Cody Christie

The following article was featured in the 2017 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. Almost 170 players were profiled in this year's book, which also included articles and prospect rankings. To meet your needs, the book is available in both paperback ($12.79 with a current 20% off sale) or ebook ($8.99). Trevor Hildenberger has been the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year for two consecutive seasons. He's been able to grow and develop a lot during that time and he's had a lot of help along the way. It was announced last night that he will be called up with the anticipation of him making his big league debut.After another strong season, Trevor Hildenberger is joining some lofty company. Last year, Jose Berrios won the second of his back-to-back Minor League Pitcher of the Year awards before making his big league debut. Now Hildenberger hopes to follow the path laid by Berrios as he has been named the organization’s best minor league relief pitcher for the second consecutive season. Hildenberger got a jump start on his 2016 campaign by competing in the 2015 Arizona Fall League. He made eight appearances and allowed three earned runs on 13 hits. Over 12.2 innings, he struck out 12 and didn’t walk a batter. When reflecting on his AFL season, Hildenberger said, “My experience in the fall league was eye opening to say the least. I distinctly remember the first two pitches I threw in my very first outing out there were both fastballs away that got barreled up and spanked into the outfield for singles (one of them by Daniel Palka). So immediately I realized how important it would be for me to mix speeds and location no matter the batter, the score, or the inning.” He went on to say, “I was coming into that fall straight from A ball and quickly everyone in those lineups had immense talent 1-9. I think working my way through the first half of the fall league helped me learn how to get more advanced hitters out and the second half, maybe my last 6-7 innings, was much smoother. So coming into 2016, I knew if I wanted to continue having success, I needed to mix speeds out of the gate, use my changeup against hitters from both sides of the plate, and utilize my over the top arm slot.” In the AFL Championship Game, he took over for fellow Twins pitcher Taylor Rogers and pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout. The Scottsdale Scorpions would go on to win the game. As the 2016 season commenced, the Twins took notice of Hildenberger’s AFL performance and brought him over from the minor league side of spring training. This was one of his first opportunities to impress the major league coaching staff. Paul Molitor told the Pioneer Press, “I just know a lot of people have pretty high expectations of what he might be able to do eventually.” In one appearance, he faced off against the reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper. He tried to get ahead of Harper with a fastball but Harper pounced on it for a double to the gap. Hildenberger would get Ryan Zimmerman to finish the frame on three pitches. After the game he told the Pioneer Press, “It was a ton of fun. I hope to draw a lot from it. The experience of warming up and getting the jitters out of the way and facing those two really good hitters- big name guys- and getting one of them out, I feel like that’s a little bit confidence building.” He used that confidence as the 2016 season got underway. During his first six appearances with the Miracle, he allowed one earned run over 9.1 innings with eight strikeouts and no walks. By the end of May, he made his Double-A debut. In two of his first five appearances, he allowed two home runs while holding batters to four hits in 6.0 innings. This would be just the start of something special. Over his final 27 appearances, Hildenberger went on an unbelievable run. He allowed one earned run in his last 32.2 innings (0.28 ERA) with a 39 to 5 strikeout to walk ratio. Opponents hit .150/.193/.159 against him during that stretch. “It was a lot of fun pitching during those few weeks when I felt extremely comfortable on the mound,” Hildenberger said.”I was trusting my catchers, both [stuart] Turner and [Mitch] Garver, to call what they felt appropriate and I had the ability and confidence to shake them off (which was rare).” He went on to say, “During that stretch, I was throwing strikes and getting ahead of hitters; I felt really comfortable challenging them early in the count because of my confidence in the defense behind me. This led to a lot of quick outs and therefore quick innings. Being able to execute with two strikes and put hitters away was important too, it shortened at bats and innings. Pitching is way more fun when you have the confidence to execute any pitch at any time, and I was lucky to stay that sharp for a portion of the summer.” Lots of coaches have helped Hildenberger to be able to put together this dominate run. “I've been in the Twins organization two and a half years now and I've learned a lot from numerous coaches. You kind of take bits and pieces of what a coach says and work with what helps you the most. For example, the way one coach talks about mechanics and body awareness may click with you more than another coach.” “Personally, Henry Bonilla and Ivan Arteaga have been the pitching coaches that have helped me the most in my pro career. They have been the only two coaches I've had the past two full seasons and have helped me be more aggressive, patient, and calm against increasingly better hitters.” “Henry helped me discover what I can be good at when I was in Cedar Rapids, and how to attack hitters with my strengths. He also helped my mechanics become more repeatable and reliable. Building off that, once I wasn't competing against myself when I was on the mound, Ivan has helped me identify and exploit hitters weaknesses in order to keep getting good hitters out. I think he has a way of getting his pitchers to make adjustments and learning to make those adjustments on their own that is crucial to development.” Besides coaches, pitchers and catchers also have to build a strong relationship. When asked about his battery mates, Hildenberger said, “I've been lucky enough to throw to several good defensive catchers throughout the system. Rainis Silva was my main catcher in the GCL who is a young guy with a rocket arm and controlled the running game well.” “I threw to Brian Navarreto during my time in Cedar Rapids in 2015 and the early part of 2016 with the Miracle. He is another stud who seems to throw out everyone that tries to steal a base. His receiving is what I enjoyed the most because of his ability to get below the ball and bring some fastballs back up to the strike zone which is important for a sinkerballer like me.” Other catchers have also left their mark with Hildberger. “All the defensive praise Stuart Turner receives is true and accurate, but my favorite part about throwing to him was how smart he is. I miss throwing to him since he's with the Reds now. He helped me get hitters out late in games when he remembered their previous three at bats, and possibly more from the night before.” “Mitch Garver is my favorite though, we have always been on the same page whether it be in Fort Myers, the Fall League, or Chattanooga. He has a great feel for how a hitter is feeling in the box, what they are looking for, and how to exploit it. He knows how to get a lot of different kinds of hitters out, and I'm very comfortable throwing to him. Obviously it helps that he threw out close to 50% of attempted base stealers this season. All these guys are so good at controlling the running game that it helps a pitcher worry less about the guys on bases, and focus on the guy in the box.” Hildenberger’s last appearance during the 