I love the non-insane idea of a lineup that looks like this: Buxton Mauer Dozier Kepler Sano Vargas Polanco Rosario Garver/Murphy Backup catcher, Escobar, Park, and Palka/Walker on the bench. Santana May Berrios Gibson Santiago Pressly O'Rourke Hughes Tonkin Rogers Duffey X I am really not sure about the bullpen. Perkins might be done. Kintzler cannot be trusted. May has said for two years that the bullpen role creates injury problems.
Top 60 Twins Prospects 2016: 1. Jose Berrios 2. Max Kepler 3. Nick Gordon 4. Jorge Polanco 5. Tyler Jay 6. Stephen Gonsalves 7. Nick Burdi 8. Lewis Thorpe 9. Kohl Stewart 10. Adam Brett Walker 11. J.T. Chargois 12. Felix Jorge 13. Engelb Vielma 14. Taylor Rogers 15. Alex Meyer 16. Brandon Peterson 17. Wander Javier 18. Jermaine Palacios 19. Jake Reed 20. LaMonte Wade 21. Tanner English 22. Lewin Diaz 23. Daniel Palka 24. Yorman Landa 25. Fernando Romero 26. Randy Rosario 27. Amaryus Minier 28.
The Twins' four-game sweep of the Orioles has kept them very much alive in the 2015 wild card chase. On Tuesday, they start a big three-game series with another contender in the Tampa Bay Rays. A series win would put two games between the Twins and Rays and keep the Twins within a couple games, at worst, of the final wild card spot. This comes after a big fall in the first three weeks of August. It honestly looked like Terry Ryan had just given up on the 2015 season. There are some things to n
The Twins system is entering a new era as the youth movement is now officially underway. Players like May and Rosario have graduated already. Some players like Sano and Buxton will be leaving this list due to graduation in the coming months. It is important to get a glimpse of the state of the system going forward as the Twins are now entering a time of contention (and hopefully victory) over the next few years. The system is still rich, but clearly there are areas of concern already present.
It is time for part 2 of my mid-season prospect list. Here are the top 30 position player prospects in the Twins system: 1. Byron Buxton (1): CF, 12-18-93 2015 status: Buxton is basically done with minor league baseball. He got injured again, but should be back with the Twins in September. ETA: already arrived. 2. Miguel Sano (2): 3B, 5-3-93 2015 status: Has obliterated the baseball after his promotion to the Twins. He is also done with minor league baseball. Sano will be used as the DH prim
It is time to re-evaluate the top pitching prospects in the Twins system. Trevor May graduated, and the 2015 draft brought in three fresh pitchers to this list. 1. Jose Berrios (1): RHS, 5-27-94 2015 status: Strong improvement over 2014 AA numbers. Promoted to AAA. ETA: essentially MLB ready now. 2. Tyler Jay (NR): LHR, 4-19-94 2015 status: Sent to Fort Myers to the bullpen, likely for the remainder of 2015. Starting ability in question. ETA: 2017 3. Stephen Gonsalves (5): LHS, 7-8-94 2015
It's the beginning of May, so I thought it would be a good time to evaluate my 2015 breakthrough prospect candidates based on their first weeks this year. Here I highlight the position players and will focus on the pitchers tomorrow. Lewin Diaz and Jack Barrie have not started playing yet this season. Jorge (JJ) Fernandez (CDR) was injured a few week ago and is just returning. Statistics so far: 44 PA, .220/.273/.341, three doubles, one triple, three walks, 10 strikeouts Levi Michael (CHA) i
A point in making very long prospect lists is to establish the fact that certain players are on the radar. Josmil Pinto was around 50 on my list after his 2011 season and we have seen how that went. Here, I am singling out 12 prospects who are not in most top 20 Twins prospect lists, but they could easily be with very strong 2015 seasons. I expect that at least three of these guys will be in the top 20 in six months time. Jorge Fernandez Lewin Diaz Levi Michael Mat Batts Aaron Slegers J.T. Cha
The headline here is a reference--if you do not know somehow--to a line from The Big Lebowski. It's the scene in the car where Walter has brought "the ringer" ("the whites") and The Dude loses it on him. The Dude is a very chill guy who smokes pot, listens to CCR, and bowls. But in this scene he yells (editing profanity) "You (screwed) it up! You (screwed) it up!" Walter responds with the quote in the headline. Well it's that time of year when the Twins opening day roster becomes finalized and
