Seth Stohs

Part of that "luck" does involve injury too. Who knows what Kyle Gibson's WAR may be if he hadn't needed Tommy John surgery in late 2011 and missed the 2012 season. He would have been up by about July of 2011 if he was healthy. Instead, he wasn't up until later in the 2013 season. Matt Bashore was throwing left-handed and 97 at Indiana before the draft. That's a guy you'd want, right? He just couldn't get healthy. That doesn't alter the results. The results are what they are... but the other half of the analysis would have to be some reasoning. And again, blog articles on that topic would be very interesting for any of you interested in researching and publishing your thoughts/results.

I think this is a great analysis. As has been mentioned above, this is just looking at first round picks, and it doesn't differentiate between a #4 pick, a #14 pick or a #30 pick (like Levi Michael was). But for this analysis, it doesn't have to. A guy like Hudson Boyd being selected at #55, at least in my mind, isn't the same as a Top 5 pick in terms of whether they would be a bust or not. But if we want to say that Levi Michael can't be considered a bust because he was drafted at 30, we also need to give the team credit for JO Berrios at 32. The draft is a strange thing. Scouts can watch players over and over again, and get to know the player and their families and be as comprehensive as they can possibly be. They can look at whatever stats factor in as well. And, there is still no way to know how it's going to turn out. It's impossible. It's easy to say that they need to be better than other teams... the reality is that they need to be luckier than the other teams. Like Parker said, if anyone wants to dig deeper into this and put together a blog entry, that would be awesome!!

Right now, I agree... But if Sano would have had his 2013 season in 2014, and Bryant would have had his 2014 season in 2014 (which he did, of course)... I think Sano would rank higher. Right now, I would argue for Bryant to be the #1 prospect in baseball... though I might still put Buxton there too.

I think this makes sense for right now. Those two ahead of him have monster power too. Obviously if healthy, Sano would be #1, but at this moment, 3 is probably right.

It's a challenge for anyone, but especially for someone that young. I think he'll do just fine. I'm excited for the minor league seasons to start so we can see how all these guys do. Every level up presents a different challenge. Who will step up this year? Those types of things.

As I said above, Buxton was a rarity. A player that young moving up from the Midwest league to the Florida State League doesn't happen often. It's possible, sure, but I wouldn't be at all disappointed if he didn't. If he puts up the numbers, then sure, they'll move him up.

Wouldn't that be great! That's so rare, but I wouldn't put it past him!

Yeah, the Orioles have a knack for picking up former Twins. I'm sure there is a good baseball reason for that. I hope that Parmelee gets a shot with the O's. They let Markakis go. He may have a chance to contribute.

Eddie Rosario could be a very good defensive centerfielder, and he could play there until Buxton is ready and do well. I'd be shocked if Aaron Hicks isn't the opening day centerfielder, but I think Rosario will get some opportunity. I think if Hicks is really bad in spring, then they would most likely go with Schafer and Robinson.

Just wow, people.

