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Top 10 Minnesota Twins Prospects To Watch In 2015

By Ted Schwerzler |
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In 2015, the Minnesota Twins will look to turn the page towards competitiveness under the direction of new manager Paul Molitor. Having gone through plenty of losing seasons in recent memory, there is some buzz building around the organization for 2015 and beyond. Outside of the free-agent acquisitions of Torii Hunter and Ervin Santana, a bigger part of the turnaround could be in the home grown talent in the Twins farm system.

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For Minnesota to take a step forward, and for the club to experience continued success for years to come, much of the young talent will need to keep progressing and make an impact at the big league level. Considering the amount of players that currently project as big league contributors, Twins fans have a lot to get excited about when looking through the minor league rosters.

In 2015, few of the big name prospects will surface at Target Field, but no matter where they play, there is a handful that can use 2015 as a springboard towards furthering their careers.

Let’s take a look at the top 10 prospects to watch in 2015. Presented in no particular order, here we go:

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10. Max Kepler OF: Out of Germany, Max Kepler is a name that the Twins have been high on since his arrival to the US. Last season was really a rebuilding year for Kepler as he missed much of 2013 with an elbow injury. He’s an athletic outfielder who has the opportunity to hit for both average and power from the left side of the plate. In the Arizona Fall League this year he batted .307 across 18 games and flashed much of the promise he is known for. Already on the 40 man roster, look for Kepler to take a step forward this year and potentially find himself playing with the Chatanooga Lookouts in Double-A at some point.

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9. Adam Brett Walker OF: Another outfielder, Walker may be the Twins biggest power threat when it comes to prospects. In 2014, he hit 25 home runs for the Miracle, and has been known to launch some absolute monster home runs. Walker has struggled to stay consistent, and he is often caught having bad at bats. At 23 though, this season is a big one for him. If he is going to figure into the Twins long term plans, Walker will need to show improvement that can push him to Double and Triple-A and have him compete at the big league level.

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8. Stephen Gonsalves LHP: Gonsalves was drafted by the Twins out of high school, and he is at least two years away at this point. For Stephen however, the name of the game is going to be velocity. As a left, he has shown glimpses of a solid fastball, but it has also tailed off to a certain extent. Continuing to focus on adding to his frame, as well as perfecting his off-speed pitches, he could find himself being one of the best pitcher on the Ft. Myers Miracle roster in 2015.

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7. Nick Burdi RHP: Burdi has all the makings of a back-end-of-the-bullpen type guy, and projects strongly as a major league closer. With Glen Perkins currently in that role, Burdi could find himself setting up for him or slotting into a 7th inning role. Consistently touching triple digits, Burdi is one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the Twins organization. In 2015, look for Burdi to make quick work of Single-A Ft. Myers and make the jump to the upper ranks. It wouldn’t be out of the question to see Burdi throwing at Target Field late in the season.

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6. Lewis Thorpe LHP: As a pitcher out of Australia, Thorpe has the ability to be one of the better players to come from down under. After spending 2014 with Low-A Cedar Rapids, it’s not secret that Thorpe remains a ways from the big leagues. That being said, his velocity on his fastball has seen a spike, and his added quality to his breaking ball makes him an intriguing major league starting option. Continuing to refine his pitches will be big for Thorpe in 2015, but there may be no more exciting pitcher in the Twins organization considering his ceiling.

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5. Eddie Rosario OF: At this point, it doesn’t look like the Twins view Eddie Rosario as an opening day roster consideration. After moving from second base to the outfield, Rosario has to still learn the finer parts of the game from a new position. However, if his Arizona Fall League numbers are any indication, he should be able to contribute at the plate in a very valuable way. Double-A New Britain wasn’t kind to Rosario at the plate after his promotion, but he should fair better in his second year in the league. Look for Rosario to be an early promotion candidate to Triple-A with the ability to show up at Target Field sometime in 2015.

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4. Jorge Polanco SS: Twins fans got a brief glimpse of Polanco last season in an emergency role when he was called up to Target Field. There are questions about whether or not he can play the position at the big league level, but his bat should keep him competitive. While Danny Santana is penciled in as the Twins starting shortstop, Polanco has a significantly higher ceiling than utility man Eduardo Escobar, and could push for playing time if the latter struggles. I would expect most of 2015 to be split between Double and Triple-A for Polanco.

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3. Nick Gordon SS: Gordon, the Twins first-round draft pick in 2014, came out of the gates clicking. Having come straight from high school, Gordon had to get used to the challenges of the big league game. With Elizabethton, Gordon hit for average and showed plus speed. He is going to be the Twins shortstop for plenty of years to come if everything works out, but remains a ways away. In 2015, it will be important for Gordon to continue to progress and will need to work on adding to his frame. I would expect Gordon to get some significant run with Cedar Rapids before a possible promotion to Fort Myers.

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2. Kohl Stewart RHP: In 2013, the Twins plucked Stewart with the fourth overall pick in the draft. The potential to be a major league ace is there, and Stewart flashed that ability at Cedar Rapids. Just his second year of focusing completely on baseball, Stewart will need to continue to learn to command the strikezone, and how to utilize both his mid-90s fastball along with his breaking pitches. After seeing his 2014 season come to an end due to shoulder issues, the hope is for a clean bill of health and being able to translate his success with Single-A Fort Myers.

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1. Jose Berrios RHP: There may be no Twins prospect that shot up the rankings faster than Jose Berrios. After making his Target Field debut in the Futures Game, Berrios decided his goal was to be included in the Twins 2015 starting rotation. It’s almost a certainty that doesn’t happen out of spring training, but Berrios is incredibly close. Berrios made a mockery of the Florida State League, and was competitive with Double-A New Britain. I would expect Berrios to get a decent amount of time with Triple-A Rochester prior to cracking the Twins rotation. In 2015, Minnesota has plenty of options when it comes to arms, but don’t be surprised if Berrios forces their hand.

It is one thing to hear about the talent that the Twins have in their farm system, but to see ten prospects that don’t even include the likes of Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton is a testament to the depth. Terry Ryan has drafted and acquired a lot of young talent, and 2015 is going to be a big year in the developmental phase for many of these young prospects. Minnesota will rise to the top of the AL Central again through many of these names reaching their potential, here’s to hoping for big steps forward this season.

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