The Twins frequently have loaded up on pitching during the second day of Major League Baseball's first-year player draft. This time, they nearly drafted an entire infield.

On Tuesday, the Twins used only two of their eight picks on pitchers. They selected two third basemen, two outfielders a shortstop and a first baseman.

"As you guys know, we have taken a lot of pitchers the last couple of years,'' Twins scouting director Deron Johnson said. "We wanted to get some position players. I was surprised it was almost split between college players and high school players. I was pleased to get some youth into the organization.''

Their first two picks were third basemen — third-round pick Travis Blankenhorn from Pottsville (Pa.) High School and fourth-round pick Trey Cabbage from Grainger High in Rutledge, Tenn. Both have smooth swings. Both project to hit for some power. Both are great athletes who also excelled in basketball.

Fifth-round pick Alex Robinson, a lefthander from the University of Maryland, is an interesting prospect. Robinson, who pitches with an aggressive demeanor, was 1-1 with a 1.63 ERA. In 27 ⅔ innings, he walked 20 and struck out 32. There's the issue. He has size (6-3, 222 pounds) and can hit 96 miles per hour with his fastball, but the reliever needs to work on his control. That could keep him from rising quickly through the system.

"He scatters the zone,'' Johnson said. "It's not precise command by any means, but he's got pitches to miss bats.''

Eighth-rounder Kolton Kendrick, from Oak Forest Academy in Amite City, La., does one thing well. "We drafted him for his power,'' Johnson said.

Baseball America described Kendrick's power as, "top-of-the-scale 80 raw power that has paid off in some epic home runs this spring.''

Kendrick, one of six prospects the Twins brought to town for a predraft workout, hit a few balls into the right field upper deck at Target Field.

"He's a big kid and is going to be a very big man,'' Johnson said of the 6-2, 255-pounder.

In the 10th round, the Twins selected shortstop Sean Miller of South Carolina-Aiken. If he can figure out how to hit, he will be in the majors because there's little to fix with his defense.

"He's a magician with the glove,'' Johnson said.

Rounds 11-40 will be held Wednesday starting at 11 a.m.

First-round pick Jay could be quick to sign

Indications are that the Twins won't have much difficulty signing their first-round pick, lefthander Tyler Jay. Johnson said there's a chance Jay could be in the Twin Cities next week for a physical, which usually happens when a deal is near.

Jay was taken with the sixth overall pick. The assigned value of that pick is $3,889,500. Although Jay was a reliever for Illinois and did not have to deal with a large workload, the Twins still might take it slow with him at first. Director of minor league operations Brad Steil will make the decision.

"I don't think Brad is going to log a bunch of innings on his arm this summer,'' Johnson said.