Minnesota Twins Top 100 Prospects: The Top Twenty

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, #1-20….

Next: #16-20

15. LaMonte Wade, OF, Chattanooga

Born: 1/1/1994
2017 Stats: .292/.397/.408, 7 HR, 9 SB, 76/71 BB/K
Info: Considered a “senior sign” out of Maryland in the 9th round in 2015, Wade showed much better than that, displaying an incredibly adept eye at the plate to allow him to play up immediately, and he’s pushed his stock forward each season with the organization. Wade is not likely to be a superstar in the field or at the plate, but he has tremendous zone and pitch recognition, enough power to put balls in the gap and enough speed to threaten on the base paths and be a positive base runner. Defensively, Wade is a consistent defender, though he’s likely best used in a corner. Wade uses his baseball smarts to position himself well to get the most out of his average arm from the outfield, allowing him to work in right or left field. Wade profiles as a guy who could lead off, getting on base at a high clip and running the bases well, even if he doesn’t steal many bases. He’s spending time in the Arizona Fall League this winter and likely will open with AAA Rochester in 2018.

14. Jermaine Palacios, SS, Cedar Rapids/Fort Myers

Born: 7/19/1996
2017 Stats: .296/.333/.454, 10 3B, 13 HR, 20 SB, 22/99 BB/K
Info: Jumping out at the start of the season, the 2013 signee out of Venezuela got a lot of Twins fans very excited with his early season production with Cedar Rapids, but he ran into a wall to some degree with Fort Myers. Palacios has developed gap power as he has filled into his 6′ tall frame. Palacios has a plus arm that would allow him to play anywhere around the infield. He has kept up his above-average speed as he has filled out, which allows him to be a stolen base threat, though his feel for stealing is only average. Palacios has longer legs than you’d think at just 6′, and that allows him to really run the bases well, and it does lead to some thought that he could work well in left field if he’s moved off shortstop. The Twins will likely want to keep Palacios moving, but whether he starts at Fort Myers or Chattanooga will be interesting to see next spring. He could also be a guy who draws trade interest this offseason, and with a host of shortstops working up the system, moving Palacios in the right move might end up making sense.

13. Mitch Garver, C, Rochester/MLB

Born: 1/15/1991
2017 Stats: Minors: .291/.387/.541, 17 HR, 2 SB, 50/85 BB/K; Majors: .196/.288/.348, 3 3B, 6/15 BB/K
Info: Many would look at Garver’s age and immediately dismiss him due to that, but that would be a significant mistake. Catchers typically have a longer development track, and especially college catchers usually find their way to the major leagues at a later age than other prospects. Garver has shown well behind the plate ever since being the third catcher drafted by the Twins in the 2013 draft. He got his first shot at the major leagues in 2017, and he did show well, though his batting average wasn’t pretty. Garver has legit above-average power with above-average zone recognition at the plate, which allows him to put up good batting averages in the minor leagues. Behind the plate, he’s not perfect, but he’s got a strong arm and blocks pitches very well. He could very well end up paired with Jason Castro behind the plate for the Twins in 2018.

12. Felix Jorge, RHP, Chattanooga/Rochester/MLB

Born: 1/2/1994
2017 Stats: Minors: 149 IP, 3.68 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 40/108 BB/K; Majors: 7 2/3 IP, 10.57 ERA, 2.09 WHIP, 2/4 BB/K
Info: Jorge has always shown the velocity since the Twins signed him in 2011, but he’s seemingly struggled to translate that raw stuff into swing and miss. The 2017 season was much of the same, flashing a fastball that could top 95 with an easy delivery and heavy sink and late movement low in the zone. His change works well low as well, with excellent arm deception. His slider could be a swing and miss pitch if he even got consistent average break on the pitch, but all too often he’ll throw three sliders with three different degrees of sharpness to them. Jorge’s likely a back end starter, but he’s reached that level, and he saw the major leagues in 2017. He should get more work in 2018, though likely as a guy who makes plenty of trips between Rochester and Minnesota.

