2008 Organizational Rankings: Starting Pitchers
This is the seventh in a series of posts covering every player in the Twins organization who has played at least at the Rookie League level or higher, along with a few international players who have not yet reached that level. Here are the ground rules for these posts:
1.) Each player in the organization will be listed in only one of these posts. The determination of where to place a player was made based on the position at which the player received the most playing time during the 2007 season (with very rare exceptions), and I won't be moving players around during the season.
2.) These rankings are obviously being made prior to the start of the 2008 season, and I will not be updating them during the season. As a result, no matter how well a player performs in 2008, it will not affect his ranking.
3.) As with everything else that appears on this blog, these rankings represent my own subjective impressions. If you agree or disagree, feel free to respond with your own thoughts in the comments.
4.) Speaking of comments, I'm human and therefore make mistakes. If I've missed a player, added a player who is no longer with the team, incorrectly listed biographical information, or anything else, please let me know in the comments and I will address the mistake with a correction, if necessary.
5.) Players who leave the Twins organization (whether by release, trade, or any other circumstance) will remain in the rankings, but their listing will be in red font and the method by which they left the team will be noted. Players who join the Twins organization during the season will be added to the proper post, but will not be ranked; instead, they'll appear at the bottom of the list with the ranking of "NR," standing for "Not Ranked." This will be true whether the player is a 2008 draft pick or a former All-Star traded for at the deadline.
#1 - Francisco Liriano
With the trade of Johan Santana, all eyes will be on Francisco Liriano to see if he can come back from his injury and fulfill the promise that he showed in 2006, when he posted a 12-3 record with a 2.16 ERA in 121 innings of work while striking out 144 and walking 32 batters. The pressure is bound to be intense on Liriano, because many fans will be expecting him to return to that remarkable form immediately. I'm a little more cautious, but I'm also very optimistic about Liriano's future. Based both on his potential in the long-run and his probable ability to contribute this year (I think that he'll be a significant part of the rotation no later than mid-May, and possibly earlier than that), I'm rating him as the #1 starter in the organization -- a position that I hope he retains for years to come.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 10/26/1983
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Optioned to High-A Ft. Myers (3/28/08); Option Transferred to AAA Rochester (4/07/08); Recalled to Minnesota (4/12/08); Optioned to Rochester (4/25/08); Recalled to Minnesota (8/01/08)
#2 - Scott Baker
I admit to having doubted Scott Baker when I put my rankings together last year. Basically, I didn't think that Baker would ever be able to put it all together as a Major League starter. I've now largely changed my mind, based on some extremely solid performances last year. Now, Baker seems destined for a top 3 position in the rotation, and at 26, Baker should just be entering his prime as a starter. I look for him to follow up last season's 9-9, 4.26 ERA in 143.2 innings performance with a solid 200+ inning year and an ERA on the south side of 4.00. If he does that, he'll cement his place in the Twins rotation and set himself very well for the future.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/19/1981
Drafted: 2003 (2nd Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: 15-Day DL (5/07/08); Activated from DL (6/05/08)
#3 - Livan Hernandez (Claimed by Colorado - 8/5/08)
Placing Hernandez in my rankings was awfully difficult for me, because it's not easy to compare a solid veteran like Hernandez with the young, talented pitchers who fit into the other top spots on this list. Ultimately, I decided that Hernandez's proven track record as a Major League starter (he has a career 4.25 ERA in over 2,300 innings of work) outweigh the "mere" promise of some of the other names on this list. Honestly, though, I could have put Hernandez anywhere between 1st and somewhere around 10th without feeling that my ranking was too far off. While I was not enthusiastic about Hernandez's signing at the time it was announced, I have to acknowledge that his veteran presence could be extremely beneficial for the organization's young pitchers.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 2/20/1975
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Signed with the Minnesota Twins (2/12/08); Designated for Assignment (8/01/08); Claimed by Colorado (8/5/08)
#4 - Kevin Slowey
Slowey continued his fast rise through the organization last year, getting his first action in Rochester (where he went 10-5 with a 1.89 ERA and a 107-18 K-BB ratio) and also making his Major League debut and picking up 66.2 innings as a Twin (posting a 4-1 record and a 4.72 ERA with a 47-11 K-BB ratio). His Major League numbers from last season aren't going to blow anybody away, but Slowey was just 23 last year, and his K-BB numbers suggest that as he adjusts to big league hitters he has the potential to be extremely good. I like his odds to start the season in the Twins rotation, and am quite hopefully that by the end of the season we'll all view him as a legitimate big league starter.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 5/4/1984
Drafted: 2005 (2nd Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Placed on 15-Day DL (4/12/08 - retroactive to 4/04/08); Activated from DL (5/07/08)
#5 - Nick Blackburn
Sometimes, you just miss things -- and I totally missed Nick Blackburn's prospect status until he burst onto the scene last year with a 2.11 ERA in 110.2 innings with Rochester (and a solid 3.08 ERA in 38 innings with New Britain before that). I won't make the same mistake again this year, and am ranking Blackburn above several other serious candidates for the rotation (including, perhaps unfairly, Boof Bonser) based largely on his potential. Blackburn will get an opportunity to win a spot in the starting rotation, and while I don't think he'll make the cut this year, I wouldn't be surprised to see him be the first callup from AAA in the event of someone struggling or getting injured. By next year, I expect Blackburn to become a fixture in the rotation.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 2/24/1982
Drafted: 2001 (29th Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: None
#6 - Boof Bonser
Bonser has pitched 273.1 innings over the past two seasons for the Twins, and while his performance in 2006 was unexpectedly strong (4.22 ERA in 100.1 innings; 84-24 K-BB ratio), he regressed significantly in 2007 (5.10 ERA in 173 innings; 136-65 K-BB ratio). Even so, the experience of spending a full season in the big leagues should have benefited Bonser, and more importantly it sounds as if he got himself into good shape over the off-season. That should help Bonser with his endurance, which has been one of his biggest problems so far as a big leaguer. Bonser should win a job in the Twins rotation at the start of this season -- the question now is whether he can hold onto it with so many other young stud starters waiting in the wings. Losing weight was a good start -- hopefully, it will be enough.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 10/14/1981
Drafted: 2000 (1st Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: None
#7 - Brian Duensing
Duensing has followed in the footsteps of Matt Garza and Kevin Slowey in rising quickly through the Twins system. After being drafted out of the University of Nebraska in 2005, Duensing has made his way all the way up to Rochester, where he posted an 11-5 record and a 3.24 ERA in 116.2 innings (with an 86-30 K-BB ratio). Now, he's in a position to be discussed as a possible Twins starter this spring -- although he's far enough back in the pecking order that it's unlikely that he'll make the team. Nonetheless, a 2008 Major League debut for Duensing seems likely if he continues to pitch so effectively.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 2/22/1983
Drafted: 2005 (3rd Round)
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Rochester Red Wings
2008 Transactions: Optioned to AAA Rochester (3/9/08); Placed on Temporarily Inactive List to join Team USA in the Olympics (7/29/08)
#8 - Jeff Manship
Manship was one of the big players to watch a year ago, and he didn't disappoint. Manship started off the season in Beloit, and from the very start it was just a matter of time before he would be promoted to Ft. Myers. In the end, Manship ended up getting 13 starts and pitching 77.2 innings with the Snappers, posting a 1.51 ERA and a silly 77-9 K-BB ratio before the promotion. Manship was no slouch with the Miracle either, posting a 3.15 ERA in 71.1 innings (along with a 59-25 K-BB ratio). I expect that the Twins will keep Manship in Ft. Myers at the very start of the season, but he should make the necessary adjustments to earn a promotion to New Britain very quickly. I suspect that within 18 months, Manship will be right in the midst of the very crowded pack of near-Major League ready pitching talent in the Twins organization.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 1/16/1985
Drafted: 2006 (14th Round)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08); Promoted to AA New Britain (6/16/08)
#9 - Yohan Pino
Pino has been a top prospect seemingly since he came into the system in 2005 and posted a 3.72 ERA in 67.2 innings with a 64-13 K-BB ratio with Elizabethton. Things just got better in 2006, when Pino was used primarily as a reliever in Beloit -- Pino had an unbelievable season, going 14-2 with a 1.91 ERA in 94 innings (35 relief appearances and 7 starts) with a 99-20 K-BB ratio. Last season started off solidly for Pino as well, as he posted a 4-3 record and a 1.73 ERA with a 64-17 K-BB ratio in 67.2 innings with Ft. Myers. Unfortunately, Pino wasn't as successful at the next level, as he went 2-4 with a 5.13 ERA in 47.1 innings (primarily as a starter) for New Britain. On the plus side, his K-BB number stayed strong (40-9), and his WHIP of 1.39 wasn't terrible either. Hopefully, that means that the ERA was just an aberration. In my book, he remains a top Twins prospect -- but it will be interesting to see how he's utilized this season.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 12/26/1983
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AA New Britain (4/03/08); 7-Day DL (5/16/08); Activated from DL (6/10/08)
#10 - Tyler Robertson
Robertson is a favorite amongst many Twins prospects followers, so I imagine there will be a fair number of people who think that I've made a mistake by ranking him tenth. However, in these ratings I tend to value pitchers who are closer to the big leagues over pitchers with a lot of promise, because so much can happen as a player makes his way through the system. Last season certainly did prove that Robertson has a tremendous amount of potential, though -- he went 9-5 with a 2.29 ERA in 102.1 innings with a great 123-33 K-BB ratio. Just to reiterate, Robertson struck out a ridiculous 10.82 hitters per nine innings. His 1.17 WHIP was equally solid for a starter. In other words -- I believe in Robertson's potential, and look forward to seeing how he performs in 2008. It seems very possible that a quick rise through the system is in order for the barely 20-year-old.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 12/23/1987
Drafted: 2006 (3rd Round)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08); 7-Day DL (c. 6/02/08); Activated from DL (6/20/08); 7-Day DL (c. 7/08/08)
#11 - Oswaldo Sosa
Sosa was ranked 12th last year, and I've moved him up a spot largely because he's taken another step up in the organization, advancing to the AA level last season. Sosa's time in the Florida State League with High A Ft. Myers was a rousing success, as he posted a 2.23 ERA in 105 innings with an 82-36 K-BB ratio. He was markedly less effective in New Britain, as he put up a 4.50 ERA in 48 innings with a much more pedestrian 35-22 K-BB ratio. I'm not worried about Sosa's performance in AA, however -- let's see how he performs in a full season there this year. His track record suggests that he'll be just fine after making the necessary adjustment. To me, he remains a top flight organizational prospect.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/19/1985
Drafted: International Signing
Status: Rule 5 Eligible Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Optioned to AA New Britain (3/9/08); Demoted to High A Ft. Myers (6/16/08); Outrighted to AAA Rochester (10/24/08)
#12 - Anthony Swarzak
For many Twins fans, Swarzak's 2007 season was made memorable by his 50 game suspension starting in April for violating the minor league drug program. However, that will hopefully become just a footnote for the talented Swarzak, who was very good when actually on the mound. In 15.2 innings with Ft. Myers, Swarzak posted a 2.30 ERA with an 18-5 K-BB ratio; meanwhile, in 86.1 innings in New Britain, Swarzak had a 3.23 ERA and a 76-23 K-BB ratio. Those numbers provide solid reminders that Swarzak deserves his status as a prospect and should not be forgotten -- or dismissed as an inconsequential former suspendee. Due to the relatively low number of innings pitched last year and the crowded field in Rochester, I'm guessing Swarzak will start off back in New Britain. I would not, however, be surprised if he made his way to AAA by the end of the year.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/10/1985
Drafted: 2004 (2nd Round)
Status: 5th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: Rochester Red Wings
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AA New Britain (4/03/08); Promoted to AAA Rochester (7/29/08)
#13 - Deolis Guerra
I confess, this ranking is based almost exclusively on what I've heard, rather than what I know, about Guerra. He seems to be very well liked by many prospect-hounds, but his youth and relative inexperience couldn't possibly justify me ranking him any higher -- and in fact, I almost ranked him even lower because of some of the unknowns. Nonetheless, I believe I've read that he already has three solid pitches (rare for someone of his age), and his K-BB ratio last year in High A (66-25) along with his low WHIP (1.17) suggest that he's capable of missing bats. Lacking any more information, I'm placing him here -- higher than either of the two more established minor league pitchers picked up from the Mets in the Johan Santana deal.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 4/17/1989
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Acquired via trade from the New York Mets (2/2/08); Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08)
#14 - Jay Rainville
Rainville missed the entire 2006 season due to an injury, but he came back last year and it was if he had never left. After a great start to his professional career that saw him rise from the GCL in 2004 to Ft. Myers by the end of 2005, Rainville's injury left a few questions after the missed season. As a result, despite 54 solid innings of work in Ft. Myers in 2005, Rainville re-started his career back with the Miracle in 2007, posting a 3.29 ERA and a great 110-31 K-BB ratio in 142.1 innings of work (along with a solid 1.24 WHIP). That's more than enough to convince me that the injury is not going to hurt Rainville -- and 22, he's still young enough to continue improving as a minor leaguer.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 10/16/1985
Drafted: 2004 (1st Round)
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AA New Britain (4/03/08); Demoted to High A Ft. Myers (6/16/08); Promoted to AA New Britain (7/04/08)
#15 - Philip Humber
Phil Humber is the most advanced of the three pitchers picked up by the Twins in the Johan Santana trade, and the only reason I have him behind Guerra is because of hype -- which is rare for how I operate. Humber is the only one of the three who has a chance to make the team out of Spring Training this year, but it is extremely unlikely that he'll win a big league job simply due to the sheer number of guys he'll be competing with. Humber posted reasonably solid numbers in AAA last season (4.27 ERA in 139 innings, 1.24 WHIP, 120-44 K-BB ratio), and in his comeback from injury at the end of 2006 (2.88 ERA in 34.1 innings in AA; 2.37 ERA in 38 innings in High A), so his numbers are relatively solid. With one option year left, the Twins will likely give him seasoning in AAA this year, with Spring 2009 setting up as a very important time for Humber.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 12/21/1982
Drafted: 2004 (1st Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Acquired via trade from the New York Mets (2/2/08); Optioned to AAA Rochester (3/24/08); Recalled to Minnesota (9/02/08)
#16 - Kevin Mulvey
Considering his past numbers, I should probably rank Mulvey (another acquisition from the Johan Santana trade) even higher than this. However, I want to see him perform in the Twins organization before ranking him ahead of some of the more familiar Twins names that I'm used to talking about. Still, you can't argue with Mulvey's performance in the minor leagues so far -- a career 3.02 ERA in 173 innings with a 124-48 K-BB ratio, including a 3.32 ERA in 151.2 innings with a 110-43 K-BB ratio in AA last season. I've heard him compared to Kevin Slowey, but I've also heard that the comparison doesn't really work all that well -- I guess time will tell, and I look forward to seeing what Mulvey can do with the Twins organization.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 5/26/1985
Drafted: 2006 (2nd Round)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Rochester Red Wings
2008 Transactions: Acquired via trade from the New York Mets (2/2/08); Assigned to AAA Rochester (4/03/08)
#17 - Kyle Waldrop
Waldrop went into last season as my #17 pick, and I consider his season to essentially be a draw -- 1/2 good, and 1/2 bad, so I'm leaving him essentially right where he was. When Waldrop was in Ft. Myers (High A), he was pretty solid -- he posted a 3.40 ERA in 92.2 innings with a 1.23 WHIP and a 57-24 K-BB ratio. Unfortunately, the 59 innings that Waldrop pitched in AA New Britain weren't nearly as effective, as he wound up with a 5.34 ERA and 1.58 WHIP with a 33-19 K-BB ratio. I still think that Waldrop is a reasonably solid prospect, but he'll need to adjust to AA hitters to keep that status.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 10/27/1985
Drafted: 2004 (1st Round)
Status: 5th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08); 7-Day DL (c. 4/04/08)
#18 - Ryan Mullins
Mullins had a very good 2007 season, rising all the way from Ft. Myers to Rochester by the end of the year. Starting the season with the Miracle, Mullins put together a 1.98 ERA in 54.2 innings with a 1.13 WHIP and a 56-12 K-BB ratio. That earned him a promotion to New Britain, where Mullins posted a still solid 3.99 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 85.2 innings, with a 68-23 K-BB ratio. Unfortunately, the Twins may have been a bit overzealous in moving Mullins up to AAA for a 4 game stint, where he went 0-3 with a 10.57 ERA in 15.1 innings. My guess is that the Twins will backtrack with Mullins, starting him off in New Britain -- but considering his performance since joining the organization in 2005, Mullins merits watching in the year ahead as a guy who could potentially vault up the rankings next season.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 11/13/1983
Drafted: 2005 (3rd Round)
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AA New Britain (4/03/08)
#19 - Mike McCardell
McCardell, who was drafted by the Twins out of Kutztown University, didn't take all that long to announce his presence in the organization. After starting off in the GCL (where he put up a 2.50 ERA in 18 innings), he was moved up to Elizabethton -- and he shined, to say the least. McCardell pitched 45 innings, and in that time he posted a 2.00 ERA, a 0.76 WHIP, and an absurd 70-5 K-BB ratio -- that's a strikeout rate of 14.00 per 9 innings. If McCardell can come anywhere near to backing that up this season, he'll start a quick rise through the system reminiscent of Matt Garza and Kevin Slowey. One word of caution -- the sample size is relatively low, and McCardell would have largely been playing less experienced players (he was 22) -- but those numbers speak for themselves.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 4/13/1985
Drafted: 2007 (6th Round)
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/03/08); 7-Day DL (4/25/08); Activated from DL (5/18/08)
#20 - Michael Tarsi
Tarsi is another college draft pick from 2007, joining the Twins organization out of the University of Connecticut. Unlike McCardell, Tarsi started off in Elizabethton immediately; like McCardell, he thrived there. Tarsi posted a 2.22 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 52.2 innings along with a 59-13 K-BB ratio. As with McCardell, there's a need to consider that Tarsi entered Elizabethton having pitched in major college action, and was therefore relatively advanced. However, his numbers are too good to ignore, and it will be interesting to watch him play with a full season team in 2008.
Bats/Throws: R/L
Birthdate: 8/11/1986
Drafted: 2007 (12th Round)
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/03/08)
#21 - David Bromberg
Keeping with the theme of ranking pitchers who had solid seasons with Elizabethton in this stretch of the rankings, the next logical entrant is David Bromberg, a 32nd round draft pick from 2005 who so far is significantly outpacing expectations for a guy drafted so late. In 2006, Bromberg put up a 2.66 ERA in 50.2 innings for the GCL, striking out 31 and walking 18. Not valuing GCL numbers all that highly, I ranked Bromberg 32nd in last year's rankings. Interestingly enough, Bromberg then backed it up in Elizabethton this season, putting up a 9-0 record with a 2.78 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP while striking out 81 and walking 32 in 58.1 innings. Back-to-back solid years gets my attention -- as does the significantly improved K/9 rate. We'll see if Bromberg can continue to surprise now that he's likely to get a shot in a full season league.
Bats/Throws: L/R
Birthdate: 9/14/1987
Drafted: 2005 (32nd Round)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/03/08)
#22 - Alex Burnett
Burnett had a very successful first full-league season in the organization last year, posting a 3.02 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 155 innings along with 117 K's and 38 walks. Those were actually his most impressive numbers as a professional, although he hadn't exactly been a slouch in 2005 with the GCL Twins or in 2006 with the Elizabethton Twins -- in both years, his ERA was just over 4.00, and his K-BB ratio was consistently solid (especially in Elizabethton, when he had a 71-13 ratio). Burnett will turn 21 this season, so he appears to be on an excellent path through the organization -- less flashy than the meteoric rises of Garza and Slowey, but steady nonetheless.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 7/26/1987
Drafted: 2005 (12th Round)
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08)
#23 - Cole DeVries
DeVries was a University of Minnesota pitcher who the Twins picked up as an undrafted free agent and assigned to Beloit last season. His numbers were quite solid -- he went 9-5 with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP while striking out 108 and walking 36 in 148 innings. It seems quite likely that he'll pitchin at the High A level next year, where he'll continue to try to impress. I don't know why he wasn't drafted, but his 2006 season with the Gophers was quite good -- 93 innings, 2.42 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 72-32 K-BB ratio. Perhaps there was an injury concern or something to that effect, but it seems odd that a pitcher who had demonstrated he was reasonably good in college couldn't even get a sniff from a big league team in the draft. If anyone knows, I'd like to hear about it in the comments. Either way, though, it doesn't really matter -- he's with the Twins now, and so far at least he's done a pretty solid job.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 2/12/1985
Drafted: Undrafted Free Agent
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08); 7-Day DL (8/08/08); Activated from DL (8/22/08)
#24 - Matthew Fox
Fox missed the 2005 season due to injury, and now has had two years to come back -- and it seems as if he's done so pretty effectively. In 2006, Fox returned to action with Elizabethton, pitching mostly out of relief and posting a 3.79 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 40.1 innings while striking out 46 and walking 13. Last year, Fox moved up to Beloit, where he started 13 games and entered in relief 9 times for a total of 82.1 innings. In that span, Fox had a 3.50 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP while striking out 66 and walking 23. These numbers are very solid, and leave little doubt that Fox has recovered pretty effectively. A trip to Ft. Myers as a swingman seems likely for 2008, as Fox attempts to keep the good times rollin'.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 12/4/1982
Drafted: 2004 (1st Round)
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08)
#25 - Zach Ward
Ward, who came over from the Cincinnati Reds during the 2006 season, pitched with Ft. Myers last season and put up solid numbers despite a terrible record. In one of those somewhat bizarre baseball quirks, Ward pitched 130 innings, posting a 4.08 ERA and 1.31 WHIP while striking out 107 and walking 37. Those ERA and WHIP numbers aren't amazing, by any means, but they also aren't all that bad -- nonetheless, Ward had a 5-17 record last season, which had to be frustrating for him. I still think that Ward is a reasonably good prospect, and hope that he can continue to put up solid numbers this season -- hopefully with a record that actually reflects his performance!
