Seth Stohs

Thank you to everyone who adopted a prospect this year. If you can please update your players in the next week, that would great a great bow to the end of the season. Thank you!

I 100% agree... this September is much different than last September. There are a lot more reasons for optimism. Arcia seemed to take a step in the last 4-6 weeks. Santana and Vargas has shown what they can do and will fight to avoid sophomore slumps. Dozier and Plouffe solidified their careers. Suzuki had a great first 2/3 of the season. They did a great job with the in-season claims of Fuld and Schafer And, of course, Phil Hughes amazing. Perkins, Fien and Duensing (and also Thielbar) were all terrific for the first 2/3 of the season. There are a lot of positives. Ricky Nolasco will be better. Sano and Meyer should appear in 2015, maybe even Buxton and Berrios. They handled Trevor May perfectly and he took off after his brutal first three strikes. His peripherals since then are remarkable. So yeah, I feel better going into 2015 than I did going into 2014, to be sure.

and he should. I actually agree with teams giving guys opportunities at other positions, especially in the low minors. I think Gordon should play 9 out of 10 at SS, but I would be good with him getting some starts and 2B and 3B as well.

It can be a challenge. Like you said, you have to first decide who you are taking off the roster, and then determine who you feel you absolutely must add (Meyer, Sano, Rosario, etc), and then it's back and forth. Would you rather potentially lose Player X by removing him from the 40 man or Player Y who might be taken in the Rule 5 draft? Like these prospect lists, it's a fun exercise to do.

This is just awesome, and that video is so fun! Great to see so many willing to participate. There are so many really good people in this organization, and Duensing is right near the top of that. Thank you Lindsey for writing this and sharing this. Just wonderful!

Gary Lucas has been a pitching coach in the Twins farm system for a long time. In 2013, I had the chance to talk to him in the Cedar Rapids dugout for awhile and his passion for pitching and teaching and seeing his pitchers advance was evident. I talked to him a bit this spring, and again in July when I wrote an article on JO Berrios going to the Futures Game. Today, LaVelle Neal posted on his pregame blog that Lucas and the Twins parted ways. That's the nice way of saying it, I think. I've seen him work with pitchers. He is greatly responsible for the progress of JO Berrios from last year (where he coached him in Cedar Rapids) to this year (where he coached him in Ft. Myers). He's worked work Tyler Duffey and Jason Wheeler and Matt Tomshaw and David Hurlbut and Brandon Peterson and Mason Melotakis and, and, and... this was a good year in the Twins minor league system for pitchers (starters and relievers). I get that changes get made and such, but this one bugs me a bit.

Agreed... too early to be worried. Parker's right, many don't stick there defensively. But also, it was his first taste of pro ball. The infield coaches can start working with him. Also, guessing the ETown/Appy League fields aren't quite as good as Hammond Stadium or Target Field. I'm guessing Jeremy Nygaard will be quite disappointed that Max Murphy isn't in the Top 20!

Yeah, couldn't (or didn't) fit him into the Top 50, but here's the deal. They could put him on the 40 man roster and see. he'd have 3 option years. They could see if he would pass through again this year (as he did last year). He won't be a minor league free agent for another two years, so there really is no rush at all at this point. They don't need to make any sort of decisions (certainly not once-and-for-all decisions) on him yet.

Like I said, I'd like to (maybe later next week after the list is complete, put together a summary article of my Top 50 and encourage everyone to post their personal top 50 (or top 20 or 30, etc.). It is a pretty neat exercise to actually rank them when you consider player A vs player B vs player C.

At the same time, I'd love it if they added another affiliate because it would mean getting to cover more minor leaguers!!

But that 'high-quality' pitching that came up to Cedar Rapids this year was in the form of Lewis Thorpe, Fernando Romero and Stephen Gonsalves... which again shows that it isn't about age when it comes to decisions to promote or not. All three were under 20. They added Mat Batts later. He was older but only drafted about 6 weeks before he was in Cedar Rapids. Nick Burdi started at CR and quickly got up to FM. And the other side of that is that Nick Gordon, at 18, started his career there. Joe Mauer and Trevor Plouffe jumped right to ET too. I personally agree with the decision to start college guys in Elizabethton for various reasons including: Adjustment to pro life, adjustment to wood bats, adjustments to the daily routine, meeting new teammates, getting paid, paying more bills. In addition, the Twins could put guys like Cederoth and Curtiss in the rotation after they'd pitched in the bullpen in college in a position where they could be successful. With many college starters, they put them in E-Town and have them work about every 5th day to keep their innings down since they started throwing in February and probably already have 100 innings. And when guys like Max Murphy do what he did in a month in E-Town, he moved up.

