When We Could See Top Twins Prospects Debut in 2024

Austin Martin seems like he has a good shot to be present for Opening Day in Kansas City.

Spring Trianing will determine their ability to show up.

I don't see Martin up unless things go horribly wrong with Buxton, if they are serious about making Canterino a starter I think he is third in line behind Festa and Lewis. I see Lee up when the Twins think he is ready and will figure out what to do with Julien and Polanco if he is brought up. I love Erod but soured a bit on him after last year, I see him at AA all next year unless he cuts down a bit on K's and gets his average up. Severino seems like a guy we will all be screaming to get up but there really won't be a spot for him unless AK goes down with injury and Miranda is more 23 than 22. Just my two cents. I would love to see Canterino in the pen in the majors to begin the year and stretched out a bit to keep his injuries in check, I see him as a Kopech or at the high end a poor mans DeGrom.

I think the odds are good we'll see all of these guys in MLB at some point except for Rodriguez and Lewis. Injuries will happen, and even a couple of relatively minors ones at the same time can have you digging in to the minors pretty quickly.

I tend to agree there's a good chance Martin will get an early chance in CF, and he's a fine choice defensively for the OF (with ability to step on the dirt in a pinch). I think his on-base skills will translate quickly even if we don't really know what kind of hitter he's going to be out the gate. but I do think the Twins might be comfortable with Castro and Gordon as options in CF behind Buxton, especially if Buxton starts the season with the team confident that he can actually play field from the jump.

Rodriguez and Lewis are both very interesting prospects with very different paths, but i don't see the Twins jumping E-Rod to MLB this season unless they have a major need in the corners that they can't fill another way and he's showing better contact skills and less passivity at the plate while still hammering the ball and taking walks. Lewis is interesting, and as a college pitcher he's probably a little more mature (mentally and physically), but he's still behind Festa, Woods Richardson, and Brent Headrick as call-up options to start a game, and I think there's a real likelihood the Twins will add a starter to the MLB rotation and push Varland down as well, so the team would have to start reaching deep like the bad injury/ineffectiveness years to need Lewis in 2024. And I think we're stronger than that now.

If this team refuses to bring players, they better not be scared to use some of these prospects.

If they don’t sign anybody, and try to run out a bunch of AAAA stopgaps all year, just shut this thing down.  It would be the final coffin mail in terms of displaying they have zero interest in winning.

1 hour ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

I do find it interesting you list Canterino as an April option. IF they are bringing him along as a starter, (even if eventually they move him to bullpen) I can't see a scenario that he debuts that quickly. Maybe I'm wrong.

I think it would be a huge mistake to have Canterino prepare as a starting pitcher. If they're lucky they'll get about 75 innings out of him in 2024. Don't waste 30 of them having him start in AAA.

Festa could debut by May if they don't add another SP.

Just now, Cory Engelhardt said:

That's what they said they will do though, to prepare him as a starter this spring. At least that way, I imagine, they can control his workload in a sense. 

Great, then they can shut him down in May!

“He’s a strong fielder no matter where the Twins put him, and while the ceiling may not be an MVP talent, he will be a regular for a long time.”
 

On a thread yesterday, there seemed to be much agreement (not from me) that Lee would never amount to much as a fielding SS (certainly not even close to as strong as our 20th ranked fielding SS in 2023).

Is the thought that  “no matter where the Twins put him” refers only to 3B, 2B, 1B and/or corner OF?  I’m assuming no one thinks C or CF are really options.

For the record, I agree with the author’s assessment - Lee is going to be a solid regular for many years with All Star potential and that includes at SS if and when that time comes.  I’ll take Lee in terms of number of future All Star appearances vs. our current SS (and for the record, I really, really like our current SS - he’s a great baseball player).

15 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

The scouting reports on him are good defense, so I disagree he won't be average or better. 

Agree 100%.  He should be a strong defender. My original comment was a bit sarcastic (I apologise for that - not very Minnesota Nice of me) as a number of posters yesterday concurred with the opposite sentiment.  I’m looking forward to seeing Lee in a Twins uniform for many years to come. 

2 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Austin Martin seems like he has a good shot to be present for Opening Day in Kansas City.

That would be representative of some pretty poor planning by the Twins I’d think. I’d much rather see a Buxton/Martin combo though than Castro or Gordon in CF consistently.

2 hours ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

I do find it interesting  you list Canterino as an April option. IF they are bringing him along as a starter, (even if eventually they move him to bullpen) I can't see a scenario that he debuts that quickly. Maybe I'm wrong.

They say that’s their plan. At this time of the offseason before he debuted, that was the plan for Jhoan Duran too. I just don’t see that coming to fruition, and if he’s healthy, Canterino can help the bullpen immediately.

1 hour ago, Karbo said:

Lee is an interesting candidate for trade IMO. He wouldn't have a spot on the IF unless a couple guys go down. I would think he could fetch a healthy return. Is there any chance the Twins might think of moving him to OF?

Royce would move to the OF before Lee, and that could help things in both respects.

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

I think it would be a huge mistake to have Canterino prepare as a starting pitcher. If they're lucky they'll get about 75 innings out of him in 2024. Don't waste 30 of them having him start in AAA.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

He's already missed a bunch of time, and you’re going to bring him along slowly to build up innings? The bullpen is top heavy. Add him to the bottom and watch him climb the ranks.

29 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

“He’s a strong fielder no matter where the Twins put him, and while the ceiling may not be an MVP talent, he will be a regular for a long time.”
 

On a thread yesterday, there seemed to be much agreement (not from me) that Lee would never amount to much as a fielding SS (certainly not even close to as strong as our 20th ranked fielding SS in 2023).

Is the thought that  “no matter where the Twins put him” refers only to 3B, 2B, 1B and/or corner OF?  I’m assuming no one thinks C or CF are really options.

For the record, I agree with the author’s assessment - Lee is going to be a solid regular for many years with All Star potential and that includes at SS if and when that time comes.  I’ll take Lee in terms of number of future All Star appearances vs. our current SS (and for the record, I really, really like our current SS - he’s a great baseball player).

I don’t think the Twins *want* Lee to play SS, but he wouldn’t be stretched there. He could be plus-plus at both second and third. I don’t see a scenario where he goes to the OF (again, Royce would move there first), and he’d be wasted as a 1B (while also not hitting for enough power).

1 minute ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

Why not have a scenario where Julien starts to use an outfielder's glove? Having him out in left field occasionally can't be the worst thing IF they have better options in the infield right?

Think the more likely scenario is he becomes a first baseman.

I don’t understand it, but talked to him some about the lack of speed usage while he was in St. Paul last year. Julien has stolen plenty of bases on the farm, but Minnesota hasn’t had him do so. I think some of that is it being quickness/instincts related. That could play in the OF from a jump perspective, but I don’t think his gap closing speed is ideal. However, the Twins have played much weirder fits in LF…Tim Beckham anyone!?