Miguel hears all the Buxton or Sano chatter but he knows the answer is both. (Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

Byron Buxton:

On the Buxton front, Cooper has been very up front about his love of the team’s 2012 1st round selection. In responding to separate questions J.J. expressed his belief that Byron will be promoted to Fort Myers after the Midwest League All-Star Game citing discussions with several scouts that the 19-year old simply isn’t being challenged and has little left to prove in A-ball.

Cooper also admitted that while he expected Buxton to be very good at the time he was drafted the young OF has surpassed expectations. This is hardly ground-breaking news since it would be unrealistic to expect any prospect to hit 0.343/.433/.573 in his first taste of full season ball, but it’s nice to come across such statements in print. Cooper also mentioned that they have a lengthy feature piece on Byron Buxton that will be published in the “near future” that I can’t wait to get my hands on.

In other Buxton-based topics one reader asked:

Heyward or Buxton? Jason hasn’t lived up to all the hype he received thus far…so what’s to say Buxton doesn’t follow that same path?

I’ve never been a fan of comparing players but putting that aside this question is a little goofy and off-base on a very basic level. Simply put, the two are very different players. Heyward came up through the minors having played RF almost exclusively (195/216 games). As a prospect he lacked the range, speed and overall value that Buxton possesses. Putting that aside however, I personally would be happy if Byron Buxton had an 113 OPS after 469 games in the majors. That’s what Heyward has done so far since joining the Braves with an All-Star appearance (2010) and a Gold Glove (2012) also on his resume. The J-Hey Kid has been inconsistent but all in all he’s been an above average major leaguer on both offense and defense and that’s nothing to sneeze at, not to mention that at 23 Jason Heyward is still several seasons away from entering the prime years of his career.

If Buxton follows the same path the Twins will have a star on their hands as his speed and skills in CF will augment his value.

Buxton and Sano:

When there is talk of Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano’s name typically comes up shortly thereafter and JJ’s chat was no different.

Naturally there was the obligatory Buxton or Sano question and J.J. Cooper answered it the same way that I would – by choosing Buxton. As was the case with the Heyward or Buxton question above, Sano – while supremely talented and an elite level prospect in his own right – can’t match Byron Buxton’s overall ability.

Sano brings more power to the table but Buxton has speed, range and positional value squarely in his corner. It’s a matter of picking the player that is the more complete package.

While it’s easy for me to pick between the two in a direct comparison when we start talking about who the #1 prospect is in right now things get a little less straight forward since major league readiness enters the discussion.

Eric (Boston): In light of performance, call ups and injury status’ of other top prospects, is there a case for Xander Bogaerts as the number 1 overall prospect right now? Already the youngest player the the EL he just got promoted. Who’s he competing with for next years top spot?

J.J. Cooper: I’m getting ready to dive into that very question before long for our midseason update. Buxton is in the discussion. Oscar Taveras is still a worthy competitor for the title. And I think Miguel Sano has to be considered as well. But Bogaerts is part of the discussion.

The best thing about this question and Cooper’s response is that two of the four players he names are in the Minnesota Twins organization.

When it comes down to it asking whether I prefer Buxton or Sano is like asking me if I prefer pork or shrimp fried rice. If I can only eat one for the rest of my days, I’ll take the latter but I love them both.

Eddie Rosario:

Offensively Rosario has impressed this season but the jury is still out on his defense. One reader asked Cooper about Eddie’s play at 2B this season and got this response:

J.J. Cooper: Better from what I’ve heard. Still not all the way there as a sure-bet to stick, but he better figure it out there, as his previous position (center fielder) isn’t really an option with Buxton playing there.

Buxton clearly has laid claim to the team’s center fielder of the future so no one is going to argue the point but I find it interesting that Cooper went down this road. I’ve always been of the mind that you find a place for your best bats and live with some defensive deficiencies if you have to. If Rosario continues to impress at the plate it would take a lot of misplays and errors for me to move him off 2B but even if that’s necessary he could still play an outfield corner or in a worst case scenario occupy the DH spot.

After hitting 0.329/.377/.527 in 52 games with Fort Myers Rosario was 1-2 with a BB in each of his first two games with New Britain before being saddled with an 0-4 day on Friday.

Cedar Rapids:

My favorite Twins’ related question from the chat came from Steve L. because it asks about players beyond the obvious ones.

Steve L. (Minneapolis): Other than Buxton, any Cedar Rapids Kernels leave you with a good impression? Such as Travis Harrison, Adam Walker, or J.O. Berrios?

J.J. Cooper: I didn’t get to see Berrios pitched as I missed him by one day. Walker does some impressive things. He’s adjusting to a steady diet of breaking balls and pitchers who pitch him away, away, away, but he has excellent power, runs well and in the short time I was there showed a good glove in right field. His swing seems a little long, so he’ll likely always have some strikeouts, but the other tools are enough to probably work around that. Harrison didn’t impress. Had scouts scratching their head as far as what was there to go 50th overall in the ’11 draft. Melotakis showed a good fastball but needs to work on his secondary stuff (his changeup did show flashes when he beared down against Dan Vogelbach). Jorge Polanco looked solid at shortstop. Pretty insane that when healthy that team has him and Niko Goodrum up the middle.

J.J. Cooper’s thoughts on Harrison are a bit surprising to me. Statistically he’s not setting the world on fire but he looks to be having a solid season with 17 2B and 10 HR in 64 games and a 0.262/.351/.471 slash line. He’s also drawing a walk in 9.3% of his PA while striking out in 23.2% of them. Considering he’s a power bat in his first full professional season those are very respectable numbers in my book.

