Jim Crikket

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=1310-Prospects-and-Projects-–-Projecting-the-2013-Kernels-Part-4

If Seth was a Pohlad, the Twins' Class A team would play in Warroad MN.

If you're comfortable with 20-25 million, does it matter to you if he gets it over 3 years instead of 2? You're Offseason GM Handbook projected 3 years $24 million I think. Most of the other better SPs ended up signing for more than what you guys projected. Saunders has not been as coveted, obviously. But if the Twins can get him for a $20-24 million commitment... whether 3 years, 2 years with an option, or whatever... I don't see the downside. Would I have liked to get one of the hard throwing top of the rotation FAs? Absolutely. Am I disappointed TR didn't make a serious effort to get one of those guys? Yes. Would that stop me from wanting Saunders at this point? Nope. I'm on record saying I believe the Twins need to do SOMETHING to prove to fans that they are serious about trying to put a better product on the field in 2013 and I would consider signing Saunders to fit that criteria. Then again, all we've heard is that they're talking to Saunders and/or his agent. We've heard that about a lot of guys, so this is possibly a lot of discussion over nothing.

I don't think this is something that should be overlooked. Of all the other guys Seth projected for future rotations, plus Worley, the only lefty is Scott Diamond. Are we really comfortable with Diamond being the only lefty in the rotation for the next 3 years? Would we be concerned about Saunders "blocking" Pedro Hernandez or Caleb Thielbar? Are there other southpaws in the upper levels of the organization that are significant SP prospects?

For anyone who has too much time on their hands for their own good, back in November, I laid out my rationale for why the Twins shouldn't let overpaying, in terms of years on a contract, stop them from going after pitching. You can read it by clicking here. Obviously, it was written before any of the moves the Twins made to acquire Worley, Meyer and May, so some of the factors have changed, but the overall point that the Twins can AFFORD to give a pitcher they want more years than teams they're competing with for his services, even if it means taking a chance that you end up eating a year or so of that contract down the road, remains valid.

Several points to react to. Every contract is tradeable. Some of them you just have to send along some cash to complete the deal. Cash will not be an issue with the Twins over the next several years as virtually every significant contract but Mauer's (and possibly Perkins') comes off the books and the young players barely get to arbitration, if that. Honestly, that fact alone probably makes the Twins one of the few teams who can easily afford to take a chance by adding a 3rd year either guaranteed or as a mutual option that can vest if Saunders makes some minimum number of starts over the first 2 years. I don't let the possibility that he might "block" Hermsen, May or Meyer keep me from making the deal. The odds of all those guys being MLB ready within 3 years is remote, at best, and none of them are locks. If they and the rest of the current staff DO perform well and you end up with a surplus of good starting pitching, that is hardly a bad thing. Look at the market teams with SP depth are seeing right now. Saunders may be a typical "pitch to contact" Twins guy, but anyone who has put up his stats over the course of the number of years he's been in the Big Leagues can hardly be considered to have done so by relying on luck or lack of bad luck. Some times, even if he doesn't profile the way you'd like him to, you have to give a player credit for what he's accomplished. And, frankly, if I'm going to overpay someone slightly at this point, it would be a lefty like Saunders.

It would certainly put Blackburn behind, but I'm just questioning whether it puts him so far behind that he couldn't possibly regain strength and command in five weeks time. If this happened during the season, I guess I envision a pitcher spending 2-3 weeks after cast removal rehabbing and then getting 2-3 starts in the minors on rehab assignment. But, like you, I'm just guessing, too. I don't have a clue what his injury even was and how long it should be expected to take to recover fully.

Or... if he proves us wrong and succeeds, maybe we'll have to admit Terry Ryan is better at judging baseball talent than we are. Nah... that'll never happen.

I know I'm in the minority around here, but I've liked Joe Saunders as an option, all along. Of course, my hope was that he would be something like the third best addition to the staff, but those hopes have been crushed for weeks now. The Twins are not exactly loaded with left handed SPs and if they're intent on filling the rotation with nothing but #3 - #5 type starters, the least they can do is actually fill the rotation with #3 - #5 type starters and not just hope that 1-2 of their #6 - #7 type starters can become #5 material. Obviously, Saunder's not going to be a darling of the "we want power arms" crowd, but he should be very serviceable and at this point, we probably have to be happy with that. Three years would make me skittish, but a two year deal... maybe with some kind of mutual options... would be fine with me. Money, especially 2014 payroll, is simply not a problem (or shouldn't be).

I'm not giving up on Dozier. The Twins are going to need at least one MI who can offer something of value offensively and he looks like the best chance of that in the near future. I don't necessarily agree that all the blame for his poor showing in 2012 should be laid at the feet of Twins management, though. At some point, you have to put the responsibility for performing or not performing on the shoulders of the player and I think it's time for that to happen with Dozier. Let's be honest... if he can't impress enough to earn a job against the paltry competition the Twins have lined up in the middle infield this spring, his future in the game is probably pretty limited. I'm marginally optimistic that he's going to step up this season.

As anyone who has gone through the Billy Ripken School of Artificially Generating Value in Collectables will tell you, the only way to significantly jack up value of something like this is to slip an obscenity past the editors. Hmmmm... Seth... you might want to consider very closely editing anything I write for the 2014 Handbook.

I think after this group, you're getting in to BJ Hermsen, Chris Herrmann, Randy Rosario territory.

Yeah, I'm a little surprised Harden wouldn't even be mentioned as a possibility. Is he likely to claim that spot? Probably not, but I really don't think there is anyone you'd say is "likely" at this point. If I had to bet money, I'd probably go with DeVries or Deduno, but I'd want some odds, regardless of who I picked. There is no clear favorite. On Blackburn, everyone seems to write that this surgery rules him out, but does it? Wasn't it arthroscopic surgery on his wrist or forearm? Laid up 6 weeks leads him to last week of February. I have no idea, but is it really impossible that he would be recovered five weeks after that? Again, he isn't "likely" to be in the opening rotation and certainly less likely than some others, but are we being too quick to rule it out? EDIT: I also just want to say that with all the piling on people (including myself at times) have done on Correia, I'm starting to seriously root for the guy to do well and shut us all up.