11. Blayne Enlow, RHP, GCL

Born: 3/21/1999
2017 Stats: 20 1/3 IP, 1.33 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 4/19 BB/K
Info: Enlow received notice as having very possibly the best curveball in the entire prep class in the 2017 draft class. Many assumed he was going to be going to LSU unless he was drafted in the first round, so when the Twins opened the second day of the draft by selecting Enlow in the 3rd round, many were curious if they could get him signed, and they certainly did. Enlow then went about showing that he definitely deserved that first round consideration. Enlow is still raw in his frame, needing to fill out into his 6’3″ stature, but he has a plus fastball that can run up to mid-90s and sits 91-94 and his curve is a very pretty pitch to watch. His control is incredibly mature for his level of experience as well, which should allow him to move quickly, especially as he fills into his frame, possibly even adding another tick or two to his velocity.

Next: #6-10

10. Brent Rooker, 1B/OF, Elizabethton/Fort Myers

Born: 11/1/1994
2017 Stats: .281/.364/.566, 18 HR, 2 SB, 27/68 BB/K
Info: The Minnesota Twins drafted Rooker in the 38th round of the 2016 draft, and though they didn’t sign him, it was clear they had their eye on the Mississippi State hitter. Rooker then turned the toughest conference in college baseball into his play area for the spring, absolutely dominating the league in all facets, earning his way to the #35 overall selection this spring. Rooker has worked hard over the last two years to improve his swing, especially his zone recognition, and he still has work to do on his pitch recognition, but he’s acknowledged this in post-season interviews. He’s a tremendously hard worker, and while he spent much of his time in the outfield in Elizabethton, he worked plenty at first base in Fort Myers, and he likely will be a fit at first base or DH as a pro due to limited defensive ability, but if the progress Rooker made from 2016 to 2017 and in season as a pro have shown us anything, it’s not to doubt Rooker’s ability to work hard and accomplish something if he puts his mind to it.

9. Lewin Diaz, 1B, Cedar Rapids

Born: 11/19/1996
2017 Stats: .292/.329/.444, 12 HR, 2 SB, 25/80 BB/K
Info: Twins fans will not want to hear the comparisons I have on Diaz, as it may trigger some PTSD. Diaz is a guy who has grown into his 6’3″ frame, adding natural strength after looking like a long, lanky guy for much of his first few years in the Twins system. He seems to be a bit behind in his development at 21 going to high-A in 2018, but with growing into his frame now, he could jump ahead in a hurry in the system. Diaz has a very smooth swing from the left side that generates natural power, reaching the seats easily in batting practice. Diaz led the Twins system in doubles on the season with 33, so though he didn’t hit a ton of balls over the fence, that power was certainly evident. Diaz has good zone recognition, keeping his strikeout rate reasonable, but he has an aggressive approach at the plate, leading to a low amount of walks, something he’ll likely need to work on. Diaz has a swing that is a spitting image of a young David Ortiz. Of course, Ortiz did a change to his swing in Boston to become the hitter he did, but even remaining what he was in Minnesota would have been extremely valuable, especially since Diaz is a much better athlete and some have even considered him an option to play some left field if he’s blocked at first base due to his arm and long-range speed. He’ll move up to Fort Myers in 2018, and it will be interesting to see if he finds that bat coming alive in a hurry.

8. Lewis Thorpe, LHP, Fort Myers/Chattanooga

Born: 11/23/1995
2017 Stats: 83 IP, 2.93 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 33/91 BB/K
Info: Before he missed all of 2015 and 2016, Thorpe was considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, making two Baseball Prospectus top 101 lists in the offseason. He was finally healthy in 2017, and the whowing was impressive. He spent all but one start with Fort Myers, and his age was not out of line for that level. The Twins were pleased to see his fastball return to the low-90s, touching mid-90s along with his cuve and slider both working well and his change returning to its previous plus quality. What was pleasing as well was to see that Thorpe’s control was average to above-average in his first season after missing two full seasons. He’ll likely work out of the Chattanooga bullpen in 2018, and the Twins will hope to build up his innings as Thorpe has a projection as a 2/3 starter.

