DocBauer

Can't thank you enough Seth for these tremendous lists! Just great work and great thought and detail. (Really like the split of pitchers and position players). I was briefly surprised as to Canterino at #1, but as I thought about it, you're right. His stuff and ceiling is as good or better than anyone here. I do think I would have Duran higher based on similar stuff and ceiling. Can't "penalize" him for limited IP but then dismiss Canterino for the same. But I absolutely agree you could really arrange the top 8-10 in just about any order and you wouldn't be wrong. I think the mound is going to be interesting and tantalizing over the next couple of years. Here's hoping for good health in 2022 and a sense of "normalcy" so all these guys can develop and move forward.

Reverse order: 3] Alcala has the stuff, has shown the ability, and he finished strong. The strong finish is key to me. It shows development and confidence. I think he's arrived or is about to. 2] Jeffers has power and has hit in college, in the system, and hit in 2020 SSS. He was drafted, much like Garver, as a bat first catcher with power. And his defense has improved tremendously. (Same as Garver). 2021 did him no favors, nor did Rocco. He was a ML sophomore and we know adjustments have to be made in your 2nd year. And that takes time and adjustments. Being stuck hitting ONLY against RH pitching didn't help his confidence I'm sure. Just letting he and Garver share the spot, with Garver getting some DH time, and just allowing for a natural split of playing time vs boxing anyone in, plus Jeffers just growing, should give the Twins a great duo and Jeffers should continue to grow. 1] Going to admit I'm confused on Dobnak. He is smart, determined, a bulldog, and has some decent stuff. He FLEW through the system and contributed in 2019 and was really good through most of 2020. His slider was changed in ST 2021 so he could be a bit more wicked and K more batters, potentially. ST doesn't always prove anything. But instead of being in the rotation, he was sent to the BP, which he hasn't done before. He stunk, got set down, came back up, then got hurt and was done. But you can't ignore his early returns. Healthy, finding the right approach and grips, etc...and this is also on Johnson...he could be a big "sleeper" as a quality SP in 2022 as a back end SP. He's gone from a solid and surprising SP option to a "nothing" due to a bad and injured 2021? Hmmm....OK. I'm not expecting anything great from him, but shouldn't we allow him to be healthy again and get on the mound and be allowed to prove himself? I think he hasthe smarts and the stuff to be a ML SP if he can control and contain that elusive slider grip. Probably only a back end SP, but we'll see. I just don't want to to dismiss him this early.

Being transparent, I'm surprised by this portion of the list due to the simple fact 4 of these guys have either not pitched at all, or only a few innings. But then I re-read and reflect on their draft day notes and projections and then hear the whispers from instructs and the off-season Seth has access to and the light sort of clicks on. I don't dislike any of these guys at all. In fact I've been very encouraged by all of them since being selected. I just didn't initially expect to see them so high. I think Big 10 baseball has largely caught up with the rest of the country and tournament trips and CWS appearances seem to support this. Very excited to see what Hajjar will do. Being from Nebraska I'm already a Povich supporter and am very encouraged about reported velocity gains. The #1 thing I read after the draft was questions about his FB, and not his make-up or control. Raya and Petty just need to pitch....and some time. They both seem to have good stuff and a lot of confidence considering their age Duran....just be healthy man.

