Seth Stohs

While much of the Twins 25-man roster might be pretty well set, there are a few position battles of note. As spring training rolls along, some of them will become more clear. It’s also possible that others could create additional position battles. We’ll certainly be covering those through the spring. One of those position battles that we’ll likely hear a lot about is the backup catcher position. Jason Castro will be the starter, and he will likely start between 110 and 125 games. So who will start the other 35 to 55 games?There are three catchers vying for the backup catcher spot, so let’s consider the pros and cons of each. CHRIS GIMENEZ Let’s start with the most veteran of the group, Chris Gimenez. Thad Levine and Derek Falvey spoke a lot about wanting more veteran leadership on the roster. Gimenez is 34 and has spent parts of the past eight seasons in the big leagues. Over the last three years, he has played for Texas and Cleveland, meaning that Falvey and Levine are very familiar with him. In 684 career at-bats, he has hit .218/.297/.335 (.632). The 68 games he played for Cleveland was his career high despite hitting just .216/.272/.331 (.602). While Gimenez is really the definition of a replacement player, he certainly has some intangibles beyond the leadership qualities. Paul Molitor has said that Gimenez will likely play the corner infield and maybe the corner outfield positions this spring. Last year, he played first base and third base, along with catcher. He DHd a few games, and he even pitched twice. Behind the plate, he is solid. He has thrown out 28% of would-be base-stealers in his career, and 29% last year. His pitch framing should be considered about average. Since Gimenez was signed in January to a minor league deal, he can be sent to Rochester to start the season. It is uncertain if Gimenez has an opt-out in his contract. JOHN RYAN MURPHY Murphy is the incumbent, at least in a way. After coming to the Twins in an offseason trade from the Yankees, Murphy was handed the backup spot a year ago. For many - yours truly included - the assumption was that over time Murphy would gain more playing time. Instead he was back in AAA a month into the season. And things didn’t go real well for him in Rochester either. He came back in September and did a little better. Murphy is 25 years old. He has spent parts of four seasons in the big leagues. Before last year, he was the backup to Brian McCann with the Yankees. In his career (344 at-bats), he has hit .238/.283/.337 (.620). However, before he hit .146/.193/.221 (.413) for the Twins last year, he had hit .267/.311/.374 (.685). In 2015, he played in 67 games for the Yankees and hit .277/.327/.406 (.734) as a 24-year-old. That’s a lot of triple-slash lines, but the purpose is to show that there is plenty of reason to believe that Murphy can and will hit some in the big leagues. Murphy is a quality defensive catcher. He is a good pitch framer, and he has a strong arm. In his career, he has thrown out 30% of would-be base-stealers. Murphy is on the 40-man roster. He also has one option remaining. MITCH GARVER Garver has worked his way up the Twins farm system since the team drafted him in the ninth round in 2013. And “worked” is the correct word. He was the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2014 when he played for the Kernels. In 2015, he spent the season in Ft. Myers with the Miracle. He began 2016 in big league camp as a non-roster invite to spring training. While he has continued to get stronger and work on his offensive game, Garver has made his biggest strides defensively. He has gone from what some called below average defensively to now being considered an above average defensive backstop. That was very clear in 2016 when he split the season between AA Chattanooga and AAA Rochester. He was one of the best in minor league baseball in pitch framing, and he threw out 48% of would-be base-stealers. He’s always had a strong arm, having thrown out 38% in his minor league career. He might be the best combination of offense and defense of the group. In 95 games at AA last year, he hit .257/.334/.419 (.753) with 25 doubles and 11 home runs. He ended the season with 25 games in Rochester where he hit .329/.381/.434 (.815) with five doubles and a homer. Garver can also give the Twins some versatility. In 2016, he caught 60 games and played first base 16 times. Because of his bat, he was in the DH spot in most other games. There are a few things that he has going against him in this competition. First, he has zero MLB at-bats at this point, and one could say that he has just 25 games in AAA. He was just added to the Twins 40-man roster in November. So he has all three option years remaining. SUMMARY Nothing can be made of what we’ve seen so far in spring training games. Garver and Murphy have five plate appearances, and Gimenez has three. Murphy and Gimenez have each made one start behind the plate. Garver hasn’t, but he has played in three of the games to just two for Murphy and Gimenez. There is a lot of spring training remaining, and all three should get a lot of opportunities to play. All three have a legitimate opportunity to make the Opening Day roster, at least I would think and hope they would. It may come down to the end. So, what factors do you think will help Paul Molitor and the front office decide who will make the Opening Day roster? How would you rank the likelihood of each option? Click here to view the article

Hank Morrison was the Minnesota Twins 22nd round pick last June. He spent four seasons playing for Division II Mercyhurst. In his senior season, he hit .415 with 10 homers and 53 RBIs. Following signing, Morrison was sent to Elizabethton where his season was split in half. Unfortunately, it was split because of a wayward pitch that hit him in the face. He will head to spring training looking for an opportunity to start the season in Cedar Rapids.Today, we get to know more about Twins outfield prospect Hank Morrison. We thank him for taking time to answer our questions. Please feel free to discuss in the Comments section below. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Pennsylvania, which was your favorite team and who were some of your favorite players? Hank Morrison (HM): Growing up my favorite teams were the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers. I always liked watching Andrew McCutchen, and for the Steelers Heinz Ward! SS: What were some of the highlights of your high school years? (What other sports or activities did you participate in?) HM: I played baseball and basketball in high school. A highlight from baseball was winning our district and making it to State, which we hadn't done since 1976. Best highlight from basketball was when I dunked in a game and got fouled and then made the foul shot. SS: What went into your decision to go to Mercyhurst, and what were a couple of highlights from there? HM: The reason I went to Mercyhurst was simply because of the winning tradition. Also, I knew they had a tradition of getting at least one guy drafted a year so I knew I would have exposure. The best highlight from playing at Mercyhurst was going to the D2 national tournament for the first time in school history. SS: Drafted by the Twins in the 22nd round... is that about where you thought you might be selected before the draft? HM: When the draft came around, I was not sure what to think. I was a senior so I knew I didn't have much of an option as to when I got drafted. I am just extremely thankful for the opportunity. SS: What was the biggest adjustment you had to make, going from college to the pro game? On or off the field? HM: The biggest adjustment I had to make on the field was understanding that everyone that I was playing for is in the same situation I am. I was too worried about who people were and if they were supposed to be good or not. Now, realizing that everyone is in the same position no matter the talent and you just have to play your game. SS: In these early stages of your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths as a player? HM: My biggest strength as a baseball player is always playing as hard as I can. No matter if I'm hitting or fielding, I always try to leave it all out on the field. SS: What were some of your focuses during the offseason? What are the things that you feel you need to improve going forward? HM: The things I worked most on in the offseason was simply becoming more explosive. Knowing that this will help every aspect of my game. Run speed, bat speed, and arm strength. Also, I tried very hard to stretch a good amount and do yoga to get as flexible as I possibly can. SS: How did you feel about your first professional baseball season? How did you enjoy your time in Elizabethton? HM: My first professional season was filled with ups and downs. It definitely didn't go the way I was expecting. I played in twenty games; ten in the beginning and ten in the end because I got hit in the head with a fastball and broke my nose. Thus being said, Elizabethton is a very nice place filled with great people! SS: What do you enjoy doing away from the game of baseball? HM: Away from the game of baseball, I enjoy shooting hoops, hunting, bowling, golfing, working out, ping pong and occasionally fishing. SS: Who are some of the coaches and others who have helped you get to this point in your career? HM: My dad is the biggest part of why I was successful. Not only the coaching aspect of it, but he always helped me keep a good mindset, and I think that is huge. Other coaches are Charlie Karstedt, Tom Kenny, Sean West, and Joe Spano. These guys were huge in the development in my game. SS: Favorite Baseball Movie? HM: My favorite baseball movie is Touching Home. Thank you to Hank Morrison. Best wishes for a strong 2017 season. And again, please feel free to discuss below. Click here to view the article

Just a bit more. Here is a list of some guys who were very close: Lewis Thorpe, Jake Reed, Trevor Hildenberger, Mason Melotakis... And here are others that have shown up in rankings. Trey Cabbage, Travis Harrison, Akil Baddoo, Jermaine Palacios, Aaron Slegers, Lachlan Wells, Luis Arraez, Griffin Jax, Jose Miranda, Huascar Ynoa, Tanner English, Brusdar Graterol, Jordan Balazovic, Aaron Whitefield, Jaylin Davis, Randy Rosario... There are several in that group that are at least quite intriguing.

