2022 MLB Draft Day 2 Thread

54 minutes ago, MplsFan said:

Are there any catchers left?

I'm keeping in mind the common wisdom that teams' boards start to diverge significantly after the first round or two, so MLB's rankings may look very different than teams' rankings once they get into the 100s. But having discovered that you can sort the MLB.com draft tracker by position, it looks like several teams have taken catchers ranked in the 150-250 range while catchers in the 50-150 range remain undrafted.

Those are all high school kids - seems like one can speculate that the riskiness of high school catchers may be making teams gun-shy about some of those guys, to the point where the players might rather go to school than take the bonuses they're offered. 

And/or maybe the Twins just aren't so high on these players. This is all just speculation. But they certainly are not the only team passing on catching prospects.

Twins going pitching heavy. 

Lewis was a solid two-way player at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, Calif., before heading to join a Santa Barbara program that has produced first-round arms like Michael McGreevy last year and Dillon Tate in 2015, not to mention Shane Bieber in 2016. After redshirting in 2020, Lewis spent most of 2021 pitching capably as a starter before helping the Gauchos win the Big West title again as their all-conference Friday night starter. The 6-foot-5 Lewis brings a unique array of pitches to the mound, all coming from an athletic frame. While his fastball typically sits in the 90-92 mph range, topping out at 95, he uses excellent extension and high spin rates to get swings and misses on the pitch up in the zone. He throws a solid 11-to-5 downer of a curveball in the upper 70s that misses bats consistently. He’s fiddled with a work-in-progress changeup and mixes in an occasional cutter, though that might be his worst pitch. Lewis also throws a legitimate knuckleball that he would float up around 80 mph that confounded hitters and catchers alike. Though he didn’t throw it much, it’s the kind of pitch he could turn to if being a “regular” pitcher doesn’t work out. Generally a strike-thrower, Lewis got tired at the end of the season and his command suffered, but his combination of size, interesting stuff and strong analytics, not to mention the track record of his school, should have teams interested in seeing how it works at the next level.

1 minute ago, James said:

Twins going pitching heavy. 

All nine picks so far are college players too.  Beginning to spot some trends... 

Corey Lewis another 6' 5"   strikeout machine.  This is the tried and true method

1 minute ago, James said:

Lewis also throws a legitimate knuckleball that he would float up around 80 mph that confounded hitters and catchers alike. Though he didn’t throw it much, it’s the kind of pitch he could turn to if being a “regular” pitcher doesn’t work out.

The knuckleball was interesting to hear about.  I know it won't happen since just drafted, but it would be kind of funny to see Gary Sanchez catch a knuckleball pitcher. ?

1 hour ago, bunsen82 said:

Ortega blew up this year,  becoming the 2nd baseman and one of the better hitters on the Vols team this year.  He went from a small college to Tennessee.  Basing this off of 1 year of stats but he definitely looks decent.  Average at everything but has compact power and did this in the SEC.   He has the chance at being a player.  

6' 190lbs and 21yo.

Only 13 games and 36 PA in 2021. But as mentioned, he blew up in 2022 at Tennessee.

.323/ .398/ .672/ 1.070

20 Dbls/ 4 Tpls/ 18 HR/ 61 RBI

 

1 hour ago, MplsFan said:

Are there any catchers left?

Keep in mind that while the cupboard is thin at AAA, Hamilton appears to have made a decent conversion. Williams is finally healthy and hitting well at AA, though he's also playing a lot of 1B. Carmago has a chance, but appears to be defense and power without a great hit tool. And Isola at AA appears to have the bat. Picked in 2019, he's only in his 2nd full season and doing well.

Keep in mind, while results vary in SSS, the Twins selected 3 catchers in 2021. A lot TBD at this point, but they don't appear to think catcher is a primary need at this point. Also possible, of course, they just don't like what's on the board now that we're past the first few rounds. 

4 SS / 5 P and a 2B.  We are getting our wish for up the middle players and pitchers!  

Last year we also picked our 2 catchers in the 10th and 11th round,  they may have a player or two they are still willing to draft,  but it wasn't necessary to spend much draft capital on.  We are definitely going pitcher heavy though.  

Daulton Shuffield!  Finally got that college SS we were hoping for.

