mnfanforlife

Most every hardcore Twins fan is well aware of the Puerto Rican 18-year-old we picked up in last June's draft (Jose Orlando Berrios! for the rest of you). After dominating both rookie levels in 2012, this kid is screaming fast-track potential. Where can we expect this guy to finish the 2013 season? [ATTACH=CONFIG]2659[/ATTACH] J.O. is what they are gonna call him. And he should certainly get to pick his nickname after averaging 14.4 K's/9 innings as a minor-league-rookie. That is ridiculous, and 2013 will show if he can keep those numbers up as a starting pitcher. He pitched 30.2 innings with 49 K's in 2012, and opponents hit .140. Holy moly! This guy is only 6-foot-nothing, a-hundred-eighty-nothing (short and scrawny). But he generates tremendous force behind his pitches. Before the draft, the numbers and reports the Twins had on him were this: 90-93 fastball with 3/4 arm slot creating tail...78 on the slurve with hard break down and away from RHH...79 on the Change-up with heavy action in to a RHH. He was praised for his command of the off-speed stuff, especially the change-up. After checking out a few videos on youtube, I see that this kid really has an electric fastball. A low 90's fastball isn't all that impressive by itself. But J.O. has a very deliberate motion toward the plate and hides the ball extremely well, making that low 90's heat feel like mid 90's to the hitter. His breaking ball is "as advertised" and shall be an out pitch for the talented right-hander. The change-up looks like filth to me, and should prove to keep many pro-hitters from guessing on the fastball. So the real question now is this: Will the organization fast-track this kid in 2013, and allow him to move multiple levels? I am sure his performance will determine this, but the guy will only be 19. So, perhaps the organization will play it safe and limit his innings and appearances? Berrios has been described as physically mature beyond his age (whatever that means), so maybe he gets a heavier workload than someone else his age. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2660[/ATTACH] I predict: Berrios shows how his hard working attitude can produce crazy good numbers. Reports from the end of last summer had him hitting 94-96 on the gun, so he's got serious MLB potential. He may start in Elizabethton, but I see him definitely playing A ball before the season ends. If it was up to me, I would start him in Cedar Rapids and play it by ear from there. He is oh-so-ready for the low-A level, and you know it. Please leave your opinion on Berrios below. Thanks!

I dont see any of these guys taking innings from Berrios or Mata. Those two are worthy of a blog post each. But if one of these guys does become a starter next summer, they could easily join them in the Cedar Rapids starting 5.

Yeah, i know ERA can fluctuate quite a bit from year to year for relievers (and starters too for that matter). But the ERA crown often takes home the Cy Young in most cases. So, its a tough stat to keep very low throughout an entire season. Can't wait to see what these guys can do in a full season league. All of them made starts last year at some point.

Nice comparisons Seth. How bout the Taiwan kid eh? Must have insane command with those numbers.

With names like Buxton, Rosario and Sano cruising through the Gulf Coast League in recent years, have the Twins got any big-time-pitching prospects cooking in the tropics? Has anyone flown under the radar (perhaps flying through the near-by Bermuda triangle), that us Twins fans should expect to possibly contribute someday in Minnesota? I've got names and numbers, so enjoy this ride through the electric-fog wormhole that is Twinsdaily.com..... [ATTACH=CONFIG]2654[/ATTACH] (Montanez) 1. Josue Montanez - LHP This guy was a 2011--15th round pick as a junior college starter out of Miami Dade CC, where he put up solid numbers (66 innings, 70 K's, 2.59 ERA). He struggled a bit in his first season in the GCL after signing, but turned things around in a big-left-handed-way in 2012. He pitched 25 innings and had 30 K's with only 13 hits and 8 walks surrendered. Josue gave up one earned run last year and held opponents to a .149 average. Major potential for the 20-year-old. Check him out in the Puerto Rican league this winter. 2. Randy Rosario - LHP He's a skinny lefty that was signed in 2010 as a 16-year-old outta the Dominican Republic. "Rosario 2.0" showed he has the pitching production to be able to move up the minor league ranks after a very effective year as a 17-year-old in the Domincan Summer League. As an 18-year-old in the GCL in 2012, Randy played pro-ball in the USA for the first time and posted awesome numbers overall. He gave up only 19 hits in 38+ innings and K'd 42 with a 1.64 ERA (.147 BAA). Look for him to start in Elizabethton and hopefully finish in A ball, over the course of 2013. But hey, as a 19-year-old, he may get a short season and then a long break over the following winter. 3. Felix Jorge - RHP This kid is also ridiculously young and playing at a high level as a rookie in USA-pro-ball. While 18, and playing in the GCL last year, the D.R. product posted above-average numbers with his low-90's gas and plus breaker. He kept his ERA down to 2.34 in 34.2 innings. His 37/12 K/BB ratio was just fine, and his upside is crazy considering he looks like he is about 15. Look for this guy to make big Caribbean waves moving forward and maybe end up on the top 20 prospects list in 2-3 years. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2655[/ATTACH] (Jorge) 4. Kuo Hua Lo - RHP Take a look at what this Taiwanese 20-year-old did in the GCL last year. He didn't necessarily overpower hitters with mid to upper-90's stuff, but he is said to be able to sit in the low-90's with excellent command. His numbers sure were dominant-looking, even if he isn't going to be a dominant type moving forward. His WHIP was 0.78...!! and his BB/9 innings is at 1.59...! The best stat for me is this: 1.13 ERA in 39.2 innings. I think about baseball a lot, and ERA is the MOST important stat for a pitcher in my opinion. Your starter's ERA is what you're facing, on average, as an offense (until or if the starter exits, obviously). So Lo's 1.13 ERA is outstanding, to say the least. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2656[/ATTACH] (Lo) There are plenty of other arms that had great seasons in the GCL for the Twins. Check em out and let us know why they should be on this list.

