also available at www.SethSpeaks.net –
As we are winding down the production of the TwinsCentric Offseason GM Handbook (Coming Soon!), I will now be diving head-first into my fourth annual Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. As I did last year, I thought it would be fun to jot down a very preliminary Top 50 prospect list. Over the next two months, I will be reviewing a ton of stats, raw numbers and some advanced stats. I will also be compiling and studying as many scouting reports as I can on all Twins prospects, including reports from people with first-hand knowledge. When the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2012 comes out (hopefully by Christmas, but probably mid-January!), I will update my Top 50 list with my official prospect ranking.
One of the purposes of today’s blog is to encourage discussion on the Twins minor leaguers. Who did I forget? Who do I have ranked too high, or too low? All of the discussion is very much appreciated. I don’t expect everyone to agree with all of my rankings and comments. So, feel free to comment.
With that, here is my preliminary Minnesota Twins Top 50 Prospect ranking:
- Miguel Sano – 3B – Elizabethton Twins (He’s so talented. So much power!)
- Oswaldo Arcia – OF – Ft. Myers Miracle (Would like more walks, but great power, quick bat, good D)
- Eddie Rosario – OF – Elizabethton Twins (5 tools, at least. 21 HR in the short season, Appy League hitter of year)
- Joe Benson – OF – Minnesota Twins (incredible talent, got a shot with Twins in September. Huge potential.)
- Liam Hendriks – RHP – Minnesota Twins (good stuff, great control, very smart, poised, my choice for minor league pitcher of the year two years in a row)
- Kyle Gibson – RHP – Rochester Red Wings (Tommy John surgery will cost him his 2012 season, but doesn’t take away the potential.)
- Aaron Hicks – OF – Ft. Myers Miracle (He’ll move back up at some point. Great D and arm and patience, just inconsistent.)
- Adrian Salcedo – RHP – Beloit Snappers (Had a solid year, great build for a starter, great athlete, very good control)
- Chris Parmelee – 1B – Minnesota Twins (played great in 80+ big league at bats. Was very consistent at New Britain)
- Alex Wimmers – RHP – Ft. Myers Miracle (could be too high – if control issues return, could be too low – if it doesn’t. He could move up quickly in 2012.)
- Travis Harrison – 3B – Did Not Play (supplemental 1st round pick has huge power potential)
- Tom Stuifbergen – RHP – Rochester Red Wings (just needs to stay healthy. He has three good pitches.)
- Angel Morales – OF – Ft. Myers Miracle (had elbow surgery which meant he only played the final 5 weeks of season. Great talent, speed and power.)
- Brian Dozier – SS – New Britain Rock Cats (solid player, leader, my choice (And now Twins choice) as Twins minor league hitter of the year. Could see him in 2012.)
- Madison Boer – RHP – Beloit Snappers (dominated in E-town, as he should. Just ok in Beloit bullpen. He’ll get a chance to start, but could dominate in bullpen.)
- Manuel Soliman – RHP – Beloit Snappers (throws gas. So much upside. If he can develop 2nd and 3rd pitch, could be a very good starter. If not, could still be a very good reliever.)
- Chris Herrmann – C – New Britain Rock Cats (Incredible ability to get on base. As the hitting gets more consistent, he can be good. Future Twins catcher and outfielder!)
- Corey Williams – LHP – Elizabethton Twins (Twins 3rd round pick this year, the lefty from Vanderbilt has really nasty stuff. Another probable bullpen guy in the long run.)
- BJ Hermsen – RHP – Ft. Myers Miracle (had a terrific season in Beloit, and pitched very well in Ft. Myers too.)
- Yangervis Solarte – 2B – New Britain Rock Cats (he hit .300 every single month this year! 2B is probably his best position.)
- Hudson Boyd – RHP – Did Not Play (Twins second supplemental 1st round pick, the Ft. Myers native is a huge kid who with a huge fastball.)
