Friday, May 30, 2008
SethSpeaks Top 50 Twins Prospects
Part 2 - 31-40
Hello! I'm back with Part 2 of the SethSpeaks Top 50 Twins Prospects list. After looking at prospects 41-50 in Part 1, today we will be looking at Prospects 31-40s. There was some great discussion on relief pitchers in the first part. There was also a fair question about what is looked for in a prospect. Is it someone with a good chance of making it to the Twins, or is it a young player with a very high ceiling who is still in A ball and likely will never get to the big leagues? That is a question that needs to be asked by each individually. Anyway, let's get to the list. To try to keep on schedule, I will try to post at least one more part of my Top 50 Prospects list over the weekend. So please e-mail me or leave Comments below.
SethSpeaks Top 50 Twins Prospects
#
40 –
Dan Berlind - RHP –
20
2008 Teams: Beloit Snappers
Acquired: Twins 7th round pick in 2007 out of Los Angeles Pierce College
There was talk early in the season about Berlind being moved to the bullpen or shipped back to Ft. Myers for Extended Spring Training because he got off to a slow start. And had it happened, it should not have hurt his prospect status. Berlind signed just last season and pitched for the GCL Twins. The "normal" progression for a pitcher this young would be for him to be in Elizabethton this season. Although he is just 3-4, he has a solid 3.77 ERA. But the improvement that Berlind has shown is very impressive. In four April starts, he averaged less than four innings and had an ERA of 5.40. In five May starts, he has averaged just over six innings per start and has an ERA of 2.77. As a tall, projectable righty, he needs to gain better control, something that did improve from April to May, but he does have a high ceiling.
2008 Projection: Beloit rotation
Potential: 4th starter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2012
#39 – Angel Morales – OF – 18
2008 Teams: Extended Spring Training
Acquired: Twins 3rd round pick in 2007 out of Puerto Rico Baseball Academy
This is a prospect ranked solely on potential. The term "five tool prospect" is probably uttered far too frequently, but when it is, you can't help but take notice. When comparisons to the likes of Carlos Beltran happen, that can not be a negative. Morales is in Extended Spring and I would expect that he will spend the summer in Elizabethton. Morales has the potential to move up this list quite a bit with a solid campaign. Even if he is just average or slightly above, he will remain a solid prospect just because he is so young. You know, I don't have him on my Top 50 list, probably because he hasn't officially played in the Twins system yet, but Reggie Williams fits into this category as well.
2008 Projection: Extended Spring Training, then E-town
Potential: 5-tool athlete, All Star caliber, 30/30 type
Could be in Minnesota in: 2013
#38
– Michael Tarsi – LHP – 2
2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Acquired: Twins 12th round pick in 2007 out of U. of Connecticut
Again, this is another case in which you can't just look at the numbers. Tarsi on the season is just 2-6 with an ERA of 6.09. However, you have to again look at improvement. With Beloit, you also have to factor in weather conditions in Wisconsin in early April. In his first three starts, he went 0-3 with a 16.67 ERA and a 2.82 WHIP in 11.1 innings. In his seven starts since, he has gone 2-3 with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP in 43.1 innings. In other words, he is lasting longer and pitching much better. Some of that can be attributed to the defense playing much better behind him. Tarsi is not an overpowering type at all, but at 6-8, he could add more velocity but could also have a great arm angle. He is very thin and pitched in the north in college, so there is plenty of room for continued improvement.
2008 Projection: starting in Beloit
Potential: potential #4 starter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2012
#3
7 –
Steve Singleton –
2B – 22
2008 Teams: Beloit Snappers
Acquired: Twins 3rd round pick in 2007 out of U. of San Diego
Singleton is back on the prospect list after not making the post-season list last year. His 2007 season was one in which he was never fully healthy and much of the time played through it. With his right arm issues, it is likely that Singleton's future would be on the 2B side of 2B, he could also play SS very well. He is a highlight real waiting to happen. Unfortunately, when a guy gets labeled as a good glove guy, the assumption is that he can not hit. Well, Singleton also have a track record of being able to hit. He hit .349 for the Snappers in April. He hasn't hit as well in May, but I fully believe that he is ready to move up to Ft. Myers as soon as Brian Dinkelman moves up to New Britain (which should be right after the Florida State League All-Star game. As he plays more and more and gains arm strength, he should only get better.
2008 Projection: Beloit infield, but should move up to Ft. Myers in second half
Potential: utility infielder with bat and glove to be regular 2B
Could be in Minnesota in: 2011
#
36
– Cole DeVries – RHP – 23
2008 Team: Ft. Myers
Acquired: Free Agent signing in 2006 out of U. of Minnesota
The Ft. Myers starting rotation is full of top prospects. Eden Prairie native Cole DeVries is the least known and least touted starter on the staff, but he has certainly been very good. He was a solid starter for the Snappers last year throughout the season and their impressive playoff run. That level of success has continued into the 2008 season with the Miracle. So far in ten starts (11 games) for the Miracle, he is 4-4 with a 3.70 ERA. His relief outing was his first outing of the year. It didn't go so well. Without that one appearance (so, just as a starter), his ERA drops all the way down to 3.16. If you want to get even more recent, in his last three starts, he has given up one earned run in 18 innings. In that time, he has allowed 12 hits and walked four. A lot of times undrafted guys get overlooked in rankings, and they certainly have to continue to improve their games to keep getting noticed and moving up the system. But DeVries has consistently performed and moved up this list. He is just 6-2 and 185 pounds. If he can get better and gain a little extra velocity while perfecting his secondary pitches, he can keep moving up the system.
