Twins MLB Draft Profile: Clint Frazier, OF

The 2013 MLB Draft is quickly approaching. For the second year in a row, the Minnesota Twins have a top four pick. With this high of a selection, there can be a lot of pressure on the organization to find an impact player for the future.

Over at Twins Daily, the different writers have been putting together profiles all week of the top names in the draft. There are three big names at the top of the draft board and then quite a few question marks. This could make it tough for the Twins to sort out who would be the best for them with the fourth pick.

Who IS This Guy?

Clint Frazier is a high school center fielder from Loganville, Georgia. He is widely considered to have the best bat speed in the entire draft class. This enables him to have very good raw power. His 5-foot-11 frame already has a muscular build as he weighs in at 190 pounds. This makes it tough to project him adding more weight to his frame but he already looks like an MLB player. He plays with a ton of energy.

On the defensive side of the ball, there are some questions about whether he will be able to stick in center field. He is starting to track the ball well and he continues to improve his ability to finish plays in center. His arm strength is very good, even with some tendonitis concerns, but he needs to work on his accuracy. 

Most few him as a top ten pick in the draft because of his hit and power tools. He could be a top five pick but this doesn't seem likely at this point in the draft process.

Who Could He Be?

There is the potential for Frazier to develop into a five tool player at a premium up the middle defensive position. He has the chance to make multiple All-Star teams or be a solid regular player. 

One of the biggest holes in his game has been his pitch recognition. He goes up to the plate looking fastball and he can destroy hanging breaking balls. Pitchers have been able to get him out with below average breaking pitches. If this can improve, he could be a monster on the offensive side of the ball.

Tendonitis issues have lowered Frazier's arm strength from plus to above average. If he could get back to his previous level, his defensive value would pair nicely with his solid offensive projections. 

There is some risk with Frazier but he could reward a team that takes a chance on him by becoming a perennial All-Star.

How Soon Could He Be Playing In Target Field?

Frazier will be 18 years, 9 months old at the time of the draft. This would put him on a similar path to the major leagues as last year's first round pick Byron Buxton. He would spend the end of this coming summer in rookie ball. 

Like Buxton this year, he could be at Low-A to start 2014 with the opportunity to get to High-A by the end of the season. He would spend most of 2015 at High-A and 2016 at Double-A. This could leave him close to making his big league debut.

The Twins let Aaron Hicks skip from Double-A to the MLB level and Frazier has the potential to make that type of move. Frazier could have a chance to be a September call-up at the end of 2016. If he takes care of some of his flaws in the minors, he could be on path to be an everyday starter by 2017.

If the Twins Draft This Guy, They Messed Up Because...

Frazier might end up busting out in the minor leagues and never making it to the big league level. He doesn't have any room to grow into his body so the potential to add power and strength isn't there.

There will likely be better players available at number four. He also has red hair and apparently a good big league player can't have red hair according to old school scout analysis.

The Twins could work out a deal with Frazier before the draft to sign him for less than slot value then the team could use the extra money for a pick later in the draft.

If the Twins Draft This Guy, They Nailed It Because...
Without risk, there is never any reward. Frazier's bat speed and five-tool potential could help him to move quickly through the Twins system.

Buxton might be the team's center fielder of the future but Frazier could slide into a corner spot and be an above average regular. The addition of Frazier could give the Twins a strong outfield in 2017 with Buxton in CF, Frazier in RF, and Arcia or Hicks in LF.

Frazier is an unbelievably hard worker and he shows this on the field. He is a natural leader and he will push himself. There might be work ethics questions surrounding other prep players but there is no doubt about Frazier's make-up.

Plus it would be cool to have a guy with bright red hair in the middle of the line-up on an everyday basis.

MLB Draft Player Profiles:

• Monday, May 20-- Sean Manaea, SP
• Tuesday, May 21-- Austin Meadows, OF
• Wednesday, May 22-- Trey Ball, OF
• Thursday, May 23-- Ryan Stanek, RHP

Twins Minor League Report (5/22): O-fer Kind of Night

Two men were having very different feelings on Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta.

