Minnesota Twins: A look at the Twins Top-5 prospects

The Minnesota Twins Minor League system has produced more Major League players than most. From Joe Mauer to Brian Dozier to Byron Buxton, the system keeps chugging along.

MLB.com has recently released the Minnesota Twins Top-30 prospects and Puckett’s Pond is here to break down the Top-5 prospects in the system. However, first we’ll take a look at one of the more recent graduates of the Twins Minor League system.

Byron Buxton

Byron Buxton has been everything he was advertised to be. Speed? Check. Tremendous range defensively? Check. About the only thing he is missing is Giancarlo Stanton-esgue power. However, Buxton has the kind of speed that makes even Billy Hamilton jealous.

Buxton has 41 stolen bases in 278 games during his Major League career. Even better, he has a 91.8% success rate, and is a nuisance every time he reaches base.

However, his speed is more evident in the outfield than it is on the base paths. Buxton has quickly become one of the best centerfielders in Major League Baseball. Although he has a pedestrian .988 fielding percentage during his career, it’s not about the plays Buxton fails to make, but rather the plays he improbably does make.

If the ball is hit to the outfield in the air, an out is always possible with Buxton in center. He brings back memories of watching Torii Hunter tracking fly balls for Minnesota Twins fans. The future is bright for Buxton, and in turn, that means the future is bright in the Twin Cities.

He hit 16 home runs while slashing .253/.314/.413 last season for the Twins. He strikes out far too much but his upside is through the roof. Buxton reaches base enough that manager Paul Molitor can bat him anywhere he wants in the lineup, and that’s a major advantage while filling out the lineup card daily.

He has already shown that he’s a future star in Major League Baseball. The Minnesota Twins will need him to continue to progress in order to continue to contend in the American League.

The Twins have a depth of talent in Minor Leagues that is on the cusp of making an impact in the Show. First up in the Top-5 is Wander Javier.

5- Wander Javier SS

Wander Javier is THE name Minnesota Twins should keep an eye on. There are some high-quality middle-infielders ahead of him in the Twins system. However, Javier has the chance to be the best of them all.

He has only recently turned 19, and his ceiling is higher than clouds. Javier played nine games, at age 17, during the 2016 Dominican Summer League season. He did more than wow the Twins organization, Javier flashed superstar potential.

Javier had eight hits in 30 plate appearances and slashed .308/.400/.654 during his debut season with the Minnesota Twins organization. He also showed his above-average defense and plus arm, showing he can play the second most important position on the field.

The 2017 season went even better for Javier as he showed he could do it over a long stretch of games. He followed up his strong stint in the Dominican Summer League by slashing .299/.383/.471 and had 18 extra base hits in 180 plate appearances.

However, his defense was suspect, and that’s putting it kindly. Javier committed 16 errors in 149 chances at shortstop during the ’17 season. He will need to improve upon his .893 fielding percentage if wants to stick at shortstop for the future.

What does the future hold for Javier?

The future is as bright as the sun for Javier and the Twins will benefit greatly from having him. However, the Twins have two shortstop prospects still to come in these rankings, so his future lies at another position. Javier projects well defensively, and as he ages he will improve.

The hope is that Javier slots in at third base in the future so the Twins can move Miguel Sano off of the position. His bat profiles well for the position and as he matures he could develop more power.

However, the next player on out list is another shortstop, closer to making an impact than Javier. Let’s take a look at what the Minnesota Twins number four prospect, Nick Gordon, has been up to.

4- Nick Gordon SS

The Minnesota Twins drafted speedy shortstop Nick Gordon number five overall in the 2014 MLB draft. Gordon has lived up to the pressure of his bloodlines so far but there will likely be a position change in his future. We’ll talk about that more later, but for now, let’s talk about his history a little bit.

First, we’ll talk about his lineage quickly, because it is worth mentioning. Former MLB reliever Tom “Flash” Gordon is his father and current Seattle Mariners OF Dee Gordon is his brother, so baseball is in his blood. He has excelled every step of the way through the Minors and looks ready to contribute in the Major Leagues soon.

Gordon slashed .270/.341/.348 playing for Double-A Chattanooga during the 2017 season. Gordon worked 53 walks showing potential top of the order talent last season. However, he also had 134 strikeouts in 578 plate appearances. If Gordon wants to make an impact, he will need to cut down his strikeout rate.

He is fast on the base paths and has the potential to be more than he has shown so far. His 50 grade speed hasn’t translated into too many stolen bases to this point in his Minor League career. However, as the 22-year-old matures, he should develop into a true stolen base threat.

