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Minnesota Twins Top 100 Prospects: 81-100

By Benjamin Chase

ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 05: A view of baseball gloves prior to the game between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Minnesota Twins on Opening Day at Angel Stadium on April 5, 2010 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 05: A view of baseball gloves prior to the game between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Minnesota Twins on Opening Day at Angel Stadium on April 5, 2010 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – MAY 04: The baseball bat of George Springer of the Houston Astros is seen in the dugout before the start of a game against the Minnesota Twins at Minute Maid Park on May 4, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – MAY 04: The baseball bat of George Springer of the Houston Astros is seen in the dugout before the start of a game against the Minnesota Twins at Minute Maid Park on May 4, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images) /

90. Alberoni Nunez, OF, DSL

Born: 2/17/1999
2017 Stats: .352/.420/.545, 7 3B, 3 HR, 11 SB, 20/35 BB/K
Info: Nunez made his debut with the Twins at 18 this season, and he showed as much statistically as any hitter in the DSL. That’s the good thing. Nunez has gone under the radar so far in spite of an athletic build, fairly good eye at the plate, and a good combination of power and speed, but he’s been discussed as a guy who may have been too advanced to truly be playing at the DSL. It will be very interesting to see how Nunez will adapt coming stateside as he’s reported to have a very solid arm in the outfield, but that’s the best report for sure on him. More information when he comes stateside could really push up his ranking!

89. Mark Contreras, OF, Elizabethton

Born: 1/24/1995
2017 Stats: .275/.319/.421, 4 HR, 5 SB, 8/52 BB/K
Info: The Twins 9th round selection out of UC Riverside was signed for $10K and assumed to be more of a roster filler in the minor leagues. Instead, he really showed excellent contact skills with solid power/speed to go along with it. Contreras did miss time in 2017 during his collegiate season due to a broken hamate bone, and he really did show some major issues in his swing at times in comfort. He has raw power that flashes plus in batting practice, and with good athleticism, he could end up filling out to more of a hitter than his humble signing bonus indicated.

88. Zander Wiel, 1B, Fort Myers

Born: 1/11/1993
2017 Stats: .250/.344/.429, 13 HR, 8 SB, 62/104 BB/K
Info: Wiel was part of a very good collegiate program at Vanderbilt, and while many of his teammates got a lot more hype, Wiel was a 12th round selection in 2015, and he’s shown solid overall skills ever since. Wiel has a thick frame that is really only suited for first base, but he does have surprising agility at first for his size. When he uncorks his power, he really can knock a ball a ways. Due to his position limitations and a big swing path, Wiel has an uphill climb to become more than a power bat off of the bench, but his profile is exactly the type of guy who could suddenly make a few adjustments in his swing, have them really push him forward, and make this ranking look silly as well.

87. Alex Robles, 1B/OF, GCL

Born: 7/7/1995
2017 Stats: .324/.369/.407, 3 HR, 10 SB, 8/14 BB/K
Info: Robles was drafted in the 30th round out of Austin Peay State, and to say that there was much known about him coming out of college would be flat-out lying, but Robles put together a very nice season with the GCL Twins. Listed at 6′ and 200 pounds, Robles has a more compact and powerful build than that. Robles has a good idea of the strike zone, but when he takes a cut, he really uncorks a mammoth swing on the ball. What was surprising was Robles’ speed at his size as he can really get down the line well. He’s primarily a 1B and corner OF, but if he can continue to make good contact, he could surprise many who dismissed him due to his draft pedigree.

86. Carlos Suniaga, RHP, GCL/Elizabethton

Born: 5/26/1997
2017 Stats: 51 1/3 IP, 1.58 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 12/42 BB/K
Info: A 2014 signee, Suniaga got his feet wet for the first time as a pro in 2015 at age 18. The Venezuela native wasn’t highly regarded at his signing, likely due to a mediocre fastball, but he’s filled out well, and he uses good extension in his delivery to generate a very good feel on his fastball for additional velocity as well as a “Bugs Bunny” string-pulling effect on his change. Suniaga’s breaking pitch has been a work in progress, but he had some very good moments with it this season. Without a solid, consistent breaking pitch, he’ll likely see more ground balls than strikeouts and struggle to stick as a starter, but Suniaga is a guy who pounds the zone and has such a high-level feel for his change to pair with his ~92 MPH fastball that works well in the zone due to his high 3/4 arm slot and good extension toward the plate in his delivery.

Next: #81-85

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