Inside The Twins

St. Paul Saints ranked among most talented teams in minor league baseball

The Twins' Triple-A affiliate has a roster loaded with former and future MLB players.
Will Ragatz|
Emmanuel Rodriguez is the biggest name on a loaded St. Paul Saints roster.
Emmanuel Rodriguez is the biggest name on a loaded St. Paul Saints roster. | Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints

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Minnesota Twins

One of the most talented minor league teams in all of baseball is back in action on Tuesday night at CHS Field in St. Paul.

The Saints, who are the Twins' Triple-A affiliate, rank as the fourth-most-talented minor league team in the sport, according to a new list from Baseball America (subscription required). They trail only the Iowa Cubs (Cubs Triple-A), Charlotte Knights (White Sox Triple-A), and Everett AquaSox (Mariners High-A).

The list is based on preseason prospect rankings and future MLB impact, not current ability. That's how a High-A team can come in third, even though it would obviously be outmatched against Triple-A opponents.

The Saints' roster includes nine of the Twins' top 30 prospects, according to BA. Three players are among the site's top 100 prospects in all of baseball: Emmanuel Rodriguez (No. 19), Luke Keaschall (No. 45), and Zebby Matthews (No. 70).

Where are Walker Jenkins, Twins' top 30 prospects playing this season?

St. Paul's starting rotation is loaded: David Festa, Matthews, Andrew Morris, Marco Raya, and Randy Dobnak. Festa and Matthews pitched for the Twins last season and look like big pieces of the team's future. Morris and Raya are among Minnesota's top pitching prospects. Dobnak began the year on the Twins' Opening Day roster. That doesn't include prospects Cory Lewis and Travis Adams, who are pitching out of the bullpen.

The Saints' lineup is led by Rodriguez and Keaschall, who are the Twins' No. 2 and 3 prospects behind Walker Jenkins (Double-A). They also have former big-leaguers Austin Martin, Mike Ford, Armando Alvarez, and Jair Camargo. Payton Eeles figures to be a regular in the lineup when he comes off the injured list.

After starting the season 2-0, the Saints have lost four in a row, but it's a long season and they should start racking up wins soon. Rodriguez has cooled off a bit after a big first game of the year. Keaschall is hitting .350 through six games. Outside of one poor Festa start, the rotation has been stellar. Matthews is on the bump on Tuesday night to kick off a three-game series against Omaha.

If the Twins (3-7) continue to struggle, we could see some call-ups from St. Paul before long.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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