Merry Christmas

I'd just like to send a quick Merry Christmas to my readers, you 3 know who you are. I appreciate the Twins blog community that has supported me, all of my friends that check out this blog, perhaps out of guilt, and I especially appreciate one of my most dedicated readers in Towanda, PA. This reader can find this blog using many different methods. :)

I am working on some posts for the coming weeks. I will do a Houston Astros top 50 prospects, since I am trying to learn my boss' team. I will use the same method I used on the Twins top 50. I may use this method for a top 50 prospects of the American League Central (thanks Seth Stohs for the idea). I plan a look at the Twins 40 man (probably a re-look at a prior 40 man post). I am doing some research on a story about Dutch baseball as well. I also plan some posts that involve my usual crap, you know 2 sentences and a youtube clip.

2009 was a tough year but 2010 will be great.

Again, Merry Christmas!

Shawn

For now, I leave you with this! Go Twins! May the beard live on!

prospects 10-1

Thanks to Seth of www.SethSpeaks.net for having me on his show at www.BlogTalkRadio.com/SethSpeaks tonight, to speak about this blog post. Check his blog and podcasts out if you have not already!

Finally, the prospect list will finish..... Until I rationalize some that didn't make the list. Before I start the list I will mention some notables that didn't make it. Most of the 2009 draft picks didn't have enough or any stats to qualify under this formula. Kyle Gibson, Billy Bullock, Matt Bashore, and Ben Tootle would make my Top 50, Gibson my top 10. 2009 Free agent signee's: Miguel Sano (Jean) would make my top 10 and Max Kepler would make my top 50. Guys like Carlos Gutierrez, Loek Van Mil, and Steve Tolleson would also make my subjective top 50. A guy like Trevor Plouffe, I'm not so sure. He is still rather young, but his numbers are really very good. I will do a quick subjective list mostly using these numbers in the future.
Today, we finish up with the top 10 prospects. If you are catching up, I did 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, & 20-11 already.

The formula for how I came upon this top 50 is included below:

For hitters I used OPS as my control. This is the formula I used: OPS +.025 per level above GCL +/- .025 for every year above or below age 22 by August 2009 + .025 for CF/SS/C + .025 for base stealers. I also perused the total numbers to look for anomalies and at this point I favored the higher hyped prospects.

For pitchers I used WHIP as my control. This is the formula I used: WHIP -.05 per level above GCL +/- .05 for every year above or below 22 by August 2009 -.2 for starters. I also favored those with high K/9 rates and gave a break to those with higher BABIP (batting average of balls in play), because they may have been unlucky. I perused the total numbers to look for anomalies and at this point I favored the higher hyped prospects.

10. Andrei Lobanov Lefty Reliever 1/25/1990.

He was signed in 2007 out of Moscow, Russia. He went 2-1 with a .82 ERA in 15 appearance/22 innings for the Gulf Coast Twins, giving up 14 hits while striking out 35 and walking 1!!!!!. Such gaudy numbers should come back to the pack as he faces tougher competition. Amid reports that his fastball only hits the mid 80s, it can be expected that his numbers will probably off. He has had no problems so far and as a prospect, he has to be up there until it is proven otherwise.

9. Danny Valencia Third Base 9/19/1984.
He was a Twins 19th round draft pick in 2006 out of the University of Miami. He batted .285/.337/.466 between New Britain and Rochester. He is considered one of the most MLB ready Twins prospects, however, there seems to be a major divide on how ready he really is. I have heard reports that some in the organization think he can play in the MLB right now and some saying he won't be ready until 2011. His numbers fell off in the last month in Rochester and he had some trouble with his defense. I have seen him play 3-4 times in AA and AAA. I saw a guy who, in my mind, was very close to MLB caliber. The team is going to search for a short term fix at third, but they might be better served just handing the job to Valencia.

