Twins Daily 2023 Top Prospects: #3 Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF

[weitz41]

I'm looking forward to catching the Cedar Rapids games when the come to the area this year. E rod, Salas, Raya, Miller , maybe our 1st pick of more from the 2023 draft. CR should be a really good team this year. Before and after promotions.

I hope it is just the beginning for E Rod. Only 47 games last year makes it a bit of a leap of faith, but there are stats from the season before that make me want to believe as well.

[Mike Sixel]

If you aren't excited by the possibilities here, I got no idea why you like baseball. This guy is a legit possible star.

[Steve Lein]

2 hours ago, twinsfan02 said:

I Don't understand the hype around this guy. He only hit for a .272 average which is not that great for a so called top prospect in the low minors. He also only had 9 home runs which is not that impressive and before you say "small sample size" 200 ABs is quite a few.

If he played a full season at that HR rate he would have led the FSL in home runs.

Then there are the facts that the FSL leader hit 20 home runs in 444 plate appearances, and was 3 years older (and had a K-rate of almost 40%). Among players with 100 or more plate appearances, Rodriguez's OPS led the league by a .170 points! The batting average of the entire league was .233...

This is a weird way to characterize his 2022 stats.

[DJL44]

21 minutes ago, Steve Lein said:

The batting average of the entire league was .233...

I don't think people realize that average batters hit .230 now.

[olerud]

its always the sames story with Twins prospects-INJURY!!!!!! having said that i fully expect Lee to start to dominate this year then blow his knee or something the twins are cursed!!!!!

[gman]

We seem to have a wave coming late this year and early 24. It looks like another wave could come late 24& 25. I'm thinking ERod is in that 24/25 wave.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

6 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

The Twins are not listening to any offers for any player with Emmanuel going the other way; don't worry. Also, the only player of any note that has been traded was Cade Povich, which was a fair deal. Steer, CES, and others may have major league careers but they were buried behind much better players in the Twins system. Falvey has been pretty cautious in trades thus far.

I know time will tell, however I am interested in Chase Petty's future in the Reds' organization. He is the one traded prospect that I feel should not have been traded, but I do like what Sonny Gray has done for the Twins. 

[tony&rodney]

4 minutes ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

I am interested in Chase Petty's future in the Reds' organization.

Mea culpa. I too liked Chase Petty and follow him. That was a steep cost. I was only thinking about the trades last July.

[ashbury]

That insane walk rate looks like a double-edged sword to me.  Is his eye really as keen as that, or was he abusing young pitchers who haven't developed command yet?  When he starts facing pitchers who can try with some chance of success to drop a curveball in there for a strike on a 3-1 count, we'll know more.  Of course he comes into 2023 with another season under his belt just like they do.  I'll watch every prospect with an eye toward what he can do at the next level of competition, but probably none as much as E-Rod.

[sweetmusicviola16]

In my humble opinion, this is our top prospect right now. I'm not cutting Brooks Lee down, he is very good. But Rodriguez is the most truthful picture of prospect that we have. If this guy doesn't light your fire then your wood must be wet.

My top 3:

1. Rodriguez

2. Lee

3. Prielipp

I'm actually of the opinion that Lewis is no longer a prospect. He's an MLer. When he returns he should be in the ML, aside from a potential rehab stay.

 

[HrbieFan]

Hopefully we get to see him at AA before mid-season and he continues to rake. Not out of the realm to think he could be a regulat by summer if 24'. 

[bird]

13 hours ago, Otaknam said:

E Rod is a very intriguing prospect from everything I read. Let’s just hope the Twin FO doesn’t package him or any of the other top ten prospects like Lee for another number three starter, as is their MO. 

Their MO is to trade top ten prospects for #3 starters? You're going to have to name some of those examples to convince me. The closest singular case? Tyler Mahle, who actually may qualify as a #2 talent, for Spencer Steer,  a guy who probably crept onto a couple top 10 Twins prospect lists. So, even if this one particular example pans out to be marginally aligned with your characterization, it hardly justifies the MO label. And I'd personally make that Tyler Mahle trade again in a New York nanosecond. A textbook example of a quality decision waiting for a favorable result. I suppose we could view Sonny Gray/ Chase Petty similarly, but again, Chase Petty as the #27 overall pick in a crappy draft class, is not equivalent to trading any one of our current top ten for some random #3 starter when Sonny Gray id your return..

 

[Danchat]

I'm had some negative things to say about Twins players/prospects lately... but Rodriguez is a stud and I think he's still underrated. Dude's got a massive ceiling. Just stay healthy, please!

[se7799]

Kinda funny story....I was introduced ti him when he first came to spring training by a batting coach...this was before he was on many maps.  Me being the idiot I am asked "who are you?"...hadn't seen him play yet.  Anyways after talking with him for a bit I loved the young man.  Spoke with the coach after and he explained what a talent and even better person he is.  Then I watched him play a handful of games and as I stated before superstar written all over him..and humble.  We got to talk again and we just laughed at it.  Just takes me as person that would be great at anything he tried.  

[twinsfan02]

20 hours ago, Steve Lein said:

If he played a full season at that HR rate he would have led the FSL in home runs.

Then there are the facts that the FSL leader hit 20 home runs in 444 plate appearances, and was 3 years older (and had a K-rate of almost 40%). Among players with 100 or more plate appearances, Rodriguez's OPS led the league by a .170 points! The batting average of the entire league was .233...

This is a weird way to characterize his 2022 stats.

I did not know the FSL was so trash at hitting.

[Fansince73]

On 2/15/2023 at 9:27 AM, Ricky Vaughn said:

Going to get to Cedar Rapids early this year before he is gone.

Me too!

[chpettit19]

1 minute ago, Fansince73 said:

Me too!

Welcome to Twins Daily!

[ashbury]

On 2/16/2023 at 6:53 AM, twinsfan02 said:

I did not know the FSL was so trash at hitting.

It's always been known as a pitcher's league, even when it was high-A.  By contrast the Texas League and the PCL are known as hitter's leagues.  When looking at stats it's wise to adjust by as much as .100 for the OPS you see in hitters, and (I dunno, maybe) 1.25 for ERA. (Those are just my own back of the envelope numbers, TYVM.)  I think it's the altitude - everyone accepts that offense is inflated at Coors field due to the thin air, which not only lets the ball carry a few feet farther but makes it harder for breaking pitches to have any bite.  Down in Florida where the ball travels through a mixture of oxygen, nitrogen and molasses, the pitcher is in his element.