Draft Review

Some thoughts on the Twins' draft:

-Buxton:

It would be hard not to be excited about Minnesota's selection of Byron Buxton with the second overall pick. It sounds like the sky is the limit, and at the very least, the speed and arm will make him an elite defensive centerfielder.

Because the signing deadline is July 13th this year, I think we will be able to see what he can do in a professional setting before the year is out. My guess is the Twins' take the conservative route and send him to Elizabethton once he signs, and have him spend 2013 in Beloit. Regardless, I'm happy that we don't have to wait until mid-August to see him sign like we would have in past years.

One last thought regarding Buxton is where he would fit among Twins' top prospects. I would personally slot him behind Miguel Sano, but ahead of Eddie Rosario and Oswaldo Arcia. I think Buxton and Sano will be close in most national ratings, putting Sano probably in the 8-12 range and Buxton in the 12-20 range.

-College pitchers:

The Twins' spent picks #42, 63, 72, 130 and 160 on college pitchers who all project to be relievers. Although, most were a firm departure from the classic control guys the Twins have favored in the past. They pretty much all sit mid-90's and have a chance to be dominant relievers. Seeing as they were drafted out of college, they should be relatively close to the majors. I wouldn't be shocked if we saw one or two of these guys reach the majors by the end of next year.

-J.O. Berrios (32nd overall to the Twins):

I mostly want to write about him here because his name sounds like if Cheerios decided to make a fruity cereal. But also because he's a little guy who throws really hard. Scouts began to excited about him when he threw a no-hitter against an Puerto Rican all-star team led by #1 overall pick, Carlos Correa. Berrios has the most upside of any pitcher taken by Minnesota in the draft, and although he's a long way away he will be interesting to keep an eye on.

-Adam Brett Walker (97th overall to the Twins):

Adam Walker is a beast. I've seen him play college ball on ESPN3 a few times, and I know two things: 1) he's huge and 2) he can hit. I saw a few analysts who put 80's on his future power, which means it has potential to be elite. Any potentially elite tool is fun to watch develop, especially power. Walker should rival Sano as the most powerful prospects in the Twins system. Some analysts threw out comparisons to Mike Stanton, although those are probably more because of his body than hitting skill. Walker is a big kid, with tons and tons of power, but he'll need to hit the ball more consistently to make it to the majors. Also, I've always known him as Adam Brett Walker, but MLB.com refers to him as Adam Walker, so I'm interested in seeing what he'll go by in the future.

Fun facts: His dad was a running back for the Vikings in 1987 and he was born in Wisconsin.

-Players drafted by the Twins you can see in the CWS:

The NCAA playoffs are in 'Super Regional' stage, so you still have the opportunity to see some of the Twins picks before they enter the minors. These include:

DJ Baxendale, RHP, Arkansas (pick 310)
Sean Hagan, LHP, St. John's (pick 880)
Kaleb Merck, RHP, TCU (pick 1000)

-Also interesting to note that the Twins only drafted 8 high school players. Two of them from Puerto Rico. They may figure that high-schoolers will be more difficult to sign under the new collective bargaining agreement.