2016 season was on July 27. He was diagnosed with tendinosis or tennis elbow in his throwing elbow which can result from chronic overuse of the elbow. After undergoing an MRI, doctors found no structural damage and his ulnar collateral ligament, the ligament associated with Tommy John surgery, looked good. At the time of the injury, he told the Pioneer Press, “The ligament is great.” He went on to say, “My flexor tendon has some wear and tear, so I’m shut down for the season.” This winter Hildenberger said, “My arm feels fantastic and I'm ready to enter spring training 100% and ready to compete. I spent the first couple months this offseason down in Fort Myers rehabbing my forearm with Chad Jackson and Corey Dietze. I did a throwing program and got off a mound before coming home to California right before Thanksgiving and it felt great. Like I said, I'm healthy and ready to compete.” Teams have to be cautious with players returning from injury. Each player is going to move at their own pace. Hildenberger has already worked through multiple hurdles and this has helped him to focus on the 2017 campaign. “I have a few goals for the upcoming season: including staying healthy the entire year, pitch in the playoffs, and improve over the course of the year,” Hildenberger said. “But my number one goal is to debut in the big leagues in 2017.” “Trevor had a great year,” said Twins Minor League Director Brad Steil. “He posted dominant numbers in Ft. Myers the first few weeks of the season and then improved on those numbers when he was promoted to Chattanooga.” Steil went on to say, “The most important aspect of the season for Trevor was that he continues to improve in all areas. Both his slider and change-up have improved, and he continues to attack hitters. His competitive focus and work ethic are important factors in his success.” When asked about how it felt to be a back-to-back winner of this award, he said, “It's always nice to be recognized and to be acknowledged like this two years in a row is an honor. I appreciate you guys taking the time to recognize minor league players and their accomplishments. Twins Daily does a good job of keeping up with the Twins affiliates for the diehard Twins fans out there so again, thank you again for this recognition. Back to back is nice and all, but I have no interest in the three peat, hopefully I've graduated from the minors by that time.” Hildenberger is looking to join a Twins’ bullpen that pitched the most innings in the American League in 2016. As Minnesota looks to get back in contention, young arms like Hildenberger will be key to turning the organization around. He has been fantastic for two consecutive seasons and expectations are high for him to make his debut before the end of 2017. 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In the aftermath this year's MLB Draft, it can be fun to reevaluate where an organization stacks up in the prospect department. For better or worse, franchises can make it or break it with their selections in the draft. It's also important for teams to be able to build from within to help manage the bottom line. Minnesota's top prospect list is littered with highly drafted players over the last handful of years. Players like Nick Gordon, Tyler Jay and Kohl Stewart have all been taken with first-round picks. Ideally, these players will form the nucleus of Minnesota's next championship winning club. On Tuesday, I ran through the first half of my top-10 prospect list. Today I shift my focus to the top-5. Who's going to be number 1?5. Alex Kirilloff, OF, 19-- Highest Level: Rookie Preseason Rank: 4 Minnesota's first-round pick in 2016, Kirilloff will miss all of 2017 after having Tommy John surgery. The Twins drafted him because of his ability to hit. He did that last year in his first taste of professional action. His batting average was over .300 with a nearly .800 OPS. Miguel Sano has been another big name Twins prospect to undergo Tommy John and he hasn't shown any ill-effects from the procedure. Kirilloff will be 20-years old before he gets back on the field. He will need to show he can continue to hit and the Twins will need to be aggressive with him when he returns to action. 4. Fernando Romero, RHP-- Highest Level: Double-A Preseason Rank: 3 Romero is in the midst of a very important season. With a year under his belt since Tommy John surgery, he is sneaking into the Twins' long-term plans. With his big fastball and off-speed offerings, he has all the assets to be a front-line starter. He posted strong numbers last season at Low- and High-A but the transition to Double-A has come with some bumps. His ERA is over 3.00 and he has a WHIP north of 1.30. He's struck out 70 in 71.2 innings pitched so he will need to continue to improve his peripheral numbers as he gets closer to the big leagues. Romero might have the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the Twins system but he needs to prove he can stick as a starter. Otherwise, he could be destined for the bullpen. 3. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP, 22-- Highest Level: Double-A Preseason Rank: 2 Gonsalves hasn't done anything wrong to move him down my list. It's hard to ignore the talent of the players listed in front of him. After some rough moments in the Arizona Fall League, Gonsalves has gotten back on track to start the 2017 campaign. He has an eye-popping 0.912 WHIP which would be his lowest total in any season. His 11.1 SO/9 would be his highest total with any full-season affiliate. He's also walking fewer batters which might signal that the 22-year old is putting it all together. He has dealt with a left shoulder issue which kept him out of action in the AFL at the beginning of this season. If he continues to put up strong numbers, there's no reason he shouldn't make his Target Field debut this season. 2. Royce Lewis, SS, 18-- Highest Level: High-School Preseason Rank: N/A It's might seem odd not to put the Twins newly minted top draft pick at the top of a prospect list. Lewis was the first overall selection but there are a few factors that go into his placement on this list. First of all, Lewis wasn't considered the best draft prospect on every list compiled before the draft. He is a very raw prospect with all the tools to be a superstar. However, it will be multiple years before the Twins know if they struck gold. Lewis will start in the rookie leagues and he needs to prove he can stick at shortstop over other prospects currently in the Twins system. Some believe he will need to be shifted to the outfield, a position where he has shown some promise in the past. Lewis might dominate the rookie leagues this season and force his way to the top of the Twins prospect list but he isn't there yet. 1. Nick Gordon, SS, 21-- Highest Level: Double-A Preseason Rank: 1 In almost any other organization, Lewis would be a team's top prospect. However, Gordon is destroying baseballs this season. He is over three years younger than the competition in the Southern League and he's hitting .315/.376/.504. Gordon has hit more home runs this season than his first three season's combined. Since Engelb Vielma has moved to Rochester, Gordon has played shortstop on a regular basis. He's gotten a taste of second base but the organization seems committed to giving him as many opportunities as possible to succeed at shortstop. Like his brother, he might need to eventually move away from shortstop but his bat is better than even the Twins might have imagined when they drafted him. He's a strong top prospect and he could be a regular in the Twins line-up as soon as next season. There you have my top-10 Twins prospects following the 2017 MLB Draft. Who did I miss? Who ranks too high? Who ranks too low? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

