#40
–
Tyler Robertson – LHP – 19
2007 Team:
Extended Spring Training
Acquired: Twins
3rd round pick in 2006 from Citrus Heights, CA
It is
interesting that the Twins are so willing to push their young
high school bats. Top round picks with bats (Parmalee, Benson,
Plouffe, Kelly, Thompson, etc.) get pushed to a full-season team
for their first full seasons. They're not quite as willing to do
that with young pitchers, except for 1st round picks. So
Robertson has spent his time in Extended Spring Training waiting until
the Elizabethton seasons starts. However, in a mini-surprise,
Robertson was promoted to Beloit yesterday. I expect that he
will do fairly well, yet hit some struggles as well. Last year with the GCL Twins, Robertson struck out 54
hitters in 48.2 innings. The other thing to remember is that he
is left-handed, and clearly that is important as well. (Note
- Robertson made his Beloit debut last night and gave up one run
in four innings.)
2007 Projection:
starter at Elizabethton
Potential:
potential to be a #2 starter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2011
#39
–
Andrew Thompson – 2B –
20
2007 Teams:
Beloit Snappers
Acquired: Twins
2nd round pick in 2005 out Jupiter, FL high school
Rumor has it
that Thompson could be nearing a return to the lineup. He has
been out since a back injury ended his 2006 season. It has
lingered on for awhile, which has actually dropped him down this
list a bit. I am very curious as to whether he will head to Ft.
Myers when he returns or if he will go back to Beloit. Although
he is very slight in stature, he does have a very solid bat and
a surprising amount of power, much like his father, Robbie
Thompson.
2007 Projection:
hopefully healthy soon, start at Beloit, move up to Ft. Myers
Potential:
starting 2B.
Could be in Minnesota in: 2011
#38
–
Jose Morales – C – 24
2007 Teams:
Rochester Red Wings
Acquired:
Twins 3rd round pick in 2001 out Academia de
Providencia (Puerto Rico)
You
don't find a lot of catching prospects on any Twins
prospect lists. But it is important to remember that it
isn't a huge deal. The role of any catcher coming up
through the Twins system would be to backup Joe Mauer.
The player has to be able to catch a pitcher and be
solid with the bat. Mike Redmond has definitely set the
expectations high for any future Twins backup catcher.
Morales was drafted by the Twins as a middle infielder
and moved him to catcher even though Joe Mauer was taken
that same year. He has seemingly always been a
'prospect' but he has missed a lot of time due to
injury. In 2006, he got off to a horrible start at New
Britain but he really picked it up as the season came
toward its completion. When Chris Heintz was promoted to
the Twins and Shawn Wooten left the team, Rochester
needed a catcher and Morales was promoted and played in
the playoffs. This year, he has put it all together.
Through Monday, Morales was hitting .350/.390/.453. He
is also doing a very nice job behind the plate. Although
Morales will likely remain in Rochester in 2008, he
could be with the Twins by 2009, if not sooner.
2007 Projection:
catching for the Red Wings
Potential:
solid backup catcher
Could be in Minnesota in:
late 2008
#37
–
Juan Portes – IF/OF – 21
2007 Teams:
Ft. Myers Miracle
Acquired:
Twins 15th round pick in 2004 out of Malden,
Mass., HS
Knock on
wood... Portes has managed to stay healthy all season so
far for the Miracle. He has been hitting in the middle
of the team's lineup all year. Although he is hitting
just .246, that is second on the team. Don't forget that Portes has missed a lot of time and he is two or more
years younger than hitters in the league. He needs to
walk more. He needs to strike out less. But I am more
than willing to give him the year in Ft. Myers to let
him do that. First, the FSL is not a hitter's league.
Second, no one on the team is hitting. Third, if he is
known for anything, it is that he can hit. Of course,
not all prospects "that can hit" end up able to hit, but
after the injuries, I'm willing to give him some time.
2007 Projection:
playing several positions for Ft. Myers
Potential:
potential big bat
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#36
–
Steve Singleton – SS/2B – 21
2007 Teams:
Extended Spring/Beloit Snappers
Acquired: Twins
11th round pick in 2006 out of U of San Diego
Another 'little'
Twins middle infield prospect, Singleton is another guy who will
likely follow a career path like Matt Tolbert. At San Diego, he
walked more than he struck out. He also showed some extra base
power. Last year with Elizabethton, he showed even more power.
To my surprise, he started the season at Extended Spring before
coming up to Beloit early in May. He started out hitting very
well but has since cooled off. He has shown some pop, but like
the other college guys that start out in Elizabethton after they
are drafted, you really have to be careful about buying into
their E-Town numbers too much. I think Singleton will be a very
good pro, but it will be a process to get to the big leagues.
In 92 at bats with the Snappers, he is hitting .272/.287/.326
with five doubles.
2007 Projection:
IF at Beloit
Potential:
utility middle infielder with solid bat.
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
#35 –
Paul Kelly – SS –
20
2007 Teams:
Beloit Snappers - Disabled List
Acquired:
Twins 2nd round draft pick in 2005 out of Flower
Mound (TX) high school
Rumor
has it that Kelly may be near a return as well. Kelly
blew out his knee near the end of last year. I think
that the Twins thought he would be back by now but he
has had continual set backs. When healthy, Kelly has
been a very good hitter. But he is said to have soft
hands and a very strong arm, making him excellent
defensively. As with Thompson, I am very interested in
finding out if Kelly will be pushed forward to Ft.
Myers, or if they will be more patient and send him back
to Beloit.
