TEAM: Minnesota Twins
PICK: 20 (Slot: $3,120,000)
POOL: $5,933,000
SCOUTING DIRECTOR: Sean Johnson

PREVIOUS TOP PICKS
2017: Royce Lewis, SS, JSerra Catholic HS, CA (1st overall)
2016: Alex Kirilloff, OF, Plum HS, PA (15th overall)
2015: Tyler Jay, LHP, Illinois (6th overall)
2014: Nick Gordon, SS, Olympia HS, FL (5th overall)
2013: Kohl Stewart, RHP, St. Pius X HS, TX (4th overall)

HISTORY: This is the lowest the Twins have picked since they took SS Levi Michael (North Carolina) 30th overall in 2011. Since then, they’ve injected the organization with a bunch of high school talent with picks like OF Byron Buxton (Appling County HS, GA), RHP Jose Berrios (Papa Juan HS, PR), SS Nick Gordon (Olympia HS, FL), OF Alex Kirilloff (Plum HS, PA) and OF Royce Lewis (JSerra HS, CA).

FORECAST: They don’t have the luxury of picking in the top 10 again this year, but this draft has the depth to still find impact without high picks. Minnesota also has a bonus pool in the bottom third, at about $5.9 million after trading away the 74th overall pick the week before the draft. OFs Connor Scott (Plant HS, FL) and Alek Thomas (Mount Carmel HS, IL) and LHP Ryan Weathers (Loretto HS, TN) would eat up a good chunk of that. RHP Adam Kloffenstein (Magnolia HS, TX), OF Jordyn Adams (Green Hope HS, NC), RHP Grayson Rodriguez (Central Heights HS, TX) and C Noah Naylor (St. Joan of Arc SS, ON) would represent picks similar to the last several years. RHP Sean Hjelle (Kentucky), RHP Jackson Kowar (Florida) and OF Jameson Hannah (Dallas Baptist) would still provide some upside, but likely at less cost.

Connor Scott, OF, Plant HS, FL
PBR Draft Board: 17
HIT: 40/50            POWER: 50/60            SPEED: 60/60            DEFENSE: 55/55            ARM: 55/55

One of the few high school players in the state with a true plus tool and multiple above average tools. It is a fairly easy comp him to Kyle Tucker, being from the same school, though Scott has less power and is a better runner. The swing has shown some swing-and-miss tendencies in the past, but he has appeared to level the path and cut down on the swing and miss. He works to all fields, but shows power to the middle of the field. (Doug Freeman)

Find Scott's full report in the Draft HQ.

Alek Thomas, OF, Mounta Carmel HS, IL
PBR Draft Board: 18
HIT: 40/60            POWER: 30/40            SPEED: 70/70            DEFENSE: 60/70            ARM: 40/50
Thomas has a wiry-strong frame with room for continued physical development. He’s a top-of-the-scle athlete with advanced baseball instincts. His speed and athleticism translate to game play, allowing him to be a top-level defender in center field. He hits from a relaxed, open set-up with fluid and athletic hands, generating easy bat speed. (Sean Duncan)

Find Thomas' full report in the Draft HQ.

Sean Hjelle, RHP, Kentucky
PBR Draft Board: 19
FB: 55/60            CB: 55/60            SL: 45/55            CH: 55/60
Hjelle has an extra tall, long-bodied and long-limbed frame at 6-foot-11, 225 pounds. He’s surprisingly athletic and repeats his delivery, leveraging the ball from a high-3/4 slot with a loose arm swing and good arm speed. Hjelle’s two-seam fastball sits 91-93, peaking at 94 early, and shows tail and sink in addition to steep downplane. His knuckle-curveball flashes plus at 80-83 and he throws it to both sides of the plate. He also showed an 85-87 slider and 83-86 power changeup. (David Seifert)

Find Hjelle's full report in the Draft HQ.

Ryan Weathers, LHP, Loretto HS, TN
PBR Draft Board: 20
FB: 55/60            CB: 60/70            CH: 20/50
Weathers showed two plus pitches in his second start back after winning a state title in basketball. The frame is close to mature with some physical projection remaining, and is built much like his major league father, David Weathers. He pitches with some effort and has a super quick arm with extension. He maintained his fastball velo for the first four innings, sitting 90-94. His tight curveball was a weapon all day, flashing plus-plus. He pounds the zone and projects to command his arsenal. (Tim Kay)

Find Weathers' full report in the Draft HQ.

