Twins Escape No-Hitter

*As I type this, Carlos Gomez is a single away from hitting for the cycle. The last Twins cycle was in 1986 by a guy named Kirby. More importantly, the Twins currently lead 7-0 and Livan Hernandez has been pitching really well. I won't have time to write about this game tonight, but here's to hoping they can hold on.*

There really isn't much to say from a Twins Fan perspective. Thanks to Joe Mauer's 1-out double in the ninth, they were able to escape MLB history. They instead snap their winning streak with 1 hit against Gavin Floyd. Although Floyd hasn't done much in the Bigs, he was a highly-touted Phillie prospect who never lived up to the hype. As the 4th overall pick in the 2001 draft (the Mauer draft), he may finally be turning the corner... which is great for the White Sox; not the Twins.

Because it would be tough for me to pick Three Stars - one hit, pitching not great - I'm not going to. I'm instead going to turn my focus to an event that is slowly getting bigger - The MLB First Year Player Draft.

The rules regarding the draft seem to often change, and since college (and high-school) baseball lacks the popularity of football and basketball, we seem to know less about the baseball prospects. However, thanks to the internet, there is a wealth of information out there.

Here's how the baseball draft works: The order is determined by reversed order based on last year's record. Teams can't trade picks, but clubs may lose a pick to another team if they sign a stud free agent. (For example, the Twins acquired the Angels first round pick when the Angels signed Hunter.) There also is a sandwich round after the first round for these singings. (So even though the Twins got "nothing" when Hunter left, they actually got two first-round picks.)

Eligibility for the draft is cloudier than other leagues, but still managable. All players are eligible when they graduate from high school (as long as they are from a US territory or Canada). If a HS player is drafted and enrolls in a 4 year college, he is no longer property of his drafting team, and is not eligible to be drafted again until after his third year in college (or turns 21 - whatever comes first). It is not uncommon for top prep players to enroll in Junior Colleges. They do this because they are eligible to be drafted after their first JC season. Players from the Dominican Republic, Japan, etc are never eligible to be drafted... that is why they often sign as free agents at a young age.

Last year the Twins drafted towards the end of the first round. They used their pick on a 5-9 HS prospect out of Lexington, Kentucky: Ben Revere. Revere was considered a reach. In fact, a few scouting servies said the Twins would have had "multiple other" chances to select Revere. The MLB draft has just as much to do with money as it does with talent. That is why last year's 27th pick (Rick Porcello, DET) was considered by many to be one of top prospects. He said he would go to college if he didn't get a huge signing bonus - and many teams believed him.

Anyway, Ben Revere made his debut with the short-season rookie-level GCL Twins and performed very well. He recently was called up to low-A affiliate Beloit and has been tearing it up with the Snappers. In my opinion, he has leap-froged Top 5 prospect Joe Benson. (The current CF in Beloit.)

So looking at this year's draft, the Twins have 3 of the top 31 picks. They should be able to acquire some good prospects.
The Twins' Mideast scouting director is located in Lexington, and two of this year's top prep pitchers are from that area. I anticipate both of these guys getting a long look:
Nick Maronde: 6-3, 195, LHP. He can hit the low-90s with his fastball and should be able to develop two other pitches. High School teammate of Ben Revere. He may be gone when the Twins draft at 14.
Robbie Ross: 6-0, 170, LHP. Has a smaller frame than Maronde, but is just as powerful. His scouting report reminds me of a poor man's Tim Lincecum. Although he may not last long enough, I could see the Twins giving him a long look at 27 or 31.
*Regardless, I'm sure both of these guys have been scouted very heavily by the Twins staff.

Here are some other guys I hope get a look:
Chris Dominguez: 6-5, 235, 3B, Louisville. I know the Twins have 3B prospects, but this guy is worth a look. Has a huge body and projects as power guy. He also has a good enough glove to make it in the field. Is described as an "enigma", so it's hard to say how far he'll fall or how high he'll get the call.
Kyle Long: 6-8, 285, LHP/1B, HS. Another son of Howie going in the first round of a professional draft. He's throwing a mid-80s fastball and is raw at the plate. In my opinion, he'd be an interesting prospect. I think he'd be perfect at pick 31.
Jamile Weeks: 5-9, 180, 2B, U of Miami. Not the prospect his brother, Rickie, was. He doesn't project to have much power, but is a line-drive hitter who runs well. (Do the Twins like that?) Although I don't think he'd be as highly regarded if it weren't for his brother, I can see the Twins calling Weeks with pick 27.
Brett Lawrie: 6-0, 190, HS. May project as a top-flight catcher. As of now, doesn't have a true position. Guys like this can be of great value to a team with lots of holes throughout the organization.

I think that's enough to chew on for tonight.