Posted by sstohs on Friday, February 12, 2010 at 1:12 am

In recent years, the Minnesota Twins farm system has fallen in ranking systems. After producing the likes of Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Jason Kubel, Michael Cuddyer, Denard Span, Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey, Brian Duensing, Jesse Crain and more, there was a perceived falloff in the Twins system. Strong drafts in recent years and some noteworthy international signings have put the Twins system back in the top third of most rankings.

BIG LEAGUE READY TYPES

One thing that fans often hear about the Twins minor league system is that they have a lot of talent, but most of it is at the lower levels. In part, that is true, but upon second look, I think that needs to be re-evaluated. Where do the 2010 Minnesota Twins potentially need help? One need is at third base, but Danny Valencia will begin the season in AAA and could be ready in months. Luke Hughes is also an option at the hot corner. If there are injuries in the starting rotation, Jeff Manship and Anthony Swarzak could contribute at any time. Both had some big league success in 2009, ahead of schedule. If there is a need in the bullpen, Anthony Slama and Rob Delaney could be key contributors any time there is a need. Trevor Plouffe and Steve Singleton could contribute to the middle infield. Rene Tosoni could help the 2010 Twins outfield if called upon. And if something happened to Joe Mauer, ok, let’s not think like that, but Wilson Ramos is a top prospect behind the plate. Although not all of these names are easily recognized outside of the Twins fan base, they are capable of helping the Twins not skip a beat if, if needed.

HIGH-CEILING HITTERS

Aaron Hicks is one of the best prospects in baseball. There are very few five-tool talents in the game, but Hicks is certainly one of them. Making him even more exciting is that he already has a strong sense of the strike zone at such a young age. The Twins were widely criticized when they made Ben Revere their first round selection in 2007. Since then, he has hit .337 with 110 stolen bases in his three seasons. He came within percentage points of winning a second consecutive league batting title. Wilson Ramos is very strong behind the plate, but his bat is his best weapon. He combines an ability to hit for average with excellent power. Angel Morales was the team’s third round pick in 2007, yet his is months younger than 2008 top pick Hicks. He was co-MVP (with SS James Beresford) of the 2009 Beloit Snappers after a very strong second half. If he can cut down on strikeouts, he is another five-tool talent.

HIGH-CEILING PITCHERS

David Bromberg was selected as the Twins minor league pitcher of the year in 2009, a season in which he was also named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Year. For the third straight season, Bromberg led his league in strikeouts. Although very young, the Twins had three starters who dominated in the Gulf Coast League. Adrian Salcedo had a 1.46 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP and in 61.2 innings, he struck out 58 and walked just three. BJ Hermsen had a 1.35 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, and in 53.1 innings, he struck out 42 and walked four. Blayne Weller had a 1.58 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP and in 57 innings, he struck out 49 and walked just eight. Of course, at just 20 years old, Deolis Guerra was already pitching in AA and was much improved compared to his 2008 season. Arm problems in 2008 slowed down Tyler Robertson’s progress, but now that the lefty is healthy, he is worth watching as well. And 2009 draft choice, Kyle Gibson, may have the highest ceiling of the group.

THE NEW CLASS

The Twins made an impression on the scouting world in 2009. The Twins drafted primarily college players, after historically preferring high school bats. Gibson was the team’s first round pick, the 22^nd overall choice only because he pitched at the University of Missouri with a stress fracture in his pitching forearm. He has tremendous control and four pitches. He could move up quickly. The team really made in-roads in the international market place. First, Max Kepler was signed out of Germany. At 6-4 and 200 pounds, he has great speed and five-tool potential. He is touted the best prospect to ever come from Europe. They soon signed Dominican shortstop Jorge Polanco who is already a very polished defensive wizard with great range and a very strong arm. Scouts think his bat may be underrated. But their big announcement waited until late September when the team signed highly-touted Dominican shortstop Miguel Sano to a $3.15 million signing bonus. He has tremendous bat speed and power, and likely will move to 3B or the outfield in time. Despite questions about his age, he was called the top talent from Latin America in 2009.

The influx of talent brought into the Twins farm system, meshed with the high-ceiling talent they already had, and continued development of their prospects has the Twins system moving back up team prospect rankings. Of course, often those rankings are based on high ceiling players, which the Twins have. But what has made the Twins successful most of the last decade has been the abilities of some of the lesser revered prospects who have come up and produced for the team when needed.

In 2010, players like Anthony Slama, Rob Delaney, Jeff Manship and Danny Valencia may need to come up to the Twins, and if they do, they will be expected to get the job done. However, you never know who will help the big league club during the season. Players that you will not see in many prospect rankings (such as Jose Lugo, Brock Peterson, Matt Fox or someone else?) may also get an opportunity. And if it is like other minor leaguers called upon this decade, they will contribute.

Seth Stohs has blogged about the Minnesota Twins and their minor league system since 2003. His Minnesota Twins 2010 Prospect Handbook is currently available for pre-order at www.SethSpeaks.net.