logo
ENFRع
#

Latest news with #farmSystem

Twins midseason top 20 prospects: Walker Jenkins at No. 1, Kaelen Culpepper rising
Twins midseason top 20 prospects: Walker Jenkins at No. 1, Kaelen Culpepper rising

New York Times

time17-07-2025

  • Sport
  • New York Times

Twins midseason top 20 prospects: Walker Jenkins at No. 1, Kaelen Culpepper rising

Injuries have taken a toll on what looked like a very good Minnesota Twins farm system coming into the season, as each of the top six prospects on my preseason list missed significant action in the first half, and several are still sidelined as the second half begins. Toss in the graduation of Zebby Matthews (preseason No. 4), who shed his prospect status by surpassing 50 career innings in the majors, and this is a still-solid farm system that has nonetheless lost some of its luster. Keeping their best players on the field continues to be an organization-wide issue. Advertisement Adding two first-round picks and a total of four top-100 choices in the MLB Draft during the All-Star break provides a nice boost, making this a good time to update prospect rankings. We can add new draftees, wave goodbye to graduates and evaluate first-half work with the trade deadline looming. Here is my updated mid-2025 ranking of the Twins' top 20 prospects. Twins preseason prospect ranking: 1st Ankle and hamstring injuries have slowed Jenkins' ascension since being the No. 5 pick in the 2023 draft, but only slightly. He's hitting .247/.393/.365 versus Double-A pitchers as a 20-year-old, out-producing the Texas League average by 55 points of OPS, and remains a consensus top-25 prospect. Jenkins hasn't shown much power despite a strong 6-foot-3 frame, totaling just 12 homers through 140 pro games while hitting too many pitches on the ground. But his contact skills and plate discipline are already elite, he's an efficient base stealer and his defense in center field draws positive reviews. #MNTwins top prospect Walker Jenkins hit his first Double-A — Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) June 29, 2025 Twins preseason prospect ranking: 3rd Keaschall made his MLB debut on April 18, just eight months after Tommy John surgery and despite not being cleared to throw at full strength. He put on a show with his bat and legs, hitting .368 with five steals in seven games before a hit-by-pitch broke his right forearm. He's close to returning. Keaschall has control of the strike zone, drawing walks and rarely whiffing, and he wreaks havoc on the bases. It's an ideal leadoff skill set, especially if the 2023 second-round pick can hit 10-15 homers. Prior to back-to-back arm injuries, he profiled well defensively at second base and in center field. Advertisement Twins preseason prospect ranking: 2nd Rodriguez's elite walk-drawing ability has led to an impressive .411 on-base percentage against Triple-A pitchers at age 22, but he's batted just .254 with an alarming 33 percent strikeout rate. Hand and hip injuries have limited him to 43 games for St. Paul, marking his fourth straight season with health issues. Still a consensus top-50 prospect, there's a wide spectrum of possible career outcomes for Rodriguez due to the extreme nature of his skill set. He has an uncommon mix of plate discipline and power for a speedy center fielder, but injuries, strikeouts and walk-hunting passivity threaten to hold him back. Twins preseason prospect ranking: 7th Last year's first-round pick, Culpepper is already excelling against Double-A competition and has quieted pre-draft questions about his ability to stick as a shortstop by looking like a strong-armed natural there. He's hit .311/.398/.488 with 12 homers and 18 steals in 70 games this season. Culpepper, like Jenkins, will need to elevate more pitches to unlock his full power potential, but he's still just 22 and has quickly tightened up his plate discipline compared to a free-swinging college reputation. He's starting to land on top-100 lists, an encouraging path in the first full season of the No. 21 pick. 2 home games at the Double-A level, 2 homers for Kaelen Culpepper ‼️ The @Twins' 2024 first-rounder ups his @WindSurgeICT OPS to 1.077 on this LOUD homer: — MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 26, 2025 Twins preseason prospect ranking: 9th Healthy for the first time since high school, Prielipp has a 52-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 43 2/3 innings against Double-A hitters with a 3.50 ERA. He's averaging 50 pitches a start, a limit on the 24-year-old southpaw's workload. His electric raw stuff remains intact after two elbow surgeries. Advertisement Prielipp's go-to pitch is a bat-avoiding slider that's one of the minors' best, and his mid-90s fastball and mid-80s changeup are also standout offerings. It's the pitch mix of a potential front-line starter, although durability issues could lead to a fallback plan as a high-leverage, late-inning reliever. Twins preseason prospect ranking: 20th Hill was last year's second-round pick, and Twins officials believed the high school left-hander would add velocity once his 6-foot-5 frame filled out. Sure enough, his fastball is already topping out at 97-98 mph, and he's racked up 60 strikeouts versus 28 hits allowed in 41 1/3 innings at Low-A Fort Myers. Like many teenagers, Hill's off-speed pitches are good but inconsistent and his control comes and goes, but there's front-line starter upside here if it all clicks. For now, the Twins are understandably taking things slowly with his early development, limiting Hill to 60-80 pitches per start in his pro debut. #MNTwins No. 13 prospect Dasan Hill did not allow an earned run and struck out six over 4 2/3 innings in Saturday's victory.