19-year-old Nick Gordon, the Twins first-round draft pick last June out of high school in Orlando, Florida, made the trek north to Minneapolis last weekend for Twins Fest. The talented, young shortstop debuted at Elizabethton in 2014 and played well. Coupling immense talent with his poise and maturity make him one to watch in 2015!Of course, it takes more than maturity to be drafted as high as Gordon was (5th overall) as a high school kid. It takes a ton of talent. Gordon is currently a four-tool talent though many believe that over time he will also add the ability to hit for power and become a five-tool player. Twins Minor League Director Brad Steil pointed out in the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2015 why the Twins brass decided to have him skip the Gulf Coast League completely and spend his entire season at Elizabethton. “With the maturity and skill level we saw from him in high school, we thought he’d be able to compete at that level and handle any adversity. He was probably more prepared for pro ball than most high school players, having been around it most of his life because of his dad and brother.” The Twins have not had a high school player jump straight to Elizabethton after the draft since 2004 when Trevor Plouffe did that. Before him, Joe Mauer hit .400 in Elizabethton after signing with the Twins after being the first overall pick in 2001. Asked this weekend how having a father (Tom) and a brother (Dee) with big league experience has helped him out, Nick responded by saying he’s learned a lot from each of them. “It’s always great. You know, my dad played for 21 seasons. He knows the game. He’s been around it. My brother as well. Going to them, they know all the ropes. They know everything I’m going through because they’ve been through it all already. They’re always there for me.” Gordon held his own against many players significantly older than he is. Many players in the Appalachian League have three or four years of college under their belt, or they have been in pro ball for one to three years already. In 57 games, he hit .294/.333/.364 (.699) with six doubles, four triples and a home run. He stole 11 bases. In 49 games at shortstop, he had just eight errors and posted a .964 fielding percentage. These numbers don’t jump out, but they are impressive when put in the context of his age and experience relative to the league. Unfortunately, in the season’s final game, he was jammed by a pitch and broke a finger. Asked how his finger is now, Gordon said, “Finger was OK after a couple weeks. I got back after it. It kind of bothered me a little bit, but now it’s just baseball.” So what was the biggest adjustment for him to professional baseball? One might think that adjusting to wood bats, especially coming out of high school could be difficult, but Gordon said that wasn’t the biggest adjustment for him. “In the summer, all we used was wood bats in Florida. We played baseball all year around, so that’s the great thing about playing in Florida, we were constantly using wood bats.” He continued, “It’s just mainly playing every day. Coming from high school, you played every other day. That was the biggest adjustment for me. Once I got it, after about a month or two, it felt good. It felt like I was in the swing of things.” He now has his first pro experience under his belt and says that his offseason has been very good. “I’ve just been working out, trying to put on some weight, and stay fast. Stay to my game. I’m loving the process.” His goal for 2015 is pretty simple and yet his offseason work is an attempt to help him achieve his goal, to “stay healthy. That (added) weight is important. You have to be physically ready. Playing close to 100 games a year, you’ve got to be ready to go. I’m ready to get out there and I’ve been working on conditioning.” In an interview with 1500 ESPN over the weekend, Gordon said that one of his favorite players (non-relative category) growing up was Derek Jeter. It wasn’t just for his great talent, but he admired his leadership. Gordon hopes that he can be a similar type of player. “I know I can go out there, and I know I can play. It’s just about competing and making myself and my teammates better.” The Twins selected Gordon in the first round. They did not draft another high school player until the 15th round when they drafted an outfielder named Roberto Gonzalez, another Orlando native. Gordon went to Olympia high school in Orlando while Gonzalez went to University high school. “Yeah, I played against him in high school. We always played against each other. Mostly in the summer though.” Gordon was asked to describe Gonzalez and said, “He’s a really good athlete.” When I asked if Gonzalez could be a five-tool talent, without hesitation, Gordon said, “Oh yeah! Oh yeah!” Twins Fest was not Gordon’s first trip to Target Field. After being drafted last summer, he came to Target Field to sign his contract. His thoughts on the stadium? “It’s beautiful. Even with the snow on the field.” He certainly seemed to enjoy his Twins Fest experience. “It’s amazing. It’s nice meeting the people. It’s nice coming out here where people are so excited about baseball. It’s great to get out here and meet the fans and have fun with the kids and interact.” Asked if there were any players he was excited to meet last weekend, Gordon said, “I look up to pretty much all these guys. I talk to (Byron) Buxton a lot, and he’s a really good guy. I kind of look to him a lot. And Torii Hunter, I watched him when I was growing up.” Next up for Gordon, he’ll head to Ft. Myers in early March to go to his first spring training. “I’m ready for it. I can’t wait to get there.” After seeing all the fans at Twins Fest and the atmosphere there, I think it’s fair to say that we all can’t wait. Nick Gordon is one player that fans will be watching and monitoring over the next several years. He’s got a world of talent and the potential to be an impact player for a long time. Those who spoke with him continue to speak of his great maturity, attitude and poise. It’s no wonder that the Twins scouts, and scouts from every team, liked him so much. Click here to view the article

It's fun to see this. I definitely believe in Walker's potential. Of course he has things to work on... if he didn't, he'd be in the big leagues. I think he goes up to Chattanooga too. He could have another 25+ HR season.

I think that's pretty accurate. As much as he has all the tools, the performance hasn't always been consistent and met the tools that he has... That said, he's 22 and has 1/2 season of pro ball under his belt. There's plenty of time for things to come together for him.

I have watched this video so many times. It's just awesome. As mentioned above, this is how sports should be. That pure joy and excitement about the game. It's stuff like this that makes me enjoy Twins Fest.

