Seth Stohs

@ThejacKmp - please read 1st paragraph. I made my list... went through all the names... wrote down 1-50... started Part 1, Part 2, and when I started readying Part 3, I noticed I had written 29 twice... Figured I'd just go with it. Wasn't going to move someone from 29-30 to out of the Top 50, so 51 will get recognized... and I'm OK with that.

After posting Part 1 and Part 2over the last couple of days, predictably, today I am going to post Part 3 of my personal (preliminary) Top 50 Twins Prospect rankings. Today I'll share with you my choices for prospects 26 through 30. Typically, that would be a list of five people. However, when someone makes a list, and that list "accidentally" has two 29s in it, well, prospects 26 through 30 will contain six prospects instead of five today. So, continue on, and read of the SIX prospects ranked between 26 and 30. It is an interesting list. There are a couple of players who have spent some time in the upper levels, but the other four players are very young. Three of them remain teenagers. The teenagers all have the possibility of significantly moving up this list in 2017. Continue reading to learn more about six Twins minor leaguers deserving of recognition.REMINDER: Players eligible to be on this list include players who remain eligible for Rookie of the Year voting in 2017. That is to say, hitters with less than 130 at-bats and pitchers with less than 50 innings. (The list is preliminary. Following research for the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2017 - which Cody Christie, Jeremy Nygaard and I are working on - I’ll provide my final Top 30 prospects list.) Top Prospects 26-30 #30 – Nelson Molina - 21 – IF – Cedar Rapids Kernels Molina was the Twins 11th-round pick in 2013 out of high school in Puerto Rico (same high school as Twins catcher Juan Centeno). It is fair to say that he struggled offensively in the rookie leagues his first three seasons. However, watching him, he has the size (6-3), build (175), tools and work ethic to want to stand out. In 2016, he came up to the Kernels at the end of April and played well the rest of the way. He was named to the Twins Daily Minor League All-Star team after hitting .300/.374/.381 (.755) with 15 doubles, three triples and two home runs in 94 games. Drafted as a shortstop, he has played all over the field. He mostly played third base for the Kernels this year, but he ended the season playing shortstop for the team, including in the playoffs. #29 – Trey Cabbage - 19 – 3B – Elizabethton Twins Cabbage was the Twins fourth-round draft pick in 2015 out of Grainger High School in Tennessee. After signing, he spent the summer in Ft. Myers, spending some time with the GCL Twins and more time rehabbing a back injury. He spent the first half of the 2016 season at extended spring training before heading north, back to Tennessee, to play in Elizabethton. The third baseman hit .204/.297/.337 (.634) with five doubles, one triple and two home runs in just 31 games with the E-Twins. At 6-3 and a little over 200 pounds, Cabbage is a tremendous athlete. He’s got a sweet, left-handed swing with line-drive power that could turn into home run power from gap-to-gap. Defense continues to be a work-in-progress at third base, but he has a strong arm and puts in a lot of extra work. He could start 2017 in extended with an opportunity to move up to Cedar