Chattanooga: Twins' Grade A talent in AA town

CHATTANOOGA, TENN. – The sign is framed by a black border and hangs conspicuously on a brick wall near the entrance to the Chattanooga Lookouts clubhouse.

Players can't miss it.

"I see it every day," Byron Buxton said, glancing toward the door. "It just motivates me and pushes me more and more every day to do my work."

In a ballpark plastered with advertisements for local companies, one particular visual represents hope and maybe even a reality check to Twins minor leaguers who dream of a bigger stage.

ROAD TO THE SHOW, the sign reads.

Underneath is the name of each affiliate in the Twins organization, top to bottom, a professional ladder.

Lookouts players sit two rungs from their destination, a crop of highly touted prospects whom Twins fans have been eagerly tracking for several years.

Twins officials say they can't recall ever having a minor league team with more elite talent.

"I wouldn't argue with that at all," said Chattanooga manager and former Twins first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz.

Buxton is the top-rated prospect in Major League Baseball and a generational talent who causes audible gasps in the crowd with his freakish speed on the bases and in the outfield.

Miguel Sano and pitcher Jose Berrios also are ranked among the best prospects in all of baseball.

Jorge Polanco could be the Twins' starting shortstop next season. Outfielders Max Kepler and Adam Brett Walker II are opening eyes with their raw power. Three flamethrowers in the bullpen can reach triple digits on the radar gun.

"This is as good a baseball team as I've ever seen in minor leagues," said Rich Mozingo, Lookouts president and general manager. "Position by position, I've never seen a team this talented, ever."

Twins fans are flocking to southeast Tennessee to get a peek at that talent. Fans gather on a patio outside the clubhouse after games hoping for pictures or autographs, sometimes waiting for 30 minutes.

The gift shop at AT&T Field sells Buxton T-shirts, even though it's unlikely he will spend the entire season with the team. The Lookouts gave Los Angeles Dodgers star Yasiel Puig the same treatment in 2013 when the teams were affiliated.

"We don't do it often," Mozingo said, "but we've had some real special occasions here."

Mozingo often speaks to downtown business groups, and his message remains constant: Don't wait too long to catch these guys because they probably won't be around long.

"They're here to help the Minnesota Twins, and as soon as the Twins think they're ready, they're going to go up," he said.

Twins fans traveling

The surprising start by the Twins this season has cooled talk of fast-tracking the top prospects to the majors. Besides, they are not ready yet, according to Mientkiewicz.

They are all still young and developing. Buxton is 21 years old, Berrios just turned 21 and Sano is 22.

"It's harder now in today's game to let a group of kids stay together because the instant they have success, everybody wants them to move," Mientkiewicz said.

The anticipation for what's coming through the pipeline isn't going away. Mozingo noticed so many fans wearing Twins apparel at games that he called the local mall to see if anyone sells their hats or clothing.

"They're coming from somewhere else," he said. "These are true Twins fans coming to see their guys."

Woodbury residents Scott Miller and Sue Brotherton are in that group. The two made a "scouting" trip to Chattanooga last week to watch several games.

"I think it's exciting because of the [pitchers] and the power and Buxton's speed," Miller said after meeting players outside the clubhouse.

Buxton leads the Class AA Southern League in triples (11 in just 52 games) and runs scored. He also has six home runs, including one inside-the-parker.

Walker leads the league in home runs, RBI, extra-base hits (and strikeouts) and is second in slugging percentage. Berrios leads all pitchers in strikeouts and is tied in wins. Polanco and Kepler are batting over .300.

"The talent is pretty special," closer Zack Jones said. "When we put it together, it's pretty cool."

After four consecutive 90-loss seasons by the Twins, there is a belief that the organization is primed for a transformative rebirth because of their top prospects.

"I've heard the word 'wave,' that this is the new wave," Kepler said. "I wish this team could stay together for as long as possible because it's one big family."

The core group has been together for several summers, winning the Florida State League championship last season for the first time in franchise history. The Lookouts own the second-best record (30-23) in the Southern League this season, despite a recent six-game losing streak.

A stress on winning

Minor league baseball revolves around player development, but Mientkiewicz constantly emphasizes the need to establish a winning culture within that framework. He believes organizational change can occur from the floor up.

"Winning is the most important element to creating the big-league culture that you expect to win every night," he said. "If you lose in the minor leagues, you're going to lose in the big leagues. The big leagues is a very hard place to learn how to win."

Mientkiewicz's managerial style reflects that purpose. He's tough and demanding of players, refusing to allow their talent to supersede the larger goal.

"We're going to teach these kids that, if I have a boo-boo, you're going to get your butt up and play," Mientkiewicz said. "We stress mentally, no matter what happens, nothing is going to derail me from what I'm trying to accomplish. Up until this level, it's physical. Past this level, it's mental."

That's why Mientkiewicz preaches patience in setting expectations and timelines for his elite prospects. All of them — Buxton included — need more seasoning before tackling the highest level of baseball.

More work needed

Mientkiewicz said Polanco is the most ready for a promotion "without question." He looks more comfortable at shortstop now after switching from second base.

Buxton's speed has been electric on the bases and in center field, but coaches would like to see him cut down on his strikeouts.

"I want more consistency at the plate," Buxton said. "Just try to get on base a little bit more and put us in good positions to score."

Sano has rediscovered his timing at the plate after missing all of last season because of Tommy John surgery. But he strikes out a lot and remains a work in progress at third base.

"He's got a long ways to go," Mientkiewicz said. "It's both offensively and defensively. What he's doing right now is not going to fly up there."

Such as?

"It's everything," Mientkiewicz said. "It's not a knock. I'm not trying to be negative. I'm just being realistic. When you miss a year, it takes a while."

Sano admittedly tried too hard early in the season to make up for lost time. His coaches told him to relax and stop pressing.

"I'm not Superman," Sano said.

Sano knows his ticket to the majors depends largely on his improvement in the field. He works daily on his agility and range.

Everything is a process, even for the best prospects.

"If I think too much about, 'I need to play in the big leagues,' I can lose my focus," Sano said.

They will arrive in Minnesota in due time. Not all, of course, but some will complete that road to the show.

In the first meeting before this season, Mientkiewicz acknowledged the team's collection of talent and then offered a challenge.

"We have expectations," he told them. "We have expectations from each other, expectations from Baseball America, expectations from the fans of the Minnesota Twins and the Twin Cities. Now we'll see what you're made of."

Coming Monday: Power on the mound and at the plate.