Seth Stohs

We continue to look at and recognize Minnesota Twins prospects. We've already discussed many Twins prospects. Today, we discuss five more, my choices for Twins prospects 11 through 15. When we get to this point, it comes with prospects where you can try to start envisioning their future. Again, there are a couple of guys that we could see in 2017. There is a power hitter, and another hitter with a tremendous approach at the plate. There’s another hard-throwing reliever, and a strike-throwing machine who has risen these rankings over the last couple of years. And there’s a flame-throwing teenager with upside, but a long ways to go. If you've missed any of the previous installments, check them out here: Part 1 (41-50) Part 2 (31-40) Part 3 (26-30) Part 4 (21-25) Part 5 (16-20) And then feel free to join the conversation. Ask questions, start thinking about your Top 30 or Top 50 list. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs (photos L to R: Felix Jorge, LaMonte Wade, Daniel Palka) We continue to look at and recognize Minnesota Twins prospects. We've already discussed many Twins prospects. Today, we discuss five more, my choices for Twins prospects 11 through 15. When we get to this point, it comes with prospects where you can try to start envisioning their future. Again, there are a couple of guys that we could see in 2017. There is a power hitter, and another hitter with a tremendous approach at the plate. There’s another hard-throwing reliever, and a strike-throwing machine who has risen these rankings over the last couple of years. And there’s a flame-throwing teenager with upside, but a long ways to go. If you've missed any of the previous installments, check them out here: Part 1 (41-50) Part 2 (31-40) Part 3 (26-30) Part 4 (21-25) Part 5 (16-20) And then feel free to join the conversation. Ask questions, start thinking about your Top 30 or Top 50 list. 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 11-15 #15 – Nick Burdi - 23 – RH RP – Chattanooga Lookouts Burdi was the Twins second-round pick in 2014 out of Louisville. That summer, he pitched in Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He began 2015 in Chattanooga but struggled enough to be sent back to Ft. Myers. He walked three and struck out 29 in 20 innings for the Miracle before moving back up to the Lookouts where he and JT Chargois shut the door in the late innings of their Southern League championship run. He went to the Arizona Fall League where he walked one and struck out 11 in eight scoreless innings. Burdi was invited to big league spring training and really impressed the coaching staff. He went to minor league camp and was shut down with some forearm soreness. He returned and threw in three games for the Lookouts before being shut down with a bone bruise near his elbow. He didn’t return. But the 23-year-old remains a top relief pitching prospect because of a big, upper-90s fastball and a terrific slider. With health, we should see him in a Twins uniform in 2017. #14 – LaMonte Wade - 23 – OF – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle Wade was the Twins ninth-round pick in 2015 out of the University of Maryland. After signing, he went to Elizabethton where he hit .312/.428/.506 (.934) with eight doubles, five triples and nine home runs. What stood out is that he walked 46 times and struck out just 34 times. He ended the season with four games in Cedar Rapids, which is where he started the 2016 season. He was a Midwest League All-Star after hitting .280/.410/.396 (.806) with 13 extra base hits. He walked 44 times with just 27 strikeouts. After the game, he was promoted to the Miracle. In the Florida State League, he hit .318/.386/.518 (.904) before his season came to an end with an injury. While he played center field throughout most of the 2016, he likely profiles more as a left fielder. Wade has an extremely professional approach at the plate. He’s solid all-around and people are most impressed with his makeup. He can hit and has gap-to-gap power that could develop more into home run power. He’s got average outfield speed and runs the bases well. None of his tools jump out when you watch him once, but over time, one can notice that he really doesn’t have a weakness in his game. #13 – Huascar Ynoa - 18 – RHP – GCL Twins Ynoa was the Twins biggest international signing in July of 2014, signing for about $800,000. He made his professional debut in 2015 in the DSL where he went 2-5 but posted a 2.70 ERA in 56.2 innings. He came to the States for the 2016 season and pitched for the GCL Twins. He went 3-5 with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. In 51 innings, he walked 12 and struck out 51. Ynoa’s brother, Michael, was originally signed by the A’s for $4.25 million but debuted in the White Sox bullpen in 2016. Michael is 6-7 and 210 pounds. Huascar is 6-3 and about 215 pounds. Huascar throws 90 to 95 mph with movement. He’s still working on his secondary pitches. He has the ability to be nasty, but as you would expect of an 18-year-old, he’ll need to be more consistent. #12 – Felix Jorge - 22 – RHP – Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts Jorge signed with the Twins in 2010 as a 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic. He spent a season in the DSL. He came to the States in 2012 and pitched in the GCL. He moved up to Elizabethton in 2013. He began the 2014 season in Cedar Rapids, but after a month of struggling, he went back to EST. He pitched for the E-Twins again and was the Appy League Pitcher of the Year. He returned to Cedar Rapids in 2015 as a different pitcher. He went 6-7 with a 2.79 ERA. He began 2016 in the vaunted Miracle starting rotation. According to some reports, he was the best of the group in Ft. Myers. He went 9-3 with a 1.55 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP in 93 innings. He moved up to AA Chattanooga where he experienced some issues. In 11 starts, he went 3-5 with a 4.12 and a 1.28 WHIP. Overall, he walked just 1.2 per nine innings. In Ft. Myers, he struck out 7.5 per nine, but that dropped to just 3.9 per nine over his 74.1 innings in AA. He ended the season with a complete game, one-run game against Jackson. And in reality, he gave up more than three runs in just two of his 11 starts for the Lookouts. He also worked five or more innings in all 11 starts, and he worked into the seventh inning in seven of 11 starts because he keeps the pitch count down. Jorge attacks the zone with a fastball that touches the 94-95 range at times. He throws a ton of strikes, generally keeping the ball on the ground. Jorge could have been selected in the Rule 5 draft last offseason. Will the Twins add him this November? #11 – Daniel Palka - 24 – OF – Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings Last November, Terry Ryan traded Chris Herrmann to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In return, the team received OF/1B Daniel Palka. Until then, few Twins fans knew of Palka. However, we all checked out his stats and found that last year in High-A Visalia, he hit .280/.352/.532 (.885) with 36 doubles, three triples, 29 home runs, 90 RBI and 24 stolen bases. This for Chris Herrmann, who was out of options and not likely to stick with the Twins in 2016. Palka reported to Twins minor league spring training. He got an opportunity to play in a big league game, and he hit home runs in his first two at-bats. He added another two days later in a big league game. It was a sign of things to come for Palka in 2016. He began the season in Chattanooga where he hit .270/.348/.547 (.894) with 12 doubles, four triples, 21 homers and 65 RBI in 79 games. He was a Southern League All-Star and later was promoted to AAA Rochester. In 54 games with the Miracle, he hit .232/.296/.483 (.779) with 12 doubles, 13 homers and 25 home runs. In AA, he struck out 29% of the time. In AAA, he struck out 39% of the time. Palka has Sano and Walker power. Like Walker, he’ll have to cut down his strikeout rate to have big league success, but sometime in 2017, he will get an opportunity. He has to be added to the Twins 40-man roster in November or risk losing him in the Rule 5 draft. So there you have it, my choices for Twins prospects 11-15. We’ll be back tomorrow with Part 7, Prospects 6-10. View full article

