With the 13th pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, the Minnesota Twins selected Keoni Cavaco, a shortstop from East Lake High School in Chula Vista, California.
MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis updated his mock on Friday and had the Twins picking Cavaco, saying “no first-rounder has more helium at the moment than Cavaco.”
Basically, Cavaco went from a projected second-round pick to a first rounder: “one of the best power/speed combinations in the 2019 prep class and showed the potential for plus tools across the board,” writes Callis. “He since has wowed teams with a series of private workouts, boosting his stock even higher.”
The Twins said all along that they’d likely go with the best player available.
“I just think you take the best possible player at the end of the day,” says Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey. “We haven’t ruled out – because we’ve taken a college bat and we’ve taken a high school bat so far – so we wouldn’t rely on any type of profile, even in the early rounds.”
Here some of the 13th picks who’ve gone on to have solid careers in the big leagues.
- 2014 – Trea Turner, SS, Nationals
- 2013 – Hunter Renfroe, RF, Padres
- 2010 – Chris Sale, LHP, White Sox
- 2003 – Aaron Hill, SS, Blue Jays
- 1994 – Paul Konerko, C, Dodgers
- 1991 – Manny Ramirez, 3B, Indians
Meanwhile, no rush for the MLB-leading Twins as the still have a boatload of prospects in the minors on the rise, including 2017 No. 1 overall pick, shortstop Royce Lewis.