It’s no secret that the Minnesota Twins have issues these days with regard to their starting pitching rotation, but is there any hope for the future? The Twins acquired a couple of legitimate starting pitching prospects in trades this offseason, which bodes well for New Britain’s 2013 rotation, but what about here in Cedar Rapids? http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/KernelsTwins-300x168.jpg (Image: Kernels.com) After checking out the position players likely to spend time with the 2013 Kernels in Parts 1 through 4 of this series, in Part 5 we’ll take a look at a number of pitchers that Kernels fans are likely to see in the team’s starting rotation during 2013. (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com) One of the challenges in projecting starting pitching vs. bullpen pitching is that, at this level, organizations tend to ask many of their pitchers to spend time in both roles. Nobody really knows for sure which pitchers have a Big League future as a starter and which will eventually find a role in the bullpen. In addition, the Twins will want to limit the number of innings many of their pitching prospects put on their arms during each minor league season. One way to accomplish that is to have even those pitchers clearly earmarked for rotation roles spend a chunk of each minor league season in the pen. For our purposes, we’ll try to identify a number of pitchers that the Twins clearly are looking at developing as starting pitchers and then, in Part 6, we’ll include those that appear most likely to have futures working in relief. David Hurlbut – Age 23 – Throws Left 2012: Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE] [TD=align: left]G[/TD] [TD=align: left]GS[/TD] [TD=width: 40, align: left]ERA[/TD] [TD=width: 41, align: left]IP[/TD] [TD=width: 47, align: left]WHIP[/TD] [TD=width: 31, align: left]K[/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9[/TD] [TD=width: 33, align: left]K/9[/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9[/TD] [TD=align: right]25[/TD] [TD=align: right]15[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.76[/TD] [TD=align: right]111.0[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.171[/TD] [TD=align: right]85[/TD] [TD=align: right]8.5[/TD] [TD=align: right]6.9[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.0[/TD] [/TABLE] The Twins liked Hurlbut so much, they drafted him twice! Originally picked by the Twins as a junior college pitcher in the 35th round of the 2009 draft, Hurlbut chose to go to Cal State – Fullerton rather than sign with the Twins at that time. In 2011, the Twins used their 28th round pick to choose Hurlbut again and the lefty threw 66 innings in Elizabethton after signing that summer. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Hurlbut12b-225x300.jpg David Hurlbut Hurlbut is one example of where the Twins have drafted a college relief pitcher and given him an opportunity to start. He pitched a full season at Beloit in 2012, racking up 111 innings in 25 games, 15 of them as a starter. He doesn’t have overpowering velocity, but his numbers at Beloit improved considerably over his Appy League season. His ERA dropped to 2.76 and his WHIP to 1.171, largely due to allowing almost three fewer hits per nine innings, compared to his Rookie level season. So after a respectable year at Beloit, why wouldn’t the Twins promote David to Fort Myers in 2013? That’s a fair question and they may well do exactly that. This is simply one of those situations where it looks to me like the rotation in Fort Myers may be pretty crowded to start the year and Hurlbut may be the odd man out for a while. Of course, he could also start out in the Fort Myers bullpen. Even if he does start in CR, he certainly should be one of the first pitchers moved up when pitching spots open up for with the Miracle. Tyler Jones – Age 23 – Throws Right 2012: Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE] [TD=align: left]G[/TD] [TD=align: left]GS[/TD] [TD=width: 40, align: left]ERA[/TD] [TD=width: 41, align: left]IP[/TD] [TD=width: 47, align: left]WHIP[/TD] [TD=width: 31, align: left]K[/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9[/TD] [TD=width: 33, align: left]K/9[/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9[/TD] [TD=align: right]18[/TD] [TD=align: right]16[/TD] [TD=align: right]4.67[/TD] [TD=align: right]86.2[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.442[/TD] [TD=align: right]102[/TD] [TD=align: right]9.3[/TD] [TD=align: right]10.6[/TD] [TD=align: right]3.6[/TD] [/TABLE] Jones was drafted by the Twins in the 11th round of the 2011 draft out of LSU in time to get just four appearances in for Elizabethton that summer. It’s probably just as well he didn’t get more work in because his seven innings there did not go well at all. He spent the entire season in 2012 at Beloit, where things went much better, but there’s still much room for improvement. One thing Tyler continues to do is rack up a good number of strikeouts. That’s the good news. Unfortunately, he also gave up better than a hit per inning of work and it wouldn’t hurt for him to figure out how to cut his walks a little, too. Jones throws two different fastballs and can touch the mid-90s, but reports are that his other pitches need to improve. It’s possible that Jones could open the season in Fort Myers, but I doubt it. It would be tough to say he demonstrated the ability to consistently get outs in the MWL last year and the Twins should have no shortage of rotation options at the high-A level that are more advanced than Jones at this point. If he does start the season in CR, however, don’t expect him to stick around all summer. He’s got the talent to move up quickly if he can cut down on the baserunners he allows. Taylor Rogers – Age 22 – Throws Left 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) and Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE] [TD=align: left]G[/TD] [TD=align: left]GS[/TD] [TD=width: 40, align: left]ERA[/TD] [TD=width: 41, align: left]IP[/TD] [TD=width: 47, align: left]WHIP[/TD] [TD=width: 31, align: left]K[/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9[/TD] [TD=width: 33, align: left]K/9[/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9[/TD] [TD=align: right]15[/TD] [TD=align: right]10[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.27[/TD] [TD=align: right]63.1[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.105[/TD] [TD=align: right]74[/TD] [TD=align: right]7.5[/TD] [TD=align: right]10.5[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.4[/TD] [/TABLE] http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/RogersAug2012-225x300.jpg Taylor Rogers Rogers was picked up by the Twins in the 11th round of 2012′s amateur draft out of the University of Kentucky and pitched his way through two levels in his first partial year of professional baseball. Rogers dominated hitters in six starts (covering 30 innings) at Elizabethton, striking out 11.7 hitters per nine innings. He continued to pitch well for Beloit, though, as you’d expect, hitters had more success against him at the higher level. Still, he continued to strike out more than a hitter per inning with Beloit. Rogers isn’t overpowering with his fastball, but he’s obviously doing something right. The jury is probably still out on whether he’ll end up as a starter or reliever, but as long as his secondary pitches continue to be effective, you have to imagine the Twins will continue giving him opportunities to prove he belongs in future rotations. Tim Shibuya – Age 23 – Throws Right 2012: Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE] [TD=align: left]G[/TD] [TD=align: left]GS[/TD] [TD=width: 40, align: left]ERA[/TD] [TD=width: 41, align: left]IP[/TD] [TD=width: 47, align: left]WHIP[/TD] [TD=width: 31, align: left]K[/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9[/TD] [TD=width: 33, align: left]K/9[/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9[/TD] [TD=align: right]17[/TD] [TD=align: right]15[/TD] [TD=align: right]5.59[/TD] [TD=align: right]74.0[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.392[/TD] [TD=align: right]56[/TD] [TD=align: right]10.7[/TD] [TD=align: right]6.8[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.8[/TD] [/TABLE] http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ShibuyaJune2012a1-224x300.jpg Tim Shibuya Shibuya will be starting his third season in the Twins organization after being drafted in the 23rd round of the 2011 draft out of the University of California, San Diego. He has dealt with some injuries in both of his professional seasons, so it will be interesting to see if he can stay healthy all summer and, if so, what kind of numbers he can put up. Shibuya seemed to run a little hot and cold in 2012. He had some very good outings, but too many that weren’t so good. In the end, over 74 innings of work, he racked up a pretty ugly 5.59 ERA and gave up 10.7 hits per nine innings. He had much better numbers in 2011 at Elizabethton, so he’s demonstrated some talent, but at 23, he’ll need to step up his game a bit in 2013. Staying healthy all season would be a good start. Hudson Boyd – Age 20 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] [TD=align: left]G[/TD] [TD=align: left]GS[/TD] [TD=width: 40, align: left]ERA[/TD] [TD=width: 41, align: left]IP[/TD] [TD=width: 47, align: left]WHIP[/TD] [TD=width: 31, align: left]K[/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9[/TD] [TD=width: 33, align: left]K/9[/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9[/TD] [TD=align: right]13[/TD] [TD=align: right]13[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.95[/TD] [TD=align: right]58.0[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.483[/TD] [TD=align: right]36[/TD] [TD=align: right]9.8[/TD] [TD=align: right]5.6[/TD] [TD=align: right]3.6[/TD] [/TABLE] Boyd was a Supplemental 1st round pick (55th overall) by the Twins in the 2011 draft out of his Fort Myers FL high school, but didn’t sign with the Twins until just before the deadline that summer. As a result, 2012 was his first year of professional baseball. Rather than starting his career in his hometown with the GCL Twins, the big rightie went to Elizabethton after extended spring training. Hudson didn’t exactly set the league on fire last summer and part of me thinks it wouldn’t be a terrible idea for the Twins to hold him back a bit and promote him to Cedar Rapids later. For a guy who reportedly has a high-90s fastball, he certainly didn’t miss all that many bats in E’town. His K/9 rate needs to be higher and he should not be giving up more than a hit per inning. Still, he didn’t give up all that many runs, so he’s doing something right. The Twins historically push their top pitching prospects up the organizational ladder faster than they do their hitters. That being the case, I suspect we’ll see Hudson with the Kernels to start the season. Since he threw just 58 innings in 2012, he’s one of the guys we could see spend time both as a starter and in the bullpen during the course of the season. In fact, it’s quite possible he’ll project as a closer as he moves higher up the ladder. Even after his mediocre first season, he’s still ranked among the Twins top 25 prospects on most such lists. That and his velocity should make him a fun pitcher for Kernels fans to watch. Jose (J.O.) Berrios – Age 18 – Throws Right 2012: Fort Myers (Rookie – GCL) and Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] [TD=align: left]G[/TD] [TD=align: left]GS[/TD] [TD=width: 40, align: left]ERA[/TD] [TD=width: 41, align: left]IP[/TD] [TD=width: 47, align: left]WHIP[/TD] [TD=width: 31, align: left]K[/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9[/TD] [TD=width: 33, align: left]K/9[/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9[/TD] [TD=align: right]11[/TD] [TD=align: right]4[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.17[/TD] [TD=align: right]30.2[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.620[/TD] [TD=align: right]49[/TD] [TD=align: right]4.4[/TD] [TD=align: left]14.41.2[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.2[/TD] [/TABLE] Berrios’ name appears very high on a number of Twins Top Prospects lists, as you’d expect for a pitcher drafted with a Supplemental 1st round pick in 2012 (32nd overall). JO was drafted out of his high school in Puerto Rico and spent most of the summer with the GCL Twins. He did, however, earn a promotion to Elizabethton toward the end of the year, where he got three starts in to help E’town finish off their championship season. Berrios only started in half of his 14 appearances during the season, however, and as a result he only pitched a total of 30.2 innings. The 18-year-old struck out an amazing 14.4 hitters per nine innings (exceeding 14/9 at both levels) and barely walked more than one batter per nine innings. It’s hard to imagine the Twins pushing him too aggressively this season, so nobody will be surprised if he stays behind in extended spring training and perhaps even heads back to Elizabethton when they start their season in June. At the same time, if he pitches anything like he did last year, there’s little doubt he’ll be wearing a Kernels uniform before the end of the season. Berrios is a legitimate top-of-the-rotation prospect… something the Twins have very few of in their organization. He won’t turn 19 until May, so the Twins won’t risk overworking the young man’s arm, but I also don’t see them hesitating to promote him to the next level as soon as he shows he can dominate hitters where he’s at. Enjoy him when you get to watch him, Kernels fans. He’s got a chance to be very special. Angel Mata – Age 20 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] [TD=align: left]G[/TD] [TD=align: left]GS[/TD] [TD=width: 40, align: left]ERA[/TD] [TD=width: 41, align: left]IP[/TD] [TD=width: 47, align: left]WHIP[/TD] [TD=width: 31, align: left]K[/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9[/TD] [TD=width: 33, align: left]K/9[/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9[/TD] [TD=align: right]13[/TD] [TD=align: right]13[/TD] [TD=align: right]3.38[/TD] [TD=align: right]53.1[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.219[/TD] [TD=align: right]55[/TD] [TD=align: right]5.2[/TD] [TD=align: right]9.3[/TD] [TD=align: right]5.7[/TD] [/TABLE] After signing with the Twins as a teenager out of his native Venezuela, Mata spent 2010 in the Dominican Summer League and 2011 with the GCL Twins. At Elizabethton in 2012, he gave up slightly fewer hits per nine innings than he had been previously and even increased his strikeout rate by a full 2 Ks per 9. On the other hand, his walk rate also rose and, at 5.7 per nine innings, that’s a potential concern. At just 20 years old, however, Mata has time to work on his control and the Twins organization can certainly use all the pitchers capable of missing bats that it can get. Mata has been almost exclusively used as a starting pitcher, thus far, but assuming he opens the season in Cedar Rapids, 2013 will be his first year of “full season” baseball. It will be interesting to see if the Twins limit his innings somewhat by having him spend at least part of the year working out of the bullpen. That’s just seven names and we all know there will be more starting pitchers toeing the rubber for the Kernels in 2013. Some of the others will be covered in Part 6 when we look at guys that profile primarily as relievers. In addition, the following two pitchers are likely to get looks in Cedar Rapids this season, perhaps even to start the year. Ricardo Arevalo was signed out of Venezuela in 2009. In three Rookie level seasons, he’s continued to rack up a lot of strikeouts (9.2 K/9 in 2012), but has also given up too many walks. Ricardo will be 22 years old by Opening Day and will probably need to show the organization some progress in the control department this year in Cedar Rapids. I’m not sure how much of the US Hein Robb has seen during his three summers in Rookie level ball for the Twins organization, but the South Africa native has certainly seen a lot of the world. He played for South Africa’s entry in the World Baseball Classic as a 16-year-old and has continued to be active in international competition. The Twins signed the lefty in 2008 and he put up a 3.73 ERA for Elizabethton in 2012, starting eight games out of 13 appearances and striking out a respectable 8.3 hitters per nine innings. Quite a list, isn’t it? There’s definitely pitching talent at this level in the Twins organization and we’ll see a lot of it this summer. Next: We wrap up this series with a look at those pitchers most likely to spend most of their time pitching in relief for the Kernels in 2013. - JC

