I originally posted this story back in spring training under the title "Chris Colabello continues his fairy tale." With the recent news of his promotion to the Twins, I thought it would be appropriate to move it back to the front page of this blog. I have added in some information about his season so far.
One of the best stories in the Twins organization in 2012 was the tale of a 28-year old man that got his first taste of baseball with an affiliated club. Chris Colabello had molded himself into one of the best hitters in the Canadian-American Association before the Twins signed him to deal. He spent all of last season being the elder statesman of the Eastern League while showing off his skills at the plate.

The story of Colabello could get even better this year when he is asked to make his MLB debut. He would be a 29-year old rookie and the thought of him being in the Twins line-up isn't too hard to imagine. Let's look back at what got him to this point and look ahead to what could bring him to the Twin Cities.

After growing up and attending college in Massachusetts, Colabello wanted to continue his professional baseball career. No major league organization drafted him out of college so he found a team in the independent leagues. For six seasons, he played in the Canadian-American Association and he developed himself into one of the best hitters in this league.

From 2005-2011, Colabello hit over .300 in every season. Those seven seasons saw him hit .317/.390/.514 with an average of 14 home runs a year. He showed the ability to play both corner infield positions and even a little outfield. The skills were there but no MLB teams came calling.

Before the 2006 season, Colabello got to try out for the Italian World Baseball Classic team. He didn't make the squad but the Tigers took notice and invited him to spring training. His spring was good but he didn't make the club and he went back to the CAA. His persistence would finally pay off but not for another half of a decade.

The 2011 season would be an eye-opening year for Colabello because he would put together the best numbers of his career. He hit .348/.410/.600 with 20 home runs and 32 doubles. He finished second in the league in home runs, batting average, RBI, and hits. He led the league in doubles and slugging percentage. At the end of the season, he would be named the Independent Leagues Player of the Year by Baseball America.

Minnesota would offer him a chance for the start of the 2012 season. There weren't any promises made by the Twins and he didn't get a signing bonus but he was getting an opportunity. If he made a minor league team, he would be making less money then he had in the CAA but sometimes it's not about the money.

Colabello would be sent to New Britain for the entirety of the 2012 season. He would hit .284/.358/.478 over 134 games. His numbers would be good enough to lead the Eastern League in doubles and he finished second in RBI, fourth in runs, and fourth in home runs. Darin Ruf would walk-away with the Eastern League MVP but Colabello would have strong runner up finish.

He was finally living his dream and that dream has only gotten better so far this spring.

The Twins wanted Colabello back in the organization and his performance last year was good enough for Team Italy to add him to their roster for the 2013 WBC. Italy would make a surprise trip to the second round of the WBC and Colabello was a key figure for their team. He hit .333/.368/.667 and he lead the team in home runs (2) and RBI (7).

Things were off to an even better start with the Rochester Red Wings this season. He was hitting .358/.417/.659 with 12 HR, 17 2B, and 39 RBI. Colabello was leading the team in almost every offensive category and the Twins offense hasn't exactly been firing on all cylinders. Hopefully, he can insert some offensive pop into a dull line-up.

The fairy tale ending for Colabello will be when he steps onto the field for his first big league game. It has been quite the journey but he has earned this opportunity. He might not be a prospect to build around but his story is one of the best.

Fairy tales are great but Colabello gets to live out his dream and play major league baseball.

That sounds like a fairy tale ending to me...

Also posted at wgom.org


Jose Valdivielso (1934)
Ron Piche (1935)

​Infielder Jose Lopez Valdivielso was one of the original Twins, playing for them in 1961. He was born in Matanzas, Cuba. He started in organized baseball in 1953, joining the Washington organization in 1954. He came up to the majors in late June of 1955 and was the regular Washington shortstop the rest of the season. He hit .221 with an OPS of .594, yet somehow got a tenth-place vote for MVP. He was again the regular shortstop for much of 1956, although he spent a month or so in the minors. He hit a little better, but not much. Valdivielso then spent some time playing in other organizations, although whether he actually belonged to those other organizations is unclear. He was at AAA with the White Sox in 1957 and with Boston and San Francisco in 1958. He was a reserve infielder for Washington for much of 1959, also playing at AAA with Baltimore. He then got his only two full seasons in the majors, 1960 with Washington and 1961 with Minnesota. He was a part-time starting shortstop in 1960 and a reserve infielder in 1961. In his one season as a Twin, he played in 76 games and got 149 at-bats. He hit .195/.234/.248. In his major league career, all of which was in the Washington/Minnesota organization, he hit .219/.282/.290 in 971 at-bats. He was at AAA Vancouver for the Twins in 1962, then moved on to Indianapolis in the White Sox’ organization for two years before ending his playing career after the 1964 season. After that, he worked in New York City as a youth recreation director before going into broadcasting. He has done Spanish-language broadcasts for the New York Yankees, and at last report, Jose Valdivielso was the morning sports reporter at WKDM in Newark, New Jersey.

Right-hander Ronald Jacques Piche did not play for the Twins, but was in their farm system for part of the 1965 season. He was born in Verdun, Quebec, Canada, and signed with Milwaukee as a free agent in 1955. He pitched well in the minors, posting an ERA below three each year from 1955-1961. He both started and relieved, making his record of success more remarkable. He reached AAA in 1959 and made his major league debut with the Braves in late May of 1960. He was used as a short reliever and pitched well, going 3-5, 3.56 with nine saves in 48 innings (37 appearances). He began 1961 in Milwaukee, but despite the fact that he was pitching well he was sent down in mid-May, not returning until he received a September call-up. He split 1962 between AAA and the majors, then stayed for the whole season in 1963, his only full year in the majors. He generally struck out quite a few batters, but also walked quite a few batters, which is probably why he did not get more of a chance in the big leagues. He was back in the minors in 1964, was traded to the Angels (with Phil Roof) before the 1965 season, and then was sent to Minnesota in June of 1965 “in an unknown transaction”. The Twins sent him to Denver, where he pitched badly, going 3-4, 5.77 in 53 innings. Before the 1966 season, Piche was traded to St. Louis in another “unknown transaction.” He made it back to the majors in late July, staying for the rest of the season. That would be the end of his major league career, however; his major league numbers are 10-16, 4.19 with 12 saves in 221.1 innings. He appeared in 134 games, 11 of them starts. He played for a few more years, however, staying in the Cardinals organization through 1967, going to the Cubs system in 1968-1969, playing in the Mets and Expos chains in 1970, and finishing in the Expos organization in 1972. After leaving baseball, he moved to Montreal, where among other things he became a volunteer firefighter. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988. Ron Piche passed away on February 3, 2011 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

You know something is going wrong when after watching the hometown boys get walked-off on, Don Henley’s song “Boys of Summer” starts repeating in your head.

I am positive that the inner workings of my mental mechanics has short circuited. I am an individual that holds a great amount of disdain for the music of the 1980’s (mainly pop). I believe I was around 10 years old when Mr. Henley’s aforementioned song hit the charts. I remember hearing it and feeling violated, uncomfortable, and ill to my stomach… the same feeling I felt when I first heard Mr. Mister’s “Broken Wing’s” or A-Ha’s “Take on Me”.

I pretty much hate everything that has anything to do with the 1980’s and that is not meant to be offensive to anyone else – That’s my wave, no one else has an obligation to surf it.

Watching the Twin’s play the last week and a half is having the same nauseous affect of the 1980’s experience on me. Everyone had an inclination that the starting pitching would falter at some point, sooner rather than later, and they officially have claimed that distinction, but it’s the damn offense that has fallen on its face.

Except for Mauer and maybe Morneau everything has gone wrong. The offense was suppose to bring some joy to the viewer in a season where joy would be hard to come by.

When 5 or more of your starting position players are hitting like pitchers, enjoyment of watching this team will be scarce. Home Runs, Doubles and Triples have become my Heroin… and man, I am fiending for a fix.

Dozier!
Willingham!
Doumit!
Hicks!
Parmelee! (our best defensive outfielder)

Get Your Shiznasty together and help make the 2013 Minnesota Twins an intriguing offense that loses a bunch of high scoring games instead of a team that loses 8-2 every night. In a season of low expectations mainly because of the pitching predicament – we as fans are owed this much.

Help me out here. I want to rid my mind of the song “Boys of Summer” and live in peace.

P.S. - R.I.P. Ray Manzarek

The Twins losing streak went to seven games with a tough loss in Atlanta. They’ll have to get over it quick for a noon game (Eastern) on Wednesday. Twins Daily has learned that Chris Colabello will be attempting to join the Twins in time for the game.

Virgil Vasquez made a spot start in place of the promoted Sam Deduno. Trevor May had one of the craziest line scores you’ll see. One Twins minor leaguer hit a homer for the third straight game on Tuesday, and it isn’t the same guy that homered twice on the day. Cedar Rapids had a well-deserved day off.

Here is what happened in the Twins minor league system on Tuesday:

Rochester Red Wings 2, Lehigh Valley IronPigs 9
Box Score

Virgil Vasquez had not pitched for about eight days. When Sam Deduno was summoned to pitch for the Twins, Vasquez made another start. He gave up five runs (all in the first inning) on seven hits in four innings. He walked three and struck out three. Dan Turpen came on and gave up four runs (1 earned) on five hits and a walk in 1.1 innings. Luis Perdomo got the next five batters out, three on strikeouts. Tyler Robertson gave up one hit in a scoreless inning.

The Red Wings had just seven hits. The lone extra base hit was Joe Benson’s seventh double. He also drove in one of the two runs. Chris Colabello drove in the other.

New Britain Rock Cats 9, Binghamton Mets 3
Box Score

When you see Trevor May’s pitching line, you may assume that I have flip-flopped the score. May worked five innings and gave up eight hits and walked five. Yet somehow, he gave up just two runs. He struck out six. He was relieved by Blake Martin who gave up two hits and two walks in two scoreless innings. He struck out… two. Bruce Pugh followed and he gave up a run on three hits and a walk in two innings.

Danny Santana led the offense by going 3-5 with his eighth stolen base. James Beresford and Josmil Pinto were each 2-5. Dan Rohlfing went 2-3 with a walk. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 1-2 with two walks and his tenth double. Deibinson Romero homered for the third straight game. Jordan Parraz made his Rock Cats (and Twins organization) debut. He doubled in his first at bat.

Game 1 - Ft. Myers Miracle 5, Lakeland Tigers 3
Box Score

In game one of this doubleheader, Miguel Sano had a(nother) big game. He went 2-3 with a walk, his 11^th double and his 12^th home run. He also stole his sixth base. Aderlin Mejia went 2-4 with his fourth steal. Jairo Rodriguez went 2-4. Kennys Vargas hit his eighth home run.

Tom Stuifbergen started the first game. He went four innings and gave up three runs on six hits. He walked none and struck out two. Matt Hauser came on and gave up one hit, walked one and struckout one in two scoreless innings. Corey Williams recorded his eighth save with a one-hit scoreless inning.

Game 2 - Ft. Myers Miracle 2, Lakeland Tigers 3
Box Score

Miguel Sano was back at it in Game 2. He had one of just four hits for the Miracle, but the hit was his 13^th home run. Angel Morales added his third homer. Levi Michael notched his eighth double.

Kyle Davies started for the Miracle. He gave up three runs on six hits in three innings. He walked two and struck out three. Cole Johnson came on and threw three scoreless innings. He gave up four hits, walked one and struck out three.

Cedar Rapids Kernels

No Game Scheduled.


Please feel free to comment or ask questions below.

Though we do not know the follow up transactions (DL and 40 man implications), Twins Daily has learned from multiple sources that Chris Colabello has been promoted to the Minnesota Twins. He'll have a very early morning flight and hope to join the Twins for Wednesday's game in Atlanta.

It is possible that Colabello will take the 25-man roster spot of Trevor Plouffe, who was kneed in the back of the head on a slide at second base. He left the game and was clearly woozy. Likely Eduardo Escobar and Jamey Carroll will get time at third base. (We will update as we learn more.)

Colabello is not on the Twins 40 man roster, so along with needing a roster spot for Sam Deduno on Friday, they will need a second spot for Colabello. Most likely, Darin Mastroianni and Tim Wood will be put on the 60 Day Disabled List.

Colabello is a tremendous story. After spending eight years in the Can-Am (Independent) League, he was signed by the Twins last spring, with no guarantee of making a roster. He made the New Britain roster and drove in 98 runs on the year. This offseason, he dominated the Mexican Winter League and earned an invitation to Twins big league spring training. He had to leave the team for a couple of weeks to play for the surprising WBC team from Italy. He returned to camp, was optioned to Rochester, and has rakes since then.

Colabello has been one of the best hitters in minor league baseball this season. He is now hitting .358/.417/.659 (1.076) with 17 doubles, 12 home runs and 39 RBI.

Chris Colabello has come a long way, and he has earned this opportunity. Colabello is the type of person, with the type of story, that has to make people love the great game of baseball!

Who IS This Guy?

At six-foot-six and just 175 pounds, 18-year-old Trey Ball from New Castle High School in Indiana has an extremely projectable frame, one that experts agree will fill out nicely as he matures. The consensus, however, appears split between where he should play: Pitcher or outfield.

Who Could He Be?

The majors have few left-handed power arms that average mid-90s fastballs. Tampa’s David Price, Texas’ Derek Holland and Los Angeles’ Clayton Kershaw are a rare breed who can dial up that kind of velocity from the port-side. Because of that, Ball’s immediate future may be as a pitcher. In 2012, during the Area Code games, Ball was averaging 92 with his fastball but peppered in a slow curve at 74. This year he was reaching upwards of 96 at times. If he is able to maintain the arm speed and release spot with both pitches, the discrepancy could be downright criminal. Kershaw has struck out 67 batters in 64 innings this year thanks to the same variation between his fastball and huge hook. Landing a Kershaw-like arm would be a phenomenal get for the Twins.

On the other hand, if things should go awry with his pitching development, Ball’s positional skills have been highly thought of as well. Because of his big arm, his future in the field would most likely be as a right fielder. At the plate, Ball’s abilities and style have reminded MiLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo of Shawn Green. Green displayed 30+ home run power at the peak of his career, something that Ball may be capable of once he adds some muscle. It should be noted that Ball has been playing his senior year using just a wood bat instead of a metal bat where he could put up ridiculous video game-type numbers. His decision to challenge himself should speak well for his overall makeup.

How Soon Could He Be Playing In Target Field?

It’s never easy with pitchers. The Twins have had several of their high profile selections (Kyle Gibson, Alex Wimmers, etc) require major surgery which sidetracked their path to the majors. The adage “there’s no such thing as a pitching prospect” applies. Still, Ball’s mechanics are relatively clean, his arm action is good and -- judging from the available game footage of him online -- his delivery looks fairly repeatable for a tall, lanky pitcher. One area that may take some polishing is his breaking ball. To avoid any injury to his arm in his formative years, Ball’s father would not allow him to throw a curve rather focusing on a changeup – which is a plus pitch for him and one of the more difficult pitches to develop later on (just ask Vance Worley). This edict meant Ball just recently began throwing curves last year during his junior season and reports are that while the movement is good, the consistency is not quite there.

If The Twins Draft This Guy, They Messed Up Because…

On the whole, drafting hard-throwing high school southpaws has not been a great return-on-investment for major league clubs. Back in 2007, the Hardball Times published a study that showed as a group, high school power-armed lefties had an extremely poor track record of making it past Double-A within six years of the draft. Between 1996 and 2000, just 25% of those drafted made it past Double-A, it said. The theory is that talent evaluators focus too much on the hard-throwing arm and overlook some of the other faults of a player. Could selecting Ball result in the same disappointment as like a high percentage of high school lefties before him?

If The Twins Draft This Guy, They Nailed It Because…

Ok, so hard-throwing high school lefties are a big risk. So what? They are also a big reward if you hit on one. Mid-90s chucking lefties are hard to come by. Ball’s skill set, too, presents a unique built-in safety net in the event that he does flame out as a pitcher.

Previous Twins Daily Draft Profiles:
Monday, May 20 - Sean Manaea, SP
Tuesday, May 21 - Austin Meadows, OF

Even before his three-hit shutout on Sunday, I felt that the time had come to promote Kyle Gibson to major leagues. The Twins seemingly positioned themselves to do so Monday when they announced the removal of Pedro Hernandez from the rotation, opening up Friday's start for the taking. But on Tuesday the club ended any such speculation by informing that Samuel Deduno will be the one to get the nod.

Even as a confirmed Gibsonite, I can't feign to be overly upset with this move. Because more than I wanted to see the top prospect get a chance, I wanted to simply see the Twins make some sort of change to their stagnating formula. Deduno qualifies in a major way; a step in the exact opposite direction.

The trademark of Minnesota's rotation was obvious before the season even began. This was a group that was going to throw the ball over the plate and allow tons of contact.

Certainly the starting corps has lived up that expectation, as they've allowed fewer walks than all but one AL team and they rank last in strikeouts by a country mile. Unsurprisingly, this makeup has yielded terrible results as Twins starters have accrued the second-worst ERA in the majors at 5.42. Last year the rotation finished with a 5.40 ERA. The bar was set incredibly low and they've still come up short.

For the first six weeks of the season, the Twins managed to stay afloat in spite of their shortcomings, thanks in large part to some timely hitting and sterling efforts from the bullpen. But recently, with other units beginning to falter, the rotation's warts have become more exposed as the season has quickly begun to spiral out of control. The Twins have lost seven straight and are in the early stage of their toughest stretch to date; 15 of 20 games on the road, including trips to Atlanta, Detroit and Washington.

Change was long overdue, and Hernandez was a logical starting point given that he probably shouldn't have been starting in the majors to begin with. While Gibson would have been my first choice, Deduno was the next one on my list.

The 29-year-old Dominican has intrigued me since last season, when he came up and enjoyed a run of success for the Twins. Since then, he has made a name for himself by helping carry his native country to an impressive title run in the World Baseball Classic.

I'll admit that perhaps I overrate the significance of this event because I was watching it live and was riveted, but Deduno's performance in that tournament's championship game earned him an extended shot in my mind. Pitching against a potent lineup, in the pouring rain, in a game that mattered immensely to him and his teammates, the erratic yet effective righty delivered five dominant innings, standing out in a 3-0 victory.

A groin injury suffered while toughing out those conditions sidelined Deduno and cost him his chance at an Opening Day roster spot with the Twins, but since returning to the field he's been back to his old tricks. In three starts at Rochester, he posted a 2.70 ERA despite issuing 10 walks in a 16 2/3 innings.

In the past I've likened Deduno, whose pitches dart to different locations seemingly at random, to knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Non-conventional pitchers with unique styles. Dickey didn't hit his stride until his mid-30s, so I like the decision to try out Deduno, who turns 30 in a month, and see if he might prove a late bloomer. Certainly there have been some positive signs to that end over the past year.

And in any case, it's nice to see the Twins take such a hard turn from their previous path. The pitchers that have comprised their rotation up to this point – Vance Worley, Mike Pelfrey, Kevin Correia, Scott Diamond, Liam Hendriks and Pedro Hernandez – have obviously enjoyed varying levels of success but have been virtually indistinguishable in approach. Change speeds, try and hit your spots, hope for the best.

Deduno couldn't be farther on the other end of the spectrum. He unleashes electric heaters and breaking balls that essentially move on their own and end up who-knows-where. The result is very many walks and very little hard contact. When he's going good, he can be nearly unhittable.

Even if that "unhittable" comes tagged with a considerable caveat, it's a welcome term for this starting staff.

One of the top ranked high school power hitters at the time, Travis Harrison was drafted by the Twins with a supplemental first round pick (the 50^th overall pick) in 2011. He signed a $1.05 million bonus to join the Twins organization and bypassed a scholarship offer to play baseball for USC. There's never been much doubt about Harrison's ability to hit a baseball. The question in many minds is what his ultimate defensive position will be. Right now, the Twins are working with Harrison to develop his skills at third base for the Cedar Rapids Kernels.


Travis Harrison

Harrison is one of the top third base prospects in the Twins minor league organization, along with super-prospect Miguel Sano, who is currently playing for high Class A Fort Myers.

This past Friday night, Harrison gave his Kernels team a dramatic win with a 12^th inning walk-off single to beat the Kane County Cougars. It was the second consecutive walk-off victory for the Kernels, coming just one night after Byron Buxton's walk-off grand slam home run to beat the Burlington Bees.

It was Harrison's second walk-off single recently. The first came when he hit what appeared to be a grand slam home run to beat the Lansing Lugnuts. However, his team mates mobbed him as he rounded second base and two of the runners ahead of him were ruled by the umpires to have abandoned their attempts to advance, leaving Harrison with a very long game winning single, rather than a home run.

On Saturday afternoon, the day after his most recent game winning hit, Harrison sat down with me for an interview.

SD Buhr: You're still learning to play third base. You had kind of a rough start to the season with something like five errors in the first 10 games. You seem to be looking a lot more comfortable out there lately. Are you feeling better out there?


Travis Harrison and Manager Jake Mauer

Travis Harrison: Yeah, I've been feeling good. Jake (Manager Jake Mauer) has been helping a ton and he's also made me learn that I might have a couple of errors, but they're errors being aggressive. They (official scorers) are giving me errors on tough plays, but I want to be a big league third baseman, so that's fine.

But I'm not worried about the errors, I'm worried about making plays for the pitcher, making plays for the team. Just like any other infielder, if they give you an error and you're doing the best you can do, you can't control that.

SDB: You've made a lot of pretty nice plays out there as well. You probably feel better about those than you necessarily feel bad about the errors?

Harrison: Yeah, I mean you always want to make the routine plays first, that's your number one goal, so you focus on that. You give 100 per cent effort and you're going to make highlight plays every once in a while and those are good for the team. But first of all, you want to make the routine plays. Those are most important.

SDB: The Twins have, for years, had a little trouble finding a third baseman to stick at the big league level. Is that something that gives you some motivation? The flip side of that is there are a couple of guys in the organization above you that look like they could have the potential to stick as well. Do you pay attention to what everyone else in the organization at your position is doing or do you just go out and worry about playing your game?

Harrison: I just go out and play. I want to be the starting third baseman for the Twins for a long time. I mean that's the goal. I know I can do it. I just have to keep putting in the hard work and I'll get there.

Following the other people? No. I know the other guys because of spring training. I know Miguel (Sano), we worked out together. Miguel's a great player. I'm just going to work my ass off and whatever happens is going to happen.

SDB: You look around the Midwest League and you would be leading a lot of teams in a lot of offensive statistical categories. Here, you're one part, though one very important part, of an awfully good day-to-day lineup.

Harrison: It's fun to be a part of. We're all off to good starts. We're all hitting the ball pretty well and we're all pulling for each other. No one's concerned with who has the most RBIs or anything. We're all just trying to do a job. I gotta say though, Walker (Adam Brett Walker) is stealing a lot of my RBIs, isn't he? Every time I get up there, there's no one on base! (laughing)

It's fun. Walker's obviously off to a good start, Buck (Byron Buxton) is off to a good start. Everyone in the lineup really is. And so we're all just having fun, doing the best we can.

Stats don't really tell you anything in baseball. Nothing really.


Travis Harrison

SDB: There's a whole sabermetric community that doesn't want to hear you say that!

Harrison: Right (laughing). It's true though, ya know. For example, they saw Niko (Goodrum) had an error last night. Niko had the best game he's had all year at shortstop last night! It's stuff like that. So, they get on you about numbers things, things like that. It's just not the story, so we don't worry about that kind of stuff.

SDB: You've had, at least that I've seen, two walk-off singles. This one was a little different than the last time.

Harrison: This one was a real single (laughing).

Yeah, those are fun. The only non-fun part about it is getting drenched with ice in the shower. Buck had to go through it the night before and they got me last night, but yeah it's exciting. Just goes back to pulling for each other. Just trying to get it done. We're not a bunch of selfish guys, we're just trying to win for the team.

SDB: You might be responsible for one lesson that the entire team has learned. After Buxton's grand slam the other night, everybody came to home plate and waited for him instead of chasing him around second base. So there's a lesson learned. I don't know if you're responsible for teaching it to them, but somebody did, right?

Harrison: (laughing) Right, that was good. With Buck's, we were down by three so they didn't have a choice.

SDB: You're not going to tell me those guys ran around chasing you because they knew it didn't matter if your run counted or not. You don't really believe anybody was thinking like that.

Harrison: No, we were all just super excited. They weren't trying to steal anything away from me. I was excited, I was jumping up and down. It didn't matter. When they told me it was a single after the game, I wasn't really worried about it.

SDB: Tell me a little about yourself in high school. Were you a mulit-sport guy or did you pretty much stick to baseball?

Harrison: No, I stuck to baseball. I played with APD Academy all through high school. It's a big baseball academy out in southern California. I started at a really young age and I stuck with that.

I played basketball in middle school. Never played football, even though I went to a big football school. I stayed away from that. It was all baseball. I tried to focus on that. I've always played golf. Golf's fun. I enjoy that.

SDB: That was going to be the next question. Away from the ballpark, what sort of things do you enjoy doing?

Harrison: I love playing golf. I'm a big golfer. I love playing the guitar. I like things that kind of take me away from playing baseball and things that I can just relax and just focus on that. I'm not a big video game guy. I've always gotta do something. So when I'm out on the golf course, I feel like I'm not even thinking about baseball. I'm just away from it. Like, sometimes if I'm going through a slump, I go out and play a round of golf in the morning just to reset.

SDB: The coaches don't mind that? This is old school, but there was a time when coaches discouraged players from golfing because they were didn't want it screwing up the player's swing.

Harrison: Everyone tells me that. I think of it as two totally different sports. I've been swinging a baseball bat since I was three or four years old, so I'm not going to forget how to do that. I don't even think about that. They're both hand-eye coordination.

I think if it gets in your head, that's when you might get screwed up. Once you get to know the golf swing, there's actually a lot of similar things that go on between a golf swing and a baseball swing. Obviously, the ball's down but it's never really bothered me, it's always relaxed me and it's got me focused again.