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 1/14/1984
Drafted: 2005 (3rd Round)
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AA New Britain (4/03/08)
#26 - Michael Allen
Allen is another of the Rookie League crew who had a solid 2007 season in Elizabethton, earning this reasonably solid ranking. In 62.1 innings last year, Allen posted a 3.47 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with a really solid 70-11 K-BB ratio. He struggled a little bit in very limited action with the GCL in 2006, but the 20-year-old (he'll turn 21 in May) seems to have made significant strides last year, and (stop me if you've heard me say this before) will now get his shot in a full season league.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 5/27/1987
Drafted: 2005 (13th Round)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/19/08); Placed on Restricted List (6/19/08); Activated from Restricted List (c. 7/05/08); Promoted to Low A Beloit (c. 7/05/08)
#27 - Henry Reyes
Reyes is a 22-year-old lefty out of the Dominican Republic who had a great year in Elizabethton, where he posted a 2.87 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 53.1 innings while striking out 68 and walking 17. A short, 4.1 inning callup to Beloit didn't go so well (a 10.38 ERA and 3.23 WHIP from the experience provide the statistical proof of that), but Reyes should get another shot to prove himself in Beloit starting from the beginning of the 2008 season.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 5/10/1985
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Currrent Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/03/08); 7-Day DL (4/04/08); Activated from DL, Promoted to Ft. Myers (c. 6/05/08); Demoted to Low A Beloit (6/16/08)
#28 - Zach Day - RELEASED (c. 5/06/08)
Welcome to the journeyman occasional-big leaguer section of the rankings. Where exactly do you stick pitchers like Zach Day, a 29-year-old who has pitched in 86 games in the big leagues and 150 in the minors? Clearly, he doesn't belong ahead of the young, talented prospects who will continue to grow with the organization over the next couple of years. Equally clearly, Day must have done something right over the course of his career (his 3.66 career minor league ERA and 4.66 career Major League ERA are some evidence that he deserves to still be around). As a result, he (and the others like him) are being shuffled into this position in the rankings, simply by default. I expect that Day was signed primarily as an insurance policy for the organization in the event that the young pitchers uniformly struggled during Spring Training -- but with the addition of Livan Hernandez to the organization, I'm not sure that there's much of a role for Day to play this season, and it seems quite possible that he'll be released prior to the end of Spring Training. If not, I suppose a trip back to AAA may be in order.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 6/15/1978
Drafted: 1996 (5th Round)
Status: 11th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Signed to Minor League contract (1/8/08); 7-Day DL (3/30/08); Activated from Disabled List (c. 4/23/08); Released (c. 5/06/08)
#29 - Randy Keisler - RELEASED (c. 3/28/08)
Keisler is another veteran arm brought in by the Twins for reasons unknown -- although it makes more sense if he's being auditioned for a possible slot in the bullpen than for a starting role, since the Twins quite often bring in left-handed veterans to audition for a place in the 'pen. Last season, Keisler was in the Cardinals organization, and he posted a 4.79 ERA in 156 innings for AAA Memphis. He also got 17.1 innings of big league work, where he put up a 5.19 ERA. Keisler is unremarkable, and unlikely to be a member of the organization for long.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 2/24/1976
Drafted: 1998 (2nd Round)
Status: 10th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: TBD
2008 Transactions: Signed to Minor League contract (1/10/08); released (c. 3/28/08)
#30 - Landon Jacobsen - RELEASED (c. 3/22/08)
Sick of minor league veterans yet? Too bad -- there are a couple more to go. Jacobsen spent 7 seasons in the Pirates organization before heading to the Phillies last year. Now, he's been brought in as a minor league free agent to the Twins, and as with Day and Keisler, his role with the team is highly uncertain. In his 8 seasons, Jacobsen has never pitched in the big leagues -- and it seems unlikely that he's ever been all that close. In 69.1 AAA innings last season, he posted a 4.80 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP (which is terrible). He struck out 38 while walking 31 -- an unimpressive ratio. In other words, very little in Jacobsen's resume suggests that he's destined to make it to the big leagues for long. As with Keisler, I suspect that he's unlikely to last long in the organization. Unlike Day and Keisler, however, Jacobsen has not been invited to Spring Training. Why was he signed? Maybe we'll find out in minor league spring training.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 5/4/1979
Drafted: 1999 (50th Round)
Status: 9th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: TBD
2008 Transactions: released (c. 3/22/08)
#31 - Heath Totten - RELEASED (6/05/08)
Here's the last of the bunch of minor league veterans. Totten spent his first 7 minor league season in the Dodgers organization, and like Jacobsen, he was with the Phillies last season. Most of Totten's innings last year came in AA, where he posted a solid 3.38 ERA/1.32 WHIP in 56 innings of work. His time in AAA was significantly less productive, however, as Totten posted a 7.09 ERA and 1.73 WHIP in 33 innings. As with Jacobsen, my question is simply "why?".
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/30/1978
Drafted: 2000 (5th Round)
Status: 9th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: Rochester Red Wings
2008 Transactions: Released (6/05/08)
#32 - Errol Simonitsch - RELEASED (6/11/08)
Simonitsch was added to the 40-Man roster back in November 2006, but was removed after the 2007 season after he missed most of the season due to injury. Simonitsch's 2007 season consisted of 2 games in the GCL and 8 games and 41 innings with Ft. Myers, where he posted a 4.17 ERA, striking out 31 while walking just 5. To be fair, I should probably rank him closer to the #22 spot that I gave him a year ago, but honestly I think a little bit of the shine is gone from Simonitsch at this point. I think he needs to put together a really solid season in New Britain this season in order to reclaim his status as a top prospect in the organization -- and possibly earn his way back onto the 40-man roster.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 8/24/1982
Drafted: 2003 (6th Round)
Status: 6th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: 7-Day DL (3/31/08); Activated from Disabled List and assigned to Ft. Myers Miracle (c. 5/07/08); Promoted to New Britain (5/13/08); Released (6/11/08)
#33 - Daniel Berlind
Now it's time to hit the GCL success stories from 2007, and there was no bigger winner in this category amongst starting pitchers than Daniel Berlind out of Calabasas, CA. Berlind pitched 56 innings in the GCL last season, posting a 1.93 ERA and a great 1.02 WHIP while striking out 52 and walking 20. It's hard to argue with those numbers, but I'm not sold on the GCL as a predictive force -- we'll see how Berlind performs this season. At his age, I could see the Twins sending him to Elizabethton or moving him straight to Beloit -- but if I had to guess, I'd lean towards E-Town.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 12/3/1987
Drafted: 2007 (7th Round)
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/03/08); Demoted to Extended Spring Training (6/15/08); Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/17/08)
#34 - Liam Hendriks
Hendriks is a 19-year-old Australian who made his US debut last season in the GCL, where he posted a 2.05 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 44 innings while striking out 52 and walking 11. Those numbers show Hendriks' promise, but I again offer the cautionary tale about strong performances in the GCL. Considering his age and background, Hendriks seems a shoe-in for Elizabethton this season.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 2/10/1989
Drafted: International Signings
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/17/08); 7-Day DL (6/17/08)
#35 - Santos Arias
Arias is a soon-to-be 21-year-old out of the Dominican Republic who, like Hendriks, made his US debut successfully last season. In 54.2 innings, Arias posted a 2.96 ERA and 1.32 WHIP while striking out 46 and walking 13. Arias is a bit older than Hendriks, so a trip to Beloit wouldn't be completely out of the question -- however, I think that in terms of development, Arias is more likely to go to Elizabethton to keep learning.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 3/17/1987
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/28/08)
#36 - Winston Marquez
Marquez is a left-handed Venezuelan who will be 20 for the majority of the 2008 season. Marquez made his US debut last year in the GCL, where he posted a 3.04 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 47.1 innings, while striking out 35 and walking 30. That ratio is not inspiring, and the WHIP is a bit high -- but Marquez is still young enough that he'll be an interesting player to watch going forward. As with most of the GCL players who performed at least reasonably well last year, a one-level advancement to Elizabethton seems likely.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 8/19/1987
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/17/08); 7-Day DL (6/17/08)
#37 - Steven Hirschfeld
This ranking really doesn't reflect much about Hirschfeld other than the fact that there's too small a sample size to really say too much about him at this point. Last season, the Twins drafted Hirschfeld out of San Diego State University and assigned him to Elizabethton. Hirschfeld then pitched just 25.1 innings, posting a 4.26 ERA (and a great 1.07 WHIP) while striking out 20 and walking 6. I suspect that he's much better than this ranking indicates, but with such a small amount of data I wasn't willing to put him above the guys who are ahead of him in the rankings -- yet.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/8/1985
Drafted: 2007 (9th Round)
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/03/08)
#38 - Brian Kirwan
Kirwan now has two mediocre seasons under his belt as a professional. In 2006, Kirwan posted a 5.63 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 64 innings with Elizabethton. He backed that up with more mediocrity in 2007 with Beloit, where he posted a 5.30 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 90 innings. I'm not sure what else there is to say, other than that the Twins won't bother to keep Kirwan around if he doesn't turn things around awfully quickly.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 6/9/1987
Drafted: 2005 (11th Round)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/03/08); 7-Day DL (c. 7/05/08)
#39 - Bruno Sanchez
Sanchez pitched 17.1 innings of relief in the GCL back in 2006, posting an 8.31 ERA and 2.31 WHIP while striking out 7 and walking 9 (yikes!). That caused the Twins to move the Venezuelan back to Venezuela, where he pitched in the Venezuelan summer league last summer (I tried to work "Venzeula" into that sentence as much as possible). His performance was solid, as he posted a 3.11 ERA and 20-5 K-BB ratio in 46.1 innings of work. That's probably enough to get him another shot in the GCL this season.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 11/8/1986
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: GCL Twins
Current Team: TBD
2008 Transactions: None
#40 - Thomas Wright
The 2007 season was remarkably successful for Wright if you use 2006 as a baseline -- but if you just look at it objectively, there's not much to smile about for the 2006 draft pick out of Nashville. In 2006, Wright pitched just 7.2 innings in the GCL, so his 11.74 ERA and 3.13 WHIP weren't particularly meaningful (but that 3-9 K-BB ratio was brutal!). Last season, Wright pitched 37 innings -- and that's the good news. His ERA (5.35), WHIP (1.78), and K-BB ratio (27-27) were all quite poor. A social promotion to Elizabethton is within the realm of possibility, but with those numbers I'd leave him in the GCL for another year -- and if he didn't perform this time, I'd cut him loose.
