#
30 –
Denard Span – OF –
23
2007 Teams: Rochester Red Wings
Acquired: Twins 1st round pick in 2002 out of Tampa Catholic
I spend a lot of time talking about wanting to see a player improve throughout the season. Well, if we simply look at Batting Average by month this year for Denard Span, it went .214, .212, .290, .273, .324, .444. That is a positive and yet, I certainly do not believe that he is ready to take over the Twins CF position. However, I would say that Span could become a solid #4 outfielder in the big leagues. I would like to say that he could be a Jason Tyner-like player. He hasn’t shown an ability to get on base at a high rate, he has little to no power and he is not an efficient base stealer. An OPS over .720 would be unlikely for him. I’d like to see Span get another year at AAA and see where he is in July or August. If the improvement and confidence continue, maybe he can become a solid starter in two more years.
2008 Projection: playing CF in Rochester again, not a bad thing
Potential: slap-hitting, #9 hitter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2008
#29
– Rene Leveret – 1B – 21
2007 Teams: Elizabethton Twins
Acquired: signed as from agent
When it comes to power-hitting potential, Rene Leveret is right up there with any Twins prospect. The 21 year old burly 1B had a great 66 games with the Elizabethton Twins team. He hit .307/.399/.463 with 14 doubles, 8 homers and 65 RBI. Despite the power, he is a very good hitter overall. I like the fact that he had 34 walks and just 36 strikeouts. The year before he hit .331 with power and run production in the Dominican Summer League. The native of St. Maartin will be fun to watch progress through the system.
2008 Projection: playing 1B in Beloit
Potential: Big power, but also will hit for average
Could be in Minnesota in: 2011
#28 –
Danny Rams – C – 18
2007 Teams: GCL Twins
Acquired: Twins 2nd round pick in 2007 out of Gulliver Prep (Miami, FL)
It took a little longer than expected for the Twins to sign Rams, but when they did, the Twins believed they signed a big catcher with a lot of power potential. Key word… potential. In his first pro stint, he showed little power and didn’t hit. In just 98 at bats, he hit .258/.311/.361 with eight doubles, a triple and no home runs. But it is far too early to give up on him. I know that is an obvious statement, but when the Twins took Henry Sanchez to be a future power hitter a couple of years ago and struggled, I’m sure we didn’t give up on him. The key for Rams will be to cut down on the strikeouts (22) and increase the walks (5). It will be interesting to see if Rams plays in Beloit next year or if they keep him in Extended Spring.
2008 Projection: Extended Spring, then catching for E-Town
Potential: power-hitting catcher, 1B or DH
Could be in Minnesota in: 2012
#27
– Nick Blackburn – RHP – 25
2007 Teams: New Britain Rockcats, Rochester Red Wings, Minnesota Twins
Acquired: Twins 29th round pick in 2001 out of Seminole State College
I know, many people probably are thinking that this is far too low a ranking for a guy who moved up two levels this year and made his big league debut. In fact, in his brief outings with the Twins, I have been impressed by his pitch selection. He has a good fastball, a nice curveball, and a really good slider/cutter. If he pitches like that and gets a little better with each, he could be a very good starter. However, after his excellent 2005 season where he moved from Ft. Myers to Rochester, he spent all of 2006 struggling in New Britain. He was back at New Britain for the first couple of months. He made eight appearances and went 3-1 with a 3.08 ERA. A spot opened up in Rochester and he was promoted. Once there, he took off. He went 7-3 with a 2.11 ERA. He made three starts in May, and then went 5-0 with a 0.00 ERA for the Red Wings in June. That included 41 consecutive innings without an earned run allowed. In terms of his future with the team, I can totally see him filling the long-relief role that Matt Guerrier excelled in for 2005 and 2006. He could also be a spot starter.
2008 Projection: Twins long reliever
Potential: dominating set up man, or #4 starter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2007
#26
– Rene Tosoni – OF – 21
2007 Teams: Elizabethton Twins, Beloit Snappers
Acquired: Twins 36th round pick in 2005 out of Chipola College
The Twins must have really liked this Canadian outfielder. They drafted him out of high school. He went to a JuCo. They drafted him the next year. He went back to the JuCo, and then they signed him as a draft-and-follow the next year. Tosoni was a great middle of the lineup hitter for the Elizabethton Twins this offseason. In 236 at bats, he hit .301/.407/.426 with 13 doubles, four triples and three homers. In the playoffs, he won game one with a walk-off two run homer in the 10th inning of Game 1. How much does the organization think of him? Well, after the E-Twins championship, he was promoted to Beloit where he was inserted into the 3rd spot in the lineup throughout their incredible playoff run, and again, he came up with some big doubles. I want to see him play some in Beloit before I move him up too much higher than this.
2008 Projection: playing in the Beloit outfield
Potential: good all around outfielder
Could be in Minnesota in: 2011
#25 – Dustin Martin – OF – 23
2007 Teams: Ft. Myers Miracle (St. Lucie Mets)
Acquired: in July 30, 2007 trade with New York Mets for Luis CastilloIt was a controversial deal at the time. The Twins acquired two minor leaguers for Luis Castillo at the trade deadline. Neither was a big-time prospect so their names weren’t known to most Twins fans. Well, Drew Butera is the son of former Twins catcher Sal Butera. But the key part of this trade was Dustin Martin. In his 32 games with the Miracle after the trade, Martin solidified the middle of that lineup, hitting fourth, behind Erik Lis. He hit .294/.366/.437 with eight doubles, three homers and 19 RBI in just 119 at bats. He also stole five bases. Offensively, I see him similar to Doug Deeds. However, he also can steal a few bases and play a very good centerfield. I think he has a chance to be a solid big league regular, or at least a 4th outfielder… with some pop in his bat.
2008 Projection: OF in New Britain
Potential: 4th OF that could start, solid all-around
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#24
– Deibinson Romero – 3B - 20
2007 Team: Elizabethton Twins, Beloit Snappers
Acquired: signed by Twins as free agent from Dominican Republic
The highest ranked hitter from that incredible Elizabethton offense that frequently scored double digits, Romero is the one guy who has been ranked even last year at this time. He seemed to be almost lethargic at times, going a couple of games without doing anything. But when he busted out, he busted out. He led the Appy League with three grand slams. Overall, he hit .316/.406/.506 with 16 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 52 RBI in 247 at bats. Not bad for a guy who had a couple of cold streaks. Like Tosoni, Romero joined the Snappers for their playoff run and hit in the middle of their lineup when he played. I am excited to see what type of numbers he could put up with a full season team.
2008 Projection: 3B at Beloit
Potential: middle of the lineup hitter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2012
#
23 –
Yohan Pino – RHP – 23
2007 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle, New Britain Rockcats
Acquired: signed as Free Agent from Venezuela in 2004
Going into the season, Pino was 23-4 as a pro pitcher. He again began the season in the bullpen, this time with the Ft. Myers Miracle. With the Miracle, he pitched in 19 games, including nine starts. Overall, he went 4-3, but he had a great 1.73 ERA. Despite not being a hard thrower, Pino struck out 64 hitters in 67.2 innings. He was promoted along with Oswaldo Sosa to New Britain. There he made nine appearances, including eight starts. He went 2-4 with a 5.13 ERA. In 47.1 innings, he walked nine and struck out 40. He will be 24 years old in 2008, so it will be a big year for him.
2008 Projection: Should stay in the New Britain rotation.
Potential: long reliever
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#
22
–
Garrett Guzman – OF – 25
2007 Team: New Britain Rockcats
Acquired: Twins 10th round pick in 2001 out of LaMirada (CA) high school
So much was made of Jose Morales’s attempt to win the International League batting title, but nine hits in New Britain’s last two games gave Garrett Guzman the Twins minor league batting championship for 2007. He hit .312/.359/.453 with 23 doubles, 14 homers and 88 RBI. After missing all of 2005 after a life-threatening car accident, he moved from Ft. Myers to New Britain in 2006. He returned to New Britain in 2007. After hitting .284 in the first half, he hit an impressive .355/.398/.508 in the second half. He was the Rockcats lone postseason Eastern League All-Star. If Guzman were three, or even two, years younger and had this season, he would likely be a Top 10 prospects, but he is 25 and will likely spend the 2008 season in Rochester. That said, I have to think that the Twins will put him on their 40 man roster after the season or may lose him in the Rule V draft.
2008 Projection: Rochester outfield and middle of the lineup
Potential: 4th OF/DH/PH
Could be in Minnesota in: 2008
#23 –
David Bromberg
– RHP – 20
2007 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Acquired: Twins 32nd round pick in 2005 out of Pacific Palisades (CA) HS
The highest ranked E-Twins player, Bromberg was the Appy League Pitcher of the Year. In 13 games (11 starts), he went 9-0 with a 2.78 ERA. In 58.1 innings, he walked 32 and struck out an impressive 81 hitters. The walks will certainly have to come down, and likely that will be the key to his future success. We talk so frequently about the Twins and their ability to draft pitchers and develop them. Bromberg was a 32nd round pick and has shown great success. Bromberg is another feather in the cap of the Twins scouting department.
2008 Projection: Beloit rotation
Potential: better control would make him a potential #3 starter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2011
Any thoughts
or arguments? Please
e-mail me
or Comment below!!
NFL “Expert” Picks
Although it was an off-week for our panel, it was a very impressive week for Stick & Ball Guy. He went 14-2 which was two games better than anyone else. That propelled him to the top of the overall leader board. Yours truly is struggling to this point in the season. We’ll be back on Friday with our Week 4 Picks, so check back before you fill out your weekly picks.
Final Standings
Total
Week
2
Over
All
Name
Site
W
L
Win%
W
L
Win %
Stick & Ball Guy
14
2
87.5%
35
13
72.9%
JD Arney
10
6
62.5%
34
14
70.8%
Josh Taylor
11
5
68.8%
34
14
70.8%
Tim Kolehmainen
10
6
62.5%
33
15
68.8%
11
5
68.8%
33
15
68.8%
SethSpeaks Panel
9
6
60.0%
31
15
67.4%
Mike Brasel
10
6
62.5%
31
17
64.6%
Howard Sinker
10
6
62.5%
31
17
64.6%
Roger Dehring
Several Blogs
10
6
62.5%
31
17
64.6%
Seth Stohs
SethSpeaks.net
8
8
50.0%
31
17
64.6%
Cory Hepola
10
6
62.5%
31
17
64.6%
LaVelle E. Neal III
12
4
75.0%
31
17
64.6%
Vic Quick
9
7
56.3%
30
18
62.5%
Nick Nelson
9
7
56.3%
30
18
62.5%
Al Bethke
11
5
68.8%
30
18
62.5%
Wes Holtsclaw
9
7
56.3%
29
19
60.4%
Melissa Lien
SethSpeaks.net
8
8
50.0%
29
19
60.4%
10
6
62.5%
28
20
58.3%
John Bonnes
6
10
37.5%
28
20
58.3%
7
9
43.8%
28
20
58.3%
Trevor Born
6
10
37.5%
27
21
56.3%
7
9
43.8%
27
21
56.3%
Will Young
8
8
50.0%
25
23
52.1%
Josh Johnson
6
10
37.5%
25
23
52.1%
Bill Ferris
7
9
43.8%
24
24
50.0%