Michael Cuddyer

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Minnesota Twins #3 prospect in 2003
  A high school shortstop, Cuddyer moved to third base in 1999 after committing 61 errors at short in low Class A in 1998, then to right field in 2001 as Corey Koskie emerged at third for Minnesota. Cuddyer was the Twins top prospect in 1999 and 2000. He has the juice to be a potent middle-of-the-order force. He generates well-above-average bat speed and rakes to all fields because he can drive even the best fastballs and keep his hands back on offspeed stuff. He has the leadership abilities to fit right in with the homegrown Twins. He has plenty of arm strength for right field. Though he has made progress in the outfield, Cuddyer is still learning to make proper routes and reads on fly balls. He looked a little rough during his late-season audition with Minnesota. The Bobby Kielty-Dustan Mohr platoon worked well for the Twins, but Cuddyer is still expected to claim the right-field job and hit in the heart of the order. He's a top candidate for Rookie of the Year in 2003.
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  Ranked Minnesota Twins #3 prospect in 2002
  After a disappointing 2000 season, Cuddyer returned to New Britain and reestablished himself as an important part of the Twins' future. The system's top prospect entering 1999 and 2000, he was the organization's minor league player of the year last year. He followed that up by hitting .336-4-29 in the Arizona Fall League. After his power disappeared in 2000, Cuddyer launched a career-best 30 homers last year. He's a disciplined, professional hitter. He has the bat speed to crush fastballs and the patience to stay back on offspeed stuff. He has a short, compact stroke and has gotten better at driving the ball to right field, though most of his power is to left. A high school All-American as a shortstop, Cuddyer has learned to harness his arm strength, which was the main culprit for his high error totals early in his career. He split time between third base, first base and right field during 2001. Sent to the AFL to work on his routes on fly balls, he played just five games in the outfield. Cuddyer will compete for Minnesota's right-field job in spring training with Bobby Kielty, Brian Buchanan and Dustan Mohr. The Twins lack righthanded power and think Cuddyer is the answer.
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  Ranked Minnesota Twins #2 prospect in 2001
  Cuddyer was Minnesota's No. 1 prospect after each of his first two pro seasons but drops a notch following a shaky 2000 season. He hit just six homers in Double-A, which prompted the Twins to send him to instructional league so he could work on driving the ball for more power. Off the field, he's an amateur magician. Twins officials like Cuddyer's attitude and leadership qualities. With experience, he's expected to become a 20-25 home run threat. He flashes power to the opposite field and can hit offspeed pitches well. For a player frequently compared to Angels third baseman Troy Glaus, six homers don't quite measure up. In addition to concerns about Cuddyer's power, he has below-average speed, and his error total went from 28 to 34 in his second full year at third base. He has trouble fielding balls cleanly and throwing accurately. Cuddyer likely will return to Double-A in 2001, which isn't a terrible setback considering he'll be just 22. He's at least a year or two away from forcing Minnesota to decide where to move incumbent third baseman Corey Koskie.
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  Ranked Minnesota Twins #1 prospect in 1999
  Background: Cuddyer did not sign his $1.825 million contract until late in the summer of '97. An excellent spring training enabled Cuddyer to skip Rookie ball altogether, and he was sent to the Midwest League for his professional debut. One of his opponents was his Great Bridge High teammate John Curtice, the Red Sox' first-round pick in 1997 and with Cuddyer one of two sets of high school teammates ever selected in the first round the same year. Cuddyer went 0-for-3 against Curtice in their only meeting. Strengths: Cuddyer had few problems at the plate in his pro debut, leading Fort Wayne in home runs, RBIs, doubles, triples, runs and walks. He showed excellent power potential and should dramatically increase his home run total as he grows into his 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame. Twins officials save their highest praise for Cuddyer's approach to the game. He did not let his defensive struggles affect his offense or his leadership role, even early in the season. Where the pressures of pro ball sometimes eat up young prospects, the Twins feel that Cuddyer will thrive on them. Weaknesses: Cuddyer's defensive struggles at shortstop resulted in 61 errors. The errors weren't primarily in one area where a correction or extended repetitions could address the problem. The Twins felt that Cuddyer's above-average arm strength and hands were fine and that his limited range was forcing him to try to make plays he couldn't. The Twins also realized that they had two premium shortstop prospects in Luis Rivas and Cristian Guzman. Cuddyer was switched to third base during instructional league and made an "instantaneous" conversion to the corner. The Future: The Twins feel that Cuddyer's maturity, makeup and advanced approach to hitting put him on the fast track. He will most likely start 1999 in the Class A Florida State League, but the Twins will be watching for a fast start, especially in his conversion to third base. Probably the most comparable player in body, makeup and tools to Cuddyer is Phillies third baseman Scott Rolen.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Pacific Coast League #2 prospect in 2002
