Twins Daily Top 20 Prospect Updates (Part 1: 11-20)

As you read, think about your own top 20 Twins prospect list and think about how it might look now.

#20 – OF – Amaurys Minier – Extended Spring Training

The 19-year-old from the Dominican begins this season by remaining back in extended spring training. He played for the Gulf Coast League, and unless something crazy happens, he should spend the short-season with the Elizabethton Twins.

Status: Flat

#19 – OF – Travis Harrison – Chattanooga Lookouts

Harrison made the jump to AA and has been solid. Through his first 30 games, he is hitting .280/.389/.430 (.819) with and league-leading ten doubles and two home runs. After playing left field last year, he has played right field so far this year. He already has three errors this season. He hit .269/.361/.365 (.726) with 33 doubles and three home runs in Ft. Myers a year ago. He will be 22-years-old through the 2015 season.

Status: Slightly Up

#18 – RH RP – Jake Reed – Chattanooga Lookouts

Reed was the Twins fifth-round draft pick in 2014. Between Elizabethton (4 games) And Cedar Rapids (16 games), he went 3-0 with a 0.29 ERA. In 31 innings, he walked three and struck out 39. He then gave up just one run in 12.2 innings during the Arizona Fall League. He skipped High-A Ft. Myers, and began the 2015 season with the Lookouts. It has been a rocky start for him. He is 1-2 with a 5.14 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP in 14 innings over 11 games. He has been better of late. He has not allowed a run in five of his last six games. The 22-year-old does have four walks and 16 strikeouts in 14 innings.

Status: Slightly Down

#17 – C – Stuart Turner – Chattanooga Lookouts

Turner was the Twins third-round pick in 2013. He skipped Low-A Cedar Rapids in 2014 and spent the whole season in Ft. Myers. He made the jump to AA Chattanooga. Like last year, he is off to a slow start with the bat. Through his first 23 games, he is hitting .213/.304/.288 (.592) with three doubles and a walk-off home run. His defense is what he is best known for. He has thrown out 39% of would-be base stealers. He will be 23-years-old through the season.

Status: Flat

#16 – RH SP – Tyler Duffey – Chattanooga Lookouts

Duffey had a strong 2014 season in which he pitched in Ft. Myers, New Britain and ended with three starts in Rochester. After getting an invitation to big league spring training, he was sent back to AA, this time to Chattanooga. In his first seven starts of the season the 24-year-old is 2-2 with a 2.76 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. In 45.2 innings, he has walked nine and struck out 42. Along with J.O. Berrios and D.J. Baxendale, the Lookouts have a strong pitching staff.

Status: Flat

#15 – LH SP – Taylor Rogers – Rochester Red Wings

Like Duffey, Taylor Rogers was invited to spring training with the Twins this year. The left-hander had a strong season in 2014 with New Britain. He went 11-6 with a 3.29 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in 145 innings. He was pushed up to Rochester where he has been successful. In his most recent start, he gave up five runs in five innings, but he gave up all five of them in that fifth inning. Overall, he is 2-2 with a 3.56 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP, though both of those numbers were significantly better before that fifth inning. In 43 innings, he has walked 18 and struck out 40.

Status: Flat

#14 – OF – Adam Brett Walker – Chattanooga Lookouts

The 23-year-old from Milwaukee continues to be a big power bat in the middle of a dominant Lookouts lineup. In 30 games, he has hit .252/.300/.559 (.859) with seven doubles and a league-leading nine home runs. He continues to strike out a lot without walking much (120 plate appearances, eight walks, 41 strikeouts), but the power is very legit. He flip-flopped positions with Travis Harrison, so he is in left field this year.

Status: Slightly Up

#13 – LH SP – Stephen Gonsalves – Cedar Rapids Kernels

A year ago, the lefty made six starts for Elizabethton before being promoted and making eight starts in Cedar Rapids. That’s where he began his 2015 season. He was just named the Twins minor league pitcher of the month by the Twins after being named the Twins Daily starting pitcher of the month. In his first five starts, he is 3-1 with a 1.41 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP. In 32 innings, he has issued seven walks and struck out 43. It is very possible, and probably likely, that he will be promoted to Ft. Myers well before his 21^st birthday in July.

Status: Up

#12 – OF/1B – Max Kepler – Chattanooga Lookouts

A year ago, Kepler played in 102 games with Ft. Myers and hit .264/.333/.393 (.726) with 20 doubles, six triples and five home runs. He missed time due to health. He then posted a .806 OPS in the Arizona Fall League. He had a good showing this spring, though it was again shortened by injury. That’s why he began the season by playing six games in Ft. Myers before moving up to the Chattanooga Lookouts. After a slow start, he has been red hot of late. In his past ten games, he has hit .432/.462/.595 (1.056) with four doubles and a triple. Overall, he is hitting .328.

Status: Slightly Up

#11 – LH SP – Lewis Thorpe – Out for the Season

Thorpe was one of the youngest players in the Midwest League after his June promotion to the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He pitched through the whole season, but in his last start, he hurt his elbow. He rehabbed throughout the season. He pitched some in spring training, but he had a set back and in late March, he had Tommy John surgery.

Status: Slightly Down

There is part 1 of our Top 20 Update, a look at how the Twins Daily Prospects 11-20 have started their 2015 seasons. Check back tomorrow for updates on the Twins Daily Top 10 Minnesota Twins Prospects.