Minnesota rounds out Day 1 of Draft with RHP Soto (No. 34) and INF Keaschall (49)
5:20 AM UTC
MINNEAPOLIS — The inaugural Draft Lottery gave the Twins an sudden alternative to entry the best tier of gamers within the Draft class — and so they took benefit by bringing the nation’s top-ranked highschool prospect into the group.
After shifting as much as the No. 5 decide within the 2023 MLB Draft, the Twins chosen outfielder Walker Jenkins from South Brunswick High School in North Carolina, who tasks as a slugging left-handed hitter with 5 instruments and make-up that’s lauded as extremely as his appreciable expertise. Minnesota added one other excessive schooler in Florida right-hander Charlee Soto at No. 34 and Arizona State infielder Luke Keaschall with No. 49 to conclude its Day 1 picks.
The Twins had familiarity with Jenkins since his sophomore yr, however they knew he’d be a really excessive decide at some point and have been conflicted, as a result of from a crew success standpoint, they’d must be a shedding crew to pick that prime. But the lottery took care of that half.
“You’re thinking, ‘He’s going to go towards the top,’ and we never want to be picking this high,” Twins vice chairman of novice scouting Sean Johnson mentioned. “You simply actually admired it extra, then thought of, ‘Well, hopefully we don’t have an opportunity to pick him, as a result of if we do, which means one thing’s not gone effectively.’
“In this case, moving up in the lottery and having a chance to select a player like Walker with his talent level is obviously amazing.”
It was an incredible season for the Twins to maneuver up from No. 13 to No. 5 by means of the lottery, as a result of this Draft class was broadly seen as having a transparent high 5 that stood a tier above the remaining, all of whom are mentioned to be the caliber of participant that would have gone No. 1 in lots of Drafts.
The bounce up assured that the Twins would be capable of entry a kind of gamers, and after LSU’s Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, Indiana excessive schooler Max Clark and Florida’s Wyatt Langford went within the high 4, the Twins caught with Jenkins regardless of some exterior chatter that they may go for a school hitter as an alternative.
It helped that the Twins additionally had familiarity with Jenkins by means of Michael Cuddyer, who coached Jenkins on the youth nationwide circuit.
“I think Cuddy and anyone else from the USA group would call him Captain America,” Johnson mentioned. “He’s just an All-American kid. When you think about All-American kids, he’s probably what you want your son to grow up to be like. Academically smart. Great human being, great teammate. Anyone that played with Walker Jenkins over the last few years, if you ask them their favorite teammates, he’s one of the first names they mention.”
In sticking with Jenkins, the Twins landed the two-time reigning Gatorade Player of the Year in North Carolina, described as the perfect highschool place participant from the state since Josh Hamilton went No. 1 total in 1999. Also a swimmer who stands at 6-foot-3 and 210 kilos, Jenkins charges at the least a 55 in all instruments on the 20-80 scouting scale, with pop to all fields and constant laborious contact.
“He’s a five-tool player,” Johnson mentioned. “We love his swing. We think he’s going to have a chance for real power. He’s a big kid but he moves pretty well, so he can really throw, and we think he can really defend, so you can’t ask for much more than that when you’re looking for a high school prospect. He’s just a well-rounded player and a phenomenal person off the field.”
Jenkins missed a while final summer season with a hamate damage, and there’s some query as to the place Jenkins will finally play, as his plus velocity has slowed a bit as he has grown stronger, however even when he doesn’t stick in heart subject, he has greater than sufficient uncooked energy and arm to stay in a nook outfield spot.
And as for the make-up and pure management skill? Just ask Soto, chosen 29 picks later, who has already seen it firsthand.
“I met him last summer at [the MLB Prospect Development Pipeline],” Soto mentioned. “Unfortunately, he got injured there, so he couldn’t finish it. But he got injured, went to the hospital, and the next day, he was back at the field to support us. He was always a leader. He was always getting us up in the dugout. He’s just a very, very humble kid. I can’t wait to get to work with him.”
