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) /
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, #61-80….
Born: 10/4/1994 2017 Stats: 49 1/3 IP, 2.01 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 11/43 BB/K Info: Getting off of the bus, Mason is a guy who looks like a guy who would be a legit pitching prospect. He stands 6’7″, has a solid frame, and has the sort of strong stance on the mound that leads to an imposing presence. Then he works around 90 MPH, touching 92-93, and he loses that imposing feeling. He has come a long way in his command/control. He also has a double-plus mustache (when he has it grown out), so that’s a quality thing in his profile as well! Seriously, Mason is a guy who has shown a very good ability to work out of the bullpen, and after moving completely to the bullpen in 2017, he really took a huge step forward, and he could jump up the system in 2018 now that he’s acclimated to the role.
Born: 1/11/1994 2017 Stats: .261/.319/.367, 7 HR, 34/73 BB/K Info: Kranson was drafted in the 9th round of the 2016 draft as a senior sign that could be signed for fairly cheap, and he’s really shown well in his pro time defensively. He has a quick bat through the zone, and though he hasn’t hit for a big time average, he shows the bat to ball skills that would suggest he could hit for a good average down the road, and he has solid gap power, as evidence by his 23 doubles in 2017. Kranson has played well at first base and third base both, which could help his ability to move up as a possible bench piece.
Born: 1/5/1994 2017 Stats: 63 IP, 3.43 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 26/60 BB/K Info: A 25th round pick out of Western Carolina in 2016, Davis threw well in 15 games in his draft season after a heavy workload in his collegiate season. In 2017, he worked out of the bullpen primarily, making 44 appearances and throwing 63 innings. Davis impressed with his strikeout rate in full season ball, though it was quite a bit lower than in his draft season. Davis stays tucked in until just before he releases the ball, which allows for some deception to the batter for him. He works with good command of a fastball/curve primary mix.
77. Carlos Aguiar, OF, just signed
Born: 8/28/2001 2017 Stats: none Info: Aguiar’s been mentioned with one description throughout the signing process – power. The 6’3 lefty-swinging outfielder produces tremendous raw power, especially to his pull side, though there is some thought that he’ll likely need to clean up his swing some in order to avoid being exposed as he jumps up the system. Aguiar likely profiles in left field due to being an average runner and having a fringe-average arm from the outfield, but his bat is absolutely exciting and should make some waves starting next year at extended spring.
76. Colton Burns, OF, GCL
Born: 10/19/1995 2017 Stats: .282/.423/.385, 1 HR, 8 SB, 16/23 BB/K Info: An elite runner that has received 70 grades on his speed, Burns has a fitting last name. Drafted in the 18th round by the Twins this June, he hit very well in GCL, showing good contact skills and excellent zone recognition at that level, but he has the college experience to get him moving quickly, though he is still quite raw defensively, having spent time both in left field and second base in college. Burns is an impressive athlete that could develop power down the road, but his swing approach currently is tailored to putting the ball just over the infield. This could be a guy who has a swing adjustment and finds a defensive home and really takes off out of nowhere.
Born: 4/27/1995 2017 Stats: 50 1/3 IP, 2.50 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 18/66 BB/K Info: A senior sign type, there were not heavy expectations for Sammons coming into his time with Elizabethton, but he posted a 1.46 ERA at that level before moving up to Cedar Rapids. Sammons saw his fastball tick up a touch as a pro to sitting more 90-92, touching 93-94, and his cutter really played up well in pro ball. Sammons work with a change as well that had flashes of above-average. He could push his way up in a hurry, though, with a sturdy 6’4″, 230-pound build on the mound from the left side, something that profiles very well in the back of the rotation or as a swing type in the bullpen.
Born: 9/21/1995 2017 Stats: .219/.300/.320, 3 HR, 5 SB, 33/59 BB/K Info: Montesino may seem like an odd choice this high, but I’m going based on a very positive scouting report plus a couple of very good views I had myself. Montesino has been in the Twins system for some time, signing in 2012 out of the Dominican Republic. He has good gap power, though he’s got the build and batting practice power that shows enough to possibly add more HR power. He has quick twitch speed, but his top end speed is just above-average. However, Montesino was described to me as a younger, switch-hitting version of Twins infielder Eduardo Escobar. His ability to handle 2B/3B/SS at a reasonable level is an asset that will be encouraged as he pushes forward. Yes, he’s primarily a utility guy, but as Eduardo Nunez and Escobar have shown in recent years, those types of guys can have very high value to a team.
Born: 12/8/1990 2017 Stats: 75 2/3 IP, 2.50 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 19/57 BB/K Info: Baxendale was a 10th round pick in 2012 out of Arkansas, and he’s been considered among top prospects after working his way up slowly through the system. Baxendale transitioned to a swing man role this season. He has seen his fastball tick up a touch this season, working around 90-92, touching 93-84, with a solid mid-70s breaker. He generates excellent weak contact in a 2-inning role, and may have found his way onto the Twins roster down the road, though his stuff really works best as AAAA filler, but that sort of profile in the bullpen has worked well before in a long-man role.