  Cuddyer was fully qualified to spend 2002 with the AL Central champion Twins. But he had an option and Bobby Kielty and Dustan Mohr were hot for most of the summer, so Cuddyer was relegated to Edmonton. Instead of sulking, he established himself as the best hitter in the PCL. He's going to produce for average and power and is a better all-around hitter than Restovich. Trappers manager John Russell said the difference between the two is that Cuddyer's swing and approach are more fine-tuned, while Restovich had to make adjustments this year. "Cuddyer is the best player in the league for me," Colorado Springs manager Chris Cron said. "I love the way he swings the bat. He never gives in. Even if you get two strikes on him, he could still burn you. He was a very good third baseman and he looked good in the outfield." In his first year as a full-time outfielder, Cuddyer worked hard on his defense. He has the arm strength for right field.
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  Ranked Eastern League #4 prospect in 2001
  Cuddyer was eaten alive by inside pitches in 2000, when he got his first taste of Double-A. He had no such problems this season, solidifying his prospect status with across-the-board career highs on offense. His 30 homers were five times as many as he hit for New Britain last season and nearly as many as he bashed in his first 397 games as a pro. He added 38 points to his batting average while finishing second in the EL in on-base percentage (.395) and extra-base hits (69), third in runs and homers, and fourth in doubles and slugging percentage (.560). A former shortstop who spent the last two years at third base, Cuddyer still is searching for a defensive home. He logged plenty of time at first base and in the outfield this summer. Because of Cuddyer's tools and shuttling between positions, Cliburn compared him to Albert Pujols. "He plays beyond his tools and he may continue to do so," one scout said. "My concern is he won't have the glove for a quality third base and he won't have the bat for a quality first base."
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  Ranked Eastern League #10 prospect in 2000
  Cuddyer, the Twins' top prospect entering 2000, has drawn comparisons to a younger, smaller version Troy Glaus. Even a less-than-scintillating .263-6-61 season that also included 34 errors couldn’t dim Cuddyer’s luster. Radison loves the way Cuddyer stays on pitches and shows power to the opposite field. When Cuddyer starts pulling pitches, watch out. "He's going to be an outstanding hitter. He has a keen sense of bat awareness," Rohn said. "He needs to cut down on his errors, but he's going to be a heckuva hitter. I think he might end up at first base." Brown thinks Cuddyer might be able to stay on the hot corner because he bettered himself during the season. "At first, I really didn't like him," Brown said. "I didn't think he was going to be able to cut it. Then, we went in there last time and I saw his work ethic and how he went about swinging the bat. There are some things that he's going to learn in the next year or so. I think he's going to be all right. When we went back in there, he really improved."
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  Ranked Florida State League #3 prospect in 1999
  Cuddyer is mature beyond his years. His makeup, tools, and power at the plate have drawn comparisons to the Phillies' Scott Rolen. Cuddyer, a first-round pick who signed too late to play in 1997, struggled at shortstop (61 errors) in his pro debut last season. However, his conversion this year to third base (14 errors) was successful. "He's a future all-star with the bat," St. Lucie manager Howie Freiling said. "The defensive package will come." "His arm is a plus and he's a decent third baseman," Dorante said. "If you throw a fastball he'll hurt you; he has a few holes with the slider, but overall his hitting is solid."

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #17 prospect in 2003
• Ranked Baseball America's #27 prospect in 2002
• Ranked Baseball America's #55 prospect in 2001
• Ranked Baseball America's #18 prospect in 2000
• Ranked Baseball America's #36 prospect in 1999

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Cuddyer, the Twins' top prospect entering 2000, has drawn comparisons to a younger, smaller version Troy Glaus. Even a less-than-scintillating .263-6-61 season that also included 34 errors couldn’t dim Cuddyer’s luster. Radison loves the way Cuddyer stays on pitches and shows power to the opposite field. When Cuddyer starts pulling pitches, watch out. "He's going to be an outstanding hitter. He has a keen sense of bat awareness," Rohn said. "He needs to cut down on his errors, but he's going to be a heckuva hitter. I think he might end up at first base." Brown thinks Cuddyer might be able to stay on the hot corner because he bettered himself during the season. "At first, I really didn't like him," Brown said. "I didn't think he was going to be able to cut it. Then, we went in there last time and I saw his work ethic and how he went about swinging the bat. There are some things that he's going to learn in the next year or so. I think he's going to be all right. When we went back in there, he really improved."