Kyle Gibson: The Man, the Myth, the Legend

As May has drawn to a close, I have named Kyle Gibson as the Fourth Strike Prospect of the month for May. It is an honor I know he will always cherish as much as his future Cy Young. There was a lot of excitement when he was drafted as people imagined a Matt Garza like quick move through the minors and impact. Well, he has certainly had a Garza-like first two months as a professional. In 7 starts at Fort Myers, Gibson was 1.87 ERA 43.1 IP 40 K 1.038 WHIP. Garza in 8 Fort Myers starts was 1.42 ERA 44.1 IP 53 K .857 WHIP. Gibson similarly has moved the domination train to New Britain. In 4 starts he is 1.37 ERA 26.1 IP 23 K .949 WHIP.

The excitement about Gibson is not just the domination but how he is going about it. He has a very good 8.1 K/9 rate but if they don't strike out they will ground out. His ground out / fly out ratio is 3.48 so far on the year. Keep in mind "ground ball" pitcher Nick Blackburn has a ratio of 1.56 for the year. So to put in perspective how good his potential think of a pitcher who strikeouts players like Liriano but also gets groundballs twice as much as Blackburn. He does this with a 91-92 mph sinking fastball, a plus slider at 82-85 and a solid changeup.

Gibson was drafted in the same class as Stephen Strasburg and Mike Leake. While he will be the last one to make the majors, he certainly appears to have all the makings of joining those two to make a very impressive trio. GM Bill Smith was stated recently that they are going to limit his innings this year ending any thought he would be a September call-up or likely see the Twins this year. If Garza can be used as an example of the plan for Gibson, after 8 starts at High A he made 10 starts at AA before finishing the year at AAA with 5 more starts. Garza ended up with 135.2 innings for the year at the 3 starts. Gibson has been pitching further in starts but that would seem to be a reasonable plan for the first year.

The Twins would never admit it but they already know when he will debut barring any injuries. He will be a call-up in mid-June next year so they can delay his arbitration so those that predict he will be an opening day start don't understand the economics of the game. Until then just enjoy the ride of watching his progress in the minors.

Quick Strikes

• There is good Pavano and bad Pavano. Today was simply bad Pavano. Expect his next start to be 7 innings and 2 runs.
• Twins record is still very good but they are 5-6 in the last 11 games.
  
• Yes, Mauer and Morneau are clearly the best players, but the DL stint of Hardy is showing that he is one of our most important players. There is a world of difference between him as short versus Brendan Harris or Alexi Casilla.
• Did anyone out there expect the Wolves to get a top 3 pick. Never the less I am now hoping for the Wolves to draft Wesley Johnson. They are 6-7 players away from a decent team but he can be the scoring wing they need.
• I just realized how big of a Magic fan I am when it occurred that I was cheering J.J. Reddick. Dwight Howard is making me do crazy things.
• I know Detroit is only 2 back and has uber-slugger in Cabrera but does anyone still see them as a legitimate threat. Yes, we have Punto but they are putting Carlos Guillen at 2nd base and give consistent at-bats to Brandon Inge and Gerald Laird.
• It is a shame that the NHL does a horrible job of promoting its product and Americans hate anything Canadians love because playoff hockey is so underrated. On just a pure entertainment level it is surpassed only by March Madness and October Baseball. This San Jose - Chicago series is so fast and intense.
• If Trevor Mbakwe does actually leave the Gophers the program in one year will go from an up and coming perennial Big Ten title contender to a perennial NIT team. I don't think excitement can leave a team without Kevin McHale involved. Also if he is found not guilty, the pitchforks may be headed for Joel Maturi's office as he essentially guided the exit of Royce White and Mbakwe for a misdemeanor theft and trespassing.
  

Lets Give This Another Shot - Prospect Power Rankings

Let's put the key in the ignition and see if this thing still works. After almost a year of not putting anything on this blog, I have decided with a new faster computer and an abundance of free time to start back up here. I can just picture a polite golf clap now from my two readers, my dad and my girlfriend. I will tread softly back into the blogosphere with a Twins Prospect ranking that will differ greatly from the last post last year. The previous ranking would be where I had them going into this current season.

1. SP Kyle Gibson - AA New Britain
Age: 22
Pre-Season Ranking: 3
Total Stats: 50.2 IP 1.60 ERA 50 K
AA Stats: 7.1 IP 0.00 ERA 10 K
The Twins 1st round pick in last year's draft had the expectation that he had the chance to be an ace and move quickly through the organization, but he has blown away the expectations. He already has a complete game 1-hitter to his name. His first start at the AA level may have been even a better start with 10 K's. If he doesn't strike out the batter they ground out. He has a ground out to fly out ratio of 3.57. Think Nick Blackburn but with Liriano's strikeout ratio. Baring injuries he won't be seen this year but he could easily be in the opening day rotation in 2011.

2. OF Aaron Hicks - Low A Beloit
Age: 20
Pre-Season Ranking: 1
Stats: .272 3 HR 10 RBI .395 OBP .800 OPS
By almost all publications he the biggest prospect in the Twins system. He was ranked as the 19th best prospect by Baseball America. He has shown flashes of the skill that has lead to all the rankings but he has been marked by inconsistency all year. He started the year batting 1-30, then hit around .400 for the next couple weeks. He has recently hit another rough patch hitting .194 in the last 10 games. The most encouraging aspect of his game so far is his patience at the plate. He has 25 walks so far on the season in which has lead to the one of the highest OBP in the farm system. He will spend most of the season in Beloit, but should get a taste of Fort Myers by July.

3. C Wilson Ramos - AAA Rochester
Age: 22
Pre-Season Ranking: 2
MLB Stats: .296 0 HR 1 RBI .321 OBP .729 OPS
AAA Stats: .160 3 HR 9 RBI .190 OBP .487 OPS
Even the Twins fan who doesn't track the minors at all is aware of Wilson Ramos. When Mauer went down with a bruised heel, he came up and made his presence felt. He even had people having heated debates on what to do with him. Some of the less intelligent fans calling for Mauer to move to 3rd to make room. He then did cool down and showed why he is still a prospect and not a finished product. He still has the potential to be an all-star catcher. I am of the camp that he can be a factor next year as the backup catcher and right-handed DH.

4. 3B Miguel Sano
Age: 17
Pre-Season Ranking: 4
While he has not officially been assigned to a team it is believed he will join the Gulf Coast Rookie League when they start in late June. Sano combined with Gibson where the 1st signs that the Twins budget had changed well before the re-signing of Mauer. He signed last summer for the second -largest bonus in team history right behind St. Mauer's. He profiles as a slugging 3rd baseman. It is hard to project a 17-year old but his ceiling would be a .300-35-120.

5. 3B Danny Valencia - AAA Rochester
Age: 25
Pre-Season Ranking: 6
Stats: .305 0 HR 20 RBI .343 OBP .747 OPS
He is known to many as the next 3rd baseman for the Twins. He is currently being blocked by the Gardenhire-Punto love fest. Don't get me wrong I have no problem that he is not currently up here but even if Punto is batting .180 I can still see him sticking with him and Valencia toiling away in upstate New York. He got off to a slow start and has still not hit a home run, but is currently on a 20 game hitting streak. I haven't reached it yet but the more at bats people like Tolbert, Harris and Casilla get the closer I will get to the boiling point that he is not in Minneapolis yet.

6. OF Ben Revere - AA New Britain
Age: 22
Pre-Season Ranking: 5
Stats: .279 1 HR 10 RBI .353 OBP .680 OPS 11 SB
I have never been a huge fan of his despite being back-to-back minor league player of the year in the organization, and his start in AA has not changed my opinion. He somehow has a lower slugging percentage than a on-base percentage. He has 34 hits on the year and only 4 extra base hits. There are signs that his success in the lower levels will not translate. The two biggest issues are that his batting average has decreased at every level with him hitting only .279 so far and that his stolen bases has gone down. He had 45 stolen bases last year and to date has only 11 in 15 attempts. You would have trouble to find a player that stolen bases go up as they hit the majors. The only way I see value for the Twins for him is he moves to 2nd base. I just can't see them making room for him on the roster by moving out Cuddyer, Kubel or Young when the best he could be is another Denard Span. My guess he is more likely to be traded than don a Twins uniform.