Haha! Nothing would make me happier than to see Kepler speed past Sano on their way to Minnesota. However, it looks like Kepler is a year behind Sano/Rosario for now anyway. YES, Kepler's ability to hit for power and limit his strikeouts is a major + in his quest to move fast up the ladder. Again, nothing would make me happier than to see these talented prospects skip AAA (if they prove MLB worthy at AA).

Im sorry, but this makes no sense to me. Why would the twins trade Berrios after he dominated last year in rookie ball, and we need starting pitching more than anything. It would make much more sense (if we did trade for Bauer) to unload hitting prospects/MLB talent and keep a gem like Berrios. He may be a long ways from pitching in Minnesota, but he is dang good and it would be foolish to lose him while the organization is desperate for young, quality, starting pitching prospects.

Wow! Now this is pitching prospect. If I were T.Ryan, I would have to take a long look at the list of prospects we have to offer for Bauer. After checking on the D-Backs needs....They wouldn't want Morneau, Willingham, or Span/Revere. We are not givinig up Berrios. They wont want any of our minor league OF's. So that means Sano and/or Rosario would be the center piece of any trade for Bauer?

But if we just trust trust trust, then we'd have nothing to talk about. jk

Totally agree. I might have to make my own list just to stay sane.

should be used sparingly

You bet!

Plus, neither Morales nor Benson displayed the type of discipline that Max showed at the plate in 2012. Nothing is guaranteed but I see Kepler being much more MLB ready when he has the experience that Benson and Morales already possess

Definitely a term of endearment for me. And Morales has been hurt, its not his fault. But every year, I ask each prospect the question "What have you done for me lately?" And rate them accordingly. I would definitely say that Kepler has a comparable or higher upside as a major leaguer than Morales

