Minnesota Twins: Top 10 Rookie-Eligible Prospects for 2018

We have reached the point of the offseason where prospect lists abound. We continue our top 10 prospects for every team with the Minnesota Twins!

Our team top 10 prospect lists at Call to the Pen are spearheaded by Benjamin Chase. Today, he gives us the top ten prospects for the Minnesota Twins.

This season, we will be going through teams by division, in order of 2017 record. The AL East will be first, followed by the AL Central and AL West. Then the focus will shift to the National League in the same order.

The format will be as it was last season for the same lists, with a system review, which will include last season’s list. The top 10 will follow in reverse order, two players per page in order to give adequate space to each player. Major trades or international signings will lead to an updated top 10!

Finally, don’t go away after #1 is revealed as each list will also contain a player either signed in the 2017 international free agent class or drafted in 2017 that isn’t part of the top 10 and should be tracked. Last season’s mentions in that area made over half of the top 10s this season, so this is a great way to get to know a player who could be making a big splash in the organization.

System overview

Last year’s list

The Minnesota Twins saw a top-rated farm system graduate such top prospects as Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, and Jose Berrios (among others) to the major leagues over the last few years, which left the system understandably more in the middle of the pack, but the new Twins front office has done an excellent job of bringing that system forward.

While there’s not a top-25 prospect in this system, there could be legit argument for as many as 9 in the top 100, and that’s an impressive amount of depth. By the end of the summer, it would surprise few if the Twins had multiple in that top 25 among prospects in all of baseball.

With the major league club working its way back to the playoffs in 2017 with a young team, the Twins’ future is very bright with an up-and-coming system as well that very well could be considered a top-5 system at this point next year and certainly is a top-10 system right now.

Ben did a top 100 list in October. This is an update on the top 10 for that list, as more information has come in since.

Let’s take a look at that system….

Next: #9 and #10

10. Lewin Diaz, 1B

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 11/19/1996 (21)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Cedar Rapids Kernels
2017 Stats: .292/.329/.444, 508 PA, 12 HR, 2 SB, 25/80 BB/K

Info: Minnesota Twins fans have seen this story before. A young Dominican left-handed first baseman with a pretty doubles swing that many aren’t sure how he could develop and when the power will come.

While Diaz is by no means a guarantee to turn into the next David Ortiz, the similarities in swing at a young age is quite striking. Diaz has a special kind of noise a ball makes as it rockets off of his bat. He will simply need to add more loft to his swing to be able to take full advantage of that powerful frame and bat speed.

While Diaz is by no means a guarantee to turn into the next David Ortiz, the similarities in swing at a young age is quite striking

Diaz does have a significant “lead” over Ortiz when it comes to the defensive side of things. He’s well-noted for his footwork and blocking ability at the first-base bag and even has a quality arm.

While Diaz is just 21, he is still only reaching high-A to open 2018 after taking slow steps to this point. Working with the Twins hitting coaches should help Diaz to gain that loft in his swing to catapult up the Twins system in a hurry.

9. Akil Baddoo, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 8/16/1998 (19)
2017 teams/levels played for: Gulf Coast League Twins, advanced rookie Elizabethton Twins
2017 Stats: .323/.436/.527, 243 PA, 4 HR, 9 SB, 36/32 BB/K

Info: Considered one of the elite athletes in the 2016 draft, the Twins were excited to get Baddoo in the 2nd round of that year’s selections. He showed his athleticism in his draft year with 8 steals in just 38 games.

Baddoo put in a host of time with the Minnesota Twins coaches over the fall, winter, and spring, and his natural athleticism bled into a tremendously disciplined approach at the plate along with utilizing his impressive raw power to knock 3 triples, 4 doubles, and a home run in his first 20 games at the GCL.

He was even more prolific after being promoted, knocking out 15 doubles, 2 triples, and 3 home runs in just 33 games. While he was caught more frequently on the bases in Elizabethton, he was still showing elite base running skills.