The Gophers played a home series in Minnesota for the first time since the days of the Metrodome. They helped open up US Bank Stadium with a three-game series against Seattle University. Read at the bottom for more on the three games and upcoming Gophers games. Before getting to more details on the series and other Gophers notes, let’s get to know a little more about Gophers senior closer Brian Glowicki. The right-hander grew up in Illinois and went to the same high school as Twins relief prospect Nick Burdi. He played with Burdi’s brother and top White Sox relief prospect Zach Burdi. But Glowicki is going to make a name for himself in the Minnesota bullpen this season.Over the weekend, he was on the mound for the final outs in two of the three Gopher wins. Take a few minutes to learn about Brian Glowicki. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Illinois, who was your favorite team and who were some of your favorite ballplayers? Brian Glowicki (BG): My dad has been a huge Boston fan for as long as I can remember so the Red Sox have always been my favorite team. I loved watching Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez. SS: What were some of the highlights of your high school career? Did you play with or against the Burdi Brothers? BG: Winning the regional championship my senior year is a moment that I will always remember. And I went to the same high school as them. Zack is actually one of my best friends and I've played baseball and even football with him since we were in third grade or so. I don't believe I ever played with Nick Burdi but I watched him play a lot in high school. SS: What was it about the University of Minnesota that made you decide to play for the Gophers? BG: I really appreciated the way they went about recruiting and how the University of Minnesota had such a family atmosphere to it. SS: Have you played summer ball through your college years? BG: Yes, my sophomore and junior year summers I played in the Northwoods League for the St. Cloud Rox. SS: Which pitches do you throw, and what makes you successful on the mound? BG: I throw a 4-seam fastball, changeup and slider. I think most of my success comes from how competitive I am. I have the mindset that I am not going to back down from anyone which helps me attack hitters. SS: What have been some of the highlights of your time with the Gophers? BG: Everything about the 2016 season is a highlight. Winning the B1G and making a regional will be two moments I'll never forget. Also, in 2015 when we played against the Minnesota Twins at their spring training complex was a once in a lifetime opportunity. SS: What are your goals for the 2017 season? BG: My goals for the 2017 season are just to build on the success we had as a team last year. Last year we created a great culture within the team and this year I'd like to see us build on that as well as learn from some of the mistakes we made. SS: What is your major, and what are your career goals going forward? (How does baseball fit into that equation?) BG: I am majoring in kinesiology and with that I plan on eventually coaching baseball. I have also put some thought into obtaining a business degree and pursuing accounting or financial aid. GOPHER NOTES On Friday night, the Gophers won 13-4. Going into the bottom of the fifth inning, the Gophers were down 3-0. However, they put up four in the fifth, one in the sixth, and four in both the seventh and eighth innings. Matt Stemper went 3-5 and hit the team’s first home run at US Bank Stadium. Toby Hanson went 3-4 with a walk, a double and a triple. He scored and drove in three runs. Alex Boxwell went 3-6. Micah Coffey was 2-5, and Luke Pettersen went 2-4. Lucas Gilbreath struggled again in his second start. The lefty gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits and six walks in just three innings. He struck out five. Tyler Hanson came on and provided 3.2 innings of scoreless relief. (Read Tom Froemmings article from the Friday night game, including video.) Saturday night, the Gophers notched a 6-3 win. Freshman Brett Schulze made his first college start and gave up two runs on one hit in five innings. He walked two and struck out four. Nick Lackney walked four but got through the next 2.2 innings without allowing a run. Brian Glowicki got the final two outs of the game. Semper and Coffey each had two hits. Boxwell had two hits, including a triple. Toby Hanson and Troy Traxler each doubled. Sunday afternoon was again a close game until the late innings. In fact, Seattle scored a run in the top of the seventh to tie the game at seven. But the Gophers scored one in the bottom half and plated three more in the bottom of the eighth. They won 11-7. Jordan Smith led the offense. The senior went 4-5 with a double and four RBI. Luke Pettersen went 3-4 with a walk. Toby Hanson went 3-5 with a double. Freshman Eli Wilson made his first start and went 2-3 with a walk. Toby Anderson worked the first five innings. He gave up five runs. Alex Farley made his college debut and got the two batters he faced out. Brian Glowicki got the final five outs for the save. Junior Luke Pettersen went 5-8 with a walk in the series. The Minnetonka grad is now 13-17 on the season, a solid .765 average.Junior Toby Hanson was the star of the weekend. The first baseman from Delano went 7-13 in the series with three doubles and a triple.Along with the Gophers first home run in US Bank Stadium, catcher Matt Stemper went 5-14 in the series.Senior Jordan Smith went 5-11 (.455) with two walks and two doubles in the series. The Eden Prairie native plays left field for the Gophers.NEXT UP The Gophers will play a single game on Tuesday night at US Bank Stadium at 6:00 p.m. After sweeping a four-game series at Mississippi Valley State last weekend, the Bison were swept this weekend at Abilene Christian. The Bison have 23 players on their roster who went to high school in Minnesota. Tyler Oakes in the NDSU pitching coach. He spent four years pitching under his father Todd Oakes at the University of Minnesota. He was a starter one season and worked out of the bullpen three seasons. He went undrafted and spent one season with the Rays Appy League team. This is his fourth year as the Bison pitching coach. He also became their recruiting coordinator last summer. On Thursday the Gophers will play a game against Hawaii. Then Friday through Sunday, US Bank Stadium will host the Dairy Queen Classic. The four-team tournament returns and features Oral Roberts, Hawaii and Iowa. I remember going to the Dairy Queen Classic when I was in high school. Georgia Tech was one of the teams in the tournament, so I saw Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Varitek. If you’re able, be sure to check out a Gophers game this week. There are five options!! Click here to view the article

