Article: Twins Minor League Report (8/17): Gonsalves World

[Mr. Brooks]

you think they will release hughes and pay his 50 million for no production?

I'd guess that he, like I, think that Hughes will not be healthy enough to return.

[FormerMinnasotan]

As of right now, I can tell you no GCL for Lewis, he's on a throwing program for whatever that means. He might see some time in Instructs though, hopefully...maybe.

 

Sidenote - he is really happy for his countrymate Lachlan Wells and his season thus far.

Do you think Thorpe will pitch any winter baseball in Australia to get him ready for next season? Not to pitch for 2 years with his repartore doesn't sound like a good idea especially with him feeling comfortable with his curve and slider. Edited August 18, 2016 by FormerMinnasotan

[Mike Sixel]

 

I'd guess that he, like I, think that Hughes will not be healthy enough to return.

 

Correct.

[Tom Froemming]

I'd guess that he, like I, think that Hughes will not be healthy enough to return.

 

 

Really?  I believe he's expected to start throwing again sometime next month and the club expects him to be ready for the start of Spring Training.

[Kepler Verge]

 

“While Mejia is closest to the big leagues, he is not Minnesota's top pitching prospect. That honor, almost indisputably, goes to Gonsalves at this point.”

 

While I would say that it remains disputable, there is no question that Gonsalves is pitching as well as anyone in minor league baseball right now.

 

Who would you say Gonsalves is not a better pitching prospect as?  Jay, who I think will be good long-term, has so far has struggled at AA, and is the same age as Gonsalves.  Stewart's BB-K ratio worries me a lot.  No one with a 1.53 WHIP at AA should have his generous ERA.  Romero looks great but is still a long ways from The Show.  And Meija's scouting reports peg him as about a no. 4 starter.  I love Thorpe, but he's in limbo.  In my humble opinion, Gonsalves is now our new best prospect.

[Mr. Brooks]

Really? I believe he's expected to start throwing again sometime next month and the club expects him to be ready for the start of Spring Training.

Well there have been plenty of instances where this team has had, what turned out to be, an overly optimistic prediction of when an injured player would return.

Until Hughes actually begins to throw all of his pitches off of a mound, we have no idea how he will recover.

[Mr. Brooks]

Who would you say Gonsalves is not a better pitching prospect as? Jay, who I think will be good long-term, has so far has struggled at AA, and is the same age as Gonsalves. Stewart's BB-K ratio worries me a lot. No one with a 1.53 WHIP at AA should have his generous ERA. Romero looks great but is still a long ways from The Show. And Meija's scouting reports peg him as about a no. 4 starter. I love Thorpe, but he's in limbo. In my humble opinion, Gonsalves is now our new best prospect.

Personally, I would rank Gonsalves ahead of all of them, aside from Berrios who will soon graduate.

But, I don't think it's unreasonable to argue for Jay.

It all depends on how much weight you place on ceiling, floor, proximity, likelihood of reaching ceiling, etc.

 

Jay has better stuff, if he can develop his change up as an average pitch, and hold up for 200 innings, he has a higher ceiling than Gonsalves.

MLB Pipeline, for example, who historically tends to place a little more weight on upside, currently has Jay above Gonsalves.

 

Personally I'd go (after Berrios, starting pitchers):

 

1 Gonsalves

2 Jay

3 Romero

4 Mejia

5 Thorpe

6 Stewart

7 Jorge

 

But, I wouldn't bat an eye at any combo of the top 3.