Boone

After watching the likes of Hicks, Arcia, Parmelee, and Dozier all struggle mightily after getting little to no time in Rochester before becoming big league regulars, I really hope the Twins have learned that a few months in AAA is beneficial--and in some cases necessary-- for young players to have success in the majors.

Diamond has lost 1 mph on his FB (89 mph in 2012, 88 mph in 2013). I think the bigger change has been that he has been throwing his curveball a lot less and his fastball a lot more (2012: 60%FB 29%CB, 2013: 64%FB 24%CB). For a soft-tosser like Diamond, that's probably a bad thing.

Kohl Stewart's line for today: 2 IP 2H 1ER (3R) 2K 0BB 4GB outs:0 FB outs Stewart got very unlucky in his 1st inning, as the first 3 runners reached on 2 errors and C interference. He then got the next 3 batters to ground out. Pretty impressive composure for such a young player.

Paying Morneau's salary isn't panicking, it's merely a surefire way to improve the quality of prospect we get in return. I typically don't get upset about the Twins not being big spenders, but I will be very disappointed if they don't pay Morneau's salary if he's traded.

I agree with pretty much all of this. One of the most important, I think, is "Don't be afraid to lose." Accomplishing the other 4 goals very much depends on not being afraid to lose. I especially agree with limiting Mauer's innings behind the plate. In a lost season, there is no reason to have him behind the plate the majority of the time. As long as playing him at 1B/DH doesn't significantly limit the playing time of Hicks, Arcia, Willingham, Parm, and Plouffe, I would argue that the Twins should all but eliminate his catching duties in September. Not only would this reduce the tear on his knees, but it would essentially increase his off-season by a whole month.

Here are four prospects showing major signs of improvement who have generally gone unnoticed: [B][U]JaDamion Williams[/U][/B] 2012 (A): 9.6%BB, 28.3%K, .34BB/K, .106 ISO, 9.6%IFB, .651OPS. 2013 (A): 14.5%BB, 20.7%K, .70BB/K, .180 ISO, 5.3%IFB, .852OPS. JD Williams has made significant improvements in both his BB and K rates, which have allowed him to draw over twice as many BBs per K as a year ago, a staggering improvement. He has also hit for much more power this year, posting a .180 ISO, while cutting his infield fly balls (IFB) nearly in half. As a result, Williams has increased his OPS by over .200 points to .852, the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] highest total in the MWL (trailing three other Twins). [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Williams was repeating A ball and at 22 was on the older side for the level, but he was just promoted to Ft. Myers. Although his age will always prevent him from being considered a great prospect, remember he is a tremendous athlete: he was named the Twins’s fastest baserunner by BA in 2012, only to be unseated by some guy with the last name of Buxton. [B][U]Levi Michael[/U][/B] 2012 (A+): 10.9%BB, 16.0%K, .68BB/K, .065 ISO, 6-6 SB (8 SB in 162 G), .650OPS. 2013 (A+): 11.3%BB, 14.6%K, .77BB/K, .122 ISO, 11-12 SB (32 SB in 162 G), .708 OPS. Levi Michael has made small improvements in both his BB and K rates, leading to a noticeable increase in his already good BB/K rate. The big changes for Michael, however, is that he is hitting for significantly more power—nearly doubling his ISO—while becoming a legitimate basestealing threat. Whether he can sustain these improvements is yet to be seen, but if he can, he could be a dynamic middle infielder. Just 3 big league middle infielders posted at least 30 steals with an ISO over .120 in 2012: Jose Reyes, Jason Kipnis and Jimmy Rollins. Similar to Williams, Michael is repeating a level this year, and as a result isn’t young for his level. It is important to remember, however, that Michael is a former 1[SUP]st[/SUP] rounder who has a legitimate chance to stick at SS (he was named the best defensive infielder in the system by BA in 2012). If he can play solid defense at short, his .700+ OPS and good speed would make him a quality starter for the Twins. It is worth noting that Michael is in an unenviable position: Santana and Rosario are blocking a promotion, Aderlin Mejia is competition for playing time, and Polanco and Goodrum are nipping at his heels. [B][U]Josmil Pinto[/U][/B] 2012 (A+): 9.9% BB, 16.0% K, .62BB/K, .178 ISO. 2013 (AA): 15.2 BB, 16.5% K, .92BB/K, .190 ISO. Pinto has kept his K rate constant despite drawing significantly more walks and hitting for more power. His combination of plate discipline and power is incredible (Joey Votto currently has a .86 BB/K with a .188 ISO). Although Buxton and Sano have received the bulk of the attention (rightfully so due to their youth and incredible potential), Pinto has probably been the most productive and consistent hitter not named [B]Colabello[/B] in the system this year . Consider his monthly OPS: .975 in April, .936 in May, .857 in June, .972 in 15 games so far in July. That’s consistency. Furthermore, his BB/K ratio has improved every month: .57 in April, .86 in May, 1.06 in June, and 2 in July. Oh yeah, in his last 10 game he has an OPS of .943 and an 11:3 K/BB ratio. That’s bordering on absurd. Pinto’s numbers clearly scream promotion but he probably has to wait for Doumit to be traded. [B][U]Trevor May[/U][/B] 2012: 5.4 IP/GS, 4.87 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 1.94K/BB. April: 5 IP/GS, 4.62 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 1.5K/BB. May: 5.8IP/GS, 3.60 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 1.8K/BB. June/July: 6.4IP/GS, 3.43 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 3.5K/BB. Trevor May had a very discouraging month of April, posting numbers that were across the board worse than his disappointing 2012 which led to him repeating AA this year and dropping off top 100 lists. However, May has improved consistently since then, especially in June and July, when he has posted a 3.5K/BB ratio, which included a stretch of four straight starts with just 1 BB. May’s BB/9 ratio is under 4 for the first time since he made 11 starts in A ball in 2010. There have been concerns about May’s ability to remain a starter, but as the season has continued he has shown improved ability to limit walks and go deeper into starts. It is important to remember that he is just 3 months younger than Alex Meyer, who is generally considered to be a top 50 prospect. If May can finish strong and continue to improve, he should at least be in the conversation for a top 100 prospect. A promotion to AAA this year will probably depend on whether the Twins trade any starters at the deadline. View full article

