Breaking down the Twins' Day 2 Draft picks

The Twins went a bit of an uncharacteristic route on Day 1 of the 2021 MLB Draft, nabbing a pair of prep talents in pitcher Chase Petty and shortstop Noah Miller.

• Draft Tracker: Live pick-by-pick coverage

The Draft will conclude with rounds 11-20 on Tuesday, starting at 11 a.m. CT. MLB.com will simulcast MLB Network’s broadcast and provide live coverage. To view when teams pick, the Top 200 Prospects list, scouting video and more, visit MLB.com/Draft. Follow @MLBDraft and @MLBDraftTracker on Twitter to see what Draft hopefuls, clubs and experts are saying and to get each pick as it’s made.

• Draft Central

Learn more about each of the Twins’ picks from Day 2 (rounds 2-10) right here:

Round 2, 61st overall: Steven Hajjar, LHP, Michigan

Notable Skill: With only one full collegiate season, Hajjar flashed impressive strikeout potential, fanning 110 batters in 81 2/3 innings in 2021. His fastball lives in the low-90s and sinks in on left-handed hitters, while his changeup serves as his plus offering, with a 60 grade.

Fun Fact: Maybe not the most “fun” possible fact, but Hajjar once tore his ACL while finishing a dunk in a pickup basketball game. The injury cost him his true freshman season at Michigan, but his production since proves that it’s no longer an issue.

Quotable: “[Hajjar] has his best starts when he’s landing the breaking ball and the changeup,” Michigan coach Erik Bakich said. “He’s a great pitcher and a high-level prospect, but I don’t even think we’ve seen the best version of him yet.”

Round 3, 98th overall: Cade Povich, LHP, Nebraska

Notable Skill: Povich boasts a five-pitch mix (four-seamer, changeup, curveball, slider and cutter), though his slider and cutter only see occasional use. He can throw the curveball for a strike in any situation, and his pickoff move nabbed six runners this past season, by the estimate of Nebraska head coach Will Bolt. At 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, there’s belief that he can add some velocity to his fastball (currently sitting 88-91 mph) as he fills out his frame.

Fun Fact: Povich eats Skittles during his starts (in the dugout between innings, of course).

Quotable: “I think he’s a guy that still has one more jump to make from a velocity standpoint,” Bolt said. “Maybe his ceiling is like a No. 3 [starter] in the big leagues. I think he’s a starter all the way.”

Round 4, 128th overall: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 3B, Oklahoma State

Notable Skill: In 2021, Encarnacion-Strand made the jump to the NCAA Division I level after two years in junior college, and he hardly missed a beat. He was honored as the Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year with an 1.103 OPS and 15 home runs in 56 games. His notable lack of speed is a concern, though, especially as it pertains to his defensive placement. A long-term future at first base or catcher might be more realistic than third.

Fun Fact: Who doesn’t love a good baseball movie? Encarnacion-Strand’s favorite flick is "The Benchwarmers" (2006).

Quotable: “He’s been hitting home runs for a long time,” Twins scouting director Sean Johnson said. “The numbers are what they are. We think they’re real. He came to our workout in California before the Draft, got a chance to know him a little bit better.”

Round 5, 159th overall: Christian MacLeod, LHP, Mississippi State

Notable Skill: MacLeod’s high-80s-to-low-90s fastball isn’t going to blow many hitters away, which is why his curveball is so important. The 60-grade offering comes out of his three-quarter arm slot and features plenty of spin. His ERA swelled to 5.23 in 2021 -- his first full season in college -- but the 12.3 strikeouts-per-nine is encouraging.

Fun Fact: Christian’s father, Kevin, was a left-handed pitcher selected by the A’s in the 10th round of the 1987 Draft. He pitched in four seasons as a pro, topping out at Double-A.

Round 6, 189th overall: Travis Adams, RHP, Sacramento State

Notable Skill: Adams’ 4.31 ERA as a junior was the worst of his collegiate career. But he took strides in 2021 to round himself out as a pitcher by touching 95 mph with his fastball and commanding it well alongside a plus changeup. He still lacks a strong breaking pitch to group with the fastball and changeup, though.

Fun Fact: As a senior at Palm Desert High School in 2018, Adams threw a seven-inning no-hitter, striking out 15 batters.

Quotable: “One of the most important things you look for when you’re building a pitching staff is identifying guys who can throw strikes" Sacramento State coach Craig Noto said. "Travis is one of those young men who can fill the zone up at a high rate of success, with multiple pitches.”

Round 7, 219th overall: Jake Rucker, 3B, Tennessee

Notable Skill: Aggressiveness is both a strength and a weakness for Rucker, who homered five times in his first 10 postseason games this season while also seeing his strikeout rate rise about 20 percent. He’s got some defensive versatility, as evidenced by his deployment at second base and shortstop with the Volunteers before moving to third.

Fun Fact: Rucker won the 2012 Little League World Series with a team based in Goodlettsville, Tenn.). He batted .375 with one homer in five games, and pitched to a 1.56 ERA over 7 2/3 innings.

Quotable: “He's maybe not the sexiest thing on paper or your poster boy of this or that,” Tennessee coach Tony Vitello said, “but if you come and watch him play five or six games, you will appreciate the things they do on and off the field. You will see the things that lead to success.”

Round 8, 249th overall: Noah Cardenas, C, UCLA

Notable Skill: Defense is what stands out for Cardenas: His plus-plus arm and excellent receiving skills helped him land the starting backstop role in college as a true freshman. He doesn’t strike out a ton, but his lack of power might explain why he was available at this spot. Cardenas had just 20 extra-base hits (five home runs) across 68 games in his past two seasons at UCLA.

Fun Fact: As an 8-year-old, Cardenas hit a triple off Hunter Greene, who the Reds selected No. 2 overall in the 2017 Draft.

Quotable: “I don’t want to just be a traditional catcher who can catch and throw and then hits whatever,” Cardenas said. “I want to hit in the middle of the lineup while being a staple behind the plate.”

Round 9, 279th overall: Patrick Winkel, C, Connecticut

Notable Skill: Winkel’s throwing ability impressed scouts in 2021, especially given that he was coming off Tommy John surgery from the previous year. His offensive numbers as whole weren’t as flashy, but he did hit 11 homers and slug .515 in 53 games. His raw pop from the left side, paired with his athleticism behind the plate, make for a compelling profile.

Fun Fact: Winkel was star-struck when former Husky George Springer gave him and the rest of UConn’s baseball team a tour of Minute Maid Park in 2019, when UConn was in town to face the University of Houston for a series.

Quotable: “We think Patrick Winkel is a catcher who has a chance to be offensive and defensive, on both sides of the ball, and a chance to be a regular if it all comes together,” Johnson said. “We’ve seen him since high school. He did have a Tommy John surgery, so he’s missed some time there, but he’s back to throwing well and he put up some good numbers, obviously good power numbers, this year.”

Round 10, 309th overall: Ernie Yake, SS, Gonzaga

Notable Skill: With impressive bat skills and a strong makeup, Yake has been on the Twins’ radar for a while. They considered taking him in the 2020 Draft after his junior year, and his .320/.392/.811 slash line over four college seasons helps explain why.

Fun Fact: During last year’s Draft, Yake said he was offered $50,000 to sign with the White Sox in the fifth round. He declined, and they bumped the offer to $100,000. He countered with a $180,000 offer (for a slot valued at $386,600), but the two sides didn’t come to terms and Chicago selected Auburn left-hander Bailey Horn instead.