Seth Stohs

How soon after the first surgery is the re-injury. Everything I'd heard is that that ligament is typically strong for 7-8 yeas before sometimes a second one is needed (which them is admittedly more 'scary' to me). And there are certainly examples of guys who do something through the rehab process and end up needing a second right away. Obviously having TJ is not preferred, but so many have it at some point.

I had Prielipp #4 in my rankings. I'm really excited about his potential. To me, Tommy John is not very scary anymore. His stuff is legit. And, the reports I've heard from people in Ft. Myers watching his bullpens is that he's looking really good. I also enjoyed @Jeremy Nygaard's creativity in the video game scores and building a pitcher. That was a fun read.

I watched quite a few Varland starts last year. Early in the season, I remember seeing his fastball 92-95 and touching 96... I know when it warmed up, he threw a little harder. We probably value velocity a little bit too much in terms of upside for pitching. And for good reason. It's probably even something that matters when we have to rank prospects because it's a real number. I ranked him #8 but I could argue as high as 4 or 5.

On Friday afternoon, Twins executive Mike Radcliff passed away after a long fight with pancreatic cancer. Over the past couple of days, many have been willing to discuss the impact that Radcliff had on them. Here are stories and well wishes from some Twins players. It is always unfortunate that we wait until someone passes away to honor them, and for people to speak glowingly of them and to share stories about that person. Over the past several years, Mike Radcliff has been given and earned many awards for his career in scouting, Scouting Hall of Fames, etc. In 2021, Radcliff was presented the Herb Carneal Lifetime Achievement Award at the Diamond Awards. All of it is very well deserved. He was well respected in the organization and all around the world of baseball. Mike Radcliff started as an area scout, because a regional supervisor, became the team's scouting director, and VP of Player Personnel. He has watched a lot of baseball players and developed relationships with most of them. And that’s why it is so nice to hear and read all the stories about how Mike Radcliff impacted various players, scouts, front office types and more over nearly four decades. Here are a few stories from some Twins players of the past: Denard Span was the Twins first round pick in 2002 out of high school in Tampa. He was scouted, drafted and signed by Mike Radcliff. Recently, Span shared, “I was very sad to hear of the news of Mike Radcliff. What I remember about Mike, especially in my younger days, was that he was a man of few words and observed, at least when I was around him. Our relationship grew more as I matured as a man and ball player. We had very good convos the last few years when I came back to Target Field for jersey retirements and Hall of Fame inductions. He was definitely a straight shooter, cut from the same cloth as Terry (Ryan).” Jeff Manship was the Twins 14th round pick in 2006 out of Notre Dame. He spent parts of four seasons with the Twins and four more seasons with three other organizations. He said simply of Radcliff, “I remember that he was a great man.” Manship is out of baseball and working for Boston Scientific Endoscopy in medical device sales and says he sees the effects of pancreatic cancer often. “Being in this job has raised my awareness so much about that disease.” Brian Dinkelman has known and worked with Mike Radcliff going back almost two decades when Radcliff used the Twins’ 8th round pick in 2006 on the infielder from McKendree University in Illinois. He worked his way up the ladder and earned a big-league promotion in 2011. He hit .301 over 23 games. Reached on Saturday, Dinkelman said, “Just awful news on Cliffy. He was a staple in this organization and was loved and respected by all. I remember him being at a pre-draft workout before I was drafted and always being so nice to everyone. He would always come visit our teams during the season to evaluate the players.” After a couple of years away from baseball, he returned to the Twins as a hitting coach in the GCL. He quickly moved up to Cedar Rapids in that role and is about to start his fifth season as the Kernels manager. So he and Radcliff have likely communicated in very different ways over his years. Dinkelman added, “Now since I have moved to the coaching side, I have got to know him even better. From visiting us during the season and being in meetings for the org. He was a very intelligent baseball man and we are going to miss him dearly.” Brian Dozier went from ninth round draft pick in 2009 out of Southern Mississippi as a “senior sign” to an All Star and 40-homer hitting second baseman. He retired before the 2021 season and tells me that things are “great in the Dozier household” and that he’s loving life even with three kids under the age of three! He told me about a strong relationship he had with Radcliff. “He was a phenomenal scout and even a better man. He was a part of bringing me to the Twins, and we became closer each and every year. He was so passionate about his job and wanted every player to succeed within the organization, whether