While Gausman will pitch this year would he really have turned the Twins into a winner? Gausman is on a pitch count this year, would be on one if he was a Twin too, so how much value is a rookie pitcher going to give you? I'm a big fan of Gausman and would have been fine with the Twins drafting him last year but the jump from AAA to the bigs is massive, especially for pitchers.

 

Under this type of thinking process college guys will always be better than HS players because they give immediate value. Problem with that is if for some reason they don't make it to the bigs as quick as you hope, ohh I don't know Wimmers/Gibson/Levi, value is lost. Once again, if you just prefer Gausman to Buxton on pure value I understand. If not, than give me the more talented one any day.

[jimbo92107]

Put me in the Frazier camp as well. Meadows has some great tools but no one, this year or maybe any year, has the bat speed like Frazier. One thing to note; Meadows is about six months younger than both Frazier and Stewart.

 

One word of caution on Clint Frazier. He appears to play the game really hard, with a chip on his shoulder, like Dan Gladden or Bryce Harper. For that reason he may not be a good fit for a team of polite gentlemen. Could be that a guy like Frazier would feel more comfortable on a team that embraces fierce competitors. A team with a tradition of hard-nosed baseball, say the Boston Redsox, might better utilize a man with the intensity of Clint Frazier.

 

Austin Meadows seems more polite.

[Seth Stohs]

Baseball America's Jim Callis's new mock draft has Meadows going 10th overall to Toronto:

 

Mock Draft 2.0: Shades Of Gray - BaseballAmerica.com

[kab21]

It is premature to make any claims about Buxton being the right choice, although he is playing well in Low-A. The benefits though of drafting a college pitcher like Gausman last year is that Buxton is about 4 years from even tasting the major league level and the college arm could have been in the rotation last season if we really wanted to fast track them. I really think that this year we need to go with a college starter, either the left hander Manaea or the right hander Bredan Shipley. Manaea has more upside but the injury issue really scares me given some of the problems we have had with Gibson and WImmer. I think Shipley could be a very good #2-3 starter and could be moved along quickly.

 

I think you will be surprised at how fast Buxton moves through the minors.