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The Twins walked away with two new faces to add to their prospect ranks (assuming both sign) in high school right-handed pitcher Chase Petty and high school shortstop Noah Miller. Be sure to click on the links on their names to learn more about each of those two selections.
Day two of the draft is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. CT and will feature rounds 2 through 10, along with Competitive Balance Round B, which will take place between rounds 2 and 3.
Here is a list of each of the Twins 9 picks that the Twins will have on Day two. Be sure to refresh throughout the day, as this page will be updated as the Twins make their selections.
Round 2 | 61st Overall| | Slot Value: $1,129,700
Pick: Steven Hajjar, LHP, Michigan
Steven Hajjar is a redshirt sophomore for the University of Michigan who was named First Team All Big Ten in 2021 behind a 3.09 ERA over 14 starts. You can read more about Steven Hajjar here.
Round 3 | 98th Overall | Slot Value: $593,100
Pick: Cade Povich, LHP, Nebraska
Like Steven Hajjar, Cade Povich is also a left-handed starting pitcher who was named First Team All Big Ten in 2021. After struggeling in 4 starts in 2020, Povich put together a strong 2021 season as he posted a 3.11 ERA in 81 innings pitched with 88 strikeouts and 22 walks.
Cade Povich will typically sit in the upper-80s with his fastball, but he can creep into the low-90s at times. Povich also features a curveball and changeup in his pitching repertoire.
Round 4 | 128th Overall | Slot Value: $442,900
Pick: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 3B, Oklahoma State
Christian Encarnacion-Strand began his college career at Yavapai College, which is a JUCO located in Prescott, Arizona. As a freshman, Encarnacion-Strand hit .402 with an OPS of 1.301 and hit 22 home runs in 56 games. As a result, he was named Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Player and was a First-Team All American. He followed that up in 2020 by hitting .430 with an OPS of 1.482 and 11 home runs in just 25 games before the season was cut short.
He then transfered to Oklahoma State for the 2021 season and he continued to rake, even against a higher level of competition. In 56 games this spring, Encarnacion-Strand had a slash line of .361/.442/.661 with 15 home runs and 4 stolen bases. While Encarnacion-Strand does not have the most range in the world, he does have the power bat and a strong arm that profile well for third base should he be able to stay at the hot corner long-term.
Round 5 | 159th Overall | Slot Value: $327,200
Pick: Christian Macleod, LHP, Mississippi State
After dominating in four starts last spring, there was some hype on Christian Macleod coming into the 2021 season. While it was a dream season for Macleod's Bulldog squad who won the National Championship, it was not exactly that for Macleod individually as he put up a 5.23 ERA in 82 and 2/3 innings pitched and he struggled in the College World Series.
While the ERA is not promising, the Twins front office has shown in the past that they don't overly care about ERA and rather look to strikeout and walk rates as a better predictor of future success, and that is an area with some encouraging signs for Macleod as he had 12.3 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 this season.
Macleod's ERA was inflated heavily late in the season, likely as a result of fatigue, as he had a much more impressive 3.14 ERA before he fell apart in his final 5 starts of the season. Pitcher fatigue late this season was to be expected from many college pitchers, as they did not have a chance to build up innings the season prior as a result of the pandemic. It would not be surprising to me if the Twins noticed this and took advantage of a falling prospect who could have easily been drafted a few rounds earlier.
Round 6 | 189th Overall | Slot Value: $253,300
Pick: Travis Adams, RHP, Sacramento State
Travis Adams is a junior pitcher from Sacramento State who posted a career 3.75 ERA with 130 strikeouts and just 25 walks in 151 innings pitched across three seasons. Adams split time as both a starter and a reliever as a freshman, but pitched exclusively out of the Hornets starting rotation during his sophomore and junior seasons.
On the mound, Adams features a low-to-mid 90s fastball to go along with a well regarded changeup and an okay breaking ball.
Round 7 | 219th Overall | Slot Value: $198,500
Pick: Jake Rucker, 2B/3B, Tennessee
Jake Rucker was an integral part of this season's Tennessee Volunteers team that made their first College World Series appearances since 2005, as he hit .330 to go along with 9 home runs and 7 stolen bases and was named First Team All-SEC as a third baseman. Rucker is a three-year starter at Tennessee and showed signs of improvement in each season, which leaves hope that there is still more room for improvement in his game.
Rucker had some consistency issues this spring, but aside from that he is a versatile defender that could find home at either second or third long-term. While Rucker won't flash any specific plus traits, he is a solid across the board player and could one day pave his way as a utility infielder at the MLB level.
Round 8 | 249th Overall | Slot Value: $164,700
Pick: Noah Cardenas, C, UCLA
UCLA catcher Noah Cardenas was a hot name coming into this spring after a strong freshman season to go along his performance in the California Collegiate League last summer. However, after a disappointing performance this spring for the Bruins he fell down draft boards. In three seasons at UCLA, Cardenas slashed .302/.407/.426 with 8 home runs and two stolen bases.
The defensive side of the ball is where Cardenas shows the most promise, as he has a plus arm and is a good defender behind the plate. With this pick, the Twins are likely betting on the upside that Cardenas has shown in the past to see if they can get that out of him once again.
Round 9 | 279th Overall | Slot Value: $150,500
Pick: Patrick Winkel, C, UConn
After a strong freshman campaign in 2019, Pat Winkel missed the 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He came back in 2021 and played well enough to earn Second Team All-Big East honors. For his career, Winkel had a slash line of .300/.359/.507 and hit 18 home runs in 102 games played for the Huskies.
Winkel is a quality defender behind the plate who both receives the ball and can control the running game. There were some concerns on how good his arm would be after coming back from Tommy John surgery, but he showed he can still throw the ball well as he nabbed 32.5% of would be base stealers this spring.
Round 10 | 309th Overall | Slot Value: $142,700
Pick: Ernie Yake, SS, Gonzaga
Ernie Yake is a four-year starter at the University of Gonzaga and hit above .300 in all four of his seasons there. For his career, Yake has a .320/.392/.419 slash line with 6 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 165 games. Yake was twice named to the All-WCC Second Team.
Twins Daily 5 Best Prospects Remaining Entering Day 2
21. Will Taylor, OF, Dutch Fork HS (SC)
22. Bubba Chandler, SS/RHP, North Oconee HS (GA)
23. Joshua Baez, OF, Dexter Southfield HS (MA)
24. Jaden Hill, RHP, LSU
25. Lonnie White, OF, Malvern Prep (PA)
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