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Before you ask: no, you won't find Darren Bowen or Gabriel González in this piece. We'll enfold them into this process by giving them their own breakdown posts, and reveal their rankings within the system in due time. For now, we're sticking to the ranking we created by polling our top minor-league writers.
15. Yunior Severino, 1B
Age: 24
2023 Stats (AA/AAA): 528 PA, .272/.352/.546, 35 HR, 84 RBI
Severino really has only one standout tool: hitting for power. He's not fast, he's not good defensively, and he's not very disciplined at the plate. But when the 24-year-old switch-hitter gets a hold of a pitch, he can absolutely clobber it. Last year, he led the minors with 35 home runs between Double A and Triple A. One of his homers in late July was measured at 485 feet.
Pure power as an isolated skill isn't valued the way it once was, meaning the slugging prospect is less in-demand than he might've been in the past. But the Twins still saw fit to add him to their 40-man roster this offseason, after previously leaving him exposed to the Rule 5 Draft. Evidently, their confidence in his ability to play a future role has grown.
14. Danny De Andrade, SS
Age: 19
2023 Stats (A): 475 PA, .244/.354/.396, 11 HR, 67 RBI
De Andrade is pretty much the opposite of Severino: an assortment of intriguing tools, but still fairly raw and undeveloped. Making his full-season debut in 2023, he held his own in a tough FSL pitching environment while flashing a combination of solid power, speed and patience. He's always had a knack for making contact, but now the infielder is increasingly starting to drive the ball with authority, which is encouraging to see.
Turning 20 in April, the righty hitter is filling out his 5-foot-11 frame, and while he has mostly played shortstop so far, it's considered likely he will move to third at some point along the way.
13. C.J. Culpepper, RHP
Age: 22
2023 Stats (A/A+): 86 IP, 3.56 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 9.3 K/9, 3.2 BB/9
Derek Falvey and the Twins have built their pitching pipeline around arms in the same mold as Culpepper: mid-round draft picks who flew somewhat under the radar in college, but saw an immediate boost in stuff after joining the Twins organization. The 2022 13th-rounder was unleashed at Low A and carved up FSL hitters before moving up to High-A Cedar Rapids, where he mostly pitched well but struggled in his last few outings.
Wearing down late in the season was a concerning sign from Culpepper, whose ability to stick in a starting role was a question mark when he was in college. But his strong performance and sharp sinking fastball have quickly established him as one of the system's most promising pitching projects. In 21 starts between two levels of A-ball last year, Culpepper allowed only four home runs.
12. Kala'i Rosario, OF
Age: 21
2023 Stats (A+): 530 PA, .252/.364/.467, 21 HR, 94 RBI
The bar is high offensively for Rosario to become an impact player, because he's already on the low end of the defensive spectrum: a right fielder with underwhelming range who may ultimately be best suited as a designated hitter. So far, though, the Hawaii native has hit at every level, and he's coming off a breakthrough campaign at Cedar Rapids that earned him Midwest League MVP honors.
The right-handed slugger launched 27 home runs to lead that league in the regular season, then hit seven more bombs in 25 games at the Arizona Fall League, and also won the AFL Home Run Derby. Rosario's got a big prove-it year ahead at Double A, but his production up to this point and his improving patience make him impossible to ignore on the prospect radar. The future fit would be especially nice if his righty bat can emerge in the mix alongside lefty-swinging outfield and DH options like Matt Wallner, Edouard Julien, Trevor Larnach and Emmanuel Rodriguez--plus the newcomer, González.
(Coincidental side note: Before the Twins drafted him out of high school in 2020, Rosario was committed to play at Cal Baptist, where he'd have been a teammate of ... C.J. Culpepper.)
11. Luke Keaschall, 2B
Age: 21
2023 Stats (Rk/A/A+): 140 PA, .288/.414/.478, 3 HR, 15 RBI
The California native developed a strong hitting rep during his time in college and as a fixture in the Cape Cod League. He transferred from the University of San Francisco to Arizona State as a junior and blew up, hitting 18 home runs with a 1.168 OPS to convince Minnesota to draft him 49th overall last summer.
A righty-hitting infielder who profiles best at second, Keaschall excelled offensively in his first exposure to the pro ranks, posting a .414 OBP across three quick stops in rookie ball and Low A. He drew 19 walks against 25 strikeouts, showcasing his vaunted control of the zone, and also went 11-for-11 on steals. There are strong "feel for the game" vibes with this one. As Jamie Cameron wrote for us recently, Keaschall also put up impressive and exciting batted-ball data along the way.
So far, the 21-year-old looks like everything you'd want from a second-round pick. Proving he can hit for some power as he progresses will be key to cracking the Top 10 on this list.
Twins Daily 2024 Top Prospects Countdown
20. Zebby Matthews, RHP
19. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP
18. Ricardo Olivar, OF
17. Connor Prielipp, LHP
16. Matt Canterino, RHP
15. Yunior Severino, 1B
14. Danny De Andrade, SS
13. C.J. Culpepper, RHP
12. Kala'i Rosario, OF
11. Luke Keaschall, 2B
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!
View Twins Top Prospects
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