{"id":130399,"date":"2025-12-14T13:29:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-14T13:29:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=130399"},"modified":"2025-12-14T13:29:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T13:29:51","slug":"report-justin-lebron-may-not-be-a-household-name-yet-but-twins-fans-should-take-notice-his-college-performance-hints-at-tools-that-translate-well-to-the-next-level-is-he-flying-under-the-radar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=130399","title":{"rendered":"Report: Justin Lebron may not be a household name yet, but Twins fans should take notice. His college performance hints at tools that translate well to the next level. Is he flying under the radar?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Image courtesy of \u00a9 Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The dust has settled on the 2025 MLB Draft Lottery.<\/p>\n

It was a solid outcome for the Twins, who should have a bonus pool upwards of $16 million to play with when we get to next July. The No. 3 spot is a fascinating place to pick.<\/p>\n

There’s a consensus top prospect, in\u00a0Roch Cholowsky, and\u00a0kind of\u00a0a consensus second choice in prep shortstop Grady Emerson. What of the rest?<\/p>\n

For this thought exercise, I’m going to try to rank the prospects the Twins might take based on their talent, recent performance, and fit with the organization.<\/p>\n

This ‘ranking’ will change significantly over the course of the amateur season, so I’m using it as a checkpoint for my thinking here in December.<\/p>\n

For the purposes of this writeup, we’re going to assume Roch Cholowsky is going number one to the White Sox, and Grady Emerson is going number two to the Rays<\/strong>. Let’s rank the five next most likely options. Will this look silly in July 2026? Absolutely; that’s part of the fun.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Justin Lebron<\/a>, SS, Alabama, R\/R, 21<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

.316\/.421\/.636 (127 wRC+), 12.5 BB%, 24.2 K%, 18 HR, 17 SB (94%)<\/em>
\nLebron is a premier athlete and one of the few prospects in this class who has the combination of tools and talent to push Cholowsky at the top of the class.<\/p>\n

He pummels stuff up in the zone, with maximum exit velocities north of 110 mph.<\/p>\n

There are warts in the hit tool, with some swing-and-miss (particularly breaking stuff down and away) and an aggressive approach.<\/p>\n

Defensively, it’s a plus arm and at least above-average defense at short. He’s sticking there. If Lebron irons out the hit tool concerns, it’s superstar potential for a prospect who draws rave reviews for his leadership and makeup.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0Drew Burress<\/a>, OF, Georgia Tech, R\/R, 21<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

.333\/.468\/.693 (151 wRC+), 18.3 BB%, 14.5 K%, 19 HR, 10 SB (91%)<\/em><\/p>\n

Smaller amateur players are often dinged by pro organizations, but there’s no doubting Burress’s insane production at Georgia Tech.<\/p>\n

He’s hit 44 home runs in two seasons for the Yellow Jackets, with legit bat speed and strong high-end exit velocities, despite being listed at 5-foot-9.<\/p>\n

It’s a plus arm and solid defense from a prospect who could start his pro career in center field, but he may end up in a corner.<\/p>\n

Regardless of the defensive home, he’s been the most consistently productive college player in the past two seasons, by a wide margin.<\/p>\n

3. AJ Gracia, OF, Virginia, L\/L, 21<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

.293\/.449\/.558 (126 wRC+), 20 BB%, 12.6 K%, 15 HR<\/em><\/p>\n

This selection will likely put some Twins fans off, just because he’s a left-handed-hitting corner outfielder, but there’s a ton to like.<\/p>\n

The value here is in the offensive profile, and Gracia will have to mash to deliver, as he’s not bringing more than average speed and defensive tools.<\/p>\n

Gracia is an on-base machine, though, walking 20% of the time in 2025. It’s good bat speed and a swing built to lift the ball, but Gracia combines it with excellent bat-to-ball skills.<\/p>\n

Between the well-rounded hit tool and an outstanding approach, this is one of the best hit\/power combos in the class.<\/p>\n

4. Cam Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina, R\/R, 21<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

101.2 IP, 3.19 ERA, 2.68 FIP, 28.5 K%, 5.8 BB%<\/em><\/p>\n

Flukey might not seem like an obvious fit, but a monster season could vault him into contention (and the Twins love drafting from the Carolinas). Standing at 6-foot-6, Flukey boasts a polished four-pitch mix.<\/p>\n

It’s headlined by a fastball that sits 93-95 mph, but has been as high as 98 mph with outstanding ride.<\/p>\n

He dots it for strikes, too.<\/p>\n

Flukey made strides with both control and command in 2025, walking only 5.8% of opposing hitters.<\/p>\n

There are very few weaknesses in a profile that you could see starting a playoff game within a few seasons.<\/p>\n

5. Mystery Guy<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Prior to the 2022 draft,\u00a0Jackson Holliday\u00a0was a fringe first-round prospect.<\/p>\n

Prior to the 2023 college season starting,\u00a0Paul Skenes\u00a0was ranked in the teens on many lists, significantly lower than\u00a0Chase Dollander.<\/p>\n

It’s likely that there’s at least one name in the mix at three that we aren’t yet talking about. If you have a prospect in mind, throw their name in the comments.<\/p>\n

Other Names Considered:<\/u><\/strong> Jacob Lombard,\u00a0Liam Peterson,\u00a0Sawyer Strosnider,\u00a0Chris Hacopian,\u00a0Tyler Bell, Ace Reece<\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Image courtesy of \u00a9 Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The dust has settled on the 2025 MLB Draft Lottery. It was… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":130400,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-130399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nReport: Justin Lebron may not be a household name yet, but Twins fans should take notice. His college performance hints at tools that translate well to the next level. 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