Seth Stohs

We know Molitor really likes the potential and the tools of Danny Santana. Since Santana is out of options, we know that - unless he's traded - he'll be on the roster. I think his ability to play adequately at SS, 2B and CF, he can prove valuable as a guy who gets 250 at bats, and if there's an injury, you don't mind him playing most everyday for 2 weeks if needed. I'd have him come spring training and have him take grounders at all three infield spots and all three outfield spots.

Luis Arraez was in Part 1 (I think)... something in the 40s. The other two weren't top international guys, so we didn't include them. As I've mentioned, I typically haven't included players until they've played at least at the GCL level. Arias and Ynoa haven't. Both probably will next year, along with Javier. We (Jeremy, Cody and I) decided that due to Javier's international status and signing bonus, we would include him.

I actually agree with you Mike... I didn't get the Jay pick, but I'm also always happy to be wrong when I think like that. I don't know how his transition to full-time starter will go. No one does. We can all project, but we don't know. I think he's got the pitch mix to do it, but you never know. Garza was picked like 27th overall and was always a starter. Gibson would have been up within two years of being drafted if not for the Tommy John surgery. He was taken something like 21st. Wimmers was taken 22nd and he has fought injuries and such. I loved the idea of the Twins taken Kevin Gausman in 2012. Still like his potential. He got to the big leagues really fast, but it hasn't taken yet. What if they would have been more patient? I don't get so down on these things and I don't worry about how fast they get there because 1.) I can't control that, and 2.) I don't know what's best for them... I think Jay could be up next year if he's in the bullpen. If it's as a starter, I think it's in 2017 or 2018.

He's already well more than that... He''s not skin and bones. He's got plenty of room to grow, but he's not 160 anymore either. He's strong. I think if he can get to that 180-190 range, that would be great.

I would think that my top four should all be top 100s. Jay and Polanco are probably likely close.

I think Kepler will get a real chance for that to happen. However, he's 23, needs to play every day, so they won't and shouldn't call him up to platoon or play part time. For him to make it, he'll have to be the starter.

