The Minnesota Twins have historically prided themselves on having a strong farm system. Now, Minnesota's minor leaguers rank among the best in baseball.
Baseball America unveiled its Top 100 prospects list Tuesday, and the Twins had six players make the list. That included two players in the top 10, as third baseman Miguel Sano and outfielder Byron Buxton checked in at Nos. 9 and 10, respectively.
Outfielder Oswaldo Arcia was the next-highest Twins prospect on the list at No. 41. At No. 59, right-hander Alex Meyer was Minnesota's highest-ranked pitching prospect. Right-hander Kyle Gibson came in at No. 68, while outfielder Aaron Hicks was No. 72.
Texas Rangers infielder Jurickson Profar was Baseball America's top-ranked prospect. Baltimore's Dylan Bundy, Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras, Tampa Bay's Wil Myers and Miami pitcher Jose Fernandez rounded out the top five.
Sano is still just 19 years old and spent last season at Low-A Beloit, where he had 28 homers, 28 doubles and 100 RBI. Buxton, Minnesota's first-round pick in 2012 (second overall), played in 48 games at rookie ball last year and batted .248 with 11 stolen bases and 20 RBI.
A few of the Twins' six prospects on Baseball America's Top 100 list have a chance to make Minnesota's 25-man roster out of spring training. Gibson, who missed most of the 2012 season after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, will be competing for the fifth and final spot in the Twins' starting rotation. Hicks, 23, has a shot to make the roster as the team's center fielder. He batted.286 with a career-high 13 home runs and 61 RBI at Double-A New Britain last season. Like Hicks, Arcia ascended to Double-A New Britain last season and hit .328 with 10 homers and 67 RBI in 69 games with the Rock Cats.
Meyer was acquired from Washington in a trade for outfielder Denard Span this offseason. Last year was the first season in the minors for Meyer after he was taken in the first round (23rd overall) in the 2011 draft. The University of Kentucky product was a combined 10-6 with a 2.86 ERA in 25 games at Low-A Hagerstown and High-A Potomac.
Last year, the Twins had just two players on the top 100 list — Sano and outfielder Joe Benson. Minnesota's six players on this year's list are tied for the most of any team, along with St. Louis and Miami. The Twins also had six players on MLB.com's top 100 prospects list that was unveiled late last month. Sano was the highest-ranked of the six at No. 12.
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