MLB Draft 2017: Twins unlikely to take Hunter Greene with first overall pick

The Twins are likely to use their top pick in this year’s draft someone other than revolutionary prospect Hunter Greene, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.

Apparently a fastball of 102 mph to compliment a powerful bat and smooth glove at shortstop isn’t enough to sell Thad Levine and Twins on the coveted teenager who has a fastball comparable to Aroldis Chapman and an infield glove that has been used in the same sentence as Alex Rodriguez.

Instead, the Twins will likely go with Louisville pitcher/first baseman Brendan McKay, Vanderbilt pitcher Kyle Wright or California prep shortstop Royce Lewis, and Heyman reports that some scouts view Wright as the most likely option. Greene would have been the first high school right-handed pitcher to ever be taken with the first overall pick in the history of the draft.

Despite having that vacuum glove at shortstop and powerful bat, most scouts see Greene as a future pitcher in the majors who could crack a major-league roster by the time he is 20. The phenom was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated earlier this month as the future star that baseball needs, and was praised for his character and life off the field.

So while the Twins seem to passing on Greene, it is hard to believe he will fall much farther than the Reds, who pick second in this year’s draft. The Padres have the third overall pick.

Greene has the makings of an elite talent, but many scouts around the league still see a prep school prospect as a gamble, especially with a top overall pick. Still, it is hard to remember a prep school prospect with this type of promise.