We’ve been counting down the Top 50 Minnesota Twins Prospects (at least my preliminary version of it) over the last two weeks. Finally, we are to the Top 5. These names are all familiar, probably no surprises. You already know a lot about them, but let’s get to it. Here are the top five Twins prospects. As always, please feel free to discuss these prospects in the comments below. Also, it’s time for you to come up with your top prospect list. Create a Blog here at Twins Daily and post your thoughts. Or, share your rankings in this forum.Previous installments of this prospect ranking: Part 1 (41-50)Part 2 (31-40)Part 3 (26-30)Part 4 (21-25)Part 5 (16-20)Part 6 (11-15)Part 7 (6-10)As a quick reminder, players eligible to be on this list include players who remain eligible for Rookie of the Year voting in 2016. 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 2016 - which Cody Christie, Jeremy Nygaard and I are working on - I’ll provide my final Top 30 prospects list.) Top Prospects 1-5 #5 – Tyler Jay - 16 – LHP – Ft. Myers Miracle The Twins had the sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft. After selecting high school players with their first pick the previous three years, they went with a college pitcher. Tyler Jay was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year in 2015, his third season at the University of Illinois. He became the fourth pitcher in the Twins organization to have won that award (Glen Perkins 2004, Alex Wimmers 2010, Aaron Slegers 2013). Jay pitched primarily out of the bullpen, though he usually pitched several innings at a time. He will get an opportunity to start with the Twins, likely starting in Ft. Myers. That’s where he began his professional career after signing for just shy of $3.9 million. Overall, he went 0-1 with a 3.93 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP in 19 games. In 18.1 innings, he walked eight and struck out 22. But a closer look at the numbers is important too. In his first seven games, opponents hit .344 off and he posted an 8.10 ERA. Over his final 12 outings of the year, he posted a 1.54 ERA and opponents hit just .171. According to Jeremy Nygaard’s terrific 2015 Twins Draft Book, Jay has a fastball that sits 92 to 95 mph but can touch 98 at times. He has a mid-80s change-up, a low-80s slider and a high-70s curve ball. That pitch mix is certainly a big part of why many believe that he can make the transition to starter. As a starter, the Twins will be wise to be a little more patient. If he were to move to the bullpen, he could move quickly. Previous Top 30 Rankings: N/A #4 – Nick Gordon - 20 – SS – Cedar Rapids Kernels Gordon was the Twins first pick in 2014, the fifth overall pick, out of Olympia High School in Orlando, Florida. The son of former All-Star Tom Gordon and the brother of current All-Star and NL batting champ Dee Gordon, Nick has incredible genes and incredible tools. He’s not as fast as Dee, but he has well above average speed. He has a smooth, line-drive, gap-to-gap swing that gets through the batting zone very quickly. He should hit for average, but as he continues to grow and gain strength, he could develop into a 12-18 home run-a-year guy. Defensively, he is very solid. In over 1,055 innings in 2015 for Cedar Rapids, he posted a .966 fielding percentage. He has good range and a very strong arm. The sixth tool, plate discipline and approach, has also become something people discuss. Gordon is good and will continue to improve in that aspect. He walked in just over 7%, but he takes very good at-bats. Overall, he hit .277/.336/.360 (.696). Very solid numbers for a 19-year-old in the Midwest League. It is more impressive than it looks because he had a rough stretch early in the season. After hitting .318 over the team’s first 11 games, he hit .182/.243/.202 (.445) over his next 25 games. Over his final 99 games, he hit .299/.361/.399 (.760) with 21 doubles, five triples and a home run. On the year, Gordon stole 25 bases. He is a terrific athlete with all the tools and a very high baseball IQ. He has a chance to be the Twins shortstop for many years, but it is going to take a few years for him to get there. Be patient. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (4) #3 – Max Kepler - 23 – OF/1B – Chattanooga Lookouts/Minnesota Twins 2015 was an important season for Kepler. Not that the organization has not been plenty patient with him, but he began to show that some of those incredible tools would become skills. He responded with a season that earned him the Twins (and Twins Daily’s) Minor League Hitter of the Year. In 112 games with the Lookouts, he hit .322/.416/.531 (.947) with 32 doubles, 13 triples and nine home runs. Then he was named the Southern League’s Most Valuable Player. He added a couple of big home runs in the Lookouts championship run. Moments after that championship, Kepler learned he had been called up to the big leagues. He got just seven at-bats. On the final day of the season, he made his first start and got his first hit, a single to right off of Johnny Cueto. At 6-4 and 220 pounds, Kepler is very strong and has the potential to hit a lot of home runs. He combines that power with a lot of speed. He can play all three outfield positions, including center field, though he is more of a corner guy. He also is very good at first base. He has a pretty swing from the left-side and uses the whole field. His arm is a bit above average. On July 2, 2009, the Twins gave Kepler the highest signing bonus (at that time) to a European signee. He was 16 and came to the States. He finished high school quickly. He spent one season in the GCL and two in Elizabethton. Since then, it has been one level each year until this year in Chattanooga. Kepler is likely to spend a good chunk of the 2016 season in Rochester. However, with the adjustments he has made and the numbers he has put up, if the Twins have a need at 1B or in the outfield in 2016, don’t be surprised to see Kepler called up at any time. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (13), 2014 (9), 2013 (10), 2012 (18), 2011 (16), 2010 (29) #2 – JO Berrios – 21 – RHP – Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings The Twins had a supplemental first-round draft pick (32nd overall) in the 2012 draft thanks to losing free agent Michael Cuddyer. They used that pick on a skinny right-hander from Puerto Rico named Jose Berrios. He signed quickly. After posting a 1.08 ERA in 16.2 innings in the GCL, he moved up to Elizabethton and posted a 1.29 ERA in three starts, helping them to the Appy League title. In 30.2 combined innings, he walked four and struck out 49. The next spring, he pitched out of the bullpen for Puerto Rico in the WBC. He began his season late with Cedar Rapids. In 2014, he took a major leap forward statistically and in prospect rankings. He went 9-3 with a 1.97 ERA in 16 starts with the Miracle. He was promoted to New Britain and went 3-4 with a 3.54 ERA in eight starts. He also started for the World Team in the Futures Game at Target Field. He was named the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year by Twins Daily and the Twins named him their Minor League Pitcher of the Year. In 2015, he was even better. He went 8-3 with a 3.08 ERA in 15 starts. He was promoted to Rochester where he was 6-2 with a 2.62 ERA in 12 starts. He was named the starting pitcher for the second straight year in the Futures Game. He was again the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year and the Twins choice for Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Berrios’s stuff is well documented, and his work ethic certainly can’t be questioned. He has a fastball in the low-to-mid-90s. He has a very sharp curve ball. He also has a very good change-up. He has great poise and strong makeup. No question he was disappointed not to end his 2015 season with the Twins. It’s likely it will motivate him even more for 2016. He’s likely to start back at Rochester, but don’t be surprised if we see him in Minnesota before the All-Star break, possibly even by May. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (3), 2014 (7), 2013 (8) #1 – Byron Buxton – 22 – OF –Chattanooga Lookouts/Minnesota Twins/Rochester Red Wings Byron Buxton made his MLB debut in early June. It was clear that he wasn’t ready offensively as Doug Mientkiewicz said at that time. The 21-year-old struggled mightily with the bat in his big league debut. Even with a strong last few games, he hit just .209/.250/.326 in 46 games. He finished the season with 129 at-bats which means he will be eligible and a favorite for 2016 American League Rookie of the Year. After missing most of 2014 with a variety of injuries, 2015 was a very streaky year for baseball’s top prospect (or at least top two). Consider these streaks: First 12 Games: .180/.241/.300 (.541)Next 16 Games: .338/.395/.662 (1.056)Next 8 Games: .118/.143/.206 (.349) – includes a 3-hit game with a 2B & 3BNext 7 Games: .438/.486/.938 (1.423)Next 7 Games: .154/.290/.154 (.444)Next 8 Games: .467/.541/.567 (1.107)And that’s when he was called up to the big leagues. As we all know, a nemesis of his arrived. He injured his thumb after two weeks and missed about six weeks. He returned to play at Rochester where he hit in all 13 games he played. He hit .400/.441/.545 (.986) with three doubles, a triple and a home run. That’s the type of numbers he can put up in stints, though observers noted that he wasn’t exactly making solid contact during that stretch. However, Aaron Hicks went on the DL and Buxton was called back up. He struggled with the bat, but his defense is still very valuable to the team and specifically to the pitching staff. Buxton will remain the number one (again, possible #2) prospect in all of baseball going into the 2016 season. Some will look at his struggles in the big leagues and think he’s less of a prospect. Just no. He turns 22 in December. He has elite, world-class speed. He is elite defensively, and he has a plus-plus arm. Offensively, he is still projected to become a solid hitter for average, and as we saw late in the year, he has enough power to hit some long home runs. One was to deep left field, the other was just to the right field side of center field. He has good bat speed to generate that kind of power. He is patient at the plate, sometimes to a fault. The off-season will be interesting. Will Buxton begin the 2016 season manning center field for the Twins, or for the Red Wings? Either way, his future is very bright. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (1), 2014 (1), 2013 (2) So, what do you think of Part 8, the top five prospects? And how do you feel about the overall Top 50? Were there names missing? And again, please feel free to create a blog and post your Top 50 or leave one in this forum. Click here to view the article