Earlier in the week, we started looking at my preliminary Top 50 Twins prospects list by reviewing prospects 41-50 and then prospects 31-40. Today, we’ll look at the next ten prospects, 21-30. This portion of the list includes several southpaws, a couple of hard-throwing bullpen arms and a couple hitters with potential.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 21-30 #30 – Zack Larson – 20 – OF – Cedar Rapids/GCL Twins (rehab) Larson was limited to just 41 games this year for the Kernels. At just 20, he held his own in the Midwest League and hit 11 doubles in just 151 at-bats. With the Kernels, he hit .265/.325/.358 (.683). Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring injury and missed months. Larson was the 20th round pick of the Twins in 2012. He signed late when he was offered a signing bonus well over slot. At 6-2 and 190 pounds, he is a good athlete, but his best tool is his bat. He can hit. #29 – Michael Tonkin – 24 – RH RP – Rochester Red Wings/Minnesota Twins Tonkin was actually on the Twins opening day roster due to the birth of Brian Duensing’s child, but he spent most of the season in Rochester. He went 3-4 with a 2.80 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. In 45 innings, he walked 12 and struck out 46. He has posted a 5.00 ERA in 24 games with the Twins as well. He’s only thrown 18 innings. He may not be rookie-eligible in 2015 due to days on the MLB roster. He’s still got some upside, due to a fastball at 95 and a solid slider. He needs to be with the Twins and see if he can improve. He’s done all he can in AAA. #28 – Stuart Turner – 22 – C – Ft. Myers Miracle Turner was the Twins third-round pick in 2013 out of the University of Mississippi where he was the winner of the Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s top catcher. He spent 2013 in Elizabethton though he did go 2-4 in one game at New Britain at season’s end. Turner is so well-respected with his glove that he was invited to big league spring training. He spent the year in Ft. Myers where in 93 games, he hit .249/.322/.375 (.698) with 16 doubles, two triples and seven home runs. He hit much better in the second half. However, teammates and coaches rave about his work behind the plate. #27 – Engelb Vielma – 20 – SS – Cedar Rapids Kernels He is listed at 5-11 and 155 pounds, but that last number may be generous. It was a surprise when he was sent to Cedar Rapids to start the season. Defensively, it is my opinion that he is the best in the Twins organization. Long and lanky, he seemingly glides around the shortstop position. He has soft hands and a strong arm. Offensively, he is mostly a slap-hitter at this time, but he more than held his own. He hit .266/.313/.323 (.636) with 13 doubles, four triples and one home run in 112 games. #26 – Logan Darnell – 25 – LHP – Rochester Red Wings/Minnesota Twins Darnell was the Twins sixth-round draft pick in 2010 out of the University of Kentucky. He reached AAA last year and was added to the 40-man roster following the season. He had a very solid season at Rochester this year. He went 7-6 with a 3.60 ERA. In 115 innings, he struck out 90. He made his major league debut on May 6 with three perfect innings. He has made four starts and three relief appearances and posted a 7.13 ERA. However, in 24 innings, he has struck out 22. He can be a #6/#7 starter or a solid middle reliever. #25 – Fernando Romero – 19 – RHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels Romero throws gas. The 19-year-old was hitting 94-96 mph with his fastball this spring and had a solid slider. Signed from the Dominican Republic in 2011, Romero spent a year in the DSL before posting a 1.60 ERA in 45 innings in the GCL last year. He began this season in extended spring training, but by early June he was called up to the Kernels where he made three starts. Unfortunately, he started to experience elbow pain and soon after had Tommy John surgery. He will likely miss most of the 2015 season, but if he’s able to come back, he has huge potential. #24 – Sean Gilmartin – 24 – LHP – New Britain Rock Cats/Rochester Red Wings Gilmartin graduated from Crespi Carmelite High School, the same high school that Trevor Plouffe graduated from four years earlier. He became the first-round pick of the Atlanta Braves in 2011 after a stellar career at Florida State. Last winter, he came to the Twins organization in exchange for Ryan Doumit. He began this season in AA New Britain where he went 7-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 12 starts. He struck out 74 in 72 innings. He was promoted to Rochester where he went 2-4 with a 4.28 ERA. In 73.2 innings, he struck out 59. He is a guy who should be added to the 40 man roster this offseason. #23 – Jason Wheeler – 23 – LHP – Ft. Myers Miracle/New Britain Rock Cats/Rochester Red Wings Wheeler was the Twins eighth-round pick in 2011 out of Loyola Marymount. He went 14-6 with a 3.45 ERA in Beloit in 2012. In 2013 in Ft. Myers, he went 9-4 with a 3.70 ERA. He returned to the Miracle to start this season and made a couple of adjustments. He went 6-5, but his ERA dropped to 2.51. He advanced to New Britain where 5-4 with a 2.78 ERA in 12 starts. He even made a start in Rochester. Although he sits in the 89-91 mph range, Wheeler can touch 94 on occasion. He is aggressive, throws strikes and mixes his pitches well. He is another guy who will be strongly considered for a 40-man roster spot. #22 – Niko Goodrum – 22 – 3B – Ft. Myers Miracle The Twins used their second round pick in 2010 on the toolsy Goodrum who was a high school kid from Georgia. At 6-3 and about 200 pounds, he is a tremendous athlete. With the Miracle in 2014, he hit .249/.337/.336 (.672) with 19 doubles, five triples and three homers in 122 games. After playing shortstop through his first four professional seasons, he moved to third base this year, though he still played 26 games at shortstop. Goodrum is good defensively and has very good speed. On the base paths, he stole 35 bases in 39 attempts. Goodrum is someone who the Twins will have to consider putting on their 40-man roster in November. #21 – Jake Reed – 23 – RH RP – Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels Reed was selected in the fifth round by the Twins this year out of the University of Oregon. He ended up having a dominant pro debut. He began at Elizabethton where he pitched six innings over four games and gave up just one hit. He was promoted to Cedar Rapids where he pitched 25 innings in 16 games. Overall, he threw 31 innings in 20 games. He gave up just 11 hits, walked three and struck out 31. He was 3-0 with a 0.29 ERA and a 0.45 WHIP. He and his upper-90s fastball will head to the Arizona Fall League next month. So, what do you think of Part 3, Prospects 21-30? Next up will be prospects 11-30. Click here to view the article