he was the one who scouted him or not. He loved the game and loved the Twins. I don’t have any specific stories that come to mind about Mike, but he was a friend that impacted many. Fellow 2009 draft pick and current Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Gibson summarized his thoughts on Mike Radcliff by saying “He was an awesome person and a great baseball mind!” Josh Rabe attended Division II Quincy University in Illinois. The Twins made him their 11th round pick in 2000. He played parts of 2006 and 2007 with the Twins. After retiring from playing baseball, he became the head coach at his alma mater, Quincy University, and led them to the Division II College World Series a couple of times. Two years ago, he took over as the school’s Athletics Director. Of Radcliff, Rabe noted, “He obviously had a huge impact with building the Twins into perennial contenders.” He recalls a pre-draft workout with Radcliff and other scouts. “In 2000, right before the draft, the Twins invited me to the Metrodome for a workout. I had gone to a few of them leading up to this, and it was a select few guys working out at the MLB park of the team that invited you. Obviously a tremendous experience for any aspiring professional baseball player, but in my case, being from Mendon, Illinois, and attending Quincy University, it was special. My parents could not take me to this workout, so my college coach Pat Atwell took me. We arrived in Minneapolis the night before the workout, spent the night and drove to the Dome in the morning for this workout. To my surprise, I was the only player there. Billy Milos, the area scout who got me up there, told me Mike was going to see me in the NCAA tournament, but did not get the chance to see me because we did not get an at-large bid, so he wanted to watch me workout. It was the Twins pre-draft meetings, and every scout they employed was at the workout. All scouts and Mike introduced themselves, all but a guy in a Sports-Cream shirt and Twins shorts. This guy ran the workout with Mike by his side. I ran a couple of 60's, played catch with the guy in the T-Shirt and shorts and went to right field to throw to third base. Mike walked me out to right field and was on the line as the guy in the T-shirt hit grounders to me. One of the scouts had to go into my bag to grab a glove to catch the balls at third base. So, before I go to throw, the guy in the T-shirt yells, take it easy on the first couple. So after three throws, he yells one-hop it to third base! Being a kid from a D2 school, from the farm, I come up and just air mail one to third. I just let it fly. The man in the T-shirt hollers, ‘One-hop it please!!!’ I looked over to Mike, and I said, ‘Don't you guys want to see me air it out?’ Mike looks at me and says, "Son, when the general manager of the Minnesota Twins asks you to one-hop it to third base, I would do it!!" Terry Ryan did not introduce himself, as he was the guy in the T-shirt and shorts, hitting fungoes and throwing batting practice!!! I replied to Mike, ‘I swear I did not know who he was, he did not introduce himself!!!’ He and the other scouts that were around the right field line literally were laughing so hard I thought they were going to fall over..... 100 percent true story, I am sure Mike is still laughing about that one.” Jamie Ogden was the Twins third-round draft pick in 1990 out of White Bear Lake High School. He spent nine seasons playing in the Twins organization including the final three seasons at Triple-A. He has remained involved with the Twins organization at events like Twins Fest, youth clinics and more. Of Mike Radcliff, he said, “Had many conversations with Mike. Just came across as a guy in a pivotal role who didn’t act like it. Very humble and kind and made you feel good with stories he’d tell of you being scouted. Great heart.” Jacque Jones said, “Mike was a straight shooter, and you knew where you stood with him.” Taylor Rogers noted, “ All I know is he was highly respected.” LaTroy Hawkins was the Twins seventh round draft pick in 1991 by Terry Ryan. However, Mike Radcliff was able to scout Hawkins several times. He shared with me the following story. “It was probably 2000, and I was with the Twins. I was coming to the ballpark, and they were up in the front office getting ready for the draft. Larry Corrigan stopped me and asked me to come in. They had all the scouts in there, and Radcliff was up there talking. And in Larry Corrigan fashion, he said, ‘Hey Radi, LaTroy Hawkins.” On a dime, Radi says, “Magical Arm.” That’s the first thing Radcliff said when he saw me pitch in high school in Gary, Indiana. He said, “Magical Arm.” And every time I saw him after that, he would call me Magical Arm guy.” In the past six or seven years, Hawkins has been a very active Special Assistant to the Baseball Operations group. He has participated in many aspects of the game and in that area, including on the road with scouts at times. “His memory. His ability to break a player down, to evaluate. He was just the best at it. He cared. He loved the Minnesota Twins organization. He loved baseball. He had an unwavering passion for it that you don’t see all the time. A special individual.” As his voice softened, Hawkins repeated, “A special individual.” View full article

