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With spring training just around the corner, these votes will be happening with regularity over the next three weeks or so. In case you've forgotten, here's where our last vote brought our rankings as Alex Meyer narrowed beat out Aaron Hicks for the number four spot:
- Miguel Sano
- Oswaldo Arcia
- Byron Buxton
- Alex Meyer
Aaron Hicks, OF
2013 Age: 23
2012 Top Level: New Britain, 563 PA (Double-A)
| Year | Age | Lev | PA | H | 2B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 18 | Rk | 204 | 55 | 10 | 4 | 27 | 12 | 2 | 28 | 32 | .318 | .409 | .491 |
| 2009 | 19 | A | 297 | 63 | 15 | 4 | 29 | 10 | 8 | 40 | 55 | .251 | .353 | .382 |
| 2010 | 20 | A | 518 | 118 | 27 | 8 | 49 | 21 | 11 | 88 | 112 | .279 | .401 | .428 |
| 2011 | 21 | A+ | 528 | 107 | 31 | 5 | 38 | 17 | 9 | 78 | 110 | .242 | .354 | .368 |
| 2012 | 22 | AA | 563 | 135 | 21 | 13 | 61 | 32 | 11 | 79 | 116 | .286 | .384 | .460 |
| 5 Seasons | 2110 | 478 | 104 | 34 | 204 | 92 | 41 | 313 | 425 | .271 | .379 | .421 | ||
| A (2 seasons) | A | 815 | 181 | 42 | 12 | 78 | 31 | 19 | 128 | 167 | .269 | .383 | .411 | |
| AA (1 season) | AA | 563 | 135 | 21 | 13 | 61 | 32 | 11 | 79 | 116 | .286 | .384 | .460 | |
| Rk (1 season) | Rk | 204 | 55 | 10 | 4 | 27 | 12 | 2 | 28 | 32 | .318 | .409 | .491 | |
| A+ (1 season) | A+ | 528 | 107 | 31 | 5 | 38 | 17 | 9 | 78 | 110 | .242 | .354 | .368 | |
A slow May followed an alright April, leading many to believe it was "just another disappointing season" for the 2008 first-round pick. But then he exploded, recording OBPs of .371, .430, .398, and .467 from June through September. Hicks turned a corner and his patience at the plate is no longer just being passive. He should spend 2013 at Triple-A, but everyone would love to see him for the Twins' hand in center field at some point this season.
Kyle Gibson, RHP
2013 Age: 25
2012 Top Level: Rochester, 6.2 IP (Triple-A)
| Year | Age | Lev | G | GS | IP | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 22 | AA-A+-AAA | 2.96 | 26 | 26 | 152.0 | 1.151 | 8.1 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 7.5 | 3.23 |
| 2010 | 22 | A+ | 1.87 | 7 | 7 | 43.1 | 1.038 | 6.9 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 8.3 | 3.33 |
| 2010 | 22 | AA | 3.68 | 16 | 16 | 93.0 | 1.215 | 8.8 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 7.5 | 3.50 |
| 2010 | 22 | AAA | 1.72 | 3 | 3 | 15.2 | 1.085 | 6.9 | 0.0 | 2.9 | 5.2 | 1.80 |
| 2011 | 23 | AAA | 4.81 | 18 | 18 | 95.1 | 1.427 | 10.3 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 8.6 | 3.37 |
| 2012 | 24 | Rk-A+-AAA | 4.13 | 13 | 11 | 28.1 | 1.129 | 8.3 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 10.5 | 5.50 |
| 2012 | 24 | Rk | 2.45 | 9 | 7 | 14.2 | 0.886 | 5.5 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 9.8 | 4.00 |
| 2012 | 24 | A+ | 2.57 | 2 | 2 | 7.0 | 1.000 | 7.7 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 9.0 | 7.00 |
| 2012 | 24 | AAA | 9.45 | 2 | 2 | 6.2 | 1.800 | 14.8 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 13.5 | 10.00 |
| 3 Seasons | 3.72 | 57 | 55 | 275.2 | 1.244 | 8.8 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 8.2 | 3.47 | ||
| AAA (3 seasons) | AAA | 4.67 | 23 | 23 | 117.2 | 1.402 | 10.1 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 8.4 | 3.33 | |
| A+ (2 seasons) | A+ | 1.97 | 9 | 9 | 50.1 | 1.033 | 7.0 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 8.4 | 3.62 | |
| AA (1 season) | AA | 3.68 | 16 | 16 | 93.0 | 1.215 | 8.8 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 7.5 | 3.50 | |
| Rk (1 season) | Rk | 2.45 | 9 | 7 | 14.2 | 0.886 | 5.5 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 9.8 | 4.00 | |
Gibson missed a vast majority of 2012 due to recovery and rehab after 2011's Tommy John surgery, throwing 21.2 innings between the GCL Twins and Fort Myers before making two starts for the Red Wings at the end of the season. He also had a decent performance in the Winter League before a couple of less impressive outings at the end. He's expected to contribute to the Major League team in 2013, although his innings may be limited this season, leading some to believe he may start the year as a reliever before moving into the rotation later in the year.
Eddie Rosario, 2B/OF
2013 Age: 21
2012 Top Level: Beloit, 429 PA (Single-A)
| Year | Age | Lev | PA | H | 2B | HR | SB | CS | BB | SO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 18 | Rk | 213 | 57 | 9 | 5 | 22 | 5 | 16 | 28 | .294 | .343 | .438 |
| 2011 | 19 | Rk | 298 | 91 | 9 | 21 | 17 | 6 | 27 | 60 | .337 | .397 | .670 |
| 2012 | 20 | A-Rk | 449 | 123 | 35 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 32 | 71 | .299 | .347 | .499 |
| 2012 | 20 | Rk | 20 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .368 | .400 | .684 |
| 2012 | 20 | A | 429 | 116 | 32 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 31 | 69 | .296 | .345 | .490 |
| 3 Seasons | 960 | 271 | 53 | 39 | 50 | 22 | 75 | 159 | .310 | .362 | .538 | ||
| Rk (3 seasons) | Rk | 531 | 155 | 21 | 27 | 39 | 11 | 44 | 90 | .321 | .375 | .578 | |
| A (1 season) | A | 429 | 116 | 32 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 31 | 69 | .296 | .345 | .490 | |
Considering he missed time after getting hit in the face with a baseball and still returned to finish the season, I think it's safe to say that Rosario is still the Twins' greatest hope of having a player who can hit and play the middle infield at the same time. He's flying under the radar in a lot of the mainstream prospect listings, but there's no denying he's performed to this point. His ETA is sometime in 2015.
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.