Bats/Throws: B/R
Birthdate: 1/28/1988
Drafted: 2006 (23rd Round)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: GCL Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/17/08)
#41 - Jeff Schoenbachler
Now we're down to the bottom of the barrel -- guys who might not even be with the team anymore, but for whom I haven't seen any transaction notice announcing the severing of ties. Schoenbachler did not pitch in the Twins organization last year, but has 22 games of experience in the GCL from 2004 to 2006 (although his 2006 contribution was one 3 inning performance). His numbers have been fine (ERA's between 3.00 and 3.97), but something seems to have held back his development. Perhaps he's suffering from a major injury, or perhaps he really has been released. For now, he settles in at #41.
Bats/Throws: R/L
Birthdate: 9/13/1985
Drafted: 2004 (5th Round)
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: GCL Twins
Current Team: TBD
2008 Transactions: None
#42 - Kyle Edlich (RELEASED c. 6/25/08)
We've reached the end of the line. Edlich is an Australian who pitched in 12 games in the Twins organization back in 2005 -- 10 with the GCL Twins and 2 with the Ft. Myers Miracle -- and who has since disappeared. Now, normally I would assume that a player who hasn't logged any game time in 2 years was no longer in the organization (and that's very possible), but Edlich's name popped up on a list of minor league players that came from the Twins organization itself (it was published in March 2007), and since that time I've seen no announcements of his termination from the organization. So -- until I hear something more definitive, Edlich is in. Incidentally, his GCL performance in 2005 was quite good -- 1.70 ERA/1.20 WHIP/53-15 K-BB/47.2 innings -- so it's too bad that that seems to have been the end of him.
Bats/Throws: R/L
Birthdate: 3/9/1986
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: GCL Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/17/08); 7-Day DL (6/17/08); Released (c. 6/25/08)
NR - Bobby Lanigan
Lanigan was taken by the Twins out of Adelphi University in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft. The big righty (6'4", 220 pounds) had an excellent junior season for Adelphi, posting a 1.94 ERA in 79 innings while posting an 87-16 K-BB ratio. Lanigan was apparently the first Division II player taken in the draft this year (according to the Adelphi baseball website), and was the first player taken from AU in 15 years.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 5/05/1987
Drafted: 2008 (3rd Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/05/08); Signed (c. 6/12/08); Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/19/08)
NR - Dan Osterbrock
Osterbrock is a lefty out of the University of Cincinnati who was taken by the Twins in the 7th round of the 2008 draft. In 99.0 innings for the Bearcats in 2008, Osterbrock went 9-2 with a 3.55 ERA and a 74-10 K-BB ratio. His batting average against of .283 is high, but the numbers aren't bad and its always fun to see college lefties develop.
Bats/Throws: R/L
Birthdate: 1/27/1987
Drafted: 2008 (7th Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (c. 6/10/08); Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/17/08)
NR - David Coulon
Coulon is another lefty taken by the Twins in the 2008 draft, coming out of the University of Arizona. Taken in the 15th round, Coulon went 8-4 for the Wildcats this year in 84.2 innings of work, posting a 4.15 ERA and picking up an 80-36 K-BB ratio. Coulon was drafted after his senior season, so its not all that surprising that he signed quickly.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 2/22/1986
Drafted: 2008 (15th Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (c. 6/10/08); Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/17/08); Reassigned (6/17/08); Placed on Active Roster (6/19/08)
NR - Steven Blevins
Blevins was drafted by the Twins out of Marshall University, where he put up a 4.41 ERA in 98 innings of work. Blevins was taken after his junior season.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 11/17/1986
Drafted: 2008 (21st Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (c. 6/10/08); Assigned to Low R GCL (6/19/08)
NR - Alex Curry
Curry was taken by the Twins in the 25th round of the 2008 draft out of Cypress College (JC) in California. Incidentally, the MLB Draft Tracker says his name is "Brett," but Baseball America says Alex, and more importantly the Cypress College website says it's Alex, so until I hear differently, I'm going with Alex. In 83.2 innings this season for Cypress, Curry had a 4.63 ERA and a 55-23 K-BB ratio. Those numbers aren't particularly inspiring, but the Twins must have seen something to convince them he was worth taking.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 12/29/1987
Drafted: 2008 (25th Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: GCL Twins
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (c. 6/12/08); Assigned to Low R GCL (6/19/08)
NR - Martire Garcia
Garcia was signed by the Twins out of the Dominican Republic in February 2007, and played the 2007 season in the Dominican Summer League. His numbers were excellent -- a 7-2 record, 2.32 ERA, and 81-25 K-BB ratio in 77.2 innings of work. Garcia just turned 18 in March, so he's undoubtedly got room to get better. It will be interesting to see how he handles the competition in the GCL.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 3/01/1990
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low R GCL (6/19/08)
NR - Edgar Ibarra
Ibarra was signed by the Twins in January 2006 out of Venezuela, and spent 2007 in the Venezuelan Summer League. He put up a 2-4 record with a 3.19 ERA and 53-21 K-BB ratio in 73.1 innings. At 5'11" and 165 pounds, he's a bit slight -- but he's also just turned 19, so he has some time to fill out.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 5/31/1989
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low R GCL (6/19/08)
NR - Miguel Munoz
Munoz signed with the Twins in 2005, and spent the 2007 season in the Dominican Summer League. Munoz put up a 5-3 record with a 2.04 ERA and a not-spectacular 43-34 K-BB ratio in 70.2 innings.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 8/04/1988
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low R GCL (6/19/08)
NR - Angelo Sanchez
Sanchez signed with the Twins in August 2005, and spent 2007 in the Venezuelan Summer League where he posted a 2-1 record with a 1.76 ERA and 40-11 K-BB ratio in 46.0 innings split between the bullpen and as a starter.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 6/07/1989
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low R GCL (6/19/08)
NR - Steven "Shooter" Hunt
Hunt was drafted by the Twins as a "sandwich" pick in the supplemental round between the first and second rounds of the 2008 draft. Hunt, who's built pretty solidly at 6'3" and 200 pounds, comes to the Twins out of Tulane University where he posted a 9-4 record and 2.68 ERA while striking out 126 and walking 56 in 2008.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 8/16/1986
Drafted: 2008 (1st Round Supplemental)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/05/08); Signed (6/25/08); Assigned to High R Elizabethton (c. 7/03/08)
NR - Kyle Carr
Carr is a lefty taken by the Twins in the 12th round of the 2008 draft out of the University of Minnesota. Carr's 2008 season was a bit spotty (to be generous), as he posted a 6.13 ERA in 69 innings of work. Nonetheless, lefties being as desirable as they are, the Twins obviously felt that it was appropriate to spend a mid-level pick on him and see if they can develop him.
Bats/Throws: R/L
Birthdate: 11/11/1986
Drafted: 2008 (12th Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (6/25/08); Assigned to Low R GCL (c. 7/03/08)
NR - Blake Martin
Martin, a lefty out of Louisiana State University, was drafted by the Twins in the 17th round of the 2008 draft. Martin pitched 88.2 innings and put together a decent strikeout to walk ratio (81-37), but his 5.08 ERA wasn't great. As with several other of the mid-level lefties taken by the Twins in the 2008 draft, the team will be watching closely to see how he adjusts to professional ball.
Bats/Throws: B/L
Birthdate: 6/19/1986
Drafted: 2008 (17th Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected Team: No Projection
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (c. 6/25/08); Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/28/08)
NR - Tom Shearn -- Minor League Free Agent (11/10/08)
Shearn was a late season addition to the Twins organization, having been signed after being sold to a Korean team (I'm not sure what the circumstances were surrounding his departure from the Korean club). Shearn threw 32.2 innings for the Reds in 2007, but for the most part the 31-year-old has been stuck in the minor leagues. Considering his age, he's almost certainly just a gap filler for the Red Wings as the club looks to close out the last month of the season.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 8/02/77
Drafted: 1996 (29th Round)
Status: 12th Year Minor League Player
Projected Team: No Projection
Current Team: Rochester Red Wings
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AAA Louisville (c. 3/15/08); Contract sold to Samsung Lions - Korea (5/30/08); Signed to Minor League Contract by Minnesota (7/28/08); Assigned to AAA Rochester (7/28/08); Granted minor league free agency (11/10/08)
1.) Each player in the organization will be listed in only one of these posts. The determination of where to place a player was made based on the position at which the player received the most playing time during the 2007 season (with very rare exceptions), and I won't be moving players around during the season.
2.) These rankings are obviously being made prior to the start of the 2008 season, and I will not be updating them during the season. As a result, no matter how well a player performs in 2008, it will not affect his ranking.
3.) As with everything else that appears on this blog, these rankings represent my own subjective impressions. If you agree or disagree, feel free to respond with your own thoughts in the comments.
