Twins fans are going to have to accept that the baseball draft is nothing like the NBA or NFL drafts.
In football and basketball, we watch the best players all season, and usually in big games. We know what the local team needs, and we know that first-round picks should contribute immediately.
None of that is the case in baseball. I've never seen Royce Lewis play an entire game. I had never heard of the Twins' other high picks, I don't invest time in studying the baseball draft because the rates of success are low and the time elapsed before we see these players in the big leagues is great.
It's not that the draft isn't important. It is. But there could a fourth-rounder in this draft who winds up being better than Lewis, and nobody in baseball would be shocked.
Should the Twins have taken Hunter Greene instead of Lewis? The easy answer is yes, because Greene throws 100 mph. But high school pitchers who throw hard are quite risky.
Should the Twins have taken a college pitcher? I favored Kyle Wright, and Brandon McKay is polished. This is where the Twins' philosophy of spending less on their first pick so they can sign more expensive talent later will be tested. If Wright or McKay becomes a star and the Twins can't fill out their rotation with quality talent, then the Twins' front office will have to answer for that.
When the Timberwolves took Wes Johnson over DeMarcus Cousins, I immediately disagreed. I had seen both play. When the Vikings chose Troy Williamson, I rolled my eyes, because he had not been productive and did not have good hands.
I can't roll my eyes at Royce Lewis. Or Brent Rooker, or Landon Leach. I don't know enough about them or the certainty of their development.
And neither do you.
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