Seth Stohs

Over the next weeks and months, I will be posting some Get-To-Know-‘Em interviews with some Twins minor league players. It’s always fun to get to know the people, the personalities behind the ballplayer. Today, we are going to start with an interview with middle infielder and 2013 draft pick Ryan Walker. The Twins selected him last June in the 18th round of the draft out of the University of Texas in Arlington. He began his pro career in Elizabethton and spent a week in Cedar Rapids. So, without further ado, let's get to know, Ryan Walker.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Twins Daily (TD): Growing up in Texas, who was your favorite team, and who were some of your favorite players to watch? Ryan Walker (RW): My favorite team was always the Rangers since they were only ten minutes from my house, and I was able to go to games often. I never had a real favorite player until Adrian Beltre. He’s fun to watch, does things different, but is an awesome baseball player at the same time. TD: What are your best memories from your high school baseball days? Did you play other sports? RW: My favorite memories in high school were playoffs and having to carpool to some games because the bus didn’t show up. A lot of fun times just being around guys that I’m still friends with today. I didn’t play any other sports in high school, although I would’ve liked to. TD: Talk about your decision to go to UT-Arlington. Were you recruited elsewhere too? RW: I wasn’t recruited to too many Division 1 schools, most likely because of my size. UTA ended up being a perfect decision, and I couldn’t have had a better time there with that coaching staff and teammates. TD: What were your best memories/moments from your college playing days? RW: The best memories, game-wise, were the conference championship games my sophomore year when we ended up winning it. It seemed like every game was just great baseball and several great plays and clutch hits just made it a great time. Outside of actual games, some of our trips to Seattle and other cities were extremely fun and times I definitely won’t forget. TD: As the draft approached, were you seeing or talking to more scouts? Did you have much conversation with any Twins scouts? RW: I talked to probably fifteen or so scouts, but the Twins scout I actually sat down with one time and talked to several times. He seemed excited about getting me, and it got me excited at the same time. TD: When the Twins took you in the 18th round, where were you and what was that experience like? Was that about where you were expecting to be picked? RW: When I saw my name picked, I was actually at my brother’s baseball game so my family was there, and they started congratulating me. Everyone in the stands kind of looked at us like we were crazy. I really didn’t have an exact idea of where I’d be going, but it worked out well. TD: What was the adjustment to pro baseball like for you? (in E-Town and then with the move up to Cedar Rapids) RW: The main adjustment to pro ball, I’d say, is just playing daily compared to 3-4 games a week in college. As for the baseball part itself, I try to take an almost naïve approach and treat it like it’s all really the same game, no matter the level. Obviously the ball comes harder, moves more, and people are faster, but I think 90% of problems for me are from overthinking. TD: If you were to write up a scouting report on yourself, what would it be? What would you say are your strengths, and an area you want to work on to improve most? RW: Strength and size have always been areas I continually improve on. I like to bunt when it’s there because hits are hits to me, but at the same time, adding strength to consistently drive gaps is definitely an asset. TD: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career? RW: Oh wow! That’s a long list. Every coach I’ve ever had, and teammates that instilled the drive to succeed along with my parents. They always got me the lessons or equipment needed and that stuff you don’t really appreciate as much until later when you actually have to buy gloves and cleats regularly in pro ball! I also think my parents hate cooking now because of how much food I consume. TD: Outside of baseball, what do you enjoy doing (hobbies, etc.)? RW: Outside of baseball, I have a ton of things ranging from ping pong to playing banjo. I usually wear my friends out because of how many hours I can play ping pong without stopping. I really just like finding skills and getting good at them. I learned to write computer code last summer. I’ve been skydiving, basically anything exciting and challenging, and I probably enjoy it. TD: As spring training is now just a couple of months away, what are you most anxious about excited about? RW: I’m really looking forward to the first full year of pro ball. I’ve put in a ton of work this offseason so I really am just excited to go in and know I’m at the peak of what I’m capable of and have no regrets. TD: Have you set any goals for yourself for the 2014 season? RW: I only set a few goals, and the ones I do tend to be extremely lofty goals because I don’t really feel like there’s any other way to do it. I’d like to lead the league in hitting and make an All Star game. TD: Favorite Baseball movie? RW: Mr. 3000 is one of my favorite baseball movies. TD: What is one of thing about yourself that you would want Twins fans to know? RW: One thing I’d like Twins fans to know is… in about a month or two, I’ll be playing a mean banjo! Thank you to Ryan Walker for taking time to answer these questions. If you have any further questions for Walker, leave them in the comments below. Maybe he'll stop by to answer some, or I may be able to get some answers as well. Who knows? Maybe we can get some video of him playing his banjo before his next Q&A here!

