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Mike Trout debuted with the Angels as a 19-year-old in 2011. Since then, he has played in four All-Star Games (and been MVP of the game the last two years), won three Silver Sluggers, been named American League MVP once and runner-up twice, and signed a six-year, $144.5 million contract. He's turned into an all-time great, and he just turned 24. Back in 2010, a year after the Angels made him their first-round pick, he was an 18-year-old in Cedar Rapids. He played in 13 games against the Twins Midwest League affiliate at the time, the Beloit Snappers. How did he fare in those games?Friday night, the Twins and Angels game was postponed due to rain. On Thursday night, Mike Trout launched two home runs and drove in five runs to help the Angels to a victory. Trout has become a rare, generational player. He debuted in 2011 as a 19-year-old. He was an All-Star, Rookie of the Year and runner up for the MVP the next year as a 20-year-old. He was the runner up for MVP in 2013. In 2014, he won his first MVP award. This year, he’s having an even better season. And he just turned 24 at the beginning of August. And, before the season he signed a six-year, $144.5 million contract that takes him through 2020, when he’ll become a free agent at age 29. Just imagine what that next contract might be! We all know that his father, Jeff Trout, was the Twins fifth-round pick in 1983 out of the University of Delaware. That season, he played in the Midwest League, for Wisconsin Rapids. His manager that year was Charlie Manuel. In 1984, he jumped up to AA Orlando where he hit .285/.351/.378 (.729) with 17 doubles, seven triples and four home runs in 130 games. He returned to Orlando in 1985 and hit .279/.385/.398 (.783) with 20 doubles, three triples and three home runs in 95 games. He was 24 years old that season. He was back in Orlando in 1986 as well. He hit .321/.406/.451 (.857) with 22 doubles, four triples and seven home runs in 105 games. Certainly a solid season, but he never played pro ball again. In his pro career, he stole eight bases and was caught 15 times. Safe to say that his son has outperformed him on the baseball field. I remember the first time I decided to make the five hour trek from the Twin Cities to Beloit for some Midwest League action. Former Twins blogger Josh Johnson and I packed up and went to a Friday and Saturday game. We were excited to see Aaron Hicks, Danny Rams and Angel Morales among others. That Friday night game, Brian Dozier was the shortstop for the Beloit Snappers. After the game, he was promoted to Ft. Myers. Taking his spot on the Snappers roster and playing shortstop that second game was Danny Santana. Ironically, the Snappers were playing the Cedar Rapids Kernels, then an affiliate of the Angels. The centerfielder for the Kernels was Mike Trout. Even then, as an 18-year-old, he stood out on the field. Obviously I’m not a scout, but I know the game of baseball, and you could just see his talent offensively and defensively. I like to tell the story that I went in to the bathroom at Pohlman Stadium in Beloit in between innings, and I stood next to Trout at the urinals. Weird, maybe crude story, but true. I have strict rules about conversing in public facilities, but maybe I should have made an exception if only I had known how good he would become. Maybe even shake hands. Maybe not. Trout was 18-years-old in the Midwest League and in 81 games he hit .362/.454/.526 (.979) with 19 doubles, seven triples and six home runs. He was the Kernels’ leadoff hitter. He also stole 45 bases in 54 attempts. I couldn’t help but wonder how he did against Snappers/Twins pitchers during his time. Baseball-Reference doesn’t have the game logs for the minor leagues from 2010, so I went to milb.com and went through box scores. It was kind of a tedious activity, but for me, it was a fun walk down Twins prospect memory lane, reading names I hadn’t seen in quite some time. The Snappers actually started their season in 2010 with a three game series in Cedar Rapids. Liam Hendriks was the Snappers Opening Day starter. He struck out Trout in their first inning matchup. In the third, Trout rolled back to Hendriks. It was Tom Stuifbergen who faced Trout in the sixth inning. He struck him out looking. In the eighth inning, Steve Blevins gave up an infield single to Trout. In the bottom of the 10th, with Kane Holbrooks on the mound, Trout grounded out to Dozier at shortstop for a fielder’s choice to end the game. In