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There’s always plenty of interest in draft-eligible local players and this year is no different, with a couple of possibilities hoping to hear their names called on the first day. Today we’ll look at eight prospects with local ties.Logan Shore (RHP, Florida) - The Twins drafted Shore out of Coon Rapids High School in the 29th round of the 2013 draft. He didn’t sign and has starred at Florida now for three seasons. Shore lacks projectability - he is what he is - but features what might be the best change-up in the draft. He’s not overpowering; his fastball sits in the low-90s. He fits the profile of what the Twins used to draft perfectly. Recently, though, the Twins have focused more on power arms and Shore seems likely to come off of the board between the the club’s first and second picks. Ryan Boldt (OF, Nebraska) - Boldt entered his senior season in 2013 looking like a possible Top 10 pick. He injured his knee, missed the season and dropped to the 22nd round. The Red Sox drafted him and made a late push to sign him, but he ultimately went to Nebraska. Boldt tore it up as a freshman and scouts drooled over what he could become. But part of that projection was the anticipation that Boldt would develop power. He hasn’t. Despite that, Boldt is still likely to be drafted in the second or third round. Nick Hanson (RHP, Prior Lake HS; Savage MN) - A Kentucky commit, Hanson is a late-bloomer. He started throwing over 90 mph in the last year and also features a power-curve that is among the best any prep offers. Hanson is young - he’s still 17 - and the Twins have to have the most thorough scouting report since he hasn’t been doing too much pitching on the national circuit and he’s right in their backyard. Hanson should go on Day 1 and given the Twins multiple picks later in the day, there’s a decent chance the Twins could pop him. Austin Athmann (C, Minnesota) - Athmann has battled injury issues but has managed to stay healthy last summer through this season and he’s done some serious damage with his bat. The junior backstop will lead the Gophers into the regionals batting .367/.438/.622 with 11 home runs. Athmann could hear his name called on the second day of the draft. Zach Muckenhirn (LHP, North Dakota; Delano, MN prep) - Muckenhirn is in a unique position. A potential Day Two pick, Muckenhirn could leave the disbanded UND program and join any team he wants next season without sitting out. Muckenhirn started off the season with a bang but slowed as the season progressed, which may suggest that his smallish frame is built better for a bullpen role, where his low-90s fastball could see a jump as well. Dalton Sawyer (LHP, Minnesota) - The Twins drafted Sawyer in the 27th round last year, but couldn’t agree on a bonus. This year, Sawyer will find himself drafted much higher and get a bonus for much less than the Twins offered last year… because he’s a senior. The big lefty who throws a low-to-mid-90s fastball could find himself drafted in the Top 10 rounds as teams look to get creative with their draft pools. Alex Call (OF, Ball State; River Falls, WI prep) - Call played his prep ball about 40 miles from Target Field before heading to Ball State where he was named MAC Player of the Year this season. Call does a little bit of everything from hitting dingers (13) to stealing bases (17). Call is a similar prospect to current Twin farmhand Max Murphy. Spencer Van Scoyoc (LHP/OF, Thomas Jefferson HS, Cedar Rapids, IA) - Not as local as the rest, but Van Scoyoc plays baseball just a few hours away in the same city as a lot of Twins prospects - where we have a lot of readers. Van Scoyoc is committed to Arizona State and is all about projection. Skinny and 6-4, Van Scoyoc throws in the high-80s but has more in the tank. He throws a good curveball for his current stage of development. He also offers a powerful left-handed swing. The likelihood is that MLB teams recognize Van Scoyoc needs the development of college ball, but he’ll make an interesting prospect to follow three years from now. We’ll start profiling some players that might hear their named called at #15 tomorrow. Click here to view the article