Here are 4 prospects that are showing major signs of improvement that have generally gone unnoticed. JaDamion Williams (LF) 2012 (A): 9.6%BB 28.3%K .34BB/K .106 ISO 9.6%IFB .651OPS 2013 (A): 14.5%BB 20.7%K .70BB/K .180 ISO 5.3%IFB .852OPS JD Williams has made significant improvements in both his BB and K rates, which has allowed him to draw over twice as many BBs per K as a year ago, a staggering improvement. He has also hit for much more power this year, posting a .180 ISO, while cutting his infield fly balls nearly in half. As a result, Williams has increased his OPS by over .200 points to .852, the 9th highest total in the MWL (trailing 3 Twins). Williams was repeating A ball and at 22 was on the older side for the level, but he was just promoted to Ft. Myers. Although his age will always prevent him from being considered a great prospect, remember that he is a tremendous athlete: he was named the Twins’s fastest baserunner by BA in 2012, only to be unseated by some guy with the last name of Buxton. Levi Michael (SS) 2012 (A+): 10.9%BB 16.0%K .68BB/K .065ISO 6-6 SB (8 SB in 162 G) .650OPS 2013 (A+): 11.3%BB 14.6%K .77BB/K .122ISO 11-12SB (32 SB in 162 G) .708 OPS Levi Michael has made small improvements in both his BB and K rates, leading to a noticeable increase in his already good BB/K rate. The big changes for Michael, however, is that he is hitting for significantly more power—nearly doubling his ISO—while becoming a legitimate basestealing threat. Whether or not he can sustain these improvements is yet to be seen, but if he can, he could be a dynamic middle infielder. Just 3 middle infielders posted at least 30 steals with an ISO over .120 in 2012: Jose Reyes, Jason Kipnis, and Jimmy Rollins. Similar to Williams, Michael is repeating a level this year, and as a result isn’t young for his level. It is important to remember, however, that Michael is a former 1st rounder who has a legitimate chance to stick at SS (he was named the best defensive infielder in the system by BA in 2012). If he can play solid defense at short, his .700+ OPS and good speed would make him a quality starter for the Twins. It is worth noting that Michael is in an unenviable position: Santana and Rosario are blocking a promotion, Aderlin Mejia is competition for playing time, and Polano and Goodrum are nipping at his heels. Josmil Pinto © 2012 (A+): 9.9%BB 16.0%K .62BB/K .178ISO 2013 (AA): 15.2BB 16.5%K .92BB/K .190ISO Pinto has kept his K rate constant despite drawing significantly more walks and hitting for more power. His combination of plate discipline and power is incredible (Joey Votto currently has a .86 BB/K with a .188 ISO). Although Buxton and Sano have received the bulk of the attention (and rightfully so due to their youth and incredible potential), Pinto has probably been the most productive and consistent hitter in the system this year, not named Colabello. Consider his monthly OPS: .975 in April, .936 in May, .857 in June, .972 in 15 games so far in July. That’s consistency. Furthermore, his BB/K ratio has improved every month: .57 in April, .86 in May, 1.06 in June, and 2 so far in July. Oh yeah, in his last 10 game he has an OPS of .943 and an 11:3 K/BB ratio. That’s bordering on absurd. Pinto’s numbers clearly scream promotion but he probably has to wait for Doumit to be traded. Trevor May (SP) 2012: 5.4 IP/GS 4.87 ERA 1.44 WHIP 1.94K/BB April: 5 IP/GS 4.62 ERA 1.62 WHIP 1.5K/BB May: 5.8IP/GS 3.60 ERA 1.49 WHIP 1.8K/BB June/July: 6.4IP/GS 3.43 ERA 1.10 WHIP 3.5K/BB Trevor May had a very discouraging month of April, posting numbers that were across the board worse than his disappointing 2012, that led to him repeating AA and dropping off of top 100 lists. However, May has improved consistently since then, especially in June and July, where he has posted a 3.5K/BB ratio, which included a stretch of four straight starts with just 1 BB. May’s BB/9 ratio is under 4 for the first time since he made 11 starts in A ball in 2010. There have been concerns about May’s ability to remain a starter, but as the season has continued he has shown improved ability to limit walks and go deeper into starts. It is important to remember that he is just 3 months younger than Alex Meyer, who is generally considered to be a top 50 prospect. If May can finish strong and continue to improve, he should at least be in the conversation for a top 100 prospect. A promotion to AAA this year will probably depend on whether or not the Twins trade any starters at the deadline.