2007 Projection:
hopefully getting some time at Beloit, maybe Ft. Myers
Potential:
good top of the lineup, good field SS
Could be in Minnesota in:
2011
#34
–
Garrett Olson
– 3B – 22
2007 Team:
Beloit Snappers
Acquired:
Twins drafted in the 4th round in 2006
out of Franklin Pierce College
You have to root for the small
school players. Olson comes from the Division II ranks where
he put up some impressive numbers. Although he hasn't hit
for much power yet this season, Olson has the size and
skills necessary to develop into a power hitter at some
point. Defensively, he has played each of the infield
positions already this year. He has also played some left
field. In 137 at bats, Olson is hitting .248/.313/.292 with
six doubles.
2007 Projection:
continue playing everywhere at Beloit
Potential:
super utility player
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
#33 –
Eli Tintor – OF – 22
2007
Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Acquired:
Twins 18th round pick in 2003 out of Hibbing
(MN) high school
Another
year, another level for Tintor with the Twins. This
ranking is not as much based on what he is doing so far
in 2007. He is admittedly struggling to this point with
Hi-A ball. This ranking is about what Tintor is capable
of. In past years, he has shown that he could be a four
or five-tool talent. He has hit for power. He has shown
incredible speed. He has adapted well to the outfield
where he possesses a catcher's arm. Will he ever hit for
average? I'm not sure. With Ft. Myers, he is hitting
just .190/.268/.272 to date while playing both CF and RF.
2007 Projection:
should remain at Ft. Myers
Potential:
big league RF, 20/20 type
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#32 –
Brian Kirwan – RHP – 19
2007 Teams:
Extended Spring, Beloit Snappers
Acquired:
Twins 11th round pick in 2005 out of a California high school
I was happy to
see the Twins promote Kirwan to Beloit last week. He made his
first start and picked up his first win. (Note - in his second
start, last night, he gave up two unearned runs in five innings,
but took a loss.) As you know, the Twins
were able to take Kirwan in the 11th round despite the fact that
he has a first-round arm. During football season of his senior
year in high school, Kirwan tore up his knee and then pushed him
out of the first round. By taking him in the 11th round, he was
outside of the league-mandated contract numbers found in the top
ten rounds, so the Twins signed him for $500,000. I think it was
a great signing because knees can heal, but his arm is strong.
For a pitcher, having a strong arm is important, and he hasn't
lost that. Kirwan could move quickly up this list.
2007 Projection:
start at Beloit the rest of the year
Potential:
#2 starter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
#31 –
Matt Moses – 3B – 22
2007
Team: Rochester Red Wings
Acquired:
Twins 1st round pick in 2003 out Miles Godwin HS
(Richmond, VA)
I was
quite impressed when Matt Moses reported to spring
training having lost 40 pounds. I think that will do
well for him although I have to wonder if he lost 20-30
pounds too many. From a power potential standpoint, it
would make much more sense for him to be 200-210 pounds
rather than 190, but let's let him play at this weight
and see how it goes. The Twins continue to push Moses,
probably too fast. After struggling in AA a year ago,
the Twins pushed him to Rochester. So far, he has hit
.231/.253/.319 with eight doubles, two homers (both in
one game) and 17 RBI. Not terrible numbers for a 22 year
old in AAA. However, the most disturbing numbers to me
are: four walks, 41 strikeouts. That isn't good. And it
doesn't bode well for any hitter. Of course, as is the
case with any prospect, how he develops during the rest
of the season is very important.
2007 Projection:
continue to try to progress at Rochester
Potential:
big league DH with a decent bat (Shea
Hillenbrand?)
Could be in Minnesota in: 2008
#30 –
Brock Peterson – 1B – 23
2007 Team:
New Britain Rockcats
Acquired:
Twins 49th round pick in 2002 out of Chehalis
(WA) high school
After two solid years
at Ft. Myers, Peterson finally moved up to AA New
Britain. I was surprised he went back to Ft. Myers last
year, but it proved to be a blessing in disguise as he
had a terrific season. He jumped from 12 to 21 home runs
while dropping his strikeout rate. He started this
season a little slow, hitting just .222 in April, but he
has shown some improvement in May. On the year, he is
now hitting .255/.322/.416 with four homers. Peterson is
most frequently playing 1B for the Rockcats, but also
spends plenty of time as the DH. He may be a guy who
will repeat AA too, but considering he was a 49th round
pick out of high school just five years ago, Peterson is
doing very well!
2007 Projection:
1B/DH in New Britain
Potential:
big league bat, could DH
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
#29 –
Whitney Robbins – 3B/1B –
22
2007 Teams:
Ft. Myers Miracle
Acquired:
Twins 4th round pick in 2006 out of Georgia Tech
Robbins
was playing in the College World Series a year ago when
the Twins drafted him in the 4th round. When his season
ended, the Twins signed him and sent him straight to
Beloit, the only Twins draft pick last year to play for
a non-short season team. He started off very hot with a
lot of extra base hits, but when back problems came to
him, his season ended. This year, he began the year at
Ft. Myers, but his bat has not really done anything much
yet this year. Through today, Robbins is hitting just
.232/.348/.284 with just six doubles, a triple and no
home runs. That is surprising and yet few members of the
Miracle have hit to this point. I thought he would be
banging on the door to AA by this point in the season,
but he will likely spend the rest of the year in
Florida.
2007 Projection:
playing 3B in Ft. Myers
Potential:
solid all around corner infielder
Could be in Minnesota in:
2009
#28
–
Garrett Jones – 1B/DH – 25
2007 Team:
Rochester Red Wings/Minnesota Twins
Acquired:
signed with Twins as free agent in 2002.
Garrett
Jones got a big league call up in May. It was short,
less than a week, but he can now say he was a big
leaguer, and he has a hit in the record books to prove
it. He went just 1-8 in his brief stay, but apparently
Gardy was impressed by Jones batting practice displays.
