Is Billy Amick Entering the Minnesota Twins' Long-Term Plans?

[Cody Schoenmann]

Committing to Clemson University in 2021, Amick quickly became one of college baseball’s best hitters, hitting .414/.464/.772 with 13 home runs over 192 plate appearances in 2022. The right-handed-hitting corner infielder transferred to the University of Tennessee for the 2023 season, where he hit a less-impressive yet still elite .306/.387/.639 with 23 home runs over 292 plate appearances, playing a role in Tony Vitello’s club winning the College World Series. Sporting a keen approach and plus power during his college career, Amick was projected to be selected in the back half of the first round in the 2024 MLB Amateur Draft. Surprisingly, however, he slipped to the second round, where he was selected 60th overall by the Minnesota Twins.

 

Since joining the organization, Amick has somewhat surprisingly become an afterthought for those who monitor Minnesota Twins prospects—understandably so. Recent draft selections Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, Connor Prielipp, Marek Houston, and Riley Quick have excelled through the organization’s minor league system, entering Top-100 prospects lists and operating as primary reasons for optimism surrounding the club’s long-term success. International free agent signees Emmanuel Rodriguez, Kendry Rojas, Eduardo Tait, and Hendry Mendez have also demonstrated flashes of becoming plus major league contributors, effectively clogging the available headspace of Twins Territory prospect perverts.

 

Still, there are understated possible future contributors to be unearthed amidst the amalgamation of young talent, with Amick potentially being the least-discussed. Appearing in 18 games with Single-A Fort Myers after being selected out of Tennessee in 2024, the right-handed hitting corner outfielder hit .222/.351/.413 with three home runs over 77 plate appearances. The former volunteer continued his hot start, generating a 101 wRC+ with Fort Myers before being promoted to High-A Cedar Rapids in late-March, 2025. Amick excelled with Cedar Rapids, hitting .310/.418/.455 with four home runs and a 152 wRC+ over 244 plate appearances. The now-23-year-old is again performing well at a higher level this season, hitting .235/.309/.482 with six home runs and a 100 wRC+ over 97 plate appearances with Double-A Wichita.

 

Amick’s impressive Double-A numbers have largely been accumulated since Apr. 18, with him hitting four home runs and netting a 128 wRC+ over 41 plate appearances during that stretch. As he did during his three-season college career between Clemson and Tennessee, Amick has hit the ball hard and in the air the past couple of weeks, evidenced by him netting a well-above-average 17% pull-rate during that stretch. The 23-year-old's success in Double-A is especially encouraging, given that he is over a year younger than the average position player at the level. High whiff and strikeout rates have been and always will be a concern with the former college star. He has whiffed 40.5% of the time and struck out 28.9 of the time at Double-A. Still, his swing and miss concerns can be forgiven if he hits the ball hard upon contact, a trend he has continued during his first cup of coffee in the high-minors.

 

The concern with Amick, of course, is him becoming a three true outcomes, Matt Wallner-esque hitter in the majors, hitting for power while striking out roughly 40% of the time and walking at an 8-10% clip. Twins Territory understandably has a negative view of that player archetype, given Wallner’s abysmal start to his 2026 campaign. Still, given Wallner’s success from 2023 through 2025, there is precedent for players of that archetype succeeding over multi-season stretches. Amick also plays positions higher on the defensive spectrum, playing mostly third base and first base at Double-A this season. Given the club’s long-term uncertainty at both corner infield spots, lack of right-handed hitting position player prospects, and Amick’s sustained success between Low-A, High-A, and Double-A the past three seasons, the 23-year-old could climb up Twins’ top prospects lists, inserting himself into the club’s long-term corner infield plans.

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[jmlease1]

I think the Twins showed their interest in him by sending him to the AFL early and promoting him to AA despite not exactly having a great finish to his season in Cedar Rapids. Right now he's probably a borderline top 20 prospect, but there's potential if his bat stays live. 

