Minnesota Sports Forum

Twins sign Severino, a switch-hitting middle infielder who recently turned 18, slashed .286/.345/.444 in his 206 plate appearances in the Gulf Coast League in 2017. A lot of power for a young guy, really needs to work on his glove and will have to stay at 2nd base.

My buddy wrote a blog wrap up of the Twins Top 15 prospects and I pretty much agree with the list so I thought I put it below.

15. LaMonte Wade OF

A 9th round selection in the 2015 MLB Draft, Wade has continued to impress at each stop for the Twins. He ripped off an .805 OPS across 117 games at Double-A Chattanooga this year, and the seven home runs continue to suggest there's a bit of pop in his bat. Wade makes a ton of contact, and has walked more than he's struck out at each level. He may not have an All-Star ceiling, but being a nice rotational outfielder seems like a good bet.

14. Zack Littell SP

Brought into the organization through the Jaime Garcia deal with the Yankees, Littell provides an immediate boost to a club looking for pitching. He was lights out in the Eastern League, and continued to roll with Chattanooga. His strikeouts and walks both went in suboptimal directions following the trade, but it was a small seven game sample size. He has real strikeout ability, and should be a capable middle-of-the-rotation starter for Minnesota as early as 2018.

13. Brusdar Graterol SP

If there's an arm on the farm capable of challenging Fernando Romero's velocity, it's probably Greterol's. Just 19, he fared well in both the GCL and Appy League's this past season. With a big velocity fastball, and some solid secondary offerings, he's had no problem mowing down hitters at the lower level. He'll need to hone in command as he works on promotions, but the electric stuff makes him among the most intriguing Twins prospects in the system.

12. Lewis Thorpe SP

Returning to the mound following Tommy John surgery, Thorpe had a long road to recover. However, he made 16 starts in 2017, and was nothing short of impressive. With Fort Myers, he posted a 2.69 ERA and struck out 9.8 batters per nine. Walks have been a concern both in Cedar Rapids, and in the Florida State League, but an acclimation period is to be expected. If he can settle in to start 2018, he may be less than two years away, and should be a dependable lefty on the bump.

11. Blayne Enlow SP

Enlow was taken in the 3rd round of the 2017 MLB Draft, yet has true first round talent. Pitching at 18 right out of high school, he owned a 1.33 ERA across 20.1 IP in the GCL. His advanced command was nice to see, and there wasn't a time that he took the mound where it wasn't can't miss baseball. Although high school pitchers have a rough track record to go against, Enlow has all the makings of a special talent.

10. Travis Blankenhorn

After getting to Cedar Rapids a year ago, Blankenhorn spent the entirety of the 2017 season there. His average dropped off some, but the on-base percentage held strong. His .784 OPS was still more than respectable, and following up the 10 homers in 2016 with 13 in 2017 was nice to see. I'm not sure if he'll end up sticking more at second or third going forward, but he's a kid that's continued to come into his own.

9. Tyler Jay

Taken 6th overall in the 2015 draft, the road through the minors has been anything but smooth for Jay. Dealing with injuries, and shifting roles, he finally looks on track for the 2018 season. He recorded just 11.2 IP a year ago, but was able to get in 9.2 IP of work during the Arizona Fall League. The new front office hasn't yet ruled out using him as a starter, but I think he's best suited in the pen. He could slot into a future closer role, and the strikeout stuff is definitely there. If he's healthy, I'd imagine Minnesota may be able to call on him midway through 2018.

8 Alex Kirilloff

Thanks to Tommy John surgery, Kirilloff sat out the entirety of the 2017 season. Obviously for a position player, the surgery is much less of an issue. He put up a solid .794 OPS in his debut season with Elizabethton, and should be expected to pick up where he left off. It remains to be seen if Kirilloff can stay in the outfield, but if the bat plays, the Twins will no doubt find a place for it.

7. Felix Jorge SP

The good thing was that Jorge got a test of the big leagues in 2017. The bad thing was how those 7.2 IP went (10.57 ERA). Not to worry, I don't think that's indicative of the young starter's future. Still with just three starts at Triple-A under his belt, Jorge has time for growth. He should start 2018 with Rochester, and as he finds his command there, should make his way back to the Twins rotation. He's more of a pitch-to-contact type, but he keeps the ball in the yard and profiles as a nice back-end starting option.

6. Brent Rooker OF

Looking at how they've started out, I'm not sure it's possible for me to like the top of the 2017 Twins draft class any more than I already do. Rooker is the lone bat of the group, and he's an incredibly good one. After destroying the SEC in his final year, he made both the Appalachian and Florida State Leagues look easy. Minnesota could be aggressive and start him at Double-A in 2018, which I would hope for, and we may even see him in Twins Territory by season's end.

5. Wander Javier SS

The first of three top five shortstop prospects for the Twins, Javier just continues to gain steam. I walked away from watching him live during spring training in awe, and think he has a chance to be special. Playing his first season stateside, Javier owned an .855 OPS with Elizabethton. As he continues to fill out, there will be more power to come, but he's a true gap hitter with what seems like a decent chance to stick at short.

4. Nick Gordon SS

Creeping towards top-50 prospect status in all of baseball, Gordon had somewhat of a disappointing season. The .749 OPS was a career high, but there's questions as to whether or not he can stick at shortstop. The hope is that either the bat or the glove will pick up significantly and start to point towards what type of big leaguer he may be. At just 22, the Twins still have some time but it would be great to see Gordon have a breakout 2018.

3. Fernando Romero SP

Having arguably the best chance at turning into a potential ace among all Twins pitching prospects, Romero had another solid season in 2017. Making his Double-A debut, he started 23 games and pitched a career high 125.0 innings. His walk rate did spike a bit, but the strikeout numbers held strong. He has upper 90's velocity, and has shown strong pitchability thus far throughout the minors. There's probably an outside chance we see him with the Twins, at least briefly, at some point in 2018.

2. Stephen Gonsalves SP

Cracking Top 100 prospect lists for the first time prior to last season, Gonsalves is finally starting to get some of the national recognition he deserves. The lefty isn't flashy, but he's ridiculously consistent, and he's very good. His 2.68 ERA and 9.9 K/9 followed up a strong 2016 showing, and he made his Triple-A debut this past year. Aside from one start, he excelled at the highest minor league level (3 starts), and his overall command was sharpened a year ago. Expect him to slot in for the Twins at some point in the upcoming campaign.

1. Royce Lewis SS

Selected as the first overall pick in the 2017 draft, Lewis has been exceptional in his brief time as a pro. Making quick work of the GCL, he was promoted to Cedar Rapids for their playoff run. Despite being just 18 years old, he owned a .757 OPS and batted .296 in a league he was over three years younger than the average. He should easily be a top 50 prospect in all of baseball heading into 2018, and there's a case to be made that he is ranked within the top 25-30. We're still a few years away from seeing him with Minnesota, but early indications suggest Lewis is worth the price of admission.

Thanks for that detailed post. I know in a recent article Lavelle Neal said he was blown away when he saw Wander Javier at some point in this last year.

Jester thanks for the farm ratings.

Glad to see Royce Lewis and Rooker starting strong.

Saw this article of Archer. Media is catching up to your line of thinking now.

http://www.1500espn.com/twins-2/2017/12/report-twins-among-high-volume-interested-clubs-regarding-trade-talks-rays-ace-chris-archer/

bleedspeed177 wrote:Jester thanks for the farm ratings.

Glad to see Royce Lewis and Rooker starting strong.

Saw this article of Archer. Media is catching up to your line of thinking now.

http://www.1500espn.com/twins-2/2017/12/report-twins-among-high-volume-interested-clubs-regarding-trade-talks-rays-ace-chris-archer/

I'm not surprised he's team controlled till 2021 I think that's 3-4 years of a very good pitcher entering his prime. Btw these winter meetings are so slow this year. I wonder if it's because teams want to save money next year because there big names out there like Donaldson and Machado to name a few.

According to some Pittsburg reports.
Gordon, Tyler Jay, and Zack Granite in exchange for Gerrit Cole. If it's me I don't know if I take that deal. Cole is coming off his worst season I believe only has 2 years left on his contract. I mean the package is Gordon straight up for him pretty much, Jay is a major injuruy concern and Granite while I like him is at best a platoon outfielder.

Twins meeting with Fernando Rodney

https://mobile.twitter.com/MikeBerardino/status/940639889997074432

Jester1534 wrote:

bleedspeed177 wrote:Jester thanks for the farm ratings.

Glad to see Royce Lewis and Rooker starting strong.

Saw this article of Archer. Media is catching up to your line of thinking now.

http://www.1500espn.com/twins-2/2017/12/report-twins-among-high-volume-interested-clubs-regarding-trade-talks-rays-ace-chris-archer/

I'm not surprised he's team controlled till 2021 I think that's 3-4 years of a very good pitcher entering his prime. Btw these winter meetings are so slow this year. I wonder if it's because teams want to save money next year because there big names out there like Donaldson and Machado to name a few.

That's the 2nd person I have heard mention that idea teams may be waiting for that big offseason in a year. My guess is that its a combination of that the Otahni Sweepstakes and a few top pitchers are holding out for HUUUUUUUGE paydays and teams are somewhat willing to wait things out.

I didn't know that Gimenez was Yu Darvish Personal Catcher in Texas. Very good sign for the twins!!!!!!

http://www.twincities.com/2017/12/12/relationship-with-twins-gm-thad-levine-could-be-game-changer-for-yu-darvish/

jester1534 wrote:I didn't know that Gimenez was Yu Darvish Personal Catcher in Texas. Very good sign for the twins!!!!!!

http://www.twincities.com/2017/12/12/relationship-with-twins-gm-thad-levine-could-be-game-changer-for-yu-darvish/

Jester did you see this? :)

https://twitter.com/chrisgimenez5/status/939215880008826880

So does this mean I'm not the best hitting pitcher in the AL anymore #Ohtani