It’s no secret that the Minnesota Twins have issues these days with regard to their starting pitching rotation, but is there any hope for the future? The Twins acquired a couple of legitimate starting pitching prospects in trades this offseason, which bodes well for New Britain’s 2013 rotation, but what about here in Cedar Rapids? http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/KernelsTwins-300x168.jpg (Image: Kernels.com) After checking out the position players likely to spend time with the 2013 Kernels in Parts 1 through 4 of this series, in Part 5 we’ll take a look at a number of pitchers that Kernels fans are likely to see in the team’s starting rotation during 2013. (This article was originally posted at Knuckleballsblog.com) One of the challenges in projecting starting pitching vs. bullpen pitching is that, at this level, organizations tend to ask many of their pitchers to spend time in both roles. Nobody really knows for sure which pitchers have a Big League future as a starter and which will eventually find a role in the bullpen. In addition, the Twins will want to limit the number of innings many of their pitching prospects put on their arms during each minor league season. One way to accomplish that is to have even those pitchers clearly earmarked for rotation roles spend a chunk of each minor league season in the pen. For our purposes, we’ll try to identify a number of pitchers that the Twins clearly are looking at developing as starting pitchers and then, in Part 6, we’ll include those that appear most likely to have futures working in relief. David Hurlbut – Age 23 – Throws Left 2012: Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE] [TD=align: left]G[/TD] [TD=align: left]GS[/TD] [TD=width: 40, align: left]ERA[/TD] [TD=width: 41, align: left]IP[/TD] [TD=width: 47, align: left]WHIP[/TD] [TD=width: 31, align: left]K[/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9[/TD] [TD=width: 33, align: left]K/9[/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9[/TD] [TD=align: right]25[/TD] [TD=align: right]15[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.76[/TD] [TD=align: right]111.0[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.171[/TD] [TD=align: right]85[/TD] [TD=align: right]8.5[/TD] [TD=align: right]6.9[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.0[/TD] [/TABLE] The Twins liked Hurlbut so much, they drafted him twice! Originally picked by the Twins as a junior college pitcher in the 35th round of the 2009 draft, Hurlbut chose to go to Cal State – Fullerton rather than sign with the Twins at that time. In 2011, the Twins used their 28th round pick to choose Hurlbut again and the lefty threw 66 innings in Elizabethton after signing that summer. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Hurlbut12b-225x300.jpg David Hurlbut Hurlbut is one example of where the Twins have drafted a college relief pitcher and given him an opportunity to start. He pitched a full season at Beloit in 2012, racking up 111 innings in 25 games, 15 of them as a starter. He doesn’t have overpowering velocity, but his numbers at Beloit improved considerably over his Appy League season. His ERA dropped to 2.76 and his WHIP to 1.171, largely due to allowing almost three fewer hits per nine innings, compared to his Rookie level season. So after a respectable year at Beloit, why wouldn’t the Twins promote David to Fort Myers in 2013? That’s a fair question and they may well do exactly that. This is simply one of those situations where it looks to me like the rotation in Fort Myers may be pretty crowded to start the year and Hurlbut may be the odd man out for a while. Of course, he could also start out in the Fort Myers bullpen. Even if he does start in CR, he certainly should be one of the first pitchers moved up when pitching spots open up for with the Miracle. Tyler Jones – Age 23 – Throws Right 2012: Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE] [TD=align: left]G[/TD] [TD=align: left]GS[/TD] [TD=width: 40, align: left]ERA[/TD] [TD=width: 41, align: left]IP[/TD] [TD=width: 47, align: left]WHIP[/TD] [TD=width: 31, align: left]K[/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9[/TD] [TD=width: 33, align: left]K/9[/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9[/TD] [TD=align: right]18[/TD] [TD=align: right]16[/TD] [TD=align: right]4.67[/TD] [TD=align: right]86.2[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.442[/TD] [TD=align: right]102[/TD] [TD=align: right]9.3[/TD] [TD=align: right]10.6[/TD] [TD=align: right]3.6[/TD] [/TABLE] Jones was drafted by the Twins in the 11th round of the 2011 draft out of LSU in time to get just four appearances in for Elizabethton that summer. It’s probably just as well he didn’t get more work in because his seven innings there did not go well at all. He spent the entire season in 2012 at Beloit, where things went much better, but there’s still much room for improvement. One thing Tyler continues to do is rack up a good number of strikeouts. That’s the good news. Unfortunately, he also gave up better than a hit per inning of work and it wouldn’t hurt for him to figure out how to cut his walks a little, too. Jones throws two different fastballs and can touch the mid-90s, but reports are that his other pitches need to improve. It’s possible that Jones could open the season in Fort Myers, but I doubt it. It would be tough to say he demonstrated the ability to consistently get outs in the MWL last year and the Twins should have no shortage of rotation options at the high-A level that are more advanced than Jones at this point. If he does start the season in CR, however, don’t expect him to stick around all summer. He’s got the talent to move up quickly if he can cut down on the baserunners he allows. Taylor Rogers – Age 22 – Throws Left 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) and Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE] [TD=align: left]G[/TD] [TD=align: left]GS[/TD] [TD=width: 40, align: left]ERA[/TD] [TD=width: 41, align: left]IP[/TD] [TD=width: 47, align: left]WHIP[/TD] [TD=width: 31, align: left]K[/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9[/TD] [TD=width: 33, align: left]K/9[/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9[/TD] [TD=align: right]15[/TD] [TD=align: right]10[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.27[/TD] [TD=align: right]63.1[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.105[/TD] [TD=align: right]74[/TD] [TD=align: right]7.5[/TD] [TD=align: right]10.5[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.4[/TD] [/TABLE] http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/RogersAug2012-225x300.jpg Taylor Rogers Rogers was picked up by the Twins in the 11th round of 2012′s amateur draft out of the University of Kentucky and pitched his way through two levels in his first partial year of professional baseball. Rogers dominated hitters in six starts (covering 30 innings) at Elizabethton, striking out 11.7 hitters per nine innings. He continued to pitch well for Beloit, though, as you’d expect, hitters had more success against him at the higher level. Still, he continued to strike out more than a hitter per inning with Beloit. Rogers isn’t overpowering with his fastball, but he’s obviously doing something right. The jury is probably still out on whether he’ll end up as a starter or reliever, but as long as his secondary pitches continue to be effective, you have to imagine the Twins will continue giving him opportunities to prove he belongs in future rotations. Tim Shibuya – Age 23 – Throws Right 2012: Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE] [TD=align: left]G[/TD] [TD=align: left]GS[/TD] [TD=width: 40, align: left]ERA[/TD] [TD=width: 41, align: left]IP[/TD] [TD=width: 47, align: left]WHIP[/TD] [TD=width: 31, align: left]K[/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9[/TD] [TD=width: 33, align: left]K/9[/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9[/TD] [TD=align: right]17[/TD] [TD=align: right]15[/TD] [TD=align: right]5.59[/TD] [TD=align: right]74.0[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.392[/TD] [TD=align: right]56[/TD] [TD=align: right]10.7[/TD] [TD=align: right]6.8[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.8[/TD] [/TABLE] http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ShibuyaJune2012a1-224x300.jpg Tim Shibuya Shibuya will be starting his third season in the Twins organization after being drafted in the 23rd round of the 2011 draft out of the University of California, San Diego. He has dealt with some injuries in both of his professional seasons, so it will be interesting to see if he can stay healthy all summer and, if so, what kind of numbers he can put up. Shibuya seemed to run a little hot and cold in 2012. He had some very good outings, but too many that weren’t so good. In the end, over 74 innings of work, he racked up a pretty ugly 5.59 ERA and gave up 10.7 hits per nine innings. He had much better numbers in 2011 at Elizabethton, so he’s demonstrated some talent, but at 23, he’ll need to step up his game a bit in 2013. Staying healthy all season would be a good start. Hudson Boyd – Age 20 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] [TD=align: left]G[/TD] [TD=align: left]GS[/TD] [TD=width: 40, align: left]ERA[/TD] [TD=width: 41, align: left]IP[/TD] [TD=width: 47, align: left]WHIP[/TD] [TD=width: 31, align: left]K[/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9[/TD] [TD=width: 33, align: left]K/9[/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9[/TD] [TD=align: right]13[/TD] [TD=align: right]13[/TD] [TD=align: right]2.95[/TD] [TD=align: right]58.0[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.483[/TD] [TD=align: right]36[/TD] [TD=align: right]9.8[/TD] [TD=align: right]5.6[/TD] [TD=align: right]3.6[/TD] [/TABLE] Boyd was a Supplemental 1st round pick (55th overall) by the Twins in the 2011 draft out of his Fort Myers FL high school, but didn’t sign with the Twins until just before the deadline that summer. As a result, 2012 was his first year of professional baseball. Rather than starting his career in his hometown with the GCL Twins, the big rightie went to Elizabethton after extended spring training. Hudson didn’t exactly set the league on fire last summer and part of me thinks it wouldn’t be a terrible idea for the Twins to hold him back a bit and promote him to Cedar Rapids later. For a guy who reportedly has a high-90s fastball, he certainly didn’t miss all that many bats in E’town. His K/9 rate needs to be higher and he should not be giving up more than a hit per inning. Still, he didn’t give up all that many runs, so he’s doing something right. The Twins historically push their top pitching prospects up the organizational ladder faster than they do their hitters. That being the case, I suspect we’ll see Hudson with the Kernels to start the season. Since he threw just 58 innings in 2012, he’s one of the guys we could see spend time both as a starter and in the bullpen during the course of the season. In fact, it’s quite possible he’ll project as a closer as he moves higher up the ladder. Even after his mediocre first season, he’s still ranked among the Twins top 25 prospects on most such lists. That and his velocity should make him a fun pitcher for Kernels fans to watch. Jose (J.O.) Berrios – Age 18 – Throws Right 2012: Fort Myers (Rookie – GCL) and Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] [TD=align: left]G[/TD] [TD=align: left]GS[/TD] [TD=width: 40, align: left]ERA[/TD] [TD=width: 41, align: left]IP[/TD] [TD=width: 47, align: left]WHIP[/TD] [TD=width: 31, align: left]K[/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9[/TD] [TD=width: 33, align: left]K/9[/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9[/TD] [TD=align: right]11[/TD] [TD=align: right]4[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.17[/TD] [TD=align: right]30.2[/TD] [TD=align: right]0.620[/TD] [TD=align: right]49[/TD] [TD=align: right]4.4[/TD] [TD=align: left]14.41.2[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.2[/TD] [/TABLE] Berrios’ name appears very high on a number of Twins Top Prospects lists, as you’d expect for a pitcher drafted with a Supplemental 1st round pick in 2012 (32nd overall). JO was drafted out of his high school in Puerto Rico and spent most of the summer with the GCL Twins. He did, however, earn a promotion to Elizabethton toward the end of the year, where he got three starts in to help E’town finish off their championship season. Berrios only started in half of his 14 appearances during the season, however, and as a result he only pitched a total of 30.2 innings. The 18-year-old struck out an amazing 14.4 hitters per nine innings (exceeding 14/9 at both levels) and barely walked more than one batter per nine innings. It’s hard to imagine the Twins pushing him too aggressively this season, so nobody will be surprised if he stays behind in extended spring training and perhaps even heads back to Elizabethton when they start their season in June. At the same time, if he pitches anything like he did last year, there’s little doubt he’ll be wearing a Kernels uniform before the end of the season. Berrios is a legitimate top-of-the-rotation prospect… something the Twins have very few of in their organization. He won’t turn 19 until May, so the Twins won’t risk overworking the young man’s arm, but I also don’t see them hesitating to promote him to the next level as soon as he shows he can dominate hitters where he’s at. Enjoy him when you get to watch him, Kernels fans. He’s got a chance to be very special. Angel Mata – Age 20 – Throws Right 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] [TD=align: left]G[/TD] [TD=align: left]GS[/TD] [TD=width: 40, align: left]ERA[/TD] [TD=width: 41, align: left]IP[/TD] [TD=width: 47, align: left]WHIP[/TD] [TD=width: 31, align: left]K[/TD] [TD=width: 38, align: left]H/9[/TD] [TD=width: 33, align: left]K/9[/TD] [TD=width: 42, align: left]BB/9[/TD] [TD=align: right]13[/TD] [TD=align: right]13[/TD] [TD=align: right]3.38[/TD] [TD=align: right]53.1[/TD] [TD=align: right]1.219[/TD] [TD=align: right]55[/TD] [TD=align: right]5.2[/TD] [TD=align: right]9.3[/TD] [TD=align: right]5.7[/TD] [/TABLE] After signing with the Twins as a teenager out of his native Venezuela, Mata spent 2010 in the Dominican Summer League and 2011 with the GCL Twins. At Elizabethton in 2012, he gave up slightly fewer hits per nine innings than he had been previously and even increased his strikeout rate by a full 2 Ks per 9. On the other hand, his walk rate also rose and, at 5.7 per nine innings, that’s a potential concern. At just 20 years old, however, Mata has time to work on his control and the Twins organization can certainly use all the pitchers capable of missing bats that it can get. Mata has been almost exclusively used as a starting pitcher, thus far, but assuming he opens the season in Cedar Rapids, 2013 will be his first year of “full season” baseball. It will be interesting to see if the Twins limit his innings somewhat by having him spend at least part of the year working out of the bullpen. That’s just seven names and we all know there will be more starting pitchers toeing the rubber for the Kernels in 2013. Some of the others will be covered in Part 6 when we look at guys that profile primarily as relievers. In addition, the following two pitchers are likely to get looks in Cedar Rapids this season, perhaps even to start the year. Ricardo Arevalo was signed out of Venezuela in 2009. In three Rookie level seasons, he’s continued to rack up a lot of strikeouts (9.2 K/9 in 2012), but has also given up too many walks. Ricardo will be 22 years old by Opening Day and will probably need to show the organization some progress in the control department this year in Cedar Rapids. I’m not sure how much of the US Hein Robb has seen during his three summers in Rookie level ball for the Twins organization, but the South Africa native has certainly seen a lot of the world. He played for South Africa’s entry in the World Baseball Classic as a 16-year-old and has continued to be active in international competition. The Twins signed the lefty in 2008 and he put up a 3.73 ERA for Elizabethton in 2012, starting eight games out of 13 appearances and striking out a respectable 8.3 hitters per nine innings. Quite a list, isn’t it? There’s definitely pitching talent at this level in the Twins organization and we’ll see a lot of it this summer. Next: We wrap up this series with a look at those pitchers most likely to spend most of their time pitching in relief for the Kernels in 2013. - JC

Jeremy (and anyone else, for that matter): Having just completed writing a series of articles for Knuckleballs looking at potential 2013 Cedar Rapids Kernels, it strikes me that there seem to be a LOT of ballplayers in the Twins organization that really should be playing at the Class A level some time during 2013. I ended up including almost 50 ballplayers and most of them had some degree of success in Elizabethton in 2012 and I'm sure I overlooked several. On top of that, if 2012 is any indication, it wouldn't be surprising if a couple of 2013 draft picks get promoted to Class A before 2013 is over. Is this normal? How many players would typically play for a Class A team in a given year? 50+ seems like a high number to me. As I was researching the series, it appeared to me that moving up the signing deadline for draft picks could be contributing to a little bit of a bottleneck. In 2011 and before, a draft pick that waited until the signing deadline to ink a deal often didn't play at all in the organization that summer. They might do Instructs in the fall, but their first "real" minor league action came the following June with one of the Rookie League teams.There were a handful of 2011 draft picks in that category. With the signing deadline moved up in 2012, all of the 2012 picks were signed in time to join Rookie League teams in July... just a short time after those late-signing 2011 draft picks saw their first action. The result is that it seems like there are about 40 guys who, due to their age and level of experience last year, really SHOULD start their first year of "full season" ball this April. I'm glad I didn't try to predict the 25 guys who actually will make up the Opening Day Kernels roster, because I don't think I could have whittled it down that far.

