Minnesotans Drew Gilbert, Adam Mazur are among top prospects for MLB draft

Two Minnesotans are expected to be taken in the first two rounds of the Major League Baseball draft.

Drew Gilbert of Stillwater, a junior outfielder at Tennessee, and Adam Mazur of Woodbury, a redshirt sophomore pitcher at Iowa, are likely to hear their names called Sunday night, when the first two rounds plus compensation and competitive-balance picks are chosen in Los Angeles.

Gilbert threw a shutout at Target Field in the 2018 state championship game but pitched only occasionally for the Volunteers; the Twins took him in the 35th round in 2019 but he didn't sign. He had an All-America season at Tennessee in 2022, hitting .362 with 11 home runs and 70 RBI in 58 games. He hits and throws lefthanded.

At 5-9, Gilbert improved his slugging percentage from .437 as a sophomore to .673 this season.

"That whole Tennessee team was just so physical," said Sean Johnson, Twins vice president of scouting. "[Gilbert] had bulked up but he could still run and throw and he plays a pretty good center field. Did all the things we like. He swung the bat well, didn't strike out a lot, hit for some power."

Mazur, a righthander, transferred to Iowa from South Dakota State and was a starter for the Hawkeyes last year, going 7-3 in 15 games with 98 strikeouts in 93 innings.

"He's got four nice pitches," Johnson said. "The slider is probably the best of the four. Lot of strikes. Good velocity. So he's got nice ingredients. And the good thing going for him is, he's a healthy college pitcher who performed all year. That's worth a couple of points in this draft."

The Twins have the eighth pick in the first round. Baltimore, Arizona and Texas have the first three picks. Rounds 3-10 of the 20-round event take place Monday and the final 10 rounds are Tuesday.