I'm actually pretty excited about this group but echo previous thoughts that the similarly ranked pitchers are probably a nose ahead of the hitters in this range. My $.02 FWIW: Javier: 2022 is going to be his most important year thus far. He's healthy and the glove reportedly plays, minus hiccups on routine plays that should iron out with repetition. I was encouraged by streaks of decent hitting last year and the power. At age 23 and with time missed, he's still the equivalent of a college drafted going in to his 2nd yr. Time to start putting the bat on the ball. I don't think I would have placed him quite this high, but again, the tools are there and he's not old in any way. Encarnacion-Strand: He had a great debut. AL he has done his entire college career is hit and provide power and runs. He did the same thing as a rookie. I was a little disappointed how little 3B he played. Scouting reports I've read were that he has the arm for 3B. Don't recall ever hearing he didn't have the hands for the position. What I've heard is a possible range issue. But a big arm can compensate with good positioning and fielding everything you can get to. Gaetti once had hands of stone and Koskie was a large man, with decent athleticism, who was too stiff. Time took care of those things in a big way. I'd keep him at 3B for as long as possible. Cavaco: Absolutely he was player #2 hurt by the missed 2020. By all reports he has the tools to be at least a decent SS with time and development. But a poor half season debut, then a lost season, and then injuries in his first full season did him no favors. Still, the talent is there and his 2021 start brings optimism. The fact that he was pushed to Ft Myers seems to speak of the organization's belief in his potential. I'm wondering if he performs even OK early in 2022 if they might move him to Cedar Rapids fairly early, or mid-season at the latest. Sure seems like if you can hit even decently in the FSL, you might take a jump in Iowa. Urbina: Tremendous tools. All the potential in the world and seems to have an eye. He and Rodriguez, IMO, are very much the same player. Both very young, very talented, huge upside, just need time. I wouldn't be surprised if he spent his whole season at Ft Myers. But like Cavaco, maybe a promotion if he shows something? Wallner: I appreciate the comparisons to Rooker, and they are similar, but Wallner is reportedly already a better defensive OF with a great arm. That gives him a leg up prospect and future-wise. (Not a shot at Rooker who still has a shot to be a solid player/contributor). Personally, I don't view Sabato in the conversation either as he's a 1B/DH period but seems to have been blessed with a great eye and bat control. Wallner can offer real success with quality defense while being a 3 outcome kind of batter. But his value skyrockets if he can find better zone control and can hit at least. 250-ish, if not better, with a .300+ plus OB.

Duran might be better as a RP. That really stinks on one hand when you look at his potential and what he COULD be as a SP. But between 2020 as a lost year and his injury in 2021, I still maintain you "baby" him for 2022. You just don't give up on arm that talented no matter how much you want him to be ready NOW. He might need a full a full year, or a year and a half to be healthy and stretch his arm out, before he's ready. But I think it's worth the time and caution at this point. Let's give Varland a little more time before we move him to the pen as well. He's just getting started as a bona-fide pitching prospect. Same with Sands. He's got some rough edges to work on, no pun intended, but he's been progressing on a natural path with solid production. I think he's at least a half year away, but I'd give him some time and leeway to develop. I think the guys we should be focusing on are Vallimont and Gore. Vallimont has the "stuff" to be a quality ML SP but just may never have enough control or a 3rd pitch to do so. But the potential is there to dominate. And he's "closer" than some to help the pen, just based on experience and IP. Sure would like to see more time in the rotation and a little better control to surprise...and maybe he will...but right now I just keep seeing quality RP. If nobody selects Gore in the eventual ML rule 5, or keeps him if they do, I believe he's part of the Twins BP 2nd half of 2022. He's old enough, and only 1 full year in his conversion, I could see teams passing. I could also see a team taking a stash option on him. I sure hope he's part of the organization a couple months from now.

So to quote an infamous line: "you're saying there is a chance". Lol Thank you terry for the numbers. I knew someone would have them. BA against and slugging higher could cause some concern, of course, but higher, or lower, in all other measures indicates a general turnaround in his season. And again, I think we all understand the numbers of a RP are volatile. BA against can be a bit of hard luck for a pitcher as well as the opposite for a hitter who comes in to some bad luck. The slugging percentage would concern me more in the long run. But when you factor in lower OB and Whip and higher K rates, etc, etc, I think we saw a more "normal" Duffey the last half of 2021. I expect the "normal" Duffey to be in play for 2022 as he's experienced, healthy, and only 31yo. There's a lot of tread left on the tires here, IMO.

Bingo! I don't have any numbers in front of me...sure someone can find them easily...but I did hear/read about a significant difference in his numbers between the halves of the season. Also, while I don't want to be accused of wearing rose-colored glasses, it's not uncommon for any reliever to suddenly have a poor year or half a year. It's the volatility of the position, and I think we all understand that. All but the truly elite usually have some hiccups here and there. I would be more worried if he started the season strong and finished poorly. I'm going with the "he figured it out the second half and is healthy coming in to 2022 and I think he should be fine" argument. (doesn't mean I'm not crossing fingers for he and Rogers both, however).

