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Stated here by Seth Stohs, the Twins will be tested to “trust the system” down the stretch. Way back in November, I looked at a handful of prospects that Minnesota would be inclined to call up during the 2017 season. Of the eight names mentioned, two have been promoted, with three remaining as possible call ups. The two promoted, Trevor Hildenberger and Zack Granite, more than had to convince their way up, however.
When it comes to trusting the system, players like Hildenberger, Granite and Alan Busenitz should serve as cases in point. While not all prospects see the same level of success before rising to the big leagues, each player in that trio saw a significant amount of success prior to promotion, and has continued to show value at the MLB level.
In the bullpen, Hildenberger has pitched 15.1 innings to the tune of a 3.52 ERA. His delivery creates problems for big league hitters, and that’s equated to an 8.2 K/9 with just a 1.8 BB/9. He’s had a rough outing or two, but has already begun to rise in the confidence-shown-in-him department. Busenitz finds himself in a similar situation, having been sent down despite production suggesting he not be demoted. Now 9.2 IP into his 2017 MLB season, he owns a 1.86 ERA backed by a decent 2.8 BB/9. The 3.7 K/9 is a far cry from the 9.9 K/9 he owned at Triple-A, but should continue to trend upward.
Both bullpen arms have shown well and Granite has followed suit in the outfield, a poor decision in Los Angeles notwithstanding. Granite now has 14 MLB games under his belt with a .327 OBP. After starting slow, he’s climbed back to a .255 average and owns an even 5/5 K/BB. He was never going to show power at the highest level, and his game has continued to be one of speed and defense.
If the Twins continue down the path they are on, one of either standing pat or selling, trusting the system is something they should fully get behind. 2018 represents a realistic opportunity for the organization to compete at a playoff level, and finding out a bit more regarding internal options is hardly a bad decision.
Mitch Garver is currently tearing up Triple-A Rochester. He owns a .926 OPS and has a very strong .387 OBP. Given his positional flexibility to help out not just behind the plate, he would seem an immediate upgrade over current backup Chris Gimenez. Triple-A arms like Aaron Slegers (3.35 ERA across 18 starts), Jake Reed (1.84 ERA in 14.2 IP), and Mason Melotakis (1.80 ERA in 10.0 IP) all have legitimate claims to a roster spot. Dipping down a level lower, both top pitching prospects Stephen Gonsalves and Fernando Romero could benefit from big league time this year.
As the summer fades into fall, the Twins shouldn’t be packing it in, but rather competing, and doing so by figuring out who may be able to immediately help in 2018. While spring training is a nice launching pad, it’s hard to learn much against watered down competition. Playing some key players prior to September could yield strong results and help to lay the foundation for the winter acquisition season.
There’s no doubt you don’t want to ruin prospects by exposing them too soon, but at the end of the day, the goal is to have them compete at the highest level. No number of stats accumulated on the farm mean anything in the long run, and there’s a group of prospects who have already shown they were ready well before their call this season. With the final third of the season fast approaching, Minnesota stands to benefit by trusting their system, and letting the development take its next step.
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