It’s that time of the year. With Grapefruit League action quickly approaching for the Minnesota Twins, the focus is put on their top prospects. Baseball America kicked off the news cycle and MLB Pipeline followed in their footsteps.
We have yet to see the Baseball Prospectus update, but popular prospect voice Keith Law (The Athletic) dropped his stance on Monday. Often looking to generate controversy surrounding his opinions, Law might have been the most well-reasoned he has ever been when looking at the crop of future MN Twins.
Advertisement
Four Minnesota Twins in Keith Law’s Top 100
Right now the Minnesota Twins have one of the best farm systems in baseball. It’s not just the top tier talent for the group, but also the depth of the system. When looking at Top 100 lists, only a few are going to show up. Keith Law actually looked at the organization glowingly this year.
Related Headlines
He [Jenkins] showed an advanced approach at the plate all the way until his brief stint in Triple A, where he expanded the zone at an unprecedented rate — he chased pitches well out of the zone 12 percent of the time in Double A, then 30 percent in Triple A — that at least should encourage the Twins to give him a long runway at that level before promoting him to the majors. He’s an above-average runner who has mostly played center in the minors, but given his injury history and the physical projection he still has, he’s probably going to end up in right field. I’m worried about his trouble staying healthy, but not worried about the offensive profile, even with the hiccup in St. Paul to end the year. He’s got a fantastic swing that will allow him to barrel the ball very consistently, and there’s 25-plus homer power in there as he refines his approach.
Walker Jenkins is obviously the cream of the crop. Despite playing just 84 games last season, he batted .286/.399/.451 with 10 home runs and 17 stolen bases. He earned an invite to big league Spring Training, and a major league debut this summer is a significant reality.
Advertisement
Like Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez has dealt with plenty of injuries over the course of his minor league career. Law is concerned, but still seemingly bought in on the potential.
When he plays, he shows extreme patience to the point of passivity, chasing pitches out of the zone just 16 percent of the time in Triple A but also taking strikes 39 percent of the time, and hits the ball hard enough to project plus power if he ever plays regularly, maxing out at 113.6 mph last year. He’s a plus athlete who could probably play center if he could hold up, but at this point I’m questioning if sitting on the bench between innings is too risky for him — maybe the Twins should set up a hyperbaric chamber for him in the clubhouse.
Rodriguez has to dial back his strikeout rate if he’s going to find success at the highest level. His .269/.431/.409 slash line last season is plenty encouraging though.
Given the Minnesota Twins concerns in the corners, Rodriguez could be among the first players promoted this season from Triple-A.
Law still a believer in MN Twins Tait
Last season the Minnesota Twins shipped everyone out at the trade deadline. The most significant move was Jhoan Duran going to the Philadelphia Phillies. While Mick Abel is an immediately usable arm, Eduardo Tait is a catcher still needing time. Keith Law ranked the 19-year-old 93rd which suggests future belief.
Tait only turned 19 in August, a few weeks after the Phillies traded him and Mick Abel to the Twins for Jhoan Duran. He’s a high-risk, high-reward prospect who shows enormous power for his age and a cannon of an arm, but is a below-average receiver and blocker who swings at everything right now…Behind the plate, he is very much a work in progress beyond his arm strength, needing help in all other aspects of his game; he’s athletic enough to do it, and still young, but it’s probably grade 40 defense all around and he’ll have to put a significant amount of work in to do it…I understand why the Phillies traded him, and why the Twins wanted him: if he stays at catcher and makes even a little progress on the swing decisions, he’s a 20-homer regular at the hardest position to fill. And if he doesn’t stay at catcher, he still has a path to be an above-average regular if he improves the plate discipline further.
As with all young prospects, the developmental curve is immense. Minnesota just signed Victor Caratini after trading for Alex Jackson as a backup option. The farm system doesn’t have a clear sustainable path behind the plate, and Ryan Jeffers is a free agent following this season.
Advertisement
In 112 games last year, Tait batted .253/.311/.427 with 32 doubles and 14 homers. He absolutely has to rein in his aggressiveness offensively, but the excitement for a still developing body is there.
Kaelen Culpepper was the other prospect to be included by Law and checked in just ahead of Tait. While he didn’t reach Triple-A last season, it’s possible that roster construction could have Minnesota calling on his services in short order this year.
Related Headlines