Seth Stohs

As we continue to review information as the 2015 MLB Draft approaches, I thought it would be interesting to look back at players selected with the sixth overall pick. That is the pick that the Minnesota Twins will make on Monday, June 8. So often, we look at the draft and think that, especially with a high first-round pick, the team has to get it right. The team has to find a big league star. The reality is that the draft is a complete crap shoot and it is nearly impossible to predict which players will become big leaguers, much less perennial All Stars.I looked at all of the first-round draft picks going all the way back to the beginning. 1965 was the first year of the amateur draft. I lumped all of the first-round picks together and ran some fun pivot tables. Some of the results are interesting, even surprising. First, let’s take a look the Average WAR (Wins Above Replacement) for the top 12 players selected each year. Admittedly, there is no perfect way of making the data mean a lot. The sample size is just too small. There have been 50 drafts, but the data is incomplete for anyone who continues to play. So, be sure to take this information with a grain of salt. Pick / Avg WAR 1 / 40.8 2 / 35.5 3 / 48.4 4 / 44.6 5 / 38.6 6 / 56.7 7 / 37.1 8 / 49.2 9 / 28.8 10 / 34.5 11 / 26.3 12 / 32.0 The data on this chart shows that the #6 pick has proven to be the best over the history of the MLB Draft. At 56.7 WAR, the #6 spot is 7.5 WAR ahead of the next highest position, the #8 spot. Now, the #6 spot has produced some of the best baseball players in history. The Pittsburgh Pirates took an outfielder from Arizona State with the sixth pick of the 1985 MLB Draft. Barry Bonds turned into one of the best hitters of all time. He posted 162.4 WAR.The Milwaukee Brewers drafted a shortstop out of a high school in Tampa Bay. Gary Sheffield was one of the most feared hitters in baseball during his playing days. He posted a career WAR of 60.2.In 1992, the New York Yankees took a tall, skinny shortstop out of a Michigan high school with the sixth pick. Derek Jeter became the face of Major League Baseball for almost two decades. He posted a career WAR of 71.8.Jeter will most likely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Bonds is the all time home run leader and should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer. And for similar reasons, despite over 500 home runs and an OPS over .900, Sheffield was not, but should have been, a first-ballot Hall of Famer. There is a second tier of players that were also taken with the sixth overall pick in an MLB Draft. Zack Greinke was the sixth overall pick out of high school in 2002. He was at 42.0 WAR coming into this season. That is just ahead of Andy Van Slyke (41.2 WAR) who was the Cardinals’ first-round pick in 1979. Kevin McReynolds (29.9) was the top pick of the Padres in 1981. John Mayberry (24.7) was the Astros top pick in 1967. The Cardinals selected Terry Kennedy (21.5) with the sixth overall pick in 1977. Spike Owen (12.5) was the Mariners first round pick in 1982. Former Twins outfielder Ken Landreaux (10.4) was the Angels first round pick in 1976. Former Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli (10.2) was the sixth pick in the 2000 draft. If not for his injuries, his numbers could have been greater. Of 50 sixth overall picks in the MLB draft, only those 11 players have posted a WAR of 10 for their career. To be fair, there are players selected with the sixth overall pick in recent years who are likely to surpass 10 WAR in the next few years. That includes Washington Nationals infielder Anthony Rendon and New York Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler. The last three #6 picks were Albert Almora (Cubs 2012), Colin Moran (Marlins 2013), and Alex Jackson (Mariners 2014). Obviously they have yet to play in the big leagues and could alter these numbers. Of the 50 players taken with the sixth overall pick, 13 players have a negative WAR or 0 WAR. Another 14 of them never (or have not yet) played in the big leagues. Twins fans will likely remember the 1998 draft. The Minnesota Twins took a left-handed starting pitcher. He was very successful in college baseball while playing at powerhouse Arizona State University. He was said to have great mechanics and had worked with his father all the way up. Ryan Mills never pitched in a big league game. The draft is one way for an organization to accumulate talent. Having a high draft pick certainly should increase the odds of getting a more talented, elite-level prospect. But it doesn’t guarantee anything. We would all love for whoever the Twins pick this year to become the next Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield or Derek Jeter. We should also be thrilled if that player becomes the next Zack Greinke or Andy Van Slyke. The important thing to remember is that it’s possible to get a Brian Dozier in the eighth round or a Kent Hrbek in the 17th round. Click here to view the article

