Minnesota Twins: 10 Prospects Who Will Impact MLB by 2015

Since 2002, the Minnesota Twins have made of habit of having their prospects making some sort of impact on Major League Baseball. While not all of them have panned out (and what team has?), there are always some diamonds in the rough that not only help the major league club but become household names across baseball.

Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and even former Twin Matt Garza have made an impact around Major League Baseball during their careers. But with the Twins in rebuilding mode, they'll need to look to a new wave of prospects to revive the struggling franchise.

Here is a list of Twins prospects that can not only make the Major Leagues by 2015 but excel enough to become well-known across Major League Baseball.

Miguel Sano

When writing any article about Twins prospects, you must include Miguel Sano. Sano will turn 19 in May, but his power already has scouts drawing comparisons to Miguel Cabrera.

Sano crushed 20 home runs in 66 games for the Elizabethton Twins in 2011, and he's not projected to slow down anytime soon.

The Twins would like to see Sano hit for more contact, plus his work at third base needs some work. (Some scouts actually think that Sano will be moved to the outfield at some point.)

If Sano continues to improve, he could wind up being the Twins' most anticipated prospect since Joe Mauer made his debut in 2004.

Liam Hendriks

Liam Hendriks was named the Twins' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2011, and will get a shot at the Twins rotation sometime during the 2012 season.

Hendriks went 12-6 with a 3.36 between Double-A New Britain and Triple-A Rochester last season and may be the Twins' brightest pitching prospect next to Kyle Gibson.

While he won't be an electrifying starter, he represents what should be the beginning of a new wave of starting pitchers to help the Twins.

With the way the Twins starters have performed recently, they'll need some new blood to try and get the team back to relevance. Hendriks could be a solid starter by the time 2015 rolls around.

Brian Dozier

Another player who should make his debut in 2012 and should have a major impact in three years will be Brian Dozier.

Dozier was on the opposite end of Hendrik's last season, as he was named the Twins' Minor League Hitter of the Year. Between High-A Fort Myers and Double-A New Britain, Dozier hit .320 with nine home runs and 56 runs batted in.

Dozier is not a guy who projects to have a ton of power, but he can fill a void the Twins have had at shortstop since trading Jason Bartlett to Tampa Bay prior to the 2008 season.

There are concerns that Dozier might not have the arm to play shortstop, but even if the Twins had to move him to second base, it wouldn't be a bad thing.

Expect to see Dozier sometime in the middle of 2012 and continue to improve as his career progresses.

Joe Benson

In 2011, Twins fans got their first glimpse of what some people would say is the best five-tool prospect in the organization. Joe Benson should be a starting outfielder for the Twins someday, and he has the talents to become a very good one.

Benson, who is ranked 99th in Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list, put up an impressive line at Double-A New Britain (.285/16/67) before being called up for a cup of coffee in September.

As speed becomes more important at Target Field, Benson should fit in quite nicely, as he's racked up 93 career stolen bases in the minor leagues, including 14 in 2011. He's also been known to flash a great defensive play or two, as he showed up to the Twins with a huge gash on his arm from a diving catch.

The Twins' outfield seems a little bit shaky at the moment, and Denard Span could be moved to right field or traded if Benson continues to produce. I believe Benson will be a permanent mainstay on some Major League team (if not the Twins) come 2015.

Eddie Rosario

Because there are so few Major League-ready prospects in the Twins system, you may have to dig a little deeper before finding someone that could have an impact by the time 2015 rolls around.

Eddie Rosario just finished up his first year of rookie ball but has already skyrocketed to become the Twins' third-ranked prospect, according to Baseball America.

Rosario currently projects as a second baseman, but some scouts think that he may be forced to move to the outfield. To be honest, it would be like Dozier moving to second base. The Twins would still have a lethal bat in their outfield.

Like Sano, Rosario clobbered 21 home runs in a short amount of time at Elizabethton (67 games). However, Rosario was also able to hit for a .337 average for the E-Twins of Rookie Level baseball and is starting to forge an identity.

The Twins may not be calling Rosario up to the bigs soon, but once he develops, the Twins will have a lethal weapon on their hands.

Oswaldo Arcia

Another 20-year-old prospect makes the list, as Oswaldo Arcia projects to be another outfielder that can help the Twins by 2015.

Arcia is a little ahead of Rosario in that he played 59 games at High-A Fort Myers in 2011. In those games, Arcia hit .263/8/32 for the Miracle.

While the numbers may seem a little bit low, Arcia will be entering his fifth season in the Twins' farm system. Over that span, Arcia has hit over .300 and hit for moderate power.

He could wind up being a game-changer at some point, but he has a little bit of work to do before joining the Twins. However, there's no reason to think he won't impact the team by 2015.

Levi Michael

It's hard to put someone who has yet to play a minor league game on this list, but when a guy is taken 30th overall in the MLB Amateur Draft, he needs to be mentioned.

Levi Michael was the shortstop for the North Carolina Tar Heels last season. Although he put up pretty good numbers throughout his career in Chapel Hill, his junior season was injury-plagued and delayed his professional debut until this spring.

At his best, Michael could be a Dustin Pedroia-type player who gets on base and has a little bit of pop in his bat. He's also an above average defender at shortstop, which could bail the Twins out if Brian Dozier isn't able to play there.

If Michael stays healthy, he could be another player that could help fill the void left at shortstop after the Delmon Young trade in the winter of 2007.

Chris Parmelee

One of the bright spots in the Twins abysmal 2011 season was the debut of Chris Parmelee. Parmelee was selected with the 20th overall pick in the 2006 MLB Amateur Draft and made his Major League debut at the end of the season.

The result of that cup of coffee was Parmelee ripping the cover off the ball, blasting four home runs with 14 runs batted in. Perhaps more impressive was Parmelee's slash line, which was a scorching .355/.433 OBP/.532 SLG.

Now the question is, can Parmelee continue to slug his way through the Major Leagues as pitchers adapt to him? The Twins are hoping so, especially with Justin Morneau still asking himself if he's recovered from several concussions.

Parmelee has power to stay at the Major League level, and if he's able to keep producing, the Twins will have another great first baseman to hang their hat on.

Corey Williams

If you've heard of Corey Williams, it's probably because of the play to the left. Williams, a third-round draft pick by the Twins in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft, was a freshman at Vanderbilt when he got drilled in the knee by a line drive and rolled it to first base to get an out.

It was an incredible play that gained Williams a lot of respect from scouts. However, he'll have to gain even more respect to earn a spot in the Twins bullpen someday.

Williams started his pro career at Elizabethton last season, and although his numbers were slightly high, he was able to pitch in nine games and get his feet wet enough to build off of that in 2012.

It's no secret that the Twins need help in their bullpen. After signing Glen Perkins to a three-year contract to be the "Closer of the Future," they'll still need guys to get the ball to him. Williams could be capable of filling that void before 2015.

Kyle Gibson

Here comes the biggest question mark of the slideshow in Kyle Gibson. Gibson should still be considered the top pitching prospect in the Twins organization, as he breezed through all competition in 2010 before hitting a wall in 2011.

Unfortunately, that wall was later found out to be a torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament. In much simpler terms, that means Gibson had to undergo Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2012 season.

Nobody ever knows how someone will react after Tommy John surgery, but you would have to assume that Gibson should be able to push through this. Remember, Gibson was slated to be a top five pick in the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft until a broken forearm had him spiral down draft boards.

It will be interesting to see how Gibson's recovery goes, but I think he'll return to form and be one of the best pitchers on the Twins staff by 2015.