Yup... he's only got like 25 games in AAA. Not saying he needs more time, but I'd almost rather him play 3 out of 4 days rather than 1 out of 4 days... I'd also be 100% fine with him in the big leagues.

Not crazy but I'd be a little surprised.

Centeno should not stay on the 40-man roster, but I agree, it'd be good to bring him back on a minor league deal, if he wants. Turner was fast tracked too much early in his career. I think he could go to AAA, but we'll see.

I have no doubt that he'll be a Major League catcher... He's the highest ranked player on the list that's been shared (16-50, he's 16). So without sharing who 1-15 are, I can't fairly ask you which of the 11-15 range types you'd rank lower than him... but tomorrow you can.

Head over to the Twins Daily Twitter page to place your vote for the Approval Rating of the hiring of Derek Falvey:

Head to the Twins Daily Twitter account to place your vote for Twins Most Improved Player in 2016:

I do try to toe a line between performance and ceiling, definitely leaning toward ceiling. I guess I am trying to guess which players will have the best careers in MLB (which, of course, is anything but scientific). Garver was one of the tougher ones to rank, for sure. He's "hurt" by age-to-level, at least he has been, though he's kind of caught up with that. It doesn't matter in real life, but for what it is, it does hurt in prospect rankings. I'm very curious what the Twins do at catcher this offseason.

