ESPN insider thinks Twins landed a trio of sleeper prospects in MLB Draft this year
It sounds like Minnesota put together a phonemail draft class this year.
![Florida State star Jaime Ferrer is among three sleepers ESPN thinks the Minnesota Twins landed in the MLB Draft this year.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5472,h_3078,x_0,y_122/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/2/01j31z5brbvpt9hcpqk5.jpg)
The MLB Draft is officially behind us, but the journey for the prospects who were selected is just beginning.
Twenty new players joined the Minnesota Twins farm system -- assuming they all sign before the deadline -- and already a handful are being picked out as names to circle and keep an eye on. It was a top-heavy class for Minnesota, thanks in large part to the team owning four picks on the first night of action.
Kaelen Culpepper became the latest first round pick the Twins added to its farm system, but both Kyle DeBarge and Billy Amick aren't far behind. DeBarge was taken with the compensatory pick Minnesota received for losing Sonny Gray in free agency, and Amick was the team's second round pick not long after.
Dasan Hill rounded out the first batch of picks the Twins made, but it's a trio of Day 2 picks that have caught the attention of an MLB Draft expert.
3 Twins prospects named early sleepers to keep an eye on
ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel went through every team's draft class and highlighted things that stood out. For the Twins, it wasn't just a single prospect but a trio of players who are being labeled as potential sleepers right out of the gate.
[Derek] Bender, Khadim Diaw (No. 96) and Jaime Ferrer (No. 126), C. None of these three catchers are polished enough defenders to be definite backstops in the big leagues, but they all have a shot -- and the real offensive potential to make it worth trying," McDaniel wrote.
Diaw was Minnesota's third round selection on Monday, while Ferrer was taken a round later. Bender, who McDaniel deemed was the best value prospect the Twins landed, was taken in the sixth round. All three were drafted as catchers, although it remains to be seen how they'll fit in as they develop.
One look at Bender and it's pretty clear that he'll bring some energy if he's able to reach the majors someday.
Here's another Derek Bender home run. https://t.co/lIdFxIicWY pic.twitter.com/3yPRMEeOT2
— Tom Froemming (@TFTwins) July 15, 2024
There's spiciness, and then there's whatever Bender has coursing through his veins.
It wasn't just the sleeper prospects that McDaniel was high one. Minnesota's trio of top picks were highlighted as potential impact players, with Hill also getting love for what he could bring to a pitching pool brimming with talent in the minors.
What's notable about Culpepper, DeBarge, and Amick is that they're all college players and theoretically further along than some of the high school prospects drafted. We'll have to see what they do once they sign and hit the FCL, but it's not outside the realm of possibilty that at least one of them is knocking on the door of a promotion soon.
There's a lot of runway ahead of them, but it's pretty clear that Minnesota's latest draft class is setting up another wave in the youth movement.
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