On Wednesdays, Jeremy Nygaard is responsible for the Twins Minor League Report. However, he was at the Twins game with his kids and a bunch of school kids. They got to see the Twins sweep the Boston Red Sox and move into a tie for first place with the Royals in the AL Central. They also got to help Jeremy celebrate his birthday. We won’t disclose how old Jeremy is, but it is quite a bit older than JO Berrios who celebrated his 21st birthday on Wednesday. The Ft. Myers Miracle won in extra innings on Wednesday night to improve to 23-22, the first time they’ve been over .500 since early April. That is interesting because now all four of the Minnesota Twins minor league affiliates – and the big league club – are playing over .500. There have not been many times in recent years when we could say that.With that, we were back to a full slate of games in the Twins farm system on Wednesday. Continue to read how the teams and the players did. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 8, Durham 2 Box Score The Red Wings got good pitching, six doubles and a late home run to win a Wednesday afternoon game in North Carolina. Taylor Rogers got the starting nod. The left-hander went seven innings and gave up two runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out three to improve to 4-3 with a 3.34 ERA on the season. Casey Fien struck out two in a rehab outing. He pitched perfect innings in back-to-back and likely will be with the Twins when they start their series at Target Field against the Blue Jays on Friday. AJ Achter came in for the ninth inning and struck out two. Jose Martinez went 3-4 with his fourth double. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 2-5 with his 10th and 11th doubles. Kennys Vargas went 2-4 with a walk and his second double. Doug Bernier went 2-4 and drove in two runs with his fourth double. Danny Ortiz added his 11th double of the year. Argenis Diaz went 1-3 with two walks. Josmil Pinto hit a late, two-run homer, his fifth of the season. It was his first hit in 19 at -bats. Coming into Wednesday, he was hitting .158/.200/.281 (.481) in his last 15 games. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Biloxi 8 Box Score The Lookouts have the best record in the Southern League North Division. Biloxi has the best record in the Southern League Southern Division. The two teams began a five-game series in Chattanooga on Wednesday night and hopefully each game will be as competitive as this one. Things started out well for the Lookouts. In the bottom of the first inning, they got on the board when a Travis Harrison single scored Jorge Polanco. In the third inning, Buxton led off with a double and advanced to third. He scored one batter later on a Miguel Sano groundout. The Lookouts then scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a commanding 6-1 lead. Adam Walker doubled off the top of the wall in left field to score Max Kepler. Walker later scored on a wild pitch. Soon after, Buxton launched a ball to deep center field. It stayed in the ballpark and instead of another triple, Buxton raced all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park home run. Unfortunately, the Lookouts were not able to add more. Alex Wimmers got the start and was charged with two runs on six hits and a walk in five innings. Cole Johnson came on and struggled mightily. He was charged with three runs on two hits and two walks in just 0.2 innings. Nick Burdi came on to get out of that inning, holding the 6-5 lead. However, he gave up a run in the seventh on two hits to tie the score at six. Jake Reed pitched a perfect eighth frame. JT Chargois came on for his Double-A debut. He got the first two batters out, but then he gave up three straight singles. Fortunately, a Walker-to-Sano-to-Kepler relay throw got the runner trying to take the lead. Madison Boer came in for the 10th inning. He walked two and both came around to score. The Lookouts were unable to tie the score in the bottom of the 10th inning, and that was the ballgame. Buxton led the way. He hit his sixth home run and his sixth double. Travis Harrison went 3-5. Stuart Turner went 2-4 with his third home run. Max Kepler had two hits, including his 14th double. Jorge Polanco also had two hits. The Lookouts are now 28-17 while the Shuckers improve to 28-18. For Biloxi, shortstop Orlando Arcia went 3-6 in the game with a double and a home run. He is now hitting .343 with 13 doubles and three home runs this season. As you may have already guessed, the 20-year-old infielder is the brother of Twins outfielder Oswaldo Arcia. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 6, Clearwater 5 (10 innings) Box Score Mat Batts had to wait an extra day to make his Miracle and Florida State League debut, but it didn’t faze him at all. He pitched very well. The left-hander worked seven innings and gave up just one run. He gave up six hits, walked one and struck out three. As impressive, he has a 12-to-3 groundout-to-flyout rate in the game. Batts left the game with a 4-1 lead. Ethan Mildren began the eighth inning for the Miracle. He gave up two runs on three hits and got just two outs. Todd Van Steensel came on and got the final out of the eighth inning before the tying run scored. However, he was charged with a run on two hits and three walks (one intentional) in the ninth. It tied the game at four and sent the teams to extra innings. In the top of the 10th, a Niko Goodrum single drove in two runs and gave the team a 6-4 lead. Alex Muren came on for the bottom of the tenth. He gave up an unearned run on two hits, but it was good enough to record his first save of the season. Alex Swim got on base four times. He went 2-3 with two walks. Chad Christensen had two hits including his second home run. Goodrum had two hits including the big 10th inning hit. Zach Granite had an RBI double early in the game. With the win, the Miracle are now 23-22. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Wisconsin 3 Box Score For the 30th time this season, the Cedar Rapids Kernels were able to shake hands at the end of the game following a win. They fell behind 2-0 early, but after that, it was all Kernels. Felix Jorge made his eighth start of the season, and for the seventh time, he completed six innings. He was charged with three runs on five hits. He walked none and struck out five. Lefty Jose Velez came on and worked scoreless seventh and eighth innings. He gave up just one hit, walked none and struck out two. Luke Bard gave up a walk and a hit, but no runs, in the ninth inning to close out the game. Everyone contributed to the offensive output on this night. All nine hitters had at least one hit. Five players had doubles. Nick Gordon went 1-3 with two walks and his fifth double. Max Murphy went 2-3 with a walk, his ninth double and three RBI. Trey Vavra did not play after hurting his ankle on Tuesday night. He said it was swollen but not serious. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Mat Batts, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byron Buxton, Chattanooga Lookouts THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester – No Game Scheduled Biloxi @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – LHP David Hurlbut Ft. Myers @ Clearwater (DH @ 4:00 CST) – RHP Ryan Eades, LHP Brett Lee Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Jared Wilson Please feel free to discuss the Twins minor league system and the games from Wednesday. Click here to view the article

