Minnesota Twins Top 20 Prospects for 2009 John Sickels All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change. Don’t get too worried about exact rankings at this point, especially once you get out of the top 10. Grade C+/C guys are pretty interchangeable depending on what you are looking for. 1) Ben Revere, OF, Grade B+: Picking between Revere and Hicks is tough, but I went with the guy with the bigger track record. Kenny Lofton possibilities here. 2) Aaron Hicks, OF, Grade B+: Could flip with Revere due to higher power ceiling. 3) Wilson Ramos, C, Grade B: Good glove, strong bat. 4) Shooter Hunt, RHP, Grade B: Some worries about his command. 5) Danny Valencia, 3B, Grade B-: Might have strike zone problems. 6) Jose Mijares, LHP, Grade B-: Terrific arm, erratic, has command and personality issues. 7) Kevin Mulvey, RHP, Grade B-: Exact opposite of Mijares, okay stuff but with strong command and makeup. 8) Carlos Gutierrez, RHP, Grade B-: Not going to bet against this guy after the Twins proved to be right about Revere. 9) Rob Delaney, RHP, Grade B-: Is this too high? Should he be a C+? 10) Chris Parmalee, OF, Grade C+: Got hurt, low batting average, but still young, lots of power and walks. 11) Angel Morales, OF, Grade C+: Great tools, power, but plate discipline a big problem. 12) David Bromberg, RHP, Grade C+: High ERA masks strong K/IP ratio, looks interesting to me. 13) Tyler Robertson, LHP, Grade C+: Would rank higher if not for arm problems. 14) Anthony Slama, RHP, Grade C+: Good solid relief arm. 15) Luke Hughes, 3B, Grade C+: Worried about the strike zone with this one. 16) Anthony Swarzak, RHP, Grade C+: Check out the component marks in Triple-A; they are more important than the pretty ERA. 17) Steven Tolleson, INF, Grade C+: Intriguing player, could rank higher depending on what you want to emphasize. 18) Jeff Manship, RHP, Grade C+: Could have been victim of bad luck in Double-A, as K/IP and K/BB remained steady. 19) Jason Pridie, OF, Grade C+: Interesting mix of strengths and weaknesses, still seem him as a fourth outfielder. 20) Charles Nolte, RHP, Grade C+: Favorite of ground ball fetishists. 21) Bobby Lanigan, RHP, Grade C+: Sleeper from the 2008 draft. Others included are Joe Benson, Alex Burnett, Blair Erickson, Deolis Guerra, B.J. Hermsen, Phil Humber, Tyler Ladendorf, Erik Lis, Matt Macri, Dustin Martin, Mike McCardell, Danny Ortiz, Dan Osterbrock, Trevor Plouffe, Alexander Soto, Loek Van Mil, Zach Ward, and David Winfree. Do not stress out about the exact position of the Grade C+ guys. My main question is in the transition between B- and C+. right at the cusp between 9 and 10 on this list. Would like your opinions about that. If there is someone else that you really think should be included, make your case. I always miss someone. Space is limited and some of the players above will probably get cut if I have to add someone else. SYSTEM IN BRIEF The Twins have mixed in more hitting the last couple of drafts, and both Revere and Hicks look terrific right now. Pitching remains a strength nevertheless, particularly in possible relief arms. I took a lot of flak about Tyler Robertson last year, but he was doing pretty well in the Florida State League before he got hurt. I don’t subscribe to TINSTAAPP….there obviously ARE such things as good pitching prospects, but the attrition rates are always high, and that must always be kept in mind. Overall, this is a good farm system, showing the ability to recharge quickly when things run dry. Reports on all these players and over 1,000 others are in the 2009 Baseball Prospect Book, now available for pre-order! --

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