8. Tom Stuifbergen Starter 9/26/1988.
He was signed in 2006 out of Breda, Netherlands. He went 5-2 with a 3.28 ERA in 13 starts/79.2 innings for Elizabethtown, giving up 79 hits while striking out 69 and walking 6. Seriously 6!!!!! He also started against the Dominican Republic in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He went 4 innings, striking out 3 and giving up no runs in a win. He missed all of the 2008 season but has shown that he has a very high ceiling. You don't just shut the Dominican Republic all stars out without having some stones! I'm looking forward to seeing how his career plays out. As an aside, I sent him this profile and he approved it. :)

7. Bradley Tippett Starter 2/11/1988.
He was signed in 2006 out of Sidney, Australia. He went 9-8 with a 3.21 ERA in 25 appearances/24 starts/146 innings for Beloit, giving up 131 hits while striking out 107 and walking 25. He doesn't throw very hard, reports are a fastball in the high 80s, but has great control. If he can continue to strike out a fair amount of hitters and keep the hits under one per inning he has to be considered one of the better Twins starter prospects.

6. Alex Burnett Relief Pitcher 7/26/1987.
He was a Twins 12th round draft pick in 2005 out of Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach, California. He went 3-3 with a 1.85 ERA in 58 appearances/78 innings between Fort Myers and New Britain, giving up 50 hits while striking out 78 and walking 26. He was on the path to being an ordinary starter, but was switched to relief for the 2009 season. He is now the Twins top relief prospect going into the 2010 season. Smart move by the Twins brass.

5. Angel Morales Center Fielder/OF 11/24/1989.
He was a Twins 3rd round draft pick in 2007 out of Puerto Rico Baseball Academy High School. He batted .266/.329/.455 for Beloit with 19 stolen bases in 25 attempts. He started the year really slow, after having a monster year in Elizabethtown in 2008, but came on later in the season. He has a rare combination of speed and power, but has some work left in his game. He needs to continue to reduce his strikeout rate. I look for him to have a big year in 2010. He is the Twins prospect I am most excited to see play.

4. Joe Benson Outfield 3/5/1988.
He was a Twins 2nd round draft pick in 2006 out of Joliet Catholic Academy in Joliet, Illinois. He batted .285/.414/.403 for Fort Myers with 14 stolen bases in 21 attempts. He's got speed and he takes walks. He is developing into a prototypical leadoff or #2 hitter. He's another of many high-end outfield prospects in the Twins organization.

3. Adrian Salcedo Starter 4/24/1991.
He was signed in 2007 out of Moca, Dominican Republic. He went 3-2 with a 1.46 ERA in 11 appearances/10 starts/61.2 innings for the Gulf Coast Twins, giving up 60 hits while striking out 58 and walking just 3. 3!!!!!! He also was a little unlucky, giving up a .334 BABIP and a 64% left on base rate. An 18 year old that only walks one guy per 20 innings is the Twins organization's dream. He also gets more than twice as many groundouts as fly outs. I don't know alot about his stuff or his makeup, but he has great raw numbers so far.

2. Wilson Ramos Catcher 8/10/1987.
He was signed in 2004 out of Valencia, Venezuela. He batted .317/.341/.454 for New Britain. He is also a good defensive catcher, throwing out 41% of would be base stealers last season. I think he is ready to play in the majors right now. Joe Mauer is blocking him and if Joe agrees to an extension, Ramos will most likely be traded. Wilson must sense he is about to make it to the majors, he is batting .352/.418/.598 in winter ball. Those are Mauer-like numbers. He has been slightly injury-prone and he also doesn't walk very much. I have seen him play a couple times in AA and he was impressive. I am looking forward to seeing him play in the majors really soon.

1. Josmil Pinto Designated Hitter/Catcher 3/31/1989.
He was signed in 2006 out of San Joaquin, Venezuela. He batted .332/.387/.610 for Elizabethtown. He threw out 46% of would be stealers, but is not otherwise known as a great defensive catcher. He may be best as a DH. His year in E-town was off the charts offensively and he is still pretty young, but Angel Morales had an even better year in E-town the year before, but struggled in Beloit in 2009. It will be interesting to see how his offense translates at the higher levels and if he stays at catcher. He has alot of power and doesn't strike out that much. The organization will have a home for his bat, position be damned.

I don't know if it is a good thing or not, but only 1 prospect out of this top 50 was traded from another organization.