Yeah, I didn't phrase that well... my point was just that if it's a guy that can be Ben Revere, it's a good pick later in the round, not at 6. Just from talking to Jeremy, I do think his upside is higher by quite a bit.

I'd have to leave that to Jeremy to say what the comp is... I hope people realize how few "Byron Buxtons" there are, and that even at six, you're most likely not going to find one. If his downside is Revere, that's a pretty good guy to take... in the late first or 2nd round, but you're right, not at 6. I seem to think he has a bit more power than that though.

Vandy just continues to be a hot bed for pitchers. It's remarkable!

JO Berrios turned 21 years old today and he's pitched in AA for almost a year (20 starts maybe?). Hu made 9 starts in Cedar Rapids (and less in Elizabethton) and he's now doing well in Ft. Myers and will likely be up in Chattanooga soon. Stewart is already in Ft. Myers and Gonsalves will be there shortly. I think this concept of being afraid to move pitchers up quickly should go away.We're talking about a max of 3-4 more starts, not another year.

Booser is still learning to pitch, but he tops out at 100. I can't think of one decent reason that Hildenberger remains in Cedar Rapids (other than the playoff thing, which might be it). He's just so good. 22 consecutive scoreless innings. Well over a K per IP. Very good control. He needs to move up. And will.

First, thank you for sharing your thoughts from the game. It's always fun to read first-hand perspectives. As for the scoreboard reading of the pitches, the scouts are right. We've written about that several times in these forums before, but the Cedar Rapids scoreboard is 2-3 mph slow. The assumed reasoning is the positioning of the radar gun itself. It was reported last night that his final pitch, a strikeout, came on a fastball that hit 94.

Perkins is the one given, though I don't necessarily think he'd be leading fan voting if fans voted for pitchers. Fan voting results are weird sometimes. I think Dozier should be an All Star, but there are many more quality second baseman than third baseman, so Plouffe may be just as (or more?) likely to make it than Dozier. Gibson (and to this point Pelfrey) seem like the types that will get passed by for an All Star nod by bigger names. Fair or not.