Here are 4 prospects that are showing major signs of improvement that have generally gone unnoticed. JaDamion Williams (LF) 2012 (A): 9.6%BB 28.3%K .34BB/K .106 ISO 9.6%IFB .651OPS 2013 (A): 14.5%BB 20.7%K .70BB/K .180 ISO 5.3%IFB .852OPS JD Williams has made significant improvements in both his BB and K rates, which has allowed him to draw over twice as many BBs per K as a year ago, a staggering improvement. He has also hit for much more power this year, posting a .180 ISO, while cutting his infield fly balls nearly in half. As a result, Williams has increased his OPS by over .200 points to .852, the 9th highest total in the MWL (trailing 3 Twins). Williams was repeating A ball and at 22 was on the older side for the level, but he was just promoted to Ft. Myers. Although his age will always prevent him from being considered a great prospect, remember that he is a tremendous athlete: he was named the Twins’s fastest baserunner by BA in 2012, only to be unseated by some guy with the last name of Buxton. Levi Michael (SS) 2012 (A+): 10.9%BB 16.0%K .68BB/K .065ISO 6-6 SB (8 SB in 162 G) .650OPS 2013 (A+): 11.3%BB 14.6%K .77BB/K .122ISO 11-12SB (32 SB in 162 G) .708 OPS Levi Michael has made small improvements in both his BB and K rates, leading to a noticeable increase in his already good BB/K rate. The big changes for Michael, however, is that he is hitting for significantly more power—nearly doubling his ISO—while becoming a legitimate basestealing threat. Whether or not he can sustain these improvements is yet to be seen, but if he can, he could be a dynamic middle infielder. Just 3 middle infielders posted at least 30 steals with an ISO over .120 in 2012: Jose Reyes, Jason Kipnis, and Jimmy Rollins. Similar to Williams, Michael is repeating a level this year, and as a result isn’t young for his level. It is important to remember, however, that Michael is a former 1st rounder who has a legitimate chance to stick at SS (he was named the best defensive infielder in the system by BA in 2012). If he can play solid defense at short, his .700+ OPS and good speed would make him a quality starter for the Twins. It is worth noting that Michael is in an unenviable position: Santana and Rosario are blocking a promotion, Aderlin Mejia is competition for playing time, and Polano and Goodrum are nipping at his heels. Josmil Pinto © 2012 (A+): 9.9%BB 16.0%K .62BB/K .178ISO 2013 (AA): 15.2BB 16.5%K .92BB/K .190ISO Pinto has kept his K rate constant despite drawing significantly more walks and hitting for more power. His combination of plate discipline and power is incredible (Joey Votto currently has a .86 BB/K with a .188 ISO). Although Buxton and Sano have received the bulk of the attention (and rightfully so due to their youth and incredible potential), Pinto has probably been the most productive and consistent hitter in the system this year, not named Colabello. Consider his monthly OPS: .975 in April, .936 in May, .857 in June, .972 in 15 games so far in July. That’s consistency. Furthermore, his BB/K ratio has improved every month: .57 in April, .86 in May, 1.06 in June, and 2 so far in July. Oh yeah, in his last 10 game he has an OPS of .943 and an 11:3 K/BB ratio. That’s bordering on absurd. Pinto’s numbers clearly scream promotion but he probably has to wait for Doumit to be traded. Trevor May (SP) 2012: 5.4 IP/GS 4.87 ERA 1.44 WHIP 1.94K/BB April: 5 IP/GS 4.62 ERA 1.62 WHIP 1.5K/BB May: 5.8IP/GS 3.60 ERA 1.49 WHIP 1.8K/BB June/July: 6.4IP/GS 3.43 ERA 1.10 WHIP 3.5K/BB Trevor May had a very discouraging month of April, posting numbers that were across the board worse than his disappointing 2012, that led to him repeating AA and dropping off of top 100 lists. However, May has improved consistently since then, especially in June and July, where he has posted a 3.5K/BB ratio, which included a stretch of four straight starts with just 1 BB. May’s BB/9 ratio is under 4 for the first time since he made 11 starts in A ball in 2010. There have been concerns about May’s ability to remain a starter, but as the season has continued he has shown improved ability to limit walks and go deeper into starts. It is important to remember that he is just 3 months younger than Alex Meyer, who is generally considered to be a top 50 prospect. If May can finish strong and continue to improve, he should at least be in the conversation for a top 100 prospect. A promotion to AAA this year will probably depend on whether or not the Twins trade any starters at the deadline.

Personally, I don't have a problem with the Twins failing to spend big money on the Cuban defectors. There probably isn't much info out there on them and due to their ages, you would have to hope that they are ML ready. Despite that, these players are going to get big time free agent type money usually reserved for proven players. I would rather have money go elsewhere. I think we can all agree that the Twins have made some great international signings recently: Sano, Kepler, Vargas, Polanco, Jorge, Rosario, Landa, Thorpe. So if they avoid a bidding war for 1 or 2 of the top prospects to sign several lesser known ones, I trust their judgement.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=2084-Comparing-Rosario-to-Top-2B-Prospects

