Minnesota Twins land four on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list
By Chris Schad
The Minnesota Twins saw a prospect drop off of the midseason update, but still have four prospects on Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list.
As trade season begins to heat up at the major league level, there is still plenty of talk about what is happening in the Minnesota Twins’ minor league system. As general managers drool over potential trade chips (and who they can use to acquire talent), the Twins have plenty to be happy about as four of their prospects made Baseball America’s midseason update of the Top 100 Prospects List (subscription required).
The prospects that made the cut for the Twins were Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff, Brusdar Graterol and Jordan Balazovic. 2018 first-round pick Trevor Larnach, who was recently promoted to Double-A, also came close to making the cut but was one of 15 prospects who fell off the list.
In what may be a minor surprise for some, Kirilloff leads the way for the Twins as the 17th ranked prospect on the list. The outfielder entered the season ranked 11th, but has dealt with a pair of injuries throughout his 2019 campaign. Despite the setbacks, Kiriloff has still gotten the job done at Double-A Pensacola. The list dubbed the 21-year old the best hitter in the Twins season as evidenced by his .284/.354/.409 line with 4 HR and 21 RBI for the Blue Wahoos this season.
Next on the list is Lewis, who fell 10 spots from the preseason list to be ranked 21st in the midseason update. Lewis’ season started off with an oblique injury and then a slow start at the plate. He has begun to heat up in the month of July, hitting .316/.403/.474 with two home runs and seven RBI with High-A Fort Myers. Lewis’ potential remains high, but the list also questions whether his swing will allow him to hit high-level pitching.
From there, the Twins have a pair of pitchers make the list in Brusdar Graterol and Jordan Balazovic. Graterol was having a tremendous season with a 5-0 record and 1.89 ERA at Double-A Pensacola, but is currently shut down due to a shoulder injury. His status factors into his current ranking, which has him slotted at 35th, up one spot from the preseason rankings.
Balazovic has also popped onto the prospect radar this season while pitching between Low-A Cedar Rapids and High-A Fort Myers. The right-hander has gone 7-4 this season between the two levels with a 2.78 ERA and has struck out 12.2 batters per nine innings. Balazovic checks into the list at 98th, 10 spots down from where he stood in the preseason list.
Next. Ranking the Twins' potential trade targets. dark
Most of the time, these lists are made for fan discussion, but it’s interesting to see what some think of the Twins prospects heading into the trade deadline. While GMs have their own opinions, a list like this could give an idea of who they may be asking for and what the Twins will have to give up to help boost their pitching staff in the coming days.