It's definitely not an ideal scenario for a team to have to get more than 3 outs from the closer. Obviously the can do it. We often hear about how Torre did it with Mariano, but he only did that in the playoffs (for the most part). Gardy even went 3 innings with his closer once in the playoffs. I do think the "Different Voice" thing is a big factor. Gardy was pretty set on a lineup whereas Molitor completely seems to go with his gut from day to day, altering Hunter between 2nd and 5th. Suzuki between 5th and 7th. It's all over the place. I also do think that Hunter is a big part of it too.

Yeah, you still get the 'ping' but it's not the same as it used to. They're composites.

I was just going to come here and link to your game story... It is important that Gonsalves work on that breaking ball. He can get away with it not being great in Low A ball, but as he moves up, he will need it. Is it better for a 20 year old to work on that pitch at a level that he can succeed, or move him up to a tougher level where he will need it? (I don't think this is a simple answer at all) Either way, I expect him to move up very soon.

Yep, I thought that Mat Batts would be promoted first because he was also dominating the level and he is 3-4 years older. Jared Wilson is also pitching well and he recently turned 25. All that said, Gonsalves is ready to move up soon.

JO Berrios and Kohl Stewart each made 19 starts for Cedar Rapids. Chih-Wei Hu made just nine starts in the second half of the 2014 season for the Kernels. On Tuesday night, Stephen Gonsalves made his 16th Midwest League start since late last season. It’s hard to imagine, with the numbers that he has put up this year, that he will make too many more starts for the Kernels, if any.Just two games were played on Tuesday night and a couple of transactions occurred, but an interesting day in the Twins farm system. TRANSACTIONS JT Chargois has been promoted from Ft. Myers to the Chattanooga Lookouts. The flame-thrower did not pitch in 2013 or 2014 due to elbow problems and eventually had Tommy John surgery. He returned to the Instructional League last fall and reportedly was hitting triple-digits with regularity. The 24-year-old was the Twins second- round pick in 2012 out of Rice University where he was the co-closer with current Red Wings starter Tyler Duffey. He has pitched in 16 games this year for the Miracle. He is 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. In 15 innings, he has walked five and struck out 19.To make room for Chargois on the Lookouts roster, Dallas Gallant was sent to the Miracle. Gallant dominated in 2014 in Cedar Rapids and jumped over the Florida State League. The 26-year-old who has also missed quite a bit of time due to injury and also a 50-game suspension has gone 1-1 with a 5.06 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP with the Lookouts. In 16 innings (12 games), he walked eight and struck out nine. Like Chargois, Gallant also throws quite hard, though he tops out at about 96.To keep tabs on the transactions in the Twins minor leagues, check out our Twins Minor League Transactions thread. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Durham 2 Box Score The Red Wings went with a bullpen game on Tuesday night in Durham. Casey Fien, in his second rehab appearance, started the game. He needed just nine pitches to get through a perfect first inning. Lester Oliveros came on and went the next 2.1 innings. He gave up one run on two hits. He walked two and struck out four. Logan Darnell was next. The left-hander gave up one hit and walked one over 1.2 scoreless innings. He struck out four. Caleb Thielbar gave up one run on two hits in 1.2 innings. He walked none and struck out three. AJ Achter came on and got the final out on a strikeout. The Red Wings had eight hits, but were able to score just one run. James Beresford was the lone hitter with more than one hit. He went 2-4 with his ninth double of the season. Danny Ortiz went 1-3 with a walk and his 10th double. Oswaldo Arcia played in his first rehab game. He batted third and DHed. He went 0-3, but his sacrifice fly scored the team’s only run. Kennys Vargas, batting fourth, went 0-4. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga Box Score The Lookouts had a scheduled off day on Tuesday after getting rained out on Monday. Two days without a Lookouts game is tough on Twins Minor League fans!! MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers @ Clearwater Box Score Rain fell throughout the afternoon on the west coast of Florida, and after over an hour delay, the game was postponed. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Thursday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 1 Box Score Despite the game being delayed for over an hour, the Kernels got an incredibly well-pitched game. Stephen Gonsalves made the start and it was right up there with his best. The left-hander went six innings. He gave up one unearned run on three hits. He walked one and struck out a career-high 12 batters. On the season, he has now walked 11 and struck out 66 batters in 48 innings. Michael Cederoth, who was recently moved back to the bullpen, came in and continued the domination. He struck out three batters in two perfect innings. He has nine strikeouts and only one run allowed in 6.1 innings in relief. Cameron Booser recorded his fifth save with a perfect ninth inning. Tanner English led the offense. The center fielder went 2-3 with two walks. He also stole three bases in the game and has 16 on the season. Nick Gordon went 1-2 with two walks, and he stole his ninth and tenth bases. Jorge Fernandez went 2-4 with his seventh double which drove in a run. Trey Vavra had an RBI double in the first inning. Vavra left the game in the third inning when he hurt his leg sliding for a ball near the tarp. He walked off under his own power, limping noticeably though. Later in the game, catcher Brian Navaretto re-injured the same wrist that caused him to miss about three weeks of games. (UPDATE - Jeff Johnson from the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported after the game that Navarreto's thumb was bent back on a foul ball. It was not his wrist.) The Kernels are now 29-17. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Stephen Gonsalves, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Tanner English, Cedar Rapids Kernels WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Durham (1:05 CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers Biloxi @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – RHP Alex Wimmers Ft. Myers @ Clearwater (DH @ 5:00 CST) – LHP Mat Batts Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Felix Jorge Feel free to discuss the Twins farm system and the goings on from Tuesday. Click here to view the article