In the aftermath this year's MLB Draft, it can be fun to reevaluate where an organization stacks up in the prospect department. For better or worse, franchises can make it or break it with their selections in the draft. It's also important for teams to be able to build from within to help manage the bottom line. Minnesota's top prospect list is littered with highly drafted players over the last handful of years. Players like Nick Gordon, Tyler Jay and Kohl Stewart have all been taken with first round picks. Ideally, these players will form the nucleus of Minnesota's next championship winning club. The Twins took Royce Lewis with the first overall pick. Where will he fall in among the team's top prospects?10. Daniel Palka, OF, 25-- Current Level: Triple-A Preseason Rank: 12 Palka hasn't been hitting for as much power as he did in his first season in the Twins organization. However, he has lowered his Triple-A strikeout percentage from 38.6% last year to 24.6% in 2017. The Twins added him to the 40-man roster this off-season so he could have been a call away from making his big league debut. Unfortunately, he broke his left index finger at the end of April which will keep him on the DL for a chunk of this season. His potential continues to be high but he is going to have to come back strong from this injury and fight his way on to the 2018 Twins roster. 9. Felix Jorge, RHP, 23-- Current Level: Double-A Preseason Rank: 10 Like Palka, Jorge was added to the Twins 40-man roster this past off-season. As a 23-year old, he is over a year younger than the competition in the Southern League. He's off to a tremendous start with an 8-1 record and the Lookouts have gone 12-1 in games he has started this season. Jorge isn't overpowering but he finds a way to get outs. Last year at Double-A, he posted a 3.9 SO/9 and he has improved that number to 6.2 in 2017. He's struck out over 100 batters in back-to-back seasons while being younger than the competition. Jorge might not be a front-line starter but he could settle into a very important pitching role on a future Twins roster. 8. Tyler Jay, LHP, 23-- Highest Level: Double-A Preseason Rank: 5 One of the most disappointing stories out of spring training this year was the Twins deciding to move Tyler Jay to the bullpen. When the Twins took Jay with a top-10 pick, they were hoping to shift him from the bullpen to a starting rotation. There were some ups and downs during his first two professional seasons and it sounds like both Jay and the new Twins front office felt like this was the best decision. He's only made a couple of appearances this season as he has dealt with bicep tendinitis. Baseball bullpens are evolving with players no longer being limited to one inning or one batter. Jay could develop into a late inning weapon much like Cleveland's Andrew Miller. 7. Lewin Diaz, 1B, 20-- Highest Level: Low-A Preseason Rank: 9 Diaz is making his mark during his first taste of full-season action. Though he's over a year younger than the competition in the Midwest League, Diaz is hitting .271/.314/.446 with a career-high 21 doubles. Even though he is a power-hitter, he has been able to control his strikeout numbers with 45 strikeouts in 274 plate appearances. Defense will never be his calling card but he can make the plays he needs to make at first base. While there might be some defensive struggles, Diaz has the bat to impact the game. The Kernels clinched a first-half playoff spot on Sunday and Diaz was one of the main cogs leading them to the postseason. 6. Wander Javier, SS, 18- Highest Level: Dominican Summer League Preseason Rank: 7 In July of 2015, Javier made a splash when the Twins signed him for $4 million dollars. He was limited to nine games during the 2016 season as he dealt with hamstring issues. In this very small sample he hit .308/.400/.654 with five of his eight hits being for extra bases. With the addition of first overall pick Royce Lewis, it will be interesting to see how at-bats are handled to start the year in the GCL. Both Javier and Lewis will need repetitions but who will be able to stand out above the crowd. All of the tools are there for Javier and he will need to showcase them this season as the Twins shortstop picture is starting to fill-up in the minor leagues. How would your rankings look? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Happy Father's Day to all the dads, grandpas and great-grandpas across Twins Territory. Baseball can be quite the bonding experience for fathers and sons. This bond is passed down through the generations. My dad worked many long days as a UPS driver for over 30 years. I still remember waiting up for him to get home so we could play catch. He'd schedule his breaks so he could show up in his brown work uniform to play in the father-son baseball game. He took me to my first Twins game where I got to watch Kirby Puckett, the man I thought was a hero. It turns out the hero was the man who brought me to the game. The man who didn't have to play catch with me when he got home after a long work day. The man who didn't have to take his breaks so he could play in a kid's baseball game. These are the memories that stick with a person as other memories fade away. Thank you, Dad!RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Pawtucket 