2019 Minor League Preview: Minnesota Twins

I’ve learned several important lessons in my adult life. Cheez-its are the ideal snack. Lauder’s whisky is just as good as the expensive stuff. Children want you to spend time with them. And yet, soaking Cheez-its in whisky to sneak it into the movie that you’re attending with your children is somehow not a sound plan. Oh, and Byron Buxton is probably not the next Mike Trout. Lessons learned. This year’s Minnesota preview was really hard to whittle down to ten. There’s a nice balance between high upside guys, specs that are close, and some decent pitching. It’s just a good, deep system. Good and deep like the flavor of Lauder’s Blended Scotch Whiskey. This intro has been brought to you by Lauder’s Blended Scotch Whisky. I present the Minnesota Twins top ten fantasy prospects for your disapproval.

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Wouldn’t It Be Bryse If Atlanta Brings Up Wilson

August 21, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 354 Comments

by: Grey

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”280818″ player=”10951″ title=”Fantasy Baseball Mailbag Week 21″]

The Braves called up Bryse Wilson, their third starter who is under 21 years old (Soroka, Allard) and 4th player (Acuña). Mean’s while, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. just collected his 3,000th minor league hit. By the time Vlad Jr. is called up, he will be Vlad Sr.’s brother. Didja you know in Latin America junior is a term of endearment like when you call that old lady in your family ‘aunt’ even though she’s unrelated? That’s why so many Jr.’s get to their 2nd year of pro ball and drop the junior. Right, Raul Mondesi Jr.? Any hoo! The Braves called up yet another gorgeous, young prospect. “That’s what I love about these Braves starters, man. I keep getting older, they stay the same age.” — Matthew McConaughey seeing Bryse Wilson. Prospector Ralph just gave you his Bryse Wilson fantasy. He’s also in his top 500 fantasy baseball prospects. Previously, he said, “A 4th rounder in 2016, Bryse Wilson rode his plus sinking fastball to one of the bigger breakouts of 2017. His four-seamer sits 92-95 with sink, and commands it extremely well. His secondaries are far more raw with a power 12-6 curve, and a fringe changeup. Speaking of Wilson, I’d like to spike Grey like a volleyball.” Okay, not cool! Yesterday, Wilson went 5 IP, 0 ER, 6 baserunners, 5 Ks, as the Braves bumped everyone in their rotation back a day. The big thing that struck me about Bryse is he looks like he’s been doing it for years (which could be said of the other young Braves players). About to call him Poyse Wilson. Seems weird to call him up to just send him back to the minors, so gotta expect him to stay up. In shallower redrafts, I’d view Wilson as a streamer, but I did grab him in two mixed league redrafts. He’s obviously a decent keeper in deep leagues (10.8 K/9, 0.9 BB/9 in only 20 Triple-A innings), especially now that’s he’s up with rest of the Braves’ Poyse of Summer. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

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Minor League Update: Introducing Brujan Da 5’9

August 19, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 13 Comments

by: Geoff

Piece by piece, pick by pick, signing by signing the Tampa Bay Rays have quietly built the best farm system in baseball. Stocked at all levels with players of all types. This balanced blend of pitching and hitting, power and speed, big stuff guys and pitchability types. There’s no shortage of prospects to discuss on the Rays farm. While much of the recent discussion and helium has followed wunderkind Wander Franco and his assault on the Appy League. He’s not the hottest player in the Tampa system at the moment. That honor belongs to recently promoted second baseman Vidal Brujan. The 20 year old switch-hitter is a contact machine, showing an uncanny ability to get his bat on balls in all quadrants of the zone. With a mature approach at the plate, it’s apparent right away that Brujan has a plan. His ability to recognize and make in swing adjustments is rare. When I caught the spark-plug (coded short person language) in the New York-Penn League last year with Hudson Valley, he stuck out like a green hat with an orange bill. Rarely do you see a player this athletic in short season ball, that seemingly has the foundations figured out. But there was Brujan. He’s never going to be an impactful power hitter, but his swing does have loft, and he has the ability to drive balls to the gaps. Quick hands generate his plus bat speed, but it’s his laid back approach, and ability to make split second reads on spin that really set him apart. That’s before we even talk about his speed and base-running ability. He’s quick, getting clocked at 4.26 on the turn by Jason Woodell just weeks ago. He uses that speed too, wrecking havoc this season between the Midwest League and Florida State League, stealing 49 bases on 67 attempts. I envision a top of the order table setter with 25+ steals, a high batting average and 12-15 homers, but 30+ doubles. If I was in a dynasty that used points scoring, I’d make it a priority to add Brujan. Through 12 games in High-A he’s slashing .409/.519/.614 with a homer and 6 steals. Go add Brujan da 5’9 (that’s his listed height) before he goes BOOM!

