X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Minnesota Twins: Top 12 Dynasty Prospects

fantasy baseball prospects MLB prospects rookies call-ups

Marc Hulet ranks the Top 12 prospects in the Minnesota Twins system for 2020 fantasy baseball dynasty leagues. The system features a significant number of high-ceiling prospects -- both in the field and on the mound.

The Minnesota Twins will be our next stop on the farm to evaluate the best prospects on each MLB team. Once the 2020 MLB season begins, it may turn out that Minor League systems will be more important than usual. Franchises are losing money during the pandemic layoff, so many teams will be looking for sources of cheap production. It might also take older players longer to rebound from a long layoff meaning we could see more injuries and more roster moves. We might even see expanded rosters, at least in the early going.

One important question to ask is: How will a long layoff affect prospects? One has to assume the more advanced prospects prior to the work stoppage will be at an advantage, while the more “toolsy but raw” type could be hurt with the lack of repetition and in-game action; throwing or hitting in simulated environments just doesn’t match up to the real thing. Many prospects will have to work jobs during the pandemic just to make ends meet, while players who signed for large bonuses will have an advantage. Other prospects that lack strong discipline and commitment to their craft could struggle to stay in shape.

We won’t really know what the layoff impact will have on baseball in general until things start ramping up. But we do know that a strong prospect pool will continue to be an important element for a successful baseball franchise. We're looking at the Top 10 (or more) dynasty prospects in each organization with an eye to discovering which organizations are best positioned to succeed with their player development when games resume. Make sure to check out all of our prospect content, including Top 50 for 2020 and Top 250 for Dynasty Leagues.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Quick Synopsis

The Twins feature one of the better systems in baseball with high-ceiling players, near-MLB prospects, and solid depth. The system features three outfielders with above-average offensive potentials that could reach the Majors within the next calendar year. The system is so impressive that we've increased the list of players from 10 to 12.

 

1. Alex Kirilloff, OF

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 14
2020 Prospect Rank: 6
2020 LEVEL: AAA
MLB ETA: 2020

After dealing with injuries the past two years, Kirilloff really needed to take advantage of a full season in 2020 to help shake off some of the rust. That won’t happen now but he remains close to MLB ready. He has the makings of a .300 hitter with 20-30 home run potential. He’s an average defender in the outfield but could also end up being moved to first base.

2. Trevor Larnach, OF

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 45
2020 LEVEL: AA
MLB ETA: 2021

Larnach isn’t quite the natural hitter that Alex Kirilloff (above) is but he’s no slouch with the bat and is a .307 career hitter through 169 pro games. He also reached Double-A in just his first full season. Larnach has yet to top 13 home runs as a professional but he has the raw power to develop into a 20-30 home run hitter, albeit it with a healthy amount of swing-and-miss.

3. Jordan Balazovic, RHP

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 80
2020 LEVEL: AA
MLB ETA: 2021

One of the fastest rising prospects in 2019, Balazovic was drafted out of Canada as a teenaged lottery ticket back in 2016 and it took him three years to shake off the snow and ice. Once he gained additional experience on the mound and his body matured into a 6-foot-5, 220 pound beast, Balazovic saw both his fastball and slider improve dramatically. Between two A-ball levels in 2019, the right-hander struck out 129 batters in 93.2 innings.

4. Royce Lewis, SS/OF

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 83
2020 LEVEL: AA
MLB ETA: 2021

Selected first overall in the 2017 draft, Lewis hasn’t seen the offensive success that the Twins were likely hoping for with such a big investment. But he’s also still just 20 years old and reached Double-A in 2019. If he continues to make adjustments and gets stronger, Lewis has 20-20 (HR-SB) potential and could play multiple premium positions (CF and SS). But he’s also a career .266 hitter who hasn’t had an OPS above .800 since Low-A ball so there is risk here.

5. Brent Rooker, 1B/OF

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 109
2020 Prospect Rank: 43
2020 LEVEL: AAA
MLB ETA: 2020

I might be one of the biggest Rooker fans around. He’s a one-dimensional player who doesn’t offer much (if anything) on defense but he’s a very underrated hitter. He has a career .861 OPS in three pro seasons despite being promoted very aggressively. He spent an injury-plagued season in Triple-A but was on pace to hit close to 30 home runs. He won’t hit for a high average because he has a ton of swing-and-miss but Rooker could burst onto the scene in similar unheralded fashion as Twins catcher Mitch Garver.

6. Jhoan Duran, RHP

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 128
2020 LEVEL: AA
MLB ETA: 2020

Duran is very intriguing. He has size, power stuff, gets a ton of ground-ball outs, and has a chance to develop above-average control. But he’s also struggled to find a reliable third offering, which leads to some reliever risk. I think he’ll figure it out and stick as a big-league starter long term so this ranking could end being too low when all is said and done.

