The Twins are on the clock as the MLB Draft is coming up in June and Minnesota owns the top pick.
Although there’s no consensus No. 1, there’s been a ton of hype for prep star Hunter Greene out of California. Sports Illustrated called him the LeBron James of baseball.
However, it appears the Twins are expected to pass on Greene, according to Jon Heymana of FanRag Sports.
Heyman notes Greene is a gamble because he only has high school experience. He’s a two-position athlete, playing pitcher as well as a shortstop, but most outlets agree he’ll be a pitcher at the major league level.
“The choice seems to have come down to Vanderbilt pitcher Kyle Wright, Louisville pitcher/first baseman Brendan McKay and San Juan Capistrano Junipero Serra shortstop Royce Lewis,” Heyman said. “With rivals suggesting they see Wright as the most likely of the three.”
Last April, Greene decided to stop pitching for the remainder of spring. The move was made by his high school coach but MLB.com notes he’ll still throw bullpen sessions to stay in shape for the draft.
Scouts that have seen Greene pitch say he touches triple digits on the radar gun.
The last time the Twins had the No. 1 pick was in 2001 when they took some local kid named Joe Mauer over the more “polished product” Mark Prior. Mauer wound up winning an MVP and three bating titles, and has been named to six All-Star games.
The MLB Draft is June 12 in Secaucus, New Jersey.