Love this stuff from Phil Hughes on FSN (and tweeted by Jamie Hersch):

According to Phil Hughes and to people with the Twins, Hughes was offered the chance to pitch this weekend in an attempt to get one out and trigger his $500,000 bonus. He respectfully declined.

In Wednesday afternoon's game, Trevor Plouffe fractured his wrist tagging a base stealer at third base. The play is one he has done thousands of times, but when he came up, it was clear he was in pain. This afternoon, Plouffe tweeted that he received good news today. He will not need surgery, but he will be in a cast for 6-8 weeks.

I'll let Parker and others discuss the defensive metrics. I've seen him play in the lower levels, and talked to a lot of people who have seen him work his way up the system. There is no questioning his skill set. He has very good speed and range, and he has a rocket for an arm. He can make some spectacular plays. He also commits a ton of errors. Of course, how many of those errors came on balls other SS wouldn't even get to? Hard to know. How many errors would have been saved by having someone like Joe Mauer at 1B? Can't know for sure. He's 23, so I don't know that he'll get better. I've talked to several who would be scared to think about him being the every day SS, but it would be good to let him try.

Hat tip to ericchri for finding this article from Sports on Earth which named the team MVP for all 30 MLB teams. Check out the article. There are plenty of interesting choices, including their choice for the Twins. Once you read the article and see the Twins choice, discuss below.

John Sickels of Minor League Ball wrote an article on Danny Santana today. He looked back at his prospect status over the last few years and did some fun analysis. Worth the read.

LHP Brad Hand was the 2nd round pick of the Marlins in 2008 out of Chaska High School. He made 12 starts for a 2011 Marlins team that needed anyone to pitch, and as a 21 year old, he went 1-8. He made one appearance for them in 2012. He threw 20+ innings in 2013. This year, he's been with the big league roster most of the year, although he missed some time with injury. He has improved his control of late, but he will be out of options next year (the negative of getting him up to the big leagues so fast)... Definitely a guy the Twins liked before the 2008 draft. Here is a nice story on him from the Christina De Nicola of Fox Sports Florida.

