Minnesota Twins

BA Grade/Risk: 45/Medium

Track Record: Before he ever made it out of Double-A, Woods Richardson had twice been traded for a big league starting pitcher. The Mets drafted him in the second round in 2018, then traded him to the Blue Jays for Marcus Stroman in 2019. The Twins picked him up in 2021 along with Austin Martin for Jose Berrios. Woods Richardson missed roughly a month of the 2022 season on the Covid injured list, but he returned in mid July and made his MLB debut for the Twins in the final week of the regular season with a start against the Tigers.

Scouting Report: Woods Richardson's stuff and success varies from outing to outing. Seen on the right day, he'll locate a fringe-average 92-94 mph fastball that can touch 95-96, and he'll mix in three solid secondaries consisting of slider, curveball and changeup. On other days, Woods Richardson sits 90-92 mph with less consistent offspeed pitches and scattershot control. The tricky part is separating how much of his success is based around the same delivery issues that lead to his inconsistency. He isn't direct to the plate with his delivery, but that helps add deception to an assortment of pitches that otherwise are fairly generic. Woods Richardson has a high over-the-top release point, so he generally works up and down in the strike zone, which also helps his average curveball play. His fringe-average low-80s slider gives hitters something different to worry about. His above-average changeup is more consistent.

The Future: Because he was drafted as a 17-year-old, Woods Richardson won't turn 23 until the very end of the 2023 season. He's not a finished product, and if he can improve his velocity as well as the movement on his slider and his control, he has the ability to be a No. 4 starter.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Curveball 50. Slider: 45. Changeup: 55. Control: 50

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: Canterino demonstrated flashes of dominance at Rice, although his fastball/slider approach and funky and deceptive but unorthodox delivery led many to see a future in the bullpen. He found a new changeup grip that transformed that into his best pitch, and when healthy he's dominated, but a balky elbow has bothered him since 2021. He was shut down again in 2022 and eventually had Tommy John surgery in August.

Scouting Report: Elbow reconstruction surgery requires a difficult, taxing rehabilitation process, but Canterino's surgery also hopefully puts a nagging problem in his rearview mirror. Elbow issues limited him to 23 innings in 2021 and he never topped 70 pitches in a start in 2022. When healthy, Canterino has the best stuff of any Twins minor leaguer. His mid-90s, plus fastball has life and arm-side run, but it's sometimes his third best pitch, as Canterino can carve up lineups with his low-80s, plus-plus changeup and high-80s, plus power slider. Both are able to generate plenty of whiffs and are deadly with two strikes. His control faltered in 2022, but he's generally been a fringe-average strike thrower.

The Future: Canterino will likely miss all of 2023 recovering, but once healthy, he has the stuff to make an immediate impact. He has the weapons to close if the Twins want to speed up his path by moving him to the pen, but he also has enough control to be a funky, somewhat dominating five-inning starter.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 70. Control: 45.

BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme

Track Record: Mercedes was born in Puerto Rico but grew up in the Dominican Republic. He was a long-time target of the Twins who signed for $1.7 million. He immediately demonstrated the kind of power and speed that Minnesota had seen as an amateur, but combined with a more advanced understanding of the strike zone than could have been expected.

Scouting Report: Mercedes has a chance to be a center fielder who can hit for power and average. Mercedes' 87 mph average exit velocity in 2022 was significantly higher than the average DSL player. He consistently barrels the ball. He will chase breaking balls away and sometimes gets a little pull happy, but the building blocks are there to be an above-average hitter. When he wants to, he can also be a very contact-oriented pest of a hitter. He's an above-average athlete with plus speed and shows the routes and reads to stick in center field. His arm is at least average as well and he's shown an above-average arm in the past as an amateur.

The Future: Mercedes will come to the U.S. to play in the Florida Complex League in 2023. He's far from Minnesota, but it would not be surprising to see him leap up into the Twins top 10 before long. He has one of the more well-rounded tool sets in the organization and seems to be quickly adding baseball skills as well.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 55. Field: 55. Run: 60. Arm: 50.

