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Major League Baseball held its first-ever Draft Lottery on Tuesday night. Were the Twins lucky enough to move into the top-six picks? Yes! Image courtesy of Twins Daily MLB’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) instituted a Draft Lottery like the NBA and NHL. Previously, the team with the worst record from the previous season was guaranteed the top overall pick. Now, the worst teams aren’t guaranteed a top-six pick, and the bottom three teams have the same odds of getting the top pick. The 18 teams that missed the postseason have a chance at the top overall pick. Minnesota entered the draft with the 13th-best odds of receiving the top pick (0.9%). There are also restrictions on how often a team can participate in the lottery. Teams that don’t receive revenue sharing (large-market teams) can not receive a lottery pick in consecutive drafts. Revenue-sharing recipients (small-market teams) are prohibited from being awarded a lottery pick in three consecutive years. Teams prohibited from a lottery pick can’t receive higher than the 10th overall pick. MLB Draft Lottery Results As expected, the 2023 MLB Draft order shifted because of the Draft Lottery. The Twins made the biggest jump of any team by moving from the 13th overall pick to fifth overall. For 2022, the first 18 picks will follow this order: 1. Pirates (Up 2) 2. Nationals (Down 1) 3. Tigers (Up 3) 4. Rangers (Up 3) 5. Twins (Up 8) 6. A's (Down 4) 7. Reds (Down 3) 8. Royals (Down 3) 9. Rockies (Down 1) 10. Marlins (Down 1) 11. Angels (Down 1) 12. D-Backs (Down 1) 13. Cubs (Down 1) 14. Red Sox 15. White Sox 16. Giants 17. Orioles 18. Brewers Competitive Balance Round Pick Earlier this week, MLB announced the Competitive Balance Draft picks to teams that fall in the bottom 10 in revenue or market size. Competitive Balance Round A takes place after the completion of the first round, and these picks are the only ones that clubs are allowed to trade. Minnesota can hang on to this top-40 pick, or it might be an intriguing piece to trade this winter. The Round A picks are as follows: 1. Mariners 2. Rays 3. Brewers 4. Twins 5. Marlins 6. Tigers 7. Reds 8. A’s Minnesota’s Recent First-Round Picks In the 2022 MLB Draft, the Twins took Brooks Lee with the eighth overall pick, and he has shot up national top-100 lists because of his strong professional debut. During the 2021 MLB Draft, Minnesota had two picks in the top 36. Chase Petty was the team’s first pick (26th overall), and the Twins traded him to the Reds organization for Sonny Gray. Noah Miller was a Competitive Balance Round pick (36th overall) and posted a .627 OPS in 108 Low-A games last season. The 2020 MLB Draft was shortened due to the pandemic, and Minnesota selected college slugger Aaron Sabato with the 27th overall pick. He ended last year at Double-A and posted a .774 OPS for the 2022 season. In 2019, the Twins also had two first-round picks, with Keoni Cavaco selected 13th overall and Matt Wallner picked in the Competitive Balance Round. Wallner has entered the team’s long-term plans after a tremendous season in the upper minors. Cavaco will likely spend 2023 at Cedar Rapids as he continues to develop his swing. What thoughts do you have on the first-ever MLB Draft lottery? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

The Minnesota Twins spent the first ten rounds of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft focused on collegiate level talent. Then they grabbed catchers in rounds 11 and 12, before finally taking their first prep player in the 14th round. Omari Daniel is now committed to Minnesota, foregoing a scholarship with Oregon, and he’s ready to get his pro career underway. Omari Daniel is a Georgia native selected as a shortstop out of The Walker School. He has solid instincts and a smooth delivery across the diamond. Daniel is able to pump a fastball in the low-90’s, but can also generate a bit higher velocity when throwing from his position. He’s a taller kid at 6’2”, but will look to add muscle on his frame when getting into pro ball. He underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2021. The Twins had to feel confident they could reach a number that would get a deal done when taking Daniel in the 14th round, and after a week of consideration, Daniel feels good about signing on the dotted line. Before he heads to Fort Myers, I caught up with him for Twins Daily. Twins Daily: You were the Twins first high school selection this year. Obviously, prep stats are more difficult to track, but tell us about your game a little. What's your style and how do you settle in at the plate? Omari Daniel: People would say my play style is very electric, quick, and fast-paced. I like getting teammates involved in everything. Being a team player is big for me. From a hitting approach, I like to think about hitting the ball to the opposite field for a fastball, and for off-speed, think hitting the ball up the middle or pull side. TD: With so much draft excitement, you've certainly known this day could be on your radar for a while. What has the preparation for the draft looked like and what did it feel like to be selected? OD: Since having surgery, I have been doing my physical therapy three days a week. The focus has been on wanting to get back healthy and 100%. TD: Playing in Georgia, you've got to be familiar with a former Twins first-rounder from Baxley in Byron Buxton. What can you say about ballplayers from your state? OD: Georgia for sure has the best baseball athletes in the country. TD: Committing to Oregon you obviously set yourself up in a position to play at an elite program. What are you most excited about the next step in your journey now looking at turning pro? OD: I look forward to a learning experience from different coaches and teammates. Being more developed as a player would help me be a big leaguer. Being a Twin could teach me these things. Being in the Twins farm system could help me grow as a player and person. TD: What do you know about the Minnesota Twins? Have you ever been to Target Field before? OD: I have not been to the field. I know that the Twins have one of the best developmental farm systems there is. TD: If there's someone you want Twins Territory to know about you as a player or person, what is it? OD: I am ready to help this organization as a shortstop as best as I can. View full article

Two MLB teams lost 110 games last season, and four teams lost over 100 games. So, can changes to the MLB Draft help to stop tanking? No one is denying the Twins had a terrible 2021 campaign, but there was even less positivity surrounding teams from Baltimore, Arizona, Texas, and Pittsburgh. All four of those teams lost over 100 games, with none of them being competitive. All four will get top draft picks in each round of the 2022 MLB Draft, so is there a way to disincentivize this type of behavior from clubs? NBA Method Other professional leagues have tried to curtail tanking by implementing methods such as the lottery used in the NBA. With this method, the bottom three teams all have the same odds to earn the top pick, while all other non-playoff teams have at least a small shot at earning a top-three pick. Another thing to consider is the NBA's worst team rarely ends up with the top pick because of the lottery system. This method doesn't exactly get rid of tanking since the bottom teams are still given a better shot at the number one pick, but it is undoubtedly something MLB could consider. "Target Loss" Method Ryan Fagan of the Sporting News suggests MLB develop a "Target Loss" method to help decide the draft order, which includes a draft lottery. The "Target Loss" total would be generated from the average number of losses from the 20 non-playoff teams. Whichever teams finish closest to that total would have the highest odds to get the first overall pick. In this scenario, last year's non-playoff teams averaged 89.3 losses. Minnesota lost 89 games, so they would have the highest odds to get the first overall pick, with Kansas City, Chicago (NL), and Colorado rounding out the top-four. Baltimore and Arizona would draft 19th and 20th because this system punishes tanking, and it's hard to argue that they were trying to field a competitive team. NPB Method In Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league, every team starts by nominating a player. If only one team nominates a player, that organization gets that player's contract negotiating rights. In some instances, multiple teams will nominate a player, and then there is a random draw for who gets that player's contract negotiating rights. The teams that were not awarded a contested player get to draft again until every team has a player. It seems like there could be multiple players that end up teams fighting for their rights. Back in 2020, the NPB draft's first-round only saw two contested players with four teams making claims on each of the players. Even with the competition between teams, this method allows every organization to have a chance at any first-round pick. The teams with the worst record aren't guaranteed the best player in the draft, so there is less incentive to tank. Obviously, there are some flaws with all of these systems, but having more competitive teams is good for baseball. Minnesota has also benefited from drafting high with players like Joe Mauer, Byron Buxton, and Royce Lewis. However, both the “Target Loss” method and the NPB method would give the Twins improved chances at landing an even better player in next summer’s draft. Which method do you think would help stop tanking? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or emai View full article

After Covid shortened the Major League Baseball amateur draft to just five rounds last year, we’re back to more of a traditional length with a 20 round event in 2021. The Twins have two first round selections and will bolster their farm system with new names. As I have done in previous seasons, here’s a place you can track each of Minnesota’s selections in one place. The previous drafts can be found at the links below. This article will be updated throughout the draft. 2018 Class 2019 Class 2020 Class The picks: Round 1, Pick 26: Chase Petty, RHP Mainland Regional HS (@ChasePetty11) Comp A, Pick 36: Noah Miller, SS Ozaukee HS (@NoahMiller_21) Round 2, Pick 61: Steven Hajjar, LHP Michigan (@StevenHajjar) Round 3, Pick 99: Cade Povich, LHP Nebraska (@Cpo22) Round 4, Pick 128: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 3B Oklahoma State (@c_encarnacion13) Round 5, Pick 159: Christian MacLeod, LHP Mississippi State (@christian44mac) Round 6, Pick 189: Travis Adams, RHP Sacramento State (@yah_travis4sf) Round 7, Pick 219: Jake Rucker, 3B Tennessee (@jake_rucker) Round 8, Pick 249: Noah Cardenas, C UCLA (@Noah_cards55) Round 9, Pick 279: Patrick Winkel, C Connecticut (@patrick_winkel) Round 10, Pick 309: Ernie Yake, SS Gonzaga Round 11, Pick 339: Brandon Birdsell, RHP Texas Tech Round 12, Pick 369: Kyler Fedko, OF Connecticut (@KylerFedko4) Round 13, Pick 399: David Festa RHP Seton Hall (@DavidFesta13) Round 14, Pick 429: Pierson Ohl, RHP Grand Canyon University (@Pierson_Ohl) Round 15, Pick 459: Mikey Perez, SS UCLA Round 16, Pick 489: Jonathan Lavallee, RHP Long Beach State (@jonathanlaval5) Round 17, Pick 519: Dylan Neuse, 2B Texas Tech (@DNeuse_09) Round 18, Pick 549: Mike Paredes, RHP San Diego State (@swanky_p) Round 19, Pick 579: Jaylen Nowlin, LHP Chipola College (@NowlinJaylen) Round 20, Pick 609: Dillon Tatum, C UC-Irvine For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

