Credit: MiLB.com
Twins 2013 Draft Highlights (1st pick 4th overall)
- Kohl Stewart (4)
- Ryan Eades (43)
- Stuart Turner (78)
- Stephen Gonsalves (110)
Once again, the Twins found themselves with a top five pick in 2013 following a poor 2012 season. They needed another slam dunk, and thus far, it would appear they got that.
After being taken out of high school, Stewart has been every bit as good as billed. He’s compiled a 2.36 ERA and a 7.2 K/9 ratio in two professional season. He finished last seasons with Cedar Rapids, and his time was cut short due to shoulder fatigue. The issues should be cleared up in 2015, and at just 20 years old, he’s pitched well against older competition. Stewart make waves in Fort Myers this year for the Twins.
Out of LSU, Eades was a college pitcher the Twins should have been able to accelerate. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been good. In 26 games (25 starts) for Cedar Rapids in 2014, he threw to a 5.14 ERA and walked 3.4 batters per nine innings. There hasn’t been much time, if any at all, that Eades has looked like a quality professional starter, and he will need to turn things around fast still playing rookie ball at the age of 23.
A solid backstop for the Twins, Stuart Turner has handled his own in two professional seasons thus far. He’s solid behind the plate, and he’s slashed .256/.329/.378. Power isn’t really his game, but he gets on base at a decent enough clip. Turner will need to continue to develop as he works to climb through the organization. He could start again at Fort Myers, or be bumped up to Double-A Chattanooga to start 2015.
Considering Stewart should have been a slam dunk, Gonsalves may be the biggest pick of this draft. A high school kid when taken, he’s been lights out as a pro. Pitching for Cedar Rapids and Elizabethton last season, he toted a 3.02 ERA. His career 2.39 ERA and 10.4 K/9 are extremely impressive, and he should get a crack at Fort Myers near the end of 2015 if he keeps this up.