Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #1 Aaron Hicks

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #1 | Aaron Hicks

Position | Outfielder

Bats/Throws | Switch/Right

Born | October 2, 1989 (Long Beach, California)

School | Wilson High School

Height | 6'2''

Weight | 170 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 1



Breakdown
Aaron Hicks was taken with the 14th overall pick in the 2008 draft. He was widely considered one of the best all-around athletes in the draft. He reportedly hit 95 mph on the mound, which made several teams consider him as a pitcher, but Hicks is happy that he is playing outfield, "I liked pitching because I had to do what was best for my team at that point, but I'm truly a position player; that's my passion." He signed a week after the draft to a $1.78 million signing bonus.

After signing, Hicks was designated to the Gulf Coast League where He showed that he could do a little bit of everything. Through 45 games, Hicks hit .318/.409/.491 with 10 doubles, four triples, four home runs and stole 12 bases despite playing in a pitcher-friendly league. He also displayed a great amount of discipline at the plate, drawing 28 walks. In 2009, most believed Hicks should follow Ben Revere's footsteps by taking over center field for the Beloit Snappers. Hicks' "advanced" hitting approach and overall demeanor suggested that he probably would have handled the promotion just fine, but the Twins decided to hold Hicks back in Extended Spring Training to begin the season. The team had every intention of sending him to the Appalachian League when short-season Rookie Ball began in June, but a horrid Snappers team needed a boost, so the Twins decided to call up Hicks. He didn't have the same type of success that he had in the Gulf Coast League a year earlier, but he still managed to separate himself as the best prospect in the Twins system. Through 67 games with the Snappers, Hicks hit .251/.353/.382. Probably the biggest cause of optimism came from the fact that he got better as the year went on and he maintained great discipline at the plate.

Hicks is immensely talented, but he's also still very raw. He plays all three outfield positions very well, but his speed is best suited for center field. His history as a pitcher has helped him develop one of the best outfield arms in the minor leagues, but his bat is nowhere near as developed. He has a great awareness of the strike zone and he's shown the ability to drive the ball well, but it's still to be determined what kind of hitter he'll be. He has also had problems on the base paths. He runs the bases well, but he is not an effective base stealer as of yet. There are high expectations surrounding Hicks, especially since he has been named a top 30 prospect from major outlets such as Baseball America (19), ESPN (19) and MLB.com (29), but Twins fans shouldn't want to see him rushed through the system. Many have said he's easily comparable to Torii Hunter or Adam Jones, but it's important to remember that Hicks has a long way to go and there's little chance that he reaches the Major Leagues when he is either 20 or 21 (like Jones and Hunter).

2009 Statistics

          Level      G     PA     AVG     OBP     SLG     XBH     HR   wRC+

          A-        67    297    .251    .353    .382      22      4    106

2010 Outlook
Many believed that Hicks could begin the season in Advanced-A Ft. Myers, but Hicks has been sent back to the Midwest League where he'll begin the season. If everything pans out, he'll finish the season in the Florida State League.

Video

Estimated Time of Arrival
2013

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #2 Wilson Ramos

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #2 | Wilson Ramos

Position | Catcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | August 10, 1987 (Valencia, Venezuela)

School | U.E. Santa Ines

Height | 6'0''

Weight | 220 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 4


(Photo courtesy of Kevin Pataky of MiLB.com)

Breakdown
Wilson Ramos was signed as a non-drafted free agent on July 7, 2004. He didn't make it to the states until 2006, but he certainly has made his presence felt since. Admittedly, I flirted with ranking Ramos as the top overall prospect.

In 2006, Ramos began the season in Extended Spring Training before joining the Gulf Coast League. With the Twins, Ramos hit .286/.339/.435 with 16 extra-base hits in 154 at-bats. In 2007, Ramos again found himself in Extended Spring Training but he eventually joined the Beloit Snappers in June with the struggles of Greg Yersich. He went on to hit .291/.345/.438 with 26 extra-base hits in 292 at-bats. After the season, Ramos ranked in as my 13th best prospect in the Twins system. In 2008, Ramos moved up to the Florida State League where he hit .288/.346/.434 with 38 extra-base hits with the Ft. Myers Miracle. In 2009, Ramos continued to move through the system, this time playing for the New Britain Rock Cats in the Eastern League. He broke his finger in May and after returning in June, he missed two months with a pulled hamstring. All together, Ramos hit .317/.339/.496 with 25 extra-base hits including seven home runs in 224 at-bats. After finding himself healthy, Ramos hit .332/.397/.582 and drove in 49 runs in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Ramos' offensive prowess is mostly what he is known for, but Ramos is also a stout defender behind the plate. Pitchers like the way he calls the game and his strong arm makes it hard for base runners to steal on him. But two things stand in the way for Ramos are his history of injuries and a guy by the name of Joe Mauer. Ramos has the potential to be one of the best offensive catchers in baseball, but THE best is already on the roster, so it doesn't seem likely that he'll play an extensive role with the Twins (at least not as a catcher). The Twins could consider using using him at DH, but that seems like it'd really be diminishing his value. Ramos needs to prove in 2010 that he can stay on the field, which may be all that is separating him from being the top prospect.

2009 Statistics

          Level      G     PA     AVG     OBP     SLG     XBH     HR   wRC+

          R (GCL)    5    500    .316    .316    .947       5      3    263
          AA        54    500    .317    .341    .454      20      4    120

2010 Outlook
Ramos missed a lot of time in 2009 due to injury, but he showed enough during Winter Ball and in Spring Training to make the Twins feel comfortable enough with starting him in Triple-A.

