With a few months of the minor league season in the books, and with several players having been either promoted or demoted throughout the system, it’s time for another Minor League Check-In. Here are three players who Twins fans should be keeping their eye on this year:
Kyle Gibson, SP, New Britain Rock Cats
After dominating his opposition while with the Fort Myers Miracle, Gibson sported a 1.87 ERA on the season. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was looking excellent, and a few thought the former first-round pick may be able to challenge for a September call-up later in 2010.
Since being promoted to Double-A New Britain, however, Gibson has received a harsh welcome. Through seven starts, Gibson has a 4.83 ERA to go with an inflated WHIP. He is being hit much harder in New Britain, but Gibson has managed to keep his K/BB ratio in tact and as appealing as ever.
Nearly all hope of a 2010 appearance with the major-league club has been dissolved, but Gibson should still be able to finish the season with the Rochester Red Wings. He will contend for a rotation spot to start the 2011 season.
Joe Benson, OF, New Britain Rock Cats
Benson was one of the first Twins to be promoted this season, as he was sent from Fort Myers to New Britain. He has played 40 games at the Double-A level, and has proven that he isn’t over-matched at the higher level. He is still struggling with strikeouts, but Benson’s .350/.478 on-base and slugging percentages are among the best in Minnesota’s organization. Benson has hit 12 home runs so far this season, and is stealing more bases than he has in the past.
Although the Twins’ outfield is jam-packed with talented players, if Benson keeps hitting like this it will be impossible to leave him out of the major-league picture for too long.
Miguel Sano, 3B/OF, Dominican Summer League
One of the Twins’ biggest international signings in their history, Sano has been raking opposing pitching through his first 14 games. Hitting .341/.444/.636, Sano has shown himself to be a natural hitter at the Hot Corner.
Of course, he’s only had about 50 professional plate appearances, and Sano will need many more years before he is polished enough to join the big-league club. When Sano is ready for big-league action, though, the Twins will be more than happy to accommodate him.
Remember when we thought that Glen Perkins could be a large part of a trade for San Diego closer Heath Bell?
Now, not so much.
Thanks to the emergence of Francisco Liriano, Perkins was forced to begin the season in Triple-A Rochester where the 27-year old would hopefully build up his trade value. Through his first seven starts in the Twins’ minor league system, Perkins is 0-5 with a 10.08 ERA and a 1.988 WHIP.
With a career major-league ERA of 4.73 in 281.2 innings, Perkins is either still hurt or simply forgot how to pitch. Perkins made his last start on Saturday, where he gave up four earned runs in five innings. His ERA actually dropped .64 points.
Perkins hit the shelf late last season with tendonitis in his left shoulder. He missed 23 days on the disabled list, and the Twins’ failure to give Perkins service time during his rehab stint procured a Berlin Wall of ill feelings between the two parties.
Throwing a total of 12 innings in 2009 between Rookie-League and High-A, Perkins amassed an ERA of 2.25. He faced 45 batters, and struck out nine while walking just one. Even if there were still concerns over Perkin’s shoulder, the Twins didn’t seem to be worried.
During Spring Training this year Perkins complained of lower back stiffness, which some dismissed as simply another cry for attention from a whiny pitcher who wasn’t very good in the first place. Could either his left shoulder or lower back be acting up again?
Some cite Perkin’s very high opinion of himself as problematic. Could the sharp drop in production due to injury have impacted Perkin’s confidence, resulting in horrid starts this year in Triple-A? Or is he as cocky as ever, but still hurt?
Either way, there is little chance Perkins sees major-league action with the Twins this season. He is quite a ways down the totem pole in Rochester. If the Twins’ starting rotation suffers a devastating series of injuries, Perkins may not even be the third player called up.
Perkins may be a home-town kid who grew up dreaming of a chance to play for the Twins, but any future major-league success will come with another franchise. For the sake of both the Rochester rotation and Perkin’s career, the Twins need to part ways with the 6’0’’ lefty.
If they don’t, this Perkins Problem may develop into something even more distracting.
The season may still be young, but several players in the Twins’ minor league organization are certainly off to a great start. Here is a quick look at five of these players:
Bobby Lanigan, RH-SP, Ft. Myers Miracle
Lanigan, a third-round selection of the Twins in the 2008 draft, is off to a great start in his first full year of High-A ball. Through 22.1 innings this season, Lanigan has compiled a 0.81 ERA along with a 0.896 WHIP. He is striking out 8.1 batters per nine innings, and has walked just four.
Opponents are hitting just .198 off Lanigan, and the 22-year-old righty has a 1.30 groundout/flyout ratio. Lanigan is known for his outstanding slider, and could move up to Double-A as soon as one of the New Britain starts promoted to Rochester.
Liam Hendriks, RH-SP, Beloit Snappers
Hendriks, while just 20 years of age, has been off to a very impressive start through 22 innings in Beloit. With a 0.41 ERA, Hendriks has given up just one earned run while striking out 26 and walking just two. His WHIP is 0.409, and he has been incredibly dominant through his first four starts.
