Seth Stohs

Oh.

Hicks and Benson were five-tool prospects, but there aren't many prospects period that get to the big leagues much less have success and get there with all five tools. Baseball is pretty hard.

I didn't ask, but my sense is that it isn't just coincidental.

That is a fair question... Let me know what you find. And, if he keeps that K-rate up in AA, it won't take too long at all.

Yeah, this is not what anyone hoped for.

I heard from Twins minor league director Brad Steil this morning that LHP Lewis Thorpe left his most recent spring start due to elbow pain. No word at this point on what the next steps are, though certainly it is not good news.

I'll take Mike Witt.

What is the success rate of relievers that fly through the minor league system and get to the major leagues in their first full season?

I think starting his first full season at AA is pretty much fast track.

Just remember there are 18 players yet that need to be cut from big league camp, so there will be a trickle-down effect. There will also be some releases and injuries.

5 tools - to me: Hit - Could hit .290+ in the big leagues Hit for Power - could hit 20+ home runs or 35+ doubles in the big leagues. Speed - Could steal lots of bases, but this one is more than numbers. Defense - Could play very average or better defense in the big leagues Arm - Has an average or better arm. For me, it's just being able to be average in all five toolsor better. I'll agree that there are few that qualify as true 5-tool. 4 would be great!

It's the beauty of prospect lists... they're fun, and that's all. I don't think anyone would claim that their prospect rankings are perfectly accurate. They're all based on a combination of factors, some visual, some statistical and then a lot of opinion. And, they deal with people, so there's no way to know with any certainty. But, we all try.

Graham, Achter, Hamburger and Thompson for one spot. If people think Thielbar isn't a given, then that helps Thompson's case, or they could go with just one lefty. Graham helped his case today with two scoreless innings. Thompson threw two scoreless innings. Hamburger gave up one run over two innings. Achter got two outs, but then gave up a three-run homer (2 hits, 1 BB) that ended the game in Port Charlotte this afternoon. Of course, making too much of any one outing is silly, but at the end of spring, Molitor and Ryan will need to have something.

The Twins have definitely encouraged working up in the zone more in recent years. I talked to several minor league catchers who talked about working with their pitchers on getting the fastball above the hands and in to hitters. The purpose? Strikeouts. Of course, they also want them working on secondary pitches down in the zone. The two-seamer needs to run down in the zone. The slider and curveballs obviously need to be down in the zone. The changeup should certainly be down in the zone. However, if they have enough on the four-seamer to elevate it and miss bats, that is another dimension.

