Top-5 Minnesota Twins prospect update
The Minnesota Twins have a strong Minor League system with players who are ready to make an impact in MLB. Puckett’s Pond is here to keep you up to date on the Twins Top-5 prospects.
First and foremost, let’s begin with a reminder that this is a small sample size. However, some of the Minnesota Twins top prospects have started the 2018 season strong. Here’s a look…
Royce Lewis
Royce Lewis has lived up to all expectations since being drafted number one overall by the Twins during the 2017 MLB draft. He hit .279 with 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts while playing 58 games during the 2017 season.
Lewis was able to get his feet wet with Low-A Cedar Rapids toward the end of last season. He hit .296 through his first 18 games, however, he also had 16 strikeouts. Flash forward to the 2018 season, and Lewis is batting .323 with only 3 strikeouts and a .400 on-base percentage through the first eight games.
Fernando Romero
Fernando Romero has been impressive at every level of the Minnesota Twins Minor League system. This kid has future ace potential and it won’t be long before he makes his presence felt in the Twin Cities.
Romero has surrendered only three earned runs through his first 16 innings pitched at the Triple-A level. He was brilliant on the mound on Sunday with 6 1/3 innings pitched and 10 strikeouts with only one earned run. However, he walked two batters, bringing his season total to seven, and needs to show improvement before getting called up.
Stephen Gonsalves
Stephen Gonsalves is an intriguing left-handed pitcher in the Twins Minor League system. His stats don’t jump off of the page when looking at his Minor League career. However, Gonsalves has shown that he has a future at the highest level.
More from Minnesota Twins Prospects
- Minnesota Twins: Who’s in and who’s out after the 2022 Rule 5 Draft
- Minnesota Twins: Four Prospects added to the 40-Man Roster at Deadline
- Minnesota Twins: Is Edouard Julien legit and can he help in 2023?
- Minnesota Twins: Front Office finally making the Right Call with Call-Ups
- Minnesota Twins: Matt Wallner called up, Former Top 30 Prospect DFA’d
His 22 2/3 innings pitched with Triple-A Rochester during the 2017 season were not anything to remember. However, Gonsalves has a 2.24 ERA across 31 starts for Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts and looks ready to prove himself in Triple-A. The best part about this is that the Minnesota Twins have no need to rush Gonsalves. They’ve built enough depth with starting pitchers that Gonsalves won’t see time until late 2018, at best.
Nick Gordon
Nick Gordon is another player who has shown everything he can do at the Double-A level. He has started this season strong batting .351 with 20 hits in his first 61 at-bats. The former number four overall pick has a future in MLB.
By now, all Minnesota Twins fans know all about the Jorge Polanco suspension so I won’t go into details with that. However, Polanco’s suspension opens the door for Gordon to make his MLB debut during the 2018 season. Eduardo Escobar has filled in well at shortstop so there is no rush to bring Gordon to the big league level. However, his time will come and his future is bright in the Twin Cities.
Wander Javier
Unfortunately for the Minnesota Twins, infield prospect Wander Javier hasn’t played in the Minors this season. However, he is working his way back from injury. You can read more about that here, and check back next time for an update on his start.
Next: Taking a look at the hot start for José Berríos
Stay tuned to Puckett’s Pond for the latest news and stories about your Minnesota Twins. Want to share your opinions with other Twins fans?Join the writing team here at Puckett’s Pond and have your voice heard! Contact us via Twitter or apply above for more details.