Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
ESPN’s Keith Law is one of the baseball prospect gurus that many people turn to for advice and projections for many of the top prospects in all of baseball. Law occasionally releases a list of top prospects in all of baseball and today released an updated version of his top 25 prospects list. The Minnesota Twins were the only organization with two prospects in the top ten of this list with outfielder Byron Buxton coming in at number two overall and third basemen Miguel Sano coming in at number six overall.
While there has been much debate amongst Twins’ fans and analysts about who is the Twins’ top prospect, due to the strong start of Buxton this April, many still assumed that Sano was the top prospect in the organization and would still be the first one called up between the two. While Sano may still be the first one called up out of the two mega-prospects, the debate over who is the best prospect in the Twins’ organization is becoming much more interesting with every game.
As I mentioned in a previous article about the hype surrounding Buxton when he was drafted out of high school last year—which you can access by clicking here– Buxton has lived up to the hype so far by hitting .324 with 59 hits, seven HR, 38 RBI, an astounding 35 walks and an OBP of .432 over 182 at-bats in 48 games for low Class-A Cedar Rapids. Sano, on the other hand, has put up strong numbers as well this year by hitting .341 with 59 hits, 13 HR, 38 RBI, 24 walks, a troublesome 51 strikeouts and a .433 OBP in 47 games over 173 at-bats for high Class-A Fort Myers.
It is quite the honor to have two prospects in the top ten overall by such a distinguished baseball writer, but it definitely shows the depth and talent the Twins have in their minor league system. With the amateur draft approaching and the Twins holding the number four overall selection, it will be crucial for the Twins to add another piece to their rebuilding puzzle and hit on another talented youngster to add to the ranks.
There will be pressure for the Twins to promote Buxton and Sano in the coming years if the Twins continue to struggle like they have over the past few seasons. A possible Buxton promotion will receive more attention due to the recent success of Mike Trout last season when he was promoted after spending limited time in the minors and never reaching above Double-A before his call-up to the majors. It would be unfair to believe that Buxton would have the same impact that Trout had in his first full season at the majors; but if Buxton continues to demonstrate that he can handle the competition at each additional level he is promoted to, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility to see the Twins promote Buxton if and when he reaches and performs well at Double-A.
For now, it all is pure speculation as to when Buxton will make his big-league debut. Until he actually does, it will be fun to see how this youngster progresses through the minors and I am certainly planning a quick voyage to Cedar Rapids in the near future to catch a glimpse of this talented ballplayer with my own eyes.
Something tells me that Buxton has a lot left to learn at the minors and a lot more talent to develop before he reaches the majors. Remember, Buxton is only 19 years young; hopefully he has only scratched the surface of his true and overall potential. Based on the recent prospect rankings, Buxton has a bright and dominant future ahead of him.
Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 or “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
