Previous Top 40 Twins Prospects of 2007: 11-15, 16-20, 21-25, 26-30, 31-35, 36-40

10. Alexander Smit | Starter | DOB: 10/85 | Throws: Left | Sign: Netherlands
 
YEAR     LV      G     GS      ERA        IP       H     HR      SO     BB
2004     RK      6      5     2.54      28.1      25      0      43     10
2005     RK     21      0     1.97      45.2      25      3      86     12
         A-     14     10     5.98      49.2      58      9      54     28
2006     A-     34     13     2.99     108.1      77      6     141     53

The most high-profile of the Twins' Dutch signings, Alexander Smit received an $800,000 bonus as a 16-year-old in 2002. A 6-foot-3 left-hander, Smit annihilated rookie-ball during his first two seasons, posting a 1.76 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 66.1 combined innings. He moved up to low Single-A Beloit in 2005 and fell apart, going 1-9 with a 5.98 ERA in 14 starts before a demotion back to rookie-level Elizabethton, where he got back on track with a 1.97 ERA in 45.2 innings out of the bullpen.

Smit stayed in the bullpen and took his second crack at Beloit last season, but inconsistent mechanics continued to doom him as he walked 20 batters in 34.1 innings while posting a 4.19 ERA. After reportedly working extensively with the Beloit coaching staff to correct his problems, Smit's mechanics were eventually fixed and he moved back into the starting rotation in mid-June, going 5-1 with a 2.43 ERA and 98-to-33 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 74 innings to end the season.

Smit's control has come and gone, and he's had some very hittable stretches, but the one constant has been the ability to rack up huge strikeout totals. Smit has never failed to strike out more than one batter per inning and has an incredible total of 364 strikeouts in 270 career frames. That's unusual for someone who doesn't throw particularly hard and makes Smit an extremely good prospect despite some struggles thus far. If he can keep the mechanics in line, Smit's upside is huge.

9. Oswaldo Sosa | Starter | DOB: 9/85 | Throws: Right | Sign: Venezuela
 
YEAR     LV      G     GS      ERA        IP       H     HR      SO     BB
2004     RK      8      5     2.20      28.2      27      0      30      4
2005     RK     12     11     4.95      56.1      59      4      40     21
2006     A-     20     20     2.75     117.2     102      1      95     36
         A+      6      6     2.08      34.2      23      1      27     18

Hailing from the same city in Venezuela that produced Johan Santana, Oswaldo Sosa signed with the Twins as a 16-year-old in 2002. Sosa pitched well in rookie-ball during his first two pro seasons, but moved up to low Single-A Beloit last year and made a name for himself with a 2.75 ERA and 95-to-36 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 117.2 innings spread over 20 starts. Those numbers are good, but the most impressive stat was allowing a grand total of one homer in 485 plate appearances.

A 6-foot-4 right-hander with what is described as a "heavy" fastball-slider combination, Sosa caused Midwest League hitters to pound the ball into the ground at nearly a 2-to-1 ratio and was actually more effective against left-handed batters, holding them to .192/.259/.222. Despite not turning 21 years old until September, Sosa received a late-season promotion to high Single-A and posted a 2.08 ERA in six starts at Fort Myers, holding opponents to a .189 batting average and one homer in 34.2 innings.

Sosa induces plenty of ground balls, but he's not quite at the level of being called an extreme ground-ball pitcher. However, given his age and body type, he's a good bet to get there. Sosa tends to get overlooked in an organization overflowing with quality pitching prospects and his lack of a great strikeout rate makes his "ceiling" relatively low. On the other hand, his "floor" is basically a mid-rotation starter and he's got plenty of time to work on missing bats when he's not killing worms.

8. Eduardo Morlan | Starter | DOB: 3/86 | Throws: Right | Draft: 2004-3
 
YEAR     LV      G     GS      ERA        IP       H     HR      SO     BB
2004     RK     11      2     2.84      25.1      25      1      28     10
2005     RK      4      4     0.82      22.0       6      0      30      6
         A-     10     10     4.38      51.1      39      5      55     31
2006     A-     28     18     2.29     106.1      78      6     125     38

Taken out of a Florida high school in the third round of the 2004 draft, Eduardo Morlan signed for a $400,000 bonus and debuted in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, tossing 25.1 innings with a 2.84 ERA and 28-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Morlan got a late start in 2005 to get some additional work in at extended spring training, eventually posting a 3.31 ERA and 85-to-37 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 73.1 innings spread over 14 starts at rookie-level Elizabethton and low Single-A Beloit.

