Posted on 09 March 2009
H/W: 6-1 180 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 11/24/89
The Twins selected the young Puerto Rican OF in the 3rd round of the 2007 draft. After a mediocre '07 season with the Twins' GCL affiliate, Angel Morales came back in '08 and put up big numbers at short season Low-A Elizabethton hitting .301 with 15 HR 28 RBI 7 SB and 33 runs scored in just 183 AB. Morales has fast hands and a powerful swing that exerts excellent torque on balls in the strike zone. His athleticism plays well in every aspect of his game as he is an above average runner and solid OF. The big question mark in his game, at this point is the infamous plate discipline numbers. Last season Morales walked 26 times but punched out 74 times in 56 games. He gets overly aggressive with pitches outside the zone and has difficulty altering his approach against offspeed pitches. Also, there has been some concern that his breakout numbers could be partially inflated by the home park that he played in, as many Elizabethton players put up excellent numbers last year. Morales batted .333 at home and .275 on the road, but his power numbers were almost identical 8 HR at home vs. 7 on the road). There is a great deal to like about Morales, but much of it is raw and merely projectible at this point.
2009 Projection: Angel Morales will be gearing up for his first full season of baseball at Low-A Beloit. This should provide a good challenge for him to prove that his breakout season is authentic. Watch the K numbers this year. Last season's average of nearly 1.5 per game will not be acceptable at higher levels, making that .300 BA an outlier. The Twins will be working with Morales to get him to keep his hips closed and hands back longer, this should help him see the ball for just a bit longer and utilize the entire field when he hits. Morales has quick enough hands that he should be able to make this transition without negatively affecting his power numbers.
Key Angel Morales Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Playoff Contenders Auto
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Posted on 12 January 2009
H/W: 6-0 205 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 8/10/87
Seemingly every franchise has to have its high-upside offensive catching prospect nowadays and, for the Minnesota Twins, Wilson Ramos is it. Putting on 15 lb. of muscle in the off season enabled the young Venezuelan to have his best season to date hitting .288 with 13 HR 78 RBI and 23 doubles. Ramos has above average bat speed and a level swing plane that allows for him to hit with power to the gaps. He is a good athlete whose mobility behind the plate and strong arm makes him a superior defensive catcher as well. Ramos has the potential to hit for a high average, but his plate disicpline (37 BB/103 K) threatens to severely hamper him against more advanced pitching. The Twins are optimistic that he can improve in that area and, with franchise player Joe Mauer calling the signals for the Twins, Ramos has ample time to refine his tools.
2009 Projection: The next stop for the young Venezuelan receiver is AA New Britian where he should be challenged. The BB/K rate is the big thing to watch from him. If he can convert 15-20 of his K's into walks, he should be able to maintain a .280-.290 average. If he continues to struggle, that average could dip into the .250-.260 range, severely hampering his status as a potential top catching prospect.
Key Wilson Ramos Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Donruss Threads Auto #/999
- 2008 Donruss Elite Extra Auto #/745
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Posted on 25 December 2008
H/W: 6-2 170 lb. B/T: S/R DOB: 10/2/89
The Twins' 1st round pick had an immensely successful debut with Minnesota's GCL affiliate hitting .318 with 4 HR 27 RBI 12 SB and 32 runs scored in just 45 games. Hicks has incredible athleticism and tools galore with above average power potential from both sides of the plate, top rate speed, and an arm that fired mid-90's fastballs as a high school pitcher. To the surprise of many MLB scouts, Hicks demonstrated advanced skills in plate discipline (28 BB/32 K) and base stealing savvy (12 SB in 14 attempts), once thought to be weaknesses in his game. Hicks has the ability to run down any ball in the OF gaps, though he still needs to work on taking more precise routes. The Twins couldn't be happier with the early returns from Hicks and the biggest challenge for him will be to replicate these numbers over a full season.
2009 Projection: Aaron has certainly earned a trip to full season Low-A Beloit. Watch to see if Hicks can continue to put up sterling BB/K ratios while increasing his power output. With Ben Revere excelling as the Twins' future CF, it will be important for Hicks to boost his power production to an acceptable level to be a RF. Of course, there is always the possibility the Minnesota would develop Hicks as their future CF, moving Revere over to LF. Either way, Hicks has the projectible strength and athleticism to hit 15-20 HR with a high average at the MLB level. Twins fans rejoice!
Key Aaron Hicks Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Razor Signature Series Auto #/699
- 2008 Razor Exclusive Auto
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Posted on 15 December 2008
H/W: 6-2 211 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 3/5/88
The Twins' 2006 2nd round pick had his season cut short in June after suffering a stress fracture in his back. Prior to the injury, Benson batted .248 with 4 HR 27 RBI and 17 SB in 69 games. When healthy, this Joliet native is hands-down the best athlete in the Minnesota Twins' organization with an athletic and muscular frame that should develop plus power and top-notch speed. Defensively, Benson has the tools to be an elite CF and the arm strength to play RF. He is a gritty competitor who was a top prep running back recruited by Purdue and other universities. The biggest questions remain with his lack of offensive polish. Benson displayed poor plate discipline (24 BB/72 K) and a lack of basestealing savvy (11 times caught stealing). Additionally, the looming spectre of a major back injury does present the risk of becoming a chronic problem that could continue to hamper his development. All told, Benson is a young and intriguing athlete who has several questions to answer this upcoming season.
2009 Projection: Early reports show that Benson will be healthy and ready to go for 2009. The Twins will likely send him back to Low-A Beloit and if early returns are good, he should move to High-A Fort Myers at some point in the season. Pay close attention to his health status this year as well as his progress in both his plate and baserunning discipline. If he can hone these skills, Joe Benson could become the MInnesota Twins' version of Grady Sizemore within the next few seasons.
Key Joe Benson Baseball Cards
- 2007 Bowman Sterling Auto
- 2007 Bowman Heritage Auto
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects
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The Twins selected the young Puerto Rican OF in the 3rd round of the 2007 draft. After a mediocre '07 season with the Twins' GCL affiliate, Angel Morales came back in '08 and put up big numbers at short season Low-A Elizabethton hitting .301 with 15 HR 28 RBI 7 SB and 33 runs scored in just 183 AB. Morales has fast hands and a powerful swing that exerts excellent torque on balls in the strike zone. His athleticism plays well in every aspect of his game as he is an above average runner and solid OF. The big question mark in his game, at this point is the infamous plate discipline numbers. Last season Morales walked 26 times but punched out 74 times in 56 games. He gets overly aggressive with pitches outside the zone and has difficulty altering his approach against offspeed pitches. Also, there has been some concern that his breakout numbers could be partially inflated by the home park that he played in, as many Elizabethton players put up excellent numbers last year. Morales batted .333 at home and .275 on the road, but his power numbers were almost identical 8 HR at home vs. 7 on the road). There is a great deal to like about Morales, but much of it is raw and merely projectible at this point.
