Seth Stohs

Previous installments of this prospect ranking: · Part 1 (41-50) · Part 2 (31-40) · Part 3 (26-30) · Part 4 (21-25) · Part 5 (16-20) 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 11-15 #15 – Engelb Vielma - 22 – SS – Ft. Myers Miracle Vielma was signed by the Twins out of Venezuela in September of 2011. He’s listed at 5-11 and 150 pounds, though he might be up to 155 pounds. He spent 2012 in the Dominican Summer League. In 2013, he played 42 games in the GCL and ended his season with six games in Elizabethton. Despite the lack of Appy League time, he began the 2014 season in Cedar Rapids. In 112 games, he hit .266/.313/.323 (.636) with 13 doubles, four triples and a home run. He moved up to Ft. Myers for the 2015 season. In 120 games, he hit .270/.321/.306 (.627) with nine doubles, two triples and one home run. Over his final 90 games, he hit .298/.357/.329 (.686). Vielma has good speed. In 2015, he stole 35 bases in 47 attempts. He is a singles hitter who will need to gain strength to hit enough in the big leagues. However, it is his glove that gets him noticed. He has very good range and a strong arm. He will likely move up to Chattanooga for the 2015 season. Previous Top 30 Rankings: N/A #14 – Wander Javier - 16 – SS – Did Not Play The Twins signed Javier out of the Dominican Republic for $4 million, a number over their international slot figure. It’s also the highest amount that the Twins have paid an international free agent from the Caribbean, topping the $3.15 million they signed Miguel Sano for. At 6-0 and 165 pounds, he has room to grow, gaining strength and speed. Most believe that he will be able to stick at shortstop though, as he is likely six years from the big leagues, a lot can happen. Though many believe his swing is long now, he could develop into an above average hitter with some power. It is likely the Twins will have him follow the same path as other top signings from the Dominican, such as Sano, Jorge Polanco, and Amaurys Minier. They began their first seasons in the Dominican Summer League but came to the States in time to play for the GCL Twins. Previous Top 30 Rankings: N/A #13 – Alex Meyer - 25 – RHP – Rochester Red Wings/Minnesota Twins A year ago at this time, Meyer was coming off of a solid season as a starter in Rochester. To say 2015 was disappointing for Meyer is likely a huge understatement. He struggled in spring training. Then he couldn’t get many out as a starter early in the season for the Red Wings and was moved to the bullpen. As he was starting to pitch well, he was called up to the Twins and his two appearances did not go well at all. He was optioned back to Rochester and finished the season by pitching pretty well over the final six weeks. So there is the set up. The reality is that Alex Meyer still has all of the tools and the pitches that could make him a very good pitcher in the big leagues. Most likely, that will now happen out of the bullpen. However, he still throws very hard (upper-90s), has a very good slider, a bit of a change and the ability to miss bats. His primary problem in 2015, and years prior, was control, both in and outside the strike zone. However, in the latter part of 2015, control was not as much of an issue as it had been in previous years, so it’s very possible he comes back in spring training ready to contribute in the big leagues. Or, if he begins in Rochester and does well there, he could be brought up fairly early in the season. He has tremendous makeup and works hard. He’s got good perspective and it would be silly to discount his potential. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (6), 2014 (3), 2013 (4) #12 – Lewis Thorpe – 19 – LHP – Did Not Pitch Thorpe missed the entire 2015 season after having Tommy John surgery in early April. He had signed with the Twins in July of 2012. He became a big prospect in 2013 when he grew, gained weight and started hitting 94 and 95 on his fastball. He also has a good curve ball and a strong change up. He also went 4-1 with a 2.05 ERA. In 2014, he started the season at extended spring training, but before the short-seasons began, he moved up to Cedar Rapids. In 16 starts there, he went 3-2 with a 3.52 ERA. He walked more than he had in the past (4.5 per nine), but he struck out 10 batters per nine innings despite being nearly four years younger than the average player in the league. It is likely that Thorpe will remain in Ft. Myers following spring training. He could return to game action as early as June. 2016 will be about getting some innings and keeping healthy. Previous Top 30 Rankings: 2015 (12), 2014 (10) #11 – JT Chargois – 22 – RHP – Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts Chargois was the Twins second-round pick in 2012 out of Rice University where he was co-closer with Tyler Duffey. Coming into the 2015 season, he had pitched just 16 innings as a professional, all at Elizabethton in 2012. He had elbow problems and the Twins had him rehab throughout the 2013 season only to have Tommy John surgery in mid-September of 2013. He missed the entire 2014 season as well. He did return to the mound during the Instructional League. Everyone was talking about his upper-90s (and occasionally triple digit) fastball. The Twins had him begin the 2015 season in Ft. Myers. In 16 games (15 IP), he posted a 2.40 ERA, walked five and struck out 19. He earned a mid-season promotion to Chattanooga. In 32 games (33 IP), he had a 2.73 ERA, walked 20 and struck out 34. Clearly the control will need to improve, but his big fastball and sharp slider make him very intriguing. They make him an easy choice to add to the 40-man roster in November as well. He will come to big league spring training and probably get a legitimate shot to compete for a bullpen job. Previous Top 30 Rankings: N/A So, what do you think of Part 6, Prospects 11-15? On Thursday, we will begin our Top 10 Twins prospects and finish out with the Top 5 on Friday.

Hunter told Neal today, "I'm sad because it's all I've known for half of my life." He spent parts of 19 seasons in the big leagues. He won nine Gold Glove Awards. He played in five All Star games. He won a Silver Slugger Award. He played for the Twins, the Angels and the Tigers, playing in the postseason most of those seasons. He turned 40 in July, and now he says it's enough. “But mentally, I think it’s time. I still love the game, but time has taken a toll on me mentally and physically.” Hunter retires with some pretty impressive career numbers. Overall, he hit .277/.331/.461 (.793) with 498 doubles, 39 triples and 353 home runs. He stole 195 bases and supplied many web gems for his fans. He also retires a Twins player, something that meant a lot to him, his teammates, the organization and to the fans. He leaves as one of the best players in organization history. He is in the top ten among Twins hitters all time in many statistical categories despite spending seven season in other organizations. Hunter is a leader. He has ties around the game. He has expressed interest in front office positions. Congratulations to Torii Hunter on a great career – one that began in 1993 when he was selected by the Twins in the first round out of Little Rock Arkansas and ended with the same organization and a fan base that loves him! https://twitter.com/ParkerHageman/status/658802780707147776