Meet the next Great #Raysup Prospect: Vidal Brujan, 2B
Worked Jax over. 2 tough ABs, saw everything he had, lined a 1B in the 2nd. 3rd AB – Ambushed a 1st pitch FB for a ? pic.twitter.com/u6FOllNeho

— Jason Woodell (@JasonAtTheGame) August 14, 2018

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2018 Minnesota Twins Minor League Preview

February 18, 2018 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 40 Comments

by: Geoff

It’s not often a team makes the playoffs and picks at the top of the draft in the same year, but the Twins have done a good job of syncing up their rebuild. With a core of some nice homegrown talent, the Twinkies have plenty more on the way. An exciting mix of five tool athletes, power hitters, power pitchers, and hit tool middle infielders, make this system one of the top to follow for fantasy purposes. With players like Royce Lewis, Wander Javier, Brent Rooker, Akil Baddoo, and Brusdar Graterol there’s some potential stars in the mix. Maybe it’s just my perception, but this feels like one of the more underappreciated systems. There’s a few diamonds in the rough to uncover, so let’s get this shindig started! It’s the 2018 Minnesota Twins Top Prospects for Fantasy Baseball.

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Top 100 Prospects for 2018 Fantasy Baseball

October 18, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 81 Comments

by: Geoff

I’m the one man army Ason, I’ve never been tooken out, I keep Prospectors looking out, I drop knowledge like Lancy dropping babies, enough to make an Albright go craaaaaazy! Sorry, always wanted to start a post like that, and I decided it shall be done over my morning coffee. In case you missed it I released the top 50 Prospects for 2018 on Sunday. Funny enough this is the perfect segue to today’s post, the second part of my top 100, this time with even more words! We’re going through 51-100, and I have to say this is by far the most difficult section of all my prospect rankings. It’s in intersection where up and comers full of helium, mix with droppers, solid-close-to-the-majors types, and super-young pure upside plays. I try to balance them all, and at times tiers dovetail, and weave together more than they stay in any sort of specific order. It’s an inexact science this prospecting. There’s so many unknown variables within each player and each player’s opportunities in a given organization at a given time. Constantly changing and evolving. All this to say that there’s a lot of educated guessing, and there’s bound to be some serious misses. Hello Tyler Glasnow!

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Two-Start Starters, Week 21: Say Nolasco To Skaggs

August 19, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Two Start Pitchers | 24 Comments

by: mikeMaher

Greetings from beautiful New Jersey. If you say otherwise, as someone born and raised in New Jersey I am legally obligated to fight you with my shirt off. I’m sorry, but I don’t make the rules. Even though I am just here visiting, these laws are still binding. Strange, I know. But true. Very true. Ask Grey if you don’t believe me.

Given how the first 20 weeks have gone, putting two Dodgers pitchers at the top of this list just seems like a tease. We know what is going to happen by Monday, so why do we torture ourselves? If we have learned anything this season, it’s that Dave Roberts hates every single one of us and does not want us to be happy. Luckily, both are owned in 100% of RCLs, so we can safely ignore them without feeling too guilty.

As for value choices this week, Streamonator likes three starting pitchers who are owned in less than 75% of Razzball Commenter Leagues for a positive value. The value choices for this week are:

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Mid-Season Top 100 Prospects for 2017 Fantasy Baseball

July 2, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 184 Comments

by: Geoff

There’s really no need for any introduction on this one, it’s the post upon which all prospectors are judged. It’s the Mid-Season Update to my Top 100 Prospects for 2017 Fantasy Baseball. Full disclosure, I was loosey-goosey with the eligibility rules this time around. So, while some players in the majors and under their limits might appear on this list (Clint Frazier, Franklin Barreto, Etc.), others don’t (Raimel Tapia). No rhyme or reason to it, what-so-ever. This list feels more upside heavy to me, but there was no slant or algorithm for my ranks. Just good old fashioned personal bias, of which I have plenty. Seriously, I’m an opinionated lad! But that’s why I do this in the first place. Please keep in mind, this list is 100% fantasy focused. Meaning it might differ quite a bit from other Top 100’s you may come across. Anyway, thanks for reading and enjoy! The next 100 (101-200) will be out on Thursday.

