John's Shadow Twins Farm System Top 20

Shadow Twins Farm System Top 20

   One thing I forgot to do when I finished the Top 20 lists this past winter, was a Shadow Twins Top 20 farm system prospects list.

    As discussed before, each year on draft day in real life, I do a real-time amateur draft for my "Shadow Twins," maintaining a sort of parallel universe Minnesota Twins farm system. It is a lot of fun and a good intellectual exercise for researching players.

    You can find more about it by reading here. The 2008 draft class is here. The 2007 class is here. Reviews of older classes here and here.

From the 2008 list, I graduated Brandon Wood and Glen Perkins.  Here is how things for my Shadow Twins stand entering 2009, with the grade I gave the player in the 2009 Baseball Prospect Book..

1) Lars Anderson, 1B, Grade A-.
    Blocked by Justin Morneau in the Shadow universe, but I can fit one of them at DH.
2) Michael Bowden, RHP, Grade B+
    A personal favorite as a Midwest high school pitcher.
3) Brett Lawrie, OF-2B, Grade B
     I picked him over Aaron Hicks in the draft, which I now sort of regret since Hicks looks great., not that there is anything wrong with Lawrie. I love his bat. Not sure about the whole 2B thing the Brewers are doing, and I had Lawrie listed as an outfielder when I drafted him.
4) Wilson Ramos, C, Grade B
     The Shadow Twins use Real Twins Latin American signings.
5) Conor Gillaspie, 3B, Grade B-
     I personally think he'll be able to stay at third base. Main question for me is how much power.   
6) Jake Odorizzi, RHP, Grade B-
     Apparently the Brewers and I thought alike in the 2008 draft. I like Odorizzi as a very athletic cold-weather high school pitcher with a fresh arm.
7) Jose Mijares, LHP, Grade B-
     Power arm from the left side.|
8) Danny Valencia, 3B, Grade B-
     I liked him out of college and went along with the Real Twins decision to draft him.
9) Jay Jackson, RHP, Grade B-
     Had a great pro debut in the Cubs system, another good-looking prospect from the '08 class.
10) Kevin Mulvey, RHP, Grade C+
     The Shadow Twins decided to make the same Santana deal as the Real Twins..
11) J.J. Hoover, RHP, Grade C+
      A power arm that I'm quite high on. Could advance quickly in the Braves system.
12) Scott Barnes, LHP, Grade C+
     I like this guy, I think he could advance quite rapidly for the Giants.
13) Daryl Thompson, RHP, Grade C+
     A guy I drafted out of high school.
14) Ryan Mount, 2B, Grade C+
     A sleeper prospect in the Angels system in real life, another guy I drafted out of high school.
15) Jon Meloan, RHP, Grade C+
     I would not have converted him to the rotation as the Dodgers tried to do. Would be a candidate for the Shadow bullpen.
16) Jeff Manship, RHP, Grade C+
     A Real Twins pick I stuck with for the Shadow system
17) Tyler Robertson, LHP, Grade C+
      Can he stay healthy? Another real Twin.
18) Jason Pridie, OF, Grade C+
      I drafted this guy out of high school, and he eventually ended up with the Real Twins too.
19) Brian Friday, SS, Grade C
      The first player on this list from the disastrous 2007 Shadow Draft, Friday looks like he could be a good utility infielder but might not hit enough to get beyond that. With the Pirates in real life.
20) Wynn Pelzer, RHP, Grade C
      Another pick from the 2007 class who looks like he could be interesting, and is starting to show up on sleeper lists. From the Padres system..

Other Shadow Twins prospects of note: Nevin Griffith, RHP (White Sox), Tim Smith, OF (Rangers), Damon Sublett, 2B (Yankees), Eamon Portice, RHP (Red Sox), Dan Osterbrock, LHP (Twins), Matt Sulentic, OF (Athletics), Matt Torra, RHP (Diamondbacks), Kevin Whelan, RHP (Yankees), Jeff Corsaletti, OF (Red Sox), Scott Richmond, RHP (Blue Jays). 

How do you think this compares to the Real Twins farm system? And to other farm systems in general? I like the way the 2008 draft class looks so far.