#50 – Dan Leatherman – RHP – 21
#49 – Caleb Moore – C – 23
#48 – Adam Hawes – RHP – 23
#47 – Tyler Robertson – LHP – 18
#46 – Steve Singleton – SS/2B – 21
#45 – Tristan Crawford – RHP – 24
#44 – Juan Portes – IF/OF – 20
#43 – Justin Jones – LHP – 21
#42 – Loek Van Mil – RHP – 22
#41 – Felix Molina – SS – 23
#40 – Zach Ward – RHP – 22
#39 – Errol Simonitsch – LHP – 24
#38 – Matt Tolbert – SS/2B – 24
#37 – Greg Yersich – C – 19
#36 – Garrett Jones – 1B/DH – 25
#35 – Brian Dinkelman – 2B – 22
2006 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Acquired: Twins 8th round pick in 2006 out of McKendree College
Some have called Dinkelman the best baseball player in NAIA history. In 2006, he went 92-199 (.462) with 34 doubles, 17 homers and 65 RBI. He also stole 26 bases. He signed and went to Elizabethton. In 188 at bats, he hit .298/.338/.420 with 11 doubles, four homers and 34 RBI. He did that and missed most of July. I am told that his lack of size is probably what kept him from a bigger college and made him an 8th round pick instead of a top pick. But I am told that he is great with the glove, has surprising power and looks like a natural ball player. Another source told me that they would like to see him start the season at AA next year. I think that is a bit much, but it is exciting to get a talent like that in that late round.
2007 Projection: Moving around the IF at Beloit.
Potential: decent hitting 2B
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
#34 – Brian Kirwan – RHP – 19
2006 Teams: Elizabethton Twins
Acquired: Twins 11th round pick in 2005 out of a California high school
I think most Twins fans know the story of Kirwan. At 6-4 and a little over 200 pounds, he was touted as a high draft pick for the 2005 draft, probably a first rounder. But, while playing football his senior season, he tore up his knee and missed all of that baseball season. The Twins drafted him in the 11th round, and a year later, they were able to sign him for about $500,000. I am very intrigued by what he could become. It was his knee, not his arm, that was injured. Assuming he regains full strength in his knee, could his 1st round arm be far behind? At E-Town, he went 5-5 with a 5.63 ERA in 13 starts. He struck out 58 in 64 innings, but he also walked 23 and gave up 67 hits.
2007 Projection: a shot at the Beloit rotation
Potential: top-of-the-rotation starter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#33
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Garrett Olson
– 3B – 21
2006 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Acquired: Twins drafted in the 4th round in 2005 out of Franklin Pearce College
Another small college draftee by the Twins, Olson was taken out of the Division II ranks. When he was drafted, the big story was that his league used wood bats, so his adjustment to the wood bat would be easier. Well, that may or may not be true, and there are many other adjustments that a player moving to the pro ranks must go through as well, such as travel, playing every day, being further away from home, meeting new people and teammates. I think that Olson did a nice job overall in his first year of pro ball. In 176 at bats, he his .313/.396/.381 with eight doubles and two triple. At 6-2, 200 pounds, most believe that his power will soon show.
2007 Projection: 3B at Beloit
Potential: starting infielder
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
#32 – Alex Burnett – RHP – 19
2006 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Acquired: Twins 12th round pick in 2005 from Huntington Beach, CA
I'm always higher on guys that play above their age. Burnett played most of this season at the age of 18. He is a strong right-handed pitcher who did very well in just his second pro season. In 13 starts for E-Town, he went 4-3 with a 4.03 ERA. For impressive, in 71.1 innings, he struck out 71 and walked just 13. Opponents hit just .242 against him. Those are the numbers that make him more than just a young guy playing at his level, they make him a legit prospect.