Camargo is the one ranking I'd argue with. It's been my understanding his defense is probably better than Isola or Morales, and he does have some decent power, but seems behind them in hit ability/potential. I appreciate the importance of the catching position and all its many facets, but I think a young catcher(s) with a good bat(s) and OK defense that can be improved/learned on would rank higher IMO that the good defense and questionable bat. I was disappointed Soularie missed as much time as he did. I'm really interested to see what he can dobgiven a little time. Athletically it seems he has the whole package. Agree that Severino could be a really fast riser in 2022. Would really be something if we were talking about him this time next year similar to how we have been talking about Miranda. I found it really interesting how so many hitters fared this past season with the flip of Cedar Rapids and Ft Myers from high and low A ball. Apparently, if you can hit, or at least hold your own at Ft Myers, you're in for a large growth/production uptick once you hit Iowa.

I would remove Lewis from this list only because I don't think he's been overlooked at all. I think there a NUMBER of arms that could be added to this list from Gipson-Long to Gross to Laweryson and a few others that could make a Winder/Varland kind of move in 2022 that make us do a double take and head turn. But I have 3 names to add to this list. 1] Sands. We talk so much about so many arms for various reasons, but Sands always seems to be the "oh yeah, him" part of the conversation. He has very quietly established himself as a legitimate SP option that seems to be "forgotten" about. 2] Cavaco. He's a small lightening rod in the organization. Personally, I'd say he's a wild card. Kid seems to have a great attitude and just LOVES the game. He's an unrefined 5 tool talent who was selected as a fast riser when the Twins picked him. He seems to have everything you want athletically from range to arm to speed and power. But he's young, missed 2020, looked improved in 2021 early before injury, and then finished poorly. Healthy, a mental, emotional and physical re-set for 2022, does he start to grab hold of his talent and potential and start to become the kind of player he could be? 3] Julian. Could you ask for a better 1st professional debut? I know there are some questions about how good defensively he could be, and where he should settle. But isn't that true for a lot of young position players with ONE year under their belt? And maybe he's only solid at various spots. I'm fine with that. A great athlete with the ability to play a couple of spots with good/great offensive promise, we'll find a spot for him. NOTE: I am high on Steer. If he can actually be OK at SS on a fill-in basis, I think he LEAPS in regard to future ML projections for the Twins. And I have real hope Howard figures things out his 2nd year.

Tom. I think your idea is a bit far-fetched only because ANY trade is hard to speculate on, much less one including 3 teams in the mix. That being said, I think your proposal very logical, well thought out, practical, and I would JUMP on a second to make this happen. Payroll wise it fits and still allows wiggle room for a bullpen arm and a flier. Maybe even a 4th OF option so we don't have to rush Celestino. But I'm not sure there would still be room for 6th SP option such as Pineda. I think, even if this trade happened, the Twins might want to risk ML "depth" vs having a potential "hole" to be filled be Dobnak and anyone else vs another signing. Prospect wise, giving up Rodriguez could be a big regret down the road. But the reality is you don't get something without giving up something. And Rodriguez is probably 3yrs away. Buxton is signed long term. Celestino could be an outstanding 4th OF SOON, and could force his way in to a starting role. Martin could also easily be our next LF with the ability to cover CF as well as having the ability to still play some infield. I think Larnach is going to be fine with some time/adjustments. And while his defense is not on the level of Kepler, he's OK and has the arm for RF. Long way of saying, giving up such a talented young player doesn't destroy the system in any way. Wallner for DeJong is fine. But as solid/good as he is, he's already been replaced as a starter. And as you point out, he's too expensive as a reserve. Might he be grabbed for a little less? What I really like about this is legitimacy at the front of the rotation without compromising the future. We're talking a pair of 2yr deals, a 1yr deal with an option for Bundy, and prospects. Beyond that, you ALWAYS need 7-10 SP over the course of a full season. With this lineup, a solid to good pen, your projection actually gives the Twins a chance to compete/win without blocking young arms from appearing/auditioning and helps mitigate the lost 2020 and limited IP in 2021. I see no downside other than the loss of one potentially excellent OF still a few years away.