7. Lewis Thorpe, LHP

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 168
2020 LEVEL: AAA
MLB ETA: 2020

Thorpe has been a solid performer throughout his career, although he projects as more of an innings-eating No. 3/4 starter than a true star. The lefty has deception to his delivery as well as good control but he struggles with his command, which led to a .336 batting average during his first taste of big-league action in 2019.

8. Nick Gordon, 2B

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 180
2020 LEVEL: AAA
MLB ETA: 2020

Like Lewis Thorpe above, Gordon will likely develop into a solid contributor but lacks the tools to develop into a star. He has average-across-the-board tools but I’ve ranked him higher than some because he can really sting the ball and generates above-average line-drive rates. He’s never hit more than nine home runs in a season but if a hitting coach can help Gordon adjust his swing from a very heavy ground-ball approach then we could see a huge spike in extra-base power.

9. Keoni Cavaco, 3B

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 219
2020 LEVEL: SS-A
MLB ETA: 2023

I felt Cavaco was being overhyped as a draft prospect but the Twins saw things differently and selected him 13th overall in the 2019 draft. He struggled out of the gate with a .172 batting average and BB-K of 4-35 in 87 at-bats in Rookie ball. As ugly as those numbers are, the Twins have one of the better player development systems in the game so I have faith in their ability to help Cavaco turn things around.

10. Wander Javier, SS

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 231
2020 LEVEL: A-
MLB ETA: 2022

Javier appeared to be on the verge of a breakout in 2019 but, instead, fell flat on his face. An already-high strikeout rate skyrocketed to 34% and his line-drive rate dropped below 10%. The line-drive rate was so bad that it’s hard not to think that an injury was to blame. It’s not time to give up on Javier just yet but he needs to have a huge bounce-back and the lost time due to the pandemic is not going to help his cause.

11. Chris Vallimont, RHP

Dynasty Prospect Rank: 245
2020 LEVEL: AA
MLB ETA: 2021

Vallimont is another player that I’m much higher on than the consensus and the Twins pulled off a real steal in getting him as part of the Sergio Romo trade with the Marlins. He has a solid fastball-slider combination and could eventually end up with three or four average-or-better offerings. He also has an excellent pitcher’s frame, should be durable and held A-ball hitters to a .204 batting average with 150 strikeouts in 127.2 innings.

12. Misael Urbina, OF

2020 LEVEL: R
MLB ETA: 2024

Urbina is a high-ceiling lottery ticket that was given almost $3 million dollars as an amateur free agent. He showed very well during his first taste of pro action — although it was way down in the Dominican Summer League. He’s expected to hit for a solid average, run well and possibly grow into some over-the-fence power.

More Prospect Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jake Burger

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Calvin Ridley

Looks Bought in
Cam Ward

Looks Good During Offseason Workouts
Adley Rutschman

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Jalen Ramsey

Prefers to Move to West Coast
Malik Nabers

Giants Being Extra Cautious With Malik Nabers
Shota Imanaga

to Come Off Injured List and Start Next Week
Mitch Garver

Cracks Two Homers, Drives in Five
Jacob Misiorowski

Takes Perfect Game Into Seventh
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Continues Crushing Baseballs With Two More Dingers
Riley Greene

Keeps Mashing With Pair of Homers
Christian Yelich

Tallies Career-High Eight RBI
Josh Green

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Dwight Powell

Exercises Player Option
Xazavian Valladay

Waived by Saints
Tre' McKitty

Released by Browns
Chig Okonkwo

Building Chemistry with Cam Ward
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Add Perrion Winfrey.
Jake Ferguson

Hindered by Knee Issue in 2024
Jamahal Hill

Set For UFC Azerbaijan Main Event
Khalil Rountree Jr.

A Favorite At UFC Azerbaijan
Ignacio Bahamondes

Set For UFC Azerbaijan Co-Main Event
Rafael Fiziev

In Dire Need Of Victory
Rizvan Kuniev

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Curtis Blaydes

A Huge Favorite
Tofiq Musayev

Makes His UFC Debut At UFC Azerbaijan
Myktybek Orolbai

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Nikolas Motta

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Nazim Sadykhov

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Bogdan Grad

Set For His Second UFC Appearance
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Set for More Testing After HBP
Muhammad Naimov

Set To Open Up UFC Azerbaijan Main Card
Julius Randle

Naz Reid and Julius Randle Expected to Return to the Timberwolves
T.J. McConnell

Keys Pacers Bench in Big Win
Jalen Williams

Struggles in Game 6 Loss
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Can't Close Out Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton

Helps the Pacers Push the Thunder to Game 7
Obi Toppin

Drops 20 Points in Pacers Win
Pascal Siakam

Powers Pacers to Game 6 Win
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Goes Eight Strong Innings in Win Over Marlins
Andre Granillo

Notches First Career Win, Then First Career Save in Doubleheader
Aaron Rodgers

Steelers Offense Could Look to get the Ball Out of Aaron Rodgers' Hand Quickly
Joe Mixon

to be Ready at Some Point During Training Camp
Alejandro Kirk

Slugs Two Home Runs in Loss
Emery Jones Jr.

