Seth Stohs

Right after I posted the above, I saw this... Mat Batts wrote a quick article about his decision for The Dispatch in Lexington.

There is a reason that Alex Meyer hasn't appeared in these reports yet.

I don't know the whole story. I do know that minor leaguers basically lose money to play, especially in those early years. He got a very nice job, near his home, in the field that he wants to cover. He's getting married and maybe just realizes the odds of him reaching the big leagues are very small (like most minor leaguers)... maybe he thought this was the right opportunity at the right time. And, there is life beyond baseball for a lot of people. Batts is a very smart guy and he'll be alright.

Except he throws about 5-7 mph faster than Young. It's why we should never 'give up' on anyone because of age, height, velocity, etc. You just never know which pitchers will take off and succeed. Chris Young is a back-of-the-rotation type and has been for a long time.

Correct... and hopefully when we get to our Top 5, we'll see some of you post Blogs showing your Top 30, Top 40, Top 50, Top 150... will be fun to discuss those as well.

The combination of these two comments tells me I just might have him in about the right spot. I am a big fan of Travis Harrison's. Really good person. Very hard worker. Very smart. Still quite young. I'd like to see him repeat in Chattanooga at least the first half of 2016. I think that makes a ton of sense and would be good for his development. I definitely believe he can be a big leaguer.

I would think so. He's pretty dominant out of the bullpen.

Last week, we began my preliminary Top 50 Minnesota Twins Prospect countdown with Part 1 (41-50) and Part 2 (31-40). Today the countdown continues with Part 3. We’ll run down prospects 26 through 30. This group today starts with a couple of very young, high potential bats and ends with two pitchers who are very different.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.) Part 3: Top Prospects 26-30 #30 – Trey Cabbage - 18 – 3B – GCL Twins Cabbage was the Twins fourth-round draft pick in 2015 out of high school in Rutledge, Tennessee. He gave up a commitment to the University of Tennessee to sign with the Twins. He is a terrific athlete. At 6-3 and about 190 pounds, he is best known for his bat. He primarily played third base, but he also got time in the two corner outfield positions as well as a few games at shortstop. In his professional debut with the GCL Twins, he hit .252/.302/.269 (.571) with two doubles in 129 plate appearances. His season was cut short by a couple of weeks when he strained his back. He will likely begin the 2016 season in Extended Spring Training. Most likely he’ll play in Elizabethton, but if a need came up in Cedar Rapids, it is possible he could spend time there as well. Previous Top 30 Rankings: N/A #29 – Amaurys Minier - 19 – 1B – GCL Twins/Elizabethton Twins Minier signed a seven-digit signing bonus with the Twins in July of 2012. He played for the GCL Twins in 2013 and 2014, showing big improvement the second year. Hopes were high for Minier heading into this season. Unfortunately, toward the end of spring training, he was hit by a pitch and broke his hand. He rehabbed the injury throughout Extended Spring Training and played in two rehab games in the GCL. He moved up to Elizabethton, but he really struggled offensively. In 50 games, he hit .184/.279/.280 with nine doubles and two homers. He struck out 66 times in 201 plate appearances. Signed as a third baseman, he moved quickly to the outfield and when that didn’t go well, he was moved to first base. It will be interesting to see if he moves up to Cedar Rapids to start the 2016 season, or if he returns to Extended Spring Training and spends a fourth season in the rookie leagues. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (22), 2014 (16) #28 – Travis Harrison - 23 – OF – Chattanooga Lookouts Harrison was the Twins second supplemental first round pick in 2011 out of high school in California. At 6-1 and 220 pounds, he is very strong. He played outfield in high school and then moved to third base for his first two seasons as a pro. In 2014, he moved back to the outfield which is where he played in 2015 (though he played left field in 2014 and right field in 2015). In 115 games with the Lookouts, he hit .240/.363/.356 (.719) with 23 doubles, four triples and five home runs. After hitting 15 homers for Cedar Rapids in 2013, he has hit just eight over the last two seasons. He has an advanced approach at the plate, and if patient, the power will come. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (23), 2014 (14), 2013 (14), 2012 (12) #27 – Yorman Landa - 21 – RHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels The Twins signed Landa from Venezuela in 2010. He spent a year in the DSL, a year in the GCL, and then a year in the Appy League. He began the 2014 season with the Kernels and was named to the league’s All Star game. However, he missed the second half of the season after having shoulder surgery. He returned to the Kernels on May 19th and pitched an inning. However, he returned to Florida. A month later, he began a rehab assignment in the GCL which lasted eight games over three weeks. In mid-July he returned to the Kernels and was terrific the rest of the way. In 26 innings, he walked 14 and struck out 30 while allowing opponents to hit just .191. He was frequently hitting 98 and 99 on the radar guy. Like others, it was most important for Landa to get through the season healthy. He did and is pitching in Venezuela this winter. He should start 2016 in Ft. Myers with the Miracle. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2014 (30) #26 – Aaron Slegers - 23 – RHP – Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts Slegers was the Big 10 Pitcher of the Year while at Indiana in 2013. The Twins made him their fifth round pick. At 6-10 and 250 pounds, the lanky right-hander has impeccable control. He ended his 2014 season with three starts with the Miracle. That’s where he began the 2015 season. In 19 starts, he was 8-6 with a 2.87 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. In 119.1 innings, he walked just 21 and struck out 80. He earned a late-season promotion to Chattanooga where he went 1-4 with a 4.91 ERA in six starts. That’s where he’ll begin the 2016 season as well with the possibility of a promotion to Rochester at some point. He doesn’t throw real hard, but he has three pitches and a sense of how to pitch. Previous Top 30 Rankings: N/A So, what do you think of Part 3, Prospects 26-30? Later this week, we’ll continue the countdown. Feel free to share your thoughts on these prospects. Who is too high or too low on this list? Click here to view the article