I know I've written this other places too, but Wells measured in at 6-1 and 186 pounds at spring training, so the 'listed' numbers are well off, probably from when he signed or something. Not sure if or when those things get updated.

This is the most that I've struggled with a Top 50 list in a few years. In recent years, the Top 20 or even 25 have been fairly easy to determine. With all of the "graduations," it's a lot more difficult... and I think a lot more room for discussion/debate, etc. Wells and Thorpe have had a very similar path through the end of their Cedar Rapids season. Hopefully Wells can stay healthy. I think Thorpe has the higher upside, but as of today, comes with a little higher risk too. Both really good kids too.

Baseball America ranks prospects in a number of ways. One of those ways if by league. Here is where some Twins prospects rank in their league, according to Baseball Ameirca: Gulf Coast League: Zero members of the GCL Twins made the Top 20 list. Appalachian League: Two members of the Elizabethton Twins made the Top 20 list. #6 - Alex Kirilloff #18 - Travis Blankenhorn Midwest League: Zero members of the Cedar Rapids Kernels made the list. Florida State League: Three members of the Ft. Myers Miracle made the list. #4 - Nick Gordon #10 - Stephen Gonsalves #13 - Fernando Romero Southern League: #13 - Stephen Gonsalves #17 - Zack Granite International League: Not posted yet.