They count his innings in Extended Spring Training and his innings from Instructs, so most likely he pitched 120-130 innings last year. Hopefully he can get to 145-150 this year. But, the fact that he missed so much time with Tommy John surgery, it is ok to be a little more patient, especially that first year returning.

Twins Rankings of Romero: Twins Daily: 1 Seth: 2 Nick: 1 Jeremy: 2 Cody: 3 BB America: 4 BB Prospectus: 3 John Sickels: 3 MLB Pipeline: 4 Keith Law: 2

I wonder if the $11/$8 tickets aren't just at US Bank. The prices you mentioned may be at Siebert Field.

Twins Rank for Gonsalves: Twins Daily - 2 Seth - 1 Nick - 2 Jeremy - 4 Cody - 2 BB America - 2 BB Prospectus - 5 John Sickels - 2 MLB Pipeline - 3 Keith Law - 4

His velocity wasn't what Romero's was... However, he had better secondary stuff, and that can all come back. We're all quite curious about the plan with him and how he'll return.

Thorpe should be ready to go this spring, though they'll likely have him start in EST just to keep him in Ft. Myers and be able to control his work load a bit before sending him to either Cedar Rapids or with the Miracle. He was close to the Top 20, strongly considered. If healthy, he could rise again, but they are going to be cautious with him. Just like they were with Romero this year.

So far so good. He was in his regular routine right when he started this spring. I believe it was a relief that he was able to make two more starts in the AFL after the injury last year.

He'll likely start the season and spend 1/3 to 1/2 the season in Chattanooga. He'll spend the final 3-4 months in Rochester. He'll need to be added to the 40-man roster following the season. He threw 140 innings, plus about 10 more in the AFL... So, if he were to move up 25% from 150 innings, that'd be about 185 innings that could be his max this year. I would guess that a lot will depend on his innings. But I think mid-2018 is probably the most likely scenario for his call up.

Position is one of a whole bunch of factors and everyone weighs them differently. I don't put much value on the actual numbers (in the cases of Rortvedt and Kirilloff). To me, that first season (following the draft), the numbers mean very little.

