Round 15 of our election ended in a tie with Cole Sands and Edwar Colina each receiving 50 votes and 35% of the total. I’m going to use this round as a head-to-head competition to break that tie. The winner gets the spot for #15 and the loser gets put back into the round 16 voting. Make your choice in the poll below. Here are the candidates:

Cole Sands, P

2021 Age: 23

2019 High Level: Pensacola (AA)

Cole Sands was drafted in the 5th round of the 2018 MLB draft out of Florida State. He battled with injuries his junior season but the Twins decided his talent was worth an over-slot $600,000 bonus to make sure he didn’t return for his senior season. Sands did not pitch his first summer in the organization as he recovered from the injuries he was dealing with during his college season. The Twins began his 2019 season in Cedar Rapids where he had a 10.7 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and 3.05 RA9 in 8 starts. He earned a mid-season promotion to Fort Myers where he kept up the good work compiling a 9.2 K/9, 1.2 BB/9 and 2.77 RA9 in 52 innings at that level. This earned him a late call-up to Pensacola for one start in Double-A. Despite three trips to the injured list he was able to pitch 97 innings. He throws a mid-90s fastball with movement, a plus breaking ball and a good change up. The results have been there but keeping him healthy and on the mound has been challenging. Expect to see him start 2021 in Double-A with a possible Twins debut as soon as this summer.

Edwar Colina, P

2021 Age: 24

2020 High Level: Twins (MLB)

Edwar Osnel de la Cruz Colina was signed in September of 2015 as an international free agent from Venezuela. He spent his first summer pitching in the Dominican rookie league and made his stateside debut pitching for Elizabethton in 2017. He did well at both levels but didn’t stand out from the other top pitchers at those levels. He started 2018 in Cedar Rapids and pitched well enough (2.85 RA9, 8.7K/9) to earn a late promotion to Fort Myers. He started 2019 back at Fort Myers and continued to improve (2.92 RA9, 8.9 K/9, 2.2 BB/9). He was promoted after 60 innings to Double-A Pensacola and was terrific at that level (2.32 RA9, 10.7 K/9, 4.4 BB/9), earning another promotion to the Rochester bullpen at the very end of the season. The 2019 results were good but it was Colina’s 100MPH fastball that really got everyone’s attention. While the heater lights up the radar gun his slider might be his best strikeout pitch and it improved noticeably in 2019. He was also one of the best in the Twins minor leagues at avoiding the long ball. A big fastball, sharp breaking ball and the ability to avoid HR all translate well to success at the big league level. Colina spent the 2020 summer at the alternate training site in St. Paul and made his major league debut at the end of the regular season. It was a rough debut giving up 4 hits, 2 walks and a HR while only recording one out leaving him with an ERA of 81.00. Lighting up the radar gun is great but a pitcher still needs to keep the ball away from the middle of the plate. He will get a chance to work on pitch location in St. Paul this summer and is a likely arm to head to Minneapolis when the Twins need an extra reliever.