Twins Top Ten Prospect Review
Before
we start, a final reminder. It is the last day to
enter the below contest:
World Series Contest
I am going to be holding
some contests here and on Twitter and Facebook over the
next week or two thanks to A&E who has now come out with “A&E Minnesota Twins Vintage World Series Films DVD.” It includes both the 1987 and 1991 teams! The
’87 team beat the St. Louis Cardinals in 7 games. The ’91 World Series was the
first that had two worst-to-first teams as the Twins and the Atlanta Braves
played one of the greatest seven-game series ever, including Jack Morris’s
amazing Game 7. So be sure to look here and other places for some contests for
a free copy.
I
thought it would be fun to take a look at my pre-season Top 30 Twins prospect
list and see how they are doing through just over two months of the season.
Some have impressed. Some have disappointed. And, seemingly to keep up with the
big league club, there have been a bunch of injuries. This list was compiled
and presented in the Minnesota
Twins Prospect Handbook -2011, after looking at a ton of stats and
reading a bunch of scouting reports. It is a great example of how, with
prospects, you just never know. Let’s get started:
1.
Kyle
Gibson – RHP – Last night, Gibson gave up two runs in six innings, but fell to
3-6. However, he has a 3.79 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. In 71.1 innings, he has given
up 71 hits, 17 walks and struck out 74. Many fans want the 23 year old to be
pitching in the big leagues today. Honestly, I believe that if the Twins really
needed a starting pitcher today, he could come up and fill in adequately. It’s
exciting to see him striking out more than a batter per inning while still
exhibiting tremendous control. He will likely be with the Twins this year,
maybe even around the All Star break.
2.
Miguel
Sano – 3B – Sano has been in Ft. Myers working out with the Extended Spring
Training. He will likely soon be reporting to Elizabethton. After hitting
.291/.338/.446 with the GCL Twins. Sano recently turned 18 years old. He is
listed at 6-3 and 195 pounds, but he is bigger than that. He has huge legs and
a hand shake that I have to assume rivals that of Adrian Peterson. Again, I
know a lot of people want this Dominican Bonus Baby to be playing at a higher
level, but there is no rush. Last year in the GCL, he struck out 43 times in
148 at bats with just 10 walks. This guy’s ceiling is up
there with the likes of Miguel Cabrera, but let’s have some patience and
let that power develop.
3.
Aaron
Hicks – OF – To
look at Aaron Hicks’ .268 batting average this season in Ft. Myers only tells a
small part of the story. Since May 1st, he is hitting .305 with 11
doubles and two homers. His season on base percentage is an impressive .375.
Aaron Hicks has amazing tools. He has made some great catches in centerfield
for the Ft. Myers Miracle this season, and has several assists due to a very
strong and accurate arm. While he continues to walk, his strikeout rate has
dropped some as well. To understand fully how much talent and athleticism he
has requires actually seeing him practice and play. He is going to be a very
good big leaguer. Keep the faith, and keep the patience.
4.
Joe
Benson – OF – Benson got off to a very fast start this year in New Britain and
then struggled from late April until mid-May. At that time, Benson went on a
run that saw him hit .484/.556/.774 between May 24 and June 2. And then Twins
doctors found something in his knee, so he had it scoped and will likely miss
three weeks of action. Benson is ready defensively. He is a very good outfielder
with great range and a big arm. In terms of speed, only Ben Revere is probably
faster than him in the organization. Although he is not on pace to match his 27
home runs from 2010, his slugging percentage is better. Strikeouts continue to
be what he needs to watch. After striking out every third plate appearance a
year ago, he is striking out in one of four plate appearances so far this year.
5.
Alex
Wimmers – RHP – After signing with the Twins last
year in August, the two-time Big 10 Pitcher of the Year went 2-0 with a 0-57
ERA in 15.2 innings for the Miracle. He gave up just six hits, walked five and
struck out 23. He returned to the Miracle to start this season, and it took him
just five batters to walk as many as he walked last year, and a sixth batter to
surpass it. And he hasn’t pitched for the Miracle since. The team immediately
sent him to Extended Spring Training where he continues to work. He entered
spring training with a hamstring injury. My hope is that the leg injury
affected his mechanics and that he can get it back. That was two months ago,
and he still isn’t back. So, hopefully he can get it back soon.
6.
