Seth Stohs

The last two weeks we have been counting down our choices for the Top 20 Minnesota Twins Prospects. We have now reached the top two, and each of those players has the chance to be very special major league players. The Twins drafted a young, skinny right hander named Jose Orlando Berrios with the 32nd overall pick in the 2012 draft. In doing so, he became the highest-drafted pitcher from Puerto Rico, a status he continues to hold. He has been the Twins minor league pitcher of the year in 2014and 2015. He is clearly the best pitching prospect the Twins have had since Francisco Liriano.Age: 21 (DOB: 5/27/94) 2015 Stats (AA/AAA): 166.1 IP, 14-5, 2.87 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 175/38 K/BB ETA: 2016 2014 Ranking:6; 2015 Ranking: 3 National Top 100 Rankings: BA: 28 | MLB: 19 | BP: 17 What's To Like I mean, how much space do I have for this section? I’ll try to keep the superlatives short and to the point. JO Berrios is good at a lot of things, so let’s get to it. What are the things that we want to see in a pitcher? For me stuff, makeup, work ethic, control and ability to miss bats are things that are important to determining what kind of potential a pitcher can have. Let’s look at those things. JO Berrios has the kind of stuff that can make him a top-of-the-rotation possibility. Want velocity? While Berrios generally sits 92-95 with the fastball he has touched 97. When he keeps it down, he can get a lot of movement on it. He has one of the more sharp-breaking curve balls that can be a swing-and-miss pitch. Finally, when it’s on, there are times when Berrios’s best pitch is his change-up. Three above average pitches that move. That’s impressive. How is his control? Well, in his career, he has walked just 2.5 per nine innings. More important, in 2015 he walked just 2.1 per nine, and those were at the highest levels of the minor leagues. It’s been quite some time since the Twins have had a starting pitcher who can miss bats and get strikeouts. Though we will find out if it translates to the big leagues, Berrios has shown the ability to do both in the minor leagues. Again, his career strikeout rate is 9.5 per nine innings. Again, he’s been even better as he’s moved up. In 2015, again, at the highest minor league levels, he averaged 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings. Finally, he is a very confident young man with big goals and great talent, and yet, he has found a way to remain humble. When it comes to work ethic, Berrios has it in spades. We have all seen his workout videos posted on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter very frequently. And, of course, we all started liking Berrios the night that the Twins drafted him: What's Left To Work On This section will be much shorter, and the scouts big concern about Berrios is his height. At 6-0, many scouts will say that his pitches, particularly up in the zone, will have a flatter plane. In theory, that could make it more hittable, and make him a candidate to give up some home runs. To be fair, he has not given up very many in the minor leagues. He’s probably been able to get away with some high fastballs in the minor leagues that he won’t be able to get away with in the big leagues. I wouldn’t call it a concern, but it certainly is something that warrants observing. Earlier in the week, Berrios was throwing live batting practice to Miguel Sano. From various reports, within two or three pitches, Torii Hunter found that Berrios was tipping his pitches. It’s easily correctable, by just not doing what he was doing, so probably not a large concern. While he is just 6-0 and 185 pounds, he is very strong, and to this point has been durable. Some may be concerned about innings catching up with him and durability. To this point there has been no issue. What's Next JO Berrios will pitch for the Twins in 2016. It’s going to happen. In fact, he could be considered, along with Byung Ho Park and Byron Buxton (and maybe Max Kepler) a front-runner for AL Rookie of the Year. The big question is not if he will be called up. It is just when, and there is room for a few opinions on that. Though Berrios, and most Twins fans and probably Twins players and coaches, wanted him to make his big league debut in 2015 the Twins chose to end his season at AAA with over 166 innings pitched. The Twins have some decisions to make this spring. Talent-wise, he is likely one of the five best pitchers in the organization and should be in the rotation. However, there are several factors which make it likely that he will begin the season in AAA. The first is that the team has seven competent big league starters who will likely get the first shot. While the Twins typically have not played the service time issue at the beginning of the season, there are reasons that it may make sense. There are really three timelines for the Twins to call up Berrios: Opening Day - It isn’t hard to envision Berrios being one of the best pitchers during spring and earning an opening day roster spot. Again with the Twins, that matters and if they think he’s ready, he’ll be up.13 days into the season - We have called it the Kris Bryant rule. If the Twins wait 13 days to call up Berrios, they will get an extra year before he can become a free agent. Specifically, if the Twins have him make two starts in AAA before they call him up in 2016, they can get 32-33 starts from him in 2022, his age 28 season. Maybe the system will change, but that’s a trade-off I would make 100 out of 100 times. Yes, he would get four years of arbitration (assuming he stays up), but he would not become a free agent for an extra year.Early June - if you want to stay away from his likelihood of being a Super-2 and getting four years of arbitration, they can wait until sometime around the first week of June when that deadline typically is. Not a bad strategy if the Twins are getting strong starts from their Opening Day starters, but if he’s pitching as well as we would expect, two months is just two long to wait.So you decide. What would you do? What will the Twins do? What should the Twins do? Be sure to check back tomorrow when we unveil our choice for Minnesota Twins Top Prospect. TD Top Prospect #10: Nick Burdi TD Top Prospect #9: Kohl Stewart TD Top Prospect #8: Alex Meyer TD Top Prospect #7: Jorge Polanco TD Top Prospect #6: Stephen Gonsalves TD Top Prospect #5: Tyler Jay TD Top Prospect #4: Nick Gordon Click here to view the article

OK, it's the 8th thing mentioned, and again, when asked about Gordon, it's impossible not to at least mention. It's not a negative and it would be naive to think there are no advantaged to having a dad and a brother who have been there. But, I would pay much more attention to the "ability to play SS," "He's offensive," "really good swing" "stay at shortstop" "great work ethic" "great kid" first...

I'm sorry, people, but it's impossible to write up a profile about Nick Gordon without mentioning his family. It doesn't mean that he isn't a prospect in his own right. The Twins wouldn't have taken him with the 5th overall pick just because of his bloodlines. But it is the reality. How much does it help Nick? On the field, probably none. Off the field, probably a little bit. Just because he's got bloodlines doesn't mean that he isn't going to goo through everything that most high school draftees go though. He's just pushed a level (or two) higher than most his age.

I'll agree with Jeremy's opinion that although both of these could make some sense in the right scenario, neither makes sense to do at this point. If the Twins let Suzuki go, he could probably be signed after the season as a free agent for less than $2 million if they really want to. With Dozier, I'm agreement with others. Last year, it would have made some sense to add a year or so, but now they've got a good deal. No need to add to it three years too early.

The Twins have been very, very clear that they want Byron Buxton to be the starting CF from opening day. They've said that many, many times. I think as long as he doesn't look completely lost at the plate this spring, he'll be the guy there.

Just spit-balling here and doing this quickly, but the comp of the SS is interesting to me. So, I want to try considering their current and future tools in chart form. Current/Future: ==========Hit (avg)....Hit (power)...Plate Approach Gordon-------------3/1............ 2/1.................1/1 Polanco------------2/2.............1/2.................1/2 Vielma--------------4/4.............4/4.................2/3 Palacios------------1/3.............3/3.................4/4 Current/Future: ==========Defense.........Arm...........Speed Gordon-------------2/2...............1/1...............1/2 Polanco------------3/3.............. 4/4...............3/3 Vielma--------------1/1...............2/2................2/1 Palacios------------4/4...............3/3................4/4 A little less variability in the second grouping. I switched Gordon and Vielma because I think Gordon will get a little bigger. I don't think he'll get any slower, but Vielma's going to be a little quicker. Projection is obviously difficult, and some of this is obviously guessing, but it's based on seeing them, etc. But maybe a chart like this better illustrates my thoughts/comps on the four of these guys. It's difficult to do because they're all young for their level, but they're all at different stages of their career and at different levels.

Agree with those who say that Genetics plays zero part. Like I wrote, it guarantees nothing, but genetics matter. Opportunity matters. Now he's got to go out and make his own name. As others have mentioned... if he's projected to be a MLB shortstop who can be at least an average hitter, that is hugely valuable... Be sure to check out Cody's Floor-To-Ceiling article too, but I think he could easily be compared to Barry Larkin. Obviously Larkin was still at Michigan when he was Gordon's age, but Larkin was solid across the board. Solid MLB shortstop defensively and solid across the board offensively without any elite tools. Obviously putting the ceiling comp at a Hall of Famer isn't fair to anyone. Just saying I see a lot of similarities. As people like to point out, as a guy with zero games above Low A, his floor could be a High-A utility guy. But, I think there are enough tools, talents, and mental makeup to think he can be at least an MLB infielder.