Today, we continue to look at and recognize Minnesota Twins prospects. We've already discussed my choices for prospects 21-50, and now we enter the Top 20. This is a diverse group in that there are two prospects who will remain teenagers until at least spring training of 2017. They have already performed well for full-season teams. The other three in today's list are players that we could very well see in a Twins uniform sometime in 2017 thanks to putting up numbers in the upper levels. If you've missed any of the previous installments, check them out here: Part 1 (41-50) Part 2 (31-40) Part 3 (26-30) Part 4 (21-25) And then feel free to join the conversation. Ask questions, start thinking about your Top 30 or Top 50 list. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs (photos of Top L to R: Luis Arraez, Lachlan Wells, Bottom L to R: Jake Reed, Adam Brett Walker) Today, we continue to look at and recognize Minnesota Twins prospects. We've already discussed my choices for prospects 21-50, and now we enter the Top 20. This is a diverse group in that there are two prospects who will remain teenagers until at least spring training of 2017. They have already performed well for full-season teams. The other three in today's list are players that we could very well see in a Twins uniform sometime in 2017 thanks to putting up numbers in the upper levels. If you've missed any of the previous installments, check them out here: Part 1 (41-50) Part 2 (31-40) Part 3 (26-30) Part 4 (21-25) And then feel free to join the conversation. Ask questions, start thinking about your Top 30 or Top 50 list. 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 21-25 #20 – Lachlan Wells - 19 – LHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels The Twins signed Wells out of Australia in August of 2014. He came to the States in 2015 and pitched very well in the GCL. He went 5-2 with a 2.09 ERA in 47.1 innings. He began the 2016 season back in Extended Spring Training, but just as the short-season leagues were starting, he was promoted to Cedar Rapids. He was very good. In 12 starts, Wells went 6-4 with a 1.77 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. In 71.1 innings, he walked 16 and struck out 63. Wells works in the low-90s, has three pitches and gets good movement from a somewhat funky delivery. Wells won’t turn 20 until the end of February. #19 – Luis Arraez - 19 – 2B – Cedar Rapids Kernels Arraez had a solid US debut in 2015 in the GCL. He hit .306/.377/.388 (.765) with 15 doubles and a triple. He began the 2016 season in Cedar Rapids. He was just 18 years old for the first ten days of the season. He became an everyday player about a week into the season and didn’t give it up. He hit, and hit, and hit, and hit. He ended the season hitting .347/.386/.444 (.830) with 31 doubles, three triples and three home runs. Signed as a 16-year-old from Venezuela in 2013, Arraez is listed at 5-10 and 155 pounds. He weighs more than that. Arraez is a hitter. He is a solid leadoff hitter despite not taking a lot of walks. He knows the strike zone and he is able to work a lot of long at-bats. He’s not fast. He played mostly second base, but they also had him DH quite frequently. He’s got work to do, but he can hit. #18 – Jake Reed - 24 – RH RP – Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings Jake Reed was the Twins fifth-round pick in 2014 out of Oregon. His pro debut was very impressive. He gave up one earned run in 31 innings. He then went to the Arizona Fall League where he gave up one run in 12.2 innings. He skipped Ft. Myers to start the 2015 season, but late in the year, he was sent back to the Miracle where he found things again. He returned to the AFL and gave up zero runs over 10.2 innings. He was invited to big league spring training and started in Chattanooga again. He struggled for the season’s first two months, but he posted WHIP under 1.00 the final three months of the year. He spent August in AAA Rochester where he posted a 1.69 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. Reed throws hard, hitting 98 often. He’s got a very sharp slider. He also gets a ton of movement which sometimes can lead to some walks, and some strikeouts. Reed just turned 24 last week. He should be invited to big league camp again this year with an opportunity to make his debut sometime in 2017. #17 – Adam Brett Walker - 24 – OF – Rochester Red Wings No prospect in recent years has given readers of Twins Daily more to discuss. Walker has become a polarizing talent in the system. And there is no question that he has talent. The Twins used their third-round pick in 2012 on the slugger from Jacksonville University. There is the bad, for sure. He strikes out a lot and isn’t a great defensive outfielder. However, he has continued to move up one level each year and continued to produce despite the strikeouts. However, there is the good too. Walker has as much power as anyone in the organization, big leagues or minor leagues. He led his league in home runs his first four minor league seasons. His 27 homers in AAA this year was good for second in the International League. He is a run producer. He will most likely spend a significant amount of time in Rochester again in 2017. Over the first three months, he struck out 42% of the time. After July 1, he struck out 34% of the time. Staying at the same level, will he be able to continue adjusting and reduce that percentage even more? #16 – Mitch Garver - 25 – C/1B – Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings Garver was the Twins ninth-round draft pick in 2014 out of New Mexico. In his first full season, he was the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2014 in Cedar Rapids. He moved up to Ft. Myers for 2015. He hit very well in the Arizona Fall League a year ago. For the second straight year, he was brought to big league spring training. He began 2016 in Chattanooga where he hit .257/.334/.419 (.753) with 25 doubles, 11 homers and 66 RBI in 95 games. He was promoted to Rochester where he hit .329/.381/.434 (.815) with five doubles and a homer in 22 games. Garver is a solid, doubles hitter who could provide value as a catcher. The question with some earlier in his career was his defense. It was a work-in-progress early, but word started coming out in 2016 that his defense had improved to the point where there was much more comfort in his ability to catch in the big leagues. His pitching framing and caught-stealing percentage numbers were very strong in 2016. He heads back to the Arizona Fall League, and he is certain to be added to the Twins 40-man roster in November. He’ll head back to big league spring training and, pending free agent moves or trades, he will have a chance to be a big leaguer early in 2017, if not on Opening Day. So there you have it, my choices for Twins prospects 16-20. We’ll be back tomorrow with Part 6, Prospects 11-15. View full article