To be fair, Brian Dozier was an 8th round pick which means most teams passed him by 8 times and the Twins did 7 times. He too was a college senior. His first full year, he split between Beloit and Ft. Myers. There was a middle infield need at that time. The Twins clearly like Garver enough to want him to play every day (catch a lot and have him DH a lot to), and they wanted Turner to catch a lot in Ft. Myers. Draft round matters to some degree, but once they put in a full season, it matters much, much less.

It appears the Phil Hughes 2014 season is complete. He ends the year with 186 strikeouts and just 16 walks. The 11.6 K/BB rate is the best in MLB history. Of course, if he is done, he also finished with 209.2 innings. If the rain had not fallen and he recorded one out in the ninth inning today, he would have received a $500,000 bonus. 16 wins, 16 walks, 16 HR allowed. Pretty incredible season!Phil Hughes was cruising on Wednesday afternoon in the final Target Field game of the season. He had given up just one run to the Arizona Diamondbacks on five hits. He walked none and struck out five. He was at 96 pitches after eight innings of work. With a 2-1 lead, it appeared he would reach the 8.1 innings for the game, or more, and hit the 210 innings mark. And then the rains came. The tarp was put over the infield. An hour and six minutes later the game continued. Jared Burton came out for the 9th inning to record the save and give Hughes his 16th win of the year. One out short of a $500,000 bonus. Hughes and Ron Gardenhire both insisted following the game that he is done. He will not pitch out of the bullpen in Detroit on Saturday or Sunday to reach the milestone. First, it is important to point out that the front office, coaching staff and Hughes himself were fully aware of how many outs he needed to get the bonus. All sides wanted him to reach 8.1 innings. Second, the Twins are absolutely not obligated in any way to give him the bonus because he did not reach 210 innings on the season. It's easy to say that "an act of God" took away his opportunity for that bonus. And that certainly tugs at the heart- strings. But he could have recorded one more out any other time during the season too. Third, if the Twins don't give him the bonus, the organization will again be called cheap, though that really has nothing to do with this. The Twins could do a few things: First, they could let him pitch an inning on Saturday or Sunday out of the bullpen. It would be a little shy of his regular rest, but it would be on what would be his normal bullpen day. Of course, they aren't bullpen days because (if this isn't an option) Phil Hughes may not throw a baseball for the next two or three months. The Twins could just give him the bonus, though it sets a precedent that I'm sure Major League Baseball would not appreciate. The bonus was for 210 innings. He did not reach 210 innings. What if he had ended at 209 innings rather than 209.2 innings? (Side note - I'm not certain this is even something that they can do according to the collective bargaining agreement.) Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press made an interesting observation on Twitter. The Twins could donate $500,000 to the Phil Hughes Foundation. Here's another interesting idea... Could the Twins work on extending Phil Hughes beyond the current three year deal that is through the 2016 season? Well, they could try, but at just 28 years old, Hughes could still become a free agent at 30, and if he pitches well the next two years, he would be in line for a four or five year deal and a lot of money. Would Hughes be willing to extend his current contract two years? Would the Twins have any interest in extending him beyond that when they have him under contract for two more years? The organization has certainly had its ups and downs when handing out long-term deals. All of this is fun to talk about. It's also interesting to talk about because Phil Hughes just put up one of the more impressive starting pitching seasons in recent years, certainly back to Johan Santana circa 2008. In an organization that has struggled so much to find competent starting pitching, they struck gold with Hughes in 2014. In another 90-loss season, maybe we should just enjoy that. At least for now. QUICK UPDATE - Mike Berardino posted the following on Twitter after the game: Click here to view the article

Personal bias, time seen players playing, practicing, are things that can't be quantified, and frankly, I don't think any prospect list should be viewed based solely on any one thing. And, I do think visual should play into this as well. SDBuhr saw this year's Cedar Rapids team play probably 80+ times this year and the same last year. He's visibly seen what these guys can do. His "bias" is pretty valuable in my opinion and that can increase or decrease a player's rankings in his mind. I do think it would be interesting to look back at my previous Top 50 lists and do some sorting. Find out a percentage of guys I had in the 41-50 range or the 31-40 range who got even a cup of coffee... or Top 10 prospects who don't make it. Of course, that will also depend on the quality of the farm system. I may have to do that in the offseason.

I can see both being a little higher. Melotakis could be a dominant LH Reliever, touching 97, but we know he won't be starting in the big leagues. There are also some concerns about his elbow which could cost him some time... I hope not though. Sure, Michael could be a big league 2B. I see him more as a potential utility infielder. He's no Nick Punto though. I don't think. If he is, he should be higher.