Morlan spent last season back at Beloit and had a fantastic year split between the rotation and bullpen, posting a 2.29 ERA and 125-to-38 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 106.1 innings while holding opponents to a .202 batting average. Because of a delivery that has been described as "violent," some feel Morlan will eventually move to the bullpen full time. However, he posted a 2.48 ERA in 18 starts last year, including a 1.93 ERA and 37-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 32.2 innings over his final six outings.

An overpowering fastball-slider combination gives Morlan the raw stuff to dominate in any role, but he'll likely need to develop both his changeup and stamina to remain in the rotation long term. If he can do both of those things, Morlan has No. 1 starter potential. If not, he might have to settle for being the next Juan Rincon. Either way, he's one of the best young arms in a system that's absolutely overflowing with them, and has a ton of upside.

7. Pat Neshek | Reliever | DOB: 9/80 | Throws: Right | Draft: 2002-6
 
YEAR     LV      G     GS      ERA        IP       H     HR      SO     BB
2004     A+     16      0     2.95      18.1      16      2      19      2
         AA     26      0     3.82      35.1      34      2      38     18
2005     AA     55      0     2.19      82.1      69      9      95     21
2006    AAA     33      0     1.95      60.0      41      7      87     14
        MLB     32      0     2.19      37.0      23      6      53      6

A 26-year-old who appeared in 32 games for the Twins last season, Pat Neshek clings to "prospect" status because his 37 innings fall under the eligibility requirement for Rookie of the Year. He's also not a typical prospect, in that there's no question about what his upside is or whether he can reach it. A side-arming right-hander who's faced skepticism throughout his climb up the organizational ladder, Neshek emerged as one of the most trusted members of the Twins' bullpen within weeks of his debut.

A native Minnesotan selected out of Butler University in the sixth round of the 2002 draft, Neshek posted a 2.19 ERA and 95-to-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 82.1 innings at Double-A in 2005. He then dominated Triple-A hitters last year, posting a 1.95 ERA, 87-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and .189 opponent's batting average in 60 innings before the Twins finally called him up in July. Neshek didn't miss a beat in the majors, with a 2.19 ERA, 53-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and .176 OAVG in 37 innings.

Perpetual doubters have overstated Neshek's weakness against left-handed hitters, but it's true that his unique delivery leaves him vulnerable to lefties with power. Between Triple-A and the majors, Neshek held lefties to a .240 batting average, but served up eight homers in 125 at-bats for a .456 slugging percentage. That's certainly nothing outlandish, and as long as Neshek continues to make right-handed batters look silly flailing away at his frisbee slider he'll be an excellent late-inning reliever.

6. Alexi Casilla | Shortstop | DOB: 7/84 | Bats: Switch | Trade: Angels
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     RK     163     .258     .332     .313      0      5     15     10
2005     A-     308     .325     .392     .409      3     17     29     31
2006     A+     323     .331     .390     .406      0     18     30     36
         AA     170     .294     .375     .382      1     12     18     20

Originally signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2003, Alexi Casilla was acquired in the trade that saw the Twins dump J.C. Romero on the Angels last offseason, adding yet another name to the long list of impact prospects Terry Ryan has plucked from the low minors of other organizations. While Romero posted a 6.70 ERA with his new team, Casilla batted .318/.385/.398 with 50 steals in 123 games between high Single-A and Double-A before making his major-league debut in September.

A speedy switch-hitter who controls the strike zone and slaps the ball around, Casilla is as close to a Luis Castillo clone as you'll find offensively. Defensively he's more like a Rafael Furcal clone, with the ability to play shortstop and a rocket arm that explodes out of his diminutive frame from an exaggerated delivery. However, with Jason Bartlett seemingly entrenched there finally, Casilla's eventual home may be as the replacement for Castillo at second base.

Whatever the combination, Bartlett and Casilla would form an excellent defensive middle infield and give the Twins a pair of speedsters with good on-base skills at the top of the lineup. And the cost to acquire them? Romero and Brian Buchanan. Casilla figures to begin this season at Triple-A, but will be first in line should Bartlett or Castillo suffer a major injury and is set up perfectly to step into the lineup when Castillo leaves via free agency next winter.