- Max Kepler – OF – Elizabethton Twins (right size, great tools, solid season at E-Town.)
- Logan Darnell – LHP – New Britain Rock Cats (pitched well at three levels, another lefty with very good stuff.)
- Niko Goodrum – SS – Elizabethton Twins (a tremendous athlete whose very good August was hidden by Sano and Rosario Show! Lots of errors.)
- David Bromberg – RHP – New Britain Rock Cats (fluke injury cost him most of 2011 season. He shouldn’t drop this much.)
- Levi Michael – SS – Did Not Play (Here’s hoping that the Twins first-round pick of 2011 can become Brian Dozier!)
- Carlos Gutierrez – RHP – Rochester Red Wings (great spring with the Twins, but arm issues hurt him in 2011. He is a bullpen guy.)
- Jairo Perez – 3B – Beloit Snappers (after missing 2010 with Tommy John surgery, Perez dominated the Midwest League with his bat. Got time in OF in Instructs to make him more versatile.)
- Angel Mata – RHP – GCL Twins (was my top DSL prospect a year ago, had a solid US debut with GCL.)
- JD Williams – OF – Elizabethton Twins (another terrific E-Town offensive season lost because of the big two. Great on-base skills.)
- Matt Summers – RHP – Elizabethton Twins (Big West Pitcher of the year, Twins 4th round pick from UC-Irvine dominated in E-town bullpen.)
- Danny Santana – SS – Beloit Snappers (great athlete, tremendous speed, great range and very strong arm, plenty of errors.)
- Pat Dean – LHP – New Britain Rock Cats (hurt most of the season, yet made starts for three Twins affiliates. If healthy, could break out in 2012 – yes, that is what I said last year.)
- Nate Roberts – OF – Beloit Snappers (on- base machine. Seems to like getting hit by pitches. Missed a lot of time due to knee injury in 2011.)
- Lester Oliveros – RHP – Minnesota Twins (the difference between Oliveros and guys like Jim Hoey and Esmerling Vasquez and Juan Morillo? Oliveros is still just 23. He could be very good!)
- Danny Ortiz – OF – Beloit Snappers (had an amazing April, and really struggled much of the rest of the season. Small guy with good pop.)
- Scott Diamond – LHP – Minnesota Twins (frustrating season for Diamond. He was really hurt by poor defense, but gave up a lot of hits.)
- James Beresford – SS – Ft. Myers Miracle (played well at SS and 2B, and did a nice job with the bat most of the season.)
- Bobby Lanigan – RHP – New Britain Rock Cats (figured out a couple of mechanical things late, and hopes to incorporate them in the 2012 season. Great slider!)
- Lance Ray – OF/1B – Beloit Snappers (this is probably too low. His numbers don’t seem to show the type of bat he has, and yet, he struck out a ton.)
- Deolis Guerra – RHP – New Britain Rock Cats (moving to the bullpen may not do much for Guerra’s prospect rankings, but it was a great move for him as he was incredible in the Rock Cats pen.)
- Michael Gonzales – 1B – Beloit Snappers (Again, he should be higher than this after a terrific repeat season with the Snappers.)
- Matt Hauser – RHP – New Britain Rock Cats (hard-throwing righty did a nice job pitching in Beloit, Ft. Myers and in an outing with the Rock Cats.)
- Hung-Yi Chen – RHP – GCL Twins (Taiwan youngster knows how to pitch and had a very nice showing with the GCL Twins.)
- Ryan O’Rourke – LHP – Beloit Snappers (competitive lefty with a good fastball and a devastating slider that could get most left-handed hitters out now!)
- Anderson Hidalgo – 3B – Ft. Myers Miracle (chronically underrated, Hidalgo is just solid in terms of batting average, and shows a little bit of power.)
- Tim Shibuya – RHP – Elizabethton Twins (23rd round pick was the Appy League Pitcher of the year and tossed a no-hitter.)
- Dakota Watts – RHP – New Britain Rock Cats (throws gas, struggled with control and some minor injuries.)
