MINNESOTA TWINS


Chad Allen (OF, 26, R/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998      AA 137 504 132 31  7  8  70  82  51  78  262 334 399  21   9
 2000     AAA  96 389 121 21  5  9  71  67  31  72  311 363 460  10   2

 1999     MIN 137 481 133 21  3 10  69  46  37  89  277 330 395  14   7
 2000     MIN  15  50  15  3  0  0   2   7   3  14  300 345 360   0   2

 
      After spending all of 1999 with the Twins, Allen was back in the minors in 2000. Why, you ask? Umm, I don't know, I'll have to check the Twins' website, maybe it will give a clue. Allen isn't a great player, but he is what he is: a .270-.280 range hitter with a bit of power and speed. He's got nothing left to prove at Salt Lake City; if the Twins don't want him, he should be a good fit on someone's bench.

 
Danny Ardoin (CA, 27, R/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998      AA 109 363  90 21  0 16  67  62  62  87  248 367 438   8   4
 1999     AAA 109 336  85 13  2  8  53  46  50  78  253 364 375   3   3
 2000     AAA  70 243  67 16  1  6  43  34  37  76  276 389 424   6   0

 2000     MIN  15  32   4  1  0  1   4   5   8  10  125 300 250   0   0

 
      Ardoin is another catcher is who has spent most of his career in the minors. There are lots of guys like him, though he can hit better than most, and could be useful to any team that needs a third-string catcher.

 
John Barnes (OF, 25, R/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998      AA 120 451 123 22  1 14  62  44  49  56  273 349 419   4   9
 1999      AA 129 452 119 21  1 13  62  58  49  40  263 339 400  10   2
 2000     AAA 120 441 161 37  6 13 107  87  57  48  365 439 565   7   6

 2000     MIN  11  37  13  4  0  0   5   2   2   6  351 415 459   0   1

 
      Barnes wasn't much of a prospect until he went wild at Salt Lake City last season, posting the highest batting average in the Pacific Coast League. As a rule, I'm skeptical about hitters in the PCL; it's a hitters' league, and that Salt Lake team scored over 1000 runs. But the Twins having nothing to lose by putting him in the lineup; he might hit .300.

 
Sean Bergman (31, R) 
 YEAR    TEAM  WN  LS  GP GS CG SH SV  IP HIT  BB  SO ERA
 1998     HOU  12   9  31 27  1  0  0 172 183  42 100 372
 1999 HOU-ATL   5   6  25 16  2  1  0 105 135  29  44 521
 2000     MIN   4   5  15 14  0  0  0  68 111  33  35 966

 
      Bergman had a good year with Houston in 1998, but since then his career has sunk like a rock. Last year he pitched badly, very very badly; left-handers hit .407 off of him, and right-handers didn't fare too badly either, batting .346. His success was a mystery to begin with, so I don't think he has a comeback in him. He's just a very bad pitcher right now.

 
Casey Blake (3B, 28, R/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998       A  88 340 119 28  3 11  62  65  30  81  350 409 547   9   6
 1999     AAA 110 387  95 16  2 22  69  75  61  82  245 357 468   9   5
 2000     AAA 110 399 116 28  3 14  69  59  47  82  291 378 481   7   5

 
      The Twins claimed Blake from the Blue Jays in May, and he played well at Salt Lake City. He has a reputation as a fine defensive player, and has occasionally hit well in his minor league career. No potential, but he might be a good guy to keep on the bench.

 
Brian Buchanan (OF, 28, R/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998     AAA 133 500 139 29  3 17  74  82  36  90  278 337 450  14   2
 1999     AAA 107 391 116 24  1 10  67  60  28  85  297 355 440  11   2
 2000     AAA  95 364 108 20  1 27  82 103  41  75  297 363 580   5   1

 2000     MIN  30  82  19  3  0  1  10   8   8  22  232 301 305   0   2

 
      Buchanan got stuck at Salt Lake City for three years before finally getting some at bats with the Twins. I don't know what they put in the drinking water at Salt Lake, but just about the whole team hit .300 with power, and Buchanan was no exception. Realistically, I don't think he has much of a future.

 
Jay Canizaro (2B, 28, R/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998  AA-AAA 128 387  87 13  3 18  70  46  70  69  225 344 413   5   3
 1999     AAA 105 364 102 20  2 26  76  78  49  79  280 366 560  16   5
 2000     AAA  27 101  36  9  2  6  21  32  17  17  356 439 663   4   1

 2000     MIN 102 346  93 21  1  7  43  40  24  57  269 318 396   4   2

 
      Canizaro didn't hit much when he was young, but has played so well the past two seasons that the Twins decided to take a chance on him. He hit fairly well, and will probably do better in the future. He will likely stick around a few years as a utility infielder; he might hit enough to be an everyday player, but I'm not sure that his defense is good enough to be a regular second baseman.

