Puckett’s Pond presents our Top 10 Minnesota Twins prospects. At #8 is Catcher Ben Rortvedt.
Previous stories on Puckett’s Pond Top 10 Prospects:
#10: Adalberto Mejia
#9: Nick Burdi
Ranking at No. 8 on our list of Top 10 Minnesota Twins prospect list is Ben Rortvedt. He is the only catcher (Mitch Garver is ranked just outside the Top 10 at #15) and just one of three position players in our Top 10.
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Drafted in the second round of last year’s amateur draft straight out of high school, Rortvedt is entering his second professional season of baseball.
In 2016, he split time between two Rookie League teams, the Gulf Coast League Twins and Elizabethton Twins.
While it’s true that the Twins are short on pitching, and it’s nice to see so much of the Top 10 list made up of pitchers, the catching position is also in dire need of improvement organizationally.
#8 – Ben Rortvedt
Name: Ben Rortvedt
Position: C Age: 19
Height: 5’10” Weight: 190 lbs.
Throws: Right Bats: Left
Acquired: 52nd overall in the second round of the 2016 amateur draft
Rortvedt, of course, has lots to improve on. However, 2016 was a good starting block.
In 33 games, he drove in 10, with 10 strikeouts and 10 walks. He slashed .222/.306/.253. Despite the low slash line, Rortvedt hit much better in Elizabethton, slashing .250/.348/.250 compared to his .203/.277/.254 slash line for the GLC Twins.
The low overall numbers are due to his slow start to the season, as he had only one hit in his first 15 at-bats. Once July started, Rortvedt’s season turned around. He started getting on base more and striking out less, which is good sign for players out of high school.
Behind the plate, Rortvedt fielded his position well. He threw out 28 percent of base runners attempting to steal a base. He also had a .989 fielding percentage, but did allow nine passed balls in 33 games.
The Twins farm system doesn’t have many high profile catchers, and the ones the team does have are already on the 40-man roster, ready to make a splash at the MLB level. Essentially, Rortvedt has very little competition at his position.
Essentially, he should have no problem climbing up the ranks, but there is his age. Rortvedt is very young for a minor league catcher. Meaning, he may take longer to progress through the ranks since he will probably be the youngest catcher at each level.
Next: New Season! Pitchers and Catchers Report
Notes: Rortvedt will most likely start the 2017 season with Single-A Cedar Rapids. After a full season of minor league baseball, it will be easier to define him as a future catcher or as a guy needing to switch positions. If Rortvedt remains behind the plate defensively, he won’t be in a MLB uniform till at least 2021.