It's weird talking about the Twins making their last pick on the second day of the draft. It's even weirder talking about their fourth pick being their last pick. But here we are...If you're just catching up, the Twins took Aaron Sabato in the first round. Sabato is a first baseman from North Carolina. You can learn about him here. In the second round, the Twins took an outfielder, Alerick Soularie, from Tennessee. There's a ton of information on Soularie on this site. After forfeiting their third round pick, the Twins took a prep pitcher, Marco Raya, in the fourth round. The last pick the Twins made of the 2020 Draft is who this article is about: Kala'i Rosario, a prep outfielder from Hawaii. The Twins popped the best prospect from Hawaii in outfielder Kala'i Rosario, a slugger who has impressed with raw power and impressive exit velocities. Twins Scouting Director Sean Johnson said, "This guy can do real damage to the baseball. He’s strong. He’s got a good swing. Much in line with the three hitters we took." You can view some video of Rosario hitting here. Johnson said that the team met with about 50 of the top 60 players on their draft board via Zoom meetings. They didn't meet with ten or so at the top that they just knew wouldn't be there at 27. "We were able to connect with him. Technology really helped us here too, getting to know the player. John had a great relationship with the kid. We were lucky to connect with him on Zoom, like we did every guy we considered in the first 60 picks." Along with area scout John Leavitt, who was the only Twins guy to see Rosario play this spring before the seasons were cut short, they also received rave reviews from Kolton Wong's father. "We drafted Kolton. His brother is a phenomenal player as well. (Rosario) trains with that group. Kolton’s dad had rave reviews about the player. Comes from a great family. Tremendous kid. Really wired the right way." Baseball America has Rosario ranked as the draft's 88th best prospect and says this about the California Baptist commit: "Hawaii’s top 2020 draft prospect, Rosario separated himself last summer when he tied for the second-highest exit velocity at PG National and won the home run derby at the Area Code Games, sending one shot 440 feet. A strong, physical right-handed hitter, Rosario already posts exit velocities upward of 100 mph and elevates the ball to get the most from his brute strength. He draws consistent plus-plus power grades from evaluators and even an occasional 80. More than just a slugger, Rosario is a mature hitter who makes adjustments, can shoot the ball the other way and limits his strikeouts, although he is prone to swinging and missing at times. He is a good athlete for his size who currently plays center field but projects to move to a corner, likely left field unless his arm improves. Rosario has the bat to profile at any position and the strong makeup components to get the most from his talent. Many scouts consider him Hawaii's best high school draft prospect since 2014 first-rounder Kodi Medeiros." MLB.com viewed Rosario a little lower, plugging him in at 188. "All talk around Rosario centers around his bat, more specifically his plus-plus raw power. Rosario beat fellow Draft prospect Blaze Jordan in the Area Code Games home run derby last summer. He can get a little pull-happy and out front on his swing at times, and there are some concerns about his ability to hit enough to get to that raw pop consistently in games at the next level." "Rosario is a decent athlete, and he does play center field in high school, but as a tick-below-average runner who is already fairly physically mature, he is likely going to be limited to a corner, with left field his likely destination. He does have the power potential to profile well in an outfield corner, and that could be enough for the California Baptist recruit to get drafted." After five round (four picks), with three being offensive players, it was clear that the Twins continue to view the draft as an avenue to add players that they believe will be very good in the batter's box. It's less clear where these players will play defensively and, honestly, where the fit in the hierarchy of the existing depth chart - in many cases, we figure behind many others. But when you have a surplus, or potentially have a surplus, it makes it much easier to make moves to supplement your current major league team. And that's a position that we hope the Twins are at - adding to a potential world series team. The Twins added four assets in the last two days. Let's see what else they have up their sleeves. Click here to view the article

Be sure to refresh this page as we will be making updates throughout the night. The 2020 MLB Draft is finally here. This was supposed to be an historic draft for Major League Baseball, as it was originally scheduled to take place in Omaha, Nebraska ahead of the College World Series. However, that all changed with the outbreak of COVID-19. Now, the MLB Draft will be historic for an entirely different reason, as it will consist of just five rounds, the fewest in MLB Draft history.The first day of the 2020 MLB Draft will be available to watch on ESPN & MLB Network, and can be streamed on MLB.com beginning at 6:00 pm CT on Wednesday night, and will be covering Round 1 and Competitive Balance Round A. Rounds 2 through 5 will be held on Thursday night beginning at 4:00 pm CT, and can be viewed on ESPN 2 & MLB Network, and can also be streamed on MLB.com. In total, the Minnesota Twins will have just four selections in this year’s draft, as they traded away their Competitive Balance Round B selection to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Kenta Maeda trade. Additionally, they also forfeited their third-round selection by signing Josh Donaldson, who had turned down a qualifying offer from the Atlanta Braves. Here are the Twins four picks and the slot value associated with each of those picks. 1st Round: 27th Overall - $2,570,100 2nd Round: 59th Overall - $1,185,500 4th Round: 128th Overall - $442,900 5th Round: 158th Overall - $330,100 Some of you probably haven’t had the chance to read up on the prospects that will be taken tonight. So, if you would like to read up a little bit more on these prospects, here are the links to the Twins Daily MLB Draft Prospect rankings. Twins Daily 2020 MLB Draft Prospect Rankings 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 1-10 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 11-20 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 21-30 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 31-40 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 41-50 I also encourage you to take time to read Seth Stohs Minnesota Twins Draft Preview, where he gives you all the information you need to be prepared for the Twins draft, along with listing a few prospects that have a great shot at being selected by the Twins with the 27th overall pick later tonight. Additionally, a few of our Twins Daily staffers have offered their own predictions for who the Twins will select with their first-round pick. Andrew Thares Casey Martin, SS, Arkansas The Twins have shown an affinity for taking hitters, particularly college hitters, in the early stages of the draft in recent years. I expect that trend to continue again in this year’s draft. There are a number of quality college hitters the Twins could be targeting with their first-round pick, but a player that peaks my interest is University of Arkansas shortstop Casey Martin. Martin had a tremendous freshman season, which helped lead Arkansas all the way to the National Championship series, where they fell short to Trevor Larnach’s Oregon State team. While Martin comes with some risk, I believe he has more potential upside than many of the other college hitters in this draft. Tom Froemming Daniel Cabrera, OF, LSU It's possible Cabrera is taken before the Twins pick, but it wouldn't surprise me to see other teams pass on a collegiate corner outfielder who's only shown so-so in-game power. It's not a profile you can pin big dreams on, but Cabrera strikes me as among the players in this range most likely to have some sort of an MLB career. This is a short draft. I'd be risk averse, given the circumstances. Yep, another corner outfielder. Why not? Value is value, and you can always trade from organizational areas of strength. Derek Falvey seems to relish in plucking unheralded pitchers from the most obscure of places. The Twins haven't taken a pitcher in the first round during Falvey's first three drafts, I'm gonna bet that streak continues. Cody Christie Bobby Miller, RHP, Louisville College players are going to be the way to go by the time the Twins pick rolls around in the first round. Miller has some upside with a fastball clocking in the mid-90s. His teammate Reid Detmers will go much higher, but Miller could be a very valuable pick for the Twins at this point in the draft. Matthew Taylor Ed Howard, SS, Mount Carmel HS, IL I think the Twins take HS shortstop prospect, Ed Howard with the #27 pick in the draft. The Twins have a clear need up the middle, with not much depth behind Royce Lewis (and no guarantee of Lewis even playing shortstop long term). Howard projects to be a great athlete with good hands. At just 18 years old, he figures to be a project, but would be a very solid choice on draft night should he fall to the Twins. Twins Selection: Twins Daily Top 5 Prospects Available (Live): 12. Jared Kelley | Refugio HS, TX | Pos: RHP 21. J.T. Ginn | Mississippi State | Pos: RHP 22. Cole Wilcox | Georgia | Pos: RHP 23. Daniel Cabrera | LSU | Pos: OF 28. Casey Martin | Arkansas | Pos: SS MLB Draft 1st Round Selections (Live): 1st Overall – Tigers | Spencer Torkelson | Arizona State | Pos: 1B 2nd Overall – Orioles | Heston Kjerstad | Arkansas | Pos: OF 3rd Overall – Marlins | Max Meyer | Minnesota | Pos: RHP 4th Overall – Royals | Asa Lacy | Texas A&M | Pos: LHP 5th Overall – Blue Jays | Austin Martin | Vanderbilt | Pos: Utility 6th Overall – Mariners | Emerson Hancock | Georgia | Pos: RHP 7th Overall – Pirates | Nick Gonzales | New Mexico State | Pos: 2B 8th Overall – Padres | Robert Hassell | Independence HS, Thompson's Station, TN | Pos: OF 9th Overall – Rockies | Zac Veen | Spruce Creek HS, Port Orange, FL | Pos: OF 10th Overall – Angels | Reid Detmers | Louisville | Pos: LHP 11th Overall – White Sox | Garrett Crochet | Tennessee | Pos: LHP 12th Overall – Reds | Austin Hendrick | West Alleghney HS, Imperial, PA | Pos: OF 13th Overall – Giants | Patrick Bailey | North Carolina State | Pos: C 14th Overall – Rangers | Justin Foscue | Mississippi State | Pos: 2B 15th Overall – Phillies | Mick Abel | Jesuit HS, Portland, OR | Pos: RHP 16th Overall – Cubs | Ed Howard | Mount Carmel HS, IL | Pos: SS 17th Overall – Red Sox | Nick Yorke | Archbishop Mitty HS, San Jose, CA | Pos: 2B 18th Overall – Diamondbacks | Bryce Jarvis | Duke | Pos: RHP 19th Overall – Mets | Pete Crow-Armstrong | Harvark-Westlake HS, Studio City, CA | Pos: OF 20th Overall – Brewers | Garrett Mitchell | UCLA | Pos: OF 21st Overall – Cardinals | Jordan Walker | Decatur HS, GA | Pos: 3B/OF 22nd Overall – Nationals | Cade Cavalli | Oklahoma | Pos: RHP 23rd Overall – Indians | Carson Tucker | Mountain Pointe HS, Phoenix, AZ | Pos: SS 24th Overall – Rays | Nick Bitsko | Central Bucks East HS, Doylestown, PA | Pos: RHP 25th Overall – Braves | Jared Shuster | Wake Forest | Pos: LHP 26th Overall – Athletics | Tyler Soderstrom | Turlock HS, CA | Pos: C 27th Overall – Twins | Aaron Sabato | UNC | Pos: 1B 28th Overall – Yankees | Austin Wells | Arizona | Pos: C 29th Overall – Dodgers | Bobby Miller | Louisville | Pos: RHP *Note the Houston Astros do not have a first or second round pick as part of their punishment from Major League Baseball for sign stealing. Read up on some of the other great draft coverage on Twins Daily First Round Busts: The Twins Struckout Three Consecutive Years Reviewing Minnesota’s Recent First-Round Picks What does MLB History Say About the 27th Pick? Mike Trout and 3 Other Stars the Twins Passed On in the MLB Draft How Should the Twins Strategically Approach the MLB Draft? MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

On June 10th, 2020 one of the weirdest drafts in Major League Baseball history commenced. Composed of just five rounds, Major League organizations will add the least amount of talent they have in years. For the Minnesota Twins, their selections will start with the 27th overall pick. In a yearly effort to keep all of the draft picks in one place, here's your "Keeping Up" entry at Off The Baggy, Take a look back at 2018 here, and 2019 here. This article will be updated throughout the draft tomorrow. The picks: Round 1, Pick 27: Aaron Sabato, 1B University of North Carolina (@SabatoAaron) For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

With the drastic alterations made to the 2020 MLB Draft, organizations will need to throw out their traditional model for the draft and come up with a strategy to best approach this year’s draft. While many teams will stay true to a simple plan, and number of teams might look to mix things up to get the most out of this draft.Ever since the bonus pool system came into effect, MLB teams have used a number of different strategies to bring in the best group of young talent that they could. For those who are unfamiliar with how the MLB Draft typically works, each pick in the first ten rounds is assigned a pick value. The cumulative total of the pick values a particular team has is what makes up their bonus pool. One strategy organizations have used to take advantage of this is drafting a player that demands more money than that pick is worth in an early round, then saving money sporadically throughout the rest of the first ten rounds to make up for that. Under the current Minnesota Twins regime, the strategy has been quite the opposite. In the three drafts since they have taken over control, the Twins have actually been able to spend over their slot allotment after round five by an average total of $285,600 per year. They were able to do this because they incorporated a strategy of saving money in the first five rounds of the draft, so they could then target players that other teams had to pass on, because they couldn’t afford, them later in the draft. One notable example of this came in last year’s draft when the Twins selected University of Auburn middle infielder Edouard Julien in the 18th round. Prior to the draft, Baseball America had ranked Julien as the 203rd best player in the draft, but he fell to the Twins at pick number 539 because teams were unable/unwilling to match his relatively high asking price. With money that the Twins had saved in early rounds of the draft, they were able to tap into their bonus pool money and sign Julien for $493,000, which is more bonus money than any other player taken after the 16th round received in last year’s draft. With the alterations to the 2020 MLB Draft, the Twins will likely need to recraft their strategy so they can bring in the best players possible with the draft picks and bonus pool allotment that they have. For reference, here are the four picks that the Twins have in this year’s draft, and the bonus pool allotments associated with those picks. Download attachment: Screen Shot 2020-06-08 at 8.52.03 PM.png The Twins total bonus pool allotment for the draft stands at just $4,528,600, which is the 4th fewest in the MLB. It is worth noting that the Twins are without their Competitive Balance Round B selection, as they traded it to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Kenta Maeda trade, as well as with their 3rd round selection, which they gave up when they signed Josh Donaldson, who had turned down a qualifying offer from the Atlanta Braves. So, let’s break down a few different strategies that the Twins front office could employ to best attack this year’s draft. Aggressive Approach The first strategy that we will look at will be going aggressive in the first round. Often times in the draft, good players at the top of most draft boards, especially high schoolers with a lot of leverage, tend to fall in the first round because of a high asking price. Given the conservative nature many teams will likely take to this year’s draft, it is highly likely that the Twins could find themselves in a position to pounce on a high caliber player, that they will need to overpay in order to sign. The Twins have just shy of $2 million in bonus pool money to work with from their rounds 2,4 and 5 picks that they could use to pay over slot with their first-round pick. However, if they do so, the Twins will need to be quite conservative with their remaining three picks, in order to stay within their total bonus pool allotment. This strategy is reminiscent of what the New York Mets (along with a few other organizations to a lesser extent) used in the 2019 draft. For those that don’t recall, in the third round of last year’s draft the Mets decided to select Matthew Allen, a right-handed high school pitcher from the state of Florida. Allen was a highly regarded prospect in last year’s draft, so high in fact that I had him ranked as the 9th best prospect in that draft. Allen fell to the third round because teams felt he would be difficult to sign away from his commitment to the University of Florida. However, despite having already gone $310,000 above slot value on their first two picks, the Mets decided to take Allen anyway, which meant that they needed to save every penny that they could in order to sign him. To do this, the Mets proceeded to draft college seniors, who typically sign for $10,000 or less, with each of their next seven picks. If the Twins followed this strategy with their 4th and 5th round selections, they could free up roughly $750,000 to use with their first two picks. Conservative Approach On the other end of the spectrum, the Twins can look at their limited situation in this draft and decide not to get too cute, but just stay in line with the status quo. That means targeting players who will sign for approximately the same amount of money that the pick is worth. This strategy will prevent the Twins from getting into a bind with their last couple picks, by having to make decisions they wouldn’t otherwise make. From an outside perspective, this is a strategy I expect a lot of teams to use, so they don’t make a mistake with an alternative draft setup that has a lot of unanswered questions. The negative to this strategy, however, is you run the risk of missing unforeseen opportunities by taking the same approach most of the other teams take. There might be a stud player who falls to one of the Twins picks, but instead of taking a chance on that player, you play it safe, and take someone cheaper, or vice versa, and you miss the chance to better utilize draft capital later in the draft. Diversified Approach The final strategic approach that we will look at for the Twins is an attempt to diversify their 2020 MLB Draft portfolio, by splitting up the funds more evenly amongst their four picks. With the nature of how the MLB Draft works, especially so this year, there will be a number of players with second or even first round grades that could fall into the fourth or fifth rounds. If the Twins wanted to, they could try and save a good chunk of money with their first-round pick, which accounts for nearly 57 percent of their total bonus pool, by drafting a player that will sign well under slot value, and then use that money to target players that are falling with their three remaining picks. This way, the Twins won’t be putting all of their eggs in one basket, per se, and instead could select as many as four players with top two round talent. Getting more players with early round talent could be especially important this year, as teams will have a difficult time signing high quality players after the draft, given that they are limited to giving a $20,000 maximum signing bonus to players that go undrafted. This limited bonus could make it difficult for MLB teams to even sign college seniors away from the extra year of eligibility that they have been granted by the NCAA, let alone underclassmen or high schoolers. As you can see, there are a number of different strategies that the Twins could take in this draft, and there are many more that are not even mentioned in this article that are probably being considered by the Twins. While the draft may be a lot shorter than normal, one thing is for certain, it will be exciting to see how the 30 MLB teams approach this unique draft format. Let us know in the comments below which strategy you prefer, or if there is a strategic approach that you like, that was not mentioned above. More 2020 MLB Draft Coverage 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 1-10 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 11-20 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 21-30 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 31-40 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 41-50 MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

We close out the 2020 MLB Draft Prospect Rankings with the cream of the crop, the best of the best, the pick of the litter, the crème de la crème, okay I’m done. While it is unlikely that these guys fall to the Minnesota Twins at pick 27, they are still important names to follow, as they represent the most likely candidates to be the future stars of the sport. Also, with the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox holding the 1st, 4th and 11th overall picks in the draft, it is likely that three names on this list could be future divisional foes for the Twins.10. Max Meyer, Minnesota Pos: RHP | Height: 6’0” | Weight: 185 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: 34th Round, 2017 (MIN) Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 Slider: 75 Changeup: 50 Control: 55 Overall: 55 Checking in at number 10 in the prospect rankings is Minnesota’s own Max Meyer. Meyer graduated from Woodbury High School in 2017, and was taken in the 34th round by the Minnesota Twins in the draft that year. That was the first draft under the current Twins regime, who has shown an affinity for taking Minnesota prep players around that point in the draft, as a way to recognize some of the state’s young baseball talent before they head off to college. Meyer was lights out in his three seasons pitching for the Gophers, putting up a career 2.07 ERA, with 187 strikeouts and 41 walks in 148 innings pitched. After serving as the team’s closer his freshman season, he made the transition to starting during his sophomore season. After coming into this spring with a shot at being a back end of the first-round talent, he vaulted himself up into Top 10 consideration with four dominating starts, all coming against Power 5 schools in Non-Conference play. On the mound, Meyer has lights out stuff. His fastball frequently touches upper 90s, and sits in the mid 90s with ease. However, Meyer’s best pitch is his slider, which is without question the best pitch in this year’s draft. He also features an okay changeup, that has a chance to improve with more use. Despite his lack of commanding size, Meyer holds his velocity well late into starts, thanks to his lower effort delivery that not a lot of pitchers who can pump it up as high as he does with his size have. 9. Mick Abel, Jesuit HS, Portland, OR Pos: RHP | Height: 6’5” | Weight: 190 | Age: 18 Commitment: Oregon State Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 Slider: 60 Changeup: 55 Control: 60 Overall: 55 The stigma around high school pitchers is real, which has a lot to do with the top high school arm in the country coming in at number nine in my rankings for the second year in a row, there is just too much risk, especially for the high price tag they demand. That being said, the potential of Mick Abel is a rare commodity and deserves to go high in this year’s draft. Abel is a presence on the mound, not only with his height, but also his stuff. Last summer, Abel typically sat in the low-to-mid 90s with his stuff, but when he reared back he could get into the upper 90s. There are also reports that Abel has been showing increased velocity in bullpen sessions this spring. Abel’s slider isn’t a big swooping breaker by any means, but it has nice and tight rotation with some downward break. He also mixes in a strong changeup, that he has shown more wiliness to throw than most high school pitchers. Despite being a prep pitcher, Abel’s game is developed well beyond his years. He has three above average or better pitches, and he can command all three exceptionally well. With still some room to grow in his frame, it is not out of the question for Abel to add even more velocity as he matures. 