Minnesota Twins: Ranking the Top 15 Prospect Skills in the Twins’ System
By Otto Johnson
Honorable Mentions
55 (Power)-Royce Lewis, Trevor Larnach, and Ryan Jeffers: All three players grade out as 55 power hitters, meaning they have the potential to hit around 20-25 homers a year. All three of these players had other grades that were rated higher, so don’t shed a tear for them yet.
55 (Arm)-Royce Lewis, Keoni Cavaco, and Wander Javier: Royce Lewis is a true five-tool prospect, with all five of his skills grading out at above 50. Keoni Cavaco has a lot of development left to do, but has the defensive arm to stay at short or third for a long time. Wander Javier has been in the Minnesota Twins’ system for a while, and his arm has only gotten better.
60 (Run)-Keoni Cavaco: One of Cavaco’s biggest advantages is his speed, which allows him to make tough plays and outrun close ground balls. While much of Cavaco’s game needs developing, his speed does not.
60 (Field)-Royce Lewis, Wander Javier, and Ryan Jeffers: Lewis has the defensive ability to stay at short, one of the most demanding positions in baseball, for a long time. The same could be said about Javier, who would speed through the system if his hitting would match his glove. Jeffers’ glove was one of the biggest problems for him when he was drafted, but he has since turned it into a strength, something that he talked about with Puckett’s Pond.
60 (Pitches)-Matt Canterino’s Slider, Jhoan Duran’s Splitter, and Jordan Balazovic’s Slider: Canterino’s slider is a nasty pitch that throws hitters off-balance, Duran’s splitter comes in the batters box in the low 90’s and can go anywhere from there, while Balazovic’s slider misses a ton of bats. Each pitch profiles as a big plus and a highlight for years to come.