Seth Stohs

Also, I never expected to listen to a to a No Juice podcast where Dan and Parker weren't the biggest potty mouths on the show! Ha!

Creepiest video of all time, for sure!! Classic Lionel with the awesome song, but just weird!

Sure, that would be another data point that we don't have right now. He'll get another 80-100 at bats that will help tell the story.

I don't want to wait until 2016 to see them either, but after missing the entire 2014 season (or close to it in Buxton's place), I think two months of minor league time is more than fair. Mid-June, I want to see them!

Russell actually got his first managerial position with the Twins as a AA manager about 15 years ago. After leaving for a couple of years, he returned as the Twins AAA manager.

I'm definitely an Adam Brett Walker guy, as everyone knows. My assumption is that a player who will make it will make some adjustments. If Walker can continue to make adjustments each year, enough to put up similar numbers, then that would be great. It'll take work, but we shall see.

When I talked to Garver the other day, he talked about how Arteaga has pitchers working on pitching up in the strike zone for the purposes of getting strikeouts.

From watching this, the biggest question I have is: How did Danny Santana catch that ball?! He had no idea. HA!

I think May really took some strides this year. I remember his interview on Talk to Contact before spring training, and hearing him talk about pitching, you just knew that he was going to be OK. I think last year at this time, I personally had him ranked #12 or so. I still think he's more #3-#4 starter, but that's nothing to sneeze at, at all!

Correct. If a couple of these 50 turn into Brian Duensing, that would be helpful! I have him ranked ninth, which generally is going to be mid-to back of the rotation, decent regulars, etc. Duensing's had a terrific career already. I definitely don't take a Duensing comp as a negative at all.

Mientkiewicz has managed two years in his career, the last two in Ft. Myers. Molitor has never managed in his life. I think there would be a pretty universal respect for Mientkiewicz as well.

Great question. Well, coming into this year, I think I had Polanco ranked 6th or 7th and Danny Santana at about 15th. I think that Polanco has a better chance of sustaining things because he has a much better approach at the plate than Santana... at least in terms of willingness to take walks. Polanco needs another year to just get a little stronger, but he can be a similar type of hitter with better strike zone judgment. That said, what I personally learned about Santana is that as much as he doesn't like to walk much, he does seem to know the strike zone. When he gets a pitch he can get, he attacks it, and that's fun to see. Polanco has is a better fielder and Santana has a significantly better arm.

Good call... I wonder how long I'll be saying New Britain when I should stay Chattanooga. Thank you for pointing that out. I have corrected.

Rather than post a bunch of replies, I'll just try to address some of the things above here: 1.) First and foremost, this is just my list. I do follow things and talk to a bunch of people. Going to Ft. Myers for several days of spring training is great because you can actually get a glimpse of the players in action. But it's just my list. I don't and won't claim it's perfect in any way. As I do more research for the Prospect Handbook the next couple of months, I'll learn more so it's subject to change. It is just my opinion and everyone here can certainly agree or disagree as much as you want, and that's fun. Most important, these guys are getting recognized. 2.) Regarding Taylor Rogers. I think last year at this time, I ranked him about 18th or so, and I got a lot of grief for that. At that time, he was sitting 91-92 with a good slider. Now he's 94 and touching 95 and had a terrific year at AA. He hasn't been a huge strikeout guy, but I think he's got a real chance, and I know that the Twins really like him and his stuff. Should he be 9 or 12, well, that's certainly debatable, but I think he's got to be somewhere in that range. 3.) Jeremy and I, on Twins Hangouts, have frequently talked about these prospects in layers. Sano and Buxton are clearly the top 2 (with Buxton clearly 1). Then there is the group of Meyer, Berrios and Stewart who could be put in any order. Then there are Nick Gordon and Jorge Polanco. 4.)I still believe in Rosario, and I still like Kepler. I like the Gonsalves, Hu, Thorpe group that is currently in my 11-20 range and can see each of them as Top 10 candidates. 5.) Overall, this organization is strong. There are players throughout the Top 50, and likely a few that I missed, who realistically could get to the big leagues, and that's exciting.

Over the last two weeks, I’ve posted my choices for Minnesota Twins prospects 11 through 50. Today, I’ll post my choices for the Top 10 Twins Prospects. Obviously injury played an unfortunate role with many of these guys, but there is tremendous upside in this group. There may even be a couple of surprises.Reminders: This list is preliminary. Following research for the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2015, as well as your feedback, I’ll provide my final Top 30 prospects list. Players eligible to be on this list include players who remain eligible for Rookie of the Year voting in 2015. That is to say, hitters with less than 130 at bats and pitchers with less than 50 innings. Before we get to the Top 10 Twins prospects, you can review prospects 11-50 here: Prospects 41-50Prospects 31-40Prospects 21-30Prospects 11-20Top Prospects 1-10 #10 – Nick Burdi – 21 – RH RP – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle The Twins drafted Burdi in the 24th round of the 2011 draft out of high school. He chose to go to Louisville where he became the most dominant college reliever. A three-digit fastball with a 90+ mph slider creates a lot of strikeouts. The Twins drafted him again in the second round this June after the College World Series. Upon signing, he was assigned to Cedar Rapids where in 13 innings he gave up eight hits, walked eight and struck out 26. He moved up to Ft. Myers where he pitched 7.1 innings in seven games. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out 12. I would guess that he’ll be invited to big league spring training and start the season at Chattanooga. I also think he will be up with the Twins before June. #9 – Taylor Rogers – 23 – LHP – New Britain Rock Cats Rogers was my choice in 2013 as the Twins minor league starting pitcher of the year when he went 11-6 with a 2.55 ERA. Drafted in the 11th round of the 2012 draft out of the University of Kentucky where he teamed with Logan Darnell and Alex Meyer. Rogers' 2014 got off to a slow start. Through his first five AA starts, he went 1-3 with an 8.14 ERA despite a 26/5 strikeout to walkout rate. Over his final 19 starts, he went 10-3 with a 2.31 ERA. In 120.2 innings, he walked 32 and struck out 87. The left-hander is blessed with a fastball that touches 95 mph and a sharp slider. He will pitch in the Arizona Fall League and could debut with the Twins in 2015. #8 – Trevor May – 25 – RHP – Rochester Red Wings/Minnesota Twins May came to the Twins in December of 2012 from the Phillies. In 2013, he went back to the Eastern League in New Britain. After two years of AA ball, he advanced to AAA this year and was terrific. He went 8-6 with a 2.84 ERA in 18 starts before being called up to the Twins. It likely would have happened a month or more earlier if not for a calf injury. His debut in Oakland on August 9th was a disaster. He walked seven in two innings. In his first three starts, he walked 13 and struck out three in nine innings. In his final seven starts, he walked nine and struck out 41 over 36.2 innings. That kind of improvement should have Twins very optimistic that May can be a solid mid-rotation guy. #7 – Jorge Polanco – 21 – SS – Ft. Myers Miracle/New Britain Rock Cats/Minnesota Twins Polanco had a breakout season in 2013 in Cedar Rapids. He hit .308/.362/.452 (.813). He moved up to Ft. Myers to start this season. In 94 games, he hit .291/.364/.415 (.780) with 17 doubles, six triples and six home runs. In late June, the Twins surprised fans by calling up Polanco from the Miracle for a small cup of coffee. He was returned to the high-A Miracle. A month later, he was well on his way up to AA New Britain, but instead he was called up to the Twins again for a short stint. Quickly returning to AA, he hit .281/.323/.342 (.665) with six doubles and a homer. With the Twins, he primarily just pinch hit, though he did make one start. He went 2-6 and walked twice. After splitting time between shortstop and second base in 2013, he made the move to shortstop in 2014. He spent 119 games at short and just 10 at second base in the minor leagues. He committed 35 errors at shortstop and three more at second base, but he does have decent range. His arm is best suited to second base. He should start 2015 in Chattanooga. #6 – Nick Gordon – 18 – SS – Elizabethton Twins The Twins were thrilled when Nick Gordon was still available when they were on the clock with the fifth pick. He certainly fits a mold that the Twins have used in the past. Gordon is an athletic high school hitter with a lot of tools who plays in the middle of the diamond. The Twins believe he will be able to stay at shortstop as he develops. He can hit, field his position, has a very strong arm and good speed. Though he isn’t the burner that his brother, Dodgers infielder Dee Gordon is, he has well above average speed. Currently 6-0 and 180 pounds, the hope is that he will develop some power. He began his professional career with Elizabethton where he played in 57 games. He hit .294/.333/.366 (.699) with six doubles, four triples and a home run. In Elizabethton’s playoff series, he broke a bone in his finger. He will most likely spend the 2015 season with the Kernels in Cedar Rapids. #5 – Alex Meyer – 24 – RHP – Rochester Red Wings He missed about two months of the 2013 season with shoulder pain. As much as Twins fans wanted to see Meyer in 2014, it is clear that the organization’s goal for Meyer in 2014 was to get him through the season healthy. He left his final start in the second inning when he was unable to get his shoulder loose, but he has been deemed healthy heading into the offseason. He had a solid season, posting a 7-7 record with a 3.52 ERA. In 130.1 innings, he struck out 153 batters to lead the International League starters with 10.6 per nine innings. However, he also walked 64 batters, 4.4 per nine. He has the stuff to be a very good starting pitcher, but he will have to throw more strikes. Some believe there is a chance he could wind up in the bullpen at the end of the day. However, with a 98 mph fastball, a great slider, a curveball and an improved changeup, it’s worth giving him every possible chance as a starter. #4 – Kohl Stewart – 19 – RHP –Cedar Rapids Kernels Stewart was the fourth overall pick in the 2013 draft out of St. Pius X High School in Houston. As we know, he was a star on the football field, but the Twins signed him away from Texas A&M. He made 19 starts for the Kernels this year and went 3-5 with a 2.59 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. He was limited to 75 to 80 pitches throughout most of the year. This, combined with missing several weeks with shoulder soreness limited him pitching only 87 innings. Stewart has good control of his pitches. His fastball sits between 93 and 94 mph but at times has hit 97. He has a slider, which he threw only sporadically. He has a sharp curveball and a solid changeup. He is also very competitive and wants to be great. He has a chance to move up quickly on national prospect rankings next year. #3 – JO Berrios – 20 – RHP – Ft. Myers Miracle/New Britain Rock Cats/Rochester Red Wings The Twins made Berrios their supplemental first round pick in 2012 out of high school in Puerto Rico. After an unspectacular 2013 season in Cedar Rapids, Berrios was the top pitcher in the Twins farm system in 2014. He pitched at three levels and combined to go 12-8 with a 2.76 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in 25 starts. At Ft. Myers, he went 9-3 with a 1.96 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. He started the Florida State League All- Star game and the Futures game. He was promoted to AA, and when the Rochester Red Wings needed a starter on the final weekend of the season, they went to Berrios. At 6-0 and just 185 pounds, Berrios throws hard, topping out at 96. He has a sharp breaking ball as well as a very good changeup. He has good control and struck out a batter per inning over the season. He will likely begin 2015 in Chattanooga, but it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that we could see Berrios in a Twins uniform sometime in 2015. #2 – Miguel Sano – 21 – 3B – Did Not Play We all had hoped to see Sano with the big league club sometime in 2014. However, in the first spring training intra-squad game, a slow-roller to third base was fielded by Sano. He made an off-balance throw to first base, and his elbow popped. Less than two weeks later, he had Tommy John surgery and missed the entire season. He rehabbed in Ft. Myers and hopes to get some at-bats in the second half of the Dominican Winter League before heading back to spring training. Coming in to the season, he was Baseball America’s #6 prospect in baseball. At 6-4 and 255 pounds, he has elite power potential. He’ll strike out, but he will also take some walks. He is a very good athlete who has a cannon for an arm. It will be interesting to see how his arm returns to playing shape. Despite the injury, he’s still just 21 years old. He still could debut in 2015, though we need to remember that he missed an entire year of development. #1 – Byron Buxton – 20 – OF – Ft. Myers Miracle/New Britain Rock Cats There was a chance that we would have seen Byron Buxton in Target Field (and not just in the Futures game). Unfortunately, it was a tough season for baseball’s top prospect. He represented himself well in big league camp, but in a minor league spring training game, he hurt his wrist making a diving catch. When he came back, he hurt it again and missed more time. Then he was hit on the other wrist with a pitch and missed time. He moved up to New Britain, where he likely would have started if not for the injury. In his first game, he collided with Mike Kvasnicka and suffered a concussion that cost him the rest of his season. Fortunately, he has been cleared to play in the Arizona Fall League. Kris Bryant may take over the #1 prospect list, but Buxton remains an upper echelon prospect in the game. He can hit for average and take walks. He has the potential to hit for a lot of power. He is one of the fastest base runners in baseball. He is a potential gold glove centerfielder with a great arm. He has confidence and humility. At the same time, he doesn’t just want to be a very good player. He wants to be great. So, what do you think of Part 5, the Twins Top 10 Prospects? Click here to view the article

Thorpe dropped for now, but he could move up when I do a final version in the book. He could move a few spots depending upon how his elbow acts up. It was a disappointing season for Rosario, plus the suspension and the benching for team rules that cost him a handful of games later. Character counts, but he still is a very good prospect. Walker didn't really fall. Kepler fell due to his first half, but came up a bit again and is encouraging with his second half. Harrison was actually solid, but it would be nice to see the HR show up, and I think they will. Also, OF vs 3B matters a little bit. I'd also remind people that there has been some graduation but there has also been another draft with a couple of high picks... So, I woudln't worry so much where they are year-to-year because other variables come up. And, frankly, the more a player moves up, the more the bandaid is peeled back, the tougher the competition. If you can maintain your play as you move up, that's pretty impressive!

Ramos for Capps...

My honest opinion right now is probably about 50/50.

Last week, we posted the first three parts of my preliminary Top 50 Twins prospects list by reviewing prospects 41-50, prospects 31-40 and prospects 21-30. Today, we’ll start to review my choices for the Top 20 Twins prospects with a look at the next ten prospects, 11-20. In many organizations, several from this group would be Top 10 guys.Reminders: This list is preliminary. Following research for the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2015, as well as your feedback, I’ll provide my final Top 30 prospects list. Players eligible to be on this list include players who remain eligible for Rookie of the Year voting in 2015. That is to say, hitters with less than 130 at bats and pitchers with less than 50 innings. Top Prospects 11-20 #20 – Amaurys Minier – 18 – OF – GCL Twins Although Minier showed good power in his GCL debut as a 17-year-old in 2013 (5-2B, 6-HR), he hit just .214 and got on base just 25% of the time. He had offseason surgery on his shoulder, so he returned to the GCL Twins spending extended spring training doing more rehabbing. He improved his numbers drastically--as you would hope--, hitting .292/.405/.520 with 11 doubles and eight home runs. He is not known for his defense and never will be, but his power potential is real. He moved from third base to the outfield. He often started games in left field and finished them at first base where he also got more than a dozen starts. #19 – Zack Jones – 23 – RH RP – Ft. Myers Miracle/GCL Twins (rehab) It was a long, frustrating year for Zack Jones. He was shut down from the Arizona Fall League when he was experiencing coolness in his fingertips. After the New Year, they found that he had an aneurysm in his right shoulder. He had surgery, but soon after, a blood clot was found in his leg. When that was taken care of, he returned to Ft. Myers where he rehabbed for a couple of months before getting a half-dozen appearances with the GCL. He joined the Miracle for the final two weeks and reclaimed his closer’s role. In five appearances and five innings, he did not allow a run. In the playoffs, he was again hitting 98 mph. Despite a lost year, he ends the season on a very high note, and for me, a high ranking on this list. With Mason Melotakis out of the AFL, Jones will return to the league again. #18 – Travis Harrison – 21 – OF – Ft. Myers Miracle Harrison was the Twins first supplemental first-round draft pick in 2011, out of high school in California. At 6-1 and 215 pounds, he is very strong and has a lot of power potential. Truth be told, he did not show that power in 2014. After hitting 15 homers in 537 plate appearances in Cedar Rapids in 2013, he had just three home runs in 537 plate appearances for the Miracle this year. His walk rate remained about the same while he greatly reduced his strikeout rate, from 23.3% to 16.0%). He also moved from third base to left field where he had just two errors in 98 games and showed improvement through the year. I personally believe that Harrison has the power to become a legit home run hitter which is why I will keep him this high in my rankings. #17 – Chih-Wei Hu – 20 – RHP – Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels Hu was signed by the Twins out of Taiwan where he was one of the best young players. He was a known commodity in the Asia for his international play. He debuted in the GCL in 2013. He returned to extended spring training to start 2014. He made three starts for Elizabethton and posted a 16:2 K:BB ratio in 16 innings. He advanced to Cedar Rapids where he made another nine starts (10 appearances). He went 7-2 with a 2.29 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. In 55 innings, he walked 13 and struck out 48. Hu has a full mix of good pitches: curveball, change-up and palmball, along with a moving fastball that touches 94. #16 – Max Kepler – 21 – OF/1B – Ft. Myers Miracle Kepler signed with the Twins way back in July of 2009. It’s almost hard to believe that he has yet to turn 22 years old. He was added to the 40 man roster last offseason, and at the All-Star break, the argument could have been made to remove him. However, a strong second half gave him solid overall numbers for the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. He hit .264/.333/.393 (.726) with 20 doubles, six triples and five home runs. At 6-4 and 220 pounds, he has big power potential, but