The first two entries in this series focused on players who are moving up in the system and the question is one of advancing to AA baseball, which is really (Jorge Polanco 2014 aside) the real first glimpse of closeness to the majors that a minor leaguer can see. For the final installment, I am turning to another major step in the system--full season A ball--and am profiling catcher Brian Navarreto as a "push candidate" for promotion to Cedar Rapids. The Player Brian Navarreto is 20 years ol
The second of three articles featuring players who I believe should be "pushed" to the next level in the system will focus on Travis Harrison. Harrison had some high expectations after being drafted and has moved through the system in the same way that Adam Walker has. There are still a number of question marks about Harrison's potential, both in the field and at the plate. I do think that the Chattanooga Lookouts' roster has room for both Walker and Harrison, and thus I think that there are mor
Leading up to Spring Training, I am highlighting three players in the system who are "push candidates." These are players who I think should be pushed to the next level in the minor league system, even with some issues with their 2014 seasons that might give the Twins pause. I am not one who thinks players need to "dominate" a level before being promoted, and I certainly think that there are two points in the system where there are the kind of "put up or shut up" moments for a player (first full
Assuming the Twins start the season with 13 position players and also assuming that there are no significant injuries to the leading 13 position players, it seems almost set in stone who is breaking camp for the Twins. Those players will be Kurt Suzuki, Josmil Pinto, Joe Mauer, Kennys Vargas, Brian Dozier, Danny Santana, Eduardo Escobar, Trevor Plouffe, Oswaldo Arcia, Aaron Hicks, Torii Hunter, Jordan Schafer, and Eduardo Nunez. Really only Hicks and Nunez leave any doubt, but it is hard to see
Left-handed pitching is something that is an anomaly in professional sports. Well, it's an anomaly all the way down really to youth sports. When talking about straight up natural facts about one's person without any nurturing, only height for basketball seems to compare to the importance of left-handed pitching in baseball. With that in mind, I thought it would be appropriate to give a full Twins-system view of almost all of the viable left-handed pitchers and what they do across the various lev
Here is the second half of the new--and I think improved--version of my prospect list. I am listing 25 players plus five honorable mentions. A brief about how the system has really improved: I have been ranking the prospects in the system since 2011 and always paid careful attention to inadequacies at certain positions and even handedness. It is finally the year to announce that the Twins are deep in absolutely everything. But, without further ado: 1. Byron Buxton: CF, 12-18-93 2015 start: Cha
I am doing something brand new with my prospect list for 2015. I am splitting the list into two parts, one for pitching and one for position players, with each list having 25 prospects and 5 honorable mentions named. These honorable mentions end up being 10 guys in the system to really watch this year for potential breakout seasons. I am providing only bare bones info for each of them because one really ought to check out the Prospect Handbook. The first part will focus in on the pitchers in
Unlike any year in recent memory, I believe at this point in mid-December, the Twins likely are done with any meaningful acquistions that could contend for the 25 man roster. I just don't see the gaping roster hole that would make for a constant concern in the coming months. Sure, the Twins could sign another pitcher, another OF, and another catcher, but none of these potential signings seem vital to the health of the team. The starting rotation is finally in a position of surplus with an actual
I wrote: Sign Ervin Santana for a 5 year, $85 million deal. Sign Phil Hughes to a 3 year, $39 million deal. I really believed this to be a great idea. And many of you did too. While there is some cherry-picking of that blueprint and what the Twins have done, clearly, I have to admit that with regard to the pitching rotation, the Twins have done very well. Better than me, with regard to free agents. I just wrote that last sentence. And meant it.