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The Leftovers: Players Who Just Missed the Cut of the Top 100

February 26, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 38 Comments

by: Geoff

After I finished my Top 100 Prospects post, I had a whole lot of leftovers of players who didn’t quite make the cut. The thing is many of these players were at one point in my Top 100, and therefore had a write up. Today’s post is those leftovers, it’s the turkey sandwiches the day after Thanksgiving, or the album a band releases a year after a successful album of all the songs that didn’t make the cut. It’s me being lazy, but also kind of wanting you to have as much of my info as possible. I get a chance to go into detail on a few last minute subtractions, and get you familiar with some players that will be jumping into my top 100 by mid-season. These are the bubble players, those that are every bit a top 100 level player as those that just limboed under the line, some flameouts looking for redemption in 2017, and everything in between. There’s a little bit of everything! I hope you enjoy, it’s the Leftovers.

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2017 Minor League Preview: Minnesota Twins

January 8, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 59 Comments

by: Geoff

It’s been a rough year for Minnesota, it started with the death of Prince, and just snowballed from there. The Twins were awful, finishing with the worst record in the majors by 9 games. The Vikings crapped out after beginning the season with so much promise. Jose Berrios is not quite the ace the Target Field faithful were dreaming on, and Atmosphere, though still entertaining, has seen better days. Well Minnesota, it’s 2017 and I’m going to continue to pile on. Sorry…. While the system looks bare, it should be mentioned that the Twinkies have graduated a group of elite prospects over the last few seasons in Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, and the aforementioned Berrios. Unfortunately, none of them have provided elite returns, as of yet. So what’s left in the pipeline oh Prospect Jesus, please tell us? Yes, my children, there ain’t much. Yup, Prospect Jesus uses the word ain’t, he’s a man of the people. As for immediate impact there are a handful of useful bullpen arms, and some back end starters, but the really exciting prospects are at minimum a year away, sometimes more in first rounder Alex Kirilloff’s case. Minnesota is truly a team that needs to re-tool the farm with so many of their young talented players already on the big league club. So sit back, put your feet up, and get up to date on the Top Minnesota Twins Prospects. Can you dig it?

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Prospect Podcast Episode 21: Top Mets Prospects and a handful of Twins

January 7, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Prospect Podcast, Razzball Podcast | 28 Comments

by: Geoff

New year, new Halph! Not that different from the old Halph, but Halph nevertheless. This week’s episode involves us delving into a duo of systems in the Mets and the Twins, with plenty of the typical mindless banter for good measure. We crush on Thomas Szupucki together, and figure out where Rosario slots in among the elite shortstop prospects. Over the course of the show we come to a pair of conclusions that Amazin’ has an underrated system, and that the Twins have 4 prospects. Seriously, 4. Maybe 5, could be a stretch. There’s a lot of pitching prospect talk on this one, but knowing top Mets prospect pitchers is to love them. Amirite? Yeah, you’re nodding your head, it’s cool. So grab a cold one, or a hot one, and tune into the latest episode of the Razzball prospect podcast.

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Minor League Update: The Last One Y’All

September 4, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 41 Comments

by: Geoff

Over the course of the past few days, I’ve wondered if mentioning Colin Kaepernick in any way, shape, or form would boost readership here in the doldrums of the fantasy baseball season. Maybe I could say “click here to see so and so nearly naked”, or “this celebrity didn’t want this to get out”. What if I took the plunge into full on click bait and left the days of insightful minor league analysis for dynasty and fantasy baseball behind. Would it be me whining about Odell Beckham Jr. ignoring me at the Met Gala? Imagine prospector Ralph rubbing elbows with the A list. I mean seems appropriate, they’re A-list and I’m known for making a list. Thank you, thank you, you’re all too kind I’ll be here all week. In all seriousness, we’ve come to the end of the regular season in minor league baseball, and with it the end of my minor league updates for 2016. Don’t worry I’m going absolutely nowhere. I’ll be updating you on all things dynasty and prospects throughout the offseason. In fact you’ll probably have a triple dose of me with the podcast and all. So pump the volume on this track, throw some BBQ on the grill, and save some sticky ribs for your homie Ralph. The final minor league update of the 2 dot oh 1-6 is here!

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RazzNasty League Update: Mentok The Mind Taker

May 1, 2016 | Our Leagues | 86 Comments

by: Geoff

There’s embarrassment and then there’s having to cover in detail a fantasy baseball league you’re nearly dead last in. So begins our first monthly update on the in house dynasty league “The RazzNasty”. For those of you that are new here, “The RazzNasty” is a Razzball founded dynasty league made up of Razzball writers, readers, commenters, and Methodists! It’s a 16 team roto with semi-weekly adds/drops via blind auction. We have 30 man MLB rosters and 10 man minor league rosters. Since we last updated you in early March there’s been a flurry of activity including trades, wire adds, a second commissioner switch, and a banana or two in the tailpipe. So yes it’s more or less high stakes Mario Kart.

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