Minnesota Twins’ Marco Raya: Pick Grade and Scouting Report

With the 128th pick in the MLB Draft, the Minnesota Twins select Marco Raya, a right-handed pitcher from United South HS (TX).

We’re almost through to the end folks! The Minnesota Twins only had four picks tonight, and we’ve now made it through their third pick of the evening. The Twins nabbed another really high upside player here in Marco Raya.

Marco Raya is a 17-year-old pitcher from Laredo, Texas who really just broke onto the scene this year. Raya is 6’1″ and 170 pounds, a little undersized, but he still could be growing. The problem with trying to scout him though is there isn’t a lot out there on him.

He definitely wasn’t someone who I thought the Twins would look at with this pick, but we’re running with it. Prospect Select offered some breakdown on him as well, giving him a 9.33 out of 10 on a pro rating scale.

His main pitch is his fastball, a pitch that topped out in the mid-90s and has a ton of life to it. He has a four pitch mix (with a lot of spin) and he shows some maturity for his age, both of which are huge plus signs for upside.

Here are some videos that display the movement on his pitches:

Now there’s questions about him too. Some wonder if he’ll be a reliever, as his durability is questioned because of size. In addition, there’s so little known about him. He’s an analytical dream, as his spin numbers scream top of the rotation.

Both of the Minnesota Twins’ top two picks are college kids who are almost certain to sign with the Twins. Raya is a the first pitcher selected, and while he has a ton of upside, he’s extremely young. On the bright side, Raya isn’t in danger of going anywhere:

Because the Twins were able to sign him, this is a great pick. There’s still a lot of unknown, but if Raya grows an inch or two and is able to add more to his frame, his fastball will get faster and the Twins will harness his analytical skill. This could be a very good pick.

Minnesota Twins Grade: A-.