I guess if we need to try to find a positive in those 90-loss seasons, it could be that the Twins had a top five pick three years in a row. With each of those three picks, the Minnesota Twins chose a high school player in the June draft. In 2014, the Twins selected Orlando prep shortstop Nick Gordon with the fifth pick. Blessed with terrific tools, Gordon has had a solid - though unspectacular - start to his professional career. Reports on his potential remain high.Last week, we posted a Q&A with pitching prospect Dereck Rodriguez. In it, he talked about growing up and spending a lot of time in a big league clubhouse. The same is true for Nick Gordon. His father, Tom (Flash) Gordon, spent 22 seasons in the big leagues. His brother, Dee Gordon, is an all-star with the Miami Marlins. Of course, having big league bloodlines is nice, but it certainly doesn’t guarantee any future big league success. That will be up to Nick himself and his development. There are a lot of reasons for optimism. Age: 20 (DOB: 10/24/95) 2015 Stats (Low-A): .277/.336/.360 (.696) with 23 doubles, seven triples, one homer ETA: 2018 2015 Ranking: 6 National Top 100 Rankings: BA: 53 | MLB: 91 | BP: 62 What's To Like Let’s get the bloodlines out of the way. While it’s clear that simply being the son and/or brother of a big leaguer guarantees absolutely nothing, it can’t and shouldn’t be ignored in the scouting world. Genetics play a part. However, arguably the most important benefit of having a big league dad and/or brother is that the player has someone to talk to who has likely experienced everything. In Gordon’s case, he has a calm, a poise and a confidence about him. He likely won’t be overwhelmed by the stage or various situations. With a 20-year-old, it’s much more about the tools than the numbers. At 6-0 and 175 pounds, Gordon continues to gain strength. While he won’t be a 25-30 home run hitter, he could hit 12-15 a season in time. Gordon has a good approach at the plate, willing to take a lot of pitches. He also has one of those left-handed swings that reminds us that left-handers have some sweet swings. He uses the whole field. He isn’t as fast as his brother, but he has very good speed and runs the bases well. His overall numbers were solid considering his age in the Midwest League. He began the season by hitting .417/.481/.583 (1.065) in the first six games. He proceeded to go through a five week slump. In those 30 games, he hit just .185/.233/.203 (.434). However, of the final 84 games of the Kernels season, he hit .299/.361/.399 (.760). What does that show? He had the wherewithal to overcome his struggles. He made some adjustments to the league and put together some very solid numbers over the final three-and-a-half months of the season. Most believe that Gordon has the defensive abilities to stay at shortstop. He has had .964 and .966 fielding percentages in his first two professional seasons. In other words he makes the routine plays. However, he has very good range and a very strong arm. He can make the plays deep in the hole or right up the middle and has the arm to make all of the throws. People also talked about the leadership that he is able to provide the defense, not only the infielders but the outfielders as well. Despite being significantly younger than the competition and his teammates, he was touted for his leadership and for being a really good teammate. What's Left To Work On As a 20-year-old in Class A, I could use the blanket statement that he still needs to work on everything. That is equal parts cliche and accurate. Gordon is not a finished project. He needs time and he needs plate appearances. Pending health, he is going to get those opportunities. He will bat in the top two or three spots in his lineup all the time, playing almost every day. First and foremost, Gordon needs to get bigger and stronger. He had 23 doubles and seven triples, but he has had just one home run in each of his two seasons. The belief is that as he matures and gains weight and strength, he will add more power, including some home run power. His walk rate increased from just 4.3% at Elizabethon in 2014 to 7.3% in Cedar Rapids in 2015. That is a number that would ideally continue to increase and get close to the 10% range. Against right-handers Gordon hit .280/.339/.380 (.719) with 28 of his 31 extra base hits. Against left-handers, he hit just .264/.325/.291 (.616). While his batting average and on-base percentage were fairly similar, he just didn’t make as much solid contact against southpaws. What's Next A solid 19-year-old season in the Midwest League, especially with such a strong finish to his season, indicates that Gordon will start the 2016 season in the Florida State League with the Miracle. It will be most important to see how his walk rate and strikeout rate look after the 2016 season. The FSL is a tough league for hitters, especially for home runs. So, don’t expect his home run power to show up in 2016. Do expect him to spend the entire season with the Miracle. Defensively, with calling the Hammond Stadium infield home, he should put up some very good numbers. Be sure to check back tomorrow when we unveil our choice for Twins Prospect #3. TD Top Prospect #10: Nick Burdi TD Top Prospect #9: Kohl Stewart TD Top Prospect #8: Alex Meyer TD Top Prospect #7: Jorge Polanco TD Top Prospect #6: Stephen Gonsalves TD Top Prospect #5: Tyler Jay TD Top Prospect #4: Nick Gordon TD Top Prospects #3-#1: Check Back! Click here to view the article

