Twins Daily Draft Preview: Zach Neto

Good player summary, Jamie. I am with you—if one of the top 7 drop, grab them. But, if that doesn’t happen, I would take Neto over Berry. I always look to the Cape Cod performances, as they take away the aluminum bat factor, and you can see how a player does with wood against first class competition, and he did well. If they could get him under slot, that would be even better. I think there will be a run on arms in the second and third rounds and some extra cash would help. 

I like Neto and I think having great bat to ball skills along with solid defense is a nice package.  I get the unusual setup at the plate is less than ideal but I think several top prospects Jung, Lee, Parada have unusual setups as well.  I think that stuff gets overblown sometimes.  He doesn't look like someone who will be above average defensively at short so I get the concern taking him that high but bat first no position type players are not any better except for maybe more power so not sure that is an overly legit concern.  I get that it isn't all pretty when looking at Neto but looking down the list it looks like you need to drop down and take someone like Cole Young, or Jett Williams to get something comparable or maybe Juston Crawford although the slight frame gives me pause on him.  Otherwise you are back to Jung and Berry position-less players.

The latest Mocks seem to really be focusing in on the Twins taking Cross.  He fits the best with the models they use for hitters.  That pick does not excite me but I have such little information I am likely stumbling around in the dark just getting snippets of which outlet likes which players and why.  Maybe Cross is the solid play there but when has trouble hitting breaking stuff is in the profile that concerns me.  After Rooker and Sabato providing nothing I am not so sure I trust whatever model they are using anyway.

Still hoping someone takes the big versatile bat Berry and one of the other 7 drop to us.

I think I like Neto best for the college position players that are likely to be available at #8.

The big leg kick and lack of power doesn't seem great, but it's kind of reminiscent of someone we've seen a lot of lately: Steven Kwan.

I don't think the bat-to-ball skill is quite on the level of Kwan's, and the level of competition he's faced is mostly a bit lower, but a guy that can play good defense at short and make a lot of contact is always still pretty valuable.

1 hour ago, Jamie Cameron said:

A couple more names the Twins have been linked with in recent days: Drew Gilbert (OF, Tennessee and a Stillwater, MN native), and Cade Horton, RHP out of Oklahoma

Gilbert could be an interesting play.  Another good contact hitter that can play center field which the system is light on right now. Has a very good arm and runs better than average not a burner but probably Nick Gordon type speed in center.  He has power maybe not elite HR power but the Twins are pretty good at getting their guys to hit for power and he does have a strong OPS so he gets his share of extra base hits.  To be honest he looks like a better contact hitter than Cross with slightly more speed a better arm but worse power at least for now.

He is slated to go in the low 20's to mid 30's.  Is this a guy that might take say a 1.5 Mil discount at 8 and then the Twins would be in range to get a pitcher in the lower 1st round as a pick in the 2nd round or is that just pie in the sky thinking?

I wonder how Neto compares to Trea Turner in their college careers?

I remember that 2014 draft thinking Turner would be a good choice, but Twins went with Nick Gordon…

2 hours ago, MplsFan said:

I wonder how Neto compares to Trea Turner in their college careers?

I remember that 2014 draft thinking Turner would be a good choice, but Twins went with Nick Gordon…

Turner was faster a big time bag stealer who could hit.  I think the big knock on him was his slighter frame which Neto has and his risk for injury.  I think a lot teams felt he wouldn't make it through full seasons without getting injured so he dropped some.

I think Neto likely has better bat to ball skills and probably a better arm but Turner would beat him everywhere else.  They are two pretty different prospect except for maybe the thin build.

6 minutes ago, Jamie Cameron said:

I think that's a legit option, whether it's Neto, Gilbert, or whoever. There are very good prep/college arms in play at 48 and someone is bound to fall. Maybe I'll write up some options for the 48 pick if the Twins chose to go under slot at 8 if folks are interested...

My bigger question is if the Twins could save 1.5 Million off of the 5.4 Million they get at pick 8 (for Neto, Gilbert some other comparable player) then couldn't they make a deal with one of the pitchers expected to go say in the low 20's and pick them at 48 as that pick is worth 1.6 million and if you add the 1.5 million saved that puts them in range of the money that player would receive at say pick 21 and below.  Then they would essentially be getting two lower first round talents for the price of one higher pick.

It just seems that if they don't get one of the top 7 the rest of the other players 8-30 seem fairly close to clumped together in rating.  Why not increase your odds and try and get two of those top 25 to 30 players instead of waiting for pick 48.  

Still if one of the top 7 fall it would be hard to pass on a player that could have All Star potential or be a special player.  It just seems like the Twins are one pick too short to get one of those unless of course other teams try to spread their money around as well.

I for one would love an article on possibilities at 48 if the Twins go under slot at 8. Can never have too much draft coverage?!

Neto looks like a really good player but Lesko still seems totally enticing.

10 hours ago, ashbury said:

Gilbert makes a lot of sense, just from a glance at his numbers at Tennessee this year and that they played him in CF. 

Horton seems like a late first-round pick at best, again just from college numbers assuming he's got a big arm that hasn't quite put it all together yet.  Maybe he falls to the Twins in the second round.  What's the argument for him?

Most of what I know about Gilbert was this play, and it wasn't his finest moment:
 

It may look like a quick hook, but the crew chief said he had warned him already about arguing balls and strikes while he was in CF.  (It takes a lot to get a ball/strike warning from CF,) 

If the Twins decide to draft him, hopefully it's after doing a bit of extra due diligence.