 
Jack Cressend (26, R) 
 YEAR    TEAM  WN  LS  GP GS CG SH SV  IP HIT  BB  SO ERA
 1998      AA  10  11  29 29  1  1  0 149 168  55 130 434
 1999  AA-AAA   8  10  28 27  2  2  0 160 171  57 136 461
 2000     AAA   4   4  54  1  0  0  8  86  87  39  87 344

 2000     MIN   0   0  11  0  0  0  0  14  20   6   6 527

 
      Cressend is a young pitcher with the Twins. In his second year at Salt Lake City, he was moved to the bullpen - and the results were good. He should start this year with the Twins, and within a couple of years will probably be a decent pitcher.

 
Hanley Frias (IF, 27, S/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998     AAA  63 253  73 10  4  1  32  21  24  41  289 346 372  16   7

 1999     ARI  69 150  41  3  2  1  27  16  29  18  273 391 340   4   3
 2000     ARI  75 112  23  5  0  2  18   6  17  18  205 310 304   2   2

 
      Frias is a spare infielder who draws walks. If he gets the chance, he will hit better than he did last year.

 
Eddie Guardado (30, L) 
 YEAR    TEAM  WN  LS  GP GS CG SH SV  IP HIT  BB  SO ERA
 1998     MIN   3   1  79  0  0  0  0  65  66  28  53 452
 1999     MIN   2   5  63  0  0  0  2  48  37  25  50 450
 2000     MIN   7   4  70  0  0  0  9  62  55  25  52 394

 
      Guardado had almost the same season that he had in 1999, and also 1998 and 1997. He's a solid, consistent pitcher; he also got whacked by left-handed hitters, but held right-handers to a .208 average. Must have driven Tom Kelly nuts.

 
Cristian Guzman (SS, 23, S/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998      AA 140 568 157 29  5  1  68  40  21 111  277 304 352  23  14

 1999     MIN 131 420  95 12  3  1  47  26  22  90  226 267 276   9   7
 2000     MIN 156 631 156 25 20  8  89  54  46 101  247 299 388  28  10

 
      Guzman hit a little better than I thought he would, thanks mostly to a league-leading 20 triples. He also showed more patience at the plate, and had a good year as a base stealer. He's still a terrible hitter, but he's very young, and he has proven that he can make a big improvements from one year to the next.

 
LaTroy Hawkins (28, R) 
 YEAR    TEAM  WN  LS  GP GS CG SH SV  IP HIT  BB  SO ERA
 1998     MIN   7  14  33 33  0  0  0 190 227  61 105 525
 1999     MIN  10  14  33 33  1  0  0 174 238  60 103 666
 2000     MIN   2   5  66  0  0  0 14  88  85  32  59 339

 
      The Twins have long liked Hawkins' arm, but his performance in the starting rotation had been dismal. Last year they tried him out in the bullpen - and the results were good. Hawkins posted some very good numbers, and converted all of his save opportunities. He has a chance to be a durable, consistent reliever for years... though I'm skeptical that he will ever be a good closer. His stuff's just not quite good enough.

 
Denny Hocking (IF/OF, 31, S/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998     MIN 110 198  40  6  1  3  32  15  16  44  202 259 288   2   1
 1999     MIN 136 386 103 18  2  7  47  41  22  54  267 307 378  11   7
 2000     MIN 134 373 111 24  4  4  52  47  48  77  298 373 416   7   5

 
      The ultimate utility player, Hocking did everything except catch in 2000. He also had his best year at the plate. He's one of Minnesota's best players, and should get lots of playing time, whether he plays well or not.

 
Torii Hunter (CF, 26, R/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998  AA-AAA 108 400 118 31  3 10  57  52  20  77  295 333 463  13  11

 1999     MIN 135 384  98 17  2  9  52  35  26  72  255 309 380  10   6
 2000     MIN  99 336  94 14  7  5  44  44  18  68  280 318 408   4   3

 
      Hunter played about as well last season as he ever will; he shouldn't be a regular, but will be a decent fourth outfielder if he can keep his average up.

 
Marcus Jensen (CA, 28, S/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998     AAA  74 230  52 13  0 10  29  33  33  64  226 326 413   0   3
 1999     AAA  72 237  69 19  4  8  38  44  30  59  291 379 506   0   0

 1999     STL  16  34   8  5  0  1   5   1   6  12  235 350 471   0   0
 2000     MIN  52 139  29  7  1  3  16  14  24  36  209 325 338   0   1

 
      Jensen has been in the league for five years, is a career .194 hitter. That doesn't mean he can't be a decent third-string catcher; it just means you shouldn't set your expectations too high.

 
Jacques Jones (OF, 26, L/L) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998      AA 134 518 155 39  3 21  78  85  37 134  299 349 508  18  11

 1999     MIN  95 322  93 24  2  9  54  44  17  63  289 329 460   3   4
 2000     MIN 154 523 149 26  5 19  66  76  26 111  285 319 463   7   5

 
      Jones is a decent player, but his potential appears to be limited. His command of the strike zone is poor, and his batting average is more likely to go down before it goes up. He's a decent Twin, won't get better than he is now.

 
Matt Kinney (24, R) 
 YEAR    TEAM  WN  LS  GP GS CG SH SV  IP HIT  BB  SO ERA
 1998       A  12   8  29 27  2  1  1 159 140  93 135 380
 1999      AA   4   7  14 13  0  0  0  61  69  36  50 712
 2000  AA-AAA  11   3  24 24  0  0  0 141 116  61 152 331

 2000     MIN   2   2   8  8  0  0  0  42  41  25  24 510

 
      Kinney is a pretty good young pitcher with Minnesota who dominated hitters at New Britain and Salt Lake City, and wasn't too bad with the Twins. He's still young, and may need some more seasoning... but in this case, I'd give him a shot at winning a spot in the rotation in the spring. I'd like to see him starting regularly with the Twins as soon as possible.

 
Corey Koskie (3B, 28, L/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998     AAA 135 505 152 32  5 26  91 105  51 104  301 368 539  15   7

 1999     MIN 117 342 106 21  0 11  42  58  40  72  310 387 468   4   4
 2000     MIN 146 474 142 32  4  9  79  65  77 104  300 400 441   5   4

 
      Koskie is my favourite twin; he hits .300, gets on base, and hits doubles. And there's still a chance that he may hit more home runs in the future; unfortunately, he's not young, and probably won't be a regular for more than a few years.

 
Matt Lawton (RF, 29, L/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998     MIN 152 557 155 36  6 21  91  77  86  64  278 387 478  16   8
 1999     MIN 118 406 105 18  0  7  58  54  57  42  259 353 355  26   4
 2000     MIN 156 561 171 44  2 13  84  88  91  63  305 405 460  23   7

 
      Lawton did everything right in 2000. He hit for average, got on base, hit for decent power, was a good base stealer... it was a terrific year. He's been very inconsistent in the past, and is unlikely to hit .300 again... but that combination of doubles, walks and stolen bases is a good package.

 
Matt LeCroy (CA, 25, R/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998       A 115 425 123 26  2 21  65  91  55  80  289 386 508   2   1
 1999       A  89 333  93 20  1 20  54  69  42  51  279 364 526   0   1
 1999     AAA  29 119  36  4  1 10  23  30   5  22  303 331 605   0   0
 2000  AA-AAA  70 260  75 17  1 15  48  53  33  45  288 381 535   0   0

 2000     MIN  56 167  29 10  0  5  18  17  17  38  174 254 323   0   0

 
      Don't be misled by LeCroy's .174 batting average; the young man can hit. He's a catcher with the Twins, will likely platoon in 2001 with Pierzynski, and he will hit home runs.

 
Mike Lincoln (26, R) 
 YEAR    TEAM  WN  LS  GP GS CG SH SV  IP HIT  BB  SO ERA
 1998      AA  15   7  26 26  1  0  0 173 180  35 109 322
 1999     AAA   5   2   9  9  0  0  0  59  82  21  39 778
 2000     AAA   4   1  12 12  2  1  0  74  72  16  37 387

 1999     MIN   3  10  18 15  0  0  0  76 102  26  27 778
 2000     MIN   0   3   8  4  0  0  0  21  36  13  15 1089

 
      Lincoln started the year pitching well at Salt Lake City, and was called up by the Twins in July. He pitched very badly in four starts with Minnesota, then went on the DL with a sore elbow. He is a mediocre young pitcher; he throws strikes, but he can't throw the ball by anyone. His chances of having a career are slim.

 
Jason Maxwell (IF, 29, R/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998     AAA 124 483 144 40  3 15  86  80  52  93  298 373 487   8   1
 1999     AAA 119 419  99 17  2 15  60  62  53  87  236 322 394   6   3

 2000     MIN  64 111  27  6  0  1  14  11   9  32  243 298 324   2   1

 
      Maxwell is a good defensive infielder who spent a full year on the Twins' bench. He can probably hit better than he has the past two years, and now would be a good time to start.

 
Joe Mays (25, R) 
 YEAR    TEAM  WN  LS  GP GS CG SH SV  IP HIT  BB  SO ERA
 1998      AA   5   3  11 10  0  0  0  58  63  21  45 499

 1999     MIN   6  11  49 20  2  1  0 171 179  67 115 437
 2000     MIN   7  15  31 28  2  1  0 160 193  67 102 556

 
      After two years in the majors, Mays has a nifty 13-26 won-loss record. He didn't pitch well last year, but I still like him. He pitched well in the lower minors, he has stayed healthy, he's only 25, he has two career shutouts... in the long run, I expect him to be a good pitcher. How long? That's hard to say... though Mike Morgan had his first winning season at age 31.

 
Doug Mientkiewicz (1B, 27, L/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998      AA 139 502 162 45  0 16  96  88  96  58  323 432 508  11   4
 2000     AAA 130 485 162 32  3 18  96  96  61  68  334 406 524   9   5

 1999     MIN 118 327  75 21  3  2  34  32  43  51  229 324 330   1   1

 
      He did a good job of reviving his career, playing well at Salt Lake City, and also hitting .414 (with 8 RBI) for the US Olympic Team. He's got momentum, and the departure of Ron Coomer opens up a spot for him to play with the Twins; I think Mientkiewicz has some ability, might hit .280 with a bit of power. If he hits .230 again his career will end.

 
Travis Miller (28, L) 
 YEAR    TEAM  WN  LS  GP GS CG SH SV  IP HIT  BB  SO ERA
 1998     MIN   0   2  14  0  0  0  0  23  25  11  23 386
 1999     MIN   2   2  52  0  0  0  0  50  55  16  40 272
 2000     MIN   2   3  67  0  0  0  1  67  83  32  62 390

 
      Miller is a left-handed reliever who occasionally gets left-handers out. He's a decent pitcher, and is in no danger of losing his job; he has shown in the past that he is capable of being effective when he throws more strikes.

 
Eric Milton (26, L) 
 YEAR    TEAM  WN  LS  GP GS CG SH SV  IP HIT  BB  SO ERA
 1998     MIN   8  14  32 32  1  0  0 172 195  70 107 564
 1999     MIN   7  11  34 34  5  2  0 206 190  63 163 449
 2000     MIN  13  10  33 33  0  0  0 200 205  44 160 486

 
      Milton is a super young pitcher who is steadily maturing. He complained of a tired arm during the summer, but stayed in the rotation, and ended up having a good season. He throws strikes, and he knows what he's doing on the mound; I wouldn't be surprised if his ERA is among the best in the league this year.

 
David Ortiz (1B, 25, L/L) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1999     AAA 130 476 150 35  3 30  85 110  79 105  315 412 590   2   2

 1998     MIN  86 278  77 20  0  9  47  46  39  72  277 371 446   1   0
 2000     MIN 130 415 117 36  1 10  59  63  57  81  282 364 446   1   0

 
      Ortiz got a chance to play, and did a pretty good job, even if he had a power shortage. He's still very young, and has real power potential; I expect him to hit 30 homers this season. And God Knows, the Twins need a power hitter in their lineup.

 
AJ Pierzynski (CA, 24, L/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998  AA-AAA 118 420 116 18  2 10  59  47  19  49  276 309 400   3   3
 1999     AAA  67 228  59 10  0  1  29  25  16  29  259 307 316   0   0
 2000  AA-AAA 103 383 120 31  3  8  58  59  13  44  313 352 473   1   1

 2000     MIN  33  88  27  5  1  2  12  11   5  14  307 354 455   1   0

 
      Pierzynski hit well at three levels of ball, including the last two months of the season with the Twins. I like him; he's a bit impatient, and may have trouble hitting over .260 this season, but he should provide solid offence behind the plate for the Twins in the future.

 
Tom Prince (CA, 37, R/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998      LA  37  81  15  5  1  0   7   5   7  24  185 267 272   0   0
 2000     PHI  46 122  29  9  0  2  14  16  13  31  238 321 361   1   0

 
      His 122 at bats were the most he had had since 1993; he also managed to raise his career batting average over the Mendoza line; it now sits at .203. At age 37, Prince is entering the twilight of a remarkable career; it's almost guaranteed that he will get at least one at bat in 2001.