Baddoo’s got incredible athleticism defensively, and he has the upside to be a true 5-tool player that can hit for power with a good average and eye at the plate, running the bases at an elite level.

The Twins will send Baddoo to full-season ball in Cedar Rapids this season, and it would not surprise me at all if Baddoo was a big riser in the 2018 season.

Next: #7 and #8

8. Alex Kirilloff, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 11/9/1997 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: none
2017 Stats: none

Info: Kirilloff is the toughest placement on lists this offseason. After an incredible 2016 season with Elizabethton following being drafted #15 overall where he hit .306/.341/.454 with 7 home runs in just 55 games.

Kirilloff ended his 2016 season due to swelling in his throwing elbow and spent the offseason doing rehab work before finding that he had to have Tommy John surgery this spring anyway. He ended up missing all of the 2017 season.

The son of a coach, Kirilloff has a picturesque swing that is able to produce bat speed throughout the zone as well as putting loft under pitches throughout the zone as well.

What Kirilloff showed so well in 2016 that led to him making the fringes of top 100 lists last offseason was his quality defense in the outfield along with an accurate, strong arm from the outfield. The question that keys his placement is where he will end up defensively now after the surgery.

If Kirilloff is able to stick in the outfield, his bat that projects as a good average, 20-25 home run bat would be a quality spot, but if he’s relegated to first base, even with very soft hands that he’s shown thus far at first, that level of production is not going to be as highly regarded.

Kirilloff should be headed to low-A Cedar Rapids, but where he plays defensively will be the thing to watch with him. He could move very quickly if his bat doesn’t show any rust from the year off.

7. Brent Rooker, 1B/OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 11/1/1994 (23)
2017 teams/levels played for: advanced rookie Elizabethton Twins, high-A Fort Myers Miracle
2017 Stats: .281/.364/.566, 261 PA, 18 HR, 2 SB, 27/68 BB/K

Info: The Minnesota Twins definitely like Rooker. After drafting him in the 38th round and nearly getting him to sign in 2016, the Twins were happy to get Rooker in the CBA round after he had an incredible season with Mississippi State, tearing up the SEC.

Rooker is built like a linebacker, standing 6’4″ and listed 220 pounds, though it would not surprise if he carries more than that, and all in “good weight”. With that build, he has an above-average level of foot quickness, even though he has average to below-average speed.

His power is what will accelerate Rooker’s path to the big leagues

His power is what will accelerate Rooker’s path to the big leagues, however, not his speed. Rooker has developed a keen eye at the plate, discerning pitches very well and using a lofted swing to generate power, though that does lead to some swing and miss in his game.

Where Rooker’s defensive home will be is yet to be seen. He’s got the speed and arm to be an average left fielder, but the Twins have worked with Rooker on his ability around the first base bag, and reports have him with some promise of above-average ability at first.

Rooker worked his way all the way to high-A in his first pro season, and he will likely open his first full professional season already in the upper minors, on the fast track to find his way to the Twin Cities by 2019.

Next: #5 and #6

6. Brusdar Graterol, RHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 8/26/1998 (19)
2017 teams/levels played for: Gulf Coast League Twins, advanced rookie Elizabethton Twins
2017 Stats: 10 G, 7 GS, 40 IP, 2.70 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 8.3% BB, 28.7% K

Info: The Minnesota Twins have strong veins into Puerto Rico and Venezuela in their Latin development. Graterol is from the latter. At 6’1″, Graterol came to the Twins with a lot of promise in his arm, but quite lean still in his frame.

Graterol had Tommy John surgery that finished his 2015 season after just 4 games and missed all of the 2016 season. He bulked up well in that season away, turning his body into a well-built 220ish pounds. That added strength brought with it incredible velocity as well.