We have read so much about Nick Gordon, Nick Burdi and Jake Reed, but there is another Twins pick from 2014 who put together a very impressive professional debut. In fact, Max Murphy’s professional debut resulted in a league’s Most Valuable Player award. I had a chance to catch up with the talented outfielder at Twins Fest.In early March, Minnesota native Max Murphy will make the trip from Minneapolis to Ft. Myers for his first spring training. Murphy has never been to Twins spring training, even as a fan. With his local ties, he was invited to participate and sign autographs at Twins Fest this weekend. It marked the first time that he had been to the fantastic, fan-friendly event. Murphy graduated from Robbinsdale Cooper High School in 2011. The school is located in New Hope, a suburb northwest of Minneapolis. In fact, the school is located just over 10 miles from Target Field. After a strong high school baseball career, he was not drafted. Murphy chose to attend Bradley University. Bradley is a private university in Peoria, Illinois. Some Twins fans may recall that Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett began his unlikely climb by spending a year at Bradley. Murphy did have some options out of high school but was very happy with his decision to go to Bradley. “I could have gone to some of the D-1’s in the Midwest. I went on a visit to Bradley and I just really liked it. It was smaller, and that’s what I wanted. I’m happy with my choice.” He also had the opportunity to play right away. And he put up big numbers. In his three seasons at Bradley, he hit .293/.383/.518 with 27 home runs. His work led to being drafted in the ninth round in the 2014 draft. It was about where he thought and was hearing that he would be drafted. It was more surprising that it was the Twins who drafted him. Like most potential draft picks, Murphy was at his home, watching the draft take place online. “I thought somewhere in the top 10, so about there.” He continued, “I did talk to them, but it was a surprise. I was talking to some other teams more. I thought I was going to go to a different team. But it was a good surprise.” He signed quickly for a reported $130,000 and quickly made a name for himself in the organization with a very strong start to his career in Elizabethton. Often, there is an assumption that hitters struggle to adjust to using a wood bat since aluminum or composite bats are used in high school and college. For Murphy, he didn’t feel it was a big adjustment. He said, “I always hated the metal bat.” He played in wood-bat leagues during his summers in college. He spent time with the Rochester Honkers in the Northwoods League. He was also the MVP of the Great Lakes League one summer. If there was an adjustment, Murphy was able to make the change very quickly. Of professional baseball, Murphy noted, “I think it was just baseball how I always wanted it to be. It wasn’t different than college. You just go out and play. In college, it was a little different than that. I was just feeling good.” He felt good, to the tune of a .378/.483/.723 (1.206) in 35 games for the E-Twins. He added seven doubles, two triples, ten home runs and 26 RBI. “It is a lot about not having to go to school. Summer ball is always something I’ve been good at just because I can just focus on baseball. It’s just a different atmosphere, and you’re playing every day which I think it a lot better. When you’re hot, you’re hot. In college, it’s every weekend and one game during the week.” He was promoted to Cedar Rapids, which is very unusual for hitters sent initially to the Appalachian League. He struggled a little more in his 32 games in the Midwest League. He posted a line of .242/.314/.395 (.709), but he did hit seven doubles and four home runs. “There was a little bit (of an adjustment to the Midwest League). It wasn’t that much different as far as velocity and stuff, but I think pitchers knew how to pitch a lot better. You have a lot of guys in rookie ball that aren’t throwing good offspeed stuff. I think it was just adjusting to that environment. It was so much different than Elizabethton.” Defensively, he has the ability to play all three outfield positions. He played left field in Elizabethton. At Cedar Rapids, he replaced centerfielder Jason Kanzler (who was promoted to Ft. Myers). He isn’t considered a speedster, but he can cover some ground in centerfield. Despite spending only half of the season in Elizabethton before his promotion to Cedar Rapids, Murphy was named the MVP of the Appalachian League for his tremendous offensive performance. He said his first offseason as a professional baseball player has been “awesome.” Of the workouts and preparation, he said, “It’s basically just go, and you know what to do. You just get it done.” In early March, he will head down to Ft. Myers where he will participate in his first spring training. He is eagerly anticipating the start of a new season and where it will take him. “(I’m) excited to get there. I’ve never really had a preseason where you get to go and play games to get ready for the actual season. I think a lot of times early in the season, I’ve just not felt like I’m ready to play especially being in the Midwest. You hit in the cage and you just go right out and play. I think it will be good to get a nice three weeks of playing before we get to play real games.” Usually when asking players about the weather at Twins Fest in Minnesota, you get some great responses, especially from players from southern areas. For Murphy, and most of the Minnesotans in attendance at Twins Fest this year, the 40 degree temperatures were a pleasant and unexpected surprise. Murphy was a ninth-round pick in 2014. As you recall, 2013 ninth-round pick Mitch Garver was my choice for 2014 Twins minor league hitter of the year. Murphy has all of the tools. He can hit. He should hit for power. He has good speed. He can play defense. He has a strong arm. He has good strike zone judgment. Now a professional, he will have the opportunity to work full-time on those tools. He could be a sleeper and work his way up the system quickly. Murphy looks forward to hopefully surprising people again as he begins his first full season in the Twins organization. He turned 22 in November and should start his season where he ended the 2014 season, in Cedar Rapids. But a strong start and he should earn a midseason promotion to the Ft. Myers Miracle. Click here to view the article

On Saturday, KARE-11 TV in the Twin Cities showed a clip of events from Twins Fest. It showed clips and interviews with Torii Hunter, Kurt Suzuki and Brian Dozier. However, the start of the show is Charlie Bates. He is the son of SB Nation star writer (including at Twinkie Town) Mike Bates. The 8-year-old was interviewed about the opportunity that he had to get an autograph from Joe Mauer. Honestly, this is MUST WATCH... Please Watch This.

Just my thoughts from Friday night. It wasn't too busy. The line for Torii Hunter's autograph was long, but others seemed not to be too bad. I talked to a few people. Note the article yesterday that pointed out that they expect 15,000 after having 25,000 last year. I thought Saturday last year was really packed. I think it won't be as bad today. And Sunday could be slower again. For me, it's just about being there and the atmosphere. IT's being in close proximity with these guys that we'll be watching on FSN this year and beyond. It's seeing guys we watched before. It's seeing the ball park. IT's seeing places like the Legends Club or the Thomson Reuters Champions Club and the Suite Level, places I know I can't afford to watch games in during the regular seasons. You get to hear and talk about baseball. Sit at the 1500 ESPN area and listen to players talk about baseball. It's fun. It gets you excited. I don't personally do the autographs, but talked to a few people who said they were able to get through lines in a decent time and get more autographs because of it.It's definitely worth $20. What you spend there is up to you.

I agree that I think they're both deserving... I definitely do NOT think that Tovar should be in because he played 9 positions in one game. I think he's deserving because of the value and role he brought to very strong Twins teams for 6-7 years and because of how he was viewed nationally and locally at the time. He had some years where he didn't hit a lot, but he had some very good year and was such a valuable piece. But yes, I think that Mack should be in too. His offensive numbers for those 5 years were as good as almost every other outfielder in the AL at that time. IT was on part with Puckett. The only one better was probably Griffey. The point is that there are candidates who are deserving.

I guess I'd have to know who at the top would be excluded? Just Buxton, Sano, Meyer, Stewart, Berrios, Polanco, May, Gordon? How far down do we go to start putting these names?

It was his second failed drug test for a 'drug of abuse.' It wasn't a PED thing. The first failed test is almost like a warning and they have to do some stuff, but they're not suspended. The second time, they get 50 games. It's the same situation that happened with Eddie Rosario, and Mark Hamburger and Anthony Swarzak. A suspension for drugs of abuse are not some sort of death sentence as shown by the three players above. Kennys Vargas had a 50 game suspension for a PED 3 years ago. These guys are young and make mistakes sometimes. It's not a good thing. It's lost development time, but it can be overcome.

I've always enjoyed the bobbleheads. I got a few at the games and bought a few more on ebay. I like this list.

He was the 55th pick in the 2011 draft and debuted in 2012. He has spent the last two years in Low-A Cedar Rapids. He hasn't pitched well, but I think they would have pushed him to Ft. Myers next year. Not sure if this affects that. He is not 24, he just turned 22. And, it is his first league suspension. It was not for a PED, but for a "drug of abuse." The suspension in July was something else, just a team suspension.

The following tweet from Phil Miller of the Star Tribune indicates that the Twins front office will be going to class in the near future: Obviously when a player from another country comes to the United States to play baseball, it is up to them to learn the country's language to help them adjust. The Twins, and likely all clubs, have teachers available to help these players learn English. However, it appears that the Twins front office is wisely finding the value in them being able to reciprocate by learning the Spanish language as well. It's probably more important in the lower levels, but it's a good thing for them to do.