The draft kicks off exactly four months from today, so what better time to start a draft blog series? Don’t even really think of this as a starting point though, few players even have seen their season get underway; consider this more of an appetizer. People love to talk about the draft and speculate about who might be available when the Twins come to the podium. Today, we’ll look at four players with ties to the Twins franchise.Logan Shore, RHP, Florida Drafted by the Twins out of Coon Rapids (MN) in the 29th round in 2013, Shore chose to head to Florida and immediately become their Friday night starter. In his 208 innings as a collegian, the 6-2, 210-lb right-hander has struck out 152 and allowed only 183 hits and 44 walks. Not bad considering he was stepping into the most competitive league in the NCAA. Stats aside, Shore left the state of Minnesota as it’s second-best prep prospect (behind someone we’ll talk about later) and now has a MLB-ready fastball that sits in the low-90s and an above-average chang-up that scouts rave about. He’s still working on his breaking ball, but there is belief that if he can tighten it up, it will be - at a minimum - a MLB-average slider. Seeing Shore’s name included on this list should be no surprise. Doogie Wolfson has been talking about the connection for quite some time and points out it should be no surprise that - if available - Shore is drafted by the Twins at #16. Ryan Boldt, OF, Nebraska Boldt was considered the top prep prospect in the state of Minnesota entering his senior year at Red Wing. After a knee injury eliminated all but one game of his senior year, he saw his first-round stock fall and was eventually drafted in the 22nd round by the Red Sox but also passed on signing and is currently entering his junior season with the Cornhuskers. Solidly built at 6-2, 220, Boldt shares many physical characteristics with Mike Trout. This isn’t to say that Boldt will ever be anywhere near as good as present-day Mike Trout - he won’t - but the player the Angels thought they were drafting when they drafted Trout is similar to the player that the team that drafts Boldt is getting - a very good athlete, a solid hitter, a player with the potential to hit for a little bit of power and steal some bases while playing a capable outfield. Trout far exceeded those expectations (obviously). (Note: Please understand this isn’t a Boldt/Trout comparison. Physically, there is a resemblance. Trout was not an uberprospect entering the draft. In fact, out of high school, Boldt was probably the more highly-regarded prospect. But guys get better and, sometimes, they become the all-time greats.) Another popular comparison you’ll see is to Boldt’s current coach, Darin Erstad, a two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glover with the Angels. Zack Burdi, RHRP, Louisville The connection here is obviously current farmhand Nick Burdi, twice drafted by the Twins and the older brother of Zack. The youngest Burdi is also blessed with a powerful right arm, though he hasn’t lit the up radar gun quite as much as his older brother; think more mid-90s than high-90s. Filling the closer role that his brother vacated, Burdi saved nine games in 2015 for Louisville, striking out 30 in 29 ⅓ innings. He allowed only 16 hits and eight walks. Interestingly, he made only 20 appearances, so he wasn’t strictly used as a one-inning closer. While Nick employs a more violent delivery, some scouts believe that Zack could be given a chance to start. The youngest Burdi has a lot of work to do in that regard, as both his off-speed and breaking offerings are far from ready. Chad Hockin, RHRP, Cal-St. Fullerton What’s the connection here? None other than Chad’s mother, Erin, daughter of the late, great Harmon Killebrew. The bloodlines have left an impact, though, as Hockin lists the Twins as his favorite team and Target Field as his favorite stadium on his player bio. Hockin is a two-pitch reliever for Fullerton currently, hittable in his 18 appearances (21 hits in 18 ⅓ innings). But he showed signs of life with an uptick in his fastball in his appearance in the Cape Cod League. The Twins have always seemed to value time in the wood-bat league and in 13 innings, Hockin struck out 19 and allowed only eight hits and five walks. If he can build on that success, Hockin could be a Day One pick. --- That’s four players with Twins ties - but no in-state players - the team could be considering when the draft rolls around in June. Who are you interested in? Click here to view the article