True on both counts, though Kepler played well (arguably better than Rosario, who everyone got excited about) and no one said, he's ready. Walker isn't ready, but he is close. He's got a chance.

It's 8 games about about 30 plate appearances... we need to be pretty careful with the small samples. It's great that he's doing well. What would be better is if that walk rate can become sustainable.

I think it shows that it's a very important reminder that professional baseball players, particularly once you get to AA, can hit a 100 mph fastball... It's a great reminder that even those guys need a second pitch and control (and command) of them. Burdi, in my opinion, will be much better for it...

I think to say that Polanco has struggled at shortstop would be very fair. I've seen him play there, and I believe that he has the ability to be solid. He's got potentially slightly above average range, and we've seen David Eckstein and his arm win a World Series... So, I 100% think it's worth sticking with him at shortstop and the fact he's still just 22 says it's silly to give up on it. In fact, a lot of his errors came in small time periods. I think he had like 8 errors in his first 8 games with Rochester. He had a similar (Though not that bad) stretch at Chattanooga. Outside of those stints, he was probably fine. Like I said, I think he can become a decent MLB shortstop. I think the odds are just as good for him to be an MLB SS as it is for Santana. I think Polanco can be as good defensively as Escobar (which is solid, but not spectacular) and that's fine with me. But i also think it's fair to say that he has struggled.

I don't think that they're quite on the same path because Sano walks... but there are quite a few similarities.

Which is pretty typical of a 6-10. When 1-5 all have some (or to some level) question marks, and there are many #1 prospects in baseball history that don't make it, this is a decent group. Each of these 5 have legit question marks, to be sure. But each of them could have an impact in the big leagues with further development. I feel good about this group.

The FSL is known as a pitcher's league because of all the spring training, Major League sized stadiums. So I don't think assuming more strikeouts would happen, just more fly balls and stuff. I heard that batters still weren't making a lot of hard contact off of him.He's got a chance, but I dropped him at this point because of the lack of strikeouts.

