Puckett’s Pond Top 15 Twins Prospects
We are now well into the 2015 calendar year, and we are just 19 days away from the Minnesota Twins embarking on sunny Fort Myers to kick off Spring Training. As the organization sets its sights on the turnaround that 2015 will bring, the prospect discussion has taken place in full force.
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Thus far we have seen how Baseball Prospectus sees the Twins, how Keith Law grades Minnesota’s top prospects, and how MLB.com sees the Twins youngsters against the competition. Now it’s time to take a look at how we ourselves here at Puckett’s Pond view the farm system.
With one of the deepest and most talented farm systems in Major League Baseball, the Twins are in a great spot. There have quality and quantity both covered when it comes to supplementing the organization from within.
Here is how we see the top 15.
Credit: dplbaseball.com
15. Amaurys Minier, LF/1B
Signed out of the Dominican Repbulic and just 19 years old, Minier has the chance to be very good. His bat has plenty of pop and he will continue to grow into his frame. He also offers some positional flexibility if the Twins want to move him in the future.
Credit: MiLB.com
14. Stuart Turner, C
Should the Twins look to move Kurt Suzuki over the course of his two-year extension signed last season, it will be Turner that picks up the slack. While Josmil Pinto has a solid bat, he is a liability behind the plate. In Turner, the Twins have a major league ready defensive catcher, with great catch and throw abilities. His bat may never be an asset, but he should make enough contact to surface with the Twins in the not so distant future.
Credit: MiLB.com
13. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP
Taken out of high school, Gonsalves has now pitched for both Elizabethton and Cedar Rapis. He handled his own last season throwing to a 3.19 ERA at Cedar Rapids and allowing opposing hitters to bat only .228 off of him. An end of the rotation guy, Gonsalves could make a strong case to move up the system this season.
Credit: MiLB.com
12. Max Kepler, OF
Out of Germany, Kepler has been a name that Twins fans should get familiar with. He has played at both first base and the outfield, and offers the Twins some discretion when deciding on his long-term home. He hit a solid .307 this year in the Arizona Fall League and is on the Twins 40 man roster. Expecting him to play at Double-A or above this season is a realistic possibility.
Credit: MiLB.com
11. Adam Brett Walker II, OF
Out of anyone on the Twins farm, Walker arguably has the most power. He mashed at Fort Myers again in 2014 hitting 25 home rungs and driving in 94 runners. He strikes out far too often still, and that could be a detriment to him rising up the system. If he can cut down on the strikeouts and take a stronger command of the zone, Walker will be one of the most feared hitters in the minors.
10. Nick Burdi, RHP
The Twins selected Burdi twice, with him signing last season as a second round draft pick out of Louisville. With triple digit speed ability out of the bullpen, Burdi is going to be an asset in the Twins bullpen. He could surface in the majors as early as 2015, and will likely pitch out of a setup role until Glen Perkins moves on from the Twins.
9. Jorge Polanco, 2B/SS
Twins fans got a glimpse of Polanco during the five games he spent at the major league level during the 2014 season. While he was called upon from the Single-A level, Polanco still has some things to work through. His bat is ahead of his fielding ability, and with Brian Dozier firmly entrenched at second base, it’s his glove that needs to get him to the majors.
Credit: Knuckleballsblog.com
8. Lewis Thorpe, LHP
Signed by the Twins out of Australia, Thorpe has quickly become a prospect to monitor. Pitching well at Cedar Rapids last season should get Thorpe some looks at Fort Myers this season. Just 19 years old, continued development and refinement are his biggest keys. He has a high ceiling though and Minnesota will buzz as he gets closer to the big league level.
7. Eddie Rosario, OF
Initially an infielder, Rosario has now moved to a full-time outfield role. He played impressively during the Arizona Fall League this year, and seem to work out the issues that plagued him at the plate in 2014. With his suspension behind him, and the Twins needing outfield depth, Rosario is someone the should be expected at the big league level during the 2015 season.
6. Jose Berrios, RHP
After experiencing the biggest season out of any prospect in 2014, Berrios has become a household name for Twins fans. Pitching across every level of the minors, he turned in an incredible 2014 capped off with a Future’s Game appearance. 2015 will be about proving it, and making it stick. Berrios should debut with the Twins sometime late in the season.
Credit: MiLB.com
5. Kohl Stewart, RHP
Now focused fully on baseball, Stewart is still coming into his own after being taken by the Twins 4th overall in 2013. He pitched well in Cedar Rapids last season, and has been dominant in his time as a pro. Shoulder issues flared up last season, but appear to be behind him. If he can continue to refine his pitching technique as a whole, the expectation of a front of the rotation starter should stick.
Credit: MiLB.com
4. Nick Gordon, SS
The fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft impressed early for the Twins. Being sent straight to Elizabethton and skipping the Gulf Coast League, Gordon handled his own. Already strong defensively, Gordon got it done with his bat as well hitting .294 in his first professional season. He doesn’t have the speed of his brother Dee Gordon, but he still can move. He has a cannon for an arm, and should be the Twins shortstop of the future.
3. Alex Meyer, RHP
It’s fair to believe that Meyer would have been off of this list and already in the majors had he not struggled with an injury down the stretch in 2014. He will battle Tommy Milone for the 5th rotation spot in 2015, and has the stuff to beat him out. If he can hone in on his command issues, Meyer should be a dominant starter for the Twins.
2. Miguel Sano, 3B
After missing the 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery, the Twins will welcome a clean bill of health for their prized prospect this season. Sano is going to crush baseball at the major league level, and is a legitimate 30 home run threat. He may not stick at third, but his bat will have him in Minnesota sooner rather than later in 2015.
1. Byron Buxton, CF
Like Sano, injuries weren’t kind to Buxton in 2014. This season, Buxton will look to put that behind him and continue to look the part of the elite talent he has shown to be. He can fly, his glove is exception, and he can handle the bat both for contact and with surprise power. The Twins will hand Buxton the keys to centerfield at some point during 2015.
Looking from top to bottom, there is little to complain about as a Twins fan when it comes to prospects. While the numbers or positioning may be shifted, there is no doubt that the organization has both a deep and talented pool of players. As they start to arrive in Twins Territory, Paul Molitor will have a team once again capable of dominating the AL Central.
Next: Keith Law's Top 10 Twins Prospects 2015 Edition
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