Amateur draft appears deep in pitching talent

Deron Johnson, in his second year as the Twins' scouting director, knows there are areas of the farm system that need attention.

"We need pitching, middle infielders. We need power,'' he said. "You always need starting pitching, and we need velocity. Can we solve all those problems in one draft? Probably not, that's for sure.''

Johnson did point out that there appears to a solid group of pitchers to choose from as the first-year player draft begins at 5 p.m. today. The first three of the 50-round draft will take place today, with the first round televised on the MLB Network.

Trying to identify who will be available when the Twins' No. 22 pick comes around is tough. Johnson said it's harder to determine who will be in the top 10 than it was a year ago, which affects the rest of the round. Signability issues and injuries cloud the picture even more.

The Twins have looked at about a dozen players who could be available when their turn comes, but they also have to be prepared for the unpredictable.

"Last year, we kind of knew who the top college position players were,'' Johnson said. "This year is more wide open. There is some pitching depth.''

The Twins really like Stanford right-handed reliever Drew Storen, 7-1 with a 3.80 ERA this season with 66 strikeouts in 422/3 innings. Baseball America has him ranked as the 37th-best prospect, but his stock is rising. The Nationals recently worked him out and might take him with their 10th pick in the first round. That's quite a leap from a ranking of 36.

The Twins will be closely monitoring players whose stock is falling. They recently have been examining the medical information they can find on Missouri righthander Kyle Gibson, who is ranked fourth by Baseball America but has a stress fracture in his forearm that won't allow him to throw for six weeks. What if he falls to the Twins?

Among the pitchers who might be available to the Twins at 22 is one who fits their need for a power arm.

Matt Hobgood, a righthander from Norco (Calif.) High, is listed at 6-4 and 245 pounds. His command needs refinement but he's projected as mid-to-late first-round talent because he can hit 94 miles per hour on the radar gun to go with a curve, slider and change. He's one of several prospects that Johnson, who lives in California, has seen in-person. The Twins also have a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds, No. 46 overall, that they received when Dennys Reyes signed with the Cardinals. They have been eyeing Gophers second baseman Derek McCallum, who's ranked as the 136th- best prospect but hit .409 this year with 18 homers and 89 RBI.

One Twins official who has watched McCallum play is very high on him. Given the Twins' desire to procure the best players from their state, they could select McCallum, who's from Shoreview, a little higher than where he's projected.

"He's a good player, a nice prospect, and has a nice swing,'' Johnson said. " He's a nice player.''

Keep an eye out for a couple players the Twins have drafted in the past and could select again.

Jared Mitchell, an outfielder from LSU, was drafted in the 10th round by the Twins out of high school but couldn't agree to terms. He's projected to go in the second half of the first round. Lefthander Andrew Oliver was drafted by the Twins in 2006 but was suspended by the NCAA because his agent was present for negotiations. He successfully sued to get his eligibility back and could go in the first two rounds. Both players, as per the rules, have consented to be drafted by the Twins again if the club decide to.