I'll let Jeremy answer your questions however he likes. He's the most tuned in to all of this. I'll just remind people that we started profiles today with Buehler and will be profiling more players each day of the next 2 weeks.

Yup, they'll certainly go Best Player Available. There just seems to be so little (ok No) consensus for who might be there at 6.

I'm sure many would love that. Let's hope Nolasco and Pelfrey continue to pitch well.

They must have decided to have him skip a start (not unusual in the lower levels due to innings limits)... He's scheduled to pitch again on Saturday.

Makes for a long evening, doesn't it?!

Interesting that you'd have Brady Aiken being taken by the Royals.Just last year, they took the guy who everyone thought should go higher, but for injury concerns/performance, fell. Last year is was Sean Manaea in the supplemental 1st round. Good pick for them at that point, if he's willing to sign. This is going to be an interesting draft. Compared to years past, pretty much anything can happen.

On Monday, the Minnesota Twins topped the Boston Red Sox by a score of 7-2. The win, coupled with the Tigers loss, puts the Twins in second place in the AL Central, just two games behind the Kansas City Royals. It’s still early, but we are 42 games in, over one-quarter of the season is complete. That means that three-quarters of the season remains. A lot can happen, good and bad. However, there are several reasons to believe that the team can continue to play well, and maybe even compete long into the season.NOT OVER THEIR HEADS The Twins are eight games over .500 and yet they aren’t being led by any players who are playing over their heads. Looking at the stat sheet, there are some players having solid 2015 seasons, but not to a point where it seems unsustainable. Only three players – Brian Dozier (.835), Trevor Plouffe (.826), and Torii Hunter (.796) – have an OPS over .720. Brian Dozier’s not going to hit 35 home runs (most likely) this season, but we know he can hit 20. Torii Hunter could hit 20, and so could Trevor Plouffe. Joe Mauer has been OK (.712 OPS) It is fair to say that the Twins can get more from Oswaldo Arcia. Kennys Vargas was already sent to AAA to become more productive, and Danny Santana certainly could return to Rochester at any point. It’s not surprising that those two sophomores are slumping, or regressing, if you prefer. Center field was always going to be a stopgap position with Jordan Schafer. He was putting in time until the team deemed Aaron Hicks ready to return. That happened recently and although he hasn’t hit yet, he has played some really strong defense. On the pitching side, Glen Perkins has shown he is healthy and he’s been one of baseball’s best closers all season. That isn’t something that I would consider over his head. His fastball/slider combo is devastating, and he is an All-Star. The bullpen has performed well. Aaron Thompson was very good in the first month, and Blaine Boyer has been far better than expected. However, the Twins have been successful in recent years with signing relievers to minor league contracts, giving them a chance and seeing success. That was the case with Jared Burton and Casey Fien. Speaking of Fien, he hasn’t been a part of the bullpen most of the season, and he’s been very good the last two years. The Twins starting rotation has been the big reason for the team’s success. They are giving up about a run less per nine innings and that difference has been huge to the Twins success. Ricky Nolasco has won five games in a row since a clunker in his first game and a DL stint, but he hasn’t pitched out of his head. He’s had good success in the past. Kyle Gibson may not post a sub-3.00 ERA all season, but there has always been at least some belief from many that he could be a successful ground ball pitcher. Mike Pelfrey hasn’t been good for several years, and he’s not going to post a 3.00 ERA, but he is finally healthy. Phil Hughes has a 4.50 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. He certainly can be better. And, Trevor May has been all right, and better of late. As important as anything, it's