Shane Wahl

Everyone knows to follow the progress of Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, Oswaldo Arcia, Levi Michael, Hudson Boyd, Madison Boer and other top 20-25 prospects in the Twins system. There are many others, however, who with strong seasons could jump up into that top 20 range. Here are 10 of them (and thanks to Seth Stohs for roster information): JD Williams, OF (Age: 21.4, SH): Williams will start with Beloit this year after a fantastic showing at Elizabethon. Three words: Dude is fast. Last year's line of .324/.406/.465 was quite impressive. Primarily played RF last year. Will probably stay there. Williams has a high ceiling and could move quickly up the system after 2012. Nate Roberts, OF (23.1, LH): Roberts returns to the DL and to Beloit this season. While his on base numbers are gaudy, they are bolstered by being hit 29 times last year. Regardless, the .302/.443/.446 line is very impressive. The Twin likely want to get him healthy and get him a few hundred more plate appearances at low-A before promoting him to Fort Myers. He has played in left field, primarily. Lance Ray, OF (22.7, LH): Ray will be in Fort Myers this year. He started 2011 rather terribly, but came on strong the last 2/3 of the season to hit 16 homers and post a line of .253/.335/.432 for the season. He played about two-thirds of the season in right field, with most of the other third at first base. Like Joe Benson, the strikeout rate will be a thing to watch. Danny Santana, SS/2B/CF (21.5, SH): Santana will man the middle infield and may see some time again in CF for Fort Myers. He is a very good defensive player and is very fast. The big thing last year despite a mediocre .247/.298/.373 triple slash is that isolated power with 27 extra base hits (including 7 homers). He is defensively sound, so his bat will be the thing to watch. Tyler Grimes, SS/2B/3B (21.9, RH): Grimes will see the bulk of his time in the middle infield for Beloit, but may fill in at third for Sano as well. Like Roberts, his OBP was aided by 6 HBP in 159 plate appearances. While compiling a somewhat unimpressive .225/.316/.406, his college numbers at Wichita State are very good. He projects as a Luke Hughes 2B/3B guy down the road, but he also is fast and can steal bases. Matt Hauser, RHR (24): Hauser throws hard and could make his way from Fort Myers this year to New Britain as a closer at both levels. The key is health for him, because he can be a dominant pitcher when healthy. Pat Dean, LHS (22.10): Dean got people excited in 2010 with his 37/1 K/BB ratio in 29.1 innings. In 2011, he did well in Beloit with a 37/9 ratio in 44 innings, but struggled in Fort Myers after being promoted. He returns to Fort Myers and projects as either a Brian Duensing LOOGY type or a more rounded Glen Perkins type of reliever. Tim Shibuya, RHS (22.7): Shibuya was fantastic at Elizabethon last year and will start the season in Beloit in 2012. In 73.2 innings, he had 70 strikeouts and only 11 walks. The full season with better competition will be telling for Shibuya, but if he can work on his secondary pitches, he could be very successful. Logan Darnell, LHS (23.2): Darnell is a deceptive lefty who will be in the starting rotation at AA New Britain. He pitched at three levels in 2011 and his success is in his ability to induce groundballs and strike some people out with his deceptive delivery. Angel Mata, RHS (19.4): Mata will be in extended spring training this year and should then be in Elizabethon. He limits baserunners and if he improves his walk rate should be very effective. He is one of very few bottom level pitchers to get excited about in the Twins system.