ZOILO CASANOVA VERSALLES | SS | 1961-1967 | CAREER STATS
 
   G       PA      AVG      OBP      SLG     OPS+    WARP     WS
1065     4500     .252     .299     .387      91     34.2    119

Washington signed 18-year-old Zoilo Versalles out of Havana, Cuba in 1958 and rushed him to the big leagues nearly five months before his 20th birthday. Versalles debuted on August 1, 1959, starting at shortstop against the White Sox and going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and an error as the Senators' leadoff man. He saw limited action down the stretch in 1958, hitting .153 in 59 at-bats spread over 29 games, and then batted .133 in 45 at-bats the next season.

Versalles came to Minnesota along with the rest of the team when the Senators became the Twins in 1961 and immediately stepped in as the starting shortstop, going 2-for-5 with two steals in a 6-0 win over the Yankees on Opening Day. Despite being a 21-year-old rookie with 104 career at-bats coming into the season, Versalles started each of the first 15 games and ended up hitting .280/.314/.390 in 129 games for a Twins team that finished near the bottom of the league with a 70-90 record.

A .704 OPS doesn't look like much, but MLB shortstops combined to bat just .257/.324/.358 in 1961, meaning Versalles was above average at his position as a 21-year-old. Much like his rookie season, Versalles' entire career can be appreciated better by placing his numbers in the context of both the era he played in and the position he played. Rarely did Versalles post raw numbers that would turn heads today, but for a shortstop in the pitcher-friendly 1960s he was an excellent hitter.

Interestingly, Versalles never topped the .280 batting average he posted in 1961 and batted above .260 just twice more, but made up for it by adding significant power. After going deep just seven times in 510 at-bats as a rookie, he homered 17 times in 1962 to kick off a four-year stretch with double-digit long balls. In fact, from 1961 to 1965, Versalles led all MLB shortstops with 73 homers. Contrary to today, shortstop back then was simply not manned by guys capable of hitting the ball out of the park.

All of which is what made the two-year run Versalles put together beginning in 1964 so impressive. Playing in 320 of a possible 324 games spread over two seasons, the man they called "Zorro" combined to bat .266/.315/.447 with 39 homers, 22 triples, 78 doubles, 41 steals, 141 RBIs, and 220 runs scored. During that two-year span, Versalles ranked second among all MLB hitters in doubles and runs, third in triples, eighth in extra-base hits, and 10th in steals and total bases.

That kind of offensive production was unheard of from a shortstop at that time, because the position as a whole batted a measly .248/.312/.348 between 1964 and 1965. To put that in today's context, consider that MLB shortstops batted .274/.333/.407 in 2006. If you adjust Versalles' 1964/1965 numbers to that environment, he comes out hitting .295 with a .525 slugging percentage, which is Miguel Tejada territory.

The second half of Versalles' amazing two-year run was his finest season and one of the most memorable years in Twins history. After finishing 79-83 in 1964, the Twins blitzed through the AL in 1965, posting a 102-60 record that still stands as the team's all-time best. The starting shortstop and leadoff man in 155 of those 162 games, Versalles batted .273/.319/.462 with 19 homers and 27 steals while winning a Gold Glove and leading the league in runs, doubles, extra-base hits, and total bases.

He was particularly outstanding in the second half, batting .303/.349/.500 after the All-Star break, including .353 in August and .337 in September as the Twins put away the White Sox and Orioles to take the AL pennant. Finally, while most of the Twins hitters flailed away at Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers in the World Series, Versalles put the finishing touches on his amazing season by batting .283/.333/.500 with three extra-base hits, three runs, and four RBIs in seven games.

Versalles blew away the competition in the AL MVP voting by receiving 19 of 20 first-place votes, with the lone dissenter casting his ballot for teammate Tony Oliva, who finished a distant second. Decades later, it has become popular to use Versalles' MVP as a way to identify and attack perceived flaws within sabermetrics. The thinking seemingly being that because his raw numbers weren't particularly impressive in 1965, most "stat-heads" probably think Versalles winning the AL MVP was a big mistake.

For instance, Twins blogger Seth Stohs once opined:

Zoilo Versalles won the 1965 American League MVP award. He had a really great season. Believe me, if it happened now, SABRmetricians would probably take issue with that decision.

Taking it several steps further, Cool of the Evening author Jim Thielman wrote:

Statistically, 1965 was a mixed bag for Versalles, and in recent years those who scrutinize numbers have suggested he did not deserve to win the 1965 Most Valuable Player award. ... Researching an era or epoch to see how it was, reading what people of the era did and said at the time, rather than cast a revisionist layer over it all, is actually an approach to studying history that was introduced around 1800. Applying this research to baseball is preferable to creating designer metrics with a computer in an attempt to ascertain how it was.

