I
released my extensive off-season 2014 Minnesota Twins top 40 prospect list last winter. You can find the full off-season 1-40 list and links to
individual reports on each prospect here. The 2014 draft is over, I have seen several Twins' prospects play for the first time last Spring, and the full
season 2014 minor league seasons are close to mid-point, so it is time to revisit the
Twins' prospects
and release my mid-season top 40 list. This is a preliminary list,
which means that there are not full reports about each player, as I do
that during the off-season, and several players have not even appeared
in a single game.
Housekeeping
notes: in parenthesis there is the off-season prospect ranking. When a
player was with the Twins but not ranked in the top 40, there is (---)
and if a player was not with the Twins then, there is the (NEW)
indication.
Players who have played in the majors (Danny Santana, Logan Darnell and
Mike Tonkin notably) are not included in this list. Also, as a reminder, my criteria are slightly different that others' (e.g I value actual
results at a higher competition level more than most) and the Twins have
such a deep system, that some players who are listed in other lists
and/or have been drafted in early rounds recently or have received large
international signing bonuses will be conspicuously absent from this
list.
Without further ado, with some one-liner commentary about my thought process:
1. Miguel Sano 3B (1)
2. Byron Buxton OF (2)
I felt I should not punish these guys for getting hurt.
On the other hand, having Tommy John surgery due to repetitive injury,
and re-injuring you wrist sliding and being out because of it, are two
different situations. I did think hard about dropping Buxton to number
three because of injury prone-ness and lack of execution in the games he
played so far, but I did not. However, the distance from Sano, which
was not much before, is larger now because of those reasons.
3. Alex Meyer RHP (3)
The best arm in this list and in the organization
4.
Trevor May RHP (9)
The
second most MLB-ready pitcher in the list and the first starter. Made
the jump up here because he finally broke through to the next level as a
pitcher in AAA
5. Kennys Vargas 1B/DH (7)
The
most MLB-ready bat in the list, Kennys will likely replace Kendrys as
the full time DH in 2015 and his bat can play in the majors right now.
6. Jorge Polanco SS (6)
Playing
full time shortstop and while there are some concerns about his
sure-handedness with the glove, he has one of the best contact tools in
the organization
7. Kohl Stewart EHP (5)
He
dropped simply because of the strikeout rate decrease and because he
has proven that he is touchable in Cedar Rapids. There is time to
remedy that the rest of the season
8. Nick Gordon SS (NEW)
The 5th overall draft pick for the Twins in 2014. Good tool set. If he can
stick at SS
and show that he can make contact in the pros, he will stay a top prospect
9. Jose Berrios RHP (8)
If anything, Berrios
has been better this season. Just there are others ahead of him in this deep organization at this point.
10. Eddie Rosario OF (4)
The
drop is not as much about the suspension, it is mostly about the
position change. A second baseman with his contact skill and speed is
much more rare and valuable than an outfielder. So part on Rosario,
bigger part on the Twins.
11. Amaurys Minier 1B/3B (14)
Fully expect that he will have a monster season coming up
12. Max Kepler OF/1B (16)
13. Adam Walker OF
(17)
14. Nick Burdi RHP (NEW)
The
Twins' 2014 second round pick, is ["upset"] that he was selected that low
and he is the most MLB-ready pitcher in this list. With an 103 mph
fastball and low to mid 90s slider
he can probably be as effective (or more) as any RHP in the Minnesota
Twins' bullpen today. If he harness his changeup, he will be a dominant
closer for a long time. I should probably have ranked him higher in
the list, and this might happen in the off-season.
