Twins Daily 2020 Top Prospects: 16-20

Have always liked José Miranda reminds me a lot of Arraez.  Guy who appears to control the strike zone and doesn’t strike out.  Miranda appears to be a better and versatile fielder.

Colina is a guy you should say could be #1 on this list. Throw hard reaching 100 if his secondary stuff comes along at AA he has top of the rotation potential.  Looks like we might see him in spring training.

Nice list.  All of us knew the Twins farm system was deep.  We are just finding out how deep. These will be good for the next several years, assuming maybe 30% of them (or a little more make it).

That's a nice group of prospects for 16-20. 

You guys at TD do such a great job with the minor leagues, especially these rankings.  Some of us older guys really appreciate it...thanks!

After reading this today, went back and looked at the Honorable Mention.  Can't believe that Dobnak and Rortvedt aren't among your Twins Top 20.  Personally believe that Mr. Dobnak is gonna make believers of a lot of people when he spends 2020 as a starter for the Twins. 

And this group is #16-20?  Guessing that at least two have the potential to someday be Top 5.  Can see most of these five as bottom of the Top 10 for most organizations or the Twins several years ago.  So thankful that this FO is sticking to their business plan to develop a minor league pipeline that should keep the Twins competitive for a long time.  Now lets hope like he..ck that their pipeline continues sending exciting young pitchers to the Twins this year.      

I am ready for Colina and others that are soon to be on your list to push past Dobnak, Smeltzer, Thorpe, Chacin, and others that will be in camp.  I want a young phenom to take a roster spot.  I was hoping it would be Graterol but the Twins have already eliminated him.  

It will be interesting to see how all of the prospects move up and into the majors over the next few years, with the way all of the starters are signed to contracts for a couple more years.

Either the guys on the team now will be moved for more pieces and these guys end up on the Twins, or the guys in the prospect pool could be traded for stronger pieces.

Good problem to have, I suppose.

Speaking of Miranda, what was the highest you had him a few years back?  Was he ever Top 10?

Very exciting to see players in the 16-20 range with upside and that have played in AA already. These guys should be pushing into AAA and potential call up range by seasons end.

On this list I am most excited about Sands.  I didn't expect much from a 5th round pick with not particularly great College stats so he has exceeded expectations for me.  His numbers from A ball to AA never really wavered which tells me his stuff plays well and he has the control needed to make it in MLB.  He goes right after hitters and dares them to hit his stuff.  I know most scouts have him as a  number 5 but I really think he ends up a three.  I know it was just one year but I was really, really impressed with what he was able to do.

I had high hopes for Miranda this past year and he really let me down.  I know he was very young for the level and high A is tough on hitters but I thought he would at least manage a 700 something OPS the meager 650 he hit left me thinking what happened to that power stroke?  He has time to right the ship but he is rule V eligible at the end of this year so he needs to perform like the great player I know he can become.

Given the reports I have read I question if Colina is a starter or not.  Still love his stuff but it feels like he is missing that quality third pitch he needs to be a starter. Maybe he finds it this year hard to say but without it I think he gets exposed as he moves up.  If he does fail as a starter he should be a really good pen arm.  He always seem to have good stats it was really just control holding him back but he looked better last year so here's hoping he finds a way to stick in the rotation.

It is a very nice 16-20.  Hoping to see improvement from these guys this year. We definitely need the pitchers to step up.  Right now I am an optimistic believer in these guys.

Just in case people were wondering, here's how these guys ranked for us individually:

 

Miranda:

Seth 16

Nick 29

Tom 18

Cody 17

 

Sands: 

Seth 19

Nick 22

Tom 19

Cody 18

 

Blankenhorn:

Seth 18

Nick 18

Tom 17

Cody 25

 

Urbina: 

Seth 27

Nick 19

Tom 14

Cody 16

 

Colina:

Seth 12

Nick 14

Tom 29

Cody 14

Think Seth is way too low on Urbina and Tom is way too low on Colina.

Let's get the season started and we'll all find out!

Sorry to appear like a Miranda-hater, but I’ve seen his name here for years and am just not getting it.  All the guy seems to do is hit .250 every year, without power, and yet someone above mentioned Arraez as a comp....excuse me?

Someone please tell me, because I don’t know; what is the HONEST ceiling for José Miranda, if he reaches the majors??  I can’t see him as any more than banjo-hitting UTIL and yet he’s constantly in the TD Top 20 lists with guys like Sands, Colina and Blankenhorn who “look” superior to me.

1] No knock on Miranda, and I know he's still really young, but I just sort of keep waiting for that breakthrough season.

2] Really unsure what the ceiling is for Sands, but how could anyone at this point. But could you ever have expected a better debut season? With a couple guys graduating from rookie status and another year this good, top 10 next year???

3] Like most young pitchers, I have also read the 3rd pitch isn't there yet for Colina. Biggest knock I think I've heard is lack of height in regard to downward plane, etc. Guy can bring it. Really hoping the secondary stuff really settles in soon.

4] Blankenhorn has always reminded me of a great multi sport athlete who goes to college to play football and finally gets to concentrate fully on a single sport. Were that to be true, he would now be physically and mentally ready to make a big push in what would probably be his junior year.

In other words, he started to make a move and is now ready to really show off.

Have always liked José Miranda reminds me a lot of Arraez.  Guy who appears to control the strike zone and doesn’t strike out. 

Except unlike Arraez Jose doesn't get on base.  When you see Miranda come to the plate and at 3B the one thing you cannot get over is that he is  huge.  One of the biggest infielders I have seen play for the Miracle Mussels.   

But there is something missing in his swing.  I am not sure what it is, but the results are just not good enough.

Thanks for doing these! Just fun and interesting.

I'm with Tom on Colina. A hard-throwing 5-11 (if that) guy that can rack up innings to be a year-after-year reliable starter? Doubtful. Not never...but doubtful. FWIW...we question a 21-year-old Graterol because he's never been able to exceed 102 innings pitched in a season. Colina's max is 109 innings...last year was less than 100. I would evaluate him lower as a potential guy on the back end of a bullpen.