At Twins Daily, we take a lot of pride in providing you with quality Twins content. We like to focus on the big leagues and the minor leagues. We focus on the draft as well. We have had articles on the St. Paul Saints the last couple of years too. This year, we are going to be writing a little bit on the Minnesota Gophers as well. The plan is to start out with some interviews of the Gophers seniors. Each article will then contain some notes on the Gophers, information from the previous week’s series and looking forward. We hope you will enjoy this feature and support Minnesota baseball in all forms. In fact, if you would like to take a college baseball team and write about it, feel free to start your own blog here.Last weekend, the 2017 Gophers schedule got started with a series at UC-Irvine. On Friday night, the Minnesota Gophers will begin a three-game series at home, in February, in US Bank Stadium. For the first time since the Metrodome days, the Gophers have been able to play some home games before April. When the weather cooperates, they’ll play their games at the new and improved Siebert Field near the University of MInnesota campus. Our first Q&A is with Gophers senior right-handed pitcher Cody Campbell. He came to the Gophers from Naperville, Illinois, a city in the western suburbs of Chicago. While he has unfortunately missed a lot of time with injuries, he has had a big impact in the Twin Cities, donating his time to a variety of programs. He’s also known to have a little bit of fun in the dugout. Let’s get to know him a little bit more. Remember when the Twins played a spring training game in 2015 against the Gophers? Campbell pitched in that game. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Naperville, Illinois, who was your favorite team to follow, and who were some of your favorite ballplayers? Cody Campbell (CC): I don't really follow sports, but if I had to pick a favorite team it would be the Detroit Tigers. I lived right outside of Detroit during K-2nd grade and fell in love with the TIgers. Some of my favorite players are Roy Halladay and Justin Verlander. They are some of the greats and I strived to be like them, even at one point switching my windup and leg kick to look like Roy Halladay's. SS: What were some of the highlights of your high school career? CC: Winning a State football championship my sophomore year as a starting offensive linemen, weighing only 180 pounds was my most memorable highlight. Playing four years of varsity baseball and three years of varsity football really helped mold me as a player by watching the older guys and how they prepared day in and day out. SS: What was it about the University of Minnesota that made you decide to leave home and play for the Gophers? CC: Having the opportunity to get coached by a legendary coaching staff was the key reason. Another reason was because I am a psychology major and Minnesota has a great psychology program. SS: Have you played summer ball through your college years? CC: No, I haven't been healthy enough to. I usually take the summers to get surgery on something and recover to get ready for fall. SS: What have been some of the highlights of your time with the Gophers? CC: Year in and year out we have a great group of guys that always find a way to have fun. I also think watching how the team has grown and developed throughout my time has been fun. After missing the Big Ten Tournament my sophomore year, the whole locker room atmosphere had changed and we started getting our priorities straight. SS: What are your goals for the 2017 season? CC: Stay healthy is my main goal, I haven't had a healthy season yet so I figured my last year should be my healthiest year. Other goals are know my role and excel at it, be a presence in the dugout and locker room, keep the atmosphere that we had last year going throughout this year. SS: What is your major, and what are your career goals going forward? (How does baseball fit into that equation?) CC: I'm a psychology major and am looking for a career where I can manage and develop people. Baseball fits into the equation because it has taught me to be adaptable and has motivated me to keep getting better because no matter how good you are at your job there is always going to be someone better. Having that mentality will push me to excel in a career outside of baseball Thank you very much to senior right-handed pitcher Cody Campbell for taking time to respond to our questions. Best wishes on a healthy and successful senior season. GOPHER NOTES The Gophers opened their 2017 season by traveling to play UC-Irvine. There was a three-way split. Weather won on Friday night washhing out the first contest. On Saturday, the Gophers won 9-8. On Sunday afternoon, the Gophers fell 7-5. Luke Pettersen led the offense. In the first game, he was 4-4 with a sacrifice bunt. On Sunday, he went 4-5. Going 8-9 on the first weekend is a good way to start the season. Pettersen is a junior second baseman. You will recall that his brother, AJ Pettersen, played for the Gophers and then spent four seasons in the Twins minor league system. AJ is about to begin his third season as the head coach of the Chanhassen baseball program.Junior third baseman Micah Coffey batted cleanup in both games. He went 5-10 with two doubles and a triple.The lone Gophers home run last weekend came off of the bat of sophomore DH Eduardo Estrada. The 2015 Litchfield graduate was the top prospect in the state of Minnesota following his senior season.Friday night starter (who started Saturday because of the rain out) Lucas Gilbreath is a junior from Colorado. He struggled in his season debut. The left-hander gave up five earned runs in just three innings. Last year, he gave up five earned runs in 33 innings (struck out 46). He is touted as one to watch at draft time despite the fact that last Saturday was just his second career start.Two freshmen made their college debuts in the Sunday afternoon game. Brett Schulze, from Maple Grove, came on in relief and worked four innings. He gave up one run on three hits and three walks, and he struck out three. Later in the game, catcher Eli Wilson entered the game. He walked in his only plate appearance. Wilson is from Seattle and is the son of former Gophers All-American and Mariners great Dan Wilson.On Friday night, the Gophers will play Seattle University. The weekend series marks their first games in US Bank Stadium.Twins catching prospect Brian Olson is a graduate of Seattle University.The teams will play on Friday at 6:30, Saturday at 6:00 and Sunday afternoon at 1:00. Admission to US Bank Stadium is $11 for adults, and $8 for children. Students with a valid student ID can get one free ticket.The Gophers next 13 games will be at US Bank Stadium.Looking ahead, the Gophers will take on North Dakota State University next Tuesday (Feb 28) as well.Also, on Saturday, Concordia College (Moorhead) will play a doubleheader against Jamestown University at US Bank Stadium. You could spend a full day in the new stadium watching some quality college baseball.Feel free to discuss the Q&A and chat about the Gophers in the comments below. Click here to view the article