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Martin was considered one of the best hitters in his college class, while he also showcased his versatility by playing six different positions at Vanderbilt. After being a productive singles hitter as a freshman, he slugged over .600 in 2019 and in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in his draft year. The Blue Jays quickly traded him to the Twins in 2021's Jose Berrios deal. His disappointing 2022 season was interrupted by a wrist injury, but he did finish strong by hitting .373 in the Arizona Fall League.

Scouting Report: Two different teams have now tried to get Martin to drive the ball more, but he almost always reverts to focusing on getting his front foot down early and taking a direct, contact-oriented bat path. That approach should let him hit for average and get on base, but with zero impact at the plate. He is a heady baserunner with plus speed. Martin is a confounding defender in the infield. Give him time, and he will revert to a tendency to get mechanical and double pump before throwing. He's much more fluid and his arm action is better when he is forced to rush himself, or when he's playing in the outfield. Because of that, his average arm plays better in the outfield than in the infield. At this point, it's highly unlikely he can stick at shortstop, but he could be a rangy second baseman and he's shown he can be an above-average defender in center or left.

The Future: Martin's 2022 season was a step back, both as far as his production and his potential. He can still be a useful big leaguer, but one who will likely be limited offensively and defensively as a rangy second baseman or center fielder with limited power.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 30. Field: 55. Run: 60. Arm: 50.

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Signed in January 2022, Rodriguez had an extremely impressive pro debut. He led the Dominican Summer League with 13 home runs, 49 RBIs and 31 extra-base hits while also ranking among league leaders with a .605 slugging percentage and 115 total bases. He was named a Dominican League all-star.

Scouting Report: Rodriguez was viewed as the best slugger in the Twins' 2022 international signing class, but he's shown already as a pro that he can also handle velocity, a key benchmark for young sluggers to clear. He's overaggressive, like many young power hitters, and he's currently an easy mark for a pitcher with confidence in a changeup. He has bat speed and all-fields power, but with a pull-heavy approach. He's already big and thick, so depending on how he matures, he could end up sliding to first base, although his above-average arm fits in right field.

The Future: Rodriguez has yet to play in the U.S., but he passed his first pro test in impressive fashion. He's one of the team's best young power prospects in years, but he'll need to stay on top of his conditioning to remain in the outfield.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 60. Run: 40. Field: 45. Arm: 60.

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: The younger brother of Guardians infielder Owen Miller, before he'd ever played a full-season MiLB game, Noah had already given the Twins MLB coaching staff a hint of what's to come. Given a few innings during early-March spring training games, Miller made difficult backhand plays look routine. He carried that same knack of making the hard play look easy at Low-A Fort Myers.

Scouting Report: Miller is the Twins' best MiLB defender at shortstop, with the actions, hands, range and internal clock to stay at the position for years to come. He's a potential Gold Glover with a plus arm. Defensively, he just needs to keep doing what he's doing. Offensively, he's got a lot of work to do. Miller has always had a contact-oriented approach, but he has to generate more pop to hit effectively with a wood bat. The switch-hitter doesn't use his legs effectively yet in his swing and he doesn't generate enough separation to get significant torque. He wore down over the course of his first full season. Over his final 46 games, he had six extra-base hits and slugged under .200 in two different months.

The Future: Miller's future is extremely dependent on his development at the plate. He was overmatched in 2022, but with the caveat that he's a Wisconsin prep product adjusting to a faster game. He will need to spend a lot of work in the cage, but his exceptional glove should give him plenty of time to develop.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 20. Field: 65. Run: 50. Arm: 60.

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: After an impressive 2021 season with Double-A Wichita, Balazovic seemed poised to help the Twins rotation at some point in 2022. Instead, he took a massive step backwards. His stuff backed up and hitters feasted for much of the season with Triple-A St. Paul. He had the ninth-worst ERA and 12th-worst FIP among all MiLB pitchers with 70 or more innings.