Just impossible for me to comment on Grace or Legumina due to such a SSS. I fully appreciate any prospect list is based on pure stuff and potential and trying to extrapolate that for the future. But missing such time at this point, I just don't know if I'd rank them this high. But I also don't know that I wouldn't rank them this high either. Just really hope for a bigger and more clear picture after the 2022 season is complete. Very glad Vallimont was protected and I'm still very hopeful. While he needed to work on control previously, I don't recall it ever being so bad prior to 2021. I'm thinking the lost season just messed with his mechanics. The potential/stuff is obviously there. I could absolutely see a move to the pen in his future if the control and secondary stuff just doesn't come around.

This! I actually thought he should have been at AA to begin the year, but I sorta understand the Twins being overly cautious after being rode hard at Rice and then missing 2020. What really stinks, at this moment in time, future to be determined, is despite some great arms and great potential on hand, the 2 best arms in the entire system are Duran and Canterino. And that is ZERO slight to the potential of Winder, Balazovic and others. All they need is just better health and a little more time to put it all together. Canterino has a weird delivery that has concerned scouts since day one. Maybe they are right. But he's stated his delivery is repeatable and comfortable for him. His stuff is crazy good while he's still developing his 3rd and 4th offerings. Sorry, but age is not a factor when you are this talented and missed a full year. Said it before and will say it again, "baby" Duran and Canterino if you have to. Build each up for 2023. Doesn't mean they can't make an appearance in 2022 or contribute, but PLEASE work with and develop what might be the 2 best arms in the whole system.

I think the grades are fair and no need to quibble about a slight adjustment here or there. Pretty right on. Was very encouraged how Celestino responded at AAA and have pretty high hopes for him going forward as a versatile regular who will probably be an excellent 4th OF with potential for more. Larnach was also rushed a bit and I'm not worried. Through college he always hit and has shown that ability and a decent eye in milb thus far. He just needs to settle in and learn and adjust some more. I think he's going to be fine. Speaking of being rushed, we've seen Rortvedt progress slowly but surely as a hitter with some power potential to go along with his great defense and game calling. Really hoping he can spend the majority of 2022 at St Paul to really get his bat right. He will probably never be a great hitter, but he doesn't have to be. All he needs is to be decent, not be a K machine, and jack some balls with his natural strength. I was actually impressed by Gordon more than some. Despite looking like a 16yo standing in with a uniform that didn't quite fit, he looked like he felt he belonged. He leaned the OF on the fly and appeared to have aptitude and ability there. I was also encouraged that he finished strong. I think he has a chance to be a nice utility player with speed and a bat that doesn't embarrass. The speed is NICE! Ryan flashed that he's a keeper. Not sure what more Ober could have done. My goodness, he's refined his delivery for better health, consistency and velocity and made adjustments all through the year. Expectations should be tempered for a pair of rookies, but I don't think either of these guys are #5 SP. Moran could be nasty with just a little more time and control. He may not break camp on the ML roster, but we're going to see a lot of him in 2022. Jax was inconsistent, to say the least, game to game and inning to inning. But that slider looks pretty nasty. I could see him developing in to a pretty good middle reliever.

For the 2022 bullpen I am making ONE assumption: the medical experts are correct and the durable Rogers will be healthy. After that, I'm cautiously optimistic to potentially very optimistic. A couple rapid-fire thoughts: Duffey has been great, struggled a bit, adjusted, and was fine again. Lot of tread left. Thielbar has been great, had a problem with inherited runners early, figured it out. Alcala has EVERYTHING you want and endured growing pains to finish STRONG. I like and am OK with this base. I am WAY MORE than OK if the Twins make a decent investment in ONE proven FA arm still available. And there are a number of arms available from solid to very good years to potential bounce back years. Just, please, make one smart choice/addition here. We're going to need 12-15 arms at some point, no matter the rotation. Thorpe may be done as a SP, but could he make it, healthy, as a BP option? Could he force Moran to StPaul to begin the season? If not, he could be AAA depth because I'm not sure anyone claims him. And IMO, Moran is not "if", he's a "when". His FB and slider play, and the change is outstanding. Nice to have Coulombe back on a milb deal. Smeltzer is still around as a depth/bounce back option. There is a real chance the Twins could have 3 good to decent LH available all season. But we need more depth. I may be wrong, but I can't ignore what Stashak did when healthy. He's an easy drop and milb re-sign in a roster crunch, but he flashed when healthy. Garza came from a good system but was made available. Why? He sure looked promising in 18 games. Cotton was a former top SP prospect who ran in to injury problems. But he raked at AAA for Texas, stunk when he came up, but was almost unhittable his last month or so. Is he a sleeper? Cano, Mason, and others could suddenly step up. And we may need them. Jax could be a pen surprise. As could Gore and Vallimont. I think there is depth and options to sort through and rotate and build a good to great pen. But I feel a whole lot better if we bring on at least that ONE quality, experienced arm, whoever that may be.

