MINNESOTA, MN - APRIL 12: The grounds crew of the Minnesota Twins lay down a logo template on the mound prior to a game between the Minnesota Twins and the Boston Red Sox during the Twins home opener at Target Field on April 12, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien /Getty Images)
MINNESOTA, MN – APRIL 12: The grounds crew of the Minnesota Twins lay down a logo template on the mound prior to a game between the Minnesota Twins and the Boston Red Sox during the Twins home opener at Target Field on April 12, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien /Getty Images) /
The Minnesota Twins sent a number of prospects to the Arizona Fall League. Along with making the championship game here is how each player performed.
The Minnesota Twins assigned eight players to Salt River Rafters for the 2018 Arizona Fall League. The Rafters were managed by the Twins 2018 AA Chattanooga manager and newly hired first base coach Tommy Watkins. The team also included prospects from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, and Washington Nationals.
The Rafters won the East Division title with a 16-14 record. The team dominated early but lost six of the final regular season games. The Minnesota contingent had mixed results overall. As a group, the hitters lacked power and the while the pitchers put up a 4-2 record, they struggled to keep runners off base.
Compared to past years, the AFL Twins players were older and lacking in top-rated prospects. Brent Rooker, the 8th ranked Twins prospect, slated to be the showcase player but was scratched from the roster due to an ankle injury.
The Levine/Falvey front office appears to be more concerned than the past regime about determining the future placement of guys that are relative question marks. I think that’s a good thing.
Davis was drafted in the 24th round in 2015. The 6’1, 190-pound right-handed right fielder has advanced a level at mid-year in each of his three seasons. His combined 2018 slash line at A (Adv) Fort Myers and AA Chattanooga was .273/.347/.412. Davis picked up 11 outfield assists on the year.
Davis didn’t stand out in the AFL this fall. He hit .279, but only two doubles in 61 at-bats, with 21 strikeouts vs two walks. He was one of the older position players in the league.
AA or AAA? Davis will probably return to AA at Pensacola. While he may move up to AAA at some point, I don’t like his odds of contributing at the major league level.
OF Luke Raley, Age 24
Raley was drafted in the 7th round in 2016 by the Dodgers. The 6’3″, 220 pounder bats from the left side and throws from the right. He plays both corner outfield positions as well as first base. He slashed .275 /.350 /.471 in AA with 20 home runs on the season. Raley is ranked 19th among Twins prospects by MLB.com
Raley only appeared in four AFL games before going down with an injury. He had three hits in 14 at-bats, including a triple.
AA or AAA? After a full year at AA, Raley could well be ticketed to Rochester in 2019, but with a 137/36 K/BB ratio last year, he does need to work on his plate discipline. He was the hitter that I really wanted to see versus AFL competition.
2B/3B Travis Blankenhorn, Age 22
Blankenhorn was drafted in the third round of the 2015 draft. The 6′ 2″, 208 pounder bats left. He has split time mainly at second and third base, with a few outings in left field. His Fort Myers A (ADV) slash line was .231/.299 /.387. The youngest of the AFL Twins, Blankenhorn is the 18th ranked Twins prospect per MLB.com xx http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2018?list=min
Blankenhorn posted a slash line of .224/.352 .241 in 58 Arizona at-bats. One of the keys to Blankenhorn’s future success will be his ability to hit with power, an area that he struggled in this past season. Of his 13 AFL hits, only one, a double, was for extra bases. He put together a pair of 3-4 outings, hitting .120 over the other 15 games. On the bright side, he showed good plate discipline with 10 walks versus 13 strikeouts along with a highlight diving catch in left field.
A+ or AA? Blankenhorn’s AFL performance was disappointing. He hasn’t shown in 2018 that he’s ready for AA ball in 2019.
The Pitchers
RHP Griffin Jax, Age 23
Jax was a third-round choice in the 2016 draft. The 6´2″, 195-pound right-hander has had development time curtailed by his military commitment. He only pitched 39.2 innings over his first two seasons. At Fort Myers A (ADV) this season, Jax worked 87.2 innings, with a 3.70 ERA, and a WHIP of 1.23.
Jax had a 1-1 record, with a 3.86 ERA over 21 AFL innings. He gave up 21 hits, walking 11 and striking out 14, with a 1.52 WHIP.
A+ or AA? Jax is a great story The Air Force second lieutenant is officially training for the 2020 Olympic Games. As an active-duty member of the Air Force, the Twins only pay for expenses. After some early complications, He is now free to concentrate on baseball full-time during the season. His assignment to the AFL was a nice bonus that also pushed his development. I think he will be starting next season in AA Pensacola.
RHP Adam Bray, Age 25
Bray was drafted by the Dodgers in the 33rd round of the 2015 draft. Born in Minneapolis and a graduate of Eden Prairie High School, the 6′ 3″, 210-pound right-hander struggled with injuries at A (ADV) Fort Myers. In 38.1 innings, he posted 2-0 record, with two saves, a 1.88 ERA, giving up 35 hits, 40 strikeouts, seven walks, and a 0.80 WHIP.
He pitched 13.2 innings, with a 2.63 ERA, and a WHIP of 1.10. He had a 1-0 record, with one save.
A+ or AA? Going into his age 26 season, Bray will have to advance if he is to stay in the organization. He was two years older than the competition in Fort Myers. More than any of the other players, I think Bray was in Arizona to prove his future value as a prospect. He did well enough to stay on the radar.
RHP Hector Lujan, Age 24
Lujan was taken in the 35th round of the 2015 draft. The 6’3″, 220-pound right-hander spent the season at A+ Fort Myers where he went 5-5, with a 2.64 ERA, 71.2 innings, 68 strikeouts, 22 walks, and a 1.26 WHIP.
Lujan had a 1-1 record over 9.2 innings, a 5.59 ERA, 13 hits, 10 strikeouts, five walks, and a 1.86 WHIP.
A+ or AA? Lujan is eligible for the Rule 5 draft. If it was a question mark before, his AFL performance will leave him unprotected. His season at Fort Myers was strong enough that he should be a good bet to advance. While not a top prospect, Lujan does have some upside.
dark. Next. Twins GM Simulation: Free Agents
LHP Devin Smeltzer, AGE 23
Smeltzer was taken by the Dodgers in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. The 6’3, 190-pound lefty compiled a 5-5 record, with a 4.45 ERA in 95.2 innings of work. He gave up 108 hits, striking out 83 and walking 21, with a 1.35 WHIP.
Smeltzer earned a selection to the AFL East Division All-Star team. In the game, he pitched 0.2 of an inning, struck out a pair, and walked a batter that came round to score. For the total AFL season, he did not put up All-Star numbers. Over 7.2 innings, he posted a 5.87 ERA, 14 hits, seven strikeouts, four walks, and a 2.35 WHIP. He posted a 1.50 ERA through the first three weeks, then fell apart the final three weeks, albeit less than eight innings total.
AA or AAA? The question about Smeltzer had been whether he projects as a back-end starter or a reliever. All of his ten appearances for Chattanooga following his acquisition from the Dodgers were in relief, as were his eight AFL outings. He may be best suited for a return to AA in order to work on his transition to the bullpen.