@USAFRecruiting #AimHigh — Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (@MightyMussels) July 15, 2025 Twins preseason prospect ranking: N/A One of the best defensive shortstops in college baseball, Houston's offensive breakout in 2025 led to his selection at No. 16 by the Twins in this week's draft. In three years at Wake Forest, his OPS rose from .635 to .949 to 1.055 as he added power to his already good contact skills and patience. That hasn't quieted industry-wide skepticism about Houston's future power potential, but the Twins are betting they can get him hitting well enough for the glove to make him a good starting shortstop. If they're right, he should move quickly. If they're wrong, he might profile as a utility infielder. Twins preseason prospect ranking: 21st Gonzalez had a disappointing 2024 after coming over in the Jorge Polanco trade, but his stock is on the rise. One of the youngest Double-A regulars at 21, he's batted .370/.453/.526 with more walks (22) than strikeouts (21) in 44 games since a mid-May promotion. Gonzalez's line-drive swing and all-fields approach have made him a career .302 hitter in the minors, but he's yet to show substantial power for a corner outfielder and isn't much of a defender. He was seen as a borderline top-100 prospect when the Twins acquired him and is nearing that range again. Gabby Two Bags! Gabby Gonzalez smacks an RBI double to the center field wall to score Walker Jenkins from first base. B1SAM 0, WCH 1 — Wichita Wind Surge (@WindSurgeICT) July 13, 2025 Twins preseason prospect ranking: 6th Soto sprinted out of the gates with two runs allowed and 15-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 13 innings over three starts at High-A Cedar Rapids, only to be shut down in April with a right triceps strain from which he's still recovering. Still just 19, he's expected to resume pitching at some point in the second half. Advertisement Durability is in question, but Soto's talent is undeniable, and the Twins were pleased with the 2023 supplemental first-round pick's improved control this spring before the injury. His mid-90s fastball maxes out at 100 mph, and his changeup and slider have flashed as swing-and-miss weapons. Twins preseason prospect ranking: N/A Quick returned from Tommy John surgery to rejoin Alabama's rotation with a 3.92 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 62 innings this year before the Twins picked him in the supplemental first round, 20 spots after taking Houston. His big-time raw stuff and uncommon background are an intriguing combination. Quick was a four-star offensive lineman coming out of high school, with lots of Division I offers, but the 6-foot-6, 250-pound right-hander chose baseball over football. Led by a mid-90s fastball that reached 99 mph just 12 months removed from surgery, Quick has the four-pitch mix of a long-term starter. Twins preseason prospect ranking: 11th Winokur struggled in April and May after getting pushed to High-A Cedar Rapids at 20. He's found a groove since June 1, batting .261/.336/.493 with eight homers and nine steals in 35 games, and the 6-foot-6 shortstop/center fielder continues to show rare athleticism for his size. Oh my goodness! Brandon Winokur leaves Earth!!#CRKernels | #CRPEO — Cedar Rapids Kernels (@CRKernels) June 12, 2025 Twins preseason prospect ranking: 8th Raya's overall numbers are ugly because of a brutal stretch in which Triple-A hitters clobbered the 22-year-old for 32 runs in his first 26 2/3 innings of the year. He's turned it around with a 2.05 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings since June 11, while regularly pitching deep into games for the first time in his career. Twins preseason prospect ranking: 15th DeBarge has cooled since a hot start, but there's still a lot to like about the 2024 supplemental first-round pick's first full year. He's hit just .249 with six homers in 78 games for High-A Cedar Rapids, yet DeBarge has a .362 on-base percentage thanks to 51 walks, and he's stolen 46 bases in 49 tries. Twins preseason prospect ranking: 5th Morris had a mediocre first half at Triple-A St. Paul, posting a 4.41 ERA and 60-to-24 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 63 1/3 innings, but he'd probably be in the big-league rotation right now if not for a mid-June forearm strain. He still looks like a possible mid-rotation starter if he gets back to throwing more strikes. Advertisement Twins preseason prospect ranking: N/A Targeting pure upside with the 54th pick in this year's draft, the Twins took Young, a 6-foot-6 high school shortstop with top-of-the-scale raw power and arm strength who also happens to be the nephew of former major leaguers Delmon Young and Dmitri Young. High risk, high reward, and years away. Twins preseason prospect ranking: 16th Olivar continues to fly under the radar despite carrying at least an .800 OPS for the fourth straight season, this time against Double-A pitching. He's a quality right-handed hitter without an obvious long-term defensive home, splitting time between catcher and left field this season. Ricardo Olivar launched a pair of HRs for the @WindSurgeICT yesterday 💣 3rd inning HR: 104.0 MPH5th inning HR: 107.6 MPH#MNTwins — Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) June 5, 2025 Twins preseason prospect ranking: 12th Culpepper has looked great in five Double-A appearances since returning from a pinched nerve that cost him the first two months of the season. He's consistently shown mid-rotation upside when healthy, but frequent injuries have limited Culpepper to just 163 innings in three seasons. Twins preseason prospect ranking: 17th Amick has been very productive at High-A Cedar Rapids, but in a very odd way. The former college slugger has had shockingly little power, with just two homers in 37 games. He's hitting .312 despite lots of whiffs, thanks to an unsustainable .446 BABIP. Hard to argue with an .849 OPS, weird or not. Twins preseason prospect ranking: 23rd Returning from ankle surgery that limited him to 29 games last season, De Andrade has hit .244/.337/.442 with eight homers and 14 steals in 79 games at High-A Cedar Rapids. He's outgrown shortstop, but that's less of an issue now that he's showing more power at age 21. Twins preseason prospect ranking: 35th Olivares' raw stuff is among the system's best, including a mid-90s fastball and a bat-missing slider/cutter that's helped him rack up 65 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings while shutting down High-A righties and lefties. However, poor control threatens to force a move to the bullpen eventually. (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire, Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins, Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