he also has very good speed. Though he played primarily right field, he has the speed to play centerfield in the minors. In the big leagues, he’ll be at a corner. #15 – Tyler Duffey – 23 – RHP – Ft. Myers Miracle/New Britain Rock Cats/Rochester Red Wings Duffey was the Twins fifth-round pick in 2012 out of Rice where he pitched in the bullpen. He made 25 starts this season and completed 149.2 innings. Overall, he went 13-3 with a 3.67 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. He began with four starts in Ft. Myers and went 3-0 with a 2.82 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. He moved up to New Britain where he went 8-3 with a 3.80 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. He ended his season with three starts at Rochester where he went 2-0 with a 3.94 ERA. As he moved up the system, he began striking out more batters. He also walked less than two batters per game. He was able to hit 94 and 95 at times as a starter. He also has really good curveball and a much-improved changeup. #14 – Stephen Gonsalves – 20 – LHP – Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels Gonsalves was the team’s fourth-round draft pick in 2013 out of high school in California. He had a strong showing in his pro debut with the GCL and Elizabethton Twins. He began the 2014 season at extended spring training. He made six starts for Elizabethton and went 2-0 with a 2.79 ERA. He moved up to Cedar Rapids where he went 2-3 with a 3.19 ERA. However, he gave up six earned runs in 3.2 innings which bumped up his ERA from 1.91. Overall, he worked 65.2 innings and struck out 70 batters while walking 21. The 6-5 left-hander has a fastball in the upper 80s and low 90s with a solid curveball and changeup. #13 – Adam Brett Walker – 22 – OF – Ft. Myers Miracle Walker was the Twins third-round pick in 2012 out of Jacksonville University. He has been one of minor league baseball’s most productive hitters, one of the biggest run producers. He hit 14 homers in 58 games with Elizabethton in 2012. He hit 31 doubles, 27 homers and drove in 109 runs in 2013 in Cedar Rapids. In 2014, he hit 19 doubles, 25 homers and drove in 94 runs. He hit .246/.307/.436 (.743). He struck out 156 times in 554 plate appearances (28%), but he walked 44 times (8.0%). So, there is still improvement to be made, but the 6-4, 225 pound outfielder has the potential to move up and hit for a lot of power. #12 – Eddie Rosario – 23 – OF/2B – Ft. Myers Miracle/New Britain Rock Cats Rosario just turned 23 on Sunday and he is set to return to the Arizona Fall League where he played last year. It’s been an interesting twelve months for the Puerto Rican. Following his showing in the AFL, it came out that he would soon receive a 50-game suspension. When spring training came, he did not show up. He was given an excused absence from the Twins. He went through the 50 games suspension and then played in eight game for the Miracle before moving back to New Britain where he had concluded the 2013 season. He hit just .237/.277/.396 (.672) with 31 extra base hits in 336 plate appearances. Was it rust? Probably. Rosario has a quick bat, average speed and good gap-to-gap power. His best power is to the opposite field. His prospect status does drop due to the off-field issues and general concerns about his attitude, but I believe that he will hit. He spent some time at second base, where few believed he would stick, but with the emergence of Brian Dozier and Jorge Polanco, he primarily played in the outfield, where he is above average in the corners and about average in centerfield. #11 – Lewis Thorpe – 18 – LHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels The Twins signed Thorpe out of Australia in 2012. He made his debut last year in the GCL where he went 4-1 with a 2.05 ERA. In 44 innings, he gave up just 32 hits, walked six and struck out 64 before joining Team Australia in the World Cup tournament. He was clocked at 95 by a couple of radar guns and flew up prospect rankings. This spring, he began the season at extended spring training. However, he was promoted to Cedar Rapids in early June. He got off to a slow start and surprisingly struggled with his control. He quickly turned things around. He was on a pitch count, so he rarely worked as deep as the sixth inning. In 71.2 innings, he gave up 62 hits. He walked 36 and struck out 80. He has a good fastball that touched 94, though it sat 91-92 most of the time. He has a good curveball at a couple of different speeds and a solid changeup. If healthy, he will likely begin 2015 in Cedar Rapids again. He also ended the season with trips to Minneapolis where they found that he has a UCL sprain. He has been working out in Ft. Myers and hopefully will be able to avoid surgery. So, what do you think of Part 4, Prospects 11-20? Next up will be my choices for the Top 10 Twins Prospects. Click here to view the article

The one remaining option in the bullpen was Jesse Crain, who at that time had about 4 weeks of big league time. The reasoning certainly was that it wasn't fair to bring him in in that situation at that time... But in retrospect, which is a wonderful thing, he maybe should have.

Tremendous point... I do agree with this. The language is a piece of the cultural issue. So thank you for bringing that up.

Sounds like a good description of one Ron Gardenhire. He's just 18 years younger. And, I mean that in the most positive of ways.