BA GCL Top 20 - Lewis Thorpe #7

[PseudoSABR]

2013 League Top 20 Prospects Index - BaseballAmerica.com

 

No other Twins made the list.

 

Here's a link the chat though nothing Twins related so far.

[PseudoSABR]

• Rafa (Los Angeles): DId Minier get any consideration? He missed quite some time in the DL but when he was healthy he showed his raw power in games.
  

 

Ben Badler: Mixed reviews. The raw power is hard to miss if you see him connect and the swing works well from the left side, but the righthanded swing needs to catch up and his overall hitting approach is still rudimentary. He also might have to move to first base, so there's some red flags there.

 

 

• Bob Sacamento (Ft. Myers, FL): Who was the closest from the Twins to make the Top 20? Anyone to keep tabs on?
  

 

Ben Badler: Minier was interesting, although I'd put Fernando Romero ahead of him. He's gained velo since the Twins signed him out of the Dominican Republic a couple years ago, so he's up to 95 now and the breaking ball has come on to become an out pitch for him at that level. Not sure if he's going to stick as a starter, but he's got two weapons and is generally around the strike zone. Engelb Vielma is fun to watch play shortstop, but his bat still has a long way to go.

[Bob Sacamento]

Huh, I'll be damned he actually answered my question, usually I get the run around.

 

7. Lewis Thorpe, lhp, Twins Age: 17. B-T: R-L. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 214. Signed: Australia, 2012.

Some international scouts considered Thorpe the best prospect to come out of Australia in years when the Twins signed him last year for $500,000, and he pitched even better than advertised in his pro debut. Thorpe led the GCL with 64 strikeouts, then left the team at the end of August to pitch for Australia in the 18U World Championships in Taiwan. Pitching against the United States, Thorpe struck out eight with no walks in 5 2/3 shutout innings in Team USA’s only loss.

 

 

When Thorpe signed, he sat at 86-88 mph and touched 91 with long arms, but he’s grown an inch and added 55 pounds, which helped his fastball tick upward. He pitched at 88-93 mph in the GCL, then in Taiwan he touched 95. Even when he was throwing in the high-80s, Thorpe’s fastball was a swing-and-miss pitch because the ball explodes out of his hand and looks quicker than it is with sneaky late action. His changeup, a potential plus pitch, is his most polished offspeed offering with sink and fade.

 

 

Thorpe’s breaking stuff has developed since he signed, including a slider and a curveball with a lot of spin and downward action. Thorpe racked up a lot of walks as an amateur, but he always had a good delivery and now control looks like it will be a plus for him after walking 1.2 batters per nine innings in the GCL.

 

 

[TABLE=width: 99%]

[TR=class: subheader-row]

W

L

ERA

G

GS

SV

IP

H

R

ER

HR

BB

SO

AVG

[/TR]

4

1

2.05

12

8

0

44

32

13

10

2

6

64

.203

[/TABLE]

[PseudoSABR]

More Thorpe love, very encouraging:

 

 

• Lars (MN): Do you see Lewis Thorpe as a future big league starter? Is he as good as his numbers suggest?
  

 

Ben Badler: Definitely a starter. If had been born in the United States, he'd be a first-round pick. Actually, he'd be just starting his senior year of high school, so he wouldn't even be eligible until the 2014 draft, but I already like him better than some of the arms who went at the end of the first round this year.

[Bob Sacamento]

Wow that's some high praise, now I'll be watching him the rest of Instructs. My favorite Thorpe moment so far in FIL has been his introduction of chew to the Korean players or helping them pronounce citrus (Sit-trys) in English. He's kind of a goofball but I'll take that from a 17 year old kid.

[Shane Wahl]

It's almost like the Twins had another draft pick around the Berrios mark in the 2013 draft with Thorpe. He's 17 and just dominated the GCL. It's one thing to be 19 and do that, it is different thing to be not even out of high school age.

[Shane Wahl]

By age 20 he could be in A+/AA throwing 140 innings or so.

[nicksaviking]

Good stuff. I wonder if Felix Jorge or any Appy League guys will make it. The innings/appearances criteria rule out Stewart and Gonsalves from any league consideration.

[ericchri]

Completely irrelevant since he's a pitcher, but does Thorpe's profile actually say bats Right, throws Left? That can't be common. Wonder if it just defaults to batting right and since he pitches there's no data to make the change in the report.

 

Regardless, nice to have a lefty starter who profiles to be pretty good someday.

[Larsbars08]

I think Felix Jorge will be a top 5 Appy league prospect. It will interesting to see where exactly.

 

Also, it was cool to have Badler answer my question about Thorpe.

[Celebrity Weddings!]

Engelb Vielma is fun to watch play shortstop

 

If it's as much fun as saying "Engelb Vielma" then we're all in for a treat.

[Bob Sacamento]

Completely irrelevant since he's a pitcher, but does Thorpe's profile actually say bats Right, throws Left? That can't be common. Wonder if it just defaults to batting right and since he pitches there's no data to make the change in the report.

 

Regardless, nice to have a lefty starter who profiles to be pretty good someday.

Nope, it's correct. A lefty who hits right handed, it's odd but does happen.

 

Another irrelevant observation, Stephen Gonclaves, is a lefty pitcher but writes with his right hand.

[diehardtwinsfan]

It's almost like the Twins had another draft pick around the Berrios mark in the 2013 draft with Thorpe. He's 17 and just dominated the GCL. It's one thing to be 19 and do that, it is different thing to be not even out of high school age.

 

I personally think that by the time he's "draft eligible" he'd be considered a better prospect than Berrios at 18.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

I personally think that by the time he's "draft eligible" he'd be considered a better prospect than Berrios at 18.

 

I think you might be seeing that on prospect lists this winter.

[2wins87]

Badler also published a list of ten sleepers from the GCL. Fernando Romero and Minier both make the list.

 

On Romero: He sits in the low 90's with his fastball and touches 95, and most scouts expect him to throw harder in the future. His curveball has developed into a sharp, power curve that misses bats. There's still some debate over whether he ends up as a reliever due to questions about his changeup and command.

 

On Minier: Plus raw power, but still questions on his ability to hit in games. Has the arm strength for third but he's going to have to watch his body or he may end up at first.