Twins: 5 most impressive prospects
Now that we’ve discussed the five most disappointing prospects, it’s time to take a look at the five most impressive. The Minnesota Twins have a good farm system, and there were too many players who could have made the list as a result of this. At the end, there may or may not be something a little extra.
1. Jose Miranda, 3B – Triple-A
Was there really any suspicion on who was the Twins’ most impressive prospect this season? If you didn’t live under a rock, this comes as no surprise.
Jose Miranda wasn’t protected in the Rule 5 Draft, and we know the Twins have had done poorly in that department in recent years. Luckily, no one selected him, and the decision didn’t come back to bite them in the ass.
No one saw this coming-out party, but Miranda proved everyone wrong. Before 2021, he had a batting average of .258. This year he hit .344, with an on-base percentage of .401 and a slugging percentage of .572.
Other than his ability to collect base hits at a ridiculous pace, he had a low strikeout rate (14 percent). With a low strikeout rate, you’d expect they’re a contact hitter. That wasn’t the case for Miranda, as he finished the year with 30 home runs and an OPS of .973.
Video game numbers.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Twins do this offseason and if they prioritize getting Miranda everyday reps at third base. Do they trade Josh Donaldson or make him he DH? These are all big questions for the front office to figure out in the coming months.
2. Louie Varland, SP – High-A
Louie Varland had a great 2021 season, but he didn’t catch the eyes of most fans until the end of the year. After starting the season with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, the Minnesota native rightfully earned a callup to High-A.
He finished the season with a 10-4 record and an ERA of 2.10. In 103.0 innings pitched, opponents were only able to hit .214 off him.
He was also nominated as the Twins minor league player of the year.
In a bullpen session back in February, he touched 100 mph. Will he ever do that in a game? Probably not, but consistently throwing 96-99 isn’t out of the question.
You’d like to see him start the season with the Wichita Wind Surge after dominating at Single-A. Depending on how good he is next season, the most realistic timeline to the major leagues is probably 2024.
3. Spencer Steer, OF – Low-A
Much like Miranda, no one saw Spencer Steer having a season as he did. The former third-round pick proved to be a good hitter in college and the minors, but there was one aspect in his game that was lacking.
That was his ability to hit for power.
He played three seasons at the University of Oregon and hit a total of 12 home runs. In 2019 he combined to hit for four home runs between rookie ball and High-A.
This season between High-A and Double-A, he smashed 24 home runs. He hit more bombs this season than he did in three seasons at Oregon and 2019 combined.
On top of this impressive breakout, he also drove in 66 RBIs, and his batting splits were .254/.348/.484.
4. Josh Winder, SP – Triple-A
Josh Winder’s season ended early for what the organization described it as shoulder fatigue. Hopefully, this is nothing to worry about, but the original timetable was two-to-three weeks, and he never returned after Aug. 6.
Before the injury, the former seventh-round pick was dealing, finishing with a stat line of 4-0 and an ERA of 2.63.
Winder performed better at Double-A, but he only played in four games for the St. Paul Saints.
- Double-A: 3-0, 1.98 ERA, 54.2 IP, 41 H, 10 BB, 65 SO, .208 BA
- Triple-A: 1-0, 4.67 ERA, 17.1 IP, 14 H, 3 BB, 15 SO, .219 BA
The biggest storyline is his strikeout-to-walk rate and opponent batting average. If he can continue to command the ball, then he should have success as a starter for a long time.
5. Tomás Telis, C – Triple-A
Tomás Telis isn’t your traditional prospect, and he certainly stands out on this list. That’s because he’s 30 years old, but you can’t hide the fact that he had an impressive season.
We’re starting to see more offensive catchers in today’s game, and Telis is one of those players. This season he finished with a batting average of .296, with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs.
He was also named the Triple-A East All-Star.
At 30 years old, he’s likely going to finish his career in the minor leagues or play for another team. Minnesota has too many catchers that are either in the majors or almost there. This is unfortunate for many reasons, but Telis has proven he can be a good offensive player.
He’s had a few at-bats at the major league level, but he didn’t have much success. Either way, it’s good to see him perform at a high level.
Notable Snubs:
- Christian Encarnacion Strand, 3B, Low-A (Not enough games)
- Michael Helman, 2B, High-A
- Yunior Severino, 2B, High-A
- Cole Sands, SP, Double-A (Not enough games)
