Team Fantasy Preview - Minnesota Twins
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Throughout the preseason, we will be previewing all 30 teams and what their rosters bring to the fantasy baseball table. This edition covers the Minnesota Twins:
Projected Lineup
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| ORDER | POSITION | NAME | BATS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2B | Brian Dozier | R |
| 2 | SS | Jorge Polanco | S |
| 3 | 1B | Joe Mauer | L |
| 4 | 3B | Miguel Sano | R |
| 5 | RF | Max Kepler | L |
| 6 | DH | Kennys Vargas | S |
| 7 | C | Jason Castro | L |
| 8 | CF | Byron Buxton | R |
| 9 | LF | Eddie Rosario | L |
| Bench | IF | Eduardo Escobar | S |
| Bench | OF | Robbie Grossman | S |
Projected Rotation
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| ORDER | NAME | THROWS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ervin Santana | R |
| 2 | Hector Santiago | L |
| 3 | Kyle Gibson | R |
| 4 | Phil Hughes | R |
| 5 | Jose Berrios | R |
Bullpen Hierarchy
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
| Role | Name | THROWS |
|---|---|---|
| Closer | Brandon Kintzler | R |
| Set-Up | Trevor May | R |
| RP | Ryan Pressly | R |
Top Prospect to Watch in 2017
The Twins feature a porous farm system in terms of MLB-ready talent. Shortstop Nick Gordon isn't expected to make the leap until 2019. Outfielder Zack Granite may get a late-season look, but he'll start in Triple-A. He would be a solid source of steals if he gets regular playing time and adjusts to big-league pitching quickly.
Who Will Drive You Crazy?
If you own any pitcher on this staff, you'll pull your hair out. Santana is the best of the bunch, and he'll be mostly steady, but he won't provide enough value. Trying to exploit cheap saves, Kintzler may not hold onto his closer job and if he does, how many games will he realistically get the opportunity to save?
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
The One to Own
Dozier is the only one who really screams "draft me." Even if he doesn't quite reach the highs of 2016, his power and speed combination is tantalizing at a middle infield position. As long as you're not counting on him necessarily repeating his .268 batting average (not impossible, but he never hit higher than .244 before) he's a great pick.
Top Sleeper
If 1B Byung-ho Park stays within the organization - he was designated for assignment in January - he has potential to be called up in the event of injury. His 2016 was disastrous largely due to making contact on only 67.4 percent of his swings. It was better than Chris Carter, who was just signed, and Park managed 12 home runs despite his problems. If he cracks the roster at any point, he's an interesting injury replacement.