The Twins season is over, mercifully. However, that also means that it is time to hand out some Major League Awards. Last month, we gave out five Minor League awards. Over the next four days, we’ll hand out four Major League Awards. Our first 2016 Twins Daily award of the offseason is the Most Improved Player. The Twins Daily writers, including minor league writers, voted for their top 3 most improved. There were a handful of decent candidates, but at the end of the day/season, Brian Dozier was the overwhelming choice for the Twins Most Improved Player. Image courtesy of Brad Rempel, USA Today The Twins season is over, mercifully. However, that also means that it is time to hand out some Major League Awards. Last month, we gave out five Minor League awards. Over the next four days, we’ll hand out four Major League Awards. Our first 2016 Twins Daily award of the offseason is the Most Improved Player. The Twins Daily writers, including minor league writers, voted for their top 3 most improved. There were a handful of decent candidates, but at the end of the day/season, Brian Dozier was the overwhelming choice for the Twins Most Improved Player. “Improvement” is something that can be found and defined in several ways. It’s hard to believe that a Most Improved player can be coming off an All-Star season. Brian Dozier posted a .751 OPS in 2015 with 39 doubles and 28 home runs. In 2014, Brian Dozier hit 33 doubles, 23 homers and had an OPS of .762. In other words, Brian Dozier was a really good player before 2016. However, Dozier saw an 18% improvement in his OPS. He hit .268/.340/.546 (.886) with 35 doubles, five triples and 42 home runs (including 40 as second baseman, an American League record). In 2015, he set a Twins record with 148 strikeouts. He cut that number down to 138. We often wondered what Dozier could do if he could cut down the strikeouts and find a way to hit for better batting average. We found out in 2016. Dozier raised his batting average from .236 to .268. In doing so, his on-base percentage moved from .307 to .340. A .034 improvement in batting average, with about the same walk rate meant that he was on base 7.5% more often than in 2015. However, the biggest area of improvement came in the Slugging Percentage and Isolated Power. In 2015, Dozier’s Isolated Power was a very respectable .208. That number jumped to .278 in 2016. I guess that’s what happens when you jump from 28 home runs to 42 home runs. But improvement can mean different things, including improvement within a season. For Dozier, his improvement from the first two months of the season to the final four months of the season was as dramatic as you can imagine. In late May, Dozier was out of the Twins lineup two straight games, given a couple of days by his manager to regroup. At that time, he was hitting .199/.284/.318 (.602) with just six doubles and four home runs. There were even some fans calling for the Twins to send him to Rochester. He was back in the Twins lineup on May 25, and from that point forward, he hit .291/.356/.621 (.977) with 29 doubles, five triples and 38 home runs in 115 games. And that is even after ending his season by going 7-58 (.127) over his final 13 games. There were certainly other candidates for Most Improved Twins player in 2016. If Eduardo Nunez had stuck around all season, it is possible he would have been the lead candidate for this award. He went from utility infielder to All-Star shortstop with a strong first half. Kennys Vargas had an immensely disappointing 2015 season. While he spent most of the 2016 season putting up fairly pedestrian numbers in Rochester. Those numbers were boosted by a ton of walks, which is what we needed to see from him. He was terrific in his limited duty with the big league club, hitting .238/.343/.517 (.860) in 46 games with the Twins, including 10 home runs. 21 of his 35 hits for the Twins went for extra bases. And Byron Buxton’s September was a major improvement over anything we’ve seen from him in the big leagues over the previous 14 months. Kurt Suzuki was good with the bat again in 2016 after a rough 2015. While the Twins took a huge step backwards (maybe 10-12 steps backwards?), it should not cloud our vision on the fact that there were some positives during the 2016 season. Brian Dozier led the way in many categories and it was his improvement in 2016 that helped make the team something to watch. Feel free to share your thoughts, and your ballot, in the comments below. In an attempt at transparency, below are the votes from our writers and the results: The Ballots Seth: 1.) Eduardo Nunez, 2.) Brian Dozier, 3.) Kennys Vargas Nick: 1.) Brian Dozier, 2.) Kurt Suzuki, 3.) Byron Buxton Parker: 1.) Brian Dozier, 2.) Eduardo Nunez, 3.) Kennys Vargas Cody: 1.) Eduardo Nunez, 2.) Brian Dozier, 3.) Kennys Vargas Jeremy: 1.) Byron Buxton, 2.) Kennys Vargas, 3.) Ryan Pressly Steve L: 1.) Brian Dozier, 2.) Kennys Vargas, 3.) Byron Buxton Eric: 1.) Max Kepler, 2.) Buddy Boshers, 3.) Byron Buxton Points Brian Dozier - 13 Eduardo Nunez - 8 Kennys Vargas - 7 Byron Buxton - 6 Max Kepler - 3 Buddy Boshers - 2 Kurt Suzuki - 2 Ryan Pressly - 1 View full article

He can play center... he just doesn't have a real strong arm. And, with Buxton in CF, he can be a leadoff hitting type of fourth outfielder. There's value in that.

No. He's in Ft. Myers working... but he lost a month of time and plenty of strength during that time, so he had to be built up again. He should be ready next year by Opening Day... I hope!

Agreed... great work everyone, especially Riverbrian, but everyone!