Heading into the 2013 season, there were five 2B prospects who were generally considered to be among the top 100 prospects in baseball: Jedd Gyorko of the San Diego Padres, Nick Franklin of the Seattle Mariners, Kolten Wong of the St. Louis Cardinals, Jonathan Schoop of the Baltimore Orioles, and Delino DeShields Jr. of the Houston Astros. My question is this: how does Eddie Rosario stack-up statistically against these more heavily hyped prospects? [B][U]Rankings[/U][/B] [LIST] [*]Baseball America [LIST] [*]Jedd Gyorko (2B)- 71 [*]Nick Franklin (SS/2B)- 79 [*]Kolten Wong (2B)- 84 [*]Delino DeShields Jr. (2B)- 99 [*]Jonathan Schoop- NR [*]Eddie Rosario- NR [/LIST] [*]Baseball Prospectus [LIST] [*]Nick Franklin (2B)- 72 [*]Jonathan Schoop (2B)- 80 [*]Jedd Gyorko (3B)- 84 [*]Kolten Wong (2B)- 90 [*]Delino DeShields Jr. (2B)- 101 [*]Eddie Rosario- NR [/LIST] [*]Sickels [LIST] [*]Jedd Gyorko (2B/3B)- 38 [*]Nick Franklin (SS)- 40 [*]Delino DeShields Jr. (2B)- 77 [*]Kolten Wong (2B)- 85 [*]Jonathan Schoop (INF)- 102 [/LIST] [*]Fangraphs [LIST] [*]Delino DeShields Jr. (2B)- 52 [*]Jonathan Schoop (INF)- 57 [*]Kolten Wong (2B)- 58 [*]Jedd Gyorko (2B/3B)- 67 [*]Nick Franklin (SS)- 74 [*]Eddie Rosario (2B)- 79 [/LIST] [/LIST] [B][U]Stats [/U][/B] A [LIST=1] [*]Kolten Wong: Age 20 47 games .335/.401/.510 .911 OPS [*]Johnathon Schoop: Age 19 51 games .316/.376/.514 .890 OPS [*]Nick Franklin: Age 19 129 games .281/.351/.485 .837 OPS [*]Eddie Rosario: Age 20 95 games .296/.345/.490 .835 OPS [*]Jedd Gyorko: Age 21 42 games, .284/.366/.389 .755 OPS [*]Delino DeShields Jr: Age 18,19 230 games .257/.352/.378 .731 OPS [/LIST] A+ [LIST=1] [*]Gyorko: Age 22 81 games .365/.429/.638 1.068 OPS [*]Rosario: Age 21 52 games .329/.377/.527 .903 OPS [*]Franklin: Age 20 64 games .275/.356/.411 .767 OPS [*]DeShields: Age 19,20 95 games .276/.375/.395 .769 OPS [*]Schoop: Age 19 77 games .271/.329/.375 .704 OPS [*]Wong: DNP [/LIST] AA [LIST=1] [*]Franklin: Age 20,21 78 games .323/.375/.497 .871 OPS [*]Gyorko: Age 22,23 93 games .279/.357/.429 .786 OPS [*]Rosario: Age 21 28 games .290/.356/.421 .776 OPS [*]Wong: Age 21 126 games .287/.348/.405 .754 OPS [*]Schoop: Age 20 124 games .245/.324/.386 .710 OPS [/LIST] AAA [LIST=1] [*]Gyorko: Age 23 92 games .328/.380/.588 .968 OPS [*]Wong: Age 22 83 games .298/.360/.455 .815 OPS [*]Franklin: Age 21,22 103 games .271/.358/.435 .793 OPS [*]Schoop: Age 21 34 games .268/.331/.386 .717 OPS [/LIST] [B][U]A Few Caveats[/U][/B] [LIST] [*]Kolten Wong: skipped A+, making his .754 OPS at AA quite impressive. Drafted by the Twins out of high school in 2008. [*]Delino Deshields: in his 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] year of A ball, posted a .839 OPS in 111 games (would have placed him 3[SUP]rd[/SUP]). Speed is a significant part of his value, stole 101 bases in 2012. [/LIST] [B][U]Conclusion:[/U][/B] Although Rosario has always been a year or two older per level than Schoop and DeShields, he has been a significantly better hitter. In this situation I would take Rosario’s vastly superior production over Schoop and DeShields’s relative youth. This is especially true with Schoop, who despite being a 21 year old in AAA, failed to post an OPS over .710 in A+ or AA. Gyorko, Franklin, and Wong, on the other hand, have produced at a similar rate to Rosario. Here are their stats combined for A, A+, and AA: [LIST=1] [*]Gyorko: Ages 21-23 .315/.388/.505 .894 OPS [*]Rosario: Ages 20-21 .305/.355/.490 .845 OPS [*]Franklin: Ages 19-21 .291/.357/.470 .827 OPS [*]Wong: Ages 20-21 .300/.362/.434 .796 OPS [/LIST] This shows Rosario in a very positive light. He has out-produced Franklin and Wong, while being the same age upon reaching AA, and although Gyorko has posted better numbers (driven by a higher walk-rate), he has done so while being much older than any of the other prospects. While this information does not prove that Rosario is the best 2B prospect in baseball—I have not considered important factors such as defense, speed, or what their ceiling looks like going forward—it does suggest that he has been just as productive in the batter’s box, if not more so, than any other 2B prospect. View full article