Chris Colabello continued his remarkable journey by making his MLB debut. The 29-year old rookie failed to get a hit but he made it to the big leagues. There had to be nights along the way where he wondered if it would ever happen. His dream came true today.

It has been a nightmare season for Vance Worley after the Braves roughed him up for 10 hits and eight earned runs in less than four innings of work. His ERA ballooned to 7.21 on the year and his record dropped to 1-5. Following the game, the Twins sent Worley to Rochester to try and work out his kinks.

Alex Meyer was on the mound for New Britain, the Miracle tried to continue their winning ways, and Cedar Rapids faced a familiar foe in the form of the Beloit Snappers. Let's go down on the pond!

Rochester Red Wings (Off Day)
While the Red Wings enjoyed an off day, two of their best offensive players from the beginning of the year were playing against the Atlanta Braves. Oswaldo Arcia and Chris Colabello put together numbers in the International League that were worthy of promotion.

Now it could become harder for Rochester's struggling offense to put up runs. The team ranks 9th in the International League in OPS and 11th in runs scored. Infielder Dibinson Romero was promoted from New Britain to try and help spark the offense. Romero was hitting .355 in eight games with three homers and six RBI. In a corresponding move, Nate Hanson was sent to New Britain.

Rochester will look to turn things around during an eight game homestand. The club has lost six of their last nine games and they sit nine games out of first place in the International League North. Both of the team's coming to Rochester in the next week are below .500 so this gives the team a chance to make up some ground.

New Britain Rock Cats 3, Binghamton Bees 8
Box Score
Two costly errors from Rock Cats shortstop Danny Santana lead to a couple of unearned runs that were hard for New Britian to come back from. Santana had 18 errors last year at shortstop and he his two errors today push his 2013 total to 17. He hasn't been getting on base or hitting for much power so he needs to make some strides on the defensive side of the ball.

Alex Meyer started the contest and pitched into the seventh inning. Over 6.2 innings, he gave up three earned runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and three walks. It was the first time all season where he recorded an out in the seventh inning. For the month of May, it was his best start and one can hope that he is turning a positive corner for the rest of the year.

On the offensive side of the ball, Daniel Ortiz put together a three hit effort. He hit his 15th and 16th doubles of the year and scored a run. In his last ten games, he has a .333 batting average with six doubles. Reynaldo Rodriguez added his 11th double of the year. In his first game since being demoted, Nate Hanson went 0-for-4.

The Rock Cats have lost 9 of their last 10 games so it has been a rough stretch of baseball. The team can still salvage a split of their series with Binghamton if they can win on Thursday. Over the long weekend, New Britain will play a four-game set against New Hampshire.

Fort Myers Miracle 1, Lakeland Flying Tigers 4
Box Score
The Miracle scored a quick run in the top of the first inning and then the Lakeland pitching staff proceeded to put a lot of zeros on the scoreboard. Fort Myers wouldn't score another run in the game and the Flying Tigers pounded out 13 hits.

Matt Koch was the only Miracle batter to collect more than one hit. He went 2-for-4 with his 1st triple of the year. Miguel Sano and Kennys Vargas, the three and four hitter, combined to go 0-for-7. Fort Myers had plenty of opportunities as the club left 10 runners on base and went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Taylor Rogers pitched admirably by throwing five innings and allowing one earned run. He scattered nine hits but he was able to limit the damage. In the second, third, fourth innings he was able to leave the bases loaded to end the frame.

In a perfect eighth inning, Zach Jones struck out two batters and lowered his ERA to 0.90. Adrian Salcedo was saddled with his first loss of the year by giving up two runs over two innings. It was the first time he had allowed a run in the month of May.