- Pedro Guerra – RHP – Beloit Snappers (a very good strikeout pitcher. I don’t know why he began the season in Extended Spring Training)
- Adam Bryant/Tyler Grimes – IF – Beloit Snappers (Grimes was the team’s 5th round pick. Bryant was their 9th round pick. Both signed quickly and held their own around the Snappers infield.)
A lot of players “Just Missed” so be sure to let me know who should be in the list. Tell me I’m right. Tell me I’m an idiot. Let’s spend the weekend discussing all of these minor leaguer and tell me why they should be moved up or down the list. Please feel free to comment in the Comments Section.
SethSpeaks.net 
So not very high on Levi Michael? You do provide a good counterweight to every other prospect ranking I have seen. But if he only becomes Dozier that would be a disappointment.
Other than that, really solid list in my mind.
I agree… I’ll just never understand why he didn’t get signed and get playing. He could have spent the last 6-8 weeks in Ft. Myers. Instead, he’ll likely go there to start this season. I don’t personally see much upside, but he is quite young and obviously those that know draft picks better than me like him. that’s a good thing. I just haven’t read or seen anything terribly exciting. We shall see. He could move up 20 spots by the middle of next season!
you think he’ll go to FT. Myers?
I think he’ll go to Beloit.
Remember age wise he was like a College Sophmore.
You don’t see much upside in Michael? He was consistently ranked as a top 20 player in one of the deepest drafts ever.
Good morning Seth, If Michael becomes as good as Dozier, he will be very good. I never understand why a lot of people downgrade Dozier who has been as good as we could hope for. Doesn’t being an all-star in the Appy, Midwest and Florida State Leagues (twice) mean anything?
Players where I would disagree begin with Hicks, who I believe cannot be included in a Top 10 until he begins to show his potential on the field. He has now been a pro for four years, which in my opinion is time to perform like a star. Others I would move include Parmelee (higher), Harrison (lower), Hermsen (much higher), Boyd (higher and the same as Harrison), Dozier (higher, around 10), Summers (higher) and Deolis Guerra (much higher as a reliever). Also, do you see Angel Morales going on the 40-man roster?
“Doesn’t being an all-star in the Appy, Midwest and Florida State Leagues (twice) mean anything?”
Honestly, not really. I think that Brian Dozier can be a solid every day big league middle infielder. I have little doubt about that. But part of prospect ranking is ceiling.
“Also, do you see Angel Morales going on the 40-man roster?”
I would… I don’t know about the Twins thinking, but he’s so young and talented. Lots of interesting 40 man decisions. Only obvious choices are Carlos Gutierrez and Oswaldo Arcia, in my opinon.
billy did a nice job with those 2 torii hunter picks.
Seth, No love for Nick Lockwood in this list? Here is a kid that literally held the defense in E-Town together posting a .993 defensive line at 2B with only 2 errors in over 350 chances. You do not see defensive numbers like those often yet somehow they get overlooked because of a high OPS in rookie ball? If the Twins are going to win games in the future, defensive numbers have to be evaluated equally or the team will give up more runs then they score!
In my previous list, I ranked him in the high-30s/low-40s. I like Lockwood a lot, and having seen him take BP a few times, I think he will hit. Definitely impressive 2B defense. No question!
Who is the shortstop they signed out of Latin America around the same time they got Sano? I thought he was supposed to be really good, at least defensively.
Jorge Polanco is who I was thinking of
Polanco is within that next 10. He repeated at the GCL, and he didn’t play as much short, playing a lot of 3B. He didn’t hit much except over the last bit. People say the glove is good. He’ll probably go to E-Town next year. Javier Pimentel is another guy who the Twins signed last year to a Polanco type deal. He got a little bit of time with the GCL Twins as well.
Polanco can’t hit
can’t hit a lick… at least yet, I have my doubts as if he ever will.
Defense is great but you gotta hit at some point.