I guess that is something. But, as disappointing as
Jones has been the last two years at Rochester, he has
been very good in 2007. Despite the fact that he is in
his ninth professional season, he will only turn 26 in
June. Although not young, that does keep him in the 'he
could still do something' category. To date, in
Rochester, Jones is hitting .291/.335/.506 with 11
doubles and seven homers. He still strikes out too much
(about once every 4.5 at bats), but if he produces, that
won't be a huge factor at all. I expect to see Jones
back with the Twins. I believe he is out of options in
2008, so he will have to make the team. I know we'll see
him in September, but it is possible he could get an
extended look with the Twins.
2007 Projection:
splitting time between Minnesota and Rochester as
DH/PH/Backup 1B
Potential:
DH, or pinch-hitter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2007
#27 –
Denard Span – OF –
23
2007 Teams:
Rochester Red Wings
Acquired:
Twins 1st round pick in 2002 out of Tampa
Catholic
Throughout spring
training he was called the Centerfielder of the Future,
Torii Hunter's heir-apparent. With a solid spring
showing, and a lot of at bats, I was just about
believing the hype. And then the regular season began,
and reality set back in. We had heard that he had a new
approach and was showing some pop in his bat. I don't
know, I haven't seen it yet. He's hitting about .220. He
is getting on only about 28% of the time. He does have
nine doubles and two triples, which gives him a slugging
percentage of just .294. Now, he is still just 23. He is
in his first year at AAA. But from what we're seeing, he
will not be a quality replacement for Torii Hunter. It
is becoming much more likely that he will have a career
similar to that of Jason Tyner. Now, to say something
positive... he is 11 for 13 in stolen base attempts, a
much better percent than he has had previously in his
career.
2007 Projection:
playing CF in Rochester, September call up
Potential:
light-hitting, #9 hitter
Could be in Minnesota in:
2007
#26 –
Yohan Pino – RHP – 23
2007 Team:
Ft. Myers Miracle
Acquired:
signed as Free Agent from Venezuela in 2004
All he
does is win, right? Coming into the year, he was 23-4 in
his two past seasons. And yet, he couldn't even break
the Miracle's starting rotation. But, as it happens
every year, Pino got into the rotation, and it is
unlikely that he will go back to the bullpen... unless
or until he moves up to New Britain. Now this season, he
is just 1-2, but he has a 1.57 ERA. He has pitched in 12
games, and he has now made three starts. Despite a very
small, very thin stature and a fastball that rarely gets
into the upper 80s, Pino has 29 strikeouts in 28.2
innings. His WHIP is just 0.84. Because of his size,
he'll likely never be a top prospect. But he is one of
those guys who will likely just continue to go
underneath the radar, and just progress consistently.
And who knows, he may just get a shot with the Twins if
he can keep throwing strikes and finding ways to get
guys out and pick up wins.
2007 Projection:
Should stay in the Beloit starting rotation. Possible move
up to New Britain bullpen.
Potential:
long reliever
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#25
–
Brian Dinkelman –
2B – 23
2007
Team: Beloit Snappers
Acquired: Twins
8th round pick in 2006 out of McKendree College
Dinkelman may have
come from an NAIA school, but after a great showing in Elizabethton
last year, Dinkelman has been a bright spot for the Beloit offense.
Although a recent slump dropped him to .262/.349/.436, he has 18
extra base hits in 172at bats. He has 10 doubles, four triples and
four homers. Plus he has 21 walks. He is also 7/7 in stolen base
attempts. So, with all that, why is he down this low? Well, he was
in college for four years, so he is actually a year older than most
of the 2006 college draft picks in the league. And, if you think
about it, he is four years older than teammates Joe Benson and Chris
Parmalee. His numbers are solid, but in perspective, I would like to
see him pushed to Ft. Myers and see what he can do there.
2007
Projection: Moving around the IF at Beloit, possible
promotion to FM when Kelly/Thompson come back.
Potential:
solid top of the lineup hitter
Could
be in Minnesota in: 2010
#24 –
Jose Mijares – LHP –
22
2007 Teams:
New Britain Rockcats
Acquired:
signed as free agent by Twins in 2002 out of
Venezuela
It has
been an interesting, challenging year for Mijares so
far. Early in spring training, he had to return to
Venezuela because several members of his family had been
murdered. He started the year at New Britain and really
showed that he can be very good. In 21 innings, he had
22 strikeouts. He was 1-0 and had six saves. Mijares is
another young, hard-throwing lefty. Unlike Francisco
Liriano, Mijares is a thick man. With the recent
injuries to Dennys Reyes and Glen Perkins, and the
promotions of Carmen Cali and Jason Miller to the Twins,
Mijares was moved up to Rochester. He got into his first
game for the team and threw three shutout innings.
Although Mijares has started in the past, I think that
his future with the Twins will be as a dominating lefty
reliever.
2007 Projection:
promoted to Rochester, and maybe time with the Twins
Potential:
dominant left-handed reliever
Could be in Minnesota in:
2007
#23
–
Danny Santiesteban – OF – 21
2007 Teams:
Beloit Snappers
Acquired:
Twins 39th round pick in 2004 out of Palm Beach
Community College
Some may
be surprised by how high I have Santiesteban rated. At
Beloit this year, his first year with a full-season
affiliate, he is hitting just .210/.271/.403. However,
he is a tremendous defensive outfielder. He has great
speed. He is five for six in stolen base attempts. He
has a strong arm. And he has a lot of power. In 119 at
bats, he has hit six homers and has ten extra base hits.
Again, that is not a big number, but as he continues to
get bigger, more power should come. He certainly will
need to cut down on the strikeouts though. This may be a
little bit of a reach, but we are talking about
potential and upside, and Santiesteban has a very high
ceiling!
2007 Projection:
playing three OF positions in Beloit
Potential:
5-tool athlete, All Star caliber, 30/30 type
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
#22 –
Ryan Mullins – LHP – 23
2007 Teams:
Ft. Myers Miracle/New Britain Rockcats
Acquired:
Twins 3rd round pick in 2005 out of Vanderbilt
I thought that
Ryan Mullins had a disappointing season in 2006 at Beloit. As a
college pitcher, I thought he would do very well at Beloit and
work his way up to Ft. Myers. But that just didn't happen, and
in my opinion, at no point was it warranted. As a matter of
fact, his first appearance for the Miracle was an inning out of
the bullpen. But, he then entered the rotation and he has been
spectacular this year. For the season at Ft. Myers, he was 3-3
with a 1.98 ERA. That doesn't tell the whole story. In his past
five outings, he is 3-1 with a 0.87 ERA. All that earned him a
promotion to New Britain just yesterday where he replaced Brian
Duensing who replace Kevin Slowey. In his debut last night at
AA, he went six innings and gave up two runs on six hits. He
walked two and struck out seven. The tall lefty is a smart
pitcher. He doesn't throw terribly hard, but has enough stuff
and intelligence to be successful. Hopefully that means the 2006
version of his former college teammate Jeremy Sowers.
2007 Projection:
possible promotion to New Britain
Potential:
#4 starter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#21 –
Joe Benson – OF–
19
2007 Team: Beloit Snappers
Acquired:
Twins 2nd round pick in 2006 out of Joliet (IL) High School
Speaking of Joe Benson,
when it comes to athleticism and talent and potential
and high ceilings, Benson have as much of them as anyone
in the top fifty. At 19, Benson and Parmalee are two of
the youngest players in the Midwest League. As you would
expect of guys that young entering their first full
seasons, Benson has struggled a lot in the early goings.
The main concern in my mind is the number of strikeouts.
He has 39 strikeouts in 164 plate appearances. That is
one strikeout every 4.2 plate appearances which isn't a
great number, but a great
improvement over when we looked at that a month
ago. In other words, he is making adjustments, and that
is key in player development. He also has 11 extra base
hits and seven stolen bases. So, despite a .207 batting
average (with a solid Isolated Discipline of .085),
there is a lot of reason to remain very optimistic about
the future of Joe Benson.
2007
Projection: Should spend the whole year in the OF in Beloit.
Potential:
a good power/speed guy
Could be
in Minnesota in: 2011
#20
–
Alex Burnett –
RHP – 19
2007 Team:
Beloit Snappers
Acquired: Twins
12th round pick in 2005 from Huntington Beach, CA
Part of prospect
rankings is looking at age compared to level, and Alex Burnett
has been young for his level each of his pro seasons. He is now
in his third professional season, playing for the Snappers in
the Midwest League where the average age of the player is 23. At
his previous two stops, he had ERAs of just over 4.00. Last year
for Elizabethton, he struck out 71 hitters in 71.1 innings. This
year, he is 3-4 with a solid 3.60 ERA. In 65 innings, he has
just 11 walks and 44 strikeouts. He has a very solid 1.14 WHIP.
And again, he is very young for his level and more than holding
his own.
2007 Projection:
starter at Beloit
Potential:
potential to be a #3 starter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
#19 –
Matt Tolbert – SS/2B – 25
2007 Teams:
Rochester Red Wings
Acquired:
Twins 16th round draft pick in 2004 out of U of
Mississippi
"Tolbert
was a utility infielder at AA New Britain. Things didn't
go well, so he was sent back down to Ft. Myers and
something clicked. At the All-Star break, he returned to
New Britain and he continued to hit there. He was the
SethSpeaks minor league hitter of the month for June."
That's what I wrote last September about Matt Tolbert.
He went to the Arizona Fall League and played well
there. In January when I came up with my predictions for
who would be at each of the Twins affiliates this year,
I thought I was being aggressive by saying he should
start at SS for the Red Wings. Not only did he make the
Twins AAA roster, but he has been one of their best
hitters all season so far. He is hitting .352/.424/.528
with five doubles, four triples, two homers and 19 RBI.
Although it is more likely that he would become a
utility infielder, I think what Tolbert has done in the
last twelve months has shown that, given an opportunity,
he could become a big league regular.
2007 Projection:
2B/SS at Rochester. Could
get some time with Twins.
Potential:
utility infielder with strong bat who could play
daily.
Could be in Minnesota in:
2007
#18 –
Anthony Swarzak
–
RHP – 2
1
2007 Teams:
New Britain Rockcats
Acquired:
Twins 2nd round pick in 2004 out of Ft. Lauderdale,
FL
Heading into this season,
Swarzak was my #4 rated Twins prospect. I consistently
called him my choice for the Twins minor leaguer who would
have a breakout season. Well, if nothing else, he has gained
recognition. Unfortunately, it is for all the wrong reasons.
First, he moved up to New Britain and really struggled. He
gave up eight runs (7 earned) on nine hits and five walks in
just 5.2 innings in two appearances. Those, I am willing to
attribute to the early season weather in the Northeast. But,
when baseball suspended him for 50 games for testing
positive for "drugs of abuse", the red lights started
flashing. Drugs of Abuse. To me, that's worse than the
performance-enhancers. To me, using drugs of abuse are a
choice, a stupid choice. At least when a guy uses
performance-enhancers it is at least for baseball reasons
(not an excuse, just making my point). Swarzak should soon
be eligible again, and it will be interesting to see what
the Twins do with him. In any case, he has now fallen behind
other prospects and has a lot to do now to regain his
credibility.
