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Twins draft review - part one
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Missouri Right-Hander, and Twins' First Round Pick, Kyle Gibson - AP Photo
We'll provide a quick overview of the Twins' first day picks in the 2009 MLB Draft. Once all the picks have been submitted, we have a more detailed overview and analysis of the picks, whether they filled the Twins' needs, whether they'll be signable, and if and when we can expect to see them in Minnesota.
First Round Pick (#22): Kyle Gibson, RHP, University of Missouri - 6-6, 208 lbs. - This one raised a few eyebrows, given that Gibson came down with a stress fracture of his right forearm in the NCAA Regional Tournament. Gibson is expected to be shelved for a few weeks, and slid from a probable top-10 pick down to #22. Prior to the diagnosis, Gibson's velocity had dropped from the low-90's to the mid-80's.
ESPN.com's Jason Churchill had this to say:
"Minnesota's doctors must have wisely remembered that a forearm fracture is not a torn ligament or labrum. Gibson is a command and feel right-hander with a good slider and a low-90's heater when healthy. He should move quickly through the minors."
I figured the Twins would pick LSU outfielder Jared Mitchell here, given that they had picked him in a prior draft and he fit their prototype of a speed outfielder. The White Sox snapped him up at #23 after the Twins passed. Still, this is a good pick, provided he's healthy. Gibson was 11-3 for Missou this past season with a 3.21 ERA. In 106.2 innings of work, he allowed 95 hits, walked 19, and struck out 131. Gibson could be quite a steal at #22.
Compensation Round A Pick (#46): Matt Bashore, LHP, Indiana University - 6-3, 200 lbs. - The Twins went with more college pitching in the compensation round with Matt Bashore of Indiana. He's another in the line of prototype pitchers: not over-powering, decent control. The knock on Bashore is that he doesn't have command of his curveball, and needs to work on a change-up. Still, he has a low-90's fastball and the Twins have a track record of working in new pitches in the minor leagues.
For the Hoosiers in 2009, Bashore was 7-5 with a 4.07 ERA in 16 starts. In 95 innings, Bashore surrendered 98 hits, walked 30, and struck out 108.
Second Round Pick (#70): Billy Bullock, RHP, University of Florida - 6-6, 225 lbs. - The top closer in the 2009 Draft, Bullock became the third college pitcher selected by Minnesota. His velocity shot up from the low-90's to 98 MPH late in the season with a nice slider compliment. The ESPN profile likens him to Detroit's Ryan Perry, who has spent the majority of the season in the majors for the Tigers.
Bullock was 3-3 with 11 saves and a 2.64 ERA on the 2009 season. In 47.2 innings of work, Bullock allowed 40 hits, 22 walks, and struck out 50 hitters.
The Twins have some pretty good closer prospects in the minor league system (Anthony Slama, Rob Delaney, Alex Burnett, Spencer Steedley), but who can have enough late-inning relief in the stable? If Bullock can add a change-up to his arsenal and control the walks, he could be a solid bullpen option in the near future.
Third Round Pick (#101): Benjamin Tootle, RHP, Jacksonville State University - 6-1, 180 lbs. - The Twins made it 4-4 with college pitchers on day one of the Draft, selecting Ben Tootle of Jacksonville State in the third round. He's got a big fastball, but it tends to not have much movement. Some scouts see Tootle as being a future short reliever, which would certainly fit a Twins' need.
Tootle was 3-4 with a 4.56 ERA. In his 51.1 innings, Tootle gave up 35 hits, walked an alarming 35 men, and struck out 58.
Incidentilly, Tanner Scheppers was picked by Texas in the compensation round, 44th overall by the Texas Rangers. Questions about his shoulder led to the drop. In this piece, ESPN's Jason Churchill suggested Scheppers may ask for around $4M to sign with Texas.
The Draft continues the next two days. We'll be back Wednesday evening to circle the Twins' blogs and see how other view the picks. In the meantime, stay tuned to Examiner for continuing coverage. Pay close attention to the Examiners from the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and Colorado Rockies, among others.
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