We hear the term "five tools" a lot, but few true five-tool talents exist in baseball. Byron Buxton certainly fits that category at this time. Nick Gordon is in that category. By the time those players get to the big leagues, will they still be considered five-tool guys, or four… maybe three? That is to be determined, of course. Today, I’m going to write about three young players who impressed me with their athleticism and talent. They aren’t household names, but who knows, maybe one or more of them will take a step forward in 2015.TYREE DAVIS Though he played shortstop through his career at Centennial High School in Compton, California, Tyree Davis moved to centerfield during his professional debut in 2014. Davis was the Twins 37th round pick in 2014. His high school team had serious potential and talent. According to Davis, one of his teammates “finished with a .600 batting average last year and stole 40 to 50 bases” and didn’t get drafted. Standing 6-2 and 185 pounds, Davis’s best tools are “my speed and defense are very strong right now.” He was clocked at 4.27 seconds from home to first a year ago. He is a switch hitter with a good approach at the plate and a smooth swing from both sides of the plate. In batting practice, he hit line drive after line drive from gap to gap, but he also has potential to add some power. His brother, Johnny Davis, is a minor leaguer in the Milwaukee Brewers farm system. In 2014, he played for the Wisconsin TimberRattlers in the Midwest League. Davis is young, and he is a raw athlete, learning more each day about the game of baseball. After signing in 2014, he played in the Gulf Coast League and hit just .087/.210/.146 with two doubles and two triples. Regarding his hopes for the 2015 season, the 19-year-old said, “This season I just want to show people that I can play better than I have in the past. Basically I want to make more contact than what I’ve recently made.” He will likely spend another summer with the Gulf Coast League Twins. ROBERTO GONZALEZ The Twins used their first-round pick in 2014 on Orlando’s Olympia High School shortstop Nick Gordon. They did not draft another high school player until the 15th round when then took another hitter from Orlando, outfielder Roberto Gonzalez from University High School. The two prep stars played against each other. When I talked to Gordon at Twins Fest, he said that Gonzalez was “a really great athlete.” When I asked if Gonzalez could be a five-tool talent, Gordon didn’t hesitate at all. He said, “Oh yeah! Oh yeah!” Like Davis and Gordon, Gonzalez has family ties in baseball. His cousin, on his father’s side, was Cardinals’ outfielder Oscar Tavares. Gonzalez was able to attend a few of Tavares’s games last year with the Cardinals, including some playoff games. He said that when he started hearing rumors about Tavares’s car accident, he called Oscar but got no answer. The family was devastated, and you can see that it is something that still affects Gonzalez. Gonzalez began his career with the GCL Twins. In just 13 games, he hit .233/.313/.302 (.615) with three doubles. He also stole four bases. Unfortunately, on a headfirst slide into second base, the shortstop landed on the back of his leg. His kneecap detached and had to be reconnected surgically with an OCD Repair. This spring, the just-turned-20-year-old is excited about spring training. Like Davis, he is likely to return to the GCL Twins after extended spring training. At 6-0 and about 200 pounds, Gonzalez runs well, though he’ll continue to gain speed as he gets further removed from his surgery. He has a strong left-handed swing and could develop more power in time. Whether he’ll hit for average will likely depend on whether he can develop a quicker swing. Defensively, he’s got good range and a very, very strong arm. In high school, he was clocked as high as 94 mph. As with Davis, Twins fans will need to be patient with Gonzalez. He has the tools that we all hope can become skills in time. EDGAR CORCINO The third possible five-tool athletic player is a little bit older than Davis and Gonzalez. Edgar Corcino is already 22-years-old. He was a 26th round draft pick in 2009 out of Puerto Rico by the Detroit Tigers. After spending three seasons in the Gulf Coast League, Corcino played all over for the Tigers in 2012. He played mostly for West Michigan (Midwest League) and Lakeland (Florida State League), but also got time in AAA Toledo. He didn’t hit much (.198/.271/.329) that year and was released. He has spent the last two seasons playing for Rockford of the independent Frontier League – the league from which the Twins have also signed RHP DJ Johnson and LHP Jose Velez in the last nine months. In 186 games over two seasons, he hit .294/.355/.452 (.807) with 30 doubles, 12 triples and 19 home runs. He also stole 19 bases. Watching him in minor league spring training, you can see his extreme athleticism. He was primarily playing left field, though he could certainly play center field too. In the past, he has played most of the infield positions as well. He is a switch-hitter with a good swing from each side. Though he is more of a speed guy, he’s got good strength and can definitely hit for extra base power. Speaking of the speed, from my observations, he was one of the fastest players in the system. In the offseason, he worked out in the same group as his good friend, JO Berrios. The Twins pitching prospect said that Corcino is a “very good athlete, very fast and strong. He works really, really hard.” Berrios continued, “He is an even better person than baseball player.” Corcino will likely need to make the Cedar Rapids roster to stick around, but with his work ethic and athleticism, it’s worth taking the chance. Tyree Davis, Roberto Gonzalez and Edgar Corcino were three great athletes I saw at Twins minor league spring training. Each has tremendous talent and athleticism, but they will need a lot of time and patience. That said, athleticism is a good place to start. Hopefully over time their great tools will become great baseball skills. Click here to view the article

Stauffer's options are certainly up. They could try to trade him.

The Twins announced this morning that they have optioned RH RP Ryan Pressly to Rochester. The moves means they have 42 players in camp. It's interesting. With Michael Tonkin and Ryan Pressly optioned in the last 24 hours, who has the inside edge on the final bullpen spot? Rule 5 pick JR Graham, or Blaine Boyer, a non-roster pitcher with an opt-out in his contract on 3/31?

Yeah, I thought it was a good. I talked to Vavra like 4-5 years ago, and he is really smart. He knows baseball. He did very well as the Twins hitting coach. He did a nice job as 3B coach. He obviously does a great job planning out spring training. He also knows the statistical stuff and keeps Molitor updated. He also was kind enough to talk to Nick and I for a few minutes in the clubhouse last Sunday and told us how much he appreciates this site, particularly the minor league coverage.

Berardino wrote about Tyler Grimes' story today: http://www.twincities.com/twins/ci_27752023/twins-prospect-tyler-grimes-still-figuring-out-if

Uh oh... another Alex Meyer/Randy Johnson comp....

Meyer and Berrios are kind of one and the same. Both have good confidence. Meyer doesn't post stuff on Twitter and Facebook, but he know he's good. They're both also very humble, very good people. Meyer will be at AAA. Berrios is likely going to start at AA.

Shibuya needs to show he can stay healthy. He definitely has a lot of Kevin Slowey in him (And that's a good thing). Lee has really good stuff. I don't know why he doesn't get more strikeouts.

I have Gordon at 4 and Polanco at 7... so, don't look at mine of you will Blah all over!! And, after seeing Gordon for a week, I feel great about where I have him... and I really, really like Polanco too.

Darnell is a former 6th round pick, left-handed, who had a strong season in AAA last year and even made some starts for the Twins. Murphy is a 9th round pick from just this year who dominated rookie leagues and then struggled in Cedar Rapids. I had Darnell at 30 in the prospect handbook and didn't have Murphy in the Top 30. I'd have him in the next 10 though.