Shane Wahl

Yeah, Tonkin is dominating.

Seth, do you think you could blog about potential promotions coming in the next few week? Thanks.

I think Hicks is a guy who will produce at roughly the same level no matter where he is right now. He has improved this year in the movement upward, and could benefit from a full season plus 2012 August at Rochester instead of waiting at AAA. I like this approach with him.

The "real Twins" are nowhere to be found. Same for last year. Perhaps this is what is most frustrating about the Twins in the past two years--there seems to be legitimate 90 win potential and yet 60 win potential truthfully arises. Last year, I blame injuries. This year, I blame the starting rotation, but this is being corrected. Revere and Diamond are more seasoned and can be regular contributors, and Dozier will be fine enough this year at SS. Morneau being healthy and productive while Mauer plays 130 games+ is huge.

I am predicting that the Twins win 80 games this year. I hope I am under. I hope that in those 80 wins come some development of Dozier, Parmelee, and Hendriks. And I hope Pavano, Liriano, Capps, Casilla, and a few prospect throw-ins like Pugh, Robertson, Watts, and Achting, on one hand, and Morales, JD Williams, and Niko Goodrum, on the other usher in some more players, at least one who is a MLB-ready starting pitcher and at least one who is a A- or above prospect, with a few more lower level prospects in addition.

Ulgh. More detailed and subtle analysis is needed here to really judge a pitching coach. Players progress and regress for ALL SORTS of reasons.

New draftees at 4, 7, 21, 28, 31, 36, 41, 44, 50, 55, and 59. That is a good draft. 2011's draftees are at 15, 17, 20, 26, 37, 39, 40, 43, 47, 52, 54, 56. The 2011 and 2012 drafts have gone a long way to re-stocking the system with talent. 8 of the top 28 prospects have been drafted in the past two years. A positional breakdown and prospect movement trends (part 2) will be soon in coming.

This was a great article until you kill it with the last paragraph. While that information is technically true, A: there is a way to present that earlier so that it isn't the last thing readers read if you are trying to tout Brunansky's influence, and B: there are many issues that may differ between the succes-story players and Joe Benson, Rene Tosoni, and Danny Valencia.

Well the out pitch can be a fastball just a bit farther out/in of the zone, but I also think his changeup is developing into that kind of pitch

Parenthetical numbers are pre-season 2012 and 2011 rankings, respectively.

While 60 is a big number, there are still guys left off this list who are worth watching. Here are my top 60 Twins prospects following the 2012 draft: Note: Liam Hendriks, Brian Dozier, Chris Parmelee, and Rene Tosoni would have appeared on this list, but I am cutting their prospect status off. 1. Miguel Sano (1, 2) 2. Eddie Rosario (4, 19) 3. Oswaldo Arcia (3, 10) 4. Byron Buxton (NR) 5. Aaron Hicks (2, 1) 6. Liam Hendriks (5, 7) 7. Jose Berrios (NR) 8. Joe Benson (6, 8) 9. Kyle Gibson (7, 4) 10. Adrian Salcedo (8, 12) 11. Chris Herrmann (13, 35) 12. Alex Wimmers (5, 11) 13. Max Kepler (12, 13) 14. David Bromberg (19, 11) 15. Travis Harrison (16, NR) 16. Niko Goodrum (17, 24) 17. Hudson Boyd (18, NR) 18. Lester Oliveros (NR) 19. B.J. Hermsen (22, 18) 20. Levi Michael (20, NR) 21. Luke Bard (NR) 22. Deolis Guerra (29, 39) 23. Manuel Solimon (15, 16) 24. Angel Morales (14, 5) 25. Matt Hauser (28, NR) 26. Madison Boer (21, NR) 27. Danny Santana (33, 50) 28. Mason Melotakis (NR) 29. Jairo Perez (26, NR) 30. Nate Roberts (23, 27) 31. J.T. Chargois (NR) 32. Tom Stuifbergen (27, 32) 33. JaDamion Williams (24, NR) 34. Carlos Gutierrez (25, 15) 35. Lance Ray (30, 41) 36. Adam Walker (NR) 37. Tim Shibuya (38, NR) 38. Pat Dean (31, 23) 39. Corey Williams (36, NR) 40. Matthew Summers (37, NR) 41. Tyler Duffey (NR) 42. Tyler Robertson (34, NR) 43. Josh Burris (NR) 44. Lee Mazzilli (NR) 45. Logan Darnell (39, 48) 46. Danny Ortiz (41, 21) 47. Matthew Koch (NR) 48. Bobby Lanigan (40, 40) 49. Bruce Pugh (46, 34) 50. Zachary Jones (NR) 51. James Beresford (48, 30) 52. Angel Mata (44, NR) 53. Josmil Pinto (NR) 54. Kuo-Hua Lo (NR) 55. Jorge Fernandez (NR) 56. Steven Gruver (NR) 57. Dakota Watts (47, 29) 58. Jorge Polanco (50, NR) 59. Christian Powell (NR) 60. Michael Tonkin (NR)

