Baseball America's Top Ten Twins Prospects

[Jpete]

Exciting list! A few truly top of the line prospects but also many guys who have a chance to be solid players or even better. 

 

Most of the top guys are lower in the system however so not a lot of near term help. I hope this year the twins give more chances to the AAA guys who have been around for years. Maybe they are not super highly ranked but they have performed well and have enough talent to make it. Even if they struggle, at least they got an opportunity and a lot times it takes 2 or 3 cracks at the majors to stick so I hope they have their chance with the twins; no excuse for someone to go have to go elsewhere to get their chance. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

The draft is such a risk. So may variables. I would like to see a "draft chart" which somehow includes character. Though that is hard to quantify, much less define, it is vital for success. There have been many extremely talented athletes who, because of injuries, or lack of desire or drive,  or from making poor choices, have not met  the expectations of the drafting teams. 18 to 22 year old young men are subject to many external factors. What made Joe Mauer a successful first draft pick, besides his athletic abilities and skills on a baseball field? If you can answer this question, then apply Joe's character traits at age 18 and try to go draft another  with the same qualities. Easier said than done. I really believe that psychological test results could be beneficial to help a drafting team make some difficult choices.

[nytwinsfan]

 

I had him #4 this year...

 

O fcourse, I was also bashed for keeping Kirilloff at #5 last year at this time after he missed a full season. Javier is probably more toolsie than Kirilloff... In fact, probably not "probably." 

I'm not doubting he has the upside to be #4, just the injury history makes me question that high a raning. It seems like Javier has been injured for much of the season the past 3 years. Kiriloff was just one year with a discreet, albeit substantial injury.

[LimestoneBaggy]

 

Inconceivable. You can work on baseball and have a life? 

 

You can also work, and read baseball forums...at least I've heard that...asking for a friend?

[jmlease1]

 

A good list, but giving Javier the #4 spot at this point, after so many injuries and missed seasons seems a bit ridiculous to me. Happy to be proved wrong.

 

I was on this train earlier and Seth is bringing me around. If your list is more about upside and tools (and that's perfectly fair!) then this ranking makes a fair amount of sense. And it's really only this season he missed; kid doesn't even turn 20 until the end of the year! 

[nytwinsfan]

 

I was on this train earlier and Seth is bringing me around. If your list is more about upside and tools (and that's perfectly fair!) then this ranking makes a fair amount of sense. And it's really only this season he missed; kid doesn't even turn 20 until the end of the year! 

 

He had 30 ABs in 2016 and 180 in 2017 . . . so I really can't agree that it is only this season he missed.  He basically missed the 2016 completely and had a half season of short-season ball in 2017.  That's half a season in three years, all due to injuries.  At some point you gotta rank guys who are closer and have a track record higher, at least in my opinion. If he puts in close to a full, quality year in 2019, I'll be happy to boost him right up near the top of the rankings.

[Doctor Wu]

Yeah, a few surprising omissions from that list, but the biggest surprise for me was seeing Trevor Larnach at number 5. Sure, he was drafted high and put up good numbers in the short time he played this year, but I'm still not sold on him as a top prospect.

[h2oface]

 

No Gordon? 

 

How the mightly have fallen... 

 

It is a rare prospect that can continue to climb on the way to the Bigs, or not fall from a previous year. So much ado about nothing. It is so easy to anoint the new shiney draft pick as they play low minor league ball. The only thing that really matters is what they do in The Show. All the rest is fansturbation - and even group fansturbation - not that there is anything wrong with that - eh?

[jmlease1]

 

He had 30 ABs in 2016 and 180 in 2017 . . . so I really can't agree that it is only this season he missed.  He basically missed the 2016 completely and had a half season of short-season ball in 2017.  That's half a season in three years, all due to injuries.  At some point you gotta rank guys who are closer and have a track record higher, at least in my opinion. If he puts in close to a full, quality year in 2019, I'll be happy to boost him right up near the top of the rankings.

 

He was 3rd in ABs on the Elizabethton roster in 2017. He played a full season in that short league at age 18. His 2016 season was Dominican summer league; betting his brief appearance there had more to do with timing and his signing than injury.

 

His injury this season was significant, and it's fair to be concerned about how he'll bounce back, but as the youngest player at Elizabethton he looked awfully promising and I don't think it's justified to call him injury-prone yet.

[Seth Stohs]

 

Yeah, a few surprising omissions from that list, but the biggest surprise for me was seeing Trevor Larnach at number 5. Sure, he was drafted high and put up good numbers in the short time he played this year, but I'm still not sold on him as a top prospect.

 

What's not to like at this point? He was arguably the best hitter on what may prove to be one of the best college baseball teams ever. He can hit for average and power, uses the whole field, has a strong approach and can play right field. Also, he was the 20th (or so) pick in this year's draft... So, he has to be this high. I can't imagine any of the guys drafted in the first 25+ picks are ranked any lower than 5th in their organizations at this point. (which of course may prove to be right or wrong as early as the end of next year. 

[lamiwe21]

 

I've heard that he likes to use the off season to concentrate on making music, Not to put that down, but I think his time would be well spent trying to build his body up in preparation for the next season. If he wants to advance to the next level, he needs to dedicate all of his time.

 

He works out with Barry Larkin in the offseason at Disney with several other MILB players. 

 

[Rosterman]

I look at the 40-or-so over on the Twins page and try to plug them into 25-man roster spots for 2020 or 2021.

[Ernestfickle22]

 

I've heard that he likes to use the off season to concentrate on making music, Not to put that down, but I think his time would be well spent trying to build his body up in preparation for the next season. If he wants to advance to the next level, he needs to dedicate all of his resources to it.

And miss out on the next G-Cinco album? no thank you!

[MN_ExPat]

 

You can also work, and read baseball forums...at least I've heard that...asking for a friend?

Wait....??? We're supposed to work?   Oh, ok... that really explains a lot.  

 

[MN_ExPat]

 

Yeah, a few surprising omissions from that list, but the biggest surprise for me was seeing Trevor Larnach at number 5. Sure, he was drafted high and put up good numbers in the short time he played this year, but I'm still not sold on him as a top prospect.

That's understandable, given the SSS that most of us have seen.   However, after watching him in the CWS with Oregon State... the kid can play and is a heck of a lot better athlete than many give him credit for.  

 

Time will tell (as with all prospects), but (IMHO) he has the ability to be a very good professional player.