My prospects 20-11

I'd like to start today by thanking not only my readers, but also the Twins blog community. Many of the blogs I follow are on the left of my postings, check them out if you haven't already. Unless you have come to this blog because you know me personally, you've probably read most of them already. I'd like to thank those that have included me on their blog roll as well. I'd especially like to thank Topper Anton. Check out Topper Anton's blog "Curve for a Strike". He recently did a post on me here. The Twins blog communtiy has alot of great voices, check them all out.

Today, we will do the prospects 20-11. If you are catching up, I did 50-41, 40-31, and 30-21 already.
The formula for how I came upon this top 50 is included below:

For hitters I used OPS as my control. This is the formula I used: OPS +.025 per level above GCL +/- .025 for every year above or below age 22 by August 2009 + .025 for CF/SS/C + .025 for base stealers. I also perused the total numbers to look for anomalies and at this point I favored the higher hyped prospects.

For pitchers I used WHIP as my control. This is the formula I used: WHIP -.05 per level above GCL +/- .05 for every year above or below 22 by August 2009 -.2 for starters. I also favored those with high K/9 rates and gave a break to those with higher BABIP (batting average of balls in play), because they may have been unlucky. I perused the total numbers to look for anomalies and at this point I favored the higher hyped prospects.

20. Tyler Robertson Left-handed Starter 12/23/1987.
He was a Twins 3rd round draft pick in 2006 out of Belle Vista High School in Fair Oaks, California. He went 8-8 with a 3.33 ERA in 26 starts/143.1 innings for Fort Myers, giving up 139 hits while striking out 103 and walking 51. He profiles as a backend starter, but he can improve that profile by improving his walk rate.

19. Deolis Guerra Starter 4/17/1989.
He was acquired by the Twins in 2008 as part of the Johann Santana trade. He went 12-11 with a 4.89 ERA in 28 appearances/26 starts/149 innings between Fort Myers and New Britain, giving up 157 hits while striking out 106 and walking 42. He was the key prospect in the Santana trade, but has been very ordinary since he came to the Twins. His delivery was changed in 2008 and he is still very young. I have seen him in person; he has a nice breaking pitch and change up. If he could get his fastball velocity closer to 95 again, he could still be an ace someday. 2010 will be a big year for him.

18. Rob Delaney Reliever 9/8/1984.
He was signed in 2006 out of St. John's University. He went 8-4 with a 3.44 ERA in 62 appearances/83.2 innings between New Britain and Rochester, giving up 75 hits while striking out 78 and walking 21. He is one of the Twins top reliever prospects. He has a similar profile and similar upside to Anthony Slama. What ranks him higher than Slama (#30) on this list is the lower amount of walks. Both have chances of being decent or better major leaguers. Slama has more dominant stuff, but Delaney walks less batters.

17. Steven Hirschfeld Starter/Reliever 9/8/1985.
He was a Twins 9th round draft pick in 2007 out of San Diego St. He went 7-7 with a 2.23 ERA in 32 appearances/17 starts/117 innings for Fort Myers, giving up 93 hits while striking out 86 and walking 31. He starts and relieves. He does well in either role. He doesn't give up a ton of hits or walk many guys. Whether he is used as a starter or reliever, in his probable start AA, will be the key to his future.

16. Blayne Weller Starter 1/30/1990.
He was a Twins 14th round draft pick in 2008 out of Key West High School. He went 5-1 with a 1.58 ERA in 11 appearances/10 starts/57 innings pitched for the Gulf Coast Twins, giving up 46 hits while striking out 49 with 8 walks. He has excellent numbers early in his professional career.

15. Aaron Hicks Centerfield 10/2/1989.
He was a Twins 1st round draft pick in 2008 out of Wilson High School in Long Beach California. He went .251/.535/.382 with 10 stolen bases out of 18 tries for Beloit. He is considered by most as the Twins #1 prospect. I'd rank him in the top 5 for sure if I was just using potential, but he did not have a great year in 2009. He has all of the potential in the world and I expect a better year in 2010.

