Ranking Every Player on the 2020 Minnesota Twins from 59 to 1

In ranking the players on the 60-man roster for the Minnesota Twins, we will only be looking at their value to the Twins for the 2020 season. This is different from the Twins asset rankings that Nick Nelson did this winter where he ranked the Twins players in terms of the long-term value they bring to the club. In these rankings top, young prospects might be ranked lower than aging veterans and past production will typically trump future projection. In the simplest of terms, these rankings will answer the question, “Who would you rather have for the 2020 season?”

Tier 8: AAAA Guys

The lowest tier of players for the 2020 Minnesota Twins are the players that I’m referring to as the AAAA guys. AAAA guys are players who are mostly in their 30s and have made their careers bouncing between AAA and spot stints in the Majors. These guys are on the roster for their experience, but most won’t sniff the majors in 2020.

59. Juan Graterol

58. Jack Reinheimer

57. Tomas Telis

Telis is a part of the 60-man roster because of his ability to play the catcher position. In his 12-year career, Telis has played nearly 1,000 games in the minor leagues, posting a career .744 OPS across all minor league levels.

56. Wilfredo Tovar

55. Ryan Garton

54. Danny Coulombe

53. Drew Maggi

52. Lane Adams

51. Dakota Chalmers

Chalmers sticks out from the rest of the group as he is not a minor league journeyman like the rest of his tier-mates. Chalmers is just 23-years-old and while he pitched well in high-A in 2020, his lack of experience will keep him from playing for the big league club in 2020.

50. Caleb Thielbar

Tier 7: Fringe Pitchers

The next 14 players in our rankings are grouped together in a tier designated as “fringe pitchers”. These are pitchers who all have the ability to make appearances for the Twins big league club in 2020, but none of whom are slam dunks to be consistent contributors. Seeing any of these pitchers move up or down a tier by the end of the season wouldn’t be a surprise.

49. Jorge Alcalá

48. Sam Clay

47. Cory Gearring

46. Jhoulys Chacín

45. Sean Poppen

44. Homer Bailey

While Homer Bailey very well may be in the starting rotation to open the season, he will have to perform to stay there. An early DFA for Bailey wouldn’t be a shocker if he doesn’t start the season well.

43. Matt Wisler

42. Fernando Romero

41. Edwar Colina

40. Jhoan Duran

39. Devin Smeltzer

38. Lewis Thorpe

Lewis Thorpe has some of the best pure stuff in the Minnesota Twins organization. In 2019, he had the highest K/9 and swinging strike rate among all AAA pitchers. Can he finally put it together in 2020? Or will Randy Dobnak pull away from the Smeltzer/Thorpe/Dobnak pack?

37. Randy Dobnak

Tier 6: Fringe Batters

Similar to the tier above, the next 10 players on our rankings are “Fringe batters”. Some of these players will be on the opening day 30-man roster, some will appear mid-season, and some might not appear at all. They all have the ability to perform, but have yet to show they can be legitimate threats at the plate at the Major League level.

36. Gilberto Celestino

35. Royce Lewis

Lewis remains the Minnesota Twins’ top prospect, but at the age of 21, Lewis still has yet to show that he can hit consistently against top talent. In 127 games of High-A and AA last season, Lewis only posted a .661 OPS.

34. Zander Wiel

33. Willians Astudillo

32. Travis Blankenhorn

31. Ryan Jeffers

In looking at who could potentially be “The Next Luis Arraez”, Ryan Jeffers looks to be a prime candidate. In his second year with the Twins, Jeffers moved up to AA where he posted a .856 OPS. Should anything happen to Garver or Avila, Jeffers could definitely get a look and make a major impact in 2020.

30. Nick Gordon

29. Lamonte Wade Jr.

28. Ehire Adrianza

27. Alex Avila

Tier 4: Corner/Power Guys

The next four players are in a tier called “Corner Power Guys”. These four players are all in their 20s, have power upside, with limited defensive ability at the infield or outfield corners. Jake Cave is a sure thing to make the Twins’ opening day roster while the other three have a great shot to get called up during the season. Which of these four will make the greatest impact to the 2020 club?

26. Brent Rooker

After being drafted by the Twins in 2016, Rooker has shown a power stroke at each stop through the Minnesota Twins farm system. He now looks ready to make an appearance with the Twins in 2020. In 65 games with AAA Rochester last season, Rooker posted an impressive .933 OPS. His upside in the field is limited, but his bat should earn him playing time in 2020.

25. Jake Cave

24. Alex Kirilloff

23. Trevor Larnach

Although not initially thought of as a prospect on the same level of Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach has changed that narrative after being named the Twins’ “Minor League Player of the Year” in 2019. Larnach quickly moved through high-A up to AA last season where he posted a .842 OPS. Alex Kirilloff didn’t adjust to AA pitching quite as well in 2019, which is what gave Larnach the slight edge over him in these rankings.

Tier 3: Best Bullpen in Baseball?