It is not difficult to find those who have done that in regard to Versalles, and printed their conclusions in books and on various Web sites, stating Versalles was undeserving. Facts suggest otherwise. A thorough review of Versalles' season--what he actually did during games, what managers and other players said at the time, not years later, shows that becoming an MVP is more than just piling numbers high.

If you're a Twins fan who harbors resentment towards stats-based analysis, it's tempting to set up that argument. "Versalles was great in 1965, but those dorks with their calculators don't think so!" Unfortunately, that's inaccurate and ultimately nothing more than attacking a defenseless strawman. The premise that those who "scrutinize numbers" don't view Versalles' season as a great one is flawed because of a failure to recognize that any stat-head worth a damn would look past raw totals.

Versalles' numbers aren't eye-popping at first glance, but one of the main goals of sabermetrics is placing numbers like that in proper context. Depending on the circumstances, that means looking beyond oft-quoted numbers like batting averages and RBIs, adjusting for era and offensive environment, and making additional positional adjustments. In all cases it means doing things that Versalles' supporters would surely agree with, which makes the entire "argument" silly.

What Stohs and Thielman are really arguing against is their perceived notion of sabermetrics, which appears to be off base. They see Versalles' season as not being superficially impressive, and because they associate sabermetrics with statistics they have an easy target. In reality, accusing stat-heads of being unable to or disinterested in placing raw numbers in better context is about the furthest possible thing from the truth. That's a huge part of what sabermetrics is all about.

Plus, in an ironic twist those "designer metrics [created] with a computer" that Thielman rails against actually show Versalles' 1965 season in an extremely favorable light. For instance, here's the 1965 AL leaderboards for two prominent numbers-driven metrics, Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) and Runs Created Above Position (RCAP):

                      VORP                                RCAP
ZOILO VERSALLES       51.3          Tony Oliva              38
Carl Yastrzemski      44.9          Rocky Colavito          35
Tony Oliva            41.6          Don Buford              32
Jim Fregosi           41.0          ZOILO VERSALLES         29
Leon Wagner           38.2          Earl Battey             28

VORP and RCAP represent only offensive contributions, yet Versalles still comes out at or near the top of the heap despite the presence of guys like Oliva, Rocky Colavito, and Carl Yastrzemski. Given that he was also a Gold Glove-winning shortstop that year, it's not difficult to understand why he also does well in metrics like Wins Above Replacement Player (WARP) and Win Shares (WS) that incorporate both offensive and defensive contributions:

                      WARP                                WS
ZOILO VERSALLES       10.2          Tony Oliva            33
Don Buford             9.5          ZOILO VERSALLES       32
Tony Oliva             9.4          Don Buford            30
Jim Fregosi            8.9          Rocky Colavito        28
Rocky Colavito         8.7          Brooks Robinson       26

Thielman uses all kinds of strong language to protest the unattributed idea that Versalles was an undeserving MVP, saying "facts suggest otherwise" while taking unnamed masses to task for their apparent decision to "cast a revisionist layer over it all." In reality, the same "designer metrics" he scoffs at are in agreement with the "facts" he's chosen to trust, with both "sides" showing that "becoming an MVP is more than just piling numbers high."

Between blindly assuming that if Versalles won the MVP today "sabermetricians would probably take issue with" the decision and attacking a strawman argument that doesn't exist, people like Stohs and Thielman fail to see that whether you choose one of those four metrics or something similar, the end result will be that Versalles comes out looking like either the top choice for MVP or an extremely legitimate contender.

Those nasty stat-heads with their calculators and spreadsheets aren't so bad. In fact, sometimes those designer metrics their computers spit out can actually serve to illuminate a subject, such as showing that a .273/.319/.462 hitter can be perfectly worthy of an MVP award. Plus, if you're going to criticize stat-heads for using numbers-based analysis to claim that a Twins hitter didn't deserve an MVP award, there's little need to go back four decades when going back four months would be fine.

Deserving or not, he followed his MVP season with two terrible years, batting .249/.307/.346 in 1966 and .200/.249/.282 in 1967 as back problems plagued him. No amount of contextual adjustments make those hitting lines pretty, and in November of 1967 the Twins shipped Versalles and Mudcat Grant to the Dodgers for Johnny Roseboro, Ron Perranoski, and Bob Miller. Grant still had some excellent years left in his arm, but Versalles was finished as an effective player.

