Seth Stohs

Andrew Vasquez was #21 and he's already made the big leagues... I saw Benninghoff in a bullpen and in a game. I thought he looked good. He's got a great frame for a pitcher. I think at this point it's going to be about working on things like command and sharpness of pitches and stuff like that. I think he's got a chance, but patience will be key. I don't think that the Opening Day start really indicates anything about how the organization feels about Enlow. I mean, it's a nice thing, but that alone isn't indicative of anything. I mean, all due respect to Bryan Sammons, who is a good pitcher, but Jhoan Duran is the top prospect with the Miracle. As for his struggles, I'm sure it was several things. He did pitch last year for the Kernels, so he's pitched in the cold before. But it definitely wasn't real nice. I think he was just struggling with his control. He walked one in each of the first innings and probably just missed a spot on the homer. In the third, it was just a ball that started rolling and he wasn't able to work out of it.

and Graterol and Grzelakowski bobbleheads too!

This is a tremendous comment... Well put...

I don't think anyone has given up on Romero. Well, I guess the Twins gave up on him as a starter, at least for now. But, like you said, since he no longer fits under the "prospect" classification, he wouldn't be mentioned here.

At this time, Graterol is completely seen as a long-term starting pitching arm... The bullpen thing would be if the Twins are competing for a playoff spot and hes' approaching an innings limit or something.

I probably could have broken this into starting pitchers and relief pitchers...

I bet Rooker isn't even a little worried about one game. He's got a good head on his shoulders and definitely great perspective. But like last year, AAA will be an adjustment for him and any of them moving to the level. Every team/organization has that rule. Like I said, it used to be 30. And it makes sense. That many pitches means base runners and a lot of stressful pitches.

Yes, Diaz is that skinny. It was remarkable to see. It was definitely a big topic on Twitter when I was down there. He's put in some serious work. And it's always nice to see it pay off right away. Eades deserves an opportunity and he does seem to have taken a step. We'll see how the season goes, and obviously with Reed, Magill and Moya on the IL and Romero and possibly Reed ahead of him, it'll be deserved if he does. Alex Phillips is from Baylor, where he was really good. He had Tommy John and ended up not getting drafted. He went to an indy league and the Twins signed him last year and he was a huge part of the Miracle in their playoff run. From the play-by-play last night he was hitting 95 and 96 mph last night. So yeah, definitely a reliever to watch. It's possible Rortvedt read the rankings yesterday. I know a lot of player and others do read this. I don't' know if not being on that is going to put a chip on his shoulder. He doesn't need it. He's really good.

