Twins release 2019 first-round pick Keoni Cavaco

Cavaco slashed .212/ .267/.335 in five minor league seasons

Keoni Cavaco / Minnesota Twins

The Twins released first-round pick Keoni Cavaco Monday, ending his time with the organization that drafted him in the first round just five years ago.

Cavaco, the 13th overall pick in the 2019 draft, struggled in just over five seasons of minor league ball, never reaching higher than High-A. The 23-year-old slashed .144/.202/.327 this season for High-A Cedar Rapids.

Originally seen as a high ceiling prospect coming out of high school, Cavaco was never able to put it all together. He hit for .212 average in a little over five seasons in the minors, while slugging 23 homers in that time.

Ranked as the No. 1 high school prospect in California in 2019 by Perfect Game, Cavaco shot up draft boards from a second-round pick to top-half of the first round in the spring leading up to the draft. Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline wrote at the time, that "no first-rounder has more helium at the moment than Cavaco."

By selecting Cavaco with the 13th overall pick, the Twins missed out on future MLB stars like 2023 AL and NL rookies of the year Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll. Additionally, Mariners All-Star pitcher George Kirby was chosen just seven picks after Cavaco.