OK, I'll bite and play along here. The Twins have stated publicly, with no exact numbers, that they expect to have a 2022 payroll commensurate to their previous 3-4 seasons. Taken to heart, and a general average, that would mean a pretty solid $130M with flexibility implied. At about $90M committed currently, that leaves $40M available unless they are willing to bump to $140M which should be easily affordable. In theory, you then have $50M to spend. With Bryant and Story out of the initial FA flurry/frenzy, my gut says they are NOT in the $25M per category. So yes, you could indeed sign both for around $20M-ish per year. So then what? You have ZERO to MAYBE $10M MAX to add a couple cheap SP options and maybe ONE BP arm with some ability/potential. Really? No matter how good your offense might be, no matter how much you believe in the arms a depth on hand to build a solid BP with arms you can rotate up and down as needed, you're still going to tell me you can win and be competitive with a rotation that is Bundy, Ober, Ryan, Dobnak, and X factor cheap FA or ST lottery winner 5th starter? We have to allow a little reality to set in here! IF the Twins could move Donaldson without eating too much of his contract, and IF they could move Sano and his numbers to a team looking for a powerful DH/backup 1B, THEN, you just MIGHT have enough money for Pineda and another "next best" FA arm to head a proposed mediocre rotation. OR, you sign Pineda and then make a Kepler-Arrzez-prospect arm type of package to Oakland or Miami for a SOLID arm to join Pineda at the front to at least give this lineup and potential BP a SHOT while working with all the young arms. That's a lot of working pieces to put together to make something work and a lot of IF's. All of what I've stated is reflective of the original idea presented, and DO-ABLE! But come on, how realistic is this? There have been obvious exceptions, but through the 90's and even in to the early 2000's, CF/SS and even 2B were often defense first and complimentary positions offensively. That has changed dramatically the past 5-10yrs where TOP athletes and TOP offensive performers began to fill those positions. And a wonderful, thoughtful, and analytical debate just took place here on TD in the last month as to whether winning was tied more to offense vs pitching. The subtle part of that debate, somewhat ignored but which I called out, was variations in defense and speed and how teams were built. Some teams hamered and had good pitching but bad speed and defense. Some had defense, speed, mediocre SP but a great pen. The point is, and always has been, there is no ONE way to win. Look no further than the Braves this year that re-built their OF on the fly, got lucky and hot, and ended up winning the whole damn thing. With a small, ironic twist, they were similar to the '87 Twins. Long story finally getting back on point, this idea of going ALL IN with Bryant and Story and a potentially great offense sounds fun and interesting. But even if the pen turns out great, how many 8-7 games could be won just auditioning prospects? What I find interesting is the belief that Story is THE GUY to help stabilize the infield and the lineup. Why? Considering the fact that baseball has changed so much, and offense now comes from so many positions, why is his signing so great? I get he's quality defensively. But how does his offense play away from Colorado and over the next 4-5yrs? Isn't Bryant maybe a better option? He could be a LF who could play a couple more positions to fill in as well. He could allow for Larnach or Kepler to be moved as part of a deal. Do we care where the offense comes from as long as it comes? If I had to choose Bryant or Story, right now, I'd be happy with either and excited for potential. There are various scenarios where each provides the FO to make moves to add pitching. I just don't see any way adding both does anything, other than initial excitement and then frustration for a lost 2022 season. I WISH they could add both and follow some FA/trade scenario as listed above, but man, dream land is a nice place to visit.

