Early Returns: Twins 2013 Draft Class (Rounds 30-40)
By Wally Fish
After setting the table for our quick run through the Minnesota Twins 2013 draft class, it’s time to take a look at how the individual players have fared. Of the 11 picks taken between the 30th and 40th round only four of them agreed to deals.
(Photo Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)
The seven picks that didn’t sign out of this grouping were a mixed bag, but we will get to them after dealing with the guys that did join the Twins organization.
2B-Tanner Vavra (30/890) – Valparaiso University
Rookie Ball – Elizabethton Twins
Vavra had 73 hits in 221 at bats for the Crusaders this spring which led to a 0.330/.410/.394 slash line. However his 73 hits resulted in only 87 total bases (10 2B, 2 3B). His only home run came in 2012 but in addition to 149 hits (0.331) in the past two seasons he reached base an additional 70 times. 31 of those came by way of the walk and the other 39 were the result of being hit by pitch. Since joining the E-Twins he’s hit 0.257/.361/.292 with 16 BB, 31 SO and 3 HBP in 35 games but he’s been picking up hits with greater frequency of late. Vavra has a hit in 12 of 13 and is hitting 0.364/.405/.485 with three of his four extra-base hits in his last 10 games. In the field he’s played 2B exclusively since signing and has made only 5 errors in 157 chances.
SS-Carlos Avila (32/950) – California State University, Dominguez Hills
Rookie Ball – Elizabethton Twins
Avila hit 0.287/.366/.380 in 44 games this spring with the Toros and has hit 0.213/.329/.230 in 22 games since signing with the Twins. The 23-year old SS is a bit behind the curve right off the bat given his age, and his performance at the plate in the early going has been far from eye opening. One positive to take away, however, is that he hasn’t slipped into a long hitless funk and has drawn 10 walks in 74 PA. On the flipside, he’s managed just two hits in a game just once thus far. Defensively Avila’s made five errors in 81 chances good for a 0.938 fielding percentage.
OF-Ivory Thomas (34/1010) – California State University, Dominguez Hills
Rookie Ball – GCL Twins
As a college senior draftee, and teammate of Avila, Thomas signed well after the deadline (August 8th) and has only nine games as a professional on his resume to date. He’s hit 0.250/.351/.313 in 38 plate appearances overall but has five hits in his last three games. The 21-year old has swiped five bases, scored five runs and has drawn four walks early on. In his senior season with the Toros, Ivory hit 0.383/.523/.511 with 29 BB and 19 SB in 44 games so what we’ve seen early on in the GCL is representative of his skill set.
LHP-Seth Wagner (39/1160) – Mifflin County HS (PA)
Rookie Ball – GCL Twins
Has a 4.05 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in four relief appearances while allowing just two hits. Wagner has issued five walks while striking out six in his 6.2 innings of work. In three of his four appearances he hasn’t given up a run and while the SO-to-BB isn’t all that appealing, he handed out four of those walks in his 0.2 outing on Wednesday. Wagner pitched yesterday and had his best day as a professional. In 3.0 innings he faced just 10 batters with one hit, one walk and two strikeouts.
Unsigned Picks:
Two of the picks were high school players: RHP A.J. Bogucki (31/920) and OF-Steven Sensley (33/980). Both were top-500 pre-draft prospects as ranked by Baseball America. Bogucki #383 was considered to be a very difficult sign given his commitment to the University of North Carolina. Sensley #344 was committed to and set to attend a junior college (LSU-Eunice) prior to the draft.
Three of the picks we selected out of the JC/CC ranks: LHP-Nick Lemoncelli (35/1040), OF-Julian Service (37/1100), OF-Kelly Starnes (40/1190). Lemoncelli signed a letter of intent to attend Utah Valley University. Service, a native of Ontario, was drafted in the 21st round of the 2012 MLB draft by the Baltimore Orioles but elected to attend Northeast Texas Community College instead. He’s off to Howard County Junior College in Texas for the 2013-2014 year. Starnes played for Los Medanos Junior College this past spring and I haven’t been able to find any information on what his next step is.
The other two selections came from the college ranks: RHP-Joe Greenfield (36/1070) and RHP-Javier Salas (38/1130). Greenfield was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 22nd round last June out of South Suburban College (IL) but elected to play for Eastern Illinois University instead of signing. After falling 14 rounds, it’s hard to fault the 21-year old righty from deciding to return to EIU for his senior season. He will lose leverage but that is easily offset by the fact that a solid season should boost his stock. Salas was a long shot to pry away from attending the University of Miami for his senior season and falling to the 38th round all but sealed the fact that he’d return to school.