Listen, we know it’s tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage, and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn’t easy. It’s OK, though. We’re going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network, as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
Draft days are over: Royce Lewis signs, and Twitter heroes are remembered
Sunday’s Say Hey Baseball Talks about Royce Lewis, Minnesota’s cleanliness, and the legend of Darren Baker’s Twitter account.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
* * *
Royce Lewis is starting off his time in MLB the way everyone wants to: by making history. The No.1 draft pick in the 2017 class officially signed with the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, between a doubleheader.
The $6.725 million the Twins rolled to Royce is the most any high school player has received. (No word on whether the Prince umbrella giveaway was thrown in to sweeten the deal.) And Lewis is probably the only new signee to comment on the cleanliness of his new city.
Unless baseball has other plans, Lewis should be able to utilize his 70-grade speed to be an impact offensive player despite a long swing. You know whenever you see the Baseball America “runs like a gazelle” comparison, it’s serious. While playing up the middle at shortstop and centerfield or how high he’ll be able to perform defensively is still up for debate, his character is unquestioned. Though, teams have proved time and time again that #character almost never comes first or even second, third, or fourth when evaluating players, even when they’re not that good.
But as analysis of each draft pick’s present and potential have been wrung dry in the handful of days since the draft ended, it’s officially much more fun to look at the who’s who(se son or relative) of the draft.
The Blue Jays took first baseman Kacy Clemens, one of four of Roger Clemens’ sons, in the eighth round with a .305 batting average, 12 home runs and 49 RBI at the University of Texas. ARod’s nephew Joe Dunand was called on the first day at 51st overall by the Miami Marlins. Rodriguez’s Instagram video of the family’s watch party showed just why he was drafted first overall in 1993, realizing Dunand’s name was being called and wooing before anyone else. Darren Baker, a Cal State commit, getting taken in the third round by his dad’s team, however, might have been one of the best stories, not just because it gives the opportunity to watch him pat JT Snow’s back after he was rescued, but also because of his 80-grade Twitter clap-back game.
Not everyone can have killer storybook spy names like No.425 overall pick Antoine Mistico, and not everyone can have tools like Lewis, but everybody’s got something.
--Mina Dunn
- Cal State Fullerton centerfielder Scott Hurst knows that most players want to leave an imprint on the game. He’ll settle for leaving one on the outfield wall. Oregon lost 6-5 in the College World Series, but our hero is not to be forgotten.
- MLB will allow nicknames on jerseys for one weekend, and good news, Charlotte Wilder has got some important ideas for your “Wild Heart.”
- The Dodgers see the ball. The Dodgers hit the ball. The ball goes over the fence. The Dodgers win. Good job to the Dodgers.
- Ari, a 5-year-old heart transplant recipient and my new raison d’etre and raison d’go back to Twitter to watch the video and cry every hour, is going to Fenway. It’s about to get cute as heck up in Boston.
- Rick Porcello is having … quite a go of things. More like if only he were Cy Younger amiright, Scott Lauber?
- I would have stayed up with the Giants all night, had I known how to save a franchise. (The Giants lost. Did you know they’re on pace to lose 103 games? Because they are.)
- Rich Hill is 37, flirty, and not thriving. It might not even be because of blisters this time.
- Marcus Stroman owns a rocking chair. I owned one when I was 5, but you don’t see me bragging about it.
- It turns out Aaron Judge comes in multiple sizes. Trendy and great for the winter months when you put on a few extra pounds.
See More:
