Seth Stohs

It's usually around June 3rd or something... It may have bumped into May. Don't really know officially until after the season is complete.

He was an infielder growing up and with trainers and stuff, and he wasn't getting signed. Someone realized he had a big arm, and he was turned into a pitcher and the Twins signed him. Seems like a good decision at this point. He's a case where age-to-level just doesn't matter right now.

If he can post a .700 OPS with league average catcher defense, that would be pretty strong!

It'll happen. It's not IF, it's just WHEN.

To be determined... Ha! Some have higher ceilings, and some have lower floors.

Might be better at developing HS OFers than pitchers? Maybe. Ha!

While we may think that, and it may eventually be true, gotta get through the first months in the big leagues to really find out. I think he'll be very good, as long as he has control and command. He's finally doing that , most of the time, for the first time this year.

Each year I like to update my Top Prospect rankings right before the draft. My most recent rankings were done for the 2016 Prospect Handbook, so last December. (I posted them here in March.) It’s time for a new ranking as several things have happened, including players “graduating’ from prospect status as well as a couple months of games and new information. Today, I’ll do kind of a lightning round for prospects 21-40 and then over the next two days, I’ll do ten prospects at a time. These prospect rankings are fun. They’re not scientific. They involve many factors including, but not limited to, age, performance, level of competition, reports from players, coaches, front office types, as well as my eye test from spring training, a trip to Cedar Rapids and watching several games on MiLB.TV There are several purposes for writing these. First, it gives you some names to consider as you are reading our minor league reports. Second, these players (and really all of the minor leaguers, but I’m not going to rank 150 players!) deserve to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to their profession. Third, it’s always fun to discuss these lists and the players involved. I’m pretty certain that not 100% of you will agree with 100% of my rankings. In fact, I’m certain no one would share the exact same Top 40, so feel free to discuss in the forum. I enjoy answering any questions you may have. With that, let’s get started. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs (photos include L to R (and Top to Bottom): Jermaine Palacios, Edgar Corcino, Zach Granite, Trevor Hildenberger, Mitch Garver) Each year I like to update my Top Prospect rankings right before the draft. My most recent rankings were done for the 2016 Prospect Handbook, so last December. (I posted them here in March.) It’s time for a new ranking as several things have happened, including players “graduating’ from prospect status as well as a couple months of games and new information. Today, I’ll do kind of a lightning round for prospects 21-40 and then over the next two days, I’ll do ten prospects at a time. These prospect rankings are fun. They’re not scientific. They involve many factors including, but not limited to, age, performance, level of competition, reports from players, coaches, front office types, as well as my eye test from spring training, a trip to Cedar Rapids and watching several games on MiLB.TV There are several purposes for writing these. First, it gives you some names to consider as you are reading our minor league reports. Second, these players (and really all of the minor leaguers, but I’m not going to rank 150 players!) deserve to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to their profession. Third, it’s always fun to discuss these lists and the players involved. I’m pretty certain that not 100% of you will agree with 100% of my rankings. In fact, I’m certain no one would share the exact same Top 40, so feel free to discuss in the forum. I enjoy answering any questions you may have. With that, let’s get started. It's always tough to come up with those final prospects not matter if you go with a list of 30, or 40, or 50, or whatever. So, I'm going to go with a tie for #40... I also want to mention a couple of Cedar Rapids Kernels that were very strongly considered for a spot as well. 1B Zander Wiel is a 23-year-old first baseman out of Vanderbilt. He has heated up since the weather in Iowa warmed up and does a nice job defensively too. Also, catcher AJ Murray has been a very good hitter much of the season. He's still a work-in-progress behind the plate since he caught very little at Georgia Tech. But he's a really hard worker, and Jake Mauer said that he is similar to where Mitch Garver was two years ago. Definitely a couple of Kernels to watch. There are many others at each level who fit into the "prospect" category as well, but a Top 40 has to end somewhere. So, here is my Top 40 (or 41, if you will). #40 (Tie) - RH RP Williams Ramirez (23 - Cedar Rapids Kernels) and Johan Quezada (21 - Extended Spring Training) I didn’t know how to separate them. These are two very hard-throwing right handers who had a lot of success last year in the GCL. Ramirez recently was promoted to Cedar Rapids where he has been terrific, throwing a fastball 94-97 with a really good breaking