I ranked him #11. But I could just as easily make a case for him at #5-12. The tools are still there... at least, if you believe hat he can hit for some average. I think his approach at the plate helps with that. Maybe the power doesn't show up and he's just an 7-10 homer guy, but if he's getting on-base, that's OK. Probably not a SS, but could play 3B, 2B, 1B, and all around the outfield, wherever the Twins may have a need. In organizations that don't already have guys like Lee and Lewis, the chances for Martin to be an option at 3B and 2B would be higher.

My rankings of this group: Matt Wallner: 9 Yasser Mercedes: 10 David Festa: 13 Noah Miller: 19 Matt Canterino: 14

I wouldn't make too much out of a late-season start by a starter in his first full season of pro ball. He stayed healthy. He added velocity. He pitched well at two levels. Now he got an offseason and let's see what he is able to do in Season #2. Can he be this year's Varland? We'll see. And with that velocity, if he does end up being at reliever, he could be great.

Signing Bonuses: Rodriguez ($2.5 million), Mercedes ($1.7 million)... Tools. Both could hit. Both have a ton of power. Both have good speed. Both can legitimately play CF at this point. Both have strong arms. So, I'd say pretty even... Might come down to who walks more and strikes out less. But they're both 4-5 tool prospects at this stage, with a long way to go, but could be All-Star potential.

