The Minnesota Twins continue to sign their 2020 draft picks, in spite of the craziness surrounding Major League Baseball’s return. The latest news is that 1st Round pick, Aaron Sabato has signed a contract with the team. As reported by Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, the deal is for $2.75 million.

There’s the number on Sabato. Goes slightly over slot with both Soularie and Raya coming in under.

The #MNTwins have now made it official with 3 of 4 picks. https://t.co/v3T3r1rbij

— Ted (@tlschwerz) June 23, 2020

With Sabato being selected 27th overall, the slot value for that pick from MLB was $2.57 million. This means the Twins have offered the power-hitting first-baseman slightly more than the suggested baseline.

The Twins were able to offer Sabato more money because their 2nd and 3rd round picks (OF Alerick Soularie and RHP Marco Raya) signed for less than their slot value. Soularie signed for $900,000 instead of his $1.185 million value, while Raya signed for $410,000 instead of $442,900.

Per @JonathanMayo, the #Twins have agreed to terms with first-round #MLBDraft pick Aaron Sabato for $2.75M (slot value = $2.57M).

Here’s a closer look at all of the @Twins‘ 2020 @MLBDraft picks, slot values & signing bonuses: https://t.co/tiYfqPP77h pic.twitter.com/JHNurwS1NA

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 23, 2020

On offense, Sabato RAKES! He finished his collegiate career at the University of North Carolina, with a .332 average, 25 home runs, and 81 RBI. However, he does have his share of issues on defense.

As our own Cameron Thompson wrote, that does limit his value. But it is clear that the Minnesota Twins front office is valuing players who have better offensive potential instead of an ability to win a Gold Glove.

LOCKING IN THE DRAFT CLASS

This now means the Twins have signed three of their four draft picks. The only holdout is outfielder Kala’i Rosario, who’s slot value is $330,100. Yet the team and fans should both expect Rosario to sign. Especially with Soularie and Raya signing under slot value. Falvine now has $522,600 of the draft’s initial allotment ($4,528,600) to offer Rosario. In short, it is likely to happen.

With Major League Baseball on the returning too, everything seems to be falling into place for the Minnesota Twins. From a potential World Series run in 2020 to the signing of draft picks to lead to the continued dominance of the Bomba Squad!

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Minnesota Twins wrapped up their 2020 MLB Draft, late Thursday. It seemed like a successful and very productive two night virtual outing. They drafted Aaron Sabato (North Carolina – 1B) with the 27th overall pick on night one, and went into night two with just three picks for four rounds.

The Twins started and ended day two, like so many things they do these days… with more hitting! Alerick Soularie (Tennessee – OF) got a “TC” hat first, at pick 59 (2), then they took their only pitcher of the night, Marco Raya (United South H.S.[TX] – RHP) with the 128 (4) overall pick, and then eventually finished the night with Kala’i Rosario (Waiakea H.S. [HI] – OF/1B) at pick 158 (5).

Over the next few days, like any good fan, I went looking for more information and more “expert opinions”… on my favorite team’s draft. I quickly remembered, however, why local coverage is always better than national. Two MLB writers from the same outlet, Keith Law and Aaron Gleeman (The Athletic) both wrote about the Twins draft… but the outlook was a bit different.

One is national and has to write something about 30 other teams (some of which his readers care much more about than others) and the other is local, and will pour over hours… (ok days) of research surrounding any major maneuvers the Minnesota Twins make. Let’s compare.

AARON SABATO

We think @SabatoAaron will fit right in with our squad!#MNTwins #BombaSquad | @ACCBaseball @DiamondHeels pic.twitter.com/fAHDqxz3qt

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 11, 2020

UNC first baseman Aaron Sabato (1) is a draft-eligible sophomore who got himself into the first round with huge exit velocities and a brief track record of patience and power. He’s a below-average defender at first base, and there’s a good chance he ends up at DH, but he should have the bat to be valuable there.

