Now that Trevor May is off the board, I expect Joe Benson and Travis Harrison to be the next two players to hit our pre-2013 prospect list. Will that be the case? Let's find out as we add a number of new names to the ballot.
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.
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.
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.
Mason Melotakis, LHP
2013 Age: 22
2012 Top Level: Beloit, 17.1 IP (Single-A)
Year | Age | Lev | G | GS | GF | IP | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | 21 | Rk | 1.35 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 6.2 | 0.600 | 2.7 | 0.0 | 2.7 | 13.5 |
2012 | 21 | A | 2.08 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 17.1 | 1.096 | 7.8 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 12.5 |
1 Season | 1.88 | 20 | 0 | 10 | 24.0 | 0.958 | 6.4 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 12.8 |
Melotakis doesn't make Baseball America's Twins list in any capacity, but he's 12th on John Sickels' prospect list and 17th at TwinsBaseball.com. A strong fastball with good "stuff" could help him rise through the system quickly as a reliever, although the Twins may try to see how he performs as a starter. He'll take longer if that's the case, as he'll need to further develop his curveball and changeup.
Daniel Santana, SS/2B
2013 Age: 22
2012 Top Level: Fort Myers, 547 PA (Advanced-A)
Year | Age | Lev | PA | H | 2B | HR | SB | CS | BB | SO | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | 17 | FRk | 219 | 52 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 20 | 38 | .274 | .343 | .426 |
2009 | 18 | Rk | 185 | 45 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 8 | 27 | .265 | .302 | .418 |
2010 | 19 | Rk | 144 | 37 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 30 | .264 | .285 | .421 |
2010 | 19 | A | 144 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 40 | .238 | .289 | .315 |
2011 | 20 | A | 409 | 90 | 15 | 7 | 24 | 15 | 25 | 98 | .247 | .298 | .373 |
2012 | 21 | A+ | 547 | 145 | 21 | 8 | 17 | 11 | 29 | 77 | .286 | .329 | .410 |
5 Seasons | 1648 | 400 | 61 | 23 | 83 | 39 | 92 | 310 | .266 | .313 | .397 | ||
A (2 seasons) | A | 553 | 121 | 19 | 7 | 34 | 19 | 32 | 138 | .244 | .296 | .358 | |
Rk (2 seasons) | Rk | 329 | 82 | 15 | 7 | 17 | 5 | 11 | 57 | .265 | .294 | .419 | |
FRk (1 season) | FRk | 219 | 52 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 20 | 38 | .274 | .343 | .426 | |
A+ (1 season) | A+ | 547 | 145 | 21 | 8 | 17 | 11 | 29 | 77 | .286 | .329 | .410 |
Santana is a tools guy who gets more love from some sectors than others. He didn't make Sickels' Top 23 list for the Twins, although he was good enough to be on his "Others to Consider" list. Twins Baseball has him as the #12 prospect on their list. Baseball America has him in their Top 10, at #9, thanks in no small part his defense and arm are good enough to help him develop into a Major League shortstop. His offense lags far behind, which is the norm for the system's middle infielders outside of Eddie Rosario.
Jorge Polanco, 2B/SS
2013 Age: 19
2012 Top Level: Elizabethton, 204 PA (Rookie)
Year | Age | Lev | PA | H | 2B | HR | SB | CS | BB | SO | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | 16 | FRk | 68 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | .250 | .309 | .283 |
2010 | 16 | Rk | 119 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 9 | .223 | .299 | .301 |
2011 | 17 | Rk | 193 | 43 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 24 | .250 | .319 | .349 |
2012 | 18 | Rk | 204 | 55 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 20 | 26 | .318 | .388 | .514 |
3 Seasons | 584 | 136 | 30 | 7 | 15 | 14 | 53 | 68 | .268 | .338 | .388 |
Signed in his mid-teens out of the Dominican Republic, Polanco's career trajectory may have taken flight with an outstanding season with Elizabethton. Sickels thinks it has to do with strength and physical maturity that come with moving into your late teens. Baseball America and Twins Baseball don't have him on their lists, which isn't too much of a surprise considering his lackluster numbers coming into 2012, but it certainly gives the young middle infielder some upside and certain circles believe he's quite deserving of a spot this high on our list.
J.T. Chargois, RHP
2013 Age: 22
2012 Top Level: Elizabethton, 16 IP (Rookie)
Year | Age | Lev | G | GS | GF | SV | IP | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | 21 | Rk | 1.69 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 16.0 | 0.938 | 5.6 | 0.0 | 2.8 | 12.4 |
1 Season | 1.69 | 12 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 16.0 | 0.938 | 5.6 | 0.0 | 2.8 | 12.4 |
The Twins draft in 2012 was littered with arms with a lot of upside, even if most of them (Chargois, Bard, Melotakis) are all projected to be relievers. Chargois hits #11 for TwinsBaseball.com and #17 for Sickels - so he essentially is inversely proportional to Melotakis on the two lists. Like his draft contemporaries, Chargois could move quickly if his numbers hold and he stays healthy. He can get a bit off with his control at times, but scouts seem to think his fastball, breaking ball, and changeup could all be good pitches.
Hudson Boyd
2013 Age: 20
2012 Top Level: Elizabethton, 58 IP (Rookie)
Year | Age | Lev | G | GS | IP | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | 19 | Rk | 2.95 | 13 | 13 | 58.0 | 1.483 | 9.8 | 1.1 | 3.6 | 5.6 |
1 Season | 2.95 | 13 | 13 | 58.0 | 1.483 | 9.8 | 1.1 | 3.6 | 5.6 |
Appearing at #19 at TwinsBaseball.com, Boyd projects to have at least two plus pitches in his fastball and curveball. The 2011 first rounder does not have the raw stuff of other pitchers on this ballot, but he's a starter that is able to sustain himself over multiple innings. There's work to be done, but there's a lot to like about his fastball and curve.