2007 Projection:
regaining credibility in New Britain
Potential:
#3-type starter
Could be in Minnesota in:
2009
#17 –
Danny Valencia – 1B/3B – 22
2007 Team:
Beloit Snappers
Acquired:
Twins 19th round pick in 2005 out of Miami
Valencia
had an excellent pro debut in Elizabethton last summer
after the draft. He is putting together another very
strong season so far in Beloit. He is hitting
.305/.383/.521 with 11 doubles, ten homers and 31 RBI.
He has also walked 24 times. The 42 walks are a bit
concerning, but if he's hitting for power, it is more
acceptable. However, as he moves up the minor league
ranks, that is one area he will definitely have to
improve. Valencia is a very solid defensive 3B. Assuming
he continues to make the plays defensively, I wouldn't
be surprised if he moves up to Ft. Myers where bats are
definitely needed! The guy is a legit hitting prospect
who has shown that he can hit the Low-A level. I'd say
after the All-Star break, he should move up.
2007 Projection:
3B in Beloit, should move up to Ft. Myers
Potential:
big league corner infielder with power
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#16 –
Jay Rainville – RHP – 21
2007 Team:
Ft. Myers Miracle
Acquired:
Twins 2nd round pick in 2004 out of Bishop
Hendrickson H.S. in Rhode Island
Rainville missed the entire 2006 season after
shoulder surgery to take care of a nerve problem. The
Twins will likely be cautious with him for much of this
season to ensure he remains healthy. So, the most
important number I can give you from his 2007 numbers is
11. That is 11 starts. He has not missed any time due to
arm troubles. He has also thrown 56 innings. He has
walked 15 and struck out 45. I am impressed by the
control, and really, the 7.2 K/9 is impressive for a guy
who likely will be gaining arm strength as the season
continues. He isn't throwing real hard yet, but
confidence and time will help that. Although he is just
2-6, he has a very solid 3.05 ERA. To me, 2007 is a
recovery year. I think he should just stay in Ft. Myers
the rest of the year if at all possible. He won't get
called up to the Twins this year, so why even rush him
to New Britain. It is important for him to just stay
healthy, get stronger, work on control and, oh yeah,
stay healthy! We can start evaluating him now, but
hopefully we will see the Real Jay Rainville sometime in
the second half so that he can head to New Britain next
season with his full repertoire.
2007 Projection:
unless he dominates, should spend year in Ft. Myers
Potential:
#3 starter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
#15
–
Trevor Plouffe – SS – 20
2007 Teams:
New Britain Rockcats
Acquired:
Twins 1st round pick in 2004 out of Crespi
Carmelite H.S. (CA)
Plouffe is another guy
who has remained young for his age. If the average age
of players in Low A is 22-23, it must be 25 or so at AA,
so Plouffe is ahead of the curve. Now, in the past two
years, he has got off to a very slow start and fought
his way back to decent numbers by season's end. This
year, he is off to a solid start, so hopefully this is
his breakout year. So far, he is hitting .279/.330/.432
with 17 doubles, four homers and 22 RBI. He has seven
stolen bases, although he has been thrown out six times.
Defensively, he got off to a very good start. He is
known for soft hands, great range and a very strong arm.
From what we have all heard though, sometimes he isn't
quite as focused in the field as he needs to be. I would
venture to say that 7 or 8 of those errors have happened
in the last three weeks. I have always liked his doubles
numbers, and that is certainly the case this year. He
also has always taken walks. He has 32 strikeouts, but
that is only approximately one every six at bats. Again,
it just shows that he is not over his head, and really,
that is important. Just remember, for as quickly as Matt
Moses was moved through the system, Plouffe is advancing
just as quickly and doing better than I probably even
expected.
2007 Projection:
playing SS in New Britain all year
Potential:
good glove, decent bat SS
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#14 –
Erik Lis
– OF – 23
2007 Team:
Ft. Myers Miracle
Acquired:
Twins 9th round pick in 2005 out of U. of
Evansville
The
lefty hitter got his fifteen minutes of fame last month
when he his a long homer off of Roger Clemens. Twins
fans, those who have read this site or followed the
Twins farm system the last few years, already knew who
Lis was and that he is a very solid hitting prospect.
Like everyone else at Ft. Myers, it is fair to say that
Lis is not hitting great. In 180 at bats, he is hitting
.255/.328/.386 with 12 doubles, four homers and 31 RBI.
That .255 batting average is best on the team. As he did
last year, he is showing solid extra base hit power. The
average will come up. He does take good at bats. It will
be interesting to see how he fares defensively in his
change to the OF this year. I think it was his defense
that kept him in Beloit last year, so if he can quickly
become an adequate defensive OF, he could advance
quickly.
2007 Projection:
LF/DH in Ft. Myers all year
Potential:
big league bat, could DH
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#13
–
Oswaldo Sosa – RHP – 21
2007 Team:
Ft. Myers Miracle
Acquired:
Twins signed as free agent in 2002 out of
Venezuela
Following last season, Sosa was added to the Twins
roster. He had put up very solid numbers at Beloit and
moved up to Ft. Myers. I wasn't entirely sure why. I
mean, I didn't know why he would be at risk to be
selected by another organization in the Rule V draft. He
was 13-8 with a 2.60 ERA between the two stops, but the
key to his success? He gave up just two home runs in a
combined 152.1 innings. This year, he has given up two
homers in 56.2 innings. He has walked walked 19 and
struck out 49. He is 2-3, but he has a very good 2.54
ERA. Sosa has the ability to be a future middle of the
rotation starter, a better version of Carlos Silva.