Keith Law – The Athletic

Sabato joins Brent Rooker (No. 35 in 2017), Trevor Larnach (No. 20 in 2018) and Matt Wallner (No. 39 in 2019) in a farm system overflowing with former college superstars boasting huge power potential and limited defensive chops.

Unlike the previous regime, Falvey, Levine and scouting director Sean Johnson repeatedly target polished college hitters with excellent production facing high-level competition. Old-school scouting still plays a big part, but the increased availability of advanced data on college players enables teams like the Twins to crunch numbers like never before.

Aaron Gleeman – The Athletic

Keith’s take on Sabato, who hits absolute piss missiles and is possibly one of the most MLB-ready power hitters in this draft, is underwhelming and generic. He seems… disappointed with the pick.

Meanwhile, Aaron Gleeman compares Sabato’s stats to #1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson, and his place in the Twins system, up there with with the organizations best hitters. It would be preposterous, at this time, to say Sabato is a better prospect than Torkelson or any of the guys Gleeman lists in the excerpt above. He definitely deserves more respect than Law is giving him, though. Law’s criticism gets worse, though.

ALERICK SOULARIE

Alerick Soularie (2) is a young junior at Tennessee, turning 21 next month, who’s had success in the SEC despite an awkward swing that sees his back side collapse. He can’t play center and doesn’t project to the power for a corner. 

Keith Law – The Athletic

[Scouting Director] Johnson expects Soularie to be a corner outfielder, but said he’ll also get some looks in center field and at second base. While not a great athlete, he’s seen as at least average defensively in the outfield, with decent speed. But make no mistake, like the majority of the college position players taken by Falvey and Levine, he was drafted for his hitting. They keep stockpiling big bats.

Aaron Gleeman – The Athletic

Keith Law isn’t the only MLB analyst doubting Alerick Soularie. He doesn’t have the prettiest swing, strongest arm or fastest legs, but Soularie has been a staple of consistency vs the best collegiate competition in the country (SEC).

Soulaire was a JUCO product, right out of high school at San Jacinto College in Houston. There, he impressed scouts and received an offer to play for the University of Tennessee. In his first full season as a Volunteer, Soularie posted a .357 avg, 11 HR, 48 RBI and 8 stolen bases. He’s plays with a chip on his and now has another doubter (Law) to prove wrong.

Sean Johnson (Scouting Director) says the Twins plan on using Soularie, not only in the outfield, but at second base as well. There is a lot of negativity surrounding his defense, so that’s an interesting comment.

MARCO RAYA

Marco Raya (4) is an undersized right-hander from Laredo, Texas, with average velocity from a high slot and a max-effort delivery.

Keith Law – The Athletic

Raya is worth just one sentence to Keith Law, apparently. The Twins only had FOUR draft picks to talk about and one sentence full of disappointment is all he can muster… If there is anything that current Twins pitchers Sergio Romo (5-11, 185 lbs) and Cody Stashak (6-2, 169 lbs) have taught us, it’s that size doesn’t matter (as an MLB pitcher). Sorry to get your hopes up fellas.

Also Raya throws mid-90’s and has a higher spin rate than Jose Berrios. If that’s “average velocity” then Average is ok by me…

You see Marco Raya with a couple fastballs at 92 mph with a 2300 rpm spin rate in the video above. For context, here are the averages of a few current #MNTwins pitchers:

Jake Odorizzi: 92.9 mph, 2236 spin
Jose Berrios 93.1 mph, 2190 spin
Kenta Maeda 92.1 mph, 2287 spin

— Tom Froemming (@TFTwins) June 12, 2020

Raya is only 17 years old and has a very long path to the majors, so wtf does Keith Law know about where he will be as an MLB pitcher? Let’s just throw away all of the research the Twins have done, with this one shitty generic sentence. Numbers don’t lie and, despite his lack of size, Raya jumps off the page statistically and has a very promising outlook.

