2017 Twins Minor League Storylines: Sixth-Year Guys

All these guys need to show something this year or I wouldn't protect any of them. Here's my take:

Levi Michael is not going to hit MLB pitching. If taking a guy who hits .215 in AA and moving him to AAA is the answer then you are asking a very odd question.

Travis Harrison hasn't hit for an OPS of >.730 since low A ball in 2013. This is not going to be acceptable for a corner OF.

David Hurlbut is 27 years old. He had a WHIP >1.3 and 6.0 SO/9 in AA last year. How he got promoted to AAA (where he had a WHIP of 1.538) is a mystery to me.

Baseball is cruel. It is a very demanding game and many great athletes (like, say, Michael Jordan) try it and find that they just can't do it.

Rodriguez has really only pitched two years. His WHIP was too high but it was better when he moved to A+ in a small sample size. This might be promising. I believe they will want to give him enough rope to either hang himself or use it to climb to AA. He needs to get to at least AA this year, as he will be 25 years old in June.

Jason Wheeler should be on the list of pitchers who are considered for MLB action this year. I've read several times that his pitches are not overpowering, but he has good control (1.197 WHIP & 3.05 SO/W in AAA in 2016) and manages to keep his ERA down. It will be interesting to see if he gets to the Show if he continues to pitch like 2016.

Fun stuff to ponder. Thanks Seth!

If the Twins had gone into total rebuild mode, jettisoning their salaried starters and throwing an all rookie staff out there, Jason Wheeler would've made it for quite a few starts. You can argue if he is a better choice than Duffey, who should probably be in the bullpen, but with the arms in the wings the Twins have so many on-the-edge players that MIGHT get an opportunity in another organization, but probably not the Twins. All the guys mentioned above could depart the Twins and PROBABLY (sadly) not be missed. How time passes you by, or you are replaced at the higher level and kept back because of some minor league veteran contract, of which the Twins have many this season -- be interesting to see how THAT shakes out.

You always hope guys like this might get a glimmer of a chance and would thrive...because it is make the majors NOW or not.

Nice article Seth. As I see it only Michael(very slim chance) and Rodriquez have a chance to make it to the bigs. Wheeler and Hurlbut are now buried as filler behind about 8-10 other starting pitchers. Harrison would have to have a monster year to get back to prospect status.

Michael has Goodrum, Escobar, Santana and the new guy(do not remember name) to surpass to get equal to this year. It will be difficult, but do not see Santana as being in a Twins uniform at the end of spring training.

Rodriquez has a lot of relievers to pass, but that is a volatile group. He will probably get a look see if he continues to develop.

Some interesting names to watch this season, especially Rodriguez and Wheeler. My biggest takeaway from this list is how underwhelming the 2011 draft class was. Yikes.  

Nice article Seth. As I see it only Michael(very slim chance) and Rodriquez have a chance to make it to the bigs. Wheeler and Hurlbut are now buried as filler behind about 8-10 other starting pitchers. Harrison would have to have a monster year to get back to prospect status.
Michael has Goodrum, Escobar, Santana and the new guy(do not remember name) to surpass to get equal to this year. It will be difficult, but do not see Santana as being in a Twins uniform at the end of spring training.
Rodriquez has a lot of relievers to pass, but that is a volatile group. He will probably get a look see if he continues to develop.

Re:  Michael - new guy is Ehire Adrianza. And you could add Engelb Vielma to that list

Good-bye been nice to know you.  I think a part of the lyrics of Supertramp wrap this up:

Goodbye stranger it's been nice

Hope you find your paradise
Tried to see your point of view
Hope your dreams will all come true

or

Now some they do and some they don't
And some you just can't tell like
And some they will and some they won't
With some it's just as well

Harrison is still pretty young, fairly athletic and has real power potential. Sooner or later though, he has to produce a quality season again. I believe this is his make or break season.

Goodrum is a guy I feel good about. He's one of those raw but "toolsy" players the Twins have loved drafting. It's taken a while to get his bat going and he has had some injuries, but he offers pop and speed and vast positional flexibility. I believe he has a pretty good shot to be what we had hoped DanSan would become.

I just don't understand the handling of Wheeler at all. He was fast-tracked initially, added to the 40 man, then was removed after a poor season. Fine. Makes sense. But he pitched well last season and even went to the all star game. He may not throw very hard, but for a 100 loss team he couldn't have been added to the roster and given a shot as a back end SP in place of Albers or Dean? He's going to be passed up pretty quickly, in fact probably already has been, but last season would have been the perfect time to audition him for a role.

...

I don't know what Wheeler needs to do to get a cup of coffee with the Twins, when they trot Andrew Albers and Pat Dean (both inferior pitchers) out there...

Exactly Thrylos. This is one of the main concerns I had last year about Terry Ryan. Both Baxendale and Wheeler had better numbers than Dean and Albers.

I agree with DocBauer though. I think they've both been passed up now.

Hmmm. Not sure I think any of these guys matter to the future of the Twins. But I've been surprised before.

True. The only one I suspect to be more than an extreme long shot to make a difference to the Twins someday is Rodriguez. As a reliever. Maybe.