A review of my Twins Shadow Draft. Tomorrow I will be sending out impressions of the real AL Central draft classes to Baseball Prospect Report Subscribers and will run through all 30 teams over the next couple of weeks. We will be getting back to normal around here, transitioning out of draft coverage and starting to look at who is going well and who isn't among minor league prospects this year, beginning on Monday, now that we have two months of data to look at.
1) Brett Lawrie, OF, Brookswood SS, Langley BC: Selected by the Brewers in the first round in real life. I love Lawrie's bat and it could be second-best in the high school class behind Hosmer's when all is said and done. Question is defense. The Brewers called him as a catcher, but personally I think I might just stick him in the outfield and let him hit. If he does become a catcher, he could eventually shift Joe Mauer to third base for the Shadow Twins. Real Twins pick Aaron Hicks was also on my list but ultimately I went with Lawrie's bat, which I think is less likely to fail than Hicks'
1) Jake Odorizzi, RHP, Highland (Illinois) HS: Selected by the Brewers in the supplemental round in real life. Remember the Shadow draft was done in real-time, so this certainly wasn't deliberate on my part. After being off the radar for me at the beginning of the year, I ended up thinking he could be the best high school pitcher in the draft. I love his athleticism. I can't quite pin it down why but he reminds me of Zach Greinke a bit, though not quite as polished. Real Twins picked Carlos Gutierrez out of Miami who looked more like a third rounder to me and just about everyone else apparently.
1S) Conor Gillaspie, 3B, Wichita State University: I have been a fan of Gillaspie for a long time so this pick was a no-brainer for me. In reality he went to the Giants a few picks later. I also like Real Twins pick Shooter Hunt and almost picked him when I saw they had made tha choice, but ultimately I stuck with my need for more hitting...yes, yes,...don't draft for need, etc. But I did anyway with this choice.
2) Tyler Ladendorf, SS, Howard CC, Texas: An intruguing junior college guy who added power to his speed game this year and, in my opinion, one of the best middle infield guys available this year. He was on my second round list so when the Real Twins made the pick I stuck with it.
3) Eric Thames, OF, Pepperdine University: In my opinion he is a supplemental round talent so I was glad to get him here. He fell to the seventh round Blue Jays in real life due to concerns about his recent injury, I assume. I wonder if he will sign for seventh round money....if not, would he have signed for third round money? Real Twins pick Bobby Lanigan, RHP, from Adelphi, was on my list for the 5-7 round area.
4) Scott Barnes, LHP, St. John's University: I wanted Scott Gorgan but he went off the board. I should then have gone with Zach Putnam but panicked and posted Barnes instead. He has a good arm but is erratic and would have fit better in the 6-8 round range...he went in the 8th in real life ot the Giants. Real Twins picked Danny Ortiz, Puerto Rico high school outfielder with an interesting bat. Ortiz is probably a better choice.
5) Ben Petralli, C, Oral Roberts University: I like Petralli's defense, plate discipline, and developing power, but in real life he lasted until the 33rd round (Texas), I am assuming due to signability issues. I wonder if he would sign for fifth round money? Maybe not. Real Twins pick Nick Romero, 3B from San Diego State, is a good pick in this slot.
6) Josh Satin, OF-2B, University of California: Real Twins picked Iowa high school pitcher B.J. Hermson. I like drafting Iowa guys myself but didn't think Hermson was signable. I picked Satin due to his bat and cheap pricetag as a senior. He went later in the sixth round to the Mets.
7) Dan Osterbrock, LHP, University of Cincinnati: A projectable lefty who throws strikes, Osterbrock was on my list for the 7-10 round area and when the Real Twins picked him I went ahead and did the same.
8) Brett Moorhouse, RHP, Indian River CC (Fl): Needing to get some power arms into my Shadow Farm system, I was drawn to this junior college pitcher with a 90 MPH fastball and projectable body. In real life he went to the D-backs in the 9th round. Real Twins pick Jeff Lanning is a catcher from New Orleans but I didn't pick him because I had already picked Petralli as a college catcher and I wanted a pitcher.