Video



Estimated Time of Arrival
2010

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #3 Miguel Sano

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #3 | Miguel Sano

Position | Shortstop

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | May 11, 1993 (San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic)

School | Not Available

Height | 6'3''

Weight | 190 lbs.

2009 Ranking | Not Ranked

(Photo courtesy of Jenni Pinkley of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

Breakdown
It's pretty easy to say that no Dominican prospect (or any international prospect for that matter) has ever been under more scrutiny than Miguel Sano was last summer. At just 16-years-old, Sano's enormous talent caught the eye of nearly every Major League baseball team, as did his physical stature. Standing 6-foot-3 and 190 lbs., Major League Baseball decided to investigate Sano's age to make sure he wasn't trying to appear younger than he truly was. Sano's mother, Melania Jean Sano, lost a son at birth several years after Miguel was born, which made the investigation even more extensive.

After months of trial and tribulation, the Twins signed Sano to a $3.15 million signing bonus on September 29. But the strangest part of all of this? The Twins played a leading role in Sano potentially losing out on millions of dollars. The organization is lucky that Sano didn't have a sour taste in his mouth about the investigation because that could have completely taken the Twins out of the running (even though it's likely that another team would have made the request for the investigation if the Twins hadn't).

Despite his age, Sano has drawn comparisons to players such as Alex Rodriguez, Hanley Ramirez and Albert Pujols. I understand all of these comparisons, and I'd be lying if I don't get excited when I hear that his bat compares to that of Pujols', but it's not fair to put those kind of expectations on a player his age (or any player for that matter). Sano is currently listed as a shortstop but scouts believe he'll eventually "grow out" of t he position and be forced to move to either third base or corner outfield. Regardless, his bat is what will get him to the Major Leagues and so far, all reports have been very positive.

Sano has gone on record of saying that he wants to make it to the Major Leagues sometime in the next two years, but I find that pretty unlikely. The Twins will not rush Sano and that's something I'm sure they've expressed to him since signing. Having a player like Sano in the organization is a real treat and watching him (and how the organization handles him) throughout the next few seasons will be very interesting.

2009 Statistics

Not Available

2010 Outlook
Sano will begin the season in Extended Spring Training before he joins the Gulf Coast League Twins in June. The Twins "tentative plan" is to have Sano play in the Dominican Summer League at some point in the summer.

Video



Estimated Time of Arrival
2014

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #4 Ben Revere

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #4 | Ben Revere

Position | Outfield

Bats/Throws | Left/Right

Born | May 3, 1988 (Lexington, KY)

School | Lexington Catholic High School

Height | 5'9''

Weight | 175 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 2

....(Photo courtesy of Mike Janes/Four Seam Images)

Breakdown
When the Twins decided to draft Ben Revere, they were the talk of the draft, but not in a good way. Most "experts" expected Revere to be chosen somewhere between the 3rd-5th rounds, which is why it was so shocking when the Twins took Revere with the 28th overall pick. One aspect of Revere that the Twins were so attracted to was his signability. The Twins signed Revere five days after the draft (June 12) to a signing bonus of $750,000.

Revere was assigned to the Gulf Coast League where he appeared in 50 games and hit .325/.388/.461 with 10 triples in 216 plate appearances. In 2008, the Twins had Revere begin the season in Extended Spring Training where they planned to send him to the Appalachian League in June. In late April, Revere was called up to the Midwest League after the club found out that third baseman Deibinson Romero would miss a month after undergoing knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Revere went on to flirt with hitting .400 for the majority of the summer before settling (if you could call it that) with a .379/.433/.497 tri-slash line with 28 extra-base hits and 44 steals in 83 games with the Beloit Snappers. In 2009, Revere continued to move through the system with the Ft. Myers Miracle being his next destination. Revere's OPS took a major blow, but he still hit .311/.372/.369 and stole 45 bases through 121 games in the pitcher-friendly confines of the Florida State League.

At 5'9'' and 175 lbs., it's hard to imagine Revere hitting more than just a handful of home runs in a year, but many believe that he could reach double digits someday. Revere has ++ speed and has both outstanding bat control and discipline at the plate as well. He's extremely athletic, which can be seen in the first 13 seconds of this video. He is best suited to hit at the top of the order, but he might be forced to hit near the bottom with the Twins due to a heavy left-handed lineup already intact. The biggest concern for Revere has been his defense. In the past, scouts haven't been in love with the routes he takes. His arm strength has also been a cause for concern, which has driven several people to suggest that he be moved to second base, a position he played on occasion in high school. But Revere improved leaps and bounds in both areas in 2009 and is looking to put them completely behind him in 2010.

2009 Statistics

          Level       G    PA     AVG     OBP     SLG     XBH     HR   wRC+

          A+        121   517    .311    .372    .369      19      2    123

2010 Outlook
Revere is starting the season off in Double-A New Britain. Should there be an injury to Denard Span, Revere is probably the best option to play center field for the Twins.

Video



Estimated Time of Arrival
2011

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #5 Kyle Gibson

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #5 | Kyle Gibson

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | October 23, 1987 (Greenfield, Indiana)

School | University of Missouri

Height | 6'6''

Weight | 208 lbs.

2009 Ranking | Not Ranked




Breakdown
Heading into the 2009 draft, Gibson was considered one of the best amateur pitchers in the country. Unfortunately for Gibson (and fortunately for the Twins), a forearm stress fracture made teams weary of taking him, which allowed him to drop to the 22nd spot in the draft where the Twins had a no-brainer in choosing Gibson. Signing him became a little more strenuous than the Twins probably would have liked, but the sides came together on a $1.8 million contract on the night of the signing deadline.