Unfortunate news came out Friday evening that long-time Twins executive Mike Radcliff has passed away after a three-plus-year battle with cancer. He was 66. Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn, USA TODAY Sports It is fairly easy to remember how long Mike Radcliff has been in the organization. He joined the Minnesota Twins as an area scout in 1987 after four years as a scout for the Major League Scouting Bureau. A native of Kansas City, he became the Twins Midwest Supervisor in 1988. In 1993, Radcliff was named the team’s Director of Scouting and was in charge of all of the area scouts, regional supervisors, and cross-checkers. It was in that role that he was ultimately responsible for the Twins draft picks. While no Scouting Director bats 1.000 with their picks, Radcliff had many successes during his tenure. He is the guy who drafted Twins first-round picks such as Torii Hunter (1993), Todd Walker (1994), Mark Redman (1995), Michael Cuddyer (1997), Joe Mauer (2001), Denard Span (2002), Trevor Plouffe and Glen Perkins (2004), and Matt Garza (2005). He found other good players in later rounds as well. In 2007, he was promoted to the team’s Vice President of Player Personnel. It was a step up. He continued to work in the scouting group with new Scouting Director Deron Johnson and his staff, but he also worked more with the international scouting and the pro scouting departments. He traveled all over the world to watch baseball talent. He worked with Fred Guerrero in scouting the Dominican and Venezuela. He played a big role in that 2009 international signing class that included Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, and Miguel Sano. He has been fighting pancreatic cancer for the past few years but was still involved with Player Personnel decisions. Mike Radcliff was always really nice to me. During the early years of SethSpeaks dot net, I would send him questions for Q&As on players, and he was always generous with his responses. He didn’t just give the short answer to get it done with. He always replied. From those responses, I learned a couple of things about him. First, he was obviously very knowledgeable about every player in the organization. I get that is his job, but he could provide detail on over 200 players plus past players and players from other organizations that he had watched. The other thing I learned from those interactions was that he could be brutally honest. Just because I was a blogger from Nowheresville, it didn’t matter. One example from probably 2006 or 2007. There was a prospect who had experienced several ups and downs in his minor-league career. Frankly, his numbers were not great. There was a second minor-leaguer who played the same position and had consistently outperformed the ‘prospect’. So, one of my questions was about the two and if the second player could be better than the higher-profiled prospect. Radcliff’s response was basically to say that the prospect was clearly the better player, much more highly thought of, and definitely part of the Twins' future. Brutal honesty, but after I posted the article, I got an e-mail from the second minor leaguer's dad just saying that isn’t what he wanted to read from someone whose opinions carried so much weight in the organization. Also, the “prospect” went on to play more than a decade in the big leagues. The other minor leaguer spent parts of three seasons and around 100 games in the big leagues, still a tremendous accomplishment. Remember back when Twins Fest was in the Metrodome? Back then, there was a ‘Down on the Farm’ area where fans could get in line and get autographs from Twins minor leaguers. I would primarily stay right around there and talk to some of the players I’d communicated with. But a lot of times, Radcliff was there too. He was just standing in the area, observing the players and interacting with fans that might have a question. I would always find him there and stand with him and talk about baseball things but also just other things. But I would come up with questions about prospects and he would answer, again, pretty honestly. At Twins Fest 2010, we were standing there talking as one group of players was leaving and a new group was entering the area. Radcliff was observing and said to me, “Danny Valencia... Who would have thought he’d be added to the 40-man roster?” Valencia had mashed throughout the minor leagues, but despite a solid college career at Miami, he fell to the 19th round of the 2006 draft. Oh, and just try to give him credit for a draft pick he made making it to the big leagues, or becoming a star. Radcliff would stop you short and make sure to credit the area scout who was convicted in his belief in the player. I would see Radcliff most years down in Ft. Myers. Not at Hammond Stadium. Not in the press box. But on the back fields watching the minor leaguers. For those familiar with the back fields, there is an observation tower in between the four fields that are together. Radcliff would be up there at times, but usually, he was positioned at ground level, where he would see two fields and a bullpen. Radcliff was quiet, and again, just observing, taking it all in. You could tell he loved it, being at the ballpark, watching young players. He had scouted many of them and was now seeing them going through the development process. It’s not an exact science. He always understood that these are people. People with flaws, and people who have a lot of talent. He understood how difficult the game can be. Again, standing by him, watching him watching ballplayers was interesting. Trying to figure out what he was observing. But again, I could ask him questions, and he would respond thoroughly. It was always funny when a member of the Twins front office staff would throw out a name to him, and without hesitation, Radcliff would respond with “6th round, 2004.” And he was always right. In 2011, Mike Radcliff was named the Scout of the Year in the Midwest. In 2014, he was inducted into the Professional Scouts Hall of Fame. In September 2021, he was elected to the Killebrew Root Beer Professional Scouts Hall of Fame. You can see his plaque at Hammond Stadium in Ft. Myers. In 2016, he was given the George Genovese Lifetime Achievement Award in Scouting (given by the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation). Finally, in 2021, he received the Herb Carneal Lifetime Achievement Award at the Diamond Awards. “The Minnesota Twins today mourn the loss of Mike Radcliff. Mike was the heart and soul of our scouting department for over 30 years, a man who was beloved and respected by staff, players, fellow scouts, agents, and his peers alike. One of baseball’s most revered talent evaluators, his character, work ethic, kindness, and sense of humor set the tone for our player development and evaluation processes. His baseball legacy lives on in the number of Twins Hall of Famers, All-Stars, and great teams that bear his fingerprints, while his impact as a person will be forever felt by those that knew him. In the words of his trade, Mike was the epitome of a five-tool player, and he will be greatly missed across Twins Territory. Our deepest sympathies are with his wife Sherry, son Brett, daughter Erin, and the entire Radcliff family during this difficult time.” In the Twins' 60+ years in Minnesota, few have had as much of an impact on the organization as Mike Radcliff. Best wishes to his family and all his friends in the Twins organization. View full article

See Nick's comment above.

He's young. Unfortunately had to end the 2022 season in Ft. Myers. He had visa issues that cost him about the first half of the season. No breakout yet, but let's get him out of the FSL. Good outfielder. Good speed. He's growing, getting stronger. Hopefully in time that translates to doubles and homers. Good approach. There's a lot to like.

Updated...