I'm a little late to the post but really like the arms here. (Also like some of the arms in the previous list, but again, a little busy and late here). I am crossing my fingers on Gore not being snagged and kept by someone. I'm thinking AA ball and newly transitioned and not a "kid" any linger age wise he will be left alone. Boy I sure hope so. I think he makes an appearance the second half of 2022. Cano is also not young, but he is in regard to being stateside. Obviously he's not a polished product, but I don't think age really hurts him when we're talking a pen arm vs a SP. A little more experience and a little more refinement, and he also is a 2nd half contributor, IMO. The basic stuff is there. Full confession, I had forgotten about Mooney and his path thus far. I could easily see him, Laweryson, Gipson-Long and Gross following the same path that Winder and Varland blazed in 2021 and that Enlow appeared to be following. That is, an introduction, and then refinement and development that leads to a semblance of "breakout" potential. I think a pipeline of solid/quality arms is being firmly established. I ignore the ACE/#1 conversation because those kind of arms develop at the ML level and aren't just developed. Having a pipeline of intriguing arms is the key. Some won't make it. Some will go to the pen. Some will be quality SP. And a couple will be true front of the rotation SP. Having a depth of options is key.

None of us have an real idea what the "plan" the FO has in store for 2022. I mean, just in theory, the Twins could come out of the lockup with a plan to sign Rodon for 1yr, or a 1+1 with a buyout. It could be $18-20M with a 2nd yr bump and a $4-5M buyout. I'm just talking logical theory here for a potential arm that COULD make a difference but was left out of the FA frenzy that the Twins sat out of. THEN, you could just grab Pineda to flesh out your rotation, OR, make ONE nice trade for someone even better to help lead your rotation. And you STILL have so many IP and GS to work in all the young pitchers to build for 2023 and beyond. With the lineup in place and a quality pen, you might even compete for a playoff spot. It's not that far fetched of an idea. And you still haven't committed any long term financial obligations or blocked the future. Again, this is just a theoretical idea that leads to competence and a competitive team for 2022. But unless the FO can pull a PAIR of rabbit out of the hat trade options for 2022 that doesn't raid the ML roster or the milb prospect pipeline, they have already missed opportunity in the FA market that would have cost $ without disrupting the organization as a whole. It makes ZERO sense for building a sustainable organization to pass on FA possibilities and then turn around and trade multiple players in an effort to re-tool for 2022. Either circle the wagons and make a couple aggressive moves left available to you to compete that might pay off and keep most of what you have on hand...OR... just admit you blew it or explain your plan for the future and grab a couple mediocre SP options and be aggressive with your prospects and tell us that was your plan all along to build for the future and your being "competitive" for 2022 was hopes and prayers for surprises and developmental promotions with a good lineup and strong pen. But for goodness sake, don't blow FA and then trade away depth and assets for a couple 1 and 2yr assets in the rotation and deplete what you have for the future.

And he might be. There's nothing to say he isn't the best, or can't be the best. As I stated, and have before, ACES develop over time, you very, very seldom just draft one. Heck, this time next year SWR or Sands could looke better than everyone. No way to know. You've actually watched Winder, so I defer to your opinion and assessment. I guess I lump Balazovic, Winder and Duran together, IMO, as equals. I'm really excited for all 3 to be healthy and get a full season in. Unfortunately, I think Duran is now a little further behind at the moment.