First, thanks for continuing to share your thoughts with us all, the blog is really appreciated.
Second, until Hicks hits, he can’t be in the top 10. I really hate it when people use the word inconsistent to mean not very good. He’s been consistently mediocre as a hitter. That doesn’t mean he can’t turn it around, but he’s been pretty consistently not great. If they could get a legit MLB player in his mid-20s for him, I’d move him right now. They are loaded with toolsy OFers, and woefully short of MIF and pitchers and probably a catcher.
If Michael becomes Dozier, I’ll be disappointed. Not that Dozier can’t be an ok player some day, but I’d kind of like one of these first round picks to turn out to be very good to great, that’s not too much to ask, is it? That one of these guys is a real difference maker?
Pretty barren, again, at the high levels. The system has not helped the ML team enough for the last couple of years. Some super exciting upside at the low levels, but with the “speed” the Twins move at, we won’t see any of those guys for 4 years, minimum. By then Mauer will be past his prime, Morneau will be retired, and Span will have been traded. If those three are healthy to start the year, I’d really like to see them trade a young guy or two to help those three out. It’s not particualarly likely they’ll have three guys like that up here at the same time agan.
In looking at the list, it’s pretty clear they should take the best starting pitcher with the 2nd over all pick. They have no real #1 or #2 pitcher anywhere near the majors.
It is interesting to note than around 20% of these prospects are infield positions. Most of the prospects are OF and pitcher. I did not see Bruce Pugh on the list. For catcher, only Chris Herrmann, who also plays outfield. I am a big suporter of Dan Rohlfing. Here is a player that is under the radar. Had a great year at Fort Myers and played some at New Britain. Another name missing is Danny Rams. As a second rounder, he has fallen the most drastic. It would be nice if you did an in-depth chart rating these players by position.
Pugh was a serious consideration at the bottom of the list. Tough 2011 for him, especially up in AA. Another interesting choice for a 40 man spot, although, I think they’re safe to not add him.
Rams should be on the list, for sure. That’s a miss on my part. He was hurt all year, his shoulder. He is all about potential, for sure.
I really like Rohlfing. I had him at 49 in my previous rankings. He had a decent year, for sure. I added 2011 draft picks, so Rohlfing just missed the cut too.
I can’t believe anyone would rank Hermsen anywhere near the top 30 in prospects. Has anyone actually seen him pitch? His fastball tops out around 85 mph most games. I saw him pitch several times. He is a change of speed artist, and that works well in Beloit..but does not translate well up the ladder. He is a 6’5″ version of Brad Tippett. This clearly indicates you are doing nothing but analyzing stat sheets and listening to the “rosy” stories you hear from your “sources” inside the Twins organization. I guarantee you, as I did with McCardell (and you disagreed with me about him too) that Hermsen is going NOWHERE as a prospect.
I have heard the mph reports on Hermsen. I’ve also seen him work. Obviously 85 isn’t going to work in AA and up, but we’ll see. Completely agree that it can’t be about the numbers.
D.O.T.F. -SO.. you’re saying its impossible for such a young kid to fix a few mechanical issues and pick up 3-4 ticks of velocity in his early 20’s
Yeah ok that makes sense
down on the farm, I don’t like you’re tune there.
Didn’t you say essentially the same thing about Polanco never hitting? Ya OK that makes sense too
Thanks for the list, it is a good read and fun to debate.
I think Wimmers is rated too highly, even after he came back he struggled with control issues (16 walks in 36 innings). If he does well next year, I agree he could be top 5-6 but I don’t think he should be given the benefit of the doubt and I would rate him closer to 16-18.
Most of the recently drafted guys are rated more highly than I would have expected, especially the relievers. It just seems strange that Willams and Boer are rated higher then Guerra and Oliveros who are also relievers and are producing at a higher level. It is not like Wiliams and Boer had THAT dominant of performance and they are only 1-2 years younger. I hopee that is a sign of just how high you think their upside is.