According to the Twins Prospect Handbook, had Polanco not not spent time in the DSL before joining the GCL in 2010, he could have had a fourth option. So, he's got just 2016 remaining.

Completely agree. Very well said.

Polanco is out of options after the 2016 season, so they have to make a decision on him by the start of next season... they'll need to make a decision on Plouffe in July and at the end of the year and, and... Vielma will be at AA, and Gordon at High-A... So, it will be very interesting to see how it plays out.

Depth is good. Plus, he's only played in 22 AAA games, so it isn't hurting him to spend time there. There are sometimes injuries and other things. He'll get more opportunities.

Agreed... a late-inning reliever with 3 strong pitches should be incredible... No harm in trying it! If he can go: FB at 97-100, SL at 88-91, and split-finger at 82-84... just work!

Right or wrong, I don't think anyone really does. Fans, writers, the organization, or even Meyer himself. I prefer to think that he'll come to spring training with regained confidence.

While I 1.) agree with you (Nick) at the beginning of the offseason that Thornton would be a nice pickup for the Twins on a one-year deal, it's important to know that 2.) none of the 30 teams have been willing to sign him to an MLB deal this year. I feel like there must be something that we don't know. He certainly doesn't throw as hard anymore, and that was obviously his calling card in his dominant days. To me, the fact that he isn't signed if a pretty big red flag. Also, I'll continue to say that Sano 'can' be a solid MLB 3B, just not as good as Plouffe.

A couple of reports from people I talked to while researching for the Prospect Handbook told me that he occasionally was in the upper 90s during the season, but his mechanics (which were never real good) got really, really out of whack and because of it, his release point was lower, but also his velocity some days didn't top 93. He was all over the board velocity-wise. That can be a good thing when a pitcher knows that's what he's doing. I believe in Meyer. I thought the decision to not bring him up in September was good. For him, ending the 2015 season, getting away from it, getting married, and almost starting over was exactly what he needed. The talent is clear. The ability to be very good is still there. Brad Steil told me at Twins Fest that he's going to big league camp for a starting job, but he's not willing to say he won't be a starter. He called it a bad year for Meyer and that he's not going to forget that he was one of the best pitchers in the International League in 2014.

Fastball, curveball, cutter and change.

