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Minnesota Twins 2014 Prospect Vote: Round 25

WHO GOT NEXT?

By Jesse Lund
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

This one was tight at the top, but Amaurys Minier just skipped past D.J Baxendale by three measly votes. With 38% of the ballot, that makes Minier prospect number 25 for the Twins in 2014. Minier is still a ways off, but scouts love his ceiling. No doubt his arrival won't be happening for another three years if he ends up getting fast-tracked at some point down the line.

Twinkie Town Top 24 Prospects for 2014

  1. Byron Buxton, CF
  2. Miguel Sano, 3B
  3. Alex Meyer, RHP
  4. Eddie Rosario, 2B/OF
  5. Kohl Stewart, RHP
  6. Josmil Pinto, C
  7. Jose Berrios, RHP
  8. Jorge Polanco, 2B/SS
  9. Max Kepler, CF
  10. Lewis Thorpe, LHP
  11. Trevor May, RHP
  12. Adam Brett Walker, RF
  13. Felix Jorge, RHP
  14. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP
  15. Michael Tonkin, RHP
  16. Travis Harrison, 3B
  17. Danny Santana, SS
  18. Kennys Vargas, 1B
  19. Ryan Eades, RHP
  20. Zack Jones, RHP
  21. Fernando Romero, RHP
  22. Sean Gilmartin, LHP
  23. Miguel Sulbaran, LHP
  24. Stuart Turner, C
  25. Amaurys Minier, 3B

Players up in Round 24: D.J. Baxendale, Taylor Rogers, Mason Melotakis, Niko Goodrum, Adrian Salcedo, Dalton Hicks

D.J. Baxendale, RHP
2014 Age: 23
2013 High Level: New Britain, 92.2 IP (Double-A)

Year Age Tm Lev ERA G GS IP WHIP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9
2012 21 Elizabethton Rk 0.00 6 0 7.2 0.261 1.2 0.0 1.2 18.8
2012 21 Beloit A 1.64 11 0 11.0 1.182 9.8 0.0 0.8 12.3
2013 22 Fort Myers A+ 1.10 9 9 57.1 0.785 5.3 0.3 1.7 7.5
2013 22 New Britain AA 5.63 16 16 92.2 1.424 10.7 1.3 2.1 6.2
2 Seasons 3.58 42 25 168.2 1.138 8.4 0.8 1.9 7.6
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/13/2014.

The Twins had Baxendale on the fast track through his first two seasons in the system, which is exactly what you love to see from a collegiate pick. He struggled a bit in Double-A in 2013 though, so he's likely to start there again this season - particularly in light of the number of pitchers in the upper levels of the system. He seems to be the second-best pitcher from the 2012 draft, behind Berrios, meaning that - compared to our prospect list last season - he's leapfrogged fellow draft mates J.T. Chargois (#12), Mason Melotakis (#16), and Luke Bard (#17).

Taylor Rogers, LHP
2014 Age: 23
2013 High Level: Fort Myers, 130.2 (Advanced-A)

Year Age Tm Lev ERA G GS IP WHIP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9
2012 21 Elizabethton Rk 1.80 6 6 30.0 0.833 6.0 0.6 1.5 11.7
2012 21 Beloit A 2.70 9 4 33.1 1.350 8.9 1.4 3.2 9.4
2013 22 Cedar Rapids A 7.20 3 3 10.0 1.800 12.6 0.9 3.6 9.0
2013 22 Fort Myers A+ 2.55 22 21 130.2 1.156 8.2 0.3 2.2 5.7
2 Seasons 2.69 40 34 204.0 1.172 8.2 0.6 2.3 7.4
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/13/2014.

Rogers was, as our own Roger notes, one of the better pitchers in the Twins' minor league system last year. He doesn't strike anyone out, but the command is decent and he does a good job of limiting base runners. He was an 11th-round pick in 2012 so you'd like to hope he can move quickly, but some of that will depend on how well he adapts to tougher competition. Can he continue to be successful even if he posts pedestrian strikeout rates?

Mason Melotakis, LHP
2014 Age: 23
2013 High Level: Cedar Rapids, 111 IP (Single-A)


Year Age Tm Lev ERA G GS IP WHIP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9 SO/BB
2012 21 Elizabethton Rk 1.35 7 0 6.2 0.600 2.7 0.0 2.7 13.5 5.00
2012 21 Beloit A 2.08 13 0 17.1 1.096 7.8 1.6 2.1 12.5 6.00
2013 22 Cedar Rapids A 3.16 24 18 111.0 1.306 8.6 0.5 3.2 6.8 2.15
2 Seasons 2.93 44 18 135.0 1.244 8.2 0.6 3.0 7.9 2.62
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/4/2014.