Rapids. #29 – Tanner English - 23 – OF – Ft. Myers Miracle/Rochester Red Wings English was the Twins 11t- round pick in the 2014 draft out of South Carolina. In 2015, he was named the top defensive outfielder in the Twins system for his glove work in center field in Cedar Rapids. At 5-10 and 180 pounds, English has great speed, range and a powerful arm. Offensively, he can be a leadoff type of hitter. He takes quality at-bats and has good pop. He also is a very good base runner and base-stealer. He began the 2016 in Ft. Myers, but he went on the disabled list early in the season. When he was about ready to come back, he had his ankle rolled in an extended spring game. He returned late in the year to the Miracle. When Rochester needed a center fielder for the final week, English was pushed to the level and hit .294 in 17 at-bats. To get some extra plate appearances, English will head to Arizona to participate in the Fall League. #28 – Akil Baddoo - 18 – OF - GCL Twins If these lists were solely about upside, Baddoo would likely be a Top 10 prospect. Baddoo was the fourth pick in the 2016 draft and the Twins second compensation- round pick, 74th overall. He was an outstanding high school player from the state of Georgia. After signing, he went to the GCL. At 6-1 and just shy of 200 pounds, Baddoo has a lot of tools. He has good speed (8 steals in 9 attempts). He has good range in the outfield and has a strong left arm. Though he hit just .178 in his pro debut in the GCL, most believe he will hit, and he has already shown that he has some power potential (2 triples, 2 home runs). As it is with most 18 year olds, patience will be a big key. #27 – Jose Miranda - 18 – SS – GCL Twins Miranda was selected one pick before Akil Baddoo, 73rd overall, in the June draft out of high school in Puerto Rico. He also began his career in the GCL. He played shortstop and third base equally and also played a handful of games at second base. He’ll likely be given more time at shortstop, but when he was drafted most scouts believed his future was either at third base or second base. He played in 55 games and hit .227/.308/.292 with seven doubles, a triple and a home run. Listed at 6-2 and 180 pounds, he has average speed. Most believe he will hit and has a chance to hit for above average power. #26 – Engelb Vielma - 22 – SS – Chattanooga Lookouts Vielma signed with the Twins out of Venezuela in mid-September of 2011, just late enough that he didn’t need to be added to the 40-man roster last year. The Twins will have to make that decision this November. Vielma has been named the Twins top minor league defensive infielder the last two years and earned an invitation to big league spring training after a solid 2015 in Ft. Myers. He spent the majority of the 2016 season in Chattanooga, though he had two stints on the disabled list and played some rehab games in Ft. Myers. With the Lookouts, he hit .271/.345/.318 (.663) with seven doubles and four triples. While he’ll never hit for power, if he can hit for average, he has a chance to be a big league shortstop because of his great defense. He is the total package at shortstop. He has good range, instincts and a powerful arm. Others discuss his leadership So what do you think of Part 3, Prospects 26-30? Next up will be prospects 21-25. Feel free to discuss, comment and ask questions below. Click here to view the article