7. SP David Bromberg - AA New Britain
Age: 22
Pre-Season Rankings: 8
Stats: 37.2 IP 3.58 ERA 25 K
Bromberg was finally recognized as a big-time prospect in the system after repeating his Beloit stats and dominating in Fort Myers. He has not been outstanding in AA and has not been dominant with some of his control issues. That being said he is holding his own at age 22 and his star has not diminished. Some warning signs are the strikeout ratio has fallen considerably so far and only pitching 37 innings in 7 starts means he is not cruising out there. It looks like he is going to be passed by Kyle Gibson in line to jump in the rotation but he could be in the Twins rotation by 2011 or opening day 2012.

8. OF Angel Morales - Low A Beloit
Age: 20
Pre-Season Ranking: 7
Stats: .244 3 HR 18 RBI .324 OBP .714 OPS 10 SB
There was some that thought with his strong second half in Beloit he would start the season in Fort Myers. He hasn't exactly forced the Twins hand to promote him yet. He has never hit for a high average and has always had issues with strikeouts. He has increased his stolen bases showcasing his overlooked tool, speed. It also gets lost because he has been around for awhile that he is only 20 and the same age of Hicks. He and Hicks will likely see Fort Myers by the second half of this year.

9. RP Anthony Slama - AAA Rochester
Age: 26
Pre-Season Ranking: 9
Stats: 24.1 IP 1.85 ERA 27 K
I don't know what more he has to do to finally get his chance at the Majors. He has dominated at every level on his way up. He was dominant in Spring Training. Batters are currently hitting .123 against him. The standard line is that he needs to work on his control but he has walked only 9 batters in 24 innings. Alex Burnett got the call and has walked 10 in 17 innings and he's doing fine. They then say it is because he is not on the 40-man roster and they would have to make room, but Clay Condrey can easily be moved to the 60 day DL to make room. Even more frustrating was info that they may finally get rid of Crain but that it might be Kyle Waldrop who would get the call. Waldrop is also not on the 40-man roster. I know his stuff doesn't blow you away but results speak louder than any scouting report should.

10. SP Liam Hendriks - High A Fort Myers
Age: 21
Pre-Season Ranking: NR
Total Stats: 41 IP 1.32 ERA 47 K
High A Stats: 7 IP 1.29 ERA 8 K
He wasn't on anyone's top 10 list coming into the season. He was not in the top 30 by Baseball America and not in the top 50 on Twinkie Town, but his performance to this point can not be ignored. There have not been many scouting reports on him to this point so I don't know if his stuff will translate to the higher levels but the stats are amazing. Of the starters in the farm system he is second in ERA, strikeouts and leads the organization in WHIP with 0.56 and hitter batting average with .136. If he keeps it up he will certainly make a few lists next year.

Twins Prospect Power Rankings

1. 3B Danny Valencia AAA - Rochester
Age: 24
Total Stats: .307 12 HR 51 RBI
AAA Stats: .352 5 HR 22 RBI
I was in the minority having him as the best Twins prospect but a lot of minds have changed with the production he has had. If Crede ends up on the DL, the Twins might go with Valencia this year.

2. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .312 2 HR 37 RBI 33 SB
With Denard Span already on the team, it is thought that Revere will likely be used more as trade bait. That is if the Twins ever make a trade.

3. OF Aaron Hicks Low A - Beloit
Age: 19
Stats: .216 1 HR 14 RBI 3 SB
The buzz surrounding him has dimmed given his struggles this year. It would not be surprising to see him start 2010 in Beloit again.

4. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Age: 21
Stats: .308 3 HR 18 RBI
This is officially a lost year for Ramos, which is disappointing but the talent is still there.

5. OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .258 14 HR 56 RBI
I would like to see him and Revere get some time in New Britain this year but that is not likely to happen.

6. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Age: 25
Stats: 54.1 IP 2.98 ERA 77 K
Is stuck in AA this year but he should be in the Twins bullpen next year.

7. OF Rene Tosoni AA - New Britain
Age: 23
Stats: .277 10 HR 53 RBI
Only got a pinch-hit appearance in the Futures Game but he used it to hit the game-winning double and win the MVP award.

8. RHP David Bromberg High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: 103.2 IP 2.86 ERA 92 K
Has struggled a little in July with a 3.91 ERA but the fact that that is struggling for him is a good sign.

9. RHP Carlos Gutierrez AA - New Britain
Age: 22
Total Stats: 91 IP 3.96 ERA 50 K
AA Stats: 36.1 IP 7.93 ERA 17 K
He is still on this list for his 1st half and the potential but he has been absolutely brutal in AA. He will definitely be starting 2010 in AA. Hitters are hitting .333 against him in AA. His WHIP in AA is 1.89.

10. 1B/C Danny Rams Low A - Beloit
Age: 20
Total Stats: .327 10 HR 32 RBI
Low A Stats: .286 4 HR 6 RBI
I said if he kept hitting he would make the list and he has not stopped hitting. He stikes out way too much but his numbers are video game numbers. In 110 at-bats he has 10 home runs and 24 extra base hits. On the year he has a slugging percentage of .736 and an OPS of 1.144. If you need to know how good that is Albert Pujols has similar numbers with a slugging percentage of .711 and OPS of 1.161.

Mid-Season Awards

NL Rookie of the Year: Tommy Hanson, ATL
He hasn't been up that long but he has lived up to the hype so far. In 7 starts he has gone 4-0 with a 2.85 ERA and 25 K in 41 innings.
Runner-up: Colby Rasmus, STL

NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, SF
Lincecum gets the nod over Haren because he is on a superior team and the number of strikeouts. He has had a great follow-up to last year going 10-2 2.33 ERA 149 K.
Runner-up: Dan Haren, ARI

NL MVP: Albert Pujols, STL
There is no debate regarding this award. He could not play the second half and he would still get votes for the award. He is on pace for the best year of his career with .336 32 HR 85 RBI. Those are full-season numbers if you are lucky. He is a virtual lock for his 3rd MVP Award.
Runner-up: Prince Fielder, MIL

AL Rookie of the Year: Andrew Bailey, OAK
The AL Rookie Award race has been a little disappointing with David Price and Matt Wieters getting off to slow starts. My money is that one of them will have a big second half and win the award but for the first half it goes to the Oakland closer who has a 2.03 ERA and 57 K in 48.7 IP. He is the Oakland representative in the All-Star game.
Runner-up: Rickey Romero, TOR

AL Cy Young: Zach Greinke, KC
He hasn't pitched as well lately and may not hold on to the award over the full year but he still had an awesome first half going 10-5 2.12 ERA 129 K. He should have more wins but he is a Royal.
Runner-up: Felix Hernandez, SEA

AL MVP: Justin Morneau, MIN
This is the toughest award to call. It depends on what you are looking for in an MVP. There are almost 10 candidates who could legitimately win this award. The factors I used to decide this is a player producing runs with a good average. This lead to Justin Morneau. All the attention is paid to Joe Mauer but Morneau is quietly a Triple Crown threat. He is tied for 2nd in HR, 2nd in RBI and 11th in AVG going .311-21-70. Mauer will likely keep him from winning the Triple Crown and will steal votes from him but he does it all for the Twins.
Runner-up: Jason Bay, BOS

All-Star Break Power Rankings

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 55-31 (1st in NL West)
With Manny back and having not missed a beat this team is rolling in a surprisingly good NL West. This team should add a starter because I have a hard time seeing a team with a 21- year old #2 starter winning the World Series even if it is Clayton Kershaw.