Hey, another SS!  Dalton Shuffield

One can never have enough shortstops apparently. 

19 minutes ago, James said:

Lewis was a solid two-way player at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, Calif., before heading to join a Santa Barbara program that has produced first-round arms like Michael McGreevy last year and Dillon Tate in 2015, not to mention Shane Bieber in 2016. After redshirting in 2020, Lewis spent most of 2021 pitching capably as a starter before helping the Gauchos win the Big West title again as their all-conference Friday night starter. The 6-foot-5 Lewis brings a unique array of pitches to the mound, all coming from an athletic frame. While his fastball typically sits in the 90-92 mph range, topping out at 95, he uses excellent extension and high spin rates to get swings and misses on the pitch up in the zone. He throws a solid 11-to-5 downer of a curveball in the upper 70s that misses bats consistently. He’s fiddled with a work-in-progress changeup and mixes in an occasional cutter, though that might be his worst pitch. Lewis also throws a legitimate knuckleball that he would float up around 80 mph that confounded hitters and catchers alike. Though he didn’t throw it much, it’s the kind of pitch he could turn to if being a “regular” pitcher doesn’t work out. Generally a strike-thrower, Lewis got tired at the end of the season and his command suffered, but his combination of size, interesting stuff and strong analytics, not to mention the track record of his school, should have teams interested in seeing how it works at the next level.

Seems to really fit the mold, right? Tall and long with some velocity and spin. Curve maybe gets tweaked and thrown harder for more of a slurve? May have to decide change or cutter but not both, or some variation.

Please, please...and not for nostalgia sake...if the kid actually has a workable knuckleball, don't stop him from playing with/using it. How crazy good/effective to break it out a few tines a game to really put hitters on their heels? 

Is he the 2022 Festa pick?

More 21 year olds, oh no.

7 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Daulton Shuffield!  Finally got that college SS we were hoping for.

Another contact hitter .378.    Definitely a different draft in hitters,  going for high contact OBP players.  

I don't know about you guys, but I didn't get my corner OF masher fix this year. Surely that's going to disappoint the masses.

4 minutes ago, bunsen82 said:

Another contact hitter .378.    Definitely a different draft in hitters,  going for high contact OBP players.  

Dozier was not supposed to have any power either.  I think now more than ever they are picking based on what they think can be developed.   

5 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

Dozier was not supposed to have any power either.  I think now more than ever they are picking based on what they think can be developed.   

Or Spencer Steer or Eduard Julian or Alex Isola.

It's hard to judge the batters by power or the pitchers by velocity because they seemed to have figured out a few tricks to soup up these players that we're not used to seeing.

Didn't see anything posted on Zebby Matthews,  unless I missed it. 6' 5" 210lbs and 22 yo. 

3yr composite, with the abbreviated 4 games in 2020 included:

13-9/ 3.49 ERA/ 183.1 IP/ 211 SO/ 10.4 K per/  181 hits/ 30 BB/ 1.151 WHIP.

Walks are OK, hits acceptable but a little high. Got bit some in 2022 by the HR ball with 12 bombs in 95.2 IP.

Sorry, all I could find at this point. 

 

The Twins lineup picks this year seem to mostly be contact hitters that know the strike zone.  Is the FO finally starting to get sick of all the strikeouts?  Maybe they are assuming that the dead ball era continues well into the future and they need to play more small ball instead of waiting for a walk and a bop?

19 minutes ago, bunsen82 said:

Another contact hitter .378.    Definitely a different draft in hitters,  going for high contact OBP players.  

A trend? We have drafted a lot of big power guys, bat first in some cases, the past few years. But there's also been a lot of the Steer and Julien and other types selected for better contact and hit tools. This year more of the same.

So while the FO wants power and believes in it...and you should to based on trends and run scoring percentages...they also understand and appreciate the "hit" tool. It's why Arraez is so important. And it's why Kirilloff is so important. And why Larnach, though he can't match Kepler's defense, might just surpass Max by next season as an offensive presence because he just might be the better overall "hitter".

 

I see we grabbed a number of Seniors earlier than usual and that we were going with lower ranked or un ranked players, assuming most seniors sign for 10k and normalizing bonus to rank I think we have 1.3mm which would give our second round guy nearly 3mm or about rank 24 money.