Everyone knows to follow the progress of Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, Oswaldo Arcia, Levi Michael, Hudson Boyd, Madison Boer and other top 20-25 prospects in the Twins system. There are many others, however, who with strong seasons could jump up into that top 20 range. Here are 10 of them (and thanks to Seth Stohs for roster information): JD Williams, OF (Age: 21.4, SH): Williams will start with Beloit this year after a fantastic showing at Elizabethon. Three words: Dude is fast. Last year's line of .324/.406/.465 was quite impressive. Primarily played RF last year. Will probably stay there. Williams has a high ceiling and could move quickly up the system after 2012. Nate Roberts, OF (23.1, LH): Roberts returns to the DL and to Beloit this season. While his on base numbers are gaudy, they are bolstered by being hit 29 times last year. Regardless, the .302/.443/.446 line is very impressive. The Twin likely want to get him healthy and get him a few hundred more plate appearances at low-A before promoting him to Fort Myers. He has played in left field, primarily. Lance Ray, OF (22.7, LH): Ray will be in Fort Myers this year. He started 2011 rather terribly, but came on strong the last 2/3 of the season to hit 16 homers and post a line of .253/.335/.432 for the season. He played about two-thirds of the season in right field, with most of the other third at first base. Like Joe Benson, the strikeout rate will be a thing to watch. Danny Santana, SS/2B/CF (21.5, SH): Santana will man the middle infield and may see some time again in CF for Fort Myers. He is a very good defensive player and is very fast. The big thing last year despite a mediocre .247/.298/.373 triple slash is that isolated power with 27 extra base hits (including 7 homers). He is defensively sound, so his bat will be the thing to watch. Tyler Grimes, SS/2B/3B (21.9, RH): Grimes will see the bulk of his time in the middle infield for Beloit, but may fill in at third for Sano as well. Like Roberts, his OBP was aided by 6 HBP in 159 plate appearances. While compiling a somewhat unimpressive .225/.316/.406, his college numbers at Wichita State are very good. He projects as a Luke Hughes 2B/3B guy down the road, but he also is fast and can steal bases. Matt Hauser, RHR (24): Hauser throws hard and could make his way from Fort Myers this year to New Britain as a closer at both levels. The key is health for him, because he can be a dominant pitcher when healthy. Pat Dean, LHS (22.10): Dean got people excited in 2010 with his 37/1 K/BB ratio in 29.1 innings. In 2011, he did well in Beloit with a 37/9 ratio in 44 innings, but struggled in Fort Myers after being promoted. He returns to Fort Myers and projects as either a Brian Duensing LOOGY type or a more rounded Glen Perkins type of reliever. Tim Shibuya, RHS (22.7): Shibuya was fantastic at Elizabethon last year and will start the season in Beloit in 2012. In 73.2 innings, he had 70 strikeouts and only 11 walks. The full season with better competition will be telling for Shibuya, but if he can work on his secondary pitches, he could be very successful. Logan Darnell, LHS (23.2): Darnell is a deceptive lefty who will be in the starting rotation at AA New Britain. He pitched at three levels in 2011 and his success is in his ability to induce groundballs and strike some people out with his deceptive delivery. Angel Mata, RHS (19.4): Mata will be in extended spring training this year and should then be in Elizabethon. He limits baserunners and if he improves his walk rate should be very effective. He is one of very few bottom level pitchers to get excited about in the Twins system.

What is the current starting five, indeed? Diamond, DeVries, Manship, Walters, and Deduno? I like a batting order along these lines: Dozier Nishioka Bates Benson Tosoni Rizzotti Carson Towles Chang With Hollimon and Dinkelman getting ample time due to their versatility.

Catchers: Matt Koch, Jairo Rodriguez, Kyle Knudson (DL) Infielders: Rory Rhodes, AJ Pettersen, Eddie Rosario, Adam Bryant, Tyler Grimes, Miguel Sano, Outfielders: Jhon Goncalves, Wang-Wei Lin, Daniel Ortiz, Nate Roberts (DL), JD Williams Williams Grimes (Roberts when healthy) Rosario Sano Rhodes Ortiz Bryant/Goncalves Koch Lin/Pettersen This team is also loaded all-around.

I agree with everything in this post, Han Joelo. Not sure why some of these moves are made involving guys who could really contribute. Solarte would have made Michael Hollimon a non-factor this spring.

This team is flat-out loaded. Morales, Michael, Arcia, Gonzalez, Ray, and Perez 1-6? And with that starting pitching? Do you think that when Stuif comes back, Soliman may get moved to the 'pen?

The hope has to be for Nate Roberts to end the year with Fort Myers, right? I thought for sure that he would be promoted to begin the year.

To be fair, I really doubt Gardenhire has chosen to sac bunt very often with one out. I would limit bunting to almost only those situations where there is nobody out and a guy on second or a guy on second and first. And the suicide squeeze sometimes.