14. Rene Tosoni Outfield 6/2/1986.
He was a Twins 36th round draft pick in 2005 out of Toronto, Canada. He went .271/.360/.454 for New Britain. He found some HR power in 2009, vaulting him up the prospect rankings. I attended 4 or 5 of his games in 2009; he was usually the best player on the field for New Britain. He has a decent shot of a September call up in 2010. He could also get called up if there is a serious injury or lack of productivity by one of the outfielders. Long term, he doesn't profile as better than the 3 current Twins outfielders. He also doesn't have as much upside as some of the outfielders behind him. Most of his major league career would probably be in another organization.

13. B.J. Hermsen Starter 12/1/1989.
He was a Twins 6th round draft pick in 2008 out of Masonville, Iowa. He went 6-2 with a 1.35 ERA in 10 starts/53.1 innings pitched for the Gulf Coast Twins, giving up 32 hits while striking out 42 with 4 walks. 4!!!!! His WHIP was .68!!!!! If he can continue to pitch anywhere close to this well as he moves up, he will be a star.

12. Chris Parmelee First Base/Outfield 2/24/1988.
He was a Twins 1st round draft pick in 2006 out of Chino Hills high school (CA). He batted .258/.359/.441 for Fort Myers. He has good power and a good walk rate. His prospect has slipped a little due to injury, but is still one of the Twins better power prospects.

11. David Bromberg Starter 9/14/1987.
He was a Twins 32nd round draft pick in 2005. He went 13-4 with a 2.70 ERA in 27 appearances/26 starts/153.1 innings pitched for Fort Myers, giving up 125 hits while striking out 148 with 63 walks. He was the Twins minor league pitcher of the year in 2009. He had a great year and is one of the Twins top starter prospects, but he needs to walk a few less guys to be a top of the rotation starter.

prospects 30-21

Today, I have another group of prospects, but first I want to say something:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!!!!! Today, December 9th, is my fiancé Allison's birthday. If you know her, make sure you wish her a happy birthday. We will live 1667 miles apart for awhile and it’s going to be difficult.... but, it gives me more blogging time! Serious, I love you and miss you. I will see you soon!

Anyway, I posted my Twins prospects 50-41 and 40-31 the past couple of days. Today, I will tackle the next 10. The formula for how I came upon this top 50 is included below:

For hitters I used OPS as my control. This is the formula I used: OPS +.025 per level above GCL +/- .025 for every year above or below age 22 by August 2009 + .025 for CF/SS/C + .025 for base stealers. I also perused the total numbers to look for anomalies and at this point I favored the higher hyped prospects.

For pitchers I used WHIP as my control. This is the formula I used: WHIP -.05 per level above GCL +/- .05 for every year above or below 22 by August 2009 -.2 for starters. I also favored those with high K/9 rates and gave a break to those with higher BABIP (batting average of balls in play), because they may have been unlucky. I perused the total numbers to look for anomalies and at this point I favored the higher hyped prospects.

.30. Ramon Santana Infield 6/20/1986.
He was signed in 2004 out of La Romana, Venezuela. He batted .296/.384/.453 for Beloit. He had good numbers, but was not very young for the level. He will have to show he can sustain a .800 OPS at the next level to continue to be a prospect. Otherwise he is a utility infielder at best.

29. Matthew Williams Relief Pitcher 2/28/1987.
He was signed in 2004 from Camden, Australia. He went 4-2 with a 2.77 ERA in 48 appearances/68.1 innings in 2 levels of A ball while giving up 62 hits, striking out 70 and walking 19. He could be a solid reliever some day.

28. Liam Hendriks Starting Pitcher 2/10/1989.
He was signed in 2007 from Perth, Australia. He missed all of the 2008 season. He went 5-5 with a 3.55 ERA in 14 starts/83.2 innings between Elizabethtown and Beloit while giving up 92 hits, striking out 75 and walking 19. If he can improve upon his average given up (his BABIP was a little high, suggesting he was a little unlucky) and he keeps his walk rate down, he has a chance to be a middle rotation starter someday.

27. Michael McCardell Starting Pitcher 4/13/1985.
He was a Twins 6th round draft pick in 2007 out of Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. He went 14-8 with a 3.98 ERA in 26 starts/142.1 innings between Fort Myers and New Britain while giving up 143 hits, striking out 118 and walking 32. Decent starter prospect.

26. Jeff Manship Starting Pitcher 1/16/1985.
He was a Twins 14th round draft pick in 2006 out of Notre Dame. He went 10-6 with a 3.86 ERA in 21 starts/126 innings between New Britain and Rochester while giving up 125 hits, striking out 75 and walking 37. He made his major league debut going 1-1 with a 5.68 ERA in some starting and relief work. He was not quite ready for the majors but should be in the next year. He profiles as a backend of the rotation starter or middle reliever.

25. Oswaldo Arcia Outfielder 5/9/1991
He was signed in 2007 from Anaco, Venezuela. He batted .275/.337/.455 for the Gulf Coast Twins with 8 steals and no caught stealing. He has a long way to go but is very young. If he can improve on these numbers going further he will be a legitimate prospect. I look forward to seeing how he will do at a higher level.

24. Brian Dinkelman Second Base 11/10/1983
He was a Twins 8th round draft pick in 2006 out of McKendree College in Illinois. He batted .296/.383/.440 for New Britain. He was a doubles machine in 2009 with 38 in 459 ABs. He isn't that young, but given the lack of depth at the second base position, he should be in the mix to be the Twins second baseman. However, since he was not protected on the 40 man roster, he could be picked up by a team with limited infield options.

23. Brock Peterson First Base 11/20/1983.
He was a Twins 49th round draft pick in 2002 out of W.F. West H.S. in Washington. He batted .304/.376/.458 for Rochester. He has been a solid minor leaguer for the Twins, but is a current minor league free agent. After having a decent year in Rochester, it would have been nice for him to get a September call up. I hope he comes back as backup insurance for Justin Morneau but he will probably sign elsewhere.

22. Anthony Swarzak Starting Pitcher 9/10/1985.
He was a Twins 2nd round draft pick in 2004 out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He went 4-5 with a 3.28 ERA in 13 starts/79.2 innings for Rochester while giving up 79 hits, striking out 45 and walking 21. He made his major league debut going 3-7 with a 6.25 ERA. His best start was June 13th were he went 7 innings and gave up 0 runs in Chicago vs. the Cubs. I was in the bleachers for this game and it was my best experience ever at the ballpark. In fact, I had too much fun, partying with the many Twins/Cubs/misc. fans that I met. Anyway....He was not ready for the majors, but he should be one of many in the mix for the 5th starter spot. He could be trade bait. He could improve his stock by improving his strikeout rate a little bit.

21. Ben Revere Center Field 5/3/1988.
He was a Twins 1st round draft pick in 2007 out of Lexington (KY) Catholic High School. He batted .311/.372/.369 for Fort Myers with 40 stolen bases in 53 attempts. He really lost his power in the jump to Fort Myers (it is less of a hitter’s league). It could have been an aberration or a real problem. He also does not have a great arm in centerfield and there are some rumors he may eventually move to second base. Many prospect lists have him in the top 3, 5 or certainly 10 Twins prospects. I had him at #7 at the end of September. He remains a good prospect and profiles as a good leadoff hitter some day, but he'll need a little more gap power, especially if he is moved from center.

My prospects 40-31

Recently, I posted my Twins prospects 50-41. Today I will tackle the next 10. The formula for how I came upon this top 50 is included below:


For hitters I used OPS as my control. This is the formula I used: OPS +.025 per level above GCL +/- .025 for every year above or below age 22 by August 2009 + .025 for CF/SS/C + .025 for base stealers. I also perused the total numbers to look for anomalies and at this point I favored the higher hyped prospects.

For pitchers I used WHIP as my control. This is the formula I used: WHIP -.05 per level above GCL +/- .05 for every year above or below 22 by August 2009 -.2 for starters. I also favored those with high K/9 rates and gave a break to those with higher BABIP (batting average of balls in play), because they may have been unlucky. I perused the total numbers to look for anomalies and at this point I favored the higher hyped prospects.

40. Kelvin Mota Reliever 6/23/1988.
He was signed in 2007 out of Bani, Dominican Republic. He went 0-0 with a 2.61 ERA in 12 appearances/20.2 innings for both levels of rookie ball. He gave up 13 hits while striking out 17 and walking just 6. He is a young reliever with good stuff and good numbers, but with a limited track record.