He's the one that has the potential to move up this a ton in 2018 or so... but it's hard to put him up any higher quite yet.

Also corrected... thank you!

Thank you for catching that. Slegers just turned 24 in the last month. Rosario is 22. I have edited the article to correct those errors.

Regarding Light, I'm pretty certain I have him too low, and probably have been watching too much of him on TV to have a fair opinion right now. It's likely he'll figure things out, like Chargois has in September, at some point. And, I'm certain worrying about what a guy is doing this late in the season isn't fair. Regarding Slegers, I can guarantee they won't trade him for Brian Fuentes!

I think most people will have Rosario easily in the Top 30, maybe even top 20. I may have him in the Top 20 after researching and writing the prospect handbook. He's got some really good stuff. He should be better in 2017. But obviously, there are enough question marks still.

Absolutely... Not sure how it would play if we just worked our way up... but this gets a lot of deserving players recognized and discussed.

Once they're in the system, they all have a chance. I think it's a good thing. Obviously high signing bonus guys will get more chances, but if guys keep performing, there's always a chance to move up.

Today, I’m sharing Part 2 of my prospect countdown, prospects 31-40. In Part 1, welooked at my choices for prospects 41-50. This is an interesting group of prospects as well. There are a couple of starting pitchers who have produced numbers as they’ve moved up the ladder without being credited with great stuff. There are a couple of starting pitchers and relievers who have electric stuff and have either struggled some or been injured. There is a hitter who really struggled in 2016 and ended the season injured. It is another group where there are some future big leaguers. In fact, there is a current big leaguer on the list too.Players eligible to be on this list include players who remain eligible for Rookie of the Year voting in 2017. That is to say, hitters with less than 130 at-bats and pitchers with less than 50 innings. (The list is preliminary. Following research for the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2017 - which Cody Christie, Jeremy Nygaard and I are working on - I’ll provide my final Top 30 prospects list.) Top Prospects 31-40 #40 – Cody Stashak - 22 – RHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle Stashak was the Twins 13th-round pick in 2015 out of St. Johns (NY). He went 5-2 in ten starts in Elizabethton. He began the 2016 season at extended spring but was quickly promoted to Cedar Rapids. There, he went 8-5 with a 3.16 ERA in 18 games (17 starts). Late in the season, he was promoted to Ft. Myers where he 2-0 with a 0.54 ERA in 16.2 innings for the Miracle. Stashak fits into the mold of Twins starter in the last decade. He’s not real tall and he’s thin. He throws 90-92 and has good command of a three-pitch mix. #39 – Eduardo Del Rosario - 21 – RHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels The Twins signed the very skinny Del Rosario in 2012 out of the Dominican Republic. He spent a year in the DSL. He pitched out of the GCL bullpen in 2014. He returned to the GCL in 2015 to start, nearly doubling his innings count. He ended the season with one start in Elizabethton. He began 2016 in extended spring but he was promoted to the Kernels in early June. In his first six Kernels starts he went 0-2 with a 6.25 ERA and opponents hit .314 (.882) off of him. Then he figured something out. Over his final 10 starts, he went 6-0 with a 2.09 ERA. In 51.2 innings in those starts, he walked 20, but he struck out 64. He is 6-0 all and 170 pounds. He throws a good fastball and is mixing in some improving secondary pitches as well. #38 – Jordan Balazovic - 18 – RHP - GCL Twins Balazovic was committed to Auburn, but the Twins' fifth-round pick is out of high school in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. He was one of the last 2016 picks to sign, and when he did, he reported to Ft. Myers to play in the GCL. While the organization was obviously, wisely, very cautious with him in his debut, Balazovic pitched quite well. In 32 innings over eight games (six starts), he went 2-1 with a 1.97 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. He struck out just 16 batters but the youngster (just turned 18 after the season) worked on just throwing strikes with an upper-80s fastball (touching 90-91). His breaking pitches have a way to go also. But size (6-4) and mechanics indicate that he has a ton of potential. #37 – Jaylin Davis - 22 – OF – Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels Davis was the Twins 24th-round draft pick in 2015 out of Appalachian State. He fell in the draft because he was injured and, in fact, didn’t play in the Twins rookie leagues at all last year. He began this season in extended spring training and actually ended up starting his playing season in Elizabethton. He spent just 12 games there and hit seven home runs before moving up to Cedar Rapids for the remainder of the season. With the Kernels, he hit .250/.339/.469 (.808) with 13 doubles, a triple and nine home runs. At 6-1 and nearly 200 pounds, Davis’s best tool is clearly his power. He has the potential to strike out a lot, walk a bit, display some speed and hit a lot of home runs. #36 – Edgar Corcino - 24 – OF – Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts Corcino was originally the 26th-round pick of the Detroit Tigers in 2009. He remained in that organization through the 2012 season. He spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons playing independent league ball. The Twins signed the Puerto Rican before the 2015 season. After spending some time in EST, he spent the final three months of the season in Cedar Rapids where he displayed tremendous defense all around the outfield. He began 2016 in Ft. Myers. In 74 games, he hit .266 (.760) with 24 extra base hits. He was promoted to Chattanooga and played in 50 games. He hit .280 (.754) with 15 extra base hits. He’s got good speed and makes a ton of web gems. #35 – Aaron Slegers - 24 – RHP – Chattanooga Lookouts Slegers was the Big 10 Pitcher of the Year in 2013, his junior season at Indiana. Following the college season, he was the Twins fifth-round pick. He has consistently moved up one level each year. In 2016, he spent the full season in Chattanooga. He went 10-7 with a 3.41 ERA. In 145.1 innings, he walked 46 and struck out 104 (6.4 per nine). From mid-May until just after July 4th, he posted nine straight quality starts. Unfortunately, he then went on the disabled list and missed about three weeks. He did end the season strong. At 6-10, we all are aware that he doesn’t throw real hard, topping out at about 91-92. But he knows out to pitch and has improved each year. #34 – Pat Light - 25 – RHP – Pawtucket Paw Sox/Boston Red Sox/Rochester Red Wings/Minnesota Twins The Twins finally got the guy they drafted seven years earlier. Late in the 2009 draft, the Twins selected Light out of high school. He wisely chose to go to college and three years later, he was a supplemental first-round pick of the Red Sox. He worked his way up the ladder there, first as a starter, but more quickly as a reliever. Blessed with a fastball that can reach into triple-digits at times, he came to the Twins at the July trade deadline in exchange for Fernando Abad, who has an ERA over six since joining the Red Sox. In Rochester, he was still hitting 100 mph with regularity, but with the Twins, he’s been sitting 93-96. Could just be tiring at the end of a season, but his struggles and the velocity drop have me a little nervous. He struggles with command and control, but he does have the ability to miss bats, so it would be silly to give up on him at this point. #33 – Mason Melotakis - 25 – LHP – Chattanooga Lookouts Melotakis was the Twins’ second-round pick in 2012 out of Northwestern State University of Louisiana. The hard-throwing left-hander spent about a year given the opportunity to start, but he was moved back to the bullpen (which is where he performed in college). Unfortunately, he had Tommy John surgery and missed the 2015 season. He came back for Instructs and was throwing in the upper 90s. Wisely, the Twins were patient and cautious with “Melo” during the 2016 season. He struggled early, and then spent seven days on the DL. When he returned, he pitched much better. He spent one more stint on the disabled list later in the season, but they were able to get him through the season healthy. And he pitched fairly well for the most part. In 33.1 innings (over 36 games), he posted a 2.97 ERA, walked 12 and struck out 42. He is now essentially where JT Chargois was a year ago at this time. Look for Melotakis to start next season in Chattanooga with the opportunity to quickly get up to Rochester before getting an opportunity with the Twins. #32 – Jermaine Palacios - 20 – SS – Cedar Rapids Kernels Palacios came into the 2016 season as one of the most interesting, intriguing prospects in the Twins minor league system. He came to the States in 2015 and put on an offensive display in the rookie leagues. In the GCL, he hit .421 in 26 games before moving up to Elizabethton where he hit .336 in 31 games. At 19, he moved up to Cedar Rapids in 2016 and to call it a struggle might be putting it kindly. Palacios got off to a slow start in the cold weather and saw his batting average hover around the Mendoza line. He ended at .222/.276/.287 (.564) thanks to his final ten games of his season when he hit .349. Unfortunately, his season came to an end when he was hit in the wrist by a pitch on July 16. His defense is still suspect, though he has the ability to improve. I wouldn’t give up on him. I suspect he’ll return to Cedar Rapids in 2017, still just 20. He has a chance to move back up this list quickly due to the lumps he took in 2016. #31 – Randy Rosario - 22 – LHP – Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts The Twins signed Rosario out of the Dominican Republic as a 16-year-old in 2010. He has gradually moved up the ladder. As he continued to grow, his velocity continued to rise. Unfortunately, early in 2014, Rosario hurt his elbow and had Tommy John surgery early in the 2014 season. He returned to the Kernels midway through the 2015 season, and he was throwing hard, touching 97 at times. He was added to the 40-man roster following the 2015 season and went to spring training with the big league club in 2016. He started the season in the vaunted Ft. Myers rotation and had some ups and downs, but in 21 games (16 starts), he went 6-6 with a 3.34 ERA. In 94.1 innings, he walked 34 and struck out 68. He ended the season with four relief appearances in Chattanooga. In his first outing, he gave up two hits and walked two before leaving the game without recording an out. He threw two shutout innings in each of his next two appearances for the Lookouts before another tough one in his fourth and final outing. Rosario has electric stuff so I believe he has a chance to make a big jump forward in 2017. He’ll head to the Arizona Fall League next month for an opportunity to keep working on things. So what do you think of Part 2, Prospects 31-40? Next up will be prospects 26-30. Click here to view the article

