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, #21-40….
Born: 9/14/1993 2017 Stats: 58 IP, 1.55 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 21/85 BB/K Info: Drafted in the 32nd round of the 2015 draft, the Twins have used Vasquez as a reliever from day 1. At 6’6″ and 230 pounds, you’d think he’s a power pitcher, but Vasquez usually works more with movement and deception in his fastball than pure velocity. Vasquez is a three pitch pitcher as a reliever, with a fastball, slider, and a curve, and he hits three different velocity points with a fastball that works in the upper 80s, a slider that works in the upper 70s, and a curve that is ridiculous in its speed around 70 MPH. Coming from the left side in relief and using the same arm slot on all three, Vasquez generates a ton of strikeouts. The biggest concern for Vasquez is controlling the ball well, but his strikeout rate has been through the roof. He could start immediately at AA in 2018, and it wouldn’t surprise if he pushes for a shot at the majors by the end of the season.
Born: 11/22/1994 2017 Stats: 31 IP, 2.61 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 7/20 BB/K Info: Other teams were scared away from Jax due to his military commitment to the Air Force, but the Twins were not worried, picking him in the 3rd round of 2016. When he’s been with the Minnesota Twins system during times away from service, he’s shown the elite talent he has, and the Twins will be willing to wait on him until he fulfills his military obligation. Jax works with a fastball that sat 91-94 this summer and touched 96. He works with three secondary pitches, the best of which in my views was his change, which gets excellent pitch movement and arm deception. While he may not have “ace” upside, there’s the potential for a very good #2/3 starter once he’s allowed to focus on baseball, and the Twins will be happy to have him the few moments each season they have him until he can completely focus on the game.
Born: 7/1/1994 2017 Stats: .253/.303/.416, 15 HR, 10 SB, 28/147 BB/K Info: A guy who would have been a top pick before a brutal injury to his non-throwing shoulder ruined his draft season, leading to the Twins being able to grab him in the 24th round in the 2015 draft. Davis has a well-balanced raw tool set in the outfield with speed and power offensively and the ability to handle all three outfield spots adequately. This season, Davis had his first full season, and he really hit well with Cedar Rapids before running into struggles with Fort Myers. Though he’s not the youngest guy, he’ll be given some time to continue developing as the upside is significant, and he’s still only in his second full season this year in the Twins system.
37. Jelfrey Marte, SS, did not play
Born: 3/13/2001 2017 Stats: no 2017 stats Info: Marte was the top signing that the Twins made this year in the international market for a reported signing bonus of $3M. Marte is a true shortstop that has the makings of a plus defensive shortstop with excellent instincts and hands at the position. His biggest defensive concern currently is simply calming himself down as he often goes much too fast and makes mistakes on routine stuff. Marte may not be an elite offensive producer, but he has the ability to develop into a solid hitter that doesn’t get taken advantage of at the plate and is a plus base runner. He will open his playing career with the Twins in 2018.
Born: 4/24/1997 2017 Stats: 24 2/3 IP, 0.36 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 6/45 BB/K Info: Moran was another one of the Twins’ positive relationship with Puerto Rico, drafting Moran in the 7th round out of high school on the island in 2015. Moran went through arm surgery in 2016, and he very well may end up sticking in the bullpen after being used carefully in his return this year and seeing his stuff play up incredibly out of the bullpen. If he does move back to the rotation, he has shown enough stuff to be a legit consideration as a front line starter. Moran’s is one of the most impressive young arms in the system, with the placement here mainly being a hedge of not having seen enough yet to be more certain to place him higher.
Born: 4/9/1997 2017 Stats: .385/.385/.538, 13 plate appearances Info: An under-the-radar signee out of Venezuela in 2013 for $40K, Arraez has done nothing but make exceptional contact since coming into the Twins organization, and after hitting .347 with Cedar Rapids in 2016, many were excited to see what he would do for a follow up, but Arraez was injured after just 3 games and missed the rest of the season with a torn ACL. With someone who based his game on speed, such an injury would be worrisome, but Arraez really uses his plus contact ability as his primary offensive tool, with below average power and average speed. He is also a fringe-average defender at second base due to a below-average arm and his average speed not exactly leading to a monster range. Really, Arraez needs to keep hitting to keep moving forward, and some believe he could fill out to more power, but that’s not a widely-held belief. He’ll get another shot at Fort Myers in 2018.
Born: 10/28/1991 2017 Stats: .274/.330/.431, 12 HR, 2 SB, 29/81 BB/K Info: The Twins acquired Palka from the Diamondbacks before the 2016 season for backup catcher Chris Hermann. He’s always been a guy who has tremendous power, but his defensive position is a struggle as he has a strong arm in right, but his ability to handle the position is below-average. He’s previously struggled with showing power but striking out a ton. This season, he saw his strikeout rate drop from around 30% to a more reasonable 22%, but he also saw his power production drop significantly, with his ISO dropping from a .250+ the past two season to .157 with Rochester this season. With Palka now entering his age-26 season, it’s hard to know where the Twins will go with him in their long term plans. The power is legit for sure, but the path in the organization is in question.
