Photo by Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

A few months ago I speculated that it would be a good thing if Joe Mauer came into the 2012 season a little angry and feeling like he had something to prove. According to Twins writer Rhett Bollinger, that may be exactly what is happening. Due to nagging injuries, Mauer didn’t squat down and catch live pitchers until the middle of March last year, but he has already reached that milestone this year. And he admits he’s out to prove his doubters wrong, saying that he has a “chip on [his] shoulder.” I would hate to get my hopes up too early in Spring Training, but I think this is a very good sign.

Speaking of Mauer, Call to the Pen put out a piece yesterday comparing his 2012 comeback attempt to that of Giants catcher Buster Posey, who broke his leg on a play at the plate last May. It’s an interesting comparison and one that deserves watching this season. Mauer was the 2009 AL MVP while Posey was the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year. Posey is a fresh-faced 24 year old who has yet to play a full MLB season, but Mauer is not exactly over the hill at age 28. When at their peaks, they are arguably the two best hitting catchers in the game, and they’ve put up some fairly similar numbers the past two seasons. Mauer’s OPS fell from .871 in 2010 to .729 in ’11, while Posey dropped from .862 to .756. And both suffered a power drought before injuries ended their seasons: Mauer hit just three homers in 296 at bats compared to Posey’s four in 162. Power is more important to Posey’s game than that of Mauer, who is a threat to put up a .400 OBP in any given season. But both men are catchers, which means it is critical for them to have strong legs under them.

By the way, San Francisco fans are fighting out the same controversy about Posey switching positions that we’ve been hearing about Mauer for the last few years, complete with the manager denying plans to move him in the near future. In many ways, Posey is Mauer’s version of the Bizzaro Jerry from Seinfeld. Except the Bizzaro Mauer won a World Series a year and a half ago. Some things just aren’t fair!

After you’re done reading the Call to the Pen piece, make sure you hop over to Seedlings to Stars and read the latest piece on Brian Dozier. You may recall that Dozier earned the 77th slot on S2S writer Nathaniel Stoltz’s Top 100 prospect list, three slots ahead of teammate Liam Hendriks. Stoltz says he “might’ve been a bit aggressive” by ranking Dozier that high, but that it’s reasonable to put him in the lower half of the top 100. I think Dozier is a solid prospect, and I don’t have a problem with his ranking. His productivity reminds me a lot of Jason Bartlett’s minor league numbers, and if Dozier turned into another Bartlett, that would definitely justify his #77 slot. But I can also see why some would disagree with putting him on the list. 2011 was the first year Dozier really started to hit, so he’ll have to prove this year that he can keep it up, or he’ll never be on a Top 100 list again.

What do minor league baseball players have in common with an obscure Will Ferrell SNL sketch? They're both "Prospects."

The Twins have a slightly above average farm system, and it is getting better. That seems to be the consensus among the plethora of prospect lists and organizational analyses that are coming out these days, and it’s good news for Twins fans.

I would like to direct your attention first to Seedlings to Stars, where Puckett’s Pond alum Wally Fish published his overview of the Minnesota minor league organization. The Twins get a B overall, which is a much better grade than most observers would have given them at this time in 2010 or 2011. I think the Twins organization can be summed up with one line from Mr. Fish’s article: “This is a system with more substance than hype and flash, and as a result it will almost always be underrated.”

Keith Law of ESPN just released his farm system rankings, and the Twins came in just above the middle of the pack at number 14. Minor League Ball puts the Twins a little lower, at #17, noting they have “some potential regulars” and “several solid role players.” I think that’s a little understated, considering that Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario project as much more than just “regulars,” but overall it’s probably accurate. We can also take comfort in the fact that the Twins division rivals (other than the sixth place Royals) are ranked much lower. The Tigers came in 23^rd, the Indians 27^th, and the White Sox dead last at 30^th.

If you’re looking for a more focused take on the Twins’ system, you should know that MLB.com has published its annual Top 20 Twins Prospect list. Sano is, of course, number one.

Why should we get excited about the minor Twins? Other than the fact that you’ll be watching many of these guys play for the Twins in a couple of years?

Because this could be a breakout year for a large number of Twins minor leaguers. Sano and Rosario will travel to Beloit for their first full season of pro ball, and we all expect big things from them. Alex Wimmers is a top pitching prospect, and this year he can put a disappointing 2011 behind him. Oswaldo Arcia has a chance to prove he should be ranked among the top prospects, and Joe Benson and Chris Parmelee have a chance to prove they should be playing among the Major Leaguers. At the same time, it will be exciting to watch 2011 draft picks Levi Michael and Travis Harrison take the field for the first time. Finally, Aaron Hicks is due for a huge year. The Twins have been patient with him, and he has the talent to take AA by storm if he can just put it all together.

The system as a whole should shoot up the rankings next season, if for no other reason than the massive infusion of talent it will receive this summer. The Twins have five draft picks in the first two rounds of the June draft, including the second overall pick. High draft picks don’t always turn into productive Major Leaguers, but whoever the Twins pick will probably look pretty good when it’s time to rate the 2012 farm system.

Speaking of Prospects, you can expect the “Offseason Book Review” series to return very soon with a review of Seth Stohs’s Twins Prospect Handbook. Spoiler Alert: it’s a great book, and you should buy it.

Sano hit .292/.352/.637 for Elizabethton last season. The 18 year old Dominican prospect was signed with great fanfare in 2009, and he has spent his early seasons in the minors drawing comparisons to Miguel Cabrera. Sano’s 20 homers came close to challenging an Appalachian League record, and he would have led his team by a healthy margin if not for the 21 hit by fellow phenom Eddie Rosario.

Sure, Sano is only 18, and he has yet to swing a bat at low Class A ball. But it’s very hard not to get excited about a player with so much promise. He’s already 6’3″ and 195 pounds. It’s not out of the question that he could still grow an inch or two, and he’ll likely put on quite a few pounds of muscle in the next few years. Sano could be a hulking behemoth by the time he reaches the majors, the kind of guy who could send baseball soaring out of pitcher-friendly Target Field. (more…)