Tigers projected to boost infield with latest mock draft selections
Tigers projected to boost infield with latest mock draft selections

Yahoo

time13-07-2025

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Tigers projected to boost infield with latest mock draft selections

The 2025 MLB Draft is just a little under 24 hours away, and the Detroit Tigers have a chance to add some real firepower to their farm systems this season. As if their main roster isn't dominating enough. Advertisement The team has been blessed with two selections in the first 35 picks, the opportunity to ring in the new generation of Motor City baseball. The team's biggest need is a third baseman and also some more reliable arms in the bullpen, which they can take care of at the trade deadline if not during the draft. Baseball America, in their most recent MLB mock draft, projects that Detroit will go with shortstop Kayson Cunningham with the 24th pick in the first round. Even if they do select the top-ranked prospect out of the state of Texas, the shortstop just committed to the Texas Longhorns baseball team, which would make it even harder to officially land Cunningham in the draft, but would surely benefit the Tigers if they decide to take the high schooler and he decides to forgo his college play. Advertisement Cunningham currently sits at No. 14 in the MLB Pipeline rankings. And at No. 34 in the mock draft, the Tigers are projected to go with Alabama Crimson Tide pitcher Riley Quick, a second-team All-SEC pitcher, who went 8-3 with 70 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched and also held a 3.92 earned run average. The 2025 Major League Baseball Draft will take place on July 13-14 in Cumberland, GA.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store