I think Williams and Boer and Summers will all likely be given a chance to start, which I think is much more valuable than relievers. If they’re starters, they move quickly up the list. If they become relievers, they can all be very good relievers.
I admit, my ranking of Wimmers could be considered controversial. But he could move quickly. They were wise not to send him to the AFL and let him continue to work. I think and obviously hope that he’s able to turn it around completely. If he does, he could be in a Twins uniform by the end of 2012.
I think Wimmers is about right. His ceiling is a mid rotation starter, and untilt he control issues was considered “likely” to make the majors. But I can see where people would disagree.
I’m terrified of high power, no walk guys like Arcia, Benson and others. It seems like that is such a hard thing to overcome and too many stall out. I’d prefer a guy like Hicks who (seemingly) has good zone awareness but hasn’t yet mastered the hit tools. He seems like a safer bet long term.
I think your 1-8 are basically right (although Salcedo might be a bit high) but there’s a lot of room for movement behind them. I think Wimmers, Parmelee and Stuifbergen (sp) are too high and Bromberg and Micheal are too low – he’s only 20. Generally, I think you rate GCL and low A players too high. But it’s a fun list.
Ian, I’d think (though I have no evidence of this) that it is easier to learn to take pitches that aren’t strikes than it is to learn to hit pitches that are strikes, but I have no evidence on that one way or the other. It’s an interesting question.
I think the Hicks ranking is about right. He’s not a blue-chipper anymore at this point, but he’s not a bust either. I’ve said this many times, but he’s a carbon copy of Torii Hunter when he came through the system. Torii really did nothing with a bat until he was 24 yrs old in AAA, so I still have high hopes for Hicks. But he does need to start hitting, and I think that starts by swinging at more pitches. The walks are nice, but they don’t drive in baserunners or help develop the ‘hitting’ tool.
I’ve also always been pretty lukewarm on B.J. Hermsen because of the velocity thing, but there are pitchers who can succeed in the MLB without MLB velocity, Mark Buehrle for example. With that said, he’s obviously not Buehrle, who was in the Majors already at the same age.
I was surprised not to see any mention of Hirschfield. I know he apparently doesn’t throw hard and is another pitch to contact guy, but he was a very big part of the New Britain good season, so he must be doing something well. I don’t have a very deep knowledge of this players, just want to know why you wouldn’t consider him a top 50.
Roster moves today. All good moves. Probably means Tosoni is on the roster next year as your 3rd or 4th OFer.
I’d have no problem with that, in fact, he’s my RF in my blueprint… I think… but I don’t think today’s moves have any bearing on that. Might, but who knows.
I agree with you on Tosoni. I think the way he hit towards the end is more indicative of who he is, than how he started. But time will tell. But I would love to see the Twins take that chance. He has power, can play D…and doesn’t cost much. Spend the money elsewhere…you won’t lose much with a full season of Tosoni versus what Delmon gave us last year.
I agree with all the comments on Hermsen (needs more velocity) Boer/ Summer would rather see a full season before ranking them so high. Dean is a soft lefty really bad year. Rohlfing should be there, hitting just needs to come around. Matt Hauser really under the radar throws hard with movement keeps it low on the corners and had a great year.
No love for Toby G? Heard he is knocking down the door.
I think Wimmers should be lower and I was hoping Levi would be higher, for the sake of the team. We might have some studs down on the farm in 2013.
At what point do we trade some of these high ceiling outfielders for big leaguers?
Spoof….I’d only deal the young guys for MLB players if Span, Mauer and Morneau were healthy. Otherwise, this team isn’t winning much next year anyway. The only way I change my mind on that is if they are getting a guy back that is under 26 or 27 (and if they were not trading for relievers, yuck).
Spoof, I don’t think my prospect ranking have much to do with the team. Not sure me not ranking him high affects them at all.
We also have some studs on the farm now, they might just be closer to the big leagues in 2013.