8. Garrett Mitchell, UCLA Pos: OF | B/T: L/R | Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 215 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: 14th Round, 2017 (OAK) Scouting Grades Hit: 60 Power: 45 Run: 70 Throw: 55 Field: 60 Overall: 55 Garrett Mitchell has the all-around tool set that will give him a very high floor as a potential top 10 pick. This is what scouts saw, and loved about Mitchell coming out of high school back in 2017. However, Mitchell fell due to sign ability concerns, and made his way onto campus at UCLA where he has done nothing be elevate his draft stock even further. In three seasons for the Bruins, Mitchell had a slash line of .327/.393/.478 in 121 career games. His best season was his sophomore year in 2019, where Mitchell hit .349 with an OPS of .984. While Mitchell doesn’t have much for home run power, having hit just six in his entire college career, he does show plenty of extra base power. In that sophomore season alone, Mitchell hit 14 doubles and lead the nation with 12 triples. What gives Mitchell his incredibly high floor, is the defensive ability he displays in center field. With his speed and ball tracking ability, Mitchell has the potential to one day be a gold glove caliber center fielder. The speed that Mitchell displays is easily the best trait for a player that has a lot of tools. In his career at UCLA, Mitchell was successful on 28 of 37 stolen base attempts. 7. Zac Veen, Spruce Creek HS, Port Orange, FL Pos: OF | B/T: L/R | Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 190 | Age: 18 Commitment: Florida Scouting Grades Hit: 55 Power: 60 Run: 50 Throw: 55 Field: 50 Overall: 55 During the summer showcase circuit last summer, one of the players that stood out the most was Florida prep outfielder Zac Veen. While his tools might not be as loud as many of the other high caliber players, Veen has just as much potential as them. With his long and tall frame, Veen is able to generate power with ease, as he leverages his body well. Veen has tremendous plate discipline for someone his age, and has a knack for waiting for his pitch, and then attacking it. His powerful uppercut swing already helps him generate plus power, but that could develop even further as Veen continues to fill out his body. As an outfielder, Veen currently plays a lot of center field, but will need to move to a corner position as a pro, where he has average or better defensive potential. The arm strength is there for a team to try Veen at right field. 6. Austin Hendrick, West Allegheny HS, Imperial, PA Pos: OF | B/T: L/R | Height: 6' 1" | Weight: 195 | Age: 18 Commitment: Mississippi State Scouting Grades Hit: 55 Power: 70 Run: 55 Throw: 60 Field: 50 Overall: 55 When you watch Austin Hendrick swing, it is evident how explosive of an athlete he is. It is this athletic ability that has me so excited about Hendrick as a prospect. While there are certainly still a couple holes in his game, it is nothing that can’t be fixed with good coaching and development as a prospect. Hendrick has a great feel at the plate, and exceptional bat speed that helps him generate as much or more power than any other prospect in this year's class. At the Perfect Game national showcase last summer, Hendrick topped out with an exit velocity of 105 MPH, which is very impressive for high schooler. In the field, Hendrick has the ability to be an average to slightly above-average defensive right fielder. While Hendrick is a much riskier prospect than most taken this early in the draft, his high ceiling, due to his power potential, is why I am so high on Hendrick as a prospect. 5. Nick Gonzales, New Mexico State Pos: 2B | B/T: R/R | Height: 5' 10" | Weight: 190 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: Never Scouting Grades Hit: 65 Power: 55 Run: 55 Throw: 50 Field: 55 Overall: 60 Nick Gonzalez has been dominating on the baseball field ever since he first got to campus at New Mexico State in 2018. After posting a 1.021 OPS as a freshman, Gonzales blasted onto scouts’ radars when he put up 1.305 OPS as a sophomore in 2019, and was taking yet another step forward this spring with a 1.765 OPS in 16 games before the season was cut short. For his career, Gonzales put up a .399/.500 /.747 slash line with 37 home runs in 128 games played. Gonzalez finished his career on an 82-consecutive game on base streak, which dates all the way back to his freshman season. It might be easy to dismiss those numbers, as Gonzales was putting them up against lower level competition in the WAC, in what is an extremely hitter friendly environment. However, Gonzales proved that his numbers were legit last summer in the Cape Cod League, where he finished second in batting average (.351) and first in both OBP (.451) and SLG (.630). Despite some of his recent efforts to play shortstop in the field, Gonzales is a clear cut second base prospect for the pro game. He has decent range and fielding ability, but he lacks the elite range and plus arm strength that are required at the shortstop position. 4. Emerson Hancock, Georgia Pos: RHP | Height: 6’4” | Weight: 215 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: 38th Round, 2017 (ARI) Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 Slider: 55 Curveball: 50 Changeup: 60 Control: 65 Overall: 60 After showing a lot of promise, in what was a statistically down freshman campaign, Emerson Hancock proved all of his believers right in a big way in 2019, lighting up the competition on his way to a 1.99 ERA in 90 and 1/3 innings pitched. Hancock wasn’t off to an amazing start to his 2020 campaign, from a run prevention perspective, but his 34 to 3 strikeout to walk ratio was still quite impressive, and that is something a lot of teams care more about than just ERA. In the MLB Draft, you get a lot of pitchers who are more throwers than pitchers at this stage of their careers. Hancock is not one of them, as he is a well refined pitching prospect. He has a great four-pitch mix, which includes a fastball that sits easily in the mid 90s, but doesn’t have a lot of movement, a sharp low 80s slider, a plus changeup and a decent curveball that he can break off from time to time. However, Hancock’s best trait is the command that he has with them. Over his past two seasons at Georgia, Hancock has walked just 4.8 percent of batters that he faced. For reference, that would have been tied with Max Scherzer for the 7th lowest walk rate among qualified starting pitchers in the MLB last season. As a pitcher, Hancock checks all of the boxes that scouts want to see in a potential top of the rotation ace. He has the prototypical size of a frontline starter, he has a low-effort delivery that is easily repeatable, he has four pitches that are average or better, with three of them having the potential to be plus pitches, and he can control all four of his pitches in and out of the strike zone. Really, what more could you ask from a possible top five pick. 3. Austin Martin, UCLA Pos: UTL | B/T: R/R | Height: 6' 0" | Weight: 185 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: 37th Round, 2017 (CLE) Scouting Grades Hit: 70 Power: 55 Run: 55 Throw: 50 Field: 55 Overall: 60 What position Austin Martin eventually settles in at defensively is still up in the air, and it might change depending on which organization selects him. In his career at Vanderbilt, Martin his played primarily second and third base, but he has also showcased his talents in center field. If I saw a future for Martin as a shortstop, he most likely would be my number one player on the board, but I just don’t see Martin having the arm strength to play the position. Where there are no questions with Martin is with the bat in his hands. Martin is considered by many to be the best hitter in this class, and I would have to agree with that assessment. In three seasons as a full-time starter for the Commodores, Martin has an eye-popping .368/.474/.532 slash line, which is even more impressive when you consider that he is going up against many of the best arms in the country, playing in the SEC. Between he plus-plus hitting ability, his good eye at the plate, and his excellent base running ability, Martin has all the makings of a leadoff hitter at the professional level. Martin didn’t display a ton of power in his college career, just 14 home runs in 140 games played, but with his exceptional bat speed, Martin should be able to produce above-average power down the line. 2. Asa Lacy, Texas A&M Pos: LHP | Height: 6’4” | Weight: 215 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: 31st Round, 2017 (CLE) Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 Slider: 65 Curveball: 55 Changeup: 55 Control: 50 Overall: 60 I had the opportunity to see what Asa Lacy could do up close last spring, when he put on a show against the LSU Tigers. In that start, Lacy absolutely shut down the Tigers bats, holding them scoreless over 6 innings, which included striking out 11 of the final 17 batters that he faced. However, it is not just one great start that makes Lacy so impressive, but instead the overall body of work that he has displayed. After a successful freshman season coming out of the bullpen, Lacy transitioned to the starting rotation over the last two seasons, where he put up a 1.84 ERA in 112 and 2/3 innings pitched across 19 starts and accumulating 176 strikeouts and 51 walks. While a number of pitchers at the top of draft have four pitches that all grade out at average or better, Lacy is a rare pitcher that has all four of his pitches graded out at above-average or better. His best pitch is a hard slider, with some downward bite, that is his go to swing and miss pitch. He pairs that up well with a bigger breaking curveball that is upper 70s to low 80s, which helps keep hitters off balance. Lacy’s fastball is too overpowering, but he can maintain his mid 90s velocity deep into his pitch count. He rounds out his repertoire with a changeup that he uses well versus opposing right-handed hitters. One potential holdup on Lacy is he has a tendency to walk his fair share of batters. However, it is not a glaring problem, and with some fine tuning of his mechanics, Lacy should be able to bring his walk total back down a little bit. With the combination of high strikeouts and a decent number of walks, Lacy doesn’t go very deep into ballgames, having thrown more than seven innings just once in his career, and averaging just 5.75 innings pitched in his 21 career starts for the Aggies. 1. Spencer Torkelson, Arizona State Pos: 1B | B/T: R/R | Height: 6' 1" | Weight: 220 | Age: 20 Previously Drafted: Never Scouting Grades Hit: 60 Power: 70 Run: 40 Throw: 50 Field: 55 Overall: 60 While there is not a lot of separation between Spencer Torkelson and the rest of the field, it seems to be a consensus by many that he will be the player that the Detroit Tigers select with the first overall pick in this year’s draft. After putting up impressive power numbers in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, 25 and 23 home runs in 2018 and 2019 respectively, and was well on his way to repeating those numbers again this spring. It is not too often that first basemen are considered for the top overall pick in the draft, then again it is not every year that a hitter with Torkelson’s ability is available. While many want to compare Torkelson to last year’s third overall pick Andrew Vaughn, however, that wouldn’t do Torkelson justice. While Vaughn was a more polished hitter, he doesn’t nearly have the power that Torkelson does, and that is what takes Torkelson to the next level. In addition to Torkelson’s bat, he is also a good defender at first base. That being said, as a first baseman his overall upside is still limited. Additionally, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of room to grow to continue developing, so he likely won’t add much more power than he has now. However, Torkelson’s rare combination of hitting ability and power will make him too tough to pass up with the first overall pick. Rest of the 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospects 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 11-20 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 21-30 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 31-40 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 41-50 MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