Hendriks has had excellent control throughout his three minor-league seasons, and has a 1.50 groundout/flyout ratio this season. He could fight for a job in Fort Myers when the first round of promotions begins.
Rene Tosoni, OF, New Britain Rock Cats
Tosoni has done a great job in his attempts to convince the Twins’ brass that he can hit left-handed pitching. With a combined line of .351/.413/.526 through his first 64 plate appearances, Tosoni is hitting .375/.474/.438 against south-paws. He has a total of six extra-base hits so far this year, and could potentially be a September call-up to the major-leagues.
Tosoni probably doesn’t have the range to play center field, but he has a cannon of an arm and will fit nicely in a corner outfield position. If he keeps raking opposing pitchers at his current clip, there is no reason why he can’t be playing in Rochester in a few months.
The season is still young, but these players are doing their best to draw attention. Here are a few minor-leaguers in the Twins’ system that have already turned in some very impressive performances.
Chris Parmelee, 1B/RF/DH, New Britain Rock Cats (#8)
Without a defensive position, Parmelee is attempting to advance through the minor leagues the only way he knows how: By raking opposing pitches. In his first four games in Double-A, Parmelee has two home runs and a triple-slash line of .250/.294/.688.
Historically, Parmelee is a Mark Reynolds-type: Tons of home runs, and tons of strikeouts. Parmelee has improved his strikeout rate, and has increased his walk total after two years spent in Beloit. Last season was spent with the Fort Myers Miracle, where Parmelee hit .258/.359/.441 with 16 home runs and 1.68 strikeouts for every walk.
Ideally, Parmelee would be a designated hitter in the big leagues. His value is much lower without a defensive position, though, and he will work very hard this year on improving his play in the field. Parmelee has certainly displayed his mighty bat in the first few games this season, but it will be interesting to see his defense progress, as well.
Stuifbergen made his first appearance on April 8, and threw just one inning, giving up one hit and striking out three.
The 6’3’’ Dutch 21-year-old made his first start for the Beloit Snappers on Monday night, where he went a total of six innings, giving up four hits and striking out five. He has yet to walk a batter this season, and has a perfect ERA through seven innings.
He is a great ground-ball pitcher, and has a 2.25 ground-out/air-out ratio in the early-goings. Stuifbergen missed the 2008 season due to shoulder surgery, and his velocity has never been high, but his control is very good. His fastball is clocked in the low 90’s, but over the course of his career, Stuifbergen has an incredible 8.9/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He is certainly one to keep your eyes on this season.
Lanigan started the season on an excellent note last Saturday by pitching six shutout innings while giving up just two hits and no walks. He struck out four, while posting a 1.8 ground-out/air-out ratio.
He has an excellent slider (Baseball America ranked it as the best in the Twins’ system a few years ago), and is also very good at limiting his walks. Over his short career, Lanigan has a 4.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio, while averaging 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
Lanigan is in the middle of a Miracle rotation that consists of some very talented pitchers. From Kyle Gibson to Michael Tarsi to Brad Tippett, Lanigan has an uphill battle ahead of him if he wants to draw attention. So far, though, he’s off to a great start.
The White Sox are usually a team that opts to trade away their top prospects for major-league ready talent. While this is opposite of Minnesota’s strategy, Chicago has made it work through smart management.
While this means Chicago can trade for Juan Pierre, Jake Peavy, and Mark Teahen, it also means that the White Sox won’t rely too much on their minor league system. Here are two of Chicago’s more major-league ready prospects, with how they may impact the divisional race in 2010.
Daniel Hudson, RH-SP, 22 years old
Hudson was a 5th-round pick of the 2008 draft, but rocketed through the system last year. He started 2009 in Single-A, where he put up a 1.23 ERA in 22 innings of pitching before being promoted to High-A, where he posted a 3.40 ERA in 45 innings. Hudson was then moved to Double-A, where he struck out 10.1 batters per nine innings with an ERA of 1.60 in 56.1 innings. He finished the year in Triple-A, where he threw 24 innings while posting an ERA of 3.00.
Overall, Hudson went 14-5 with a 2.32 ERA in 147.1 innings of pitching last year. He also struck out an average of 10.1 batters per nine innings while walking just 2.1 per nine. Clearly, Hudson has major-league potential.
In the crowded White Sox rotation, though, his impact may be muted. Jake Peavy, Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, John Danks, and Freddy Garcia are all excellent starting pitchers, and Hudson may be forced to start the season back in Triple-A.
In 2010, Hudson will likely be a spot starter and long relief option for the White Sox. His high strikeout totals could indicate a move to the bullpen in the future. Scouts claim that Hudson has fastball with late movement and a very deceiving changeup.
Hudson is very effective against hack-tastic batters, and the Twins could struggle to master the young Chicago prospect in 2010.
Tyler Flowers, C, 24 years old
Flowers is very similar to Minnesota’s Wilson Ramos. Both have average defense behind the plate, but will likely be able to rack up at least 20 home runs per season while displaying some patience at the plate.
