Leaderboard

It is fairly easy to remember how long Mike Radcliff has been in the organization. He joined the Minnesota Twins as an area scout in 1987 after four years as a scout for the Major League Scouting Bureau. A native of Kansas City, he became the Twins Midwest Supervisor in 1988. In 1993, Radcliff was named the team’s Director of Scouting and was in charge of all of the area scouts, regional supervisors, and cross-checkers. It was in that role that he was ultimately responsible for the Twins draft picks. While no Scouting Director bats 1.000 with their picks, Radcliff had many successes during his tenure. He is the guy who drafted Twins first-round picks such as Torii Hunter (1993), Todd Walker (1994), Mark Redman (1995), Michael Cuddyer (1997), Joe Mauer (2001), Denard Span (2002), Trevor Plouffe and Glen Perkins (2004), and Matt Garza (2005). He found other good players in later rounds as well. In 2007, he was promoted to the team’s Vice President of Player Personnel. It was a step up. He continued to work in the scouting group with new Scouting Director Deron Johnson and his staff, but he also worked more with the international scouting and the pro scouting departments. He traveled all over the world to watch baseball talent. He worked with Fred Guerrero in scouting the Dominican and Venezuela. He played a big role in that 2009 international signing class that included Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, and Miguel Sano. He has been fighting pancreatic cancer for the past few years but was still involved with Player Personnel decisions. Mike Radcliff was always really nice to me. During the early years of SethSpeaks dot net, I would send him questions for Q&As on players, and he was always generous with his responses. He didn’t just give the short answer to get it done with. He always replied. From those responses, I learned a couple of things about him. First, he was obviously very knowledgeable about every player in the organization. I get that is his job, but he could provide detail on over 200 players plus past players and players from other organizations that he had watched. The other thing I learned from those interactions was that he could be brutally honest. Just because I was a blogger from Nowheresville, it didn’t matter. One example from probably 2006 or 2007. There was a prospect who had experienced several ups and downs in his minor-league career. Frankly, his numbers were not great. There was a second minor-leaguer who played the same position and had consistently outperformed the ‘prospect’. So, one of my questions was about the two and if the second player could be better than the higher-profiled prospect. Radcliff’s response was basically to say that the prospect was clearly the better player, much more highly thought of, and definitely part of the Twins' future. Brutal honesty, but after I posted the article, I got an e-mail from the second minor leaguer's dad just saying that isn’t what he wanted to read from someone whose opinions carried so much weight in the organization. Also, the “prospect” went on to play more than a decade in the big leagues. The other minor leaguer spent parts of three seasons and around 100 games in the big leagues, still a tremendous accomplishment. Remember back when Twins Fest was in the Metrodome? Back then, there was a ‘Down on the Farm’ area where fans could get in line and get autographs from Twins minor leaguers. I would primarily stay right around there and talk to some of the players I’d communicated with. But a lot of times, Radcliff was there too. He was just standing in the area, observing the players and interacting with fans that might have a question. I would always find him there and stand with him and talk about baseball things but also just other things. But I would come up with questions about prospects and he would answer, again, pretty honestly. At Twins Fest 2010, we were standing there talking as one group of players was leaving and a new group was entering the area. Radcliff was observing and said to me, “Danny Valencia... Who would have thought he’d be added to the 40-man roster?” Valencia had mashed throughout the minor leagues, but despite a solid college career at Miami, he fell to the 19th round of the 2006 draft. Oh, and just try to give him credit for a draft pick he