I thought I'd start a new thread now that it is official. The Twins announced, via Twitter, that Derek Falvey is their new Executive VP and Chief Baseball Officer... (as opposed to President of Baseball Operations). PRESS RELEASE: MINNESOTA TWINS NAME DEREK FALVEY EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF BASEBALL OFFICER MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – Following a comprehensive, professional and inclusive search process, the Minnesota Twins announced today that Derek Falvey will be named the club’s Executive Vice President, Chief Baseball Officer. Falvey’s new role with the Twins will be effective at the conclusion of the Cleveland Indians season. Rob Antony will maintain his role as the Twins Interim General Manager until Falvey joins the ballclub. “I believe the addition of Derek Falvey to the Minnesota Twins will markedly enhance our organizational excellence and bring championship baseball back to Minnesota,” said Twins Owner Jim Pohlad. Falvey, 33, has spent the last nine seasons as a member of the Cleveland Indians organization, most recently as the Assistant General Manager, a position he was named to when Chris Antonetti was named President of Baseball Operations in 2015. He spent the previous four seasons as Director of Baseball Operations after being named to the position in December of 2011. As the newly appointed EVP/Chief Baseball Officer for the Twins, Falvey will be responsible for establishing the vision and related strategies for the club’s baseball operation. Specifically, he will oversee all aspects of the department including: major league team, coaches, and support staff, contract negotiations, player development, scouting, research and development, medical and communications. Falvey will become the sixth head of the Twins baseball operations department, joining Calvin Griffith (1961-84), Howard Fox (1985-86), Andy MacPhail (1986-94), Bill Smith (2007-11) and Terry Ryan (1994-2007, 2011-16). “It’s a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to lead the Twins baseball operation. This is a proud, resilient franchise, and I’m eager to return championship-caliber baseball to the Twin Cities,” Falvey said. “We will work diligently and collectively to select and develop top-performers, advance our processes, and nurture a progressive culture that will make fans across Twins Territory proud.” Falvey concluded, “I’d like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to Jim Pohlad, Dave St. Peter and the entire Pohlad family for allowing me to become part of the Twins organization. I am now and always will be grateful to the owners, the players and the past and present leadership -top to bottom- of the Cleveland Indians. My wife, son, and I look forward to getting started in Minnesota this fall.” As Assistant General Manager for the Indians, Falvey assisted Antonetti and Indians General Manager Mike Chernoff in leading all areas of baseball operations, including financial, statistical, and contractual dealings, and contributed to all aspects of professional and amateur player procurement and development. He also oversaw the Advance Scouting process and worked closely with Manager Terry Francona and the Major League Coaching Staff in the day-to-day management of Major League operations. “Throughout his baseball journey, Derek has earned a reputation as a talented executive thanks to innovation, collaboration and a relentless pursuit of individual and organizational improvement,” Twins President Dave St. Peter said. “We believe Derek represents the next generation of dynamic, game-changing MLB leaders. We expect Derek to create positive change directed at restoring our winning tradition.” “The Twins would like to thank Jed Hughes of Korn Ferry for invaluable assistance over the past couple months,” St. Peter added. “We’d also like to acknowledge the cooperation of many MLB clubs during our process.” Falvey’s tenure with the Indians started in 2007 when he began an internship in Baseball Operations. In his first three years with the club, Derek assisted both the Amateur and International Scouting Departments before spending the 2011 season as Assistant Director of Baseball Operations, and 2012-15 as the Director of Baseball Operations. Derek is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, CT where he played baseball and earned a degree in economics in 2005. A formal introductory press conference will be scheduled at Target Field in conjunction with Falvey’s start date with the Twins. Per an understanding with Major League Baseball and the Cleveland Indians, the Twins and Falvey will refrain from further comment on this matter at this time.

My concern with letting Allen, or any of the coaches, go after the season is that the Twins keep saying that Molitor will be back. I could see a scenario where Molitor gets Fired in June or so. If that's the case, do they really want to bring in a new person that they really like and then fire them all 2-3 months later? I almost feel like, if Molitor is back, bring back the coaching staff so that they can all be let go at the same time... right or wrong, I don't know. I guess they could fire the manager without firing all the other coaches, but who knows.