4.) Speaking of comments, I'm human and therefore make mistakes. If I've missed a player, added a player who is no longer with the team, incorrectly listed biographical information, or anything else, please let me know in the comments and I will address the mistake with a correction, if necessary.
5.) Players who leave the Twins organization (whether by release, trade, or any other circumstance) will remain in the rankings, but their listing will be in red font and the method by which they left the team will be noted. Players who join the Twins organization during the season will be added to the proper post, but will not be ranked; instead, they'll appear at the bottom of the list with the ranking of "NR," standing for "Not Ranked." This will be true whether the player is a 2008 draft pick or a former All-Star traded for at the deadline.
#1 - Francisco Liriano
With the trade of Johan Santana, all eyes will be on Francisco Liriano to see if he can come back from his injury and fulfill the promise that he showed in 2006, when he posted a 12-3 record with a 2.16 ERA in 121 innings of work while striking out 144 and walking 32 batters. The pressure is bound to be intense on Liriano, because many fans will be expecting him to return to that remarkable form immediately. I'm a little more cautious, but I'm also very optimistic about Liriano's future. Based both on his potential in the long-run and his probable ability to contribute this year (I think that he'll be a significant part of the rotation no later than mid-May, and possibly earlier than that), I'm rating him as the #1 starter in the organization -- a position that I hope he retains for years to come.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 10/26/1983
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Optioned to High-A Ft. Myers (3/28/08); Option Transferred to AAA Rochester (4/07/08); Recalled to Minnesota (4/12/08); Optioned to Rochester (4/25/08); Recalled to Minnesota (8/01/08)
#2 - Scott Baker
I admit to having doubted Scott Baker when I put my rankings together last year. Basically, I didn't think that Baker would ever be able to put it all together as a Major League starter. I've now largely changed my mind, based on some extremely solid performances last year. Now, Baker seems destined for a top 3 position in the rotation, and at 26, Baker should just be entering his prime as a starter. I look for him to follow up last season's 9-9, 4.26 ERA in 143.2 innings performance with a solid 200+ inning year and an ERA on the south side of 4.00. If he does that, he'll cement his place in the Twins rotation and set himself very well for the future.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/19/1981
Drafted: 2003 (2nd Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: 15-Day DL (5/07/08); Activated from DL (6/05/08)
#3 - Livan Hernandez (Claimed by Colorado - 8/5/08)
Placing Hernandez in my rankings was awfully difficult for me, because it's not easy to compare a solid veteran like Hernandez with the young, talented pitchers who fit into the other top spots on this list. Ultimately, I decided that Hernandez's proven track record as a Major League starter (he has a career 4.25 ERA in over 2,300 innings of work) outweigh the "mere" promise of some of the other names on this list. Honestly, though, I could have put Hernandez anywhere between 1st and somewhere around 10th without feeling that my ranking was too far off. While I was not enthusiastic about Hernandez's signing at the time it was announced, I have to acknowledge that his veteran presence could be extremely beneficial for the organization's young pitchers.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 2/20/1975
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Signed with the Minnesota Twins (2/12/08); Designated for Assignment (8/01/08); Claimed by Colorado (8/5/08)
#4 - Kevin Slowey
Slowey continued his fast rise through the organization last year, getting his first action in Rochester (where he went 10-5 with a 1.89 ERA and a 107-18 K-BB ratio) and also making his Major League debut and picking up 66.2 innings as a Twin (posting a 4-1 record and a 4.72 ERA with a 47-11 K-BB ratio). His Major League numbers from last season aren't going to blow anybody away, but Slowey was just 23 last year, and his K-BB numbers suggest that as he adjusts to big league hitters he has the potential to be extremely good. I like his odds to start the season in the Twins rotation, and am quite hopefully that by the end of the season we'll all view him as a legitimate big league starter.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 5/4/1984
Drafted: 2005 (2nd Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Placed on 15-Day DL (4/12/08 - retroactive to 4/04/08); Activated from DL (5/07/08)
#5 - Nick Blackburn
Sometimes, you just miss things -- and I totally missed Nick Blackburn's prospect status until he burst onto the scene last year with a 2.11 ERA in 110.2 innings with Rochester (and a solid 3.08 ERA in 38 innings with New Britain before that). I won't make the same mistake again this year, and am ranking Blackburn above several other serious candidates for the rotation (including, perhaps unfairly, Boof Bonser) based largely on his potential. Blackburn will get an opportunity to win a spot in the starting rotation, and while I don't think he'll make the cut this year, I wouldn't be surprised to see him be the first callup from AAA in the event of someone struggling or getting injured. By next year, I expect Blackburn to become a fixture in the rotation.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 2/24/1982
Drafted: 2001 (29th Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: None
#6 - Boof Bonser
Bonser has pitched 273.1 innings over the past two seasons for the Twins, and while his performance in 2006 was unexpectedly strong (4.22 ERA in 100.1 innings; 84-24 K-BB ratio), he regressed significantly in 2007 (5.10 ERA in 173 innings; 136-65 K-BB ratio). Even so, the experience of spending a full season in the big leagues should have benefited Bonser, and more importantly it sounds as if he got himself into good shape over the off-season. That should help Bonser with his endurance, which has been one of his biggest problems so far as a big leaguer. Bonser should win a job in the Twins rotation at the start of this season -- the question now is whether he can hold onto it with so many other young stud starters waiting in the wings. Losing weight was a good start -- hopefully, it will be enough.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 10/14/1981
Drafted: 2000 (1st Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Minnesota Twins
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: None
#7 - Brian Duensing
Duensing has followed in the footsteps of Matt Garza and Kevin Slowey in rising quickly through the Twins system. After being drafted out of the University of Nebraska in 2005, Duensing has made his way all the way up to Rochester, where he posted an 11-5 record and a 3.24 ERA in 116.2 innings (with an 86-30 K-BB ratio). Now, he's in a position to be discussed as a possible Twins starter this spring -- although he's far enough back in the pecking order that it's unlikely that he'll make the team. Nonetheless, a 2008 Major League debut for Duensing seems likely if he continues to pitch so effectively.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 2/22/1983
Drafted: 2005 (3rd Round)
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Rochester Red Wings
2008 Transactions: Optioned to AAA Rochester (3/9/08); Placed on Temporarily Inactive List to join Team USA in the Olympics (7/29/08)
#8 - Jeff Manship
Manship was one of the big players to watch a year ago, and he didn't disappoint. Manship started off the season in Beloit, and from the very start it was just a matter of time before he would be promoted to Ft. Myers. In the end, Manship ended up getting 13 starts and pitching 77.2 innings with the Snappers, posting a 1.51 ERA and a silly 77-9 K-BB ratio before the promotion. Manship was no slouch with the Miracle either, posting a 3.15 ERA in 71.1 innings (along with a 59-25 K-BB ratio). I expect that the Twins will keep Manship in Ft. Myers at the very start of the season, but he should make the necessary adjustments to earn a promotion to New Britain very quickly. I suspect that within 18 months, Manship will be right in the midst of the very crowded pack of near-Major League ready pitching talent in the Twins organization.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 1/16/1985
Drafted: 2006 (14th Round)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08); Promoted to AA New Britain (6/16/08)
#9 - Yohan Pino
Pino has been a top prospect seemingly since he came into the system in 2005 and posted a 3.72 ERA in 67.2 innings with a 64-13 K-BB ratio with Elizabethton. Things just got better in 2006, when Pino was used primarily as a reliever in Beloit -- Pino had an unbelievable season, going 14-2 with a 1.91 ERA in 94 innings (35 relief appearances and 7 starts) with a 99-20 K-BB ratio. Last season started off solidly for Pino as well, as he posted a 4-3 record and a 1.73 ERA with a 64-17 K-BB ratio in 67.2 innings with Ft. Myers. Unfortunately, Pino wasn't as successful at the next level, as he went 2-4 with a 5.13 ERA in 47.1 innings (primarily as a starter) for New Britain. On the plus side, his K-BB number stayed strong (40-9), and his WHIP of 1.39 wasn't terrible either. Hopefully, that means that the ERA was just an aberration. In my book, he remains a top Twins prospect -- but it will be interesting to see how he's utilized this season.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 12/26/1983
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AA New Britain (4/03/08); 7-Day DL (5/16/08); Activated from DL (6/10/08)
#10 - Tyler Robertson
Robertson is a favorite amongst many Twins prospects followers, so I imagine there will be a fair number of people who think that I've made a mistake by ranking him tenth. However, in these ratings I tend to value pitchers who are closer to the big leagues over pitchers with a lot of promise, because so much can happen as a player makes his way through the system. Last season certainly did prove that Robertson has a tremendous amount of potential, though -- he went 9-5 with a 2.29 ERA in 102.1 innings with a great 123-33 K-BB ratio. Just to reiterate, Robertson struck out a ridiculous 10.82 hitters per nine innings. His 1.17 WHIP was equally solid for a starter. In other words -- I believe in Robertson's potential, and look forward to seeing how he performs in 2008. It seems very possible that a quick rise through the system is in order for the barely 20-year-old.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 12/23/1987
Drafted: 2006 (3rd Round)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08); 7-Day DL (c. 6/02/08); Activated from DL (6/20/08); 7-Day DL (c. 7/08/08)
#11 - Oswaldo Sosa
Sosa was ranked 12th last year, and I've moved him up a spot largely because he's taken another step up in the organization, advancing to the AA level last season. Sosa's time in the Florida State League with High A Ft. Myers was a rousing success, as he posted a 2.23 ERA in 105 innings with an 82-36 K-BB ratio. He was markedly less effective in New Britain, as he put up a 4.50 ERA in 48 innings with a much more pedestrian 35-22 K-BB ratio. I'm not worried about Sosa's performance in AA, however -- let's see how he performs in a full season there this year. His track record suggests that he'll be just fine after making the necessary adjustment. To me, he remains a top flight organizational prospect.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/19/1985
Drafted: International Signing
Status: Rule 5 Eligible Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Optioned to AA New Britain (3/9/08); Demoted to High A Ft. Myers (6/16/08); Outrighted to AAA Rochester (10/24/08)
#12 - Anthony Swarzak
For many Twins fans, Swarzak's 2007 season was made memorable by his 50 game suspension starting in April for violating the minor league drug program. However, that will hopefully become just a footnote for the talented Swarzak, who was very good when actually on the mound. In 15.2 innings with Ft. Myers, Swarzak posted a 2.30 ERA with an 18-5 K-BB ratio; meanwhile, in 86.1 innings in New Britain, Swarzak had a 3.23 ERA and a 76-23 K-BB ratio. Those numbers provide solid reminders that Swarzak deserves his status as a prospect and should not be forgotten -- or dismissed as an inconsequential former suspendee. Due to the relatively low number of innings pitched last year and the crowded field in Rochester, I'm guessing Swarzak will start off back in New Britain. I would not, however, be surprised if he made his way to AAA by the end of the year.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/10/1985