SDB: I read somewhere that the Twins wanted you to show more power this year, rather than spraying the ball to all fields. That seems contrary to the Twins past hitting philosophy, in my mind. Is that what they wanted to see you do more of this year?

Harrison: I think so. I mean they want me to hit the ball hard and hit the ball out of the park and hit doubles and that kind of thing. I don't go up there thinking, “try to hit a home run.” I think, “try to hit a hard line drive.”

I know home runs are going to come. Home runs are about selecting a pitch you can drive out of the yard instead of taking one you can hit to right field for a single. And I'm learning that, slowly. I've hit some home runs this year and I've hit a lot of doubles and so that's going well.

SDB: I think you've got the same number of home runs this year that you had all of last year.

Harrison: Yeah, I should have more! (laughing)

SDB: At least one!

Harrison: (smiling) So yeah, it's going good.

Post-script: Harrison hit a home run in Sunday's game and another in Monday's game. On Tuesday, the Kernels had a Charity Golf Outing. I can't say I know for sure, but I'm guessing Harrison participated. - SD Buhr

SD Buhr covers the Kernels for MetroSportsReport.com in Cedar Rapids.

If you're familiar with this blog, you know that this image signifies that the Rock Cats are in the midst of a losing streak

Just like their parent club, the New Britain Rock Cats have hit a tough spell. In fact, their last victory was May 11 vs. Portland, and since that 5-4 win, the Cats have lost 8 consecutive games. In those 8 games, the Rock Cats have combined to score a grand total of 18 runs, while allowing 52. It's not tough to see the problems: they aren't scoring enough, and are allowing too many runs (how's that for analysis?).


But let's dig a little deeper. There are other things -- some good -- at play. First, infielder James Beresford, who had been on the disabled list with a pulled groin, just returned to action this past weekend. Beresford had been off to a hot start before missing 2 weeks. In his first 4 games back, he has 6 hits (in 17 at-bats), and is batting .340 on the season. I frequently write about Beresford, and it's for a reason: although he isn't a top Twins prospect, he has a very good glove, and has demonstrated this season that his bat has caught up to AA pitching. If the hot bat continues, I'd be surprised if Beresford isn't promoted by July. So keep checking his stats!


Second, New Britain had been playing without a dedicated third baseman for a couple weeks, after Minnesota's own Nate Hanson was promoted to Rochester. Luckily, Deibinson Romero's visa issues were resolved, and he joined the team earlier this week. He's off to a good start, hitting .370 with 2 doubles and 2 home run in the first 7 games. In fact, he had 3 hits in each of his last 2 games. Romero, not a fantastic defender, was dependable on offense last year, so in the long run, his presence in the middle of the Cats' lineup will create more punch. Don't forget, last season, Romero hit 19 home runs and 23 doubles for New Britain, so he's no slouch with the bat.


Now, let's discuss our top stating pitching prospects: Meyer and May, hopefully our next "M & M Boys." They haven't been as successful the proverbial second time around the league. In his starts this month, Meyer hasn't lasted longer than 5 and 1/3 innings, but has 17 Ks to go along with 7 BBs. The problem, though, is that he's been allowing more than 1 hit an inning, and has given up 9 earned runs in these last 3 starts (a cumulative 15 innings). So yes, he's still missing bats -- 51 Ks and 18 BBs in 43 innings -- but he hasn't been going as deep into games. If these last 3 games are like the game I attended last month, it's because Meyer is struggling to either finish off hitters with a strikeout (instead, he would allow them to come back in a count), or locate his fastball. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Meyer has a 3.56 ERA. He's 23. He's tied for 3rd in the Eastern League in strikeouts. Yes, areas for improvement have been identified, but isn't that what the point of the minor leagues is? Instruction. Opportunity for improvement.


Finally, Trevor May. This month, May had 2 very good starts, and 1 clunker. His first 2 starts both lasted 7 innings, and he only gave up 1 earned run, striking out a combined 13 and walking 3. His most recent start was tough: only 4 innings, 5 earned runs, 3 Ks and 2 BBs. After allowing only 5 total hits in those first 2 starts, May surrendered 9 in the most recent. Let's talk about progress, though: May has not allowed a home run in his last 5 starts, after allowing 1 home run in each of his first 3 starts. His current strikeout-to-walk ratio is 40-21.But in those last 3 starts, the ratio is 16-5 -- better than 3-to-1. Both Meyer and May still have some distance to go before they are ready for Target Field. Meyer needs to better locate his fastball, and May still has to work on control so that he can work deeper into games on a more consistent basis.


One final note: after a very slow start, shortstop Danny Santana is hitting .280/.297/.354, including .366/.395/.415 over his last 10 games. Again, with this team, this year, I'm looking for individual progress and development.


Check back in a couple days. I'm attending Wednesday's Rock Cats game. Alex Meyer is scheduled to throw. But if Tuesday's game is cancelled, there's a chance that Trevor May will be on the hill. Either way, there will be something to write about, and I'll be tweeting from the press box.

Nobody is more interested in Oswaldo than me, but the Pitchers in the Big leagues, have discovered his weakness and are exploiting it....

Send him down, take the pressure off of him.....he will be back up and better for it..


Only thing, do we have anybody to replace him?

Second base is a problem area for the Twins and has been since Luis Castillo. Here's a look at the state of the system from top to bottom, in detail:


Minnesota:

Brian Dozier: RH, DOB: 5-15-87. STATS: .205/.250/.279 (.529), 2/2/1, 8-29, 3-3.

I was a fan of Brian Dozier up until May of this year. I worry about his ability to be a competent player in the major leagues at this point. His defense at second is good, but he is abysmal at the plate. His walk/strikeout rate is just inexcusable. It's frustrating because he can really get good swings on the ball sometimes (his homer in the ninth against Boston, for instance), but he is not good overall at the moment.

Jamey Carroll: RH, 2-18-74. STATS: .304/.361/.339 (.700), 2/0/0, 5-13, 0-0.

Carroll is getting fairly limited playing time this year, mainly because of Dozier. But Carroll is doing an OK job as a utility player and his OPS should climb over .700 with a bit more playing time, returning to 2010 and 2011 numbers. I like Carroll as a tradeable player to some N.L. team at the deadline (even if the Twins are somehow also competing for the playoff) since he is a good roster piece to move around in certain situations more likely to come up in that league. The return just needs to be competent, not overwhelming. I think the Braves, Nationals, Giants, Cardinals and Reds are notable teams to start considering for trade possibilities.


Eduardo Escobar: SH, DOB: 1-5-89. STATS: .293/.328/.466 (.793), 2/1/2, 3-6, 0-1.

