MLB Draft 2012: 10 Pitchers the Minnesota Twins Could Target in the Early Rounds

One of the top priorities for the Minnesota Twins in the 2012 MLB draft should be to attempt to reload what was once a hotbed for quality pitching prospects. It may seem like the understatement of the year, but with the Twins' current state at the major league level they need help as soon as possible.

This could mean that the Twins will take a collegiate pitcher in the early rounds in hopes he flies through their system and gives the big-league rotation an immediate boost.

However, the best long-term choice could be taking a high school ace and hoping he blossoms into the next dominant pitcher.

Whatever the Twins decide to do, it's likely that they will spend several of their first five picks (which are all in the top 72 picks overall) trying to find pitchers that will add depth to their meager situation.

Here's a look at some of the pitchers who could become Twins by the end of the second round.

RHP Mark Appel (Stanford)

Many people assume if that the Houston Astros do not select Mark Appel with the first overall pick in the 2012 MLB draft on Monday, the Minnesota Twins will pounce on him with the second pick.

Appel fits the mold of what Twins general manager Terry Ryan seems to be looking for. Appel is a collegiate pitcher who has put up very solid numbers at Stanford.

Appel has three above-average pitches and has the ability to get better once he packs weight onto his 6'4", 195-pound frame.

The only red flag with Appel is that he has suffered a dropoff in his junior season when he was expected to place a choke-hold on the No. 1 spot in the draft. In 2012, Appel has gone 9-1 with a 2.37 earned run average for the Cardinal with 116 strikeouts in 110 innings pitched.

The Twins would also be pleased to see that he has walked just 24 batters in those 110 innings. For a team that loves to pound the strike zone, that's a plus.

The only concern is that Appel doesn't seem to be a "true ace" like previous drafts have seen with the likes of Justin Verlander and Stephen Strasburg. However, if the Twins select Appel with the second overall pick, he has the ability to succeed at the major league level.

RHP Kevin Gausman (LSU)

When Kevin Gausman was eligible in the 2010 MLB draft, the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to take him in the sixth round despite signability issues and lack of consistency. Gausman was made an above-slot offer, but decided to attend LSU instead.

The decision has worked out for him as he's been able to smooth out some of his rough edges. His fastball and curveball are still elite-level pitches, but now he's added a changeup to go along with it. Those three pitches along with a smooth delivery make him a possible top-of-the-rotation starter.

The Twins may be a little scared off by Gausman because he tends to struggle with control, but you can't see that based on his 24 walks in 107.2 innings for the Tigers this season.

Some people would be shocked if the Twins selected Gausman over Appel, but with his great stuff, smooth delivery, and successful track record it shouldn't be that much of a surprise.

RHP Lucas Giolito (Harvard-Westlake H.S., Calif.)

While it's not recommended that the Twins roll the dice with the second overall pick, Lucas Giolito may just be too tempting to pass up. Prior to the 2012 season, it was expected that Giolito would battle Mark Appel for the chance to be the first pick in the draft.

Since then, Giolito suffered a sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) prior to his season even beginning. With the UCL being the main ligament that leads to Tommy John surgery, many teams have probably crossed Giolito's name off their list altogether.

However, the team that does take the risk could be well rewarded. Giolito has great size for a high schooler (6'6", 230 lbs.) and has remarkable stuff to boot.

The risk could be too much for the Twins though, as they have been snake-bit by Tommy John surgery with pitchers at the major league level (Scott Baker being the latest example) and the minor league level as well (Kyle Gibson).

Could the Twins roll the dice on one of the top arms in the draft? Maybe if they were sitting a little bit further down, but I don't see it happening with the second pick.

RHP Lucas Sims (Brookwood H.S., Geo.)

As I mentioned earlier, the Twins will most likely be looking for a collegiate pitcher that could move through the system quickly. Still, some of the high school prospects have too much talent to pass up.

It's unclear where Lucas Sims will go in the 2012 MLB draft, but there is a chance he could fall to one of the Twins' sandwich picks at the end of the first round.

Sims has two quality pitches as of right now (fastball and curveball), but would need to develop a third pitch to be a successful starter. This has led some people to believe that Sims, who has a scholarship offer to Clemson, is better suited for a closer's role in the major leagues.

While it wouldn't be the best-case scenario for the Twins to draft a closer in the compensation round, it's not like the their bullpen has shut down everything in sight over the past couple of years. Sims could be great insurance in case Glen Perkins turns out to not be closer material.

LHP Matthew Smoral (Solon H.S., Ohio)

Another talented high schooler who the Twins might take a look at is Matthew Smoral out of Ohio.

