Twins

It has been a year of good and bad performances in Minnesota. Unfortunately, there have probably been more bad than good.

On the positive side of things, Phil Hughes has put together the best season of his professional career, Danny Santana has done some good things as a rookie, and the duo of Kennys Vargas and Oswaldo Arcia seem to be able to mash the ball out of any park.

There have been some players who haven't lived up to expectations for various parts of the year.

For the Minnesota Twins, two events in this past week bookend a disappointing era for first-round draft picks.

On Friday it was announced that the team’s 55th pick overall in 2011, pitcher Hudson Boyd, was suspended for 50 games for a second violation of a drug of abuse. Two days later, Chris Parmelee, who was drafted 20th overall in 2006, signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles after he was released by the Twins earlier in the offseason.

Without much to show from their first-round picks from 2006 through 2011, how bad has it been for the Twins compared to other teams?

Don’t look now but the team’s ERA leader is none other than Mike Pelfrey. Is this performance legit or should we all brace for more impact?

This post should come with a disclaimer in a big, bold font that screams out SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AHEAD but most people should realize that three outings is nothing to base any long-term projection on. That being said, in this small sampling Pelfrey has shown some indication that he may actually be a serviceable back-of-the-rotation starter.

At one of his pregame lunchroom press scrums on a mid-March day in Fort Myers, Terry Ryan was asked about his level of concern with the young and inexperienced players who would figure prominently into the team's plans this year.

"I worry about almost every guy that comes up here," the GM said. "They have instant success and things are looking good. Sometimes when guys come back it doesn't fall into place, it starts to unravel a bit. We send them back."

The worst team in the American League will be taking on the best team in the American League. It’s the 15th seed vs. the 1st seed. If this was March Madness it would be North Carolina vs. Weber State. It’s the Rangers vs. the Twins and it’s the mere thought of the little guy beating the big guy that makes the month of July so exciting... the Lamb beating the Lion.

Many great things have happened in July so I’m ready for a little July Madness.

Here are some things to think about: