Twins Complete Draft Day Two
TWINS SELECT EIGHT PLAYERS ON SECOND DAY
OF 2015 FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT
Twins Have Now Selected a Total of 10 Players Through the First Two Days
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have selected eight players on the second day of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft in addition to their first two selections (#6 and #73) last night. In all, the Twins have drafted three left-handed pitchers, one right-handed pitcher, four infielders and two outfielders in the first two days of the draft. Of the 10 total players, six have been college players and four are high school selections. The First-Year Player Draft will continue with rounds 11-40 tomorrow.
TWINS 2015 FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT INFORMATION
ROUND PLAYER POS B/T HT WT DOB HOMETOWN SCHOOL SCOUT
1 (6) Tyler Jay LHP L/L 6-1 185 4/19/95 Lamont, IL University of Illinois Pohl
Was rated by Baseball America as having the best breaking ball, best command and closest to the majors in the 2015 First-Year Player Draft. He went 5-2 with a 1.08 ERA (66.2 IP, 8 ER), 76 strikeouts and seven walks in 30 appearances (2 starts) for the Fighting Illini in 2015 and finished his career 10-6 with a 1.68 ERA (128.2 IP, 24 ER), 30 walks and 143 strikeouts in 71 career appearances (2 starts) over three seasons for Illinois. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound left-hander was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, Louisville Slugger First-Team All-American, and a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, Golden Spikes Award and National Pitcher of the Year. The Illini closer holds the school record for saves in a single-season (14, 2015) and in a career (24).
CB-B (73) Kyle Cody RHP R/R 6-7 245 8/9/94 Chippewa Falls, WI University of Kentucky Sandberg
The 20-year-old junior was rated as the 19th best prospect by Baseball America and the 40th best prospect by MLB.com entering the 2015 Draft. Cody went 4-4 with a 4.91 ERA (66.0 IP, 36 ER) with 17 walks and 63 strikeouts in 14 appearances (12 starts) for the Wildcats in 2015. In 47 career appearances (28 starts) over three seasons with Kentucky, he went 11-7 with a 4.40 ERA (161.2 IP, 79 ER), 50 walks and 130 strikeouts. A native of Chippewa Falls, WI, Cody was named the Wisconsin Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2012. The 6-foot-7, 245-pounder started for the Western Division in the 2014 Cape Cod League All-Star Game.
3 (80) Travis Blankenhorn 3B L/R 6-2 195 8/3/96 Pottsville, PA Pottsville HS (Pottsville, PA) Weitzel
The first position player taken by the Twins, Blankenhorn was a high school shortstop committed to play at the University of Kentucky. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound left-handed hitting infielder was ranked as the 75th overall prospect by Baseball America entering the draft and was listed as a "sleeper prospect" at third base by Bleacher Report. The Perfect Game First-Team All-American also played basketball, where he averaged 16.3 points-per-game, and football, where he accumulated 1,211 yards and eight touchdowns as a wide receiver for Pottsville. Blankenhorn hit .467 (35-for-75) with six doubles, five triples, six home runs, 11 stolen bases and 24 RBI this season.
4 (110) Trey Cabbage 3B L/R 6-3 200 5/4/97 Rutledge, TN Grainger HS (Rutledge, TN) Sandberg
Ranked as the 72nd best prospect in the Draft by MLB.com and 111th by Baseball America, Cabbage was a four-year multi-sport athlete in baseball and basketball for Grainger High School. He hit .464 with 11 doubles, six triples, eight home runs and 50 RBI as a junior, and also stole 23 bases. On the mound, he posted a 2.06 ERA with 106 strikeouts. The left-handed hitting infielder was named a three-time All-District and All-State player, as well as Freshman of the Year in 2012. Cabbage played travel ball with the Team Elite Roadrunners and was a 2014 Perfect Game Preseason Championship participant with Team Elite.