The Miracle are 32-13 and they wrap up a seven-game road trip with their game against Lakeland tomorrow night. Following that game, Fort Myers will head home for a weekend series with the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

Cedar Rapids Kernels 6, Beloit Snappers 7
Box Score
The Kernels tried their best to be the only Twins affiliate to win on Wednesday with a ninth inning rally. Trailing by three runs at the start of the frame, Candido Pimentel walked before a fielding error allowed Byron Buxton to reach. Niko Goodrum stepped to the plate as the tying run but he grounded into a double play. Jorge Polanco was the next batter and he sent one over the fence to cut the lead to one. But in the end, Dalton Hicks popped out to the catcher in foul territory to end the game.

Hudson Boyd coughed up seven earned runs in a little over five innings on the mound. The Snappers pounded out three home runs against him and he was limited to four strikeouts. Josue Montanez and Manuel Soliman would combine to shut down the Snappers for the rest of the game. In fact, Beloit would only get one more hit.

None of the Kernels hitters were able to knock more than one hit. Byron Buxton went 1-for-4 with his 5th triple and 20th stolen base on the year. J.D. Williams had an interesting line as he went 0-for-1 but collected three walks in the game. Travis Harrison got his 15th double.

Cedar Rapids has two more games in Beloit before returning home for a six-game homestand. The Snappers are the team right behind the Kernels in the standings so these next two games are important to the team.

Who is Chris Colabello?

I originally posted this story back in spring training under the title "Chris Colabello continues his fairy tale." With the recent news of his promotion to the Twins, I thought it would be appropriate to move it back to the front page of this blog. I have added in some information about his season so far.

One of the best stories in the Twins organization in 2012 was the tale of a 28-year old man that got his first taste of baseball with an affiliated club. Chris Colabello had molded himself into one of the best hitters in the Canadian-American Association before the Twins signed him to deal. He spent all of last season being the elder statesman of the Eastern League while showing off his skills at the plate.

The story of Colabello could get even better this year when he is asked to make his MLB debut. He would be a 29-year old rookie and the thought of him being in the Twins line-up isn't too hard to imagine. Let's look back at what got him to this point and look ahead to what could bring him to the Twin Cities.

After growing up and attending college in Massachusetts, Colabello wanted to continue his professional baseball career. No major league organization drafted him out of college so he found a team in the independent leagues. For six seasons, he played in the Canadian-American Association and he developed himself into one of the best hitters in this league.

From 2005-2011, Colabello hit over .300 in every season. Those seven seasons saw him hit .317/.390/.514 with an average of 14 home runs a year. He showed the ability to play both corner infield positions and even a little outfield. The skills were there but no MLB teams came calling.

Before the 2006 season, Colabello got to try out for the Italian World Baseball Classic team. He didn't make the squad but the Tigers took notice and invited him to spring training. His spring was good but he didn't make the club and he went back to the CAA. His persistence would finally pay off but not for another half of a decade.

The 2011 season would be an eye-opening year for Colabello because he would put together the best numbers of his career. He hit .348/.410/.600 with 20 home runs and 32 doubles. He finished second in the league in home runs, batting average, RBI, and hits. He led the league in doubles and slugging percentage. At the end of the season, he would be named the Independent Leagues Player of the Year by Baseball America.

Minnesota would offer him a chance for the start of the 2012 season. There weren't any promises made by the Twins and he didn't get a signing bonus but he was getting an opportunity. If he made a minor league team, he would be making less money then he had in the CAA but sometimes it's not about the money.

Colabello would be sent to New Britain for the entirety of the 2012 season. He would hit .284/.358/.478 over 134 games. His numbers would be good enough to lead the Eastern League in doubles and he finished second in RBI, fourth in runs, and fourth in home runs. Darin Ruf would walk-away with the Eastern League MVP but Colabello would have strong runner up finish.

He was finally living his dream and that dream has only gotten better so far this spring.

The Twins wanted Colabello back in the organization and his performance last year was good enough for Team Italy to add him to their roster for the 2013 WBC. Italy would make a surprise trip to the second round of the WBC and Colabello was a key figure for their team. He hit .333/.368/.667 and he lead the team in home runs (2) and RBI (7).

Things were off to an even better start with the Rochester Red Wings this season. He was hitting .358/.417/.659 with 12 HR, 17 2B, and 39 RBI. Colabello was leading the team in almost every offensive category and the Twins offense hasn't exactly been firing on all cylinders. Hopefully, he can insert some offensive pop into a dull line-up. 

The fairy tale ending for Colabello will be when he steps onto the field for his first big league game. It has been quite the journey but he has earned this opportunity. He might not be a prospect to build around but his story is one of the best.

Fairy tales are great but Colabello gets to live out his dream and play major league baseball. 

That sounds like a fairy tale ending to me...

Soul Patrol: Back with a Vengeance

When the Minnesota Twins were coming back into relevance in the early 2000s, there was a group of outfielders at the core of the team's success. Torii Hunter, Jacque Jones, and Matt Lawton roamed the outfield and they were given a unique nickname, "The Soul Patrol."

Lawton would only make it part of that first season as part of the "Soul Patrol," as he was traded in a deadline deal to the New York Mets. This left the team a member short when it came to the "Soul Patrol" until Shannon Stewart joined the club in 2003.

This became the second version of the "Soul Patrol." Jones would leave in 2005, Stewart left after the 2006 season, and Hunter became a free agent one year later. The "Soul Patrol" was spread out throughout baseball and it was tough to know if the Twins would ever see it again.

A new group of outfielders in the Twins farm system has taken on the mantra of the "Soul Patrol." JD Williams, Byron Buxton, and Adam Walker have put together strong starts to their seasons for Cedar Rapids. The Kernels have come out of the gate hot so there might be a little more magic in the "Soul Patrol" name.

"Soul Patrol" Center Fielder: Torii Hunter to Byron Buxton
Both players were first round picks but Buxton is putting together a season unlike anything Hunter ever had in the minor leagues. Through 41 games, Buxton is hitting .317/.420/.559 with seven home runs, four triples, and 10 doubles. His 19 stolen bases are also more than Hunter ever had in the minors.

Hunter has put together quite the major league career after never being ranked higher than 79th on Baseball America's Top Prospect List. Buxton enters his first full season already in the top 10 and he could be at the top of the list by the end of the year.

Throughout the history of the Twins organization, the club has turned to their center fielder for leadership. Hunter was a leader on the resurgent Twins teams of the 2000s. Buxton might have to be a leader as the team tries to erase the memories from the last couple of poor seasons and get back to playing winning baseball.

"Soul Patrol" Left Fielder: Jacque Jones to JD Williams
The Twins took Jones in the second round of the draft so there were some high expectations from the start. Williams was a tenth round pick and he has been a surprise so far with his ability to hit for power. Both men can play multiple outfield positions but Williams has been sent to left so Buxton could be in CF and Walker could be in RF.

Williams has struck out 29 times this season in 36 games but his OBP is still over .400. This comes from his ability to draw walks. Jones improved on his ability to draw walks during his Minnesota days but he never had an OBP of higher than .335.

So far this year, Williams is hitting .255/.406/.500 with four home runs, two triples, and eight doubles. He has eight steals in four attempts so he can take an extra base when the time is right. This is his second trip through the Midwest League and his numbers are improving. Last year, he hit .234/.311/.340 with Beloit.

"Soul Patrol" Right Fielder: Matt Lawton to Shannon Stewart to Adam Walker
Lawton joined the Twins organization as a 13th round pick and he went on to a decent career as a big leaguer. Stewart joined the Twins on a trade that would help push the team toward the playoffs. In 2012, Walker was a third round pick so there have been some expectations for him to succeed.

Last year, he played 58 games for the E-Twins and hit .250/.310/.496 with 14 home runs and 11 other extra-base hits. The power swing was there but some of his other numbers were lower than the club would have liked. He would still be advanced to Cedar Rapids this year and he is off to a very good start.

Through 41 games, he is hitting .284/.333/.594 with 10 home runs, 10 doubles, and four triples. He has three steals to his name and he has yet to be thrown out. His 45 RBI already match his total from last year and he did this in 83 less plate appearances.