Born: 1/18/1995 2017 Stats: .300/.349/.453, 4 HR, 4 SB, 10/28 BB/K Info: A 25th round selection out of Southeast Louisiana this June, Crites has been part of a very successful run at SLU. He’s an incredibly gritty competitor that has that middle infield grinder profile down well, but he’s also seen his bat take off in the last year, adding double-digit home run power in his senior year of college, and seeing it translate into 11 doubles and 4 home runs in just 150 at bats with Elizabethton. Crites isn’t a guy who’s likely going to suddenly develop 30-home run power or turn into a defensive whiz at second, but he’s consistent, makes good contact, and has a good idea of the ins and outs of the game. He very well could end up standing when the dust clears with his profile.
Born: 7/26/1995 2017 Stats: .296/.352/.401, 3 HR, 2 SB, 12/40 BB/K Info: Drafted in the 7th round by the Twins in 2016, Albanese was really a steal of a pick, as he would have been as high as a 3rd round pick before a broken hand ended his season and caused him to miss all of his pro time in his draft season. He came out this season and flashed some excellent skills, though he did show being raw from the time off. Albanese is a guy with plus raw power that could pass in center, but he is an excellent corner defender. With the raw power he has and the bat speed within the zone, if the Twins can help him clean up his lead in and follow through on his swing, he could really be a monster player. I’m a big believer in his raw skills, but the injury certainly left him behind other college players in his same draft class.
Next: #66-70
70. Randy Dobnak, RHP, Elizabethton/Cedar Rapids
Born: 1/17/1995 2017 Stats: 33 1/3 IP, 2.43 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 7/23 BB/K Info: Dobnak was an independent ball find by the Twins scouting staff this spring. He attended small Alderson-Broaddus and went undrafted this spring, but obviously the Twins liked what he had to offer. Dobnak is not a guy who blows away the radar gun, but he really has a feel for pitching, not just controlling the ball in the zone but commanding it well. Dobnak likely will need to sharpen up his breaking stuff in order to get more swing and miss in order to stick in the rotation with a sub-90 fastball, but his stuff all moves very well, and if he can get that movement to sharpen up on the offspeed stuff to generate swings, he could find a long-term role and be very valuable.
Born: 3/11/1993 2017 Stats: .200/.314/.344, 8 HR, 35 SB, 50/139 BB/K Info: The Twins drafted the uber-athletic English out of South Carolina in the 11th round in 2014, knowing he was raw even as a college player. English is a double-plus runner and still can fly, but he struggles with his swing as he has poor pitch recognition in spite of a short, quick swing that should be able to adjust well. English does have a bit of power behind his athletic frame and he is able to cover a ton of ground in the outfield and was a two-way player in college with his strong arm, so his arm in the outfield is certainly plus. He’s got the raw ability to be an exciting player, but he’s now four seasons in his pro career and struggling as much or more as he did when he started as a pro, so the door could be closing soon.
Born: 2/5/1995 2017 Stats: .221/.342/.394, 9 HR, 3 SB, 54/97 BB/K Info: When Hamilton was drafted out of Oregon State in 2016 in the 23rd round, many wondered if he would stick at third base or move to second, having played some of both in college. Instead, last fall, Hamilton was donning the tools of ignorance to work at catcher. After playing outfield, second base, and third base in 2016 primarily, Hamilton has worked throughout the entire defensive spectrum, playing the most games at catcher, where his defensive skills were surprisingly adept, outside of his struggles (understandably) with passed balls, but also playing all 9 positions for at least 2 games other than his one game at pitcher. On top of his defensive versatility, Hamilton has shown the ability to take a walk and hit for solid power, which would be a good asset to allow him to move forward as a solid bench piece for a major league team.
Born: 5/3/1997 2017 Stats: 59 1/3 IP, 3.34 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 29/56 BB/K Info: An older sign out of Venezuela, Colina jumped from the DSL in 2016 to Elizabethton in 2017, and he saw very good success in that move. Colina works with a mid-90s fastball, and he reached back for 96-97 at the top end. He gets good movement on his fastball out of the stretch, but inconsistent movement out of his delivery. He works with a curve that he seems to use two grips on, one that gets more of a gradual, looping break, and one that’s more of a hard, dropping curve. His change flashes well. Colina’s size (5’11”, ~190 pounds) leads to a thought that he could move to the bullpen, especially with his proclivity to gain movement out of the stretch. He’ll have his first full season with Cedar Rapids this season, and it will be interesting to see how his stuff works in full-season ball.