He batted .196 in 122 games as the Dodgers' starting shortstop in 1968 and was left unprotected in the expansion draft that offseason, where the upstart Padres selected him in the 20th round. Traded to Cleveland a month later, Versalles batted .226 in 72 games as a utility man before being let go, at which point he finished the season with a stint in Washington. Versalles spent 1970 in the Mexican League before signing with the Braves in 1971, batting .191 over 194 at-bats in his final MLB season.

Versalles went from a 25-year-old MVP to losing a fight against the Mendoza Line within two years and never recovered, which perhaps fuels some of the perception that he wasn't a deserving MVP. While it may be true that his career was among the worst ever for an MVP winner and both his on- and off-field decline were sudden and depressing, none of that takes away from the quality of his 1965 season. It was truly one of the greatest years in Twins history, for one of the greatest teams in Twins history.

Had he played in a different era, much about Versalles' career--from his raw numbers to his post-playing days--would have been improved. As it is, he serves as an example of how suddenly and unexpectedly greatness can arrive, and how suddenly and unexpectedly it can vanish. Asked to rate his own play, Versalles once said he'd "like to be somebody else so I can see how I look." Forty years later, and thanks to people "creating designer metrics with a computer," I say Versalles looked damn good.

TOP 25 ALL-TIME MINNESOTA TWINS RANKS:
 
Triples          56         4th
Hits           1046         9th
XBH             330        10th
Total Bases    1604        10th
Runs            564        11th
Doubles         188        11th
Steals           84        11th
RBI             401        15th
Homers           86        16th
Walks           251        23rd

Previous Top 40 Twins Prospects of 2007: 16-20, 21-25, 26-30, 31-35, 36-40

15. Erik Lis | First Base | DOB: 3/84 | Bats: Left | Draft: 2005-9
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2005     RK     168     .315     .356     .577     10     23      9     35
2006     A-     411     .326     .402     .547     16     56     51     83

A three-year starter at the University of Evansville, Erik Lis batted .342 with 25 homers, 49 doubles, and 147 RBIs during his 165-game college career. The Twins don't typically go after college sluggers, but liked Lis enough to grab him in the ninth round of the 2005 draft. He debuted at rookie-level Elizabethton after signing, batting .315/.356/.577 with 10 homers and 23 total extra-base hits in 49 games, but posted a sub par 35-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio against less experienced competition.

Lis moved up to low Single-A Beloit in 2006 and absolutely destroyed the Midwest League, winning the "Sabermetric Triple Crown" by leading the MWL in batting average (.326), on-base percentage (.402), and slugging percentage (.547), all while posting a much-improved 83-to-51 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 105 games. The MWL hit a combined .253/.325/.365 in 2006, meaning it was an extremely pitcher-friendly environment, which makes Lis' numbers there even more impressive than they initially appear.

If you adjust the MWL's offensive levels to fit last year's AL numbers (.275/.339/.437), Lis' hitting line jumps to a monstrous .350/.420/.650. Of course, as a 22-year-old former college star he was supposed to dominate low Single-A. The big test will come this year, when Lis either holds his own at high Single-A and makes it to Double-A during the second half of his age-23 season or becomes just another guy who beat up on young pitching to begin his career.

14. Paul Kelly | Shortstop | DOB: 10/86 | Bats: Right | Draft: 2005-2
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2005     RK     137     .277     .358     .365      2      8     14     36
2006     A-     378     .280     .352     .384      3     29     32     60

One of several high-school shortstops the Twins have drafted recently, Paul Kelly has moved past Trevor Plouffe and Drew Thompson to become the team's best low-minors middle-infield prospect. A second-round pick out of Texas in 2005, Kelly batted .277/.358/.365 in 40 games in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League after signing. He moved up to low Single-A Beloit last year and hit .280/.352/.384 before a knee injury cut his first full season short after 95 games.

With just five homers and 40 total extra-base hits in 531 pro at-bats, Kelly's biggest strength is clearly his solid on-base skills. However, there's reason to believe he has more power potential than his raw numbers suggest. The Midwest League was very pitcher-friendly in 2006, slugging a combined .365 with a .112 Isolated Power. Despite being a teenage shortstop, Kelly basically matched those league averages with a .384 SLG and .104 IsoP, which is reason enough to hope for double-digit homers.

A high-school pitcher, Kelly boasts one of the organization's strongest arms and is considered a solid defensive shortstop, but may slide over to second base in the future. Most of his value will ultimately come defensively, but Kelly's odds of developing into a capable hitter are probably better than most think. With Jason Bartlett finally entrenched in the lineup and Alexi Casilla set to replace Luis Castillo, the Twins can afford to be patient with Kelly, who won't be ready for several years.