Dereck Rodriguez lived a childhood that many of us would dream of. His father is future Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez, so Dereck had the opportunity to hang out in big league clubhouses. However, Rodriguez is his own player and has already switched positions since the Twins drafted him as a potential five-tool outfielder in the 6th round of the 2011 draft. After three seasons as an outfielder, the organization moved him to the mound. Last year, he was named the Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year.Rodriguez will most likely start the 2016 season in Cedar Rapids with a chance to move up to Ft. Myers. Recently, Rodriguez took time out of his schedule to answer several questions for Twins Daily’s readers. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Seth Stohs (SS): Born in Texas, grew up between Florida and Puerto Rico, is it pretty safe to say that at various times growing up you were a Rangers, Marlins, Tigers or Nationals fan growing up… and we can probably guess who your favorite player was? Dereck Rodriguez (DR): Oh yeah. Growing up, I was a big Rangers fan. Even today, I still follow them a lot and enjoy watching their games. A lot of people think my dad was my favorite player growing up, but growing up, I just saw him as my dad, you know. My favorite player has and will always be Derek Jeter. I liked the way he played the game and how he was on and off the field (SS): Did you spend a lot of time in the clubhouse with your dad, and if so, what are a couple of your favorite memories? (DR): I spent most of my childhood in the clubhouse. It was a lot of fun just making friends with the other kids running around in the clubhouse and during BP. And of course meeting all the baseball players, current Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers. (SS): Let’s go back to your high school days. Did you play other sports, or were you involved in other activities? (DR): In high school, I was strictly baseball. I mean, I liked basketball and other sports, but I was always playing baseball. (SS): What were some of the highlights of your high school career? (DR): Some of my highlights were hitting my home runs and the good defense I used to play in the outfield. And my senior year, of course, throwing a couple innings. So that was fun. (SS): How old were you when you first started to see MLB scouts? Did the Twins and their scouts talk to you much leading up to the draft? (DR): I was about 16 or 17 when scouts used to go see me already, going into my junior year, and throughout the rest of my high school career. And to be honest the Twins spoke to me one time before the draft, and they were the ones that picked me. (SS): What were some of the bigger transitions for you adjusting to minor league baseball? (DR): The biggest adjustment was being away from home and being on your own at such an early age. And the competition was different, a lot harder. It's like they would tell the new guys in mini camp right after you get drafted "when you were in high school or college, you were the big fish in a little pond, but now you're a small fish in a big pond" and it's true. (SS): We know that you began your career as an outfielder. Was that your preferred position, and at what point did you realize that pitching was best for you and your career? (DR): Yeah, that was my preferred position. I loved playing the outfield. I love playing defense and running down baseballs, making good throws, and throwing runners out. The Twins were the ones that thought it was a good idea for me to get on the mound and see what I've got. And me being the player I am, as long as I have a uniform on, wherever on the field it is, I'm happy. (SS): Describe the type of pitcher that you are? When you are pitching well, as you did in Elizabethton in 2015, what makes you successful? (DR): I feel like I'm a power pitcher. What makes me successful is I still have the mentality of a hitter. I know how hard hitting is. So I know when hitters are looking for one thing or another. (SS): What are those things that you feel you needed to spend the offseason working on? What will be the keys to you taking the “next step?” (DR): I need to work more on my fastball command a little bit more, and on my secondary pitches. That's what I feel will help me make that jump to hopefully being the 1-2 guy in the rotation and eventually being in the big leagues. (SS): What was it like pitching in the Puerto Rico Winter League? (DR): Winter ball is always a great experience. You learn so much from the veteran guys that have been playing baseball for a long time. Playing in that environment helps you become a stronger player mentally and physically (SS): When you get away from baseball, what do you enjoy doing? (DR): I just like hanging out with my friends and family. I don't get to spend much time with them because I'm always playing baseball. So I'm really only home for about 1 or 2 months out of the whole year. So I just spend time with them. (SS): What are your goals for the 2016 season? Are there certain numbers/stats you’d like to focus on? (DR): My goals are simple. If I can go out there every start that I have and compete the hardest I can every time I step on the mound, I'm happy. (SS): Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career? (DR): My family. 100% They have been there since day one and they're going to be there always. But the one that has always been there for me ever since I can remember was my Mom. When my dad was playing, she was the one that would take me to the tournaments and drive me 2-3 hours so I can play a game and drive back the same day. So she's my number one fan. (SS): What would it mean to you and your family to put on the Minnesota Twins uniform and pitch in a regular season game in the big leagues? (DR): I mean, that's what I've been working for ever since I was three years old when I first started playing baseball. That day, I don't even know how I'm going to tell my family I got called up, and that I'm flying them out. That's probably going to one of the happiest days of my life because it's not just for me, but for my mom. It's going to be super special knowing that all the trips and all the sacrifices she did paid off. -------------------------------------------------- Rodriguez will report to Twins minor league camp in mid-March. We certainly wish him well during the season. We would like to thank him for taking time to respond to our questions. Feel free to ask questions in the comments below. Click here to view the article

Yup, at some point he'll have to do that. At some point the tools need to turn into skills. The signs are there that it can happen. He'll need to be more consistent with his mechanics, but he's still very young and has still put up solid overall numbers despite the low K rate.

My guess is that most won't view that as a success, but it really probably would be compared to most #4 overall picks in the history of the draft.

Yeah, I think that would be ideal. These guys all have the talent, but of course none of them have done it yet. Some quality. Quantity. Guys people believe can stick. Guys that can hit a little. I mean, hopefully at least 1-2 of them get all the way and produce in the big leagues.

He has a couple of check ups in Houston every year, so they're on top of it.