Rankings by others: Twins Daily - 3 Seth - 3 Nick - 3 Jeremy - 1 Cody - 4 BB America - 3 BB Prospectus - 4 Sickels (Min Lg Ball) - 4 MLB Pipeline - 4 Keith Law - 5

Here you go... http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/sethspeaks

I guess I'd have to look, but I'm guessing that Baseball America would have the 2016 first-round pick of pretty much every team within its top 3-5 prospects. And who will he replace... in 2021? I mean, I don't know if Rosario or Kepler will still be here in 2021, so let's just let that play out a bit.

If you ever have an hour to spare and you’re not feeling great, do a search for “Alex Kirilloff Batting Practice” on YouTube, Google or your search engine of choice. I’d guess you’ll find yourself smiling. In preparing for this article, I only meant to watch one video. An hour later, I figured I should start writing. In 2015, the Twins had their first season with a record over .500 since 2010. Because of it, they drafted outside of the top six picks for the first time in five years. With the 15th overall pick, the Twins went in a familiar direction, an athletic outfielder out of high school. Alex Kirilloff was drafted out of Plum High School in Pennsylvania. He actually was part of the Pennsylvania Cyber School, a public charter with online courses. On the day the Twins drafted him, he led his team to the state championship game.After signing, Kirilloff jumped straight to Elizabethton where he got off to a great start. Through his first 38 games, he hit .361/.378/.516 (.894) with nine doubles and five home runs. He slowed down as the summer went on, and his season came to an end early with an elbow injury. In a recent Q&A with Twins Daily, Kirilloff discussed his success in his pro debut. “It really was a combination of things. First off, it was a blessing from the Lord, and I give all the glory to God for letting me get off to a good start in my career. Second, I was pretty rested, excited, and eager to start playing.” Age: 19 (DOB: 11/9/97) 2016 Stats (Adv-Rookie): .306/.341/.454 (.795), nine doubles, one triple, seven home runs ETA: 2020 2016 Twins Daily Ranking: NR National Top 100 Rankings BA: 98 | MLB: NR | ESPN: 97 | BP: NR What's To Like As you would expect from any first-round draft pick, there is a lot to like about Alex Kirilloff. He has the tools and the makeup to go with it. The first thing that people talk about when it comes to Kirilloff is his offensive game. He’s got good size (6-2, 200 pounds). His father owns an indoor hitting facility and there are stories of Kirilloff hitting off the tee as soon as he was able to walk. He has always played against older competition, a trend which continued in Elizabethton where he was more than two years younger than the league average. He possesses a smooth, left-handed swing and uses the whole field very well. He has shown power to all fields. He’s got quick hands and can pull the ball a long way, but his most natural power just might be to left-center field. He showed power in Elizabethton in his pro debut, and most believe that he will continue to add home run power. Defensively, he has enough speed that he could play center field. However, he primarily played right field with the E-Twins and that will likely be his position going forward. He has a strong arm. He also played some first base in his amateur career and really impressed scouts with his work there. What's Left To Work On While most believe that Kirilloff is an advanced hitter, one thing he’ll certainly look to improve upon in his first full season will be getting on base more often. While he struck out in just 13.8% of his plate appearances, he walked just 4.7% of his plate appearances. It’s