Scouting Report: Balazovic's 2022 season was almost a disaster from start to finish, though he did show improved stuff and success in September, which sent him into the offseason on a high note. Balazovic came into the season without the same strength he showed in 2021. He also seemed to be stiffer and less athletic in his delivery all season. That played a part in his fastball losing 2-3 mph. He sat 94-96 mph in 2021 and touched 99. He topped out at 96 and sat 92-94 in 2022. Balazovic added a somewhat promising hard, high-80s slider. If he can regain his previous arm speed, it could become a plus pitch, but right now both it and his changeup are fringe-average. Grading Balazovic's pitches right now requires blending what he's shown in the past versus what he showed in 2022.

The Future: Balazovic has used two options already. The 2023 season should show if his 2022 season was a one-year setback or a new and troubling trend. A broken jaw he suffered in an altercation before spring training will slow his start to the season and is another worrisome indication.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 40.

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: One of the Twins top targets in the 2021 international amateur class, De Andrade had long impressed scouts with a short, direct swing, a track record of performance in games and an advanced understanding of the game.

Scouting Report: When he signed, De Andrade swung at most anything, but he's developing a solid approach to get to pitches in the zone he can punish. He's developing into an above-average hitter with excellent contact skills and in 2022 demonstrated solid bat-to-ball skills. The only disappointment with De Andrade's development so far is something that's not really all that controllable. As he's matured, it's becoming clear he's not particularly twitchy. He's athletic with good body control, but without the quick first step that teams look for in a rangy shortstop. He does have a good head on his shoulders and feel for the game teams want in a shortstop. He has a plus arm and can throw from multiple arm angles. His actions and controlled approach can make him an average defender at shortstop, but may be better as an above-average second or third baseman.

The Future: De Andrade is ready for full season ball. He'll have to keep working hard on maintaining his foot speed as he fills out, but his ability to slow the game down and process instruction should serve him well.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 50. Field: 50. Run: 50. Arm: 60.

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: When the Twins drafted Headrick in the ninth round in 2019, they were taking a gamble that a pitcher with modest stuff but loads of competitiveness could embrace and improve in a pro pitching development program. It's worked. Headrick was the Missouri Valley Conference pitcher of the year in 2019, but his stuff was modest, as he often topped out in the high 80s. Now he touches 94 mph. And he still competes. He struck out 19 and walked no one in 12 innings while not allowing an earned run in two postseason starts for Double-A Wichita.

Scouting Report: Headrick is still a soft-tosser by the standards of 2022, but he's gained two ticks of velocity since he became a pro. He now sits 90-92 and can touch 95 mph. As importantly, he's embraced the Twins' work with him on his control and command. He threw only 45% strikes in his brief pro debut in 2019. Now, he's one of the best control artists in the Twins organization. He threw his fringe-average fastball for strikes a remarkable 75% of the time. His average slider is especially effective against righthanders while his changeup is above-average and keeps righthanders honest.

The Future: Headrick was rewarded for his breakout season by being added to the Twins 40-man roster. He's got a shot to be a back-end starter or multi-inning reliever who can carve up lefties but survive against righties.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 60.

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Urbina's 2022 season got off to a late start as he was delayed in arriving in the U.S. because of visa issues. That likely ended any hope he had of making it to High-A Cedar Rapids before the end of the season. Instead, his season didn't get going till late July. In a second season with Low-A Fort Myers, he showed an improved approach and a modest improvement in power. He was hitting .300 at the end of August, but a 1-for-39 finish to the season carved 57 points off his batting average and more than a 100 points off his season-ending slugging percentage.