ball. Quezada is dominating in extended spring training with a fastball 95-99. Quezada has really grown since signing. Literally, he’s added about 8 inches of height and almost 10 mph to his fastball. Ramirez has only been a pitcher for three or four years. In other words, both have plenty of room for improvement. #39 - RHP Yorman Landa - 21 - Ft. Myers Miracle Landa missed time with shoulder problems in 2014 and 2015, but he showed enough late last year with the Kernels - including a 99 mph fastball - to be added to the 40-man roster for the Twins. He’s had some ups and downs with the Miracle so far this year, but overall, he has pitched well, whether asked to throw one inning or three. #38 - 1B Amaurys Minier - 20 - Extended Spring Training Minier signed from the Dominican in 2013 and has been moved quite slowly, primarily due to several injuries that cost him time early in seasons. Unfortunately, his bat also has moved along slowly and he will return to the rookie leagues (unless promoted soon) for another year. He’s still very young, and when he works hard, he does have a good swing that could produce a lot of power. #37 - OF Jaylin Davis - 21 - Extended Spring Training Davis is a bit of a sleeper, maybe a surprise to even see on this list. He was drafted a year ago out of Appalachian State. He fell in the draft due to injury and did not play a year ago. However, Davis has tremendous power and much more potential. Reports from Ft. Myers indicate that he is crushing home runs all over the field with a powerful swing. He is a solid outfielder, and he is also a guy who could skip Elizabethton and go to Cedar Rapids if there was a need. #36 - OF Tanner English - 23 - Ft. Myers Miracle English was the Twins top minor league defensive outfielder in 2015. He began this season in Ft. Myers, but a series of events have slowed things down for him. He was hit in the head with a pitch and missed a couple of days. He had Lasik eye surgery and on the last day of his rehab assignment with the EST squad, someone landed on his foot and hurt his ankle. So he’s been rehabbing that. English is a good top-of-the-order type of hitter who led the minor league system in stolen bases last year. He should be back to the Miracle shortly. #35 - OF Zach Granite - 23 - Chattanooga Lookouts Granite had a tough, injury-filled 2014. So he began 2015 with the Kernels. After a strong April in which he was named Minor League Hitter of the Month by the Twins, he was promoted to Ft. Myers where he was solid. This year, he jumped right to Chattanooga and has been their leadoff hitter almost every day since. He takes very professional at-bats and knows his job is to find ways to get on base. He’s doing that, and when he gets on base, he is looking to keep running. He already has 25 stolen bases this season. #34 - LH RP Mason Melotakis - 24 - Chattanooga Lookouts “Melo” missed all of the 2015 season after having Tommy John surgery the fall before. With reports of him hitting 97 mph in Instructional League last fall, the Twins needed to add him to the 40-man roster or risk losing him in the Rule 5 draft. He went to big league spring training and then reported to the Lookouts. He struggled early, as you would expect, but he has been much better of late. #33 - OF Edgar Corcino - 24 - Ft. Myers Miracle One of the best pure athletes in the organization, Corcino signed with the Twins before the 2015 season out of independent baseball. He had been drafted and spent a couple of seasons in the Tigers system. After a strong showing in Cedar Rapids in the second half last year, he moved up to Ft. Myers this year. He started slow, not playing every day in April. In May, the Twins selected him as their Minor League Hitter of the Month. He plays great outfield defense at all three positions. He has good speed. And, he has extra base pop in his bat. Definitely one to watch as he just turned 24 today. #32 - LHP Jason Wheeler - 25 - Rochester Red Wings In 2014, Wheeler had a solid half-season, repeating in Ft. Myers and carried it into a strong showing in AA. Following that season, he was added to the 40-man roster. He started in Rochester in 2015 for some reason and really struggled. Late last year, he was removed from the 40-man and cleared. He went on to be the MVP of the Southern League championship series. He began this season with the Lookouts and was quickly called up to AAA where he has been lights-out most every outing. At 6-6, he does not throw real hard, but like the other lefties in the Red Wings rotation, he has good control and mixes his pitches well. #31 - OF Travis Harrison - 23 - Chattanooga Lookouts Harrison is repeating at AA Chattanooga this year and has been solid in the middle of the Lookouts lineup. His outfield defense has improved and his approach at the plate has improved. He has been productive offensively despite similar numbers to last year. I believe that he is in line for a strong second half. Still just 23, Harrison has time to grow into his potential. #30 - RHP Huascar Ynoa - 18 - Extended Spring Training While his brother Michael was signed to a huge free agent bonus (about $4 million) as a 16-year-old, the Twins were able to sign Huscar for around $850K. He pitched in the DSL last year and will be making his stateside debut this year. He has been pitching quite well in