made making it to the big leagues, or becoming a star. Radcliff would stop you short and make sure to credit the area scout who was convicted in his belief in the player. I would see Radcliff most years down in Ft. Myers. Not at Hammond Stadium. Not in the press box. But on the back fields watching the minor leaguers. For those familiar with the back fields, there is an observation tower in between the four fields that are together. Radcliff would be up there at times, but usually, he was positioned at ground level, where he would see two fields and a bullpen. Radcliff was quiet, and again, just observing, taking it all in. You could tell he loved it, being at the ballpark, watching young players. He had scouted many of them and was now seeing them going through the development process. It’s not an exact science. He always understood that these are people. People with flaws, and people who have a lot of talent. He understood how difficult the game can be. Again, standing by him, watching him watching ballplayers was interesting. Trying to figure out what he was observing. But again, I could ask him questions, and he would respond thoroughly. It was always funny when a member of the Twins front office staff would throw out a name to him, and without hesitation, Radcliff would respond with “6th round, 2004.” And he was always right. In 2011, Mike Radcliff was named the Scout of the Year in the Midwest. In 2014, he was inducted into the Professional Scouts Hall of Fame. In September 2021, he was elected to the Killebrew Root Beer Professional Scouts Hall of Fame. You can see his plaque at Hammond Stadium in Ft. Myers. In 2016, he was given the George Genovese Lifetime Achievement Award in Scouting (given by the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation). Finally, in 2021, he received the Herb Carneal Lifetime Achievement Award at the Diamond Awards. “The Minnesota Twins today mourn the loss of Mike Radcliff. Mike was the heart and soul of our scouting department for over 30 years, a man who was beloved and respected by staff, players, fellow scouts, agents, and his peers alike. One of baseball’s most revered talent evaluators, his character, work ethic, kindness, and sense of humor set the tone for our player development and evaluation processes. His baseball legacy lives on in the number of Twins Hall of Famers, All-Stars, and great teams that bear his fingerprints, while his impact as a person will be forever felt by those that knew him. In the words of his trade, Mike was the epitome of a five-tool player, and he will be greatly missed across Twins Territory. Our deepest sympathies are with his wife Sherry, son Brett, daughter Erin, and the entire Radcliff family during this difficult time.” In the Twins' 60+ years in Minnesota, few have had as much of an impact on the organization as Mike Radcliff. Best wishes to his family and all his friends in the Twins organization.

The outliers of the top 10 Twins prospects feature names that became more commonly known to avid Twins fans this last season. Two pitchers and three hitters are a part of this section of the rankings, and all have great potential to be big names for the Twins in the coming seasons. Here are the 11-15 ranked prospects going into the 2023 season. 15. RHP Matt Canterino Age: 25 2022 (Rk, AA): 12 starts, 37 IP, 1.95 ERA, 34.7% K, 15.3% BB Canterino showed great flashes of success at Double-A Wichita last season posting a 1.95 ERA in 37 innings pitched. His pitches are still ranked at an average level in scouting grads with his slider and change-up as the outliers graded at 60 per FanGraphs, putting those pitches slightly above average. The greatest struggle that Canterino has had in his professional career so far is his command of the strike zone. Canterino can top out at 97 and 98 mph with his fastball and if he can get his command under control as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, that can make him a greater threat to hitters on the mound. The downside for Canterino is he is going to miss most, if not all, of the 2023 season due to undergoing Tommy John surgery last August. If things progress well, there is a slight chance he could see some time on the mound come September. 