MLB Draft: 5 prospects Twins could target with No. 5 pick
- Twins have 5th overall pick in this year's MLB Draft
- MLB Draft will take place on Sunday, July 9th
By Josh Hill
With the MLB Draft right around the corner, the Minnesota Twins will have a few different options to choose from when they go on the clock at No. 5 overall.
Thanks to the new MLB Draft Lottery that was instituted as part of the new CBA, the Twins are selecting at their highest position since taking Royce Lewis with the No. 1 pick back in 2017. It's been a bit of a rough stretch since then, although last year's selection of Brooks Lee at No. 8 overall has caused some serious excitement.
Who will join Lee as the next young prospect to get hyped about?
There seems to be six players who are locked into being the top guys in the draft this year, but that doesn't guarantee they'll be picked in that order. Basbeall uses slot value and assigns each team a certain amount of money it can spend on bonuses for players it drafts. That usually doesn't complicate things too much but it's something taken into consideration when making a decision on which prospect to select.
For what it's worth, the Twins bonus pool amount this year is $14.3 million.
MLB Draft: 5 prospects Twins could target with No. 5 pick
5. Max Clark, OF - Franklin High School (Indiana)
The Twins have been connected to Max Clark for some time, and he's one of the most likley prospects to get to them at No. 5 overall. He's one of the best hitters in the draft and recently won National Player of the Year as the best high school ballplayer in the country.
Of the two top high schoolers in the draft, Clark is the higher-rated prospect and would be able to marinate in the Twins farm system for a season or two if he decides to sign. He's only 18 years old, which means there's a long road ahead before he gets the call to be a piece of the Twins core but he's an excellent investment at a position the Twins love to draft .
4. Walker Jenkins, OF, South Brunswick High School (North Carolina)
The other high schooler to keep an eye on for the Twins is Walker Jenkins, who is a close second to Max Clark.
Clark is the pick between the two, but there's a chance he ends up getting selected before the Twins go on the clock. If that happens -- and all of the other names to watch are gone as well -- Jenkins will be hard to pass on.
According to Keith Law, the Twins are leaning towards a college player if their top choices are gone but have Jenkins rated almost as highly.