5 (140) Alex Robinson LHP L/L 6-3 215 8/11/94 Hewlett, NY University of Maryland J. Wilson
The left-handed reliever from the University of Maryland was rated as the 74th best prospect by Baseball America entering the Draft, and as the 124th best prospect by MLB.com. Robinson made 25 appearances, all in relief, for the Terrapins posting a record of 1-1 with a 1.63 ERA (27.2 IP, 5 ER), 20 walks and 32 strikeouts while collecting three saves. The junior did not allow an earned run through 17.1 innings pitched to begin the season. Robinson attended Holy Trinity High School in Hewlett, NY where he was named the ESPN New York Player of the Year and was ranked the third overall prospect in New York by Perfect Game.
6 (170) Chris Paul RF R/R 6-2 190 10/12/92 Aliso Viejo, CA U of California-Berkeley Strankman
A right-handed hitting infielder, Paul was a First-Team All-Pac-12 selection his senior season for the Bears in 2015 after hitting .325 (66-for-203) with nine home runs and a team-high 45 RBI. Was twice named Pac-12 Player of the Week in 2015. In four seasons with Cal, Paul hit .236 (151-for-563) with 27 doubles, seven triples, 18 home runs and 12 stolen bases in 166 games. Attended Laguna Beach High School where he hit .495 as a senior and was the Orange Coast League MVP as a sophomore.
7 (200) Jovani Moran LHP L/L 6-1 170 4/24/97 Sabana Grande, PR Carlos Beltran Academy (PR) Thon
Was rated as the second best prospect out of Puerto Rico, and the 300th overall prospect, by Baseball America entering the 2015 Draft. The 18-year-old attended the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico and was a University of South Florida recruit. Moran was the third left-handed pitcher drafted by the Twins.
8 (230) Kolton Kendrick 1B L/R 6-3 230 8/10/96 Loranger, LA Oak Forest Academy (Amite, LA) Runser
Kendrick was rated as the 62nd overall prospect in the Draft by Baseball America and the 177th best prospect by MLB.com. The left-handed hitting first baseman hit 15 home runs with an aluminum bat as a junior at Loranger High School (LA) before transferring to Oak Forest Academy (Amite, LA) where he hit .420 with nine home runs, 14 doubles, 35 RBI and 50 walks compared to 11 strikeouts, primarily with a wood bat. Kendrick, an all-district selection and conference All-Star, led Oak Forest to a district championship and state runner-up in his senior season.
9 (260) Lamonte Wade CF L/L 6-1 195 1/1/94 Owings Mill, MD University of Maryland J. Wilson
A junior for the University of Maryland, Wade made the transfer from first base to center field this past season. Wade finished second on the team with a .335 (53-for-158) batting average while his .453 on-base percentage led all Terrapins. The left-hander stole seven bases, walked 30 times compared to striking out 20 and made just one error in the field. In the 2015 NCAA Tournament, Wade was named the LA Regional Most Outstanding Player after hitting .400 (6-for-15) with two home runs in four games. The Owings Mill, MD native attended St. Paul High School in Brooklandville, MD where he was a four-year letter-winner in baseball and basketball, and was named to the 2012 Preseason Under Armour All-American Team and the 2012 Baltimore Sun All-Metro First-Team.
10 (290) Sean Miller SS R/R 5-11 170 10/10/94 Crofton, MD U of South Carolina, Aiken Taylor
The junior shortstop was named Second-Team All-Peach Belt Conference in 2015 for the University of South Carolina, Aiken. The right-handed hitter batted .326 (70-for-215) on the season and started all but one game while collecting 13 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 37 RBI and 39 runs. As a freshman, Miller was the Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year after hitting .281 (59-for-210) with nine doubles, two triples and 35 RBI. In three seasons with the Pacers, Miller hit .327 (203-for-620) with 29 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 109 RBI, 28 walks, 73 strikeouts, 25 stolen bases and 109 runs in 158 games. His father, Steve, played in the Giants and Padres organizations.