14. SS Noah Miller Age: 20 2022 (A): 108 games, .212/.348/.279, 12 2B, 2 HR, 23/30 SB, 23.5% K, 16.2% BB Noah Miller, the Twins second, first-round pick in 2021 out of high school in Wisconsin, played his first full season of professional ball in Ft. Myers. While his offense didn't develop, he did work counts, take his walks and put the ball in play. His power was limited to just two home runs and a .279 slugging percentage. Miller is still very young, having just turned 20 in November. There is still room and plenty of time for his power to develop. He is seen more as a contact hitter, that being his best attribute with a scouting grade of 60 according to FanGraphs. He is already arguably the best defensive shortstop in the Twins minor leagues right now. He provided consistency and the occasional web gem for the Mighty Mussels. No surprise as those who watched some spring training games saw what he could do late in big-league spring games. The hope for Miller is to develop his all-around game in 2023 to reach High-A Cedar Rapids before the season's end. 13. RHP David Festa Age: 23 2022 (A/A+): 18 starts, 103.2 IP, 2.43 ERA, 23.1% K, 8.6% BB David Festa pitched in only four games after being drafted in the 13th round by the Twins in 2021. In 2022, he became a starter and worked 103 2/3 innings. His story is very similar to Louie Varland's a year earlier. Day 3 draft pick dominated in the two A-ball levels. Now, Festa will have to show what he can do against hitters in the upper levels of the minor leagues. Festa’s performance across the 2022 season showed great development in his pitch command. His 34 walks to 108 strikeouts between Low-A and High-A brought about a 3.18 K/BB ratio, which shows great potential for better command development in his second full season. The scouting grade rankings for Festa still place him at an overall average ranking, but the 6’6 righty will do what he can to show he has a place in a future Twins rotation. Those numbers should change as his fastball was sitting 96-97 most of the year and touch 98 and 99 later in the season too. He will need to continue working on his secondary pitches as well. 12. Yasser Mercedes Age: 18 2022 (Rk): 41 games, .355/.421/.555, 13 2B, 4 HR, 30/35 SB, 19.9% K, 10.2% BB Yasser Mercedes has only been in the Twins organization for a little over a year when he signed for $1.7 million, but he already made himself a standout in the DSL in 2022. Mercedes posted a fantastic triple slash and showed mature plate discipline for a 17-year-old across 176 plate appearances. Mercedes's skill set based on scouting grades is also a good place for him to be at his age with nothing ranking below an average grade of 50. Speed seems to be his greatest attribute as the youngster stole 30 bases in 35 attempts last season, being one of only six players in the Dominican Summer League to reach the 30 stolen base threshold. He also has power potential, plays solid defense and has a strong arm. It will still be a long while before Mercedes ends up in a Twins uniform, but the potential this 18-year-old has shown indicates that he could be the Twins' best prospect a couple of years from now. 11. Matt Wallner Age: 25 2022 (AA/AAA): 128 games, .277/.412/.542, 32 2B, 27 HR, 9/14 SB, 31.3% K, 18.1% BB The Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2022 and Forest Lake native made a name for himself throughout the 2022 season. Matt Wallner may have the best throwing arm in the outfield in all of the Twins organization right now, and he will have a chance to show it off at CHS Field and Target Field in 2023. Wallner’s power as a left-handed hitter also makes him a standout in the Twins system. Granted, the current Twins outfield depth with Joey Gallo, Max Kepler, Nick Gordon, Michael A Taylor, Trevor Larnach, and Byron Buxton will likely leave Wallner starting his season with the St. Paul Saints. However, he will do his best like his teammate and fellow Minnesota native, Louie Varland, to make managerial choices for the 26-man roster as hard as possible. Feel free to discuss these prospects and ask as many questions as you like in the COMMENTS below. For more Twins Daily content on these five Twins prospects, click on the link with their name here: Matt Canterino, Noah Miller, David Festa, Yasser Mercedes, Matt Wallner. Previous Installments Honorable Mention Prospects 21-30 Prospects 16-20 Prospects 11-15 Prospect #10: Coming Monday!