Ranking Michael Levi that low is criminal. He was rated in the top 20 prospects of last year’s draft which was a LOADED draft and you have him ranked lower than a guys that were drafted in later rounds. Brutal. Then you talk about ceiling and how that plays a part of your rating. Um, Aaron Hicks is all ceiling. If you were to rate him on ceiling he would be the #1 or #2 prospect still in the farm system. He is a 5-Tool talent they don’t come around often. A guy like Liam Hendriks ceiling is a #3 starter at best if you actually read what actual scouts have to say. Eddie Rosario had a good year but is totally unproven. Not even close to to a top 5 guy based on what he did in rook ball. For Michael Levi to becomes Brian Dozier would be hoping Trevor Plouffe can learn how to field like Nishioka. Dozier is playing hard and putting up numbers but has never been regarding for his tools like Levi has.
If Liam Hendricks is our 5th rated player then we are really in trouble. Can’t imagine him pitching at all in the current playoffs. Hope I’m wrong on this one! Joe Benson has all the tools ,supposedly, but he reminds me of some of the highly skilled hockey players in practice. Skate like the wind, etc. but when the game starts nothing happens. Benson has yet to become a more of an instictive player. He has the skills, but he has to work on feel, especially at the plate. That was obvious this fall.
Disagree Peter, He’s still young remember most guys his age, especially in our system are in AA tops… Just the fact he pitched in the big leagues is impressive in its own… He’ll be a fine inning -eating 4th starter and a great #4 guy in post-season …sure against an offense like Texas? probably not but still…
If you can have a guy like Hendricks in long relief(not a closer, or starter) then you are starting to have a staff. Again, hope I’m wrong!
Yeah Peter, I don’t know what you’ve seen or haven’t seen in Hendriks that tells you he can’t be a starter. Is he an Ace? No. Probably not, at least not in the way that Verlander is. But he touches 93, has great control, great delivery, terrific curveball and changeup. I think he can be as good as Scott Baker which, when healthy, is a decent #2. If he turns out to be an innings-eating #4, that would be great too.
Benson’s going to be good. The only thing he needs to work on it trying to contine making more consistent contact. We can’t make any grand statements based on 80 or so plate appearances or a couple of errors when he was debuting.
How does Andrew Albers, the minor league relief pitcher of the year, not get a mention? He doesn’t have a high ceiling, but based on his performance this year, he has to be on a top 50 prospects list. Through 15 ip so far in the WBC, he is 2-0 with a 0.00 era and a whip under 1.
could end up a long-reliever type loogy at best….
I’m guessing he just missed Seth’s list as well.
He’s older. He signed late. He had an incredible season, and he’s been terrific in the World Cup. I would agree with Steve that he could be a nice left-handed short or long reliever.
Great list Seth, I like it better thank Sickles…. (I know your’s is preliminary)
Morales did fall out of top 10 for you after all?
mine would go something like…..
1. Sano
2. Arcia
3. Rosario
4. Michael
5. Hicks
6. Hendriks
7. Benson
8. Dozier
9. Salcedo
10. Gibson
11. Wimmers
12. Boer
13. Boyd
14. Kepler
15. Parmelee
Parmelee would be 12 and Boer, Boyd and Kepler would all move down a spot. I like Stuiffbergen in top 20 as well…. and Solarte top 25.
Suprised you didn’t have JD Williams a touch higher….. Darnell was too high for me i’d have him a touch below Dean..
Great post, very helpful. I just don’t really like placing those draft picks that didn’t play last year. There is no clear guarantee that Michael will ever be a top 20 prospect.
What about Cole Devries, Andrew Albers, Tyler Robertson, Kennys Vargas, Rory Rhodes, and Nick Lockwood?
When you are talking about prospects there should be 2 lists. One for guys that could be in the majors within the next 2 years, and a 2nd for the so called high ceiling guys. When you come up with these all inclusive lists, there are so many factors to consider that placement on these lists really doesn’t mean much.
