Article: Twins Minor League Report (4/10): Gordon Shows Off Power In Miracle Loss

[TRex]

 

He played 64 games at E-Town last year. It was odd they didn't pushed him up to CR after 30 games or so.  If he did well there, and had a good spring they could've considered having him start at FM.   

 

Its fine he is there, but he is old for Low A baseball and his success needs to be put into that context.

 

(Also hie is 22, not 21)

Don't forget that his college season was interrupted by a broken hamate bone. I think starting in E-ton was a good idea, even though he was 21. 

[jokin]

 

I hope so.  But I am getting out of the prediction business, both of when a guy comes up and what he does when he gets there.  Been drastically wrong on Meyer, Burdi, Buxton, and 2016 Sano.

 

 

Call-ups are getting easier to predict than resultant performance. Meyer should have been called up in 2014, and I sure hope you haven't written off any positive predictions on Sano already.

[DocBauer]

Agree.  A 23 year old crushing High A is preferable to a 20 year old that gets demoted to E-Town after being awful in Low A.

 

That being said, age does need to be taken into account in every situation.

 

I believe you are 100% correct, age should be a consideration. But, and I believe this is Seth's point, age must always be tempered. Even if a top college signed finishes his HS career and graduates at 17, he probably turns 18 before arriving on campus. Assuming he plays immediately and doesn't redshirt his first year, (no clue what percentage do), he's playing at age 18 or maybe 19. Three years later, he's selected in the June draft, and is, at the youngest, 20 about to turn 21, or even 22. If he doesn't like his draft spot and goes back for his senior season, he's draft at age 21 or 22.

 

For many reasons, we know college players don't step right in to a ML lineup or staff, with very, very little exception, until they have at least a year or so under their belt in the minors. The 21-22 yo player who arrives ready to make an immediate impact is a top 5 HS draftee or foreign amateur signee of outstanding natural ability who therefore wouldnt, generally, attend college anyway.

 

That is not to demean college baseball players, simply a fact based on raw, natural ability and potential vs a young athlete who simply needs more time to develop.