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, #41-60….
Born: 8/23/1994 2017 Stats: 54 IP, 1.33 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 8/54 BB/K, 17 saves Info: Lujan was a 35th round pick in 2015, and most probably didn’t have a lot of thought about him after posting a 5.00 ERA in his draft year and a similar ERA in 2016 as well. Instead, he simply was dominant for Cedar Rapids out of the closer role this season.
Part of the major change for Lujan was something he’d been working on since he was drafted, and that was adding velocity. He didn’t go from throwing 95 to throwing 99, but he is throwing 96 and every now and then 97, but the fastball has such impressive movement that it is near impossible to square up.
He’s got an excellent hard slider and a change that has very good arm deception. The three velocity points also help to keep hitters from being able to truly sit on any velocity point and look for multiple pitches in that range. What was most impressive in 2017 was the improved command of all three pitches that Lujan exhibited. If he can keep that up and maintain his increased velocity, he’ll move up the reliever pecking order in a hurry.
Born: 5/18/1994 2017 Stats: Minors: 61 IP, 3.84 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 23/48 BB/K; Majors: 2 1/3 IP, 30.86 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 0/2 BB/K Info: Rosrio made the move to the bullpen in 2016, and it was assumed that would help him to jump tot he majors in a hurry. He did get a major league trial this season, but he was still working through growing pains as a reliever in bringing consistent stuff every night from the left side. Rosario brings impressive raw stuff on the mound, with a fastball that can hit the upper 90s and a slider that runs in the upper 80s. That combination should be lethal, especially from the left side, but Rosario’s fastball has a tendency to flatten some, and he struggled with command today, sometimes grooving a pitch to have to generate a strike, which led to him getting hit hard when he’d do so. The raw stuff is still there and impressive, which leads to him still hanging on here.
Born: 9/29/92 2017 Stats: 38 IP, 2.13 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 17/33 BB/K Info: Reed is a guy who just can’t seem to stay healthy, but when he is, his stuff is incredibly impressive. He can run his fastball into the upper 90s with good sink to the pitch. His best secondary pitch is a slider that works in the mid-80s but can sometimes end up getting “slurvy” and lack hard break. Reed can mix in a change that generates weak contact. The main reason Reed is here is that with his age and health concerns, he could be falling behind other options for bullpen arms, but he just needs a chance to show himself at this point.
Born: 10/12/1992 2017 Stats: .320/.373/.460, 4 HR, 1 SB, 16/46 BB/K Info: Paul really wasn’t a third baseman or a first baseman or an outfielder at Cal – he was a hitter. He’s struggled to show that as a pro until this season with Fort Myers, where he was hitting .350 before he broke his hamate bone. Paul has the ability to handle any corner spot defensively at a passable level, though first or left are probably his best spots. He has a quick bat through the zone with excellent gap power and the ability to jump on a pitch to drive one out as well. He’s working in the Arizona Fall League this month to get some of the plate appearances he missed this season, and if he continues hitting like he did when healthy in 2017, he might force his way into the Twins’ plans.
Born: 11/13/1990 2017 Stats: 65 1/3 IP, 2.76 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 24/99 BB/K Info: It seemed as if Luke was following the path of his also-talented brother Daniel Bard in having an elite relief arm that simply can’t stay healthy for his first few years in the system after being being drafted 42nd overall by the Twins in 2012. After missing all of 2014 with surgery, he’s eased back as a reliever, and this season, now that he’s healthy, he’s really showing all of that stuff that he has. Bard can run his fastball up to 97 with excellent weight on the pitch. He also works with an elite slider, and he got a number of swings this year when throwing an infrequent change, which is a “show me” pitch in quality, but when used well can be effective. This is really the first time we’ve seen this kind of strikeout numbers from Bard, so it is something to watch, and being 27 to open 2018 also makes his overall value slip a bit, but it wouldn’t surprise at all if he finds his way to Target Field in 2018 if he keeps this up.
Born: 6/7/1992 2017 Stats: .292/.347/.383, 6 HR, 4 SB, 39/80 BB/K Info: The Tigers originally drafted Corcino out of Puerto Rico in 2009, but he was released after 2012 and found his way to independent ball. The Twins found him there and signed him in 2015, and he’s done nothing but provide solid corner outfield defense and offer stead hitting ever since. He’s not really got any one tool that’s above-average, but he brings a whole toolbox of average tools along with a great attitude and competitiveness to the ballpark every night, making him an easy guy to cheer for. Corcino found success at the upper levels in 2017 with Chattanooga before struggling with a 20-game set with Rochester. He’ll get another shot at Rochester if he returns to the Twins organization next season.
Born: 12/3/1990 2017 Stats: 2 2/3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 1/2 BB/K Info: Another in the line of Rice pitchers who struggle mightily with injury once they get to pro ball, Chargois was a 2nd round pick in 2012 before missing all of 2013 and 2014. He’s had one healthy season, 2016, when he jumped up two upper minor league level before finishing the season with the Twins at the big league level and showing very well. He then threw all of 2 2/3 innings this year in the minors. He’ll throw a fastball that tops out at 97 with sink when he’s at his best with a plus slider that would be enough of a reliever combination by itself. Chargois has a very high effort delivery, and coming back now from a stress fracture in his elbow will likely mean he won’t be able to go a full 2018 either.