While many would argue that the starting rotation that breaks camp in late March is still lacking a true bonafide ace, there’s no arguing that the Twins have a much deeper class of pitchers than in recent years. Take the 2022 season as an example. As the campaign opened, the big-league starting corps consisted of Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Chris Paddack, Bailey Ober, Dylan Bundy, and Chris Archer. Even with a six-man rotation, the depth was tested early on. When the calendar flipped to May, Gray, and Ober both found themselves on the IL, with Josh Winder getting the call to fill in on the now five-man rotation. Just two weeks later, Paddack succumbed to an elbow injury and was replaced by Devin Smeltzer. Just weeks after that, the Twins trotted out Cole Sands and Chi Chi Gonzalez to fill out an even more depleted staff. As you can see, things can go south rather quickly when nagging injuries rise to the surface. That’s why depth is a critical aspect of building a competitive team. And this year, the group looks much deeper on paper. Beyond their projected major-league rotation consisting of Gray, Ryan, Pablo Lopez, Tyler Mahle, and Kenta Maeda, they actually have a full staff of quality starter options stashed across the river in St. Paul. Rather than relying on the likes of Smeltzer, Gonzalez, or Sands when someone in the big-league rotation goes down, the Twins are on track to have a much stronger group of replacements. This includes top prospects Simeon Woods Richardson (No. 5 on Twins Daily’s prospect rankings), Louie Varland (No. 7) and hopefully a healthy Jordan Balazovic (No. 15). It would also presumably feature Ober and Winder, two exciting young arms that have shown flashes of belonging in the MLB despite notable injuries over the last two years. They could also look at Ronny Henriquez (No. 16) and Cole Sands in the Saints’ rotation, though both finished the 2022 campaign in the bullpen and may be best suited for that role going forward. After that collection, a group of non-roster invitees could theoretically stick around depending on what opportunities present themselves at the end of spring training. This class includes Jose De Leon, Randy Dobnak, and Dereck Rodriguez. None of these are expected to be big contributors to the big league roster, but then again, neither were Gonzalez, Sands and Aaron Sanchez in 2022. Nevertheless, this year’s crop of starting pitcher options at Triple-A looks better equipped to answer the call when the time comes. But how do they compare to the rest of the AL Central? The Cleveland Guardians have the best MLB rotation in the division thanks to staff aces Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie, as well as mid-rotation types such as Cal Quantrill, Aaron Civale, and Zach Plesac. But what if one or more go down with an injury? They’d be looking at the likes of Triple-A starters Xzavion Curry (their No. 23 ranked prospect according to Fangraphs), Hunter Gaddis (No. 37), and Konnor Pilkington. Each has already had a taste of MLB action, but none inspire much confidence. Other options include non-roster invitee Touki Toussaint, as well as Logan Allen (No. 4), but he would need to be added to their 40-man roster. On paper, the Chicago White Sox also have a strong MLB rotation to start the year. They’ll rely on stalwarts such as Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, and Dylan Cease, with Michael Kopech and Mike Clevinger (maybe?) rounding out their staff, albeit with less certainty due to an extensive injury history or off-the-field issues, respectively. Long story short, they have a likely chance of needing some reinforcements early on, and that’s where things get dicey on the south side. Next in line would be Davis Martin, Jonathan Stiever, and recent waiver-claim A.J. Alexy, who was just claimed from the Twins. All three have seen MLB action, but none have the prospect pedigree to suggest a breakout is imminent. Beyond that, the Sox are pretty short-handed thanks to a depleted farm system. The Detroit Tigers have many holes in their boat as they try to stay afloat after another front-office regime change. Starting pitching depth is among their biggest challenges. Their MLB rotation will most likely consist of Eduardo Rodriguez, Matthew Boyd, Michael Lorenzen, Matt Manning, and Spencer Turnbull. That staff would look a lot stronger if it included former top prospects Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal, but both are unlikely to be ready by opening day after having Tommy John and flexor tendon repair surgeries, respectively, in the second half of last year. Their Triple-A rotation will likely consist of Joey Wentz, Beau Brieske, Zach Logue, and Alex Faedo, who have each seen MLB action in the past year. After that, there really aren’t any top prospects or former big leaguers that project to be studying presences when the injury bug inevitably bites them. The Kansas City Royals may still be a few years away from competing for the division crown, but their starting rotation options are plentiful for the time being. Their opening day staff will likely consist of Zack Greinke, Jordan Lyles, Brady Singer, Ryan Yarbrough, and Brad Keller, pushing their younger options to Triple-A. These young arms consist of mostly high draft picks, including four pitchers that were all taken in 2018 and have made their MLB debuts. This class includes Daniel Lynch, Jonathan Heasley, Kris Bubic, and Jackson Kowar. Between them, they have combined for 674 innings at the MLB level, so they should be set when the time comes. As you can see from the rundown of the rest of the division, the Twins probably have the deepest starting pitcher corps even if it lacks the height seen in Cleveland or Chicago. The Royals have a similarly deep group at Triple-A, but their on-paper MLB rotation lacks the upside that can be seen in the Twins’ rotation. Does that mean the Twins are guaranteed to have the best pitching staff in the division? Absolutely not. But they are certainly better equipped to withstand a few injuries than they were last year. What do you think? Let us know in the comments whether you think the Twins’ pitching depth will be an asset or a liability this year.

