Minnesota Twins 2015 Prospect Vote: Round 30

After 29 rounds, we've come to it. The end. Levi Michael firmly took home the number 29 ranking on our prospect list with your votes lifting him well above the competition, and now we're down to the last round of voting.

As I've been pointing out in recent rounds, existing candidates and Tanner English will be joined by additional players on this ballot. To give us a nice round number of five for our "honorable mentions" in addition to whomever wins round 30, I'll be adding three new players to this ballot - including English.

Cast your vote and let's finish strong.

Twins Top 30 prospects for 2015

1. Byron Buxton, CF (Buxton 72%, Sano 28%)
2. Miguel Sano, 3B (Sano 56%, Berrios 44%)
3. Jose Berrios, RHP (Berrios 73%, Meyer 16%, Stewart 4%, Gordon 4%, Polanco 3%)
4. Alex Meyer, RHP (Meyer 63%, Stewart 17%, Polanco 10%, Gordon 10%)
5. Kohl Stewart, RHP (Stewart 56%, Polanco 26%, Gordon 18%)
6. Trevor May, RHP (May 28%, Gordon 27%, Polanco 21%, Rosario 20%, Thorpe 4%)
7. Nick Gordon, SS (Gordon 35%, Polanco 30%, Rosario 29%, Thorpe 6%)
8. Nick Burdi, RHP (Burdi 38%, Polanco 31%, Rosario 23%, Thorpe 8%)
9. Jorge Polanco, SS/2B (Polanco 51%, Rosario 36%, Thorpe 13%)
10. Eddie Rosario, OF/2B (Rosario 72%, Thorpe 18%, Gonsalves 4%, Reed 3%, Duffey 2%, Rogers 0%)
11. Lewis Thorpe, LHP (Thorpe 48%, Kepler 21%, Reed 10%, Gonsalves 9%, Duffey 5%, Walker 4%, Turner 1%, Harrison 1%, Rogers 1%)
12. Max Kepler, CF/1B (Kepler 30%, Gonsalves 27%, Reed 18%, Walker 13%, Turner 5%, Duffey 5%, Harrison 1%, Rogers 1%)
13. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP (Gonsalves 47%, Reed 32%, Walker 21%)
14. Jake Reed, RHP (Reed 49%, Walker 24%, Turner 12%, Duffey 7%, Harrison 5%, Rogers 3%)
15. Adam Walker, RF (Walker 47%, Turner 22%, Duffey 16%, Rogers 7%, Harrison 7%)
16. Amaurys Minier, LF/1B (Minier 24%, Turner 18%, Hu 17%, Duffey 15%, Garver 10%, Harrison 6%, Jones 4%, Graham 3%, Rogers 2%)
17. Stuart Turner, C (Turner 26%, Hu 25%, Garver 14%, Duffey 13%, Harrison 7%, Jones 5%, Rogers 5%, Graham 5%)
18. Chih-Wei Hu (Hu 58%, Duffey 22%, Garver 19%)
19. Mitch Garver, C (Garver 31%, Duffey 28%, Harrison 16%, Jones 13%, Rogers 8%, Graham 5%)
20. Tyler Duffey, RHP (Duffey 41%, Harrison 26%, Jones 17%, Rogers 12%, Graham 5%)
21. Travis Harrison, LF (Harrison 32%, Jones 24%, Rogers 19%, Graham 13%, Cederoth 12%)
22. Taylor Rogers, LHP (Rogers 29%, Jones 27%, Diaz 18%, Cederoth 16%, Graham 10%)
23. Zack Jones, RHP (Jones 26%, Diaz 23%, Cederoth 17%, Graham 17%, Murphy 16%)
24. Lewin Diaz, 1B (Diaz 33%, Cederoth 25%, Graham 24%, Murphy 18%)
25. Michael Cederoth, RHP (Cederoth 29%, Graham 28%, Michael 23%, Murphy 20%)
26. J.R. Graham, RHP (Graham 43%, Chargois 20%, Michael 20%, Murphy 17%)
27. J.T. Chargois, RHP (Chargois 32%, Ynoa 29%, Michael 24%, Murphy 15%)
28. Huascar Ynoa, RHP (Ynoa 35%, Michael 33%, Murphy 23%, Guzman 8%)
29. Levi Michael, 2B (Michael 46%, Murphy 29%, Peterson 17%, Guzman 9%)

Cameron Booser, LHP
2015 Age: 23
2014 High Level: Rookie

Booser was an undrafted free agent that the Twins signed in July of 2013. He'd had Tommy John surgery in high school, and then missed all of the 2012 season in what would have been his sophomore season at Oregon State. He ended up with Central Arizona Community College, where Minnesota found him and brought him on board. After a good ten games with Central Arizona and a trio of games with the GCL Twins, 2014 was his first legitimate taste of professional baseball.

With a strong fastball that sits in the mid to upper 90s, it will be vital for Booser to further develop his slider as a pitch that he can control. He's a big guy and throws with a great deal of power, and if he can keep the fastball and a developed slider under control there's real potential for a plus reliever here. It's not an insignificant if.

He should start the season with Cedar Rapids. There isn't a lot of professional experience to go on here, but if you value upside he's yet another relief prospect that could be worth of your attention.