In Part 1 yesterday, I ranked the Top 20 position player prospects in the Twins system. These rankings were done after I returned from Ft. Myers for a week of spring training, conversations with several people in and around the organization and other factors. In Part 2 today, I will add my rankings of the Top 20 Twins pitching prospects, so be sure to come back and ask as many questions as you would like.As a reminder, the purpose of prospect rankings is really just to create discussion. Below you will find my personal rankings of Twins pitchers, and I certainly welcome your thoughts and opinions on the players and their rankings. As we prepare for the season, be sure to check out the Opening Day roster previews of the four Twins full-season affiliates: Triple-A: Rochester Red Wings Double-A: Pensacola Blue Wahoos High-A: Ft. Myers Miracle Low-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Top 20 Twins Pitching Prospects #20 - Charlie Barnes LHP (Ft. Myers Miracle) Drafted in the fourth round out of Clemson in 2017, Barnes spent the 2018 season in Ft. Myers where he went 6-6 with a 2.81 ERA. He ended the season strong. In his final 13 starts, he went 5-2 with a 1.84 ERA. He doesn’t throw real hard, topping out just over 90 mph, but he has a plus changeup and mixes well. #19 - Bailey Ober RHP (Ft. Myers Miracle) Ober was the Twins 12th-round pick in 2017 out of the College of Charleston. In his first start last year with the Kernels, he gave up six earned runs in 2/3 of an inning. He gave up four or more runs in five of his first six starts. Then over his next six starts, he went 6-0 with a 1.66 ERA. He also struck out 63 batters in 48 2/3 innings in that stretch. However, he left that final game in late July with an elbow issue that was deemed minor. Injury has been a big part of his pitching career but when healthy, he has been really good. #18 - Landon Leach RHP (Extended Spring Training) The Twins took the right-hander from Canada in the second round of the 2017 draft. He is still pretty new to pitching and the Twins are being incredibly patient with him and his development. But watching him throw bullpens is impressive. He throws hard. He had onlookers to his bullpen asking who he was and how soon he would be in the big leagues. Well, it’s going to be a while, but when healthy and ready to go, he could be impressive. But, at this point, we just don’t know yet. But he’s got the big size and strength to be one to watch. #17 - Jovani Moran LH RP (Pensacola Blue Wahoos) Jovani Moran has been really good the last couple of years. The Twins seventh-round pick in 2015 out of Puerto Rico. He missed 2016 after having bone chips removed from his elbow. He dominated in Elizabethton in 2017. In 2018, he was really good in both Cedar Rapids and in Ft. Myers. Combined, he went 9-3 with a 2.25 ERA. He had 107 strikeouts in 76 innings. Many that watch him wonder “What is that pitch?” He’s got a few pitches and gets a lot of movement. #16 - Cole Sands RHP (Cedar Rapids Kernels) When Sands makes his first Kernels start this year, on Saturday, it will be his professional debut. After his 2018 season at Florida State, he was just shut down and didn’t pitch after being the Twins fifth-round pick last year. I saw him pitch a couple of times in Ft. Myers this spring and came away impressed. He’s big and strong and can throw pretty hard, but there appears to be room for more which is what’s really exciting. #15 - Josh Winder RHP (Cedar Rapids Kernels) Winder was the Twins seventh-round pick last year out of Virginia Military Institute. He’s also tall and built quite strong, but like Sands, there is room for some growth and increased velocity. He went 3-1 with a 3.72 ERA in nine starts for the E-Twins. In 38 2/3 innings, he walked just six and struck out 42 batters. #14 - Zack Littell RHP (Rochester Red Wings) Littell came to the Twins from the Yankees at the July 2017 deadline for Jaime Garcia. He reached the big leagues earlier in 2018 and made one start. Later, he got a relief appearance. Neither went well, but he was called back up in September and showed well in his final appearances. Littell is strong and he has three good pitches and pitchability. #13 - Luis Rijo RHP (Cedar Rapids Kernels) Rijo came to the Twins at the July trade deadline with Tyler Austin in exchange for Lance Lynn. He was pitching for the Yankees Appalachian League team in Pulaski at the time of the trade and was 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts. He made five starts for E-Town and went 2-0 with a 1.27 ERA. He has shown good control and struck out a little less than a batter per inning. Rijo stands just over 6-feet tall and is stocky, but he does know how to pitch. #12 - Kohl Stewart RHP (Rochester Red Wings) It was a bit of a surprise last year when it was Stewart that was called up first in mid-August. He held his own in the big leagues, pitching well at times - particularly against the Tigers - and also struggling, as you would expect a guy in his first month or so in the big leagues. He begins this season with the Red Wings. He has really matured, but he’s also got good stuff. He has good movement on his one-seam fastball which induces weak contact. His other secondary pitches will need to continue to be more crisp but have some potential. #11 - Regi Grace RHP (Extended Spring Training) Grace was the Twins 10th-round pick a year ago out of high school in Mississippi. He is physically impressive. He stands tall and is built