Griffin Jax won our election in round 30. If we have a baseball season he could make his debut this summer.

Twinkie Town 2020 Prospect Voting Results

1. Alex Kirilloff 40% (Lewis 28%, Graterol 24%, Larnach 8%)
2. Royce Lewis 48% (Graterol 29%, Balazovic 12%, Larnach 12%)
3. Trevor Larnach 48% (Balazovic 43%, Duran 8%, Cavaco 1%)
4. Jordan Balazovic 78% (Duran 11%, Rooker 9%, Jeffers 2%, Cavaco 0%)
5. Jhoan Duran 52% (Rooker 19%, Thorpe 16%, Jeffers 10%, Cavaco 3%)
6. Brent Rooker 37% (Jeffers 28%, Thorpe 24%, Urbina 6%, Cavaco 5%)
7. Ryan Jeffers 47% (Thorpe 34%, Cavaco 10%, Celestino 5%, Urbina 3%)
8. Lewis Thorpe 58% (Urbina 12%, Canterino 11%, Cavaco 10%, Celestino 9%)
9. Matt Canterino 27% (Celestino 23%, Cavaco 22%, Urbina 19%, Wallner 9%)
10. Keoni Cavaco 33% (Celestino 29%, Urbina 18%, Sands 15%, Wallner 9%)
11. Gilberto Celestino 36% (Gordon 26%, Urbina 19%, Wallner 12%, Sands 7%)
12. Nick Gordon 35% (Urbina 28%, Enlow 21%, Wallner 9%, Sands 8%)
13. Misael Urbina 36% (Enlow 24%, Sands 20%, Wallner 10%, Javier 9%)
14. Blayne Enlow 31% (Colina 29%, Sands 19%, Wallner 12%, Javier 9%)
15. Edwar Colina 42% (Wallner 20%, Sands 20%, Javier 15%, Miranda 1%)
16. Cole Sands 31% (Wallner 26%, Javier 20%, Blankenhorn 20%, Miranda 3%)
17. Matt Wallner 35% (Smeltzer 31%, Javier 18%, Blankenhorn 11%, Miranda 4%)
18. Devin Smeltzer 48% (Javier 24%, Blankenhorn 18%, Miranda 5%, Rodriguez 5%)
19. Wander Javier 32% (Alcala 30%, Blankenhorn 27%, Rodriguez 6%, Miranda 5%)
20. Jorge Alcala 45% (Blankenhorn 27%, Rodriguez 13%, Rortvedt 13%, Miranda 3%)
21. Randy Dobnak 65% (Blankenhorn 14%, Rortvedt 8%, Rodriguez 7%, Miranda 6%)
22. Travis Blankenhorn 49% (Rortvedt 31%, Rodriguez 9%, Miranda 7%, Rijo 4%)
23. Ben Rortvedt 44% (Baddoo 24%, Miranda 16%, Rodriguez 10%, Rijo 6%)
24. Akil Baddoo 35% (Vallimont 25%, Miranda 17%, Rodriguez 16%, Rijo 6%)
25. Jose Miranda 27% (Vallimont 26%, Jax 23%, Rodriguez 18%, Rijo 6%)
26. Chris Vallimont 42% (Jax 21%, Rodriguez 19%, Severino 10%, Rijo 8%)
27. Cody Stashak 42% (Rodriguez 21%, Jax 13%, Winder 10%, Severino 10%, Rijo 5%)
28. Emmanuel Rodriguez 29% (Jax, 27%, Winder 26%, Severino 11%, Rijo 7%)
29. Josh Winder 30% (Jax 29%, Wade 18%, Severino 14%, Rijo 9%)
30. Griffin Jax 33% (Severino 22%, Rijo 19%, Wade 18%, Holland 9%)

Replacing a pitcher with a pitcher this round. The new pitcher is a reliever who came to the Twins in a recent trade.

Luis Rijo, P

2020 Age: 21

2019 High Level: Cedar Rapids (A)

The Yankees signed Luis Rijo in 2015 as a minor league free agent from Venezuela. He pitched a season in the Dominican rookie league before making his stateside debut in 2017. He impressed with his command, walking few batters, and showed a good curveball but his fastball was barely touching 90 MPH. In 2018 he bounced around several levels of the minors before being traded to the Twins in exchange for Lance Lynn. The Twins sent him to Elizabethton to finish the season and he put up solid numbers there (7.2 K/9 1.7 BB/9, 3.38 RA) to finish the season. He started 2019 at Cedar Rapids and had another solid performance (8.3 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, 3.87 RA, 107 IP) including a 10 strikeout game on July 4th. His 4-seam fastball can touch 93 MPH now but rates as pretty average. He has a plus curveball and developing changeup he can pair with the fastball but his best asset is plus control, throwing all of his pitches for strikes. He should start 2020 in Fort Myers and is unlikely to make a Twins debut before 2022.