Drafted: 2004 (2nd Round)
Status: 5th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: Rochester Red Wings
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AA New Britain (4/03/08); Promoted to AAA Rochester (7/29/08)
#13 - Deolis Guerra
I confess, this ranking is based almost exclusively on what I've heard, rather than what I know, about Guerra. He seems to be very well liked by many prospect-hounds, but his youth and relative inexperience couldn't possibly justify me ranking him any higher -- and in fact, I almost ranked him even lower because of some of the unknowns. Nonetheless, I believe I've read that he already has three solid pitches (rare for someone of his age), and his K-BB ratio last year in High A (66-25) along with his low WHIP (1.17) suggest that he's capable of missing bats. Lacking any more information, I'm placing him here -- higher than either of the two more established minor league pitchers picked up from the Mets in the Johan Santana deal.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 4/17/1989
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Acquired via trade from the New York Mets (2/2/08); Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08)
#14 - Jay Rainville
Rainville missed the entire 2006 season due to an injury, but he came back last year and it was if he had never left. After a great start to his professional career that saw him rise from the GCL in 2004 to Ft. Myers by the end of 2005, Rainville's injury left a few questions after the missed season. As a result, despite 54 solid innings of work in Ft. Myers in 2005, Rainville re-started his career back with the Miracle in 2007, posting a 3.29 ERA and a great 110-31 K-BB ratio in 142.1 innings of work (along with a solid 1.24 WHIP). That's more than enough to convince me that the injury is not going to hurt Rainville -- and 22, he's still young enough to continue improving as a minor leaguer.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 10/16/1985
Drafted: 2004 (1st Round)
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AA New Britain (4/03/08); Demoted to High A Ft. Myers (6/16/08); Promoted to AA New Britain (7/04/08)
#15 - Philip Humber
Phil Humber is the most advanced of the three pitchers picked up by the Twins in the Johan Santana trade, and the only reason I have him behind Guerra is because of hype -- which is rare for how I operate. Humber is the only one of the three who has a chance to make the team out of Spring Training this year, but it is extremely unlikely that he'll win a big league job simply due to the sheer number of guys he'll be competing with. Humber posted reasonably solid numbers in AAA last season (4.27 ERA in 139 innings, 1.24 WHIP, 120-44 K-BB ratio), and in his comeback from injury at the end of 2006 (2.88 ERA in 34.1 innings in AA; 2.37 ERA in 38 innings in High A), so his numbers are relatively solid. With one option year left, the Twins will likely give him seasoning in AAA this year, with Spring 2009 setting up as a very important time for Humber.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 12/21/1982
Drafted: 2004 (1st Round)
Status: 40-Man Roster
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Minnesota Twins
2008 Transactions: Acquired via trade from the New York Mets (2/2/08); Optioned to AAA Rochester (3/24/08); Recalled to Minnesota (9/02/08)
#16 - Kevin Mulvey
Considering his past numbers, I should probably rank Mulvey (another acquisition from the Johan Santana trade) even higher than this. However, I want to see him perform in the Twins organization before ranking him ahead of some of the more familiar Twins names that I'm used to talking about. Still, you can't argue with Mulvey's performance in the minor leagues so far -- a career 3.02 ERA in 173 innings with a 124-48 K-BB ratio, including a 3.32 ERA in 151.2 innings with a 110-43 K-BB ratio in AA last season. I've heard him compared to Kevin Slowey, but I've also heard that the comparison doesn't really work all that well -- I guess time will tell, and I look forward to seeing what Mulvey can do with the Twins organization.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 5/26/1985
Drafted: 2006 (2nd Round)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Rochester Red Wings
2008 Transactions: Acquired via trade from the New York Mets (2/2/08); Assigned to AAA Rochester (4/03/08)
#17 - Kyle Waldrop
Waldrop went into last season as my #17 pick, and I consider his season to essentially be a draw -- 1/2 good, and 1/2 bad, so I'm leaving him essentially right where he was. When Waldrop was in Ft. Myers (High A), he was pretty solid -- he posted a 3.40 ERA in 92.2 innings with a 1.23 WHIP and a 57-24 K-BB ratio. Unfortunately, the 59 innings that Waldrop pitched in AA New Britain weren't nearly as effective, as he wound up with a 5.34 ERA and 1.58 WHIP with a 33-19 K-BB ratio. I still think that Waldrop is a reasonably solid prospect, but he'll need to adjust to AA hitters to keep that status.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 10/27/1985
Drafted: 2004 (1st Round)
Status: 5th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08); 7-Day DL (c. 4/04/08)
#18 - Ryan Mullins
Mullins had a very good 2007 season, rising all the way from Ft. Myers to Rochester by the end of the year. Starting the season with the Miracle, Mullins put together a 1.98 ERA in 54.2 innings with a 1.13 WHIP and a 56-12 K-BB ratio. That earned him a promotion to New Britain, where Mullins posted a still solid 3.99 ERA and 1.28 WHIP in 85.2 innings, with a 68-23 K-BB ratio. Unfortunately, the Twins may have been a bit overzealous in moving Mullins up to AAA for a 4 game stint, where he went 0-3 with a 10.57 ERA in 15.1 innings. My guess is that the Twins will backtrack with Mullins, starting him off in New Britain -- but considering his performance since joining the organization in 2005, Mullins merits watching in the year ahead as a guy who could potentially vault up the rankings next season.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 11/13/1983
Drafted: 2005 (3rd Round)
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AA New Britain (4/03/08)
#19 - Mike McCardell
McCardell, who was drafted by the Twins out of Kutztown University, didn't take all that long to announce his presence in the organization. After starting off in the GCL (where he put up a 2.50 ERA in 18 innings), he was moved up to Elizabethton -- and he shined, to say the least. McCardell pitched 45 innings, and in that time he posted a 2.00 ERA, a 0.76 WHIP, and an absurd 70-5 K-BB ratio -- that's a strikeout rate of 14.00 per 9 innings. If McCardell can come anywhere near to backing that up this season, he'll start a quick rise through the system reminiscent of Matt Garza and Kevin Slowey. One word of caution -- the sample size is relatively low, and McCardell would have largely been playing less experienced players (he was 22) -- but those numbers speak for themselves.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 4/13/1985
Drafted: 2007 (6th Round)
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/03/08); 7-Day DL (4/25/08); Activated from DL (5/18/08)
#20 - Michael Tarsi
Tarsi is another college draft pick from 2007, joining the Twins organization out of the University of Connecticut. Unlike McCardell, Tarsi started off in Elizabethton immediately; like McCardell, he thrived there. Tarsi posted a 2.22 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 52.2 innings along with a 59-13 K-BB ratio. As with McCardell, there's a need to consider that Tarsi entered Elizabethton having pitched in major college action, and was therefore relatively advanced. However, his numbers are too good to ignore, and it will be interesting to watch him play with a full season team in 2008.
Bats/Throws: R/L
Birthdate: 8/11/1986
Drafted: 2007 (12th Round)
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/03/08)
#21 - David Bromberg
Keeping with the theme of ranking pitchers who had solid seasons with Elizabethton in this stretch of the rankings, the next logical entrant is David Bromberg, a 32nd round draft pick from 2005 who so far is significantly outpacing expectations for a guy drafted so late. In 2006, Bromberg put up a 2.66 ERA in 50.2 innings for the GCL, striking out 31 and walking 18. Not valuing GCL numbers all that highly, I ranked Bromberg 32nd in last year's rankings. Interestingly enough, Bromberg then backed it up in Elizabethton this season, putting up a 9-0 record with a 2.78 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP while striking out 81 and walking 32 in 58.1 innings. Back-to-back solid years gets my attention -- as does the significantly improved K/9 rate. We'll see if Bromberg can continue to surprise now that he's likely to get a shot in a full season league.
Bats/Throws: L/R
Birthdate: 9/14/1987
Drafted: 2005 (32nd Round)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/03/08)
#22 - Alex Burnett
Burnett had a very successful first full-league season in the organization last year, posting a 3.02 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 155 innings along with 117 K's and 38 walks. Those were actually his most impressive numbers as a professional, although he hadn't exactly been a slouch in 2005 with the GCL Twins or in 2006 with the Elizabethton Twins -- in both years, his ERA was just over 4.00, and his K-BB ratio was consistently solid (especially in Elizabethton, when he had a 71-13 ratio). Burnett will turn 21 this season, so he appears to be on an excellent path through the organization -- less flashy than the meteoric rises of Garza and Slowey, but steady nonetheless.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 7/26/1987
Drafted: 2005 (12th Round)
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08)
#23 - Cole DeVries
DeVries was a University of Minnesota pitcher who the Twins picked up as an undrafted free agent and assigned to Beloit last season. His numbers were quite solid -- he went 9-5 with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP while striking out 108 and walking 36 in 148 innings. It seems quite likely that he'll pitchin at the High A level next year, where he'll continue to try to impress. I don't know why he wasn't drafted, but his 2006 season with the Gophers was quite good -- 93 innings, 2.42 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 72-32 K-BB ratio. Perhaps there was an injury concern or something to that effect, but it seems odd that a pitcher who had demonstrated he was reasonably good in college couldn't even get a sniff from a big league team in the draft. If anyone knows, I'd like to hear about it in the comments. Either way, though, it doesn't really matter -- he's with the Twins now, and so far at least he's done a pretty solid job.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 2/12/1985
Drafted: Undrafted Free Agent
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08); 7-Day DL (8/08/08); Activated from DL (8/22/08)
#24 - Matthew Fox
Fox missed the 2005 season due to injury, and now has had two years to come back -- and it seems as if he's done so pretty effectively. In 2006, Fox returned to action with Elizabethton, pitching mostly out of relief and posting a 3.79 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 40.1 innings while striking out 46 and walking 13. Last year, Fox moved up to Beloit, where he started 13 games and entered in relief 9 times for a total of 82.1 innings. In that span, Fox had a 3.50 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP while striking out 66 and walking 23. These numbers are very solid, and leave little doubt that Fox has recovered pretty effectively. A trip to Ft. Myers as a swingman seems likely for 2008, as Fox attempts to keep the good times rollin'.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 12/4/1982
Drafted: 2004 (1st Round)
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High A Ft. Myers (4/03/08)
#25 - Zach Ward
Ward, who came over from the Cincinnati Reds during the 2006 season, pitched with Ft. Myers last season and put up solid numbers despite a terrible record. In one of those somewhat bizarre baseball quirks, Ward pitched 130 innings, posting a 4.08 ERA and 1.31 WHIP while striking out 107 and walking 37. Those ERA and WHIP numbers aren't amazing, by any means, but they also aren't all that bad -- nonetheless, Ward had a 5-17 record last season, which had to be frustrating for him. I still think that Ward is a reasonably good prospect, and hope that he can continue to put up solid numbers this season -- hopefully with a record that actually reflects his performance!