Liam
Hendriks – RHP – I wrote last week that Hendriks is now in the discussion, for me, of top Twins
prospects. Still just 22 years old and with only 12 starts last year in Ft.
Myers, the Twins decided that Hendriks was ready for
Double-A. He has responded so far by going 6-2 with a 2.63 ERA. In 65 innings,
he has allowed 58 hits, walked 14 and struck out 61. The Australian has thrown
a Quality Start in eight of his last nine starts. In his last three outings, he
has given up just two runs in 20 innings. He is a very smart pitcher, very
competitive and I think has a chance to be very good.
7.
Angel
Morales – OF – The Twins drafted Morales in the 3rd round in the
2007 draft out of high school in Puerto Rico, and he is still just 21 years
old. Last year between Beloit and Ft. Myers, he hit .280/.362/.405 with 24
doubles, ten triples and five home runs. He also stole 29 bases. He is a very
good outfielder with a strong arm. However, it is his arm that has caused him
to miss all of the 2011 season. He fought elbow pain in spring, and they shut
him down and had him rehab. He had a setback two weeks ago, and there was
thought that he would need Tommy John surgery. When he got to the surgery, it
was determined that they would just clean his elbow with arthroscopic surgery.
This is obviously great news. I talked to GCL Twins coach and former big
leaguer Milt Cuyler this spring training. We were
watching Morales stand in the batter’s box against some bullpen pitching. He
raved about Morales’s balance and approach. No one in the organization
questions his power. Hopefully he can rehab and play some winter league ball in
preparation for spring training.
8.
Ben
Revere – OF – Twins fans have definitely already seen
the best of Ben Revere. He can be a catalyst at the top of the lineup. He can
hit a ton of singles and steal second at will. His range in centerfield is
tremendous and he has shown the glove to play all three outfield spots. In 81
big league at bats, he his hit .272 and has just a .306 batting average with a
.284 slugging percentage. In 132 at bats in AAA Rochester, he hit
.303/.338/.364 with five extra base hits. We’ve also seen proof of the arm that
we’ve heard so much about. We have seen the value and the excitement that the
speed of Ben Revere brings to the table. We have also seen signs of why I may
not have been crazy to have him as the Twins 8th prospect (many
thought it was too low).
9.
Adrian
Salcedo – RHP – Seeing Adrian Salcedo
throw in the bullpen,
it is easy to see why scouts would be excited about his potential. He is long
(6-4) and lean (175… if that). He has long arms and tremendous delivery. He is
a terrific athlete as well, having seen him basically sprint the mile run.
Still just 20 years old, Salcedo has been the
Snappers most consistent start this season. Overall, he is 5-3 with a 3.10 ERA.
In 72.2 innings, he has given up 68 hits, walked 18 and struck out 51. He has
work to do, to be sure, but he is a very exciting prospect.
10.
Oswaldo
Arcia – OF – You always have
to be a little cautious of the numbers that hitters put up when they play at
Elizabethton. In 2010, Arcia was the Appalachian
League Player of the Year after he hit .375/.424/.672 with 21 doubles, seven
triples and 14 home runs for the E-Twins. He moved up to Beloit this spring and
put on an offensive display in April. He hit .352/.420/.704 with eight doubles
and five home runs in just 71 at bats. However, he went on the Disabled List on
May 1 with a sore elbow. A week later, he had arthroscopic surgery on his elbow
and is expected to miss two months. To watch him take batting practice in
spring training was impressive. Everything he hit was solid. Line drives and
home runs to all parts of the field. Of course, every time he came out of the
cage, he would grab his left elbow. Arcia is
compactly built and very strong. Hopefully he can get back to the Snappers and
continue to mash.
To see
my choices for 11-50, check out SethSpeaks.net,
and for much, much more on these prospects and over 100 more Twins prospects, pick
up a copy of the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook – 2011.
Here
are a couple more minor league notes:
·
LHP
Pat Dean, the team’s 3rd round pick a year ago out of Boston
College, missed the first six weeks of the season. He was named the Midwest
League Pitcher of the Week last week. On June 6, he threw six shutout innings.
Then on June 11, he left the game with two outs in the 7th inning,
having not yet allowed a hit in the game. He had issued two walks and struck
out nine. So, for that week, he went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. In 12.2 innings, he gave
up six hits, walked three and struck out 18. Not too shabby.
·
There
are several Minnesotan in the Twins minor leagues including 25th
round pick last week, AJ Petterson, the former Gopher
SS. Here are the others:
o
Derek
McCallum hit just .196/.276/.262 in 107 at bats in Beloit, but he was recently
promoted to Ft. Myers. There, he has hit .241 in 29 at bats.
o
Nate
Hanson was hitting .267/.327/.383 with 12 doubles and four home runs in Ft.
Myers. Last week, he was promoted to AA New Britain where he has just one hit
in 10 at bats. The hit was a double.
o
Matt
Schuld is from Plymouth and pitched at St. Thomas. He
is now 3-1 with a 4.40 ERA in 59.1 innings for the Ft. Myers Miracle.
o
Schuld’s
former college teammate, 3B Roy Larson, is working in Extended Spring Training
this season and will most likely report to Elizabethton.
o
Mark
Dolenc went to Minnesota State- Mankato. He is in his
second year at Double-A new Britain. He is hitting
.257/.313/.337 with seven doubles, two triples and a home run in 175 at bats.
He also has nine stolen bases.
o
Cole
DeVries had a rough 2010 season between New Britain
and Rochester. He began this season in New Britain where he went 0-0 with nine
saves and a 2.28 ERA. In 27.2 innings, he gave up just 17 hits, walked five and
struck out 33. He was promoted to Rochester where he has continued to pitch
well. In six games (9.1 innings), he has give up just eight hits, walked four
and struck out 12.
o
Andy
Baldwin is 28 years old and spent the last three seasons with Tacoma, the
Mariners’ AAA affiliate. The Duluth native has made ten starts for the
Rochester Red Wings and is 3-5 with a 4.97 ERA. In 58 innings, he has 13 walks
and 44 strikeouts.
·
The
Twins signed 27 year old Cuban defector Dennis Suarez. He made an appearance in
an Extended Spring Training game. Now he is starting for the New Britain Rock
Cats. In his two starts, he has gone 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA. In his most recent
start, he took the loss despite allowing just one run in seven innings. It will
be interesting to see how he responds to Double-A and
if he gets pushed forward.
·
A
year ago, 2B Steve Singleton led the Twins organization with 43 doubles, all in
New Britain. He began this season with the Rock Cats
again and has had two stints with the Rochester Red Wings. He has 17 AA
doubles, and now has seven more AAA doubles meaning he is currently on pace to
eclipse 50 doubles this year.
·
Brian
Dozier was my choice for Twins minor league hitter of the month of May. He was
remarkably consistent through the first two months and in early June was
finally summoned to play in Double-A New Britain. He went 3-8 in his first
three games with the Rock Cats. Unfortunately in that third game, he was also
hit in the face with a pitch. He had a fractured sinus bone. After seeing a
specialist, it was determined that surgery was not needed. The doctor said that
he could play as soon as the swelling goes down. He hopes within the next week.
·
Tom
Stuifbergen first made a name for himself when he
threw four shutout innings for Team Netherlands in the WBC a couple years ago.
He is currently 2-4 with a 3.74 ERA in nine starts with the Ft. Myers Miracle.
However, after coming back slowly from some shoulder discomfort, Stuifbergen has been terrific. In his past four starts, he
has given up two runs in 24.2 innings. He is now consistently hitting 92 and 93
mph with his fastball, touching 94-95 at times. He has a four-pitch mix, but
his changeup is tremendous.
·
Be
sure to check out last
night’s Twins Minor League Weekly for much more on the Twins minor league
system.
·
Finally,
Beloit is just a 5 to 5 1/2 hour drive from the Twin Cities. Starting June
24th, the Snappers will be hosting "Minnesota
Twins Weekend" at Pohlman Field.
TC Bear will be there. Tony Oliva will make an
appearance and sign autographs. The Snappers will be wearing Twins-themed
jerseys. There will be a benefit breakfast on Saturday morning with proceeds
going to Big Brothers Big Sisters. Oliva will speak
at the event, as will people from the Snappers organization. There will be a
silent auction and the jerseys that the player wear will also be auctioned off.
The Twins are playing that weekend just down the road in Milwaukee, so make a
trip out of it! Call the
Snappers Ticket Office and tell them Seth sent you!
Any other thoughts or questions on the Twins minor leaguers? Feel free to comment
here.
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