Born: 1/19/1993 2017 Stats: 17 IP, 0.53 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 4/20 BB/K Info: Drafted in the 2nd round out of Louisville in 2014 by the Twins, Burdi is blessed with an arm that can pump out triple digit velocity when he’s healthy, but he’s struggled to remain healthy in his career with the Twins. Such was the case this season, when his production when he was on the field was incredible, possibly even better than the amazing numbers show, but then he ended up requiring Tommy John surgery in late May and will miss all or most of 2018. His path with the Twins is in doubt as he’ll be 26 before he has a chance to return to the mound, and even then he’ll likely need a season of building up arm strength to work his way to the majors, which could mean his earliest appearance in the major leagues could be in 2020 at age 27, certainly not what the Twins had in mind.
Born: 9/2/1996 2017 Stats: .262/.318/.414, 11 HR, 33 SB, 31/118 BB/K Info: In raw athleticism, there are few in the Minnesota Twins that can match the Australian Whitefield. In his first full-season assignment in 2017, Whitefield had expected up and down moments, but overall, he was incredibly impressive for Cedar Rapids, and in many cases, he was the most obvious player on the field. Whitefield looks like a guy who is build to play safety on the football field at 6’4″ and 200-215 solid pounds. He’s got raw power that could be eventual plus power, his speed is certainly plus if not fringe double-plus. His pitch recognition still needs some work, but that’s not surprising from a 20 year old foreign player in his first full season. It will be fun to follow Whitefield as he moves up to the Florida State League in 2018 and see his progress.
Next: #26-30
30. Landon Leach, RHP, GCL
Born: 7/12/1999 2017 Stats: 13 1/3 IP, 3.38 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 6/10 BB/K Info: Considered the top Canadian prep prospect in past June’s draft, Leach was selected in the 2nd round of the draft. He’s 6’4″ and 220 pounds, which has filled out plenty this season, and his body is still adjusting to its new-found physical maturity, which leads to some issues in his mechanics at times, and his lack of time on the mound also likely means he’ll be a longer development project. However, Leach has a repertoire that could allow him to develop into a mid-rotation starter or better, with a fastball that can touch mid-90s with incredible sink and late movement. He has a breaking pitch that has been slurvy, but when he can get a true slider action out of it, it is impressive. He’ll be a guy that could spend another year with the GCL and then move to Elizabethton in 2019, but the talent is such that if he’s allowed to develop, he could truly be an elite arm.
Born: 6/29/1998 2017 Stats: .283/.340/.484, 11 HR, 2 SB, 16/24 BB/K Info: Yet another Puerto Rican Twins draftee, Miranda was selected as a competitive balance round B pick in 2016. He struggled coming out of Puerto Rico in 2016 in the GCL, but his time in Elizabethton this season was much better. Miranda moved to second base this season, and that looks to be a long-term home for him, though it’s not as a better than average defender, but he doesn’t miss any balls that he should get to, which is a good thing. Miranda had an odd batting profile, which has seemingly caught the imagination of many Twins fans as he saw an irrational amount of his fly balls leave the yard for home runs this season. I do think Miranda has legit above-average power with better gap power than home run power, but he did show very good zone recognition and has the bat speed to flip away balls he cannot handle, which may not lead to a high walk rate down the road, but it should allow him to keep his strikeout rate positive.
Born: 5/22/1997 2017 Stats: 120 1/3 IP, 4.34 ERA 1.26 WHIP, 32/116 BB/K Info: Watson was a “throw away” pick by the Washington Nationals in 2015, a guy that they thought would likely go to college rather than sign as a 34th round draft pick. Instead, he did sign, and he’s developed well as a lefty starter. Watson is 6’5″ and 200 pounds, but he does not generate huge velocity with his big frame, rather using his frame to generate excellent plane on his fastball and change to create weak contact. Watson continued pounding the zone this year with all three of his pitches, and he showed an ability to manipulate the grip of his pitches to garner extra movement on his pitches while still commanding them well. This did not lead to high strikeout rates, especially after his trade to the Twins, but it did lead to plenty of weak contact and no extra base runners. One scout that talked with me compared Watson very strongly to Twins lefty prospect Stephen Gonsalves, who is one of the top prospects in the system, in their frame, pitch offerings, and approach. Twins fans will hope Watson develops in the way Gonsalves did.
Born: 5/4/1997 2017 Stats: .260/.353/.336, 12 SB, 15/37 BB/K Info: When I talked around to people in the game this summer, it seemed that every one of them that had seen him raved about Morel. When I looked at his raw numbers, that was tough to see, so I did some more digging, and this is Morel’s second season with the GCL club. He doesn’t have power projection, but he has exceptional hands defensively, working at short, but projecting as a plus defender at second, showing what one scout called “natural instincts at the keystone”. Morel has plus to double plus speed that allows him to steal bases well. He will turn 21 next season, and it will be interesting to see if the Twins move him up to Elizabethton or if they challenge him by pushing him to Cedar Rapids. Morel reminds me a ton of former Twins and Marlins infielder (among others) Luis Castillo, though Castillo was in the majors quite young.
