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Happy Draft Day! I’m more excited about Draft Day than I am for Christmas, but that probably says more about me than I want it to.
Anywho, we will start TwinkieTown’s Draft Day coverage with a list of some final mock drafts, which all seem to be centering in on a few names that have been mentioned in the bats... I mean past!
Jim Callis and Jonathon Mayo, MLBPipeline.com
A few days ago Jim Callis made some noise by mocking prep 3B Keoni Cavaco to the Twins at 13. In his penultimate mock draft last night/this morning, Jonathon Mayo went a bit more traditional, having the Twins select Baylor C Shea Langeliers, who has been mocked to the Twins multiple times in the past.
Langeliers had a monster day in the NCAA tournament this weekend, going 5-5 with 3 homers and 11(!!!) RBI. Maybe that performance gives the catcher some helium today. It is notable that Mayo has this selection even though UNLV SS Bryson Stott was still on the board, mocking the slick-hitting infielder to the Phillies with the 14th pick.
Mayo does mention Cavaco as a high-upside option with this pick as well.
Keith Law, ESPN (paywall)
Like with his previous mock draft, Law has the Twins in on UNLV SS Bryson Stott, which has been a popular pick for many draft evaluators.
An interesting note that Law updated right around noon Eastern Time is that the Twins are also interested in North Carolina State SS Will Wilson. Wilson is expected to move to 2B in pro ball, but has had a great track record in three years of college ball in the strong ACC conference. Wilson would provide a similar safe floor as Stott as a great college performer, while likely being able to sign for less and save the slot money for later on. While Stott has the better hit tool and is more likely to stay at SS, Wilson has more current and potential power, from the right side.
It was a morning-of-the draft update that first linked the Twins to Royce Lewis back in 2017. So let’s see if anything comes of this. Wilson could potentially be available at pick 39, although his history of performance should see him selected in the first round.
Carlos Collazo, et al., Baseball America (paywall)
Like with MLB.com, Carlos Collazo and the Baseball America bunch have the Twins selecting Baylor C Shea Langeliers.
This selection might save the Twins a little money on their first pick, but it would also bolster some solid catching depth in the Twins minor league system, headed by Ben Rortvedt at Double-A Pensacola and Ryan Jeffers at High-A Fort Myers. Langeliers could easily see time at Single-A Cedar Rapids this summer, giving the Twins legitimate catching prospects at three of their 4 full-season farm teams—great depth for the future or a trade.
Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel, Fangraphs
With the Fangraphs guys mocking Bryson Stott to the Twins, there is a 50/50 split between Stott and Shea Langeliers.
Stott is probably my favorite player that will likely be eligible for the Twins at 13 on a pound-for-pound basis, meaning before you factor in under-slot deals that would go for the 39th pick and beyond.
With Wander Javier finally getting into the action at Single-A Cedar Rapids and Royce Lewis at High-A Fort Myers, Stott would add incredible depth to the system that also features Nick Gordon at Triple-A Rochester, who is seemingly having a renaissance season now that he is back from injury. The addition of Stott, along with Jorge Polanco’s recent extension, would likely make Gordon available on the trade block, and could even mean that Javier would be available for the right price (Marcus Stroman).
Thoughts
The big buzz of the morning has been the general consensus that a lot of deals will be made after the first 5 picks or so.
If the Twins stick to slot, you can easily see the Stott, Langeliers, and Jung trio as primary options. I like all three players and they would easily become top 10 prospects in the Twins system. If the Twins were to make a deal, Keoni Cavaco would be the high-upside option while Will Wilson would be a very good high-floor college bat choice (Brian Dozier comps, maybe?).
All five of these players would be a boost to the Twins farm system, and who knows, maybe all of these evaluators are wrong. Stay tuned to TwinkieTown to find out! The MLB Draft starts at 6 P.M. Central Time and is available to watch on MLB.com.