10 Minnesota Twins Prospects To Know Beyond The Top 30 in 2024
Baseball America’s Top 30 Minnesota Twins Prospects entering 2024 are here exclusively for subscribers. The list includes updated scouting reports, BA grades and tool grade projections every player.
Inevitably, there are players every year who barely miss the cut when we narrow down the list. These players are all worth monitoring for various reasons and it’s likely some will either reach the big leagues in 2024 or enjoy breakout seasons lower in the minors.
Here are next 10 players to know in the Twins system beyond their Top 30.
31. Brent Headrick, LHP
Headrick has long shown that he has the durability to carry a starter’s workload, but it’s hard to see him being one of the Twins’ best six or seven starting pitcher options. His more likely role is as a crafty multi-inning reliever who can eat innings. He has multiple options left to bounce back and forth between St. Paul and Minnesota.
32. Michael Helman, 2B/OF
A dislocated shoulder may have kept Helman from making it to the majors in 2023. After a solid 2022 season, he seemed poised to be a useful call-up as a backup who could plausibly play four positions. But he dislocated his shoulder sliding headfirst to score on an infield grounder on May 11. That injury kept him sidelined until the end of August. Helman is the type of well-rounded player who can help a club without having any real standout tool. He’s an average hitter with below-average power, and he’s proven to be an exceptional basestealer despite only above-average speed.
33. Andrew Morris, RHP
A 2022 fourth-rounder out of Texas Tech, Morris dominated Low-A Fort Myers and was excellent after a promotion to High-A Cedar Rapids. Morris has a chance to have three average or better pitches with a 93-95 mph fastball, 86-88 mph power slider and even harder 87-89 mph changeup. He commands his fastball well, and then gets hitters to chase his secondaries.
34. Jordan Balazovic, RHP
A fifth-rounder in 2016, Balazovic ranked as high as No. 3 in the Twins system in 2020 and twice cracked the Top 100 Prospects. But Balazovic’s prospect status has faded in recent years as he battled command issues, and failing to show up in shape (2022) and breaking his jaw during a spring training fight (2023) didn’t help matters. The tumble continued when the Twins designated Balazovic for assignment in early February. He has low-leverage relief upside.
35. Noah Cardenas, C
An eighth-round pick out of UCLA in 2021, Cardenas has been moved slowly by the Twins. He spent all year at High-A Cedar Rapids, helping lead that team to the Midwest League title. He’s a solid hitter who hits for average and gets on base, frames pitches well and is an average receiver and blocker behind the plate. He could end up as a backup catcher in the big leagues.
36. Chris Williams, 1B/C
Williams hit 21 home runs for Triple-A St. Paul in 2023 after hitting 28 homers between Double-A Wichita and St. Paul in 2022. He has big power from the right side, and his patient approach should allow him to post solid on-base percentages as well despite plenty of strikeouts. Defensively, he’s always been below-average as a catcher, which makes him more of an emergency catcher who can DH and play first base rather than a clear backup catching option.
37. Yoyner Fajardo, OF
Fajardo was a MiLB Rule 5 pick out of the Pirates system in Dec. 2022. In his first year with the Twins, Fajardo led Double-A Wichita with a .305 batting average and a .375 on-base percentage. He also led all Twins prospects with 50 steals. Fajardo has generally hit but rarely got regular at-bats in the Pirates’ system. His 527 plate appearances in 2023 was easily a career high. Fajardo used to play second base, but he struggled there and now is a fringe-average defender in left and right field. Fajardo is a bat-first, above-average hitter who is always a threat to steal.
38. Rafael Cruz, 3B
Cruz has some of the best raw power in the Twins organization, although that’s not always apparent yet in games. That power means he’s too often looking to grip and rip, and is vulnerable against a pitcher who doesn’t give him a pitch to pull. He’s moved to third base from shortstop as he’s quickly slowed down and even at third base he appears to be fringy.
39. Daniel Pena, C
Pena faces some questions about whether he can get to even average as a defender behind the plate, but his ability to string together a lot of competitive at-bats with a line-drive, all-fields approach stands out. Ideally, he’s a backup catcher whose defense gets to a level that allows his bat to play. He could end up at first base, where he would be solid defensively but will have to turn more of his apparent raw power into productive power.
40. Pierson Ohl, RHP
Ohl is a four-pitch righthander, but it’s his low-80s plus changeup that wows scouts. The pitch has plenty of deception and helps his 89-91 mph fastball play up. Ohl’s delivery is funky, but so far he’s shown he can throw enough strikes.