In Gibson's freshman season at Mizzou, he was used primarily as a reliever, appearing in 26 games out of the bullpen. He worked several innings at a time, which helped him in his sophomore season as he transitioned into being a starting pitcher. He won nine games in 2008 and was near the top of draft boards heading into 2009, even appearing as the fourth best prospect in the draft according to Baseball America. Gibson pitched well as a junior, but as the season wore on, he began feeling forearm tightness and during his last start on May 30th, he was reportedly only hitting between 83-86 mph on his fastball. Scouts worried about the possibility of Gibson needing Tommy John Surgery but was diagnosed with a forearm fracture. He fell to the Twins with the 22nd pick and the Twins surprised a lot of people by signing him well above the suggested slot value for that pick.

Gibson went 28-10 with a 3.65 ERA in three years at Mizzou. He has a good body frame and his repertoire features a low-90's fastball with (according to Baseball America) the best slider in the Twins system. Gibson also has a change-up and curveball, which he'll likely perfect while he's with the Twins. He'll be on the fast-track to the Major Leagues, so keep an eye on Gibson. Matt Garza jumped from Advanced-A to the Majors in one season, so it's not unfathomable to believe Gibson can do it as well.

2009 Statistics

Not Available (Signed Late)

2010 Outlook
Gibson will begin the season in Advanced-A Fort Myers. There's a very good chance he won't finish the season in Fort Myers, so make sure to keep an eye on him.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball (90-92)
• Slider
• Curveball
  
• Change-up
  

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2011

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #6 Angel Morales

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #6 | Angel Morales

Position | Outfield

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | November 24, 1989 (Caguas, Puerto Rico)

School | Puerto Rico Baseball Academy

Height | 6'1''

Weight | 180 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 6



Breakdown
Angel Morales was taken in the third round of the 2007 draft out of the Puerto Rican Baseball Academy in Gurabo, Puerto Rico. He was originally thought to be a light-hitting outfielder with outstanding speed and great defense. But in just two-and-a-half short years, Morales has become one of the best power-hitting prospects the Twins have while maintaining great defense and his blazing speed.

After signing a $234,000 signing bonus, Morales was sent to the Gulf Coast League where he hit .256/.357/.405 in 38 games for the Twins. In 2008, Morales began the season in Extended Spring Training before joining the Elizabethton Twins in June. He appeared in 54 games with the Twins and hit .301/.413/.623 with 15 home runs but drove in just 28 runners. In 2009, Morales continued to move up the ladder, joining the Beloit Snappers for his first go-around in a full season league. He looked severely over-matched until he finally turned it on in July. He finished the season hitting .266/.329/.455 with 13 home runs in 376 at-bats.

Morales has as much potential as anyone in the organization, but he's equally as raw as he is talented. One thing that you must consider when evaluating a player like Morales is that he was playing in the Midwest League at 19-years-old, two years younger than the average age. Interestingly, he's almost two months younger than 2008 first round pick Aaron Hicks, whose plate discipline is light-years ahead of Morales'. His strikeout total is his biggest area of concern, but he's so young that it's hard to imagine that it won't improve at some point. Offensively, Morales reminds me of Alfonso Soriano while defensively I think that the Carlos Beltran comparisons fit nicely. Whether or not he actually comes close to reaching his potential is anyone's guess, but he's definitely a player worth keeping an eye on.

2009 Statistics

          Level       G    PA     AVG     OBP     SLG     XBH     HR   wRC+

          A-        115   418    .266    .329    .455      40     13    122

2010 Outlook
Morales turned things around in the second half of the season which along with his talent will likely ensure that he starts the 2010 season in Advanced-A Fort Myers. Given that the Florida State League is tough on hitters and that he's only 20-years-old, Morales will likely stay there for the entire season.

Video



Estimated Time of Arrival
2012

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #7 Danny Valencia

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #7 | Danny Valencia

Position | Third Base

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | September 19, 1984 (Miami, Florida)

School | University of Miami

Height | 6'2''

Weight | 210 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 3


........................(Jerry Hale/MLB.com)



Breakdown
After a successful yet short-lived two year career at the University of Miami, the Minnesota Twins felt fortunate when Danny Valencia was still available in the 19th round of the 2006 draft. Valencia signed quickly and reported to the Appalachian League and in less than four years, he's gone from being a 19th round pick to the third baseman of the future for the Twins.

With the Elizabethton Twins, Valencia hit .311/.365/.505 in 190 at-bats. He moved up to Single-A Beloit in 2007 where he hit .302/.374/.500 before being promoted to Advanced-A Ft. Myers in June. He spent the rest of the 2007 season and the first half of the 2008 season in the Florida State League where he hit .313/.367/.469 with 43 extra-base hits in 450 at-bats with the Miracle. In June of 2008, Valencia was promoted to Double-A New Britain and spent the same time there as he did in Ft. Myers. He received 484 at-bats in the Eastern League and hit .287/.353/.483 with 55 extra-base hits. In June of 2009, Valencia got one step closer to reaching the Major Leagues when he was promoted to Triple-A Rochester. He finished off the season with the Red Wings hitting .286/.305/.454 in 71 games. He got off to a great start but cooled off, enough for the Twins to not promote him when rosters expanded in September.

Valencia is a very solid prospect. He's hit .299/.354/.480 through 1,635 at-bats he's hit 176 extra-base hits and has become a doubles-hitting machine, hitting a career high 38 doubles in 2009 after hitting 37 in 2008. There's little doubt that Valencia has the tools to be a solid Major League contributor with his bat. And at this point, the only thing holding Valencia back is his defense. He struggled a lot at third base in 2009, but he's been fine there throughout his career which gives promise that he'll turn things around.

2009 Statistics

          Level       G    PA     AVG     OBP     SLG     XBH     HR   wRC+

          AA         57   252    .284    .373    .482      25      7    134
          AAA        71   282    .286    .305    .454      31      7    100

2010 Outlook
Valencia has a shot at making the Twins roster, but unless there's an injury, he'll begin the 2010 season as the starting third baseman of the Rochester Red Wings. Expect him up if the Twins infield suffers an injury or after

Video



Estimated Time of Arrival
2010

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #8 David Bromberg

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #8 | David Bromberg

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Left/Right

Born | September 14, 1987 (Santa Monica, California)

School | Santa Ana Community College

Height | 6'5''

Weight | 241 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 26




Breakdown
The Twins took David Bromberg with their 32nd round selection in the 2005 draft. Bromberg signed with the Twins as a 'draft-and-follow', which allowed him to play a season with the "Dons" of Santa Ana CC. He went 3-2 with a 4.28 ERA before making the move into professional baseball.

Bromberg was assigned to the GCL Twins in 2006 where he won three games and posted an impressive 2.66 ERA in 10 starts. In 2007, Bromberg began the season in Extended Spring Training before joining the Elizabethton Twins in June. Through 13 games (11 starts), Bromberg was 9-0 with a 2.78 ERA. He also struck out 81 Appalachian League batters in 58 1/3 innings, helping lead the Twins to an Appy League Championship. In 2008, Bromberg moved up to the Midwest League. At first glance, Bromberg looked to have regressed. He was 9-10 with a 4.44 ERA. So saying that isn't completly untrue, but his 177 strikeouts lead all of Minor League Baseball, which certainly put more eyes on him. In 2009, Bromberg welcomed the added attention and truly made a name for himself. With the Ft. Myers Miracle, Bromberg was 13-4 with a 2.70 ERA in 27 games (26 starts). After the season, he was named the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

At 6'5'' and 240+ lbs., Bromberg can certainly intimidate opposing hitters when he's on the mound. He has a good repertoire of pitches, headlined with a low-mid 90's fastball and a great slurve. He also has a good slider and an improving change-up as well. Some believe he could someday end up in the bullpen, but right now, he's proven to be a workhorse out of the bullpen (throwing 303 1/3 innings over the past two seasons).

2009 Statistics

          Level      W     L     ERA      IP     K    BB     WHIP     FIP

          A+        13     4    2.70   153.1   148    63     1.23    3.28

2010 Outlook
Bromberg will be in Double-A New Britain in 2010. He'll likely spend the entire year there.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball (91-94)
• Slider
• Slurve
  
• Change-up
  

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2012

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #9 Rene Tosoni

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #9 | Rene Tosoni

Position | Outfield

Bats/Throws | Left/Right

Born | July 2, 1986 (Toronto, Ontario)

School | Chipola Junior College

Height | 6'0''

Weight | 195 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 20



Breakdown
Selected by the Twins in the 34th round of the 2004 draft, Tosoni chose to go the JUCO route instead of signing. He was selected in the 36th round a year later but this time chose to sign. Unfortunately, issues with his visa forced Tosoni to miss all of 2006 which meant he wouldn't be allowed to begin his professional career until 2007, two years after he was drafted.

Tosoni was sent to Elizabethton of the Appalachian League in 2007 where he hit .301/.407/.428 with 20 extra-base hits to help lead the Twins to an Appalachian League Championship. He hardly got a sip of coffee with the Beloit Snappers, but most believed he'd be back to the Midwest League for all of the 2008 season. But the Twins surprised many by promoting Tosoni straight to the Florida State League, and it looks to have been the right decision. Despite missing three months with a broken foot, Tosoni hit .300/.408/.414 in 42 games with the Miracle. In 2009, the Twins continued to move Tosoni up the the organizational ladder. He played the entire season with the New Britain Rock Cats of the Eastern League, hitting .271/.360/.454 with 44 extra-base hits in 122 games. He struggled in the Arizona Fall League, but being that he had 30 more at-bats in 2009 than he had in 2007 and 2008 combined, I think he deserves a free pass.

Tosoni is a very complete player. He has a very fluid swing and makes good contact. He isn't great on defense, but his strong arm will make the organization think hard about keeping him in right field. He has outstanding discipline at the plate, and he could be a good #2 hitter someday, but if he can't improve against left-handed pitching he might be nothing more than a bench bat for the Twins. Still, someone will eye Tosoni and the Twins may use him as trade bait given the amount of high quality outfielders the organization has.

2009 Statistics

          Level       G    PA     AVG     OBP     SLG     XBH     HR   wRC+

          AA        122   490    .271    .360    .454      44     15    125

2010 Outlook
Tosoni should be in Triple-A Rochester to begin the season, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him spend a little more time in Double-A New Britain.

Video



Estimated Time of Arrival
2010

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #10 Adrian Salcedo

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #10 | Adrian Salcedo

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | April 24, 1991 (Moca, Dominican Republic)

School | Not Available

Height | 6'4''

Weight | 175 lbs.

2009 Ranking | Not Ranked




Breakdown
Adrian Salcedo signed with the Twins as a 16-year-old non-drafted free agent on December 13, 2007. He spent all of the 2008 season in the Dominican Summer League as a 17-year-old, but he didn't go unnoticed. He was the youngest pitcher on the team, but he was impressive nonetheless with a 1.65 ERA and a 6.25 K/BB ratio.

He came to the states in 2009 where he began the season in Extended Spring Training before joining the Gulf Coast League Twins in June. With the Twins, Salcedo put up similar numbers to what he had in the DSL the year before. He was 3-2 with a 1.46 ERA and a continued display of great command with his 0.05 BB/IP ratio.

Salcedo has a great repertoire of pitches and nearly all of them are considered "plus" at this point in time for his ability to command all of them. He used his change-up a lot in 2009 and (along with his sinking-fastball) induced a good amount of ground balls. He has a low-to-mid 90's fastball that one person I talked to said, "might have been the best fastball, in terms of command, in the Twins system in 2009." There has been some discrepancies as to whether he throws a curveball or slider, but I've heard more people describe it as a curveball. One person I talked to came up with a fair thought, perhaps he has both in his repertoire and it's just not easy to distinguish between the two? It's possible and if it were proven, I probably would have ranked him a few spots higher. Salcedo's size of 6'4'' and 175 lbs. is very projectable and it's always great to see that there's still room for growth. 2010 will be a big year for Salcedo. He has to prove that his 2009 season wasn't a fluke and that pitching in a pitcher-friendly environment like the Gulf Coast League didn't inflate his stats. With his advanced repertoire and ability to command all of his pitches, Salcedo should be considered for a spot in the Beloit Snappers rotation.

2009 Statistics

          Level      W     L     ERA      IP     K    BB     WHIP     FIP

          R (GCL)    3     2    1.46    61.2    58     3     1.01    1.92

2010 Outlook
It's tough predicting where Salcedo will go, but he'll likely begin the 2010 season in extended Spring Training before joining with the Elizabethton Twins when short-season leagues begin in mid-June. Don't be surprised though to see the Snappers call on him if they're in need of an arm.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball (2 & 4 seam) (89-93)
• Curveball
  
• Change-up
• Slider
  

Video
None

Estimated Time of Arrival
2014

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #11 Joe Benson

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #11 | Joe Benson

Position | Outfield

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | March 5, 1988 (Hinsdale, Illinois)

School | Chino Hills High School

Height | 6'2''

Weight | 211 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 27



Breakdown
Selected in the second round of the 2006 draft, Joe Benson didn't need a lot of convincing to pass up an athletic scholarship from Purdue to pursue his dream of playing professional baseball. The Twins signed Benson to a $575,000 signing bonus, which is considered fair market value for his draft position. Benson, an all-star running back garnered a lot of interest from Big 10 schools to play both baseball and football. Instead, the Twins may have gotten one of the biggest steals of the draft.

After quickly signing, Benson began his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Twins where he hit .260/.335/.444 in 196 at-bats. He was later promoted to the Midwest League where he finished the season off with the Snappers. In 2007, Benson spent the entire year with the Snappers, hitting .255/.347/.368 with 31 extra-base hits in 432 at-bats. He returned to Beloit in 2008, but continued to struggle by hitting .248/.326/.382 in 254 at-bats. His season was cut-short with a back injury. The Twins decided to move him up the ladder in 2009, and the pieces finally started to fall into place. Despite playing in a league that is pitcher-friendly (the Florida State League), Benson's offensive numbers improved in every way. He hit .285/.414/.403 in 263 at-bats. He got off to a fast start but missed two months after losing a fight with a cement wall following a disagreement with an umpire. Thankfully, he rebounded after his return and finished the season on a right note. Probably the most important aspect of Benson's 2009 campaign was that he got on-base 41% of the time, which was around 7% points higher than his career average.

Benson has all the tools to be successful, so hopefully he'll be able to control his emotions and stay on the field. He has great speed and can play all three outfield positions exceptionally well. He still has a lot to prove with really just one good season under his belt. He's certainly a guy to keep an eye on this season.

2009 Statistics

          Level       G    PA     AVG     OBP     SLG     XBH     HR   wRC+

          R (GCL)     2    72    .200    .429    .200       0      0     94
          A+         80    72    .285    .414    .403      18      5    143

2010 Outlook
Benson may begin the season in Ft. Myers but there's little reason as to why he shouldn't finish the season in Double-A New Britain.

Video



Estimated Time of Arrival
2012

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #12 BJ Hermsen

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #12 | BJ Hermsen

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | December 1, 1989 (Masonville, Iowa)

School | West Delaware High School

Height | 6'6''

Weight | 230 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 38




Breakdown
Considered one of the best steals of the draft, the Twins went above-and-beyond to sign Hermsen away from a baseball scholarship to Oregon State. Taken in the sixth round in 2008, the Twins signed Hermsen to a $650,000 signing bonus, which was more than what they gave to Bobby Lanigan, Danny Ortiz or Nick Romero, all of whom were taken higher than Hermsen.

Due to signing at the deadline, Hermsen didn't make his professional appearance until last June. After beginning the season in Extended Spring Training, Hermsen reported to the Gulf Coast League in June where he completely baffled hitters with a 0.68 WHIP in 10 starts. With exception to one start where he gave up four runs in four inning, Hermsen was close to perfect last year. Without the one start, his ERA would have be lowered to 0.72.

Hermsen doesn't have over-powering stuff, but he has outstanding control and scouts believe his good mechanics and size will allow him to gain some velocity as he matures. His 2009 season was somewhat diminished by the fact that both Blayne Weller and Adrian Salcedo had very similar numbers. Hermsen may have been the best of the three-headed monster, but it's too hard to say one way or the other.

2009 Statistics

          Level      W     L     ERA      IP     K    BB     WHIP     FIP

          R (GCL)    6     2    1.35    53.1    42     4     0.68    2.30

2010 Outlook
Hermsen will likely remain in Extended Spring Training to begin the season, but if he's needed in Beloit, I can certainly see him fit in well with the Snappers. If not, he'll latch on with the Elizabethton Twins in June.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball (2 & 4 seam) (86-89)
• Curveball
  
• Change-up
  

Video

B.J. Hermsen, Gazette Athlete of the Year from GazetteOnline.com on Vimeo.

Estimated Time of Arrival
2014

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #13 Chris Parmelee

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #13 | Chris Parmelee

Position | First Base/Outfield

Bats/Throws | Left/Left

Born | February 24, 1988 (Long Beach, California)

School | Chino Hills High School

Height | 6'1''

Weight | 223 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 13



Breakdown
With their first round pick in the 2006 draft, the Twins selected Chris Parmelee out of Chino Hills High School. With a $1.5 million signing bonus in hand, Parmelee quickly and reported to the Gulf Coast League. The Twins drafted Parmelee, who primarily played first base in high school in an attempt to convert him to corner outfielder.

His first season of pro-ball went just as he and the Twins had hoped. Parmelee hit .279/.369/.532 and immediately showcased the power that the Twins saw from him in high school, belting eight home runs in his first 45 games with the GCL Twins. Parmelee later appeared in 11 games with the Beloit Snappers, but showed his youth after hitting .227/.370/.273 in 22 at-bats. In 2007, Parmelee spent the entire year in the Midwest League hitting .239/.313/.414 with 43 extra-base hits and 70 RBI as a 19-year-old. He returned to Beloit in 2008, hitting .239/.385/.496 with 27 extra-base hits, but a wrist injury allowed Parmelee to play in just 69 games. He was finally promoted to Advanced-A Ft. Myers in 2009 and he remained healthy throughout the season, hitting .258/.359/.441 and continued to showcase superb power with 16 home runs.

All together, Parmelee has hit 53 home runs in 1,271 minor league at-bats. The saying, "he is what he is" truly applies with Parmelee. He has consistently gotten on-base at a high rate, hit a lot of home runs and been a productive run producer while struggling to make contact and striking out at an alarming 30% of the time. He gets on hot streaks, but his overall numbers are very consistent. Despite his increase in weight, Parmelee has played solid defense in both right field and first base. At the plate, Parmelee looks a lot like Travis Snider of the Blue Jays but his numbers look a lot more like Adam Dunn of the Nationals, which isn't bad in either respect.

2009 Statistics

          Level      G     PA     AVG     OBP     SLG     XBH     HR   wRC+

          A+       123     72    .258    .359    .441      44     16    130

2010 Outlook
Parmelee will probably return to Advanced-A Ft. Myers to begin the season but he should be promoted sometime around mid-season. Personally, I don't think Parmelee will really benefit from starting at one or the other and it will likely be contingent on depth. Wherever he's needed, he'll be there.

Video



Estimated Time of Arrival
2012

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #14 Carlos Gutierrez

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #14 | Carlos Gutierrez

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | September 22, 1986 (Miami, Florida)

School | University of Miami

Height | 6'3''

Weight | 205 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 18




Breakdown
With the 27th overall pick in the 2008 draft, the Twins surprised a lot of people by selecting Carlos Gutierrez out of the University of Miami. Gutierrez had one year under his belt after undergoing Tommy John Surgery in the summer of 2006 and was being used as the Hurricanes closer. Despite not starting a game since before his surgery, the Twins drafted Gutierrez with the intention of converting him back into a starter.

After signing a $1.29 million with the Twins, Gutierrez appeared in 16 games as a reliever for the Ft. Myers Miracle and had a 2.10 ERA in 25 2/3 innings. The Twins sent Gutierrez back to the Florida State league in 2009, but this time Gutierrez would be used extensively as a starter. He looked to be no match for Florida State League hitters who hit a meager .192 off of him in 54 2/3 innings. He was promoted to Double-A New Britain in June but his transition to the Eastern League didn't go smoothly. Gutierrez made six starts for the Rock Cats but they resulted in a 1-2 record and 5.46 ERA which prompted the Twins to move him into the bullpen in July. Unfortunately, Gutierrez's season continued to crumble. In 16 appearances as a reliever, he had a 7.03 ERA. Gutierrez's prospect-rank fell considerably after his collapse, but for a player who had thrown around 76 innings since undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery, it's easy to believe that he just didn't have enough arm strength to sustain a full season.

According to Baseball America, Gutierrez's 96 mph sinker is the best fastball in the system. He also has a slider and change-up, but he relies a lot on his fastball. He induces a ton of ground balls and has a lot of potential on the mound. The question with Gutierrez is that some believe that he'll eventually end up in the bullpen. The Twins will continue to try him out as a starter, but thankfully he has late-inning experience which would make a transition much easier.

2009 Statistics

          Level      W     L     ERA      IP     K    BB     WHIP     FIP

          A+         2     3    1.32    54.2    33    23     1.08    3.55
          AA         1     3    6.19    52.1    32    24     1.64    5.02

2010 Outlook
Gutierrez will start the year in Double-A New Britain's rotation. If the Twins find themselves needing arms, I can see them move Gutierrez to the bullpen where he'd undoubtedly move up faster.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball (93-96)
• Slider
  
• Change-up
  

Video
None

Estimated Time of Arrival
2010

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #15 Tyler Robertson

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #15 | Tyler Robertson

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Left/Left

Born | December 23, 1987 (Simi Valley, California)

School | Bella Vista High School

Height | 6'5''

Weight | 220 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 10




Breakdown
Tyler Robertson was taken by the Twins in the third round of the 2006 draft. Despite having the potential to play college football, the Twins made Robertson's decision to play professional baseball easy with a $405,500 signing bonus. According to Rivals.com, Robertson received "medium" interest from schools like California, Nebraska and UCLA to play quarterback.

After signing quickly, Robertson threw 48 2/3 innings for the GCL Twins in 2006 and put up a a 4-2 record and 4.25 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts). Instead of sticking with their status quo and letting Robertson go the Appalachian League in 2007, an injury forced the Twins to call-up Robertson to the Midwest League in late May. As a 19-year-old, he appeared in 18 games for the Snappers, winning nine. He would've finished second in the Midwest League with a 2.29 ERA but fell just short of qualifying. Robertson quickly jumped to the top of the prospect rankings, appearing as the #1 prospect on Seth Stohs' post-season Top 50 Twins Prospect list. He moved up to the Florida State League in 2008 and continued to dominate his opposition with a 2.72 ERA in 15 starts. Unfortunately, he developed shoulder tendinitis and was shut down in July. He came back healthy in 2009 but certainly wasn't as dominant as he was in the first-half of the 2008 season. Robertson was back in Ft. Myers, which was the best choice and he threw 143 1/3 innings, 41 innings more than his previous career high, with the Miracle. He had an 8-8 record and a 3.33 ERA in 26 starts.

Robertson is a built more like a quarterback than a pitcher, which probably doesn't mean a lot to most people, but when I see him throw, I can't stop thinking of him a throwing football instead of a baseball. His delivery is very unorthodox, albeit downright painful to watch and could result in many arm problems in the future. He has a very projectable body, but he's lost about five mph from his fastball since high school. Baseball America ranked Robertson as having the best curveball in the Twins system, but it's not his only 'plus' pitch. Robertson also has a good change-up and slider that he has also improved in recent years and is comfortable with throwing any pitch he has in his repertoire at anytime. He's been a starter up to this point in his career, but I've began to wonder if the Twins will try to protect his arm from any further injuries by moving him to the bullpen.

2009 Statistics

          Level      W     L     ERA      IP     K    BB     WHIP     FIP

          A+         8     6    3.33   143.1   103    51     1.32    3.10

2010 Outlook
Robertson will spend the entire season in Double-A New Britain in 2010. Depending on the amount of arms the Rock Cats have, he may be a candidate for the bullpen if their rotation is full.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball (86-90)
• Curveball
• Slider
  
• Change-up
  

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2012

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #16 Deolis Guerra

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #16 | Deolis Guerra

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | April 17, 1989 (San Felix, Venezuela)

School | Not Available

Height | 6'5''

Weight | 200 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 12




Breakdown
Deolis Guerra received a $700,000 signing bonus from the New York Mets in 2005 as a 16-year-old. He got started in the states in 2006 as a 17-year-old. The Mets let him skip rookie ball and started to move him right up the later where he appeared in 17 games for the Single-A Hagerstown Suns. He had a 2.20 ERA with the Suns and the Mets felt comfortable with promoting him late in August and allow him to pitch for the St. Lucie Mets who would later win the Florida State League Championship. In 2007, Guerra found himself as an 18-year-old pitching in the Florida State League where he respectfully posted a 4.02 ERA in 21 appearances (20 starts). Despite his poor record of 2-6, everything seemed to be going right for Guerra.

In January of 2008, Guerra was traded along with Carlos Gomez, Philip Humber and Kevin Mulvey to the Twins for Johan Santana. The Twins weren't going to promote Guerra just yet, instead they wanted to see him prove that he deserved a promotion fromthe Florida State League. 2008, at the young age of 19, Guerra went 11-9 with a 5.47 ERA with the Fort Myers Miracle, a considerable regression from the year before. He began the 2009 season in the Florida State League and after 16 appearances (15 starts), Guerra was finally promoted to Double-A New Britain. Prior to the promotion, Guerra was 6-8 with a 4.69 ERA which is clear evidence that he still wasn't where the Twins wanted him to be, but they felt that a change of scenery was necessary for Guerra. He finished the season by winning six games for the Rock Cats and posting a 5.17 ERA.

Two-years later, Guerra is the only player still with the Twins from the Santana trade. It's hard to believe that he will only be 21-years-old in 2010 and that if he began his career with the Twins he'd likely be getting his first crack at the Florida State League. He has a very long delivery, which many believe is the source for his lack of velocity. Baseball America considers Guerra's change-up to be the best in the system. He also has a curveball, but it's far behind both his fastball and change-up. There's no reason to give up on Guerra yet, but it'd be nice to see some productivity from him this season.

2009 Statistics

          Level      W     L     ERA     IP     K     BB     WHIP     FIP

          A+         6     8    4.69   86.1    54     25     1.39    3.83
          AA         6     3    5.17   62.2    49     17     1.26    3.52

2010 Outlook
Guerra will begin the 2010 season at Double-A New Britain and at just 21-years-old, he'll likely end the season there too.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball (87-91)
• Curveball
  
• Change-up
  

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2012

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #17 Anthony Slama

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #17 | Anthony Slama

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | January 1, 1984 (Orange, California)

School | University of San Diego

Height | 6'3''

Weight | 205 lbs.

2009 Ranking | 17




Breakdown
Before attending the University of San Diego, Anthony Slama spent two years at Santa Ana Community College where he was 5-5 with a 3.16 ERA in 34 appearances. He transferred to the University of San Diego in 2006 and between his Junior and Senior years went 4-5 with a 4.48 ERA in 49 appearances (including two starts). He was drafted in 2006 after his Junior season in the 39th round and signed as a draft-and-follow, which allowed him to play in his senior year.

Slama's first stop in the Twins organization was Elizabethton, where he spent just six games before moving up to Low-A Beloit. Between the two stops, Slama was 1-1 with a 1.70 ERA in 31 2/3 innings. In 2008, Slama went to the Florida State League and completely dominated his opponents. The 24-year-old was 4-1 with a 1.01 ERA with 25 saves in 51 games. Despite his outstanding play, Slama was never promoted and ended up spending the entire season with the Miracle. In 2009, Slama rightfully began the season in Double-A New Britain where he threw 65 1/3 innings for the Rock Cats before being promoted to Triple-A Rochester. Between the two stops, Slama was 4-4 with a 2.66 ERA and 29 saves.

Slama doesn't have overpowering stuff, but he has a deceptive delivery which plays in well with his repertoire. His slider is his out pitch, but he also has a good fastball that sits in the high 80's/low 90's and a circle-change. One thing that is important to note with Slama is that has been significantly older than his competition up to this point and there are plenty of critics who doubt his ability to become a closer at the Major League level. But it's hard to overlook a career 13.3 K/9 ratio and he's had no problem closing games at each level he's been at.

2009 Statistics

          Level      W     L     ERA     IP     K     BB     WHIP     FIP

          AA         4     2    2.48   65.1    93     32     1.19    2.91
          AAA        0     2    3.45   15.2    19      8     1.21    2.31

2010 Outlook
Slama will begin the 2010 season in Triple-A Rochester where he will be the primarily closer for the Red Wings. He should get his call to the Major Leagues at some point during the season.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball (88-92)
• Slider
  
• Change-up
  

Video


Estimated Time of Arrival
2010

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #18 Alex Burnett

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects #18 Alex Burnett

Position Pitcher

Bats/Throws Right/Right

Born July 26, 1987 (Anaheim, California)

School Ocean View High School

Height 6'0''

Weight 190 lbs.

2009 Ranking 23




Breakdown
Since being taken by the Twins in the 12th round of the 2005 draft, Alex Burnett has been a starter. A good one, at that. But last year, the Twins foresaw Burnett as a reliever, and since making the switch, he's made their decision look genius. This adrenalin-junky showed all of us in 2009 that he's meant for the bullpen.

Burnett posted a 4.06 ERA in two years of Rookie Ball (split between the Gulf Coast League and Appalachian League), before moving up to Single-A Beloit in 2007. As a 19-year-old, Burnett gained respect by posting a 3.02 ERA in 27 starts in the Midwest League. He moved up to Advanced-A Fort Myers in 2008 and made 25 starts while appearing as a reliever in three more. Now keep in mind, Burnett has been a workhorse up to this point in his career, averaging around 150 innings per year between Beloit and Ft. Myers. The Twins decided to give Burnett a try in the bullpen in 2009, which did surprise me. But the Twins went with the decision, and I'm glad they did. Burnett had a 1.99 ERA in 18 appearances with the Miracle before being promoted to Double-A New Britain. He went on to make 40 appearances with the Rock Cats, posting a 1.79 ERA in 55 1/3 innings. Besides ERA, Burnett also made great improvements in his strikeout numbers. As a starter, Burnett had a career 6.56 K/9 ratio, in '09 that ratio was 9 even.

After the season, Burnett appeared in the Arizona Fall League and made 10 appearances and recorded three saves. Going forward, Burnett should be viewed as either a set-up man or closer. He can crank his fastball into the mid 90's and has a sharp cutter/slider that he uses as his out pitch. Burnett is one of several relievers that should be ready to go in 2011.

2009 Statistics

          Level      W     L     ERA     IP     K     BB     WHIP     FIP

          A+         2     1    1.99   22.2    26      7     0.93    1.96

          AA         1     2    1.79   55.1    52     19     0.99    2.98

2010 Outlook
Despite appearing in 40 games with New Britain in 2009, Burnett will likely begin the 2010 season with the Rock Cats before being promoted to Rochester mid-season. Expect Burnett to pick up a majority of the saves with New Britain early on. If he mows down the competition (which I believe he will), there is a possibility he could be considered for a promotion when rosters expand in September.

Pitching Repertoire

• 2/4 seam Fastball (89-94)


• Slider/Cutter (83-86)
  


• Curveball (76-78)
  


• Change-up (81-83)
  

Video



Estimated Time of Arrival
2011

Top 50 Twins Prospects 2010: #19 Blayne Weller

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects | #19 | Blayne Weller

Position | Pitcher

Bats/Throws | Right/Right

Born | January 30, 1990 (Key West, Florida)

School | Key West High School

Height | 6'5''

Weight | 220 lbs.

2009 Ranking | Not Ranked




Breakdown
Drafted straight out of Key West High School in 2008, Blayne Weller was given a $100,000 signing bonus by the Twins to sign instead of accepting a baseball scholarship to either Jacksonville State University or St. Petersburg College. The 14th round pick signed a day before the deadline, which limited him to just one inning in 2008.

He began the 2009 season in Extended Spring Training before being assigned to the Gulf Coast League. From that point, Weller stunned hitters and impressed coaches with a staggering 1.58 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts). Weller went on to win five games with the GCL Twins and finally had the chance to showcase the great control that caught the eye of the Twins when he was still in High School. In 57 innings, Weller walked just eight batters while striking out 49.

At 6'5'' and 220 lbs., Weller is a very sound and projectable pitcher. He has great mechanics and can consistently hit his spots. Despite his size, he doesn't throw very hard, but it's important to acknowledge that he is only 20 years old and his control is ahead of most of the pitchers in the system.

2009 Statistics

          Level      W     L     ERA     IP     K     BB     WHIP     FIP

          R (GCL)    5     1    1.58   57.0    49      8     0.95    2.34

2010 Outlook
Weller's most likely destination this season will be Elizabethton after a few months of Extended Spring Training.

Pitching Repertoire

• Fastball (87-90)
  
• Curveball
  
• Change-up

Video
None

Estimated Time of Arrival
2014