Heading into the 2013 season, there were 5 2B prospects that were generally considered to be among the top 100 in baseball: Jedd Gyorko of the San Diego Padres, Nick Franklin of the Seattle Mariners, Kolten Wong of the St. Louis Cardinals, Jonathan Schoop of the Baltimore Orioles, and Delino DeShields Jr. of the Houston Astros. My question is this: how does Eddie Rosario stack-up statistically against these more heavily hyped prospects? Rankings Baseball America Jedd Gyorko (2B)- 71 Nick Franklin (SS/2B)- 79 Kolten Wong (2B)- 84 Delino DeShields Jr. (2B)- 99 Jonathan Schoop- NR Eddie Rosario- NR [*]Baseball Prospectus Nick Franklin (2B)- 72 Jonathan Schoop (2B)- 80 Jedd Gyorko (3B)- 84 Kolten Wong (2B)- 90 Delino DeShields Jr. (2B)- 101 Eddie Rosario- NR [*]Sickels Jedd Gyorko (2B/3B)- 38 Nick Franklin (SS)- 40 Delino DeShields Jr. (2B)- 77 Kolten Wong (2B)- 85 Jonathan Schoop (INF)- 102 [*]Fangraphs Delino DeShields Jr. (2B)- 52 Jonathan Schoop (INF)- 57 Kolten Wong (2B)- 58 Jedd Gyorko (2B/3B)- 67 Nick Franklin (SS)- 74 Eddie Rosario (2B)- 79 Stats A Kolten Wong: Age 20 47 games .335/.401/.510 .911 OPS Johnathon Schoop: Age 19 51 games .316/.376/.514 .890 OPS Nick Franklin: Age 19 129 games .281/.351/.485 .837 OPS Eddie Rosario: Age 20 95 games .296/.345/.490 .835 OPS Jedd Gyorko: Age 21 42 games, .284/.366/.389 .755 OPS Delino DeShields Jr: Age 18,19 230 games .257/.352/.378 .731 OPS A+ Gyorko: Age 22 81 games .365/.429/.638 1.068 OPS Rosario: Age 21 52 games .329/.377/.527 .903 OPS Franklin: Age 20 64 games .275/.356/.411 .767 OPS DeShields: Age 19,20 95 games .276/.375/.395 .769 OPS Schoop: Age 19 77 games .271/.329/.375 .704 OPS Wong: DNP AA Franklin: Age 20,21 78 games .323/.375/.497 .871 OPS Gyorko: Age 22,23 93 games .279/.357/.429 .786 OPS Rosario: Age 21 28 games .290/.356/.421 .776 OPS Wong: Age 21 126 games .287/.348/.405 .754 OPS Schoop: Age 20 124 games .245/.324/.386 .710 OPS AAA Gyorko: Age 23 92 games .328/.380/.588 .968 OPS Wong: Age 22 83 games .298/.360/.455 .815 OPS Franklin: Age 21,22 103 games .271/.358/.435 .793 OPS Schoop: Age 21 34 games .268/.331/.386 .717 OPS A Few Caveats Kolten Wong: skipped A+, making his .754 OPS at AA quite impressive. Drafted by the Twins out of high school Delino Deshields: in his 2nd year of A ball, posted a .839 OPS in 111 games (would have placed him 3rd). Speed is a significant part of his value, stole 101 bases in 2012. Conclusion: Although Rosario has always been a year or two older per level than Schoop and DeShields, he has been a significantly better hitter. In this situation I would take Rosario’s vastly superior production over Schoop and DeShields’s relative youth. This is especially true with Schoop, who despite being a 21 year old in AAA, failed to post an OPS over .710 in A+ or AA. Gyorko, Franklin, and Wong, on the other hand, have produced at a similar rate to Rosario. Here are their stats combined for A, A+, and AA: Gyorko: Ages 21-23 .315/.388/.505 .894 OPS Rosario: Ages 20-21 .305/.355/.490 .845 OPS Franklin: Ages 19-21 .291/.357/.470 .827 OPS Wong: Ages 20-21 .300/.362/.434 .796 OPS This shows Rosario in a very positive light. He has out-produced Franklin and Wong, while being the same age upon reaching AA, and although Gyorko has posted better numbers (driven by a higher walk-rate), he has done so while being much older than any of the other prospects. While this information does not prove that Rosario is the best 2B prospect in baseball—I have not considered important factors such as defense, speed, or what their ceiling looks like going forward—it does suggest that he has been just as productive in the batter’s box, if not more so, than any other 2B prospect.