Think they're handling him pretty well right now, splitting time at 3B and 1B. Be great if he can stick at 3B, but there's also a path for him to rise at 1B when the Twins need to find long-term solutions. We'll see where his bat is in another month, but he's off to a pretty good start to his year. Would like to see him make a little more contact, be a little more patient at the plate, but the power production has been good.

[thelanges5]

After battling through some injuries last year, I was excited to see what he could do in the Arizona Fall League. His performance there was pretty forgettable, so I am glad to see him doing well this year. It would be great to see him at first base. Twins need someone that can play defense and hit.

[rdehring]

Considering how badly the Twins need someone at first base, I hope so!

[Dman]

I think the Wallner comparison is Apt. Though he might have even worse in zone contact. As @jmlease1put it so kindly they are doing everything they can to help him improve.  Hopefully he finds a better way to handle those breaking balls without striking out.

[Trov]

That whiff rate is just not sustainable. You cannot swing and miss 40% of the time at AA and expect to have any chance of making majors. Something will have to change. 

[mikelink45]

I am not a fan - I do not think he will make it.  I wish him luck - I would like to see all minor leaguers get a chance, but rosters are full and he is not pushing the major league club at all. 

[JD-TWINS]

.235 BA & .309 OBP is not really even average - right? I get the 6 homers being noticeable but the first 2 slash numbers with 29%K rate doesn’t get me nor the organization excited. I guess, give it a couple more months.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

My reply to the article's title is: "Not yet."

[DJL44]

He could be the next Danny Valencia

[terrydactyls]

Amick is a little younger than the AA average.  However, if a handful of older players decide to hang up their spikes, he may become older than the AA average.  The player age versus league average "statistic" is only used if a player evaluator needs something to justify a player with a .235 batting average.

[Parfigliano]

29 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

He could be the next Danny Valencia

9 year career 103 OPS+ .....I doubt it.

[jmlease1]

52 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

.235 BA & .309 OBP is not really even average - right? I get the 6 homers being noticeable but the first 2 slash numbers with 29%K rate doesn’t get me nor the organization excited. I guess, give it a couple more months.

He's at .242/.324/.473 as of 5 May, and that's after a bad week. I don't think anyone is rushing to send him up to AAA, but let's see where he is in a month or two. This is really only his second full pro season, so he's on a solid track and to me is showing potential. 

I think he's properly rated as a fringe top 20 prospect, and if he produces well this season and shows improvement in his approach, then he'll get an opportunity.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

Well, right now the Twins have some players on the major league team trying to play their way OUT of the long term plan, so having someone play themselves into the long term plan would be in order.  He seems like a potential piece, but has quite a bit to prove in the upper minors before he merits a serious look in the majors.  But, a guy can hope!

[bunsen82]

Billy Amick stats in high A were impressive.  .310/.418/.455.  The only thing missing was the power.  He had a total of 4 homers all of last year.  I do wonder if they tried to change his approach a bit, and they did see an increase in batting average at the expense of power.  

In 2026 he has started out a bit slow on the contact side,  but the power is back with 6 homers in a month.   Now I would prefer to see the power with more of a .260 to .270 average in AA, but for just moving up, honestly he is right now track.   He is still splitting between 3rd and 1st but still playing the majority of the time at 3rd.  

For a player that was picked at pick 60 in a draft that was incredibly weak on hitters,   he was well worth the risk and so far he is holding up his end of the bargain.  Improving his defense at 3rd and continuing to try to work up the ladder.   

[DJL44]

16 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

9 year career 103 OPS+ .....I doubt it.

Me too, but that’s probably his upside. The kind of guy who’s useful for the three option seasons, then gets passed around the league on waivers.

[rv78]

I don't understand the love for power hitters that can't make consistant contact. We've had enough of the Miguel Sano and Joey Gallo types to last a lifetime. If he can play defense at 1B or 3B that's one thing, but to be a legit major leaguer that will help a team to a Championship, you also have to be able to hit. If all you are after is for him to make it to the bigs and provide the big league roster with another body that does nothing to improve it, then why?