2 (Game 1- 8 Innings) Box Score Rochester scored in each of the first two frames to take an early 2-0 lead. After a Matt Hague walk, singles from Mitch Garver and ByungHo Park plated the first run. JB Shuck was hit by a pitch to start the second. Bengie Gonzalez and Engelb Vielma were walked to load the bases. Zach Granite singled to push the score to 2-0 with no outs. Unfortunately, the Red Wings would score only one with the bases loaded and no outs. Chris Heston started and allowed two earned runs on seven hits with a strikeout. Drew Rucinski didn't allow a run in two innings. Michael Tonkin picked up his second win after striking out four of the six batters he faced to end the game. Seven innings wasn't enough to decide the first game of the doubleheader. Lucky enough for Rochester fans, Matt Hague didn't wait long into extra-frames. He led off the top of the eighth inning with his fifth home run of the season which turned out to be the game-winning knock. Rochester 2, Pawtucket 1 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score Rochester found themselves in an early 1-0 hole but that's where the scoring would stop for the Red Sox. Tim Melville, in his second start with Rochester, pitched five innings and allowed one run. He danced around four walks and three hits but struck out four on the way to his first win. Trevor Hildenberger picked up save number five with two scoreless frames including three strikeouts. JB Shuck started the third with a double, his 15th on the season. Bengie Gonzlez was the next batter and he reached on a throwing error which allowed Shuck to score. In the top of the fifth, Tommy Field singled and scored on a single from Shuck. The play included two errors from the Red Sox outfield so neither of the runs scored by Rochester were earned. With two wins on Sunday, Rochester is now just one game under .500 at 32-33 on the season. They are 11 games out of first place in the International League North but they are only eight games back in the wild card race with plenty of baseball left to play. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 10, Tennessee 2 Box Score Chattanooga pounded out 12 hits and 10 runs on their way to the club's 42nd win this season. With the game tied at 1-1 in the top of the fourth, the Lookouts plated four runs. Ryan Walker started the inning with a single and moved to third on Nick Gordon's second double of the game. Levi Michael drove in one with a ground-out before LaMonte Wade added a run-scoring single. Wade stole second in front of an Andy Wilkins double. Then Dan Gamache doubled to bring in Wilkins and cap the four-run inning. TJ White broke the game open in the seventh inning with a three-run home run. It was his third homer of the season. Nick Gordon finished 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored. Wade, Wilkins and Walker all had multi-hit games. Paul Clemens was able to put the game on cruise control to improve to 2-0 with the Lookouts. He scattered five hits over five innings while adding a strikeout and a walk. Alex Muren struck out two in two innings but did allow a solo home run. Todd Van Steensel pitched two scoreless innings to finish the contest, lowereing his ERA to 1.93. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 16, Clinton 3 Box Score With a chance to clinch a playoff spot on Sunday, the Kernels made quick work of the LumberKings. Cedar Rapids sent 13 men to the plate in the first inning on their way to scoring nine runs. Travis Blankenhorn scored twice in the frame including a two-run home run. Lewin Diaz added a two-run single and Christian Cavaness brought home two with a triple. The Kernels added to their lead in the second with an Aaron Whitefield two-run home run and a run scoring single from Blankenhorn. Their 12-0 lead was more than enough for the pitching staff. Whitefield finished with a career-high five runs batted in. Ben Rortvedt connected for his first career home run as part of a three-hit game. Blankenhorn went 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI. Every batter in the Kernels' starting line-up reached base. Max Cordy pitched into the fourth inning and allowed one run on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Alex Robinson was credited with the win. He tossed 2.1 scoreless innings with a strikeout and a walk. Logan Lombana allowed a pair of runs in one inning. Patrick McGuff finished off the game with two scoreless frames including two strikeouts. The Kernels qualified for the Midwest League playoffs for the fifth year in a row and secured the longest playoff streak in Cedar Rapids professional baseball history. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Michael Tonkin, Rochester Red Wings (2 IP, 4 K, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB) Hitter of the Day – Travis Blankenhorn, Cedar Rapids Kernels (4-for-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Buffalo (6:05 CST) - TBD Chattanooga - Scheduled Off-Day Fort Myers @ Jupiter (5:30 CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids - Scheduled Off-Day Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Here's the other spin rates from Berardino https://twitter.com/MikeBerardino/status/875050096542527488

