The MLB Draft Lottery delivered an early holiday gift to the Twins at last week’s Winter Meetings when the club secured the third overall pick. It is the organization’s highest draft position since 2017 and one that should offer the chance to add an impact talent to a farm system already trending upward.
Still, ending up in the third spot comes with a history that is anything but straightforward. Depending on the year, the third pick has produced Hall of Famers, perennial All-Stars, fringe big leaguers, and players who never quite lived up to the expectations placed on them.
That is the challenge the Twins now face. The third overall pick can transform a franchise, but its legacy also provides a reminder that even the most carefully managed scouting departments can miss. Minnesota has reaped both ends of that spectrum over its history with the pick and now finds itself hoping that this year’s draft can tie the story together in a much more satisfying way.
Some of the best selections ever made from the third spot came long before the modern scouting and analytics era. The Brewers struck gold twice in the 1970s by drafting Robin Yount and Paul Molitor. Both players carved out Hall of Fame careers while accumulating more than 75 rWAR apiece, setting standards that have towered over every other third overall pick for nearly five decades. The 2000s produced more star talent with Evan Longoria in 2006 and Manny Machado in 2010. Machado’s 61.7 rWAR already puts him among the elite at the position, and he still has time to climb higher before his career closes.
More recently, the third overall pick has been attached to high ceilings and heavy risk. Detroit selected prep outfielder Max Clark in 2023, a player many evaluators believe could be a fast mover once he gets deeper into pro ball. He is already a consensus top-50 prospect and could debut as early as 2026.
The Rangers went in a very different direction with Kumar Rocker in 2022 after his winding path from Vanderbilt to independent ball to the first round. It was a surprise pick at number three that changed the rest of that first round. Rocker still flashed top 50 potential entering last season, but has struggled to find sustained success in the majors. Last season, he had a 4.88 FIP and a 19.5 K%.
Miami hoped Max Meyer, a Minnesota Golden Gopher legend, would become a rotation anchor after taking him third overall in 2020. Injuries and inconsistency have slowed his ascent, leaving his long-term role in MLB unsettled. In 2025, he posted a 4.47 FIP with a 23.9 K%.
The Twins have their own complicated history with the third overall pick, and both of their selections arrived with expectations that were never fulfilled. Minnesota believed Willie Banks could become a fixture in the rotation after grabbing him in 1987. Instead, he bounced around the league and contributed only 1.0 rWAR in 85 career appearances. Dave McCarty followed in 1991 and brought an enticing college power bat, with evaluators projecting a quick rise. He reached the majors but never developed into the middle-of-the-order presence the Twins hoped for, producing negative value during his time in Minnesota (-3.2 rWAR) despite playing parts of 11 seasons in the majors.
As Jamie Cameron wrote, the Twins have some intriguing options that will be available with the third overall pick next July. College shortstop Justin Lebron is the frontrunner for the third pick. Last season, he posted a 127 wRC+ for Alabama. Other college options include Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress, Virginia outfielder A.J. Gracia, and Coastal Carolina right-handed pitcher Cameron Flukey . However, it’s important to note that a lot can happen during the spring season for college and high school players.
There is at least one comforting trend. In both years, when the Twins held the third overall pick, the franchise went on to win the World Series. It may be a coincidence, but with a premium draft selection now secured and a front office that has seen some recent draft success stories, Minnesota has a chance to reshape the story around the third pick. History may be complicated, but the Twins will gladly accept the opportunity to add the next great chapter.
What stands out about the history of the third overall pick? Leave a comment and start the discussion.Â
Are you interested in Twins history? Then check out the Minnesota Twins Players Project, a community-driven project to discover and collect great information on every player to wear a Twins uniform!