The Twins' Next Star Shortstop Could Be in Cedar Rapids This Summer

Walker Jenkins, Brooks Lee, and Emmanuel Rodriguez are household names for many Twins fans and are well-known in national prospect circles. This trio of prospects all rank on top-100 lists, with each player providing a different skill set and potential long-term value to the team. For any organization, it is critical for the top prospects to develop into stars, but the rest of the roster needs players who can consistently produce value. One Twins prospect didn’t make any of the traditional top-100 lists this winter, but he has the potential to move up lists in the coming years. 

FanGraphs’ Dan Szymborski runs ZiPS projections that combine data and similar player types to project future value. He runs his projections for current MLB players and teams but also creates a top-100 prospect list, which includes many familiar names for Twins fans. Rodríguez (23rd) is the highest-ranking Twins prospect, after being ranked 39th entering last year. Lee also jumped from 42nd in 2023 to 34th in 2024. The only other Twins prospect on the list comes in at 68th overall, after not being ranked in 2023. 

Danny De Andrade was among the top-ranked prospects during the 2021 international signing period. The Twins signed the Venezuelan shortstop for $2.2 million and sent him to the Dominican Summer League for his professional debut. In 50 games, he hit .264/.340/.348, with 13 doubles and a 27-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio. It wasn’t a spectacular debut, but he wasn’t completely overmatched and showed some positive defensive signs. 

In 2022, the Twins brought him Stateside, and he played in 48 games in the Florida Complex League. He struggled out of the gate, with a .514 OPS in his first 17 games. However, he improved from there and hit .266/.380/.440 with 10 extra-base hits and nearly as many walks (16) as strikeouts (20). De Andrade faced older pitchers in all but five of his plate appearances, as he was nearly two years younger than the average age of the competition at his level.

Last season, De Andrade got his first taste of playing in a full-season league and started to show signs of the prospect the Twins hoped he would develop into when they signed him. In 105 games, he hit .244/.354/.396, with 21 doubles, three triples, and 11 home runs. Over 98 percent of his plate appearances came against older pitchers; he was one of the youngest players in the Florida State League. Some viewed it as a breakout season, and that’s why he ranked as Twins Daily’s 14th overall prospect entering 2024.

So, why does De Andrade rank so highly? Szymborski calls De Andrade a “sleeper” because he “showed some moderate power in a full season in A-ball.” He also said, “The computer is also mildly optimistic about his glove.” Even as a 19-year-old, he showed solid bat-to-ball skills and posted a 12.2% walk rate at Low-A. He was also efficient on the bases, going 20-for-24 in stolen base attempts. De Andrade made 89 starts at shortstop, showing many of the skills needed to stick at the position (hands, arm, instincts).

As he climbs the organizational ladder, it will be critical for him to avoid expanding the zone too often, which happens with players who make a lot of contact. He added more pop in 2023, but some swing adjustments last season and adding more muscle to his frame can help him compile better power totals. The Twins will likely send De Andrade to High-A Cedar Rapids for most of the 2024 campaign. There is an outside chance the team could be aggressive with him and promote him to Double-A in the season’s second half. He’s certainly a prospect to put on your watch list for the upcoming season.

Do you believe De Andrade is part of the team’s long-term plan? How high will he rank on the team’s prospect list entering next season? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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!