Ohhhhhh... now I can't wait to see whether I get the "error cover" when the books I ordered arrive! I haven't experienced this kind of anticipation since I ordered a whole box of Topps cards and ripped the packages open to find out whether I'd get any of the sure-to-be-worth-millions-some-day Billy Ripken "(obscenity)-Face" cards!

I think that's as good a projection as any. There's going to be one or two infielders to mix in to the DH rotation, as well, though. As a Kernels fan, I'm really hopeful that we'll have this group in CR for almost all season.

I wondered about that, too, Roger, and you're probably right. On the other hand, I figure a number of players decide to make their "home" in the Ft Myers area rather than move family around every time they get moved to a new Class. If I were him, I'd have my wife get her new job in Ft Myers even if I didn't know for sure I'd be starting the season there. It's obviously his next step, even if he gets assigned to CR to start the season.

Mejia is 20. He'll turn 21 in May.

OK, I'll play Devil's advocate... how would this be "sacrificing" a draft pick? More accurately, it would be POSTPONING a draft pick, would it not? Not only that, but you're giving up a 2nd round pick (since the Twins 1st round pick is protected) this year (when, from what I keep hearing, the overall level of talent available is poor), in return for what could potentially be a first round pick next year. Of course, you're making an assumption that Lohse will perform well enough that you'll be safe making a qualified offer that he'll once again turn down. There's also a chance (perhaps a good chance) that you'll be looking at trading Lohse mid season. If he gets hurt or tanks completely, yes, you're pretty much screwed. I have to say, though, I wouldn't dismiss a 1 year deal at a reasonable amount as completely out of the question. If you set aside his past history with the Twins, I think more people would be willing to consider it, too. And, to be honest, I think people often put too much stock in the "bad behavior" thing, especially when it involves young players early in their careers.