2. Boston Red Sox
Record: 52-34 (1st in AL East)
This team has so much pitching it is ridiculous. Justin Masterson and Clay Bucholz would be starters on any other team but they are in the bullpen and AAA respectively. This team doesn't even care that Dice-K has imploded this year. With David Ortiz having returned to form this is my current pick to win it all.

3. New York Yankees
Record: 51-35 (2nd in AL East)
As a Twins fan it is hard not to rank them #1. They are 7-0 against the Twins and only 44-35 against the rest of the league. They have done this and A-Rod isn't really producing this year hitting only .257. Surprise, when they are winning no one is talking about the number of home runs at Yankee Stadium. The numbers are crazy though. Jeter with 10 and Damon with 16 so far.

4. Texas Rangers
Record: 48-37 (1st in AL West)
This team is an absolute surprise. The weirdest part is that they have done this to date without the help of Josh Hamilton. This team I do think is all smoke and mirrors. They will not make the playoffs this year.

5. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 47-37 (2nd in AL West)
This team has dealt with so many issues this year and it continues with Hunter and Guerrrero headed for the DL. This team is still the favorite to win the AL West but I don't see this team piecing it together to compete against the Sox and Yankees.

6. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 48-39 (3rd in AL East)
You know you have it tough when you have the 6th best record but are 3rd in your division. This team has so much talent with Upton, Crawford, Longoria, Pena and Zobrist but it takes more than talent to win the AL East. If they are to make the playoffs they need bullpen help and Pat Burell and David Price to contribute like they can.

7. San Francisco Giants
Record: 48-38 (2nd in NL West)
If Boston has the best pitching staff, San Francisco has the 2nd best as evidenced by Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter yesterday. Lincecum is a legitimate threat to win his 2nd Cy Young. This team could stand to add a bat to help Pablo Sandoval but I like their chances to win the NL Wild Card.

8. Detroit Tigers
Record: 47-38 (1st in AL Central)
This team may regret not putting away the division earlier as both the Twins and White Sox are capable of a run. The biggest reason for the turnaround from last year is Verlander pitching like he should and Edwin Jackson.

9. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 46-38 (1st in NL East)
It seems as if the Phillies just have to stay afloat and they will win the NL East. How a team can be in 1st place without a starter with an ERA under 4.00 is beyond me. Chase Utley doesn't get enough recognition. He is by far the best second baseman and is proving it again this year with .308-20-61.

10. Saint Louis Cardinals
Record: 48-40 (1st in NL Central)
This team is a three-man team. Albert Pujols, Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. The rest is just average. The good news is that looks to be all that it will take to win the NL Central. If there is someone who doesn't think Pujols is the best player in the league I would like to meet them. He is simply not human.

11. Colorado Rockies
Record: 46-40 (3rd in NL West)
This team is headed in the right direction. Started the season 20-32 and has gone 26-8 since. I don't think they can catch the Dodgers but it is looking like a 2-team race for the Wild Card with them and the Giants.

12. Seattle Mariners
Record: 44-42 (3rd in NL West)
This team is what an average team looks like. They have talent (Hernandez, Bedard, and Suzuki) but there is not enough there to compete or have a chance to play in October.

13. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 44-42 (2nd in NL Central)
This team is headed in the wrong direction and the reason is easy to find. They have no starting pitching outside of Yovanni Gallardo. They need to acquire a pitcher if they want to turn this around. It is a shame that they are wasting the efforts of Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun.

14. Minnesota Twins
Record: 44-43 (3rd in AL Central)
This team seems to perpetually on the verge of breaking out but they have yet to. There is also not a single thing you can point to as the problem. People like to say the bullpen but now that they rid themselves of Ayala and Crain they have been fairly good. People talk about the disappointments of Delmon Young, Liriano and Alexi Casilla, but no one talks about how disappointing Scott Baker has been this year.

15. Florida Marlins
Record: 45-43 (2nd in NL East)
This team has Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson but they need more to compete with the Phillies and the Marlins aren't a team to go out and get it. I can't wait for Hanley to get his release from the Marlins so the rest of the league can see how good he is. They don't have the Reyes-Ramirez debate anymore because the answer is clear.

16. Chicago White Sox
Record: 44-42 (2nd in AL Central)
It is surprising that a team that almost acquired Jake Peavy has yet to make a move since. I don't think they have figured out yet whether they are sellers or buyers. This is still a very dangerous team with that lineup especially if Carlos Quentin gets on track.

17. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 44-44 (4th in AL East)
This team is .500 now but they are a good bet to end up below .500. They are in full-blown sell mode. Whether Roy Halladay gets moved or not is one thing but the fact that he is on the trading block shows you its an anything goes sale. They have teams just lining up to see what they can get from them.

18. Atlanta Braves
Record: 42-44 (3rd in NL East)
This team isn't going to do it this year but the future is bright in Atlanta. Tommy Hanson looks like an ace and they have in Jason Heyward the #1 prospect. If they can get a few more years out of Chipper Jones they can return to winning division titles.

19. Chicago Cubs
Record: 41-42 (4th in NL Central)
They have been nothing but a disappointment so far this year and Soto going on the DL does not help. The talent is still there to win the NL Central but the complete implosion at this point seems more likely.

20. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 42-43 (4th in NL Central)
This team has a lot of young talent but issues have stopped this team from reaching their potential this year. Volquez has had trouble staying healthy and Votto has been dealing with personal issues. Jay Bruce will be a stud and has hit for power but he has had a very disappointing sophomore year.

21. Houston Astros
Record: 43-43 (3rd in NL Central)
With talent like Berkman, Tejada, Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence you can be competitive but the question is where they are headed. They need to decide if they are buyers or sellers because standing pat will just result in mediocrity for the foreseeable future.

22. New York Mets
Record: 40-45 (4th in NL East)
At least they aren't going to have to worry about another September collapse. There lineup has been destroyed by injuries with Beltran, Delgado and Reyes going down. They will probably try to make some moves but unless those guys get healthy and contribute this will be another lost season in Queens.

23. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 38-48 (5th in AL East)
It is hard not to be pessimistic in the AL East if you are not New York or Boston but Baltimore does have some things that give hope. Adam Jones has broken out into a star with his first all-star appearance at age 23. They just need to find some pitching and they could be an up and coming team.

24. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 37-50 (4th in NL West)
They have some great talents in Justin Upton, Dan Haren, Mark Reynolds and Max Scherzer and some waste of talents in Stephen Drew, Conor Jackson, Eric Byrnes and Chris Young. Not having Brandon Webb all year also hurts.

25. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 38-48 (6th in NL Central)
It must be hard to justify being a Pirates fan. In the last year they have traded away Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, Nate McLouth, and Eric Hinske. It must be a good motivation for the players that the second you are any good you will be able to get out of Pittsburgh.

26. Kansas City Royals
Record: 37-49 (4th in AL Central)
At some point in the offseason someone will say the Royals have a bright future and are a dangerous team. They will then finish at the cellar with 100 losses again. This team is a perpetual disappointment.

27. Oakland A's
Record: 35-49 (4th in AL West)
Moneyball is not paying off this year as they rebuild. The question is what do they do with disappointment and pending free agent Matt Holliday.

28. San Diego Padres
Record: 35-51 (5th in NL West)
At least the weather is still nice in San Diego.

29. Cleveland Indians
Record: 34-53 (5th in AL Central)
I always doubted the talk of them being the favorites in the AL Central but I never thought they would fall this far. This team is wasting the talent of Sizemore and Victor Martinez.

30. Washington Nationals
Record: 25-60 (5th in NL East)
This team is a joke that is challenging the 1962 Mets, but they claim to not trading Adam Dunn. That makes no sense because they need all the prospects they can get. It is a shame that this team gets Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper.