I know it's really easy to get carried away with prospect rankings and optimism of the players listed there. Look no further than the recent OP about the top 2018 list which contains a few who didn't make it, some with questions, at least one traded, etc. But each "list" should be addressed of its own accord. And I'm really excited about this list, despite some usual caveats. Because this is fun, and because I'm optimistic, and because we don't have anything ML related to talk about, we'll, here I go. SANDS is sort of a "poster child" for how this FO sees a path to pitching development. Right or wrong only time will tell, but they believe that unless a pitcher lands in your lap right off the top, there are a lot of guys with real potential to be developed past the first couple of picks. Sands seems to make their ideas valid, as have a couple lower selections thus far. I think he's close and is forgotten about by some. I might have ranked him higher. WALLNER is a better version of Rooker, IMO. Reportedly, he's already a better OF defensively. That's not a knock on Rooker who still has a chance, I just think he's a better, more well rounded version. I don't expect a big BA, but time will tell. I liked what he did in his limited AFL. MILLER, fair or not, reminds me of JJ Hardy. A guy who may not have any single skill that is outstanding, but the ability to do everything well. He's a LONG WAY away, but can't wait to see what he does. Draft status and potential, I'm OK with him here. ENLOW shouldn't be penalized for his surgery. The ceiling remains high and he's still young. Hopefully he gets a few IP at the end of 2022 to get ready. WINDER should be a couple spots higher, IMO, but it's a testament to current depth that he's here. Decades of watching the draft, prospect lists, and MLB in general has taught me that unless you have the #1 pick in a year where a Clemmons or a Strasburg falls in your lucky lap, you NEVER draft an ACE. You draft and develop arms and their potential. And despite all the coaching you can give, an ACE is someone who also learns and develops on their own. Winder has front of the rotation potential. It may take a couple of years to reach his potential, but I think he pitches for the Twins in 2022. I think he has a good ceiling. CAVACO wasn't a mistake pick, but I wouldn't rank him this high. He is young, a late bloomer with trajectory when drafted, and has all the tools in the world. And like everyone else, he missed a full season. But I still need to see a little more from him to rank him this high. BUT, I would remind readers that he got off to a solid start in 2021 and was amongst the best bats/producers for a poor offensive Ft Myers team before an injury slowed him down. It's all up to him. The talent is there. I would be surprised if he doesn't start 2022 in low A despite some young options behind him. But would be pleased and not surprised if his talent took over and he hit A+ quickly. PETTY, to me, was an absolute gift. I know HS arms are the biggest guess/risk/reward possibilities for a 1st round selection. But I don't recall many times when I've seen a HS pitcher with an arm who throws high 90's consistently and touches 100 with a quality slider and a change that needs work but was still ranked a 50 on the scout scale. Hey, he's young and has a lot to show and work on and improve. He's a long way away. But to slide to the 20's confuses me unless it's because he's not 6' 2"+ and already over 200lbs and played in a northern climate for the most part. LMAO when I read a comment elsewhere that he projects as a BP arm when he's only 18yo and has so much ahead of him. CANTERINO just needs the baseball gods to give him health for 2022. So much for the Twins not drafting a pitcher high. They babied him his 1st season because of his IP in college. Makes sense. He was as advertised in his brief 2019. And he was again in his short 2021 after missing 2020. I believe his plan was to jump to AA quickly before injury happened. A curse for many arms, not just the Twins. His stuff is electric,though needing refinement. Some say his delivery screams BP. He says he's had the same delivery for years and feels comfortable with it. IDK! But if he's healthy and ready to go, he needs to be at Wichita from day one. He could be anywhere from a #1-2 SP to the next Nathan if starting just doesn't work out. SWR has been regarded as a top 100 prospect for a couple of years now. He was not only young for AA but had his whole season disrupted by the Olympic experience. Just give the kid a chance to settle in. The stuff plays. I wouldn't be surprised if he appears in 2022 at some point. DURAN.......just be healthy. STOP the "let's just put him in the pen" conversation. I don't care if he sits in ST Paul for the whole year! Just let him stretch out, build innings, work on his stuff, and let him develop. Don't waste an opportunity to develop a potentially great arm. RYAN...just keep doing what you're doing kid. Keep the bulldog in you but don't be stubborn. Keep listening and learning. MIRANDA just needs opportunity. He is not a flash. He is a high draft choice who everyone has just been waiting to put it together. He has now. He was a high pick with potential, not some flier. Either make room for him or make him the 1st guy up when there is an opening. And depending on trades or injury, he could make the opening day roster. Like I said in another OP, he COULD see time at LF or 1B depending on final roster construction. BALAZOVIC is everything I said about Winder. The stuff and the build and everything you want. But what you want is just a little more time to put it together. MARTIN is PROBABLY a stud LF/CF who can also play in the infield to follow the example the versatility of the Dogers that I feel the FO is looking at. But I'd keep playing him at SS for as long as I can. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? He suddenly turns out to be an optio there or he can at least cover that spot in addition to maye 2B/3B. LEWIS IS a lightening rod of sorts. He has EERYTHING athletically to be a decent to good SS. When you watch him, you see great plays that few can make and you see smoothness, and his potential. We just need to see it daily. But it takes time. He's lost a lot of time, unfortunately. And he's NOT going to jump to the ML level without a little time to get his legs underneath him, literally, for defense AND offense, despite his AFL MVP and reports about his 2020 play at the alternative site. This kid just might have the IT factor. Let's allow a tiny bit of time, OK? Pissed about the FO and things we don't have a clue about for2022 yet, just look at this list and get excited.