very strong. He’s got the Graterol-like lower half with strong legs and back side. He really drives off the mound and despite his youth has a big fastball. He has a world of potential and time to continue developing his secondary stuff and learn how to pitch. #10 - Griffin Jax RHP (Pensacola Blue Wahoos) Jax is tall and thin but very strong. In April of last year, he learned that he would be able to put his efforts to baseball. He did well with the Miracle and then was able to pitch in the Arizona Fall League. He is making the jump to Double-A this year. He’s got a good fastball and an improving slider. He’s got good pitchabilty. #9 - Tyler Wells RHP (Pensacola Blue Wahoos) Wells was the Twins Daily choice for 2018 Starting Pitcher of the Year when he went a combined 10-6 with a 2.49 ERA between Ft. Myers - where he was a Florida State League All Star -and Chattanooga. In 119 1/3 innings, he struck out 121 batters. Wells stands 6-8 and has really worked hard since becoming a pro, losing about 50 pounds. He’s got a good fastball and the secondary pitches have really improved. He starts the season on the injured list, but he should be just a couple of weeks behind. #8 - Jorge Alcala RHP (Pensacola Blue Wahoos) Alcala came to the Twins in the Ryan Pressly deal from the Astros. He’s got a big fastball, sitting in the upper-90s and occasionally hitting triple figures. Questions remain with his secondary pitches, but the arm should play in the bullpen even if he isn’t able to develop a third pitch. #7 - Edwar Colina RHP (Ft. Myers Miracle) Colina has quietly become one of the best pitching prospects in the organization. He isn’t real tall and has a stocky build and is very strong. He was really good in Cedar Rapids last year and earned a promotion to Ft. Myers where he pitched a huge game late in their season and then was the starter in the FSL championship game. This spring, he was hitting 97-98 mph with his fastball and still has the secondary pitches that have potential. #6 - Stephen Gonsalves LHP (Rochester Red Wings) While his MLB debut late last season didn’t go as well as hoped, Gonsalves still possesses a plus changeup. He has a much-improved curveball and a cutter. His fastball velocity last year was down under 90 and he seemed to lose his control and command. There were reports of increased velocity shown at spring training, and if he throws more strikes, he can be successful in the big leagues. He expects to miss the first two or three weeks of this season. #5 - Jordan Balazovic RHP (Cedar Rapids Kernels) Balazovic’s name became much more talked about after Keith Law named him the Twins #3 prospect this winter. But Balazovic has been an intriguing prospect since the Twins made him their fifth-round pick in 2016 out of a high school near Toronto. He had a nice debut, but he really struggled in the GCL in 2017. Things really came together for him in 2018. Drafted for his size (tall, thin) and pitchability, he gained a lot of velocity since being drafted and now sits in the 93-95 range. He still has the good secondary pitches too. He had a nice showing when he went 7-3 with a 3.94 ERA in 12 games (11 starts). In 61 2/3 innings, he walked just 18 and struck out 78 batters. #4 - Blayne Enlow RHP (Cedar Rapids Kernels) Enlow was the Twins third-round pick out of high school in Louisiana in 2017. He pitched well in Cedar Rapids in 2018. He went 3-5 with a 3.26 ERA in 94 innings. He’s got good velocity, hitting 93 and even 94 at times, but he’s best known for his spin and his breaking ball. He returns to the Kernels - where his Opening Night start didn’t go great. But that’s one start and Enlow has the size, athleticism and willingness to learn to be really good. #3 - Lewis Thorpe LHP (Rochester Red Wings) Thorpe was the Twins choice for pitcher of the year last year. After missing two seasons after Tommy John surgery and disease, he returned for a half-season in 2017. He worked 129 2/3 innings in 2018, mostly at Chattanooga, but he ended the season with four starts in Rochester. Thorpe sits in the low-to-mid 90s with a good curveball and a good changeup. He should debut in 2019. #2 - Jhoan Duran RHP (Ft. Myers Miracle) Duran came to the Twins last July from Arizona in the Eduardo Escobar deal. In his first start with the Kernels, he threw seven no-hit innings. He was flashing a fastball in the 95-96 range and showed what potentially could be really good breaking pitches and a changeup. He gets good movement as he will. I’m sure you saw LaVelle Neal’s tweet saying that Duran hit 102 last week in Ft. Myers. More consistently he’s been hitting 97-98 mph. #1 - Brusdar Graterol RHP (Pensacola Blue Wahoos) Graterol missed nearly two seasons with Tommy John surgery, but he returned in 2017 and was very strong. He had gained about 60 pounds and his velocity shot up to nearly triple digits. In 2018 in Cedar Rapids, he hit 100 many times and usually had a 102 a few times each game. Watching him in the bullpen, he has the makings of a plus changeup and a plus-plus, wipe out slider. Development of those pitches will be the key in determining his future (starter or reliever). With his aggressive promotion to AA to start this season, don’t be surprised if he finds himself in the Twins bullpen late in the season. Again, these are my personal choices as Top 20 Minnesota Twins pitching prospects. Certainly this list can and will likely cause some discussion and questions, which I welcome below. Click here to view the article

