Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2013 (10) | 2012 (19) | 2011 (13) | 2010 (6) | 2009 (22)
2013 Affiliate Records
MLB: [66-96] AL Central
AAA: [77-67] International League – Rochester
AA: [66-76] Eastern League — New Britain
A+: [79-56] Florida State League – Fort Myers
A: [88-50] Midwest League – Cedar Rapids
Graduated Prospects
Oswaldo Arcia (OF); Aaron Hicks (OF); Chris Colabello (1B/OF); Chris Herrmann (C/OF); Ryan Pressly (RHP); Andrew Albers (LHP); Pedro Hernandez (LHP); Kyle Gibson (RHP)
The Run Down
With regard to fantasy impact on the farm, the Twins are right there with the Cubs at the top of the league. And, narrowing our scope a bit, no team in baseball can boast a better one-two prospect punch than what Minnesota has with Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. But try not to distract yourself too much with the shiny, hyped-up names at the top of this list, because this org is loaded with talent from top to bottom. The top ten we have here don’t even tell the whole story — we’ll have to let the steady flow of homegrown talent speak for itself over these next few seasons.
Top Ten Fantasy Prospects
1. Byron Buxton, OF: With the top pick in a prospect draft, there are a few directions you can go. Oscar Taveras’s grade-80 hit tool is a good place to start. And no one is gonna fault you for opting for Javy Baez’s awe-inspiring bat speed or Xander Bogaerts’s dreamy smile. The wisest choice, though, is to target the all-encompassing skill set of Byron Buxton. I put the “toolshed” label on a lot of prospects around here, but Buxton is the king of the toolsheds (the Yellow King?). As a 19-year-old in his first year of full-season ball, he hit .334/.424/.520 with 49 XBH (12 HR) and 55 SB in 575 PA between Low- and High-A. The high-impact tools profile figures to help significantly in every category of the fantasy game, and in that way, Buxton reminds me of Mike Trout. He’ll get a Double-A assignment to begin 2014, and he should be ready for a look in the bigs by year’s end. ETA: Late 2014
2. Miguel Sano, 3B: Sano is not quite so multidimensional as Buxton. No, he’s more of a one-trick pony, but that one trick has potential to be awfully valuable in the fantasy game. Sano’s power is limitless. He drilled 35 homers across two levels (A+, AA) in 2013, and he’s probably capable of posting a 30 HR year in Minnesota this season if the Twins are willing to give him a chance. I suspect they’ll be frugal with the 20-year-old’s service time, though, and allow him another year in the minors to work on minimizing the swing-and-miss component of his approach. ETA: Late 2014
3. Alex Meyer, RHP: At 6-9, 220, Meyer is an intimidating presence on the mound and he brings an elite-level fastball. The 24-year-old has had some injury troubles in the past, and that remains a concern moving forward. But provided he stays healthy during the early portion of this coming season, Meyer should get a big league opportunity at some point this summer. From a fantasy perspective, we’d love to see him surface as a starting pitcher, but there’s a Trevor Rosenthal element to Meyer’s game that could make him a very attractive bullpen option for the Twins. ETA: 2014
4. Kohl Stewart, RHP: The fourth overall pick last June, Stewart brings a projectable frame and a deep arsenal of plus pitches. On the surface, he certainly looks like a future front-end starter, but being that he’s yet to pitch above the rookie level, there’s still loads of uncertainty. The 19-year-old will make his full-season debut in 2014, and we’ll have a much better gauge as to his potential impact once he’s had a chance to get settled at Cedar Rapids. ETA: 2017
5. Josmil Pinto, C: Pinto is a bat-first catcher who should be getting an extended look behind the dish in Minnesota this season — note, the key word in that last sentence is SHOULD. It would seem wise to give the 24-year-old full-time catcher duties in 2014, but the Twins have stated that they’re content to roll with Kurt Suzuki instead. Developmental paths for catching prospects are always a bit slower, so I wasn’t going to be reaching for Pinto in drafts, regardless. Still, there would’ve been nice upside here in an everyday role. ETA: 2014
6. Jose Berrios, RHP: Three plus offerings (FB, CB, CH) give Berrios front-end potential, but inconsistent command and a smallish frame raise some questions about the long-term projection. The 19-year-old will step up to High-A Fort Myers in 2014 where the Twins will increase the workload, hoping to see steady production from April through August. ETA: 2016
7. Eddie Rosario, 2B/OF: After twice testing positive for recreational drug use, Rosario will miss the first 50 games of the 2014 season. It’s a developmental setback for the 22-year-old who brings a high-impact hit tool and likely middle infield eligibility. Don’t lose track of Rosario when he resurfaces in pro ball this summer. ETA: 2015
8. Adam Brett Walker, OF: Walker brings a similar profile as Sano in that the main attraction here is impact power potential. It’s not the same brand of raw power as Sano’s, but Walker figures to be a guy who can max out around 30 HR while posting good RBI totals from the middle of an exciting young lineup. Some evaluators question whether the 22-year-old’s hit tool will play at the highest level, and those concerns are legitimate considering Walker’s propensity to whiff. Being so, the Twins will be careful not to rush him through the remaining levels, so don’t expect to see him reach New Britain until 2015. ETA: 2016
9. Jorge Polanco, 2B: In his first year of full-season ball, Polanco hit .308/.362/.452 through 115 games at Low-A Cedar Rapids. A switch-hitter with great hand-eye, solid on-base skills, and projectable speed, the 20-year-old brings clear upside to the fantasy game. ETA: 2016
10. Trevor May, RHP: I’m a sucker for Trevor May and his elite-level stuff, but 2013 was the second consecutive year that he’s failed to live up to his potential, posting a Double-A line at 4.51/1.42/159 in 151 IP. I probably shouldn’t even be listing him among the top 10 in this extremely deep Twins org, but I find it difficult to ignore that if he can begin to harness his arsenal, the tools are still here for May to be the highest-impact arm in this system. ETA: 2014
For a retrospective look at the Twins farm, peep their 2013 MiLB preview.
