If current Twins management fails, it'll be because pitching woes went unsolved

The Twins used their first pick in the MLB draft this week on an 18-year-old pitcher who has hit 102 miles per hour on the radar gun. On a related note, look for a meteor the size of Texas to crash into Earth any day now.

This wasn't just a curveball. This was the organization re-enacting the final 10 minutes of "The Usual Suspects" in a draft war room. Nobody saw this coming.

"It is not a typical Twins draft," chuckled Mike Radcliff, the team's vice president of player personnel.

Rather than take a college hitter at No. 26 overall — which would fit their history neatly — they selected New Jersey high school pitcher Chase Petty, who has a fictional-sounding name and a flamethrower for a right arm.

That turnabout underscores an undeniable truism that governs baseball: Everything comes down to pitching, and getting it right is equal parts scouting savvy, coaching development and basic luck.

The Los Angeles Angels took things to the extreme this week by using all 20 of their draft picks on pitchers, a move that is either reckless or genius.

"You never have enough pitching. Ever," Radcliff said.

The Twins have nose-dived from fourth in team ERA last season to 27^th this season entering the second half. Their pitching woes and self-inflicted mistakes by management have been dissected ad nauseam.

The extra thump for good measure came with the selection of four former Twins pitchers to the All-Star Game: Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, Liam Hendriks and Ryan Pressly. That is an unflattering look for the Twins, but of that group, Pressly's departure was the only one that felt like a real mistake at the time.

That's a tricky discussion, though. Did their new teams unlock something in those pitchers that the Twins' staff missed? Did injuries or other factors play a role in their struggles here, as Gibson, Lynn and Hendriks indicated this week? Or do their career rebirths highlight the crapshoot nature of that position? The answer is probably yes, a combination of all that.

Kenta Maeda finished third in Rookie of the Year voting for the Dodgers, had modest production over the next three seasons, then finished second in Cy Young voting in his first season with the Twins. He's battled injury and ineffectiveness this season. How do you define that career arc?

"There are more parts to the equation that you can verify, validate and have confidence in when you're dealing with a position guy versus a pitcher," Radcliff said. "It's just a harder assessment."

"The difference between present and future on a pitcher is much more varied, much more diverse, with wider potential outcomes," he said. "That's why you never have enough."

The Twins need both quantity and quality, especially since this organization shows no inclination to outbid the richest teams for top-dollar pitching in free agency. That puts more pressure on them to nail it in scouting and development.

So far, this front office's ledger in developing major-league caliber pitching is thin. The next few years will be pivotal in determining whether they can build a credible staff for a legitimate contender.

MLB.com ranks three pitchers — Jordan Balazovic, Jhoan Duran and Matt Canterino — among the organization's top five prospects. That's certainly encouraging, but Miguel Sano once was regarded as a hot-shot prospect, too.

The Twins drafted 11 pitchers this week, headlined by Petty, who probably will need a minimum of four years before he's big-league ready. And that's if all goes well, meaning his repertoire translates to pro ball, he continually improves and he avoids significant arm injuries. That last part always brings risk.

Here's another idea: They went against their normal way of business with their first draft pick. Do the same in free agency.