Yunior Severino, 2B

2020 Age: 20

2019 High Level: Cedar Rapids (A)

Switch-hitting Dominican second baseman Yunior Severino was part of the Braves high profile class of international free agent signings headed by Kevin Maitan in 2016. Unfortunately for the Braves those signings became even more high profile when MLB voided the signings and made most of the players free agents again. Severino originally signed a $1.9M contract with the Braves and he got to keep all of that money. The Twins were able to sign him for $2.5M so the young man has done quite well already. He was promoted after 10 games from the Braves’ Dominican Rookie team to the GCL team and hit .286/.345/.444 in his stateside debut. With the Twins he stayed in extended spring training working on fundamentals until Elizabethton started their 2018 season. He hit .263/.321/.424 and started off hot but faded as the season went on. His fielding at 2B was solid but he struggled in a few games at SS. He began his 2019 season at Cedar Rapids but a broken thumb after just six games stole the season from him. He came back to the Kernels in August but hit just .217/.250/.333 that month. As a switch hitter he will be taking lots of extra batting practice to improve on his offense in 2020. Scouts believe he has power and he has shown it, albeit inconsistently. He is considered a bat-first infielder who is learning how to play 2B and some scouts think he may need to move to 1B if he grows significantly. Expect to see him back with the Kernels this summer.

LaMonte Wade, OF

2020 Age: 26

2019 High Level: Twins (MLB)

LaMonte Wade was the Twins 9th round pick in the 2015 draft from the University of Maryland. The Twins sent him to Elizabethton that summer and he impressed everyone with a 904 OPS, earning an Appy League All-Star nod and a late season look at Cedar Rapids. In 2016 he did well at Cedar Rapids earning a midseason All-Star appearance and even better after a mid-season promotion to Fort Myers producing (again) a 904 OPS at that level. Wade spent 2017 at Chattanooga and hit .292/.397/.408 while getting time at all three outfield positions. He earned a Southern League All-Star spot in 2017, continuing that trend. The Twins sent him to the Arizona Fall League and Wade hit .238/.351/.413 until a scary collision ended his season with a concussion. He started 2018 back at Double-A and hit .298/.393/.444 in 46 games before earning a promotion to Triple-A. At Rochester he hit his first speed bump on the way to the big leagues as his offensive production dropped to .229/.337/.336 over 74 games. He had consistently been able to draw more walks than strikeouts but that trend ended at the Triple-A level. He spent most of 2019 at Triple-A Rochester and slashed .246/.392/.356 maintaining a good OBP but with little power in a season where everyone hit for power. He made his big league debut June 28 and spent all of September with the Twins but hit just .196/.348/.375. Wade has average physical tools for a big league corner outfielder but he makes the most of them with a good batting eye and solid outfield fundamentals. He is good depth to have on a 40 man roster but is likely to be passed up hotter prospects.

Will Holland, SS

2020 Age: 22

2019 High Level: Elizabethton (Rookie)

Will Holland played his college baseball at Auburn University. He was ranked as a preseason top 20 college talent after a promising sophomore year which included playing for the USA Baseball Collegiate National team. Despite a trip to the College World Series his 2019 junior year was ultimately disappointing as he slashed just .246/.376/.401 and dropped to the fifth round of the draft. The Twins signed him for an above-slot $575,000 bonus and sent him to Elizabethton. At Elizabethton he hit .192/.299/.376 in 146 plate appearances which continued his disappointing 2019 at the plate. Holland has good hands and defensive range at SS. On offense he has good power, a good eye and plus speed with 20HR/20SB potential but he needs to work on making consistent contact. If he can get the bat on the ball he could move quickly through the minors.

Dakota Chalmers, P

2020 Age: 23

2019 High Level: Fort Myers (A+)

Dakota Chalmers was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2015 draft by the Oakland Athletics and signed a seven figure contract to keep him from going to college. He gradually made his way from rookie ball to single-A over the next couple summers. In 2017 while pitching for Beloit he struck out 47 batters in 29 innings but also walked 29. In 2018 he was sent back to Beloit to work on his command and pitched one game before requiring ligament replacement surgery. That August, while still recovering from his injury, he was traded to the Twins in return for Fernando Rodney. He made it to Fort Myers in 2019 and he once again struck out a ton (12.2K/9) and walked a ton (6.3 BB/9) of batters. The Twins sent him to the Arizona Fall League and the trend continued. The scouting report likes Chalmers’ mid-90s fastball, plus curveball and deceptive changeup but dislikes his below-average command and his effectiveness against lefties. He has been a starter in the minors but his MLB future is as a reliever. Wes Johnson pointed out some mechanical changes that could increase his fastball velocity into the upper 90s but it won’t matter unless he can figure out how to stop walking the ballpark. Chalmers was added to the 40 man roster this winter and is slated to pitch in Double-A this summer.