He measured in at 6-3 and 191 pounds this spring, but he is definitely a great athlete with a chance to grow, get stronger and maintain his speed... The baseball stuff will come.

And Murphy is at Instructs now because he missed so much time this year with injuries. He's got some talent.

Fair statistical points, but his future, like any prospect, is about hoping to improve the deficiency so that by the time he might get to the big leagues - 2-3 years later - he's figured some of those things out. Way too early to call that a wasted pick. If you can get a 100 mph fastball in the third round, hard to give up on yet.

Diaz, English and Jorge will be in future installments, for sure... Lee was released in spring. Kanzler was released last year. Hinojosa was released last year. Eades has a shot still... Silva is still young and was with Cedar Rapids. Noteworthy that he didn't catch at all for the Kernels once the playoffs started though.

I would hope that would never be the case. De Jesus and Ramirez are legit talents, and if they're found at a later age, good for the Twins for giving them a chance.

He's a reliever at this point. He can (potentially) be a dominant reliever... he could maybe be a middle-of-the-pack starter with injury concerns. He throws hard.

Since the end of the Twins minor league season, he at Twins Daily have handed out several awards. We have named the minor league Starting Pitcher, Relief Pitcher and Hitter of the Year. We named a Twins minor league All Star team. Now it’s time to start thinking about prospects. Today, I’m going to start my preliminary Top 50 Twins prospect rankings by posting choices for prospects 41-50. Over the next week or two, we’ll work our way up to the top prospects in the organization. Your thoughts, suggestions, comments and questions are welcomed. These prospect rankings may look a little different than they have in recent years. Consider the fact that players like Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco and Jose Berrios have all graduated from “prospect” status. However, the Twins still have several high-end prospects. There are many more who have the potential to get to that level, or to have big league futures in some manner. In Part 1, we’ll look at prospects 41-50. This is an interesting group of prospects. There are several relievers with some upside. There are a couple of pitchers who are a little older and for their level for a variety of reasons, but they still have potential to be big leaguers in time. There are a couple of starters. There are a couple of hitters who have upside or who have put up some numbers at some point. Your input is welcomed.Players eligible to be on this list include players who remain eligible for Rookie of the Year voting in 2017. That is to say, hitters with less than 130 at-bats and pitchers with less than 50 innings. (The list is preliminary. Following research for the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2017 - which Cody Christie, Jeremy Nygaard and I are working on - I’ll provide my final Top 30 prospects list.) Top Prospects 41-50 #50 – Tyler Wells - 22 – RHP – Elizabethton Twins The Twins used their 15th round pick this June on the right-hander from Cal State-San Bernadino. There, he made 15 starts and was 4-7 despite a 2.84 ERA. He had 89 strikeouts in 92 innings. At 6-8 and about 265 pounds, he has the potential to be a hard-throwing, strikeout pitcher. Obviously he’s got a long ways to go to get there. He finished the season with 19.1 scoreless innings. In his penultimate start, he gave up just one hit over seven innings and struck out 14 batters. He makes this list as a guy worth watching. #49 – Taylor Clemensia - 19 – LHP – GCL Twins The young Amsterdam native played in the Dutch leagues for a couple of years. He was an outfielder, a very good athlete with a big arm. The Twins signed him and moved him to the mound. He had a solid debut in the GCL this year. He posted a 2.47 ERA in 11 games (43.2 innings). He showed the ability to miss bats, at times, and he fought with control ,at times. However, Clemensia is said to have a good feel for pitching despite the fact he’s still learning. #48 – Travis Harrison - 23 – OF - Chattanooga Lookouts Harrison was the 50th overall pick of the 2011 draft out of high school in California. He’s been around quite some time, but he still is just 23 years old. In 2016, he repeated the AA Southern League level. Unfortunately, it was a difficult season. His batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage all dipped. He moved from left field to right field in 2016. In mid-July, he was hit in the head with a pitch and missed about two weeks with a concussion. He hit just .191 in 37 more games for the rest of the season. He’s got a strong work ethic, and 2017 will be a big year as he could become a free agent at the end of the season. #47 – Michael Cederoth - 23 – RHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels Cederoth was the Twins 3rd round pick in 2014 out of San Diego State. He was tried as a starter that season and at