Twins Daily 2018 Top Prospects: #6 Wander Javier

I could see Lewis 3B, Javier SS, Polanco 2B, Sano 1B. Whew!

I could see Lewis 3B, Javier SS, Polanco 2B, Sano 1B. Whew!

How about Rooker at 1st and Sano DH?

I'm glad the Twins started signing top (international) free agents.  Almost seems like the prospect guys are apologetic; like they couldn't rate him higher for some unknown and possibly nefarious reason.  

I'm going to enjoy the Wander Years.

I like all our SS prospects. I wonder if any of them can pitch?

It's too early to be too excited since baseball does grind players down and injuries destroy dreams, but this player has really captured the imagination of so many that I am catching the Wander fever too and I am delighted that the FO seems aggressive in their promotions. 

So Javier, Lewis, Baddoo, Kirilloff, Bechtold, Miranda and Rortvedt are all going to start the season in CR?

That should be fun.  They might need to promote Lewis pretty quickly, if they want to keep everyone getting their SS reps. 

Or, do they move Lewis to CF and Baddoo to a corner?

I could see Lewis 3B, Javier SS, Polanco 2B, Sano 1B. Whew!

If Lewis moves off of short he's better in the outfield with his speed.  A lot of scouts see him as a CF, though that position may be occupied at the MLB level for a while.  I could see switching Lewis and Javier around too.

So Javier, Lewis, Baddoo, Kirilloff, Bechtold, Miranda and Rortvedt are all going to start the season in CR?

 

That should be fun.  They might need to promote Lewis pretty quickly, if they want to keep everyone getting their SS reps. 

 

Or, do they move Lewis to CF and Baddoo to a corner?

I think Lewis might get some time in CF as they try to work everyone into the lineup, but I hope they keep developing him at short.  I do think he ends up in Ft Meyers by midseason at latest.

Baddoo is probably a corner OF long-term.

Can't wait to see how he does in full-year play against less random competition. (let's face it, rookie ball has a lot of lottery tickets and never-will-be's in it) there's a ton to like and he's a fine prospect. I think he'll likely have some significant advancement in at least one area of his skill set, but I have no idea what that will be. I'm guessing it might be defense; he's talented enough that at this level he could keep swinging at way too many pitches...and still have big success as a hitter.

Have to stay patient with this guy, but it's going to be fun watching him and Lewis chase each other through the system.

So Javier, Lewis, Baddoo, Kirilloff, Bechtold, Miranda and Rortvedt are all going to start the season in CR?

 

That should be fun.  They might need to promote Lewis pretty quickly, if they want to keep everyone getting their SS reps. 

 

Or, do they move Lewis to CF and Baddoo to a corner?

Who is going to play SS at Ft. Myers? I'd put Wander at CR or FM and Lewis at the other. Let each play SS exclusively and see in several years who wins the SS battle and who needs to be moved to another position. Same with Gordon at AAA and Polanco in Minnesota. . Leave them all at SS as long as possible and give the brain trust amble opportunity to view each one of the 4 and then decide which ones to move away from SS.

Who is going to play SS at Ft. Myers? I'd put Wander at CR or FM and Lewis at the other. Let each play SS exclusively and see in several years who wins the SS battle and who needs to be moved to another position. Same with Gordon at AAA and Polanco in Minnesota. . Leave them all at SS as long as possible and give the brain trust amble opportunity to view each one of the 4 and then decide which ones to move away from SS.

I'd agree, but maybe start Wander in EST with Lewis starting in Cedar Rapids.  When Lewis gets bumped up to Fort Myers, bring in Wander.  Or start them both there.  Only trouble is what happens if Wander out performs Lewis?  Then I'd go as bold as saying Palacios isn't getting much love here.  He deserves some recognition and say he's able to make that jump to AA this year and still hit, we'd have yet another top 100 prospect in the mix.

Twins fans that are worried about logjam of SS prospects and the fact that you don't have an ace starter, my guess is the two issues work themselves out this year by the deadline.  Without question if Wander hits well out of the gate, he'll climb up prospect rankings and can be your centerpiece of a top SP return.

Here are a few videos I shot over the last year plus of Wander Javier:

9/16/16 BP in Instructional League

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jClkBUxZfMg

5/29/17 EXST game action hitting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPOX1j61VxI

6/2/17 EXST game action playing SS, running bases, and hitting (makes a good move to the 3B/SS hole at 1:43)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ74YS9IuZ0

How about Rooker at 1st and Sano DH?

How about Rooker at 1st, and Sano gone for that pitcher we need?

Polanco mans second until Severino arrives along with Lewis and Javier.  Could also see Palacios or Arraez winning the second base spot for many years.

Then I'd go as bold as saying Palacios isn't getting much love here.

This.  I'd be interested to hear from those that have seen both, what separates these two by such a seemingly wide margin in prospect rankings.  They both had very similar success as 18-year-olds at Elizabethton.  Since then, it took Palacios a little more than a year to figure out low A, but he continues to show promise.  Is Javier's upside offensively just that much better?  Or is it defense?  Or mostly just the $4 million?

Not with Lewis's arm

Don't know why you think that, BA grades his arm at SS as a future 55 and during the scouting circuit his arm was always regarded as a plus asset, it waned during the GCL but by all reports was back to full strength in Cedar Rapids.  The waste would be putting him at the hot corner as his athleticism and speed could help incredibly in covering ground in the OF.

The evaluations on defense for both of these guys are all over the place. Just in what I could see on MiLB.tv (not a great way to evaluate someone but the best I can do) I didn't come away super impressed with Palacios' athleticism in the field. But I've read some very positive reviews from others about his defense. BP said he was a plus-defender and a solid runner. If I was more convinced that was the case, I'd probably have had him inside my top 15 as opposed to 21st.

 

Well BA has him as the Twins 31st prospect and had  this to say about Jermaine's defense:

He has above average arm strength and moves better to his right, which should allow him to stay at SS as he climbs the ladder.

From what I saw in the FSL, I'd agree, but he better hit well from the beginning as he is likely starting in the FSL again and has Royce and Wander nipping at his heels.

Release him. We have too many shortstops.

I'd rather has someone with a 70 arm (Sano) at third base.  55 arm is at Polanco territory FWIW...

Yes, while a 70 arm is ideal (and is the grade BA gave Wander Javier' arm), its not necessary especially if the footwork is there.  And no Polanco was never graded out as a 55 arm, here's what was said about him in the 2016 BA Handbook where he was ranked #6 in the organization:

showing fairly soft hands but an average arm that strains to match the added burden of the position. His range is merely average and his play clock gets sped up, leading to unforced errors

If you want to comp Lewis' SS arm within the organization it's more similar to Gordon's which is graded as a 55-60 at the position.

Please elaborate on this solution.

I'm making fun of the people who think we need to trade a SS ASAP....even though the likelihood of any of them (Gordon, Lewis, Javier) sticking as SS isn't a given....maybe even not likely.

Why does it seem like any shortstop prospect we ever have ends up a tweener that needs to move positions?

Not sure, exactly, but I seem to feel more optimistic about the four guys behind him on this list: Rooker, Enlow, Badoo and Graterol.