Born: 5/16/1991 2017 Stats: Minors: 57 IP, 2.05 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 14/56 BB/K; Majors: 4 IP, 6.75 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 1/2 BB/K Info: A sturdy lefty from Central Michigan, Enns isn’t a guy with an incredible fastball or a deadly breaking pitch, but he has a bit of deception in his delivery and works with an above-average three-pitch mix, using a fastball slider and change. His fastball sits 88-92, touching 93-94, but he can really manipulate the fastball, adding a hint of cut or sink or rise to the pitch, and he has seen very solid production for a guy with less than elite stuff. Part of that is Enns’ ability to add movement to the pitch and part is a bit of deception in his delivery. He’s not the youngest, but he should get a shot at the major league rotation at the back of the rotation in 2017.
KISSIMMEE, FL – JANUARY 28: Baseballs and a Fungo Bat lie in the dirt during the Jim Evans Academy of Professional Umpiring on January 28, 2011 at the Houston Astros Spring Training Complex in Kissimmee, Florida. Jim Evans was a Major League Umpire for 28 years that included umpiring four World Series. Many of his students have gone on to work on all levels of baseball including the Major Leagues. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
Born: 5/27/1999 2017 Stats: .306/.369/.434, 3 HR, 4 SB, 19/26 BB/K Info: Urena has some excellent defensive chops that were thought to work better at second base, and he did play there primarily in 2017 in the DSL. He has enough arm to work at third possibly, but his range makes second a likely choice with his struggles at short making the move to second the best move. Offensively, he put up very impressive numbers. He showed a lot more power than expected, as he was assumed to be a bat ahead of power guy, but he had 7 doubles, 3 triples, and 3 home runs in just short of 200 plate appearances. His plate discipline was also impressive. Urena will be a young guy to keep an eye on as he comes stateside in 2018.
Born: 6/21/1993 2017 Stats: 67 1/3 IP, 1.87 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 45/67 BB/K Info: Clay was taken in the 4th round of the 2014 draft out of Georgia Tech, and until this season, he’d worked as a starter in the Twins system. Moving to the bullpen, however, has brought out a beast in Clay. Not only does he have a fastball that ticked up to 95-96, touching as high as 98, with his slider adding a hair of velocity, but a significant amount of depth of break. That added movement on his pitches did lead to some added walks, but he can also get off when he overthrows, which is what happened at AA, skewing his BB/K ratio as he had a 13/4 BB/K with the Lookouts. Clay having this sort of success in his first season in the bullpen gives good hope to his chances of becoming an effective lefty reliever down the road, and possibly soon if he can conquer Chattanooga in 2018.
Born: 6/3/1996 2017 Stats: .283/.309/.454, 12 HR, 3 SB, 8/85 BB/K Info: Drafted out of Fullerton Junior College in the 8th round of the 2016 draft, Carrier hit well in his first exposure at Elizabethton in 2016, but his 2017 was even better. Carrier has an extremely aggressive approach at the plate, as evidenced by his BB/K rate. Carrier has legit power, though his arm likely plays best defensively in left field. Carrier has an impressive power swing, but he will have to improve his ability to take a pitch in order to truly tap into all that power.
Born: 10/1/1995 2017 Stats: 48 1/3 IP, 2.61 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 18/46 BB/K Info: One of the best college starters at Clemson in his time there, Barnes was taken in the 4th round this season and paid a solid bonus to sign. Barnes is not a guy who will light up a radar gun, but he works with three velocity points, using a fastball that he throws in the low-90s with good low movement in the zone along with a slider that ticked up to mid-80s as a pro, along with his curve and change that both work in the mid- to upper-70s. Barnes excels with command due to an easy delivery and trust in all four pitches, willing to use any pitch in any matchup, and he has done well generating plenty of weak contact along with adequate swing and miss to this point. Barnes has a lower ceiling than you might like, but his floor is quite high as a starter that has a very good likelihood to make it.
Born: 6/28/1991 2017 Stats: 50 1/3 IP, 3.22 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 21/54 BB/K Info: Originally drafted in the 2nd round in 2012, Melotakis shifted to the bullpen full-time in 2014 after struggling as a starter. He missed all of 2015 with surgery and returned in 2016 to throw a half season of effective pitching. The results in 2017 were a bit less certain as he struggled with consistency in his velocity, experiencing a “dead arm” period in the early season that corrected by the end of the year. When he’s right, his fastball can run to 96-97 with good movement and deception due to his arm action. He has a hard curve as his primary off speed pitch, and when he’s on, that combo is near-impossible for hitters from either side to hit, but especially lefties. As he’s gained back his health this season, he has been more consistent with his velocity and, more importantly, his command. He could be a factor in the 2018 major league pen.