2007 Projection:
starting in Ft. Myers
Potential:
potential #4 starter
Could be in Minnesota in:
2009
#12 –
Alexander Smit
– LHP – 21
2007 Teams:
Ft. Myers Miracle
Acquired:
signed as free agent in 2002 out of The Netherlands
Smit skyrocketed up this
list after he absolutely dominated the Midwest League for
the final three months of the 2006 season. The jump to the
Florida State League has not been easy on Smit. He started
the season in the rotation and made six starts. He got
injured and spent some time on the DL. Since he returned, he
lost his rotation spot and will now be in the bullpen for
the time being. As a starter, he was 0-2 with a 5.67 ERA in
27 innings. His WHIP was 1.67. He walked 12. That certainly
is the story with Smit though. If he throws strikes, he can
dominate. If he gets behind or walks a lot of hitters, he
will struggle. In 5.1 innings in relief, he has a 1.69 ERA.
It is interestingly, righties hit just .256 off of him, but
lefties have hit .349. Last year, something clicked and Smit
found consistent control. If he can do that this year, he
will do well and progress nicely through the Twins system.
If not, he may need to repeat this level next year. Either
way, the potential is there for him to be a very good
starter or a solid, potentially dominant, lefty reliever.
2007 Projection:
starting and relieving in Ft. Myers
Potential:
Potential to be another dominating lefty starter
or reliever
Could be in Minnesota in:
2009
#11 –
Brian Duensing – LHP –
24
2007 Teams:
New Britain Rockcats
Acquired:
Twins 3rd round draft pick in 2005 out U of
Nebraska
Duensing is a guy who
have flown up the Twins system. A 2005 pick, he split
2006 between Beloit and Ft. Myers before ending with New
Britain. That is where he started 2007, but he pitched
so well he was promoted to AAA Rochester and made one
start there in May. At New Britain, he went 4-1 with a
2.66 ERA. Not overpowering, he struck out 38 in 50.2
innings. More impressive is that he walked just seven.
He has a 1.07 WHIP. In his AAA debut, he gave up two
runs on seven hits and three walks in six innings. Last
night, he made his second AAA start and got his second
win. In 6.2 innings, he gave up two runs on five hits.
He walked two and struck out nine. I would predict that
Duensing will spend the rest of the season at Rochester,
but he may be next in line after Matt Garza if he does
well.
2007 Projection:
starting in Rochester
Potential:
good #3 or #4 pitcher
Could be in Minnesota in:
2008
#10 –
Trent Oeltjen
– OF – 24
2007 Teams:
Rochester Red Wings
Acquired:
signed as free agent in 2001 out of Australia
In 2006, Oeltjen started
the season as the fourth outfielder for New Britain. Not
long after, he was playing every day throughout the Rockcats
outfield. This season, Oeltjen began the year as the
Rochester fourth or fifth outfielder, but again, it wasn't
long before Oeltjen was playing every day. He may be a step
or two slower than Denard Span, but he is a better base
runner and base stealer. This year he is 12 for 16 in stolen
base attempts. This year, he has just seven extra base hits
in 116 at bats, but he has shown some pop in his bat. He is
a great bunter. He plays a strong OF, in all three
positions. Oeltjen has recently been going through a slump
that has dropped his average from .320 to .258, but he has a
.331 on-base percentage which is surprising as he has just
four walks in 124 plate appearances. That is something that
he will need to improve over the rest of the year to
maintain this spot on the prospect list. This ranking is not
as much on this year, but on previous performance as well. I
don't think that the Twins organization sees him as a
prospect and yet every season, he goes out and produces. He
has certainly outperformed Denard Span at every level.
2007 Projection:
playing OF in Rochester
Potential:
good glove, good bat, good speed OF
Could be in Minnesota in:
2008
#9
–
Chris Parmalee – OF/1B – 19
2007 Team:
Beloit Snappers
Acquired:
Twins 1st round pick in 2006 out of Chino Hills
(CA) High School
Like Joe Benson and
Alex Burnett, Parmalee is a 19 year playing in a league
where the average age is over 22. That is why looking at
his straight numbers has to be done carefully, and we
should not make too much out of it. On the year,
Parmalee is hitting .233/.309/.413 with 10 doubles,
three triples, five homers and 22 RBI. The batting
average is low, but 18 walks has given him a solid
Isolated Discipline of nearly .080. That is a good
measurement for a young player. He has struck out 50
times in 172 at bats (1 every 3.4 at bats). That is
certainly not good, but first, it is a great improvement
from earlier in the year, and secondly, it is not
unusual for players this young in this league. I also
like the fact that he has 18 extra base hits. As you
know, I like doubles, and he has plenty of those. And
five home runs don't stand out, but again, in context,
it is a positive. In terms of prospect status, you look
at ceiling, and when it comes to Twins minor league
bats, there may not be a higher ceiling in the
organization.
2007 Projection:
playing some 1B and lots of OF in Beloit.
Potential:
middle of the lineup run producer
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
#8 –
Jeff Manship – RHP – 22
2007 Team:
Beloit Snappers
Acquired:
Twins 14th round pick in 2006 out of Notre Dame
University
Jeff Manship is a guy
who the Twins were very lucky to draft where they did.
The former Notre Dame pitcher fell to the Twins in the
14th round, likely because he had Tommy John surgery in
his first year of college. He is certainly best known as
having an absolute hammer for a curveball. However, he
is able to mix other average or better pitches with
excellent control. Top college pitchers usually dominate
the Midwest League, so his numbers are not too
surprising. So far this year, he is 5-1 with a 1.49 ERA
in 10 starts. In 60.1 innings, he has walked just seven
and struck out 61. A recent groin injury has cost him a
start or two, but as soon as he can come back and prove
his health, you would have to think that he should soon
be promoted to Ft. Myers. Personally, I think that he
should spend the rest of the season pitching for the
Miracle. He is ready.