Ramos is blocked by Joe Mauer, while Flowers is blocked by AJ Pierzynski. Both Mauer’s and Pierzynski’s contracts expire after the 2010 season, but the Twins hold a much better chance of locking up their incumbent to a long-term deal than the White Sox.
Ramos and Flowers are capable of being major-league backups in 2010, but both would be best served by consistent playing time. Flowers will likely spend most of 2010 in Triple-A, but would be promoted in a heartbeat if Pierzynski were injured or there were a desperate need for a bench bat or designated hitter.
Along with his tendency to draw more than his fair share of walks, Twins’ pitchers will also need to be aware of Flowers’ relatively high strikeout rate. BP prospect guru Kevin Goldstein also claims that Flowers has a slow release on his throws, which will give opposing base-runners a slight advantage when they attempt to steal a base.
Erik Lis seems to have flown off the radar these days. After putting up a .283/.353/.462 batting line in his second consecutive year at New Britain, I gave Lis the 47th position on my Top 50 Prospects list.
Should he be higher? After all, the guy has hit everywhere he has been.
As a 25-year old in Double-A, though, Lis is quickly losing momentum. After a successful collegiate career, spending two years in the same location isn’t usually in the cards for a high-caliber hitter. Lis has never been the best athlete, and his defense is well below average, but he has swatted plenty of home runs at every level he has been. Here are his career stats in the Twins’ organization.
Shouldn’t his bat be enough to carry him through the system, or does having a clear defensive position carry more value than most think?
Lis’ powerful bat limits his defensive options to the corner outfield or first base. Spending the majority of the 2009 season either at first base or as a designated hitter, the New Britain coaching staff showed that they don’t have much confidence in Lis’ fielding abilities in the outfield.
As an American League organization, the Twins utilize a designated hitter every day. Lis is one of the few prospects in the Twins’ system that is almost purely a designated hitter. As evidenced by the promotion Lis didn’t receive after the 2008 season, the Twins place a very high emphasis on defense in their prospects. Should they, though?
What do you think? Should a prospect like Lis be valued more by the Twins and moved more aggressively? Or do the Twins place the right amount of emphasis on defense among their prospects?
While we sit and wait for some meaningful news to float out of the Twins’ offices in Target Field, anticipating the future is one of the best ways to pass time.
As we saw last week, the Minnesota Twins have no shortage of elite outfield prospects. From the stars like Aaron Hicks and Ben Revere to the lesser-known Joe Benson, Angel Morales, Max Kepler, and Rene Tosoni, there is plenty of outfield talent in the Twins’ system.
Most of these guys are still quite a ways away from breaking into the major leagues, but by 2012, the Minnesota outfield could conceivably be bursting at the seams.
Currently, Denard Span and Michael Cuddyer are the best outfielders on the active roster, with Delmon Young and Jason Kubel close behind. Cuddyer is nearing the end of his contract, and will most likely finish his career with the Twins before Hicks reaches the Bigs. And Kubel is obviously better-suited for the role of a designated hitter.
That leaves Span and Young as the outfielders of the future, along with the hordes of minor league talent. Will all of these prospects find regular playing time? If so, where?
Most probably, Revere will be an offensive-minded corner outfielder with average defense. Hicks should be above-average both offensively and defensively, which makes him an ideal candidate for center field. Morales and Benson also have great defense, but their size and power may eventually push them to a corner. Tosoni’s lack of defense will relegate him to a corner, while Kepler is a complete wild card as this point.
(As a side note, you won’t necessarily see these guys playing in their designated/predicted spots this year in the minor leagues. I’m sure Hicks will get some time in the corner, while Revere, Morales, and maybe even Tosoni could get some reps in center field.
As a minor-leaguer, Span played almost exclusively in center field, but had to learn a corner position when he was promoted to the Twins because of the presence of Carlos Gomez. Hopefully Minnesota learned their lesson.)
The estimated-times-of-arrival for these players vary. Revere and Benson will beat Hicks and Morales to the major leagues by a year, Tosoni could be a September call-up as early as this season, while Kepler’s primary objective should be to finish his junior year of high school.
Outside of Tosoni, none of these prospects should be ready by the 2011 season, which very well could be Cuddyer’s last. Minnesota will most likely be forced to deal with an extremely crowded outfield for the 2012 season.
Span will most likely be shifted to the corner position opposite Revere, while Hicks will roam center field in Target Field in 2012. Admittedly, I have no idea what will happen with Young during these upcoming years. He could very well use the momentum he finished the 2009 campaign with and exceed all expectations, but he could just as easily fall flat on his face.
I do know, however, that not all prospects will pan out as expected. The scenario I just presented (an outfield of Revere/Hicks/Span) leaves out Morales, Benson, and Tosoni.
While they have serious issues to work out (strikeouts for Morales, left-handed pitchers for Tosoni) they are incredibly talented and could be potential trade chips.
This over-crowded outfield is certainly a good problem for the Twins. If one prospect gets injured or simply doesn’t live up to expectations, another one will be waiting in the wings.
What will the Minnesota outfield look like in 2012? Which top prospect am I too high on? Which one am I under-valuing? Be sure to let your voice be heard in the comment section!
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