Seth's Preliminary Top 50 Twins Prospects: Part 4 (21-25)

REMINDER: Players eligible to be on this list include players who remain eligible for Rookie of the Year voting in 2017. That is to say, hitters with less than 130 at-bats and pitchers with less than 50 innings. There is also service time consideration. (The list is preliminary. Following research for the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2017 - which Cody Christie, Jeremy Nygaard and I are working on - I’ll provide my final Top 30 prospects list.)

Top Prospects 21-25

#25 – Brusdar Graterol - 20 – RHP – Did Not Pitch

If there is a surprise name in this Top 50 prospect ranking, I’m guessing it would be Brusdar Graterol. In 2015, he was a 16-year-old who struck out 17 and walked one in 11.2 innings in the DSL. Unfortunately, his season came to an early end and he came to the States to have his elbow examined. Soon after, he had Tommy John surgery. He missed the entire 2016 season rehabbing. Reports came out last week that Graterol was hitting 97 mph in the Twins Florida Instructional League. He just turned 18 at the end of August. If he can return to the pre-injury success he had as a 16 year old, along with continuing to add more velocity, he has a chance to keep improving. At 6-1 and already 220 pounds and just 18 years old, he has the world of potential.

#24 – Ben Rortvedt - 19 – C – GCL Twins/Elizabethton Twins

Rortvedt turned 19 years old last week. The Wisconsin prep was touted as one of the best catchers in the 2016 draft and the Twins used their second-round pick to grab him. So much can happen from high school to the big leagues, but most scouts seem to believe that Rortvedt could be a rare kid who can stick at catcher while still being able to hit. Rortvedt has a very strong arm and he’s a very good athlete behind the plate. He has plenty of work to do as he grows and moves up. Offensively, the lefty-swinging Rortvedt has a very quick bat. In time, he has the potential to provide plenty of extra-base pop. He played 20 games in the GCL and hit .203/.277/.254 (.531). He moved up to Elizabethton and played in 13 regular season games. He hit .250/.348/.250 (.598). He also started behind the plate for the E-Twins in the playoffs. There is a chance he starts next season in Cedar Rapids, though it’s probably more likely he starts in extended spring with the opportunity to play for the Kernels before the short-season leagues start.

#23 – Trevor Hildenberger - 25 – RH RP – Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts

Hildenberger was the Twins 24th-round pick in 2014 out of Cal-Berkeley. He was the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2015 when he posted a 1.55 ERA and a 0.72 ERA between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He backed it up in 2016 by repeating as Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. He posted a 0.75 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP between Ft. Myers (six games) and Chattanooga (32 games). Unfortunately, his season ended at the end of July. He’s currently in Ft. Myers rehabbing some elbow tendinitis. Hopefully he will be back to 100% by spring training as he has a chance to be in the big league bullpen early in 2017. Hildenberger is a side-winding right-hander who throws anywhere from 90-94. He’s got a good slider and a good change-up. He throws a ton of strikes (1.1 BB/9) while still missing a lot of bats (9.9 K/9).

#22 – Lewis Thorpe - 20 – LHP – Did Not Pitch

It has been a long couple of years for Lewis Thorpe. In 2014, he had a strong showing in Cedar Rapids. However, as their regular season came to an end, he was shut down with elbow issues. In spring training 2015, he was pitching bullpens and feeling good. Then one day, his elbow blew out. Weeks later, he had Tommy John surgery. He spent 2015 and most of last offseason in Ft. Myers rehabbing. In spring training 2016, he was throwing bullpens and feeling good. Soon after the season began, he had to be shut down and missed significant time with mono. So he has now missed two full season and has to be itching to get back on the mound. As a refresher, Thorpe is an Australian who has pitched well in international competitions. He came onto the prospect scene in 2013 when he grew bigger and hit 95 mph while pitching in the GCL. In 2014, the then-18-year-old held his own and actually struck out a batter per inning against older Midwest League competition. Thorpe is smart, knows how to pitch and has all of the pitches. Hopefully he can return to 100% in 2017 and soon get back to where he was.

#21 – Zack Granite - 24 – OF – Chattanooga Lookouts

Granite turned 24 years old just after his season with the Lookouts came to an end. It was a breakthrough season for the speedy outfielder from Staten Island. After an injury-plagued 2014 season, 2015 was his first full-season as a pro. In 2016, he was pushed up to AA at the start of the season. He was the instigator at the top of the Lookouts lineup the rest of the season. He hit .295/.347/.382 (.729) with 18 doubles, eight triples and four home runs. He led all of minor league baseball with 56 stolen bases. A 14th-round pick in 2013 out of Seton Hall, Granite stands six-feet tall and 175 pounds. Granite’s speed is his best tool at this stage. It helps him on the bases and gives him great range in the outfield. He has the range to play center field, but his arm likely will push him to left. Could the Twins add him to the 40-man roster? Could he be a fourth-outfielder for the Twins as early as 2017?

So there you have it, my choices for Twins prospects 21-25. We’ll be back tomorrow with Part 5, Prospects 16-20.

Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!