MLB.com Sees Twins Prospects Favorably In Top 100
If you missed Keith Law’s top 100 prospects earlier this week, you didn’t see that the ESPN insider doesn’t think all that highly of Jose Berrios. Despite being one of the Twins biggest risers last season, Law sees Berrios working through procedural problems as his biggest hurdle. MLB.com came out with their top 100 prospects recently, and the Twins saw much more favorable results.
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To provide full disclosure, neither of these lists is more right than one another, considering they are virtually an opinion piece. That being said, and for what it’s worth, Law is probably held in a higher regard when it comes to evaluating prospects. At any rate, a strong showing on the MLB.com list is a good place to be as well.
Check out how MLB.com sees the Twins top prospects stacking up against the competition.
Oct. 14, 2014; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Twins outfielder
Byron Buxtonplays for the Salt River Rafters during an Arizona Fall League game against the Surprise Saguaros at Salt River Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
#1 Byron Buxton
Leading the list of all prospects is star centerfielder Byron Buxton. While Twins fans already hold the up and coming centerfielder in high regard, this is a very big honor. Not only did Buxton miss the majority of the season in 2014, but Kris Bryant of the Cubs organization absolutely tore the cover off the baseball. For Buxton to stick as the top prospect despite his time off and up against Bryant’s big year is saying a lot.
The Twins will look to get Buxton going early in 2015, and despite being slated to start in Double-A, Buxton should have plenty of opportunities to impress during big league camp. Expect him to make his eventual debut sometime near the end of 2015, with an outside chance of a late summer call up.
March 21, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Minnesota Twins infielder
Miguel Sano(97) in the dugout against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
#11 Miguel Sano
Also higher than on Law’s list, Miguel Sano finds himself just outside of the top 10 on MLB.com’s top 100 list. Like Buxton, Sano missed the entirety of 2014 having underwent Tommy John surgery. Without playing in the Arizona Fall League or any winter ball, Sano will undoubtedly have some rust to knock off. That being said, his bat should be just fine.
The argument could have been made that last season would have seen Sano hit 30+ home runs at the major league level had he been healthy. He is always going to strike out a lot, but the power will play just fine at the top-level. Expect Sano to start with Buxton at Double-A Chattanooga, and then be an option for the Twins sometime over the late summer. If Kennys Vargas struggles out of the designated hitter spot, Sano could be called upon even earlier.
Nov 2, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher
Alex Meyeragainst the East during the Fall Stars Game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
#29 Alex Meyer
Coming in one spot higher than he did on Keith Law’s rankings, Alex Meyer should be the first prospect on this list to surface in the majors. He is going to go into Spring Training with an eye on the 5th rotation spot, and his biggest competition should be Tommy Milone. He is still working on bringing along that third pitch, and needs to tighten up his command to a certain extent.
Meyer has been able to blow batters away at every level of the minor leagues, and should continue to strike out hitters at a good clip once he reaches the majors. With top of the rotation potential, it is time for the 25-year-old to break through. While he likely is slated to start the year in the Triple-A rotation, expect him to be pitching for the Twins by June.
Jul 13, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; World pitcher Jose Berrios waves his cap as he leaves the mound in the first inning during the All Star Futures Game at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
#32 Jose Berrios
Easily the biggest jump for any Twins prospect between the MLB.com and Keith Law ratings, Jose Berrios is up 68 spots. After starting the season with Single-A Fort Myers, Berrios pitched in the All Star Futures game at Target Field, and finished the season with a game for Triple-A Rochester. This season, he should be slated to start in Double-A Chattanooga, with a call up to Triple-A somewhere around midseason.
He is going to need to continue to develop, and be less predictable around the strike zone. While he is able to blow by many hitters in the minors, he will need to learn to pitch towards the major league game to a more serious extent. Expecting him to debut in the Twins rotation for at least a September call up should be almost certain in 2015.
Credit: MiLB.com
#33 Nick Gordon
Ten spots higher than Keith Law has him, MLB.com sees the Twins 2014 first round draft pick as a top third prospect. Minnesota accelerated Gordon to a certain extent in 2014, having him surpass the Gulf Coast League, and head straight to Elizabethton. While Gordon is going to be considered the Twins shortstop of the future, he still has a ways to go.
Already possessing major league level fielding abilities, he doesn’t quite have the speed that his brother Dee Gordon has shown. He is capable with the bat, and his .294 average was a good start in his first major league season. That being said, he is going to continue to need to hit should he want to rise through the system. He could slot in anywhere from leadoff to the 8 or 9 hitter in the lineup depending on how his bat progresses. With Tom Gordon and Dee as family lineage, Gordon has plenty of natural ability on his side. A late 2017 or early 2018 debut is realistic.
Credit: MiLB.com
#36 Kohl Stewart
After being selected with the Twins first pick in the 2013 draft, Stewart has lived up to the hype thus far in his minor league career. Law had Stewart just outside the top 50 (53) in his rankings, but MLB.com sees him more favorably. Posting a sub 3.00 ERA through his first two professional seasons, Stewart has done a lot of things right.
Despite experiencing some shoulder discomfort a season ago, all expectations would be that 2015 should see a clean bill of health from Stewart. Expect a rise to Fort Myers to come relatively early, and for him to settle in against some tougher competition this season. Stewart is probably at least a year and a half away yet, but has shown top of the rotation potential.
While Keith Law had six Twins prospects in his top 100 as well, it is MLB.com that sees each of those six all in the top 50. Regardless of number or positioning, Twins fans have to be excited about the level of top-tier talent that the farm system possesses. With names such as Eddie Rosario, Lewis Thorpe, and Stephen Gonsalves all being void of the top 100, Minnesota has a ton of depth to be excited about.
As the Twins look to turn things around in 2015, the wave of prospects should help to usher in a new generation of winning.
Next: Baseball Prospectus Ranks Twins Top 10 Prospects
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