Scouting Report: Urbina has gotten significantly bigger, stronger and slower since he signed, but the increased size and decreased speed has yet to pay off in increased power. He's a contact-hitter who is a tough out for pitchers thanks to his ability to sneer at pitches off the plate and a stroke that doesn't miss often when he swings at hittable pitches. His two-strike approach is especially impressive. Defensively, he's now stretched in center field and will likely start playing more in the corners as he moves up the ladder.

The Future: Urbina remains a promising hitter, but one who will need to find more power to go with his steadily improving approach at the plate. He's ready for Cedar Rapids.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 40. Field: 45. Run: 50. Arm: 50.

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Coming out of Venezuela, Hidalgo impressed with his stuff and feel for pitching, but an elbow injury as an amateur that required a screw in his elbow left some teams wary. Hidalgo was firmly establishing himself in 2022 as one of the better pitching prospects in the Angels system when shoulder soreness ended his season in early June. He worked on strengthening and rehabbing his shoulder in the second half, and the Twins were happy enough with his recovery to acquire him in the November trade that sent Gio Urshela to the Angels.

Scouting Report: Hidalgo's 88-93 mph average fastball has the flat plane and excellent life to be effective up in the zone. The pitch has around 20 inches of induced vertical break and he also gets plenty of armside run. He has plenty of confidence in his plus, low-80s changeup, as he can get hitters to swing over it. Sometimes it will show late fade as well. He is comfortable using it to righthanders and lefties. His high-70s curveball is a clear third pitch. It is a bigger breaker he struggles to command. He has above-average control and command.

The Future: Hidalgo was one of the youngest players in the California League in 2022. Even if the Twins start him back at Low-A, he still is on a relatively speedy track. He's a crafty back-end starter who will eventually need a better breaking ball, but he can retire Class A hitters with the quality of his fastball and changeup.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 40. Changeup: 60. Control: 55.

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Any diligent observer can tell Bryan Acuna was the younger brother of Ronald Acuna, even if he didn't wear his name on his jersey, because he has a very similar swing clearly modeled after his brother. He has impressed with his hard-nosed approach and advanced understanding of the game.

Scouting Report: When he started making the rounds of the amateur showcase circuit, Acuna's short stature was a concern. But he's kept growing. He was 5-foot-11 when he signed and he's now 6-foot-1. Acuna is a middle infielder who can play shortstop, but may end up more effective as a plus defender at second base. He has good hands, a steady heartbeat and a quick transfer with a plus arm, although his range is a little limited. He's a fringe-average runner. Offensively, he makes good swing decisions and has above-average bat-to-ball skills. His power is quite modest for now, but likely will develop into below-average power or better as he matures.

The Future: Acuna's development so far has been encouraging. He's one of a number of very interesting young international prospects who could quickly climb the ladder in the next couple of years.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 40 Field: 50. Run: 45. Arm. 60.

BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium

Track Record: When Matt Wisler became a Twin, they looked at his ability to command his plus slider and asked him to start thinking about his slider as his primary pitch. Henriquez is the next generation of this, as he's a short reliever who throws a slider and changeup, but rarely mixes in a fastball. Acquired along with Isiah Kiner-Falefa for Mitch Garver, Henriquez made his MLB debut late in the 2022 season with three brief appearances after a somewhat rocky Triple-A season.

Scouting Report: Henriquez may touch 97 mph and sit 94 with a relatively flat and lively average fastball, but batters can go an entire at-bat without ever seeing it. In his MLB debut, he threw three straight sliders to start off his first batter. Two batters later, he did the same thing again. He will double or triple-up on his above-average slider or above-average changeup, pop an average fastball at the top of the strike zone, then go back to working away from hitters with his best pitches with average control overall.

The Future: Henriquez had a rough 2022 season, but the pieces are there to be a useful MLB reliever, although he is someone prone to giving up big hits if he misses his spots. He'll compete for a spot in the Twins bullpen in 2023 as a pitcher with two remaining options.

