Minnesota Twins: Ranking the top 5 position player prospects
Following the trade deadline, let’s take a look at who I believe rank as the top 5 position player prospects for the Minnesota Twins.
The Minnesota Twins completed a flurry of deadline trades that not only bolster this year’s bullpen but should help solidify the team in the years to come. Lewin Diaz was shipped out in the trade that brought back Sergio Romo and Chris Vallimont. Jaylin Davis, Prelander Berroa, and Kai Wei Teng were sent to San Francisco as the package that returned reliever Sam Dyson. After retaining most of their top prospects, let’s figure out who the top 5 position players are in the Minnesota Twins system.
Though not far off from the rankings around the baseball world, I’m taking into account quite a few factors when going through my rankings. Many of you may disagree with these rankings and that’s perfectly fine. Who did I miss? Who should be higher? Who should be lower? I love some constructive criticism so let me hear it in the comments section below!
#5 Nick Gordon 2B
Yes Minnesota Twins fans, you read that correctly. Nick Gordon is back and better than ever this year as he’s tearing it up for the Rochester Red Wings. Based on his tools alone, Gordon deserves to be on this list. With a 50 overall hit tool and a 55 in the arm and field categories, Gordon has what it takes to be a major league infielder. Though power is lacking, rated a 40 overall, he has a handful of homers on the year and has enough pop to fill the outfield gaps.
With 28 doubles on the season, Gordon is proving to be more than just a single type of producer. After a blistering hot start to the season in AA last year, Gordon slowed down considerably after receiving his promotion. Through 67 games this year, Nick has a batting average of .301 and continues to get on base.
With 14 stolen bases this year, Gordon is proving the base-stealing ability is there for the middle infielder. With today’s focus in the MLB more reliant on power-hitters, it’s refreshing to see guys with the know-how to do the little things right.
#4 Brent Rooker OF
Rooker is a 6’3″ 215-pound slugger drafted by the Twins 35th overall in 2017. The Twins liked him so much they took a flier on the young power-hitter by drafting him in the 38th round in 2016.
Possibly the most modern player in this ranking, Brent Rooker arguably has the most pop in the Minnesota Twins farm system. Though currently dealing with an injury, Rooker has a total of 14 homers on the year all at the AAA level. While he does provide considerable pop, his strikeout rate is somewhat alarming. In 228 at-bats this year, Rooker has 95 K’s on the season.
While there’s been some discussion of Rooker being a full-time DH, it would be rather early in his career to give up on the big slugger in the field. Though he’s considerably better at the plate, he still could provide value in the field whether it’s in the outfield or making a move to first base. Though he’s not in the MLB.com top 100, he is listed at 8th overall on their list of Top-10 1B prospects.
Ahead of him in the outfield is a logjam of rock-solid MLB players. WIth veteran Nelson Cruz at DH and newcomer C.J. Cron at 1B, Rooker may be able to find some time in the lineup as soon as next year. Though it may take the Minnesota Twins being somewhat creative, they’ll be more than happy to find him some room if he keeps stroking the ball as well as he is.
#3 Trevor Larnach OF
Another prospect creeping closer to the majors is the 2018 MLB draft first-round pick Trevor Larnach. WIth Larnach also being a solid outfield prospect, it’s fair to question if all these guys will be around in the years to come. Drafted 20th overall, Trevor led Oregon State to the College World Series title in 2018. At 6’4″ and 223-pounds, Larnach is just 22 years of age meaning time is on his side.
A more well-rounded prospect than Rooker, Larnach still has a decent amount of pop to go along with his solid overall game. While he’s currently with the AA Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Trevor has a .306 average on the year between A+ and AA. The thing I like most about Trevor is his ability to draw walks and keep his strikeouts to a minimum.
With a stout outfield at the highest level and a few top prospects playing the position, it’s easy to question whether Larnach will be with the Twins long term. It’s safe to assume the Minnesota Twins front office would love to keep a kid with his potential.
Though circumstances may force the Twins to part ways with him or one of the other top outfield prospects, it doesn’t necessarily have to be for MLB talent. We saw a couple of prospect focused trades this past deadline which could help strengthen the Minnesota Twins pitching prospect depth. With Trevor being only 22, he has a couple of years to develop if the Twins think the extra time would be beneficial.
#2 Royce Lewis SS
Yes, I know Royce Lewis is a top-10 prospect in all of baseball and is number one in the Twins organization on almost every list out there. I think Royce Lewis will be an outstanding player for the Minnesota Twins at some point down the road, that is tough to argue. Ranked as the number 7 overall prospect according to MLB.com Royce has a bright future ahead. Though behind at the plate slightly to Kirilloff, he may offer more in terms of all-around tools.
The thing that could put him over the edge for some is his ability on the bases. Like Buxton, his speed could be a nice fallback if things develop slower at the plate. While Buxton has had his fair share of struggles in the batter’s box, Buxton used his speed in the outfield and on the basepaths to make it hard to leave him on the bench. Should Lewis struggle, he has the speed to burn with a total of 17 stolen bases in 98 games in the minors.
He’s only 20 years old and just got promoted to AA Pensacola meaning he’s on a fast-track to the majors if he keeps performing. Though off to a slower start this year at the plate, Lewis has turned it on as of late. In July, Lewis had just under a .270 batting average and has started to figure out pitching as he keeps climbing the ladder.
It’s safe to say that regardless of what happens, Lewis will contribute to a big-league roster sooner rather than later. With a bright future ahead, I’m hoping his chance comes with the Minnesota Twins at the highest level.
#1 Alex Kirilloff OF/1B
Though Alex Kirilloff got off to a slower start to begin the year thanks to an injury, he’s turned it up a notch lately. Last year, Kirilloff finished with a .348 batting average, 20 homers, 44 doubles, and 7 triples across two different levels of single-A ball. While only hitting .273 with 6 long balls and 14 doubles this year, it’s in nearly half as many at-bats as 2018.
Alex is still 21 years old and could see time with the Minnesota Twins as early as next year if he’s not a September call-up which I think is a long-shot. Time is on his side but his ability and skill may push the Twin’s front office into action soon. According to MLB.com Kirilloff has a 65 overall hit tool that is tops in the Minnesota Twins organization.
There’s a lot to like about Kirilloff and his swing. He has a very pure swing and a quick and compact load into his swing. The reason it may be a little more sustainable in the long run as opposed to Royce Lewis’ swing is because of the high leg kick present in Royce’s motion. While he’s still showing the ability to hit the ball extremely well, it’s fair to wonder how well that will translate at the big league level thanks to his unorthodox swing.
Don’t get me wrong, I think both will be very successful at the next level, and Royce Lewis probably has a chance to be a better all-around player. Though, I love the way Kirilloff attacks the ball in the zone and can hit it to all parts of the park, with power. Though he doesn’t have a ton of raw power, his swing and mechanics alone should generate a solid amount of dingers at the next level. 2018 was his best year and if he stays healthy, he could very well be the next Twins phenom at the plate.
Stay tuned Twins fans, as I’ll be diving into the top 5 pitching prospects shortly (again, according, to Puckett’s Pond). Following that, I’m going to take a look at the top 5 performers in the Twins minors this year. Guys that, no matter their age or time spent in the majors, deserve a shot with a big-league club once again or for the first time.
(Numbers could be slightly off as this took me a few days to throw together in my spare time, but you should get the gist. Baseball reference and MLB.com were the big sites I used for my numbers.)