EST, flashing a fastball in the 90-95 range with the ability to dominate. He just turned 18 and will likely pitch in the GCL this year. #29 - C Stuart Turner - 24 - Chattanooga Lookouts Turner was the Twins 3rd-round pick in 2013 out of Mississippi where he was named the top catcher in college baseball. In 2014, he skipped Cedar Rapids and jumped to Ft. Myers. He struggled with the bat. In 2015, he went to Chattanooga where he was good defensively but struggled with the bat. Finally in 2016, he is sticking at the same level, hopefully allowing his bat to catch up. He started out strong with lots of walks and doubles. He’s slowed, but he does have a good approach at the plate. Many still believe he is a top defensive catcher. #28 - LHP Lachlan Wells - 19 - Extended Spring Training The Australian had a strong debut in 2015 in the GCL, putting up numbers very similar to what Lewis Thorpe put up a couple of years earlier at that level. He even left right before the end of the season to pitch for Team Australia in an international competition, just as Thorpe had. While Wells doesn’t throw as hard as Thorpe can, he does know and understand how to pitch and shows a lot of poise on the mound. He should pitch for Elizabethton. #27 - RH RP Jake Reed - 23 - Chattanooga Lookouts The last two offseasons, Reed has dominated in the hitter-friendly Arizona Fall League. However, for the second straight year he has really struggled in the AA Southern League. That said, he has been much better of late. His mid-90s fastball gets a lot of movement, so command has been an issue for him at times. Other times, he can flat-out dominate. #26 - 2B Luis Arraez - 19 - Cedar Rapids Kernels One of the biggest surprises, for me, early in the season has been Arraez. I was surprised that he started in Cedar Rapids, and I thought maybe he would just get a little experience before going down to Elizabethton when the short-season started. Though he didn’t play a lot the first week or two, he was given an opportunity and he has fully taken advantage of it. He has been a catalyst at the top of the Kernels’ lineup, hitting over .320 and taking really good, professional at bats. #25 - IF Travis Blankenhorn - 19 - Extended Spring Training Blankenhorn was the Twins 3rd-round pick a year ago out of high school. A tremendous athlete, he played for the GCL and Elizabethton teams in 2015. This spring in EST, he has shown some glimpses of his big potential. He has a nice swing and should develop some power over time. Interestingly, drafted as a third baseman, he has spent almost all of his time in EST playing second base. #24 - RH RP Trevor Hildenberger - 25 - Chattanooga Lookouts He was our choice for Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year last year with his work in Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers in his first full professional season. He even pitched well in the Arizona Fall League. The side-winding right-hander started with the Miracle this year, but after just a few weeks, he quickly advanced to AA where he has continued to pitch great. Where many have struggled, Hildenberger has put up great numbers and become the team’s reliable closer. A 22nd-round pick just two years ago, he could get to Minnesota yet this year, or certainly put himself into consideration for a spot early in 2017. #23 - SS Jermaine Palacios - 19 - Cedar Rapids Kernels Palacios burst on the scene last year when he dominated (offensively) in the GCL and Elizabethton in his first year in the United States. The 19-year-old began this season in Cedar Rapids but it has been slow-going for the talented Venezuelan. After hitting a combined .370 last year, he has been hovering around (and mostly below) the Mendoza Line most of this season. Defensively, he’s got a ways to go, but the skills are there. Could he go to Elizabethton when the short-season starts? #22 - SS Engelb Vielma - 21 - Ft. Myers Miracle Vielma had a solid season in 2015 in Ft. Myers which led to a spring training invite to big league camp. He began the season with the Lookouts, but he has twice been on the disabled list already. In the last week, he was activated and sent back to Ft. Myers just to get more at-bats. He should move up to Chattanooga again soon. The slick-fielding shortstop could hit for average and should play very good defense, though he did struggle early in the season. #21 - C Mitch Garver - 25 - Chattanooga Lookouts It has been his bat that has carried Garver through much of his minor league career, but it is his defense behind the plate that is moving him up this list this time around. He has thrown out 64% of would-be base stealers so far this season and is listed among the top catchers in baseball in pitch framing. Pitchers have also enjoyed working with him in the past. His bat has been solid in the Southern League. He’s hitting .265 with 11 doubles and two homers in 40 games. When not catching, he has played some at first base and frequently at DH. He did miss about a week with a concussion. So there you have it, a quick glance at my updated prospects 21-40. What are your thoughts? Noticing any trends yet? Tomorrow we’ll dive into prospects 11-20. But for today, consider my list above. Ask questions, and start thinking about how your top 20, 30 or 40 Twins prospect list might look. View full article