39. Michael Gonzales First Base 6/16/1988.
He was a Twins 9th round draft pick in 2008 out of Diablo Valley College in California. He batted .304/.364/.477 for Elizabethtown. He has some power and walks a little, but he strikes out too much. He will have to improve all these facets of his game to become a major prospect.

38. Anderson Hidalgo Third Base 9/5/1988.
He was signed in 2006 out of Valencia, Venezuela. He batted .291/.379/.469 for Elizabethtown. He has some power and draws walks. He has played 2B in the past and at 5'9" he might have to switch back there. Still relatively young, if he can keep his OPS up, as it has been the last 2 seasons, he may emerge as a legitimate prospect.

37. Jose Gonzalez Lefty Reliever 2/3/1990.
He was signed signed in 2007 out of Tucupita, Venezuela. He went 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in 8 appearances/12.2 innings for the Gulf Coast Twins. He gave up 9 hits while striking out 10 and walking just 2. He's young, but the numbers are good. There is not alot to go on yet however. He also had good numbers in the DSL in 2008. He could be one to watch.

36. Christopher Herrman Outfielder 11/24/1987.
He was a Twins 6th round draft pick in 2009 out of the University of Miami. He batted .297/.391/.453 for Elizabethtown. He has a good walk rate and doesn't strike out too much. He could be a great offensive player if he can add a little more power.

35. Brian Dozier Shortstop 5/15/1987.
He was a Twins 8th round draft pick in 2009 out of Southern Mississippi. He batted .353/.417/.431 for Elizabethtown. He had 17 doubles in 218 ABs and only struck out 26 times. You have to love the BA/OBP. If he can keep those numbers up at the higher levels, it will make up for his lack of power. He also had alot of errors at SS, which could speak to his range or maybe he isn't a perfect fit for the position.

34. Daniel Santana Shortstop 11/7/1990.
He was signed in 2007 from Monta Plata, Dominican Republic. He batted .265/.302/.418 for the Gulf Coast Twins with 12 steals and just 1 caught stealing. He has a long way to go, but is quite young. He also had alot of errors at SS, which could speak to his range or maybe he isn't long at the position.

33. Luke Hughes Infield/Outfield 8/2/1984.
He was signed in 2002 out of Perth, Australia. He batted .254/.335/.454 at three levels. He burst onto the prospect scene in 2008, but has battled alot of injuries. He has decent power when healthy, but no real position. If he could stay healthy he could be a bench bat or DH/LF as soon as 2010 in the major leagues, if not he may never get to the MLB. I saw him play many times in 2008 and he was alot of fun to watch offensively. Hopefully he can stay healthy and be a good RH power bat off the Twins bench.

32. Juan Portes Outfield 11/26/1985.
He was a Twins 15th round draft pick in 2004 out of Boston, MA. He had somewhat of a breakout year in 2009, batting .297/.366/.434 at AA New Britain. His OPS improved .86 points over the previous season, while moving up a level in the organization. More improvement like this and he will be a future major leaguer.

31. Anthony Slama Relief Pitcher 1/6/1984.
He was a Twins 39th round draft pick in 2006 out of the University of San Diego. He went 4-4 with a 2.67 ERA in 62 appearances/81 innings in AA and AAA while giving up 57 hits while striking out 112 and walking 40. Generally considered one of the top relief prospects in the Twins system, I'd have ranked him higher if I just used a list of names. He isn't that young anymore and he walks too many, but he should be a viable middle/late reliever soon.

My prospects 50-41

Well, it's been a bit since I posted something of substance. I'd like to thank my readers including my future stepson's father. I have decided to tackle the Twins prospect list. Prospect lists can be found on most any baseball blog this time of year, so I am not breaking new ground here. I have decided to rank the prospects with as little media influence as possible. Prospects are not going to be ranked based on hype but on what they have done since they have entered the Twins organization. This leaves out guys like Miguel Jean and Kyle Gibson although they would rank highly if I ranked based on potential. Most of the numbers considered are from the 2009 season.