So far we’ve reviewed the catchers and the first basemen, and today we will be looking at the third basemen in the Minnesota Twins organization. The Twins have had an issue getting consistent third base play since the days of Corey Koskie. Danny Valencia was called up and had a very strong showing as a rookie, but he then struggled in his second season. That opened the door for Trevor Plouffe who had a huge two-month stretch in 2012, showing tremendous power. He struggled in 2013. What will 2014 bring for Plouffe? With one of baseball’s top prospects coming up quickly on the horizon, it will be a big year for the incumbent.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The Big Leaguers Trevor Plouffe will begin the 2014 season as the Twins starting third baseman. Though it will be the fifth season that he has seen time with the Twins and his 11th in the organization, he will not turn 28 until mid-June. There’s no question Plouffe has some talent and the ability to hit the ball a long way. His .254 average in 2013 was his career-high. However, despite playing in a career high 129 games, his home run total dropped from 24 in 2012 to 14 in 2013. He did miss time with a concussion and when he was ready to return, he went right back on the DL with a calf injury. Eduardo Escobar is out of options and will most likely be the team’s primary utility infielder in 2014. There is little offensive upside with Escobar, though he can play the infield positions quite well and can provide depth in the outfield too. He also had caught some bullpens and would be the Twins emergency catcher. The Non-Roster Invites Last week, the Twins announced their non-roster spring training invitees. Three of those invites are primarily third basemen. In 2013, Deibinson Romero was supposed to head to the Twins' big league camp for the first time since he was put on the team’s 40-man roster in 2009. Unfortunately, he had problems getting a visa due to MLB’s more stringent age reviewing process. He came to the States after the season began and put together a solid year. In 90 games between AA (where he just played in just a handful of games) and AAA, he hit .275/.374/.448 with 17 doubles and 13 homers. A year earlier, in AA, he had 23 doubles and 19 homers. Hopefully the 27-year-old can have a healthy, productive season. Brandon Waring (28) came to the Twins early in the offseason as a minor league free agent. After spending more than half the 2012 season with the Orioles AAA team in Norfolk, he spent all but ten days of the 2013 back at AA Bowie. He hit just .213. However, he did post a .102 IsoD with 23 home runs. He primarily played 3B, though he can also play 1B. The Crown Jewel The third non-roster invitee at the hot corner is someone who would likely be the #1 prospect in about 28 of baseball’s organizations. In the Twins system, Miguel Sano is the #2 prospect behind only Byron Buxton, the top prospect in baseball. After hitting 28 home runs and driving in 100 runs in Beloit in 2012, Sano performed even better as he moved up the ladder in 2013. In Ft. Myers, he hit .330/.424/.655 (1.079) with 15 doubles and 16 home runs. The day after the Miracle clinched the first half title, he was promoted to AA where he played in 67 more games. There, he struggled and hit just .236. However, he got on base 34% of the time and hit 15 doubles and 19 home runs. So, combined, he had 30 doubles, 35 homers and 103 RBI. His defense also greatly improved. He reduced his error total from 42 in 2012 to 23 in 2013. As exciting as Sano’s power is, he will have to continue to make improvement in his contact rate. When he connects, the ball generally travels. A return to New Britain will be beneficial to his development. However, he could move up quickly as long as his defense remains solid. And, of course, assuming his elbow turns out to be healthy. Prospect Rankings Miguel Sano is one of baseball’s best prospects, and rightfully so, but he was my choice (and most people’s) as the Twins #2 prospect. My #14 Twins prospect, Travis Harrison, put together a solid showing in his first full season. At Cedar Rapids, he hit .253/.366/.416 with 28 doubles and 15 home runs. After committing 24 errors in 59 games in E-Town in 2012, Harrison had 26 errors in 129 games in Cedar Rapids in 2013. The 2011 supplemental first round pick will likely advance to Ft. Myers for the 2014 season. Amaurys Minier was my choice as the #16 Twins prospect this year. He was the Twins big international signing in 2012 when the then-16-year-old signed with the team for $1.4 million. He was limited to 31 games in his professional debut with the GCL Twins in 2013 due to injury. He hit just .214 and got on base 25% of the time. However, he hit five doubles, two triples and six home runs. When he made contact, good things typically happened. He has work to do on his defense as well, as you would expect. Roster Projections In each installment, I’ve made my roster projections. Additional signings and injuries would affect all this, and that’s why I sometimes have more than just two or even three at each level. There are also always players put on disabled lists. As a disclaimer, these are my projections and not meant to be used as anything official. This gives an idea of who could be at each affiliate at the start of the season. Minnesota: Trevor Plouffe, Eduardo Escobar Rochester: Deibinson Romero, Brandon Waring, Nate Hanson New Britain: Miguel Sano Fort Myers: Travis Harrison, Stephen Wickens Cedar Rapids: Javier Pimentel, Chad Christensen Extended Spring Training: Amaurys Minier, Roni Tapia, Ruar Verkerk Feel free to discuss the players and the roster.