Scouting Grades:

BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium

Track Record: When the Twins bought Enlow out of his Louisiana State commitment with a well above-slot $2 million bonus as a third-round pick in 2018, the hope was he would steadily gain velocity as he filled out to go with his already impressive feel for pitching. Tommy John surgery in 2021 derailed that to some extent, but he did come back to pitch reasonably effectively in 2022.

Scouting Report: Enlow sits 91-93 mph with his fastball,with flashes of 94-96 and doesn't have the stuff to rear back and blow hitters away. Instead he has developed into a crafty pitcher with an array of average-ish pitches that play because he'll pitch backwards. His cutter may be his best pitch, because it generates weak contact from same-side hitters and he has shown he can consistently command it. His curveball will flash above-average as well and his average changeup is enough to give lefties something to worry about. His normally average control took a step back in 2022, but that may be post-surgery rust.

The Future: Enlow is yet another in a seemingly long-line of crafty pitchers the Twins develop. He still has to get stretched out further if he's going to handle a starter's role long-term, but his most likely future is as a useful Triple-A arm who can fill in where needed in Minnesota as injuries arise.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 50. Cutter: 55. Control: 45.

BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium

Track Record: The younger brother of Cubs minor league lefthander Carson Sands, Cole was a durable starter for three years at Florida State. Sands made his MLB debut as a reliever on May 1, 2022. He struggled through three starts in the Twins rotation a month later and was sent back to Triple-A. He was hit pretty hard both at St. Paul and in return trips to Minnesota, but finished the year with four effective innings of relief to help fellow rookie Louie Varland get his first MLB win.

Scouting Report: Sands has to change hitters' eye levels and keep them off balance, because he doesn't really have a pitch that can dominate a hitter who is looking for it. His below-average four-seam fastball sits 90-93 mph and lacks life, but it does give hitters something they have to look for up in the zone, which helps set up the rest of his arsenal. Everything else--his fringe-average changeup and splitter, and his below-average slider and fringe-average curveball--are trying to get below hitters' bats at the bottom of the zone or to generate weak contact. He's a pitcher who relies heavily on getting ahead in the count. Sands' command is better than his control because he needs to nibble and avoid the heart of the strike zone.

The Future: Sands' best role is likely as an on-call starter who pitches in Triple-A. There's enough variety of pitches and moxie to make successful spot starts or serve as a low-leverage reliever, but his lack of a plus pitch makes it hard for him to stick in a big league rotation long term.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 40. Curveball: 45. Slider: 40. Changeup: 45. Split: 45. Control: 45.

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Schobel was an immediate contributor as a freshman at Virginia Tech, but in his draft-eligible sophomore year he raised his game another notch. He moved from second base to shortstop while developing newfound power, going from seven to 18 home runs.

Scouting Report: Schobel's 18 home runs as a sophomore at Virginia Tech are unlikely to be replicated with a wood bat, but he does have the power to hit plenty of doubles while sneaking a ball over the fence to his pull side on occasion. He's best off as a top or bottom-of-the lineup hitter who makes plenty of contact and is tough to strike out. The Twins had Schobel focus on second and third base in his pro debut, and those are the spots he projects best at moving forward. Most likely, he's a multi-positional infielder who can play shortstop in an emergency, while providing average defense at second and third. He has reliable hands and an average arm. He's an average runner as well.

The Future: Schobel does a lot of things well, which makes him the kind of productive college middle infielder who finds a path to the majors. It's hard to see him as a regular, but he has enough hitting ability and defensive value to potentially fit as a versatile backup.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 30. Field: 50. Run: 50. Arm: 50.

BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium

Track Record: When Helman was in college, he was a grinding second baseman who starred at Hutchinson (Kan.) JC and Texas A&M. As a pro, he quickly learned to carry a lot more gloves in his bag. He's demonstrated the ability to plausibly play most everywhere while also showing a knack for making contact with some thump in his bat.