We’ve worked our way around the horn in the first three Parts of this series, covering the catchers, corner infielders and middle infielders that could possibly put on a Kernels uniform in Cedar Rapids this summer. In Part 4 of our series, we’ll check out a number of outfielders that could take the field for Cedar Rapids at some point during 2013. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/KernelsTwins-300x168.jpg (Image: Kernels.com) Obviously, we can’t know this early exactly who will come north to Iowa out of Spring Training to start the season, but regardless of which of these prospects starts the season in Cedar Rapids, the Kernels outfield should be flat-out loaded! A number of the organization’s top prospects played at Elizabethton in 2012 and most of them should find their way to Cedar Rapids either to start the season or by some time midway through the summer. JaDamion (J.D.) Williams – Age 22 – Bats: Both/Throws: Right 2012: Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE] G PA[TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 97 407 .234 .651 115 39 16 2 6 [/TABLE] http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/WilliamsAug2012-225x300.jpg JD Williams Williams was drafted out of his Tampa FL high school by the Twins in the 10th round of the 2010 amateur draft. JD signed in time to get 37 games in with the GCL Twins in 2010, but struggled at the plate. He had considerably more success in his sophomore year of professional baseball, hitting .324 for Elizabethton in 2011. His productivity dipped some in his first year of full-season ball at Beloit in 2012, but he did finally show some of the speed the Twins expected him to have on the basepaths. He stole 23 bases in 32 attempts during the season at Beloit, but just think of how many he could have stolen if he hadn’t struck out 115 times. Williams spent considerable time in all three outfield positions during 2012, including 23 games in centerfield. He also threw out seven runners on the bases. At the end of the 2012 season, I would have almost guaranteed JD would open 2013 with the Kernels and I think he could probably use some extra time at the Class A level. But with the Twins trading Denard Span and Ben Revere, the bottleneck of outfielders in the organization could open up enough to allow him to open the year at high-A Fort Myers, along with most of the rest of his fellow Snappers team mates from last season. Max Kepler – Age 19 – Bats: L/Throws: L 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] G PA[TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 59 269 .297 .925 33 27 16 5 10 [/TABLE] http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/KeplerButeraST2012-222x300.jpg Max Kepler In 2009, the Twins gave the 6’4″ German the largest signing bonus paid to a European baseball player, at the time. He moved to Fort Myers and finished school at the high school that neighbors the Twins training facility in that city. In three seasons of rookie league ball, Kepler has steadily progressed, showing the kind of athletic prowess one might expect from the son of European ballet dancers. The 6’4″ outfielder will just turn 20 before this season and has grown in to his body since arriving in the US. In 2012, his second season at Elizabethton, he made real progress in almost every aspect of his game, adding 35 points to his batting average and a whopping 211 points to his OPS, most of that a result of showing significantly more power. After hitting just one home run in his first two years of professional ball, combined, Kepler jacked 10 of them in 2012. But Max isn’t just big, he’s got speed as well (he stole seven bases without being caught stealing even once) and a strong arm. He played 67 games in centerfield for Elizabethton last year and 23 games in a corner outfield spot, mostly left field. Kepler was appearing in most offseason “top 10″ lists of Twins prospects before the Span and Revere trades added a couple of highly rated minor league pitchers to the organization, but he easily remains a consensus top 15 Twins prospect heading in to 2013. Even after those trades, I’ve ranked Kepler 9th on my list. Romy Jimenez – Age 21 – Bats R/Throws R 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] G PA[TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 35 139 .347 1.108 25 19 12 1 8 [/TABLE] Jiminez was signed in 2009 out of the Dominican Republic and started his professional career with two very good seasons in the Dominican Summer League. An injury limited him to just eight games with the GCL Twins in 2011, but he came back very strong in 2012. Romy won’t turn 22 until several weeks in to what should be his first experience on a full-season roster in Cedar Rapids. He has certainly shown the ability to hit and hit with power, but I’m curious about the fact that he didn’t steal a single base in 2012 (and only attempted one) at Elizabethton, although he stole 24 bases in 34 attempts in his two Dominican seasons. Like Kepler, the 6’2″ Jimenez saw time in all three outfield spots during 2012, though most of his time was spent in left field. Adam Walker – Age 21 – Bats: R/Throws: R 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] G PA[TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 58 254 .250 .805 76 19 7 4 14 [/TABLE] The 6’4″, 225 pound, Walker was drafted by the Twins in the 3rd round of the 2012 amateur draft and after signing quickly, he was assigned to Elizabethton in time to get 58 games in. His batting average in his first professional season won’t raise eyebrows and his .310 on-base percentage could stand to improve. He certatainly needs to cut that strikeout rate down considerably. But look at those extra-base hits! Seven doubles, four triples and 14 home runs in just 58 games. That would project to 20 doubles, seven triples and close to 40 home runs over a 162 game Major League schedule. Walker exclusively played right field for E’town and he made a few errors out there, but he also threw out half a dozen baserunners. He also stole four bases on the season, without being caught stealing even once. The Twins obviously saw a potential power hitter in Walker when they drafted him out of Jacksonville University and he gave them no reason to question that in his first professional experience. If he can slash those Ks in Cedar Rapids, while maintaining anything even close to his 2012 power numbers, Adam could climb up the organizational ladder quickly. That’s four potential outfielders and, if Candido Pimentel, who we covered with the middle infielders, starts the season in Cedar Rapds, that would give Kernels manager Jake Mauer a full contingent of players to move in and out of his outfield. But wait! We haven’t even mentioned the outfielder who managed to garner Baseball America’s “top prospect” award in BOTH the Gulf Coast League and the Appalachian League in 2012. Of course, that would be… Byron Buxton – Age 19 – Bats: R/Throws: R 2012: Fort Myers (Rookie – GCL) and Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] G PA[TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 48 189 .248 .792 41 19 10 4 5 [/TABLE] The only benefit to having the second worst record in Major League Baseball in 2011 was that it earned the Twins the right to the second overall draft pick in the 2012 amateur draft. The Twins used that pick to select Buxton out of his Georgia high school and less than a year later, he’s generally considered either the 1st or 2nd ranked prospect in the Twins organization (he tops my list). Buxton played 27 games with the GCL Twins before moving up to Elizabethton to finish the season. While his .216 batting average win the GCL wasn’t flashy, he actually had more extra-base hits (11, including 4 HRs) than singles (8). Think about that for a moment. His Appy stats were much more “normal” looking, but he still had eight XBHs among his 22 hits overall at that level. There is probably little doubt that Buxton could compete at the Class A level, but given his age (he’ll be 19 all season long) and the outfield talent that got more experience in Elizabethton a year ago, Byron will quite likely stick around extended spring training to start the season and may play a few weeks in E’town again. I’ll be surprised, however, if he isn’t in Cedar Rapids for most of the second half of the MWL season and if JD Williams does open the year at high-A Fort Myers, Buxton could come to Cedar Rapids in April, too. Whenever you do get to see him play in Cedar Rapids, Kernels fans, pay attention. Once he reaches Minnesota, Buxton could be the Twins center fielder for many years to come. There are a couple more outfielders that at least warrant a mention, since you never know when injuries and promotions will result in players getting promoted from one of the rookie league teams. If that happens, look for Kelvin Ortiz, Jeremias Pineda or Dereck Rodriguez to find themselves in Kernels uniforms. Ortiz, a 21-year-old Dominican has played two seasons in the Dominican Summer League and two seasons with the GCL Twins while compiling just a .221 batting average and perhaps even less impressive stats, otherwise. Pineda, also from the Dominican Republic, is 22 and came over to the Twins from the Red Sox organization in the Danny Valencia trade last summer. The move didn’t exactly agree with him, however, as he hit just .237 while putting up a .640 OPS with the GCL Twins after putting up .421 BA and .981 OPS numbers for the GCL Red Sox before the trade. Rodriguez, 20, was drafted by the Twins in the 6th round of the 2011 amateur draft. He struggled considerably with the GCL Twins after signing in 2011, but improved a great deal last year while repeating that level. He hit .263 with a .783 OPS with a bit of power. Kernels fans should enjoy watching their outfielders this season. Some of them have much better than average chances of playing Major League Baseball in the future. Next: Starting Pitchers - JC

