Prospects in the Twins’ 2020 player pool from the Appalachian League

After surpassing the 100-win mark for the first time in 54 years last year, it seemed the Twins would be able to emerge from their postseason drought. But another first-round sweep has the club seeking its first playoff series win since 2004.

Alex Kirilloff, OF (Elizabethton Twins 2016): When the No. 32 overall prospect is healthy, he’s shown he can be one of the best hitters in the Minors. After Tommy John surgery sidelined him for all of 2017, Kirilloff batted .348/.392/.578 with 71 extra-base hits, including 20 homers, and 101 RBIs across two levels the following year. But wrist injuries prevented him from fully capitalizing on that monster season. Even so, he was a force when he was in the lineup. The 22-year-old batted .283 with a .756 OPS, nine homers and 43 RBIs in 375 at-bats with Double-A Pensacola. The lefty-swinging Kirilloff has power to all fields and does not strike out much. He profiles as a typical right fielder, but, like Lewis, he brings some defensive versatility with experience at first base. Lewis and Kirilloff have moved together through most of their careers and both could contribute to the Twins in 2020.

Trevor Larnach, OF** (Elizabethton Twins 2018): After hitting big on a pair of high schoolers in 2016, the Twins went the college route in the 2018 Draft and found another fast-rising outfielder. A little more than a year after winning a College World Series championship at Oregon State, Larnach was promoted to Double-A in his first full season. The 23-year-old performed well in 43 games with Pensacola, hitting .295/.387/.455 with seven homers and 22 RBIs, but his strikeout rate jumped to 27.6 percent in the Southern League. Like Kirilloff, Larnach has shown an ability to drive the ball to all fields, which has helped him produce a .853 career OPS. He’s not the swiftest of foot, but his arm is serviceable and he should fit comfortably in a corner outfield spot.

Ryan Jeffers, C (Elizabethton Twins 2018): The Twins got an excellent year out of Mitch Garver last season and he’ll likely retain his role as the club’s primary backstop. But the initial roster included six catchers. Jeffers forced his way to Pensacola in his first full season last year. His defensive tools might be louder than his bat – he threw out more than 26 percent of would-be basestealers in 2019 and the club has praised his receiving skills. But Jeffers also has enough attention-grabbing power. Should he make the big club this year, he wouldn’t be the only player in the lineup with power-over-hit skills, but he’s got enough discipline to get on base at a high clip.

Brent Rooker, OF (Elizabethton Twins 2017): The aggressive path that put Larnach and Jeffers on the fast track to the Majors was first blazed by Rooker, who was drafted 35th overall after receiving Southeastern Conference Player of the Year honors in 2017. He opened his first full season with Double-A Chattanooga and bashed 22 homers in 2018, then batted .281/.398/.535 with 14 homers and 47 RBIs in 65 games with Triple-A Rochester before a groin injury essentially ended his season in mid-July. Rooker returned to rehab in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League but was limited to two games after the playoffs were wiped out by Hurricane Dorian. Obviously, Rooker’s biggest need is live at-bats – he went 6-for-21 in 13 Grapefruit League games this spring – and he’s shown an ability to produce at the Minors’ highest level. His loudest tool – power -- is one the Twins obviously value. Rooker could be the first from the group called to contribute in 2020, even if it’s as a designated hitter. The 25-year-old also struck out in 34.7 of his at-bats last year and will have a hard time proving he can improve that trend without playing in formal games.

Gilberto Celestino, OF (Greeneville Astros 2017 and Elizabethton Twins 2018): The 21-year-old signed with the Astros out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, then came to the Twins with right-hander Jorge Alcala in the Ryan Pressly deal at the 2018 Trade Deadline. He didn’t play a full season until last year, his fifth as a pro. Celestino’s best tool has long been his glove, but he put together a good enough second half last year to earn a promotion from Class A Cedar Rapids to Fort Myers and a spot on the 40-man roster. He batted .336/.403/.504 with six homers, two triples, 19 doubles and 33 RBIs over the final 63 games of the season, then went 4-for-23 this spring. Celestino’s angle to the big club in 2020 likely would be as defensive help.

Edwar Colina, RHP (Elizabethton Twins 2017): At this point in his career, it’s safe to call Colina a safe investment. The Twins inked the then-18-year-old for $8,000 in 2015 and the 5-foot-11, 240-pound fireballer climbed three levels in the Minors last year. Colina can reach triple digits with his fastball and gets a lot of swings and misses with his power slider. In 19 appearances for Fort Myers, Pensacola and Rochester last year, he posted a 2.96 ERA with 102 strikeouts over 97 1/3 innings. Colina has made only eight relief appearances in his career and his future may be as a starter, but his profile might best be suited as a bullpen option in a shortened season.

Other notables: No. 17 prospect Nick Gordon (Elizabethton Twins 2014) played 169 games with Rochester over the past two seasons, batting .298 with 36 extra-base hits and 40 RBIs last year. He could be among the first to shift to the Twin Cities should the Major League squad need an infielder. 18th-ranked Travis Blankenhorn (Elizabethton Twins 2015-2016) mashed 19 homers and recorded a .787 OPS across two Minor League levels last year. He also has some defensive versatility with experience at five positions in his career. Jorge Alcala (Greeneville Astros 2016), the club’s No. 25 prospect, reached the Majors in 2019, yielding a hit and a walk over 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. The 24-year-old’s fastball sits in the upper 90s, and he uses a wipeout slider as his out pitch.