What does the future hold for Gordon?

The Minnesota Twins have numerous, important pending free agents, Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier just to name a couple. The latter is where Gordon will most likely come in. Minnesota made a splash in February by signing power-hitting Logan Morrison, and that opens up numerous opportunities for the Twins.

Gordon has shown at every level of the Minor Leagues that his future is bright. He has had a strong start in Spring Training for Minnesota, but is likely ticketed to start this season in Triple-A. However, Gordon will need to switch to the keystone to succeed in The Show.

As good as Gordon projects to be, he is still only the SECOND best shortstop prospect in the Minnesota Twins system, we will get to him later in our rankings. Minnesota could be moving on from Dozier after the 2018 season and Gordon could be the man to take over. However, now it’s time we talk about the number three prospect on our list, a pitcher who could play a role during the ’18 season, Stephen Gonsalves.

3- Stephen Gonsalves LHP

Minnesota Twins prospect Stephen Gonsalves is the type of pitcher every organization in MLB craves. He’s a left-handed starting pitcher that throws strikes.

Gonsalves also throws his fastball in the low-mid 90’s and looks like he will be a solid contributor to a Major League rotation soon. He has a sparkling 2.39 ERA while starting 86 games, and appearing in 90, over his five-year Minor League career.

He has never walked more than 60 batters during one season, while compiling more than 500 strikeouts so far. However, Gonsalves has only pitched 22 1/3 innings above Double-A so he is still unproven.

His numbers in Triple-A last season were not good, and I’m trying be nice. He surrendered a whopping four home runs while striking out only 22 and walking eight batters. However, Gonsalves has the type of stuff that projects for the middle of the rotation, at worst.

Gonsalves started the ’17 season late while dealing with a shoulder injury. However, when healthy he showed that he belongs in the Minnesota Twins future plans. Every rotation needs a good left-handed pitcher, and Gonsalves fits the bill.

What the future holds for Gonsalves

Ervin Santana will begin the 2018 season on the disabled list leaving a giant hole at the top of the Minnesota Twins rotation. Even after signing Jake Odorizzi, the Twins still have question marks in the rotation.

This will be a big Spring Training for Gonsalves as he tries to take the next step in his career. His future is bright and could start sooner than the Twins expected. However, first he has to show he can be effective against Major League hitters.

Gonsalves has a chance to earn a spot in the Minnesota Twins rotation to open the ’18 season. However, April might be a little too soon for him to make his debut. He has the potential to be a big piece in the future of the Twins rotation and that could easily happen this season.

However, the next player on our list deserves the first opportunity in the rotation. Now, let’s take a look at Fernando Romero, further showing the Twins rotation strength coming through the Minors.

2- Fernando Romero RHP

The Minnesota Twins have some high-quality pitching in the Minor Leagues and Fernando Romero is at the head of that list. Twins fans should remember that name, because he will have an impact on the 2018 season and more.

Romero is still a little raw, but his potential is sky-high. He combines a plus fastball with an above average slider and knows how to get outs. However, health has been an issue for Romero. He will have to prove he can stay healthy before getting an opportunity in The Show.

He made only three starts in 2014 and missed the entire 2015 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. His recovery was a long process, but Romero looks like he has regained his form.

Romero has a career 2.85 ERA in 69 games, 54 starts, in the Minnesota Twins Minor League system. He has a very good 8.7 K/9 during his career and does a great job of keeping the ball in the yard. Romero has surrendered only six home runs in 303 1/3 innings pitched in the Minors and projects to be a top of the rotation type of pitcher.

The 2017 season was a promising sign that Romero is not far from having an impact in MLB. He had a 3.53 ERA while pitching 125 innings for Double-A Chattanooga and is on the cusp of the Majors.

What to expect from Romero in ’18

Romero has a chance to show the Minnesota Twins what he can do this Spring. However, chances are slim that he makes the Opening Day roster. That being said, the Twins have holes in the rotation, and a strong Spring could accelerate his advancement.

Romero, along with Stephen Gonsalves, gives the Twins a potentially great one-two punch in the rotation down the line. The injury to Ervin Santana has opened the door for Romero to make it to the big leagues sooner than expected.

However, patience is the key when considering what to do with a pitching prospect. Romero has flashed a big-time fastball and shows an understanding of how to pitch. However, he will still need a little more time in the Minors to hone his craft before slotting into the top of the Twins rotation.

We have already talked about four players who will leave their mark within the Minnesota Twins organization. However, now it’s time we discuss the cream of the crop, Royce Lewis, the Twins number one ranked prospect.