The Cleveland Indians made an interesting move on Tuesday in the 2012 MLB Draft, selecting Rochester, Minn., high school pitcher Mitch Brown. There was a lot of speculation that Brown might end up with the Twins, but after they went with college arms, Brown fell to Cleveland.
Brown is an interesting player simply because he's the latest high school player from Minnesota to be selected high in the MLB Draft. As we've written about before, MLB.com's scouting report indicates that Brown should have probably expected to be selected higher than the 79th overall pick.
It's not uncommon for players who play in colder climates to be late risers as scouts get to see them as the weather changes. That definitely has been the case for Brown this spring. While not the biggest guy in the world, he is strong and durably built. He also has a good idea of what he's doing on the mound.
The right-hander can run his fastball up to 94 mph. He can spin a breaking ball pretty well, throws a good cutter and even shows a feel for the changeup. That gives him the chance to have four Major League average or well above offerings in the future. While Brown can struggle with his overall command at times, it's not a long-term concern.
There was little doubt he was the best player in the state of Minnesota as the Draft approached, one who was creeping up higher on Draft boards.
It'll be interesting to follow Brown make his way through the Indians system ... though a bit unfortunate he won't be coming up with the hometown Twins.
For more on the Minnesota Twins, head over to Twinkie Town. For more MLB coverage, be sure to visit Baseball Nation.