He deserves to make the club right out of the gate unless he just struggles. He's a dynamite prospect! But the problem is he doesn't pitch and the roster is solid and complete as is. He makes the club opening day if there is a trade or injury, and both are possible. His best chance to make the club otherwise is AK in LF instead of Larnach initially, (again, without trades), then he may open as the primary 1B and still move around. Of course, he could also play LF initially himself. Otherwise, he begins at St Paul to be be able to play and hit daily and be the first guy brought up when there is an opening. It's just math and numbers.

One of my all time favorite Twins. Fantastic glove man. Despite being one of the most popular Twins of his generation and probably all time, I STILL feel like he's underrated because he was so consistent.

I agree we could debate about a few guys on the list and where to rank them, etc, but I think it's a good list. And I will be watching all 10 of these young guys, along with everyone else in the system, lol. But a couple quick thoughts: 1] Raya grabbed my interest the moment he was selected. No definitive reason why, but I was hugely disappointed he was out this past year. He's a long ways away and hasn't pitched in a while competitively, but I'm really excited to see him in 2022. 2] I think Big 10 baseball is vastly underrated and I'm thinking Hajjar might surprise and fly through the system. 3] Young, but super talented and with something approaching a full season under his belt, despite the interruption of is year with the Olympics, does SWR make a huge move in 2022? 4] A little surprised Cavaco wasn't on this list. He's young and athletic and was actually Ft Myers best hitter the first half of 2021 before an injury. Does he jump up in 2022? 5] I recognize there is a chance Duran might move to the pen at some point. But that's also kinda true for every brilliant, hard throwing arm that runs in to any sort of difficulty. ANY kind of decent, solid 3rd pitch and he has the ability to be a ML SP, and maybe a very good one. I am very anxious to see him up with the Twins. But he has an electric arm and exciting stuff. And I would do everything I could to keep him in the rotation for as long as possible. While I HATE being patient, when you have an arm like his, and that much potential, I'd keep him in AAA as long as necessary because the final payoff could be HUGE.

Could Julian have any better first season in pro ball? OK, the BA could be a little better I guess, but when you have that incredible OB ability, it tells me the BA will rise. He was outstanding and I don't feel we've talked enough about him. I do wonder if there's any chance he can/could play even a "decent" SS for added versatility value? I'm also big on Steer.

I'm still holding out some hope for Cavaco and him turning a corner in 2022. For the first half of 2021, he was Ft Myers best hitter. And while he has a long way to go, and will have basically not pitched competitively for almost 2yrs, I'm really excited to see what Marco Raya does this next year.

I was really disappointed in Rooker last year. Previously, he's always shown the ability to adapt to each level successfully. After a tease in 2020, I thought he had a chance to make some kind of mark in 2021. I fully appreciate there is a big step from AAA to MLB, but again, Rocker has always settled in and "figured it out" before. If Larnach needs a little more time, which is very possible, I would not be shocked to see Rooker and a healthy Cave...if he finds the 2018-19 version of himself...suddenly sharing LF in 2022, at least initially. And that wouldn't be a bad thing, although a small reach, as it would mean even more depth and even more trade possibilities. I think Wallner can hit. The power is real. He's got a good arm. From everything I've read/heard, he's at least average defensively. I fully expect him to begin 2022 in Wichita at this point. They key for him, like Rooker, like Sano, and others, is to be able to control his hitting zone and not be a flailing, almost automatic out/consistent K victim. We've had fun in Forum and Main Page speculation about a future Twins lineup in a couple of years and Sabato has often been brought up as a DH and 1B option. And that may be. And I mean no disrespect to Sabato who be an absolute masher with quality OB skills, but Wallner, able to be a legitimate corner OF, would probably be more valuable if his bat plays.