2007 Projection:
Should soon be promoted to Ft. Myers
Potential:
#2 starter
Could be in Minnesota in:
late 2009
#7
–
Kyle Waldrop – RHP – 21
2007 Team:
Ft. Myers Miracle/New Britain Rockcats
Acquired:
Twins 1st round pick in 2004 out of Farragut
(Knoxville, TN) high school
I've said it before,
but I really think that spending time back at Beloit in
2006 was very important for Kyle Waldrop. He had a solid
but unspectacular 2005 season in the Midwest League. By
starting 2006 there, he was able to gain confidence
which carried into his midseason promotion to Ft. Myers.
That is where he began the 2007 season and he pitched
very well. He made eight starts for the Miracle and
threw 44 innings. He went 4-2 with a 2.86 ERA. He walked
ten and struck out 41. The fact that his strikeout rate
really increased this season is another reason that he
moved up this list as well. He has always been a control
pitcher, but finding that ability to get outs without
the assistance of his defense is an important trait.
Reports say that he has continued to grow and get
stronger and that his velocity is up. All that earned
him a promotion to New Britain. Although he is 0-3 with
the Rockcats, he has shown that he is ready for that
level, that he is not overmatched. He has made four
starts and thrown 23 innings. He has a 5.09 ERA. Now, he
has just 12 strikeouts and an unusual nine strikeouts.
However, five of the walks came in one game in which
apparently none of the pitchers could throw strikes, so
I take that for what it is. I think he should spend the
rest of 2007 with the Rockcats. He will need to make
some adjustments but we know that Waldrop has the makeup
and intelligence to understand the process and work
through the necessary adjustments. For what it is worth,
which is likely not much at this point, he has certainly
passed Jay Rainville and Anthony Swarzak in the
rankings.
2007 Projection:
starting in New Britain the rest of the year
Potential:
potential #3 starter
Could be in Minnesota in:
2009
#6 –
David Winfree
– 3B – 21
2007 Teams:
New Britain Rockcats
Acquired:
Twins 13th round pick in 2003 out of Virginia Beach (VA) H.S.
In my mind, David Winfree is the Twins minor leaguer with
the biggest potential to give the Twins both power and some
batting average. In my mind, I am anxious to see him hitting
behind Justin Morneau in the Twins lineup for years. I
predict his ceiling is what Michael Cuddyer, a fellow
Virginia native, did in 2006. Winfree has consistently shown
a knack for run production. This year, Winfree did miss 8-10
games with an injury, but he has continued to hit. He is
currently hitting .279/.325/.455 with 14 doubles, two
triples and three home runs in 150 at bats. He has 11 walks
and 38 strikeouts. Obviously you'd like to see more walks
and less strikeouts, but with the extra base hits, and power
potential, you understand that there will be some
strikeouts.
2007 Projection:
starting 3B/1B/DH in New Britain
Potential:
Potential power hitting big league hitter
Could be in Minnesota in:
2008
#5 –
Eduardo Morlan
–
RHP – 21
2007 Teams:
Ft. Myers Miracle
Acquired:
Twins 3rd round pick in 2004 out of Coral Park, FL
In a Q&A on this site last
month, Morlan said that he definitely prefers working out of
the bullpen. In an organization with so much starting
pitching depth, it actually makes some sense to start
grooming guys like Morlan and Mijares for bullpen duty.
Morlan throws hard and has the other pitches to potentially
be a very dominant closer. He clearly will need to refine
each of his pitches and is learning daily. This year, Morlan
has pitched in 18 games for the Miracle. He is 2-2 with a
2.79 ERA and eight saves. In 29 innings, he has given up 21
hits, five walks, and he has struck out 41 batters. Five
walks and 41 strikeouts. I have to write that again because
for a guy that is that young and throws this hard out of the
bullpen, those are an excellent ratio. This guy's ceiling is
very high. He could be a very dominant closer after Pat
Neshek, or even Joe Nathan. So, although Kyle Waldrop
surpassed Jay Rainville and Anthony Swarzak, I still think
that Eddie Morlan has the highest ceiling of those 2004 high
school pitching draft picks.
2007 Projection:
closing in Ft. Myers, promoted to New Britain
Potential:
Potential to be another dominant Twins closer
Could be in Minnesota in:
2009
#4 –
Alexi Casilla
–
SS/2B – 22
2007 Teams:
Rochester Red Wings/Minnesota Twins
Acquired:
came to Twins in JC Romero trade December 2005
It seems to me that many
Twins fans are very quick to give up on a guy who struggles
in his first real stint in the big leagues. Casilla came up
for much of April because of the injuries to Luis Castillo
and Jason Bartlett. He got regular playing time and he did
not look overwhelmed. He made several "rookie mistakes"
which should be expected from a guy who had spent no time in
AAA before this season (and had less than a half season at
AA last year). He hit .233 in just 43 at bats for the Twins
before being sent back to Rochester. He stole four bases in
four attempts. Down at AAA, it took him a while to adjust.
He is now hitting .254/.346/.326 with five doubles, a
triple, a homer and 13 RBI. He also has 13 stolen base in 17
attempts. In a dream world, the best Casilla comp would be
Jose Reyes. That might be a bit lofty, but I can see a very
easy comparison between Casilla and the Angels Chone Figgins.
Early in his career, he came to the Angels as a pinch
running type. He gradually earned more and more playing
time, and soon after, he became a key igniter to the team. I
can see Casilla hitting for a good batting average, but I
mainly care about his on-base percentage because he will
create havoc on the base paths (potentially 50-70 stolen
bases a season?). And, although he'll never hit a lot of
home runs, I can see his speed getting him a bunch of
doubles and several triples. If nothing else, he will be
very exciting to watch!