Ravens "Hopeful" Emery Jones Jr. Will be Ready for Training Camp
Jac Caglianone

Smacks Two Solo Homers
Tyquan Thornton

Andy Reid Impressed by Tyquan Thornton
James Wood

Blasts Two Homers
Shedeur Sanders

has Multiple Speeding Tickets
Byron Buxton

Homers Twice in Win
Travis Kelce

Chiefs Not Looking to Limit Travis Kelce's Snap Count
Josh Simmons

Will be Ready for Training Camp
Kristian Campbell

Red Sox Sending Kristian Campbell to Triple-A
Sal Cannella

Browns Sign UFL Standout Tight End Sal Cannella
Jonathan Ward

Steelers Release Jonathan Ward
Treylon Burks

Looking to Prove Himself Right
Gabriel Moreno

Diamondbacks Put Gabriel Moreno on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Contusion
Robert Rochell

Agrees on One-Year Deal With Cowboys
Seth Green

Signs With Saints
Corbin Carroll

Injures Hand on Wednesday, X-Rays Come Back Negative
Michael King

Likely Out Through All-Star Break
Tyrese Haliburton

Officially Questionable for Game 6
Maverick McNealy

May Need To Be Avoided at TPC River Highlands
MLB

Brewers-Cubs Postponed on Wednesday
Wyndham Clark

Avoid Wyndham Clark at the Travelers Championship
Rickie Fowler

a Very Risky Option at TPC River Highlands
Russell Henley

Has Elite Value at TPC River Highlands
Ben Griffin

Once Again a Solid Option for Travelers Championship
Jason Day

an Intriguing Option at TPC River Highlands
PGA

Sungjae Im Still Totally Useless For DFS Ahead of Travelers Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Looking to Bounce Back After Messy U.S. Open
Ryan Fox

Looks to Continue Hot Run at TPC River Highlands
Jordan Spieth

Makes a Strong Case at Travelers Championship
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks to Continue Momentum Into Travelers Championship
Hideki Matsuyama

Searching for Consistency at Travelers Championship
Justin Thomas

Looks to Bounce Back at Travelers Championship
Adam Scott

Looks to Rebound After Disappointing U.S. Open Finish
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Another Strong Performance at Travelers
Shane Lowry

a High-Upside Play at Travelers
Tommy Fleetwood

Looks to Rebound at Travelers
Corey Conners

Withdraws from Travelers with Wrist Injury
Keegan Bradley

in Solid Form Ahead of Travelers Championship
Gary Woodland

Hit-or-Miss at the Travelers
Sepp Straka

Expected to Contend at Travelers Championship
Tyrese Haliburton

to Be a Game-Time Call Thursday
Roman Josi

Expects to Return for 2025-26 Campaign
Sam Bennett

Wins Conn Smythe Trophy
Matthew Tkachuk

Reveals Multiple Injuries
Aleksander Barkov

Posts Two Assists in Cup-Clinching Win
Carter Verhaeghe

Collects Hat Trick of Assists in Tuesday's Win
Sam Reinhart

Scores Four Goals in Cup-Clincher
John Klingberg

Rejoins Oilers Lineup Tuesday
Kasperi Kapanen

Returns to Oilers Lineup for Game 6
Stuart Skinner

Back in Oilers Crease Tuesday
Chet Holmgren

Has Tough Shooting Night in Game 5 Against Pacers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Outstanding at Both Ends Monday
Jalen Williams

Erupts for 40 Points in Game 5 Win
Pascal Siakam

Has Best Game of Finals Monday
Tyrese Haliburton

Determined to Battle Through Calf Injury
LeBron James

Progressing Well From Knee Injury
Stephen Curry

"Not Even Close" to Retirement
Jonathan Kuminga

Linked to Bulls, Heat
Kevin Durant

Has "No Desire" to be Traded to Minnesota
Jarace Walker

Remains Sidelined for Game 5
Kamaru Usman

Gets Back In The Win Column
Joaquin Buckley

Winning Streak Comes To An End
Miranda Maverick

Drops Decision At UFC Atlanta
Rose Namajunas

Wins Decision At UFC Atlanta
Andre Petroski

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Edmen Shahbazyan

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Raoni Barcelos

Wins Third Fight In A Row
Chase Elliott

Ends Mexico City with A Great Finish of Third
Christopher Bell

has A Strong Runner-Up Performance At Mexico City
Chase Briscoe

Wild Day Ends with A Top-10 Finish
Michael McDowell

Leaves Mexico City with A Top-Five Finish
Cody Garbrandt

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Brundage

Defeated After Accidental Clash Of Heads
Alex Bowman

Delivers Bravura Performance After Michigan Injury
Tyler Reddick

Inexplicably Mediocre on his Once-Best Track Type
John Hunter Nemechek

Canny Strategy Gives John Hunter Nemechek Best Career Road-Course Finish
Cole Custer

Earns Best Finish Since Cup-Series Comeback at Mexico City
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF