Twinkie Baseball

Baseball 2010 Predictions

2010-03-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

Final standings:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

EAST
Tampa Bay Rays
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles

CENTRAL
Minnesota Twins
Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians
Kansas City Royals

WEST
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland A’s

ALDS: MIN over TB
ALDS: SEA over BOS
ALCS: MIN over SEA

CY YOUNG: Francisco Liriano
MVP: Joe Mauer
ROY: Brian Matusz

NATIONAL LEAGUE

EAST
Philadelphia Phillies
Atlanta Braves
Florida Marlins
New York Mets
Washington Nationals

CENTRAL
St. Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers
Cincinnati Reds
Pittsburgh Pirates
Houston Astros

WEST
Colorado Rockies
Arizona Diamondbacks
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Francisco Giants
San Diego Padres

MVP: Albert Pujols
CY YOUNG: Roy Halladay
ROY: Stephen Strasburg

NLDS: STL over ATL
NLDS: PHI over COL
NLCS: STL over PHI

WORLD SERIES: MIN over STL
WORLD SERIES MVP: Joe Mauer

And some Twins predictions:

HR: Morneau 34
BA: Mauer .347
RBI: Morneau 137
SB: Span 31

Worst BA: Punto .229

Wins: Liriano 21
SO: Liriano 274
ERA: Liriano 2.39
Saves: Neshek 21

Mauer and Hardy win gold gloves
Mauer, Morneau, and Liriano make the All-Star team
Valencia is the starting 3B after the all-star break
Delmon Young finally breaks out, hitting over 20 HR
Slowey and Baker receive some Cy Young votes
Mauer, Morneau, Kubel and Cuddyer hit over 30 HR
Francisco Liriano returns close to 2006 form, wins the Cy Young, and leads the league in strikeouts
Hardy bounces back, hitting over 20 HR
Crain is the closer after April, and Pat Neshek takes over in June
Prospects Wilson Ramos and Ben Revere get some playing time in September
The Twins actually have a doubleheader at home
Twins break the franchise record for attendance
Anthony Slama finally makes his debut in the Twins bullpen
The lineup leads the AL in runs scored
The Twins don't trade for a closer
Glen Perkins is traded for a B-level prospect infielder
Pitcher Kyle Gibson makes it up to AAA, positioning himself to take over Pavano's spot in the rotation in 2011
Jim Thome, pinch-hitting for Nick Punto, hits 2 walk-off home runs

Mauersota

2010-03-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

Joe Mauer signed an eight year, $184 million extension with the Minnesota Twins today. It is the fourth largest deal in MLB history, and obviously the largest in Twins’ history. Some thoughts on the huge deal:

I for one don’t think that we’ve seen the best season Mauer has to offer us. 2009 was an amazing season, but I think he can do better. This season should provide a great opportunity for Mauer to best last year. First of all, his playing time should increase by a month over last year, so his number totals such as homers, doubles, hits, etc. should increase. He also finally has a legitimate #2 hitter in front of him in Orlando Hudson. His home run power is here to stay, and I predict that he will hit over 30 homers this season.

Some are saying that Mauer likely won’t be catching in a few years. Nobody knows how his body will hold up, but if Mauer does switch positions, his offensive numbers should receive a nice boost because his body won’t be so damaged and sore from catching. Mauer’s value would diminish greatly if he played a different position other than catcher, but it would be interesting to see what kind of offensive numbers he could put up while playing a less taxing position. I still believe he has the potential to hit .400 in a season; however, it would be easier to accomplish if he wasn’t catching.

What will the Twins do with super catching prospect Wilson Ramos? When Ramos reaches the majors, could Ramos and Mauer both catch 81 games and DH 81 games? Ramos could play in the majors this year, but he will likely spend it at AAA. Ramos has had a nice spring, including a home run off Johan Santana. He would be great trade bait, but the Twins don’t like to part with their top young talent. The Twins would be crazy to trade him for a closer to replace Nathan. They definitely don’t need any more outfielders. If the Twins decide to go the trade route, hopefully they will try to trade Ramos for a stud young second baseman. The organization is so weak in the middle infield, and Hudson is signed to only a one year deal.

It looks like Twins top prospect Miguel Angel Sano will get his dream of playing with his favorite player, Mauer. Sano is only 16, but he should definitely be in the majors before Mauer’s contract expires in 2018.

Today, the ownership of the Twins made it sound like payroll will continue to increase in the next few years, even approaching $120 million. However, this doesn’t mean the Twins will be able to keep everyone. Joe Nathan and MIchael Cuddyer are among a few guys that should be gone after 2011 because they will be expensive and aging. But the Twins will have adequate replacements from their farm system. Ben Revere will be a good, young, and cheap replacement for Cuddyer, and the Twins have a lot of great young relief pitchers in the minors, including Anthony Slama, Alex Burnett, Rob Delaney, and Billy Bullock.

Did I mention that Mauer is making more money than the entire Twins team did in 1999?

Overall, this is a great day for the Minnesota Twins. They ensured that the best player in baseball, who will likely end up as the best catcher ever, will be playing for them for the next nine years. With a new ballpark, an amazing lineup, new uniforms, Liriano in ’06 form, and now Joe Mauer’s new contract, 2010 should be a great year for the Twins, and the future looks extremely bright, promising, and exciting as well.

DSL Twins Prospects: Pedro Guerra

2009-12-19T19:48:00.000-08:00

Pedro Guerra

Pitcher

Age: 19

Throws: Right

ETA: 2015

2010 outlook: GCL rotation

Pedro Guerra was born in Cagua, Venezuela in 1990. He is 6’0” and weighs 180 pounds. He pitched for the Twins Dominican Summer League team in 2008 and 2009. In 2008 he started in 14 games, and threw 84.1 innings. He had a 2.45 ERA, struck out 75, walked 12, and gave up 4 homers. So his K/9 ratio was 8.0, his BB/9 was 1.3, and his WHIP was 1.03.

He had a fantastic year in 2009. He pitched in 14 games and threw 71 innings. His win-loss was 7-0. He had an ERA of 0.38. He struck out 75 batters, and gave up 0 homers. So he had a 9.5 K/9, 1.5 BB/9, and a 0.79 WHIP. His K/BB for both years was 6.25. Those are some absolutely fantastic numbers.

Having posted two great years in the Dominican, along with the fact that he will turn 20 next month, I’d be very surprised if Guerra doesn’t play for the GCL Twins in Fort Myers, Florida. Don’t write Guerra’s name in ink for the Twins rotation in 5-6 years because he’s got a long way to go. It will be very interesting to see how he performs against tougher competition.

DSL Twins Prospects: Cesar Ciurcina

2009-12-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

Cesar Ciurcina

Pitcher

Age: 19

Throws: Right

ETA: 2015

2010 outlook: GCL rotation

Cesar Ciurcina is from Caracas, Venezuela, and he is 5’11” and weighs 192 pounds. He was a starting pitcher for the Twins Dominican Summer League team in 2008 and 2009. In 2008, he pitched in 11 games and threw 44 innings. He had a 3.68 ERA, a 3.50 K/BB ratio and a 1.227 WHIP. His BB/9 was also 2.0. He followed up a fine 2008 with a fantastic 2009. His 2009 numbers remind me of Adrian Salcedo.

In 2009, Ciurcina pitched in 15 games, and started in 13 of those. He was able to log 84 innings. During that time, he only gave up 13 earned runs (18 total), good enough for a 1.39 ERA. He also struck out 72 while only walking eight. That gives him a 7.71 SO/9 ratio with a 0.86 BB/9 ratio, a 9.00 K/BB ratio and a WHIP of 0.69, which was the league’s best.

Ciurcina will likely pitch in America for the GCL Twins next year. I see him as next year’s Adrian Salcedo.

DSL Twins Prospects: Wander Guillen

2009-12-10T23:01:00.000-08:00

Wander Guillen

Third Base

Age: 17

Bats: Right

ETA: 2016

Potential: Solid third baseman

2010 outlook: GCL Twins infield

Wander Guillen played for the Twins Dominican Summer League team this year. I didn’t include any DSL Twins in my top 50 prospects because the Twins Dominican academy is so far removed from Target Field. It is just really difficult to predict how the players there will perform in the other minor league levels, and if they will ever even reach the big leagues. I know my rankings included players like Jean, Kepler, Polanco, and Gibson who haven’t even played in the minors yet, but I had to draw the line somewhere. However, I still feel that there are a few players that were on the DSL Twins that are worthy of mention. I’ll start with Guillen.

Guillen is 5’11” and weighs 170 pounds. He still has time to grow bigger as he just turned 17 this August. Guillen could have played more had he started to play before the July 2nd international signing date. Guillen played in 31 games, and had 110 at-bats. In those 110 at-bats, he hit one homer, one triple, and three doubles. He walked 19 times compared to 23 strikeouts. He stole two bases. His triple slash line was .336/.443/.409. He had the team’s top batting average, and tied as the team leader of on-base percentage. Again it is hard to judge a 17 year old on 110 at-bats at such a low level.

I expect to see Guillen in the GCL Twins’ infield next season. That might end up being the Twins’ most interesting minor league infield in 2010 with Miguel Jean, Jorge Polanco, and Wander Guillen all playing there.

Other Twins prospects of note: Estarlin De Los Santos

2009-12-07T18:18:00.001-08:00

Estarlin De Los Santos

Shortstop

Age: 22

ETA: 2012

Potential: Backup infielder

2010 outlook: New Britain shortstop

The Twins organization surprised many when they placed Estarlin De Los Santos on the 40 man roster recently. The move was unexpected because De Los Santos has not stayed healthy over the past two years, and has not posted good numbers. In 2008, he only played in 66 games at low-A ball and this year he played in only 70 games, and he's never really put together a great season.

The Twins obviously see something in De Los Santos that they like, and they apparently thought he could be selected in the Rule V draft. I doubt he would have been drafted, and even if he was selected, I don't see how a team could stash him on a big league roster for a whole year.

Here are some positives about De Los Santos. I've heard he has a good glove. The Baseball Cube rates his speed as a 95 out of 100. He did have 7 triples in 262 at-bats this year. For those wondering, his triple slash line was .290/.330/.397 at Fort Myers. Nothing spectacular.

To me, it seems like having the Dominican De Los Santos on the 40 man roster is a waste of a roster space. Trevor Plouffe is a level or two higher than him and has more potential than De Los Santos. Plus the Twins just traded for JJ Hardy, who hopefully will ably man the shortstop position for a few years. And a few levels behind De Los Santos are Jorge Polanco and Miguel Jean. So it will be interesting to see how Estarlin performs this season, but maybe he will show us why the Twins believe in him.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #1 Miguel Sano

2009-11-30T15:01:00.000-08:00

1. Miguel Sano

Shortstop

Age: 16

ETA: 2014

Potential: Superstar, middle-of-the-order bat, gold glove

2010 outlook: GCL Twins infield

Miguel Sano was signed by the Twins this September in the Dominican Republic. Sano was considered to be the best international prospect this year, and one of the best bats to ever come out of the Dominican Republic. The Twins gave him 3.15 million dollars for signing, the second-highest figure ever given to a Latin American prospect, and easily the most the Twins have ever spent on an international player.

Sano is 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, and he will surely get bigger, so it remains to be seen if he will stay at shortstop or be moved to a different position. His bat and his defense are said to be amazing. Some people have already compared him to superstars like Hanley Ramirez or A-Rod, or Miguel Cabrera. The Twins are very lucky to have signed this young Dominican and while the majors are a long ways away, the sky is the limit for Miguel Sano.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #2 Aaron Hicks

2009-11-30T07:33:00.001-08:00

2. Aaron Hicks

Outfielder

Bats: Switch

ETA: 2013

Potential: Superstar OF, middle-of-the-order bat, gold glove

2010 outlook: Fort Myers outfield

Aaron Hicks was the Twins first round pick in the 2008 draft. He had a great year at rookie ball in ’08. In 173 at-bats he had 10 doubles, 4 triples, and 4 homers, to go along with 12 stolen bases and a .318/.409/.491 triple slash line. He had 28 walks compared to 32 strikeouts.

He spend some time in extended spring training this year, and then he joined class low A Beloit. He struggled a little, but he hit .251/.353/.382, with 4 homers, 3 triples, and 15 doubles. He did steal 10 bases, and he walked 40 times compared to 55 strikeouts. But he is still a little raw.

Hicks will be a 5-tool player. He plays great defense due to his considerable speed, and his powerful arm. It should be noted that teams wanted to draft Hicks to be a pitcher because of his high-90’s fastball. He is already showing considerable patience and a good batting eye at the plate. His power isn’t bad either, and will only get better.

Hicks should be in the Twins outfield in 3 or 4 years, and when he gets there, he should be batting in the middle of the order with 30-35 homer power to go along with lots of stolen bases, a great batting eye, and gold glove defense.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #3 Kyle Gibson

2009-11-28T10:51:00.001-08:00

3. Kyle Gibson

Starting Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 22

ETA: 2011

Potential: #1/2 starter

2010 outlook: Will start at class A Fort Myers, but will fly through the system

Kyle Gibson was the Twins first round pick in the 2009 draft. He was expected to be one of the first 5 players drafted, but a minor injury scared many teams away. So the Twins got the steal of the draft and quickly snatched up Gibson. He pitched at the University of Missouri for three years. His last year there, he threw 107 innings and struck out 131, while walking only 19. He had a WHIP of 1.07. Those are outstanding numbers. He didn’t pitch in the minors this season because he was finishing recovering from an injury.

The Baseball Cube rates his control as an 84, his K-rating as a 90, his efficiency as an 89, and his vsPower as a 93. So you can see that he is amazing all-around. He’s listed at 6 feet 6 inches, 208 lbs., so he’s got a great pitcher’s body.

When the Twins signed Gibson, most thought that he instantly became the top Twins pitching prospect. The Twins have said that Gibson will start pitching at class A Fort Myers next season. He should move quickly through the upper three levels of the minors, and while I wouldn’t expect to see him in 2010, he should be there shortly thereafter.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #4 David Bromberg

2009-11-28T06:36:00.000-08:00

4. David Bromberg

Starting Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 22

ETA: 2011

Potential: #1/2 starter

2010 outlook: Class AA New Britain, could be promoted to class AAA Rochester

David Bromberg was the Twins 32nd round pick in the 2005 draft. Bromberg led all of the minors with 177 strikeouts in 2008, while posting a 4.44 ERA. This year he led the league in strikeouts with 148 in 153 inning. He was also named the Twins minor league pitcher of the year. His ERA was great, fourth best in the league, at 2.70.

It’s a lot easier to have success in the big leagues if you can strikeout a lot of batters, and Bromberg has shown that he can do that, posting a 9.5 K/9 strikeout rate in the minors. 2010 should be his last full year in the minors, and sometime during the 2nd half of 2011 he should get called up to Minnesota, where I expect him to become one of the best 2 or 3 pitchers in the rotation.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #5 Danny Valencia

2009-11-27T11:47:00.000-08:00

5. Danny Valencia

Third Base

Bats: Right

Age: 25

ETA: 2010

Potential: Above average third baseman

2010 outlook: Minnesota Twins 3B (starting in June)

Danny Valencia was the Twins 19th round draft pick in 2006. He’s posted solid numbers throughout his minor league career. In 2007 he had 17 homers and 23 doubles, in 2008 he had 15 homers and 37 doubles. This year he played at AA and AAA. He hit 14 homers, 38 doubles, and 4 triples. His triple slash was .285/.337/.466. In 487 at-bats, he struck out 77 times and walked 39 times. He only walked 8 times at AAA, so hopefully that is just an anomaly.

Valencia tore it up at AAA when he first arrived there this year, hitting .360/.372/.573 in his first 19 games, but he cooled off considerably at the end of the season. He should arrive in the big leagues sometime in 2010, but the big question is when. It doesn’t look like he will be the starting 3B on opening day, but he should get a shot shortly thereafter. Valencia should be the Twins best Twins 3B since Koskie patrolled the hot corner. I think in the coming years, Valencia will provide above average defense, have a triple slash line of .290/.345/.470, while knocking in 15-25 homers a year.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #6 Angel Morales

2009-11-26T09:10:00.001-08:00

6. Angel Morales

Outfielder

Bats: Right

Age: 20

ETA: 2012

Potential: OF with great speed/power combo

2010 outlook: Fort Myers outfield

Angel Morales was the Twins 3rd round pick in the 2007 draft. Morales is from Puerto Rico. He had a fantastic 2008 year at rookie ball. As a 18 year old, in just 183 at-bats he hit 15 homers and 12 doubles, to go along with 7 steals and a .301/.413/.623 triple slash line. This year he started off sluggishly at Beloit, but he had a great second half. Overall, in 376 at-bats he hit 13 homers, 22 doubles, 5 triples, 19 steals, and a .266/.329/.455 triple slash line. He was only 19 years old.

Morales has a lot of power, and good speed. He could be a 30 HR/30 SB type outfielder. The biggest weakness is his strikeout rate. He did strikeout 104 times in 406 at-bats. He has as much raw potential as anyone in the system, enough to become a star.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #7 Wilson Ramos

2009-11-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

7. Wilson Ramos

Catcher

Bats: Right

Age: 22

ETA: 2011

Potential: Big league catcher

2010 outlook: Rochester starting catcher/DH

Wilson Ramos signed with the Twins in 2004, in Venezuela. Ramos has a great bat for a catcher. In 2008, he hit 13 homers and 23 doubles in 452 at-bats to go along with a .288/.346/.434 slash line. This year he was hit hard by injuries and so he only played in 54 games at New Britain. But he did hit 4 homers and 16 doubles along with a .317/.341/.454 slash line. He also plays outstanding defense.

Ramos is obviously blocked by Joe Mauer from being the Twins starting catcher. But he could be the backup catcher and DH when he isn’t catching. Many speculate the Twins will try to trade him. He is currently playing winter ball for Venezuela and he is tearing it up. In 115 at-bats he has 10 doubles, 6 homers, 30 RBI’s, and a .374/.434/.635 slash line. He’s definitely a valuable player to have in the system.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #8 Ben Revere

2009-11-25T19:06:00.001-08:00

8. Ben Revere

Outfielder

Bats: Left

Age: 21

ETA: 2011

Potential: #2 hitter

2010 outlook: New Britain outfield

Ben Revere was the Twins 1st round pick in the 2007 draft. He’s posted some of the best numbers of any Twins prospect since that time. In 2007 he hit .325/.388/.461 in 191 at-bats with 21 stolen bases for the GCL Twins.

In 2008, Revere led the entire minors (!) in hitting with a batting average of .379. Many though he would finish above .400. Overall in 2008, he hit .379/.433/.497 with 44 stolen bases, 17 doubles, and 10 triples in 340 at-bats for class low A Beloit.

This year at class A Fort Myers he hit .311/.372/.369. He had more walks (40) than strikeouts (34) in 466 at-bats. He also stole 45 bases. In 2008 and 2009 Revere was named the Twins minor league hitter of the year. One thing to notice is the lack of power. He only has 3 homers in 997 minor league at-bats. That is the main reason why he isn’t higher on this list. The Twins also have a couple of outfielders that are as just as good if not better than Revere. And I’ve heard is defense is suspect. But Revere should arrive in 2011, and he looks to be an ideal #1 or #2 hitter, who gets on-base at a great clip and can steal 45-50 bases a year.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #9 Deolis Guerra

2009-11-25T19:05:00.001-08:00

9. Deolis Guerra

Starting Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 20

ETA: 2011

Potential: #1/2 starter

2010 outlook: Class AA New Britain, could be promoted to class AAA Rochester

Deolis Guerra is the only player remaining in the organization that the Twins received in the Johan Santana trade. When he was in the Mets system, they rushed him through the system. They had him pitching in high A ball as an 18 year old. Then he was traded to the Twins and he was stuck at that level until half way through this year, when the Twins moved him up to AA New Britain.

His numbers in 2008 weren’t great because the Twins were changing his mechanics. He is showing signs of big improvement however. His walk rate has gone down from 4.9 to 2.5 BB/9 and his strikeout rate has jumped from 4.9 to 5.9 to 7 K/9. Two reasons to believe in Guerra are that he is still very young for the level he’s playing at, and his numbers and rates are getting better every year.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #10 Rene Tosoni

2009-11-25T14:00:00.001-08:00

10. Rene Tosoni

Outfielder

Bats: Left

Age: 23

ETA: 2010

Potential: Big league outfielder

2010 outlook: Rochester outfield

Rene Tosoni was the Twins 36th round draft pick in the 2005 draft. He had a good 2008 at Fort Myers where he hit .300/.408/.414. He followed that up this year with a .271/.360/.454 slash line in 425 at-bats. He hit 15 homers, 25 doubles, and 4 triples to go along with 8 steals. He crushes right-handed pitching.

He’s not too far away from being in the big leagues. People think that if Delmon Young has a poor season next year that he should be traded and Tosoni should take over in left field. He was also named the MVP of the Futures Game this year in July and he also was invited to play in the Arizona Fall League this autumn.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #11 Adrian Salcedo

2009-11-25T13:59:00.001-08:00

11. Adrian Salcedo

Starting Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 18

ETA: 2014

Potential: #1/2 starter

2010 outlook: Class low A Beloit starting rotation

Adrian Salcedo was signed by the Twins in 2007 in the Dominican Republic. He came to America this year and pitched for the GCL Twins, where he was dominant. In 10 games, and 62 innings, Salcedo had a 1.46 ERA with a 8.5 strikeout rate, and a 1.01 WHIP.

Salcedo has superb control. He walked only three batters. His strikeout rate is good as well. Salcedo is the 4th highest rated pitcher in these rankings. Like Hermsen, he also has a long way to go until he reaches the majors, but it will be fun watching them climb the organizational ladder together.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #12 BJ Hermsen

2009-11-25T13:58:00.000-08:00

12. BJ Hermsen

Starting Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 19

ETA: 2014

Potential: #1/2 starter

2010 outlook: Class low A Beloit starting rotation

BJ Hermsen was taken in the 6th round of the 2008 draft. Many thought he was going to fulfill his commitment to go play for Oregon State, but he surprised many by signing with the Twins for $650,000. Hermsen is a great athlete, as many colleges recruited him in baseball, basketball, and football.

He started off his minor league career for the GCL Twins, and he was lights out. He pitched 60 innings in 11 games, and he had a 1.19 ERA, a 6.4 K/9 ratio and a 0.68 WHIP. The only thing to complain about in those number is the strikeout rate. I’d like to see that go up, and if it does, he could be an ace in the big leagues. But again, it’s a long road from the rookie league to the majors for a pitcher.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #13 Chris Parmalee

2009-11-25T06:37:00.000-08:00

13. Chris Parmalee

Right Fielder/First Base/DH

Bats: Left

Age: 21

ETA: 2012

Potential: Big league bat, Adam Dunn type

2010 outlook: New Britain

Chris Parmalee was the Twins 1st round pick in 2006. He is one of the Twins more intriguing prospects. He had a nice 2008 season at low A Beloit, but he only played in 69 games due to injury. This year he played for class A Fort Myers. In 422 at-bats, he hit 16 homers (2nd most in the league), 27 doubles, walked 65 times, struck out 109 times, and his triple slash line was .258/.359/.441. He is similar to Adam Dunn, because most of his at-bats will end in a homer, walk, or strikeout, and he is poor on defense.

Parmalee has 30-35 home run power, which is something most Twins hitting prospects don’t have. He is one of the Twins best power bats, but his defense is a big liability. So he will probably end up being a DH. But he could also be a backup corner outfielder and first baseman.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #14 Joe Benson

2009-11-25T06:35:00.000-08:00

14. Joe Benson

Outfielder

Bats: Right

Age: 21

ETA: 2013

Potential: Above average big league OF

2010 outlook: New Britain outfield

Joe Benson was taken by the Twins in the 2nd round of the 2006 MLB draft. He had been stuck at class low A Beloit the past two years, and his numbers weren’t amazing. This year, the Twins finally moved him up to high A Fort Myers and he did much better. He hit .285/.414/.403. I love the on-base percentage of .414. He also had 14 steals.

Some of his numbers like homers and doubles would have been higher, but he only played in 80 games, because he broke his hand (by punching a wall). He had 46 walks to 74 strikeouts. People say Benson is a 5-tool prospect. Next season if he can stay healthy and play like he did this year, Benson would likely be in the Twins top 10 prospects.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #15 Max Kepler

2009-11-24T22:52:00.001-08:00

15. Max Kepler-Rozycki

Outfielder

Age: 16

ETA: 2016

Potential: Tough to say!

2010 outlook: GCL Twins outfield

Max Kepler was signed by the Twins this July for $800,000. He broke the signing bonus record for a European baseball player. People say Kepler is the toolsiest kid to ever come out of Europe. That sounds huge, but then you think about the lack of European baseball players. So it’s tough to know where to place Kepler. In two or three years he could unquestionably be considered the #1 Twins prospect, or he could fall off the map. He is finishing up high school in Florida right now. He will start playing in the minors for the rookie Gulf Coast League Twins in 2010.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #16 Danny Rams

2009-11-24T22:51:00.001-08:00

16. Danny Rams

Catcher/Designated Hitter/First Baseman

Bats: Right

Age: 20

ETA: 2013

Potential: Starting DH/Backup catcher

2010 outlook: C/1B/DH at class A Fort Myers

Danny Rams was the Twins 2nd round draft pick in 2007. He flashed some power in 2008, but the problem was he had 71 strikeouts in 149 at-bats. This year his bat showed some great potential. He started at Elizabethton. He had 62 at-bats where he hit 5 homers, 3 triples, 8 doubles, and his triple slash line was .355/.444/.790. He also struck out 22 times. After demolishing the pitching at the rookie level, he was promoted to class low A Beloit. In 175 at-bats, he had 7 homers, 14 doubles, hit .229/.308/.429, and struck out 77 times.

I love “Bam-Bam-Rams” bat, but he’s got to cut down on the strikeouts. When he makes contact with the ball, his power is amazing. Rams’ bat has some of the highest potential of any Twins prospect, but he definitely needs to cut down on the strikeouts if he wants to make it to the big leagues.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #17 Carlos Gutierrez

2009-11-24T17:58:00.001-08:00

17. Carlos Gutierrez

Starting Pitcher/Reliever

Throws: Right

Age: 22

ETA: 2011

Potential: #2/3 starter or dominant bullpen arm

2010 outlook: New Britain rotation, possible midseason call-up to Rochester

Carlos Gutierrez was a first round pick in last year’s draft by the Twins. This year he was very solid. He pitched in 33 games, and made 16 starts between class A and AA ball. Combined he had a 3.70 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 107 innings pitched. Batters hit .248 off of him. His numbers at Fort Myers were much better than those at New Britain. At Fort Myers his ERA was just 1.32, and opponents hit just .192. His ERA ballooned to 6.19 at AA. I think he had a tired arm, because he spent most of the rest of the year in the bullpen at AA. I’m not sure if he will start or be a bullpen pitcher.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #18 Tyler Robertson

2009-11-24T07:54:00.001-08:00

18. Tyler Robertson

Starting Pitcher

Throws: Left

Age: 21

ETA: 2012

Potential: #2/3 starter

2010 outlook: New Britain rotation

The Twins picked Robertson out of high school in the 3rd round of the 2006 draft. In 2007, Tyler Robertson had a 2.29 ERA in 102 innings with a 10.8 strikeout per 9 innings ratio. In 2008, he had a 2.72 ERA in 82 innings with a 7.9 K/9 ratio. And he followed that up this year at class A Fort Myers with a 3.33 ERA in 143 innings and a 6.5 K/9 ratio, with lefties hitting just .197 off of him. He’s one of the few high quality lefty starters in the system. Left handed starting pitching is probably the weakest area in the Twins system as of right now. His control could be improved on and his strikeout ratio is dropping a little too fast as he advances through the system, but there is still a lot of promise in Robertson.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #19 Jorge Polanco

2009-11-23T22:22:00.000-08:00

19. Jorge Polanco

Shortstop

Throws: Right

Age: 16

ETA: 2016

Potential: Who knows?!

2010 outlook: GCL Twins infield

Jorge Polanco is one of the prospects that I am most interested in. Polanco was signed by the Twins this July in the Dominican Republic, and was given a $750k signing bonus. It is hard to find much information on Polanco, but he was frequently ranked in the top 20-25 Latin American prospects. He hasn’t received as much attention as other big names who joined the Twins system this year like Sano, Gibson, and Kepler. Many will feel that he is ranked too highly at #19, and some might not even have him in their own top 50. But the Twins don’t just hand out $750k to young Latin prospects.

Joe Mauer is the AL MVP

2009-11-23T14:52:00.000-08:00

This year Mauer won the batting title, gold glove, silver slugger, and now AL MVP!

It will be fun to have two MVP's batting in the heart of our lineup next year.

Congrats Joe.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #20 Luke Hughes

2009-11-20T16:42:00.000-08:00

20. Luke Hughes

Third Baseman

Bats: Right

Age: 25

ETA: 2010

Potential: Super utility bench bat

2010 outlook: Rochester

Hughes had a breakout year in 2008. He had 18 homers and 22 doubles in 99 games. This year he hit .254/.335/.448 with 12 homers. His bat is solid, and he can hit for power. He is not very good defensively though. He has played shortstop, second base, third base, and in the outfield so he does have some variety. I don’t know if his glove is good enough to be an everyday player, but his pop in his bat gives him value, and I could see him sticking as a good bat on the bench and a guy who fills in at various positions a couple of times a week.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #21 Jeff Manship

2009-11-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

21. Jeff Manship

Starting Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 24

ETA: 2009

Potential: #4 starter

2010 outlook: Rochester rotation

This name should look familiar to Twins fans. Manship was the Twins #5 starter during the stretch run this year. He obviously needs a little more seasoning before he can be a solid contributor at the big league level, but we were able to see glimpses of his potential. He started the year at AA New Britain, and put up mediocre numbers. But his numbers at AAA Rochester were much better. He had a 3.22 ERA in 50 innings, to go along with 30 strikeouts and 17 walks. He certainly won’t be an ace but Manship could develop into a nice back of the rotation starter.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #22 Alex Burnett

2009-11-19T08:18:00.001-08:00

22. Alex Burnett

Relief Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 22

ETA: 2011

Potential: Dominant 8th inning bullpen pitcher

2010 outlook: Rochester bullpen

Alex Burnett was a starter prior to this year, when he got moved permanently to the bullpen. He had a fantastic year, and is generally regarded as the top bullpen prospect arm that the Twins have. This year he pitched at Fort Myers and New Britain. He had a 1.85 ERA in 78 innings, and opposing batters hit just .185 off of him. He also had 78 strikeouts and walked 26. Burnett and Slama lead a solid group of bullpen arms that the Twins have in the minors.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #23 Anthony Slama

2009-11-19T08:17:00.001-08:00

23. Anthony Slama

Relief Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 25

ETA: 2010

Potential: Above average late innings relief pitcher

2010 outlook: Class AAA Rochester closer until he is called up by the Twins

Slama is the second highest rated relief pitcher in these rankings of the Twins minor league system. He has been dominant in the minor leagues, leading many to wonder why he has been moving along so slowly in the system. In 2008 he was named the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He had a 1.01 ERA, and 110 strikeouts in 71 innings. That is 13.9 strikeouts per 9 innings!! He also gave up zero homers, just 43 hits, and 24 walks.

This year he split time at AA and AAA. At New Britain, he had a 2.48 ERA, and 93 strikeouts in 65 innings. At AAA he only pitched 15 innings and he had a 3.45 ERA and 19 strikeouts. He did give up 5 runs in one game that ran up his ERA at AAA. I’ve heard he has a funky delivery that throws off hitters. The Twins obviously don’t think he’s quite major league ready or else he would have advanced through the different levels of the minors faster and been promoted already. It really is a bit baffling, because he’s not really young, so there’s no reason to have taken it so slowly with him. You can’t argue with the numbers though.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #24 Trevor Plouffe

2009-11-19T08:16:00.000-08:00

24. Trevor Plouffe

Shortstop

Bats: Right

Age: 23

ETA: 2011

Potential: Slightly below average starting shortstop

2010 outlook: Rochester Red Wings starting shortstop

Trevor Plouffe was the Twins #1 draft pick in 2004. He’s never posted spectacular numbers at any level, but people have always argued that he’s always been young for the level of play. This year at AAA Rochester he hit 10 homers, 23 doubles, and 5 triples. He drew 34 walks and struck out 68 times. His triple slash line was .260/.313/.407. He does play decent defense. You don’t expect huge offensive numbers from your shortstop, so if Plouffe can play the position well defensively, he should be a semi-decent shortstop in the bigs. He is now blocked by the Twins newly acquired shortstop JJ Hardy. He could be the backup, but that role is blocked by Punto and Tolbert.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #25 Blayne Weller

2009-11-18T07:33:00.000-08:00

25. Blayne Weller

Starting Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 19

ETA: 2014

Potential: #3 or #4 type starter

2010 outlook: Starter for Elizabethton

Blayne Weller was the Twins 14th round draft pick in 2008. He had a great year pitching for the rookie GCL Twins. He had a 1.58 ERA in 57 innings. He struck out 49, and walked just 8 while giving up 46 hits. He was on a great pitching team. We already talked about Andrei Lobanov, their closer. He the #3 starter behind two aces who rank much higher on the prospect list.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #26 Steve Singleton

2009-11-18T07:32:00.000-08:00

26. Steve Singleton

Second Baseman

Bats: Right

Age: 24

ETA: 2011

Potential: Average big league second baseman

2010 outlook: Second baseman for class AA New Britain, with midseason promotion to AAA

Singleton had a nice year. He split time at Fort Myers and New Britain this year. At Fort Myers he had 5 homers, 15 doubles, and 5 triples. He also drew 23 walks and struck out just 26 times in 297 at-bats. He got promoted to New Britain, where he had a homer, 11 doubles, 3 triples, and 7 walks. He’s another guy in the middle infield logjam the Twins have, but probably one of the better ones.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #27 Josmil Pinto

2009-11-18T07:31:00.000-08:00

27. Josmil Pinto

Designated Hitter/Catcher

Bats: Right

Age: 20

ETA: 2014

Potential: Third string catcher, good bench bat

2010 outlook: Beloit DH

Josmil Pinto had a great year hitting .332/.387/.610 with 13 homers, 14 doubles, and 2 triples in just 205 at-bats in rookie ball. He has above average power, that is for sure. He also drew 19 walks and had 39 strikeouts. I really like his bat, but he doesn’t have much of a defensive catcher as he is primarily a DH. That, combined with the fact that he posted those numbers in rookie ball has me a little hesitant to put him any higher, but it will be interesting to see how he does at a higher level this next year.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #28 Rob Delaney

2009-11-17T17:27:00.001-08:00

28. Rob Delaney

Relief pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 25

ETA: 2010

Potential: 7th inning bullpen pitcher

2010 outlook: Spend time with class AAA Rochester and with the Twins

Here’s a guy who is fairly close to the big leagues. Rob Delaney has had a great minor league career. In 4 seasons in the minors he’s had a 2.41 ERA, 263 strikeouts in 257 innings, and just 49 walks. He’s got the potential to be a decent middle inning bullpen guy. He has a good enough strikeout rate and control to survive in the bigs, but there are still a couple of guys in the Twins minors who rate as better bullpen arms.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #29 Tom Stuifbergen

2009-11-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

29. Tom Stuifbergen

Starting pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 21

ETA: 2013

Potential: #3 starter.

2010 outlook: Beloit rotation

Tom Stuifbergen had an incredible start to his season this year. Stuifbergen is from the Netherlands, and so naturally he played for their team in the World Baseball Classic this year. You might remember that the Netherlands were the surprise team this year. He pitched against the heavily favored Dominican team, and he threw four scoreless innings! Stuifbergen also had a good year at rookie ball in Elizabethton this year. He had a 3.28 ERA and he struck out 69 in 79.2 innings, with just six walks. The Baseball Cube rates his control as being a 99. He’s someone to keep an eye on.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #30 David Winfree

2009-11-17T17:25:00.000-08:00

30. David Winfree

Corner Outfielder

Bats: Right

Age: 24

ETA: 2010

Potential: #4 outfielder. Good bench bat.

2010 outlook: Rochester outfield

The Twins selected David Winfree in the 13th round of the 2003 draft out of Virginia Beach high school. He used to play third base, but he got moved to the outfield, where he is not a very good defender. At AAA last year he had 14 homers, 31 doubles, 3 triples, 28 walks, and 88 strikeouts in 422 at-bats. He doesn’t have a very good on-base percentage with .317, but his slugging percentage was .460. I doubt he would be a starter in the majors with poor defense and on-base percentage. But he does have some power in that bat, so he could make it as a backup outfielder who is a decent pinch-hitter.

New Twins uniforms

2009-11-16T18:06:00.000-08:00

The Twins unveiled some new uniforms today. They have a new road uniform and a new alternate home jersey. They also made minor tweaks to the main home uniform's. I like them a lot! The alternate home uniform comes from the 1962 Twins. And the road uniform is a big improvement. You can see some images here.

The new alternate home uniform, followed by the new away uniform:

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #31 Mike McCardell

2009-11-16T17:34:00.000-08:00

31. Mike McCardell

Starting Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 24

ETA: 2011

Potential: #4/5 starter

2010 outlook: Starter at New Britain and later Rochester

Here’s what TheBaseballCube.com says about McCardell in their scouting report: Control = 91. K-Rating = 80. Efficiency = 86. vsPower = 34. McCardell had a nice season at A and AA ball this year. Opponents hit just .247 off of him at AA this year. He walked just 32 in 142 innings this year. He should reach AAA ball this year.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #32 Steve Tolleson

2009-11-16T17:28:00.001-08:00

32. Steve Tolleson

Second Baseman

Bats: Right

Age: 26

ETA: 2010

Potential: Second baseman with good bat, poor glove

2010 outlook: Second baseman for class AAA Rochester

Steve Tolleson is known for his bat more so than his glove. This year he hit 27 doubles, 3 triples, and 8 homers in 129 games. He also stole 13 bases. The biggest problem is his glove. He probably could hit well enough to play an infield position in the big leagues but I’m sure Gardy would not play him much due to his bad fielding. He is also already 26 years old. He’s a decent guy to have around as a AAA backup/injury plan. But the Twins have a lot of infielders at the high levels with Tolleson/Dinkleman/Plouffe/Casilla/Tolbert/Punto/Harris.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #33 Oswaldo Arcia

2009-11-16T17:18:00.000-08:00

33. Oswaldo Arcia

Outfielder

Bats: Switch

Age: 18

ETA: 2015

Potential: 4th outfielder

2010 outlook: Outfielder for Elizabethton (rookie ball)

Oswaldo Arcia was signed by the Twins in 2007. Arcia hails from the Dominican Republic. This was his first year playing in the Twins organization and he did alright. He hit .275/.337/.792. He also stole 8 bases. He did that in 167 at-bats for the GCL Twins. He’s not someone I’m going to pencil in to the future Twins lineup as of now, but he is someone to keep an eye on. A big problem is the logjam of outfielders the Twins have and the fact that Arcia is on the wrong end of that jam both talent-wise and age-wise.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #34 Brian Dinkleman

2009-11-16T17:17:00.001-08:00

34. Brian Dinkleman

Second Baseman/ Left Fielder

Bats: Right

Age: 26

ETA: 2010

Potential: Decent middle infield bench bat

2010 outlook: Rochester 2B/LF

Dinkleman had a great year at class AA New Britain. He hit .296/.383/.440. He had 8 homers, 2 triples, and 38 doubles. 48 extra base hits is not too shabby. I like Dinkelman a lot, but the main problem is his age. If he was 23, I’d have him in the top 15. He still could be a productive big league second baseman, but the Twins have a lot of middle infield options like DInkleman, and they might go sign a big 2B free agent this year anyways.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #35 Billy Bullock

2009-11-14T16:21:00.001-08:00

35. Billy Bullock

Starting Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 21

ETA: 2011

Potential: Late inning bullpen pitcher

2010 outlook: A Fort Myers closer

Billy Bullock was the Florida Gator’s closer in college. He was drafted in the second round of this year’s draft by the Twins. He was one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the draft, reaching up in the high 90’s. He pitched a little in the Twins minor leagues this year after the draft in low-A Beloit. He had a 2.73 ERA with 8 saves and 35 strikeouts in 26 innings. He also gave up 12 walks, but no homers. I like Bullock a lot and he should move up the system quickly, being one of the best bullpen arms they have.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #36 Steve Hirschfeld

2009-11-14T16:16:00.000-08:00

36. Steve Hirschfeld

Starting Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 24

ETA: 2011

Potential: #5 starter

2010 outlook: AA New Britain starting pitcher

Steve Hirschfeld was born in Moab, Utah. He played baseball for Grand County High School. He was selected in the 9th round of the 2007 MLB draft. In 2008 at low-A Beloit, he had a 3.30 ERA in 31 games, including 16 starts. This year for class A Fort Myers he had a 2.23 ERA in 32 games including 17 starts. He struck out 86 in 117 innings and walked 31. He could strike out more, but his walk rate is fine. He had a great year, and was one of the leagues best pitchers. He had a great season. Hirschfeld got invited to play in the Arizona Fall League and is currently playing there.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #37 Ben Tootle

2009-11-13T17:41:00.001-08:00

37. Ben Tootle

Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 21

ETA: 2013

Potential: Hard throwing bullpen arm

The Twins drafted Ben Tootle in this year’s draft in the 3rd round. Tootle went to college at Jacksonville State. Tootle was supposedly one of the hardest throwers in this years draft and the Twins were glad that they were able to snatch him up. He only pitched 6 innings this year for the Twins in the minors. Again, hard to put Tootle high on this list but he was part of a highly regarded group of four pitchers that the Twins drafted in the first three rounds of this year’s draft.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #38 Matt Bashore

2009-11-13T17:24:00.000-08:00

38. Matt Bashore

Pitcher

Throws: Left

Age: 21

ETA: 2013

Potential: #4-5 starter

Matt Bashore was selected in this year’s draft as the 46th overall pick in the first round by the Twins. He pitched three years for Indiana University. He only pitched two innings this season for the Twins in the minor leagues. I haven’t heard much about Bashore since he signed with the Twins. It’s hard to not put Bahore on this list since he was taken in the supplemental part of the first round of the draft, but in order to move up the list he will have to stay healthy. I’ve heard he’s not much of a strikeout pitcher, but he is a welcome addition to the weakest part of the Twins organization (left handed pitching).

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #39 Andrei Lobanov

2009-11-13T17:16:00.001-08:00

39. Andrei Lobanov

Reliever

Throws: Left

Age: 19

ETA: 2014

Potential: Good lefty bullpen arm

2010 outlook: Elizabethton (Rookie) closer

Andrei Lobanov came into the Twins organization in 2007 from Moscow, Russia. Lobanov is one of my favorite Twins prospects, but I’m not sure why. Maybe because there’s not many Russian baseball players on top of the fact that Lobanov’s numbers have been sparkling so far. In 2008 he had a 5-1 K/BB ratio and posted a 3.51 ERA. This year he was even better. He had a 0.82 ERA to go along with a 35-1 K/BB ratio in 22 innings. He also had a 0.68 WHIP. Granted, this was in the GCL rookie league, and he hasn’t thrown many innings, so he’s far from a sure thing, but he couldn’t have been much better as the GCL Twins’ closer this past season. Lobanov could be much higher on this list in the coming years. He’s someone to keep an eye on, but you should never hold your breath for a 19 year old relief pitcher in the lower levels of the minors.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #40 Santos Arias

2009-11-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

40. Santos Arias

Starter/Reliever

Throws: Right

Age: 22

ETA: 2012

Potential: Solid long relief pitcher/spot starter

2010 outlook: Pitcher for AA New Britain

Santos Arias was signed by the Twins in 2005. Arias is from the Dominican Republic. He had a nice year. He pitched in the bullpen and the rotation for A Fort Myers Miracle. He pitched 49 innings in the bullpen and had a 2.39 ERA, and he had 9 starts in the rotation and had a 1.92 ERA. Combined he threw 101 innings with 72 strikeouts. It will be interesting to see what the Twins think his final role should be, starter or reliever.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #41 Brian Dozier

2009-11-12T08:10:00.000-08:00

41. Brian Dozier

Shortstop

Age: 22

ETA: 2013

Potential: Starting shortstop

2010 outlook: Starting shortstop in low A

Brian Dozier was taken in the 8th round of this year’s draft. He played college ball at the University of Southern Mississippi. He had a great season in rookie ball at Elizabethton where he hit .353/.417/.431. He also had 17 doubles. I’ve heard Dozier plays great defense as well. He doesn’t have anyone blocking him in the next couple of levels, but he does now have two big names behind him on the depth chart in Jorge Polanco and Miguel Angel Sano. Dozier will have to impress big time if he wants to be the Twins starting shortstop over those two prospects. He does have the advantage of playing in college for four years so hopefully he won't be stuck in the lower levels of the minors for long.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #42 Deibinson Romero

2009-11-11T16:08:00.000-08:00

42. Deibinson Romero

Third Base

Age: 23

ETA: 2012

Potential: Backup 3B

2010 outlook: AA New Britain Third Baseman

Deibinson Romero was signed in 2004 from the Dominican Republic by the Twins. He is on the 40 man roster, but he might get dropped from it to make room for a better player. He hit .225/.311/.319 at Fort Myers this year. He has suffered a lot of injuries but the Twins apparently thinks he has some potential if they put him on the 40 man roster. If he stays on it, he needs to have a good year or else he’s likely a goner.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #43 Chris Hermann

2009-11-10T08:02:00.000-08:00

43. Chris Hermann

Outfield/Catcher

Age: 22

ETA: 2014

Potential: Versatile backup

2010 outlook: Beloit catcher/outfielder

Herman was drafted this year in the 6th round. He played college ball for Miami. He has a decent bat, he hit .297/.391/.453 in Elizabethton this year. He played as an outfielder and he can also play as catcher, which was the position the Twins drafted him as. His versatility should help him advance farther than he otherwise would. The problem is the Twins have a lot of catchers and outfielders ahead of him on the depth chart. He's got a long ways to go and a lot of people to pass.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #44 Derek McCallum

2009-11-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

44. Derek McCallum

Second Base

Bats: Right

Age: 21

ETA: 2013

Potential: big league 2B

2010 outlook: Fort Myers shortstop

Derek McCallum went to the University of Minnesota and was selected in the 4th round of this year’s draft. He went to rookie ball in Elizabethton. He hit .241/.310/.382 with 5 homers. He had a fantastic year in his last year of college ball. He hit 18 homers, and hit .409/.485/.741. 2010 will be a telling year for McCallum.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #45 Ramon Santana

2009-11-07T17:45:00.000-08:00

45. Ramon Santana

Shortstop
Bats: Right
Age: 23
ETA: 2013
Potential: Utility Infielder
2010 outlook: Fort Myers shortstop

Ramon Santana was signed by the Twins in November 2004 in the Dominican Republic. He struggled early in his career, but he he had a great 2009. He had 25 doubles, 9 homers, and hit .296/.384/.453. He is small of stature, he is just 5-9, 152 lbs. He was old for the league he played in last year or else he would rank higher. He might be moved to a different position because he isn’t a great defender at shortstop.

Gomez traded for Hardy

2009-11-06T13:29:00.001-08:00

The Twins made a big splash into the offseason by trading for a new starting shortstop. The Twins needed upgrades at 2B, SS, and 3B and they needed to sort out the outfield situation. Today they solved two of their problems.

JJ Hardy, age 27, will be under the Twins control for at least the next two seasons, and hopefully more. In 2007 Hardy hit 26 homers, and in 2008 he hit 24 homers with a triple slash line of .283/.343./.478. (Avg/OBP/Slg). Last season he had a slump that never went away. He had 11 homers and a triple slash line of .229/.302/.357. Hardy was sent to the minors towards the end of the season to make room for the Brewers shortstop of the future.

Hardy plays superb defense. Even if he doesn't rebound completely to his former offensive numbers, Hardy is a huge upgrade for the Twins.

I am sad to see Gomez go, but with each passing year it becomes less and less likely that Gomez will tap into his enormous potential and become a star. Gomez is the best defensive outfielder in the majors, but his lack of batting skills made it hard for him to play every day. Even when he got on-base, he didn't steal as many bases as he should have.

Here are some other items related to this trade:

-Hardy is a good friend of Mauer's. This can't hurt in the attempt to keep Mauer here.

-The Santana/Garza trades just might work out after all:

-The Santana trade becomes essentially Santana for JJ Hardy, Jon Rauch, and Deolis Guerra. (Guerra will rank very high in my top 50 prospects series). That doesn't look as bad as Gomez/Guerra/Humber/Mulvey.

-Delmon Young becomes an everyday outfielder. He thrived at the end of the 2009 season when he played everyday. I think he has a monster breakout year in 2010.

-Span finally has just one position as he will be the starting centerfielder.

-So the everyday outfield will be Young in LF, Span in center, and Cuddyer in RF.

-It will be interesting to see who the 4th outfielder will be. Rene Tosoni? Or do they sign a FA?

-Is Bill Smith done improving the infield? There are some great 2nd basemen available as free agents. And today Smith wouldn't commit to saying that Punto is the team's 2nd baseman next year.

-There wasn't very many great free agent shortstops this offseason, so it's great to see the Twins nab one of the few available through trade.

-Will Hardy be the #2 hitter? His career average of .323 isn't ideal for the #2 hole but it would be better than anything the Twins threw out there last year.

-This also means Orlando Cabrera won't return to the Twins. I'm not going to lose sleep over that.

I'd say this is the best trade Bill Smith has made, and the Twins look to be the big winners in this one.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #46 Shooter Hunt

2009-11-06T07:31:00.000-08:00

46. Shooter Hunt

Starting Pitcher

Throws: Left

Age: 23

ETA: 2012

Potential: Ace

2010 outlook: Who knows?

Here is a name that should be much higher. Shooter Hunt has more potential than almost any Twins minor league pitcher. The Twins drafted him last year in the 1st round. He was nasty in his debut in the rookie league, he had a 0.47 ERA and struck out 34 in 19 innings. In low A ball he struck out 34 in 41 innings, but walked 27.

People tried to look past his lack of control, but it caught up to him this year. He walked 58 batters in 33 innings. That is just ridiculous. The Twins sent him home because they didn’t know what to do with him. Hopefully he can overcome his control issues because he has the potential to be a front of the line starter for the Twins. His season in 2009 was so atrocious it seems crazy to stick him on any prospect list, but his potential is too great to ignore.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #47 Winston Marquez

2009-11-05T07:27:00.000-08:00

47. Winston Marquez

Starter/Relief Pitcher

Throws: Left

Age: 22

ETA: 2012

Potential: #4 type starter, or good lefty in the bullpen

2010 outlook: Starter or reliever in Fort Myers

Winston Marquez was signed in 2003 from Venezuela. He didn’t make it to the Twins minor league system until 2007 and he missed all of 2008 due to injury. He bounced back nicely in 2009. He appeared in 15 games, and started 2 of them. Prior to last year he was exclusively a starter. He has nasty stuff, as shown by his 13.5 strikeout per nine innings ratio. He did struggle with control, walking 17 in 30 innings. If he can harness his control, he will be a name to watch.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #48 Kyle Waldrop

2009-11-04T23:02:00.000-08:00

48. Kyle Waldrop

Relief Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 24

ETA: 2011

Potential: Solid bullpen arm

2010 outlook: Spend season in AAA bullpen

Kyle Waldrop was taken 25th overall in the first round of the 2004 draft by the Twins. He came straight out of high school from Tennessee. Waldrop climbed up the lower levels of the minors in his first few years, posting an ERA that typically was around 3.50. In 2008 Waldrop missed the season due to shoulder surgery. Kyle came back and had a very strong 2009 season. He had been a starter his whole career until last year when they moved him to the bullpen. He split time in A Fort Myers and AA New Britain. In 20 games at A he had an ERA of 3.09 in 35 innings pitched. In 31 games at AA this year (55.2 innings) he had a 1.46 ERA. He had a very low strikeout rate at just 5.0 per nine innings for the year. You’d like to see your bullpen pitchers be able to strike out at a good rate and 5.0 per nine innings isn’t very good.

Maybe he can have success as a bullpen arm, but he has a few guys ahead of him waiting for a job in the Twins bullpen (which suddenly has become a little crowded) and there are a few higher upside bullpen arms below him in the system as well. However, a solid 2010 season could earn him a shot. I’d like to see him make it; it would mean the first round draft pick wasn’t a total bust.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #49 Loek Van Mil

2009-11-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

49. Loek Van Mil

Relief Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 25

ETA: 2011

Potential: Solid bullpen arm

2010 outlook: Spend time at AA with midseason promotion to AAA

The first thing that stands out about this pitcher from the Netherlands is his height. He is 7’1” which makes him the tallest player in the minor leagues. If Van Mil makes it to the majors, he’d be the tallest player ever to play in the majors! Van Mil throws a fastball that is usually in the mid 90’s (but has been clocked at 99 mph), a slider, and a change-up.

In 2009 he split time at A Fort Myers and AA New Britain. He struck out 28 in 42 innings with an era of 2.86 at Fort Myers and 2.45 at New Britain. He walked 23, which is too many especially in the Twins organization, where they place heavy emphasis on throwing strikes. If he ever wants a change to play in the majors, he’ll have to drop his walk rate. Van Mil likely will amount to nothing, but he will be an interesting player to watch if he ever does make it to the big leagues.

Top 50 Twins Prospects: #50 Matt Fox

2009-11-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

50. Matt Fox

Starting Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 26

Estimated Time of Arrival: 2011

Potential: #5 starter or long relief man

2010 outlook: Should be in AAA Rochester’s rotation, or the bullpen

Matt Fox was drafted in the 2004 draft as a supplemental first round draft pick. He missed the entire 2005 year because of a shoulder injury. Last year he made 26 starts for AA New Britain. He pitched over 150 innings and went 9-9 with a 3.58 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. He struck out 120 batters. Fox could have been in Minnesota right now if it weren’t for his shoulder injury. He was arguably the best pitcher for the New Britain Rock Cats this year. The biggest problem he has is his age. He will turn 27 this December.

Twins Position Player Trade Value

2009-10-14T20:28:00.001-07:00

Here is how I would rank in order, highest to lowest, the trade value of the Twins positional players:

Joe Mauer

Justin Morneau

Denard Span

Jason Kubel

Michael Cuddyer

Carlos Gomez

Delmon Young

Nick Punto

Alexi Casilla

Brendan Harris

Matt Tolbert

Brian Buscher

Looking at that list makes one realize that if the Twins make a trade this offseason, it likely won't be a position player. Mauer and Morneau are off limits, and after Delmon Young, you wouldn't get much in return. Brian Buscher, Alexi Casilla, etc. aren't going to bring back anything great.

The one option they have is to trade someone from the outfield of Span/Kubel/Cuddyer/Gomez/Young. I could see an argument for trading any one of them except Span. Most of the Twins top positional prospects are outfielders, and they will have one at AAA this season in Rene Tosoni. I'd argue that Tosoni could step in and provide as much value overall as Young and Gomez did this season.

I wouldn't trade Young or Gomez at this point, unless they got a lot in return. I just don't think their value is high right now, so they wouldn't get much for them, and trading one of them could come back to haunt you a la Bartlett/Garza.

Kubel and Cuddyer help form part of the heart of the order, but I would trade one of them for a player of similar value at 3B or SS or 2B or a #2 type starting pitcher. I think with the glut of outfielders coming up through the system, the Twins are going to have to trade some outfielders at some point in the upcoming years to make up for other deficiencies that they have.

Good memories from the 2009 Twins season

2009-10-12T15:13:00.001-07:00

What a crazy season! Despite a bad ending and extending the playoff games loss streak to 9, I think the good far outweighed the bad this year. Here are some positive things that I will remember:

-Joe Mauer had an MVP season, along with arguably the best season ever for a Twins player and for a catcher.

-Game 163. The best game I've ever seen.

-One of the best comebacks ever happened as the Twins slipped past the Tigers despite being 7 games back in September, and 3 games back with 4 to play.

-Bill Smith went out and signed Miguel Angel Sano.

-Denard Span showed his rookie season was no fluke, and developed into an elite leadoff hitter.

-Michael Cuddyer rebounded in a big way, posing better numbers than anybody dared to hope for.

-Jason Kubel had a big breakout year, and he had over 100 RBI's.

-Bill Smith traded for Orlando Cabrera at the trade deadline.

-Bill Smith didn't give in and trade for (thankfully) Freddy Sanchez, Jarrod Washburn, Jake Peavy, and more.

-Justin Morneau had another 30 HR 100 RBI season despite ending the season on the DL.

-Twins acquired Jon Rauch, Carl Pavano, and Ron Mahay after non-waiver trade deadline, and without them they wouldn't have made the playoffs.

-Scott Baker settled down after a rough start and pitched great.

-Twins had most power they've had in years with Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, and Kubel (and Crede).

-Guerrier bounced back to become one of the top 8th inning guys after a poor 2008.

-Blackburn pitched like an ace for the first half of the season.

And many, many more. Feel free to add to the list.

Best Game Ever!

2009-10-06T19:53:00.000-07:00

That was the best game I've ever seen. If you missed it, even if you're not a Twins fan, you really missed out on a fantastic game. I don't know what else to say at the moment.

Oh yeah, congratulations to Joe Mauer for winning the batting title for the 3rd time in four years. And congrats for being the OBP, SLG, (and OPS) leader of the AL.

I'll try to have a preview of the Twins/Yankees series before it starts tomorrow. Hopefully it will be a rainout because the Twins could probably use a day off.

Is Brian Duensing really this good?

2009-10-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

Many Twins fans have been wondering about a certain Twins rookie named Brian Duensing. They want to know who is this guy, and where did he come from?

Brian Duensing, age 26, was the Twins 3rd round pick in 2005. Duensing had pitched at the University of Nebraska before being drafted by the Twins. He actually moved through the minors very rapidly. Duensing was in AAA Rochester by 2007, but the Twins plethora of young starting pitching forced the lower-regarded Duensing to remain at AAA until 2009. His numbers in the minors were very solid; he had a 3.62 ERA in 106 games and a WHIP of 1.29. However, in 2008, his AAA numbers were worse than his AAA numbers of 2007, and this year they were worse than they were in 2008. This caused Duensing to drop off on people's prospect lists and he largely became an afterthought. (Duensing did pitch for Team USA in Beijing and helped the team win a bronze medal.)

Duensing started this season as a lefty reliever for the Twins. His numbers in the bullpen were not pretty; in 30 innings he had a 5.34 ERA, 16 walks, and opponents hit.275 off of him. He was sent down to AAA where his numbers didn't stand out.

When the Twins pitching started to fall apart, Duensing was called up again, and he eventually took Francisco Liriano's place in the rotation. And you all know the rest of the story. He has been lights out, becoming maybe their most reliable starter. Until his last game versus Detroit, he hadn't given up more than three runs in a game. In 53 innings as a starter for the Twins, he has a 2.73 ERA, 5 wins, and 33 strikeouts.

I don't know if Duensing is really this good. I'm not even sure the Twins will place him in the starting rotation next season. He might get traded while his stock is so high. Or maybe he is this good. My guess is he is actually good enough to be a #4-5 starting pitcher, but he's not going to be an ace, and he is pitching better than he really is. I'm guessing over the course of a season he has something more like an ERA of 4.50.

But, one thing that has struck me about Duensing is a comment Gardenhire made. Gardy said that in the minors, pitchers have to throw a certain number of different pitches each game, to make sure they have more than a fastball to throw. But in the majors, you just need to get outs, and you can throw whatever you need to, to get those outs. Interesting...

Twins sign Miguel Angel Sano

2009-10-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

On July 31, when the Twins traded their only legitimate shortstop prospect in Tyler Ladendorf, I wrote the following:

Now here is where this trade could go from being good to great. The Twins were reluctant to part with Ladendorf. In a now related story, the Twins have been one of the leading candidates to sign top Dominican prospect Miguel Angel Sano who also plays shortstop. If the Twins signed Sano to make up for the loss of Ladendorf then I would be extremely happy. Sano has an extremely high ceiling, much higher than Ladendorf's.

Yesterday the Twins announced that they signed shortstop Miguel Angel Sano. Sano is from the Dominican Republic. He is only 16 years old, and people have said they've never seen a kid with his power at that age in the Dominican. The sky is the limit for this kid. He was the top international prospect this year and the Twins got him.

The Twins signed him for $3.15 million dollars. That sets the monetary record for an amateur Latin position player signing. Sano will debut in the GCL Twins rookie team. Joe Mauer's brother will be his manager. Sano says his goal is to be in the majors in two years. That is highly unlikely, but it's not like the Twins have quality shortstops blocking the way.

This is such a huge signing for the Twins on so many levels.

First of all I think he instantly becomes the top Twins prospect. That might be overreacting, but he will definitely be in my top 5 when I start doing my top 50 Twins prospect list during the offseason (which I am very excited to write up).

Second, he fills a huge organizational need, that of middle infield. He might not stick at shortstop, but we shall see.

Sano also is the first big Latin American talent the Twins have signed in recent memory. They haven't been good at scouting the Dominican Republic, so hopefully this marks the beginning of a new trend.

Sano caps off a huge year for the Twins in acquiring top level talent. This year the Twins drafted the supposed 2nd best pitcher in the amateur draft in Kyle Gibson. The Twins also signed the most highly touted European prospect ever, outfielder Max Kepler. And they also shelled out $750K for Dominican shortstop Jorge Polanco.

I haven't agreed with all of Bill Smith's moves, but acquiring those four has increased the stock of the lower minor-leagues very nicely.

Joe Mauer for MVP

2009-08-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite sports writers, Joe Posnanski, writes a great article on why Joe Mauer is the AL MVP and it's not even close.

Homers, Tone, Guerra, 7 feet, 'Lexi

2009-08-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

*The Twins already have 13 more homers this year than they had all of last season.

*Matt Tone, the Twins 14th round pick of this year, has not allowed a hit in 16 innings, and has not allowed a run in 18 innings. Even for a reliever in rookie ball, that is impressive.

*Deolis Guerra, the key prospect received in the Johan Santana trade, pitched 6 hitless innings tonight, while striking out 9. Guerra is currently at AA. He is only 20 years old. His numbers haven't been the greatest, but Guerra is the best Twins starting pitching prospect in the upper two levels. He has ace potential, but still is very raw.