13. David Winfree | Third Base | DOB: 8/85 | Bats: Right | Draft: 2003-13
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     RK     217     .286     .349     .433      8     16     18     51
2005     A-     562     .294     .329     .452     16     52     22     93
2006     A+     261     .276     .328     .490     13     28     19     59

Drafted in the 13th round out of a Virginia high school back in 2003, David Winfree hit just .129 in 23 games of rookie-ball after signing. He shook that off to bat .286/.349/.433 in his second try at rookie-ball in 2004 and then broke out at low Single-A Beloit in 2005, hitting .294/.329/.452 while leading the Midwest League in hits and RBIs. That earned Winfree the Twins' Minor League Player of the Year award, but his follow-up performance was put on hold when he left the organization last spring.

While details of Winfree's situation are somewhat sketchy, he said afterward that he needed some time off to get over a shoulder injury and regain his confidence. Winfree also told Baseball America that he questioned whether baseball was what he's "supposed to be doing." Whatever the case, Winfree returned around midseason and picked up right where he left off, hitting .276/.328/.490 with 13 homers and 28 total extra-base hits in 67 games at high Single-A Fort Myers.

Walking away from baseball is a concern and Winfree's plate discipline is sub par, but his power potential is undersold by good-but-not-great slugging percentages. While nothing special in the majors, a .492 SLG is outstanding from a 21-year-old in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. In fact, the only FSL hitters to top that in 2006 were both two years older than Winfree. He's probably destined to move away from third base, but more importantly might be the Twins' next 30-homer hitter.

12. Jeff Manship | Starter | DOB: 1/85 | Throws: Right | Draft: 2006-14
 
YEAR     LV      G     GS      ERA        IP       H     HR      SO     BB
2006     RK      2      0     0.00       5.2       3      0      10      1
         A+      4      3     2.08       8.2       7      0      12      2

One of the most highly touted pitchers in the country coming out of high school, Jeff Manship showed up at the University of Notre Dame with an elbow injury that eventually required season-ending Tommy John surgery. He missed the entire 2004 season and pitched just 22.2 innings in 2005, before finally putting together his first healthy year in 2006. Pitching alongside Jeff Samardzija in the Irish's starting rotation, Manship went 9-2 with a 3.26 ERA and 111-to-28 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 94 innings.

A draft-eligible sophomore in June due to the injuries, Manship had the leverage of being able to return to school and reportedly fell out of the early rounds because teams were worried about his bonus demands. The Twins snatched him up in the 14th round, handed him a $300,000 bonus that was more like third-round money, and got him on the field in time to toss 14.1 innings with a 1.26 ERA and 22-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio between rookie-ball and high Single-A.

Manship's medical history is always going to be a concern, but he's long been viewed as a potential star and his performance in 2006 was fantastic given that it was his first full season back after a significant injury. Between being arguably Notre Dame's best pitcher and striking out 22 batters in his first 14.1 pro innings, Manship showed that he still has the ability that made him a big-time prospect several years ago. If Manship has an injury-free season, he could be near the top of this list next year.

11. Joe Benson | Center Field | DOB: 3/88 | Bats: Right | Draft: 2006-2
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2006     RK     196     .260     .335     .444      5     21     21     41

A two-sport star in high school, Joe Benson was lured away from Purdue University when the Twins selected him in the second round of June's draft and handed him a $575,000 bonus. A catcher in high school, Benson was moved to center field upon signing and reportedly has the speed and athleticism to handle the unique position switch long term. Benson debuted in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, hitting .260/.335/.444 in 52 games.

Benson's GCL performance shows a player who is both very raw and very promising. The good news is that he smacked five homers and 21 total extra-base hits in 196 at-bats in a very tough environment for hitters, stole nine bases, and drew 21 walks. The bad news is that he struck out 41 times, was thrown out on 10 of his 19 steal attempts, and struggled in a six-game stint at low Single-A Beloit after an end-of-season promotion.

All things considered, Benson's pro debut was an impressive one and puts him in a good position heading into this season. At just 19 years old there's little reason to rush Benson, so expect him to reach Double-A sometime around mid-2008 and start scratching at the door to the big leagues no sooner than 2009. That means he won't be ready nearly in time to replace Torii Hunter, but Benson is the only Twins center-field prospect who has legitimate star potential.