My rankings, if anyone is interested, and for transparency... Balazovic: 20 Henriquez: 17 Schobel: 22 (I kind of think that if you're looking for a future Dozier, I'd lean toward Ben Ross). Jose Rodriguez: 18 Misael Urbina: 15

Uffdah! First, not sure you'll like one of the next couple of rankings then... Second - I'm not sure if I ever mentioned this in the first two articles, but the rankings are based on the Top 30 rankings of 10 of the Twins Daily minor league writers or video content providers. So there will be some variance. We all have our prospects that we are probably too high on or those that we maybe are too low on. I can say that the Top 15 in our rankings (and 17 of the top 18) appeared on all 10 Top 30s. This range from 21-25 appeared on at least 7 of 10 rankings. From 26-30... generally the average was that they were on about 5-6 of the Top 30s. So this is a pretty volatile range. In an attempt at transparency, here is how I ranked these guys: Nowlin (16), Enlow (24), Sands (out of top 30), DeAndrade (27), Headrick (21), Acuna (26), Severino (28), Rosario (23), Sabato (out of top 30), Chourio (25). Also, guys from Honorable Mention category that I had in my Top 30: DaShawn Keirsey (29), Ben Ross (30). Honorable Mention guys to appear on at least 3 Top 30s: Alejandro Hidalgo (5), Brayan Medina (4), Sean Mooney (3), Cody Laweryson (3), Michael Helman (3),

Generally, the answer to this is No. If they're eventually going to play at Target Field in March and April, it's not bad for them to play in Cedar Rapids in April and learn ways to play in the cold. That said, if a player is injured and it's a hamstring or some arm issue, it probably doesn't make a lot of sense to have them spend April in Cedar Rapids. That would be the case.

Good dude. Great story! Giving back! He also gave the Twins some nice innings in his times in the big leagues. He did a nice job in the year of the Opener, often coming in as the bulk guy. He mixed and matched and changed speeds and did whatever he could. I wish him well.

Where would you rank the addition of Nick Paparesta as the team's head athletic trainer? I honestly think that might be #2 for me.

What is the value of a LOOGY in today's 3-batter minimum game?

How did Cleveland get such a strong, deep bullpen. I know they traded for Clase when he was a prospect and then had to wait out a suspension. Without looking, did they go out and spend on $6-10 million relievers, or did they develop their guys and at some point start turning things over to their own guys and trusting their development. Chafin would mean that Moran likely goes back to St. Paul. Chafin has nothing left. That move might make the Twins worse. I'm OK with Fulmer. Solid 6th/7th inning guy. At some point, you have to trust your guys. Otherwise, you don't get Duran, Moran, or even Griffin Jax. Was he better in 2021 than Sands and Winder were in 2022? Not saying they'll be the same success stories if moved to the 'pen, but can't shut down that possibility.

They won't put Canterino on the 60-Day IL unless something crazy happens. Why would they pay him $750,000 to not play (and MLB service time) when they can option him to St. Paul, pay him $15K per month and not give any service time. But, along with the starting pitcher depth, the hope is there would be more health, so there should be more 6-inning starts. Finally, why go sign a guy like Fulmer (and he's probably the best out there), rather than just throwing Winder, Henriquez, Sands, and even Ober if he's not in the rotation. I mean, later in the season, maybe even someone like Varland or Balazovic can come up and have an impact.

