Minnesota Twins Top 100 Prospects: 81-100
After a return to the playoffs and a very successful season in the minor leagues for the Minnesota Twins organization, it’s time to examine top prospects!
As the Minnesota Twins built up the team that made the playoffs in 2017, they used excellent prospects, ranking as the top minor league system in the game at times along the way, boasting multiple top prospects, including the #1 prospect in all of baseball at time, and they were adept at acquiring players in multiple ways to create that farm system.
The Twins enjoyed the fruits of that farm system this season as young players truly carried the day for the major league team. On the major league team, there were 16 position players that returned positive Baseball Reference WAR value, and 12 of them were in their 20s. Pitching was a bit more volatile and top-heavy, as 12 pitchers contributed positive WAR values, and 7 were in their 20s. The 30+ pitchers outpaced the 20s pitchers in WAR contributed in total 6.5-5.4, but 4.6 of the 30+ group’s 6.5 came from Ervin Santana.
The list
This list is the product of the work of Benjamin Chase. He has taken time to do plenty of player video evaluation and contacting a number of scouts and others within the game to get opinion on players that he hasn’t seen himself in order to put this list together. The list itself is based on Ben’s opinion, so his own biases are to be noted in the viewing of the list. Specifically, production at a full season level will weigh more heavily on a list. Relievers will likely rank lower on a list.
This is a snapshot at this point in time, and many things could come out of winter workouts, winter league play, or even spring training that would make any of these rankings seem foolish. There are a number of players on this list that are eligible for minor league free agency, so there could be some guys here that end up in another organization through free agency or part of a trade. Disagreements are likely, and, frankly, encouraged! Please feel free to comment below on any disagreements you may have!
The list will come out with 20 players at a time, with #81-100 on Monday, #61-80 on Tuesday, #41-60 on Wednesday, #21-40 on Thursday, and #1-20 on Friday. Also on Friday will be a post that offers up the entire list in list format (no player evaluations on those players) and also will add a number more players to keep track of beyond the top 100 that could move up quickly or that had positive 2017 seasons.
With that, we will begin with today’s installment, #81-100….
Next: #96-100
100. Bailey Ober, RHP, Elizabethton
Born: 7/12/1995
2017 Stats: 28 IP, 3.21 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 3/35 BB/K
Info: Big (6’8″, 215 pounds) right hander from College of Charleston was drafted in the 12th round this season by the Minnesota Twins. He made 6 appearances, 4 of them starts for Elizabethton. Ober had Tommy John after his freshman year, and he’s never regained the velocity he had at that point, but he’s shown tremendous improvement in his understanding of the art of pitching, using his height to generate excellent downward plane on his fastball, mixing in an above-average-to-plus change, and seeing his breaker work much better in pro ball. If he can continue the progression with his breaking ball, working in the upper 80s and lower 90s will not be an issue, especially if he’s only allowing 0.96 BB/9, but the profile is one that is very tough to succeed, so he’s at this point on the list.
99. Anthony Marzi, LHP, Cedar Rapids/Fort Myers
Born: 11/27/1992
2017 Stats: 60 2/3 IP, 1.93 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 16/41 BB/K
Info: An unsigned free agent out of Connecticut, Marzi pitched in rookie ball for the Yankees in 2015 before pitching all of 2016 and opening 2017 in independent ball. The Twins signed him and started him with Cedar Rapids in early July. Marzi is a textbook “crafty lefty” with a fastball that works in the upper 80s, touching 91-92. Marzi works in two breaking pitches in his curve and slider, and he can get a strikeout with both. He has a change that is average currently, but it flashed a huge ceiling due to a bit of deception in his delivery allowing the pitch to play up when he can really work the arm deception and movement on the pitch well. Marzi made 10 starts after being signed, and he does an excellent job keeping the ball in the park.
Patrick McGuff getting a start for CR tonight. Spins a 1-2-3 first inning. pic.twitter.com/wofkQ25RA0
— Steve Buhr (@JimCrikket) August 17, 2017
98. Patrick McGuff, RHP, Cedar Rapids
Born: 3/30/1994
2017 Stats: 50 2/3 IP, 2.49 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 19/53 BB/K
Info: Drafted in the 36th round in 2016 out of Morehead State, McGuff has shown well in two pro seasons now for the Twins. He worked as a multi-inning reliever primarily for the Kernels this season, and his three-pitch mix works well in that use, playing just through the lineup once or maybe twice at most. His velocity has ticked up a touch this year to touching mid-90s at the very peak, but sitting more in the 90-93 range, and I noted a lot more late movement on the pitch, allowing for a very solid strikeout rate. His future is in the bullpen, but his three pitch mix should work well to allow him to work multiple innings in that role, even as he advances.
97. Yeltsin Encarnacion, IF, DSL
Born: 6/28/1998
2017 Stats: .318/.408/.523, 8 3B, 2 HR, 6 SB, 22/20 BB/K
Info: Typically when a guy is in his third season of the Dominican Summer League and breaks out, you take it with a grain of salt, but Encarnacion’s season was such that it’s hard to ignore. A bit of a swoon toward the end of the season actually brought down his numbers significantly, as he was hitting about .350 with a near .450 OBP on August 10th before finishing the season a bit rough. Encarnacion has an excellent arm defensively, but is not exceptional with his hands, leading to a question as to his best position. He played primarily 2B and 3B in 2017. While a guy with a breakout in his 3rd year of DSL often is having his one solid season in pro ball, it’s worthwhile to note as it could be the sign of figuring something out, especially with the exceptional BB/K rate that Encarnacion showed in 2017.
96. Kolton Kendrick, 1B, Elizabethton
Born: 8/10/1996
2017 Stats: .231/.345/.385, 4 HR, 22/45 BB/K
Info: A hat tip to my cohort Matt Powers, who covers the Atlanta Braves minor leagues (among others), as I knew Kendrick’s name, but I hadn’t looked heavily into him before talking with Matt about him. Kendrick has a very pretty power swing from the left side, and he knows how to take a walk, but the issue he has had so far as a pro is simply making consistent contact as he has some load getting into the zone, as that pretty swing has plenty of arch into and exiting the zone, but through the hitting zone, Kendrick has tremendous bat speed and generates big-time power. The 2015 high school draftee from Louisiana hasn’t made it out of rookie ball yet, but his level of power and willingness to take a walk is something very desired in the game. If he can work to shorten up some in 2-strike situations, he could shoot quickly up the system.
Next: #91-95
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