Unlike Lucas Sims, Smoral projects to be a starting pitcher in the major leagues and has the body (6'8", 225 lbs.) to look the part. Smoral has the fastball of a typical Twins' starting pitcher (91-92 miles per hour) and is already known to be more of a feel pitcher.

Those words may sound like nails on a chalkboard for Twins fans, but the truth is that they need guys that can pitch and Smoral fits the mold that the Twins want to establish.

Smoral also has a delivery that is fluid, and shouldn't contribute to any arm injuries. Although a stress fracture in his foot ended his season in April, the Twins may see a future innings eater if Smoral falls to them in the sandwich round.

LHP Brian Johnson (Florida)

After a brief moment of playing "what if" with high school pitchers, we'll return to what the Twins are probably looking for in the collegiate ranks.

Collegiate lefties are a specialty in the draft and Brian Johnson could be the first left-hander taken that went to school.

Johnson has the ability to keep hitters off-balance with four solid pitches (fastball, sinker, slider, and changeup). Johnson also is a very aggressive pitcher who tries to pound the strike zone as much as possible for the Florida Gators.

Again, this is the kind of pitcher the Twins usually go after, as he fits the mold of "pitching to contact." As the beginning of round two approaches in the draft, they may take Johnson.

RHP Pierce Johnson (Missouri State)

Pierce Johnson may not be available when the Twins pick in the sandwich round, but if he is we could see a situation similar to what which we saw when the Twins took Kyle Gibson in 2010.

Gibson was considered to be a potential top-10 pick in the 2009 draft until he suffered a stress fracture in his forearm. As a result, Gibson slid all the way to the Twins with the 22nd pick.

The Twins didn't see any ligament damage in their pre-draft evaluation, and so they selected Gibson. He raced through the team's minor league system prior to (ironically) needing Tommy John surgery this past offseason.

That's not to say that Johnson will need Tommy John surgery, but his injury could throw him right into the Twins' lap just like Gibson's did three seasons ago.

Johnson was in a similar situation as he suffered a forearm strain. While he was not projected to be a top-10 pick like Gibson was, he could have gone much higher without the injury.

Since then Johnson has thrown and proven he is 100 percent healthy, but teams are still going to be skeptical about that.

If he falls to the Twins, they'll be getting a pitcher with 100 strikeouts in just 83.2 innings pitched. For a team that loves to pitch to contact, Johnson would be a welcome change if he's there for the Twins in the sandwich round.

LHP Alex Wood (Georgia)

Another pitcher from the SEC makes the list as Georgia right-hander Alex Wood could be another player the Twins target with one of their sandwich picks.

Wood is Friday's starter for the Bulldogs and his 7-3 record and 2.73 earned run average suggest that he's performed well in that role. His strikeout numbers are similar to those of Mark Appel (100 in 102 innings pitched) and he's done a good job in limiting his walks (21).

Wood throws an above-average fastball that touches the mid-90s, but he needs to learn how to harness his curveball and changeup.

Wood could be more of a development than the Twins are willing to take on, but given his experience in a tough conference they might be willing to take a flier on him.

RHP Mitchell Brown (Rochester Century H.S., Minn.)

The Twins haven't shied away from taking local talent, and this year could be no exception as Mitchell Brown has proven to be a prime prospect just 90 minutes away from Target Field.

Brown has a fastball that can touch the mid-90s and has seen improvement through every offseason. He also has three other pitches (changeup, curve, and cutter) that could become major league offerings as he develops.

Brown struggles with control from time to time, but that's not projected to be a huge concern for the 6'2", 205-pound senior.

Whether it was Glen Perkins (Stillwater, Minn.) or Cole De Vries (Eden Prarie, Minn.), the Twins love local talent and may pounce on Brown in an early round to convince him to sign rather than fufilling a commitment to play at the University of San Diego.

RHP Chris Beck (Georgia Southern)

The Twins may roll the dice once more on another talent that could have gone in the top 10, but fell because of his team's performance.

Chris Beck already has the pitching aspect down as he is loaded with three solid pitches in his arsenal. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and keeps its velocity throughout a start. His slider and changeup are also pitches that could intrigue the Twins and enable him to miss some bats.

Beck's downfall came from his team's poor start as the Eagles lost their best player (Victor Roache) for the first week of the season. After returning to the starting rotation, Beck came out firing, striking out 16 batters in his first start of the season.

It would be another intriguing pick for the Twins, who have misfired in past drafts with some of their pitching selections. However, Beck has the tools to become an effective major league pitcher down the road.