It would be a very cool story if all three of these minor league outfielders made it to the Twins outfield at some point in their careers. There is a good chance that one or more of them won't be able to make it all the way through to the MLB level.

It's still a very exciting group of players to watch and the future could be bright for the newest edition of the "Soul Patrol."

Who is Caleb Thielbar?

It has been quite the wild ride for Mr. Caleb J. Thielbar on his way to the major leagues.

The 26-year old left-hander was called-up by the Minnesota Twins on Monday after the team demoted fifth starter Pedro Hernandez. Thielbar is not a starter so the team will need to make another roster move before Friday's game to fill out the rotation. Options for this spot include Kyle Gibson, Sam Deduno, and PJ Walters.

Thielbar was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 18th round of the 2009 MLB Draft. The Minnesota native went to college at South Dakota State University. He would spend the first two years of his professional career in the lower levels of the Brewers' system.

During his first season in rookie ball, he posted a 6-1 record with a 1.53 ERA. Most of his appearances were out of the bullpen as he was asked to make two starts. Over 48 innings, he struck out 48 and walked eight. These were the type of numbers that one would expect from a college age pitcher in rookie ball.

In 2010, Thielbar found a few more bumps in the road as he tried to make his mark in the minors. He played nine games at rookie ball and his ERA jumped to 3.68 over 14.2 innings. His time in Low-A produced even worse numbers. Over 30 games, he had a 5.60 ERA and a 1.491 WHIP. He struck out 43 and walked 14 over 53.0 innings.

The Brewers would cut ties with him and it was time for Thielbar to make some changes as he headed to independent baseball.

Thielbar would find a new team to latch on with for 2011. The St. Paul Saints were looking to add some depth to their bullpen and Thielbar seemed to fit the mold. He would pitch 49.2 innings for the Saints with a 2.54 ERA and a 1.128 WHIP. He had a decent strike out to walk rate as he struck out 62 and walked 15.

The Minnesota Twins took notice of Thielbar's numbers and he signed a deal with the club. Since it was so late in the year, he was limited to three appearances with the Fort Myers Miracle. It was enough to earn his first win as a member of the Twins organization. He didn't allow a single run and he gave up one hit in 7.1 innings.

Last season was a whirlwind for Thielbar. He pitched very effectively at three different levels in the Twins system. On a return trip to the Florida State League, he pitched 12.1 innings with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.486 WHIP. The next stop was New Britain where he threw 25.0 innings with a 1.80 ERA and a 0.840 WHIP. Rochester was his final stop and he threw 40.1 innings with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.438 WHIP.

Minnesota wanted to see more out of Thielbar so he was sent to the Arizona Fall League this past year. He had pitched close to 80 innings in the minors so he had tired by the time the AFL started. Over 13 innings, he posted an 11.08 ERA. He gave up 21 hits, walked eight, and struck out 12. There was still enough there for the Twins to add him to their 40-man roster.

To start the 2013 season, Theilbar was sent back to Rochester. He was 1-1 with a 3.76 ERA in 17 relief appearances at Triple-A. In 26.1 innings, he struck out 34 and walked eight while holding lefties to a .159 batting average. Since his primary responsibility with the MLB club should be to get out lefties, he seems to be up to this task.

Over his last eight appearances with the Red Wings, he had not allowed a run. In those 11.1 innings, he  struck out 15 and limited his walks to five. Things seemed to be clicking on all cylinders for him and the time was right to have him join the Twins roster.

According to the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook, (which you can still order here for a discounted price):
"When Thielbar was pitching in the Brewers system, he threw a fastball in the mid-80s. After being released, he completely reworked his mechanics and got himself in much better shape. In 2012, he was hitting 92 mph. He has very good control of his curveball, and also throws a change-up. Some compare his delivery to that of fellow-Minnesota left-handed reliever Glen Perkins."

One of the strengths of the Twins has been their bullpen and Thielbar can be another important piece of the puzzle. It looks like he is ready for the big leagues and this will complete quite the journey to get to this point.