KEVIN GAUSMAN

RHP, Louisiana State

6-4, 185 pounds

Born: Jan. 6, 1991 (age 21)

Stats: 10-1, 2.84 ERA, 15 GS, 1072/3 IP, 93 H, 38 R, 34 ER, 24 BB, 125 K

Scouting report: With a high leg kick, Gausman can run his four-seam fastball 93-98 mph and also throws a hard two-seamer with better movement in the low 90s. When his changeup is on, it gives him a nice complementary pitch. The concern is whether he will develop a big-league breaking ball. He ditched an ineffective curveball in March and had better results with a slider, but he remains a work in progress.

The Twins should take him because: Some scouts believe he still has No. 1 starter potential. He ranked among the best preseason prospects for the 2010 draft but dropped to the sixth round after failing to impress as a senior at Grandview (Colo.) High School. He made good strides at LSU and is draft-eligible as a sophomore because he's already 21.

The Twins should pass because: Gausman has been battle-tested in the SEC and probably will be among the top seven or eight selections in the draft, so he's certainly not chopped liver. He has the velocity, but mastering a breaking ball is no small thing, so he would be a riskier pick than Mark Appel or Kyle Zimmer.