This is a good opportunity for them to get 6 more weeks of playing time. Of course, the catchers will catch just twice per week over that time, and the relievers will appear in maybe 2 games per week. Taylor Rogers will start once a week. It's a very small sample so it's important not to make too much of it, but it's good exposure and opportunity. I'm guessing the Twins know where they both will start next year.

Ah semantics! :-)

I like it... And, I do believe Turner and Garver will catch in the big leagues.

Yup, when guys have had Tommy John or other major surgeries, age is less important in the rankings. When a college draft pick misses two years and is 24 in A-Ball, it's not going to affect me a lot. The hope is that, now fully recovered, they can move quickly.

Mat Batts announced his retirement this morning... So, I guess Quezada moves up, and I believe Dalton Hicks was next in line.

They have a lot of pitchers and typically relievers will work twice a week for 1, maybe 2 innings. I haven't heard anything more about those two specifically.

I've heard that as well. I know he can touch 92. I don't think he sits there yet.

At this time, we are planning on doing a weekly report for the Arizona Fall League, highlighting the individual performances. We considered doing it daily, but for instance, on Thursday afternoon, Garver was the only Twins prospect to play. We are also going to do a weekly article on the other Winter Leagues (Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Australia).

I added this to the just-posted Part 2 (31-40). Here are the previous rankings for the guys in 41-50. Jason Wheeler: 2015 (21) Niko Goodrum: 2015 (27), 2014 (20), 2013 (27), 2012 (19), 2011 (26) Brett Lee: 2014 (27) Levi Michael: 2013 (30), 2012 (17) DJ Baxendale: 2014 (25)