Corrected... my bad... I always want to get this posted moments after the final game is complete...

It was Minor League Opening Day on Thursday, one of my favorite days of the year. Instead of just following the MInnesota Twins, we now will have updated from the Rochester Red Wings, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Ft. Myers Miracle and the Cedar Rapids Kernels most days for the next five months. And, every day until the end fo the season, we will post the Twins Minor League Report. Our goal with these reports is to provide Twins Daily readers with a one-spot stop to find everything from the Twins system that day, transactions, notes and game updates. We will highlight how the pitchers perform. We’ll note multi-hit games and extra base hits and provide some other highlights from the game. Please feel free to ask questions if you have any in the comments. If you were at the game, be sure to leave your observations as well.Find out everything that happened in the Twins system on Thursday, starting with the Transactions of the day. TRANSACTIONS There were no transactions in the Twins system on Thursday. Maybe some of you saw that in the past week a couple of Twins minor league pitchers, Colton Davis and Anthony Marzi, chose to retire. Here are the Opening Day Roster Previews for each of the Twins full-season affiliates, in case you missed them on Monday. Rochester Red WingsPensacola Blue WahoosFt. Myers MiracleCedar Rapids KernelsRED WINGS REPORTRochester 4, Lehigh Valley 2 Box Score Ronald Torreyes knows how to start a season. He was the Red Wings second batter in the first inning, and he launched a long home run. It was the first hit in the organization in 2019, the first home run, the first run and the first RBI. Kohl Stewart got the Opening Night call for the Red Wings. Things didn’t go well early for the right-hander. He went walk, strikeout, walk, strikeout with the first four batters of the first inning. He then gave up a bloop single to score run. Then a wild pitch scored a second run. He needed 34 pitches to complete the first frame. The Twins have a rule that if a pitcher throws 35 or more pitches in an inning, he will be done for the night. Stewart was one pitch from being done. He went on to throw four zeroes on the scoreboard and earned the Win in this contest. In his five innings, he gave up the two runs (1 earned) on just three hits. He walked two, hit one and struck out eight batters. Ryan Eades came on and struck out four over two perfect innings. He needed just 18 pitches. Then Tyler Duffey came on and earned the save with two scoreless innings. He struck out four as well, though he did hit one batter. The loaded Miracle lineup got production from more than just Lewin Diaz. Ben Rortvedt went 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI singles. Akil Baddoo added a triple late in the game to go with his homer. Travis Blankenhorn had a walk and a double, and he scored three runs. Vizcaya was clutch to end the fifth inning, but he gave up two runs on two hits and a walk the next inning. Alex Phillips came on and struck out four batters over two scoreless, one-hit innings. He was hitting 95 and 96 mph consistently. Johan Quezada pitched a scoreless ninth frame, and he was hitting 97 a couple of times in the inning. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Peoria 10 Box Score Blayne Enlow returned to the Kernels after a solid showing in his first full pro season in 2018. He earned the Opening Night call for the team this year. Things went all right the first couple of innings. He gave up leadoff walks in the first two innings, but neither came back to hurt him. He did give up a solo homer in the second inning. But then came the third inning. Enlow faced seven batters. He walked one and the other six got hits, the final was a double. Austin Schulfer came on and walked the first batter he faced to load the bases. However, he then struck out the next three batters to end the inning. Schulfer was good. He struck out five batters over three scoreless, two-hit innings. Jose Martinez came on next and was charged with four runs on six hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings. Carlos Suniaga got the final seven outs for the Kernels.He gave up two hits and struck out three. There wasn’t much offense for the Kernels. The team scored two runs in the sixth inning, on RBI singles from Andrew Bechtold and David Banuelos. Yunior Severino led the team with a 2-for-4 game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day –Ryan Eades, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Lewin Diaz, Ft. Myers Miracle (hat tip to LaMonte Wade - Red Wings - as well) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 1-3, 2 BB, R, 2 RBI #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - No Game #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 1-4, SF, RBI, K #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 0-4, BB, 3 K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Pitches Friday #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - 2.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - 2-5, 3B, HR, 2 K #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 1-3, BB, 2B, K, R, 2 RBI, #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 2-4, BB, R, 2 RBI, 2 K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, R #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, K #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did not pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 3-4, BB, #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Rained out. #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 0-2, 2 BB, HBP, R, K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Lehigh Valley (6:05 CST) - RHP Chase De Jong Pensacola @ Mobile (DH starting at 4:05 CST) - RHP, Jorge Alcala, RHP Brusdar Graterol Charlotte @ Ft. Myers (5:30 CST) - RHP Jhoan Duran Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday’s games. Click here to view the article

I don't 'disagree with any of this...

Helman played two years of CC and then one year at Texas A&M. Larnach and Jeffers played 3 years of D1. Garry - I mean, this ranking is based almost solely on having now watched him play. Incredibly raw but he's so talented and he does look pretty natural. Maybe it's the sweet, left-handed swing. Maybe it's his frame. Maybe it was hearing that he was one of the first guys to get to the academy after the New Year. The speed. So much!! Right now, he was impressive and this ranking is based on timing and now having seen him in person for a week. For me ,he's a guy that by the and of the year could fall out of a Top 100 ranking (if I did that), or he could jump into the Top 20.

Zander Weil (Wheel)...

We'll certainly have articles on Rule 5 eligibles. There are a lot...

I don't know. He's not a big guy, and I didn't see him play a lot. Saw him take a lot of BP. He's good, as shown in my description of him.