Melotakis was rated higher last season (#16), but after being thrust into a starter's role for much of 2013 it's not a surprise that his rate stats took a dip. So it's not that he had a bad season, but that quite a few prospects took a step forward. Melotakis is just 23 this season and should step up to Fort Myers, and if he continues to be an effective pitcher he could be pushed to Double-A by the end of the season. And of course he's a lefty, which helps, even if he doesn't have a great ceiling.

Niko Goodrum, SS
2014 Age: 22
2013 High Level: Cedar Rapids, 455 PA (Single-A)

Year Age Tm Lev PA H 2B HR SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG
2010 18 Twins Rk 128 19 4 0 4 2 9 34 .161 .219 .195
2011 19 Elizabethton Rk 230 56 10 2 8 1 21 56 .275 .352 .382
2012 20 Elizabethton Rk 269 55 12 4 6 3 38 56 .242 .349 .419
2013 21 Cedar Rapids A 455 100 22 4 20 4 60 105 .260 .364 .369
4 Seasons 1082 230 48 10 38 10 128 251 .246 .340 .362
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/4/2014.

After three seasons stuck in Rookie ball, Goodrum finally escaped last season and displayed the solid all-around skills that scouts have been hoping for. He continues to have a few issues at the high-responsibility position and he'll never develop any real power, but he's capable of being a decent contact hitter with good strike zone judgment and on-base skills, and he knows how to use his speed both in the field and on the bases. Can he make the most of a couple of plus tools? Or will he continue to toil away in the minors and hope for a bench or fringe role three or four years down the road?

Adrian Salcedo, RHP
2014 Age: 23
2013 High Level: Fort Myers, 58.1 IP (Advanced-A)

Year Age Lev ERA G GS GF IP WHIP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9
2008 17 FRk 1.65 12 12 0 65.1 0.842 6.5 0.1 1.1 6.9
2009 18 Rk 1.46 11 10 1 61.2 1.022 8.8 0.1 0.4 8.5
2010 19 Rk 3.27 16 8 3 66.0 0.985 7.5 0.4 1.4 8.9
2010 19 A+ 6.26 6 6 0 27.1 1.829 13.8 1.0 2.6 5.3
2011 20 A 2.93 29 20 4 135.0 1.170 8.7 0.3 1.8 6.1
2012 21 Rk 3.38 3 2 0 5.1 1.500 11.8 0.0 1.7 6.8
2012 21 A+ 6.39 8 7 0 25.1 1.895 11.7 0.4 5.3 5.0
2013 22 A+ 3.70 34 0 19 58.1 1.166 8.2 0.9 2.3 8.3
6 Seasons 3.10 119 65 27 444.1 1.159 8.7 0.4 1.8 7.2
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/4/2014.

Salcedo has been off of our list for the last couple years after making appearances earlier in his history with the organization. It's been a slow move through the ranks so far, but with his move to the bullpen his rate stats have improved and, with them, the front-line stats like ERA and WHIP. It's helped him to be a more efficient and effective pitcher, and as a result we see him on our list towards the end of our voting. He's a borderline Top 30 guy, so where he lands is up to you.

Dalton Hicks, 1B
2014 Age: 24
2013 High Level: Fort Myers, 178 PA (Advanced-A)

Year Age Tm Lev PA H 2B HR BB SO BA OBP SLG
2012 22 Elizabethton Rk 136 31 7 4 19 37 .270 .382 .435
2013 23 Cedar Rapids A 400 105 31 13 34 85 .297 .355 .494
2013 23 Fort Myers A+ 176 40 8 4 22 38 .270 .364 .405
2 Seasons 712 176 46 21 75 160 .285 .362 .462
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/6/2014.


With his season numbers inflated by 400 really good plate appearances in Single-A, it's easy to see Hicks as a legitimate prospect. He's just two years into his professional baseball career, but finishing High-A at age 23, with a performance that isn't all that inspiring, will paint things in a new light. A bigger issue: if Kennys Vargas starts the season at Double-A, which he should, Hicks could return to Fort Myers to start the season as a 24-year old. We need to see more from Hicks before his prospect status improves, and there isn't much time left for that, either.

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