Baseball teams always looking for pitchers who can light up the radar gun. However, in recent years there has been a resurgence in pitchers utilizing the curveball. Pitchers like Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander and Jake Arrieta have been dominant because of their off-speed offering. Even young pitchers like Lance McCullers have relied on the curveball to be effective. Minnesota has been home to some of the greatest curveball throwers in history. Now, the Twins have their own core of pitchers utilizing one of baseball's oldest pitches. As the curveball makes a comeback, can the Twins cause some trouble with the curve?Berrios Riding The Curve It's no secret that Berrios struggled during his rookie campaign. In 14 starts, he allowed 12 home runs and posted an 8.02 ERA. Things have turned around this season as he has an impressive 2.84 ERA while having a higher strikeout rate and walking fewer batters. Something has clicked for the young pitcher and his curveball might be one of the reasons for the dramatic turnaround. During the 2016 campaign, Berrios threw his curveball 21.6% of the time. He was consistently falling behind batters and this meant he couldn't turn to his off-speed offerings. So far this season, he has been able to use his curveball almost 30% of the time. This pitch can continue to be a weapon if he can stay ahead of batters and avoid fastball counts. Berrios isn't the only Twins pitcher taking advantage of the curve. Twirling Relief Trio Minnesota ranks in the top-10 for curveball usage this season and only four AL teams have a higher curveball percentage. Tyler Duffey, Buddy Boshers and Taylor Rogers have all used their curveball for close to a third of their pitches. Duffey has been one of Minnesota's best relief options this season as he's posted career best marks in SO/9, WHIP, and ERA. In his first season as a relief pitcher, he has seen his fast ball velocity increase by almost two miles per hour which helps to set up his off-speed offerings. Rogers has also seen an improvement in some of his peripheral numbers while being used in some late inning situations. Boshers has spent the majority of the season at Rochester. However, he struck out nearly nine batters per nine innings at Triple-A and has a spiffy 0.818 WHIP in his time with the Twins. This trio along with Berrios are following some of the best curveballs in history. Minnesota's Curveball History Two of the most feared curveball pitchers in history have worn Minnesota Twins jerseys. Camilo Pascual started his career as a 20-year old with the Washington Senators. When the Twins moved to Minnesota, Pascual was in the midst of four straight All-Star seasons. He'd led the AL in WAR in 1959 and 1962. Ted Williams, who is considered one of the game's greatest hitters, had high praise for Pascual. "He had the best curveball I ever saw. You could hear it." He went on to say it sounded like ripping silk and that Pascual "had the most feared curveball in the American League for 18 years." Besides Williams' praise, fellow Hall of Fame hitter Al Kaline said, "Pascual's curveball was big, sharp and fast. Most players couldn't hit it." While Pascual was terrific, Bert Blyleven rode his curveball all the way to the Hall of Fame. He had nine seasons where he was in the top-10 for WAR and he led the AL in WAR for pitchers in 1973 and 1981. Jim Palmer said, "I was amazed at how Blyleven's curve seemed to change direction not once, but twice on its way to the plate." Phil Roof, one of Blyleven's catchers, could hear the pitcher's middle finger snap against his palm since he threw his curve with so much force. The curveball might be back and it could be a key pitch as the Twins fight to stay in contention in the weeks ahead. Click here to view the article