I'm definitely not one to call for firings. Generally, I don't think Allen has been good or bad. I mean, he was a 'different' voice in that he came from a strong pitching development organization in the Rays, and he was credited with helping several of their pitchers. The message - changeup - was the same as Rick Anderson's... again, not that I have a problem with that. In my mind, a good changeup is hugely important. Where I kind of started feeling a little less comfortable with Allen was the Berrios thing. Not his struggles, that happens, but with the fact that he let so many voices into his ear. That's on Molitor too. But when Blyleven was brought in and all kinds of others, that couldn't have helped at all.

Catching up on some comments, here are a few thoughts: 1.) Rortvedt feels like he's too low on my list. He could move up. In fact, I think MLB Pipeline has him in the top ten, I think. I just wasn't ready to do that quite yet. 2.) Graterol is the name that I think would incite most discussion. He was a terrific prospect pre-injury, and it sounds like he's coming back from TJ surgery well. This is an example of a guy with bigger upside, but he has (obviously) a LONG way to go. Most likely, he'll fall out of the top 30 by the time I put together my final prospect rankings, but he is a name that Twins prospect followers should get to know. 3.) Hildenberger would probably be a little higher, but the elbow thing makes me nervous (Even if he isn't worried), he'll be 26 next season, and I often have an unfair bias (in prospect rankings only) against relievers in general. 4.) Granite probably deserves to be higher. I just couldn't do it. 5.) And yes, Thorpe was a Top 10 guy two years ago, and very deservingly. And yes, he's still just 20 years old despite missing two fully seasons. By midseason, he could jump right back up.