*The tallest pitcher in all of the minor leagues, Loek Van Mil, was moved up to AA this week. He is listed at 7-1. He is currently a reliever, and had a 2.86 ERA in A ball this year. It will be interesting to watch him as a pitcher that tall brings something different to the table.

*Alexi Casilla is starting to look a little more confident. Over the past week, he's hitting .333 with an OPS of .972. The Twins don't have any amazing middle infield prospects who are knocking on the door for 2010, and given the Twins lack of ability to obtain solid players via trade/free-agency, their best hope is that Casilla and Harris can decently man the middle infield, with Danny Valencia taking over 3B.

Top 20 Twins Prospects

2009-08-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

Seth over at SethSpeaks.net has posted his updated top 50 Twins prospects. It was a very enjoyable read (as always). Seth is a Twins blogger who I've been reading daily since his first week of blogging in June 2003. His blog is top notch, especially his knowledge on the Twins minor league system. Anyways it was a good read for me since I have been working on my top 20 Twins prospects list this week as well. No commentary on the prospects this time, but after the season ends I'll update the list with commentary. Anyways, here it goes:

1. Aaron Hicks, CF, Beloit

2. David Bromberg, SP, Fort Myers

3. Angel Morales, OF, Beloit

4. Danny Valencia, 3B, Rochester

5. Ben Revere, OF, Fort Myers

6. Danny Rams, C/1B, Beloit

7. Wilson Ramos, C, New Britain

8. Rene Tosoni, OF, New Britain

9. Joe Benson, CF, Fort Myers

10. Carlos Gutierrez, SP, New Britain

11. Adrian Salcedo, SP, GCL Twins

12. Tyler Robertson, SP, Fort Myers

13. Chris Parmalee, OF/1B, Fort Myers

14. Deolis Guerra, SP, New Britain

15. BJ Hermsen P, GCL Twins

16. Jeff Manship SP, Minnesota Twins

17. Anthony Slama, RP, Rochester

18. Luke Hughes, UT, New Britain

19. Rob Delaney, RP, Rochester

20. Mike McCardell, SP, New Britain

Twins acquire SS Orlando Cabrera in exchange for SS Tyler Ladendorf

2009-07-31T16:26:00.000-07:00

Oakland GM Billy Beane must have read my last post on Tyler Ladendorf because he was the guy he got in return for Orlando Cabrera. Am I happy with the trade? Yes. But that doesn't mean the Twins gave up nothing to get Cabrera Lets dig a little deeper into the trade. Here are the positives:

-The move shows to Mauer and Morneau that the team is trying to win. Morneau has been saying that Mauer won't resign in 2010 with the Twins if they don't acquire other quality players.

-Mauer and Morneau wanted Cabrera on the team. Cabrera told reporters that last week that every time Mauer and Morneau were on the bases they told Cabrera that they were trying to get him on the team, that they wanted him on the Twins.

-The Twins have has a dreadful middle infield this year, worst in the majors. Cabrera is average, but just average is a huge upgrade from what we had before.

-A new guy will provide a mental boost, a la Shannon Stewart in 2003.

If you read my previous post, you find out that Tyler Ladendorf is a guy with some high upside. He is the best SS prospect we had. But he is no guarantee either and is 3-4 years away. And he's been struggling at the new level he's been called up to. The trade could come back to haunt us, but I wouldn't be too worried about it. I'm just glad we didn't trade away our two top prospects Danny Valencia and Aaron Hicks.

Now here is where this trade could go from being good to great. The Twins were reluctant to part with Ladendorf. In a now related story, the Twins have been one of the leading candidates to sign top Dominican prospect Miguel Angel Sano who also plays shortstop. If the Twins signed Sano to make up for the loss of Ladendorf then I would be extremely happy. Sano has an extremely high ceiling, much higher than Ladendorf's.

Even if that doesn't happen, if this move goes a long ways towards being able to keep Mauer here forever, then it was a grand slam of a trade, regardless of what other consequences come of the trade.

Meet Danny Rams and Tyler Ladendorf

2009-07-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

Today we will talk about two of the hottest hitters in the Twins system. They are Tyler Ladendorf and Danny Rams. I haven't put up a Twins top prospect list for a while, but I'd like to put one up sometime soon, although I will probably wait until the end of the minor league season. That doesn't mean I've got somewhat of an idea of who the top ten are. I don't know where I'd put 2009 first round pick Kyle Gibson (when he signs), but he'd have to go in the top 5.

Anyways Ladendorf and Rams will likely be cracking the top 10 list. Before the season started they weren't very high, maybe at best #30. But they have been on fire.

Tyler Ladendorf was the Twins second round pick in last years draft. He plays shortstop, perhaps the weakest area in the Twins organization. Last season he didn't hit much after getting drafted. But this year he has a .439 on-base percentage, a .557 slugging percentage, and a .351 batting average. In 97 at-bats he's hit 8 doubles, 4 homers, 3 steals and 20 RBI. He's walked 14 times compared to 15 strikeouts.

Granted, those aren't a lot of at-bats to judge a guy off of, but if he plays like this for the rest of the season, he will certainly be considered one of the Twins best prospects. Ladendorf is starting to look like he could be the Twins starting shortstop in two or three years.

Danny Rams was the Twins second round pick in 2007. He plays catcher and first base. He is similar to Ladendorf, in that he didn't do much prior to this season to warrant getting excited about. But this season in 106 at-bats, he has 10 homers, 29 RBI, 13 doubles, to go along with a batting average of .327, on-base percentage of .408, while slugging .736!

Again, these are not a lot of at-bats, but if he continues this level of play then you have to consider Rams up there with Chris Parmalee as the Twins top power prospect. He plays the same position as Mauer and Morneau, but I guess he could be the DH or learn another position. With his power bat, they'll find a place for him. Rams looks like he could become a true slugger for the Twins.

Joe Crede, Trade Bait?

2009-07-22T22:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a guy the Twins could trade: Joe Crede. He's likely a guy you haven't thought about trading. He's been a fine player, and our best 3rd baseman since Corey Koskie departed. But there are four negatives I see to keeping him around.

First is his on-base percentage is abysmal. It is .299. That is worse than Nick Punto. Thankfully his 14 homers and top notch defense make him valuable.

Second, he's not that durable. He's missed 24 out of 95 games so far. That is probably better than many had dared to hope, but it is nice when your starters don't miss a couple games per week.

Third, he's gone after this year because he is on a one-year deal. He likely won't be a type A or B free agent, which means we won't get an extra draft pick if he signs with someone else. Trading him will give you value in return for his departure.

Finally, and perhaps the biggest reason why Bill Smith might look into trading him, he signed for relatively little, but his contract is laden with several bonuses that kick in with certain number of plate appearances reached. He's going to start hitting a lot of those pretty soon, which means he will cost us a lot more money.

Now, here's the player that makes Crede expendable: Danny Valencia. The guy has hit .308 BA with a .372 OBP and a .522 SLG overall this year. He was called up to AAA recently and in his 100 at-bats there, he has been even better. 5 homers, 10 doubles, 22 RBI, .370 AVG, and an OPS of .999. Those are some great numbers. And he plays solid defense as well. Valencia is our best prospect in the upper two levels of the minors. He's not a Mauer or Morneau caliber player, but I'd say his skill level is more comparable to Denard Span(with more power and less speed), someone who is solid all-around, and who might sneak in a few all-star appearances during his career.

In other words Danny Valencia is a younger, cheaper, better overall player than Joe Crede is right now. I think one of the easiest and best ways to improve the Twins this season while preparing the way for the future is to package Joe Crede in a deal to get a good shortstop or second baseman, and call up Danny Valencia to play third base. It makes too much sense, and that is why it probably won't happen.

The underrated Jason Kubel

2009-07-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows the Twins three best players are the M & M boys (Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau), and their all-star closer Joe Nathan. As for the Twins fourth best player, well that is where opinions vary. Some might try to make an argument for Michael Cuddyer, Denard Span, Scott Baker, or Nick Blackburn. However, I think Jason Kubel is starting to put an end to this debate.

He's the Twins most underrated player, and perhaps the most underrated player in the AL. Jason Kubel is 5th in the AL in OPS. In fact the Twins have 3 of the top 5 OPS leaders. I never thought I'd see that happen. Anyways, Kubel also ranks 8th in batting average and 5th in slugging. He's pretty much on pace to hit 30 homers and 100 RBI.

So why isn't Jason Kubel in the same tier as Joe Mauer or Justin Morneau? I see two things that he lacks. First is that he isn't that great of a fielder. But I can't blame that on him. He had a terrible knee injury a few years ago that robbed him of much of his athleticism, and that is why he is the DH. Second is that he can't hit lefties still. This is something he can improve on more so than his fielding. He is batting only .216 with an OBP of .284 and a SLG of .311. Certainly not gonna cut it. Still, anyways you cut it, Jason Kubel is clearly the Twins third best everyday player. Maybe instead of the M&M boys it should be the triple j's or something.