[jmlease1]

4 minutes ago, rv78 said:

I don't understand the love for power hitters that can't make consistant contact. We've had enough of the Miguel Sano and Joey Gallo types to last a lifetime. If he can play defense at 1B or 3B that's one thing, but to be a legit major leaguer that will help a team to a Championship, you also have to be able to hit. If all you are after is for him to make it to the bigs and provide the big league roster with another body that does nothing to improve it, then why?

Because hitting for power is important for creating runs. It just is. avoiding out + hitting for power = runs. It's a simple formula, but a proven one. 

Miguel Sano gets used as a poster child of what we supposedly don't want around here, but what we don't want with a Sano type is one who gets injured a bunch and goes into rapid decline. As a hitter, however, Sano was very impactful in his healthy seasons. Even with all his injuries and a massive and borderline tragic decline, he's got a career OPS+ of 115. Can you really look at his 2015, 2017, and 2019 seasons and say this guy couldn't hit? (yes, the even-numbered seasons count too, but 1 of those was the idiotic "let's put him in RF!" experiment and the other down seasons are more about injury than lack of skill) If Billy Amick is Miguel Sano as a hitter I'd be thrilled! (he's not)

Having a lower BA and a lot of K's may not be aesthetically appealing, and you probably don't want your lineup filled entirely with those dudes, but it's also not a death sentence and can in fact improve your roster. Beyond that, part of what keeps a team in good shape and winning is when you have lower level prospects come up and be solid contributors even if it's only for a few seasons. Be a quality starter for a few years, rather than have to spend precious free agent dollars on an aging veteran to fill in at 1B or 3B or DH.

Amick might not get there? You'd like to see his contact rates get higher in AA and his power production be higher as well, but there's things to like about him and potential for him to realize.

[saviking]

Poor man's Matt Wallner? YIKES!

[Linus]

Don’t want to be that guy but he’s 23 with a 100 wrc+ at AA. He is also considered a sub par defender so something would have to change drastically for him to even sniff the show. 

[bean5302]

Not sure why Wallner is the same as every hitter who has a high K rate. There's little in common between him and Amick.

Amick hits right handed, hasn't generated power at lower levels and isn't taking walks at AA. Outside a short little spurt in AA, Amick hasn't consistently generated power. 

Wallner hits left handed, always generated a ton of power, and he took a ton of walks to push his on base percentage up at AA.

If you want to make a better comp from a results and batted ball standpoint, Amick is a lot more like a right handed hitting Trevor Larnach.

Amick needs to make a huge improvement at the plate to be a viable option at MLB

[rv78]

3 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

Because hitting for power is important for creating runs. It just is. avoiding out + hitting for power = runs. It's a simple formula, but a proven one. 

Miguel Sano gets used as a poster child of what we supposedly don't want around here, but what we don't want with a Sano type is one who gets injured a bunch and goes into rapid decline. As a hitter, however, Sano was very impactful in his healthy seasons. Even with all his injuries and a massive and borderline tragic decline, he's got a career OPS+ of 115. Can you really look at his 2015, 2017, and 2019 seasons and say this guy couldn't hit? (yes, the even-numbered seasons count too, but 1 of those was the idiotic "let's put him in RF!" experiment and the other down seasons are more about injury than lack of skill) If Billy Amick is Miguel Sano as a hitter I'd be thrilled! (he's not)

Having a lower BA and a lot of K's may not be aesthetically appealing, and you probably don't want your lineup filled entirely with those dudes, but it's also not a death sentence and can in fact improve your roster. Beyond that, part of what keeps a team in good shape and winning is when you have lower level prospects come up and be solid contributors even if it's only for a few seasons. Be a quality starter for a few years, rather than have to spend precious free agent dollars on an aging veteran to fill in at 1B or 3B or DH.

Amick might not get there? You'd like to see his contact rates get higher in AA and his power production be higher as well, but there's things to like about him and potential for him to realize.

Your formula of "avoiding out" + hitting for power is only effective if you can acually make the first part of "avoiding out" work. A formula of hitting singles and doubles works just as well if you also can "avoid outs". Power isn't anymore effective without the avoiding out.

[Mike Sixel]

2 minutes ago, rv78 said:

What did we get from a Sano? K's galore and an occasional 450 foot homerun. Maybe I missed it but I didn't see him lead the Twins to a WS title. Do you know why the Twins have had problems scoring runs the last few seasons? Why their typical line in a box score is 1 for 10 with RISP? Because they went whole hog on the HR, and now they strikeout a ton and can't score like they should. Know why Austin Martin struggled when he was first brought up to the big league roster?Because the Twins tried to make him a homerun hitter instead of letting him do what he was good at, which is what he went back to and the results of that is what we saw at the end of last season and so far this season. I'll take a team that can score runs via singles and doubles over a solo homerun here and there anyday. 

Trout never lead his team to the WS either. That's not how you judge an individual in baseball. 

I hate to break it to you, but home runs score a lot more runs than singles in modern baseball. It's very, very, hard to string together hits against these pitchers. 

[mikelink45]

57 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Trout never lead his team to the WS either. That's not how you judge an individual in baseball. 

I hate to break it to you, but home runs score a lot more runs than singles in modern baseball. It's very, very, hard to string together hits against these pitchers. 

What makes it hard is that everybody is taught to strike out walk or hit a home run. We used to have teams or everybody hit 250 to 3:25 which meant that you could string some things together and oftentimes they may not hit home runs but doubles are fine, and still in bases are fine, and hit and run is fine. I watch MLB at night and I get really bored with just home run after home run. That's not a highlight that's one swing and a ball going out I must prefer to see action. 

[Mike Sixel]

9 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

What makes it hard is that everybody is taught to strike out walk or hit a home run. We used to have teams or everybody hit 250 to 3:25 which meant that you could string some things together and oftentimes they may not hit home runs but doubles are fine, and still in bases are fine, and hit and run is fine. I watch MLB at night and I get really bored with just home run after home run. That's not a highlight that's one swing and a ball going out I must prefer to see action. 

They aren't taught to strike out or hit a homerun. I do agree, the modern game is less fun in many ways.

[Doctor Gast]

6 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

I am not a fan - I do not think he will make it.  I wish him luck - I would like to see all minor leaguers get a chance, but rosters are full and he is not pushing the major league club at all. 

I am not a fan, either. IMO, he can't break into the left-side INF, so his path is 1B. All the big bat corner fielders drafted, Twins can't field a 1Bman. We need a 1Bman that can really slug. What happened to them?

[bean5302]

24 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

What makes it hard is that everybody is taught to strike out walk or hit a home run. We used to have teams or everybody hit 250 to 3:25 which meant that you could string some things together and oftentimes they may not hit home runs but doubles are fine, and still in bases are fine, and hit and run is fine. I watch MLB at night and I get really bored with just home run after home run. That's not a highlight that's one swing and a ball going out I must prefer to see action. 

Nobody is taught to strike out. They're taught to swing hard at pitches they think they can hit hard, and not to swing at pitches they don't think they can hit hard. Joe Mauer and Byron Buxton are on record about how the velo for pitchers changed the game for hitters.

In 2007, the median fastball was 90.7mph. The bottom quartile started at 87mph. Greg Maddux was highly effective throwing 80.9mph that year and the bottom of the charts saw fastballs in the 78mph range. 1995 probably had an average fastball of 85mph.

Brain time to see the ball, 100ms
Brain time to start a swing 25ms
Muscle time to get the swing into the strike zone 150ms

The time for a ball to reach home plate from release is about 385ms these days. The time to reach home plate in 1995 was probably 425ms. 

Decision time in 1995, on average for a fastball, was probably 145ms. Today, it's 105ms. Batters have about 40% less time to recognize a pitch today than they did back when slap singles and the average hitter could bat .290 with a 1/3rd of the league being .300 hitters.

Now, a batter can go with the Luis Arraez method. Slow swings, slapping at the ball. The Tsuyoshi Nishioka approach. It doesn't work a lot.

[jmlease1]

1 hour ago, rv78 said:

Your formula of "avoiding out" + hitting for power is only effective if you can acually make the first part of "avoiding out" work. A formula of hitting singles and doubles works just as well if you also can "avoid outs". Power isn't anymore effective without the avoiding out.

Can I give you the old Tom Tango quiz? Who is the more impactful hitter (assume the same ballparks):

Player A: .300/.370/.425

Player B: .250/.370/.425

No one is saying hitting for power means it's ok to not avoid outs. It's just that it's less meaningful how you avoid those outs. Long before the analytics revolution in baseball people were saying in Little League: "A walk's as good as a hit".

Bringing it back around to Amick: if he's taking his walks and showing good pop in his bat, it'll fine if he's got a BA in the .250-270 range. But he has to take those walks and show a good understanding of the strike zone and do damage to balls in the zone.

[bunsen82]

3 hours ago, bean5302 said:

Not sure why Wallner is the same as every hitter who has a high K rate. There's little in common between him and Amick.

Amick hits right handed, hasn't generated power at lower levels and isn't taking walks at AA. Outside a short little spurt in AA, Amick hasn't consistently generated power. 

Wallner hits left handed, always generated a ton of power, and he took a ton of walks to push his on base percentage up at AA.

If you want to make a better comp from a results and batted ball standpoint, Amick is a lot more like a right handed hitting Trevor Larnach.

Amick needs to make a huge improvement at the plate to be a viable option at MLB

To be fair in College and Minor League baseball he only had 1 year of not hitting homeruns and that was last year.   He had a 60 Power rating.   So yes he can generate power,  just in 1 year he didn't and likely changed his approach a bit.   6 home runs in month in AA is pretty impressive.  Now you need to do a little more than just those 6 home runs.  I would argue he doesn't have to make a huge improvement to be a viable MLB option.  1st off he just needs to keep improving his defense and he could be an option at 3rd base,  if not 1st.   Honestly,  if you want a legit comparison of someone who was a 3rd basemen and is now a 1st Baseman - the comp would be Spencer Steer.  Now Steer had significant value until this year.  The defense for Steer has been rough throughout his MLB career.   

[mikelink45]

5 hours ago, bean5302 said:

Nobody is taught to strike out. They're taught to swing hard at pitches they think they can hit hard, and not to swing at pitches they don't think they can hit hard. Joe Mauer and Byron Buxton are on record about how the velo for pitchers changed the game for hitters.

In 2007, the median fastball was 90.7mph. The bottom quartile started at 87mph. Greg Maddux was highly effective throwing 80.9mph that year and the bottom of the charts saw fastballs in the 78mph range. 1995 probably had an average fastball of 85mph.

Brain time to see the ball, 100ms
Brain time to start a swing 25ms
Muscle time to get the swing into the strike zone 150ms

The time for a ball to reach home plate from release is about 385ms these days. The time to reach home plate in 1995 was probably 425ms. 

Decision time in 1995, on average for a fastball, was probably 145ms. Today, it's 105ms. Batters have about 40% less time to recognize a pitch today than they did back when slap singles and the average hitter could bat .290 with a 1/3rd of the league being .300 hitters.

Now, a batter can go with the Luis Arraez method. Slow swings, slapping at the ball. The Tsuyoshi Nishioka approach. It doesn't work a lot.

100 mph fastball and lots of time on IL, big swing, big misses.  

And I miss the days of Rickey Henderson, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays who could do it all. 

I am hooked on the game so I keep watching even though I enjoy it much less.