that three –game series, Trout had just the one infield single in 13 at-bats. I won’t dig into each of the games, but here is how Trout fared against the Snappers pitchers he faced before his July promotion to High-A. Liam Hendriks – 0-2 with a strikeout and groundout.Tom Stuifbergen – 0-1 with a strikeoutSteve Blevins – 1-1 with a singleKane Holbrooks – 0-3 with two strikeouts and a groundout.Dan Osterbrock – 0-3 with two groundouts and a fly outDakota Watts – 0-3 with a walk and three strikeouts (pretty good)Miguel Munoz – 2-11 with a walk, a single, and a three-run triple. Also three strikeouts.Eliecer Cardenas – 1-3 with a single and strikeoutJhon Garcia – 0-1 with a walk and a strikeoutPeter Kennelly – 0-2 with two walksBrad Stillings – 4-10 with three singles, a double and a strikeoutChris Armstrong – 1-2 with a double.Matt Tone – 0-0 with a walkBJ Hermsen – 0-3 with a walkMichael Tonkin – 2-3 with a walk, two hit by pitches, a single and a strikeoutHe played 13 games against the Snappers in 2010 and went 11-49 (unofficially), .225/.377/.306 (683). In a mid-June appearance in Cedar Rapids, about an hour from his hometown, BJ Hermsen threw a complete game, one-hit shutout. He lost a perfect game bid when he walked Trout in the fourth inning. He lost a no-hitter in the eighth inning on a single. Liam Hendriks made just six starts at the beginning of that 2010 season in Beloit. He was 2-1 with a 1.32 ERA. In 34 innings, he gave up just 16 hits, walked four and struck out 39. He debuted with the Twins as a 22-year-old a year later. Hendriks has faced Trout just once in the big leagues. He intentionally walked him. That’s probably never a bad strategy. Michael Tonkin was a late-round draft pick of the Twins in 2008 and pitched in six games for the GCL Twins that season. He remained with the GCL Twins for 2009 as well. In 2010, Tonkin began the season with the Snappers as a starter. He made 12 starts (and one bullpen appearance) and went 3-6 with a 4.29 ERA. When the short-season began, he went to Elizabethton and posted a 1.08 ERA out of the bullpen. He made a full-time transition to the bullpen in 2011. He pitched in 48 games for the Snappers in 2011 and 22 more in 2012. It was important for him to get that small sample in 2012 because that’s when he really took off as a prospect. Tonkin has faced Trout four times in the big leagues. The All-Star is 1-2 with two walks against Tonkin. Dakota Watts was a hard-throwing bullpen guy, though at times he struggled with his control. He was the Twins 16th round pick in 2009 out of college. As a 22-year-old in 2010, he pitched in 30 games for the Snappers followed by 17 games with the Miracle. He even pitched in two games for AA New Britain. In 2011, 2012 and 2013, he split the seasons between the Miracle and Rock Cats. In 2014 and 2015, he has pitched in the independent American Association. Late in the season, he was signed by the Texas Rangers and pitched for High Desert. Trout moved quickly through the Angels minor league system. Those other Angels affiliates played in different leagues than the Twins affiliates, so there were no other Trout vs. Twins minor league numbers to report. Several of the pitchers mentioned above never pitched above the Midwest League, but they still have a pretty cool story to tell their kids and grand kids. They once pitched against Mike Trout. Click here to view the article

For any pitcher, the words “Tommy John surgery” cause a feeling of dread. It has become a prevalent procedure for many pitchers from every organization, and it’s a surgery that many in the Twins system have already had. In April, talented left-hander Lewis Thorpe went under the knife. I had the chance to chat with the southpaw from Melbourne, Australia on Thursday to see how he’s doing and what he’s been up to in Ft. Myers.First, let’s go back in time just a bit. Lewis Thorpe was called up to Cedar Rapids in June of 2014. He experienced some ups and downs with the Kernels but put up numbers that are very encouraging. Especially for someone who only turned 19 last November. However, he was shut down after his final start of the season. Doctors found that he had a partial tear in his UCL (ulnar collateral ligament). Any tear, partial or full, of the UCL usually means that Tommy John surgery is imminent. There are several examples of pitchers who have been diagnosed with partial UCL tears who didn’t have Tommy John surgery. Twins starter Ervin Santana missed time late in 2008 and early in 2009 with a partially torn UCL and has yet to have the surgery. Adam Wainwright went five years before he needed to have the surgery. Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka is attempting to buck the odds. So the Twins went with the rest-and-rehab plan with Thorpe. In early March, I watched him throw to batters for the first time off of the mound. I also saw him pitch (and look really good) in an intra-squad game a few days later. And then it happened, and Thorpe knew it right away. His Twins minor league team was taking on a team of Rays minor leaguers. “I knew I tore it right away.” It wasn’t long before he learned that he would have to have the surgery. “I was a little annoyed at first, but then I got in my head that this is just a minor speed bump in my career.” On April 10th, Dr. John Steubs and Dr. Pearce McCarty performed the surgery, and it went well. “They are both great doctors and did a very good job.” Thorpe had to keep his left arm in a sling, with a half cast, for ten days. Then he was in a brace for about eight weeks. He had to wait two-and-a-half months before he could start working out, and then he was told only with body weight. Three months later, he is able to do more. “Now I’m doing upper body light, and I’m basically back to normal on the lower body.” His days in Ft. Myers are spent with a routine. Fortunately, he is able to stay at the Twins dorms where he is rooming with fellow Australian Lachlan Wells. The bullet points below describe what Lewis Thorpe says a typical days consists of for him. He is working with minor league rehab coordinator Chad Jackson. Wake up and eat breakfastGet in to the training room by 7:30.Do as much rehab as I can get done before 9:00.The team stretches at 9 and he joins them.While they play catch, he continues to stretch.Go back in and get the rest of my rehab done.Lift is at 10:30.When that’s done (around 11:30), he goes and eats.At noon, the GCL Twins play. Thorpe watches them play when they are at home, which is usually three times per week. He said, “It’s good to get out there in the fresh air and see all of the talent coming through the Twins organization.” And after the GCL game is complete? “Then go take a nice little nap!” It’s a grueling recovery for a Tommy John rehabber. The odds that a pitcher fully recovers after surgery are fairly high, but in order to do that, the rehab needs to be very structured. That can be challenging. Thorpe said, “The toughest part is just knowing you have to come in every day and repeat the same stuff. That’s why it’s called The Grind.” One thing you likely noticed is that Thorpe did not mention picking up a baseball or throwing it yet. That’s because he hasn’t. Not yet, but that date is coming soon. “Middle of August! Basically it’s four months after surgery.” He’s not in this alone. There are several Twins and Twins minor leaguers who have had the surgery before. There are others in Ft. Myers who are at various stages of their rehab. “BJ Hermsen has been a big help with me, pushing me, and giving me advice. He had the surgery two days before me. It’s always easier having someone that’s dealing with the same stuff you are.” There are others that he stays in contact with as well. He said that he has received good advice from (Rochester Red Wings All-Star 2B) James Beresford and (former Twins farmhand and long-time Braves reliever) Peter Moylan. He said that (former Twins and current Blue Jays pitcher) Liam Hendriks has also reached out and talked to him during his rehab. He said it was nice that several fellow Aussies have been there for him to talk to through this rehab. In mid-June, Lewis’s parents made the trek from Melbourne, Australia, to Ft. Myers. It meant a lot for Lewis to see his family. He said, “It was awesome seeing my family. It definitely made it a lot easier being with them for three weeks. They said to me that they love me and everything’s going to be alright. I just have to keep working hard and not give up on my dreams.” He won’t do that. He’s actually looking forward to reaching and then passing the milestones that are in front of him. Asked if he had any message for Twins fans, Thorpe took the opportunity to say, “I’ll be back next year with high hopes and ready to play! I can’t wait to be playing again.” I told Thorpe that I frequently get asked for updates on how he is doing in his rehab. He wanted to extend this additional message to his fans. “I want to thank all of them for their support. I really appreciate everyone who is thinking of me!” Click here to view the article

As the Twins front office, scouting department and others are in Ft. Myers for their organizational meetings, they have a lot of decisions to make. They have to decide on a manager and fill the coaching staff. They will discuss all free agents from around the game. They’ll discuss arbitration-eligible players. They’ll also consider which players to add to their 40-man roster. The Twins have had a measure of success in recent years by signing minor league free agents. Today, I’d like to write about the players who were in Twins organization in 2014 who could become minor league free agents after the World Series. This list is a mix of guys who came to the Twins organization within the last year or two from elsewhere as minor league free agents and players who have spent their minor league careers in the Twins organization.We will start with the players who were drafted and/or signed by the Twins and can be free agents. Deibinson Romero – The 28 year old Dominican debuted in the Twins organization in 2006 with the GCL Twins. He was added to the 40 man roster after his 2008, injury-filled season in Beloit. That lasted one year, but he has remained in the organization. This will be the third offseason that he could have become a free agent. He has re-signed with the Twins each of the last two years. In 2014 in Rochester, he hit .265/.364/.406 (.770) with 31 doubles and eight home runs. He had a strong showing with the bat in big league spring training as well. Jairo Rodriguez – Rodriguez could also have become a free agent last year but re-signed with the Twins organization. He is a strong defensive catcher and a good leader for the pitchers but also all of his teammates. He is the catcher who went wherever there was a need in 2014. He split his time between Ft. Myers and New Britain, playing on occasion, but primarily just being the #2 or # 3 catcher. In fact, the Venezuelan played just 38 combined games and hit .220/.272/.276 with seven doubles. James Beresford – The still-just-25 year old middle infielder continued his progression in 2014 with a full season at Rochester. He too has been a free agent each of the past two seasons, choosing to remain with the Twins organization. His role with the Twins would be that of utility infielder, but he was the everyday second baseman for the Red Wings. In 131 games, he hit .276/.323/.351 (.674) with 28 doubles, two triples and two home runs. The Australian is tremendous on the defensive side and a great leader in the infield. Dan Rohlfing – The St. Louis native was the Twins 14th round pick in 2007 out of high school. He slowly and gradually made his way up the Twins system. He also has been a free agent the last two years but came back as a catcher who can also play the corner outfield positions. He has been a spring training invite each of the past four years. The last couple of years, he was among the last players sent to the minors. He spent all of 2014 in Rochester and hit .205/.307/.311 (.618) with 17 doubles and two home runs. Edgar Ibarra – The 25-year-old from Venezuela signed with the Twins and debuted in the Venezuelan Summer League in 2006. Last year, he was to become a free agent, but instead the Twins put the hard-throwing lefty on their 40 man roster. Unfortunately, he came down with Hepatitus in spring training and could not pitch. He returned to Rochester where he went 5-0 with a 3.44 ERA in 49.2 innings before being sent to New Britain for the final nine appearances. Adrian Salcedo – He was once a Top 10 Twins prospect. In Beloit in 2011, he went 6-6 with a 2.93 ERA in 139 innings. However, in 2012, he missed a lot of time rehabbing both elbow and shoulder injuries. He returned in 2013 in the bullpen and in 2014, he was in the New Britain bullpen. Still just 23 years old, Salcedo went 3-9 with a 4.19 ERA in 39 games and 73 innings for the Rock Cats. In 73 innings, he struck out 76 batters. He throws hard, and I’m certain the Twins will want to bring him back. BJ Hermsen – Hermsen was the Twins 6th round pick in 2008 out of high school in Iowa. He turned down a scholarship to Oregon State to sign with the Twins. In 2012, between Ft. Myers (4 games) and New Britain (22 games), he combined to go 12-6 with a 2.88 ERA in 162.2 innings. Following the season, he was named the minor league pitcher of the year and added to the Twins 40 man roster. He pulled his oblique in spring training and struggled all of 2013 with the Rock Cats. Those struggles continued in 2014 and the 24 year old split time between New Britain and Ft. Myers, posting a 7.34 ERA and a 2.00 WHIP in 38 innings. Danny Ortiz – The 24-year-old was the Twins fourth round pick in 2008 out of high school in Puerto Rico. He missed the entire 2009 season due to knee surgery. In 2014, he began in New Britain and hit .324/.340/.500 (.840) before finishing with 73 games in Rochester in which he hit .256/.283/.434 (.717). Combined, he hit 29 doubles, five triples and 12 home runs. The outfielder can play all three outfield positions. Mike Gonzales – Gonzales was the Twins 9th round pick in 2008 out of Diablo Valley College. When healthy, the 6-6, 260 pound first baseman has been able to provide some power to the middle of his lineups. He began 2014 in Ft. Myers and hit .274/.351/.448 (.787) before ending with 31 games in New Britain where he hit .264/.339/.415 (.754). Combined he hit 29 doubles and 12 homers. Nate Hanson – The former Gopher (who graduated from Eden Prairie High School) was the Twins 28th round pick in 2008. The last two years, he has split his time between New Britain and Rochester. In 119 games this year, he combined to hit .256/.327/.369 (.696) with 33 doubles and six home runs. The 27-year-old is described by teammates and coaches as the consummate professional. He has played all around the diamond, with the exceptions of catcher, shortstop and centerfield while hitting in the middle of the lineup. Deolis Guerra – Though he was signed by the Mets as a 16-year-old from Venezuela, he developed in the Twins system after the 2008 trade. This is actually the third year that he’ll be a free agent. He missed all of 2013 after having a blood clot removed from his right shoulder/neck. After a strong showing in spring training, the 25-year-old went 2-2 with a 4.33 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP in 52 innings for the Red Wings. The rest of the guys have come to the Twins organization as minor league free agents within the last couple of seasons. Virgil Vasquez – He pitched for the Detroit Tigers in 2005 and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2007. Since then he has pitched all over the map. He has split his time the last two years between Rochester and New Britain. This year, he threw a 7-inning no-hitter for the Rock Cats. Combined, the 32-year-old went 7-7 with a 4.13 ERA in 139.1 innings. Tony Thomas – The 28 year old was a former 3rd round pick of the Cubs out of Florida State. He had spent the previous three seasons of his career with the Red Sox organization. He spent the season in New Britain where he was an All Star and hit .241/.302/.411 (.712) with 29 doubles, six triples, 12 home runs and 14 stolen bases. He was also the Rock Cats recipient of the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service. Eric Farris – The 28-year-old was the Brewers fourth round pick in 2007 out of Loyola Marymount. He made his Major League debut with one plate appearance in July of 2011. He got nine more plate appearances with them in 2012, including one hit and one walk. He came to the Twins before the 2013 season and has played in 250 games for Rochester. He was an infielder, but he was the team’s primary centerfielder in 2014. He hit .280/.316/.356 (.672) in 2014 with 23 doubles, a triple, four home runs and 16 stolen bases. Reynaldo Rodriguez – The 28-year-old signed originally with the Yankees, spent some time playing in independent leagues and then signed with the Red Sox. The last two years, he has been one of the better hitters in the Twins farm system. In 2014, he hit a combined .278/.337/.495 (.832) between New Britain (126 games) and Rochester (10 games). He hit 36 doubles, two triples and 21 homers. He also moved from first base to the outfield. Wilkin Ramirez – Ramirez made the Twins opening day roster in 2013 after previously being in the Tigers and Braves organizations. In 2009, he played in 15 games with Detroit, and in 2011, he played in 20 games for the Braves. The former top prospect played in 35 games with the Twins in 2013. He spent all of 2014 in Rochester where he hit .262/.305/.368 (.672) with 23 doubles, three triples and four home runs. Dan Turpen – The 28 year old came to the Twins organization before the 2012 season from the Rockies in exchange for Kevin Slowey. He re-signed with the Twins as a free agent late last spring and spent the full year in New Britain. He went 5-2 with a 4.48 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP in 62.1 innings. He struck out 62, but he walked 30. Brandon Waring – The 28 year old came to the Twins as a free agent last year after several years with the Orioles organization. He had a good showing offensively and defensively in spring training. He was sent to New Britain where, in 106 games, he hit .212/.311/.406 (.716) with 28 doubles and 13 homers. Corey Wimberly – The 30 year old came to the Twins before the 2014 season after spending time in six other organizations since being a 6th round pick in 2007 out of college. He played 2B and center field for New Britain. However, he was limited to 72 games with the Rock Cats due to a hamstring injury. He hit .252/.307/.346 (.653) with 13 doubles and five triples. He was also 17/21 in stolen base attempts. Chris Rahl – The 30-year-old was the Diamondbacks 5th round pick in 2005. In 2011, he went to the Nationals. In 2014, he came to the Twins and was invited to spring training. He spent the year in Rochester where he hit .259/.272/.380 (.652) with 17 doubles and seven home runs. Jim Fuller – After being in the Mets organization since he was drafted in 2008, the left-hander was a minor league Rule 5 draft pick of the Twins in 2013. He spent 2014 in New Britain where he went 3-1 with a 2.41 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP in 56 innings. He walked 30, but he struck out 68. Dutch Deol – He was the 17th round draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011 out of high school. In three years of rookie league ball (Which was also injury-laden), he hit .089, .176 and .188. The Twins took a flyer on him and in 32 games with Elizabethton, he hit .171/.263/.210 (.472) with three doubles. Mark Hamburger – You know the story of Mark Hamburger. The Minnesota native signed with the Twins out of a tryout camp in 2007. In August of 2008, he was closing for the Elizabethton Twins when he was traded to Texas for Eddie Guardado. By September of 2011, he was promoted to the Rangers where he played in five games and got to be on the bench during the team’s World Series run. He spent 2012 in the Rangers minor leagues fighting injuries. In 2012, he was DFAd by the Rangers and claimed by the Padres. Then he was DFAd by the Padres and claimed by the Astros. They released him after the season. In early 2013, Hamburger voluntarily checked himself in to rehab after he received a 50-game suspension for failing a test for a Drug of Abuse. He signed with the St. Paul Saints where he impressed as a starter. Enough so that the Twins signed him in 2014. After serving his suspension, Hamburger wetn back and forth from New Britain to Rochester, as well as from the bullpen to the rotation. Combined, he went 4-5 with a 3.69 ERA. In 70.2 innings, he walked 27 and struck out 54. He still throws hard and I would expect that he and the Twins will come to a minor league contract for 2014 soon. How many of these guys should the Twins bring back? Obviously that depends on many factors including where the prospects will play in 2014. Click here to view the article

Aaron Hicks is the most talked about Twins prospect these days as he is making the strong case that he should be the Minnesota Twins Opening Day leadoff hitter and centerfielder. Hicks was the Twins first 1st round draft pick that year. Some of the other the other top picks didn’t pan out, but there are still ten in the organization.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Let’s take a look: THE FIRST-ROUNDERS Aaron Hicks was taken with the 14th overall pick. He slowly worked through the lower levels of the Twins minor league system, but after filling out the stat line thoroughly at AA New Britain in 2012, he looks to be the favorite for the Twins centerfield job. When he was drafted, many believed that he would be better as a starting pitcher due to a mid-90s fastball. However, Hicks said he wanted to hit, and the Twins believed he could become a five-tool talent. In 2013, the team will find out how many of those tools are going to show in the big leagues. On defense, Hicks has very good range and a strong arm. On offense, he has the ability to get on base at a good clip with his patient approach. He may never hit 30 home runs, but the switch-hitter could hit as many as 20 homers. His strikeout totals may keep him from ever hitting for a real high average, but with the way he progressed in 2013, it is very possible he will continue to improve upon that. He also stole a career-high 31 bases last year for the Rock Cats. No question, Hicks is in a good position to be