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Puckett’s Pond’s Minnesota Twins 2018 Top-40 Prospects: #31-35

By Gary Malmberg

BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 20: A Minnesota Twins cap and glove in the dug out before a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards at on August 20, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 20: A Minnesota Twins cap and glove in the dug out before a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards at on August 20, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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No. 34 Ernie De La Trinidad, OF, Fort Myers Miracle

Nate’s Rank: 34, Gary’s Rank: 35

19-year-old Ernie De La Trinidad is generally considered the “third guy” the Minnesota Twins received in the July deadline trade that sent Eduardo Escobar to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Twins also acquired OF Gabriel Maciel and RHP Jhoan Duran. Early reports suggest that the left-handed hitting corner outfielder may be more than the “throw-in” on that deal.

The D-Backs took a home-town kid with their 19th round pick in the 2017 draft. De La Trinidad, a native of Phoenix played for UNLV in 2017, producing a .361/.465/.559 slash line with five triples, seven homers and 30 RBI’s. He transferred from Central Arizona College following a 2016 season where he slashed .399/.497/.622 in 49 games.

De La Trinidad spent his 2017 summer in Missoula of the Rookie League. There he hit a very respectable .297/.385/.510 in 92 at-bats, with 36 K’s and 21 walks. He earned a 2018 promotion to Lower Class A Kane County of the Midwest League where he produced a 311/.403/.402 slash line with 8 home runs, 56 RBI’s, 46 K’s and 45 walks in 312 at-bats before the trade.

The Twins chose to assign De La Trinidad to advanced Single-A Fort Myers. He has excelled against competition averaging a half a year older than himself.  In 39 at-bats, he has put together a line of .359/.435/.462, with 6 K’s and 6 walks for the Miracle. At only 5′ 9″, 165 pounds, De La Trinidad has a career slugging percentage of .468. And at age 19, there should be more power coming as he matures.  On defense this season, mostly right field, he has 9 outfield assists and 4 errors for a .974 fielding percentage. 72 walks in 543 at-bats are also promising at this stage in his development. De La Trinidad could climb quickly if he can carry those power numbers with him through future advances up the ladder.

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