Aug 14, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA: General view of bats and batting gloves on the field before a game between the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE

The Minnesota Twins have been longing for right-handed power in their lineup and minor league system for years. The need for a right-handed slugger has increased, especially with the departures of Torii Hunter (signing with Angels via free agency), Delmon Young (traded to Tigers), and Michael Cuddyer (signing with Rockies via free agency) all occurring within the last five years. A temporary fix for power from the right side of the plate brought Josh Willingham to Minnesota last season. He was named the Twins MVP in 2012 when he led the team with 35 home runs and 110 RBI’s. The addition of Willingham brought immediate improvement to a weak right-handed hitting lineup, but questions still arose as to who will provide “pop” from the right side of the plate once Willingham’s tenure with the Twins is through. The answer to those questions may rest on the shoulders of young, right-handed masher, Travis Harrison.

Harrison is a thick guy, listed at 6’1″, 215 lbs. for the Elizabethton Twins where he played his first season of professional baseball. Coming out of High School he was highly touted as one of the best hitters from the state of California as well as one of the top hitters in the country. Because of this, the Twins drafted him in the 2011 draft with the 50th overall pick, a pick they received from the departure of Orlando Hudson.

May 29, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA: A view of bats in the Oakland Athletics dug out before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE

While playing baseball at Tustin High School, Harrison was the definition of a slugger, with a slash line of .481/.643/1.130 and a home run total of 13 backing up the term. His long arms and short, smooth swing provide plenty of pop off the bat, resulting in line drives all over the field. Couple his production with his sturdy frame and he has all the makings to be bred into a productive, right-handed power hitter as he matures.

After his Senior year, 18-year-old Harrison withdrew himself from eligibility playing as a Trojan at the University of Southern California when he signed his $1.05 million bonus the Twins offered him. The amount the Twins paid Harrison to pass on college shows how much they coveted his abilities and upside potential. However, Harrison signed too late in the season and he had to delay his first year as a professional. But once he made his debut for Elizabethton in 2012, it was clear why he was picked as the 50th overall pick in 2011.

Playing in his first season in the Twins organization, Harrison played in 60 games and showed some of his potential by producing a .301/.383/.461 slash line. The now 19-year-old’s inaugural season does not jump off the page at first glance, but a little tip-of-the-iceberg syndrome is definitely present. By maintaining a high batting average of .301 against tougher pitching than in high school was a promising sign. Power hitters tend to occasionally be able to drive the ball over the fence in the early stages of their careers but fail to keep the batting average high when not connecting with the long ball. In Harrison’s case, he experienced a consistent batting average with a few long balls along the way (5 home runs) which will be an excellent building block to work off of. With proper coaching, his swing and power project out for him to be quite a formidable hitter in the higher levels.

June 04, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Alexi Casilla (12) makes a fielding error in the fourth inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

However, with all young prospects, there are a few knocks against them. Scouts and coaches have noticed that Harrison is struggling with “adjusting to breaking balls”, according to Aaron Gleeman’s write up on Twins prospects. Currently Harrison plays third base, but many believe he will be transitioning to the other corner position as he continues to fill out as he matures. He also committed 24 errors in his 60 games played in and will have to limit those mistakes in order for his to defense to catch up with his bat, which will seemingly progress through the ranks quite swiftly.

Projection: Travis Harrison has the “slugger-esque” traits the Twins have been searching for in their minor league system for years. Although Miguel Sano projects out to be a more powerful right-handed hitter, teams can never have enough offense from either side of the plate and Harrison adds depth from the right side. Eventually a time will come to see if he can stay at third base or be moved to first base, but until then he will be sticking at third as he progresses through his professional career. Regardless of how his glove is, the real draw has and always will be his bat. As Twins fans watch young prospects mature through the system, it is hard not to salivate over a potential 2016 or 2017 Major League lineup featuring the likes of Byron Buxton, Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano, Oswaldo Arcia, Aaron Hicks, and Travis Harrison, assuming all the projections come true of course. Harrison is young and has plenty of time to grow, especially with Sano currently ahead of him on the proverbial depth chart at third base, there is no need to rush him through the ranks. Harrison will likely start the season in Elizabethton but if he continues to rake down there he will undoubtedly be moved up to Low-A in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It is always hard to project when a player will, or could, crack a Major League lineup but as his power and swing are groomed, I can see Harrison potentially being a call-up during the 2015, but more likely 2016 season.

According to data from the U.S. 2010 Census, about 163 million people – more than half the U.S. population – wasn’t even born in 1970. So there’s a good chance you don’t have a favorite memory from the 1970 season. But if you do, it may very well involve a Harmon Killebrew home run. The Killer hit 41 that season, the eighth time he eclipsed the 40 mark. By 1970, Minnesota baseball fans were pretty much taking the big 4-0 for granted.

They shouldn’t have. Because the Twins haven’t had a 40 homer season since. I know I have complained about this before, but I’m going to keep doing it from time to time because it completely amazes me. Richard Nixon was president the last time a Twin hit 40 homers. A gallon of gas cost 36 cents. The moon landing was still news. Okay, you get the picture.

Having a 40 HR guy isn’t a requirement for a good baseball team, of course. The last three World Series winners didn’t have any. And neither did the 1987 or 1991 Twins. But a good power hitter sure is fun to watch. (more…)