​This is a little bit risky. But I have to draw attention to this comparison I am about to make. When the Twins signed Miguel Sano as a 16-ish shortstop from the Dominican Republic back in 2009, he was regarded as the "jewel" of the International Signing Period that year......... [ATTACH=CONFIG]2638[/ATTACH] Just one short year later, the Nationals drafted and signed a 17-year-old Bryce Harper. Sano is just a tick younger (about 7 months) than Harper. But both were highly-touted-blue-chipper types. Harper started his pro career in class A ball where he tore it up. They skipped him up to AA ball, bypassing A+ to finish his first season as a pro. The next season, in 2012 the organization started him in AAA without much statistic success, but quickly promoted him to the bigs where he held his own despite his underwhelming performance at AAA. Miguel Sano started his pro career one year before Harper in 2010 at the lowest level the Twins have stateside (GCL), despite his reputation as a true baller. He tore up the GCL as a 17-year old, then went bonkers at Elizabethton in 2011 with a .637 SLG%. So, while Harper was struggling through his promotion to AA, Sano was destroying short-season Rookie league. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2639[/ATTACH] In 2012 Sano played an entire year in low-A ball and absolutely destroyed pitchers' ERA's often. He drove in 100 runs and squared-up 28 homers. His batting average does not matter after hearing the HR and RBI numbers. He was again unimpressive on defense, but showed the tools to be effective eventually. While Sano was bashing around in the Midwest League, Harper was playing for the NL All-Star squad. While Harper was hitting .243 in AAA in 2012, I would imagine that Harper's AAA coaches were saying things like, "I don't care what his stats are, this guy is a PLAYER!" "This guy is on another level." "This guy is ready to produce." Harper was most likely lining balls all over the place, diving and catching, throwing out sleepers, and hustling his tail off. Now I am not saying that Sano is as good as Bryce Harper, or that he plays as hard as Harper, etc. But I am categorizing Sano as an elite-blue-chipper that is expected to produce at an accelerated rate immediately. Not play his 3rd pro season in its entirety at low-A ball......! Can we please allow someone that produces at the rate of Sano or Rosario the opportunity to start their Major League professional career at an extremely young age? After all, this is a young man's game, and its not too late to let Sano move quickly in 2013 (meaning multiple level advancement!). Harper was able to contribute to his team winning the NL East, while Sano could only muster a Midwest League play-off run. To me, MLB experience at a very young age will only help the player develop in the long run. Certain players are special and should be started at a level that reflects their advanced skills. Not coddled at the lower levels for years while they put up dominating, productive numbers that could be helping a higher level succeed. And ultimately, special players should be rushed to Minnesota in a hurried fashion, if you wanna follow the Nationals way of dealing with Harper. Just to be clear: the Nationals allowed Bryce to use his talents for about 1.2 seasons in the minor leagues before succumbing to the fan base and bringing him up to the Show. Miguel Sano appears to be on the 6-year-plan. Well hey, at least he will hit a ton of minor league homers! And make people happy if he's the beer batter!

Arcia looks to be struggling a bit in the Venezuelan league. But I still opine that he should start in AAA with a real shot at playing for Minnesota at some point in 2013. A trade of Span and/or Willingham would speed things up, but wouldn't guarantee Arcia getting a cup-o-coffee in 2013

Its a term of endearment for the home team. I admit it could get annoying, so I'll keep it to a minimum.

Last year, in 2011, MLB.com rated Max Kepler as the the #11 prospect in the system. After the 2012 season and June draft, several glitzy players moved ahead of the #11 spot, but Kepler moved DOWN to the #18 position. I did not agree with his descent on this list at that time. So, I felt obligated to highlight what Kepler did last summer as a 19-year-old in Rookie ball. [ATTACH=CONFIG]2636[/ATTACH] After a year in 2011 where he was a skinny 18-year-old with a .366 SLG%, Kepler was given another shot at the same level in 2012. He consequentially blossomed given this opportunity! This kid raised his average from .262 to .297 and crushed 10 home-runs in 59 games. He led the league in SLG% (.539) and was 2nd in OPS (.925) thanks to 16 doubles and 5 triples. He struck out just 33 times in 232 at-bats while posting a .387 OB% (6th in league). Basically, he was easily a top-5 hitter in the Appalachian League. It looks like he is a year behind Sano/Rosario, and will probably spend the entire summer in Cedar Rapids in 2013. With a ton of great outfielders in the Twins minor league system, Maximilian will have to wait his turn and probably never advance more than one level per-year (if he's lucky). But this new-found power stroke and excellent plate discipline is very encouraging for his future and could allow for a level-per-year minor league career with plenty of MLB seasons for the now 19-year-old. As a 20-year old in Cedar Rapids, he will surely be asked for his share of autographs. And rightly so, since he has a lofty enough ceiling to have at least remained at the #11 spot on the Twins' prospect list. I would rate him right below J.O. Berrios at #9, as I believe his potential exceeds what Benson and Morales have as MLB outfielders. No matter what he is rated by MLB.com, our boy Kepler gives us insurance if they do something drastic like trade Hicks or Arcia for pitching prospects in the next year or so. I vote to move Max up quickly and see what he's made of...if he can continue to get better (at this age he should), he will make a terrific outfield option (even in CF) for a few minor league managers on his way (quickly I hope) to Minnesota. P.S. Imagine Maximilian in LF, Buxton in center, and Arcia in right at Target Field...I have Max rated at #7 following 2013.

I also hope some of these guys mentioned become starting pitchers someday. Baxendale was terrific as a reliever last summer in his pro debut (0.96 ERA in 18.2 innings), and should be terrific as a starter as well.