7. Alex Kirilloff, OF, no 2017 assignment

Born: 11/9/1997
2017 Stats: no 2017 stats
Info: One of my personal favorites coming into the 2016 draft was Kirilloff, who had a sweet left-handed swing and more athleticism than many were giving him credit for in many of the draft previews I reviewed. The Twins lucked into Kirilloff still being on the board at #15 overall, and they pounced, getting a tremendous first professional season out of Kirilloff and having some very exciting plans for his future in 2017. Instead, Kirilloff’s elbow issues at the end of 2016 were not able to be rehabbed and he had to have Tommy John surgery, missing all of 2017. Kirilloff has tremendous ability to make contact and hit for power. He has more athleticism than he was given credit for, but his defensive home is in question after his throwing elbow was repaired. Even if he’s limited to first base, Kirilloff has the sort of athletic ability that he could likely be a very good defensive first baseman along with providing a plus power and plus contact bat.

6. Brusdar Graterol, RHP, GCL/Elizabethton

Born: 8/26/1998
2017 Stats: 40 IP, 2.70 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 13/45 BB/K
Info: When I called or reached out to people in the GCL or Appy League about a Twins guy, it was nearly unanimous that, unprompted, I would get an opinion on Graterol. His stuff is some of the most electric that went through either league this season, with a fastball that can sit 95-98, surpassing triple digits. He has two breaking pitches, both sitting above-average, but with his slider taking a step forward this year to more of a fringe-plus offering, though his curve certainly flashes plus as well. Where Graterol made huge strides this season was in his change. It has not developed a ton of movement, but he does work well now in keeping his arm movement near identical with the fastball and change, which makes it near impossible to pick up immediately. He also took a huge step forward in his command and control this season, most notably in control, but certainly he’s shown a ton for a 19 year-old who has missed a season of development to surgery. The Twins will likely try to ease his innings up, likely having Graterol open the season in extended spring again in 2018 before moving up to the Midwest League.

Next: #1-5

5. Wander Javier, SS, Elizabethton

Born: 12/29/1998
2017 Stats: .299/.383/.471, 4 HR, 4 SB, 19/49 BB/K
Info: Javier received the largest bonus the Twins have ever given to an international teenager in 2015, and he’s shown that he was certainly worth it. As there are multiple shortstop prospects in the system already, he certainly won’t be pushed due to his position, which is just fine, but his bat could insist upon that pushing on its own. Looking at “fantasy” numbers, one may not be as impressed with Javier’s Elizabethton line, until you also add in that he had 13 doubles and a triple to add to that 4 home runs and spent the majority of the season hitting near the top of the order as a table-setter. He has a lot of work to do in his pitch recognition, but his zone skills and advanced contact skills allowed him to have an aggressive plate approach and not get beaten badly very often. While he’d be a big shortstop at 6’1″, he has the natural movements and instincts that make you think he’d do very well there along with a plus arm that’d work well sliding over to third if he doesn’t stick at short. Javier will likely see a move to Cedar Rapids as a 19 year-old in 2018, and he should certainly be on the radar of any Twins fan looking to take a minor league drive to view some of the future of the franchise!

4. Fernando Romero, RHP, Chattanooga

Born: 12/24/1994
2017 Stats: 125 IP, 3.53 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 45/120 BB/K
Info: This season was really about a “build up” season for Romero. He had seen his velocity and raw stuff come back to high levels in 2016 returning from Tommy John surgery, but he needed to build up his innings. It became evident, however, that the inning limit he had was perhaps a bit higher than his arm’s limit. On August 2nd, Romero hit the 110 inning mark after his start at Montgomery (110 2/3 innings, to be exact), and at that point, his season line was a 2.60 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, with a 41/115 BB/K ratio. Those final three starts added 14 1/3 innings to his tally on the season, but also 26 hits, 18 runs (17 of them earned), 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts. His arm just looked done. However, that doesn’t take away from how special that same arm looked early in the season, when Romero was a legit top 100 guy, sitting in the mid-90s deep into starts and bumping up against triple digit velocity. His slider doesn’t have hard bite, but it’s got hard velocity that is still difficult for hitters to pick up with him throwing everything from the same arm slot. Romero made significant strides in using his change up as well in 2017, and the pitch has some very impressive movement at times. Romero likely will ease up to around 150 innings in 2018, starting in Rochester, but he could finish that either in the Twins rotation or the bullpen at the end of the season as a possible playoff weapon with his velocity and raw stuff.

