Twins' first three draft picks: Michael, Travis Harrison, Hudson Boyd
June 7, 2011 at 11:02AM
LEVI MICHAEL, SS
University of North Carolina
• The 20-year-old switch hitter can play any infield position, but the Twins believe he is strong enough defensively to remain at shortstop, relatively rare for a college prospect. ... Hit .346 as a sophomore, and was 15-for-16 in base-stealing. Is he better offensively or defensively? "Overall, I'm solid," he said.
TRAVIS HARRISON, 3B
Tustin (Calif.) High
• He's big, and has power to match; scouts compare him to slugger Matt Williams, with strong hands and a quick bat. He hit 13 home runs as a senior. ... Harrison has the arm for third base, but his size (6-2, 215 pounds and growing) might cause him to move to left field, the Twins believe. Signed with USC.
HUDSON BOYD, RHP
Bishop Verot High (Ft. Myers, Fla.)
• He's a strikeout pitcher with three different pitches, and twice has struck out 15 hitters in a high school game. ... Timed as high as 96 miles per hour, Boyd projects as a "Jonathan Broxton kind of guy," according to scouting director Deron Johnson. Signed with Florida.
PHIL MILLER
about the writer
The Twins don’t have a glaring positional roster hole besides first base. Jose Miranda and Edouard Julien are the leading internal candidates at first.