Graterol runs his fastball up to triple digits, sitting 95-98 with excellent late wiggle and good location. Graterol has seen his hard snap slider creep into the low-90s in velocity, though it typically sits in the upper 80s.

Both Graterol’s low-80s hard curve and mid-80s change had flashes of plus but settled in above-average. Consistency in location, specifically with the change, will allow both to play up significantly.

Graterol simply has the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the Twins organization, but he is a distance away from the big leagues, so he’s currently just a touch behind the guys who have shown it well at the upper minors.

He will be building up his innings with low-A Cedar Rapids, most likely spending the entire season there. It will be 2019 when Graterol could really accelerate up the Twins system as his arm is ready to add on more innings and head to the upper minors.

5. Wander Javier, SS

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 12/29/1998 (19)
2017 teams/levels played for: advanced rookie Elizabethton Twins
2017 Stats: .299/.383/.471, 180 PA, 4 HR, 4 SB, 19/49 BB/K

Info: Javier secured the largest bonus that the Minnesota Twins have ever given out in the Latin American market, even more than they gave to Miguel Sano, and there’s good reason behind that as well.

Javier spent the season working on his swing with the Minnesota Twins brass at advanced rookie-level Elizabethton. He did have a significant strikeout rate for his skill set (27.2%), but much of that can be attributed to adjusting his approach at the plate on the fly.

Javier has a long-limbed body that produces above-average game power

Javier has a long-limbed body that produces above-average game power, specifically in pounding the gaps with sharp drives. He did show better approach as the season wore on, and was more aggressive within the zone.

Javier was an 18 year old facing a lot of college “junk”, so that was tough on him, but he often made adjustments from one at bat to the next with a pitcher, which was a huge positive.

Javier does have plus speed and is able to use his quick reactions and speed to show plus range at shortstop along with a double-plus arm in the field, where he absolutely excels. Javier is a true shortstop, and he should be a plus defensive shortstop moving forward.

Javier could be the reason that the Twins end up jumping their top draft pick to high-A as Javier is ready for the next logical step to low-A ball with Cedar Rapids. If not, he may end up at extended spring until Lewis is able to be promoted up to high-A, opening shortstop up for him.

Next: #3 and #4

4. Fernando Romero, RHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 12/24/1994 (23)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Chattanooga Lookouts
2017 Stats: 24 G, 23 GS, 125 IP, 3.53 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 8.3% BB, 22% K

Info: Romero was scouting by the Minnesota Twins at a tournament in Florida, where they signed him out of the Dominican Republic. He showed flashes of brilliance in 2012 and 2013 in rookie ball, but his elbow popped after 3 starts in low-A in 2014.

Romero missed the rest of 2014 and all of 2015 rehabbing his elbow and getting fully healthy before he could return. Romero had an incredible season in his return in 2016, posting a 1.89 ERA and 0.90 WHIP over 90 1/3 innings with a 15/90 BB/K ratio.

Romero has an incredible collection of pitches, featuring a fastball that reaches the upper 90s

Romero has an incredible collection of pitches, featuring a fastball that reaches the upper 90s, sitting 92-95 with hard and heavy sink on the pitch, generating a ton of ground balls and swing and miss both when he’s at his best.

Romero’s slider and change are both above-average pitches at their best, but he has to stay within himself and his delivery, which can be an issue at times as Romero stands just 6′ tall and uses every bit of his frame to generate his velocity, so getting off a touch can lead to the pitches flattening out and getting tough to control.

Romero has upside of a possible #2 starter or better if he can max out on everything, but his frame and effort have a very strong reliever vibe, albeit an elite relief arm if that is his future path.

He’s had success at the upper minors level in 2017, and he should open 2018 in AAA, but Romero’s future path is still one that’s in the air.

3. Nick Gordon, 2B/SS

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 10/24/1995 (22)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Chattanooga Lookouts
2017 Stats: .270/.341/.408, 578 PA, 9 HR, 13 SB, 53/134 BB/K

Info: Gordon may be a perfect example of prospect fatigue. Gordon is not his brother. He’s not his dad. He’s not a guy who is going to put together elite fantasy baseball numbers or be an elite defensive shortstop.

