Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account
  • 2019 MLB Draft Day 2 Thread


    Andrew Thares

    The Minnesota Twins did a good job adding to their farm system with three picks on Day One of the Draft. With their first pick they took Keoni Cavaco, a high school third baseman from California. They then added a couple of Matts with the 39th and 54th overall picks. The first Matt being Matt Wallner, a Minnesota native who is a right fielder for Southern Mississippi. The second Matt was Matt Canterino, who is a right-handed pitcher from Rice University.

    Image courtesy of © David Berding-USA TODAY Sports

    Twins Video

    From Yesterday

    Twins Select Keoni Cavaco with 13th Overall Pick

    Twins Select Minnesotan Matt Wallner with 39th Overall Pick

    Twins Select Matt Canterino with 54th Overall Pick

    The Twins are back in action with eight more picks today in rounds three through ten. Here is a breakdown what picks those are, and the bonus money attached to each pick.

    3rd Round: 90th Overall - $657,600

    4th Round: 119th Overall - $483,000

    5th Round: 149th Overall - $360,800

    6th Round: 179th Overall - $274,800

    7th Round: 209th Overall - $214,900

    8th Round: 239th Overall - $173,000

    9th Round: 269th Overall - $154,100

    10th Round: 299th Overall - $145,000

    Please join in on the conversation and keep checking back, as this article will be updated each time the Twins make a selection.

    Draft Picks

    3rd Round: 90th Overall - Spencer Steer | Oregon | Pos: SS

    Junior Oregon Shortstop Spencer Steer is a solid all-around player with no true standout tools. Steers best trait is probably his hit tool. Steer is a career .297 hitter with a .401 OBP, but hit just 12 home runs over three seasons for the Ducks.

    It is unlikely that Steer will stay at short long-term, but he has the defensive ability to be a plus defender at second. He could also make the move to third, but I don’t think he will provide the thump in the bat for third.

    https://twitter.com/BaseballAmerica/status/1135961592116498432

    4th Round: 119th Overall - Seth Gray | Wright State | Pos: 3B

    Seth Gray will be reunited with his former Wright State teammate Gabe Snyder, who was the Twins 21st round pick in last year’s draft. Gray wasn’t a highly considered prospect entering this spring, but he broke out from a power standpoint this spring hitting 11 home runs, which more than doubled the total he hit in his freshman and sophomore years combined. This helped Gray raise his slugging percentage up from the roughly .410 he had in his first to seasons, up to .627 this year.

    5th Round: 149th Overall - Will Holland | Auburn | Pos: SS

    Holland entered this season with a profile that had him projected to possibly be drafted within the first 20 overall picks. His junior season didn’t go as well as expected. After hitting .313/.406/.530 as a sophomore, Holland dropped all the way down to .248/.378/.416 this season. Holland has picked it up as of late hitting .367 over his last 16 games leading into this weekends Super Regional against UNC.

    On the MLB.com broadcast, Jim Callis called this pick “an absolute steal.” Hollad is another infielder who is known for his power. As you can see below, 2080 Baseball had Holland ranked as their No. 12 collegiate draft prospect back in February.

    https://twitter.com/2080ball/status/1096512676388368384

    6th Round: 179th Overall - Sawyer Gipson | Mercer | Pos: RHP

    Under the current regime, the Twins have shown an affinity to draft pitchers based mostly around advanced metrics, and Sawyer Gipson fits right into that mold.

    At the face of it, you see Sawyer Gipson as a small school pitcher who has never had a season with an ERA below 5.20, but if you dive further into Gipson you can see what makes him so appealing is his excellent strikeout to walk ratio. In his three combined season at Mercer, Gipson has struck out 26.3% of opposing batters while only walking 5.9%.

    https://twitter.com/cdcole55/status/882098710431371265

    7th Round: 209th Overall - Anthony Prato | UConn | Pos: SS

    Believe it or not, the Twins just took another college shortstop, making Anthony Prato number three on the day. Prato could very well be the best pure hitter and best athlete of the group, though he has the least amount of power potential.

    Prato is one of those players that knows his strengths, and tries to emphasize them on the baseball field. He is an on-base machine, having hit above .300 in all three years at UConn, with a career OBP of .401, including .441 this year. Prato also can do damage once he is on the base paths, stealing 47 bases in 178 career college games.

    8th Round: 239th Overall - Casey Legumina | Gonzaga | Pos: RHP

    Casey Legumina only made four starts in 2019 before getting shut down with a forearm strain. In those four starts Legumina was pretty sharp, striking out 29 batters and walking eight in 24 innings. Legumina was solid out of the Bulldogs pen in 2018, with an ERA of 2.77 and a strikeout to walk ratio of 52 to 7 over 48 and 2/3 innings.

    Legumina has a strong fastball that he can pump up into the mid 90’s with a decent amount of arm side run. He also features a sharp breaking ball that can be an effective swing and miss pitch.

    9th Round: 269th Overall - Brent Headrick | Illinois State | Pos: LHP

    Brent Headrick was the Friday night ace of an Illinois State team that won the Missouri Valley Conference Championship this year, and fell a game shy of advancing to the Super Regionals this upcoming weekend.

    Headrick was a three year starter for the Redbirds, but 2019 was easily his best of the three. In 96 innings pitched, across 16 starts, Headrick had a 3.47 ERA with a 115 to 31 strikeout to walk ratio. It should be noted that in three starts against NCAA tournament teams (Vanderbilt, Creighton & Indiana) Headrick gave up 21 runs (14 earned) in 14 and 1/3 innings pitched.

    https://twitter.com/Redbird_Pro/status/1130882053363458054

    10th Round: 299th Overall - Ben Gross | Duke | Pos: RHP

    Ben Gross completes a perfect 8 for 8 day for college players selected by the Twins. Gross played his first three seasons of college baseball at Princeton, before becoming a grad transfer to Duke for 2019.

    Gross was a starter for the Princeton Tigers for two seasons, where he had a respectable 4.35 ERA while striking out just shy of a batter per inning. In his lone year at Duke Gross was inconsistent starting in the ACC, but managed to put together a 4.09 ERA while again striking out nearly a batter per inning.

    MORE FROM TWINS DAILY
    — Latest Twins coverage from our writers
    — Recent Twins discussion in our forums
    — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email
    — Become a Twins Daily Caretaker

     Share


    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments



    Featured Comments

    Do not know how our draft will turn out.  some make it most don't.  Expect some of our middle infield depth will soon be waring different uniforms in exchange for pitching help.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Draft bats, draft bats, and then draft more bats. Trade your excess bats for proven pitching. I love this strategy 

     

    I like that in theory, and at a broad view I'm sure it works out sometimes. But don't trades for impact MLB-level pitching very often include at least one significant pitching prospect in return?

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I like that in theory, and at a broad view I'm sure it works out sometimes. But don't trades for impact MLB-level pitching very often include at least one significant pitching prospect in return?

    Not always. Power is a pretty sought after commodity

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I like that in theory, and at a broad view I'm sure it works out sometimes. But don't trades for impact MLB-level pitching very often include at least one significant pitching prospect in return?

    Plus you have to be willing to part with Great prospects under this plan. We'll see if that is the plan soon.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    If you have ever wanted to review the entire Twins draft from a given year, you can find the information at Baseball Reference.  The link below is an example and shows a stunningly weak 2011 draft for the Twins:

     

    https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?team_ID=MIN&year_ID=2011&draft_type=junreg&query_type=franch_year&from_type_jc=0&from_type_hs=0&from_type_4y=0&from_type_unk=0

     

    I seem to recall a site that gave similar information but stated whether or not each player signed during that particular year.  Anyone else remember seeing anything like that?

     

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

     

    If you have ever wanted to review the entire Twins draft from a given year, you can find the information at Baseball Reference.  The link below is an example and shows a stunningly weak 2011 draft for the Twins:

     

    https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?team_ID=MIN&year_ID=2011&draft_type=junreg&query_type=franch_year&from_type_jc=0&from_type_hs=0&from_type_4y=0&from_type_unk=0

     

    I seem to recall a site that gave similar information but stated whether or not each player signed during that particular year.  Anyone else remember seeing anything like that?

     

    cool, but cruel to put the link on that draft....

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

     

    But wouldn't having a great hit tool qualify as athleticism?  It might not be the traditional "measurables" gospel, but as I posted above I'm very happy with the new direction of the Twins org.  To get to my point; it seems analytics have started to redefine the definition of athleticism.

     

    Sure it can if you want to view it that way.  I was simply responding to the poster who said who cares if a player has a good swing? It can simply be taught.  Yet it is not that simple.  Having that skill going in typically translates well to MLB success that is why those players are chosen first in the draft.  it doesn't mean they will be successful just that they have a better chance.  To the posters point some players do learn and develop that skill but I feel the odds are much steeper for that happening than he does.

     

    For the most part I am very happy with what the FO has done.  I have been wrong about several picks they have made and I am pleased with the quality of hitters they found deep in the draft.  Now if they could do the same with pitchers I will be even more happy.

     

    Don't get me wrong as I believe in development but you take on risk when you pick players that can just run fast or throw hard or have good power.  They can have those abilities but if they can't hit they are a wasted pick because they will never make it.  The upside is huge though because if you can develop their hit tool then you might have an All Star caliber player.  IMO you need to balance yourself between the two.  At least at the beginning of this draft I felt they were ignoring hit tools which is something they hadn't done in previous drafts.

     

    Granted it is hard for me to know much as I am not a scout and only have second hand information to guide me.  MLB.com had Jeffers with 40 or 45 hit tool and they are way off.  He easily has a 50 hit tool and with development could maybe even get to a 55.  I think the FO has I plan I just don't always get it.

    Edited by Dman
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    If you have ever wanted to review the entire Twins draft from a given year, you can find the information at Baseball Reference.  The link below is an example and shows a stunningly weak 2011 draft for the Twins:

     

    https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?team_ID=MIN&year_ID=2011&draft_type=junreg&query_type=franch_year&from_type_jc=0&from_type_hs=0&from_type_4y=0&from_type_unk=0

     

    I seem to recall a site that gave similar information but stated whether or not each player signed during that particular year.  Anyone else remember seeing anything like that?

     

    I remember being fairly positive about that draft too, I thought Michael was for sure a solid pick and Boyd and Harrison looked like they could develop into top of the line starters. Who knew we wouldn't get anything out of that draft at all

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Dang, Gross has a degree from Princeton (in 3 years!!!!) And presumably some masters work at Duke. Are we sure we can really get him to sign for a normal senior price? Seems like he would have a lot of opportunities ahead of him

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

     

    If you have ever wanted to review the entire Twins draft from a given year, you can find the information at Baseball Reference.  The link below is an example and shows a stunningly weak 2011 draft for the Twins:

     

    https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?team_ID=MIN&year_ID=2011&draft_type=junreg&query_type=franch_year&from_type_jc=0&from_type_hs=0&from_type_4y=0&from_type_unk=0

     

    I seem to recall a site that gave similar information but stated whether or not each player signed during that particular year.  Anyone else remember seeing anything like that?

    You think that was bad, check out 2007! https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?team_ID=MIN&year_ID=2007&draft_type=junreg&query_type=franch_year

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I like the strategy of going after high-upside hitters and then then going after pitching later (and in international/free agent situations).

     

    Hitting is a little more projectable, and there are fewer players out there with real high-end hit tools and command of the strike zone. There dare usually indications that a hitter is going to beak out. Things are more readily measured and applied.

     

    Pitching is harder to project. Guys add/subtract velocity for various reasons. Catastrophic injury is more likely (blown elbows are common these days). Development of pitches is unknowable (how do you know if a guy has a feel for throwing a change-up if he’s never thrown one before? Guys have developed knuckleballs and won the Cy Young, Martin Perez’s cutter out of nowhere, Johan Santana’s change, etc.).

     

    Bottom line, I think you can grab guys that throw hard outside of the early rounds and develop them (we’re seeing it in the Twins system with Balazovic). I think you’re much more likely to find a guy like that these days (technology, advanced stats, etc) than finding an elite hitter in some obscure place.

     

    Could be way off, just a feeling.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

     

    If you have ever wanted to review the entire Twins draft from a given year, you can find the information at Baseball Reference.  The link below is an example and shows a stunningly weak 2011 draft for the Twins:

     

    https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?team_ID=MIN&year_ID=2011&draft_type=junreg&query_type=franch_year&from_type_jc=0&from_type_hs=0&from_type_4y=0&from_type_unk=0

     

    I seem to recall a site that gave similar information but stated whether or not each player signed during that particular year.  Anyone else remember seeing anything like that?

     

    Ummm, there's a column to the left of the draftees name with a Y/N for whether they signed with the drafting team.

    Baseball America used to have a tracker like this that listed how much they signed for.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites




    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

    Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...