Chris Parmelee

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Minnesota Twins #9 prospect in 2012
  Signed for $1.5 million as the 20th overall pick in 2006, Parmelee has been linked almost ever since with Joe Benson, Minnesota's second-rounder that June. They've become friends and have been teammates virtually throughout their pro careers. They made their big league debuts together Sept. 6, and Parmelee was the Twins' hottest hitter in the final month. Parmelee has made several adjustments to his swing throughout his career and found a groove working with Double-A hitting coach Tom Brunansky in 2011. Parmelee's stroke is less uphill now and he has become less homer-conscious, making him a solid hitter with pop to both gaps. He has home run power to his pull side. He continues to struggle against lefthanders, posting a .597 OPS against them in 146 Double-A at-bats last year. Parmelee also has improved his body, adding agility that has made him a better defender at first base, and has an above-average arm. If it weren't for his well below-average speed, the outfield would be more of a possibility, but he's limited to reserve duty out there. Club officials like how Parmelee has matured. With Justin Morneau's concussion issues, Parmelee gives Minnesota an in-house option for first base. He'll have to improve against lefties to be more than a second-division regular or platoon player.
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  Ranked Minnesota Twins #18 prospect in 2011
  Parmelee finally reached Double-A in 2010, his fourth full season since signing for $1.5 million as the 20th overall pick in the 2006 draft. He hit just .186 in the first six weeks, prompting a monthlong demotion to high Class A. Rene Tosoni's shoulder injury opened an outfield spot back in New Britain, and Parmelee took advantage of his second chance, batting .304 the rest of the way. Parmelee was drafted high for his line-drive swing and power potential, and his stroke remains pretty. He's short to the ball and uses the whole field while controlling the strike zone with a mature approach. Though he hit just eight homers in 2010, the Twins know he has plus raw power and had him focus on cutting down his strikeouts in the second half. He struck out 29 times in his first 102 at-bats in Double-A, then just 41 times in his 309 at-bats after rejoining New Britain. With a thick, unathletic body and below-average arm, Parmelee has moved down the defensive spectrum to first base, with occasional stops on the outfield corners. He has improved around the bag at first and isn't a liability there anymore. For Parmelee to be an impact player, he'll have to keep making contact while hitting for more power. While he batted .339 in the Arizona Fall League, he didn't homer in 109 at-bats. Parmelee did enough last year to get a 40-man roster spot, and he could earn a job in Triple-A with a strong spring.
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  Ranked Minnesota Twins #14 prospect in 2010
  Parmelee and Joe Benson have been linked since the Twins drafted them in the first two rounds of the 2006 draft. The 20th overall pick that year and recipient of a $1.5 million bonus, Parmelee is an atypical Twins prospect in that he's not well-rounded and most of his value is tied up in his bat. He had his best season as a pro last year, considering he was coming off a broken left wrist and moved up to the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. He was one of the league's better sluggers, ranking first in walks (65), second in RBIs (73) and third in homers (16). He has strength and has worked hard to shorten his swing and make more contact. Parmelee can hit homers to all fields and has done a better job of using the opposite field. He made more progress in the Arizona Fall League, where he was among the league's younger players and continued to hit for power. Some scouts maintain that his bat speed is insufficient for him to catch up to good fastballs. Parmelee has a plus arm, but his below-average speed and range make him a better fit at first base than on an outfield corner. He'll get his first exposure to Double-A in 2010.
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  Ranked Minnesota Twins #14 prospect in 2009
  Parmelee and Joe Benson were Minnesota's top two picks in the 2006 draft--Parmelee went 20th overall and signed for $1.5 million--and they've played together ever since. Their ties include an unfortunate coincidence from 2008, when both played just 69 games at Beloit because to injuries. Parmelee got hurt playing first base, crashing into the wall in foul ground to make a catch and breaking his left wrist. Prior to the injury, he had continued his evolution into a power threat, more likely a first baseman in an organization loaded with outfielders with more well-rounded tools. Parmelee has more power, especially usable power, than any Twins farmhand, and he's also one of the system's more selective hitters. He significantly increased his walk rate in 2008, drawing more bases on balls in a half-season than he did in all of 2007. Putting himself in more good hitter's counts, he also unlocked his power more, falling one home run short of his '07 total. Parmelee has strength and a nice natural loft to his swing to produce power, though the Twins believe his numbers will fall next year while he recovers from his wrist injury and deals with more spacious ballparks in the Florida State League. With all those deep counts come strikeouts, and Parmelee will have to make more consistent contact at higher levels for his power to play. Some scouts question his bat speed and ability to catch up to good velocity. He still needs to improve at first base to avoid becoming a DH down the line, and he's a below-average runner. All of Parmelee's value is in his bat, a rarity among Twins prospects, but he has started to perform.
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  Ranked Minnesota Twins #12 prospect in 2008
