Drafted in the C-A round (46th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2009 (signed for $751,500).
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Bashore piqued the interest of scouts when he hit 94 mph last spring, but then he came down with a tender arm and pitched out of the bullpen in the Cape Cod League during the summer. He started slowly this spring but finished strong, pitching himself into the verge of first-round consideration before getting knocked around by Vanderbilt in the NCAA regionals. He's attractive because he's a lefty with size (6-foot-3, 200 pounds), velocity (his fastball sits at 90-91 mph and has peaked at 95 this year), a pair of solid breaking pitches and an effective splitter/changeup. Bashore has an easy delivery and has improved his control this year. His 244 strikeouts in 248 innings are tied for the most in school history.
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The Twins have had success developing college pitchers in recent years, from Kevin Slowey and Glen Perkins to more recent picks such as Carlos Gutierrez. They took four more college arms with their first four draft picks in 2009, starting with Kyle Gibson and followed by Bashore, one of the top lefthanded starters available. He signed for $751,500 as a sandwich pick. Bashore was a three-year starter for Indiana and teamed with Brewers first-rounder Eric Arnett to lead the Hoosiers to their second-ever regional appearance last spring. After flashing a 94-mph fastball as a sophomore, Bashore pitched more at 88-91 mph at the beginning of his junior season. His velocity perked back up late in the season and he touched 94-95 at times. The Twins grade his fastball as slightly above average because of its movement, velocity and control. Bashore throws both a plus curveball and an average slider, and he tends to blend the two when he got in trouble. His arm action and sound delivery should allow him to pound the strike zone once he makes some refinements. He's physical and resembles Perkins, a fellow Big 10 Conference alum, in size and repertoire, though he has a better body than Perkins had at a similar stage. Bashore wound up having bone chips removed from his elbow after his brief pro debut but is expected to be ready for spring training. He may start in extended spring to ease his way back from surgery.
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