The Minnesota Twins had high expectations for the fourth overall pick of the 2013 MLB Draft, but his rocky run ended after being outrighted on Monday.
When the Minnesota Twins selected Kohl Stewart with the fourth overall pick of the 2013 MLB Draft, there were high hopes for the prep star out of Texas. Armed with a blazing fastball, the Twins took a chance that they could develop his raw talent into a top of the rotation arm that Minnesota needed desperately in the dark years of the early 2010s.
Instead of finding their next ace, the Twins found their next draft bust as Stewart’s velocity faded and even though he found his way to Minnesota, the Twins opted to move on as they outrighted the right-hander on Monday.
Stewart’s journey to the major leagues didn’t come as many expected as he struggled to dominate opposing hitters even as he was pushed through the Twins system. Although his 3.60 ERA in the minor leagues was respectable, his strikeouts per nine innings underwhelmed outside of an 8.4 clip in 2018 and by the time he reached the majors, he was more of an afterthought than a future All-Star.
Stewart made his major league debut in 2018 for the Twins and posted a 2-1 record and 3.68 ERA in 36 2/3 innings, but struggled mightily last season going 2-2 with a 6.39 ERA in 25 1/3 inning and watching his K/9 rate drop to a measly 3.6.
With the Twins looking to add as much impact pitching as possible this winter, the Twins decided to open up a roster spot instead of holding out hope for a rebound season in 2020. With all of the expectations that were attached to Stewart coming in, his flameout puts him in the conversation as one of the biggest draft busts in Twins history.