Scouting Report: Helman's speed is arguably his best tool. He's a plus runner who is judiciously aggressive on the basepaths. The new pickoff and pitch clock rules have further boosted his base stealing value and he is a useful pinch runner. Defensively he's best in center field and at second base, but even at those spots, he's fringe-average at best. He played everywhere but catcher and right field in 2022, and he's playable in the big leagues at everywhere but those positions and shortstop.

The Future: Helman is the kind of jack-of-all-trades who can find a way to carve out a useful role on a big league bench, especially now that teams are mandated to carry more position players. He's not good enough anywhere to be a regular, but he's competent at enough positions to fill-in most anywhere.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45. Power: 45. Field: 40. Run: 60. Arm: 45.

BA Grade/Risk: 40/High

Track Record: The coronavirus pandemic affected a lot of baseball careers, but Mooney is one case where it didn't cause him to miss much. He had Tommy John surgery in 2019 late in his season at St. John's, and was already ticketed to miss some of the 2020 season. In 2021, he had recovered from that injury but a shoulder strain and neck strain derailed that season as well. He missed time again in 2022 with a neck injury, but was generally effective at High-A Cedar Rapids.

Scouting Report: As a shorter but well-built righthander with a lower, three-quarters arm slot, Mooney's low-90s fastball is extremely flat, which can get above bats in the top of the strike zone and he locates it well. Mooney tightened up his 81-85 mph average slider, which has made it a more effective pitch. It is a sweeper without much depth. He shows conviction and feel to locate his fringe-average changeup. There is sometimes recoil in his delivery, but the delivery itself is simple as he pitches exclusively from the stretch, going from hand break to release point with a direct and simple arm action.

The Future: Mooney projects as a swingman type who is a spot starter or multi-inning reliever at the big league level. Nothing about his arsenal is flashy, but he could move quickly in 2023 as a pitcher with feel and an ability to throw strikes.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 50.

BA Grade/Risk: 40/High

Track Record: Nowlin pitched effectively out of the Chipola (Fla.) JC bullpen as a freshman in 2021. He signed with Alabama-Birmingham, but the Twins picked him in the 19th round and swayed him to pro ball. In his final start with Low-A Fort Myers, he struck out eight in six scoreless innings. Then he set a career high by striking out 11 and carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning in his High-A debut with Cedar Rapids.

Scouting Report: Nowlin has the feel and intelligence to potentially be a back-end starter, but his most likely role will be as a lefty reliever with a fastball and slider that will both play up in that role. As a starter, Nowlin's fastball sits in the low 90s and his slider sits in the low 80s. He will also mix in a mid-80s changeup. None of the trio are plus, but his ability to mix three pitches with a quality changeup is enough to stymie Class A hitters.

The Future: Nowlin should return to Cedar Rapids to start 2023. In a system that traded away many of its best young arms, the opportunity is there for Nowlin to carve out a spot in the Twins' future.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 45.

BA Grade: 45/Extreme

Track Record: Chourio was a part of the Marlins' most recent international signing class and was lauded as an amateur for his remaining physical projection and balanced set of swings from both sides of the plate. He signed in June, then put together an excellent debut in the Dominican Summer League, where his .344 average, 63 hits and 47 runs each placed among the circuit's top 10.

Scouting Report: Chourio has a long way to go but showed some intriguing signs for a player his age. First, his swing decisions were sound and finished with nearly as many walks (25) as strikeouts (27) while producing an in-zone miss rate of just 12%. Chourio didn't hit the ball particularly hard, but the Marlins expect that to improve as he gains strength. They are also heartened by the natural loft in his swing as well as his strong, quick hands. Chourio's above-average speed and above-average arm should help him stick in center field as he moves up the ladder, which would be a great help to his profile and put less pressure on his ability to develop power.

The Future: Chourio should come to the U.S. in 2023, when he'll continue to work toward adding strength and power to his game in an effort to enhance his overall profile and give himself a spot in the big leagues.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 Power: 40 Speed: 55 Field: 50 Arm: 55.