Heading into the 2013 season, there were 5 2B prospects that were generally considered to be among the top 100 in baseball: Jedd Gyorko of the San Diego Padres, Nick Franklin of the Seattle Mariners, Kolten Wong of the St. Louis Cardinals, Jonathan Schoop of the Baltimore Orioles, and Delino DeShields Jr. of the Houston Astros. My question is this: how does Eddie Rosario stack-up statistically against these more heavily hyped prospects? Rankings Baseball America Jedd Gyorko (2B)- 71 Nick Franklin (SS/2B)- 79 Kolten Wong (2B)- 84 Delino DeShields Jr. (2B)- 99 Jonathan Schoop- NR Eddie Rosario- NR [*]Baseball Prospectus Nick Franklin (2B)- 72 Jonathan Schoop (2B)- 80 Jedd Gyorko (3B)- 84 Kolten Wong (2B)- 90 Delino DeShields Jr. (2B)- 101 Eddie Rosario- NR [*]Sickels Jedd Gyorko (2B/3B)- 38 Nick Franklin (SS)- 40 Delino DeShields Jr. (2B)- 77 Kolten Wong (2B)- 85 Jonathan Schoop (INF)- 102 [*]Fangraphs Delino DeShields Jr. (2B)- 52 Jonathan Schoop (INF)- 57 Kolten Wong (2B)- 58 Jedd Gyorko (2B/3B)- 67 Nick Franklin (SS)- 74 Eddie Rosario (2B)- 79 Stats A Kolten Wong: Age 20 47 games .335/.401/.510 .911 OPS Johnathon Schoop: Age 19 51 games .316/.376/.514 .890 OPS Nick Franklin: Age 19 129 games .281/.351/.485 .837 OPS Eddie Rosario: Age 20 95 games .296/.345/.490 .835 OPS Jedd Gyorko: Age 21 42 games, .284/.366/.389 .755 OPS Delino DeShields Jr: Age 18,19 230 games .257/.352/.378 .731 OPS A+ Gyorko: Age 22 81 games .365/.429/.638 1.068 OPS Rosario: Age 21 52 games .329/.377/.527 .903 OPS Franklin: Age 20 64 games .275/.356/.411 .767 OPS DeShields: Age 19,20 95 games .276/.375/.395 .769 OPS Schoop: Age 19 77 games .271/.329/.375 .704 OPS Wong: DNP AA Franklin: Age 20,21 78 games .323/.375/.497 .871 OPS Gyorko: Age 22,23 93 games .279/.357/.429 .786 OPS Rosario: Age 21 28 games .290/.356/.421 .776 OPS Wong: Age 21 126 games .287/.348/.405 .754 OPS Schoop: Age 20 124 games .245/.324/.386 .710 OPS AAA Gyorko: Age 23 92 games .328/.380/.588 .968 OPS Wong: Age 22 83 games .298/.360/.455 .815 OPS Franklin: Age 21,22 103 games .271/.358/.435 .793 OPS Schoop: Age 21 34 games .268/.331/.386 .717 OPS A Few Caveats Kolten Wong: skipped A+, making his .754 OPS at AA quite impressive. Drafted by the Twins out of high school Delino Deshields: in his 2nd year of A ball, posted a .839 OPS in 111 games (would have placed him 3rd). Speed is a significant part of his value, stole 101 bases in 2012. Conclusion: Although Rosario has always been a year or two older per level than Schoop and DeShields, he has been a significantly better hitter. In this situation I would take Rosario’s vastly superior production over Schoop and DeShields’s relative youth. This is especially true with Schoop, who despite being a 21 year old in AAA, failed to post an OPS over .710 in A+ or AA. Gyorko, Franklin, and Wong, on the other hand, have produced at a similar rate to Rosario. Here are their stats combined for A, A+, and AA: Gyorko: Ages 21-23 .315/.388/.505 .894 OPS Rosario: Ages 20-21 .305/.355/.490 .845 OPS Franklin: Ages 19-21 .291/.357/.470 .827 OPS Wong: Ages 20-21 .300/.362/.434 .796 OPS This shows Rosario in a very positive light. He has out-produced Franklin and Wong, while being the same age upon reaching AA, and although Gyorko has posted better numbers (driven by a higher walk-rate), he has done so while being much older than any of the other prospects. While this information does not prove that Rosario is the best 2B prospect in baseball—I have not considered important factors such as defense, speed, or what their ceiling looks like going forward—it does suggest that he has been just as productive in the batter’s box, if not more so, than any other 2B prospect.

Before we all go assigning values to the Twins’ trade chips based off of how good we think they are, it is important to remember that, like most things, the value of players at the trade deadline is determined by the market. In short, a market is composed of supply, which is made up of sellers, and demand, which is made up of buyers. Buyers If the trade deadline were tomorrow, I believe there would be 16 teams considered buyers. Of course there are the 6 division leaders (Boston, Detroit, Oakland, Atlanta, St. Louis, and Arizona). There are also 10 teams chasing: Tampa Bay (4.5 GB in div., WC lead) Baltimore (5.5 GB in div, 1 in WC) New York Yankees (6 GB in div., 1.5 in WC) Cleveland (2.5 GB in div., 3.5 in WC) Texas (1 GB in div., WC lead) Washington (6 GB in div., 5 GB in WC) Pittsburgh (1 GB in NL div., WC lead) Cincinnati (5 GB in div., 4 GB in WC) LA Dodgers (2.5 GB in div., 5.5 GB in WC) Colorado (4.5 GB in div., 7.5 GB in WC) Sellers If the trade deadline were tomorrow, I believe there would be 8 teams considered definite sellers. Minnesota (13 GB in div., 14 GB in WC) Chicago White Sox (13.5 GB in div., 14.5 GB in WC) Seattle (13 GB in div., 11.5 GB in WC) Houston (20.5 GB in div., 19 GB in WC) NY Mets (11 GB in div., 10 GB in WC) Miami (18 GB in div., 17 GB in WC) Chicago Cubs (15 GB in div., 10 GB in WC) Milwaukee (19.5 GB in div., 14.5 GB in WC) Wait and See These are the teams that could go either way, or not make any moves at all. Their decisions could have a major impact on the market. KC- Haven’t competed for a playoff spot in a long time. Traded Myers for Shields in off-season. AL Central’s best record in June. Just 7 games behind in AL Central but are 4 games under .500. Lean buy Philadelphia- Expected to sell, but just 7 games back in NL East, 6 in WC. Howard’s injury out complicates matters. They’ve won 7 of their last 10 lean buy San Francisco (6.5 GB in div., 9.5 GB in WC)- Still in the division race, but have lost 7 of their last 10 and their rotation isn’t the same with Cain struggling. Hard to see a team that has won 2 of the last 3 WS selling but if they don’t turn things around soon they might have too. Lean buy San Diego- 8.5 games back in NL West, 9.5 back in NL WC. 1-9 in last 10 pretty much all you need to know. Lean sell Toronto- Out of contention, but their big off season might convince them to sit pat rather than sell. Lean sell LA Angels- Pretty much out of contention, but all those big contracts the last few off-seasons might convince them to not sell. Lean sell Comparison to Previous Years All of the previous information doesn’t mean much without context. By my estimation, over the past 3 years there have been an average of 13 buyers (15 in 2012, 11 in 2011, 13 in 2010) and 10 sellers (9 in 2012, 13 in 2011, and 8 in 2010) per year, which is a ratio of 1.3 buyers to sellers. This year appears to be more buyer heavy. If the 6 teams in the “Wait and See” category aren’t active, than the buyer to seller ratio could be as high as 2 (16 buyers, 8 sellers). One significant difference this season to the previous 3 is how close the divisional races are. Before today’s games, there were 19 teams 7 games or fewer behind the division leaders. As of 7/12 in the previous 3 seasons, there was an average of just 15.67 (16 in 2012, 16 in 2011, 15 in 2010). In my opinion, close divisional race will bring about more deadline deals than close wildcard races because a teams will feel more pressure to make a trade to match their competitors. Meaning for the Minnesota Twins This season is shaping up to have more buyers compared to sellers than the past 3 seasons—more demand compared to supply. Generally speaking, this should increase the price of players being traded at the deadline. This does not necessarily mean that the Twins will get more in return for their players than they would have in previous seasons—that is dependent on the market for the particular positions—but it is generally good news.