the start of the 2015 season. After missing the second half of the 2015 season with an illness, he began 2016 on the DL with an oblique strain. Once he came back to the Kernels, he was very good. He went 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA. In 47.2 innings, he gave up 35 hits, walked 33 and struck out 62 batters. Cederoth throws real hard and now that he’s healthy, he could move up quickly in 2016. #46 – Williams Ramirez - 24 – RHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels Ramirez is already a little bit older, but he’s still worth watching. He signed at an older age and debuted in the DSL at age 20. He spent two seasons there transitioning from infielder to pitcher. He was our choice for Twins Daily short-season pitcher of the year in 2015 when he went 4-2 with a 1.14 ERA and 0.91 WHIp and 10.3 K/9 in the GCL last year. After starting the 2016 season in Extended Spring Training, but by mid-June, he was up with the Kernels. As Jake Mauer told me in late May, his first night game with the Kernels was the first time he had ever pitched under the lights. Ramirez is a max-effort pitcher who works in the mid-90s. He’s also got a very sharp slider. He’s likely going to be a bullpen arm at this point. #45 – Miguel De Jesus - 21 – RHP – GCL Twins/Elizabethton Twins De Jesus signed with the Twins in 2014 from the Dominican Republic. He pitched there in 2015 before coming to the States this year. He began in the GCL where he made seven starts and went 3-1 with a 2.06 ERA. In 35 innings, he walked 11 and struck out 34. He was moved up to Elizabethton where he went 0-2 in four starts with a 3.00 ERA. He turned 21 just last week. He sits 92-96 with a fastball that gets a lot of movement. At 6-2 and a wiry 175 pounds, he has room for growth. #44 – Yorman Landa - 22 – RHP – Ft. Myers Miracle The Twins signed Landa as a 16-year-old out of Venezuela. He slowly works his way up the system, continuing to develop. He missed some time in 2014 and again in 2015 with a shoulder injury, but when he came back in the second half of 2015 in Cedar Rapids, he showed an upper-90s fastball with secondary pitches with big potential. Following the season, he was added to the Twins 40-man roster. He moved up to Ft. Myers this year. He made the Florida State League All Star team and hit 100 mph with three pitches in his inning. He went on the DL in July with more shoulder issues. Injury has been the one thing that has held him back, and keeps him from being higher on this list, but when healthy, he has potential to be a terrific late-inning reliever. #43 – Dereck Rodriguez - 24 – RHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle Rodriguez is the son of soon-to-be Hall of Famer Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. The Twins drafted him in the 6th round of the 2011 draft as an outfielder. He spent three seasons in the rookie leagues trying to hit. Starting in 2014, he made the transition to the mound. In 2015, he was the Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year in Elizabethton. He began the 2016 season in the Cedar Rapids rotation. Through his first nine starts, he was 1-7 with a 7.71 ERA. At that point, things started getting better. In his final nine starts with the Kernels, he went 3-4 with a 3.02 ERA and went at least six innings in each of those starts. He moved up to Ft. Myers where he went 1-2 but posted a 2.56 ERA. So while his overall numbers in 2016 don’t look great a deeper look shows that he started figuring things out over the final three months of the season. #42 – Aaron Whitefield - 20 – IF/OF – GCL Twins Signed out of Australia in the summer of 2015, Whitefield is an intriguing prospect. He hadn’t really played much baseball until shortly below that time. He had played for Team Australia in international softball competitions. However, he has great speed and some power potential. He can play all over the diamond. He was one of just a couple of GCL players who played nearly every day. He was the team’s leadoff hitter and hit .298/.370/.366 (.737) with seven doubles and two homers. He also stole 31 bases in 40 attempts. He was encouraged to run and had the green light. He played 1B and 3B and all three outfield positions. He just turned 20 at the start of September. #41 – Zander Wiel - 24 – 1B – Cedar Rapids Kernels Wiel was the Twins’ 12th round pick in 2015 out of Vanderbilt. His debut summer was shortened when he was hit in the wrist with a pitch. He struggled early in 2016 in Cedar Rapids, but as Parker pointed out in a recent article, he made some adjustments and his numbers in the second half were terrific. In July, he posted a .310/.407/.660 (1.067) with nine doubles, a triple and eight home runs. He ended the season strong too. He had nine hits over his final four games including four home runs and 11 RBI. He ended the season with 86 RBI which led the Midwest League. The first baseman had 17 errors at first base during the season. So what do you think of Part 1, Prospects 41-50? Next up will be prospects 31-40. Click here to view the article