While 60 is a big number, there are still guys left off this list who are worth watching. Here are my top 60 Twins prospects following the 2012 draft: Note: Liam Hendriks, Brian Dozier, Chris Parmelee, and Rene Tosoni would have appeared on this list, but I am cutting their prospect status off. 1. Miguel Sano (1, 2) 2. Eddie Rosario (4, 19) 3. Oswaldo Arcia (3, 10) 4. Byron Buxton (NR) 5. Aaron Hicks (2, 1) 6. Liam Hendriks (5, 7) 7. Jose Berrios (NR) 8. Joe Benson (6, 8) 9. Kyle Gibson (7, 4) 10. Adrian Salcedo (8, 12) 11. Chris Herrmann (13, 35) 12. Alex Wimmers (5, 11) 13. Max Kepler (12, 13) 14. David Bromberg (19, 11) 15. Travis Harrison (16, NR) 16. Niko Goodrum (17, 24) 17. Hudson Boyd (18, NR) 18. Lester Oliveros (NR) 19. B.J. Hermsen (22, 18) 20. Levi Michael (20, NR) 21. Luke Bard (NR) 22. Deolis Guerra (29, 39) 23. Manuel Solimon (15, 16) 24. Angel Morales (14, 5) 25. Matt Hauser (28, NR) 26. Madison Boer (21, NR) 27. Danny Santana (33, 50) 28. Mason Melotakis (NR) 29. Jairo Perez (26, NR) 30. Nate Roberts (23, 27) 31. J.T. Chargois (NR) 32. Tom Stuifbergen (27, 32) 33. JaDamion Williams (24, NR) 34. Carlos Gutierrez (25, 15) 35. Lance Ray (30, 41) 36. Adam Walker (NR) 37. Tim Shibuya (38, NR) 38. Pat Dean (31, 23) 39. Corey Williams (36, NR) 40. Matthew Summers (37, NR) 41. Tyler Duffey (NR) 42. Tyler Robertson (34, NR) 43. Josh Burris (NR) 44. Lee Mazzilli (NR) 45. Logan Darnell (39, 48) 46. Danny Ortiz (41, 21) 47. Matthew Koch (NR) 48. Bobby Lanigan (40, 40) 49. Bruce Pugh (46, 34) 50. Zachary Jones (NR) 51. James Beresford (48, 30) 52. Angel Mata (44, NR) 53. Josmil Pinto (NR) 54. Kuo-Hua Lo (NR) 55. Jorge Fernandez (NR) 56. Steven Gruver (NR) 57. Dakota Watts (47, 29) 58. Jorge Polanco (50, NR) 59. Christian Powell (NR) 60. Michael Tonkin (NR)

Haha (to the comments) and interesting to the OP. It seems to absolutely be related to the out pitch, whydidnt. Look it is one thing to "pitch to contact" but it is another thing to only throw straight fastballs in doing so. Pitching to weak contact with above average-to-excellent offspeed stuff on 0-2 counts (and elsewhere) is deeply lacking in the rotation at the moment. I do think that what separates Hendriks from the Walters and DeVries (and Blackburn, but that stupid, ridiculous, absurd contract) crowd is the ability soon enough to be able to have that out pitch work.

Nice. I have very similar experiences growing up in Bemidji and watching the Cubs during the afternoons.

"Yeah, my name's Eddie Rosario . . . and I know where I was drafted and I know where Byron Buxton was drafted, and I know so many of you think that he is a better prospect . . . but here it is . . . I am currently the best all-around hitting prospect in the Twins organization. And I am trying to play second base."

Whoa. I will drop the PhD in Philosophy bomb here (which might explain why I spend so much time on a baseball site . . . ), but I have to at this point to note how impressed I am at the use of philosophers of logic and science in baseball threads. Damn.

Yeah, none of that really matters. That said, we often rely on those places to note which players to follow and whatnot since we don't have MLB teams' scouts notes. That is probably why people often note the discrepancy and say "what the hell?" So I don't blame people for that initial frustration since we don't have that kind of true insider information. I work with sports journalists, but also think about those we read or see on television . . . it's a job that is difficult, sure, but so much of it is really not truly EXPERT analysis or anything. (which is why I think the Pardon the Interruptions of the world annoy me so much) Looking at the draft, I think the Twins did a pretty good job getting quality arms. They then drafted a bunch of catchers. They did not draft third basemen, but maybe it is possible that some other grand scheme involving that position is in the works (whether it is FA or next years' draft).

At least we can all agree that the next time we see a Sox fan, it is imperative to punch him/her in the face.

Anyway . . . One of Nick's best articles, I think. I cheer for Dickey and I am glad to see the success for him now. I do wish that the Twins would have kept him, obviously.

It is hard to tell without knowing how the money is going to break down.

Giving you credit for a very good post here, as I generally agree. Even ONE top or near top of the line starter would go a long way next year, as long as people are healthy. Ideally they sign one such pitcher and trade (not Span, but a package) for one B+ or better SP prospect who is no lower than AA this year.

Actually I took the question in the sense that you were looking for an answer. So I pointed out the biggest difference between then and now.

This must be a sign they are worried about Morneau, Mauer and/or Span. Otherwise, you just can't play Mauer, Morneau, Doumit, Span, Willingham, Revere, and Parmelee. If the first five are healthy . . . well that means one of the two position player prospects for the Twins is on the bench . . . and clearly Revere deserves to start. Look at what happened to Tosoni last year when the Twins brought him up and down. Parmelee is better than Tosoni, but still. I guess they could literally rotate days off for the above-mentioned players . . . . which is not bad in my view. Gardy doesn't seem to do that though.

Yes, he is a key player to target with some money. I hope he goes to Beloit as well.

I am pretty cynical much of the time, but those claiming the schedule is the reason the Twins are winning games are real . . . joys . . .