Jackson Kowar, RHP, Florida
PBR Draft Board: 21
FB: 60/60            SL: 50/55            CH: 60/70
Kowar is wiry at 6-foot-6, 185 pounds. He has a very simple, low-effort delivery and throws from a 3/4 slot. The arm works free and easy with whip, as the ball comes out his hand very well. The fastball worked 92-94 mph, touching 97 with late, riding life. Despite a plus fastball, he seemingly pitched backwards early, working off of a plus changeup at 83-86. He threw the pitch in any count to any hitter. He showed impressive ability to control the pitch to right-handed hitters on the inner half. He also showed a feel for an above-average slider with late sweeping action at 75-78. (Doug Freeman)

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Jameson Hannah, OF, Dallas Baptist
PBR Draft Board: 22

HIT: 50/60            POWER: 45/50            SPEED: 60/60            DEFENSE: 50/55            ARM: 30/40
Hannah has a lean, athletic and fast-twitch frame at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds. He has quick, strong hands and a balanced swing. His demeanor at the plate is confident and he has elite hand-eye coordination. He takes pitches with easy rhythm, seemingly picking the ball up early out of the hand. He has above-average range in the outfield and runs easily with long strides. (Toby Bicknell)

Find Hannah's full report in the Draft HQ.

Adam Kloffenstein, RHP, Magnolia HS, TX
PBR Draft Board: 30
FB: 50/60            CB: 50/60            SL: 50/60            CH: 50/60
Kloffenstein works from a high-3/4 slot with a quick arm stroke. His fastball got up to 95 a couple of times but was mostly 92-94 through the first three innings. He had great command of four pitches with all of them coming from the same window. He features a changeup that he throws with fastball arm speed, heavy depth, and some fade. He used his changeup more the first time through the order, but did flash a couple of sliders with 11/5 shape at 84 mph. He also works in the occasional curveballl with more 12/6 shape at 79-80. (Toby Bicknell)

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Jordyn Adams, OF, Green Hope HS, NC
PBR Draft Board: 31
HIT: 30/45            POWER: 45/55            SPEED: 80/80            DEFENSE: 55/60            ARM: 45/60
Adams has a lean, projectable and athletic frame at 6-foot-2, 185. He is a premium athlete and four to five star recruit as a wide receiver in football. That athleticism shows in the field as he takes long, easy strides on the bases and in center field, chewing up tons of ground and he has the advance footwork to course correct his routes if needed. He has consistently turned in home to first times of 4.0-4.1. He could stand to get better jumps in center field, but that can come with more playing experience and he has the speed and athleticism to make up ground. At the plate, he is behind his peers, but has above-average bat speed and a smooth path. He can get big at times, adding length to his swing and causing some swing and miss, but can drive the ball with authority when he stays short. (Nathan Rode)

Find Adam's full report in the Draft HQ.

Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Central Heights HS, TX
PBR Draft Board: 32
FB: 50/60            CB: 55/60            SL: 50/60            CH: 40/45
At 6-foot-5, 210-pounds, Rodriguez has a strong, long-limbed frame. He works from a high-3/4 slot with a low-effort delivery and a long, clean arm swing. His fastball sat at 96 in the first inning, touching 98 mph once. In the second inning his fastball ranged from 94-97. He locates well to his glove side, occasionally coming in to right-handed hitters. He used a big breaking curveball with 11/5 shape and good depth early in the game at 74-78 mph. His slider was his third best pitch for the first three innings with flat, inconsistent spin at 81-83 mph. But the pitch got better from the fourth inning on, and he went to it more often for swings and misses with sharp spin, and late, short 10/4 bite. (Toby Bicknell)

Find Rodriguez's full report in the Draft HQ. 

Noah Naylor, C, St. Joan of Arc SS, ON
PBR Draft Board: 33
HIT: 40/55            POWER: 40/55            SPEED: 50/50            DEFENSE: 45/55            ARM: 55/60
Naylor is athletic with present strength in a 6-foot, 195-pound frame. Offensively, he hits to all fields and will show power when the opportunity presents itself. He has great knowledge of the strike zone and is a polished hitter who rarely chases with a knack for finding the barrel. The tools are there to catch, as he has quick feet and an agile lower half. He is also a solid defender at third base with soft hands. (Chris Kemlo)

Find Naylor's full report in the Draft HQ.

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