He might never be an ace but he could fit nicely into the middle of the Twins' rotation for multiple seasons.

There always seems to be questions about prep arms. He is a teenager and still has time to grow into his body over the next handful of years. When his "man muscles" arrive, he should be able to chuck it across the diamond. I've heard more questions about his footwork in the infield.

Not that it matters but the Rays have announced they will let McKay play first base and pitch to start his professional career. http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/rays-go-bogo-brendan-mckay/#hYCXZgBhOJz7egTR.97 I wonder if the Twins weren't going to be as flexible on him continuing as a two-way player.

Could happen. They do have the third highest draft pool. Not sure how often a team goes over slot on a top-5 pick with the new system. They are usually trying to save money for picks in later rounds.

This seems like a fun list to make. What are the least desirable MLB teams to play for?

Gordon could be in the big leagues as soon as the end of this year. There are still questions about his ability to stick at shortstop which is why he has been spending some time at second. Lewis is going to take time to develop. Ideally, they both can stick at short and develop some power. If the Twins have to make a decision at some point, they will move one of them off of the position.

The 10 fans he will get to play in front of on a nightly basis will be proud to call him one of their own.

I think two-way players would get overwhelmed with trying to fix their swing, work on their pitching mechanics, and watch video of opposing batters and pitchers.

I know it's easy to get down on Buxton. He was coming from rural Georgia where he faced very little competition. Lewis played in California and has faced very good competition throughout his prep career.

Jorge is quietly putting together quite the season. It will be interesting to see if he gets a look with Rochester in the second-half

I like the fact that Lewis is an everyday player with a high ceiling. McKay's lack of up the middle defensive position had me leaning towards Lewis over McKay

This was some of my thinking. I believe he is passionate about both but his desire to be an everyday hitter might have been the tipping point in favor of the Rays.

Realistically, it was probably a coin flip between many of the top prospects. I like the fact that they went after an everyday player with lots of upside.