important to note that the manager, Paul Molitor, does not appear to be in over his head. I know some were concerned since he had no game-managing experience at any level. However, he's been involved in the game for nearly 40 years and knows it well. DEPTH For a team to win and win over the course of the season, it must have depth. We know that a team won’t go through a season with only five starting pitchers. The Twins have already used six. Odds are, they will need more. Injuries are part of the game. Demotions and promotions are part of the game. The Twins minor league system has been touted as one of the best in baseball the last couple of years. Some of those prospects are getting close to being ready to contribute. This time, let’s start with the starting rotation. The current starting five has been solid. There should be no question that Tommy Milone is a big leaguer. He is a solid back-half of the rotation starter. He’s toiling, and dominating, in Rochester right now. He should be up, but he’s going to have to bide his time until needed. I also believe that if it came down to it, the Twins could get competent starts from the likes of non-roster pitchers Tyler Duffey and Taylor Rogers. Who knows? By the end of the season, it’s possible that J.O. Berrios could debut in 2015. In the bullpen, AJ Achter and Lester Oliveros have been terrific in Rochester. Caleb Thielbar has been struggling with his control some in Rochester, but Logan Darnell and Ryan O’Rourke are also pitching well out of the Red Wings bullpen as well. Zack Jones has clearly been Chattanooga’s top reliever, though both Nick Burdi and Jake Reed have been significantly better since the calendar turned to May. Those last three guys can all hit 96+ mph consistently. And now, Alex Meyer is pitching out of the Red Wings bullpen. If he can go with his elite fastball and slider, dropping the other pitches and re-finding his control, he can be an upper-echelon reliever in time too. Look around the diamond too. If there were an injury at any position, there would be someone who could come in and not hurt the team. Prospects could also come up and gain experience. Eddie Rosario is a good example of this. He has shown some glimpses of what he can become, but he’s also had moments that show that he’s got more improvement to make before coming up full time. At catcher, Josmil Pinto and Eric Fryer are at AAA. Pinto is slumping, but the general belief is that he will hit. Stuart Turner is in AA. At first base, Kennys Vargas is now at AAA. The Twins signed Ryan Wheeler last week to a minor league deal. He’s still just 26 years old and has big league time in each of the last three seasons. At shortstop, Eduardo Escobar could take over should the Twins decide to send Danny Santana back to AAA. Jorge Polanco is producing well in that stacked Chattanooga lineup. He could play shortstop or second base if needed. Miguel Sano has been on fire since the beginning of May. His defense could aptly be called spotty, but he can make the plays and has the arm to play the position. He would likely strike out a ton if called up for a couple of weeks or a month, but he could also hit a few home runs. In the outfield, Rosario and Hicks are already there. Oswaldo Arcia is starting a rehab stint in Rochester now. Byron Buxton appears to have come out of his slump recently. He’s been really streaky this season, but his athleticism and talent have been on display. He could be an option at some point this season too. SUMMARY The Twins have been one of the bigger surprises so far during the 2015 season. There are still a lot of question marks with the roster, but it’s not hard to be more optimistic than we have been in recent years. Aside from some bullpen guys, where variability should be expected, there aren’t a lot of Twins performing way over their heads. And should some players struggle or get hurt the organization now has some depth that should help it overcome. And finally, some of that touted, elite prospect talent is starting to get close. If nothing else, isn’t it nice for Twins fans to have reason for optimism? Click here to view the article