Born: 11/22/1999 2017 Stats: .263/.347/.401, 1 HR, 4 SB, 21/37 BB/K Info: Valdez was the Twins’ top international signee in 2016, and he played well in 2017 in his first pro season. Valdez was a shortstop when signed, but immediately moved to third, and he could handle the hot corner well if he keeps his build in check as he has a fairly narrow build, so his 6’2″, 200 pound listing now is really as big as he should probably get. That said, the reports on his raw power from the DSL were impressive, and he did tally 12 doubles and 4 triples in his season. He should come stateside in 2018.
Born: 9/17/1998 2017 Stats: 40 1/3 IP, 4.91 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 20/29 BB/K Info: Balazovic was drafted in the 5th round of the 2016 draft and signed to a well-above-slot bonus of $515K as arguably the top Canadian high schooler in his draft class. His first season was very good, though he worked heavy on creating weak contact and did not miss a ton of bats. His stuff is quite good, but his deceptive delivery seemed to even throw him off in 2017 as he struggled to get swing and miss but also struggled to keep the ball in the zone. When he can get on, he has a low-90s fastball that can touch 93-94. His change is a plus to even double-plus pitch at its best due to its movement and arm deception. His curve has very good shape at its best as well. There’s plenty of room for Balazovic to grow into his 6’4″ frame still, and he’s younger than some of the guys who were drafted in the 2017 class, so he’s got time to develop, but 2017 was not a year in the direction you’d want.
Born: 7/5/1990 2017 Stats: 54 IP, 1.00 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 10/57 BB/K, 11 saves Info: The Twins signed Anderson out of independent ball in 2015, and in his first full season in 2016, he flashed his big ability out of the bullpen before really exploding on the scene in 2017. From Anderson’s 6’5″ frame, he generates tremendous plane on his mid- to upper-90s fastball. He also works with a breaking ball that really sharpened up this season, generating good swing and miss still, but being a pitch that Anderson could spot exceptionally well along with the fastball. He’ll likely open in the upper minors in 2018, but his quick development should continue with a shot at the major leagues in 2018.
Born: 8/26/1994 2017 Stats: 89 IP, 3.03 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 27/108 BB/K Info: Relatively unknown coming into the 2015 draft, Wells was certainly a guy who is notable the second he steps off the team bus at 6’8″-6’9″ (depending on which listing you trust) and 260-270 pounds. Wells has a four-pitch mix that plays up from his height, but his curve and slider both are swing and miss pitches, with the slider being his highest graded overall pitch. Wells had an exceptional start to the season before running into injury trouble at the end of June. He sat out for 10 days and then tried to make one more start before going on the DL for over a month. Before that start where he was already hurt, Wells had made 10 starts, and had a 1.89 ERA with 80 strikeouts over 57 innings. He struggled in returning, but if he can rekindle some of that early season success he had in maintaining his delivery (something often difficult for a guy of his height), Wells could be a guy to really jump up the system in a hurry.
Born: 11/17/1992 2017 Stats: .285/.361/.401, 6 HR, 9 SB, 48/123 BB/K Info: Sometimes, you’re just glad to see a good guy get recognized, and that was the case with Murphy in 2017. The Robbinsdale, MN native was known for his elite defense at Bradley in college, and he’s been a premier defender through his time as a pro, but he’s not hit tremendously well, which has led to many looking past him. This year, he opened the year hitting better than .300 for Fort Myers before his promotion, and he ended the season with recognition as an All Star with the Florida State League, in spite of playing the final 50+ games of his season with AA Chattanooga. He also received a minor league Gold Glove, which is well deserved. Murphy is a solid hitter, though he is certainly carried in his baseball profile by his defense in the outfield, which is absolutely elite.
Born: 5/19/1995 2017 Stats: 128 IP, 4.64 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 55/105 BB/K Info: Del Rosario has been developing slowly as a pitcher in the Twins system, coming into this year, never having pitched more than 83 1/3 innings in a single year. When I wrote my scouting report on him at the end of July, he had thrown 106 1/3 innings with a 4.06 ERA, 41/94 BB/K, and a 1.24 WHIP. He obviously had hit his inning limit for the season at that point, because he simply imploded from that point forward, eventually moving to the bullpen. Del Rosario has the pitches to work as a mid-rotation starter, but he’ll need to build up his arm in innings for likely at least two more minor league seasons. He’ll be one to watch in 2018, though, as he could be a very dominating reliever in that role if the Twins choose to move him.
Born: 1/14/1998 2017 Stats: .298/.359/.476, 5 HR, 10 SB, 14/42 BB/K Info: Arias came into the Twins system in 2014 as a speed outfielder that needed to add size, but had the arm strength and athleticism to handle center or right well as well as an impressive tool set that led to thinking he could add some power down the road. His first year in the GCL in 2016, Arias hit .202/.265/.266. That changed in 2017. Arias impressed many with his line, including 7 doubles and 4 triples. Arias has impressive raw power as plus speed that he uses very well. He did see an uptick in strikeouts when he reached back for more power this season, but much of that was due to zone expansion, not a matter of struggling to recognize the zone. He’s one of the more impressive young hitters the Twins have right now.
Tomorrow we will continue with #21-40. Any disputes? Guys you expected to see higher on the list? Guys you were surprised were on the list at all? Comment below!