Let me first say that the difference in rankings between 7 and maybe 13-14 is very minimal. I just think Walker's continued production as he continues to move up, each step getting more difficult, gives me hope that this is the type of player he can be. He can crush mistakes. Big league pitchers make less mistakes, but they still make some. He's going to strike out. My hope is that at some point, he can drop his K-rate to something like 33-35% He has one absolutely elite tool. I've seen him take really good plate appearances. I watched quite a few Chattanooga games online when they were available (not their home games, so many of their road games). I saw times where he took some really good sliders. And I saw times where he just couldn't lay off. I know how hard he works. I know how much guys like Doug Mientkiewicz and Chad Allen believe in him and have worked with him the last two years. Also, I know he's played parts of four MiLB seasons, but he just turned 24. He was very young for his college draft class. He's not an elite prospect, meaning he's not going to be up at 21 or 22 (obviously, right?). He's going to be more of a down-in-the-lineup, hit some home runs and be a solid contributor types, so if he debuts this season, at 24, that's not too bad. Or, if he waits another season and debuts at 25, that's not too bad either. Obviously he's got plenty of room for improvement. No doubt about that.

I think you're right... that's the difference between him and Gordon at least at this point, in my mind. I see Polanco as a 2B who can really hit well... and that's not a bad thing. Ranking 6th in the Twins organization is nothing to sneeze about. But, if I had any confidence he could play shortstop (and at 22, let's not completely dismiss that as possible), he'd be very highly regarded.

He's a guy who was right on the borderline of the top 50, and probably - frankly - should be in the high 30s or low 40s. He had a nice season in Ft. Myers.

My sense is... out on a limb... if they trade Plouffe, this Sano guy will be the 3B. Polanco hasn't played any 3B since the GCL. He struggles at SS. I think 3B would be more difficult.

