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Today’s board will attempt to synthesize many of the things I have heard, in addition to the things you’ve read or perhaps seen. Again, without having a consensus on many players, this task is much more difficult than it’s ever been.
One quick example: There is a player that will probably go in the Top 10 that the Twins have scouted numerous times. There are some in the organization that likely believe he is a Top 5 talent - and worthy of the #6 pick - while others have seen him and not been impressed at all. While that’s not uncommon, the volume of players that fall into that category - or one similar to it - is.
Another example: In comparing the most recent mocks from Baseball America, FanGraphs, Perfect Game and MLB Pipeline, all four have the same three players going in the top 3. None (!) have them in the same order. There are only six possible ways to order the same three players and they have four of them. That’s literally unbelievable.
Piling onto that is this: None have the same player going to the Rangers. Of the 12 players in the #4-#6 spots (3 players, four drafts), there are six different players.
Five of those six players (minus Carson Fulmer) are the ones we’re going to focus on today.
Despite the Diamondbacks and Astros - who draft twice - being wild cards, we’re going to assume that the trio of Brendan Rodgers, Dansby Swanson and Dillon Tate go off the board in the Top 5 picks. How the Twins order them is moot. If one drops, take him. Pay him.
So we’ll start at #4.
4) Alex Bregman, SS, LSU. I’ve long been a fan of Bregman, but, like many of you, have questioned how he would fit in the Twins plans, both short- and long-term. I’ve recently come to this realization: Who cares? Here’s what Bregman is: Arguably the best shortstop to ever come from arguably the best baseball program in the nation. A future .300 hitter. A guy that can hit 12-15 home runs. Someone that can steal 25 bases and has an approach that is nearly twice as likely to walk than strikeout. (So, essentially, a better-hitting version of Brian Dozier.)
The biggest question remains if he can stick at shortstop. And it’s valid. But if he doesn’t, he becomes an above-average second baseman. Yeah, but what about Polanco? And Santana? And Dozier? Well, I’m not even worried about it. Bregman just becomes another asset in a stable full of them.
If you’re not into that - and into crazy thoughts - Bregman is a former catcher. It would be quite a risk to make the move with such a high pick, but if the Twins wanted to go all Tyler Grimes-ish on the situation, there is your future backstop.
The dreamiest part of this scenario is that Bregman is drafted, signed and assigned immediately to Chattanooga where he and Polanco take turns playing second and shortstop, and continue holding down the middle infield together for the next ten years.
5) Kyle Tucker, OF, Plant HS (Tampa, FL). I’ve just recently started coming around on Tucker and I’m to the point where I like him more than any other prep player besides Rodgers. Tucker is a future left-fielder with a lot of pop in his bat and a picturesque swing. His brother recently made his MLB debut with less athleticism and less-sure tools.
There’s always skepticism around taking more outfielders when the stable appears full. The stable is never full! On a regular trajectory, Tucker (or any high school outfielder) should be nearing MLB-readiness as Arcia reaches free agency and/or Rosario reaches arbitration time. That’s projecting far into the future, but so is saying, “The Twins don’t need another outfielder.”
6) Jon Harris, RHP, Missouri State. Harris has a ton of spring helium and that’s a fantastic thing for draft hopefuls. Harris has a similar body type to Kyle Gibson and profiles similarly to the pre-original-injury Gibson, though with a different repertoire. Harris features a low-to-mid 90s fastball, an excellent 12-6 hammer curve (one of the best in the draft) as well as a slider and a changeup. His command is also excellent, making him - in draft terms - a mix of Gibson’s and Wimmers’s ceilings, if that makes any sense.
The nice thing about adding a somewhat-advanced college arm to the current mix is that Harris would join the wave that already includes pitches like Chih-Wei Hu, Kohl Stewart and Lewis Thorpe, among others.
7) Daz Cameron, OF, Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, GA). Cameron has been on the scouting radar for the last four years, which, in this case, has probably hurt Cameron. It’s given scouts hundreds of opportunities to find holes in his game. Where Tucker rated high for his offensive game and has serviceable tools elsewhere, Cameron has superb defensive skills, smarts and speed, but questions about his hit tool haven’t been answered. One way to combat that (in your mind anyway), is to remember that Daz’s dad Mike was one of the most underrated center fielders of recent times.
Pairing Tom Gordon’s kid with Mike Cameron’s kid would be all sorts of #bloodlines awesome, considering the two dads combined to play for 14 different teams (both played for the White Sox and Red Sox) and for 38 seasons but never managed to play together.
8) Kyle Funkhouser, RHP, Louisville. The Twins have been connected to Funkhouser plenty and obviously were able to get extra looks at him when they continued to follow Nick Burdi through the College World Series last year. Unlike Harris, however, Funkhouser is going the opposite direction. He had an OK - but not great - start last night. And despite his two-plus years of success, he’s been less than his best this season. Could it be that the pressure of the draft process is getting to him? It’s possible.
At his best, Funkhouser is a powerful high-90s fastball/low-80s slider pitcher, and that helps elevate the ceiling. But his command has never been great and that might be enough to make a team nervous. Cutting a deal with Funkhouser also isn’t in the cards, as he is represented by Scott Boras.
Two names that are notably omitted from this list are Brady Aiken and Kolby Allard. The Twins should have interest in both, but the medical question marks should *currently* keep them off of their board.
Aiken's medicals will be made available before the draft. If the Twins feel comfortable with what they see, he should definitely be in the mix.
Allard has just begun working out again. If he can get back on the mound, he'll also be in the mix at #6.
Feel free to leave questions/comments below. I’ll have a mock draft (length yet to be determined) to consume next Friday.
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