Look How Far Our Minor League Has Come

[KirbyHawk75]

This is what MLB had ranked as our top 10 in 2001.  

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2011/

 

Hicks is still a major question mark.  Gibson is reaching his potential.  Arcia has shown promise.  Sano is still a big prospect.  I do not remember number 8 at all.  

[ashbury]

 

 I do not remember number 8 at all.  

Adrian Salcedo? He appeared in some spring games with the big club this year and did well. He's still only 24 and pitched in AA last year.

[KirbyHawk75]

thanks!  I remember now..  Is he still a prospect?

[ashbury]

 

thanks!  I remember now..  Is he still a prospect?

Well, he's not a major leaguer, and he's not released. And he appears in TD's "2015 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook" in the alphabetical listing of players and their outlooks. But he last appeared in anybody's Top 30 list for the organization in about 2013. Just a bullpen prospect at this point.

[Rosterman]

Shows you just how things change. Gutierrez was thought highly. Joe Benson was raved as a 5-tool guy behind Hicks, but still capable of playing the corners. Wimmers has been is DL hell. Pat Dean is still around. The ones that made it: Hicks, Gibson, Arcia have been nothing to write home about. Liam Hendriks is still a prospect. If he can only pitch in the majors. What has he been with the last two years...20 teams or something?

[Otto von Ballpark]

Those 2011 guys were pretty decent prospects.  Actually by John Sickels' grades, our 2011 list isn't that different than our 2015 list, except for the (admittedly important) addition of two "A" grade prospects at the very top.

 

The fact that many of our 2011 list fizzled out or took longer than expected should be a cautionary tale for projecting our 2015 list.

[bird]

 

Those 2011 guys were pretty decent prospects.  Actually by John Sickels' grades, our 2011 list isn't that different than our 2015 list, except for the (admittedly important) addition of two "A" grade prospects at the very top.

 

The fact that many of our 2011 list fizzled out or took longer than expected should be a cautionary tale for projecting our 2015 list.

 

I do agree that 2011 offers a precautionary tale about getting too excited about these B prospects. It also offers a precautionary tale about the ability of guys like Sickles to project results. But ultimately, the 2011 system was viewed as middle of the road, #14-17 IIRC, and that probably wasn't far off the mark. Dozier and Plouffe should be acknowledged as examples of lesser-regarded prospects who emerged, too.