I undervalued Escobar for several months now and am admitting that I was wrong, fundamentally, and could be very wrong about his ability and potential. I think that there is a fairly easy managerial decision to be made right now: play Escobar somewhere until that OPS drops below .730 or so. It's really simple: he spells Plouffe once a week, spells Florimon twice a week, and spells Dozier twice a week.


Rochester:

Eric Farris: RH, DOB: 3-3-86. STATS: .227/.278/.311 (.589), 3/1/2, 9-19, 7-0.

I like Farris' ability to steal bases, but there is really no reason for Farris to have 138 plate appearances right now. For whatever absurd reason, Farris was batting 6th in the Red Wings lineup just last night. There is no excuse for that. Joe Benson was batting 9th in this lineup. And we will see below that there are AA players now deserving of a promotion.

Nate Hanson: RH, DOB: 2/8/87. STATS (AA/AAA): .255/.318/.368 (.686), 3/0/3, 11-23, 0-0.

Hanson is struggling in AAA now and hasn't played second base yet (for whatever insane reason--Deibinson Romero must be cringing in AA). He is a potential super-utility option as he has played 3B, 2B, 1B, and LF in significant doses.


New Britain:

James Beresford: SH, DOB: 1-19-89. STATS: .340/.413/.383 (.796), 4/0/0, 11-16, 3-0.

I believe Beresford is an overlooked player right now in the Twins system. He plays great defense at second and perhaps great defense at shortstop, though the Twins are hardly bothered to put him at that position this year so far. Maybe that is because they know he can do and they are trying out Danny Santana there. The offensive numbers are good for Beresford this year and I am really impressed with his ability to make substantial improvements offensively while repeating at AA. That said, he belongs in AAA by now. He's basically ready defensively and is showing major strides at the plate. And below him are guys named Rosario and Michael. His SLG has jumped 69 points to MI respectability now.


Jason Christian: LH, DOB: 6-16-87. STATS: .189/.271/.302 (.573), 2/2/0, 6-18, 2-2.

Organizational filler who is taking plate appearances away from players with actual potential. This is what the Twins do, and there is no good reason for it. He's never been remotely good in the minors, yet the Twins signed him.

Danny Santana: SH, DOB: 11-7-90. STATS: .280/.297/.354 (.651), 7/3/0, 5-28, 7-3.

Santana has a lot of potential as a kind of Ben Revere of the infield. I list him here as a second baseman, because I see no future as a SS. He has been fairly bad his whole minor league career there. I am not sure what the Twins are thinking because swapping Santana and Beresford is such an obvious decision. Regardless, Santana did not initially do well after the jump this season to AA ball, but he has come on strong in last 10 games. Making these adjustments matters, and he is doing so. I would like to simply see him improve his now adequate defense at second base. Santana's long-term role with the Twins really depends on Eddie Rosario more than those above him. Do not be surprised if the Twins offer him up in a trade sometime down the road if they find themselves comfortable with Rosario at second, and a few other players as SS and UTIL players. That said, Santana does have CF experience and could position himself as another player who is Brian Dinkelman+ (well maybe ++).


Fort Myers:

Eddie Rosario: LH, DOB: 9-28-91. STATS: .318/.359/.487 (.846), 9/4/3, 10-26, 3-2.

Rosario is a key component to the Twins future. As a second baseman, he could serve as a major re-shaping figure for this team. And the results are in so far: after a shaky transition in 2012, Rosario has improved his defense enormously at second base and he may be projectable as an above-average major league defender at the position. And this will come with significant doubles power and some other extra pop. His plate discipline has lagged only a tiny bit after the move to high-A ball. He could serve as the best 2-hole hitter ahead of Joe Mauer (Ben Revere 2012 for a few months is the only other contender) in the Mauer era. There is no reason that Rosario should not finish at AA.


Levi Michael: SH, DOB: 2-9-91. STATS: .210/.278/.370 (.648), 6/2/1, 8-19, 2-0.

Michael has returned to Fort Myers and has mimicked his numbers from a season ago, though he is coming off of an injury. His power is slightly up too, which is a really good sign. If he sticks at short that would be a plus, but he could very well end up competing at second base. And with Rosario there, he is going to have to improve offensively. And how.


Cedar Rapids:

Jorge Polanco: SH, DOB: 7-5-93. STATS: .325/.376/.491 (.867), 12/6/1, 16-20, 1-2.

Polanco is exciting. Up until he turned 18, Polanco struggled at the plate. In the past two years, he has gone ballistic. His defense at SS was an attractive thing as a 16-year-old. He has now split time at SS and second overall is minor league career. He struggled at SS up until this year. In limited time there he has really improved his defensive stats. I think the Twins want to see if Niko Goodrum will stay at SS, but that may be doubtful. Polanco could move over and be the SS of the future for the Twins. For now, he is the primary second baseman for Cedar Rapids. Even though his numbers are great, I wouldn't expect a promotion to Fort Myers this year.

Candido Pimentel: SH, DOB: 7/19/90. STATS: .262/.328/.299 (.627), 2/1/0, 11-27, 7-2.

Pimentel blossomed last year in his third season of rookie ball, but he appears to be returning to the pre-2012 performance. He is rotating into the lineup with Polanco and Goodrum this year, but he really needs to improve if he has any chance.


EST:

Jose Ramirez: SH, DOB: 9-6-91. STATS (2012 in the GCL): .234/.294/.269, 3/1/0, 10-33, 3-5.

Ramirez is likely going to Elizabethon when that season starts. He has not produced, but perhaps this year he gets acclimated to the U.S. and plays better.

Logan Wade: SH, DOB: 11-13-91. STATS (2012 in the GCL): .234/.301/.371 (.672), 6/4/1, 12-29, 2-2

The Australian turned in an OK performance in 2012, but will need to improve significantly to advance out of rookie ball.

Will Hurt: RH, DOB: 12-22-93. STATS (bad in limited time in the GCL, not even worth mentioning!).

With a name like that, I really want him to succeed. He was drafted in the 16th round of the 2012 draft and played very little rookie ball. He should go back to the GCL and play, hopefully turning things around this year.


Conclusion:

Eddie Rosario alone makes this position adequate in the system, but now the Twins have significant depth at second base. There are some question marks about who's going to end up staying at second and short, but the middle infield situation has improved markedly in the past year with a successful move (Rosario) and very improved performances (Escobar, Beresford, Santana, and Polanco).

Originally posted at Kevin Slowey was Framed!

Hi, Twins Daily! In the last few days, I have posted a few more draft recaps at my blog. If you missed them, and want to read about them, you can find them here: 1994, 1995, 1996.

Here is 1997:

Travis Lee was being a real jag and didn't want to sign with the Twins after the 1996 draft. The Twins did not want to duplicate that jaggery in 1997. They had a strict "no-jag" policy in '97, opting instead for super nice guys. In the end, the Twins drafted two very popular players and one (perhaps) unfairly unpopular player. They also drafted a guy who they would later draft much higher and with much worse results. Stay tuned!

1st Round Picks

The Twins had two, as the aforementioned jag did not sign. The Twins had the 9th overall pick, and used it to draft Michael Cuddyer. "Cuddy," or "Cuddy Bear," as he would be affectionately called, took some time to get it going, but ultimately became a useful and versatile player, albeit one with a very red face. With their Lee pick, the Twins drafted Matt LeCroy. He looked like a teddy bear, so the Twins completed the Cuddy Bear/Teddy Bear combo successfully.

Ah, but what if?

I know that Cuddy was very popular, but Lance Berkman went 16th overall and was roughly four times the player as Cuddyer (by WAR, which I know, I know, it sucks, but just handle it, k?). Berkman has a semi-decent Hall of Fame case and a no-doubt Hall of Fame nickname - Big Puma. Would he have become Big Puma in Minnesota? He'd probably be Berky or LancePants, so I think everything worked out perfectly for all stakeholders.

Best Player Drafted

Well, well, well, if it isn't Mr. Nick Punto! Punto narrowly edges Cuddyer out by WAR, mostly because he was a great defensive player with good on-base skills and he battled just slightly more than Cuddy. Honestly, Nick Punto drew a lot of ire from fans, but was never the worst player on the team and not nearly as embarrassing as Denny Hocking and his frosted tips (unprovoked Hocking shot alert!).

Of course, Punto didn't actually sign with the Twins. He went back to school (he's smart) and was drafted in the 21st round by the Phillies the following year. He would then come to the Twins in the 2003 Eric Milton trade.

Worst Player to Reach MLB

25th-round pick Adam Johnson, who posted a -1.1 career WAR. You may remember Johnson as a first-round pick, but that would come a few years later. In fact...

The One Who Got Away

I'd argue that Johnson is the one who got away. If the Twins had signed him back in 1997, he wouldn't have been around to draft in the first round in 2000. If not him, Punto, but he eventually found his way back to the flock.

Best Name

Tagg Bozied in the 50th round. Much like the Terminator, "he would be back, later."

Fun Facts

• The Twins drafted future backup quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo in the 34th round. He should have been in soap ads; seems like a huge missed opportunity.
• Michael Restovich, the Twins' second-round pick, went to Mayo High School. When you think of it, it's a Miracle that he Whipped himself to the Big Leagues. Right?
• The Twins drafted Tim Sturdy in the 23rd round. Oddly enough, he was 7' 5" and 155 lb.
• Michael Cuddyer was arguably a better pitcher than Adam Johnson
• The Twins drafted David Justice in the 49th round, which was later deemed illegal, as Justice was an established player with the Braves. It was worth a shot.

All those drafted who made it to the Bigs

Nick Punto, Michael Cuddyer, J.C. Romero, Matt LeCroy, Michael Restovich, Kevin Frederick, and Adam Johnson

One Sentence Summary

LEAVE NICK PUNTO ALONE!

Red Sox at Twins

The Vanimal and Clay (Game 38)

The Twin Cities team takes the loss and Break-Evening drops to two games away. And yet I dream.

Clay Buchholz stood at the other end of the street again Vance Worley, and the Vanimal was outgunned from the outset of the duel. The Vanimal stood tall in his boots and gave the Twins six innings.

The greatest distance in the world is the distance between two lovers before their first kiss. The second greatest is between two runs and three.

This weekend series look like a war between rain and great baseball weather. Baseball weather better win. I get to go to my first game of 2013 on Sunday.

Bat on the Shoulder, Monster Magazine in Back Pocket (Game 39)

Behind on my fiction writing, I took my laptop to Donny Dirk’s Zombie Den to finalize revisions on my baseball-themed horror novel The HooseCows.

My regrets about avoiding the game were neutralized on the drive to the bar, when David Ortiz knocked in a three-run home run and put the writing up on the wall. It just wasn’t a Twins kind of day.

The transition from my baseball world to my horror world seemed pretty seamless. It’s not that weird, really. How many kids from previous generations spent their childhood alternating between the ballpark and monster time? How many pairs of jeans slid into second with a Tales from the Crypt, Famous Monsters of Filmland, or Fangoria magazine rolled up in the their back pocket?

I don’t know when sports and scares got Berlin-walled, but I’d like for everyone to just cut it out.

Also, Break-Evening is getting further away for these Twins. At least I’ll be at the ballpark tomorrow.

A Bucket of Donuts (Game 40)

People have blamed baseball for driving them to drinking for years. I might be the first poor bastard to blame baseball for driving him face first into an actual bucket of mini-donuts.

My first game of 2013 at Target Field was delightful, in no small part due to the time spent with my wife. We settled in and took in the Target Field experience. The ballpark couldn’t have felt more like home if Thornton Wilder wrote a play about it.

The field looked like this.

The perfect Sunday in the ballpark was marred by defensive glitches, like skips and jumps when you’re trying to finish watching a scratched DVD. The sky grew dark and my wife and I kept checking out phones to see if we were going to get through nine innings.

The field looked like this.



The rain came down and the game got called when Morneau got the plate, leaving him like a jilted groom at the altar. To kill time during the delay, the folks with the plan loaded up The Sandlot for everyone to watch while waiting out the rain.

Some of the ballplayers sat and watched from vantage points out of the rain. Outside of the occasional bleat of a testy fan, everything stayed chill and comfy. Hunger got the best of me and I got that bucket of donuts.

Seeing The Sandlot outdoors, with other folks, reminded me again that Joe Bob Briggs was right, and the Drive-In can NEVER die.

When the movie was over, the field looked like this.



Wife and I decided not to wait to see if the Twins ever got out of the coma. We went home, in love with time at Target Field and each other. A very nice day indeed.

Also posted in wgom.org

Kent Hrbek (1960)

First baseman Kent Allen Hrbek played his entire 14-year major league career, 1981-1994, with the Twins. He was born in Minneapolis, raised in Bloomington, and drafted by Minnesota in the 17th round in 1978. He hit only .203 in 59 at-bats in Elizabethton that year, but improved to .267 with 19 homers in Wisconsin Rapids in 1980. In 1981, he hit .379 with 27 homers at Class A Visalia, and that was as much as the Twins need to see. He came to Minnesota in late August and opened 1982 as the Twins’ regular first baseman, a position he held until he retired after the 1994 season. He made the all-star team in his rookie year of 1982, and would have made a couple of others had he been willing to go. He also finished second to Cal Ripken for Rookie of the Year in 1982, hitting .301/.363/.485 with 23 homers and 92 RBIs that season. While Hrbek was a consistently good player for the Twins, his best year appears to be 1987, when he hit .285 with 34 homers and 90 RBIs and an OPS of .934. He finished 16th in MVP voting that year, which was not his highest finish–that came in 1984, when he hit .311 with 27 home runs and 107 RBIs, finishing second in MVP balloting to Willie Hernandez. Injuries slowed Hrbek toward the end of his career, and he retired after the players’ strike in 1994. Kent Hrbek hit .282/.367/.481 in 6,192 at-bats. He hit 312 doubles, 293 home runs, and drove in 1,086 runs. He was inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame in 2000. As you probably know, Kent Hrbek is currently the host of an outdoors program, “Kent Hrbek Outdoors” and is active in raising money for ALS research.

Today, we continue our look at players that the Minnesota Twins could consider drafting with the #4 overall pick in next month's MLB Draft. Today, we look at an uber-talented prep player from a baseball hotbed!

Who Is This Guy?

It can be argued that outfielder Austin Meadows is the top-rated high school position player in the 2013 MLB Draft. It can also be argued that Austin Meadows is not the top-rated high school position player in the 2013 MLB Draft from Loganville, Georgia. Depending on which scout you talk to and on which day, Meadows (from Grayson high school) or outfielder Clint Frazier (from Loganville high school) is ranked a little higher.

Georgia has been a baseball hotbed for the past several years. Twenty players have been drafted out of high school in Georgia over the past six drafts. That doesn’t include several players drafted from colleges such as Georgia, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State. The Twins used their second round pick in 2010 on Fayetteville, Georgia, shortstop Niko Goodrum. Just last year, the Twins used the second overall pick on Appling County High School (Baxley, Georgia) outfielder Byron Buxton. Among those drafted by other teams include Jason Heyward (Braves), Zach Wheeler, Tim Beckham, Delino DeShields, Jr., and Dwight Smith, Jr. No less than two more Georgia prepsters will be added to that list in 2013.

Austin Meadows is a 6-3, 215 pound outfielder is a tremendous athlete. He has all five tools. He can hit and hit for power, though these skills will still need to develop. This year, he was hitting .535/.655/.930 with 14 doubles, a triple and four home runs. He has very good speed. He has 17 stolen bases this year. He has been times at about 6.3 seconds in the 60 yard dash. He is also known as a good outfielder in centerfield. He also had nearly a 2:1 K:BB ratio this year, showing a very good eye at the plate. The one question I keep hearing is whether or not he has the arm to stay in centerfield, so he likely profiles more in left field, but he has enough power potential that may not be an issue.

As mentioned, Meadows is a tremendous athlete. He played basketball until his freshman season. He played football through his junior season but focused on baseball for his senior year. Scouts also like to look at a player’s genetics. Meadows dad was a three-sport athlete in high school who went to Morehead State on a full football scholarship. He also was a walk-on in baseball. He started in both sports all four years. Meadows’ mother received a fast-pitch softball scholarship to Georgia Southern.

Who Could He Be?

Meadows is very raw, but he has the potential, the upside to hit for average and power while being a decent outfielder whose speed and arm may push him to left field. Best case scenario, he would become another Josh Hamilton-like talent. Jay Bruce is another player that he could be compared to. Of course, player comps seem to always be with all-star caliber players, but again, when talking about what Meadows could be, it is a middle of the lineup, power threat.

How Soon Could He Be Playing In Target Field?

When the Twins took Byron Buxton with the #2 pick a year ago, there was talk about him having a fairly raw hit tool. He signed quickly enough last year to spend time in both the GCL and Elizabethton. As Meadows is not a Boras client, it would be feasible that he would not wait until the deadline to sign. So it’s possible that he would play for both rookie league affiliates and start 2014 in Cedar Rapids.

Because he is fairly raw, the assumption should be that he would spend all of 2014 with the Kernels. If he were to proceed by the Mauer path, he would split 2015 between Ft. Myers and New Britain and jump to the Twins in 2016. That’s absolute best case scenario. Most likely, he would not debut until later in the 2017 season.

If The Twins Draft This Guy, They Messed Up Because…

Although the Twins traded Denard Span and Ben Revere, and Josh Willingham will be a free agent following the 2014 season, the Twins do have some outfield depth in the organization. Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Arcia are already in the big leagues. Joe Benson is still in the picture. Byron Buxton and Adam Walker should end the 2013 season in Ft. Myers. Max Kepler could still develop. There is always talk that infield prospects such as Miguel Sano or Travis Harrison could move to the outfield. Although Best Player Available is always the best strategy because we don’t know what the needs of the organization will be in three or four years, outfield is not a real position of need.

Despite the success that the Twins have had with athletic outfielders drafted out of high school in previous drafts, there is always a lot of risk when drafting 18 year olds and giving them $4 million to sign. Meadows is raw and could develop into a star, or his skills may never reach the potential that scouts see in him. That’s the nature of the draft, but it is especially true with raw high school talent.

Also, from the reports that I have read and people I have talked to, Clint Frazier may have more power potential and a better arm. There is a friendly competition between the two which may force the best out of each.

If The Twins Draft This Guy, They Nailed It Because…

Whoever the Twins draft, it will be because they have a conviction that the player will be the best player to help the organization. The front office knows the importance of getting such high picks right. If Meadows reaches that Josh Hamilton-like potential, he is a guy that you make room for on a roster. Meadows potential is to be able to hit for high average and for a lot of power. An outfield of Meadows (should he meet his potential), Buxton (should he meet his potential) and Hicks (should he meet his potential) with Arcia (should he meet his potential) DHing sounds like a pretty strong, especially if Miguel Sano and Travis Harrison can stay in the infield (and meet their potentials).

SUMMARY:

A lot of people thought it was a mistake when the Twins did not draft a pitcher in the 2012, instead drafting a raw, athletic outfielder out of Georgia with the #2 overall pick. Byron Buxton has done a great job of proving the Twins right. In 2013, it seems in theory to be equally silly for the Twins to consider drafting another raw, athletic outfielder (also from Georgia). If the Twins are convinced that he can be a four or five tool, difference-making type of hitter, then the absolutely should draft Meadows. If they have questions about whether he can reach those levels, then they should absolutely go in another direction.

From my research and discussions, I’m not convinced that he is near the same level as Byron Buxton, so I think the odds of the Twins taking him with the 4^th overall pick is probably pretty low.

PREVIOUS Draft Profiles:

LHP Sean Manaea - 5/20/13