Tanner English, OF
2015 Age: 22
2014 High Level: Rookie

We've seen a number of outfielders perform well in the lower echelons of the Twins farm system over the years before they were never heard from again. Angel Morales posted a 1.036 OPS in Elizabethton as an 18-year old but never duplicated that success. So how excited should we be about a 21-year old's .913 OPS at the same level?

English doesn't profile like Morales; they're almost opposites. English was considered one of the best prep outfielders in the country before attending South Carolina, where he established himself as a brilliant defender with top-flight speed (he hit .289/.355/.366 in three years as an outfielder in the SEC). There were scouts who tabbed him as being able to handle center field at the Major League level from the day the Twins drafted him in the 11th round last summer. His range is outstanding thanks to his speed, and his arm is considered "good enough" to handle center.

The question for English is whether or not he can hit enough to be worth a Major League roster spot someday. He has a poor power tool. With two plus tools (speed, glove) and one average tool (arm) that are apparently already quite mature, will you count on his talent floor to justify your vote? Or do you need to see more to determine if there's much of a ceiling? He should spend most of 2015 at Cedar Rapids.

Niko Goodrum, 3B
2015 Age: 23
2014 High Level: Advanced-A

We're all moderately familiar with Goodrum by this point in time, as he's been a Twinkie Town prospect list regular for some time. Drafted in the second round of the 2010 draft as a toolsy prep shortstop, his speed and arm made him an interesting pick with upside.

Thanks to his size (Goodrum is an impressive 6' 3") and playing on the same roster as Levi Michael and Jorge Polanco in 2014, the Twins shifted him to third base for most of the season. His arm is strong enough but he did struggle a bit learning the position, which is to be expected. His bat continues to be underwhelming and is the big thing holding him back at this point, although thanks to a good eye at the plate he maintains strong walk rates and as a result was also able to post a respectable .337 on-base percentage.

Goodrum may start the season at Fort Myers, but there's a good chance most of his summer will be played for Chattanooga. With 55 stolen bases over the last two seasons the plus speed tool is nice, and if he can show an increased aptitude for third base he could continue to build a possible future as a utility infielder.

Manuel Guzman, 2B/SS
2015 Age: 20
2014 High Level: Rookie

At just 5'9", Guzman is on the small side - and we know how scouts feel about players who don't fit the proverbial body type. But he's considered one of the fastest guys in the organization (if not THE fastest), and that's an asset that will make anyone turn their head. While his body needs to mature to get stronger in the field, and while he needs to do better at reading pitchers, his speed is something that will make him worth watching in 2015 both in the field and on the bases.Signed out of the Dominican Republic in May of 2013, Guzman has spent two seasons playing for Minnesota's DSL affiliate and the GCL Twins. Splitting time between second base and shortstop, he profiles like your typical middle infielder: no power to speak of, has fair contact skills and a decent eye, but it's his speed and defensive skill set that makes him interesting.

Guzman should transition to Elizabethton sooner rather than later in 2015. He's still very raw and many years from the Major Leagues. Are you ready to vote for such an unknown quantity, or are you willing to put your trust in a player who could be sporting near 80 speed?

Max Murphy, CF
2015 Age: 22
2014 High Level: Single-A

The Twins took Murphy in the ninth round of the 2014 draft. He was seen as a player with a number of solid tools, although none of them stood out as a big plus tool even after hitting .314/.414/.598 for Bradley University. But his ability to "flash plus tools" didn't always jive with his performance, leading analysts like Jim Callis to say Murphy "plays beneath the tools a little bit."

Murphy obviously impressed in his rookie league debut, raking and earning a promotion to Cedar Rapids at the end of the year where he struggled a little bit. His status as a prospect will depend a good deal on how he performs in 2015. Will he play up to his tools, where his athleticism and arm and power will show the kind of player he's capable of becoming? Or will he play beneath the tools?

While he's capable of playing center field, scouts believe that long-term Murphy will end up in a corner outfield spot where his arm and decent wheels will make him a fine defender. The tools are there, but until he proves it his bat will be questioned.

Brandon Peterson, RHP
2015 Age: 23
2014 High Level: Advanced-A

The Twins selected Peterson out of Wichita State University in the 13th round of the 2013 draft, and the Burnsville, Minnesota native has turned himself into yet another interesting relief prospect in a system already stacked with quality relief prospects.

After earning a promotion very quickly from Cedar Rapids to Fort Myers in 2014, he continued to dominate the opposition in what is admittedly a pitchers' league - but it's also a league in which he was moderately young. Scouting reports on Peterson are interesting, because while he didn't give up a home run in 57.1 innings last season he's also known for getting strikeouts on his mid-90s fastball that he isn't afraid to throw up in the zone.

As an aggressive pitcher who earned Seth Stohs' Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year award for 2014, Peterson's stuff isn't great but he likes to work ahead in the count and is very confident (especially in his slider, which is his primary strikeout pitch). In most circumstances a strong 2015 season could see him earn a September callup, even if he starts the season back in Fort Myers (thanks to an exceptionally strong Double-A bullpen), but with the other fast-rising relief prospects in the system he'll have his work cut out for him.