In the most recent edition of this series, we looked at a plethora of college right-handed pitchers that I have ranked from 21st through 30th in the 2020 MLB Draft. Any one of them would make a great addition to the Minnesota Twins farm system. In this edition, we will take a look at a group of players who are ranked a little above the Twins range, but as those of you who are familiar with the MLB Draft know, a handful of these players listed will still likely fall to the Twins at pick number 27 overall.20. Robert Hassell, Independence HS, Thompson's Station, TN Pos: OF | B/T: L/L | Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 195 | Age: 18 Commitment: Vanderbilt Scouting Grades Hit: 60 Power: 50 Run: 55 Throw: 55 Field: 50 Overall: 55 In a prep class that is not very deep with pure hitting ability, Robert Hassell might just be the best one. Hassell has tremendous contact ability, thanks in large part to his smooth swing from the left side of the plate. Hassell showcased his hitting ability at the U-18 Baseball World Cup at the end of last summer, where he was the clear-cut best hitter on the United States National Team. The future power potential for Hassell is still up in the air, but if he can grow out a little more, he should provide at least respectable power from the left-hand side of the plate. In the outfield, Hassell seems destined to move to a corner outfield position in the long run, though he should be a plus defender in either right or left field. Hassell has a pretty good amount of arm strength, so a move to right field could make a lot of sense. 19. Cade Cavalli, Oklahoma Pos: RHP | Height: 6’4” | Weight: 225 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: 29th Round, 2017 (ATL) Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 Slider: 60 Curveball: 50 Changeup: 50 Control: 45 Overall: 55 Cade Cavalli marks the eighth right-handed college pitcher to be featured in the last twelve spots of these rankings, and he might just be the best one of the group. Cavalli has the build that MLB scouts love to see and has effortless mechanics. Cavalli’s fastball frequently gets into the upper 90s and has even touched triple-digits, but it doesn’t have much movement coming from an over the top delivery. This allows hitters to pick up on it easier than you would expect. The other top pitch Cavalli features is a slider that is absolutely nasty to opposing right-handed hitters. In addition to the slider, Cavalli has also started developing a curveball that he likes to offer up against lefties and complements his slider well. He also has a decent changeup, which gives Cavalli potential for four average or better pitches. 18. Tyler Soderstrom, Turlock HS, CA Pos: C | B/T: L/R | Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 200 | Age: 18 Commitment: UCLA Scouting Grades Hit: 55 Power: 60 Run: 50 Throw: 55 Field: 45 Overall: 55 Earlier in this series we look at Drew Romo, who is the standout prep catcher on the defensive side of the ball. Now we will take a look at Tyler Soderstrom, who is a prep catcher on the opposite end of the spectrum from Romo. In what is now my third year covering the MLB Draft for Twins Daily, Soderstrom is unquestionably the best hitting prep catcher that I have graded. He has a compact upper-cut swing that helps him generate some lift on the ball to maximize his power, without sacrificing much in the way of swing and miss. The looming question that has been on every evaluators mind is Soderstrom’s future behind the plate. He doesn’t show the natural feel for the position and still needs a lot of fundamental work. However, Soderstrom is a good athlete with a big arm, so if he needs to move to a corner outfield position in the future, he should be able to play there, and still bring a plus bat. 17. Garrett Crochet, Tennessee Pos: LHP | Height: 6’5” | Weight: 210 | Age: 20 Previously Drafted: 34th Round, 2017 (MIL) Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 Slider: 60 Curveball: 50 Changeup: 50 Control: 50 Overall: 55 Garrett Crochet is another pitcher that could land in drastically different spots on different teams’ draft boards. Stuff wise, Crochet deserves some Top 10 pick consideration, however, there are lingering concerns that could cause him to fall much lower than that with some teams. Like many other pitchers at the top of the draft class, Crochet’s fastball-slider combo is a force to be reckoned with. He typically sits in the mid-to-high 90s with his fastball that has a lot of arm side run but can get away from him at times when he tries to overthrow it. He pairs that with his sharp breaking slider, that has some downward movement to it. Crochet also throws a changeup that has promise, but is still very much a work in progress, and a curveball that looked good in his one start this spring vs Wright State. There are a few red flags that will give some teams pause with Crochet. First is Crochet’s inexperience starting, having started in just 13 of his 36 career appearances at Tennessee. Next is injury concern, as Crochet missed his first three starts of this spring with a shoulder injury, and didn’t have the time to prove he was fully recovered from that. Finally, Crochet can be a little erratic at times. However, if he can’t make it as a starter, Crochet has all the makings of a dominant left-handed relief ace. 16. Nick Bitsko, Central Bucks East HS, Doylestown, PA Pos: RHP | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 220 | Age: 17 Commitment: Virginia Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 Curveball: 55 Changeup: 50 Control: 55 Overall: 55 Had Nick Bitsko been able to foresee the coronavirus pandemic wiping out the 2020 spring baseball season, he might not have reclassified from the 2021 class back in January, as scouts were unable to get a deeper look on a player that was likely on many of their back burners before his reclassification. However, season or no season, Bitsko has tremendous potential as a starting pitcher at the major league level, and still will likely get a team to bite on his talent at some point in the first round. Late last summer, after turning just 17 years of age, Bitsko was routinely sitting in the mid 90s with his fastball. After the fastball, Bitsko features a hard curveball that is typically in the low 80s, and will mix in the occasionally changeup. What helps set Bitsko apart from many other high school pitchers is the control he shows for all three of his pitches at such a young age. 15. Patrick Bailey, North Carolina State Pos: C | B/T: S/R | Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 190 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: 37th Round, 2017 (MIN) Scouting Grades Hit: 50 Power: 55 Run: 50 Throw: 55 Field: 60 Overall: 55 The Twins selected Patrick Bailey, when he was coming out of high school, in the 37th round of the 2017 MLB Draft. At the time, Bailey was a highly thought of defensive catcher, but most teams questioned his future with the bat. Bailey decided not to sign with the Twins, and instead opted to go play ball at NC State. Bailey immediately proved his doubters wrong in his freshman season with the Wolfpack, when he hit .321 and finished fourth in the ACC with a .604 slugging percentage. After an okay season with the bat in 2019, Bailey was again displaying his power potential in 2020 with six home runs in just 17 games before the season was suspended. Behind the plate, Bailey still has the tremendous ability that scouts saw coming out of high school. He is a smooth receiver of the baseball and is a tremendous blocker of pitches in the dirt. Bailey does have a big arm, though despite this, Bailey only threw out a pedestrian 28 percent of base stealers in his college career. 14. Reid Detmers, Louisville Pos: LHP | Height: 6’2” | Weight: 210 | Age: 20 Previously Drafted: 32nd Round, 2017 (ATL) Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 Curveball: 60 Slider: 45 Changeup: 50 Control: 55 Overall: 55 Reid Detmers has been one of the most dominant starting pitchers in college baseball over the past couple of years. After putting up a 2.78 ERA in 2019, Detmers came back this season and allowed just three combined runs in his four starts. In total, Detmers had a 2.57 ERA with an impressive 215 strikeouts and just 39 walks in 133 and 1/3 innings pitched over that stretch. On the mound, Detmers' stuff is not anything overwhelming, but he is a well-polished pitcher who has proven he knows how to get the most out of his stuff. Detmers has a clean delivery that is easily repeatable, which helps him be such a consistent strike thrower. Detmers fastball sits in the low 90s, but with his ability to spot the pitch, it plays up a bit. He also throws an excellent curveball, that has served as his go-to strikeout pitch. Detmers also features a pretty decent changeup that has potential to become a third above average pitch, along with a slider that is still developing. 13. Ed Howard, Mount Carmel HS, IL Pos: SS | B/T: R/R | Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 185 | Age: 18 Commitment: Oklahoma Scouting Grades Hit: 50 Power: 45 Run: 65 Throw: 55 Field: 65 Overall: 55 I would be lying if I didn’t say that Ed Howard is one of my favorite prospects in this draft, and that is because he has the one thing I look for over everything else in prep position players, and that is pure athleticism. Howard has the raw tools that cannot be developed, and the parts of his game that are lacking at the moment are the ones that have the potential to be. Let’s start with Howard’s play at shortstop, because that is where he shines. Howard has the natural feel for the position that is required to play it at a high level, and it has been on display since he was 12-years old in the Little League World Series. Howard also has good quickness and enough arm strength for the position. With the bat in his hands, Howard has shown the ability to be a solid contact hitter, with a quick stroke and excellent hand-eye coordination. There is not a lot of pop in the bat yet, but with his already prevalent bat speed, Howard should be able to develop some power as he grows and matures. If Howard is unable to develop the bat, he is still good enough at short to be a perennial 2 WAR player on just the defensive side of the ball alone, and if he does develop the bat, Howard is a star in the making. 12. Jared Kelley, Refugio HS, TX Pos: RHP | Height: 6’2” | Weight: 225 | Age: 18 Commitment: Texas Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 Slider: 50 Changeup: 60 Control: 55 Overall: 55 Jared Kelley has as much velocity on his fastball as any pitcher in this draft, outside of maybe Cole Wilcox, and what is amazing about it is how effortlessly Kelley generates that power. This easy delivery is what scouts like to see most, as it creates projectability for Kelley as a starter long term. In addition to Kelley’s fastball that get into the upper 90s with ease, Kelley also has a changeup that is advanced well beyond his years. Typically, with high school pitchers that have enough stuff to just blow past hitters, they rarely have developed changeups because they haven’t needed them. Kelley also features a solid slider, but it isn’t the put-away pitch that you would like to see just yet. The part that will give teams hesitation on Kelley, through no fault of his own, is the poor track record that hard-throwing right-handed prep pitchers have had in the MLB Draft. Additionally, these pitchers typically demand high signing bonuses to draw them away from their college commitment. In a year where teams don’t have the extra rounds to draw bonus pool money from, Kelley could be a tough sign for a number of teams. 11. Heston Kjerstad, Arkansas Pos: OF | B/T: L/R | Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 215 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: 36th Round, 2017 (SEA) Scouting Grades Hit: 55 Power: 65 Run: 50 Throw: 55 Field: 50 Overall: 55 After breaking out in his freshman season at Arkansas, alongside Casey Martin, Heston Kjerstad has done nothing but prove that he is every bit the hitter we saw the potential of him becoming. In 145 career games for the Razorbacks, Kjerstad had an impressive .345/.425/.587 slash line with 35 home runs. Kjerstad’s stance looks a little unorthodox, and he has a big leg kick, but at delivery he gets himself in a good hitting position where he can generate a lot of power. The swing itself has a nice uppercut, which helps him lift the ball to take advantage of all that power he possesses. In the outfield, Kjerstad will never wow you, but at least for now he can get the job done. His arm is big enough to stick in right field, which is where he has spent his time in the Arkansas outfield. Rest of the 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospects 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 21-30 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 31-40 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 41-50 MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

