Twins draft Illinois lefthanded pitcher

While Tyler Jay was fighting for Illinois' survival in the NCAA tournament Monday, the Twins scouting staff anxiously watched from Target Field.

"We had 40 people watching," Twins scouting director Deron Johnson said. "We knew he was in our mix."

Jay knew that he had a chance to be selected high but resisted trying to research where he might land.

"I had no idea," he said. "I was very focused on my start with Illinois. I wanted to be in the dark a little bit. This was my focus. I've been with these guys for three years."

Illinois' championship hopes were dashed in a 4-2 loss to Vanderbilt, but Jay wasn't sad for long. The Twins selected the hard-throwing lefthander with their first pick, sixth overall, in baseball's first-year player draft, giving them an intriguing player who could move quickly through the organization.

Jay was 5-2 for the Illini with a 1.08 ERA and 14 saves. In 66⅔ innings, Jay walked seven and struck out 76 while holding opponents to a .177 batting average.

He made two starts all season, including Monday, when he took the loss.

"He's got a power arm," Johnson said. "He's lefthanded, which we don't have a lot of in our system. I think we got lucky in adding some impact from the left side."

Some scouts grumbled about Jay being a reliever because it made it hard for them to scout him. It's also believed that Jay has the equipment to be a starter.

"We had some scouts sitting on him for some series just to get him," Johnson said. "I got limited looks. Fortunately my boss, Mike Radcliff, saw him start. He saw more of him than anyone."

Jay's fastball sits from 92-95 miles per hour to go with a good slider, solid curve and changeup. It's his fastball and slider combination that makes him tough to hit. And the Twins intend to try him as a starter.

The Twins have tracked Jay since after his freshman year, which he pitched for Team USA. His bullpen partner, and roommate, was righthander Dillon Tate, who was selected fourth overall by Texas. Johnson estimated that they have had a representative at 90 percent of Jay's games this season. They also have spoken with the Illinois coaching staff to get a fix on his makeup.

Jay liked the "warrior" tag.

"I'm mostly on the quiet side," he said, "but when I get on the field in game mode I'm not afraid to go at guys with whatever pitch the catcher is feeling. I go in with the mentality that I'm getting this guy out no matter what."

Some feel that Jay could rise to the majors quickly, especially as a reliever. The Royals did it last season with first-round pick Brandon Finnegan as they rolled to the World Series. With the Twins beginning the day in first place in the American League Central, a similar situation could develop.

"I'm not going to say that's our intention immediately," Johnson said of Jay reaching the majors this season. "We want to develop him as a starter."

Jay could start his pro career at Class A Cedar Rapids, jumping past rookie league teams in Fort Myers, Fla., and Elizabethton, Tenn.

Jay, who has pitched in Target Field when Illinois has played in the Big Ten tournament, wants to prove he can be a starter.

"It's something I want to be able to do," he said, "and once I get more reps and experience doing it I'm going to be able to figure out my game plan and go at guys and hitters the way I know I can."

• The Twins did not have a second-round pick due the signing of free agent Ervin Santana. The Twins did have a pick, No. 73 overall, in the competitive balance round after the second round. With that pick, they selected Univerisity of Kentucky righthander Kyle Cody.

Cody, listed at 6-7 inches and 240 pounds, is from Chippewa Falls, Wis. He was 4-4 with a 4.91 ERA with the Wildcats this season. He throws 93-96 mph and has a good slider, but command has been an issue. His career has been similar to that of Alex Meyer, another Twins prospect from Kentucky.