Minnesota Twins Top 20 Prospects in Review
Here is a look at the PRE-SEASON Twins prospect list. This was originally published in November, 2007. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE PRE-SEASON LIST!!!!! THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!!!!!!!!!!
1) Tyler Robertson, LHP, Grade B+
5-3, 2.72 with a 73/13 K/BB in 83 innings for Class A Fort Myers. Pitching well but has had some shoulder soreness, a caution flag.
2) Anthony Swarzak, RHP, Grade B
3-7, 5.99 with a 73/31 K/BB in 89 innings for Double-A New Britain, 115 hits allowed. Much worse than previous standards, including last year at the same level. Wondering about his health at this point.
3) Ben Revere, OF, Grade B
.396/.453/.524 with 29 steals in 61 games for Class A Beloit. Looks terrific. Needs to improve his stolen base success rate. but that's nitpicking at this point.
4) Eduardo Morlan, RHP, Grade B
Traded to Tampa Bay. Missed early part of season with injury. 3.72 ERA with 15/6 K/BB ratio in 19 innings, 21 hits allowed at Double-A Montgomery.
5) Jeff Manship, RHP, Grade B
2.86 ERA with 63/20 K/BB in 79 innings for Ft. Myers, 5.06 ERA with 27/11 K/BB in 32 innings for Double-A New Britain, adjusting to the higher level.
6) Trevor Plouffe, SS, Grade B-
.269/.325/.410 for New Britain, .233/.257/.427 for Triple-A Rochester. Not looking like an impact guy.
7) Brian Duensing, LHP, Grade B-
5-10, 4.28 with a 71/31 K/BB in 120 innigns for Rochester, 121 hits allowed. Fairly mediocre.
8) Oswaldo Sosa, RHP, Grade B-
5.81 ERA with 47/43 K/BB in 62 innings for New Britain, 3.06 ERA with 11/11 K/BB in 18 innings after demotion to Fort Myers. Still getting grounders but command has wobbled this year.
9) Jose Mijares, LHP, Grade C+
Currently in the Gulf Coast League on rehab, has 13/1 K/BB in nine innings.
10) Mike McCardell, RHP, Grade C+
6-2, 2.72 with an 81/17 K/BB in 83 innings, 68 hits for Beloit. All numbers are very impressive, only caution flag is strong fly ball tendency.
11) Chris Parmelee, OF, Grade C+
Hitting .239/.385/.496 for Beloit, with 14 homers, 52 walks, 83 strikeouts in 69 games. Power and walks look good, contact is an issue and batting average disappointing.
12) Danny Valencia, 3B, Grade C+
Hitting .336/.402/.518 for Fort Myers, then .270/.324/.340 after promotion to New Britain. Has yet to carry power forward against better pitching.
13) Ryan Mullins, LHP, Grade C+
7-6, 3.84 with a 58/43 K/BB in 101 innings for New Britain. I don't like the very low strikeout rate. Tough on lefties, could be a LOOGY eventually.
14) Jay Rainville, RHP, Grade C+
Struggling in Double-A, 6.45 ERA with 42/25 K/BB in 74 innings, 91 hits, 15 homers allowed. No positives there, status has definitely slipped.
15) Deibinson Romero, 3B, Grade C+
Hitting .259/.297/.392 for Beloit, being held back by poor plate discipline. Young enough to improve.
16) Alex Burnett, RHP, Grade C+
3.78 ERA with 46/29 K/BB in 105 innings, 112 hits allowed for Ft. Myers. Don't like the K/IP and H/IP ratios, but he does throw strikes.
17) David Bromberg, RHP, Grade C+
5.03 ERA with 107/35 K/BB in 97 innings, 98 hits for Beloit. Like the K/IP ratio, other numbers aren't as impressive but at age 20 he has time to get better.
18) Nick Blackburn, RHP, Grade C+
Boy, was I wrong about this guy. I need to do a full profile on him soon. 3.65 ERA with 64/18 K/BB in 118 innings for Minnesota, 132 hits allowed. He is NOT a sure thing as a long-term investment just yet..he's quite hittable and the strikeout rate is still unimpressive. But he's done a lot better than I expected.
19) Erik Lis, OF-1B, Grade C+
Hitting .271/.308/.466 with 31 doubles and 10 homers for New Britain. Scouts still don't like him but he continues to produce.
