Elsa
In an expected result, Kyle Gibson wins Round 7.
Kyle Gibson absolutely blew out the competition in Round 7 of the community Twinkie Town prospect vote, garnering 68% of the vote while J.O. Berrios flew in a distant second with just 17%. With the official ranking of Gibson, the biggest names are now off the board. We now move onto players who may have some fantastic upside but also come with caveats that have kept them from the top spots: unknown, unproven, very young, too far away from the Majors, or quite probably, a combination of those things.
Joining Berrios, Trevor May, Max Kepler and Travis Harrison are Luke Bard and Joe Benson. Let's get to it!
J.O. Berrios, RHP
2013 Age: 19
2012 Top Level: Elizabethton, 14 IP (Rookie)
| Year | Age | Lev | G | GS | GF | SV | IP | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 18 | Rk | 1.000 | 1.08 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 16.2 | 0.600 | 3.8 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 14.6 | 9.00 |
| 2012 | 18 | Rk | 1.000 | 1.29 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14.0 | 0.643 | 5.1 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 14.1 | 22.00 |
| 1 Season | 1.000 | 1.17 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 30.2 | 0.620 | 4.4 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 14.4 | 12.25 | ||
Picked 32nd overall by the Twins in 2012's June draft, Berrios is quite possibly the most promising arm in the Minnesota farm system. If not the most promising, then maybe the most exciting. At his age he is very polished and is expected to move quickly provided he stays healthy and continues to post strong numbers. Experts do project him as a power reliever, but the Twins will try him as a starter to see what they can get from him.
Trevor May, RHP
2013 Age: 23
2012 Top Level: Reading, 149.2 IP (Double-A)
| Year | Age | Lev | GS | IP | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 18 | Rk | 3.75 | 2 | 12.0 | 1.500 | 8.2 | 0.0 | 5.2 | 8.2 | 1.57 |
| 2009 | 19 | A | 2.56 | 15 | 77.1 | 1.306 | 6.8 | 0.3 | 5.0 | 11.1 | 2.21 |
| 2010 | 20 | A+-A | 4.00 | 25 | 135.0 | 1.370 | 6.9 | 0.7 | 5.4 | 12.1 | 2.25 |
| 2010 | 20 | A | 2.91 | 11 | 65.0 | 1.092 | 7.1 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 12.7 | 4.60 |
| 2010 | 20 | A+ | 5.01 | 14 | 70.0 | 1.629 | 6.8 | 0.9 | 7.8 | 11.6 | 1.48 |
| 2011 | 21 | A+ | 3.63 | 27 | 151.1 | 1.242 | 7.2 | 0.5 | 4.0 | 12.4 | 3.10 |
| 2012 | 22 | AA | 4.87 | 28 | 149.2 | 1.450 | 8.4 | 1.3 | 4.7 | 9.1 | 1.94 |
| 5 Seasons | 3.92 | 97 | 525.1 | 1.350 | 7.4 | 0.7 | 4.7 | 11.1 | 2.34 | ||
| A (2 seasons) | A | 2.72 | 26 | 142.1 | 1.208 | 6.9 | 0.4 | 4.0 | 11.8 | 2.97 | |
| A+ (2 seasons) | A+ | 4.07 | 41 | 221.1 | 1.364 | 7.1 | 0.6 | 5.2 | 12.1 | 2.33 | |
| AA (1 season) | AA | 4.87 | 28 | 149.2 | 1.450 | 8.4 | 1.3 | 4.7 | 9.1 | 1.94 | |
| Rk (1 season) | Rk | 3.75 | 2 | 12.0 | 1.500 | 8.2 | 0.0 | 5.2 | 8.2 | 1.57 | |
One of two pitchers coming back to Minnesota in return for Ben Revere, May was ranked by Baseball America as the #69 prospect in the game going into 2012. His stock has fallen slightly, thanks to a bit of a rough go-round in his first stint at Double-A last season and some trouble with his command. Still, he was the top prospect in the Philadelphia system last season and SB Nation's John Sickels had him rated as a B+ prospect (the same grade he's given to Alex Meyer, Byron Buxton and Oswaldo Arcia this year). It's times like this, when we're voting for the Twins' #6 prospect and a guy like this probably won't win, when I realize that this team is actually pretty deep in prospect talent right now.
Max Kepler, OF
2013 Age: 20
2012 Top Level: Elizabethton, 269 PA (Rookie)
| Year | Age | Lev | PA | H | 2B | HR | SB | CS | BB | SO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 17 | Rk | 153 | 40 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 27 | .286 | .346 | .343 |
| 2011 | 18 | Rk | 221 | 50 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 54 | .262 | .347 | .366 |
| 2012 | 19 | Rk | 269 | 69 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 27 | 33 | .297 | .387 | .539 |
| 3 Seasons | 643 | 159 | 33 | 11 | 14 | 2 | 63 | 114 | .282 | .363 | .432 | ||
After two seasons adjusting to professional baseball as a raw talent, Kepler broke out last season with a .297/.387/.539 triple slash in Elizabethton. Still just 20 years old this season, this is a telling season in terms of whether the things he learned last season can stick and will help him adjust as he truly starts to move through the system. He's still a few years away but there's a whole lot of talent here.
Travis Harrison, 3B
2013 Age: 20
2012 Top Level: Elizabethton, 253 PA (Rookie)
| Year | Age | Lev | PA | H | 2B | HR | SB | CS | BB | SO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 19 | Rk | 253 | 66 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 51 | .301 | .383 | .461 |
| 1 Season | 253 | 66 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 51 | .301 | .383 | .461 | ||
It seems like people don't think Harrison will stick at third base, which is something we're used to hearing from Sano oracles as well. Reports on Harrison haven't been entirely glowing to this point, but when a guy hits .301/.383/.461 as a 19-year old in his first shot at professional baseball he gets really hard to ignore. Considering he's probably the seventh-best position player in the system, and considering how far away he is from the Majors, there's no pressure on Harrison and the Twins will be able to move him along at their own pace. I'm excited to see how he hits out of Rookie ball.
Luke Bard, RHP
2013 Age: 22
2012 Top Level: GCL Twins, 4 IP (Rookie)
| Year | Age | Lev | G | GF | SV | IP | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 21 | Rk | 3.86 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 7.0 | 1.714 | 6.4 | 0.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 1.00 |
| 2012 | 21 | Rk | 0.00 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3.0 | 1.333 | 6.0 | 0.0 | 6.0 | 12.0 | 2.00 |
| 2012 | 21 | Rk | 6.75 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 2.000 | 6.8 | 0.0 | 11.2 | 6.8 | 0.60 |
| 1 Season | 3.86 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 7.0 | 1.714 | 6.4 | 0.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 1.00 | ||
Bard merits consideration for such a high office, in spite of throwing just seven innings last season, is because of how "complete" scouts see him. He has a solid fastball-slider combination and has the potential to move quickly, and in spite of being drafted in June of 2012 could be pushing for a bullpen job by sometime in 2014. There is potential for an impact relief arm in Bard.
Joe Benson, CF
2013 Age: 25
2012 Top Level: Rochester, 108 PA (Triple-A)
| Year | Age | Lev | PA | H | 2B | HR | SB | CS | BB | SO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 18 | Rk-A | 240 | 56 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 21 | 47 | .260 | .329 | .428 |
| 2007 | 19 | A | 507 | 110 | 18 | 5 | 18 | 16 | 49 | 124 | .255 | .347 | .368 |
| 2008 | 20 | A | 290 | 63 | 16 | 4 | 17 | 11 | 24 | 73 | .248 | .326 | .382 |
| 2009 | 21 | A+-Rk | 334 | 76 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 8 | 48 | 74 | .284 | .414 | .399 |
| 2010 | 22 | AA-A+ | 519 | 119 | 31 | 27 | 19 | 9 | 47 | 136 | .259 | .343 | .538 |
| 2011 | 23 | AA-Rk | 483 | 116 | 29 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 58 | 111 | .284 | .387 | .491 |
| 2012 | 24 | AA-AAA-A+-Rk | 312 | 56 | 13 | 6 | 13 | 4 | 30 | 81 | .202 | .288 | .336 |
| 7 Seasons | 2685 | 596 | 128 | 68 | 106 | 68 | 277 | 646 | .258 | .351 | .430 | ||
| Rk (4 seasons) | Rk | 248 | 57 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 26 | 45 | .261 | .343 | .436 | |
| A (3 seasons) | A | 816 | 178 | 34 | 9 | 36 | 27 | 73 | 203 | .252 | .338 | .370 | |
| AA (3 seasons) | AA | 1052 | 234 | 54 | 42 | 31 | 21 | 108 | 267 | .256 | .349 | .479 | |
| A+ (3 seasons) | A+ | 461 | 110 | 24 | 10 | 23 | 7 | 59 | 104 | .289 | .404 | .451 | |
| AAA (1 season) | AAA | 108 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 27 | .179 | .269 | .316 | |
This is a huge year for Joe Benson. It's not entirely fair to judge him off of his performance last season because of his injuries, but the fact remains that he is a 25-year old who has a lot of tools but has yet to prove they will consistently play for him. The departures of Denard Span and Ben Revere have played to Benson's advantage, as he will get a legitimate chance to compete for the starting job in center field. Which was will Benson's career go? We'll get a pretty good idea this summer.
Poll
Who is Minnesota's #8 prospect for 2013?
J.O. Berrios (133 votes)
Trevor May (79 votes)
Max Kepler (142 votes)
Travis Harrison (5 votes)
Luke Bard (3 votes)
Joe Benson (53 votes)
415 total votes


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