MINNEAPOLIS -- One of the many advantages for the Twins by having the No. 1 overall selection in the MLB Draft is having the largest bonus pool available at $14.1 million, including more than $7.7 million allocated to the No. 1 pick.
With the top overall pick, shortstop Royce Lewis, expected to sign for roughly $1 million less than the full slot value, it gave the Twins flexibility to be creative on the second day of the Draft, selecting players who would otherwise be unsignable. That was the case with their first pick of the second day, as they selected highly-regarded prep right-hander Blayne Enlow with the No. 76 pick in the third round.
Enlow, 18, was ranked as the No. 29 Draft prospect per MLBPipeline.com, and was considered a potential first-round talent. But the Twins worked out a deal with him on Tuesday, and are expected to sign him for roughly $2 million, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. It's much higher than the $755,400 slot assigned to the pick.
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Enlow, from St. Amont High School (La.), was considered a strong LSU commit.
"We felt good about that decision," Twins scouting director Sean Johnson said. "We didn't know if it would materialize, but we got to a number we were comfortable with, and the kid was comfortable with. We're glad we got him."
After the Twins loaded up with more talent on Tuesday, the Draft concludes on Wednesday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at 11 a.m. CT.
Enlow, who pitched at the same high school as former Brewers ace Ben Sheets, was golfing with his friend when he found out he was the first pick of the Draft's second day.
"It was awesome," Enlow said. "I wasn't thinking anything of it. I got to the ninth hole, and then got a call from my dad and my advisor that the Twins selected me. I was so excited."
Enlow, who is 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, has hit as high as 94 mph with his fastball on the showcase circuit, but was more in the 88-92-mph range as a senior. However, it's his curveball that really turns heads, while his changeup is still a work in progress.
"He may have maybe the best curveball of the high-school group," Johnson said. "High ceiling with a fastball he can run up to 94. He's got a pretty lean body, and some height. He can spin the ball, which is hard to teach."
Enlow has faced plenty of top competition, including throwing 13 scoreless innings for the U.S. national 18-and-under team that won the gold medal at the Pan American Championships in October. He thinks that experience will help him as he enters professional ball.
"Doing good against the top competition showed me that I'm right there with all the other guys," Enlow said. "Those events were all awesome. With Team USA, it was 20 guys who didn't know each other, but loved baseball and their country. We all met up and became a team, and played against other countries. It was just so cool."