Which is why the criticism is so annoying. People have seemingly forgotten how great he was as a player, as a catcher, before the injuries started piling up and his body kind of failed him.

It’s been a really long season for the Minnesota Twins and their fans. Way back in mid-February, as spring training was getting underway in Ft. Myers, Nick wrote an article called Dreaming of 200 Home Runs. In the article, Nick wrote, “For this year’s club it is an unlikely yet not unfeasible possibility.” The Twins have six games remaining; three in Kansas City and three in Chicago against the White Sox. They are currently sitting at 193 home runs. If they hit seven home runs over those final six games, it will be the first time the Twins have hit 200 home runs since 1964. When the Twins hit their 196th home run of 2016, it will match the number hit by the 1986 and 1987 Twins. While we believed coming into this season that the Twins had a chance to be a powerful, home-run hitting team, the fact that they will likely finish with the third-most home runs in Twins history is very impressive.In 1964, six players accounted for 181 of their 221 home runs (82%). That team had six players with 20 or more home runs. Harmon Killebrew led the way with his record 49 home runs (which he did again in 1969). Bob Allison and Tony Oliva each had 32 home runs. Jimmie Hall hit 25 homers. Don Mincher hit 23. Zoilo Versalles hit 20 home runs. Two others, Earl Battey and Rich Rollins, added 12 homers each. Those eight players in double-digits accounted for 93% of that team’s home runs. The 2016 team has nine players with double-digit home runs. It’s certainly been fun following Brian Dozier through his 42 home runs, most of which have come in the season’s second half. Miguel Sano has 24 homers. Max Kepler is third on the list with 17 homers. Trevor Plouffe, Byungho Park and Eduardo Nunez each hit 12 homers (and we know none of them will hit more for the Twins this season). Joe Mauer and Robbie Grossman have each hit 11 home runs. Eddie Rosario joined the double-figure homer club with his 10th homer shortly before his season came to an end. Those nine players in double-digits have accounted for 78% of the team’s homers. This is the second time in the team’s history that nine players have reached 10 or more home runs. The other time came in 2004. That year Corey Koskie, Jacque Jones and Torii Hunter all had 23 to 25 home runs. Justin Morneau, Lew Ford, Michael Cuddyer, Shannon Stewart, Henry Blanco and Luis Rivas all had between 10 and 19 homers that year. As interesting, Matthew Lecroy ended the season with nine homers, and Cristian Guzman added eight home runs. As the Twins have six games left in the 2016 season, there are three players sitting at eight homers on the season. Kurt Suzuki, Kennys Vargas and Byron Buxton need two more home runs to join the double-digit dinger club. The Twins have shown some prodigious power in 2016 and hit 193 home runs through their first 156 games. While there are many reasons for the Twins second 100-loss season, the fact that Twins pitchers have allowed 218 home runs so far certainly doesn’t help. Dozier’s Final Week Brian Dozier still has plenty to play for over the final six games. Last week, he hit his 42nd home runs of the season. 40 of those homers have come as a second baseman which set the American League record for home runs by a second baseman in MLB history. If he can hit two more homers this season he will tie Davey Johnson (Atlanta 1973) and Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis 1922) for the Major League record. You’ve seen or read that statistic. However, he’s also approaching another Twins record that I think is just as impressive. To go with his 42 home runs, Dozier has 35 doubles and five triples. That’s 82 extra base hits which is two behind the current Twins record. In 1964, Tony Oliva was a 25-year-old rookie. He won the batting title, the Rookie of the Year award and was an All Star. He hit .323 with 43 doubles, nine triples and 32 home runs. That’s 84 extra base hits which has been the team’s record for 52 years. With three more extra base hits, Dozier would break that Twins record. Dozier went past 100 runs scored for the third straight year. Only Chuck Knoblauch has done that in Twins history. He is sitting at 99 RBI. With one more RBI, he becomes the third Twins player this century to have 100 runs scored and 100 RBI. In 2001, Corey Koskie had 100 runs scored with 103 RBI. In 2006, Michael Cuddyer scored 102 runs and drove in 109 runs. Dozier’s season OPS is sitting at .905. Looking back through the 26 seasons since the 1991 season, Dozier should finish with a Top 10 season (by OPS). Here are the Top 25 Twins seasons in the last 25 years by OPS. If Dozier can keep his OPS above .900, he’ll be just the 7th Twins player in that time period to do so. 1 - Joe Mauer - 2009 - 1.031 2 - Chuck Knoblauch - 1996 - .965 3 - Joe Mauer - 2006 - .936 4 - Justin Morneau - 2004 - .934 5 - Chuck Knoblauch - 1995 - .965 6 - Jason Kubel - 2009 - .907 7 - Brian Dozier - 2016 - .905 8 - Kirby Puckett - 1995 - .894 9 - Chili Davis - 1991 - .892 10 - Josh Willingham - 2012 - .890 11 - Joe Mauer - 2013 - .880 12 - Justin Morneau - 2012 - .878 13 - Justin Morneau - 2008 - .873 14 - Joe Mauer - 2010 - .871 15 - Michael Cuddyer - 2006 - .867 16 - Matt Lawton - 2000 - .865 17 - Joe Mauer - 2008 - .864 Matt Lawton - 1998 - .864 Kirby Puckett - 1992 - .864 20 - Michael Cuddyer - 2009 - .862 21 - Joe Mauer - 2012 - .861 22 - Shane Mack - 1992 - .860 23 - Torii Hunter - 2002 - .859 24 - Paul Molitor - 1996 - .858 25 - Jacque Jones - 2002 - .852 Six games to go. Still plenty of reasons to watch and several milestones still up for grabs. Click here to view the article

Rogers wasn't a lock going into 2016, though he was up within a week. I'm not sure Baxendale will even be put on the 40-man roster, but if he was, he'll certainly have a chance.