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 1/14/1984
Drafted: 2005 (3rd Round)
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AA New Britain (4/03/08)
#26 - Michael Allen
Allen is another of the Rookie League crew who had a solid 2007 season in Elizabethton, earning this reasonably solid ranking. In 62.1 innings last year, Allen posted a 3.47 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with a really solid 70-11 K-BB ratio. He struggled a little bit in very limited action with the GCL in 2006, but the 20-year-old (he'll turn 21 in May) seems to have made significant strides last year, and (stop me if you've heard me say this before) will now get his shot in a full season league.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 5/27/1987
Drafted: 2005 (13th Round)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/19/08); Placed on Restricted List (6/19/08); Activated from Restricted List (c. 7/05/08); Promoted to Low A Beloit (c. 7/05/08)
#27 - Henry Reyes
Reyes is a 22-year-old lefty out of the Dominican Republic who had a great year in Elizabethton, where he posted a 2.87 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 53.1 innings while striking out 68 and walking 17. A short, 4.1 inning callup to Beloit didn't go so well (a 10.38 ERA and 3.23 WHIP from the experience provide the statistical proof of that), but Reyes should get another shot to prove himself in Beloit starting from the beginning of the 2008 season.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 5/10/1985
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Currrent Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/03/08); 7-Day DL (4/04/08); Activated from DL, Promoted to Ft. Myers (c. 6/05/08); Demoted to Low A Beloit (6/16/08)
#28 - Zach Day - RELEASED (c. 5/06/08)
Welcome to the journeyman occasional-big leaguer section of the rankings. Where exactly do you stick pitchers like Zach Day, a 29-year-old who has pitched in 86 games in the big leagues and 150 in the minors? Clearly, he doesn't belong ahead of the young, talented prospects who will continue to grow with the organization over the next couple of years. Equally clearly, Day must have done something right over the course of his career (his 3.66 career minor league ERA and 4.66 career Major League ERA are some evidence that he deserves to still be around). As a result, he (and the others like him) are being shuffled into this position in the rankings, simply by default. I expect that Day was signed primarily as an insurance policy for the organization in the event that the young pitchers uniformly struggled during Spring Training -- but with the addition of Livan Hernandez to the organization, I'm not sure that there's much of a role for Day to play this season, and it seems quite possible that he'll be released prior to the end of Spring Training. If not, I suppose a trip back to AAA may be in order.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 6/15/1978
Drafted: 1996 (5th Round)
Status: 11th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: Ft. Myers Miracle
2008 Transactions: Signed to Minor League contract (1/8/08); 7-Day DL (3/30/08); Activated from Disabled List (c. 4/23/08); Released (c. 5/06/08)
#29 - Randy Keisler - RELEASED (c. 3/28/08)
Keisler is another veteran arm brought in by the Twins for reasons unknown -- although it makes more sense if he's being auditioned for a possible slot in the bullpen than for a starting role, since the Twins quite often bring in left-handed veterans to audition for a place in the 'pen. Last season, Keisler was in the Cardinals organization, and he posted a 4.79 ERA in 156 innings for AAA Memphis. He also got 17.1 innings of big league work, where he put up a 5.19 ERA. Keisler is unremarkable, and unlikely to be a member of the organization for long.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 2/24/1976
Drafted: 1998 (2nd Round)
Status: 10th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Rochester Red Wings
Current Team: TBD
2008 Transactions: Signed to Minor League contract (1/10/08); released (c. 3/28/08)
#30 - Landon Jacobsen - RELEASED (c. 3/22/08)
Sick of minor league veterans yet? Too bad -- there are a couple more to go. Jacobsen spent 7 seasons in the Pirates organization before heading to the Phillies last year. Now, he's been brought in as a minor league free agent to the Twins, and as with Day and Keisler, his role with the team is highly uncertain. In his 8 seasons, Jacobsen has never pitched in the big leagues -- and it seems unlikely that he's ever been all that close. In 69.1 AAA innings last season, he posted a 4.80 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP (which is terrible). He struck out 38 while walking 31 -- an unimpressive ratio. In other words, very little in Jacobsen's resume suggests that he's destined to make it to the big leagues for long. As with Keisler, I suspect that he's unlikely to last long in the organization. Unlike Day and Keisler, however, Jacobsen has not been invited to Spring Training. Why was he signed? Maybe we'll find out in minor league spring training.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 5/4/1979
Drafted: 1999 (50th Round)
Status: 9th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: TBD
2008 Transactions: released (c. 3/22/08)
#31 - Heath Totten - RELEASED (6/05/08)
Here's the last of the bunch of minor league veterans. Totten spent his first 7 minor league season in the Dodgers organization, and like Jacobsen, he was with the Phillies last season. Most of Totten's innings last year came in AA, where he posted a solid 3.38 ERA/1.32 WHIP in 56 innings of work. His time in AAA was significantly less productive, however, as Totten posted a 7.09 ERA and 1.73 WHIP in 33 innings. As with Jacobsen, my question is simply "why?".
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/30/1978
Drafted: 2000 (5th Round)
Status: 9th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: Rochester Red Wings
2008 Transactions: Released (6/05/08)
#32 - Errol Simonitsch - RELEASED (6/11/08)
Simonitsch was added to the 40-Man roster back in November 2006, but was removed after the 2007 season after he missed most of the season due to injury. Simonitsch's 2007 season consisted of 2 games in the GCL and 8 games and 41 innings with Ft. Myers, where he posted a 4.17 ERA, striking out 31 while walking just 5. To be fair, I should probably rank him closer to the #22 spot that I gave him a year ago, but honestly I think a little bit of the shine is gone from Simonitsch at this point. I think he needs to put together a really solid season in New Britain this season in order to reclaim his status as a top prospect in the organization -- and possibly earn his way back onto the 40-man roster.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 8/24/1982
Drafted: 2003 (6th Round)
Status: 6th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: New Britain Rock Cats
Current Team: New Britain Rock Cats
2008 Transactions: 7-Day DL (3/31/08); Activated from Disabled List and assigned to Ft. Myers Miracle (c. 5/07/08); Promoted to New Britain (5/13/08); Released (6/11/08)
#33 - Daniel Berlind
Now it's time to hit the GCL success stories from 2007, and there was no bigger winner in this category amongst starting pitchers than Daniel Berlind out of Calabasas, CA. Berlind pitched 56 innings in the GCL last season, posting a 1.93 ERA and a great 1.02 WHIP while striking out 52 and walking 20. It's hard to argue with those numbers, but I'm not sold on the GCL as a predictive force -- we'll see how Berlind performs this season. At his age, I could see the Twins sending him to Elizabethton or moving him straight to Beloit -- but if I had to guess, I'd lean towards E-Town.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 12/3/1987
Drafted: 2007 (7th Round)
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/03/08); Demoted to Extended Spring Training (6/15/08); Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/17/08)
#34 - Liam Hendriks
Hendriks is a 19-year-old Australian who made his US debut last season in the GCL, where he posted a 2.05 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 44 innings while striking out 52 and walking 11. Those numbers show Hendriks' promise, but I again offer the cautionary tale about strong performances in the GCL. Considering his age and background, Hendriks seems a shoe-in for Elizabethton this season.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 2/10/1989
Drafted: International Signings
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/17/08); 7-Day DL (6/17/08)
#35 - Santos Arias
Arias is a soon-to-be 21-year-old out of the Dominican Republic who, like Hendriks, made his US debut successfully last season. In 54.2 innings, Arias posted a 2.96 ERA and 1.32 WHIP while striking out 46 and walking 13. Arias is a bit older than Hendriks, so a trip to Beloit wouldn't be completely out of the question -- however, I think that in terms of development, Arias is more likely to go to Elizabethton to keep learning.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 3/17/1987
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/28/08)
#36 - Winston Marquez
Marquez is a left-handed Venezuelan who will be 20 for the majority of the 2008 season. Marquez made his US debut last year in the GCL, where he posted a 3.04 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 47.1 innings, while striking out 35 and walking 30. That ratio is not inspiring, and the WHIP is a bit high -- but Marquez is still young enough that he'll be an interesting player to watch going forward. As with most of the GCL players who performed at least reasonably well last year, a one-level advancement to Elizabethton seems likely.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 8/19/1987
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/17/08); 7-Day DL (6/17/08)
#37 - Steven Hirschfeld
This ranking really doesn't reflect much about Hirschfeld other than the fact that there's too small a sample size to really say too much about him at this point. Last season, the Twins drafted Hirschfeld out of San Diego State University and assigned him to Elizabethton. Hirschfeld then pitched just 25.1 innings, posting a 4.26 ERA (and a great 1.07 WHIP) while striking out 20 and walking 6. I suspect that he's much better than this ranking indicates, but with such a small amount of data I wasn't willing to put him above the guys who are ahead of him in the rankings -- yet.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 9/8/1985
Drafted: 2007 (9th Round)
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/03/08)
#38 - Brian Kirwan
Kirwan now has two mediocre seasons under his belt as a professional. In 2006, Kirwan posted a 5.63 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 64 innings with Elizabethton. He backed that up with more mediocrity in 2007 with Beloit, where he posted a 5.30 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 90 innings. I'm not sure what else there is to say, other than that the Twins won't bother to keep Kirwan around if he doesn't turn things around awfully quickly.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 6/9/1987
Drafted: 2005 (11th Round)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Beloit Snappers
Current Team: Beloit Snappers
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low A Beloit (4/03/08); 7-Day DL (c. 7/05/08)
#39 - Bruno Sanchez
Sanchez pitched 17.1 innings of relief in the GCL back in 2006, posting an 8.31 ERA and 2.31 WHIP while striking out 7 and walking 9 (yikes!). That caused the Twins to move the Venezuelan back to Venezuela, where he pitched in the Venezuelan summer league last summer (I tried to work "Venzeula" into that sentence as much as possible). His performance was solid, as he posted a 3.11 ERA and 20-5 K-BB ratio in 46.1 innings of work. That's probably enough to get him another shot in the GCL this season.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 11/8/1986
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: GCL Twins
Current Team: TBD
2008 Transactions: None
#40 - Thomas Wright
The 2007 season was remarkably successful for Wright if you use 2006 as a baseline -- but if you just look at it objectively, there's not much to smile about for the 2006 draft pick out of Nashville. In 2006, Wright pitched just 7.2 innings in the GCL, so his 11.74 ERA and 3.13 WHIP weren't particularly meaningful (but that 3-9 K-BB ratio was brutal!). Last season, Wright pitched 37 innings -- and that's the good news. His ERA (5.35), WHIP (1.78), and K-BB ratio (27-27) were all quite poor. A social promotion to Elizabethton is within the realm of possibility, but with those numbers I'd leave him in the GCL for another year -- and if he didn't perform this time, I'd cut him loose.
