UPDATE:
Law's Top 100 list is out (Insider req'd), and features the following Twins (ranks included in parenthesis):
- Sano (11)
- Buxton (22)
- Gibson (41)
- Hicks (49)
- Arcia (59)
- Meyer (61)
- Rosario (65)
If you're getting sick of hearing about better days to come, apologies in advance. If you're like me and can't get enough of it, then you'll be pleased to know that the Twins currently rank second overall on Keith Law's list of best farm systems in baseball (ESPN Insider required). The list doesn't include players who have already used up their rookie eligibility (e.g. no Chris Parmelee). Writes Law:
The Twins placed more players on my top 100 (seven) than any other team, only one of whom was initially signed by another organization, and they added a former top-100 guy, Trevor May, in a trade this offseason. Their system is particularly strong in center field, enough that they're working on converting Eddie Rosario to second base, and has more power arms with a chance to start than it has at any point in the past decade.
The major league team is down, and isn't going to turn it all around in a year, but there's a lot of talent coming around which the Twins can build another contender.
Presumably, the seven players to whom he is referring are:
- Miguel Sano
- Byron Buxton
- Aaron Hicks
- Alex Meyer
- Kyle Gibson
- Oswaldo Arcia
- Eddie Rosario
That's my prediction at the order he ranks them in as well, but we'll find out for sure over the next several days as his individual rankings are released.
In the video clip that comes along with that piece, Law makes no hesitation when Karl Ravech asks if there's a team that has struggled but has reason for optimism. The Twins. Law cites both Meyer and Gibson as impact arms in the near future. He speaks particularly highly of Gibson, stating that he looks better than he did prior to his surgery -- throwing harder with an improved slider.
Top 100 lists should be coming out from Law, Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus in the near future, and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo will be re-posting his updated, finalized organizational Top 20 rankings as well (the AL Central will be released on Thursday).
It's been a rough couple of seasons to be a Twins fan, and 2013 may well be more of the same. But the Twins pick fourth in this year's draft, and if things start to turn around as quickly as 2014, this skid won't be nearly as painful as it has for other organizations. Say what you will about the Twins' front office, but it's nice that there's already such optimism just two years into this dreadful stretch. Teams like the Astros, Pirates, Mariners, Blue Jays and Orioles have all had much more prolonged stretches without much hope in recent years.
And just for kicks, the rest of the AL Central looks pretty bleak on this particular list. The Royals (No. 11) are the second-highest due to the amount of breakout candidates at the lower levels, while the Indians (No. 19), Tigers (No. 25) and White Sox (No. 28) are all firmly in the lower half. It will be interesting to see how the division takes shape as the Tigers and White Sox continue to age while the Twins continue to get younger in the coming years.
Steve Adams also writes for MLBTradeRumors.com, RotoAuthority.com and MLB.com Fantasy Baseball. You can follow him on Twitter: @Adams_Steve.