the Twins centerfielder for many years. Carlos Gutierrez (27th overall) and Shooter Hunt (31st overall) were two college pitchers, expected to move fast, that the Twins acquired as compensation for having lost Torii Hunter via free agency. The Twins decided to give Gutierrez an opportunity to start. The thinking was that he would be more valuable as a starter, and if it didn’t work out, he could always move to the bullpen. In the end, he was a one-pitch pitcher who couldn’t throw strikes. The other part of starting was that he would have more innings to work on the secondary pitches, but it just didn’t help. He was taken off of the 40 man roster after the 2012 season and claimed by the Cubs. The Cubs took him off of their 40 man roster and he went unclaimed. Shooter Hunt was the type of pitching prospect that screamed top of the rotation. He threw hard and had a tremendous, sharp breaking pitch. In his junior year at Tulane, he walked more than he had previously, but not enough to become alarming. However, in 2009, he completely lost any semblance of control. He could not throw strikes. The Twins tried everything from moving him to the bullpen, to putting him on the DL. Nothing worked. He was claimed by the Cardinals in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft, but he never pitched in a regular game in the organization. Often people like to look back and see which players were drafted after picks that didn’t work out. To the point, there has been little major league success for the players taken between Gutierrez at 27 and Jordan Lyles at 38: 27 – Carlos Gutierrez – Twins 28 – Gerrit Cole – Yankees (Did Not Sign) 29 – Lonnie Chisenhall – Indians 30 – Casey Kelly – Red Sox 31 – Shooter Hunt – Twins 32 – Jake Odorizzi – Brewers 33 – Bradley Holt – Mets 34 – Zach Collier – Phillies 35 – Evan Frederickson – Brewers 36 – Mike Montgomery – Royals 37 – Conor Gillaspie – Giants 38 – Jordan Lyles – Astros ALSO ON THE 40 MAN ROSTER High school players selected in the 2008 draft (and college players taken in 2007 had to be protected for the Rule 5 draft or potentially be lost. Along with Hicks, these two players were added: BJ Hermsen was taken in the 6th round from West Delaware High School in Manchester, Iowa. He had accepted a scholarship to pitch at Oregon State, but then the Twins went well over slot, he signed. He has pitched well ever since then. In 2011, between Beloit and Ft. Myers, he went 13-8 with a 3.33 ERA. In 2012, he was the Twins minor league pitcher of the year. He made four starts in Ft. Myers before moving up to New Britain for 22 starts. Combined, he went 12-6 with a 2.88 ERA. Hermsen doesn’t throw hard and relies on impeccable control and good movement. Michael Tonkin was drafted out of his California high school in the 30th round. He received a $230,000 bonus to convince him to sign. He pitched in Beloit in 2010, 2011 and that’s where he started in 2012. It proved to be a great decision as he finally figured things out. He also developed from being an average fastball, slow curve type of pitcher into a guy with a mid-90s fastball and a devastating slider. After a slow rise to this point, he is ready to move quickly. It may not be long before people refer to Jason Kubel as his brother-in-law. STILL AROUND Bobby Lanigan (3-92) was drafted out of Adelphi University in New York. He moved fairly quickly early in his career as a starting pitcher, reaching AA for the second half of the 2010 season. He remained with the Rock Cats until the second half of the 2012 season when he was promoted to Rochester. When drafted, many believed that he had a great slider that could be an asset out of the bullpen. In 2012, he was finally moved to the bullpen where he experienced some success in the new role. He will likely pitch with the Red Wings in 2013. Daniel Ortiz (4-126) is a native of Puerto Rico. This winter, he played on the same team as Eddie Rosario and Kennys Vargas, and it was Ortiz that hit in the third spot. The outfielder can play all three positions well. Not blessed with great size, he can still pack a punch. He missed the entire 2009 season due to a knee injury. He played well in the 2nd half of the 2010 season in Elizabethton. He got off to a great start in Beloit in 2011, but he really struggled in the season’s final four months. He returned to the Snappers to start the 2012 season, but he moved up to Ft. Myers after just a month and played much better. With the Miracle, he hit .269/.313/.424 with 24 doubles, five triples