Bats/Throws: B/R
Birthdate: 1/28/1988
Drafted: 2006 (23rd Round)
Status: 3rd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: GCL Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/17/08)
#41 - Jeff Schoenbachler
Now we're down to the bottom of the barrel -- guys who might not even be with the team anymore, but for whom I haven't seen any transaction notice announcing the severing of ties. Schoenbachler did not pitch in the Twins organization last year, but has 22 games of experience in the GCL from 2004 to 2006 (although his 2006 contribution was one 3 inning performance). His numbers have been fine (ERA's between 3.00 and 3.97), but something seems to have held back his development. Perhaps he's suffering from a major injury, or perhaps he really has been released. For now, he settles in at #41.
Bats/Throws: R/L
Birthdate: 9/13/1985
Drafted: 2004 (5th Round)
Status: 4th Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: GCL Twins
Current Team: TBD
2008 Transactions: None
#42 - Kyle Edlich (RELEASED c. 6/25/08)
We've reached the end of the line. Edlich is an Australian who pitched in 12 games in the Twins organization back in 2005 -- 10 with the GCL Twins and 2 with the Ft. Myers Miracle -- and who has since disappeared. Now, normally I would assume that a player who hasn't logged any game time in 2 years was no longer in the organization (and that's very possible), but Edlich's name popped up on a list of minor league players that came from the Twins organization itself (it was published in March 2007), and since that time I've seen no announcements of his termination from the organization. So -- until I hear something more definitive, Edlich is in. Incidentally, his GCL performance in 2005 was quite good -- 1.70 ERA/1.20 WHIP/53-15 K-BB/47.2 innings -- so it's too bad that that seems to have been the end of him.
Bats/Throws: R/L
Birthdate: 3/9/1986
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 2nd Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: GCL Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/17/08); 7-Day DL (6/17/08); Released (c. 6/25/08)
NR - Bobby Lanigan
Lanigan was taken by the Twins out of Adelphi University in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft. The big righty (6'4", 220 pounds) had an excellent junior season for Adelphi, posting a 1.94 ERA in 79 innings while posting an 87-16 K-BB ratio. Lanigan was apparently the first Division II player taken in the draft this year (according to the Adelphi baseball website), and was the first player taken from AU in 15 years.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 5/05/1987
Drafted: 2008 (3rd Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/05/08); Signed (c. 6/12/08); Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/19/08)
NR - Dan Osterbrock
Osterbrock is a lefty out of the University of Cincinnati who was taken by the Twins in the 7th round of the 2008 draft. In 99.0 innings for the Bearcats in 2008, Osterbrock went 9-2 with a 3.55 ERA and a 74-10 K-BB ratio. His batting average against of .283 is high, but the numbers aren't bad and its always fun to see college lefties develop.
Bats/Throws: R/L
Birthdate: 1/27/1987
Drafted: 2008 (7th Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (c. 6/10/08); Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/17/08)
NR - David Coulon
Coulon is another lefty taken by the Twins in the 2008 draft, coming out of the University of Arizona. Taken in the 15th round, Coulon went 8-4 for the Wildcats this year in 84.2 innings of work, posting a 4.15 ERA and picking up an 80-36 K-BB ratio. Coulon was drafted after his senior season, so its not all that surprising that he signed quickly.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 2/22/1986
Drafted: 2008 (15th Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (c. 6/10/08); Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/17/08); Reassigned (6/17/08); Placed on Active Roster (6/19/08)
NR - Steven Blevins
Blevins was drafted by the Twins out of Marshall University, where he put up a 4.41 ERA in 98 innings of work. Blevins was taken after his junior season.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 11/17/1986
Drafted: 2008 (21st Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: Elizabethton Twins
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (c. 6/10/08); Assigned to Low R GCL (6/19/08)
NR - Alex Curry
Curry was taken by the Twins in the 25th round of the 2008 draft out of Cypress College (JC) in California. Incidentally, the MLB Draft Tracker says his name is "Brett," but Baseball America says Alex, and more importantly the Cypress College website says it's Alex, so until I hear differently, I'm going with Alex. In 83.2 innings this season for Cypress, Curry had a 4.63 ERA and a 55-23 K-BB ratio. Those numbers aren't particularly inspiring, but the Twins must have seen something to convince them he was worth taking.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 12/29/1987
Drafted: 2008 (25th Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: GCL Twins
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (c. 6/12/08); Assigned to Low R GCL (6/19/08)
NR - Martire Garcia
Garcia was signed by the Twins out of the Dominican Republic in February 2007, and played the 2007 season in the Dominican Summer League. His numbers were excellent -- a 7-2 record, 2.32 ERA, and 81-25 K-BB ratio in 77.2 innings of work. Garcia just turned 18 in March, so he's undoubtedly got room to get better. It will be interesting to see how he handles the competition in the GCL.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 3/01/1990
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low R GCL (6/19/08)
NR - Edgar Ibarra
Ibarra was signed by the Twins in January 2006 out of Venezuela, and spent 2007 in the Venezuelan Summer League. He put up a 2-4 record with a 3.19 ERA and 53-21 K-BB ratio in 73.1 innings. At 5'11" and 165 pounds, he's a bit slight -- but he's also just turned 19, so he has some time to fill out.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Birthdate: 5/31/1989
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low R GCL (6/19/08)
NR - Miguel Munoz
Munoz signed with the Twins in 2005, and spent the 2007 season in the Dominican Summer League. Munoz put up a 5-3 record with a 2.04 ERA and a not-spectacular 43-34 K-BB ratio in 70.2 innings.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 8/04/1988
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low R GCL (6/19/08)
NR - Angelo Sanchez
Sanchez signed with the Twins in August 2005, and spent 2007 in the Venezuelan Summer League where he posted a 2-1 record with a 1.76 ERA and 40-11 K-BB ratio in 46.0 innings split between the bullpen and as a starter.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 6/07/1989
Drafted: International Signing
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Assigned to Low R GCL (6/19/08)
NR - Steven "Shooter" Hunt
Hunt was drafted by the Twins as a "sandwich" pick in the supplemental round between the first and second rounds of the 2008 draft. Hunt, who's built pretty solidly at 6'3" and 200 pounds, comes to the Twins out of Tulane University where he posted a 9-4 record and 2.68 ERA while striking out 126 and walking 56 in 2008.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 8/16/1986
Drafted: 2008 (1st Round Supplemental)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected 2008 Team: No Projection
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/05/08); Signed (6/25/08); Assigned to High R Elizabethton (c. 7/03/08)
NR - Kyle Carr
Carr is a lefty taken by the Twins in the 12th round of the 2008 draft out of the University of Minnesota. Carr's 2008 season was a bit spotty (to be generous), as he posted a 6.13 ERA in 69 innings of work. Nonetheless, lefties being as desirable as they are, the Twins obviously felt that it was appropriate to spend a mid-level pick on him and see if they can develop him.
Bats/Throws: R/L
Birthdate: 11/11/1986
Drafted: 2008 (12th Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected Team: No Projection
Current Team: GCL Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (6/25/08); Assigned to Low R GCL (c. 7/03/08)
NR - Blake Martin
Martin, a lefty out of Louisiana State University, was drafted by the Twins in the 17th round of the 2008 draft. Martin pitched 88.2 innings and put together a decent strikeout to walk ratio (81-37), but his 5.08 ERA wasn't great. As with several other of the mid-level lefties taken by the Twins in the 2008 draft, the team will be watching closely to see how he adjusts to professional ball.
Bats/Throws: B/L
Birthdate: 6/19/1986
Drafted: 2008 (17th Round)
Status: 1st Year Minor League Player
Projected Team: No Projection
Current Team: Elizabethton Twins
2008 Transactions: Drafted (6/06/08); Signed (c. 6/25/08); Assigned to High R Elizabethton (6/28/08)
NR - Tom Shearn -- Minor League Free Agent (11/10/08)
Shearn was a late season addition to the Twins organization, having been signed after being sold to a Korean team (I'm not sure what the circumstances were surrounding his departure from the Korean club). Shearn threw 32.2 innings for the Reds in 2007, but for the most part the 31-year-old has been stuck in the minor leagues. Considering his age, he's almost certainly just a gap filler for the Red Wings as the club looks to close out the last month of the season.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthdate: 8/02/77
Drafted: 1996 (29th Round)
Status: 12th Year Minor League Player
Projected Team: No Projection
Current Team: Rochester Red Wings
2008 Transactions: Assigned to AAA Louisville (c. 3/15/08); Contract sold to Samsung Lions - Korea (5/30/08); Signed to Minor League Contract by Minnesota (7/28/08); Assigned to AAA Rochester (7/28/08); Granted minor league free agency (11/10/08)
Labels: 2008 Organizational Rankings
posted by JST @ Saturday, February 23, 2008
1 Comments:
At Sat Feb 23, 08:47:00 PM ,
TT said...
I will repeat my usual reservation about these rankings. McCardell is two years older than Kirwan and was pitching at one level lower. He ought to have done a lot a lot better.
Performances by over-aged players can be ignored. In fact, they ought to be ignored. McCardell may turn out to be better than his draft position, but I think Kirwan is still a lot more likely to at this point.
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