After a third straight losing season in 2013, the Minnesota Twins will once again have a top five pick in the upcoming MLB draft.
The Twins have been able to find some success with their last two high draft picks. Byron Buxton, the Twins first-round selection and No. 2 overall pick in 2012, was named the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball by Baseball America before the 2014 season.
Buxton has had trouble staying on the field so far in 2014, dealing with a lingering wrist injury. In 2013, Buxton hit .334 while being promoted from Cedar Rapids to Fort Myers.
In 2013, the Twins selected pitcher Kohl Stewart with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft. Stewart is currently pitching for the Cedar Rapids Kernals and has a 1-2 record with a 2.93 ERA. He is the 52nd best prospect in baseball, according to Baseball America. Stewart was among four Twins prospects on the list.
In 2014, the Twins will draft fifth. According to various mock drafts, the Twins are once again looking towards pitching. Sports Illustrated’s Dave Perkin has the Twins selecting right-handed pitcher Tyler Beede from Vanderbilt.
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson said the Twins are looking into other pitching prospects at No. 5 besides Beede.
#MNTwins had VP Mike Radcliff & national crosschecker Tim O'Neil watching LSU's Aaron Nola yesterday in SEC Tourney. He was great. Hit 96.
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) May 23, 2014
Other mock drafts have the Twins taking high school shortstop Nick Gordon with the No. 5 pick. The Twins selected shortstop Levi Michael in the first round of the 2011 draft, but Michael has had trouble getting out of Class A Fort Myers.
Despite the lack of success at the major league level, it appears as though the Twins’ minor league system is beginning to reestablish itself as one of the best farm systems in Major League Baseball. Baseball Prospectus ranked the Twins’ farm system first among all major league teams.