For hitters I used OPS as my control. This is the formula I used: OPS +.025 per level above GCL +/- .025 for every year above or below age 22 by August 2009 + .025 for CF/SS/C + .025 for base stealers. I also perused the total numbers to look for anomalies and at this point I favored the higher hyped prospects.

For pitchers I used WHIP as my control. This is the formula I used: WHIP -.05 per level above GCL +/- .05 for every year above or below 22 by August 2009 -.2 for starters. I also favored those with high K/9 rates and gave a break to those with higher BABIP (batting average of balls in play), because they may have been unlucky. I perused the total numbers to look for anomalies and at this point I favored the higher hyped prospects.

Like everything else, this will not be a perfect indicator of success or a perfect ranking(I liked how the hitters turned out better than pitchers), but it helps level the playing field for less hyped players.

50. Tobias Striech Catcher born 4/5/1988
He was a Twins 5th round pick in 2009 from West Virginia University. He showed good power for Elizabethtown in his first season in the organization, but not alot of average. .222/.287/.450. He threw out 43% of would be base stealers.

49. Rene Leveret First Base 11/19/1985
He was a free agent signing in 2003 from South Reward, Saint Maarten. He had a solid season at Fort Myers batting .286/.363/.399. He has a decent walk rate but probably doesn't have enough power at 1b to advance much further, being he is already 24.

48. Evan Bigley Outfield 3/9/1987
He was a Twins 10th round pick in 2008 from Dallas Baptist College. He had a solid season at Fort Myers batting .280/.336/.405. He will have to show the power he showed in 2008, in the Appalachian league, in order to become a big-time prospect.

47. Santos Arias reliever/starter 3/17/1987
He was a free agent signing in 2005 from La Romana, Dominican Republic. He put up really good numbers as mostly a reliever in Fort Myers. He was 6-3 with a 2.15 ERA in 38 appearances/100.2 innings. He gave up 90 hits and struck out 72 while walking 27. Has a chance to be a solid reliever.

46. Matthew Tone lefty Reliever 2/17/1988
He was a Twins 14th round pick in 2009 from SUNY Cortland. He had a really good season his first year in the organization for Elizabethtown. He was 4-1 with a 1.31 ERA in 16 appearances/34.1 innings. He gave up only 13 hits. He also struck out 45 while walking 23. He has a a chance to be a solid reliever as well.

45. Reggie Williams Third Base 11/5/1988
He was a Twins 4th round pick in 2007 from Ballflower California High School. He batted .250/.316/.462 at Beloit. He needs to improve his on base skills to move up in the organization.

44. Edgar Ibarra lefty reliever/starter 5/31/1989
He was a free agent signing in 2006 from Valencia, Venezuela. He had a solid year in Elizabethtown. He was 6-2 with a 2.84 ERA in 14 appearances/50.2 innings. He gave up 37 hits and struck out 57 while walking 19. If he can keep his strikeout rate up, he has a chance to be a great lefty reliever.

43. Nelvin Fuentes lefty reliever 4/7/1989
He was a Twins 16th round pick in 2007 from Loaiza, Puerto Rico. He had great numbers for the Gulf Coast Twins. He was 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA in 12 appearances/21 innings. He gave up 16 hits and struck out 24 while walking just 4 guys. He's far away from the majors, but could be a tremendous lefty reliever.

42. Zach See reliever 11/23/1988
He was a free agent signing from Fort Myers, FL. He had great numbers for the Gulf Coast Twins. He was 2-0 with a .69 ERA in 13 appearances/26 innings. He gave up 16 hits and struck out 34 while walking 10. He'a also far away from the majors, but could be a great reliever if he keeps his strikeout rate up.

41. Erik Lis Designated Hitter/First Base 3/8/1984
He was a 9th round pick in 2005 from Evansville University. He had solid numbers in his second year at New Britain. He batted .283/.353/.482. He has decent power and walks a little, but is pretty limited in the field. He could be a major league lefty bench bat in 2010/11.

....I've been busy, sorry

Well, I haven't posted in a bit, I've been busy. I moved from New York to Texas and have been without internet since I arrived. I plan on breaking down Twins off-season stuff soon but for now I will leave you this: Thanks for checking out the site and for your Patience.