2008 Projection: starting in Ft. Myers
Potential: long relief/5th starter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2011
#
35 –
Jay Rainville – RHP – 22
2008 Team: New Britain Rockcats
Acquired: Twins 2nd round pick in 2004 out of Bishop Hendrickson H.S. in Rhode Island
Ten days ago, I had Rainville much lower on this list. Two weeks ago, Rainville was sitting at 2-5 with a 9.00 ERA. In 36 innings, he had given up 36 earned runs on 58 hits and 12 walks. That is a horrible 1.94 WHIP. He is still young. He's in just his second season after missing all of the 2006 season after nerve/shoulder surgery. He was a guy I expected would have a strong season and move up the list a bunch. Instead, he has gone the other direction. But, his last two starts are at least encouraging. In those past two starts, he is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA. In 13 innings, he has allowed just five hits and three walks while striking out 11. So, did he figure out something mechanically, or did he pitch well against bad teams? What do we make out of two great starts after starting off so poorly. Weather? Defense? Comfort with the mound? I still believe that Rainville is worth watching, and I think he'll have a solid second half.
2008 Projection: starting in New Britain
Potential: #4-5 starter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
#3
4
–
Jason Pridie – OF – 24
2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Acquired: in offseason 2007 trade from Tampa Bay Rays with Delmon Young and Brendan Harris for Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett and Eduardo Morlan
I think it is safe to say that Pridie's 2008 season has been incredibly disappointing to this point. Pridie had a great year last year between the Rays AA and AAA affiliates, showing plenty of pop in his bat and playing solid defense. He had a good spring training and some believed he should or could have made the opening day roster. Instead, he was sent down to Rochester to play every day. As of today, he is hitting just .233/.268/.320 with five doubles, six triples and a homer. Considering all of the extra base hits he had in 2007, 2008 has not been good so far. There is a lot of season to go, but one alarming stat is the number of strikeouts he has. In 192 at bats, he has struck out 55 times. One positive is that he is 9/10 in stolen base attempts. I think Pridie will be fine, and with his ability to play all three outfield positions, I still believe that by 2009 he will be the Twins fourth OF and provide the Twins with a significantly better version of Jason Tyner.
2008 Projection: around the OF in Rochester
Potential: potential 4th outfielder
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#
33 –
Jair Fernandez – C – 21
2008 Teams: Beloit Snappers
Acquired: in late March trade with Seattle for R. A. Dickey
Considering that R. A. Dickey never actually played for the Twins or in the organization, to acquire a player with as much potential as Fernandez is really quite impressive. He spent the 2007 season in the Midwest League as well, so this is a repeat year, but he has really performed well. To this point, he is hitting .326/.356/.432 with seven doubles and a homer. He is doing some catching, but he is also getting a few at bats at DH. The catching situation in Beloit is a bit frustrating in that Fernandez, Danny Lehman and Greg Yersich are all getting about the same amount of playing time. So far, it is Fernandez who is separating himself from the other two. At 6-1 and plenty of room to grow, he could develop into a very solid backstop.
2008 Projection: Beloit catcher and DH
Potential: solid backup catcher, could be regular
Could be in Minnesota in: 2011
#
32 –
Zach Ward – RHP – 24
2008 Team: New Britain Rockcats
Acquired: in July 31, 2006 trade with Cincinnati Reds for Kyle Lohse
A year after losing a frustrating 17 games for Ft. Myers, Ward is now in the bullpen and showing just how good a pitcher with a great slider can be. The role of relief pitcher compared to that of a starter is much different and it is an adjustment that Ward has made very cleanly to this point. Now, Ward is now 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA which is excellent and probably warrants inclusion on this list anyway. However, consider that he has given up three runs combined between his past two starts which had increased his ERA from 0.30. There is no current plan to move him back to the starting rotation, and these types of numbers get a guy noticed! The positives include that he has great stuff, and that with his sinker, he gets two ground outs per fly out. He has also struck out 29 hitters in 32 innings of work. The one thing that he does have to improve up is his control as he has 15 walks already.
2008 Projection: starting for New Britain
Potential: big league reliever
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#
31
– Oswaldo Sosa – RHP – 22
2008 Team: New Britain Rockcats
Acquired: Twins signed as free agent in 2002 out of Venezuela
Without looking, I think that Sosa is the prospect who fell the most since last September when he was just outside the Top 10. Sosa has never been a great control artist, but he was never as bad as he has been so far this year. In 46 innings, he has 30 walks with 33 strikeouts. For him to be successful, he will have to find the strike zone. In ten starts so far, he has pitched into the sixth inning just three times, never going more than six innings. He is still getting groundouts when he does get outs. But Sosa is 6-4 and 225 pounds, so I really do believe that my comparison to Carlos Silva makes a lot of sense. Sosa will have to show a lot in the second half to regain his prospect status in my mind.
2008 Projection: starting in New Britain
Potential: potential #4 starter, Carlos Silva
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
That's it for today! What do you think of #s 31-40? Have a great day!
Be sure to check back in the coming days for Part 3 of the SethSpeaks.net Top
50 Twins Prospects list.