Over the past couple weeks here at Twins Daily, we have been profiling a player each day who may be available when the Minnesota Twins make their first round draft selection on Thursday night, the fourth overall pick. Today, we are going to do something a little bit different. This is a Minnesota Twins blog, but it’s also important to recognize and support some local players who are likely to hear their names called in the early rounds of the MLB Draft. Today, we’ll briefly discuss three college players and three high school players with Minnesota ties. It’s always fun to keep track of local players as they begin their professional careers. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The Gophers Two players on the Minnesota Gophers roster have a chance of being drafted early in the draft. TOM WINDLE Windle is a 6-4, 215 pound left-hander who went 6-4 with a 2.14 ERA for the Gophers this season. He came to the University from Osseo High School where he was runner-up in the Minnesota Mr. Baseball voting. He was the 2010 Metro Player of the Year. He was drafted in the 28th round of the 2010 draft. He worked 41. 1 innings as a freshman and 41. Innings as a sophomore. He played in the Cape Cod League last summer and made a name for himself. The southpaw has good command of a fastball that generally sits between 88 and 92 mph. He has a very good changeup in the low 80s. He also has a good slider. He profiles as a likely back-of-the-rotation starter. Early in the year, he was believed to be a potential first round pick. Now, it looks like he could sneak into the second round. DJ SNELTEN Snelten is from Illinois, but he came to the University of Minnesota despite being drafted in the 30th round by the Padres. He is listed at 6-7 and 230 pounds and throws left-handed, so there is plenty of projection in him. He has been clocked as high as 95 mph with his fastball, and some rave about a very good changeup. He has also been working to add a slider. He went 5-2 with a 2.15 ERA in in 58.2 innings this year. As a sophomore, he went 4-4 with a 3.24 ERA. Snelton just turned 21 years old. He could be taken as early as the third round. PREP STARS There are lots of high school baseball players who have Division I scholarships, but three of them appear to stand out as potential early-round selections. RYAN BOLDT The 6-1, 185 pound 18-year old oufielder from Red Wing certainly has had an interesting run the last year or so. Last summer, he played for Team USA in the Junior AAA/18 U World Championships in South Korea. He was also named the MVP of the Perfect Game All-American Game when he went 2-3 with a triple. His name grew among scouts last summer as a potential five-tool player. He is a tremendous athlete with great speed. He has run a 6.5 60 and most believe that he has the range and instincts to remain a center fielder. He also has a very strong arm, which is an incredible story. When he was ten, he hurt his left arm, his throwing arm. He had two surgeries on his left arm and was told he probably shouldn’t play baseball. That wasn’t an option, so he tought himself to throw right-handed. He’s had two more surgeries on his left arm in recent years, but his right arm is now a tool that has made scouts believe that he can play center, or even right field. He can hit for average and has good on-base skills. The one tool that remains in question is power, but he certainly has the frame to add this to his arsenal. He committed to the University of Nebraska and was looking forward to a big senior season for Red Wing High School. Unfortunately, in the first game this spring, he tore a meniscus, requiring surgery, so he has not played this spring. Scouts will have to determine his draft status based primarily on 2012. There was talk that he could be a mid-1st round pick, but it is now more likely that he would be available when the Twins pick in the 2nd round. MAX KNUTSON Knutson is a left-handed pitcher from Mounds View who also has committed to play for Darin Erstad at the University of Nebraska. The 6-2, 190 pound pitcher/outfielder touches 92 on his fastball. As you would imagine, his secondary pitches will need plenty of development. He has also played defense on the hockey team. He is another great athlete who can hit and play the outfield quite well. He has great speed and the size to develop some power. However, if he is drafted (believed to be possible in the 4th to 8th rounds), it will be as a pitcher. LOGAN SHORE At 6-2 and 205 pounds, Logan Shore’s name has been known for several years. After posting a 0.80 ERA during his junior year, the right-hander from Coon Rapids committed to play his college ball at the University of Florida. Shore throws hard, hitting 92-93 with his fastball. He is said to have a good curveball and a developing, but encouraging, changeup. He is also a shortstop and very good hitter. There is a chance he could go as early as the supplemental first round, though he could land in the 2nd or third rounds too. ONE MORE CHRIS ANDERSON Chris Anderson was Mr. Baseball in Minnesota in 2010 (edging out Windle in the voting) when he played for Centennial High School. He was the 35th round pick of the Cubs that year, but he went on to Jacksonville University where he had teamed with current Twins' minor leaguers Matt Tomshaw and Adam Walker. Still just 20 years old, Anderson came into the season as a potential early-round pick after flashing a 96 mph fastball and a very good slider in the Cape Cod League last summer. Early in the season, he was dominant and his name surfaced as a top ten pick. He went 6-5 with a 3.05 ERA this year. In 85.2 innings, he walked 24 and struck out 85. However, throughout the season, he was quite inconsistent. He could go as early as the mid-first round, though it is also possible (not likely) that he will still be available when the Twins make their second selection. OTHERS There are several other area players who will likely get drafted. Along with Boldt and Knutson, Erstad also has Forest Lake catcher Beau Fandel and Totino Grace infielder Matt Leuty going to Nebraska. St. Paul Academy’s Matt Fiedler is a right-handed pitcher who has committed to stay in-state and play for the Gophers. There are other college players in the region who have made a name for themselves and will likely be selected in the later rounds. One regional name to watch is Layne Somsen, a right-handed pitcher from Yankton, South Dakota, who was the Summit League Pitcher of the Year this year. He led the Jackrabbits to their first NCAA Regional. In their first game against #1 seed Oregon, Somsen held the Ducks to just two hits over seven innings. He is considered a mid-round (15-20th rounds) pick, though that kind of performance with that kind of exposure may move him up a few rounds. It’s always fun seeing who the Twins first pick will be, but it's also fun to get to know and start to follow some of the local players as well. Check out the other Twins Daily MLB Draft Player Profiles or follow the latest national mock drafts in our forum. Be sure to listen to a short, Twins draft preview podcast as well. Monday, May 20-- Sean Manaea, SP Tuesday, May 21-- Austin Meadows, OF Wednesday, May 22-- Trey Ball, OF Thursday, May 23-- Ryan Stanek, RHP Friday, May 24-- Clint Frazier, OF Tuesday, May 28-- Reese McGuire, C Wednesday, May 29—Braden Shipley, RHP Thursday, May 30 -- Kohl Stewart, RHP Friday, May 31 – Kris Bryant, 3B/1B For MLB Draft Day Coverage, make sure you follow @TwinsDaily on Twitter! View full article

On Saturday, MLB held its third day of the draft. It covered rounds 11 through 40 and lasted over six hours to complete. However, at the end of the day, the Minnesota Twins had made 40 picks this year. Day 3 was filled with a pitching-led theme again. The Twins drafted a bunch of power arms, looking to accumulate pitchers with velocity that they can work with on command and control. They took a couple of high-potential pitchers in Florida prep Taylor Blatch and Logan Shore [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]although both are likely to go to college instead of signing. The Twins also accumulated plenty of talent to help fill their GCL and Elizabethton rosters. Below, you will find each of the Twins draft picks, and on many of them, Twins Daily's draft expert Jeremy Nygaard added some brief comments. It's taken two days to get through ten rounds of the MLB Draft. On Saturday, a conference call of 30 teams, each making 30 picks, will complete the 2013 draft. It'll be rapid fire throughout the day. As soon as one team makes a selection, the next will get about 5 seconds to make their pick. It's actually quite something to listen to. As Twins picks are made, we will continue to update the Twins selections below. Please comment throughout the day with your thoughts. The Twins have made ten picks through the first ten rounds. They have chosen six pitchers (4 college, 2 high school), three catchers (2 college, 1 high school) and a college third baseman. What will they do with their final 30 picks? Well, we can be assured that they will continue to find more pitching, but will they be able to find any hidden gems in the late rounds? Of course, only time will