We’ve worked our way around the horn in the first three Parts of this series, covering the catchers, corner infielders and middle infielders that could possibly put on a Kernels uniform in Cedar Rapids this summer. In Part 4 of our series, we’ll check out a number of outfielders that could take the field for Cedar Rapids at some point during 2013. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/KernelsTwins-300x168.jpg (Image: Kernels.com) Obviously, we can’t know this early exactly who will come north to Iowa out of Spring Training to start the season, but regardless of which of these prospects starts the season in Cedar Rapids, the Kernels outfield should be flat-out loaded! A number of the organization’s top prospects played at Elizabethton in 2012 and most of them should find their way to Cedar Rapids either to start the season or by some time midway through the summer. JaDamion (J.D.) Williams – Age 22 – Bats: Both/Throws: Right 2012: Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE] G PA[TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 97 407 .234 .651 115 39 16 2 6 [/TABLE] http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/WilliamsAug2012-225x300.jpg JD Williams Williams was drafted out of his Tampa FL high school by the Twins in the 10th round of the 2010 amateur draft. JD signed in time to get 37 games in with the GCL Twins in 2010, but struggled at the plate. He had considerably more success in his sophomore year of professional baseball, hitting .324 for Elizabethton in 2011. His productivity dipped some in his first year of full-season ball at Beloit in 2012, but he did finally show some of the speed the Twins expected him to have on the basepaths. He stole 23 bases in 32 attempts during the season at Beloit, but just think of how many he could have stolen if he hadn’t struck out 115 times. Williams spent considerable time in all three outfield positions during 2012, including 23 games in centerfield. He also threw out seven runners on the bases. At the end of the 2012 season, I would have almost guaranteed JD would open 2013 with the Kernels and I think he could probably use some extra time at the Class A level. But with the Twins trading Denard Span and Ben Revere, the bottleneck of outfielders in the organization could open up enough to allow him to open the year at high-A Fort Myers, along with most of the rest of his fellow Snappers team mates from last season. Max Kepler – Age 19 – Bats: L/Throws: L 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] G PA[TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 59 269 .297 .925 33 27 16 5 10 [/TABLE] http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/KeplerButeraST2012-222x300.jpg Max Kepler In 2009, the Twins gave the 6’4″ German the largest signing bonus paid to a European baseball player, at the time. He moved to Fort Myers and finished school at the high school that neighbors the Twins training facility in that city. In three seasons of rookie league ball, Kepler has steadily progressed, showing the kind of athletic prowess one might expect from the son of European ballet dancers. The 6’4″ outfielder will just turn 20 before this season and has grown in to his body since arriving in the US. In 2012, his second season at Elizabethton, he made real progress in almost every aspect of his game, adding 35 points to his batting average and a whopping 211 points to his OPS, most of that a result of showing significantly more power. After hitting just one home run in his first two years of professional ball, combined, Kepler jacked 10 of them in 2012. But Max isn’t just big, he’s got speed as well (he stole seven bases without being caught stealing even once) and a strong arm. He played 67 games in centerfield for Elizabethton last year and 23 games in a corner outfield spot, mostly left field. Kepler was appearing in most offseason “top 10″ lists of Twins prospects before the Span and Revere trades added a couple of highly rated minor league pitchers to the organization, but he easily remains a consensus top 15 Twins prospect heading in to 2013. Even after those trades, I’ve ranked Kepler 9th on my list. Romy Jimenez – Age 21 – Bats R/Throws R 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] G PA[TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 35 139 .347 1.108 25 19 12 1 8 [/TABLE] Jiminez was signed in 2009 out of the Dominican Republic and started his professional career with two very good seasons in the Dominican Summer League. An injury limited him to just eight games with the GCL Twins in 2011, but he came back very strong in 2012. Romy won’t turn 22 until several weeks in to what should be his first experience on a full-season roster in Cedar Rapids. He has certainly shown the ability to hit and hit with power, but I’m curious about the fact that he didn’t steal a single base in 2012 (and only attempted one) at Elizabethton, although he stole 24 bases in 34 attempts in his two Dominican seasons. Like Kepler, the 6’2″ Jimenez saw time in all three outfield spots during 2012, though most of his time was spent in left field. Adam Walker – Age 21 – Bats: R/Throws: R 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] G PA[TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 58 254 .250 .805 76 19 7 4 14 [/TABLE] The 6’4″, 225 pound, Walker was drafted by the Twins in the 3rd round of the 2012 amateur draft and after signing quickly, he was assigned to Elizabethton in time to get 58 games in. His batting average in his first professional season won’t raise eyebrows and his .310 on-base percentage could stand to improve. He certatainly needs to cut that strikeout rate down considerably. But look at those extra-base hits! Seven doubles, four triples and 14 home runs in just 58 games. That would project to 20 doubles, seven triples and close to 40 home runs over a 162 game Major League schedule. Walker exclusively played right field for E’town and he made a few errors out there, but he also threw out half a dozen baserunners. He also stole four bases on the season, without being caught stealing even once. The Twins obviously saw a potential power hitter in Walker when they drafted him out of Jacksonville University and he gave them no reason to question that in his first professional experience. If he can slash those Ks in Cedar Rapids, while maintaining anything even close to his 2012 power numbers, Adam could climb up the organizational ladder quickly. That’s four potential outfielders and, if Candido Pimentel, who we covered with the middle infielders, starts the season in Cedar Rapds, that would give Kernels manager Jake Mauer a full contingent of players to move in and out of his outfield. But wait! We haven’t even mentioned the outfielder who managed to garner Baseball America’s “top prospect” award in BOTH the Gulf Coast League and the Appalachian League in 2012. Of course, that would be… Byron Buxton – Age 19 – Bats: R/Throws: R 2012: Fort Myers (Rookie – GCL) and Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] G PA[TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 48 189 .248 .792 41 19 10 4 5 [/TABLE] The only benefit to having the second worst record in Major League Baseball in 2011 was that it earned the Twins the right to the second overall draft pick in the 2012 amateur draft. The Twins used that pick to select Buxton out of his Georgia high school and less than a year later, he’s generally considered either the 1st or 2nd ranked prospect in the Twins organization (he tops my list). Buxton played 27 games with the GCL Twins before moving up to Elizabethton to finish the season. While his .216 batting average win the GCL wasn’t flashy, he actually had more extra-base hits (11, including 4 HRs) than singles (8). Think about that for a moment. His Appy stats were much more “normal” looking, but he still had eight XBHs among his 22 hits overall at that level. There is probably little doubt that Buxton could compete at the Class A level, but given his age (he’ll be 19 all season long) and the outfield talent that got more experience in Elizabethton a year ago, Byron will quite likely stick around extended spring training to start the season and may play a few weeks in E’town again. I’ll be surprised, however, if he isn’t in Cedar Rapids for most of the second half of the MWL season and if JD Williams does open the year at high-A Fort Myers, Buxton could come to Cedar Rapids in April, too. Whenever you do get to see him play in Cedar Rapids, Kernels fans, pay attention. Once he reaches Minnesota, Buxton could be the Twins center fielder for many years to come. There are a couple more outfielders that at least warrant a mention, since you never know when injuries and promotions will result in players getting promoted from one of the rookie league teams. If that happens, look for Kelvin Ortiz, Jeremias Pineda or Dereck Rodriguez to find themselves in Kernels uniforms. Ortiz, a 21-year-old Dominican has played two seasons in the Dominican Summer League and two seasons with the GCL Twins while compiling just a .221 batting average and perhaps even less impressive stats, otherwise. Pineda, also from the Dominican Republic, is 22 and came over to the Twins from the Red Sox organization in the Danny Valencia trade last summer. The move didn’t exactly agree with him, however, as he hit just .237 while putting up a .640 OPS with the GCL Twins after putting up .421 BA and .981 OPS numbers for the GCL Red Sox before the trade. Rodriguez, 20, was drafted by the Twins in the 6th round of the 2011 amateur draft. He struggled considerably with the GCL Twins after signing in 2011, but improved a great deal last year while repeating that level. He hit .263 with a .783 OPS with a bit of power. Kernels fans should enjoy watching their outfielders this season. Some of them have much better than average chances of playing Major League Baseball in the future. Next: Starting Pitchers - JC

We’ve worked our way around the horn in the first three Parts of this series, covering the catchers, corner infielders and middle infielders that could possibly put on a Kernels uniform in Cedar Rapids this summer. In Part 4 of our series, we’ll check out a number of outfielders that could take the field for Cedar Rapids at some point during 2013. http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/KernelsTwins-300x168.jpg (Image: Kernels.com) Obviously, we can’t know this early exactly who will come north to Iowa out of Spring Training to start the season, but regardless of which of these prospects starts the season in Cedar Rapids, the Kernels outfield should be flat-out loaded! A number of the organization’s top prospects played at Elizabethton in 2012 and most of them should find their way to Cedar Rapids either to start the season or by some time midway through the summer. JaDamion (J.D.) Williams – Age 22 – Bats: Both/Throws: Right 2012: Beloit (Class A – MWL) [TABLE] [TD=width: 26]G[/TD] [TD=width: 34]PA[/TD] [TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 97 407 .234 .651 115 39 16 2 6 [/TABLE] http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/WilliamsAug2012-225x300.jpgJD Williams Williams was drafted out of his Tampa FL high school by the Twins in the 10th round of the 2010 amateur draft. JD signed in time to get 37 games in with the GCL Twins in 2010, but struggled at the plate. He had considerably more success in his sophomore year of professional baseball, hitting .324 for Elizabethton in 2011. His productivity dipped some in his first year of full-season ball at Beloit in 2012, but he did finally show some of the speed the Twins expected him to have on the basepaths. He stole 23 bases in 32 attempts during the season at Beloit, but just think of how many he could have stolen if he hadn’t struck out 115 times. Williams spent considerable time in all three outfield positions during 2012, including 23 games in centerfield. He also threw out seven runners on the bases. At the end of the 2012 season, I would have almost guaranteed JD would open 2013 with the Kernels and I think he could probably use some extra time at the Class A level. But with the Twins trading Denard Span and Ben Revere, the bottleneck of outfielders in the organization could open up enough to allow him to open the year at high-A Fort Myers, along with most of the rest of his fellow Snappers team mates from last season. Max Kepler – Age 19 – Bats: L/Throws: L 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] [TD=width: 26]G[/TD] [TD=width: 34]PA[/TD] [TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 59 269 .297 .925 33 27 16 5 10 [/TABLE] http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/KeplerButeraST2012-222x300.jpgMax Kepler In 2009, the Twins gave the 6’4″ German the largest signing bonus paid to a European baseball player, at the time. He moved to Fort Myers and finished school at the high school that neighbors the Twins training facility in that city. In three seasons of rookie league ball, Kepler has steadily progressed, showing the kind of athletic prowess one might expect from the son of European ballet dancers. The 6’4″ outfielder will just turn 20 before this season and has grown in to his body since arriving in the US. In 2012, his second season at Elizabethton, he made real progress in almost every aspect of his game, adding 35 points to his batting average and a whopping 211 points to his OPS, most of that a result of showing significantly more power. After hitting just one home run in his first two years of professional ball, combined, Kepler jacked 10 of them in 2012. But Max isn’t just big, he’s got speed as well (he stole seven bases without being caught stealing even once) and a strong arm. He played 67 games in centerfield for Elizabethton last year and 23 games in a corner outfield spot, mostly left field. Kepler was appearing in most offseason “top 10″ lists of Twins prospects before the Span and Revere trades added a couple of highly rated minor league pitchers to the organization, but he easily remains a consensus top 15 Twins prospect heading in to 2013. Even after those trades, I’ve ranked Kepler 9th on my list. Romy Jimenez – Age 21 – Bats R/Throws R 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] [TD=width: 26]G[/TD] [TD=width: 34]PA[/TD] [TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 35 139 .347 1.108 25 19 12 1 8 [/TABLE] Jiminez was signed in 2009 out of the Dominican Republic and started his professional career with two very good seasons in the Dominican Summer League. An injury limited him to just eight games with the GCL Twins in 2011, but he came back very strong in 2012. Romy won’t turn 22 until several weeks in to what should be his first experience on a full-season roster in Cedar Rapids. He has certainly shown the ability to hit and hit with power, but I’m curious about the fact that he didn’t steal a single base in 2012 (and only attempted one) at Elizabethton, although he stole 24 bases in 34 attempts in his two Dominican seasons. Like Kepler, the 6’2″ Jimenez saw time in all three outfield spots during 2012, though most of his time was spent in left field. Adam Walker – Age 21 – Bats: R/Throws: R 2012: Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] [TD=width: 26]G[/TD] [TD=width: 34]PA[/TD] [TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 58 254 .250 .805 76 19 7 4 14 [/TABLE] The 6’4″, 225 pound, Walker was drafted by the Twins in the 3rd round of the 2012 amateur draft and after signing quickly, he was assigned to Elizabethton in time to get 58 games in. His batting average in his first professional season won’t raise eyebrows and his .310 on-base percentage could stand to improve. He certatainly needs to cut that strikeout rate down considerably. But look at those extra-base hits! Seven doubles, four triples and 14 home runs in just 58 games. That would project to 20 doubles, seven triples and close to 40 home runs over a 162 game Major League schedule. Walker exclusively played right field for E’town and he made a few errors out there, but he also threw out half a dozen baserunners. He also stole four bases on the season, without being caught stealing even once. The Twins obviously saw a potential power hitter in Walker when they drafted him out of Jacksonville University and he gave them no reason to question that in his first professional experience. If he can slash those Ks in Cedar Rapids, while maintaining anything even close to his 2012 power numbers, Adam could climb up the organizational ladder quickly. That’s four potential outfielders and, if Candido Pimentel, who we covered with the middle infielders, starts the season in Cedar Rapds, that would give Kernels manager Jake Mauer a full contingent of players to move in and out of his outfield. But wait! We haven’t even mentioned the outfielder who managed to garner Baseball America’s “top prospect” award in BOTH the Gulf Coast League and the Appalachian League in 2012. Of course, that would be… Byron Buxton – Age 19 – Bats: R/Throws: R 2012: Fort Myers (Rookie – GCL) and Elizabethton (Rookie – Appy) [TABLE] [TD=width: 26]G[/TD] [TD=width: 34]PA[/TD] [TD=width: 38]BA[/TD] [TD=width: 41]OPS[/TD] [TD=width: 26]K[/TD] [TD=width: 31]BB[/TD] [TD=width: 28]2B[/TD] [TD=width: 28]3B[/TD] [TD=width: 31]HR[/TD] 48 189 .248 .792 41 19 10 4 5 [/TABLE] The only benefit to having the second worst record in Major League Baseball in 2011 was that it earned the Twins the right to the second overall draft pick in the 2012 amateur draft. The Twins used that pick to select Buxton out of his Georgia high school and less than a year later, he’s generally considered either the 1st or 2nd ranked prospect in the Twins organization (he tops my list). Buxton played 27 games with the GCL Twins before moving up to Elizabethton to finish the season. While his .216 batting average win the GCL wasn’t flashy, he actually had more extra-base hits (11, including 4 HRs) than singles (8). Think about that for a moment. His Appy stats were much more “normal” looking, but he still had eight XBHs among his 22 hits overall at that level. There is probably little doubt that Buxton could compete at the Class A level, but given his age (he’ll be 19 all season long) and the outfield talent that got more experience in Elizabethton a year ago, Byron will quite likely stick around extended spring training to start the season and may play a few weeks in E’town again. I’ll be surprised, however, if he isn’t in Cedar Rapids for most of the second half of the MWL season and if JD Williams does open the year at high-A Fort Myers, Buxton could come to Cedar Rapids in April, too. Whenever you do get to see him play in Cedar Rapids, Kernels fans, pay attention. Once he reaches Minnesota, Buxton could be the Twins center fielder for many years to come. There are a couple more outfielders that at least warrant a mention, since you never know when injuries and promotions will result in players getting promoted from one of the rookie league teams. If that happens, look for Kelvin Ortiz, Jeremias Pineda or Dereck Rodriguez to find themselves in Kernels uniforms. Ortiz, a 21-year-old Dominican has played two seasons in the Dominican Summer League and two seasons with the GCL Twins while compiling just a .221 batting average and perhaps even less impressive stats, otherwise. Pineda, also from the Dominican Republic, is 22 and came over to the Twins from the Red Sox organization in the Danny Valencia trade last summer. The move didn’t exactly agree with him, however, as he hit just .237 while putting up a .640 OPS with the GCL Twins after putting up .421 BA and .981 OPS numbers for the GCL Red Sox before the trade. Rodriguez, 20, was drafted by the Twins in the 6th round of the 2011 amateur draft. He struggled considerably with the GCL Twins after signing in 2011, but improved a great deal last year while repeating that level. He hit .263 with a .783 OPS with a bit of power. Kernels fans should enjoy watching their outfielders this season. Some of them have much better than average chances of playing Major League Baseball in the future. Next: Starting Pitchers - JC