2018 Twins Off-Season top 60 Prospect List: Introduction

I usually start and post my top 60 Twins' prospect list a bit earlier that this (last year the first post was January 10th) because I want to pay full attention to Spring Training when that starts, and it starts soon.  However, I waited longer this season because I expected the Twins to make moves that may affect this list.  They really did not.  If such a move occurs, and a newcomer is ranked 35th, I will keep the original list intact, rank the newcomer 35a and the previous number 35 prospect 35b.  It will be interesting to see what the future brings as far as this aspect is concerned.  I will be posting in reverse rankings starting next week, from number 60 to number 1, in chunks of 5, and a final summary post, total 13 posts.   I am hoping to be posting up to 3 a week to finish by the end of February.

The inclusion criteria from my list is different than those for most prospect lists that include everyone with rookie eligibility as a prospect.  As far as this list is concerned, anyone who has made it to the majors has "graduated" from prospect status, so is ineligible.  I am including an additional criterion this year:  everyone for whom 2018 will be his age 26 or older season, will be excluded because he "came of age" to be regarded as a prospect.

As a baseline here is the Twins 2017 off-season top 60 prospect list, and here is that summary with links to individual profiles and scouting reports.

There is a lot of churn in the Twins top 60 from 2017 to 2018.  Only 27 players are returning from the 2017 list and there are 33 new comers, and some highly ranked.

Here are the players who were in the 2017 list, but dropped for reasons other than performance, with their 2017 ranking in parenthesis, and the reason they were dropped:

Daniel Palka (7) OF, - claimed on waivers 
Adalbelto Mejia (9) LHP,  - graduated
Mitch Garver (10) C,  - graduated
Nick Burdi (12) RHRP,  - selected on Rule 5 draft
Engelb Vielma SS (14),  - claimed on waivers
Mason Melotakis (18), LHRP,  - came of age
Amaurys Minier (19) OF/1B,  - released
Huascar Ynoa (20), RHSP, - traded
Justin Haley (21) RHP, - returned from Rule 5 pick
Felix Jorge (23), RHSP,  - graduated
Niko Goodrum (26), CF/IF,  - graduated, left as a MiLB FA
Trevor Hildenberger (27) RHP  - graduated
D.J. Baxendale, (28) RHP;  - came of age
Dereck Rodriguez, (34) RHP – - came of age, left as a MiLB FA
John Curtiss, (35) RHP;  - graduated
Travis Harrison (37), OF/1B,  - released
Aaron Slegers (38), RHP  - graduated
Levi Michael (40), 2B,  - came of age 
Brandon Peterson (42), RHRP,   - came of age, left as a MiLB FA
Zach Granite, (43) OF, - graduated
Jason Wheeler (51) LHP,  - graduated, traded
Michael Cederoth (60) RHP - Released

The following 4 players came to the organization too late to be included in the 2017 list, or were not there for other reasons, but they are excluded from the 2018 list:

(--) LHP Gabriel Moya - graduated
(--) LHP Dietriech Enns - graduated, came of age
(--) RHP Nick Anderson - came of age
(--) C Wynston Sawyer - came of age

As last season, unless he becomes a full-time professional baseball player, Griffin Jax will not be included because of high risk

The following 10 players were included in the 2017 list (ranking in parenthesis) but dropped from the 2018 list, due to performance, progression, and/or better newcomers:

Michael Theophanopoulos (33), LHP
Brandon Lopez (41) SS
Humberto Maldonado (44) OF
Tyler Benninghoff, (46) RHP 
Taylor Clemensia  (48)  LHP 
Eduardo Del Rosario (49) RHP 
Jordan Balazovic, (50) RHP
Zander Wiel, (53) 1B
Colton Davis (56)  RHP 
Williams Ramirez (57) RHP 

Next: Twins prospects 56-60