9) Jay Jackson, RHP, Furman University: A personal draft sleeper, Jackson hits 90 MPH, throws strikes, is athletic enough to play center field, is also a good hitter, and is a philosophy major. Real Twins pick Mike Gonzalez is a junior college first baseman from California that I don't know anything about. Jackson went to the Cubs later in the ninth round so I picked him just in time.
10) J.J. Hoover, RHP, Calhoun CC (Ala): Like Moorhouse, Hoover is a junior college pitcher who throws hard and has some projectability left, picked by the Braves later in this round so this was another guy I picked just in time. The Real Twins picked Evan Bigley, an Oral Roberts outfielder with good tools but bad plate discipline.
11) Dominic de la Osa, OF, Vanderbilt University: A Real Twins pick on my draft list, so I stuck with this. Good senior bat with a nice track record.
12) Kyle Carr, LHP, University of Minnesota: A Real Twins pick on my draft list, so I stuck with it. I like picking guys from the Upper Midwest.
13) Erik Davis, RHP, Stanford University: Real Twins went with Michael Harrington, a College of Charleston outfielder with power. I wanted more pitching so I went with the polished strike-throwing senior out of Stanford, who went later in this round to the Padres.
14) Rob Musgrave, LHP, Wichita State University: Like Davis, Musgrave was drafted by the Padres in this round and I preferred him to Blaine Weller, a high school pitcher from Florid drafted by the Real Twins. This was the first pick that was not made in real time, as I was trying to do my radio show and couldn't divide my attention.
15) Luke Anders, 1B, Texas A&M University: Drafted by the Yankees in the 16th round, Anders has power but strikes out a lot. I hadn't drafted a first baseman yet so I needed to start filling minor league rosters.
16) Matt Nohelty, OF, University of Minnesota: Nohelty went in the 18th round to the Real Twins but I picked him a couple of rounds early to make sure I got him.
17) Dwayne Bailey, 2B, University of Central Florida: Bailey is a speed demon with a very good glove at second base. Went to the Angels in the 21st round in real life.
18) Brian Van Kirk, OF, Oral Roberts: 21st round to the Blue Jays in real life. Impressive performance this year, not as toolsy as teammate Bigley.
19) Pat Venditte, P, Creighton: Switch-pitcher was a must-draft for me due to Midwest roots and simple novelty. This pick was made in Real Time, went to the Yankees in the 20th round.
20) Chris Odegaard, RHP, Mankato State University: Keep those Minnesota guys in the hometown organization when possible. Drafted in 23rd round by Real Twins.
21) Erich Diedrich, C, Youngstown State University: Not drafted in real life. Catcher with a lefty bat, hit well in college, need a catcher to fill lower minors rosters.
22) Nick Kirk, LHP, University of Northern Iowa: Not drafted in real life though was generating 8-12th round buzz at one point. I like the Iowa guys.
23) Zach Pitts, RHP, University of Louisville: 24th round to the Cardinals in real life. Disappointing season but has flashed ability in the past.
24) Phil Schrieber, RHP, Kaukauna (Wisconsin) HS: Not drafted in real life due to signabiltiy.
25) Korby Mintkin, SS, South Dakota State: Not drafted in real life. Another upper Midwest talent.
26) Jake Stewart, OF, University of Houston: Not drafted in real life, but had a terrific season as an older senior.
27) Blake Murphy, C, Western Carolina University: 42nd round to the Cardinals in real life. Put up strong numbers in college, with power and speed, but scouts doubt he'll hit with wood. Another guy to fill a roster.
After this point I'll just pick who the Real Twins pick.
Overall I'm pleased with this, much better than last year. Although I had wanted to go the college hitter route at the top of the draft in theory, I ended up preferring Lawrie to Ike Davis. I'm very glad to have Odorizzi, and I got my college guy in the end with Gillaspie. I'm not sure how to handle the signability and injury issues apparent with Thames...hopefully the Jays will sign him and I won't have to worry about it.
How does this class look to you?
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