2007 Projection:
playing 2B in Rochester, with Twins a bit too.
Potential:
#1 or #2 hitter with big SB potential
Could be in Minnesota in:
2007
#3 –
Glen Perkins
–
LHP – 24
2007 Teams: Rochester Red Wings/Minnesota Twins
Acquired:
Twins 1st round pick in 2004 out of U. of Minnesota (and
Stillwater, MN)
It would be hard for me to
put a reliever in the Top 3 of any prospect list... so
Perkins is here because I still believe that his future is
as a starter. With his recent injury, I think it would be
smart, when he is able, to send him to New Britain for a
couple of rehab starts. Then I would keep him starting in
Rochester for the time being. Perkins can hit 94 with his
fastball. He has a big league changeup. He has a solid
curveball. Three solid pitches, to me, means that he should
be a starter. Obviously the key right now is for Perkins to
get healthy. He had his moments working out of the Twins
bullpen but was not real consistent. Although I don't know
if he would get into the 2007 Twins starting rotation at any
point, and could very well be a key bullpen guy for the
Twins, I do think that he needs to work some innings and
build up his arm as well.
2007 Projection:
starting in Rochester hopefully soon, else Twins bullpen
Potential:
quality, long-term #3 type starter
Could be in Minnesota in:
2007
#2 –
Kevin Slowey – OF –
23
2007 Teams: Rochester Red
Wings
Acquired:
Twins 2nd round pick in 2005 out of Winthrop U.
What more can be said about
Mr. Slowey? Although he likely could have been ready to
start the 2007 season in the Twins rotation, I think it was
best for his development to start in Rochester. As good as
he's been, let's not forget that in 2006, he spent half of
the year at Ft. Myers. He spent much of the second half of
the season with AA New Britain. He then traveled with Team
USA to Cuba to pitch in the Olympic Qualifying tournament.
He then came back and pitched in a AAA playoff game. In
other words, getting a few AAA starts under his belt was not
a bad thing. The exact number was nine... nine more AAA
starts. That's all it took. Actually, it probably shouldn't
have taken that long, but the Twins did want to wait until
June 1st for financial reasons. For the Red Wings, Slowey
went 6-2 with a 1.54 ERA. In 64.1 innings, he gave up just
47 hits and five walks for a 0.81 WHIP. He also struckout 57
hitters. All told, that earned him his big league promotion,
and last Friday, he made his big league debut in Oakland
against the Athletics. In six innings, he gave up just one
run. Are there things that he needs to work on? Certainly,
and he would likely be the first to admit that. He needs to
continue to improve his offspeed pitches. But baseball is
about adjustments and at every level, Slowey has shown the
ability to make them. I expect nothing different with the
Twins. Reading comparisons, the names of Brad Radke and Greg
Maddux are brought up. Although any pitcher who attains the
career success of either of those guys would have to be very
happy. I think that the Radke comparison is good because of
his composure on the mound. I think Slowey is the kind of
guy that could (with proper/fair run support) win 14-17
games a year for a dozen years. Because of the low walks, he
should have a solid WHIP, and I think he can keep his ERA
down.
2007 Projection:
hopefully starting for the Twins the rest of the year!
Potential:
long time #2 type pitcher, who really is a #1, who could be the
Twins #4!
Could be in Minnesota in:
2007
#1 –
Matt Garza
–
RHP – 23
2007 Teams: Rochester Red
Wings
Acquired:
Twins 1st round pick in 2005 out of Fresno State U.
Another example of a
guy that moved quickly up the system, then got all the
way to the Twins and struggled and many Twins fans want
to give up on him. He is still so young. Now, this could
still potentially be a very controversial selection at
#1, and believe me, I went back and forth in my mind for
the last few weeks. But even with the promotion of
Slowey and the overplayed comments of Garza, I do
believe that the ceiling for Garza is a little higher
than Matt Garza. Why? Well, it's the old "stuff"
argument. The fact is that Garza can hit 97 and 98 mph
with his fastball. His slider has tremendous bite to it.
Does he need to continue to work on his 'other' pitches
to potentially reach that ceiling? Of course he does.
Has he displayed some arrogance? Maybe. But at the same
time, don't the best pitchers in baseball show that? I
think they have to. And, for all the negative talk about
Garza, it is important to point out that for the year,
his ERA is just 3.19 over 62 innings. That is solid.
Early starts in sub-freezing conditions and lack of run
support have meant a 3-5 record, but that means nothing.
He has struck out 60 hitters in those 62 innings.
Clearly the 26 walks are far too many. That is why his
WHIP is up at 1.32. I really don't think it will be long
before we see Matt Garza back in a Twins uniform, maybe
a month. And, as soon as he records one more big league
out, he will no longer be eligible for prospect lists as
he will have lost rookie eligibility.
2007 Projection:
starting in Rochester, up to Twins at some point
Potential:
long time #2 type pitcher, who really is a #1, who could be the
Twins #4!
Could be in Minnesota in:
2007
Any thoughts
or arguments? Please
e-mail me
or Comment below!!
#50
–
Robert
Delaney –
RHP – 22
#49 –
Doug Deeds – OF/1B – 24
#48
–
Steven Tolleson – IF
– 23 
#46 –
Zach Ward – RHP – 23
#45
–
Cole DeVries – RHP – 22 
#44
–
Julio DePaula – RHP –
24
#43 –
Brandon Roberts – OF – 22
#42
–
Felix Molina – SS – 23
#41
–
Garrett
Guzman – OF – 25