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Continuing with our preview of some players that the Texas Rangers could be looking at with their picks at #29, #39, and #52...
As I said last year when doing this drill, this would be a lot easier if the Rangers were picking higher, and neither of the Rangers' first couple picks were guys we'd ever talked about before the draft. Still, we'll take a look at a few of the intriguing names that could be in the mix for the Rangers, and see who might be out there...
This morning we take a look at California high school LHP Kyle Twomey.
Kyle Twomey scouting report -- Kyle Twomey is a 6'3", 165 lb. lefthanded pitcher from El Dorado High School in Placentia, California. Twomey is ranked #62 by Baseball America in their top 500 prospect listing and by John Sickels in his top 100 list, and #91 on Frankie Piliere's top 100. He did not make Keith Law's top 100 list. Twomey has committed to USC if he does not go pro.
I decided to take a look at Twomey after T.R. Sullivan mentioned him in a recent article as being among a group of high school pitchers to keep an eye on when the Rangers draft, and reading up on him, my reaction was, yeah, I could see Texas popping him with one of their early picks. Twomey is skinny, so there's projection there with him if and when he fills out. Twomey's fastball was in the upper-80s for much of the season, topping out at 91 mph, though Baseball America notes that Twomey's fastball has been compared to Cliff Lee and C.J. Wilson.
Twomey says in this Q&A that he throws a two-seamer and a four-seamer, along with a curveball and a changeup, and has been working on a cutter to give himself a fifth pitch. Jason Churchill noted earlier in the season that Twomey's curveball can be a plus pitch, and he gets good marks, according to BA, for his makeup and aptitude.
Twomey is the type of pitcher I could see the Rangers taking early...he's a long way from a finished product, but the Rangers could see him as someone with a bunch of upside as he fills out, he's athletic, which the Rangers like, and they've talked before about how much importance they place on makeup.