3. Stephen Gonsavles, LHP, Chattanooga/Rochester

Born: 7/8/1994
2017 Stats: 110 IP, 3.27 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 31/118 BB/K
Info: Gonsalves has been on Twins fans’ radars for a couple of seasons now as he’s pushed his way onto top 100 lists the last two seasons after initially coming into pro ball as a 4th-round selection in 2013. Gonsalves is a 6’5″, 215-220 pound lefty that has filled out without adding a ton in velocity, so that could put some people off of him as a potential prospect, but those people would be missing out on the tremendous ability that Gonsalves has developed as a pitcher. There’s a reason that he’s striking out over a batter per inning while working with fastball that sits in the low-90s and works up to 95 with very good movement. He pairs that with a change that matches his fastball’s sinking motion and arm action. He uses a curve and a slider both, with the former being ahead of the latter, but he’s come a long way in locating both, allowing what would be average to fringe-average raw pitches to play up due to his ability to locate them. Gonsalves could make a strong push in the spring and exit spring training with a rotation spot, but most likely he’ll end up in Rochester and could force his way to Target Field somewhere in the 2018 season.

2. Nick Gordon, 2B/SS, Chattanooga

Born: 10/24/1995
2017 Stats: .270/.341/.408, 9 HR, 13 SB, 53/134 BB/K
Info: While the line from Gordon in 2017 may not inspire many, he actually is a great example of what you see is different than what the stat line reads. Gordon is not a guy who has a single stand out tool, but he has average to above-average tools across the board, and 2017 saw him really show maturity on the field in utilizing that breadth of tools. Gordon opened the season playing some second base to work on his skills there, but he moved back to shortstop quickly, and he showed calm collected play at the position that isn’t elite in range, but does cover plenty of ground with an apt arm that would work moving to third or to second. Gordon’s offensive profile may never thrill fantasy players as he’ll likely never rack up a ton of HRs or SBs, but his 2017 line with 29 doubles, 8 triples, 9 home runs, and 13 stolen bases, he contributes very well across the board, and his base running once on base is very smart. He’ll open in Rochester in 2018 and could push for some late-season time or really make a push if he hits incredibly well and Jorge Polanco struggles in 2018.

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1. Royce Lewis, SS, GCL/Cedar Rapids

Born: 6/5/1999
2017 Stats: .279/.381/.407, 4 HR, 18 SB, 25/33 BB/K
Info: While there was some concern among Minnesota Twins fans when they selected the California high schooler #1 overall this past June rather than one of a few college players that had been linked to the team or one of the other “generational” high school phenoms, Lewis has jumped to the front of the draft class in a hurry in his initial performance as a pro. Lewis didn’t show any issues with a big jump to Cedar Rapids, though his BB/K rate that was 19/17 in GCL dropped to 6/16 in the GCL, though that’s certainly not a major issue for an 18 year old playing in a full-season league.

Lewis is a rare blend of a plus hit tool, double plus speed, and the ability to generate the kind of bat speed and reaction off the bat to indicate future possible plus power. Where he will fit defensively is the question, though he did handle short well this season. I’m not sure that short is his eventual home, but the Twins currently have a guy who is probably best at 2B playing shortstop at the major league level, and he is handling the position well by simply getting to everything he should get to. With some guys behind him that do have the ability to be a possible plus defender at short, Lewis could see a move to second base or an outfield spot down the road, but his bat has already shown to be everything the Twins would have wanted with a #1 overall selection, and his signing bonus number allowed the Twins to also draft guys that I have ranked #10, #11, #26, #30, #49, and #66 in the list in the first 6 rounds that likely would not all have been able to be signed otherwise.

Next: Twins Arbitration Eligibles

So what did you think? Any disputes? Guys you expected to see higher on the list? Guys you were surprised were on the list at all? Comment below!