I'm a big fan of Rortvedt, and obviously so are the Twins. And I do think that he can take another step forward this year. He is very strong. He's a good athlete, even beyond the "for a catcher" preposition that always needs to be added. He's got the arm and all those other things I mentioned. I am curious how the offense develops in 2019. If asked right now,, I would say that Rortvedt will play in the big leagues. I think there's a very good chance of that... and again, that speaks very highly to the Twins depth. I'm frequently told that FSL numbers can be very misleading ,especially for guys that are power hitters and do get good launch. It can suppress numbers. Diaz was hurt last year and struggled but man has he put in the work. And I've said probably enough on Blankenhorn. Maybe High-A will be it, but I'm willing to bet on them moving up yet. And I would say that Kirilloff is absolutely an outlier in the same way that Sano was an outlier in his (first stop in the) Florida State days. Kirilloff is special. All of his teammates know that. But notice that Lewis hit homers with as much frequency as Kirilloff in his (about 20 games less) in Ft. Myers last season.

I don't know how muchh attention and focus it should get as far as prospect rankings. I know it gets a ton of attention in the organization and the work Tanner Swanson is doing with Twins catchers is really incredible. We also know that catchers get paid and stick around in the big leagues because of those numbers. And Garver told us this spring that he knew his career wouldn't' be long if he didn't make those changes and improve those numbers. So I do think it should be a factor... but even for catchers, it's one factor. Hitting is another. And I'm sure there are several. And again, the work and drills and focus that pitch receiving is receiving now from Swanson and everyone else is great because hopefully by year's end, all of these guys will continue to improve.

Goal #1 accomplished for today... Now I'm going to have some lunch. Ha!! OK, shocking you wasn't really the goal.

He didn't make my Top 20 then... Oops.. I just lied... I had him at #19 going into the 2008 season.

I'm comfortable with my rankings, but I did know that Rortvedt would come up. Through some off-the-record conversations, I'm told that Rortvedt has really struggled with the pitch-framing portion of catching. For me, he's fantastic throwing and blocking and he's a really good athlete behind the plate. I also think that he works as well with pitchers as anyone. I also know that he has worked really hard on the framing, so I think that it's likely he will put up better framing numbers this year. Jeffers, on the other hand, scores very well in the pitch framing numbers. Add that to his plus-bat potential, including power, and that makes for a really exciting prospect. And as for Blankenhorn, I do believe in his athleticism and talent, and I think that he will hit. I may be totally wrong, but he's immensely talented and does have huge power potential and really good speed. I may be wrong. I mean, obviously a lot of these 20 aren't going to become MLB stars, but I'll still "buy" on Blankenhorn... while at the same time noting that I've previously had him as a Top 8-10 Twins prospect and now I have him as the #15 position player prospect (which theoretically probably puts him around #30 overall prospect). So it's certainly a big year for him.

Helman is a ballplayer... No question... Having talked to him a few times... he's no Dykstra personality-wise, but he is just a really good baseball player. And you're'right, ,these things happen a lot. Like, Helman isn't' the kind of player that when you watch him in one game you're going to be wowed... but (and I havent seen him enough to say this with 100% confidence), he seems like one of those players that you appreciate over the course of a few weeks and months. I don't think of that as a knock at all. In fact, it's meant as a compliment. The same thing was said of Brian Dozier during his minor league days.

Again, I updated the title to Position Players, not Hitters... Is Garry, Jr. a better hitter today than Ricky De La Torre? I don't know. Probably not. I think part of me is just surprised that the Twins don''t have De La Torre in Cedar Rapids after a solid season at E-Town last year. But as an overall prospect, Garry was incredibly impressive to me. I am probably higher on De La Torre than most, but Garry bumped him (for now, though obviously subject to change in 3-6 months again when we have more data points). Gelly can hit, no doubt, ,but again, prospect rankings are based on that. With the Blue Wahoos,, he'll be the #4 catcher and first baseman and DH,, and he has played a little bit in the outfield in the past. Again, I would probably rank Gelly higher than most prospect rankers because he's a good hitter and I know he''s worked incredibly hard and he has high character and drive and a lot of other intangibles. But because a lot of times prospect rankings are based on upside and potential and athleticism and maybe speed and more. But let's remember, as players move up the ladder, it does become a little more about performance because in the big leagues that's all that matters. Gelly is going to hit somewhere between 3 and 7 in AA most nights so he should get a lot of opportunity. De La Trinidad fits into that category too. I don't think he's got any plus tools, but his approach and zone knowledge are impressive, and he is solid all around. I personally rank Mark Contreras ahead of De La Trinidad (though it's close). Man, the Twins must really, really like Helman. I mean, I fully understand Larnach and Jeffers jumping straight to Ft. Myers, but Helman isn't necessarily the type of player that you bump up that fast. But he's talented. Again, not sure he has any plus tools but he is average or better at a lot of things. Fields well. Plays middle infield. Line drives. Good approach. Averagish speed. He's impressive to watch