Today we jump into the Twins Daily Top 30 prospects with our panel's selection of prospects 21 through 30. There are some very intriguing prospects in this group. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (Blayne Enlow), Steve Buhr (Danny De Andrade, Jaylen Nowlin) For the first time, Twins Daily is now sharing our choices for the Top 30 Twins prospects. In reality, it's just one more article for you to read as we are including prospects 21-30 today. It is really an interesting mix of prospects in this range, which isn't surprising. There are several prospects who are very young in their careers. These are players with lots of tools and potential, but a long, long way to go before even approaching the big leagues. There are a couple of pitchers who had exciting 2022 seasons that catapulted themselves to this level, but they were previously lesser known so some weren't willing to push them any higher. As you would also expect, there are some minor leagues who were once Top 20, and even Top 10, prospects and whether it be injury or performance, they have dropped down the rankings. They still have the talent and at least one took that will need to carry them to an opportunity. Twins prospects ranking between 21-30 in our series highlights a dynamic group of players, some brimming with upside and others with higher-perceived floors. Let's break them down. 30. OF Byron Chourio Age: 17 2022 (DSL Marlins): 51 games, .344/.429/.410 (.838), 9-2B, 1-HR, 12.4% K, 11.5% BB Just one year ago, the Marlins signed a 16-year-old Chourio from Merida, Venezuela, for $200,000. He stands 6-2 and weighs about 175 pounds. He had a very impressive professional debut in 2022 with the Marlins’ DSL team. He hit for average, got on base, showed good bat-to-ball skills, and showed doubles power. He also stole 19 bases in 26 attempts. He played 20 games in center field, 19 games in right field, and three games in left field. He has a strong arm. The Twins acquired him as a flyer in the Arraez/Lopez trade recently. Jose Salas is the top prospect, but Chourio is equally intriguing. As I like to say, he was impressive in the DSL, but that is six promotions from the big leagues. Chourio is certainly filled with athleticism and tools that should excite Twins fans. 29. 1B Aaron Sabato Age: 23 2022 (A+/AA): 103 games, .215/.336/.438 (.774), 17 2B, 22 HR, 4/5 SB, 32% K, 13% BB The Twins were excited to select Sabato with the 27th overall pick out of North Carolina where he put up numbers very similar to those of Spencer Torkelson. He really struggled in his pro debut in 2021. He hit just .189 in 85 games in Ft. Myers but came on strong after a late-season promotion to Cedar Rapids where he added eight homers in 22 games. That’s where he began the 2022 season. In 80 games, he hit .226 with 13 doubles and 17 homers. He moved up to Wichita for 23 games late in the season and hit .179 with four doubles and five homers before his season ended with a fastball to his wrist. To this point, he has not hit for average. However, he does walk a lot. He has immense power, so when he does make quality contact, he has the ability to hit the ball a long way. The problem is that he has had trouble making contact, especially on good fastballs. He has become a decent defensive first baseman. He should start 2023 at Wichita and will continue to get opportunities, including another spring training invitation. 28. OF Kala’i Rosario Age: 20 2022 (A): 109 games, .239/.320/.408 (.727), 21 2B, 3 3B, 12 HR, 32.5% K, 8.1% BB In the five-round 2020 draft, Rosario was the team’s fifth-round pick out of high school in Waiakea, Hawaii. He was one of the most powerful prep bats in that draft. He debuted with 51 games in the FCL in 2021 and hit .277 with 10 doubles, four triples, and five home runs. As a 19-year-old in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League, his overall numbers may not look exciting, but he was productive and provided some extra base power. However, with that power comes a lot of strikeouts, something that he will need to continue working on as he moves up the organizational ladder. Rosario played both corner outfield positions with about two-thirds of that time in right field. He has good speed and plays average defense. He’s got an average arm for right field. He’s very young for the level, so he could repeat in the FSL in 2023, though it would be great if he can spend some time in Cedar Rapids as well. 27. INF Yunior Severino Age: 23 2022 (A+/AA): 83 games, .278/.370/.536 (.907), 17 2B, 2 3B, 19 HR, 25.9% K, 11.1% BB Twice a top international signing, Severino has slowly worked his way up the Twins system. He began 2022 where he ended the 2021 season, in Cedar Rapids. In 46 games, he hit .283/.398/.572 (.970) in 46 games and hit nine doubles and 11 homers. He missed significant time with an injury but when he returned he was soon promoted to Double-A Wichita where he played 37 games. In that time, he hit .273/.338/.497 (.834) with eight doubles and eight homers. He does strike out more than you could like, but he also has a strong on-base percentage thanks to a lot of walks. At Cedar Rapids, he primarily played second base. Once he moved up to Wichita (and Christian Encarnacion-Strand was traded), Severino spent most of his time at third base. While he lacks plus-range, he does make most of the plays. He should start the 2023 season with the Wind Surge where at 23, he’ll be about a year younger than the average player. 26. SS Bryan Acuna Age: 17 2022 (DSL Twins): 43 games, .310/.409/.393 (.803), 12 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 21.1% K, 11.7% BB You can’t help but start with the Acuna genetics. Ronald Acuna Sr. played in the New York Mets organization from 1999 through 2004. He then spent one season each with the Blue Jays and Brewers organizations. In 2005, Bryan was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, the Double-A home of the Blue Jays. Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was the NL Rookie of the Year as a 20-year-old in 2018 and has been an All-Star in three of the past four years. 20-year-old Double-A shortstop Luisangel Acuna was just added to the Rangers 40-man roster. Bryan Acuna signed with the Twins last January from Venezuela for $950,000 and made his pro debut in 2022 in the DSL. His overall numbers look solid, including an OPS over .800. That is more impressive when you consider that in his first 11 games, he went 2-for-30 with 13 strikeouts in 37 plate appearances (35%). That also means that over his final 32 games, he hit .368/.455/.465 (.919) with 11 of his 12 doubles, and he struck out just 17% of the time. While maybe not to the same level as his All-Star brother, Bryan Acuna does have a lot of tools. He played in 42 games at shortstop and had 13 errors. He’s got work to do defensively. He had no homers, but his 12 doubles show that the power could come too. He should come to the States in 2023 and play in the FCL. 25. LHP Brent Headrick Age: 25 2022 (A+/AA): 23 starts (25 G), 108 1/3 IP, 3.32 ERA, 31% K, 6.1% BB Headrick was the Twins ninth-round pick in 2019 out of Illinois State University where he pitched for former Twins catcher Steve Holm. Like most minor leaguers, he did not pitch in 2020. He made 15 appearances for the Mighty Mussels in 2021 and posted a 3.82 ERA. In 61 1/3 innings, he walked 33 batters, but he struck out 86 batters. In 2022, he made 15 starts with Cedar Rapids and went 8-2 with a 2.34 ERA and 0.88 WHIP. In 65 1/3 innings, he had just 13 walks to go with 77 strikeouts. He moved up to Double-A, and after a rough first outing (7 runs on 10 hits in 2 1/3 innings), he posted a 3.54 ERA and had 57 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings. Following the season, he was a pretty easy addition to the Twins 40-man roster. 24. INF Danny De Andrade Age: 18 2022 (FCL Twins): 48 games, .242/.333/.371, 9 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 4/6 SB, 13.5% K, 7.5% BB De Andrade signed with the Twins out of Venezuela in January 2021 for a $2.2 million bonus. He spent that summer in the DSL where he hit .264/.340/.348 (.688) with 13 doubles and a triple in 50 games. He came to the States in 2022 and played most every day. He made 32 starts at shortstop and 13 more at third base. He is a solid defender with good range, soft hands and a strong arm. Offensively, he’s a work-in-progress. He is an aggressive hitter with a strong swing and good bat-to-ball skills. There is potential for some power. He could spend the 2023 with the Mighty Mussels, which is likely to present a major challenge for him offensively, so don’t be surprised if he repeats the level as he will be very young. 23. RHP Cole Sands Age: 24 2022 (AAA): 19 games (13 GS), 61 2/3 IP, 5.55 ERA, 25.4% K%, 8.5% BB% 2022 (MIN): 11 games (3 GS), 30 2/3 IP, 5.87 ERA, 19.3% K%, 9.0% BB% Sands represented Team USA events in high school. He was drafted but chose to attend Florida State University. Three years later, he was the Twins fifth-round pick in 2018. That next season, he pitched at three levels, ending the year with one Double-A start. He didn’t pitch in 2020, and in 2021, he posted a 2.46 ERA at Double-A Wichita. He had 96 strikeouts in 80 1/3 innings. Moving up to Triple-A in 2022, he maintained his strikeout rate and actually reduced his walk rate. However, as you can see above, he gave up a lot of runs. It was an inconsistent year for Sands. He was promoted and optioned several times throughout the season, and also spent a couple of stints on the injured list. Is he a starter or reliever? There are a lot of similarities in terms of stuff between Sands and Tyler Duffey. Sands sits in the low-90s with his fastball but can touch 95. He also has a couple of very nice, albeit inconsistent, breaking balls. As we saw with Duffey, that can be very valuable. He would not be the first player to struggle in his big-league debut, learn from it, and have some level of success. With the Twins pitching depth, will he get that opportunity? 