Alright, we’ve been counting down my preliminary Top 50 Minnesota Twins prospects for the last couple of weeks. Over the next two days, you will find out who I have included in my personal Top 10 list. Despite the ‘graduations’ of Tyler Duffey, Trevor May, Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano, this group of ten remains quite impressive. As always, please feel free to discuss these prospects in the comments below.Previous installments of this prospect ranking: Part 1 (41-50)Part 2 (31-40)Part 3 (26-30)Part 4 (21-25)Part 5 (16-20)Part 6 (11-15)As a quick reminder, players eligible to be on this list include players who remain eligible for Rookie of the Year voting in 2016. 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 2016 - which Cody Christie, Jeremy Nygaard and I are working on - I’ll provide my final Top 30 prospects list.) Top Prospects 6-10 #10 – Kohl Stewart - 21 – RHP – Ft. Myers Miracle Stewart missed about three weeks of action in late April with some shoulder soreness. However, he took the mound for the rest of his starts throughout the season. He went 7-8 with a 3.20 ERA and a 1.38 ERA. In 16 of his 22 starts, he gave up fewer than three runs. After striking out just 6.4 per nine innings at Cedar Rapids in 2014, he struck out just 4.9 per nine with the Miracle. He increased his workload from 87 innings to 129.1 innings. Stewart is throwing a fastball in the low 90s that touches 94. He has a good curve ball and slider and continues to work on his change-up. The strikeout rate becomes a concern. He likely will begin 2016 in Chattanooga, but I would personally like to see him spend two more months in Ft. Myers early in the season and work on that K-rate. It’s important to remember that he still hasn’t pitched lot. He was the Twins first-round pick in 2013 out of high school in Houston. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (5), 2014 (4) #9 – Nick Burdi - 22 – RH RP – Chattanooga Lookouts/Ft. Myers Miracle If you saw Burdi’s outing in the Arizona Fall League on Monday afternoon, you can better understand why he is ranked this high. It is no secret, Burdi is a flame-thrower. His fastball sat between 97 and 100 mph. He showed a slider that sat between 89 and 91 mph. He showed one slider that ‘slid’ away from a right-handed batter, but another one that dropped straight downward. What he showed on Monday was the ability to command both pitches, something he struggled with during the minor league season. He began the season in Chattanooga, but in late June, after 30.1 innings, he had a 5.93 ERA, a 1.78 WHIP and 22 walks to go with 33 strikeouts. He was sent down to Ft. Myers where he had a 2.25 ERA in 20 innings. More important, he walked three and struck out 29. It earned him a trip back to the Lookouts where he gave up runs in just one of his seven outings the rest of the regular season. He was also a key performer in the Lookouts championship run. My guess is that Burdi will receive a non-roster invite to big league camp and get a shot at an Opening Day gig. However, he could start the season back in AA with a quick promotion to AAA (or the big leagues) being very possible. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (10) #8 – Adam Brett Walker - 24 – OF – Chattanooga Lookouts Walker was the Twins third-round draft pick in 2012 out of Jacksonville University. He is arguably the most powerful hitter in the Minnesota Twins organization. With Miguel Sano and his power in the organization, it should tell you a lot. That kind of power is rare. In 2015, he led the Southern League in home runs (31), RBI (106) and extra base Hits (65). He has led his league in homers in all four of his professional seasons. However, last year he also led all of minor league baseball in strikeouts with 195. Therein lies that biggest question mark with Walker. It is the reason he isn’t a little closer to #1 than #10. However, he just turned 24 and is performing very well in the Arizona Fall League. Through eight games played, he is hitting .355/.459/.677 (1.137) with a double and three home runs. He is a lock to be added to the 40-man roster and go to spring training with the Twins. He should advance to Rochester for the 2016 season with a shot at a big league promotion in the season’s second half, if needed. Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (14), 2014 (11), 2013 (16) #7 – Stephen Gonsalves – 21 – LHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle Gonsalves was the fourth-round draft pick of the Twins in 2013 out of high school in San Diego, California. That season, between GCL and Elizabethton, he posted a 0.95 ERA and in 28.1 innings he walked 11 and struck out 39. In 2014, he made 14 combined starts between E-Town (six starts) and Cedar Rapids (eight starts). He posted a 3.97 ERA, and in 65.2 innings he walked 21 and struck out 70. He began 2015 back in Cedar Rapids and in his nine starts, went 6-1 with a 1.15 ERA, a 0.80 WHIP and 77 strikeouts with 15 walks in 55 innings. He moved up to Ft. Myers for 15 more starts. There, he was 7-2 with a 2.61 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. In 79.1 innings, he walked 38 and struck out 55. Those numbers are a little deceptive as after his first three starts with the Miracle, he posted a 2.07 ERA over the final 12 starts. As he has each of those seasons, he is likely to begin the 2016 season with the team he finished the preceding year with, in this case Ft. Myers. He will likely advance to Chattanooga by mid-June. At 6-5 and about 200 pounds, Gonsalves looks the part of big league starter. He’s left-handed, has a good fastball in the low-90s with movement. He has a good change-up and an improving curve ball. He takes pride in his control, which is one thing that likely bothered him about his time in Ft. Myers. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (15), 2014 (13) #6 – Jorge Polanco - 22 – SS/2B – Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings/Minnesota Twins Polanco’s major league numbers are quite impressive. He is hitting .313/.450/.500 (.950) in his two season’s worth of big league play. No need to mention that is in just 20 plate appearances. In 2014 he became the youngest player to make his MLB debut for the Twins when he came up for five games as a 20-year-old. He was called up on two occasions in 2015 as well, and these times when he came up, Paul Molitor placed him in the lineup at shortstop. Polanco was signed in July of 2009. He spent two years in the GCL before a good season in Elizabethton. He jumped up prospect rankings in 2013 when he was the #3 hitter for that powerful Cedar Rapids lineup. He split 2014 between Ft. Myers and New Britain. In 2015, he was all over the place. He started in Chattanooga, moved up to the Twins for a game, went back down to Chattanooga, was promoted to Rochester, then promoted and spent three games with the Twins, and he then was sent down to Chattanooga where he ended the season helping the Lookouts to their Southern League championship. When he was signed, he was touted as a potentially great defensive middle infielder who may learn to hit. He has become a very professional hitter. Though he continues to play shortstop, he struggled mightily at the position. With Brian Dozier at second base, it only makes sense for the Twins to keep trotting Polanco out at shortstop in hopes that it can click for him. He is ready for the big leagues offensively, but finding an everyday spot for the still-just-22-year-old will prove difficult again in 2016. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (7), 2014 (6), 2013 (19) So, what do you think of Part 7, Prospects 6-10? Tomorrow, we will finish up this series by discussing the Top 5 Twins prospects. Feel free to discuss these players. Make your predictions for my Top 5. And start planning your Top 30 prospect lists. Click here to view the article

No question Hunter is a Twins Hall of Famer. It may not even be all that long before they do it. I also think he's done enough in his career to be one of those guys that stays on the MLB HOF ballot for a few years. His numbers, coupled with his defense are very impressive. However, for me, retiring a number is bigger and needs to be more exclusive. In my opinion, it should be just about their Twins career. When it comes to bWAR, Hunter during his Twins years only, is tied for 15th all-time in Twins history (1961-present) with Jim Perry. That said, I would be fine if no one wore that uniform number again, just not formalizing it in the banners.

Very sad. That press conference was excruciating to listen to. So emotional. If someone listened to or watched that without getting goosebumps or without their eyes sweating a little bit, I feel sorry for them. It's another great reminder that these are people, with families, spouses, kids, parents... Tough!

A year ago at this time, Travis Blankenhorn was beginning his senior basketball season at Pottsville High School. A tremendous athlete, he was named his league’s Player of the Year and reached over 1,500 points. He was also touted as a fantastic defensive back in his prep years. However, it was on the baseball diamond that Blankenhorn made a name for himself. Recently, Twins Daily had the chance to get to know a little more about Travis Blankenhorn.After taking hard-throwing college pitchers with their first two draft picks in 2015, the Minnesota Twins used their third-round pick (80th overall) to select infielder Travis Blankenhorn. He signed pretty quickly and reported to Ft. Myers. He played 14 games with the GCL Twins before moving up to Elizabethton where he played the final 39 games. He participated in the Twins Florida Instructional League and will head to spring training for the first time next March with a chance to begin his first full season in Cedar Rapids. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seth Stohs: Drafted by the Twins in the 3rd round... is that about where you thought you might be selected before the draft? Travis Blankenhorn: Yes, that is around where I expected to be, but that draft is unpredictable so you never know what could happen. I was hoping to be in the 100 picks of the draft, so I was happy to be able to meet that goal. SS: You had the commitment to play for Gary Henderson at Kentucky. How difficult was the decision to sign, or did you know you wanted to sign all along? TH: It was an extremely difficult decision for me and my family. Kentucky is an excellent program, competing in one of the best conferences in the NCAA. Coach Henderson and Coach Bohannon were great to me during the process and that made making a decision even more difficult. SS: What was the biggest adjustment you had to make, going from the high school and amateur season to the pro game? On or off the field? TH: I would say the biggest adjustment was adapting to the pitching. The level of competition from the high school game to the pro game is noticeable. SS: You played shortstop primarily in high school. You played various places in your short GCL stint, and solely third base in Elizabethton. Defense is obviously important to the Twins and any team, but where do you feel most comfortable and where do you think is the best position for you? TH: I feel like I am a versatile player, and I am able to play many positions, but after playing 3rd base, I feel comfortable there. SS: In these early stages of your career, what would you say are your biggest strengths as a player? TH: I think the strongest part of my game is when I am at the plate trying to help my team win the game. SS: What are the things that you feel you need to improve over the offseason and going forward? TH: Just trying to improve every aspect of my game so that I can be the best possible player. SS: Growing up in Pennsylvania, who was your favorite team to follow, and who were some of your favorite players? TH: The Pirates were always my favorite team to follow growing up. My favorite player is Andrew McCutchen. SS: What were some of the highlights of your high school and amateur career? (What other sports or activities did you participate in?) TH: I played football for three years going both ways, along with punting and kicking, and received all-state honors my junior year. I played basketball for four years and my team won three league championships and a district championship. I also reached 1000 points in my career and rank second all-time in scoring at my school. I also received all-state honors in basketball my senior year. I played baseball for four years and my team won two league championships and a district championships. SS: What was the highlight of your first professional baseball season? TH: My favorite memory of pro ball is my first home run at Elizabethton. SS: What are your plans for the offseason? Baseball Training, but also what do you enjoy doing away from the game of baseball? TH: My plans for the off season are to work out with my trainer, Russ Frantz, and continue to improve myself physically. Away from baseball, I plan to do some hunting. SS: Who are some of the coaches and others who have helped you get to this point in your career? TH: There have been many coaches who have helped me along the way. My travel coaches, Mark Helsel and Greg Kinneman, were very influential and helpful to me. My high school baseball coaches, Mike Welsh and Ed Terefinko and my high school basketball coach Dave Mullaney all played a role in my development. Also, my family, for supporting me and helping me throughout the whole process. We would like to thank Travis Blankenhorn for taking time to answer our questions. Please feel free to comment or ask questions Click here to view the article