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Puckett's Pond

A recent history of Twins’ First-Round Picks

By Chris Schad

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 17: Number one overall draft pick Royce Lewis speaks at a press conference on June 17, 2017 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 17: Number one overall draft pick Royce Lewis speaks at a press conference on June 17, 2017 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 22: Brent Rooker #66 of the Minnesota Twins poses for a portrait during Minnesota Twins Photo Day on February 22, 2019 at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 22: Brent Rooker #66 of the Minnesota Twins poses for a portrait during Minnesota Twins Photo Day on February 22, 2019 at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

2017: OF Brent Rooker (35th Overall)

Part of the reason the Twins fans were so upset with the Lewis pick was that the main rationale was to save money. Aside from the stigma that the Pohlad family was pocketing that cash, the Twins were trying to pull a page out of the Astros playbook from 2012. In that draft, Houston selected Carlos Correa over Byron Buxton with the first overall pick and used that money to pay over slot to land Lance McCullers with the 41st overall pick.

In this case, the Twins used their cash to pay Brent Rooker, who was previously drafted by the Twins in the 38th round of the 2016 draft, but opted to not sign and play baseball at Mississippi State. After hitting .387 with 23 HR for the Bulldogs, the Twins decided to try again and signed the now 24-year old.

Rooker has already shown his enticing power, crushing 46 home runs in two-plus seasons in the Twins system. While the Twins outfield is currently crowded, Rooker seems to be pounding on the door to get in sometime between now and the end of the 2020 season.

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