Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month - May 2019

I never liked the Diaz pick.  Thought he would be a fat, slow, swing and miss 1st baseman.  I am very impressed at what great shape he appears to be in and the way he is hitting the ball is even more impressive.  HR's are hard to come by in the FS league and he doesn't appear to be having trouble. He has a good eye at the plate as his K rate is just under 20%.  He doesn't walk much but making contact is just as important as walk rate and he can barrel up the ball.  Congrats to Lewin on proving my assumptions wrong and having a Fantastic month of May.

Thanks Seth for doing these each month, it is appreciated.

Seeing that .385 average and 1.025 OPS from Raley, surprised he didn't make the Top 5.  Was it because he got injured and only played about half the month?

Count me amongst those who had forgotten about Diaz by the end of last year.  Considering he was Rule 5 eligible and no one selected him in last December's draft, guess the rest of baseball also forgot about him.  Doubt he will be eligible this December, eh Seth?

And it is always good seeing first round picks doing well.  Twins may have gotten it right last June.  Would be great to get a top starter with a mid-round pick.

Interesting list of hitters. A few tips of the hat:

• Lewin Diaz - I hope they move him to Pensacola soon. He needs to face pitchers who will force him to be more selective. He pretty much destroyed A+ ball in May.
• Aaron Whitefield - I have no idea why I cheer for the Aussies. Maybe because they aren't from a baseball hotbed. He's still only 22 and seems to be a legit defensive CF. Still too many Ks but he's making progress. I'm happy for the guy.
• Luke Raley - Honorable Mention? The guy just doesn't get enough love. Too many Ks here too, but plenty to like. 
• Jaylin Davis - He has methodically made his way through the system. Time to move him to AAA - whenever they feel Larnach is ready for Pensacola. He might end up a AAAA OF, but I'm cheering for him. 

I'm aware the last three players are not top prospects. They deserve some respect because they're making themselves hard to replace.

Thanks for the work, Seth!

I didn't even mention Blankenhorn... Welcome back to top-prospect land, Travis!

Fort Myers may have to change its name?

*Maulers?

*Flight Zone?

*Bat Flips?

Thanks Seth for doing these each month, it is appreciated.

 

Seeing that .385 average and 1.025 OPS from Raley, surprised he didn't make the Top 5.  Was it because he got injured and only played about half the month?

 

Count me amongst those who had forgotten about Diaz by the end of last year.  Considering he was Rule 5 eligible and no one selected him in last December's draft, guess the rest of baseball also forgot about him.  Doubt he will be eligible this December, eh Seth?

 

And it is always good seeing first round picks doing well.  Twins may have gotten it right last June.  Would be great to get a top starter with a mid-round pick.

I think he's actually been rule 5 eligible for the past two rule 5 drafts... if he keeps this up, he's going to join a long line of guys the Twins need to add to the 40 man roster.

I wouldn't mind if they traded Diaz in a package for a pitcher. Not sure how much value he has at this point, however.

Harsh on Larnach! But I can't disagree.

This is one of the things not to like about rankings: there are times when two or more deserve the prize (and times when no one does).

I think he's actually been rule 5 eligible for the past two rule 5 drafts... if he keeps this up, he's going to join a long line of guys the Twins need to add to the 40 man roster.

 

I wouldn't mind if they traded Diaz in a package for a pitcher. Not sure how much value he has at this point, however.

I thought they would have a lot of problems getting everyone protected this year also.  Then took a look.  Smerltzer is no longer a concern as he is on the roster.  I see 8 or 9 players that will likely be added: Blankenhorn, Jax, Hackimer, Diaz, Raley, Alcala, Graterol, Duran and Javier.  There are a few others that could play themselves into consideration by fall, but the above group probably need to be added or lost.  When I look at the current 40-man, there are lots of players that will either be gone or can be removed so I don't see this being a problem. 

Lucky for you he never was a pick and never really was fat. He signed as an International free agent and was 6'4 185 Lbs before the last couple years of bulking up. He's also hit quite a few triples in his pro career, so he hasn't been that slow. also has never had a bad K rate too. must be thinking of a different player.

 

Congrats to Lewin, well deserved!

Yeah I should have said signed but the Twins did PICK him over other IFA's so I used the word pick.  He never was fat but I had heard things about him needing to watch his conditioning I assumed that meant not to get too heavy or that there was at least a concern he would get too heavy.  As for slow MLB.com had him as a 30 runner to me that is not that fast but maybe they made a typo?  Never said he had a bad K rate just that he was under 20 percent with a good eye.  Below is MLB's scoutng report on him.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

The Twins signed Diaz out of the Dominican Republic in 2013 for $1.4 million, then watched him struggle a bit during his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2014 and again in the Gulf Coast League in 2015. Things really started to click in the Appalachian League in 2016 and he made a successful move to full-season ball that included a Midwest League All Star nod in 2017. He didn't back that up with a strong performance in the Florida State League in 2018 and a fractured right thumb sidelined him in late July.

Diaz's value lies in his offensive potential from the left side of the plate. Over the past two seasons, he's shown an ability to make consistent contact and drive the ball to all fields. He has tremendous raw power that he is still learning to tap into and it has been really encouraging that he has kept his strikeouts low and hasn't sold out to try to hit the ball over the fence. A below-average runner, Diaz will be a first baseman only and should be capable enough to not be a liability there.

As long as Diaz continues to watch his conditioning and continues to refine his approach at the plate, he should fit the profile of a run-producing first baseman in the future. He'll play all of the 2018 season at age 21.

Of that group, I would say that Alcala, Graterol, Duran and Javier are the givens. The others will be about roster spot availability. I think Blankenhorn and Jax would be next in line... But if Diaz keeps this up, then yes, he will need to be added too. Plenty of roster spots to add more though. 

Next year's expanded roster might allow an awful team to stash someone like Raley, or maybe even Blankenhorn or Diaz. I could see Raley selected by Baltimore or SF.

Glad to see Rortvedt and Jeffers both doing so well.

I just want to note the name “Yeltsin Encarnacion.”

Also, good job Gordon, Raley, Rortvedt, Jeffers, Blankenhorn, Larnach, and Diaz. Quite a few of the kids had very good months! Now let’s hope Royce Lewis gets going.

All impressive, but Blankenhorn is the most pleasant surprise this year!