So far, we have looked at the prospects that I have ranked 31st through 50th in the 2020 MLB Draft. Now it is time to take a look at the prospects ranked 21st through 30th. With the Minnesota Twins making their first selection at pick number 27 overall, the players listed below should all be on Twins fans radar as potential picks for the Twins come June 10th. For fans hoping the Twins add a college arm in the draft, this group of prospects is the one for you.30. Bryce Jarvis, Duke Pos: RHP | Height: 6’2” | Weight: 195 | Age: 22 Previously Drafted: 37th Round, 2019 (NYY) Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 Slider: 55 Changeup: 55 Control: 50 Overall: 50 After a of couple solid seasons at Duke, Bryce Jarvis was a sophomore-eligible draft prospect in the 2019 draft. After turning down the Yankees offer, Jarvis went back to Duke and set the world on fire with his new and improved stuff, which included a perfect game against a Cornell offense that struck out 15 times, and only got one ball into the outfield, which was a lazy liner to right. Prior to this spring, Jarvis was typically in the upper 80’s to low 90’s, but this spring he was pumping that gas on his fastball, which frequently was in the mid 90’s. This jump in velocity has drastically improved Jarvis’ draft stock, as his ceiling is so much higher than it was a year ago. Jarvis also throws two above-average offspeed pitches, both a slider and a changeup, giving him the desired three-pitch mix that scouts love to see in starting pitchers. Jarvis also showed improved command this spring, walking just two batters in 27 innings of work. 29. Chris McMahon, Miami Pos: RHP | Height: 6’2” | Weight: 205 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: 33rd Round, 2017 (ATL) Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 Slider: 60 Changeup: 55 Cutter: 45 Control: 50 Overall: 50 The first of two University of Miami starting pitchers on this list, Chris McMahon was a highly regarded pitching prospect coming out of high school, but like many high school pitchers with signability concerns, he fell to the latter rounds. Now three years later, McMahon as developed into the pitcher scouts thought he could be, and is now firmly in the discussion of being a first-round pick. McMahon features an advanced four-pitch mix, with three of those pitches grading out above-average or better. He features a fastball that will sit in the mid 90s, and has some nice tailing action to it. With that, he throws a good slider with some strong potential, but still needs a little bit of work, and a changeup that is more advanced than most armateur pitchers possess. McMahon has also started throwing a hard slider that acts more like a cutter than anything. After not being an overly dominant strikeout pitcher in his first two seasons at Miami, McMahon drastically improved, striking out 38 batters in just 25 2/3 innings of work this spring. 28. Casey Martin, Arkansas Pos: SS | B/T: R/R | Height: 5' 11" | Weight: 180 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: Never Scouting Grades Hit: 45 Power: 55 Run: 70 Throw: 55 Field: 55 Overall: 50 Casey Martin broke onto the scene his freshman season, when he was one of the offensive leaders that carried Arkansas all the way to the National Championship Series. At the time, I was looking at Martin as a future Top 10 pick. That has fallen off slightly with his play the past couple of years, but nonetheless Martin’s talent is undeniable and is deserving of a first-round pick. In his freshman season, Martin put up a staggering .345/.418./.556 slash line, with 13 home runs in 67 games. In the time since, Martin’s numbers have fallen off sharply, having put up a more modest .284/.363/.532 slash line, with 17 home runs in 81 games. Martin has all the traits to be a good defensive shortstop. He is a good athlete with a strong arm, however he needs to dramatically improve his consistency if he wants to stick there. The best trait that Martin has is his speed. On the base paths, Martin went 24 for 27 in stolen base attempts during his college career. 27. Carmen Mlodzinski, South Carolina Pos: RHP | Height: 6’2” | Weight: 230 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: Never Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 Slider: 55 Changeup: 45 Cutter: 55 Control: 55 Overall: 50 Not much was thought of Carmen Mlodzinski as a draft prospect prior to last Summer’s Cape Cod League. However, by the time the summer was done, Mlodzinski had firmly planted himself in first round consideration after posting a 1.83 ERA, with 43 strikeouts and just 5 walks in 34 and 1/3 innings of work. Despite those strong strikeout numbers in the Cape Cod League, Mlodzinski is more of an old school groundball heavy pitcher who features a heavy sinking fastball that routinely sits in the 93-96 MPH range. He also pairs a hard cutter and sharp down breaking slider in the low 80s. The pitch that could make or break Mlodzinski professional career will be his still-developing changeup. If he can make improvements to that pitch, it will give him another weapon that could help improve his strikeout numbers as a professional. 26. Slade Cecconi, Miami Pos: RHP | Height: 6’4” | Weight: 220 | Age: 20 Previously Drafted: 38th Round, 2018 (BAL) Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 Slider: 55 Changeup: 50 Cutter: 55 Control: 60 Overall: 50 The other member of the Miami Hurricanes starting rotation to make the list is sophomore Slade Cecconi. Despite being still only 20, Cecconi is draft eligible since he will turn 21 within 45 days of the MLB Draft. Cecconi has similar stuff as McMahon, but he has more projectability being a year younger and a couple inches taller. Cecconi is also much further along with his cutter, which has the potential to be a plus pitch, giving him four pitches that can be average or better. In addition to better projectability, Cecconi has great control, having walked just 25 batters in 101 1/3 innings at the college level. This, along with his pitching repertoire, projects him to having no trouble staying in the starting rotation. 25. Bobby Miller, Louisville Pos: RHP | Height: 6’5” | Weight: 220 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: 38th Round, 2017 (BAL) Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 Slider: 55 Changeup: 55 Control: 45 Overall: 50 The train of college right-handed pitchers continues with Louisville righty Bobby Miller. Miller has worked as both a starting pitcher and a long reliever in his time with the Cardinals, making 25 starts and 16 appearances out of the bullpen, with 11 of those relief appearances lasting more than one inning. Miller has a fastball that lights up radar guns in the upper-90s, but could use some work to generate more swing and miss. He pairs that up with a tight upper-80s slider and a developed mid-80s changeup, both of with are above-average pitches, giving Miller strong potential to stick in the starting rotation. The concern with Miller comes from the elongated arm action in his delivery that causes some command issues. The team that drafts Miller will need to work with him on that, but if they can find a way to shorten his delivery, without sacrificing his stuff, Miller should be destined for a future in an MLB starting rotation. 24. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Harvark-Westlake HS, Studio City, CA Pos: OF | B/T: L/L | Height: 6' 1" | Weight: 180 | Age: 18 Commitment: Vanderbilt Scouting Grades Hit: 55 Power: 45 Run: 60 Throw: 55 Field: 60 Overall: 50 Pete Crow-Armstrong already has an indirect tie to the Minnesota Twins, as he is the son of Ashley Crow, who is the actress that played Jenny Heywood in Little Big League. As a player, Crow-Armstrong is an athletic prep centerfielder, who could potentially be available for the actual Twins to select at pick 27. At the plate, Crow-Armstrong brings an approach to the plate that is mature well beyond his years. He has tremendous contact ability, and all of the makings of a future leadoff hitter. There is not a lot of pop in Crow-Armstrong’s bat, but as he continues to mature and develop, he should be able to generate at least decent power. Where Crow-Armstrong really shines, however, is in center field. He has the superb range that is needed to play the position and possess a big arm. He should have no trouble sticking at center. 23. Daniel Cabrera, LSU Pos: OF | B/T: L/L | Height: 6' 1" | Weight: 195 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: 26th Round, 2017 (SDP) Scouting Grades Hit: 55 Power: 60 Run: 50 Throw: 55 Field: 55 Overall: 55 Having seen him play up close and personal numerous times over the past couple of years, I can tell you that Daniel Cabrera is the real deal. He is a good athlete, with more tools than a lot of scouts realize, which is why he falls on my list where he does. Where Cabrera excels most is with the bat, as he is a career .305 hitter playing in a full-time starting role since his freshmen year in the SEC. While his home run totals aren’t staggering, 22 in his career, Cabrera has plenty of pop in his bat. The problem is Cabrera has a tendency to hit far too many balls on the ground to take full advantage of his plus exit velocities. Cabrera is an excellent candidate to start blasting more home runs, once he learns to get the ball in the air more often. In the outfield, Cabrera is not a defender that will wow you with many spectacular plays, but he has more than enough speed and ability to be an average or better corner outfielder. 22. Cole Wilcox, Georgia Pos: RHP | Height: 6’5” | Weight: 230 | Age: 20 Previously Drafted: 37th Round, 2018 (WAS) Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 Slider: 60 Changeup: 55 Control: 45 Overall: 55 Two years ago, Cole Wilcox was one of the top prep pitchers entering the draft, which is why I ranked him the 35th best available prospect in the 2018 MLB Draft. However, he fell in the draft due to signability concerns, and now is back in my rankings again, this time as a draft-eligible sophomore. Wilcox had a rough first five outings to begin his college career in 2019. However, he was lights out for the remainder of his freshman season and was even better in his four starts to begin his sophomore season this spring. From a stuff perspective, Wilcox has about as much as any other pitcher in this year’s class. His fastball sits easily in the upper-90s and has reached triple-digits. He also has a wicked down-breaking slider and an easily above-average changeup. The problem Wilcox faces is with his control. During his freshman season, Wilcox walked 38 batters in just 59 2/3 innings of work. That seemed much improved this spring, having walked just 2 batters in his 23 innings pitched. Had Wilcox gotten the opportunity to pitch the entire season, and show his control has much improved, he could threaten Top 10 status with his stuff. 21. J.T. Ginn, Mississippi State Pos: RHP | Height: 6’2” | Weight: 200 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: 30th Overall, 2018 (LAD) Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 Slider: 65 Changeup: 50 Control: 60 Overall: 55 Just like Cole Wilcox, J.T. Ginn is also a draft-eligible sophomore who I had highly ranked coming out of the 2018 prep class, with Ginn being ranked 41st on my list at the time. Ginn wound up being selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 30th overall selection. However, Ginn turned down the Dodgers top offer of a $2.4 M signing bonus to go to college. Ginn put his potential on full display his freshman season at Mississippi State, posting a 3.13 ERA, with a 5.53 K/BB ratio in 86 1/3 innings. Unfortunately, his sophomore season ended before it ever really got going, suffering an elbow injury during his first start that required Tommy John surgery. If it weren’t for the injury, Ginn would probably fall in the 10 to 15 range on this list. When healthy, Ginn features a fastball-slider combo that can be quite effective at getting hitters out. Ginn’s fastball will hover in the low-to-mid-90s, but can reach upper-90s when he rears back, with some big arm-side run, though his velocity was down a bit late last season. He combos that with an excellent slider that he throws in the low-80s. His changeup is a distant third pitch, but should still be an average offering. Rest of the 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospects 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 31-40 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 41-50 MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

In the first installment of this series, we looked at the prospects that I have ranked 41st through 50th, in the 2020 MLB Draft. Today, we will be taking another look at some of the top prospects available in this draft, which will include some players that I view as potential candidates for the Minnesota Twins to select at pick number 27.40. Austin Wells, Arizona Pos: C | B/T: L/R | Height: 6' 1" | Weight: 220 | Age: 20 Previously Drafted: 35th Round, 2018 (NYY) Scouting Grades Hit: 60 Power: 55 Run: 50 Throw: 45 Field: 40 Overall: 50 Finding a catcher with the offensive output that Austin Wells has is a rare occurrence, and usually these players find themselves taken in the first-round, often times inside the top ten picks. However, there are legitimate concerns about Wells’ ability to stay behind the plate defensively long-term. As a hitter, Wells has done nothing but rake since stepping foot on campus in Tucson. In his two seasons for the Wildcats, Wells has put up a .357/.473 /.560 slash line in 353 career plate appearances. He also torn up the Cape Code League last summer finishing 3rd in the league in hits and T-6th in the league in home runs. Strikeouts are a bit of a concern for Wells, but it is nothing too drastic at this point in his career. Defensively, is where Wells runs into a little bit of trouble. He is not the smoothest of catchers behind the plate and doesn’t show the natural feel for the position that is needed to play catcher at the MLB level. At Arizona, Wells has nabbed a decent 26 percent of potential base stealers, but he could struggle more with that against faster players at the professional level. If he needs to move from catcher, he will likely find a home as a corner outfielder or a first baseman, which drastically limits his future potential. 39. Nick Loftin, Baylor Pos: SS | B/T: R/R | Height: 6' 1" | Weight: 180 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: Never Scouting Grades Hit: 55 Power: 45 Run: 50 Throw: 55 Field: 55 Overall: 50 In a draft where pick safety might be of high importance to a lot of teams, a player like Nick Loftin could see himself going higher than he otherwise would. Loftin brings a combination of above-average defense at shortstop, with three seasons of solid offensive production while at Baylor. Loftin, doesn’t have any loud tools that will blow you away, but he is a steady player across the board, which teams like to see from college players. While at Baylor, Loftin has put up a career .316/.374/.484 slash line with 14 home runs in 577 plate appearances. Loftin has excellent contact ability, which helps him stay away from strikeouts, but also keeps him from drawing too many walks, as he usually puts the ball in play before he can work deep into counts. Loftin should have the ability to remain at shortstop as a professional. He likely won’t ever be a gold glove threat at the position, but if he can refine his play there a little bit more, he should be a steady defensive player at a premier defensive position. 38. Aaron Sabato, UNC Pos: 1B | B/T: S/R | Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 230 | Age: 20 Previously Drafted: Never Scouting Grades Hit: 55 Power: 65 Run: 35 Throw: 45 Field: 40 Overall: 50 For a college first baseman, with no real potential to play anywhere but first or DH, you better bring a powerful bat if you want to be considered a potential first-round pick, and that is just what Aaron Sabato does. As a draft eligible sophomore, Sabato’s time to impress scouts at the college level has been limited, but he has made full use of that time. After blasting 18 home runs in 64 games as a true freshman in 2019, Sabato belted another 7 home runs in just 19 games this spring, before the season was cut short. Defensively, things aren’t always the smoothest for Sabato at first-base, though they aren’t bad enough to take his glove off the field just yet. Hopefully with some professional coaching, he can bring up his play closer to average at first base. 37. Dillon Dingler, Ohio State Pos: C | B/T: R/R | Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 210 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: Never Scouting Grades Hit: 50 Power: 50 Run: 55 Throw: 60 Field: 60 Overall: 50 One of just two Big Ten players to make my top 50, Dillon Dingler has a chance to be the first Ohio State Buckeye to be selected in the first two rounds of the MLB Draft, since the Twins took Alex Wimmers in the first-round of the 2010 draft. The main draw to Dingler is his skills behind the plate. He is a defensive weapon from the catcher position, who has thrown out 50 percent of potential base stealers in his college career. In addition to his big arm, Dingler has athleticism that is rarely matched at the catcher position and has used his time at Ohio State to refine his catching ability to make himself into a great all-around defensive catcher. The question with Dingler comes with the bat. While his bat was a little underwhelming in his first two college seasons, Dingler can out of the gates red hot in 2020. However, the season being cut short really hurt his possibility to establish what he can do with the bat. Unfortunately, that is not the case, so I’m still not entirely sold on Dingler’s bat based on just 13 games against a relatively weak non-conference schedule that Ohio State had played against. 36. Jordan Westburg, Mississippi State Pos: SS | B/T: R/R | Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 190 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: Never Scouting Grades Hit: 50 Power: 50 Run: 55 Throw: 55 Field: 50 Overall: 50 Jordan Westburg is a player I have gone back and forth on quite a bit. At one point I considered not having him even make the top 50 list, but in the end I find myself believing in his strong showing in the Cape Cod League last summer, followed up by a strong start to the 2020 season, which is why Westburg finds himself at number 36 on my list. One thing I like to see from college players is continued development year to year. That is something Westburg showed in his time at Mississippi State. After putting up a mere .707 OPS as a part time starter his freshman season in 2018, Westburg followed that up with a .859 OPS in 2019, followed by a .901 OPS in the Cape Cod League last summer, before putting up a .949 OPS in 16 games this spring. Westburg plays a fine shortstop, but many scouts believe that he will find his future home at either second or third base, due to his size. If he needs to do so, this will make it a lot tougher for him to pave his way to the bigs, without continued improvement to his bat, especially in the power department. 35. Cole Henry, LSU Pos: RHP | Height: 6’4” | Weight: 215 | Age: 20 Previously Drafted: 38th Round, 2018 (DET) Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 Curveball: 60 Changeup: 55 Control: 50 Overall: 50 Cole Henry was a member of the loaded 2018 LSU recruiting class, and after starting his freshman season as a weekday starter, he pitched his way to the top of the starting rotation, becoming the Tigers number one starter for the postseason. Henry has great stuff, with three above-average pitches, and the prototypical build to be a frontline starting pitcher. His fastball with usually hover in the low-to-mid 90’s, with some good life. Henry can also break off a nasty curveball that gets hitters to swing-and-miss with regularity. Followed by a changeup, that can get hitters out from both sides of the plate. Depending on how much teams are willing to pay for Henry, he could find his way back to Baton Rouge, for what will only be his junior season, and put together another strong season, and vault himself way up draft boards. 34. Dax Fulton, Mustang HS, OK Pos: LHP | Height: 6' 6" | Weight: 220 | Age: 18 Commitment: Oklahoma Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 Curveball: 65 Changeup: 50 Control: 55 Overall: 50 Last summer, Dax Fulton was considered by many to be one of the top high school left-handers in the 2020 class. That took a hit last year, when Fulton injured his elbow requiring Tommy John surgery. A decade ago, this may have completely ruined Fulton’s chances of getting drafted, but with the advances in this surgery, it is no longer considered the career ender that it previously was. Prior to his injury, Fulton threw a fastball that would hover around the 90 MPH mark with good control, but he has the frame to add a few more ticks to that fastball as he matures. He paired that pitch up with a big breaking curveball that is one of the better breaking pitches in this class. It will be interesting to see if a team takes a flyer on Fulton, given the draft format for this season. In previous year’s he would be more likely to find a team willing to pay big on a riskier pitcher, but that might be hard to do this year. 33. Jordan Walker, Decatur HS, GA Pos: 3B | B/T: R/R | Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 220 | Age: 18 Commitment: Duke Scouting Grades Hit: 50 Power: 60 Run: 50 Throw: 55 Field: 50 Overall: 50 Jordan Walker is a big kid, with a smooth swing, that will generate a lot of power as he matures. Walker is my highest ranked third base prospect in this draft, so teams looking to add young depth at the hot corner in their farm systems will be looking at Walker as early as the latter part of the first round. Walker’s best attribute, both now and into the future, is far and away his power. He uses the leverage generated from his 6’5” frame well to generate swing speed. His is a bit long and will need some work as he matures to shorten that down a bit. Defensively, the team that drafts Walker should give him every opportunity to try and develop at third base. Despite his size, Walker is able to move around pretty well and has a big enough arm to play third base. 32. Carson Montgomery, Windermere HS, FL Pos: RHP | Height: 6' 2" | Weight: 200 | Age: 17 Commitment: Florida State Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 Slider: 60 Changeup: 45 Control: 45 Overall: 50 Carson Montgomery is one of the more intriguing prospects to see where he ends up on draft night. He is a player that likely ranks is drastically different spots on different team’s draft boards, depending on how they project his skillset going forward. Montgomery features an exciting combination of a mid 90’s fastball, coupled with a sharp breaking slider that he can use to dominate opposing hitters. He also won’t turn 18 until a couple of months after the draft, so he still has plenty of time left to develop. What might give teams pause is the concern Montgomery could end up in the bullpen long-term. As of now he doesn’t have much feel for the changeup, which will be needed if Montgomery wants to stick in the starting rotation. The other concern is Montgomery can be quite wild at times. Both problems are fixable, but make Montgomery a riskier prospect. 