15. Lewis Thorpe LHP (18)
Highest LHP in this ranking and in most Twins' prospect lists
16. Travis Harrison OF (13)
Change in position hurts his ranking
17. Mitch Garver C (---)
The
Twins' 9th round pick in the 2013 draft was not much on the radar this
off-season. Really impressed my this Spring Break with his bat, his
athleticism and his ability to handle pitchers, and is the best position player in Cedar Rapids so far, thus he is my highest
ranked catching prospect in the Twins' organization
18. Mike Cederoth RHP
(NEW)
The Twins' 3rd round pick in 2014 is another triple digit FB/slider pitcher who has drawn comparisons to Stephen
Strausberg. Unlike Burdi, he has the potential to be a starter, but
his stuff is a tick lesser than Burdi's. Signability is an issue. If
he signs and turns into a starter and develops a third pitch, he will
jump up in this list
19. Ryan Eades RHP (11)
20. Stephen Gonsalves LHP (10)
These
guys suffered a sizeable drop because they really did not show me much
during Spring Training and Eades has not performed in the Midwest League
as expected.
21. Engelb Vielma SS (---)
Another
player who was flying under the radar last season who impressed me this
Spring. Excellent speed and great instincts both with the glove and on
the base paths. He can be a starting shortstop in the majors right
now, but his bat will look like Florimon's, if not like Deduno's. He needs to
cultivate his hitting ability.
Young and very slim, he can fill in.
22. Nico Goodrum IF (27)
Starting
as the every day third baseman for the Miracle, the former 2010 second
round draft pick who has disappointed so far, might actually start to
show his potential making solid contact and being fine with the glove.
23. Felix Jorge RHP (12)
Same situation as Eades. Disappointing season, but his spring was excellent. Might be a temperature issue.
24. Lewin Diaz 1B (NEW)
The
seventeen year old who was signed as an international free agent last
July has started his pro career in the DSL and it will be a good one. A
lot like Minier with the bat
25. AJ Achter RHP (---)
Achter has been quietly turning into one of the best arms in the organization and might finish the season in Minnesota. Better pitcher than Mike Tonkin at this point.
26. Aaron
Slegers RHP (---)
Another 2013 draftee
(5th round) who impressed me last spring. Very tall pitcher with potential to add velocity if he works with his mechanics
27. Jose Abreu RHP (23)
28. Matthew Koch C (22)
These guys got caught into the numbers game
29. Zach Larson OF (36)
I
think that my off-season prospect list was the only one that Zach was
in, but I am sure that he has opened a few more eyes with his Midwest
League performance.
30. Alexis Tapia RHP (21)
Might jump back up
depending on E-town play
31. Zach Jones RHP (19)
Lost season, the emergence and draft of other relievers drop Zach, but the potential is there.
32. Sean Gilmartin LHP (NEW)
When the last list was made, Ryan Doumit was still a Twin
33. Brian Gilbert RHP (20)
Proven hitable in Fort Myers.
34. Argenis Silva RHP (---)
The 18 year old will
finally show his ability injury free in his third DSL season
35. Sam Clay LHP (NEW)
The Twins' 4th round draft pick in 2014 projects as a starter, might end up as a long reliever.
36. Brandon Peterson RHP (---)
All
the 13th round pick in 2013 does is strikes hitters out and does not
allow runs to score. Moved 4 spots in 2 seasons, he is fast-tracked and
ready to jump these rankings the off-season
37. DJ Baxendale (15)
One of the biggest drops in this list. He has not figured out AA
or AA has figured him out. The 23 year old is back at Fort Myers for fine tuning. Needs to prove himself the second half, but hard to give up on him at this point, because I have seen him do amazing things
38. Levi Michael 2B (---)
Is
the former first round draft pick figuring it out finally with the
stick in his third FSL stint? He is leading the Miracle in Batting
Average and OBP.
39. Fernardo Romero RHP (34)
40. Randy Rosario LHP (---)
Excellent skills have not translated in results in 3 games started at Cedar Rapids,
but there is a lot of potential.
Graduated:
Danny Santana, Logan Darnell
Dropped:
DJ Hicks (24)
JD Williams (25)
Stuart Turner (28)
Josh Burris (29)
Mason Melotakis (31)
Deibinson Romero (32)
Mike Gonzales (33)
Logan Wade (37)
Tyler Grimes (38)
Tyler Grimes (38)
Tyler Jones (39)
Alex Wimmers (40)