Gordon is, however, stable and sure, a guy who has excellent gap power, with likely 10-15 home run power being his top end. He’s also a much better base runner than a base stealer with very good instincts once he is on the bases.

Gordon is not a guy who will ever blow anyone away with range at short, but he’s steady enough there that he could work there, and he certainly has sure enough hands that he could move to the other side of the keystone and make a very solid second baseman.

The ability Gordon has to make contact will certainly earn him plenty of chances, and at just 22 and up to AAA in 2018, Gordon should have a productive major league career ahead of him, even if he doesn’t end up a superstar, fantasy or otherwise.

Next: #1 and #2

2. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 7/8/1994 (23)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Chattanooga Lookouts, AAA Rochester Red Wings
2017 Stats: 20 G, 19 GS, 110 IP, 3.27 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 6.8% BB, 26% K

Info: If you wanted to define the type of pitcher that is more about the overall package than any one particular pitch, then Gonsalves would be the perfect example.

Gonsalves is 6’5″ and has long arms and long legs that help his fastball to play up due to extension to the plate. Gonsalves maxes out around 95 with his fastball, but he sits more in the low-90s and relies on moving the fastball around the zone rather than on pure velocity.

Gonsalves’ best breaking pitch has been his curve, which he can sequence well to get strikeouts. He can locate the pitch very well and that adds to his ability to get swing and miss and weak contact. His change tends to generate a ton of ground balls due to his plane on the pitch and late movement low in the zone.

Over the course of 2017, Gonsalves worked on his slider, taking the pitch from a below-average pitch to an average pitch over the course of the season. He continues to work on it, and with the time and effort he puts into his craft, it would not surprise if he was able to play the pitch up to an above-average secondary offering by the end of 2018.

While Gonsalves may not end up a #1 starter, he has a very high probability of working as a mid-rotation starter from the left side, which would have a high level of value.

The Twins will likely see Gonsalves in Minnesota by the end of the 2018 season. When he makes that move up from Rochester will depend on him and the rest of the Twins rotation.

1. Royce Lewis, SS

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 6/5/1999 (18)
2017 teams/levels played for: Gulf Coast League Twins, low-A Cedar Rapids Kernels
2017 Stats: .279/.381/.407, 239 PA, 4 HR, 18 SB, 25/33 BB/K

Info: Many were surprised when the commissioner stepped up to the microphone and announced that the Minnesota Twins had selected Royce Lewis with the first overall selection.

When news came out that a portion of the decision was based on the signing bonus required to bring Lewis on board, some Twins fans were frustrated, believing that team had been “cheap” with their top selection rather than going for the best player.

What has quickly become clear since June is that the Minnesota Twins drafted a more-than-viable #1

What has quickly become clear since June is that the Minnesota Twins drafted a more-than-viable #1 overall selection with their pick. Lewis played tremendously well with the rookie league team before a promotion to a full-season level, where he was not overmatched at all.

Lewis impressed many observers who thought he would have to move off of shortstop. He was noted for his work ethic, coming in early and staying late to work hard on his defense, improving his footwork such that many observers believe that Lewis could end up sticking at shortstop long-term now.

He has double-plus speed along with plus raw power that should play at above-average levels in game as he fills out. Lewis has an elite contact ability and good eye at the plate. If he can combine that type of offensive upside and show he can stay at shortstop, it’s feasible that Lewis would work his way into the top 10 conversation by year end.

Lewis will be opening at full-season ball, but it will be interesting to see if he ends up at low-A Cedar Rapids or high-A Fort Myers to open 2018. If he’s able to keep up the same level of production, he would probably be deserving of AA to either close out 2018 or open 2019.

Next: Newcomer to watch