not unusual for first-year pros to debut and swing early and often, looking to make a strong impression. He was known in high school to have a strong approach at the plate, but he’ll need to show more of that in 2017. Other than that, Kirilloff needs to play. He needs at-bats, and he needs to get opportunities in the outfield. He will need to adjust to the advanced speed of the game as he moves up the ladder. As Kirilloff himself said in the aforementioned Q&A, “I still have room for improvement in all aspects of my game though and I have a long way to go.” What's Next Like other top draft picks, Alex Kirilloff will begin his first full season as a professional in the Midwest League. He will begin the season in Cedar Rapids. Most likely, he’ll spend the full season there, though it is certainly possible that he could spend time late in the season with the Miracle in Ft. Myers. ~~~ Read up on our previous installments in the Twins Daily top prospects series: TD Top Prospects: #20-16 TD Top Prospects: #15-11 TD Top Prospects: #10 Lewin Diaz TD Top Prospects: #9 Travis Blankenhorn TD Top Prospects: #8 Kohl Stewart TD Top Prospects: #7 Adalberto Mejia TD Top Prospects: #6 Wander Javier TD Top Prospects: #5 Tyler Jay TD Top Prospects: #4 Nick Gordon TD Top Prospects: #3 Alex Kirilloff TD Top Prospects: #2 (Coming Thursday) TD Top Prospects: #1 (Coming Friday) Click here to view the article

I don't know how to judge that without spending a ton of time. I think their player development has done a good job with hitters. Obviously they have struggled with pitchers. They have had several success, and they have had several "failures." Some methods work for some and the same method doesn't work for others. I don't know how to judge any of that. It's a huge success if an 8th rounder makes it to AA, right? How about a 32nd rounder spending 2-3 years in the big leagues as a utility infielder? That's a huge success. My guess is any sort of analytics would not be very favorable to the Twins over the last 10 years or so. I've written a couple of articles saying that... but I think that the Twins have some scouting successes and several failures. I think player development has had some successes and some failures. I think they've had some successes and some failures in self-scouting. But more important, I think that we need to move on. Let's see the Falvey and Levine processes and give them a year or two to see the changes and differences. And, I would think that of the group of Sano, Buxton, Kepler, Polanco and Berrios (all developed in the TWins system), at least a couple of them will take a step forward. Let's see how Chargois, Burdi, Duffey, May, Hildenberger, Reed, Melotakis, Jay, Gordon, etc. do.

I'm sure there have been several mistakes, as there are in every organization... But I'd like to see a list of say 5-6 more areas where we can definitively say that poor player development or "mismanagement" affected a player. For instance... was Matt Moses not getting past AA about bad player development, or some sort of mismanagement? Or, was it that Moses didn't really care too much and didn't do a lot of extra work? (not to say taht's the case) Was it the Twins player development issue or mismanagement that Alex Wimmers go the yips (which they helped him correct) or need Tommy John surgery. And likewise, do the Twins get credit for Brian Dozier, a senior sign 8th round pick without huge tools? Do they get credit for developing late, late round picks to the big leagues? I'm not saying there aren't sometimes better ways, and Falvey and Levine will likely implement several. But they're not going to have a perfect record either. I hope that's not the expectations.