66. Ricky De La Torre, 2B/SS, GCL
Born: 7/21/1999 2017 Stats: .268/.341/.359, 3 HR, 5 SB, 16/39 BB/K Info: Another of the Twins long history in Puerto Rico, De La Torre was selected in the 6th round in this June’s draft. He played second base in deference to top pick Royce Lewis when Lewis was with him at the GCL, but once Lewis was gone, De La Torre took more reps at short, and he also got some time at third base. Offensively, he showed a solid eye, nearing a 10% walk rate as a guy who didn’t even turn 18 until he’d played a month with the GCL team. He did have a 23% strikeout rate, but he didn’t struggle with that truly. De La Torre has solid power, and he has a frame that could add more power down the road as well, and his athleticism allows him to steal bases at a good rate for now. De La Torre has smooth movements at short, but his size and arm strength will likely work best at third long-term.
Born: 8/21/1989 2017 Stats: .303/.408/.518, 22 HR, 2 SB, 81/118 BB/K Info: After 8 seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals system, Rodriguez selected free agency last fall, and the Twins picked him up. Little did they know how much he would not only show as a player in the Twins system, but also how much of an influence he would be within the Twins organization. Rodriguez is a big man at 6’2″ and 250 pounds, but he’s quite athletic around the bag. What was impressive was Rodriguez’s bat control. Certainly he has power in his frame, but he had the ability to take a walk as well as avoiding strikeouts. A good argument could have been made for Rodriguez moving up to Minnesota over Kennys Vargas or Byungho Park out of Rochester, but Vargas was on the 40-man. It will be very interesting to see if the Twins keep Rodriguez around as he’s 28 now, but he has seen a change in his swing this past season that worked well at the upper minors and should be given a shot to work at the major league level somewhere, especially on a team needing some right handed power alongside Miguel Sano in the lineup.
Born: 11/22/1992 2017 Stats: 143 2/3 IP, 2.63 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 23/93 BB/K Info: The Twins took Beeker out of Davidson in the 33rd round in the 2016 draft. He’s a guy who works at 90 MPH, touching 93 with an excellent change up. He works in an average slider and curve that rely strongly on location to play up. Beeker did exactly that in 2017 at Cedar Rapids, struggling some in high-A with Fort Myers after promotion. If he can keep the ball in the zone and hitting his spots, Beeker has the sort of stuff that isn’t going to generate swing and miss, but keeps extra runners off base well enough to work at the very back of a rotation, but as seen in Fort Myers, when he starts to miss his spots, things get hairy.
Born: 6/4/1994 2017 Stats: 95 IP, 3.60 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 20/90 BB/K Info: Stashak was a 13th round selection out of St. John’s in 2015. He’s been starting with Twins levels ever since, and while he’s not blowing away hitters with strikeout rates, he’s found success at each level thus far. However, what was impressive was when he moved to the bullpen for Chattanooga’s playoff run, making 3 appearances, throwing 6 innings without allowing a run and putting up a 0/10 BB/K ratio. He works with a 90 MPH fastball, but he has excellent movement on the pitch, and he works from a high pitch slot, which is something a lot of pitchers don’t use, so it could work really well from the bullpen with his two breaking pitches and the high arm slot, likely seeing his fastball tick up from 92-93 tops as a starter to more like 94ish as a reliever.
Born: 6/5/1992 2017 Stats: Not a lot of players get to take time off of their minor league season to go watch their father’s Hall of Fame induction, but not everyone is Ivan Rodriguez‘s son, either. Rodriguez has had an interesting run through the Twins system, originally drafted in 2011 as an outfielder, but moving to pitching after three seasons in the grass. He’s been off the mound now for four seasons, and he’s really developed into a quality starter that has a ceiling of a mid-rotation starter and could settle as a solid back end starter. He also has the sort of stuff and rubber arm that would allow him to possibly work very well as a reliever, either as a long-man or a 7th inning guy that could go multiple nights in a row. Rodriguez is eligible to be a minor league free agent this winter, and that will be something to watch.
Born: 3/15/1994 2017 Stats: 139 IP, 3.17 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 25/122 BB/K Info: Last summer, the Twins selected Poppen out of Harvard in the 19th round, and he has expressed that he could have been selected after 2015, but he chose to attend one more season of school. Certainly, Poppen is the smartest guy in the system (only slightly joking), with enough other options in his life that he doesn’t “need” baseball. Poppen works with a fastball that sits in the low-90s with really impressive movement low in the zone. He works with a slider and change that he knows how to manipulate multiple ways as well. Poppen’s strong season should put him on the short list for Chattanooga’s rotation to open 2018, and continued progress could push him forward as a mid-rotation or back-rotation option.
Tomorrow we will continue with #41-60. Any disputes? Guys you expected to see higher on the list? Guys you were surprised were on the list at all? Comment below!