This is not going to be significantly different than the earlier version mid-season, but here is my hopeful 25-man roster for 2015. This will obviously hint at my offseason blueprint. Position players: Kurt Suzuki, Josmil Pinto, Joe Mauer, Brian Dozier, Danny Santana, Miguel Sano, Eduardo Escobar, Trevor Plouffe, Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Arcia, Kennys Vargas, Chris Herrmann, Jordan Schafer Pitchers: Phil Hughes, Ervin Santana, Kyle Gibson, Ricky Nolasco, Alex Meyer, Trevor May, Deolis Guerra
Coming into this year, there was hope that some prospects would "graduate" and move up to the Twins causing significant impact. Their names were Miguel Sano, Alex Meyer, and Byron Buxton. 2014, then, would be a year of significant development in the rebuilding process. Sano was done for the entire season after Tommy John surgery. Buxton was up and down with injuries before a concussion ended his season (though he is going to the AFL). Meyer was inconsistent at times and, well, that is apparent
I am recalibrating some of my thoughts for 2015. I think (now) that something like this should happen: I would like the following to happen: the Twins refrain from spending big this offseason unless it is on one of the top 5 pitching free agents. So, no spending to replace LF. Wait and save. That means that money should be SAVED now in order to be spent when NEEDED when the team is competitive for real. Just finally, finally, go with the youth movement. 2015 opening day roster barring trades a
Soon it will be time to consider who should be dropped and added to the Twins 40-man roster for next season. This time there could be more of an upheaval than normal as the Twins hopefully look to enter the next phase of the organization's rebuilding project. Some opening remarks I have to believe that the following players could or should be removed from the 40-man roster for next season: Jared Burton Sam Deduno Brian Duensing Edgar Ibarra Yohan Pino Anthony Swarzak Caleb Thielbar Eri
Joe Mauer's first season as a first baseman has been a major disappointment. Not only did he not hit well, he was also injured for a month and has proved to be barely above replacement value at first base. I do think that 2015 and 2016 will mean a return to about career averages for Mauer. Now, let's actually consider what this could mean for the Twins: Insert Mauer's .320/.401/.461 line into the second spot of the order for the next two seasons. Next envision about the latter 75% of this time
The Twins have done some interesting things in promoting certain players like Santana, Vargas, and Polanco this year. I think the first two guys might be with the club out of the gate next year as well. I would predict the following roster out of ST, barring injuries: C: Suzuki, Pinto, Herrmann 1B: Mauer, Vargas, Parmelee 2B: Dozier, Escobar SS: Santana, (Escobar) 3B: Plouffe (Escobar) LF: Parmelee, (Herrmann) CF: Hicks, (Santana) RF: Arcia, (Parmelee), (Herrmann), (Colabello) DH: Colabello,
Making prospect lists can be difficult. When evaluating players across 7 different minor league teams and various foreign backgrounds, it is a challenge to weigh floor, ceiling, age, and established progress through the system. I wanted to provide an updated list of Twins prospects. I also thought I would not take the easy way out and just list half of all the good or good-ish minor leaguers in the Twins system (which is what the "top 70" list comes down to!). I try to balance out younger hi
I really hold back what I would like to say about then payroll arguments here. The fact that people don't accept the amount taken in dictates the amount going out requires one of two things. Extreme financial ignorance or fanatical bias that prevents the acceptance of something some basic. I did not change the argument. It's the same idiocy over and over. Do you really want to be on the side that suggests revenues does not determine spending capacity?
At this point in the pre-season, I’m just so happy to be seeing games again, I don’t care about the Twins record in 2023. I think they’ll win it all, unrealistically speaking 🙂
I really hold back what I would like to say about then payroll arguments here. The fact that people don't accept the amount taken in dictates the amount going out requires one of two things. Extreme financial ignorance or fanatical bias that prevents the acceptance of something some basic. I did not change the argument. It's the same idiocy over and over. Do you really want to be on the side that suggests revenues does not determine spending capacity?· 0 replies