The Twins drafted 42 players in the June draft this year. A total of 1,216 players were selected in the 40 rounds of this year's draft. Brady Anderson, a right-handed pitcher from Florida Gulf Coast University, did not hear his name called. Needing a few arms to fill the GCL roster, the Twins called on Anderson. Anderson answered the call and pitched great throughout the rest of the summer. He started with the GCL Twins. In 27.2 innings, he went 2-0 with a 0.98 ERA, a .072 WHIP and a 25/2 K/BB rate. When the Cedar Rapids Kernels needed a starter, they had Anderson skip Elizabethton and jump right to the Midwest League. He continued to pitch well, going 3-1 wit ha 2.62 ERA in six starts. He also made a start for the Kernels in the playoffs. Recently, we caught up with the right-hander to learn a little more about him.Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Southwest Florida, who was your favorite team to follow? Who were some of your favorite players? Brady Anderson (BA): My favorite team was the Cardinals. My dad and mom are both from the Iowa-Illinois area, and my dad was a Cardinals fan and my mom a Cubs fan. I chose the Cardinals to root for. SS: Did you spend much time going to spring training practices and games growing up? BA: I went to spring training games when I was younger but haven't gone to any in a long time. I usually just went to regular season games. SS: What were some of the better memories of your high school baseball career? Did you play other sports or were you involved in other activities? BA: My greatest memories of high school baseball were just playing it with my friends. We never accomplished anything special, but all of my friends and brother played and it was just good to be around them all the time. I tried playing golf as well, but I was really bad at it. SS: What was the recruitment process like for you out of high school, and what was it about Florida Gulf Coast that made you want to go there? BA: I just loved the environment of FGCU. They started following me pretty early, and I loved the place whenever I visited. I decided pretty early on that I wanted to stay in Florida and attend a smaller D1 program that always had a good team, At the time of my commitment, they had won three straight conference titles. SS: Did you have the chance to speak with many scouts before the draft? Was there any thought that you might be drafted? What was your interaction with Twins scouts? BA: I didn't speak to anyone before or during the draft. The first time I heard from the Twins was the Monday after the draft when they called and said they needed another pitcher in the GCL and was wondering if I was interested. SS: What has the adjustment like for you, from the amateur/college game to the professional game, both on and off the field? BA: There actually wasn't much of a transition. Of course, it's a little different, but I spent three summers up in Willmar, Minnesota, playing for the Stingers in the Northwoods League. It was the same as it is here; play every day, long bus rides and late nights. The same off the field. I lived at a dorm on campus at FGCU and then lived at one during the GCL. When I was up in Cedar Rapids, I had a tremendous host family just like when I spent my three summers in Willmar. Of course, there are minor differences, but nothing major, or I really think my college days prepared me well. SS: You dominated the GCL, and have moved up to Cedar Rapids. To what do you attribute the instant success to? BA: I want to attribute my success to just working at it. I've spent my whole life trying to make it to this point, and now that I'm here, I just want to prove myself worthy every time I go out on the field. It definitely helped going to college and being able to fine-tune myself both on the mound and mentally as well. SS: What has the transition to Cedar Rapids and the Midwest League been like? You had a lot of success. BA: The transition to Cedar Rapids was an exciting one. I never really expected it, and it kind of caught me off guard. But I enjoyed the league and everything that it encompassed (town, host family, teammates, coaches, staff). I won't lie though, at first it was a little strange going from waking up early, game at noon, done by 4:00 day in the GCL, compared to the 6:30 game and done at 11. Took a few days to get that transition down, otherwise everything else went pretty smoothly. SS: What has the atmosphere been like around the Kernels, knowing that the playoffs were in reach. . BA: The atmosphere was exciting. It was cool to make the playoffs in my first professional season. You could tell that everyone wanted it, and people believed that we had a team capable of doing some damage in the playoffs. It was a fun atmosphere to be around and play in. SS: At this very early stage in your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths? BA: I would say my strengths are always wanting to improve myself in any way possible. I would also say my ability to adapt to different roles and my mental game. I would say, above all else, the mental game has helped me the most this first year. SS: What are the areas of your game that you would like to spend time working to improve in the offseason and going forward? BA: There really isn't just one or two areas that I want to work on. I want to try to get better in every aspect of my game. Everything can be improved in some way or fashion, and I want to try and improve it all. SS: Will you be going back to school in the offseason? What was your major in school? BA: I have actually been taking an online class ever since the middle of August. I actually already graduated with a degree in Accounting, and I'm currently pursuing my MBA. I have five classes left, and then I am done with it. SS: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career? BA: I would definitely say my family. Not only did they allow me to play by taking me to places and paying for stuff, but they were out there every day with me practicing and helping me get better. Apart from them, I would say just about every coach I have ever had from travel ball to high school to college. I feel like I've taken a bit from each person that I've associated with over the years. I can't thank them all enough for what they have done for me. SS: Favorite baseball movie? BA: For the Love of the Game, The Natural is good as well. Thank you to Brady Anderson for taking time to thoughtfully respond to these questions. Congratulations on a terrific professional debut! Feel free to discuss below. Click here to view the article