 
Brad Radke (28, R) 
 YEAR    TEAM  WN  LS  GP GS CG SH SV  IP HIT  BB  SO ERA
 1998     MIN  12  14  32 32  5  1  0 213 238  43 146 430
 1999     MIN  12  14  33 33  4  0  0 219 239  44 121 375
 2000     MIN  12  16  34 34  4  1  0 227 261  51 141 445

 
      Radke is stuck in a rut; he's had three straight losing seasons after winning 20 games in 1997. He's still young, and I still think he's a good pitcher, though not quite good enough to win every year with a dreadful team behind him.

 
Mark Redman (27, L) 
 YEAR    TEAM  WN  LS  GP GS CG SH SV  IP HIT  BB  SO ERA
 1998  AA-AAA  10   9  27 26  0  0  0 147 151  58 139 423
 1999     AAA   9   9  24 24  1  0  0 134 141  51 115 505

 2000     MIN  12   9  32 24  0  0  0 151 168  45 117 476

 
      Redman had a really good rookie season. He has never pitched well in the past, and it would be a surprise if he were to start pitching consistently well in the majors... but he has good control and appears to know what he's doing on the mound, and I think he will continue to pitch well.

 
Luis Rivas (2B, 22, R/R) 
 YEAR      TM  GM  AB  HT DB TP HR RUN RBI  BB  SO  AVG OBA SLU  SB  CS
 1998       A 126 463 130 21  5  4  58  51  14  75  281 302 374  34   8
 1999      AA 132 527 134 30  7  7  78  49  41  92  254 309 378  31  14
 2000  AA-AAA 123 485 132 37  7  6  89  65  49  62  272 346 414  18   8

 2000     MIN  16  58  18  4  1  0   8   6   2   4  310 323 414   2   0

 
      Rivas didn't play all that well at New Britain (the Twins' AA team), but his numbers got a boost after he was promoted to Salt Lake City. He also played well in a few games for the Twins. He's made some good improvements as a hitter, learning to draw more walks and hit more doubles. He's got some work to do before he can be a major league hitter, but he is very young, and has plenty of time to improve.

 
J.C. Romero (25, L) 
 YEAR    TEAM  WN  LS  GP GS CG SH SV  IP HIT  BB  SO ERA
 1998      AA   6   3  51  1  0  0  2  78  48  43  79 219
 1999  AA-AAA   8   5  51  1  0  0  8  73  69  48  73 334
 2000     AAA   4   2  17 11  1  0  4  65  60  25  38 344

 2000     MIN   2   7  12 11  0  0  0  58  72  30  50 702

 
      Romero's rookie season was very bad. And that's disappointing, because I had him pegged as a guy who would pitch well. However:
     
      1) He began with year on the DL with a strained left shoulder, and that's never a good thing. And,
     
      2) The Twins decided to convert him into a starter
     
      I'm not saying that Romero can't succeed as a starter; he's got some good stuff, and he might do well. But if he continues to struggle, returning him to the bullpen wouldn't be such a bad idea.

 
Jason Ryan (25, R) 
 YEAR    TEAM  WN  LS  GP GS CG SH SV  IP HIT  BB  SO ERA
 1998      AA   3  13  30 25  2  0  0 148 172  57 121 488
 1999  AA-AAA  11   8  25 24  0  0  0 150 134  63 129 391
 2000     AAA   9   2  17 17  2  1  0  97  94  31  66 438

 2000     MIN   0   1  16  1  0  0  0  26  37  10  19 762

 
      Ryan's a decent young pitcher with the Twins. He could probably survive in the Twins' starting rotation right now; I don't think he can learn much else at Salt Lake City. I like his chances of developing into a workhorse.

 
Bob Wells (34, R) 
 YEAR    TEAM  WN  LS  GP GS CG SH SV  IP HIT  BB  SO ERA
 1998     SEA   2   2  30  0  0  0  0  51  54  16  29 610
 1999     MIN   8   3  76  0  0  0  1  87  79  28  44 381
 2000     MIN   0   7  76  0  0  0 10  86  80  15  76 365

 
      Wells had a good year. Okay, he was 0-7, and he blew 10 saves... I suppose those numbers weren't too good. But he was durable, posted a good ERA, and had the best control and strikeout rate of his career. Good teams should be interested in adding him to their bullpens.