Born: 4/18/1996 2017 Stats: .299/.406/.424, 2 HR, 27/40 BB/K Info: Bechtold was the Twins 5th round selection in June out of Chipola, where he’d just won the Junior College World Series. Bechtold has very positive offensive skills, with plus bat speed that could translate to a plus contact grade if he can continue progress on his pitch recognition. Bechtold is also a good athlete and has good baseball instincts, allowing him to swipe a base or two along the way, but definitely allowing him to take plenty of extra bases while he’s on the bases. Bechtold is a plus fielder with plus arm strength. He’s a natural at third baseman, but he could work at a number of positions as well. He could jump right over Cedar Rapids in 2018 if the Twins are comfortable with sending him to Fort Myers.
Born: 2/27/1997 2017 Stats: 85 1/3 IP, 3.90 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 19/74 BB/K Info: Wells and his twin brother (yes, a Twins prospect who is actually a twin) both were late to the game of baseball, but both have really taken to the game well. Lachlan was hoping to throw his first full season with the Twins, assigned to Fort Myers after having success with Cedar Rapids in a shortened season in 2016. He was one of the more elite performers in the Twins system before going three straight games over 100 pitches after not having ever had a 100-pitch outing on the 2017 season, and he ended up missing almost two months on the DL afterward. Lachlan closed out strong once he was healthy, though, leading to a positive outlook for 2018. Wells throws a fastball that works around 90 MPH with excellent location and his change and curve are both above average pitches that he locates extremely well. He may profile as a back-end starter, but his exceptional command and feel for pitching at just 20 in 2017 leads to plenty of hope for his future in a Twins uniform.
Born: 1/9/1995 2017 Stats: Minors: 58 1/3 IP, 0.77 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 15/87 BB/K, 24 saves: Majors: 6 1/3 IP, 4.26 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 2/5 BB/K, 1 save Info: While Minnesota Twins fans watched Aaron Hicks finally break out for the Yankees this season, the Twins made a deal to send the player they received for Hicks, John Ryan Murphy to the Diamondbacks for Moya. Moya was in the midst of an incredible minor league season out of the bullpen, and watching him on the mound for the Twins, it was easy to see why in his time with the major league club. Moya’s fastball works around 90 MPH, touching 93, but he pairs it with a hard slider and an incredible change that is a significant weapon against hitters on both sides of the plate.
Born: 9/25/1997 2017 Stats: .224/.284/.315, 4 HR, 1 SB, 22/60 BB/K Info: A second-round draft pick out of high school in Wisconsin in 2016, many had very high expectations for Rortvedt in 2017, and his raw numbers at the plate disappointed plenty of people. Yet, when I talk with scouts from other teams about the guys on the Cedar Rapids team, the praise lathered on Rortvedt is effusive. While his offensive stats are not outstanding, what Rortvedt showed in 2017 was an incredibly quick adaption to the trade of catching at the professional level. One report was that there is a legit ability to contact the ball and plus raw power in the bat, but you can tell that Rortvedt had put in the time behind the plate to really hone his skills at the craft, both in his work there and in the performance of the pitchers on the Kernels roster when he was back there versus other catchers.
Born: 4/5/1993 2017 Stats: Minors: 49 1/3 IP, 1.28 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 22/68 BB/K, 19 saves; Majors: 8.2 IP, 8.31 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 2/10 BB/K Info: A former 6th round selection in 2014 out of Texas, Curtiss has survived both Tommy John surgery and thoracic outlet syndrome in college to get drafted. The Twins attempted to work Curtiss as a starter in 2015, but that did not last. His move back to the bullpen in 2016 was very positive, and he moved through both A-ball levels before showing very well at the Arizona Fall League. He worked through AA and AAA this season before making it to the majors in mid-August. Curtiss’ major league numbers were skewed by a pair of appearances, though he was tremendous otherwise at the MLB level. He works with a fastball that runs up to 98 MPH with excellent plane from his 6’4″ frame, and his slider has really sharpened up this season. His ability to command his slider is still a struggle, but he has come a long ways in fastball command, which could lead to a likely role at the back of the 2018 bullpen.
Born: 9/17/1992 2017 Stats: Minors: .340/.394/.479, 5 HR, 18 SB, 26/36 BB/K; Majors: .237/.321/.290, 2 HR, 2 SB, 12/9 BB/K Info: Granite came out of the gates this season showing the tremendous contact skills that many have been reporting since he was drafted out of Seton Hall in the 14th round in 2013. He got called up to the major leagues when Byron Buxton went down with an injury at the end of June, and again at the end of August for the rest of the season. Granite has legit plus speed and plus defensive ability. Granite also showed extremely good zone recognition in both his minor league and major league time this season. While Granite may be a fourth outfielder as a ceiling in his major league career in the Twins organization, he could be one of the best in that role in the major leagues.
Tomorrow we will continue with the top 20. Any disputes? Guys you expected to see higher on the list? Guys you were surprised were on the list at all? Comment below!
