Analyst names sixth-rounder as 'best value' pick by Twins in 2024 MLB Draft

Coastal Carolina catcher Derek Bender has raked over the last couple years.

The Twins selected Coastal Carolina catcher Derek Bender in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB Draft. / Courtesy of Coastal Carolina Athletics

ESPN analyst Kiley McDaniel named sixth-round pick Derek Bender as the Twins' best value selection in the recent 2024 MLB Draft. Minnesota took Bender with the 188th overall pick on Monday.

A catcher from Coastal Carolina, Bender hit .320 with 11 homers, 63 RBI, 10 steals, and a .942 OPS for the Chanticleers last season. He was even better in 2023, when he raked to the tune of a .341 average, 19 bombs, 83 RBI, and a 1.034 OPS. Bender also hit .374 for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod League last summer, stealing 18 bases in 31 games. 235-pound catchers don't usually do that.

Bender's homer in the CCBL championship game last August went slightly viral:

Hitter and catcher got into it during a collegiate summer league championship game last night pic.twitter.com/TaUEFIuFCU

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 14, 2023

Realistically, Bender probably won't stay behind the plate if he's able to rise up the ranks in the Twins' system; he projects more as a first baseman or DH type at the professional level. The Twins also drafted Loyola Marymount catcher Khadim Diaw in the third round on Monday, adding to their organizational depth at that position.

Here's more from McDaniel on Minnesota's first few draft picks:

"The Twins tend to play it safer, with hit-first, up-the-middle types at their top picks (Brooks Lee, Walker Jenkins, Luke Keaschall in the previous two drafts), then they open things up with more upside at later picks. Sure enough, they did that again this year. Kaelen Culpepper and Kyle DeBarge are hit-first shortstops who project to stay at the position with sneaky power, similar to Keaschall. Billy Amick has big power but fits on a corner and has real in-zone miss questions. Dasan Hill has some relief risk but flashes plus stuff from the left side as a teenager."

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