So something else terrible happened in his life . . .

I know it is much too early to really get into the 2012 draft, but I did want to call attention to a Purdue player I have seen who is likely to go in the second round. Kevin Plawecki is a solid defensive catcher who had good F and So seasons and is now killing it in his junior year. The Twins need help at this position and this is a guy to watch over the next few months.

I have to think the plan is going to be Mastroianni (hopefully more in LF than 2B, making Dolenc the fourth OF), Herrmann(C or LF), and Hicks at the top with their .350+ OBP capability. Romero cleanup, x, y, z, and Florimon and Beresford at the bottom. I would think that, aside from other benefits of making Mastroianni more versatile, his adding 2B to his game is about giving them the option of keeping him in the lineup when Herrmann plays in LF and Lehmann catches.

Fair enough. I didn't say they weren't valuable players. The success of that team last year, offensively at least, had way more to do with Benson, Parmelee, Herrmann, Dozier, and Solarte. I don't see this roster really filling in in the same way. Dolenc is 27 at AA. Bigley still has a shot, but this is his last one. He is puzzling. I know Herrmann will be very good, would bet a lot that Hicks is going to have a great year, and I really like James Beresford. He slugged under .300 last year at Fort Myers, though.

Did Hughes really move over to SS? Interesting. I like Lance Ray. Total breakout candidate this year.

Mark Dolenc has .678 OPS in 883 plate appearances in AA. He actually regressed last year. Evan Bigley really regressed last year and has since 2008. And Beresford's bat may not be ready for AA at all. New Britain looks likely to be substantially worse than all of the other Twins affiliates offensively.

There is definitely something going on here when the record is 20-63. The Yankees have simply not been that much better.

And amen to this. Don't get me wrong, I hope that Parmelee goes ape. And I hope that Dozier becomes a good middle infielder. But there is generally no connection between September call-ups and true performance the following year and definitely generally no connection between spring training games and the regular season.

I agree totally. Not just pitch to contact pitchers, but pitchers who give up fly balls. I haven't heard much around here other than me talking to myself about Willingham's inability to move to right field being totally ridiculous. I do wonder how this is going to play out. If this really is a no-way-Jose (Gardy!) kind of thing, or if he would still be willing to be a professional baseball player and move to right field later. If this is the case in the long term, I would rather have Revere at Rochester and trade him later in the year (assuming he does well there).

8 relievers with 4 starters. It's still 12 pitchers. Of course that is generally gratuitous, but maybe not for April. We'll see what they do after that.

A. If Waldrop wasn't hurt, Burnett wouldn't be up. B. Whoever the last reliever, he is going to be sent down when Baker or Marquis comes back. Burnett is on the 40-man roster right now so he makes sense for this temporary role.

I understand what you and Seth are saying. I would just greatly prefer prospects getting time and thus would rather have Lehmann catching most of the time at AAA, Herrmann at AA, and so on to start.

By the way, how do you construct a lineup with this roster? I am pretty skeptical of de Los Santos, Romero, and Dolenc. Bigley might be on the downward slope as well. Mastrioianni-Herrmann-Hicks-Romero-Bigley-Hanson-Colabello-Lehmann-Beresford? At least the pitching staff looks quite good.

Last year. I don't mean to be flip, but I don't understand the catching situation at all with this organization. Herrmann, Lehman, and Rohfling (Rohlfing?) have the chance to be at least above average overall. Rivera and Butera do not. At all.

Burroughs' career minors slugging is .445 and Dinkelman's is .396. Also, Burroughs walked more than he struck out in the minors, I believe. Dinkelman is nowhere near that. Dinkelman is a good guy to have at AAA for flexibility as players move up through the system. NOT for the Twins.

Hopefully 2013 is AAA/MLB for Herrmann and hopefully Oswaldo Arcia arrives at some point in 2014. Swarzak is likely a 6 and Blackburn is likely a 5.

Nice job. What you have is pretty damn accurate. Might be some more players and pitchers to add in (Kepler, Goodrum, Boyd, etc.)