One of the more disappointing draft picks in recent memory for the Minnesota Twins was Tyler Jay. Jay was selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2015 draft by the Twins. Jay had a fastball that originally had the Twins dreaming of what he could look like in their starting rotation; however, injuries and ineffectiveness shifted their focus to the bullpen for the former pitching prospect. However, Jay never quite put it all together with the Twins and was out of the organization by 2019.
In the years since, Jay has bounced around with stops with the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, and Milwaukee Brewers. It was the 2024 season that Jay finally made his Major League debut. In 7 innings of work between his time with the Mets and Brewers, Jay gave up 5 runs on 9 hits and 6 walks with 6 strikeouts. Still in the Brewers' organization in 2025, Jay has an impressive ERA of 0.44 in 20 appearances with their Triple-A affiliate. He may find his way back in the Brewers' bullpen before the end of the season.
Redrafting 2015 reveals how the Twins cost themselves a stacked infield
That said, Jay remains a former prospect that Twins fans would like to forget about. Keith Law of The Athletic recently mocked a redraft of the 2015 draft, and to the surprise of no one, he had the Twins making a different selection. With the No. 6 pick in his redraft, knowing what we do know, Law has the Twins taking infielder Brandon Lowe. Lowe, in reality, was selected in the third round that year by the Tampa Bay Rays.
It is fun to think about a Twins' infield, in its current form, that would have included Lowe at second base, Carlos Correa at shortstop, and a healthy Royce Lewis at third base. Of course, a healthy Lewis has proved to be just as much of a dream as it is for fans wishing that Jay wasn't the original selection in 2015.
Lowe has been a dependable player throughout his first 8 seasons. Lowe currently sits with a 16.5 fWAR for his career with 140 home runs. Honestly, Lowe could hit free agency this winter as the Rays hold a club option for 2026. If Lowe becomes a free agent, he could be an ideal target for the Twins this offseason.