As constructed, the Twins are an injury or two away from Trevor Megill or Emilio Pagán being thrust into high-leverage situations much more frequently than they should be. Twins fans saw last year that those pitchers are not well suited for such situations. Luckily for the Twins, in an offseason where free agents flew off the shelf, there are still a few relievers available who can provide the Twins with valuable additional depth. I've compiled a list of five of the most attractive options available, utilizing Jon Becker's extremely helpful free agent matrix. A couple are much more exciting than the rest, but any of the five could be a valuable addition to the Twins. The Best Options Matt Moore After a long and winding path that included a stop in Japan in 2020, Moore found himself amongst the elite relievers in 2022 as a 33-year-old. It was his first season as a full-time reliever, and he thrived in that role. With increased fastball velocity and heavy usage of a faster curveball with more vertical break, Moore completely dominated right-handed hitters as a lefty. He had an elite 11.17 K/9 vs. righties, allowing just a .537 OPS. He was good against lefties, too, with fewer strikeouts but still giving up an OPS of just .634. His dominance against righties, paired with his solid performance against lefties, resulted in a ridiculous 1.95 ERA and 2.98 FIP, a statistic that removes defense from the ERA equation to focus on what the pitcher can control. While his results indicated reverse splits, meaning he was better against right-handed hitters as a left-handed pitcher, he had a worse FIP (3.08) against righties than lefties (2.70). He will likely have more neutral splits moving forward, meaning he may be equally good against righties and lefties. The Twins have a few solid lefties in Caleb Thielbar, Jovani Moran, and Danny Coulombe, but bringing in Moore or a different lefty still could make sense for the Twins. Moran has reverse splits and will likely start the year at AAA, so Thielbar is the only lefty with normal splits vs. lefties. If Moore's splits remain reversed, he will face mostly righties anyways, and if they become more neutral, he would give Thielbar a partner against lefties. Moore is coming off a great season and is one of the best free agent options available to add to the bullpen. Andrew Chafin Like Matt Moore, Andrew Chafin had a great 2022 as a veteran left-handed reliever. Chafin also had reverse splits in 2022 with Detroit. Unlike Moore, Chafin has made a tremendous career as a reliever, having not started since he made three starts in 2014 as a rookie. Chafin has a career-long sample size of traditional splits, where he's been better against lefties than righties. Chafin was not quite as dominant as Moore in 2022, still posting an outstanding 2.83 ERA and 3.06 FIP. Chafin's track record of being a reliable middle reliever or setup man makes him an excellent option for the Twins. He would considerably raise the floor of the bullpen unit and be much more trustworthy in high-leverage situations than the guys whose innings he'd be replacing. Adding a back-end-level reliever also helps the rest of the bullpen by pushing everybody below him down one slot in the pecking order. Chafin is also the ideal prototype of a reliever. He put up a 10.52 K/9 in 2022 while only giving up 2.98 BB/9. He also kept the ball on the ground far more than he had since 2017, which is a great way to keep the ball in the ballpark. That combination is exactly what any team is looking for when holding the lead. Chafin would be an excellent addition to the strong Twins' bullpen, pitching in the middle or late innings. Best of the Rest Michael Fulmer Converting from starter to reliever in 2021, Michael Fulmer posted a 2.97 ERA and 3.46 FIP and followed that with a solid 2022, putting up a 3.39 ERA and 3.57 FIP. Of course, his solid 2022 led the Twins to trade for Fulmer at the trade deadline. His performance was less dominant when he came over but was solid for the Twins, with a 3.70 ERA and 