The Twins’ No. 43 overall pick is already on the clock for the next step. Carson Tinney, the Texas catcher Minnesota selected last weekend, is set to head to Fort Myers on Sunday, with a signing expected soon after.
Tinney brings a strong college résumé into pro ball. After two seasons at Notre Dame, he transferred to Texas for his final year and made an immediate impact for the Longhorns. He finished with team-best marks in OPS at 1.171, walks with 55 and on-base percentage at .483, and he tied for the team lead with 68 runs scored.
The right-handed hitter also finished near the top of Texas’ lineup in just about every major category. He ranked second on the team in homers, RBIs with 58, total bases with 150 and slugging at .688.
He hit .326, added 13 doubles and swiped a career-high 10 bases. That production earned him D1Baseball Third Team All-American honors.
There’s power in the profile, but Tinney knows the swing-and-miss has to be part of the conversation. He told KSTP that’s an area he’ll work on as he moves into pro baseball. This season, he struck out at a 23.1 percent clip.
Behind the plate, Tinney’s reputation is just as strong. He won the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove at catcher, piling up 600 putouts and 43 assists while committing only five errors. Texas also gave up the fewest stolen bases in the SEC.
Tinney grew up in the Denver area and played high school ball at Valor Christian, where he helped lead the program to a state title as a senior.
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