and eight home runs, re-establishing himself as a prospect. Michael Gonzales (9-276) is a big (6-6, 250), powerful first baseman who was drafted out of Diablo Valley College. He moved up one level a year until 2011 when he repeated at Beloit. But he did use that year to make some big improvements in his game, speeding up his swing and losing weight to become a much better first baseman. He struggled in Ft. Myers in 2012 thanks in part to a condition with dehydration. He was unable to play nine innings or often in back-to-back games. He could head to New Britain in 2013. Evan Bigley (10-306) was drafted from Lew Ford’s alma mater, Dallas Baptist. He moved quickly up to AA New Britain late in the 2010 season. He then stayed with the Rock Cats through the first half of the 2012 season when he moved up to Rochester. He played in the Arizona Fall League following the 2012 season and will likely return to Rochester in 2013. Blake Martin (17-516) was drafted out of LSU. He is a good example of a left-hander who is breathing continuing to get opportunities. He has certainly shown signs of being good at times. He split 2012 between the bullpen and the starting rotation and struckout 73 in 77 innings. He could return to New Britain, where he has pitched in at least parts of the past three seasons. Bruce Pugh (19-576) was drafted after one year of junior college. In 2010, 2011 and 2012, Pugh pitched in both Ft. Myers and in New Britain. However, something clicked for him in 2012. He posted a 2.60 ERA in 27.2 innings in Ft. Myers. Then, he posted a 1.50 ERA in 42 innings in New Britain. He struckout 48. If he can throw strikes, he can have dominant stuff, including a mid-90s fastball. Nate Hanson (28-846) went to high school in Eden Prairie and then played at the University of Minnesota. When the hometown Twins drafted him, he signed quickly and has gradually moved up the farm system since. He spent all of 2012 in New Britain where he started the season in a utility role, but he really took off when he moved to second base full time. If he were to make the big league roster, it would likely be in utility role. THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY With their 16th round pick, the Twins took a high school second baseman named Kolten Wong out of his high school in Hawaii. Wong chose to play for the University of Hawaii, and it proved to be a good decision. In 2011, he was the 22nd overall pick, by the St. Louis Cardinals. Baseball America ranked him as the #84 prospect in baseball. THE ONE THEY TRADED AWAY In the 2nd round, the Twins took a very athletic shortstop named Tyler Ladendorf out of Howard College. He was playing well in 2009 at Elizabethton and promoted to Beloit where he played in just 15 games. You see, at the July trade deadline, he was sent to the Oakland A’s in exchange for shortstop Orlando Cabrera. Cabrera helped lead the Twins to an unlikely and thrilling run to the playoffs. Ladendorf has slowly progressed through the A’s system. He played in High-A ball in 2010 (and four games in AAA). In 2011, he hit .225/.308/.319 in AA (And had four more games in AAA). Last year at AA, he hit .240/.324/.358 with 20 doubles, a triple and nine home runs. SUMMARY The success of the Twins 2008 draft is largely dependent upon how Aaron Hicks adapts to the big leagues and how good he becomes. That is generally the expectation for a pick from the first half of the first round. It doesn’t always come to fruition. The other high-impact pick in this group could be Michael Tonkin. He will likely start the season in New Britain and could rise quickly. He could be a strong, dominant late-game bullpen arm for many years. And if he continues to pitch well, Hermsen has a chance to be a back-of-the-rotation type of starter. Others may find themselves getting an opportunity and that’s always a good thing. For there to still be ten players drafted in 2008 in the organization is unusual. Here is a quick look at how many players drafted by the Twins are still in the organization since the 2004 draft: 2004 – 3 2005 – 2 2006 – 5 2007 – 5 2008 – 10 2009 – 6 2010 – 17 2011 – 26 I think this is a good illustration of how difficult the draft can be. However, if any draft gives you one key starter and a possible starting pitcher and a potentially dominant reliever, the draft is a tremendous success. We still won’t know the success of the Twins 2008 draft for a few years, but right now, it looks pretty successful. 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