The Twins selected Staten Island native Zack Granite in the 13th round of the 2013 draft out of Seton Hall University. Born Sept 17, 1992, Granite stands 6’0, 175, bats and throws lefthanded. As a junior he hit .304/.390/.387 in 263 PA, with 32 walks to 23 K’s (no HRs). He stole 35 bases against 7 CS’s and played Center Field.

 

As a pro, Granite has produced about the same: .282/.349/.354 in 1487 Pas, with 130 walks against 149 K’s. He hit a career high 4 home runs at Chattanooga in 2016, helping him earn Twins minor league player of the year honors. He grades as an above average baserunner and center fielder with a below average arm.

 

The KATOH system used at fangraphs projects Granite to produce 7.4 WAR in his first six years. Granite earns points for playing a premium defensive position, being drafted out of college (not high school), having a strong eye at the plate and elite contact ability. He’s penalized for having a low ISO, and being on the shorter side (6’0).

 

Earlier this spring Cody Christie asked if Granite might follow Brian Dozier’s footsteps. Both players are later round picks, taken out of college, who improved to earn Twins minor league player of the year honors. Both players were projected as 25th man utility types by scouts. Dozier, we all know, raised his ceiling by developing more power. Granite has better defense and speed than Dozier, but the best thing he could do to catapult him into an all star at the majors is the same: develop power.

 

http://www.chattanoogan.com/photos/2016/5/article.325060.large.jpg

 

Granite's opening the season on the DL with a left oblique strain.

http://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/twins-zach-granite-to-open-year-on-dl/

 

Granite's opening the season on the DL with a left oblique strain.

http://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/twins-zach-granite-to-open-year-on-dl/

 

reverse like.

Anybody have an update on his injury?

 

A cursory google search yielded nothing.

Evidently Granite is in Ft Myers rehabbing. No timetable on return.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/twins-zach-granite-headed-for-rehab/

Looks like Granite's rehab stint in Ft Myers went well. 7-19, a double, triple, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, 3 steals 1 CS. Tom Fremming reports that Rochester added him to their roster today.

Since joining the Red Wings Granite has gone 9-29 with 0 walks, 2 k's, 4 steals, and 0 CS's. A  double is his only xbh.

 

Last Friday against the Pawtucket Red Sox, Granite hit an 0-2 curveball off Jamie Callahan to give the Red Wings the lead in the top of the 9th.

 

http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=1379127283&sid=t534

Granite's rolling 7-game OPS since joining Rochester on May 7 below. Looks like he's starting to find his groove.
 

If an outfielder goes down in MN, I am guessing he might get the call.

Today Granite headlined milb.com's prospect roundup:

https://www.milb.com/milb/news/prospect-roundup-june-19-featuring-zack-granite-jay-groome/c-237602584/t-185364810

 

Zack Granite leads the International League with a .349 average and .402 OBP through 41 games. (Joe Territo/Rochester Red Wings)

 

 

By Sam Dykstra / MiLB.com | June 20, 2017 12:10 PM ET

 

 

Twins OF Zack Granite, Triple-A Rochester: 3-for-5, 2B, RBI -- Granite's scorching June got even hotter Monday night as the Twins' No. 21 prospect notched his eighth three-hit game of the season. His .349 average leads the International League by a wide margin. (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre infielder Tyler Wade's .322 is closest.) The 24-year-old outfielder has gone 37-for-76 (.487) with three triples and 10 doubles in 19 games this month, leading all full-season Minor Leaguers in hits and average over that span. Granite wasn't included in the Toolshed ballot for the Triple-A All-Star Game because he didn't have enough at-bats to qualify for the IL batting title at the time after missing most of April with a left oblique strain. However, he's certainly playing his way into contention, and though he doesn't have much power (one home run in 186 plate appearances), he's got the speed (13 steals) to be the perfect leadoff man on July 12 in Tacoma.

Good interview with Zack Granite from Fangraphs' David Laurila. Lots of good insight but this might be my favorite:

 

Granite on an adjustment that’s helped fuel his surge: “I’ve moved a little closer to the plate. I think that has kind of helped me see pitches better. A lot of pitches away that were strikes, I was taking. That’s my game — going the other way — so I was kind of getting away from my game. I also just feel really good at the plate right now, which is obviously helping a lot.

 

“Opposite field is my security blanket, but I’m getting better at pulling the ball. I worked on that a lot last year with my manager, Doug [Mientkiewicz]. I’d always been ‘stick to left, stick to left,’ and he helped me learn how to pull the ball — how to attack it the right way. That’s another repertoire, another factor, to my game now.”

 

 

HR #3 baby!

 

http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=1540616983&sid=milb

Granite went 1-4 with a double and a walk in this afternoon's win over the Buffalo Bisons. His on-base streak is now at 29 games dating to June 1.