Twins Prospect Power Rankings

1. 3B Danny Valencia AAA - Rochester
Age: 24
Total Stats: .304 9 HR 37 RBI
AAA Stats: .405 2 HR 8 RBI
It is basically a forgone conclusion that he will be a September call-up and the starting 3rd basemen in 2010. He has had no problem adjusting to AAA.

2. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .304 2 HR 31 RBI 29 SB
Has struggled a little bit lately hitting .264 in June and .195 in his last 10 games. He is still having a good year striking out only 25 times in 313 plate appearances. Joe Mauer has struck out 29 times in 246 plate appearances.

3. OF Aaron Hicks Low A - Beloit
Age: 19
Stats: .233 0 HR 8 RBI 2 SB
Has struggled so far in Beloit, but 13 games is too small of a sample size to make any judgments.

4. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Age: 21
Stats: .308 3 HR 18 RBI
Is apparently still far away from returning from a hamstring injury.

5. 1B/OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .262 10 HR 44 RBI
In the last 10 games he has gone .355-2-11 and went .293-4-15 in June.

6. RHP Carlos Gutierrez AA - New Britain
Age: 22
Total Stats: 82.2 IP 2.72 ERA 45 K
AA Stats: 28 IP 5.46 ERA 12 K
Finally had a good start in AA giving up 1 hit in 5 innings. Problem is that it was probably his last start of the year as they are moving him to the bullpen to limit his innings this year.

7. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Age: 25
Stats: 46.2 IP 2.70 ERA 65 K
Should be in Rochester. Should be in Rochester. Should be in Rochester.

8. OF Rene Tosoni AA - New Britain
Age: 23
Stats: .273 10 HR 47 RBI
Watch for him representing the World team on Sunday in the Futures Game.

9. RHP David Bromberg High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: 86.1 IP 2.71 ERA 76 K
Has only given up 4 home runs so far on the year and has an impressive 1.29 WHIP.

10. RHP Billy Bullock Rookie - Elizabethton
Age: 21
Stats: 5.1 IP 1.69 ERA 7 K
His professional career has gotten of to a very good start as the closer for Elizabethton.

Honorable Mention 1B/C Danny Rams Rookie - Elizabethton
Age: 20
Total Stats: .382 6 HR 23 RBI
Rookie Stats: .405 6 HR 20 RBI
Is not currently in my top 10 but needed a mention given the damage he is doing in Rookie ball. The second round pick in the 2007 draft is coming on strong. In only 11 rookie games he has 6 home runs, 20 RBI and an OPS of 1.486. The only issue is that he has struck out 17 times in 49 plate appearances. Another week or two of this and he will be in Beloit and on this list.

Twins Mid-Season Projections

With the mid-way point of the season upon us it is a good time to project the Twins final stats if they have a second half like the first half. In some cases that would be a good thing and in other a disaster. Here are the current projections for your Minnesota Twins:

Joe Mauer: .390 28 HR 90 RBI
If anyone expects these to be his final numbers they are stupid. He had a once in a lifetime May and came back to reality in June going .353-3-11. While he may not put up those numbers he is well on his way to his 3rd batting title and has been healthy since coming back in May.
Second Half: May reach 20 home runs and may bat .350 but will not be able to repeat first half stats.

Justin Morneau: .320 40 HR 134 RBI
A lot of attention has been paid to Mauer and his prowess, but what is getting lost in the shuffle is Morneau is having one of his best years and another MVP-caliber year. He has typically lost a little power in the second half so I don't see 40 home runs happening but I do see .320 average and 130 RBIs.
Second Half: May see a dip in power with around 30-35 home runs but the production should still be there.

Jason Kubel: .300 26 HR 84 RBI
Now that he is four years removed from his knee injury he has finally reached the potential the Twins saw in him when went .300-2-7 as a September call-up in 2004. It could be argued that he is the most productive DH the Twins have had.
Second Half: As long as he doesn't face too many lefties he is right on target.

Michael Cuddyer: .280 26 HR 90 RBI
After an injury filled and disappointing 2008, there were many fans (including me) who thought he should be the odd man out in the outfield. He has proved them wrong by returning to 2006 Michael Cuddyer.
Second Half: If healthy he can reach projections.

Joe Crede: .230 24 HR 72 RBI
He was brought in to be the power source and be 2nd on the team in home runs. He is currently 5th on the team but has not been a disappointment at all. There isn't anyone who would argue that he is a significant upgrade from Brian Buscher. He has provided just what the Twins hoped he would provide.
Second Half: He could get really hot and hit near 30 home runs or go and the DL and not do anything. I think he will end up .240-26-80.

Denard Span: .288 8 HR 52 RBI 26 SB
He has had some issues with dizzy spells but he has shown that last year was not a fluke. He is the ideal leadoff hitter. He is patient, doesn't strike out and has speed.
Second Half: If the dizzy spells don't come back I could see a big second half for him with him batting around .300.

Brendan Harris: .274 8 HR 44 RBI
Everyone seems to be praising him for his contribution this year, but in his last year with Tampa he went .286-12-59 and he wasn't batting in front of Mauer and Morneau. Yes, he is our best offensive option in the middle infield but that isn't much of a claim on this team.
Second Half: He should get plenty of at-bats and he should be able to duplicate 1st half and hopefully better.

Delmon Young: .264 6 HR 48 RBI
Those who were disappointed with last years (.290-10-69) have been truly disappointed this year so far. Yes, he dealt with the loss of his mother but the production has been brutal. Has actually shown some signs of improvement recently with 6 extra base hits in his last 8 games compared to 3 extra base hits in his previous 44 games.
Second Half: It is almost impossible for him to not do better than his first half. The Twins aren't asking much from their #7 hitter, just hoping that he will provide some power and run production.

Carlos Gomez: .224 2 HR 24 RBI 14 SB
This has been a lost season for the 23 year old so far. He has become the 4th outfielder. He is on pace for only 348 at-bats compared to 577 last year. They need to figure out how to use him better because he is never going to realize his potential on the bench. It only makes him try to do more in his at-bats.
Second Half: Barring an injury, I don't see a lot of at-bats coming his way especially if Delmon starts to produce. His talent is being wasted.

Nick Punto: .217 0 HR 32 RBI 14 SB
Yes, he is good defensively but he is absolutely worthless at the plate. He has 4 extra base hits. Only the Twins would have a career .250 hitter with 11 career home runs in 2,018 at bats as an everyday infielder.
Second Half: More of the same.

Matt Tolbert: .184 2 HR 22 RBI
It is bad enough to have one Nick Punto, but this team has two of them with Matt Tolbert. He is simply not a major league infielder.
Second Half: Twins having to be hoping that Casilla turns it around so they can send Tolbert back to Rochester.

Other projections not worth commenting on:
Alexi Casilla: .180-0-10
Brian Buscher: .198-4-18
Mike Redmond: .229-0-8
Jose Morales: .350-0-4

Brewster Stealing Some Cheese

One Brewster first walked on campus he made a promise to close down the borders and stop the flow of Minnesota talent to other schools, mainly Wisconsin. While he has not completely stopped the gap (Floyd, Mobley, he has done a pretty good job. In Glen Mason's last full recruiting class of the top 10 Minnesota recruits 3 choose Minnesota (Weber, Eric Ellestad, and Sean McWhither) and 3 choose Wisconsin (Kim Royston, Brandon Hoey, and Issac Anderson). Interestingly both Royston and Carufel have both come home. In Brewster's last class of the top 10 Minnesota recruits 6 choose Minnesota with Bryce McNeal (Clemson) and Casey Dehn (Wisconsin) escaping.

It wasn't enough for Brewster to stop the flow of Minnesotans to Wisconsin he wanted to reverse the flow and bring the Wisconsinites to Minnesota. In the past week Brewster has received commitments for two Wisconsinites in Matt Eggen and Zac Epping. They join Tom Parish giving the Gophers currently 3 commitments from Wisconsin. They would have had 4 if not for this fool. So far 3 of the top 7 Wisconsin recruits are headed to Minneapolis. Of the top 10 in Wisconsin Konrad Zagzebski is the only one to commit to Wisconsin with even Iowa and Indiana getting commitments.

While the jury is still out on Brewster with this year being a turning point, nothing makes me happier than him getting kids from Wisconsin. While the results are not there yet he is bringing in a lot more talent and has done better recruiting than Mason ever did or even thought about doing. The result is our future looks brighter and Bret Bielema has the Badgers headed in the other direction much to the chagrin of Badger fans and the delight of me.

Twins Prospect Power Rankings

1. Danny Valencia AAA - Rochester
Age: 24
Stats: .301 8 HR 33 RBI
Has shown that he was deserving of promotion to AAA on June 22 by hitting .500 (9-18) 1 HR 3 RBI in his first week. He is looking like a September callup.

2. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .318 2 HR 30 RBI 28 SB
Is a model of consistency. There are some rumblings about moving him to second base because of his weak arm and a logjam in the outfield.

3. OF Aaron Hicks Low A - Beloit
Age: 19
Stats: .235 0 HR 3 RBI 1 SB
I have no idea why the Twins waited until the short-season started to move him to Beloit. Either he has a great eye or pitchers are pitching around him to get to the otherwise weak Beloit lineup because he has 5 walks in only 22 plate appearances.

4. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Age: 21
Stats: .308 3 HR 18 RBI
Was on an absolute tear in June hitting .400-2-6 but then strained his hamstring and is out for a month. He has only played in 36 games so far this year.

5. OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .264 9 HR 41 RBI
This may be a little high for him, but there is a large gap between the top 4 and the rest. He is the best power hitting prospect in the system as evidenced by him winning the Florida State League Home Run Derby. The best thing he has done is cut down on the strikeouts this year. In roughly the same amount of at-bats this year he has 57 strikeouts compared to last years 83.

6. RHP Carlos Gutierrez AA - New Britain
Age: 22
Stats: 73.2 IP 2.32 ERA 41 K
He has struggled in the promotion to AA by going 19 IP 5.21 ERA 8 K in four starts. AA batters are hitting .284 with 4 home runs against him while in High A they hit .192 and only 1 home run in 54.2 innings.

7. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Age: 25
Stats: 39.2 IP 2.50 ERA 55 K
With the rash of promotions around the minor league all-star games I have no idea why he is still in New Britain. He needs to be in Rochester if the Twins want him to help the bullpen next year.

8. OF Rene Tosoni AA - New Britain
Age: 22
Stats: .271 9 HR 45 RBI
Is the Twins representative in the Futures Game in St. Louis for the World team (He is from Canada). He is showing his potential after finally being healthy. One problem: he is hitting .143 against left-handed pitching.

9. RHP David Bromberg High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: 74.1 IP 2.66 ERA 69 K
Last start was a little rough but he is still a very good pitcher and has very good stuff.

10. RHP Billy Bullock Rookie - Elizabethton
Age: 21
Stats: 1 IP 0.00 ERA 2 K
Highest signed 2009 draft pick after being the Twins 2nd Round selection. Has a 96-98 mph fastball and needs to work on his second pitch, but as a college reliever he should move quickly up the system and could end this year in Beloit and will likely start 2010 in Fort Myers.

Twins Prospect Power Rankings - Week 9

1. 3B Danny Valencia AA - New Britain
Age: 24
Stats: .284 6 HR 26 RBI
He is mired in a horrific slump hitting .074 in the month of June. He is still a top-notch prospect and the slump may be due to the fact he should be in AAA right now.

2. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .327 1 HR 23 RBI 24 SB
Yes he has some issues with a slugging percentage of only .381, but he deserves a promotion to AA after the All-Star game that he will be participating in. He appears to a be a Denard Span carbon-copy.

3. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Age: 21
Stats: .292 1 HR 14 RBI
Has come back from his injury swinging. Since coming back he has hit .370 with 4 doubles and 5 RBI in 7 games. He will be in AA the entire year especially with Jose Morales in Rochester.

4. OF Aaron Hicks Rookie - Elizabethton
Age: 19
Stats: N/A

5. RHP Carlos Gutierrez AA - New Britain
Age: 22
Stats: 59.2 IP 1.96 ERA 36 K
Not a very good first start after getting a much deserved promotion from Fort Myers. He went 5 innings giving up 5 runs on 7 hits. This will be as far as he moves this year as there is talk of limiting his innings this year to 100 because he has never pitched that many innings before.

6. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Age: 25
Stats: 31 IP 2.90 ERA 47 K
Still strikes out an amazing amount of players but gives up a little too many hits and walks with a WHIP of 1.52. It would still be a crime if he is not in Rochester by the end of June.

7. 1B-OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: .249 5 HR 28 RBI
Has not hit a home run in a long time but has a decent OBP of .327. He will spend the whole year in Fort Myers. The question is whether he will perform well enough to make it to New Britain next year.

8. 2B Brian Dinkelman AA - New Britain
Age: 25
Stats: .330 3 HR 32 RBI
Not alot of power but he has 14 doubles and is doing well driving in runs in the 3 hole for New Britain. They need to clear the logjam in Rochester to make room for him so he can be challenged.

9. OF Rene Tosoni AA - New Britain
Age: 22
Stats: .272 8 HR 32 RBI
Continues to produce hitting .379 in the last 10 games. He will likely spend the season in New Britain.

10. RHP David Bromberg High A - Fort Myers
Age: 21
Stats: 56.2 IP 2.06 ERA 50 K
While a lot has been made of Carlos Gutierrez in Fort Myers, Bromberg has quietly been producing and stiking out more batters. With a lack of quality starters in New Britain outside of Gutierrez he should get a call up at some point this year but probably not until at least July.

With the MLB Draft tommorrow, I will post a very uninformed reaction to the draft, but it will list who was drafted. Who knows by the end of the year, one of those players may be on this list.

A site I like is TFLN (Texts From Last Night). Here is your TFLN of the Day:
(315): I told him to come back in 5mins cause i needed to take a few more shots before i could talk to him

Update on the Worst Fantasy Team Ever

I ranted earlier about the disaster that was my fantasy team and it has only gotten worse. Players that were performing have stopped or gotten injured and it is a complete disaster. However, I did finally get my first win this week to go to an awesome 1-8. Here is the list of players destroying my life:

C Geovanny Soto: He was on the original list and has not done anything since. .204-2-13 is absolutely terrible for someone coming off a .285-23-86 rookie season. I have been trying to find a replacement all year but catcher is not a very deep position. I have been hoping Matt Wieters can take his place but he is also not off to a good start. It is not a large enough sample for me to rant on him but it is a very slow start for Baseball America's #1 prospect.

SS Jose Reyes: He was also on the original list but the reason has completely changed. Before it was due to a lack of production and now it is a lack of playing. After my post it seemed he had turned the corner and started to produce. He then tore his hamstring and has not played since May 20th. He is still a couple of weeks away from coming back and I doubt he will be the same when he comes back. Of course, Reyes would have a lost year the year I use my 1st round pick on him.

OF Jay Bruce: He is not that frustrating because the expectations were that great. Yes, he has hit 14 home runs this year but he is doing it batting .216. The most frustrating part it is all in spurts. He has had two big weeks that he has produced and has done nothing the rest of the time.

OF B.J. Upton: He has started to produce a little lately but it has still been a terrible season for someone who should be a .300-20-80-30 player. Instead he is currently .220-3-15-17.