The Twins season came to an end on Sunday. It was an encouraging game as it relates to the future. Guys who were fixtures near the top of these rankings in recent years had a great day.. Byron Buxton, Max Kepler and Miguel Sano each reached three times in the game. Buxton showed elite speed with an inside-the-park home run. It was his tenth homer of the season. Sano launched his 25th homer, a three-run shot. Jose Berrios gave up one run in five innings for the in. It was a nice way to end a terrible season for the Twins. A great reminder of what the talent the Twins have developed in their farm system can do for them in years to come. Today, we continue our Top Twins Prospect ranking by looking at my choices for Twins prospects 21-25. This is in interesting group of five prospects. There are a couple of guys that are nearly MLB ready. There is another player who has just begun in professional career. There are a couple of guys hoping to come back from Tommy John surgery in 2017. Part 1 (41-50) Part 2 (31-40) Part 3 (26-30) Continue on to read part four, to learn more about prospects 21 through 25. Feel free to join the discussion in the comments section, ask questions and discuss the prospects. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs (photos of Top L to R: Lewis Thorpe, Zach Granite, Bottom L to R: Brusdar Graterol, Trevor Hildenberger) The Twins season came to an end on Sunday. It was an encouraging game as it relates to the future. Guys who were fixtures near the top of these rankings in recent years had a great day.. Byron Buxton, Max Kepler and Miguel Sano each reached three times in the game. Buxton showed elite speed with an inside-the-park home run. It was his tenth homer of the season. Sano launched his 25th homer, a three-run shot. Jose Berrios gave up one run in five innings for the in. It was a nice way to end a terrible season for the Twins. A great reminder of what the talent the Twins have developed in their farm system can do for them in years to come. Today, we continue our Top Twins Prospect ranking by looking at my choices for Twins prospects 21-25. This is in interesting group of five prospects. There are a couple of guys that are nearly MLB ready. There is another player who has just begun in professional career. There are a couple of guys hoping to come back from Tommy John surgery in 2017. Part 1 (41-50) Part 2 (31-40) Part 3 (26-30) Continue on to read part four, to learn more about prospects 21 through 25. Feel free to join the discussion in the comments section, ask questions and discuss the prospects. 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. There is also service time consideration. (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 21-25 #25 – Brusdar Graterol - 20 – RHP – Did Not Pitch If there is a surprise name in this Top 50 prospect ranking, I’m guessing it would be Brusdar Graterol. In 2015, he was a 16-year-old who struck out 17 and walked one in 11.2 innings in the DSL. Unfortunately, his season came to an early end and he came to the States to have his elbow examined. Soon after, he had Tommy John surgery. He missed the entire 2016 season rehabbing. Reports came out last week that Graterol was hitting 97 mph in the Twins Florida Instructional League. He just turned 18 at the end of August. If he can return to the pre-injury success he had as a 16 year old, along with continuing to add more velocity, he has a chance to keep improving. At 6-1 and already 220 pounds and just 18 years old, he has the world of potential. #24 – Ben Rortvedt - 19 – C – GCL Twins/Elizabethton Twins Rortvedt turned 19 years old last week. The Wisconsin prep was touted as one of the best catchers in the 2016 draft and the Twins used their second-round pick to grab him. So much can happen from high school to the big leagues, but most scouts seem to believe that Rortvedt could be a rare kid who can stick at catcher while still being able to hit. Rortvedt has a very strong arm and he’s a very good athlete behind the plate. He has plenty of work to do as he grows and moves up. Offensively, the lefty-swinging Rortvedt has a very quick bat. In time, he has the potential to provide plenty of extra-base pop. He played 20 games in the GCL and hit .203/.277/.254 (.531). He moved up to Elizabethton and played in 13 regular season games. He hit .250/.348/.250 (.598). He also started behind the plate for the E-Twins in the playoffs. There is a chance he starts next season in Cedar Rapids, though it’s probably more likely he starts in extended spring with the opportunity to play for the Kernels before the short-season leagues start. #23 – Trevor Hildenberger - 25 – RH RP – Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts Hildenberger was the Twins 24th-round pick in 2014 out of Cal-Berkeley. He was the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2015 when he posted a 1.55 ERA and a 0.72 ERA between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He backed it up in 2016 by repeating as Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. He posted a 0.75 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP between Ft. Myers (six games) and Chattanooga (32 games). Unfortunately, his season ended at the end of July. He’s currently in Ft. Myers rehabbing some elbow tendinitis. Hopefully he will be back to 100% by spring training as he has a chance to be in the big league bullpen early in 2017. Hildenberger is a side-winding right-hander who throws anywhere from 90-94. He’s got a good slider and a good change-up. He throws a ton of strikes (1.1 BB/9) while still missing a lot of bats (9.9 K/9). #22 – Lewis Thorpe - 20 – LHP – Did Not Pitch It has been a long couple of years for Lewis Thorpe. In 2014, he had a strong showing in Cedar Rapids. However, as their regular season came to an end, he was shut down with elbow issues. In spring training 2015, he was pitching bullpens and feeling good. Then one day, his elbow blew out. Weeks later, he had Tommy John surgery. He spent 2015 and most of last offseason in Ft. Myers rehabbing. In spring training 2016, he was throwing bullpens and feeling good. Soon after the season began, he had to be shut down and missed significant time with mono. So he has now missed two full season and has to be itching to get back on the mound. As a refresher, Thorpe is an Australian who has pitched well in international competitions. He came onto the prospect scene in 2013 when he grew bigger and hit 95 mph while pitching in the GCL. In 2014, the then-18-year-old held his own and actually struck out a batter per inning against older Midwest League competition. Thorpe is smart, knows how to pitch and has all of the pitches. Hopefully he can return to 100% in 2017 and soon get back to where he was. #21 – Zack Granite - 24 – OF – Chattanooga Lookouts Granite turned 24 years old just after his season with the Lookouts came to an end. It was a breakthrough season for the speedy outfielder from Staten Island. After an injury-plagued 2014 season, 2015 was his first full-season as a pro. In 2016, he was pushed up to AA at the start of the season. He was the instigator at the top of the Lookouts lineup the rest of the season. He hit .295/.347/.382 (.729) with 18 doubles, eight triples and four home runs. He led all of minor league baseball with 56 stolen bases. A 14th-round pick in 2013 out of Seton Hall, Granite stands six-feet tall and 175 pounds. Granite’s speed is his best tool at this stage. It helps him on the bases and gives him great range in the outfield. He has the range to play center field, but his arm likely will push him to left. Could the Twins add him to the 40-man roster? Could he be a fourth-outfielder for the Twins as early as 2017? So there you have it, my choices for Twins prospects 21-25. We’ll be back tomorrow with Part 5, Prospects 16-20. View full article