20) Zach Ward, RHP, Grade C
3.76 ERA with 60/32 K/BB in 67 innings for New Britain. Gets grounders, keeps the ball low, doesn't give up many homers.
I'm not overly pleased with the list. Although I still think that Baseball America had Blackburn rated too high at number one, I certainly had him ranked far too low at 18. Pitching prospects will break your heart, and there were a lot of pitchers on this list. One guy I got a lot of flack for not including was catcher Wilson Ramos, currently hitting .255/.309/.404 for Fort Myers, with 10 homers, but some issues with plate discipline. He looks like a Grade B- guy to me right now.
2 recs |
14 comments
Comments
Question
Hi John,
What is your opinion on Luke Hughes? He has been mashing the ball all year and put on a show in batting practice at the futures game.
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift
by King Billy Royal on Jul 17, 2025 1:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Top 20s in review
Thanks for starting these. It’s good to look back.
by rdf8585 on Jul 17, 2025 2:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
John, if possible, you should include links to the original top 20 for ease of comparison
BCB's "very own marginally deserving all-star!"
by battlekow on Jul 18, 2025 12:02 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Reading: ur doin it wrong
Here is a look at the PRE-SEASON Twins prospect list. This was originally published in November, 2007. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE PRE-SEASON LIST!!!!! THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST!!!!!!!!!!!
http://rswanzey.blogspot.com
by rswanzey on Jul 18, 2025 8:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
comments?
I was going to say that it was to compare Sickels’ player comments in the original top 20 list, but many of the original lists are mostly devoid of individual player comments. But maybe there were discussions in the accompanying user commentary below that would be useful to reread.
Here’s the original 2008 Twins top20 post, which of course is the same players in the same order.
by DevilsAdvocate on Jul 18, 2025 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I meant comparison with the comments, or something like that
Anyway, the idea was so that we could see what people were saying at the time. I know it’s the same list.
BCB's "very own marginally deserving all-star!"
by battlekow on Jul 19, 2025 12:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Blackburn
I like his GB, HR, and BB rates, but he just seems entirely too hittable right now. Makes me think he is in for a fall the second half of this year and in future years. I see him more as a 5.00 ERA player than a 3.65 ERA.
"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile
by Boxkutter on Jul 18, 2025 1:50 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Blackburn
This guys definetely a late bloomer. Keep in mind that he’s still learning how to use his stuff and that his curve ball, in particular, has only been in his repertoire for a year. I agree that he wont hold his 3.65 ERA over the course of his career but 5.00 ERA is insulting. If he can stay healthy, there’s certainly huge value in a guy who can throw 200 innings at around a 4.00 ERA.
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
by caseintheface on Jul 18, 2025 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Interesting to see how much 1/2 year changes things
-The draft is obviously going to push some different names into that list.
-There are 4-5 pitchers on that list that have really dropped the ball, not to say they don’t have the stuff to pick it back up again.
-Nice to see though we can probably add a few more hitters to that list now.
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
by caseintheface on Jul 18, 2025 2:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Lis
Still one of my favorite hopefuls, but he’s still a ways off. Plate discipline has been more of an issue this year. Talk about the tale of two players though.
Bases empty: .247/.278/.425
Runners on: .298/.341/.516
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
by caseintheface on Jul 18, 2025 2:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Burnett
Obviously he’s comfortable working with less than overpowering stuff but he’ll have to had a couple ticks to his fastball if he ever wants to make it to the big show. 46 k’s in 105 innings in A ball is just not going to cut it.
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
by caseintheface on Jul 18, 2025 2:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Swarzak
Guys in the blogger community are wondering if something is physically wrong but I have to think it’s mental/emotional. It could be that he got upset about not being in AAA and now he’s spiraling downward. Seems maybe he’s too laid back and just coming to the ballpark and throwing instead of pitching and developing a 3rd pitch. He did come out strong in April with a 2.08 ERA and a 29/4 K/BB ration in 26 innings.
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
by caseintheface on Jul 18, 2025 2:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Injuries
Here’s an update I read this morning.
The Twins have shut down Robertson for the year because of shoulder soreness.
Parmalee is out for the year with a broken wrist.
Delbinson Romero broke his ankle Friday night and is out for the year.
Joe Benson (who isn’t on John’s list but is on most other top 20s for the Twins) is out for the year with a stress fracture in his back.
OUCH. This is not a very deep or good system and those guys being out for the year certainly won’t help.
by viggo21 on Jul 20, 2025 9:32 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Pitching has good depth as always
But loosing 3 hitters who are probably on the Twins top 25 is not good
Gardenhire's major league career: Banjo hitting, futility infielder who couldn't lick it.
Rick Anderson's major league career: Strikethrower who never made it happen with his sub 90's fastball.
Really gives a new definition to living vicariously through other people, don't it?
by caseintheface on Jul 20, 2025 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs






