Amateur draft: Twins survey talented pitching pool

Drafts in the other major professional sports are hard enough to predict. The baseball draft is even more difficult, because many teams swing and miss on prospects given millions in signing bonus money.

Draft boards vary from team to team, especially later in first round and beyond. So teams like the Twins will have to read and react as their 30th overall pick nears on Monday during Major League Baseball's annual draft.

The first round begins a 6 p.m. at MLB draft headquarters in Secaucus, N.J. The draft continues Tuesday and Wednesday.

Baseball America projects the Twins selecting Florida State lefthander Sean Gilmartin with their first-round pick, MLB.com says lefthander Andrew Chafin of Kent State, and ESPN says second baseman Kolten Wong of the University of Hawaii. That shows how tough it is to predict who goes where.

Twins scouting director Deron Johnson said the club has never looked at specific needs with its first pick. But he agrees that this year's draft has several good pitching prospects. And the Twins coveted arms over the past three drafts; they have selected a total of nine pitchers in the first five rounds.

"It's deep in pitching," Johnson said. "There are some power arms available. Some college arms and some good high school arms, as well."

Other pitchers who could be available when the Twins' turn comes up are lefthander Tyler Anderson of Oregon and high school righthander Tyler Beede -- a Vanderbilt commitment -- from Groton, Mass.

The Twins selected Anderson in the 50th round in 2008, but he opted to go to college.

If the Twins eye a position player, they could go after Wong, whom they drafted in the 16th round in 2008 and made a strong push to sign before he decided to attend college. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo, from East Cheyenne, Wyo., also could be available. It might be hard to pass up Utah first baseman C.J. Cron if he's still there.

While some of those players might be gone when the Twins pick, a couple could still be available when the supplemental round begins Monday. That's the advantage of extra picks.

Orlando Hudson got Sunday off after batting .153 (11-for-72) over his previous 24 games with San Diego. Jesse Crain is shaking off the two-run homer he gave up in the ninth inning Saturday to Miguel Cabrera in the Tigers' 4-2 victory over the White Sox.

Both players are gone from the Twins, but they factor in Monday's draft. Thanks to their offseason departures as free agents, the Twins have received extra draft picks as compensation. In addition to having the 30th overall pick, the Twins will have the 50th and 55th overall selections in the supplemental round, which takes place between the first and second rounds.

The number of supplemental picks fluctuates every year. There are 27 this year.

"We're excited," said Johnson, the Twins director of scouting. "Anytime you get extra picks, it's good for an organization."

Tampa Bay was compensated well for losing several free agents. The Rays will have made seven picks by the time the Twins' turn comes up at No. 55. Tampa Bay has 12 picks among the first 89 and 15 among the first 180 because of free agency.