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Minnesota Twins 2017 draft class has a star in Royce Lewis and great depth

By Nate Palmer

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 17: Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey of the Minnesota Twins holds up a jersey with number one overall draft pick Royce Lewis and agent Scott Boras at a press conference on June 17, 2017 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 17: Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey of the Minnesota Twins holds up a jersey with number one overall draft pick Royce Lewis and agent Scott Boras at a press conference on June 17, 2017 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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No. 35 Overall Selection: 1B/OF Brent Rooker

The Twins selected slugger Brent Rooker out of Mississippi State mainly because of his ability to hit the baseball. He has continued to showcase that he has a professional approach to baseball and working on his craft to become a good hitter at each level. After the draft, Rooker began his career in Elizabethton where he hit .282/.364/.588 with a .952 OPS, five doubles and seven home runs.

Then like Lewis, Rooker skipped a level and went straight to Fort Myers. In 40 games with the Miracle, Rooker hit .280/.364/.552 and a .917 OPS. He also logged six doubles, 11 home runs, and 35 RBIs. That set Rooker up to continually be pushed aggressively through the Twins minor league system and he began the 2018 season at Double-A Chattanooga.

Rooker is off to a bit of a slow start to begin the season but has still proven to be an impactful bat in a good Lookouts lineup. Rooker’s numbers sit at .233/.278/.374 with a .653 OPS, nine doubles and four home runs. Even with a slow start, Rooker could easily find his groove at the plate again and still see a promotion to Triple-A Rochester. There he would give a boost to a lineup lacking power. It also wouldn’t be inconceivable to see the 23-year-old in the majors sometime within the next couple seasons depending on how he continues to develop. Not to mention, Rooker is an excellent follow on Twitter always keeping his followers entertained.

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