Kala’i Rosario

The Twins finished off the draft by selecting Kala’i Rosario, a young power hitter from Hawaii. Keith Law, surprisingly, had nothing negative to say about Rosario and actually believes he can become a regular on the Twins roster.

Because Law couldn’t get a shot in on Rosario, he had to finish his Twins section with one last shot at the entire 4-player draft.

Hitting tutorial with #MNTwins newly drafted OF/3B prospect Kala’i Rosario. pic.twitter.com/sMJAvL40in

— Twins Dingers (@TwinsDingers) June 12, 2020

Kala’i Rosario (5), a high school outfielder from Hilo, Hawai’i, has big raw power and impressive bat speed, driving the ball well in spite of a very early stride and weight transfer, and if he hits enough to get to that power in games he’ll have a chance to be a regular in an outfield corner. Sabato could come up very quickly, but there doesn’t seem to be a ton of upside here [for the Twins’ draft as a whole].

Cameron Thompson | Minnesota Sports Fan

A five-round Major League Baseball draft makes easy work for front offices around the league, especially when the non-pandemic season ‘norm’ is 40. The Minnesota Twins only had four selections in this year’s truncated draft. They lost their third-round selection earlier this offseason, when they signed Josh Donaldson and traded their competitive-balance pick (67) and Brusdar Graterol, to the Dodgers, for Kenta Maeda.

With only 4 picks in an already (EXTREMELY) short draft, it was imperative the Twins made quality selections this year. Relying heavily on relatively under-scouted players, the Twins focused on adding power and depth to an already loaded farm system. Let’s take a look at the next generation of baseball in the Twin Cities (hopefully):

The next big star could join your favorite team tonight. #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/bEzfMEMVqV

— MLB (@MLB) June 10, 2020

AARON SABATO (1B) — 1st ROUND (27th OVERALL)

As our own Cameron Thompson wrote on Wednesday night, Sabato fits right in with the Bomba Squad narrative. The University of North Carolina first baseman finished his collegiate career with a .332 average that included 25 home runs and 81 RBI. The kid can MASH!

Rated as one of the best power hitters in the draft, there is a lot to like about Sabato’s offensive potential, in an already potent lineup. However, he has some deficiencies in his defense, which is why he dropped to pick 27.

The Minnesota Twins are looking to ensure the Bomba Squad isn’t just a one year anomaly. Adding Sabato to a list of prospects that include Brent Rooker, Trevor Larnach, Alex Kirilloff and Matt Wallner, will help make “The Bomba Squad” a long-term moniker.

ALERICK SOULARIE (OF) — 2nd ROUND (59th OVERALL)

One powerful bat wasn’t enough for this Twins’ front office. Alerick Soularie (OF – University of Tennessee), was somewhat of a shock pick among fans. He did NOT rank inside any top-100 lists…

A preseason first-team all-SEC player coming into 2020, he ranked in the top three for AVG, OBP, and SLG in 2019. He hit at a .357 clip, with 11 HR, 46 RBI, and 13 doubles in 2019 and a superb strikeout to walk ratio.

In 2020, he saw a slight dipped a bit, prior to COVID-19 shutting the season down. Soularie batted just .267 in that shortened time, but did hit five dingers while driving in 17 runs. It may not be the selection we thought Derek Falvey and Thad Levine would make, but Soularie’s upsides make it worth the risk.

2019 SEC OPS leaders
1. JJ Bleday 1.166 (No. 4 overall pick, 2019 Draft)
2. Austin Martin 1.090 (No 5 overall pick, 2020 Draft)
3. Alerick Soularie 1.068 (No. 59 overall pick , 2020 Draft)#MNTwins

— Tom Froemming (@TFTwins) June 11, 2020

2020 #MNTwins second round pick Alerick Soularie was second on Tennessee with 11 home runs last season. His 1.068 OPS was first on the team among players who appeared in at least 20 games. pic.twitter.com/YAOt9MiGAp

— Twins Dingers (@TwinsDingers) June 11, 2020

MARCO RAYA (RHP) — 4th ROUND (128th OVERALL)

At only 17-years old, Raya is a high-ceiling pitching project for the Minnesota Twins. High schoolers are difficult to peg but Raya, a six-foot and 160 pound Texas Tech commit from United South High School in Laredo (TX), has shown signs of greatness throughout his young career.