Before we all go assigning values to the Twins’ trade chips based off of how good we think they are, it is important to remember that, like most things, the value of players at the trade deadline is determined by the market. In short, a market is composed of supply, which is made up of sellers, and demand, which is made up of buyers. Buyers If the trade deadline were tomorrow, I believe there would be 16 teams considered buyers. Of course there are the 6 division leaders (Boston, Detroit, Oakland, Atlanta, St. Louis, and Arizona). There are also 10 teams chasing: Tampa Bay (4.5 GB in div., WC lead) Baltimore (5.5 GB in div, 1 in WC) New York Yankees (6 GB in div., 1.5 in WC) Cleveland (2.5 GB in div., 3.5 in WC) Texas (1 GB in div., WC lead) Washington (6 GB in div., 5 GB in WC) Pittsburgh (1 GB in NL div., WC lead) Cincinnati (5 GB in div., 4 GB in WC) LA Dodgers (2.5 GB in div., 5.5 GB in WC) Colorado (4.5 GB in div., 7.5 GB in WC) Sellers If the trade deadline were tomorrow, I believe there would be 8 teams considered definite sellers. Minnesota (13 GB in div., 14 GB in WC) Chicago White Sox (13.5 GB in div., 14.5 GB in WC) Seattle (13 GB in div., 11.5 GB in WC) Houston (20.5 GB in div., 19 GB in WC) NY Mets (11 GB in div., 10 GB in WC) Miami (18 GB in div., 17 GB in WC) Chicago Cubs (15 GB in div., 10 GB in WC) Milwaukee (19.5 GB in div., 14.5 GB in WC) Wait and See These are the teams that could go either way, or not make any moves at all. Their decisions could have a major impact on the market. KC- Haven’t competed for a playoff spot in a long time. Traded Myers for Shields in off-season. AL Central’s best record in June. Just 7 games behind in AL Central but are 4 games under .500. Lean buy Philadelphia- Expected to sell, but just 7 games back in NL East, 6 in WC. Howard’s injury out complicates matters. They’ve won 7 of their last 10 lean buy San Francisco (6.5 GB in div., 9.5 GB in WC)- Still in the division race, but have lost 7 of their last 10 and their rotation isn’t the same with Cain struggling. Hard to see a team that has won 2 of the last 3 WS selling but if they don’t turn things around soon they might have too. Lean buy San Diego- 8.5 games back in NL West, 9.5 back in NL WC. 1-9 in last 10 pretty much all you need to know. Lean sell Toronto- Out of contention, but their big off season might convince them to sit pat rather than sell. Lean sell LA Angels- Pretty much out of contention, but all those big contracts the last few off-seasons might convince them to not sell. Lean sell Comparison to Previous Years All of the previous information doesn’t mean much without context. By my estimation, over the past 3 years there have been an average of 13 buyers (15 in 2012, 11 in 2011, 13 in 2010) and 10 sellers (9 in 2012, 13 in 2011, and 8 in 2010) per year, which is a ratio of 1.3 buyers to sellers. This year appears to be more buyer heavy. If the 6 teams in the “Wait and See” category aren’t active, than the buyer to seller ratio could be as high as 2 (16 buyers, 8 sellers). One significant difference this season to the previous 3 is how close the divisional races are. Before today’s games, there were 19 teams 7 games or fewer behind the division leaders. As of 7/12 in the previous 3 seasons, there was an average of just 15.67 (16 in 2012, 16 in 2011, 15 in 2010). In my opinion, close divisional race will bring about more deadline deals than close wildcard races because a teams will feel more pressure to make a trade to match their competitors. Meaning for the Minnesota Twins This season is shaping up to have more buyers compared to sellers than the past 3 seasons—more demand compared to supply. Generally speaking, this should increase the price of players being traded at the deadline. This does not necessarily mean that the Twins will get more in return for their players than they would have in previous seasons—that is dependent on the market for the particular positions—but it is generally good news.

Wimmers's timetable will be much different than Gibson's. Prior to Gibson's surgery, he had 21 starts at AAA. Prior to Wimmers's surgery, he had made 8 starts in A+ and 1 in AA. What we can take away is that Gibson made 9 appearance in rookie ball before advancing to A+. I would expect Wimmers to do something similar. Expect his path to diverge from Gibson's at that point due to their vastly different amount of experience at the higher levels of the minors.

Valid point. Career BB rate with RISP: 19% 2013 BB rate with RISP: 21% This isn't a significant difference, especially considering he has just 78 PA in 2013, a very small sample size. In other words, Mauer is walking more or less at his career rate with RISP.

Alex Wimmers started today for the GCL Twins. His line: 2 IP 1 H 0 ER 2K 0BB. Looks pretty good, especially considering his control problems with the Twins. In my opinion, reports regarding velocity, command, etc. will be more important. Nonetheless, very good to see.

