Top 20 Shadow Twins Prospects for 2012
As many of you know, for the last 16 years I've been doing a "Shadow Draft" in real time with the actual baseball June draft, and building up a sort of Alternate Universe farm system for the Minnesota Twins. Here is how the list looked a year ago.
In 2011, I graduated Brett Lawrie, Eric Thames, and Michael Bowden off the list, with Mike Fiers and Josh Satin also reaching the majors for brief looks by their real-life teams.
Of the players on the Real Twins Top 10 Prospect List by Baseball America, I don't have Joe Benson, Aaron Hicks, Kyle Gibson, and Chris Parmelee. I drafted Lars Anderson and Matt Sulentic in 2006 instead of Parmelee and Benson (oops!), Brett Lawrie in 2008 instead of Hicks (looks good so far), and Jared Mitchell in 2009 instead of Gibson (eek). You win some, you lose some.
Here is how my Shadow system currently looks.
1) Miguel Sano, 3B, Grade B+: My Shadow Twins use the international signees of the Real Twins, so I get Sano, signed by the real Twins out of the Dominican Republic in 2009.
2) Addison Reed, RHP, Grade B+: Drafted by Shadow Twins in second round in 2010 from San Diego State. Drafted by the White Sox in the third round in real life. This was an extra pick for the Shadow Twins, compensation for failure to sign 2009 second-round pick Jake Barrett.
3) Jake Odorizzi, RHP, Grade B+: Drafted by Shadow Twins in first round in 2008 from high school in Illinois. Drafted by Brewers in supplemental first round in real life. In real life, the Twins drafted Carlos Gutierrez with this pick.
4) Mikie Mahtook, OF, Grade B: I drafted the LSU star in the first round last year instead of real Twins pick Levi Michael.
5) Eddie Rosario, OF, Grade B: The real Twins drafted him in the fourth round in 2010 out of Puerto Rico. He was one of my favorite sleepers, so I drafted him too.
6) Oswaldo Arcia, OF, Grade B: The real Twins signed him out of Venezuela in 2007.
7) Liam Hendriks, RHP, Grade B: The real Twins signed him out of Australia in 2007.
8) Brian Dozier, SS, Grade B-: The real Twins drafted him in the eighth round in 2009 from Southern Mississippi. I liked him a lot in college so I stuck with that choice.
9) Travis Harrison, 3B, Grade B-: The real Twins drafted him in the supplemental first round from a California high school in 2011. I liked the pick, so I stuck with it.
10) Brad Miller, SS, Grade B-: I drafted the Clemson star in the supplemental first round in 2011. In real life, he went to the Mariners in the second round. The real Twins drafted Florida high school pitcher Hudson Boyd.
11) J.J. Hoover, RHP, Grade B-: I drafted him in the 10th round in 2008 from Calhoun Community College. In real life he was drafted by the Braves. The real Twins drafted outfielder Evan Bigley.
12) Adrian Salcedo, RHP, Grade B-: Signed by real Twins from the Dominican Republic in 2007.
13) Madison Boer, RHP, Grade B-: Drafted by the real Twins in the second round in 2011 from the University of Oregon. I liked this pick so I stuck with it.
14) Scott Barnes, LHP, Grade C+: I drafted him in the fourth round in 2008 from St. John's. In real life he was drafted by the Giants in the eighth round then traded to the Indians. The real Twins picked outfielder Danny Ortiz from Puerto Rico.
15) Alex Wimmers, RHP, Grade C+: Drafted by real Twins out of Ohio State in first round in 2010. I liked this so I stuck with it.
16) Zack Von Rosenberg, RHP, Grade C+: I drafted him in the fifth round in 2009 with the idea of hoping he would sign for an overslot deal. I went with cheap college picks in other rounds to make the money realistic. In real life he went to the Pirates in the sixth round. The real Twins drafted catcher Tobias Streich out of West Virginia.
17) Austin Wright, LHP, Grade C+: I drafted him out of Mississippi in the eighth round in 2011. He went to the Phillies in real life. The Twins picked lefty Jason Wheeler out of Loyola Marymount in real life.
18) Charlie Lowell, LHP, Grade C+: I drafted him out of Wichita State in the fourth round in 2011. He went to the Marlins in the sixth round in real life. The Twins drafted UC Irvine right-hander Matt Summers in real life.
19) Max Kepler, OF, Grade C+: Signed by the real Twins from Germany in 2009.
20) Mike Fiers, RHP, Grade C+: I drafted him in the 21st round in 2009 from Nova Southeastern. In real life he went to the Brewers in the 22nd round. The real Twins drafted Kane Holbrooks.
21) Manuel Soliman, RHP, Grade C+: Signed by the real Twins from the Dominican Republic in 2007.
OTHERS: Sean Albury, RHP; Lars Anderson, 1B; David Bromberg, RHP; Erik Cordier, RHP; Brian Dupra, RHP; Conor Gillaspie, 3B; Deolis Guerra, RHP; Kyle Hallock, LHP; Jay Jackson, RHP; Pat Lehman, RHP; Jared Mitchell, OF; Mike Nesseth, RHP; Shawn Payne, OF; Wynn Pelzer, RHP; Carlos Ramirez, C; Nick Rickles, C; Donn Roach, RHP; Nate Roberts, OF; Tyler Robertson, LHP; Josh Satin, 2B; Tim Shibuya, RHP; Tim Smith, OF; Pat Venditte, SHP; Chase Whitley, RHP.
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