Seth Stohs

Last week at Twins Daily, we presented several minor league awards. This week, I wanted to present the organization's minor league All-Star team. As we have discussed many times here throughout the year, it was a terrific season in the Twins farm system. That can be further illustrated by looking at this All-Star team, and a potential lineup. How do you think the following lineup would compare against All-Star lineups from other organizations? [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] CF Byron Buxton SS Jorge Polanco 2B Eddie Rosario 3B Miguel Sano DH Chris Colabello C Josmil Pinto 1B Dalton Hicks RF Adam Walker LF JD Williams Photo by Seth Stohs includes three members of this All Star roster. From L to R: JD Williams, Byron Buxton, Adam Walker, Romy Jimenez Byron Buxton is the best prospect in baseball, and he had a tremendous all-around season for the Cedar Rapids Kernels and the Ft. Myers Miracle. His plate discipline, power and speed make him the nearly perfect prospect. All the comparisons to Mike Trout as a prospect are absolutely accurate. I did take a bit of liberty in putting Jorge Polanco as my shortstop, but he did play the position in 49 games in 2013. He was signed as a defensive infielder, but after a strong short-season at Elizabethton in 2012, he put up some terrific numbers. He hit .308 with 47 extra base hits for the Kernels this year. Eddie Rosario has been a big prospect since being named the Appy League Player of the Year. However, he has taken his prospect status to a new level. He hit .302 with 50 extra base hits between Ft. Myers and New Britain this year as a 21 year old. He has made himself a decent second baseman and will easily be able to handle a move back to the outfield if necessary. Miguel Sano can hit cleanup in many lineups, including one made up by me. Like Rosario, Sano played for both Ft. Myers and New Britain, only he did it at the age of 20. He hit .280 with a .992 OPS, and he accounted for 70 extra base hits including 35 home runs. Chris Colabello may have struggled in his time with the Twins, but what he was doing in Rochester was incredible. The 29-year-old first baseman was named the International League Rookie of the Year and MVP. In 89 games with the Red Wings hit .352 with a 1.066 OPS. He also hit 25 doubles and 24 home runs. Josmil Pinto has flown under the radar for several years. He's made a strong first big league impression with the Twins, but he was terrific in New Britain and Rochester this year. Combined, he hit .302 with an .882 OPS. He is also known for having great plate discipline. The backstop also has a very strong arm. Dalton Hicks led the organization in RBI this season with 110. He had 82 RBI in 89 games in Cedar Rapids before driving in another 28 runs in Ft. Myers. He combined to hit .289 with an .826 OPS. Adam Walker's 109 RBI was second only to Hicks in the organization and led the Midwest League. His 27 home runs also led the league. The 21-year-old hit .278 with an .844 OPS in his first full season of professional baseball. Only Miguel Sano may have more raw power in the organization than does Walker. JD Williams repeated in the Midwest League for the first half of the 2013 season, and it was beneficial for him. He was a different player. His approach at the plate was vastly improved as evidenced by his .372 on base percentage. His is still raw and very toolsy. He has good speed and some power. So, the next obvious question is what about the pitching? Here are my choices for the 2013 Twins All Star team: LH SP - Taylor Rogers RH SP - Alex Meyer Taylor Rogers was my choice for Twins starting pitcher of the year. He combined to go 11-7 with a 2.88 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He led the organization with three complete games and two shutouts and in his playoff game for the Miracle, he threw nine shutout innings. Alex Meyer missed nearly three months of the season and yet, in his 16 starts, he posted a 2.99 ERA. In 78.1 innings, he struck out an impressive 11.5 per nine innings. Upon his return from the shoulder issues, he was again hitting triple-digits on the radar gun. LH RP - Edgar Ibarra RH RP - Zach Jones Closer - Tyler Jones Ibarra posted a 1.93 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP between New Britain and Rochester in 2013. As he heads to the Arizona Fall League, Zach Jones boasts a 1.85 ERA and 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings this season with the Ft. Myers Miracle. Tyler Jones was my choice for reliever of the year. Between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers, he recorded 13 saves and posted a 2.58 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He walked 3.4 per nine while striking out 11.4 per nine. All-in-all, it was a tremendous season in the Twins farm system. There were team successes, and most important, prospects (and specifically key prospects) took another step forward in their development. 2014 may be another rough season for the Twins, but it should be a year in which the next core of Twins players debuts. I'm already envisioning a September 2014 lineup that includes: C - Josmil Pinto, 1B - Joe Mauer, 2B - Brian Dozier, 3B - Miguel Sano, SS - Pedro Florimon, LF - Aaron Hicks, CF - Byron Buxton, RF - Eddie Rosario, and DH - Oswaldo Arcia. I'm envisioning a starting rotation that includes the likes of Alex Meyer, Kyle Gibson and Trevor May. Patience is a virtue, and for the most part, Twins fans have been patient. I'm thinking that patience needs to last one more year as this next core of players starts getting their opportunity.

I recently got my newest issue of Entertainment Weekly. It was the Fall TV preview issue. As I was flipping through the pages to see what shows spark my interest, some of them made me start thinking about the Twins season, and how the Twins have played in September. Yes, I acknowledge that that makes me kind of sad, but you can understand, I’m sure. Below you’ll find some of the TV shows and how they got me thinking about the Minnesota Twins. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] It seems everyone has caught on to the Breaking Bad phenomenon. I was late to the game. About two months ago, I was able to pick up Seasons One through Five, and I started watching. I’m now several episodes into Season 4, and trying my best not to read on Twitter what’s going on this season with Walt and Jesse and the gang. For the Twins, things have been Breaking Bad! While the Twins fought to stay afloat until recently, things have not been good since they lost the third game of a series in Houston. They have won just twice in their last 11 games. More recently, they have lost five of their last six, and by a combined score of 52-12. They have been brutal at Target Field and are in serious need of some Home Improvement! The silver lining is that, if the season were to end today, the Twins would pick fifth in the 2014 MLB Draft. It is definitely a Grimm situation for the hometown nine. Reading the comments on sites like Twins Daily, and maybe more importantly, seeing the declining attendance numbers at Target Field tells me that there are a bunch of Mad Men in Twins' fandom these days. It’s certainly A Different World from what we experienced through most of the last decade. Gardy, and the Twins announcers, often speak about sending out The A-Team to face teams in playoff contention, but it is hard to find an A-Team right now, especially with Joe Mauer out of the lineup. Of course, after three straight horrific seasons by the Twins, some fans are looking for a Revolution. That’s not exactly how the Twins tend to work. They are an organization that strongly believes in building from within, both on the field and in the front office. All in the Family, one might say. There will be change. However, most likely, there will be little change in the front office. Then, you’ve got people like me who are Raising Hope by touting the strong Twins' farm system. However, caution must always follow optimism, especially when it comes to minor league prospects. As good and as much hype as prospects get, there is always a chance they don’t become what you think they can become. They don’t always continue to develop as you think they will. One perfect example of this Arrested Development is last night’s starter, Liam Hendriks. Last night, the Australian right-hander was unable to get out of the first inning against the White Sox. Hendriks was a guy who flew through that Twins farm system. I ranked him as high as #3 in my Twins prospect rankings. Why? He was tremendous in the minor leagues. He pitched well in Beloit and Ft. Myers in 2010. He pitched very well in New Britain and Rochester in 2011. In fact, he got a September call up that season out of necessity. But it was more than that. Reports on Hendriks were that he had a fastball that hit 92 mph with movement. That he had a very good changeup and a good curveball. At times in his 30 starts with the Twins, he has shown all of those things. Let’s not forget the game he lost 1-0 to Felix Hernandez and the Mariners. The talent is there. The pitches are there. For some reason, it just has not come together. I guess you could say that Rick Anderson is the X-Factor when it comes to Twins pitchers. He often gets blamed when pitchers don’t become what we think that they should become. He gets roasted when a young pitcher struggles with the Twins and then succeeds when he goes elsewhere, even though that could just as easily be a byproduct of more experience, maturity and other variables. But how much did Anderson have to work with in 2013? He certainly did help Sam Deduno and over his years he has as many, if not more, successes than failures. Hendriks is one of several players on the Twins roster they will need to determine if they will Love It or List It? It will be another interesting offseason for the Twins, and there are some 40 man roster decisions that will not be easy. Who will come off of the 40 man roster? Hendriks joins a list of possibilities that includes (but not limited to) Andrew Albers, Cole De Vries, BJ Hermsen, Shairon Martis, Eric Fryer, Doug Bernier, Chris Colabello, Wilkin Ramirez and Clete Thomas. They will also have to determine if they will offer arbitration to the likes of Brian Duensing, Josh Roenicke, Anthony Swarzak and Trevor Plouffe. Some of that will be determined by their thoughts on the most interesting Person of Interest in the organization, Miguel Sano. Will the Twins brass be willing to let him be the Opening Day third baseman in 2014? Should they? But he is certainly not the only person whose development will factor into 2014 planning. Many may want an Extreme Makeover, but consider how many high-level prospects the team needs to open spaces for in 2014. Consider the following: Aaron Hicks – He was given the right to compete for the Opening Day centerfield job in 2013, and he won that spring training contest in the most recent example of why spring training numbers mean nothing. He struggled in his time with the Twins and was allowed to struggle beyond anything I’ve seen before. When he was finally sent down to Rochester, he lost time due to three separate injuries. He did not receive a September call up and says he will not play winter ball in Puerto Rico. What is his status going into 2014? One thing for certain is that Twins fans should not give up on him. Though Byron Buxton is near, Hicks can still be a long-term fixture in the Twins outfield. Trevor Plouffe – He has really struggled at third base at times, and his offense has been quite inconsistent. Miguel Sano is very close, and reports indicate that his defense is better than Plouffe’s at the hot corner already. What do they do with Plouffe? Can he become a Super Utility player who plays all over? Eddie Rosario – Like Sano, Rosario has been a fast mover in the Twins system. He started in Ft. Myers and then hit well in New Britain. He won’t be ready for Opening Day, but do not be surprised if he is with the Twins by mid-season. Will it be at second base, or has Brian Dozier cemented himself there? Rosario certainly could be an outfielder as well. Alex Meyer – This might be the biggest piece to the puzzle. He missed nearly three months of the 2013 season with a shoulder injury. When he returned, he was throwing 100 mph with a nasty curveball. He is the Ace that the Twins and their fans have been looking for, if he continues to develop and improve. He too could be up by June. Trevor May – 2014 will be his final option season. After a solid, but unspectacular second season in AA, May needs to show something in 2014 if he wants to remain a starter, otherwise, he’ll go to the bullpen, where he can still be a valuable pitcher. Josmil Pinto – Can Pinto be an everyday catcher? Can he hit, and can he field/throw enough for the team to feel comfortable moving Joe Mauer to another position at least half the time. He certainly has made a strong first impression with his September performance. Chris Herrmann has shown his value is his versatility, with his ability to play the corner outfield spots well and be solid behind the plate. Michael Tonkin – He was tremendous in the minor leagues until he got his first promotion to the Twins. Since that time, he has really struggled. He may be gassed, but he’ll have to show something to put himself into position to be on the Twins opening day roster next season. No question, however, he will be up with the team at some point in 2014. Byron Buxton – He is the best prospect in baseball, and he can do it all. He should start the 2014 season in New Britain, and as I’ve been saying since I saw him in Cedar Rapids in April, he could be with the Twins by July (yes, of 2014). He is that good. He will come to big league spring training, not necessarily to win a starting job, but he can make an strong impression. It won’t be long. Imagine a Twins outfield in September that includes Aaron Hicks, Byron Buxton and Eddie Rosario. That group could cover the vast, Green Acres of Target Field’s outfield. Oswaldo Arcia can spell them and be the primary DH. Miguel Sano at third base with Joe Mauer getting a lot of time at first base. Trevor Plouffe can spell Mauer at 1B when he catches. Josmil Pinto can be behind the plate half the time as well. Brian Dozier has certainly bought himself some time at second base with a strong glove and enough bat to be excited about. Pedro Florimon’s glove is so good that his bat could be better hidden if the rest of the lineup hits. Alex Meyer and Trevor May should be in the rotation by that time, and who knows who else will step up and contribute. This September has been and likely will continue to be tough to watch over the final 13 games. If you follow me on Twitter, you noticed that I spent a lot of time watching Cheaper by the Dozen 2 during the Twins game. I’m not proud of that, though it is an excellent movie!! Cheers to those of you who made it through the entire game (something you may not be proud of?)! At this point in the 2014 season, in the final month, it should be a very interesting time to be watching the Twins of the future play. At that point, we could live in our own Fantasy Island and dream of Happy Days. Good Times!