22. RHP Blayne Enlow Age: 23 2022 (AA): 24 games (10 starts), 57 1/3 IP, 4.40 ERA, 24.8% K, 11.6% BB Another Team USA alum, Enlow was the Twins third-round pick in 2017 out of high school in Louisiana when they met his signing bonus request to keep him from LSU. It was a slow-go for Enlow early in his career. Like many, Enlow did not pitch in 2020. He returned to Cedar Rapids (now a High-A affiliate) in 2021, but just three starts into the season, he hurt his elbow and had Tommy John surgery in June. Enlow worked hard through his rehab, and in November 2021, he was added to the 40-man roster. He returned to the mound in May 2022, 11 months after surgery, and made one rehab appearance for Ft. Myers before heading up to Double-A Wichita. He made 10 starts and 14 relief appearances. He went 1-3 and had three saves. He was clearly working to get back his form. He walked 30 batters in 57 1/3 innings, well over his ‘normal’ walk rate. That is a number he can reduce quite a bit. He also struck out 64 batters which showed that the stuff was still there. Recently, the front office took the risk of placing him on waivers, but he cleared and was outrighted to the minors. While not necessarily great, it might be exactly what he and the Twins need. It might take some of the pressure off of him in 2023 and he can just work on things. With a low-to-mid 90s fastball and a solid breaking ball and an improving change up, Enlow has potential. Again, will that be as a starter or as a reliever? We shall see. (As you can see in the video below, right before his elbow injury, Enlow was dealing, with all of his pitches.) 21. LHP Jaylen Nowlin Age: 22 2022 (A/A+): 22 games (14 starts), 71 IP, 3.80 ERA, 36.0% K%, 11.6% BB% Yet another late-round steal by the Twins scouting department, it appears. Nowlin was the Twins 19th round pick out of Chipola College. He attended Westlake High School in Atlanta with A’s prospect Lawrence Butler. In the summers, he played with Braves outfielder Michael Harris. He pitched in just one FCL game in 2021, but he made his mark at Fall Instructional League when the southpaw was touching 97 mph with a fastball and showing a solid slider as well. He carried that into the 2022 season. He began at Ft. Myers where he went 4-4 with a 3.65 ERA. In 56 ⅔ innings, he walked 29, but he struck out 89 batters. He moved up to the Kernels late in the season and made three starts. He was 1-1 with a 4.40 ERA. In 14 1/3 innings, he walked seven but struck out 22 batters. Overall, that is 11 strikeouts in 71 innings, a rate of 14.1 K/9. Clearly he will need to improve his control and command, but the Twins can be patient with him and should be because he has immense talent, he just needs to keep improving. Feel free to discuss these prospects and ask as many questions as you like in the COMMENTS below. I will try to get to as any of them as I can. For more Twins Daily content on these ten Twins prospects, click on the link with their name here: Jaylen Nowlin, Blayne Enlow, Cole Sands, Danny De Andrade, Brent Headrick, Bryan Acuna, Yunior Severino, Kala'i Rosario, Aaron Sabato, Byron Chourio. Previous Installments Honorable Mention Prospects 21-30 Prospects 16-20 - Coming Soon! Prospects 11-15 View full article

Correct, and they have had some good successes around all the injuries. Wallner is looking like a good pick. Their 2021 picks netted them Gray, Mahle and J Lopez. Their 2019 Day 2/3 draft picks included Headrick, Varland, and in 2021, they added Festa, Ohl and Nowlin on Day 3. I think their scouts have done well, and I wish there was a good way to truly measure that beyond just how many get to the big leagues or how much WAR a draft class accumulated. A 12th round pick getting to AA deserves notice. A 19th round pick getting to Hi-A ball warrants credit. You could do something with that... However, the other side of that is... Many think that Player X is the logical pick for the Twins at pick 48... but you've watched Player X and realize that he has something that just is unlikely to allow him to be a big leaguer. That scout has to be OK to say not to pick a certain guy. That's stuff we could never quantify because we don't know how much of that happens.