With the draft quickly approaching, we take a look at who the Minnesota Twins should take with their picks in the second, fourth, and fifth rounds.
With only four picks in the five round, 2020 draft, the Minnesota Twins only have four shots at adding more talent to a deep farm system. We went over who the Twins might look at with their first selection on Saturday, so today we look at their other three picks.
With such a small number of chances to hit on their prospects, the Twins have to make it count. Fortunately for them, the Twins have a very complete Major League roster (minus a couple pitchers) and a system full of very good prospects.
This means, that the Twins will look to get some upside guys, power bats, and polished college pitchers, with the former two being players that the team can coach up. With that in mind we look at least three players for each selection the Twins will make.
Like with yesterday, the players have their MLB.com draft prospect ranking next to them for easier reading.
Minnesota Twins Pick No. 60
With this pick, the Twins will likely go for upside or reach for a player they don’t think will last until the fourth round. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have been known to make reaches that have played out well in the past (Trevor Larnach, Ryan Jeffers, and even Royce Lewis fit that mold). Don’t be surprised if they reach again.
No. 41-1B Aaron Sabato, North Carolina: Sabato really came into his own as a hitter after being lightly recruited as a high schooler out of Connecticut. If he falls (his lack of a history of production and injury history could hurt him), he’s a great fit for the Twins.
Sabato can rake, with his power drawing some comparisons to Rookie of the Year and All-Star Pete Alonso. And despite his lack of defense, he’s a patient hitter who won’t strike out a lot. It’s the power, however, that makes him a good fit for the Twins.
No. 59-LHP Jake Eder, Vanderbilt: Eder is a college pitcher who had a chance to be a second round talent out of high school, but he wanted to go to Vanderbilt. He has shown flashes of really good stuff, but his changeup lags behind. The Twins lack left-handers, and like college guys, so this could fit well.
No. 64-SS Drew Bowser, Harvard-Westlake HS (CA): If the Twins believe they can sign him away from his commitment to Stanford, Bowser would be a perfect fit for the Twins. Bowser is a strong power hitter who looks like he could be a legitimate third baseman (he will have to move).
Bowser has a hunger for the game that could help him develop into a useful producer at the next level very quickly for his age. He also has a great arm, making up for his lack of speed. He’d be a great grab if the Twins believe they can sign him.
Minnesota Twins Pick No. 128/No. 158
68 picks later (yes, that math is correct), the Twins have another chance to grab a player. In previous drafts under Falvey and Levine, the Twins pick college players in this range, so I expect them to continue that trend.
In addition, because these two picks are extremely hard to predict, we lumped them together and picked three players that the Twins could get in this range.
No. 132-3B Coby Mayo, Stoneman Douglas HS (FL): A 6’5″ monster of an eighteen-year-old, Mayo already has excellent power and comes from a school that produced studs like Anthony Rizzo and Jesus Luzardo.
He has enormous potential and a big arm, but he would have to be signed to an above slot deal, and with the Twins having the fourth-lowest draft pool money, a signing isn’t likely. If the Twins think they can strike a deal though, he’d be a great get.
No. 145-RHP Jack Leftwich, Florida: A good starter at Florida with some excellent stuff, Leftwich is a player with a relatively medium floor and a high ceiling. Despite struggles with command, Leftwich’s stuff and durability are great, so the Twins could grab him if he slides to 158.
No. 173-1B Jacob Teter, Florida Southern: Another massive player, Teter is 6’6″ with lots of power in his bat an still more to tap into with his massive frame. His defensive skills aren’t good at any position other than first but that shouldn’t deter the Twins.
Teter is really good at making contact, and even though he played Division II baseball, he balled out in the Cape Cod league, making him an attractive target for the Twins.