Brad Hand

Hand has created a bigger sensation among scouts than any Minnesota high school prospect since Joe Mauer. He won't go at the top of the draft like Mauer did, but Hand performed very well when two dozen scouts attended his fourth start of the spring. His fastball ranged from 88-93 mph with nice life, and both his curveball and changeup flashed plus potential. Hand is an athletic 6-foot-2, 205-pounder who also plays football and hockey, and in baseball he doubles as a first baseman with lefty power. The biggest issues with him are his mechanics and his signability. He has violence and a head whack in his delivery, and he lands on a stiff front leg. Hand has pitched himself into third-round consideration, but that the slot bonuses in that area of the draft (roughly $275,000 to $400,000) may not be enough to lure him away from an Arizona State scholarship. The Twins usually stay on top of their homestate prospects, and they could be tempted to take him with a sandwich or second-round choice.