Minor Leagues

With a variety of top prospect list coming out at this time of year, there is plenty of talk about the high-ranking prospects in the Twins farm system. Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton could be on their way to multiple All-Star appearances. Alex Meyer and Kyle Gibson could make up the starting rotation of the future.

The Twins have some talent at the top of their farm system and this makes the next couple years of development very important. Some of these younger players will be working through their most important years in the minor leagues before they make their debut. An injury or poor play could see their stock fall exponentially.
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The Twins are in the lull time of spring training - after players have reported and before the start of games. It is hard to get a lot of information about players at this stage in the spring training process. This still doesn't mean that there aren't some positive signs coming out of Fort Myers.Two pitchers have already made a strong impression in the first week of workouts. JO Berrios and Kyle Gibson were both high draft picks by the Twins but they are on opposite ends of the organization’s minor league system. Gibson will be fighting for a big league job and Berrios will be in the ...

Over the past two weeks, we've gradually laid out our selections for the Twins organization's top ten prospects. Each day, we took an in-depth look at a different rising star within the system, outlining their strengths and weaknesses while spelling out what each must do to succeed in the majors. Here's how our list came together:
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Age: 19 (DOB: 12/18/93)
2012 Stats
Rookie: .248/.344/.429, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 33 R, 11/14 SB
ETA: 2016

Yesterday, when writing about Minnesota Twins #3 prospect Aaron Hicks, Nick wrote “When it comes to physical tools, Aaron Hicks is tough to top.” If there is anyone in the Twins organization that could, it will be fellow outfielder Byron Buxton.

At 6-2 and 180 pounds, Buxton is a tremendous five-tool athlete. Although he was a prospect on a national stage throughout his high school career, he made a name for himself when he put on a batting practice display at the 2011 Under Armour All-America game. As a senior, he hit .545/.649/.852 with 35 stolen bases in 36 attempts. While Hicks was taken with the 14^th overall pick in 2008, Buxton was the second overall pick in the 2012 draft. ...

Age: 23 (DOB: 1/3/90)
2012 Stats
A/A+: 129.0 IP, 2.86 ERA, 139/45 K/BB, 1.10 WHIP
ETA: 2014



Generally speaking, the best trades are the ones that both sides can be happy about. Of course, for fans, the best trades are the ones where your team ripped off the other team. In late November, the Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals finally reached an agreement on a deal that would send Denard Span to the nation’s capital in exchange for minor league pitcher Alex Meyer. The Nationals got the centerfielder and true leadoff hitter that they have been looking for, while the Twins got an upper echelon power pitching prospect that they have been yearning for.

Another frequently-used cliché used any time there is a trade is, “To get something good, you’ve got to give up something good.” ...

Age: 18 (DOB: 05/27/94)
2012 Stats
APPY: 3-0, 30.2 IP, 1.17 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, 49/4 K/ BB
ETA: 2016


The 2012 draft was very important for the Minnesota Twins. Instead of drafting college players, the Twins used their first two picks on high school players. They took OF Byron Buxton with the #2 overall pick. With their first supplemental first-round selection, compensation for having lost Michael Cuddyer to the Rockies in free agency, the Twins took right-handed pitcher, Jose (JO) Berrios. The Twins made him the highest drafted pitcher every from Puerto Rico. It didn’t take long for him to agree to sign for a $1.55 million bonus, exactly the slot amount for the 32^nd selection. ...