After three college players went off the board in the first three picks, the Minnesota Twins made a move for the first high schooler taken in the draft when they picked right handed pitcher Kohl Stewart out of St. Pius X High School in Texas.
Stewart is a two-sport star and has committed to Texas A&M to play football. Apparently the idea of sitting behind Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel isn’t all that appealing, because Stewart will forego his college career to join the Twins, so says his father, as quoted by the Houston Chronicle.
"“He’s going to go (with the Twins),” Mark Stewart said. “You don’t get drafted fourth and not go. It’s a once in a lifetime offer. He looked at me when they made the call and said, ‘Dad, I’m going to accept the (Twins’) offer.’ He’s made the decision, and he will talk to (A&M coach Kevin Sumlin).”"
In Stewart, the Twins drafted a 6’3″ 18-year-old who projects to fill out from his current 195 lbs frame. As he adds bulk, there is a belief that he can add velocity to his already impressive fastball; a pitch that sits in the low-90s, but can reach as high as 97 mph.
Stewart doesn’t have as much experience as many high school pitchers thanks to his summertime commitments to football limiting his travel schedule for baseball leagues. The result is an inconsistent delivery that will need some work in order for Stewart to master repeating. Cleaning up his mechanics should go a long way toward harnessing his command, which needs improvement.
A great athlete, Stewart also possesses a slider that’s as highly regarded as his fastball is and projects as a plus offering.