6 players that the Minnesota Twins could draft in 2023
Now that the first month of the season is out of the way, we can start turning out attention to what the Minnesota Twins are going to do in the upcoming 2023 MLB Draft which will take place on July 9-11, 2023.
Just as a quick primer, the Twins pick fifth overall in this year's draft which is the highest they have picked since they took Royce Lewis first overall back in 2017. Considering how well the team is playing right now, it is far from a guarantee that they will get a pick this high anytime soon. As a result, there is a certain amount of added pressure to make the most of the opportunity they are presented with.
Here are some of the guys that COULD be available when the Twins pick at five and would be interesting picks.
2023 MLB Mock Draft: Players Minnesota Twins need to target
Chase Dollander - RHP, Tennessee
Chase Dollander was one of the favorites to be the first overall selection in the 2023 draft early on in the process, but has seemingly been passed by guys like Paul Skenes (LSU), Dylan Crews (LSU), and Wyatt Langford (Florida) in the rankings of late. Dollander features a high octane fastball, a slider that reaches the low 90's, as well as a curve and changeup that lag behind. The stuff is that of a #1 or #2 starter IF he can learn to command his pitches better, but it would be hard to lay off this kind of arm talent if he is there.
Max Clark - OF, HS
This is another guy that might not make it to the Twins at five as he has solidified himself at the top of the prep bat ranks along with Walker Jenkins. On top of elite athleticism that gives him loads of tools to play with, he has really good bat-to-ball skills especially for a prep bat. He should stick in center field, he can run, he can hit, and he has some real pop although his approach is more to hit hard line drives at the moment.
Walker Jenkins - OF, HS
Jenkins was mentioned in the Max Clark section, but deserves some mention on his own. While opinions differ on who the better player is between Clark and Jenkins, Jenkins clearly has more raw power between the two with some giving him double-plus grades in terms of raw power. He can run a bit and while he may have to move off of center field, that is not a certainty and even if he does, his arm is strong enough to profile in either of the corner outfield spots.
Jacob Gonzalez - SS, Ole Miss
Jacob Gonzalez's biggest attribute that he has going for him right now is that he has a track record of hitting in a tough college conference. As he has matured, the approach at the plate has improved and now he is a guy with a real hit tool that doesn't swing at many pitches out of the zone that also has 20-25 home run pop to back it up. There seems to be some disagreement as to whether or not he will stick at shortstop long-term due to not having the most lateral quickness, but there is enough to work with here with the bat to take that sort of risk.
Rhett Lowder - RHP, Wake Forest
College arms with a track record of performance are always in high demand, but that is arguably more the case this year than others as the college pitching class is decidedly not deep. Lowder features a fastball that is normally in the low to mid 90's that can go a tick higher on occasion. That fastball pairs well with his best pitch, his changeup, that has a ton of fade and that gets some really bad swings. He also throws a slider, but has trouble consistently landing good ones so it will need some work. Lowder doesn't have the highest ceiling in the world, but should be able to move quickly through the minors and contribute.
Enrique Bradfield Jr. - OF, Vanderbilt
This is more of a dark horse, possible underslot option if the Twins are feeling frisky. Bradfield can flat out fly which makes him a very dangerous man on the basepaths and an excellent defender in the outfield. He is definitely a contact over power profile to be sure, but he hits the ball harder than you would think for a guy of his size and sprays the ball to all fields. With the new rules in place that could make stolen bases a more prominent part of the game, the Twins could see some added value in a guy like Bradfield and they MIGHT be able to save a bit of money on the pick that they can use on overslot picks later in the draft.