tell. Day 3 40th Round (1190) - Kelly Starnes - OF - Los Medanos College (CA) 39th Round (1160) - Seth Wagner - LHP - Mifflin County HS (PA) 38th Round (1130) - Javier Salas - RHP - U of Miami 37th Round (1100) - Julien Service - OF - Northeast Texas CC 36th Round (1070) - Joe Greenfield - RHP - Eastern Illinois U 35th Round (1040) - Nick Lemoncelli - LHP - Lower Columbia College (WA) 34th Round (1010) - Ivory Thomas - CF - Cal St. Dominguez Hills 33rd Round (980) - Stephen Stensley - OF - University HS (Louisiana) 32nd Round (950) - Carlos Avila - SS - Cal St. Dominguez Hills 31st Round (920) - AJ Bogucki - RHP - Boyertown HS (PA) 30th Round (890) - Tanner Vavra - 2B - Valporaiso (3B Coach Joe's son) 29th Round (860) - Logan Shore - RHP - Coon Rapids HS (MN) 28th Round (830) - Chris Erwin - LHP - Grayson HS (GA) 27th Round (800) - Tyler Blatch - RHP - Jensen Beach HS (FL) Blatch, who doesn't even check in at six feet, is going to tough to sign with his 95 mph fastball and two solid off-speed offerings. 26th Round (770) - Ryan Halstead - P - Indiana 25th Round (740) - Chad Christianson - OF - Nebraska Christianson started at SS for two years before moving to the outfield for his last two years. Showed more strength as a junior than he did as a senior. 24th Round (710) - Brandon Easton - LHP - Lakeland CC Easton is also a high-K pitcher (78 in 59.2 IP) and big (6-6). Easton was the OCCAC Pitcher of the Year. (Easton is in MLB's database as a 1B, but he's a pitcher.) 23rd Round (680) - Zach Hayden - RHP - South Carolina - Aiken Hayden struck out 41 in 21 innings for the Pacers this year. He also walked 23. 22nd Round (650) - Alex Swim - C - Elon University Swim is a senior who stole 15-of-18 bases and started all 64 games. 21st Round (620) - Tyler Stirewalt - RHP - Fresno State Stirewalt is a project. He walked-on the Fresno State football team for three years before switching over to baseball in 2012. Obviously athletic, Stirewalt can hit 94. 20th Round (590) - Jason Kanzler - CF - Buffalo Fifth-year senior, batting .330 with some power (12 HRs) and speed (21 SBs). 19th Round (560) - Jared Wilson - RHP - UC Santa Barbara A fifth-year senior with big arm strength and a lack of control. Good fastball and curve, but any success will depend on figuring out how to make it goes where he wants it to. 18th Round (530) - Ryan Walker - SS - Texas-Arlington Walker will be a solid shortstop for the E-town Twins, batted .304 in 58 games for the Mavericks. 17th Round (500) - Tanner Mendonca - RHP - Sacremento State Good body with a fastball up to 94 and a decent breaking ball. 16th Round (470) - Brandon Bixler - LHP - Florida Gulf Coast Bixler offers two pretty significant pieces: first, his ability to miss bats - a good fastball with two solid secondary pitches (curveball and change-up). Secondly, he doesn't always throw it in - or near - the strike zone. Bixler is also about 5-10, 160. 15th Round (440) - Derrick Penilla - LHP - Mt San Antonio College Not a lot of info out there on Penilla, a lefty. Started for MSAC and averaged over a strikeout per inning. 14th Round (410) - Zack Granite - CF - Seton Hall Three-year starter and leadoff centerfielder for the Pirates. Granite is small, but gets on base and has good speed. 13th Round (380) - Brandon Peterson - PHP - Wichita State Stop me if you've heard this: A college reliever who should get a shot to start in pro ball. Features a low-90s fastball and a slider. Was successful as Wichita State's closer with a ceiling as a set-up man if the starter thing doesn't work. 12th Round (350) - Ethan Mildren - RHP - Pittsburgh A tall, groundball pitcher who throws four pitches, including a low-90s fastball. 11th Round (320) – Nelson Molina - SS - Puerto Rico HS 6-3, 170, skinny and weak but very projectable. A scout's dream that could stick at shortstop with soft hands, quick release, but lacks the cannon arm. Day 2 10th Round (290) - C.K. Irby - RHP - Samford University 9th Round (260) - Mitchell Garver - C - U of New Mexico 8th Round (230) - Dustin DeMuth - 3B - U of Indiana 7th Round (200) - Brian Gilbert - RHP - Seton Hall University 6th Round (170) - Brian Navarretto - C - Florida (High School) 5th Round (140) - Aaron Slegers - RHP - U of Indiana 4th Round (110) - Stephen Gonsalves - LHP - California (High School) 3rd Round (78) - Stuart Turner - C - U. of Mississippi Day 1 2nd Round (43) - Ryan Eades - RHP - LSU (College) 1st Round (4) - Kohl Stewart - RHP - Texas (High School) View full article