Marco Raya 2020 Laredo Tx . Mid 90,s Fastball , above avg Slider and Change- up / rate is up to 2800 rpm on slider and 2700 rpm on fastball??? pic.twitter.com/jLSY5Jp23H

— omar washington (@owash5006) April 16, 2020

You see Marco Raya with a couple fastballs at 92 mph with a 2300 rpm spin rate in the video above. For context, here are the averages of a few current #MNTwins pitchers:

Jake Odorizzi: 92.9 mph, 2236 spin
Jose Berrios 93.1 mph, 2190 spin
Kenta Maeda 92.1 mph, 2287 spin

— Tom Froemming (@TFTwins) June 12, 2020

His shortened senior season saw him go 2-0, with a 0.00 ERA and 36 K, in just 18 IP — yeah, go back and read those stats again — High school hitters never stood a chance, compiling just three hits, a .054 AVG, and .131 OBP. Raya already has a higher spin rate than any of the Twins’ top pitchers.

Raya was committed to Texas Tech it looks like he will forego that commitment, in order to sign with the Twins. He is slotted for $442,900 at pick 128 — *Scoffs from Edina* — but Falvine may have offered more. Either way, we don’t make this pick if there is any doubt he was going pro.

Source: #MNTwins 4th round pick Marco Raya has an agreement with Minnesota. He'll forgo his commitment to Texas Tech.

— Ted (@tlschwerz) June 12, 2020

KALA’I ROSARIO (OF) — 5th ROUND (158th OVERALL)

Another masher? Color me surprised!

Rosario, a 6′ 1″ and 205 pound outfielder from Waiakea High School in Hawaii, put himself on the map back in 2019 during the Area Code Games. While there, he slugged 21 home runs in the home run derby.

He played well in his shortened senior year, hitting .343 with five dingers and 11 RBI. With a top exit velocity of 105 MPH (99.8 percentile), this is another kid who can rake. He has even studied hitting under Koten and Kean Wong’s father, Kaha. Talk about a leg up.

If he can hone in on utilizing his plus-plus power, expect another addition to the Bomba Squad sooner, rather than later. He was the perfect ending to the 2020 Minnesota Twins draft… which was really just a hardcore hunt for MORE POWER!

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

With the 27th pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, the Minnesota Twins drafted 1B Aaron Sabato, out of the University of North Carolina on Wednesday night. Sabato fits the Bomba Squad narrative perfectly, as he is a whole lotta dude, coming in at 6-2, 230 lbs… and he loves dropping BOMBS.

Sabato finished his college career with a batting average of .332, 25 HR, and 81 RBI. He was rated as one of the best power hitters in this years draft, after breaking the Tar Heels Freshman home run record with 18. Sabato even hit a 455 ft BOMB in the shortened 2020 season. This dude can straight up mash.

Welcome to the #BombaSquad, @SabatoAaron!#MLBDraft | #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/PiogOss2qc

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 11, 2020

Although there is some question around Aaron Sabato’s defense, which limits his value, he has all the tools to be a difference maker as an MLB 1st baseman or DH. This is the first time since 2005 (Henry Sanchez), that the Twins have taken a 1st baseman in the first round.

One thing is quite obvious: the Twins are trying to keep the Bomba Squad alive far beyond 2020. Even when Nelson Cruz moves to the next stage of his life, youngsters like Sano, Kepler, Rooker, Kirilloff, Larnach and now Sabato wait in the wings.

Look for the Twins to break the home run record every year for the next fifty years*

*sarcasm

Cameron Thompson | Minnesota Sports Fan