The Top 20 Minnesota Twins Player Assets of 2024: Part 3 (6-10)

You can get a full explanation for the parameters used to develop this list in Tuesday's intro post, but the short version is this: We're addressing the question: Which current players in the organization are most indispensable to fulfilling the vision of building a champion? To rank Twins players and prospects, we account for age, contract, controllability, upside, and other factors. 

Here's where I landed with my selections for the list so far in Part 1 (16-20) and Part 2 (11-15):

20. Chris Paddack, RHP
19. Austin Martin, CF
18. Max Kepler, RF
17. Alex Kirilloff, 1B
16. David Festa, RHP
15. Louie Varland, RHP
14. Jorge Polanco, 2B
13. Marco Raya, RHP
12. Matt Wallner, RF
11. Jhoan Durán, RHP

Read on to find my choices for for Nos. 6 through 10 on this year's list.

10. Joe Ryan, RHP
2023 Ranking: 4

It's difficult to know exactly how to evaluate Ryan's 2023 campaign. In the first half, he pitched like an All-Star. Then, he was completely awful for a six-week stretch while (we later learned) pitching through injury. After some time on the injured list, he pitched fairly well down the stretch, but not well enough to earn a major postseason role.

So what is Ryan, going forward: a legitimate No. 2 or 3 starter, as he's appeared for much of his MLB career; or more of a back-end type, as his overall 2023 numbers (4.51 ERA, 4.13 FIP) suggest. At this point, I lean a little more toward the former, helping him remain in the top 10 on this list, and either way he'd rank somewhere in this range, as a proven, durable big-league starter with four remaining seasons of team control.

9. Emmanuel Rodriguez, CF
2023 Ranking: 10

Another very tricky player to rank, given the extreme boom-or-bust proposition that he entails. Ranked by TD (and most outlets) as the No. 3 prospect in the organization, Rodriguez starred at High-A Cedar Rapids last year, putting forth one of the Midwest League's finest offensive performances at age 20. In 99 games for the Kernels, he slashed .240/.400/.463 with 16 homers, 20 steals, and 92 walks, while playing center field regularly.

Rodriguez's patience at the plate is virtually unheard-of, and he can hit the ball really hard when he connects. But the former top international signee also struggles with making contact to an extreme degree. It's difficult to succeed in the majors with that level of whiff in your profile. He's got the complementary ingredients to do so, however, and if E-Rod can find a way to become a little more aggressive and boost his bat-to-ball (without sacrificing the core qualities of his game), he's got superstar potential that is plain to see.

8. Edouard Julien, 2B
2023 Ranking: NR

Coming into last season, the general attitude of prospect evaluators regarding Julien seemed to be: prove it. Yes, the Canadian infielder had made a name for himself with his uniquely patient plate approach and stellar production throughout the minors, but you weren't going to find the former 18th-round draft pick on any global top prospect rankings – despite his remarkable offensive campaign at Double-A in 2022 (.931 OPS, third-best in the Texas League).

Julien did prove it. His offensive recipe was no fluke or novelty. After joining the Twins early in the season, he crushed right-handed pitchers to the tune of .274/.401/.497, with 16 homers, 15 doubles, and 62 walks in 360 plate appearances. His unrivaled eye and ability to jump on pitches in the zone give Julien, controlled through 2029, a pretty sustainable outlook. The lack of clear defensive fit or value is the only factor really holding him back at this point.

7. Bailey Ober, RHP
2023 Ranking: 7

Ober has always offered tantalizing potential when on the big-league mound: a 6-foot-9 giant with a live fastball, killer changeup, and excellent control. Durability has been his main adversary, but Ober finally (largely) overcame it in a breakthrough 2023 campaign that saw him post a 3.43 ERA in 145 innings, ranking third on the Twins staff in fWAR.

Unlike Ryan's, Ober's performance leaves little doubt of his worthiness to be in the front half of an MLB rotation. He just needs to keep building up physically, staying strong and healthy through the entirety of a six-month season, which is the one hurdle he hasn't crossed.

6. Carlos Correa, SS
2023 Ranking: 2

A bizarre sequence of events led to the Twins landing Correa last offseason with a $200-million contract that was drastically lower than the price his market had set just weeks earlier. Naturally, it was tough to know how to factor in the ankle concerns that led to this drop, but as I saw it, the Twins were able acquire a superstar player on a relatively team-friendly deal through his remaining prime years. Thus, Correa ranked as the second-highest asset on this list when I updated it after he signed.

I still hold those sentiments, to some extent, even with Correa coming off a career-worst season in which he exhibited some significant signs of breakdown. He still played great defense, stayed on the field, embraced his role as a leader in every regard, and – importantly – rounded into familiar form when it mattered most in October. I'm not saying the team couldn't possibly find better ways to use $36 million on next year's roster, especially if you believe Correa is destined to be more of an average-ish hitter going forward, but this is not the kind of talent you come across easily.

That's it for today's installment! Join us tomorrow as we wrap up this year's countdown with our rankings No. 1 through 5. Between now and then, feel free to debate the order of the first 15 names revealed, and offer up any worthy players you think I missed.

20. Chris Paddack, RHP
19. Austin Martin, CF
18. Max Kepler, RF
17. Alex Kirilloff, 1B
16. David Festa, RHP
15. Louie Varland, RHP
14. Jorge Polanco, 2B
13. Marco Raya, RHP
12. Matt Wallner, RF
11. Jhoan Durán, RHP
10. Joe Ryan, RHP
9. Emmanuel Rodriguez, CF
8. Edouard Julien, 2B
7. Bailey Ober, RHP
6. Carlos Correa, SS