In my opinion this is about as much info as is needed. Looking at how the percentage of runner's driven in, RBIs, etc. just has way to many variables outside of a hitter's control to be conclusive. Looking at triple slash lines and OPS, on the other hand looks at what the hitter can control, and is thus much more valuable. A few things to take away from this: 1. For his career, Mauer has been excellent with runner's in scoring position. 2. This season, Mauer has undeniably struggled with RISP 3. Mauer has struggled driving in RISP--AVG and SLG, the two ways to drive in runners-- are very low 4. Mauer is at least getting on base with RISP, allowing those behind him to drive runners in 5. There is a good chance Mauer is being more patient, drawing walks twice as frequently with RISP as opposed to no RISP-- 21% BB rate in 2013 with RISP, 11% BB rate without RISP.

It will be interesting to see how the Twins handle these guys this summer and next spring. Cedar Rapids could potentially have a rotation with Jorge, Rosario, Landa, and Stewart early next year.

My question is this: once the trade deadline passes, what do the Twins gain by having Mauer catch? If playing him at catcher is the only way to get our young guys (Hicks, Arcia, Parm, Dozier, etc.) plus Willingham-- once he returns-- into the lineup, I'm fine with it. But in a lost season, I would argue that the Twins should give Mauer as little time as possible at catcher going forward so that he is fresher for future seasons when the Twins have a chance to compete.

I went to see the final game of the Rock Cats’s series in Portland on Monday. Because I was only watching one game, didn’t see BP or fielding drills, and am not a professional scout I am not making any conclusions. My purpose was more to provide details that cannot be found in a boxscore as well as a very modest scouting report. I focused on Sano, Rosario, and Pinto. Unfortunately Danny Santana wasn’t in the lineup, as I was hoping to get a look at him playing shortstop. Hitting Sano 1st AB: Struckout swinging I thought he checked his swing on the 3rd strike. He had some words for the ump, and the 3rd base coach (manager?) was ejected arguing the call [*]2nd AB: Flyout Swung at first pitch, pretty weak fly ball [*]3rd AB: Flyout Sano hit a routine fly ball to right center. I would have liked to have seen him go the other way (runner on 2nd, no outs), but it was a good pitch to hit. If he had hit it hard it probably would have gone a long way and I wouldn’t be complaining [*]4th AB: Flyout Skied a flyball to left [*]Overall impression Was generally pretty aggressive early in at bats against fastballs, but couldn’t seem to square one up. It was good to see that he has a pretty controlled swing, as opposed to an all out, swing from the heels (like Fielder or Harper). Rosario: First AB: Struck out swinging He was fooled by a breaking pitch for strike 3, and swung off of his front foot He thought strike 2 was low [*]2nd AB: Result: BB Took a few close pitches for balls, including ball 4, which was the breaking pitch that fooled him in his first AB [*]3rd AB: Struck out swinging Took a few close pitches early in the AB to get the count in his favor and he fouled off a good pitch with 2 strikes, but he was fooled by the breaking ball again. He struck out swinging on a pitch in the dirt [*]4th AB: E6 Swung at first pitch and hit the ball sharply just to the shortstop’s left. The ball skipped once off the dirt and glanced off the shortstop’s glove into centerfield. Ruled an error. It would have been a really nice play. Might have been ruled a hit if the Rockcat’s had been at home [*]Overall impression: Was generally quite patient early in at bats and often worked the count into his favor. The one ball he put in play was hit quite sharply. Seemed to have trouble picking up breaking balls. Pinto 2nd AB: just missed a fastball. He was clearly frustrated with himself on way back to dugout 3rd AB: doubled on a hard hit line drive to left center. I was surprised at how well he ran Fielding Sano No groundballs were hit near him. Caught two popups that he barely had to move for. He did use both hands, which I liked to see. Overall impression: Wasn’t a whole lot to see here as he was never even remotely tested. I won’t pretend to know whether or not he is going to outgrow 3rd base, but he hasn’t yet. Rosario Caught a pop up in the first, barely had to move. Caught the ball with one hand, with his glove at his shoulder rather than over his head. Made an easy play on a routine bouncing ball in the fourth. Was very casual making the play Made a nice play on a hard hit ground ball in the 7th. Ranged a few steps to his right and made a sort of sliding stop (fielded cleanly). He then popped up quickly and made a relatively routine throw to first. Made a great catch on a weak line drive in the 7th that seemed destined to drop into shallow right. His route wasn’t perfect, but he recovered well and made a great leaping catch while running backwards and to his left. Displayed really good athleticism. With runners on 1st and 2nd and the Rockcats up 2 in the bottom of the 9th, there was a hard hit ground ball up the middle. The runner on second scored and the other went first to third. I would have liked to see Rosario lay out to try and stop the ball from reaching the outfield. He probably couldn’t have gotten there but I would have liked it anyways Overall impression: has a sort of lazy flair to his game that he displayed on the pop up in the first and grounder in the 4th. I also found it interesting that Rosario didn’t creep before the pitch; he went straight from a relaxed position to a ready position. Other notes Sano is going to be a fan favorite. He threw balls into the stands whenever he got the chance, once from the pitcher’s mound. The kids picked up on this pretty quickly and went crazy calling “hey 24” every time he got the ball. That was good to see. Daniel Ortiz hit a homerun right down the rightfield line (330 feet at the foul pole). It was more of a line drive than a fly ball but it still cleared the 15 foot high wall.