OF Josh Hamilton: I have never hated a recovered crackhead more. First he wasn't producing and then he had nagging injuries and now he has torn abdominal muscle and is out for over a month. I will never touch him again because the drugs have destroyed his body so much that he can never stay healthy. In the last 3 years he has played 281 games out of a possible 380 games. That makes Joe Mauer look like Lou Gehrig.

1B Joey Votto: Votto was one of the bright spots in the first couple weeks. He then suddenly came down with bout of dizziness. He played every so often and produced when he did but missed a lot of games. It was first related to an ear infection and he sat for awhile. He then came back but the problem persisted. He then went on the 15 day DL for personal reasons. It is believed to be related to the dizziness (some have speculated that it is vertigo) but it has not been said why he is on the DL. There is no idea of when he will be back or if he will ever be back. I understand you have to respect his privacy but he is killing my fantasy team because I have no idea when he will be back.

P Brandon Webb: Has not pitched since Opening Day and does not appear close to doing so. The most annoying thing is that the site I use since he is supposed to be a Cy Young contender is not able to be dropped so I have had to hold him the entire time.

Players that have also hurt me this year: 3B Garrett Atkins, P Rich Harden, P John Lackey, and P Brian Wilson

Players that have surprisingly done well this year: 1B James Loney, 2B Brandon Phillips, P Cole Hamels, P Erik Bedard, and P Edwin Jackson

Twins Prospect Power Rankings - Week 8

1. 3B Danny Valencia AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 1
Age: 24
Stats: .324 6 HR 24 RBI
Only 6 home runs may not be impressive but he has an impressive slugging percentage of .570 thanks to 9 doubles and 4 triples.

2. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 2
Age: 21
Stats: .346 1 HR 23 RBI 21 SB
The dude just makes contact. When you have more stolen bases than strikeouts (15) in 179 AB you are doing something right.

3. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 3
Age: 21
Stats: On Sunday he appeared as a defensive replacement for the first time since May 8th when he broke his finger.

4. OF Aaron Hicks Rookie - Elizabethton
Previous Rank: 4
Age: 19
Stats: N/A
The wait for Aaron Hicks is near the end as Elizabethton starts their season on June 23.

5. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 5
Age: 25
Stats: 27 IP 3.00 ERA 41 K 10 SV
Had a couple bad appearances but still ready to be moved to AAA and I don't see why he hasn't been moved yet.

6. RHP Carlos Gutierrez High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 6
Age: 22
Stats: 49.2 IP 1.09 ERA 32 K
I guess that is one way to keep your ERA low in his last start 7 runs were scored in 3.2 innings but he was only charged with 1 earned run because of 7 errors in the game. The problem is that 2 of them were his.

7. OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 7
Age: 21
Stats: .260 5 HR 27 RBI
Has gone a while without a home run but he is in a very pitcher friendly league as he is tied for 12th in home runs. Good news is that he is hitting .297 in the last 10 games and hit .318 in May.

8. 2B Brian Dinkelman AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 8
Age: 25
Stats: .337 3 HR 30 RBI
Despite his numbers the Twins promoted Steve Tolleson who was hitting .258-2-13 in AA to replace Alexi Casilla in Rochester. Yeah that makes sense.

9. DH Luke Hughes AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 9
Age: 24
Stats: .261 6 HR 28 RBI
Has not played since May 22 and I have not been able to find out why. It must not be a big injury as he is not on the disabled list.

10. OF Rene Tosoni AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: NR
Age: 22
Stats: .266 8 HR 30 RBI
Struggled with injuries last year but showed enough to get moved to New Britain and has started to show why. In his last 4 games he has gone 6-13 with 2 HR and 8 RBI. Of those 6 hits only 1 is a single.

Demoted of List: OF Evan Bigley

Fourth Strike Studs and Duds of the Month

I have done away with the Power Rankings at least for now as it took more time than I wanted to spend debating who is better between the Rockies and the Astros. I still would like to name my studs and duds of the month of May.

Stud Hitter of the Month: C Joe Mauer, MIN
Stats: .414 11 HR 32 RBI .500 OBP
Honorable Mention: Mark Teixiera NYY, Justin Morneau MIN, Carl Crawford TB

Stud Pitcher of the Month: Zack Grienke, KC
Stats: 3-1 46 IP 1.57 ERA 44 K 3 CG
Honorable Mention: Justin Verlander DET, CC Sabathia NYY, Roy Halladay TOR

Dud Hitter of the Month: OF Jordan Schafer, ATL
Stats: .158 0 HR 5 RBI 40 SO in 101 AB
Dishonorable Mention: Garrett Atkins COL, Chris B. Young ARI, Mike Fontenot CHC

Dud Pitcher of the Month: Daniel Cabrera, WAS
Stats: 3 Starts 15.2 IP 8.04 ERA 7 K 18 BB 22 HA
Dishonorable Mention: Scott Kazmir TB, Ervin Santana LAA, Armando Galarraga DET

Are These Teams for Real?

As we draw a close to the second month of the baseball season, there are teams that are surprising the prognosticators who did not believe in them. I am going to look at these teams to see whether they have staying power or whether they will fade into the background.

Detroit Tigers
Record: 28-21 (1st in AL Central)
Expectations: Most had them finishing 3rd or 4th in the division and behind the Indians and Twins.
What Has Worked: Justin Verlander has been reminded that he has the stuff of a God. Edwin Jackson built off last year with the Rays and is putting up All-Star numbers. Rick Porcello has justified the Tigers who some thought were rushing the 20-year old stud. They also have a guy named Miguel Cabrera who is hitting like Miguel Cabrera going .355-10-37.
Future: The actually have room to improve. They are getting Jeremy Bonderman back soon and I would be willing to bet Magglio Ordonez is going to break out at some point and hit for power. This team was punished for last year's disappointment and not given enough credit for what they do have. It also helps that the AL Central is not really competitive at this point. Until a second team in the Central shows up they have to be the favorites to continue and win the division.

Texas Rangers
Record: 30-20 (1st in AL West)
Expectations: 2nd or 3rd in division and a distant one from the Angels.
What has Worked: The Angels have been struggling with injuries and tragedies and they have taken advantage. They have a ridiculous lineup with Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz leading the way. The biggest surprise is the pitching staff. They have never been able to get pitching in Texas. While it is not gangbusters the staff has allowed the 5th least runs in the AL.
Future: They do have some room for improvement with Josh Hamilton struggling to stay healthy but not much room as Nelson Cruz is a career .263 hitter hitting .299 and I still don't believe in a pitching rotation of Kevin Millwood, Brandon McCarthy, Matt Harrison and Scott Feldman. The Angels are getting healthy and are playing better. They may make it to the All-Star break but unless the Angels don't get it together they just don't have the pitching to keep it up.

Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 30-20 (1st in NL Central)
Expectations: 3rd in NL Central
What Has Worked: Yovanni Gallardo is an All-Star pitcher and has stayed healthy. The lineup has not missed a beat with Braun, Fielder, Cameron and Hardy. Most importantly though 41 year old Trevor Hoffman has yet to give up a run this season throwing 14 scoreless innings with 12 saves.
Future: This team was supposed to be left for dead with the departure of Ben Sheets and C.C. Sabathia. Problem no one told the Brewers. They finally have found a closer they haven't had since Coco Codero. The biggest thing is they look poised to again use their deep farm system to make an acquisition. Fans want them to make a run at Peavy but with Rickie Weeks out for the year they may address second base. At this point I still believe more in the talent of the Cubs and the Cardinals. It should be a three team race all summer long and if they make a move before the deadline they could easily win the division.

Twins Prospect Power Rankings - Week 7

1. 3B Danny Valencia AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 1
Age: 24
Stats: .339 5 HR 22 RBI
The Twins need to solve the logjam at 3rd base in Rochester because Valencia is wasting everyone's time dominating AA.

2. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 3
Age: 21
Stats: .335 1 HR 20 RBI 18 SB
He clearly is a very good hitter but he is strictly a singles hitter. It is also a little concerning that he is only 18 for 28 on stolen base attempts. I think the Twins should still push him to AA at some point this year.

3. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 2
Age: 21
Stats: .269 1 HR 10 RBI
Has not played since May 8th due to a broken finger.

4. OF Aaron Hicks Rookie - Elizabethton
Previous Rank: 4
Age: 19
Stats: N/A
Many fans are growing impatient of not seeing him play.

5. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 5
Age: 25
Stats: 24.1 IP 2.59 ERA 38 K 9 SV
The Twins have determined he isn't ready yet for the Majors but why he is still in AA is beyond me. He is already 25 and dominating AA.

6. RHP Carlos Guetierrez High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 7
Age: 22
Stats: 46 IP 0.98 ERA 29 K
All indications are that he will be moved to AA by June. He does not strike out a lot but batters are hitting .159 against him.

7. 1B/OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 9
Age: 21
Stats: .267 5 HR 26 RBI
Is in a little of a home run drought but is hitting .324 in his last 10 games and has an OBP of .346

8. 2B Brian Dinkelman AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 10
Age: 25
Stats: .343 3 HR 29 RBI
Is another player in AA who should be in AAA. The Twins have got to make room for him, Valencia and Slama to move up in June. Could be called up once they move Casilla back up.

9. 3B Luke Hughes AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 8
Age: 24
Stats: .261 6 HR 28 RBI
Yes, he can hit, but he has no position to play and his main function right now is to block Valencia at 3rd base.

10. OF Evan Bigley High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: NR
Age: 22
Stats: .308 2 HR 22 RBI
Has not slowed down after getting called up from Beloit in the middle of May going .311-0-4 in 12 games at Fort Myers.

Promoted off List: RHP Anthony Swarzak

Players of Interest
2B Alexi Casilla: .328 0 HR 7 RBI 6 SB
C Jose Morales: .267 0 HR 5 RBI
RHP Phillip Humber: 25 IP 6.12 ERA 19 K
RHP Juan Morillo: 15 IP 3.00 ERA 19 K 7 BB
RHP Deolis Guerra: 46.1 IP 5.05 ERA 32 K
OF Angel Morales: .223 5 HR 20 RBI

Dreaming of What Could Be

Rivals has updated its Top 150 recruits for the Class of 2010 and it leads to dreams dancing in the minds of all Gopher fans. Here is where possible Gopher recruits fall on the list.

#2 Harrison Barnes - A 6'6" wing from Iowa who has some connections to the U.
Positives: Played on the same AAU as Royce and Rodney. His mom is a huge fan of Tubby and if he wants to stay close to home it is probably his best option.
Negatives: We are competing against every team in the nation and he is a Duke fan.
Likely Destination: Duke or Kansas

#6 Cory Joseph - 6'3" guard who is the brother of Devoe Joseph.
Positives: Brother is a major component on the current Gophers team. We have been recruiting him since before his junior year.
Negatives: With his stock soaring a lot of teams have gone after him with Louisville going hard after him.
Likely Destination: Depends on how the Pitino - Louisville situation ends up but it is likely the Gophs or Louisville.

#11 Jelan Kendrick - 6'6" wing from Georgia.
Positives: RSIII is from Georgia and we have been watching him for awhile.
Negatives: Isn't being recruited as hard as others and does not seem to be a priority compared to others.
Likely Destination: Kentucky or Georgia Tech

#26 Vander Blue - 6'3" guard from Wisconsin
Positive: Just recently de-committed from Wisconsin and it has been reported the Gophers are going to go hard after him.
Negative: It is believed he left Wisconsin to head to either Marquette or Louisville who were still after him while he was committed.
Likely Destination: Marquette

They may not get any of these players, but it is just another sign of the Tubby effect that 4 of the top players in the nation who aren't from Minnesota are giving the Gophers legitimate consideration. The Gophers have 3 scholarships for 2010. I think they will get 1 of these 4 players, a big man like Elliot Eliason or Alex Kirk and Jacob Thomas for 2010. We were all excited for the big class with Royce and Rodney but it is possible that would look like small potatoes. If we got Barnes and Joseph we would possibly have the #1 class in the nation. The future is truly bright in the Barn these days.

Quick Thoughts and Quick Rants

• Stan Van Gundy needs to lose his job. How the best center in the game is only averaging 11 shots a game is beyond me. Last night in the 4th quarter he spent the whole time setting picks at the top of the key. I don't remember a single time him posting up in the 4th quarter. When Rafer Alston is taking 5 more shots than an NBA 1st team player you have a problem. Van Gundy needs to go so they can replace him with someone who can utilize this team properly.
• There are just certain players that could really use a AAAA level, and Alexi Casilla looks like he might be one of those players. After struggling all year at the majors, he has gone down to Rochester and been the Joe Mauer of AAA going .462-0-5 with 3 stolen bases in 6 games.
  
• A lot was made of Casilla's struggles so far this year but I would guess that he will be back quick because Matt Tolbert does not seem to be the answer. He is not as good defensively and he is only hitting .190 so far. The thing he does well is patience at the plate drawing 4 walks already.
• The Twins need a middle infielder who can hit. Punto is hitting .200, Casilla was .167, Tolbert .190, and now that Harris has come back to earth he is hitting .174 so far in May.
  
• Whenever Joe Mauer hits a home run, I immediately start laughing. I have never seen a player who has the inability to pull a pitch. I don't think this is the start of the 20 home run seasons we thought we would get, but I can't imagine how anoying it must be to a pitcher to see Mauer slice a ball over the left field wall. He is playing the best he has ever played so far in his career because he is hitting but it is for power and not just singles up the middle. His OPS is currently 1.488.
• I do not get at all why Gomez is not playing. Yes, he is struggling at the plate but he is hitting .286 in the few appearances he has had in May. Even if he is struggling he is maybe the best defensive centerfielder in the MLB. I am still a fan of Delmon Young but currently he should be the odd man out. Gomez despite his struggles still has a higher slugging percentage than Delmon Young. He causes more issues on the base paths and miles better defensively. A crazy idea to help Gomez would be to bat him second in the lineup. With Denard Span on the basepaths and Mauer behind him he would see a lot more fastballs and with his increased patience at the plate he could see the kind of success that Casilla had in the 2 hole last year. When he hits 8th or 7th with Nick Punto protecting him he is not getting any fastballs or pitches to hit.
  

MLB Power Rankings - Week 5

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 22-11
Previous Rank: 1
They have enough power in Kemp, Loney and others to ride out the Manny suspension and I don't yet see a reason why he won't be back in the middle of the lineup on July 3rd.

2. Boston Red Sox
Record: 20-12
Previous Rank: 2
They should be getting Dice-K back soon and they should soon be moving Big Papi down soon. His on-base percentage is higher than his slugging percentage. Delmon Young has a higher slugging percentage.

3. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 22-12
Previous Rank: 3
The Blue Jays play the Yankees this week signaling the first time they play one of the big 3 in the AL East so far this season.

4. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 20-12
Previous Rank: 4
They are struggling a little going 5-5 in the last 10, but that can be expected with Carpenter and Ankiel on the DL.

5. Detroit Tigers
Record: 17-13
Previous Rank: 8
Joel Zumaya is reminding people of how good he is when he is healthy with 6 scoreless innings so far and Justin Verlander seems to finally remembered how to pitch with 1 ER in the last 3 starts with 31 strikeouts in 23 innings.

6. Kansas City Royals
Record: 18-14
Previous Rank: 10
They are riding the wave of Zach Grienke and if recently called up #1 overall pick Luke Hochevar contributes this team might just pitch into contention this year.

7. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 18-14
Previous Rank: 11
The lineup is clicking with Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips awaking, but the success of this team depends on Jonny Cueto and Edinson Volquez.

8. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 18-14
Previous Rank: 16
Ryan Braun is an absolute stud but what is really driving this team is the breakout of Rickie Weeks who is hitting .277-7-21.

9. Chicago Cubs
Record: 17-14
Previous Rank: 5
The team is staying afloat with disappointing starts from Milton Bradley, Derrek Lee, and Geovanny Soto but they have also allowed to the NL Central to be a 4-team race.

10. New York Mets
Record: 17-14
Previous Rank: 20
This team must hate Johan Santana. Last year the bullpen let him down and this year in his two losses he has yet to give up a earned run. He is still well on his way to a 3rd Cy Young.

11. Florida Marlins
Record: 17-15
Previous Rank: 7
The team is struggling a little but it is not because of Hanley Ramirez who is hitting .348-6-19 with 6 stolen bases.

12. Texas Rangers
Record: 17-14
Previous Rank: 17
Playing well winning 7 of the last 8 and they should get Josh Hamilton back on Tuesday. The problem is that they still don't pitch well and the Angels are getting healthy.

13. San Francisco Giants
Record: 17-14
Previous Rank: 14
The most surprising thing about this team is the return of Barry Zito to a respectable pitcher with a 3.57 ERA and 4 earned runs in his last 4 starts.

14. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 16-14
Previous Rank: 21
Things are starting to look brighter with a sweep of Kansas City and John Lackey returning on Friday with Ervin Santana not far behind him.

15. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 15-18
Previous Rank: 18
Evan Longoria is currently on a pace for .358-52-216. I don't expect that but he is making my MVP pick look very good. Most impressive stat so far by Longoria: He has 44 hits and 44 RBI.

16. New York Yankees
Record: 15-16
Previous Rank: 6
Much was made of A-Rod's home run in his first at-bat back but he has gone 1-10 since then against Baltimore. I am not anticipating him putting up big numbers this year and New York looks headed for disaster.

17. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 15-14
Previous Rank: 12
Cole Hamels had a good start this week but he isn't the only problem on a team with an ERA of 5.39. This team is wasting the offense being provided by Utley, Ibanez, Howard and Werth.

18. Minnesota Twins
Record: 15-17
Previous Rank: 15
I may be called a homer but if they ever sort out the bullpen this team is primed to go on a huge run with a productive offense and a rotation that can all give you quality starts. Joe Mauer looks determined to win a 3rd batting title this year but he needs to stay healthy.

19. Atlanta Braves
Record: 16-16
Previous Rank: 19
Interestingly, the Braves do not have a player with 4 home runs yet on the season but they have 6 players who have 3 home runs.

20. Seattle Mariners
Record: 16-16
Previous Rank: 9
They have been brought back to earth last week losing 6 of the 7 games. This team is headed to the cellar of the division with a bullet.

21. Chicago White Sox
Record: 14-17
Previous Rank: 13
Have won 2 out the last 9 games. There does not seem to be a specific reason for the collapse but this team is old and seems to have passed their prime.

22. Houston Astros
Record: 14-17
Previous Rank: 24
The curious case of Lance Berkman continues. He is a career .300 hitter hitting .184 but he has 7 home runs on the season.

23. San Diego Padres
Record: 13-19
Previous Rank: 25
This team is in a free fall getting swept by the Astros and losing 16 of the last 20 games. The countdown until the trade of Jake Peavy has started.

24. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 13-19
Previous Rank: 29
There is hope for the future with Markakis and Adam Jones but this team is in the wrong division to ever realize that hope.

25. Colorado Rockies
Record: 12-18
Previous Rank: 28
This team has talent, the problem is that Colorado will never be able to develop a pitcher as evidenced by the struggles of Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales.

26. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 12-19
Previous Rank: 22
The team is hitting an absolutely brutal .236 as a team. The main culprits are Chris Young (.193) , Conor Jackson (.182), and Eric Brynes (.216). The bright side is Justin Upton has broken out hitting .384-7-17 since April 24th.

27. Cleveland Indians
Record: 12-21
Previous Rank: 26
This team is a officially a failure and I would expect heads to roll in Cleveland soon. To be 12-21 with the talent assembled is a shame and someone needs to be held accountable.

28. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 12-19
Previous Rank: 23
The bottom has finally fallen out for Pittsburgh losing 8 games in a row to plummet to the bottom of the NL Central.

29. Oakland A's
Record: 11-18
Previous Rank: 27
The good news is Matt Holliday is starting to hit home runs again hitting 4 in the last 11 games. The bad news is that he is hitting .200 in those last 11 games.

30. Washington Nationals
Record: 10-20
Previous Rank: 30
Finally something of to draw the interest of National fans: Ryan Zimmerman has a 29 game hitting streak.

Stud of the Week: SS Hanley Ramirez, FLA
Stats: .533 4 HR 7 RBI 3 SB
Honorable Mention: Joe Saunders, Zach Greinke, Johnny Damon, Jason Bay

Dud of the Week: OF Jordan Schafer, ATL
Stats: .120 0 HR O RBI 12 strikeouts in 25 at-bats
Dishonorable Mention: Brandon Inge, Adam LaRoche, Phil Hughes, Bronson Arroyo

Twins Prospect Power Rankings - Week 5

Note: With a lot of recent demotions by the Twins there are a lot of players in the minors that I do not deem prospects (prospects to me mean players that have yet to be on the teams 25 man roster). To cover them I have also added a section of players of interest.

1. 3B Danny Valencia AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 1
Age: 24
Stats: .275 3 HR 9 RBI
Did not play this week due to a sore wrist but should be back at any time.

2. C Wilson Ramos AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 2
Age: 21
Stats: .269 1 HR 10 RBI
Is struggling a little on offense with a .289 OBP and a .344 SLG with only 5 extra base hits.

3. OF Ben Revere High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 3
Age: 21
Stats: .308 1 HR 17 RBI 15 SB
Basically a singles hitter with only 3 extra base hits but he gets on base and steals a lot of bases when he does.

4. OF Aaron Hicks Rookie - Elizabethton
Previous Rank: 4
Age: 19
Stats: N/A

5. RHP Anthony Slama AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 5
Age: 25
Stats: 15.1 IP 2.35 ERA 26 K
Has struggled a little recently but 26 strikeouts in 15 innings is a very good rate.

6. RHP Anthony Swarzak AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 6
Age: 23
Stats: 31 IP 2.03 ERA 23 K
A sign he is favor with the Twins brass. He has only walked 6 batters in 31 innings.

7. RHP Carlos Guetierrez High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 7
Age: 22
Stats: 30 IP 1.50 ERA 19 K
Had his worst start of the season this year and it still was a quality start at 7 IP 3 ER and 6 K. Batters are only hitting .162 against him.

8. 3B Luke Hughes AAA - Rochester
Previous Rank: 8
Age: 24
Stats: .286 5 HR 20 RBI
Had a big week taking the organization home run lead from Parmelee. Has a very respectable OPS of .903.

9. 1B/OF Chris Parmelee High A - Fort Myers
Previous Rank: 9
Age: 21
Stats: .241 4 HR 21 RBI
Has done a good job recently cutting down the strikeouts striking out only 6 times in the last 30 at-bats. That may not sound impressive but before that he had struck out 15 times in 57 at-bats.

10. 2B Brian Dinkelman AA - New Britain
Previous Rank: 10
Age: 25
Stats: .337 1 HR 17 RBI
Is hitting .436 in the last 10 games but only one extra base hit which was a double.

Players of Interest
2B Alexi Casilla - .429 (6 for 14) 0 HR 4 RBI 2 SB
C Jose Morales - .300 (6 for 20) 0 HR 4 RBI
RHP Phillip Humber - 10.2 IP 5.06 ERA 8 K
RHP Juan Morillo - 8 IP 3.38 ERA 10 K 4 BB