2007 Projection: starter at Beloit
Potential: potential to be a #3 starter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
#31 – Andrew Thompson – 2B – 19
2006 Teams: Beloit Snappers
Acquired: Twins 2nd round pick in 2005 out Jupiter, FL high school
Thompson missed much of the 2004 season because of injury, but when he played, he did very well for a young middle infielder in the Midwest League. In 74 games and 283 at bats, he hit .261/.321/.382 with 11 doubles, seven triples and three homes. The average wasn't great, and the injury did not help that, but he did show some serious pop in his bat.
2007 Projection: IF at Beloit
Potential: utility middle infielder with solid bat.
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
#30 – Doug Deeds – OF/1B – 24
2006 Team: New Britain Rockcats
Acquired: Twins 9th round pick in 2002 out of The Ohio State University
I have stated many times that after an impressive 2005 season in New Britain, Deeds deserved to much up to Rochester. Instead, the Twins signed several veteran OF for Rochester so Deeds returned to the Rockcats. As could be expected, he started the season very slowly, but by mid-May, he took off and had another very impressive season. In 132 games (440 ABs), he his .282/.383/.470 with 35 doubles, three triples and 14 home runs. I am incredibly impressed with the Isolated Discipline of .101, and he also showed a lot of pop in his bat again. Hopefully in 2005, he will get that promotion to the Red Wings, and maybe even get some time in a Twins uniform.
2007 Projection: OF and 1B at Rochester. Hopefully a cup of coffee.
Potential: good hitting 4th OF, backup 1B and pinch hitter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2007
#29 – Danny Santiesteban – OF – 21
2006 Teams: Elizabethton Twins
Acquired: Twins 39th round pick in 2004 out of Palm Beach Community College
Santiesteban is a player for the scouting world. He is an immensely talented athlete who is really still learning baseball. At E-Town, he played CF and hit .250/.328/.398 with 14 doubles, two triples and six home runs. He was also successful in eight out of nine steal attempts. I have been told that he plays an incredible centerfield, a "web gem machine", has great power and is really just very raw. He definitely needs to learn to hit a curveball though. Next year will be a test for him, to see if he is just a great athlete, or if he can become a great baseball player.
2007 Projection: playing CF in Beloit
Potential: 5-tool athlete
Could be in Minnesota in: 2010
#28 – Yohan Pino – RHP – 22
2006 Team: Beloit Snappers
Acquired: signed as Free Agent from Venezuela in 2004
14-2 with a 1.91 ERA. Those are just gawdy numbers at any level. Pino split the season between the bullpen and the starting rotation. I wrote about his season and his splits in an article on Scout.com called The next Johan? I have been told that Pino throws a fastball that sits in the 84 to 86 mph range, occasionally touching 88. That is not something that will impress many scouts. Sure, there are a few examples of guys that throw that soft that have been successful, but they have all been left handed. But somehow, in his last two minor league seasons, he has gone 23-4 with a 2.68 ERA. The year he signed with the Twins, 2004, he was the pitcher of the year in the Dominican Summer League. The guy just has impeccable control of his pitches. He seems like the kind of guy that will never be looked too highly upon, but in the end, he'll just keep moving up. Can he get to the big leagues, who knows? But if he keeps winning and keeps opponents off-stride, there is a chance!
2007 Projection: deserves a starting spot in the Ft. Myers rotation. Could be in bullpen.
Potential: long-time #4 starter, right-handed Jamie Moyer
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#27 – Erik Lis – 1B – 22
2006 Team: Beloit Snappers
Acquired: Twins 9th round pick in 2005 out of U. of Evansville
There is no logical explanation in my mind for why Erik Lis was not promoted to Ft. Myers during the 2006 season. I understand that defensively, he was not good at all. However, when a guy hits .326/.402/.547 with 37 doubles, three triples and 16 home runs, he has earned a promotion. I realize too that Brock Peterson was at 1B in Ft. Myers. There is a DH spot still! And, he can still continue to work on his defense. A broken hamate bone ended his season prematurely. He would have to move up to Ft. Myers next season.
