MINNEAPOLIS — The last time the Minnesota Twins had the No. 1 pick in Major League Baseball’s draft, they were trying to decide between a can’t-miss pitching prospect and a hometown hero they hoped would one day help them dig out of a decade of futility.
It was an excruciating decision between USC ace Mark Prior and St. Paul prep catcher Joe Mauer, one that had team executives flip-flopping until the moment the clock started on that June afternoon.
Sixteen years later, the Twins have the first overall pick again.