I'm Eduardo Nunez. Yes, I'm the real Eduardo Nunez. All you other Eduardo Nunez's are just imitating.

https://twitter.com/MiracleBaseball/status/739917571894349824

Double-A Chattanooga right-handed pitcher Trevor Hildenberger is the Twins minor league Player of the Week...Hildenberger appeared in three games for the Lookouts, pitching 3.0 scoreless innings, with no hits allowed, no walks, two strikeouts and two saves...he was drafted by the Twins in the 22nd round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Cal-Berkeley...he has appeared in 20 games between Chattanooga and Single-A Ft. Myers this season, posting a 1.32 ERA (27.1 IP, 3 ER) with three walks, 25 strikeouts and 10 saves...

I'm not saying Nunez was right. I'm not saying he was smart or is smart. I would maybe agree that he was under thinking (though I think overthinking in this scenario would be pretty much the same thing). I would say that he made the decision that bunting there was the right thing rather than just hitting away... thinking too much. Just hit. Trying to do too little? No way. That just isn't a possibility unless you think he's purposely trying to lose or something and from all reports Nunez is all about team and competitive. No one here is questioning that it was a bad decision. I'm not supporting his decision to sac bunt in any way. Just saying that I'm sure he was thinking too much and trying to do whatever he felt he could to give his team a better chance. Most players don't sit and look at Fan Graphs, and they shouldn't.

I didn't say the manager is doing a good job. The subject of this particular forum thread is the 6th inning bunt, and in that one situation, I see nothing to fault the manager on. Like I wrote, plenty of other things to question, but i don't think this is one of them.

I'd guess they're getting him a couple weeks of at bats before sending him back to Chattanooga. I definitely don't consider it a waste to have Gordon and Vielma flip-flopping between SS And 2B. With middle infielders, who knows what the need will be in 2 years... have them at least able to play both positions so when there is a need, one of them can come up.

Note - Yesterday morning, it was announced that LHP Nick Greenwood was promoted to AAA and Ryan Eades was activated by the Lookouts. Greenwood was supposed to start tonight for the Lookouts, but obviously won't. Ryan Eades is their expected starter.

Pretty sure Hunter being on the roster wouldn't have changed what happened in that situation. It wasn't about leadership. It was about a guy either over-thinking and trying to do too much, or a guy trying to get on base with a bunt hit to get a second runner on base. Mountain... Mole Hill...

Maybe I'm wrong... but in my mind this is on the player. It's not about discipline. It's about a guy wanting to do something to help his team get a run. It's not like Nunez has been a 'good' hitter for very long. He's always been the hitter that would be asked to bunt... like Escobar in the 7th inning. Maybe teams should have a "Don't Bunt" sign. I'd be shocked if any teams do. And again if he was bunting for a hit, I can't imagine any team would say he can't do that. With his speed, that's part of his game.

Rosario wasn't demoted for one dumb steal attempt. It was much bigger than that, and the fact they had signed Grossman the day before, someone who actually takes pitches, was a bigger part of the equation to finally send down Rosario. And yes, in baseball and in other walks of life, the veterans get (and usually have earned) a lot more equity, more ropes if you will, than the younger players. That's the same with every single MLB team.

No... why would the batter signal anything? It's like bunting for a hit. You don't signal it, you just do it.

I guess he could bench one of his 2 best hitters, but that doesn't make much sense. I think a simple conversation should cover it... I just think a lot of players are simply trying to do way too much, overthinking.

Yeah, that's really a strange thing to me. I get there is a certain segment that wants Molitor gone... and there are plenty of other reasons for that... but this is definitely NOT one of those situations.

Sure... not sure what this has to do with anything though...

I was listening on the radio at work... My blame assignment would be 100% Nunez. And if he was bunting for a hit, I still give him 100% but it doesn't bother me...

I'm not sure what more we would have...