2007 Projection: 1B/DH in Ft. Myers
Potential: big league bat, could DH
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#26 – Oswaldo Sosa – RHP – 21
2006 Team: Beloit Snappers/Ft. Myers Miracle
Acquired: Twins signed as free agent in 2002 out of Venezuela
Another Venezuelan righty, Sosa just turned 21 last week. He started the season in Beloit where he went 9-7 with a 2.75 ERA in 20 starts. He was promoted to Ft. Myers where he made six starts and went 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA. At both stops, he averaged just over seven strikeouts per nine innings. His walk rate was almost one every two innings in Ft. Myers, so that needs to improve. I think he will stay in Ft. Myers for much of the 2007 season with that being the most important thing for him to work on. He has a great, moving fastball with a strong slider. He's working on an already good curveball.
2007 Projection: starting in Ft. Myers
Potential: potential #3 starter
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#25 – Eli Tintor – OF – 22
2006 Team: Beloit Snappers
Acquired: Twins 18th round pick in 2003 out of Hibbing (MN) high school
Tintor just continues to move up this list gradually. This year, he made the switch to full-season ball and moved from catcher to RF. Both are significant changes, but both did mean much more playing time for the Minnesota native. And he came through with an excellent season. In 116 games (410 at bats), he hit .285/.320/.429 with 19 doubles, two triples and 12 home runs. A very talented athlete, Tintor will continue to work hard and improve in the outfield. He has good size, so he could add even more power to his game. Hard work continues to produce numbers and he continues to move up this list.
2007 Projection: starting OF for Ft. Myers
Potential: big league RF
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#24 –
Danny Valencia – 1B/3B – 22
2006 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Acquired: Twins 19th round pick in 2005 out of Miami
Valencia is a very talented player, offensively and defensively. I struggled to rank him this low, and yet, I don't understand why he lasted until the 19th round of the draft coming out of such a strong baseball school. There must be something. Once he signed, he was sent to Elizabethton where he really hit well. In 48 games (190 at bats), he hit .311/.365/.505 with 13 doubles and eight homers. He could move quickly through the lower levels of the system before hitting some positional competition with a few young prospects (Robbins, Winfree, Moses). I have been told he is a great clubhouse guy and really good with fans. He could be a steal in the 19th round, as it would surprise few if he got to the big leagues.
2007 Projection: 3B in Beloit, should move up to Ft. Myers
Potential: big league corner infielder
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#23 – Paul Kelly – SS – 19
2006 Teams: Beloit Snappers
Acquired: Twins 2nd round draft pick in 2005 out of Flower Mound (TX) high school
Again, Kelly was very young for the Midwest League and really held his own. Like all of the Beloit infield, his season ended early due to injury. In 95 games (378 at bats), he hit .280/352/.384 with 22 doubles, four triples and three home runs. Those are very good numbers for such a young player, and he was fairly consistent throughout the year. Also, he is said to have a very solid, consistent glove at SS, which obviously means a lot to the Twins organization.
2007 Projection: starting SS in Ft. Myers
Potential: good top of the lineup, good field SS
Could be in Minnesota in: 2009
#22 – Whitney Robbins – 3B/1B – 22
2006 Teams: Beloit Snappers
Acquired: Twins 4th round pick in 2006 out of Georgia Tech
Robbins was the only Twins 2006 draft choice to move out of the short season league. He started immediately after signing, right after his College World Series appearance, with Beloit and he started out on fire. He slowed down some and ended up hitting .304/.421/.482 with nine doubles, a triple and three home runs. He had more walks than strikeouts. My main concern is that his injury was a back injury, and you never really know for sure how a player will recover from that.
2007 Projection: playing 3B in Ft. Myers
Potential: solid all around corner infielder
Could be in Minnesota in: 2008
#21
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Garrett
Guzman – OF – 25
2006 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle/New Britain Rockcats
Acquired: Twins 10th round pick in 2001 out of LaMirada (CA) high school
Guzman may have been the story of the year. After missing all of the 2005 season after a very serious car accident, Guzman came back in 2006 and played very well. He started in Ft. Myers where he hit .274/.310/.409 with nine doubles, eight homers and 51 RBI in 65 games. He was moved up to New Britain halfway through the season and hit .275/.333/.446 with 15 doubles, seven homers and 26 RBI in 64 games. He struck out just once in every eight at bats. He was referred to me as a "pure hitter." It will be interesting to see how much he improves next year, his second year back from the injury.
2007 Projection: Ft. Myers OF, with a chance to move up to Rochester
Potential: starting OF
Could be in Minnesota in: 2008
Any thoughts, let me know. E-mail me. Be sure to check back later this week for Prospects #11-20!
The Twins gave Johan Santana just enough run support to pick up his 19th win of the year last night. With eight innings of two run ball, Santana is now 19-5 with a 2.77 ERA. He walked none and struck out five so on the year, he has 245 strikeouts and just 47 walks in 233.2 innings. He will not make his start on Sunday, allowing him a couple of days extra rest before starting Game 1 of the post season for the Twins. He has done more than enough to secure his second Cy Young Award. Here are some more thoughts on last night's game and more:
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It appears that Brad Radke will be starting on Thursday for the Twins. If that is the case, it will be one of the more remarkable stories in baseball. What Radke has gone through is impressive. Torn Labrum. That alone means surgery for anyone else. Broken shoulder, a very rare injury that really should be fixed. Incredible pain. And yet, he is going to make a start for the Twins, and if that goes well and he is able to, he will be the Twins starter in Game 3 of the post season.
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They also said that Boof Bonser would get the Game 2 nod, something he certainly deserves!
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It was a nice win for the Twins last night. After clinching a playoff berth the night before, the Twins returned with their standard lineup. The only real exception was that Lew Ford was in left field in place of Rondell White. Mike Redmond was also in the starting lineup and batting third, but that is not unusual. It was great to see Lew Ford get both a home run and an infield single in the game. Even with his diminished playing time, he hasn't sulked and when given an opportunity, he took full advantage. I would like to see him get a start in CF in place of Hunter, and I also think that Michael Cuddyer has earned a day off.
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It was also good to see Luis Rodriguez come through with a sacrifice fly in his one plate appearance. The fly ball to deep centerfield gave the Twins their 3-2 lead. It was his first plate appearance since September 3rd. That's three-and-a-half weeks!
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Joe Nathan made himself work way too hard in the 9th inning, but in the end, he got the job done and recorded his 36th save. He walked the first batter, and when the second batter bunted, he threw the ball into CF. Another sacrifice bunt attempt was successful, moving the runners to second and third. But after an intentional walk, Nathan struck out the final two batters to close the game.
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Phil Nevin may not have a lot of hits with the Twins, but he does put together some very quality at bats!
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The Tigers won behind Jeremy Bonderman, so the Twins remain a game behind them. Did you know that if the Twins and Tigers were to end the season with identical records, the Tigers would be the AL Central champs?
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The Yankees also won, and Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano each went 2-4. Cano is now hitting .343 while Jeter is hitting .341. Joe Mauer is sitting at .349.
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Tonight, the Twins will send Carlos Silva to the mound against Mark Redman and the Royals. Remember Redman completely shut the Twins down earlier in the month.
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Baseball America announced their Minor League All Star teams yesterday. On the first team was Matt Garza. Kevin Slowey made the second team. Pat Neshek was named the AAA Relief Pitcher. Slowey was a Hi-A starting pitcher named. Yohan Pino was named the Lo-A Relief Pitcher. Danny Hernandez was names Rookie League relief pitcher.
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And, I realize that he is not a Twin, but Chris Coste has his first Major League baseball card. It is part of Upper Deck's second series of cards. It lists him as a 3B and shows him taking ground balls. Of course, since he has been with the Phillies, he has not played the IF, only been a catcher.
