Minnesota Twins 2017 Minor League Awards

Jose Miranda, 19, Elizabethton

The Minnesota Twins drafted Miranda out of Puerto Rico with a second round compensatory pick in 2016. The Twins have traditionally scouted Puerto Rico well, and Miranda’s raw power was something the team was absolutely enamored with.

Miranda has played around the infield, but in a fairly shallow group of second baseman, he was the one who had played the majority of his games at the position that produced the best on the season. In 2017, he primarily at second base or DH, so the Twins may have settled on his defensive home already.

With a lightning-quick swing, and a developing 6’2″ frame, Miranda certainly has the potential to hit for plus power or even better. On the season, he hit .283/.340/.484 for the Elizabethton team with 8 doubles, 2 triples, and 11 home runs. Most importantly, he posted a 16/24 BB/K ratio, or in percentage terms, a 6.5% walk rate and a 9.7% strikeout rate. Flashing that kind of power with a single-digit percentage strikeout rate is incredibly rare and is something to certainly take note of in the system.

Others of note: Estamy Urena, 18, DSL; Emmanuel Morel, 20, Elizabethton

Both Urena and Morel received plenty of notice on the season around scouting communities. Urena was an under-the-radar prospect to watch in the DSL coming into the season, and he certainly showed well. Morel really hasn’t filled in for any power, but his defense up the middle at both second and short is tremendous, with speed that some scouts put a 65 or even 70 on, which would give him a “plus-plus” grade.

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