Whether it’s owning the worst record in baseball or getting in a debate over the sport’s unwritten rules, the 2021 season has been a disaster so far for the Minnesota Twins – but there could be a silver lining when it comes to the 2022 MLB Draft.
Florida outfielder Elijah Green is projected to be one of the top prospects in next year’s class. According to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson, one non-Twins front office member said that Greene is “the elite of the elite for draft prospects” and if this were the NBA teams should tank for his services.
A non-#MNTwins front office higher up to me this week about Green (yes, I started to go down the rabbit hole of MN having a high pick next year): "If this was the NBA, there would be teams tanking for him." Elijah Green is said to be the elite of the elite for draft prospects. https://t.co/Scbzaghuw7
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) May 19, 2021
At age 17, Green already projects as a five-tool outfielder at the next level. He stands at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds and posted a 6.2 second time in the 60-yard dash, but his greatest quality is his approach at the plate. According to ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel, some scouts have compared him to Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr.
2022 Elijah Green @IMGABaseball
Round 2 here for green.
Sits back on a hanging CB and absolutely torches it.
Exit velo 109 MPH
Distance traveled 433 ft#PBRpsc21 @ShooterHunt @PBRFlorida @NathanRode pic.twitter.com/TkMjVeyVDs— Jesse Litsch (@JesseLitsch) February 11, 2021
“Scouts have no problem saying that which gives you an idea of what kind of talent this is,” McDaniel told LakePoint Sports. “…He’s a top-of-the-scale runner with top-of-the-scale power. He’s facing pitchers older than him every day. He can play center field. He basically checks every box.”
While Green’s profile is one that could lead to superstardom, it does have some questions. Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo pointed out that only six high school outfielders have been selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft but Greene could have been a high pick if he were eligible in this year’s class.
“His father, Eric, played in the NFL as a tight end for 10 seasons and it’s not difficult to see those pro bloodlines,” Colazo said in his latest Stock Watch column. “What separates him already is an advanced offensive approach and the Miami commit showed great understanding of how pitchers would attack him and how he could adjust and respond within at-bats.”
With all of the positive reports surrounding Green, it could be tempting for Twins fans to dream of an outfield where he slots in between Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach. However, there is one hang-up that could keep him away from Minnesota.
“Some of the cold [weather] teams is not for me,” Green laughed during an interview with LakePoint Sports. “It’s not for me being from Florida.”
With the Twins on pace for 106 losses, they might not have to tank to land the No. 1 overall pick. Should that happen, Green could add some optimism to a team that doesn’t have much at the moment.
