Luke Hughes VS Danny Valencia

Jesse — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:45:30 -0000

Both men will get their shots at third base this spring.

...Danny Valencia turned in the defensive play of the game with a run-saving stab-and-throw to end the sixth inning.

That's from Joe Christensen's update this afternoon, following the Twins' 3-2 victory over Puerto Rico. While Valencia is currently scheduled to start the season in double-A New Britain, there's no doubt he'll be pushing Luke Hughes for the top spot for third base prospects in the Minnesota system.

Hughes, 24, is slated to be Rochester's starting third baseman this summer. He's also off to the World Baseball Classic, where a strong performance could position him for an early appearance in Minnesota this summer. The Aussie hit .319/.385/.551 in 285 at-bats for the Rock Cats in 2008 before being promoted to Rochester, where his .778 OPS wasn't too shabby for a first time around in triple-A. While his defense isn't attracting a lot of attention, over the last two seasons it's been Luke's offense that's driven him through the system.

Valencia, also 24, will probably be starting the season with the Rock Cats. Hot on the heals of Hughes, Danny's offense is even better. A .920 OPS in single-A last summer earned him a promotion to double-A, where .289/.334/.485 is a pretty good line for your first time around. He's a .305/.361/.485 career hitter in the minors, and with what he's done so far this spring, he's stock in the organization has done nothing but rise.

Looking at their career history, right now Valencia walks more and hits more extra-base hits, in spite of being the same age. The reason Hughes is currently in front of Valencia on the depth chart is because Hughes was signed as an undrafted free agent back in '02, giving him five years in the MInnesota farm system; Valencia was a 19th round draft choice in '06, giving him two years and some change in the system.

Of course, if Deibinson Romero can pick up where he left off prior to his injury last summer, he could be pushing both men for their jobs as well. So if Romero steps up his game, don't be surprised to see Hughes and Valencia battling it out for the same position while on the same club in Rochester. Right now the definition in the third base organizational depth chart is clear, but both men have an opportunity to take the proverbial bull by the horns and force the organization's hand...whether that's by promoting Valnencia to triple-A or Hughes to the big league club.

If you're into the jostling of minor league depth charts and the future of the team, this is one position battle you should definitely keep your eyes on.

Poll

Who will reach the major leagues first?

Luke Hughes

121 votes

Danny Valencia

103 votes

224 votes | Poll has closed

Twins Prospects In Baseball America's Top 100

Jesse — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:09:09 -0000

Who are they?

In recent seasons we've been accustomed to seeing a Twin or two sitting pretty high in Baseball America's Top 100 Prospect rankings. Francisco Liriano and Joe Mauer come to mind, but even when Minnesota isn't making appearances at the top of the list they at least get quantity points. Here's how they stack up in 2009.

Aaron Hicks, OF
BA Rank: 39

via web.minorleaguebaseball.com

Baseball America estimates Hicks will breach the majors in 2011, which would make him 21 on opening day. He has the tools, and he raked with the GCL Twins in '08, but it's always easy to be optimistic when you're basing career projections off of one professional minor league season. Count me in that optimistic camp for the time being, but he's going to have to work on making better contact to keep up those good offensive numbers. As he progresses and starts to meet better pitchers and better defenses, an 8% lind drive rate isn't going to get the job done.

Ben Revere, OF
BA Rank: 59

via www.freewebs.com

Like Hicks, BA predicts a 2011 major league debut. He'd turn 23 May of that year. While Hicks currently projects as a guy who could hit almost anywhere in a batting order, Revere is a top or bottom kind of guy. His speed and on-base percentage are his most valuable assets, but he's still young and could surprise a bit as he continues to fill out. His arm strength is what really puts him a notch below Hicks, although he might just be fast enough to catch anything hit near him, in which case he won't be pressed to show off the Shannon Stewart-esque noodle too often.

Wilson Ramos, C
BA Rank: 71

via www.tigresdearagua.net

How about that--another 2011 prediction. Wilson would be just 23 still, but it certainly seems like BA expects a bit of roster turnover in the next three years. As for Ramos, he has a career line of .288/.344/.435 in three minor league seasons He's skilled and relatively polished for his age, but he'll be put to the test in New Britain this season. If he continues to excel at the dish and continues to gun down base runners, 2011 might not be too optimistc of a debut. But if he stagnates, his life on BA's prospect list may be short-lived. Hopefully his strength and ability can help off-set his aggression.

That's it, folks. There are no pitchers on the list, and only three players total. What does this mean?

There are three options--either the Minnesota farm system isn't as strong going into 2009 as it has been recently, the talent levels throughout the minor leagues are stronger across the board, or Baseball America isn't paying adequate tribute to the talent pool for our Land O Lakes organization. Or there's option number four, all of the above.

Names like Luke Hughes, Deibinson Romero, Danny Valencia, Deolis Guerra, Anthony Swarzak and Rene Tosoni come to mind, but none of them are necessarily being done a disservice by being left off this list. They're all good, or have some decent upside, but none of them are slam-dunk shoulda-been-on-the-list names, and that's the bottom line. In the prospect bell curve this isn't a top-heavy organization, and that's perfectly represented in BA's Top 100.

All thirty MLB teams were represented in the list, with the Astros, Nationals, Padres and Tigers represented just once each. The Rangers and Athletics held seven spots apiece to lead the pack, while the Marlins held second place with six spots. The Braves and the Rays tied for second by splitting ten spots between them.

SB Nation - Deibinson Romero

Luke Hughes VS Danny Valencia

Who will reach the major leagues first?

Luke Hughes

Danny Valencia

Twins Prospects In Baseball America's Top 100