Twinkie Town Community Prospect Vote: Round 11

Congratulations to Brusdar Graterol for getting the last spot in the top 10.

Twins Top 30 prospects for 2018

1. Royce Lewis - 57% (Gonsalves 25%, Gordon 18%)
2. Stephen Gonsalves - 55% (Gordon 30%, Javier 10%, Romero 5%)
3. Nick Gordon - 65% (Romero 19%, Javier 9%, Kirilloff 7%)
4. Zack Littell - 57% (Romero 27%, Javier 13%, Kirilloff 4%)
5. Fernando Romero 46% (Rooker 24%, Javier 21%, Kirilloff 9%)
6. Wander Javier 44% (Rooker 31%, Kirilloff 13%, Enlow 7%, Graterol 5%)
7. Brent Rooker 55% (Kirilloff 26%, Baddoo 7%, Graterol 7%, Enlow 5%)
8. Alex Kirilloff 47% (Thorpe 23%, Graterol 13%, Baddoo 10%, Enlow 7%)
9. Lewis Thorpe 30% (Graterol 22%, Baddoo 21%, Jay 16%, Enlow 12%)
10. Brudsar Graterol 29% (Baddoo 19%, Enlow 19%, Garver 17%, Jay 14%)

For round 11 we add a prospect who has already made his Twins debut to the list.

Blayne Enlow, SP

2018 Age: 19

2017 High Level: Gulf Coast (Rookie)

Blayne “Sweet” Enlow was picked in the 3rd round of the 2017 MLB draft out of high school but was signed for an overslot $2M bonus similar to the level of a low first round pick. The scouts use the word “projectable” often when describing Enlow which usually means the kid has a big frame (Enlow is 6’4”) and he should be able to put on enough muscle to make it as a starting pitcher. Scouts also love Enlow’s curve ball which was rated as one of the best in the draft. Enlow was sent to the Gulf Coast Twins after signing and he had a good summer posting an 8.4 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and 1.77 Run Average in six games. He will probably spend time in extended spring training this summer before being sent to Elizabethton. The major leagues are not likely before 2021.

Akil Baddoo, OF

2018 Age: 19

2017 High Level: Elizabethton (Rookie)

Akil was drafted in the second round in 2016 and was considered a toolsy work in progress with exceptional athletic talent (comparisons to Carl Crawford and Jacque Jones) but in need of refinement at the plate. Not unexpectedly, he hit .178 that summer in rookie ball. In 2017 it all seemed to come together in a hurry. He improved to .267/.360/.440 playing for the Gulf Coast Twins and was promoted to Elizabethton where he did even better. He hit .357/.478/.579 with more walks (27) than strikeouts (19) at Betsy and drew rave reviews for his approach at the plate. He had a 13-game hit streak from July 31 to August 19 where he hit .460/.557/.680 with 10 walks and just 5 strikeouts. His grade 70 speed allows him to cover CF but his arm might keep him in LF in the majors. Expect to see him in Cedar Rapids in 2018 but by 2021 he might be patrolling the spacious LF of Target Field.

Tyler Jay, RP

2018 Age: 24

2017 High Level: Chattanooga (AA)

Tyler Jay was the Twins first round pick in the 2015 draft at #6 overall. He was mainly a reliever at the University of Illinois but the Twins thought he was a good candidate to convert to a starter. He was started his minor league career at advanced-A Fort Myers and starting went pretty well. At the end of the season Jay was appearing on top 100 prospect lists. In 2016 he was promoted to Chattanooga after posting an 8.8 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and 3.1 RA at Fort Myers. He struggled at AA, suffered a neck strain and missed the last month of the season. In 2017 the Twins decided to keep Tyler Jay in the bullpen to accelerate his path to the majors and help keep him healthy. Unfortunately neither of those happened as he suffered from biceps tendinitis, a sore shoulder and finally thoracic outlet syndrome. Jay was able to come back and pitch in the Arizona Fall League in November and while the results weren’t outstanding he did stay healthy. Jay has electric stuff. If he is able to stay healthy he should be able to contribute in a big league bullpen soon.

Mitch Garver, C

2018 Age: 27

2017 High Level: Minnesota Twins (MLB)

Mitch Garver was the Twins 9th round pick in 2013 from the University of New Mexico. He has steadily progressed through the Twins system, hitting well at most stops along the way. He has a .793 OPS throughout his minor league career which is very good for a catcher and he enhanced that with a .298/.386/.520 line in AAA over the past two seasons. Garver has never been considered one of the best fielding catchers in the minors but his glove has not been a concern either. He made his debut in the major leagues last September and though his hitting was below expectations (.196/.288/.348) he played well enough that he goes into 2018 as the backup catcher on the big league depth chart. Garver has also played minor league games at LF and 1B to add to his positional flexibility and get his bat in the lineup. He should be a valuable bench player for the Twins in 2018. There is potential that he could be a starting catcher for a few seasons if he hits as well as he did throughout the minor leagues.

Felix Jorge, SP

2018 Age: 24

2017 High Level: Minnesota Twins (MLB)

Felix Jorge was originally signed for $400,000 in 2011 as an amateur free agent from the Dominican Republic. He started that year in the Dominican Summer League as a 17 year old. He gradually worked his way up the ladder but started to get more notice as a prospect when he performed well (7.2 K/9 2.0 BB/9, 3.30 RA) as a 21 year old in Cedar Rapids. He continued to earn promotions working as a starting pitcher and was added to the 40 man roster in November 2016. In 2017 the Twins promoted him from AA Chattanooga directly to the majors to make a spot start in a doubleheader. His debut against the Royals was okay and he stayed on the roster for another start against the Orioles which was terrible. He was sent back to AA Chattanooga and earned an August promotion to AAA. His 5.02 RA at Rochester didn’t convince the Twins to bring him up in September. Listed at 6’2” and 175 pounds he is described as having a “slight” build. He uses a 90-91 MPH fastball, changeup and slider with good control to generate ground ball outs and doesn’t give away many walks. Jorge’s role in 2018 will be as starting pitching depth in AAA. Unless he adds fastball velocity he seems destined to become a back of the rotation starter or possibly a swingman middle reliever.