The 2013 MLB draft has come and gone. The Twins have added somewhere between 20 and 40 new players to their organization and I have no clue who 99% of them are. I do have access to Baseball Reference and the internet as a whole. In an effort to better acquaint myself with some future Twins, I will also subject each of you to a bunch of clumsily constructed jokes and feeble attempts at punnery. In that way, we all benefit.
I also plan to make statements regarding players I have never seen. But then, that's what makes me such a colorful character/scamp.
1st Round Pick
With the fourth pick in the 2013 MLB Rule 4 draft, the Minnesota Twins selected Kohl Stewart, a right-handed starting pitcher out of St. Pius X High School in Tomball, Texas. Now that all the formal stuff is out of the way, I need to figure out a good way to work in a Kohls "joke." Stewart is an exciting young player. He throws hard and apparently has a nasty slider. I watched some video of him and I don't see any future loose or torn ligaments, so that's positive.
I feel a bit badly for him, as he has to follow the legend of Byron Buxton, but hopefully everyone will remember that each player is different and we're all humans and be kind rewind, and whatnot. I know that I am excited that there is even a possibility that the Twins just selected a player who could one day become an Ace.
Ah, but what if?
The 2013 draft was characterized by the emergence of a "big three." Mark Appel and Jonathan Gray are two college pitchers considered to be high-end talents with great stuff and great command. Each could move through their new systems quickly. Kris Bryant is a power-hitting third baseman. Power-hitting is an understatement. At one point, he had hit more home runs than about 75% of college teams. Teams, Jerry! Each was drafted in the top three, so the Twins did not even have an opportunity to grab them. But what if they had dropped?
It seems the Twins would have taken Stewart anyway, which would have opened them up to criticism. Luckily for everyone, Stewart was the best available player at 4 and the Twins liked him a lot. Win win.
Best Late Round Pick
The guy from Minnesota, right? Logan Shore pitched for Coon Rapids High School and the Twins drafted him in the 29th round. From what it sounds like, he will not sign with the Twins and instead will head to the University of Florida. I had a mean Coon Rapids joke here, but I don't have the heart for it. I love Coon Rapids. They have a Popeyes.
Who'll be the first to reach the Majors?
I have no clue. However, second-round pick Ryan Eades seems like he could make it to Minnesota before anyone else. Eades is far from MLB-ready, but he is older than many of the players the Twins drafted. Age is more than a number, Aaliyah. Eades didn't strike out a lot of batters in college, but coming to the Twins organization should solve that issue. Plus, he already had his major arm surgery, so that certainly gives him an additional boost. If he is good enough, he could be the first.
Best Prospects
- Kohl Stewart is by far the best prospect from this group. That doesn't mean that a couple guys can't jump up and join him, but when you look at this equation, it's hard to argue for anyone else: age + stuff + delivery + Texas + pitcher + upside + name stars with K + K stands for strikeout = best prospect.
- Ryan Eades seemed to be a bit of an unpopular pick. His strikeout rate made everyone nutty, assuming the Twins had reverted back to their P2C ways. However, I actually like this pick. Eades has performed well in college and has held up after his labrum surgery. The 43rd pick is hardly a place where constant all-stars are found. If Eades can be a 4th or 5th starter, this would be a fantastic pick.
- 4th-round pick Stephen Gonsalves could be a guy who jumps up the Twins' prospect list, if he develops. Check out his pospect video. There's a lot going on in that wind-up, but his delivery looks fine. Working with pro coaches can only help. Anyway, he looks projectable, he's 6'5", he's left-handed, he throws in the 90s already, he looks athletic and he has a sweet name. I'm drooling. This could be a great pick.
- 3rd-round pick Stuart Turner, 6th-round pick Brian Navarretto, and 9th-round pick Mitchell Garver all share one quality: they protect the umpires. As catchers, they also represent one of the weaker areas in the Twins system. Each is considered a good defensive catcher, while Navarretto probably has some added offensive upside. He has also already punched at least one opposing player. Turner had great stats, but isn't considered to have much offensive upside. However, if any of these three can become even a quality backup catcher, it would be a win. Everyone loves home runs, but singles and walks win games too. Analogy!
Best Name
35th-Round Pick Nick Lemoncelli
Fun Facts
- The Twins selected Tanner Vavra in the 30th round. Not only is he Joe Vavra's son, but he is also blind in one eye. That's amazing. I literally have better than perfect vision (20/15, I know, bragger) and I can't hit a baseball to save my life. Good for him, I hope he makes it.
- Torii Hunter Jr was drafted in the 36th round, by Torii Hunter's Detroit Tigers. If you asked me, "Brad, what is Torii Hunter's son's name? Bear in mind, you get one guess and if you are wrong, I get to punch you in the trachea," I would guess Torii. In fact, it wouldn't shock me if Torii names all his kids, pets, bats, gloves, and just about anything Torii. The man loves Torii. Proof of concept - I asked my wife the same question (no trachea threat). Her response - Torii Jr. She didn't even hesitate.
- Zack Granite was drafted in the 14th round. If baseball doesn't work out, he would make a beautiful statue.
- The Twins did not draft Cory Hahn. The Diamondbacks selected him in the 34th round. If you don't know his story, Hahn was paralyzed when he slid into second base in his third college game with ASU. Hahn was a legit player, winning California's Mr. Baseball in 2010 and playing for Team USA while in high school. He wore number 34 for ASU and the Diamondbacks took him in round 34. Very cool. They want to get him into their front office. Baseball is cool.
It's lunacy to think that any of these guys will play for the Twins in 2013. However, I do think there is an outside chance that Eades and/or Turner play for the 2015 Twins. If Turner is as good defensively as advertised, he might be able to back-up Joe Mauer in a couple seasons. If Eades is as "Twinspitchery" as advertised, he could be a spot starter by 2015.
One Sentence Summary
Twins Daily dominated 2013 Twins draft coverage.
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