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Minnesota Twins 2017 Minor League Awards

By Benjamin Chase

PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - MARCH 11: The Minnesota Twins warm up before the start of a Grapefruit League spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays at the Charlotte Sports Complex on March 11, 2013 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - MARCH 11: The Minnesota Twins warm up before the start of a Grapefruit League spring training game against the Tampa Bay Rays at the Charlotte Sports Complex on March 11, 2013 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images) /
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Brent Rooker, 22, Elizabethton/Fort Myers; Akil Baddoo, 18, GCL/Elizabethton; Alberoni Nunez, 18, DSL

Having all three of the outfielders noted play at least some time in rookie ball this season is an impressive trio for the future indeed.

Rooker was the Twins competitive balance pick this summer in the first round of the draft after a monster season for Mississippi State where he seemed to lead the SEC in every statistical category that exists. As you can see in the video, Rooker has an extremely powerful swing, though he’s shown the ability to take a walk as well. Even though he didn’t play in the system until late June, he finished second in the entire system with 18 home runs.

Baddoo was one of the most impressive athletes in the 2016 draft, but he was considered quite raw in his baseball abilities. A year later, Baddoo showed arguably the most advanced batting eye in the entire system along with plus speed and quickly-developing power that could give him a breadth of usable skills on the diamond. He hit .323/.436/.527 with 19 doubles, 5 triples, 4 home runs, and 9 stolen bases while posting a 36/32 BB/K ratio over 243 plate appearances, all while playing at 18 years old until mid-August as one of the youngest players in the 2016 draft class.

Nunez made his system debut this year, already 18, so older than the typical Latin signee. He hit .352/.420/.545 with 9 doubles, 7 triples, 3 home runs, and 11 stolen bases with the DSL team in 2017, playing most of his time in right field, and from what I’ve surmised in a few phone calls, he’s got a legit arm in the outfield, solid power, and athletic speed.

Zack Granite, 24, Rochester; Jean Carlos Arias, 19, GCL; LaMonte Wade, 23, Chattanooga; Samuel Vasquez, 20, DSL; Alex Robles, 21, GCL; Max Murphy, 24, Fort Myers/Chattanooga; Niko Goodrum, 25, Rochester; Aaron Whitefield, 20, Cedar Rapids; Edgar Corcino, 25, Chattanooga/Rochester; Jaylin Davis, 22, Cedar Rapids/Fort Myers

This is a very impressive group to say the least. The first three were all worthy to be considered starters as Granite, Arias, and Wade each had very impressive seasons. Davis is a guy who really had a big season in Cedar Rapids and struggled after his promotion, but he finished the season very well, with a .310/.362/.425 line in August. His impressive athleticism could be something to watch in 2018 now that he’s fully healthy.

Next: Right-Handed Starter

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