31. Drew Romo, The Woodlands HS, TX Pos: C | B/T: S/R | Height: 6' 1" | Weight: 205 | Age: 18 Commitment: LSU Scouting Grades Hit: 45 Power: 50 Run: 45 Throw: 70 Field: 65 Overall: 50 In a catching class made up primarily of hitters first at the top of the draft, Drew Romo is unquestionably the best defensive catcher available. For me he is reminiscent of Will Banfield, who I had ranked as the 32nd best prospect in the 2018 MLB Draft. Romo is extremely comfortable behind the plate, who excels at both his receiving ability and his blocking ability. However, Romo’s best trait from behind the plate is his cannon for an arm. He shows it off consistently, and his Pop Times are already up there with some of the top catchers at the major league level. There were a lot of question marks with Romo’s bat, but he has shown at least enough ability to hit, to where he could one day develop into an average hitting major league catcher. With his defense, Romo’s floor is a great defensive catcher, but if he can get better with the bat, he has an incredibly high ceiling. Rest of the 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospects 2020 MLB Draft Top 50 Prospect: 41-50 MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The 2020 MLB Draft will be one like we have never seen before. With the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, many adjustments to the normal operations of MLB were made, one of them being to the MLB draft. Instead of the typical 40-round draft, this year’s draft will consist of just five rounds. It will be additionally tricky, given that all of the amateur seasons this spring were either cut short, or never started at all. This makes scouting a little more difficult than usual, but nonetheless will be very important. So, let us take a look at the players that I have ranked in my top 50 for this year’s draft, starting with players ranked 41 through 50.50. Drew Bowser, Harvark-Westlake HS, Studio City, CA Pos: 3B | B/T: R/R | Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 205 | Age: 18 Commitment: Stanford Scouting Grades Hit: 50 Power: 65 Run: 50 Throw: 55 Field: 50 Overall: 50 Drew Bowser has about as much raw power as any prospect in this draft, college or prep. He has a big frame that still has room to fill out and develop even more pop than he already has. Bowser used this power to win the home run derby at the Perfect Game All-American classic last year. The question mark for Bowser will be his all-around hitting ability. He has shown a little inconsistency at many of the major prep showcases, which gives scouts pause. However, if he can get in with the right hitting coaches to refine his swing, Bowser has the potential to be a middle-of-the-order hitter in an MLB lineup. Like many high school infielders, Bowser currently plays shortstop, where he can hold his own defensively pretty well, but his size will force him over to third base at the professional level, where his big arm will play nicely. 49. Chase Davis, Franklin HS, Elk Grove, CA Pos: OF | B/T: L/L | Height: 6' 1" | Weight: 210 | Age: 18 Commitment: Arizona Scouting Grades Hit: 55 Power: 60 Run: 50 Throw: 65 Field: 50 Overall: 50 Just like Drew Bowser, Chase Davis is a California prep star with plenty of pop in his bat. However, Davis does it playing in the outfield, where he has all of the physical tools that are necessary to be a major league caliber right-fielder. Davis possesses excellent bat control for someone that swings the bat as hard as he does. This is a big part as to why I gave him an above-average grade to go along with his plus power. He will need to have these parts of his game carry him in order to make it one day at the major league level. Defensively, Davis isn’t anything to write home about, but he does have enough speed to be at least a decent right fielder. However, Davis does possess possibly the strongest arm of any prep outfielder in this class. 48. Burl Carraway, Dallas Baptist Pos: LHP | Height: 6’0” | Weight: 175 | Age: 20 Previously Drafted: Never Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 Curveball: 65 Control: 40 Overall: 50 If there was any player in this draft that had a shot at making an MLB roster during the 2020 season it would be Dallas Baptist closer Burl Carraway. His stuff is already at a high enough level to fit into an MLB bullpen, and given that he has thrown only 9 1/3 innings so far this spring, he should have plenty in the tank to pitch deep into the season. Burl makes his money with an electric fastball and a big breaking curveball. This two-pitch combo has helped Carraway strike out 15.7 batters per nine, while collecting 11 saves for the Patriots over the past two seasons. The only drawback with Carraway, however, is the erratic control he has shown. Between 2019 and 2020, Carraway has walked 28 batters in just 51 innings pitched. This will need to be improved before he can make any real impact for a major league club. 47. Tanner Burns, Auburn Pos: RHP | Height: 6’0” | Weight: 215 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: 37th Round, 2017 (NYY) Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 Curveball: 55 Changeup: 50 Control: 50 Overall: 50 Tanner Burns has put up some impressive numbers against SEC competition in his three seasons at Auburn. He has been in a full-time starting role since 2018, and in that time, Burns has a 2.86 ERA, with 10 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 across 36 starts. Burns sits in the low-to-mid 90’s with his fastball, and pairs that with a strong curveball that may just be his best pitch. He also shows a changeup, that at times flashes some potential, but is still a little inconsistent at this point. For a team looking for a safe pick, Burns might be a pitcher to target, as he has already shown what he can do against quality hitters. However, his upside is limited to at most a number three starter in an MLB rotation, which will likely push him into day two of the draft. 46. Kevin Parada, Loyola HS, Los Angeles, CA Pos: C | B/T: R/R | Height: 6' 0" | Weight: 200 | Age: 18 Commitment: Georgia Tech Scouting Grades Hit: 55 Power: 55 Run: 50 Throw: 60 Field: 45 Overall: 50 We are just five players in, and Kevin Parada is already the third prep position player from California to make the list. Parada is one of the better prep hitting prospects at the catcher position that I have seen over the past few years. Parada has an excellent feel at the plate, and attacks pitches with a smooth and contact swing that helps him compete with some of the best arms in the country. He can also generate some power with his swing, that could make him a rare all-around offensive threat at catcher. The concern with Parada, however, is his ability to stay behind the plate. He hasn’t shown the greatest feel for receiving pitches and isn’t the greatest blocker. If he can’t stay at catcher long term, he could make the transition to right field, where he has adequate speed, a big arm and enough offensive ability to play the position. 45. Jared Shuster, Wake Forest Pos: LHP | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 210 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: Never Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 Slider: 50 Changeup: 65 Control: 50 Overall: 50 Jared Shuster is player that first caught my attention last summer in the Cape Cod League, where he had a remarkable 1.41 ERA, and a 35 to 5 strikeout to walk ratio in 32 innings, going up against many of the best college hitters in the county. He backed that up in his four starts this spring, where he posted a 3.76 ERA, and an incredible 43 to 4 strikeout to walk ratio. While normally it would take a lot more than just nine impressive starts to make me think Shuster is far improved from the pitcher who had a 6.49 ERA last spring, but for Shuster that has been the case. A big reason for this is the newfound life on his fastball, which is an easy three or four ticks higher than it was this time last spring. Additionally, Shuster has drastically cut down on the walks, which was his main bugaboo previously. If Shuster had the entire 2020 college season to showcase the new pitcher that he has become, he would be an easy first-round pick. However, it will be hard for a team to pull the trigger on Shuster in the first round, based solely on such a small sample size. 44. Dylan Crews, Lake Mary HS, FL Pos: OF | B/T: R/R | Height: 6' 0" | Weight: 190 | Age: 18 Commitment: LSU Scouting Grades Hit: 55 Power: 55 Run: 50 Throw: 50 Field: 55 Overall: 50 Prior to the 2019 summer, Dylan Crews was thought of by many as one of the top prep hitters in the 2020 class. That stock took a bit of a hit due to a poor performance during the summer circuit. But he still has enough ability, and potential, to land him firmly inside my top 50. Crews possess a combination of hitting ability and power, that is coveted in this day and age. He also has a good eye at the plate, which helps him draw a lot of walks, while staying away from bad offerings. With his athletic skill set, Crews profiles better as a corner outfielder long term, as he just doesn’t have the range needed to play center. Many scouts like his arm, but I often find many of his throws to be a little underwhelming, compared to some of the better arms in this class. 43. Masyn Winn, Kingwood HS, TX Pos: RHP/SS | B/T: R/R | Height: 5' 10" | Weight: 180 | Age: 18 Commitment: Arkansas Scouting Grades Hit: 50 Power: 55 Run: 65 Throw: 65 Field: 55 Overall: 50 Fastball: 60 Slider: 55 Changeup: 50 Control: 45 Overall: 50 When talking about the best pure athletes in this draft class, you would be remiss not to mention Masyn Winn. He is a true dual threat on both the mound and as a shortstop. Personally, I see Winn as a player with a higher ceiling at shortstop, but a higher floor as a pitcher. At shortstop, Winn has all the makings of a premier defensive shortstop, thanks to his incredible range, his massive arm and fluid footwork. The question will come with his production at the plate. If he can develop into an even average MLB hitter, Winn could be a star in the making. On the mound, Winn has plus stuff. He can blow hitters away with a fastball that has been clocked as high as 98 MPH, and he can make hitters look silly with his wipe-out slider. He also has a changeup that still needs to be refined, but at times looks like it could be a third above-average pitch. However, Winn lacks the ideal size for a starting pitcher, and can struggle with his control at times, which could lead him to the bullpen in the future. 42. Justin Foscue, Mississippi St. Pos: 2B | B/T: R/R | Height: 6' 0" | Weight: 200 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: Never Scouting Grades Hit: 55 Power: 50 Run: 50 Throw: 50 Field: 50 Overall: 50 Justin Foscue is not a player that will wow you with an impressive skill set, but rather with bring a consistent everyday approach to the game. He had a very productive 2019 season in the SEC, which has helped bring Foscue into the second-round conversation. At the plate, Foscue is a polished hitter who had a .331/.395/.564 slash line, with 14 home runs in 2019. Foscue was backing that performance up again this spring, before the season was shorted. Despite the 14 home runs Foscue hit last season (which is an impressive number in the college game), Foscue really projects for just average power at the professional level. Foscue leaves a little to be desired defensively, but with improvement he should be able to play solid enough defense to stay at second base. He has a tendency to let plays get away from him, which resulted in an ugly .937 fielding percentage in 2019. However, he did show that he cleaned up much of that with his play early in 2020. 41. C.J. Van Eyk, Florida State Pos: RHP | Height: 6’1” | Weight: 200 | Age: 21 Previously Drafted: 19th Round, 2017 (NYM) Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 Curveball: 60 Slider: 45 Changeup: 55 Control: 45 Overall: 50 C.J. Van Eyk is a name that has been on scouts' radars for a number of year’s now. He was a highly regarded pitcher coming out of high school and found his way to Florida State. Van Eyk possess a solid four-pitch mix, with three of them already being above-average offerings. Van Eyk’s best pitch is his curveball, which helped him strike out 11.5 batters per nine innings in his career at Florida State. He also has an above-average fastball that sits in the low-to-mid 90’s, but can reach upper 90’s when he rears back on it, along with a changeup that is above-average also, when he locates it properly. The big concern with Van Eyk is his control, as he walked 83 batters in 176 2/3 career innings pitched at the collegiate level, including 12 in just 20 2/3 innings this spring. If he can clean that up, Van Eyk has the potential to be a number 2 or 3 starter in an MLB rotation. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article