Twins Top Prospects Part 3: 21-30 (Preliminary)

Reminders: This list is preliminary. Following research for the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2015, as well as your feedback, I’ll provide my final Top 30 prospects list. Players eligible to be on this list include players who remain eligible for Rookie of the Year voting in 2015. That is to say, hitters with less than 130 at-bats and pitchers with less than 50 innings.

Top Prospects 21-30

#30 – Zack Larson – 20 – OF – Cedar Rapids/GCL Twins (rehab)

Larson was limited to just 41 games this year for the Kernels. At just 20, he held his own in the Midwest League and hit 11 doubles in just 151 at-bats. With the Kernels, he hit .265/.325/.358 (.683). Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring injury and missed months. Larson was the 20^th round pick of the Twins in 2012. He signed late when he was offered a signing bonus well over slot. At 6-2 and 190 pounds, he is a good athlete, but his best tool is his bat. He can hit.

#29 – Michael Tonkin – 24 – RH RP – Rochester Red Wings/Minnesota Twins

Tonkin was actually on the Twins opening day roster due to the birth of Brian Duensing’s child, but he spent most of the season in Rochester. He went 3-4 with a 2.80 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. In 45 innings, he walked 12 and struck out 46. He has posted a 5.00 ERA in 24 games with the Twins as well. He’s only thrown 18 innings. He may not be rookie-eligible in 2015 due to days on the MLB roster. He’s still got some upside, due to a fastball at 95 and a solid slider. He needs to be with the Twins and see if he can improve. He’s done all he can in AAA.

#28 – Stuart Turner – 22 – C – Ft. Myers Miracle

Turner was the Twins third-round pick in 2013 out of the University of Mississippi where he was the winner of the Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s top catcher. He spent 2013 in Elizabethton though he did go 2-4 in one game at New Britain at season’s end. Turner is so well-respected with his glove that he was invited to big league spring training. He spent the year in Ft. Myers where in 93 games, he hit .249/.322/.375 (.698) with 16 doubles, two triples and seven home runs. He hit much better in the second half. However, teammates and coaches rave about his work behind the plate.

#27 – Engelb Vielma – 20 – SS – Cedar Rapids Kernels

He is listed at 5-11 and 155 pounds, but that last number may be generous. It was a surprise when he was sent to Cedar Rapids to start the season. Defensively, it is my opinion that he is the best in the Twins organization. Long and lanky, he seemingly glides around the shortstop position. He has soft hands and a strong arm. Offensively, he is mostly a slap-hitter at this time, but he more than held his own. He hit .266/.313/.323 (.636) with 13 doubles, four triples and one home run in 112 games.

#26 – Logan Darnell – 25 – LHP – Rochester Red Wings/Minnesota Twins

Darnell was the Twins sixth-round draft pick in 2010 out of the University of Kentucky. He reached AAA last year and was added to the 40-man roster following the season. He had a very solid season at Rochester this year. He went 7-6 with a 3.60 ERA. In 115 innings, he struck out 90. He made his major league debut on May 6 with three perfect innings. He has made four starts and three relief appearances and posted a 7.13 ERA. However, in 24 innings, he has struck out 22. He can be a #6/#7 starter or a solid middle reliever.

#25 – Fernando Romero – 19 – RHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels

Romero throws gas. The 19-year-old was hitting 94-96 mph with his fastball this spring and had a solid slider. Signed from the Dominican Republic in 2011, Romero spent a year in the DSL before posting a 1.60 ERA in 45 innings in the GCL last year. He began this season in extended spring training, but by early June he was called up to the Kernels where he made three starts. Unfortunately, he started to experience elbow pain and soon after had Tommy John surgery. He will likely miss most of the 2015 season, but if he’s able to come back, he has huge potential.

#24 – Sean Gilmartin – 24 – LHP – New Britain Rock Cats/Rochester Red Wings

Gilmartin graduated from Crespi Carmelite High School, the same high school that Trevor Plouffe graduated from four years earlier. He became the first-round pick of the Atlanta Braves in 2011 after a stellar career at Florida State. Last winter, he came to the Twins organization in exchange for Ryan Doumit. He began this season in AA New Britain where he went 7-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 12 starts. He struck out 74 in 72 innings. He was promoted to Rochester where he went 2-4 with a 4.28 ERA. In 73.2 innings, he struck out 59. He is a guy who should be added to the 40 man roster this offseason.

#23 – Jason Wheeler – 23 – LHP – Ft. Myers Miracle/New Britain Rock Cats/Rochester Red Wings

Wheeler was the Twins eighth-round pick in 2011 out of Loyola Marymount. He went 14-6 with a 3.45 ERA in Beloit in 2012. In 2013 in Ft. Myers, he went 9-4 with a 3.70 ERA. He returned to the Miracle to start this season and made a couple of adjustments. He went 6-5, but his ERA dropped to 2.51. He advanced to New Britain where 5-4 with a 2.78 ERA in 12 starts. He even made a start in Rochester. Although he sits in the 89-91 mph range, Wheeler can touch 94 on occasion. He is aggressive, throws strikes and mixes his pitches well. He is another guy who will be strongly considered for a 40-man roster spot.

#22 – Niko Goodrum – 22 – 3B – Ft. Myers Miracle

The Twins used their second round pick in 2010 on the toolsy Goodrum who was a high school kid from Georgia. At 6-3 and about 200 pounds, he is a tremendous athlete. With the Miracle in 2014, he hit .249/.337/.336 (.672) with 19 doubles, five triples and three homers in 122 games. After playing shortstop through his first four professional seasons, he moved to third base this year, though he still played 26 games at shortstop. Goodrum is good defensively and has very good speed. On the base paths, he stole 35 bases in 39 attempts. Goodrum is someone who the Twins will have to consider putting on their 40-man roster in November.

#21 – Jake Reed – 23 – RH RP – Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels

Reed was selected in the fifth round by the Twins this year out of the University of Oregon. He ended up having a dominant pro debut. He began at Elizabethton where he pitched six innings over four games and gave up just one hit. He was promoted to Cedar Rapids where he pitched 25 innings in 16 games. Overall, he threw 31 innings in 20 games. He gave up just 11 hits, walked three and struck out 31. He was 3-0 with a 0.29 ERA and a 0.45 WHIP. He and his upper-90s fastball will head to the Arizona Fall League next month.

So, what do you think of Part 3, Prospects 21-30? Next up will be prospects 11-30.

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!