4.13 FIP. He is not without some flaws. Fulmer's slider is an elite pitch, which makes him dominant against righties, but he struggles mightily against lefties, giving up a hideous .960 OPS. With the three-batter minimum, this type of reliever is less valuable than it once was, but the Twins can still pick spots where his skillset is appropriate, especially in the middle innings. It's possible the Twins could work with Fulmer to improve his fastball or changeup to perform better against left-handed hitters, but they likely would have already signed him if they had such a plan. Fulmer is a very solid pitcher who would add depth to the bullpen. Unlike Moore and Chafin, he would likely slot into the middle innings rather than the highest-leverage situations. Brad Hand In recent off-seasons, the Twins were in the relief market, and in those off-seasons, Chaska's own, Brad Hand, has come up amongst some Twins fans. The 32-year-old has starred in relief since moving to the bullpen full-time in 2016. From 2016-20, Hand had an ERA below 3.30- usually below three and a FIP below 3.20. The southpaw’s extended run of excellence ended in 2021, when he got crushed, with a 3.90 ERA and extremely concerning 4.58 FIP. He went from a great strikeout pitcher to well below average, which seems most responsible for his demise. Not all pitchers necessarily rely on strikeouts and whiffs, but Hand gave up a lot of hard contact when the whiffs and strikeouts went away. In 2022, Hand's 2.80 ERA indicated that he still might have something left to give. Unfortunately, his 3.93 FIP indicates that he still isn't somebody to be trusted. The strikeouts dipped further, but he did at least do a great job of keeping the ball in the ballpark. Still, his batted ball data mirrored his tough 2021 much more than the prior five great years. Anecdotally, when I asked my obnoxious Philly fan friend about him, he said, "Ugh, he's the worst." This sentiment, of course, perfectly lines up with the underlying data. Some pitchers beat the batted ball data and FIP and produce low ERAs as Hand did in 2022. Maybe he can do it again, and if he can, it would be worth bringing him home to Minnesota on a low-risk one-year deal. Will Smith As many of the right-handed reliever free agents were scooped up already, Will Smith is one last lefty to take a look at. The 33-year-old former all-star struggled in 2021 and 2022, but there are some reasons to think he can still help a team out in his batted ball data. Smith's 3.97 ERA and 4.26 FIP in 2022 may not tell the entire story for his season. His 22 innings in Houston after being traded from Atlanta were very solid. He had a 3.27 ERA and a phenomenal 2.66 FIP after the trade compared to a 4.38 ERA and 5.22 FIP before the trade. Looking at the batted ball data from 2021 and 2022, Will Smith looks like a reliable reliever but not the star he once was. The Twins could use the guy the data indicates he is. In 2022, Smith had a 3.57 xERA; in 2021, he had a 3.37 xERA—an above-average strikeout rate, whiff rate, and barrel rate drove this success. Smith also dominated against lefties but struggled against righties, so with Jovani Moran's reverse splits, Smith would serve as the Twins' second lefty behind Thielbar, which could be important when Thielbar is unavailable. Smith has always struggled with walks and no longer flaunts elite strikeout rates like he once did. But he's still a well above-average pitcher by the batted ball data, and when considering his numbers against the current bottom of the bullpen pecking order, bringing him in is a no-brainer. The Twins' bullpen could be as good as any in recent memory. That's the nature of having Jhoan Duran. There are other outstanding pitchers with Duran in the bullpen, but signing Moore or Chafin would solidify the bullpen as one of the best in baseball. Even adding one of the free agents from the "Best of the Rest" category would go a long way. If they solidify the unit, Twins fans should be able to breathe easily late in ball games, for once.