  Among the high school hitters the Twins have drafted with their top choice in seven of the last years, Parmelee most closely resembles infielder Matt Moses, a 2003 first-rounder taken more for his bat than for filling Minnesota's usual all-around-tools profile. Signed for $1.5 million as the 20th overall pick in 2006, Parmelee had a modestly disappointing first full pro season. He didn't show the feel for hitting and ability to hit for average the Twins expected, and never got comfortable, tinkering with his setup and showing modest bat speed. Lefthanders handled him easily, holding him to a .549 OPS. His power was evident, as he used a smooth, pretty swing to crush offspeed stuff in the zone. Parmelee's body never has been his strength, and he needs to stay in better shape. His lack of athleticism and already below-average speed may make it difficult for him to stay in right field, which would waste his plus arm at first base or DH. Minnesota has misjudged one-dimensional hitters in the past--see Ortiz, David--and will be patient with Parmelee, who should move up to high Class A for 2008.
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  Ranked Minnesota Twins #4 prospect in 2007
  Parmelee cemented his place in the first round of the 2006 draft by adding game power to his patient, polished package. He hit 11 homers as a high school senior, then went deep in his first pro appearance after signing for $1.5 million as the 20th overall pick. He finished the season by holding his own in the low Class A Midwest League. With plate discipline, leverage and a short, repeatable stroke, Parmelee is the total package as a power hitter. He actually has shown the Twins more raw power than they thought he had as an amateur, and he seems to swing better with wood than he did with metal. He has an above-average arm that fits in right field. A below-average runner, Parmelee will get bigger and slower as he gets older. His instincts, jumps and routes will have to compensate if he's to stay in the outfield. He's a solid defender at first base if he has to move there. Parmelee has the advanced bat to move quickly. He's similar to what the Twins thought they had in Jason Kubel before Kubel's knee injury, but with better power. Parmelee will start 2007 back in low Class A, but it would be an upset for him to spend the whole season there.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked International League #5 prospect in 2012
  Like many Twins farmhands, Parmelee has come along slowly, but he ended 2011 by batting .355 during a September callup and started 2012 in Minnesota. Demoted to Rochester in mid-May after hitting .179, he became the IL's most devastating hitter in his first Triple-A action. Parmelee has a short but strong swing that sends line drives to all fields, though most of his power comes to his pull side. He has the ability to lay off breaking balls from lefthanders, getting into hitter's counts and handling southpaws (.354/.430/.561 in the IL) despite the platoon disadvantage. He took better advantage of the loft in his swing as the year progressed, hitting 13 of his 17 home runs in July and August as he took better advantage of the loft in his swing. "He's closed up some holes in his swing," Pawtucket manager Arnie Beyeler said. "He was a lot harder to pitch to and became a very dangerous hitter." Though he's a well below-average runner, Parmelee is capable around the bag at first base. He saw some action on the outfield corners in the majors, displaying substandard range but a strong arm.
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  Ranked Florida State League #17 prospect in 2009
  Since the Twins drafted him in the first round in 2006, Parmelee has been on the slow track. After spending two full seasons in low Class A Beloit, Parmelee hit just .197 in April before finding his stride. He showed more willingness to start using the opposite field in the second half and hit .269/.382/.452 after the break. "He was a big-swing guy who is now making an effort to go the other way," Spencer said. "It's a work in progress, but it will make him a better hitter." Parmelee's best tool is his power, and he ranked third in the FSL with 16 homers. He's only a career .250 hitter, though he does draw walks. His bat is the key to his projection, as he's a below-average athlete, runner and defender at either first base or right field.
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  Ranked Florida Complex League #2 prospect in 2006
  After signing with the Twins for $1.5 million as the 20th overall pick, Parmelee performed as expected. Considered one of the most advanced high school hitters available in the draft, he stuck to the patient approach that earned him that reputation. Parmelee pulled a towering drive over the right-field fence for a homer in his first pro plate appearance, and he ranked second in the GCL in slugging percentage (.532) and third in homers (eight). He has a good eye, uses the entire field and has above-average power. He struck out too much in his debut, though he made consistent hard contact when he did connect. Where he'll play remains uncertain, though one opposing manager said he believed Parmelee's instincts made up for his below-average speed in right field. Parmelee isn't a fluid athlete, but he has good hands and an above-average arm. He's adept at picking low throws at first base. "He was one step ahead, always thinking ahead," Pirates manager Turner Ward said. "He made adjustments when he was pitched away and that's what you want to see, that's why he stood out. Not just because of his bat speed, but he was able to make adjustments."

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #94 prospect in 2007

• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Signed for $1.5 million as the 20th overall pick in 2006, Parmelee has been linked almost ever since with Joe Benson, Minnesota's second-rounder that June. They've been teammates virtually throughout their pro careers and made their big league debuts together Sept. 6. Parmelee was the Twins' hottest hitter in the final month. Scouting Report: Parmelee has made several adjustments to his swing throughout his career and found a groove working with Double-A hitting coach Tom Brunansky in 2011. His stroke is less uphill now and he has become less homer-conscious, making him a solid hitter with pop to both gaps. He has home run power to his pull side. He continues to struggle against lefthanders, posting a .597 OPS against them in 146 Double-A at-bats last year. Parmelee has improved his body, adding agility that has made him a better defender at first base, and his arm is above-average. If it weren't for his well below-average speed, the outfield would be more of a possibility, but he's limited to reserve duty out there. The Future: Club officials like how Parmelee has matured. With Justin Morneau's concussion issues, Parmelee gives Minnesota an in-house option for first base. He'll have to improve against lefties to be more than a second-division regular or platoon player.