Famously this offseason, Rocco Baldelli was quoted as saying that he believes the Minnesota Twins have, “the best bullpen in baseball”. While that may have been hyperbole, the Minnesota Twins certainly proved last season they have assembled a really good bullpen with excellent depth.

22. Cody Stashak

21. Zack Littell

After finally getting moved to a full time bullpen role in 2019, Littell proved what he is able to do in limited innings for the Minnesota Twins. In 37 innings of work, Littell posted a 2.68 ERA, highlighted by a stretch of 22 appearances where he allowed just two earned runs.

20. Sergio Romo

19. Tyler Clippard

18. Tyler Duffey

Duffey was one of the best stories from the Minnesota Twins in 2019. The Doof began the season in AAA and was not in the Twins’ plans at all after posting a horrendous 7.20 ERA in 2018. Duffey made the most of his chance last season, though, as he quickly became one of the Twins’ most important arms. In 57 2/3 innings of work in 2019, Duffey posted a WHIP just over one with a strikeout rate of 34.4%. Though his 2019 numbers merit being higher in the rankings, he will need to show year-to-year consistency before he can get moved up higher.

17. Trevor May

Tier 2: Pretty Darn Good

The second-to-last tier of players in our 2020 Minnesota Twins rankings are what you would guess, pretty darn good. Each of these guys will play a key role for the Minnesota Twins in 2020 and will have a large impact on how far the club can go. Whether its because of limited upside or lack of track record, they don’t quite have what it takes to make it into the top tier of players, but each of these guys will be vital to the 2020 Twins season.

16. Michael Pineda

15. Rich Hill

Ranking a 40-year-old pitcher coming off of elbow surgery this high might not seem like the wisest thing to do on the surface, but in a shortened 60-game season, Rich Hill could be the Twins’ best pitcher in 2020. Hill’s ability has never been what has hampered him, it has always been his health. In such a short season, Hill has a much better chance to stay healthy, and when he’s healthy he is dominant. Per Twins Daily’s Nash Walker, only Clayton Kershaw, Max Sherzer, Justin Verlander and Corey Kluber have a lower ERA than Rich Hill (3.00) since 2016 (min. 400 IP).

14. Marwin González

13. Eddie Rosario

12. Byron Buxton

Similar to Hill, a 60-game season really benefits Byron Buxton, who can never seem to stay healthy throughout a 162-game season. Through 60 games in 2019, Buxton had a .837 OPS, led the team in doubles, and was playing the best defensive center field in baseball.

11. Jake Odorizzi

10. Kenta Maeda

9. Luis Arráez

With such a small sample size of 60 games in 2020, we could see some crazy statlines posted by season's end. One of those could be a .400 BA posted by the Minnesota Twins’ second baseman. In his 92 games with the Twins in 2019, Arráez showed the patience and intelligence of a dominant hitter and could move his way up to the top tier by season’s end.

8. Taylor Rogers

Tier 1: 2020 Team MVP Candidates

7. Mitch Garver

6. Miguel Sanó

First in Hard Hit %, first in Barrels/BBE %, second in average exit velocity. The numbers that Miguel Sanó posted at the plate in 2019 were absurd. With a healthy body and a healthy wallet (Hello, $30M extension!), Sanó could absolutely build off of those numbers in 2020 and be the Twins’ best hitter this season. How he adjusts to playing a new defensive position will be something to watch, but with those bat skills Sanó will bring immense value to the 2020 Minnesota Twins.

5. José Berríos

4. Jorge Polanco

3. Nelson Cruz

Nelson Cruz is coming off of one of the best hitting seasons ever from a 39-year-old, will he be able to follow it up in his age-40 season? Cruz led all of baseball in 2019 in Barrels/PA with 12.5%. He led the Minnesota Twins with 41 home runs and a ridiculous 1.031 OPS. Nelson is not only the team leader, but arguably their best hitter. His upside will always be limited due to him being a designated hitter, but the Bomba Squad wouldn’t be the Bomba Squad without Nellie.

2. Max Kepler

In his first season following his five-year extension with the Twins, Kepler proved himself to be a great investment as he put together an extraordinary 2019 campaign. Kepler led the 2019 Minnesota Twins with 4.4 fWAR thanks to his outstanding bat and glove. Heading into his prime years as a 27-year-old, there is reason to think that Kepler will improve in 2020 and could easily be the Twins’ best player this season.

1. Josh Donaldson

The number one player on our Twins rankings for the 2020 season is no other than the Twins' newest addition to the club, Josh Donaldson. His accolades are off the charts, and though he is 34-years old, he has shown no signs of slowing down. In 2019, Donaldson finished 11th in MVP voting, thanks to his .900 OPS at the plate as well as his elite play at the hot corner where his 8 Outs Above Average was 3rd in baseball. If you think those numbers are impressive, in 2020 Donaldson will be playing at Target Field where he owns a career 1.283 OPS. Buckle up, Twins fans!

What qualms do you have with the rankings above? Who was ranked too low? Too high? Who would earn your #1 spot in your ranking of the 2020 Minnesota Twins? Leave a comment below and start the conversation!

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