Yesterday was Part 1 of my preliminary Top 50 Minnesota Twins prospect list, prospects 41 through 50. Today, I’ll continue the countdown by posting my 31 through 40 prospects. I definitely welcome any and all feedback on these prospects. Who should be ranked higher, or lower, and why? This group is headlined by some hard-throwing relievers who could surface in 2016. 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 31-40 #40 – Logan Darnell - 26 – LHP – Rochester Red Wings Drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 draft out of Kentucky, Darnell has been a starter throughout the Twins farm system. In fact, he made his MLB debut in May of 2014 as a starter and made four starts for the Twins last year. He came to spring training this year as a bullpen arm. He spent April through July in the Red Wings bullpen, but in August he was moved into their rotation. He responded with his best stretch of the season. In those five starts, he went 3-0 with a 0.83 ERA in 32.2 innings. It earned him a promotion to the Twins. Unfortunately, upon his arrival, he came down with pneumonia, lost 17 pounds and was unable to pitch. Long-relief appears to be where his role with the Twins can be going forward. He is pitching this winter in Venezuela. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (30), 2012 (25) #39 – Brandon Peterson - 24 – RHP – Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts The Savage, MN, native and Burnsville high school graduate was the Twins 13th round pick in 2013 out of Wichita State. He was the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2014 when he posted a combined 1.57 ERA and 0.98 WHIP between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He also added 13.2 strikeouts per nine innings. He began the 2015 season with the Miracle where he spent half the season before being promoted to the Lookouts. At one point, he went 26 innings without allowing a run. Combined, he went 3-1 with a 2.07 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP and 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Peterson tops out at about 94 mph, but he still is able to miss a lot of bats. He’ll likely begin with the Lookouts, but could get up to AAA in 2016. #38 – Corey Williams - 25 – LHP – Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts Drafted by the Twins in the third round of the 2011 draft out of Vanderbilt. The hard-throwing southpaw touched AA by the end of the season. However, he hurt his elbow in the spring of 2014 and had Tommy John surgery. He missed all of that season and returned to the mound for the Miracle in early June, 14 months after surgery. He posted a 2.49 ERA in 25.1 innings with the Miracle before a 2.25 ERA in eight innings with Chattanooga. Getting through this season was a big thing for Williams. At full strength, it’s not unrealistic that he could pitch for the Twins late in the 2016 season. #37 – Luke Bard - 24 – RHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels After taking Byron Buxton and JO Berrios in the 2012 draft, the Twins used their second supplemental first round pick on Bard, a right-hander from Georgia Tech. From 2012 through 2014, he worked just 19.1 innings for the Twins due to a variety of arm injuries and a series of surgeries. In mid-May of 2014, he had surgery to re-attach a muscle that connects his scapula from his humerous (which isn’t very funny). Doctors were amazed he was able to throw at all. He returned to the mound for the Kernels in late May, just over a year after the surgery. He pitched in a variety of roles out of the Kernels bullpen and went 7-1 with a 2.41 ERA in 52.1 innings. Like Williams, the key was getting through the season healthy. He was back to throwing in the mid-to-upper 90s. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2014 (23), 2013 (20) #36 – Tanner English - 22 – OF – Cedar Rapids Kernels The Twins selected English with their 11th round pick in 2014 out of the University of South Carolina. At 5-10 and 175 pounds, he is a tremendous defensive outfielder with great range and a very powerful, accurate arm. He played for Elizabethton after signing with the Twins, though he missed time with a sore shoulder. He played for Cedar Rapids in the 2014 playoffs. He played for the Kernels in 2015 and hit .265/.359/.406 (.764) with 22 doubles, eight triples and five home runs. He also stole 37 bases. Unfortunately his season ended early following a sprained thumb after a collision in the outfield. He missed the final three weeks plus the Kernels’ run to the MWL championship series. In his final 36 games, he hit .328/.400/.518 (.918). He’ll begin the 2016 season in Ft. Myers. #35 – Mitch Garver - 24 – C – Ft. Myers Miracle Garver was the Twins ninth round pick in 2013 out of the University of New Mexico where he played for four years. He spent that summer in Elizabethton. He moved up to Cedar Rapids in 2014 and was named the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year. In 120 games, he hit .298/.399/.481 (.880) with 29 doubles, 16 homers and 79 RBI. That earned him an invitation to big league spring training. He moved up to Ft. Myers where it was a tale of two seasons for him. On May 31, after 41 games, he was hitting .185/.317/.215 (.532). However, over his final 85 games, he hit .272/.374/.386 (.760). Most have said that his defense really improved in 2015. He threw out 38% of base runners and pitchers really like throwing to him as well. He is currently in the Arizona. On Thursday, he played his first game and went 2-3 with a walk, a double and a three-run home run. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2014 (26) #34 – Lachlan Wells - 18 – LHP – GCL Twins The Twins signed the lefty from Australia in August of 2014. At 6-0 and 185 pounds, Wells is still growing and will add velocity. He debuted in the Gulf Coast League this year and was very good. He made nine starts (and one bullpen appearance). He went 5-2 with a 2.09 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP in 47.1 innings. He walked just 11 and struck out 49. He missed the last week of the season as he went to Japan and represented Australia in the U18 World Championships. It is the same tournament that Lewis Thorpe pitched in two years ago. Wells was on that team as well. Though he doesn’t throw quite as hard as Thorpe does, Wells is certainly one to watch. He will certainly begin 2016 in extended spring training and probably go to Elizabethton, but he could see time in Cedar Rapids. #33 – Mason Melotakis - 24 – LHP – Did Not Pitch Melotakis was the Twins second round pick in 2012 out of Northwestern State University of Louisiana where he was a reliever. Starting in 2013, he got the chance to start. He made 18 starts for Cedar Rapids before moving to the bullpen. In 2014, he made two starts for Ft. Myers before being moved ot the bullpen. He made 25 appearances for the Miracle before moving up to New Britain. He pitched in 13 games. He was supposed to pitch in the Arizona Fall League. However, elbow problems surfaced and he had Tommy John surgery. He missed the entire 2015 season. He should return in the 2016 season. As with others mentioned above, getting him through the season healthy will be priority number one. He’s blessed with a big arm, and a big fastball and a very good breaking ball. Patience is important, but he could surface with the Twins later in the year. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2013 (22) #32 – Zack Jones – 24 – RHP – Chattanooga Lookouts/Ft. Myers Miracle Jones was the Twins fourth round pick in 2012 out of San Jose State. After six games in E-Town, he advanced to Beloit to end the season. He posted a 1.85 ERA for Ft. Myers in 2013 and went to the Arizona Fall League where he pitched in seven games and left early due to lack of feeling in his fingers. Later in the offseason, doctors found an aneurysm in his shoulder and he needed surgery. A blood clot was later found in his leg which cost him more time at the start of the 2014 season. He went to Ft. Myers very late in the 2014 season and was the team’s closer in their championship run. He returned to the AFL. He began 2015 with Chattanooga and was a Southern League All-Star after a strong first half. However, things went downhill at the point and he ended the season Ft. Myers. Despite a tough second half, he remains a guy whose arm could get him to the big leagues. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (24), 2014 (22) #31 – Michael Cederoth – 22 – RHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels Cederoth, a 6-6 right-hander, was the Twins third round pick out of San Diego State. In college, he started and worked out of the bullpen. As a pro, the Twins will give him the opportunity to start. He made ten starts for Elizabethton in 2014. In Cedar Rapids in 2015, he made six starts and five bullpen appearances. He went 1-4 with a 4.08 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. In 35.1 innings, he walked 18 and struck out 37. His season came to an end in early June when he was placed on the disabled list with an illness. He returned for Instructs. Another hard-throwing right-hander who will likely be in the bullpen long term. His near-triple figures fastball and pitch mix could make him dominant. So, what do you think of Part 2, Prospects 31-40? Next week, we’ll continue the countdown. Click here to view the article

Options used in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Some can get a 4th option, but not Santana.

People forget that Dozier debuted at 24, and less than 2 years after being drafted. he was a 4-year college senior, so the circumstances were different for him. Michael was still just 20 when he was drafted after his junior season.

Lester Oliveros isn't on the 40 man roster. Hasn't been since spring training... I also believe that Danny Santana is out of options.

Maybe, and I think he's got the talent to move up the list. Maybe it's a case of having done this for a decade, but I tend to draw back on things from years past and maybe it makes me more conservative on some and less so on others. 2014's 9th round pick put up much bigger numbers at E-Town and moved up to CR quicker. He struggled in 2015 back with the Kernels and isn't on this top 50... Now, I've also been around long enough to know that these are just fun rankings and in the long run don't matter. Both of those players could be Top 20 guys by the end of 2016. You just don't know. But the BB:K rate of Wade is very encouraging. We just haven't seen enough of him yet to know. I just couldn't put him any higher... yet.