For instance Dozier is going to play in the majors and soon. He is likely to start, probably at shortstop, and if he can hit close to what he has in the minors and field adequately, he is probably as valuable as a Bartlett was. Trying to compare someone like that to people like Sano or Rosario who likely won’t be ready to contribute for nearly 4 years IF they develop like people hope they do, is impossible.
I think a lot of bloggers are underrating Henriks. When you watch the playoffs probably the best pitched game between all the “aces” was the one between Carpenter and Holiday. They don’t throw that hard but they know how to pitch and use the stuff they have very well. Most of the aces that throw hard and have great stuff, have actually struggled a bit in the playoffs.
I like Henriks chances of being very, very good. His control was a bit off in his September appearances, but the stuff looked good and velocity is more than adequate. If his minor league control numbers are a truer indication of his actual control, he has a good chance to be an “ace” whatever that means.
Sorry, I meant Halliday.
I like the list, Seth. Can’t argue with Sano at the top. I’m already impatient for the day when he can start hitting bombs at Target Field. Same with Eddie Rosario, though I’ll need to see another big year from him before I stop worrying he might be a fluke.
I would have put Kyle Gibson a little lower, though. This was pretty much the worst timing possible for his TJ surgery. Making the jump to the Majors is hard enough, but doing so while recovering from a massive injury is a doubly difficult task. Plus, it wasn’t his first big injury. Remember, he had injury concerns in college, too. I agree that the surgery doesn’t destroy his potential, but it’ll take a lot longer to realize it now.
Did anyone mention Tyler Robertson? By the end of last season, his numbers out of the NB pen were not bad. He is a lefty, and he is still youngish. He finished with a decent era, and he had something like 17 saves after having a rough start to the season. He will be at Rochester, and I would keep an eye on him as a future arm in the Twins’ pen. He was a former high prospect, and my guess is that he has a chance to return to that status.
Do you think Parmalee could be Lyle Overbay 2.0 and is Revere or Span the starting CF next year?
I can’t argue with your list. But here is some guys I can’t believe didn’t make the List. A Bates-1b, B Pugh-RP, E Bigley-OF, D Rams-C, J Pinto-C, A.J. Achter-SP, J. Parker-C, K Vargas-1B, J Hendricks-1B. Also, I’d change Hicks and Dozier. Hick seems to be O.K. at everything, same goes with Dozier but a O.K. SS is better then an O.K. outfielder.
I would like to see a prospect list from 3 years ago and one from 5 years ago; then do a “Where Are They Now?” for comparisons. A list is just like a Presidential Poll. What you see know can be awhole lot different a year from now. A list is nothing more than one’s personal opinion poll.
I like Chuck’s suggestion. Do you have easy access to previous prospect lists, Seth?
By the way, people . . . . this is his preliminary list. There is no need to get all crazy about who’s excluded and whatnot. Note to SETH, always include an honorable mention list to take care of that problem!
It will be interesting to see Harrison, Boyd, and Michael. I don’t like how they didn’t sign until the end. It doesn’t make sense. It’s a sign of stupidity, actually! I don’t understand it, especially in Michael’s case. He could have played some at Fort Myers and potentially started this season at NB, but now he deserves Beloit while Grimes and/or Bryant moves to Fort Myers.
At some point, we have to be concerned about Aaron Hicks as a viable future Major Leaguer. Two straight years in A-Ball with Low Average, Little HR power, but Lots of K’s and BB’s suggests a hitter who is patient and understands the strike zone, but has a lot of holes in his swing. If he can’t close them in two years at Fort Myers, what makes us think he can do it at AA or above? In my opinion, the Twins need to do one of three things (listed in the order I would do them).
1. End the switch-hitting experiment (the splits have disappeared from the Fort Myers website, so I can’t give the numbers, suffice to say they’re striking).
2. Trade him to a team that is still enamored with his tools for major leaguer ready pitching or middle infield.
3. Turn him into a pitcher, and see if he can still throw 97 MPH.