 

We can also go five percent over or about 500k and only pay tax, so all in all I am happy. 

13 minutes ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

The Twins lineup picks this year seem to mostly be contact hitters that know the strike zone.  Is the FO finally starting to get sick of all the strikeouts?  Maybe they are assuming that the dead ball era continues well into the future and they need to play more small ball instead of waiting for a walk and a bop?

They might be seeing it that way, but in 2019 they drafted contact hitters (along with a few power hitters too) and those contact guys are developing power. Quite a bit in some cases.

But I don't know that they're sick of all the strikeouts. The Twins are 11th in the league in strikeout percentage, so they're above average in that regard.

20 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

Didn't see anything posted on Zebby Matthews,  unless I missed it. 6' 5" 210lbs and 22 yo. 

Good name, too.

But a great name in a similar vein: Noticed a Zebulon Vermillion drafted by the Mets.

1 minute ago, whosafraidofluigirussolo said:

Good name, too.

But a great name in a similar vein: Noticed a Zebulon Vermillion drafted by the Mets.

I see I'm not the only one that noticed Zebulon Vermillion.  I don't care what it costs, I hope the Twins trade for that dude just for his name.

FWIW in regard to Daulton Shuffield:

5' 9" and 170lbs. 23yo, so he's older than most to be sure.

He was named a 2nd team All American by "Collegiate Baseball Newspaper" who I've never heard of, but assume it was, obviously, for Div II, which is where I believe Texas State plays at. He was also named the Sunbelt Player of the Year. 

He set a number of school records, FWIW, but this is his 2022 year:

.378/ .444/ .668/ 1.113 

He had 20 Dbls/ 5 tpls/ 13 HR/ 48 RBI

And scored 78 R while being 16-19 in SB.

Clearly an inexpensive signing with some athleticism and potential, but nothing to be excited for, especially considering age. But he's, at worst, a low level roster filler with some potential to help out somewhere. 

2 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

FWIW in regard to Daulton Shuffield:

5' 9" and 170lbs. 23yo, so he's older than most to be sure.

He was named a 2nd team All American by "Collegiate Baseball Newspaper" who I've never heard of, but assume it was, obviously, for Div II, which is where I believe Texas State plays at. He was also named the Sunbelt Player of the Year. 

He set a number of school records, FWIW, but this is his 2022 year:

.378/ .444/ .668/ 1.113 

He had 20 Dbls/ 5 tpls/ 13 HR/ 48 RBI

And scored 78 R while being 16-19 in SB.

Clearly an inexpensive signing with some athleticism and potential, but nothing to be excited for, especially considering age. But he's, at worst, a low level roster filler with some potential to help out somewhere. 

10th round draft pick to be Minor League fodder with the possibility of being a much better contact hitter than a 10th round batter should be.  Its worth the risk.  One of these might take off and be decent depth.  I think the Twins are starting to build 2 different models,  1 that will work with a dead ball and one that will work with a lively ball.   Need almost 2 different players to successfully compete.  

The past few drafts have provided some very nice surprises beyond the first 10 picks. Quite a few in fact, including Festa, who was picked, I think, in the 14th round, just last year. So this isn't over yet by any stretch of the imagination.

But the obvious key to this draft is the 1st two picks and money to sign both.

I kinda like Schobel the more I read about him. He's a well rounded "Neto-lite" who flew under the radar due to his more well known/recognized teammate Cross, and I don't think he was just an under slot selection in the Twins FO eyes. 

I do believe the rest of day 2 was spent on easy signs for under slot who still have potential. And I'm 100% OK with that considering the system and our 2 top picks.

I think they drafted a couple of "cheap" arms that might be solid BP additions. Matthews and Lewis are EXACTLY the kind of college pitchers they always look for; tall and long and projectible once in the system.

Ortega could be a powerful/hit preference but limited to 2B.

The rest are easy and inexpensive signings who might surprise, and allow Prielipp to be brought on board with whatever contract $ they've probably already agreed on.

I have zero issues with this draft. Just surprised, there wasn't a single OF that they felt good about selecting

 

I’m not disappointed in the lack of lumbering dh-types so far either.