Following the recent sweep at the hands of the dysfunctional White Sox within the friendly confines of Target Field, it appears now more than ever, that the season is officially over. As it stand right now, the Twins, 51-64, would have to go 30-17 over their last 47 games just to finish the season at .500. While it is unlikely for a .500 team to make the playoffs anyway, it’s even more unlikely for this squad to play at that level for the remainder of the season. That being said, it might be time to look toward the future. The Twins have long had a reputation for having one of the best farm systems in baseball and while most of the organization’s top prospects are in the lower levels, there are a few players that could contribute as soon as next year, or within the next couple of years. So with no further ado, the list –
10. Adrian Salcedo, 20, SP. Very raw high risk, high reward type prospect currently playing in low-A Beloit. Good velocity, sits between 92-93 can touch 94, 95 also throws two sliders, a big looping breaker in the low 80’s and a sharp, hard slider in the mid 80’s.
9. Carlos Gutierrez, 24, RP. Very solid relief prospect playing at AAA Rochester. Possesses a power sinker (touches 95) that draws comparisons to Fausto Carmona of the Indians. Very likely to make the team out of spring training next year and could see him as early as this September.
8. Oswaldo Arcia, 20, DH. Very solid offensive prospect currently playing at high-A Fort Myers. Has shown the ability to hit for average and power so far in the lower levels. Hitting ability and frame project remarkably similar to Jason Kubel.
7. Joe Benson, 23, OF. Toolsy prospect, currently playing at AA New Britain. After hitting 27 HR’s in 459 AB’s last year between A and AA ball last year, Benson has established himself as one of the best power prospects in the organization. A star running back in high school, Benson is a great athlete and has the speed and arm to show for it. Has 20-20 potential in the majors over the course of a season.
6. Alex Wimmers, 22, SP. The Twin’s first round pick out of Ohio State in 2010 now playing at high-A Fort Myers, Wimmers looked promising in limited action in his brief debut last year. This year has been a different story. He has battled nagging injuries and has struggled with his control (14 walks in 18 innings). He has looked better recently though and could be bound for a solid 2012 campaign.
5. Ben Revere, 23, OF. The only prospect on this list to have cracked the big leagues, Revere looks to have a solid future with the Twins. Somewhat of an enigmatic player, Revere has some great strengths, but a couple glaring weaknesses. While he is one of the fastest players in baseball; he isn’t the best base runner, while he has tremendous range in the outfield; he has a noodle for an arm, and while he is a good contact hitter; he has no power to speak of. Uncannily similar to Juan Pierre.
4. Liam Hendriks, 22, SP. A typical Twins SP prospect, Hendriks is by no means a flame thrower, but possesses great command. Not a real exciting prospect, he has been selected to pitch in the futures game both in 2010 and 2011 and is currently playing at AAA Rochester.
3. Kyle Gibson, 23, SP. Coming into the year Gibson was ranked as the number one prospect in the Twins organization. He had a good start to 2011 but has been shaky in his last few starts. He has been in Minneapolis the last few days getting his elbow examined and there is fear that he could need the dreaded Tommy John surgery would be higher on this list if it weren’t for the injury concerns.
2. Aaron Hicks, 21, OF. A potential five tool player, Hicks is the best athlete in the organization. Currently playing at high-A Fort Myers, Hicks actually pitched in high school and had his fastball clocked as high as 97 MPH. Though he has had some mediocre seasons in the minors thus far, Hicks is the best defensive outfield prospect in the organization and has power, average, and stolen base potential.
1. Miguel Sano, 18, 3B. Sano, While extremely young and raw, is the best power prospect the organization has seen since Justin Morneau. Already standing 6’3″ and 200 lbs, Sano has the potential to be a monster home run hitter in the majors. His plate discipline could use some work (50 K’s in 180 AB’s) but you cannot deny his potential. Was the top prospect coming out of the Dominican Republic a couple of years ago and projects with a Miguel Cabrera type ceiling.