Earlier in the week, we announced the Harmon Killebrew Award winners, and my choice for Minnesota Twins Minor league Relief Pitcher of the Year and the Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. Today, it’s time to point out the hitters that performed very well in the Twins minor league system. There were quite a few terrific performances through the Twins system! The most encouraging is that most of the top prospects performed at a new,higher level. But there is no question that two players shined incredibly brightly.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Actually, three players did, but one got promoted to the Twins for a couple months and that likely cost him this award. But, The Two. The Big Two. Byron Buxton. Miguel Sano. They both came through with monster seasons in 2013. I promise. I will pick one of them as the Twins minor league hitter of the year and not just go with co-winners. I’ll pick one… And then I’ll most likely say, “If you want to argue for the other one, I won’t disagree at all.” This should create some debate, to be sure. This ‘award’ is called the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year. It’s not the Twins minor league player of the year. So, the primary focus should be on their bats. If it was a player of the year award, it would kind of be a Miguel Cabrera/Mike Trout type of situation. Which do you pick, and why? But, let’s work our way down the Top 8, and before that, another six players who warrant honorable mention. Honorable Mention: Deibinson Romero – Rochester Red Wings (.275/.374/.448 (.822), 17-2B, 1-3B, 13-HR, 56-RBI), Kennys Vargas – Ft. Myers Miracle (.267/.344/.468 (.813), 33-2B, 1-3B, 19-HR, 93-RBI), Reynaldo Rodriguez – New Britain Rock Cats (.231/.305/.482 (.787), 33-2B, 4-3B, 21-HR, 57-RBI), Travis Harrison – Cedar Rapids Kernels (.253/.366/.416 (.782), 28-2B, 0-3B, 15-HR, 59-RBI), Antoan Richardson – New Britain/Rochester (.285/.402/.371 (.773), 20-2B, 8-3B, 0-HR, 43-RBI, 39-SB), JD Williams – Cedar Rapids/Ft. Myers (.265/.372/.403 (.775), 17-2B, 6-3B, 9-HR, 58-RBI, 26-SB) Hitter of the Year Nominees There were a lot more good batters up for Hitter of the Year consideration, or at least honorable mention, than there were pitchers for Pitcher of the Year #8 – Jorge Polanco – Cedar Rapids Kernels (143-465) - .308/.362/.452 (.813), with 32 doubles, 10 triples, 5 HR, 78 RBI, 4 SB) The Twins signed Polanco out of the Dominican Republic in 2009. He was tiny as a 16-year-old, but he had a great glove. Since then, he has grown and become much stronger. After two seasons of very pedestrian numbers in the GCL, he hit over .300 in Elizabethton in 2012. Was it a result of the small ballparks of the Appy League? Well, in his first at bat of the 2013 season in Cedar Rapids, he homered, and he hit well most of the rest of the season. He was the Kernels #3 hitter for most of the year. He has moved to second base, though many say that he will continue to get some time at shortstop. #7 – Eddie Rosario – Ft. Myers Miracle / New Britain Rock Cats (150-496) - .302/.350/.460 (.810), with 32 doubles, 8 triples, 10 HR, 73 RBI, 10 SB) It was a terrific year for Eddie Rosario. He played great in the Puerto Rico Winter League, well enough to be named to the Puerto Rican WBC team. He had a strong showing with the Twins in big league camp. He began the season in Ft. Myers where he hit .329/.377/.527. Once the Miracle clinched the first half title, he was promoted to AA New Britain. His numbers weren’t quite as good, .284/.330/.412, but when you factor in that he is just 21 years old, it was an incredible season. His progress at second base was impressive to those who saw him play. The Twins drafted Rosario in the 4th round out of high school in Puerto Rico in 2010. He does not yet need to be added to the 40 man roster, but he is certain to get an invite to big league camp. #6 – Adam Walker – Cedar Rapids Kernels (141-508) - .278/.319/.526 (.844), with 31 doubles, seven triples, 27 HR, 109 RBI, 10 SB) Walker was the Twins 3rd round pick in 2012 out of Jacksonville University. Like yesterday’s relief pitcher of the year, Tyler Jones, Walker is a product of Milwaukee. After signing with the Twins, he hit 14 homers for Elizabethton last year. This year, he led the Midwest League with 27 home runs and 109 RBI. He added a couple of huge home runs in the playoffs as well. Walker has as much power as anyone in the Twins farm system, but he is also a terrific athlete. He did a nice job in right field. He is also a very good base stealer. He was 10-10 this year and has not been caught on a stolen base attempt since high school. Walker strikes out, but the bigger concern is that he just doesn’t take many walks and control the zone. Without some adjustments, he will struggle as he advances. Fortunately, he is still just 21 years old and has plenty of time to keep developing. #5 – Dalton Hicks – Ft. Myers Miracle / New Britain Rock Cats (145-502) - .289/.358/.468 (.826), with 39 doubles, 0 triples, 17 HR, 110 RBI, 0 SB) Hicks was the Twins 17th round pick a year ago out of Central Florida. Like Walker, he signed quickly and Hicks came up big for the E-Twins in the playoffs. You’ll recall, he hit the walk-off grand slam in Game 3 of the Appy League championship series. He began this season with the Kernels where he hit .297 (.850) with 31 doubles and 13 home runs before being promoted to the Miracle in mid-July. He ended up leading the organization and all minor league baseball with 100 RBI. The first baseman is a big man with a long, strong swing and great power. #4 – Josmil Pinto – New Britain Rock Cats / Rochester Red Wings (141-456) - .309/.400/.482 (.882), with 32 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 0 SB) To say that Josmil Pinto has put together a nice start to his big league career could be deemed an understatement. He has shown in just a couple weeks many of the traits that have made him an interesting prospect over the past couple seasons. He is a line drive hitter with power. He also has very good strike zone judgment and puts the ball in play. Behind the plate, he has looked better than I expected and shown a very strong arm. During his minor league season, primarily in New Britain, he hit for average, took a lot of walks and had lots of extra base hits. He has made himself a serious prospect with a big future. #3 – Chris Colabello – Rochester Red Wings (119-338) - .352/.427/.639 (1.066), with 25 doubles, 0 triples, 24 HR, 76 RBI, 2 SB) Like Andrew Albers, the Colabello story has been incredible. After all those years in independent ball, he got a chance with the Twins. He had a solid 2012 season in New Britain. He got off to an incredible start the first two months of the season and earned his first major league promotion. He went back and forth between the Red Wings and the Twins several times. Although he has struggled with the Twins to some degree, he has absolutely raked in AAA. Despite missing some time, he was named the International League’s Rookie of the Year and MVP. A very aggressive hitter, he got on base most of the games he played. He was an extra base machine. Also, like Albers, if CC had been promoted to the Twins (which would have been a modern-day tragedy), he may have been the clear choice for this award. #2 – Byron Buxton – Cedar Rapids Kernels (163-488) - .334/.424/.520 (944), with 19 doubles, 18 triples, 12 HR, 77 RBI, 55 SB) On Wednesday, Baseball America named Buxton the Minor League Player of the Year. And he deserved it! So, why didn’t I pick him as the Twins minor league hitter of the year? Well, that can be found in the next profile. Buxton had an incredible season. The 19 year old started the season in Cedar Rapids, and the expectation was that he would spend the full season there. In 68 games, he hit .341/.431/.559 (.990) with 15 doubles, ten triples and eight home runs. Three games after he played in the Midwest League All Star game, he was promoted to the Miracle. He continued to hit well. In 57 Florida State League games, he hit .326/.415/.472 (.887) with four doubles, eight triples and four home runs. What’s not to like about Buxton?! In addition to hitting for average, he has some good power (which could develop further in coming years). He has amazing speed. I went to the Kernels first three games this year. I saw him beat out normal ground balls to third base, shortstop and second base. And, those triples. He had 18 of them! Most hitters would have had 16 doubles and two triples on those hits. He also stole 55 bases, although he was also caught 19 times, so that is an area he can improve upon. He is patient at the plate, and like Joe Mauer, he can be successful with two strikes. Buxton’s speed also makes him a tremendous outfielder with great range. He also has one of the strongest throwing arms in the system. Listen, if this was the Twins Minor League Player of the Year, I likely would select Byron Buxton. When I do my Twins top prospect rankings, Byron Buxton will be Number One. In fact, when Baseball America (and probably all such publications) puts out their overall prospect rankings before the 2014 season, Buxton will be the #1 prospect in the game (as he was at the midway point of this season). I watched Mike Trout play two games in Beloit (for Cedar Rapids) in 2010. At the time, I had never seen a better prospect. He stood head and shoulders above all of the other players on the field. The Cedar Rapids Kernels roster was full of very good prospects, and Byron Buxton stood head and shoulders above the others. Buxton is an incredible prospect, and if you want me to throw out an ETA for Buxton’s MLB debut, I’ll say late July of 2014. He’s that good. Hitter of the Year – Miguel Sano – Ft. Myers Miracle / New Britain Rock Cats (125-439) - .280/.382/.610 (.992), with 30 doubles, 5 triples, 35 HR, 103 RBI, 11 SB) It is almost the Miguel Cabrera vs. Mike Trout debate that we heard in 2012. Mike Trout was the better all-around player and WAR certainly showed that. However, Miguel Cabrera was clearly the best hitter in baseball. As I pointed out above, Byron Buxton is in the Mike Trout category. Miguel Sano? He is in the Miguel Cabrera category. Don’t get me wrong, Sano has a long way to go to get to that level, but if you want a perfect, all-goes-right-for-the-Twins-and-us-fans scenario, he could become Miguel Cabrera. He has the power. No question about that. At Ft. Myers, he hit .330/.424/.655 (1.079) with 15 homers and 16 home runs in just 56 games with the big league ballpark dimensions. Like Rosario, he was promoted to New Britain the day after the Miracle clinched the first half title. He hit just .236, but he got on base at a .344 clip. And then the power! He hit 15 doubles, three triples and 19 home runs in just 67 games. Sure, he is going to strikeout quite a bit, and it is something he will need to continue to work on. However, he struck out 144 times in 553 plate appearances in Beloit in 2012. Between Ft. Myers and New Britain this year, he struck out 142 times in 519 plate appearances. A slight increase while playing at two higher levels. He also continues to get a better sense of the strike zone and is more willing to walk. Despite better pitchers with better breaking pitches, he walked at nearly the same rate. Again, if defense is part of this, Sano would fall to #2 on the list. That said, reports on his defense were that he was much improved. That’s saying something because when I watched him in Beloit early in the 2012 season at third base, it was awful. When I saw him play four more games in August last year, he was pretty solid. If that kind of improvement continues, he can be average or slightly better than average at the position. His arm? Well above average, even for a third baseman. Miguel Sano is my choice for Twins minor league hitter of the year. Let’s just take a look at how the numbers stack up: [TABLE] [/TD][TD]H-AB BA/OBP/SLG (OPS) 2B/3B/HR/RBI SB/SBA BB/K/PA Miguel Sano 125-439 .280/.382/.610 (.992) 30/5/35/103 11/15 65/142/519 Byron Buxton 163-488 .334/424/520 (.944) 19/18/12/77 55/74 76/105/574 [/TABLE] Six of one, half-dozen of the other. Do you like power or do you like speed? For me, I can’t get past Sano’s power. He had an IsoP (SLG – BA) of .330 (compared to Buxton’s 0.186). His IsoD (OBP – BA) was 0.102 to Buxton’s .090. So there you have it. There were some really terrific offensively performances by Twins minor leaguers in 2012. Now let the debate begin. As a Twins fan, it’s tremendous to see two elite prospects put up numbers and draw national attention. Players become prospects because of tools, and elite tools. But when the minor league prospects backs up the tools with this kind of production, it’s pretty special, and it’s very exciting for Twins fans! Feel free to discuss.