With all the recent talk about how the Yankees have doled out a fifth of a billion dollars to create arguably the greatest post-season roster in the history of the game (yeah, right), lost is the fact that the real story of the American League this season was the Twins’ recovery from a 10.5-game deficit to win the Central.

This is a “small market” team, yet it has made the playoffs four times in the past five years, a remarkable feat given that it has kept its payroll very reasonable (19th of 30 teams this year at $63.8 million). Sure, we’re not talking about the Marlins winning with a $14 million payroll (although compared to the Yanks, Minnesota may as well be the Marlins), but four trips to the postseason in five years is a fantastic run for anyone.

So how do they do it?

Take a look at the club’s 40-man roster and the answer becomes apparent rather quickly: the Twins success in drafting and developing pitchers has been absolutely phenomenal. They’ve done pretty fine with positional players, as well, as evidenced by the propensity of homegrown talent on the current active roster: Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Luis Rodriguez, Michael Cuddyer, Torii Hunter and Jason Kubel.

But pitching, traditionally a much harder commodity to develop, has been the club’s calling card. We asked Aaron Gleeman, who writes about the Twins at www.AaronGleeman.com, about how the team has been so successful with its development of young pitching. He says there are several reasons.

“I think there's a clear system in place where they draft guys who had good command, then try to add a few MPH to their fastball, rather than what most teams do, which is draft hard throwers and try to teach them command.”

While that seems to be a trend in terms of the type of pitcher Minnesota seeks, it’s only part of the formula, Gleeman says.

“The main reason is that they have great scouting and good coaching in place in the low minors,” he says. “They also spend the bulk of their early-round picks on pitching almost every draft, which helps, and also because they go after guys with a clear plan, with those players fitting into the system they have established for development/coaching.”

It all adds up to a winning system. So Spikes Up has decided to take a closer look at the success stories Minnesota has chalked up since 1991. Why 1991? Well, there are still active pitchers in the majors from that draft by the Twins, including one who pitched for the team this season, although he’s reached the end of the line.

So here is complete rundown of the pitchers the Twins have drafted since 1991, who are either still in the majors, appeared at some point in the majors, still have a chance to reach the majors with the Twins, or were traded for a player who appeared in the majors with the Twins.

Of course, there are plenty of pitchers who were drafted and never signed, many of whom could still go on to have major league careers. Not all of these can be represented here, but the ones that are further illustrate Minnesota’s ability to spot talent. Also, in terms of signing undrafted non-North American pitchers, we only looked at those who are still currently on the 40-man roster.

What’s most impressive about this list is that the top three arms currently on the Twins – Johan Santana, Joe Nathan and Francisco Liriano – were all acquired from other organizations.

1991

7th round – LaTroy Hawkins. He pitched for the Twins for nine seasons in almost every conceivable role before leaving the team in 2003 to sign a free-agent deal with the Cubs. He went 44-57 with 44 saves as a Twin and is still currently pitching in the bigs, toiling for the Orioles this season.

8th round – Brad Radke. Nice back-to-picks, eh? Radke has been the model of consistency over the years, always winning double digits with an ERA in the 4.00 range while logging 200+ innings. In a 12-year career that ended with his loss Friday as the Twins were eliminated by the A’s, Radke won 148 games, lost 139 and recorded a 4.22 ERA. In 1997, he was a 20-game winner for a team that only won 68 games. This is a bulldog who will be missed in Minny.

34th round – Tim Davis. He didn’t sign with the Twins, but was picked by Seattle in the sixth round in 1992 and spent four years in the majors, going 6-5, 4.76 in 89 games (six starts).

1992

1st round (26th overall) – Dan Serafini. Spent three years with the Twins, going 9-6 before being sold to the Cubs in 1999. In six major league seasons overall, Serafini went 15-16 with a 5.98 ERA in 101 games (33 starts).

3rd round – Gus Gandarillas. Spent nine years in the organization before leaving as a free agent in 2001. That season he made his major league debut, pitching in 16 games for the Brewers, going 0-0, 5.49 with 25 hits allowed in 19 2/3 innings.

14th round – Dan Naulty. Spent three seasons with the Twins, going 4-5 with five saves. Was traded to the Yankees in 1998 for Allen Butler, who never rose about High-A. In four major league seasons overall, Naulty went 5-5, 4.54 with five saves in 130 relief appearances.

23rd round – Scott Watkins. He made the team in 1995, pitching 21 2/3 innings of relief and going 0-0, 5.40. Watkins left the system after the 1996 season, and spent five more years with various organizations, but never again appeared in the majors.

50th round – Craig Dingman. He didn’t sign with the Twins, but was taken by the Yanks in the 36th round in 1993 and spent four years in the majors, going 4-5, 6.10 with five saves in 75 relief appearances and 79 2/3 innings.

1993

2nd round – Dan Perkins. In 1999, he went 1-7, 6.54 in 29 games as a starter/reliever for the Twins, but left the system after 2000 and never again pitched in the majors.

6th round – Benj Sampson. Sampson spent two seasons in the bigs with the Twinkies, going 4-2 in 35 games (six starts). He left the organization after 2002 and never made it back to the Show.

9th round – Kevin Ohme. He spent six years in the minors for the Twins before heading to Japan to pitch. Ohme came back in 2002 with the Cards and the following season he pitched 4 1/3 innings in the majors with no record and a 0.00 ERA.

17th round – Danny Kolb. Kolb never signed with the Twins, but Texas took him in the sixth round in 1995, and he just completed his eighth big league season this year (now with Milwaukee). The career reliever has 11 wins, 73 saves and a 4.32 ERA.

21st round – Shane Bowers. In 1997, Bowers made five starts for Minnesota, going 0-3, 8.05 in 19 innings. He spent another two years in the organization before leaving in 2000. Bowers never pitched another major league game.

22nd round – Rob Radlosky. In 1999, he went 0-1, 12.46 in seven relief appearances for the Twins. He was sent to Boston halfway through the following season, but never again appeared in the bigs.

41st round – Lance Carter. Carter never signed with the Twins. KC nabbed him in 1994 in the 21st round and he has pitched six seasons in the bigs, going 13-12 with 29 saves and a 4.15 ERA in 181 games. He’s now a free agent.

1994

1st round (34th overall) – Travis Miller. Miller spent seven seasons pitching for the Twins going a combined 7-18, 5.05 in 14 starts and 189 relief appearances. He finished 44 games and saved one with no complete games. Minnesota waived Miller in June 2002 and he was picked up by the Cubs and later pitched in the Cleveland and Cincinnati systems, but never made it back to the majors.

27th round – Brandon Puffer. Puffer spent two years in the Twins’ minor league system before being released in 1996. He was picked up by the Angels that year and wound up bouncing around several organizations before finally spending four years in the majors. His tally was 3-4, 5.09 in 85 relief appearances, with 34 games finished. In 115 innings, Puffer gave up 124 hits and 10 homers. He is still active, having pitched in the Houston and Oakland systems this year.

39th round – Brian Lawrence. Lawrence never signed with the Twins but wound up pitching five years in the bigs for the Padres after they plucked him in the 17th round in 1998. He went 49-61, 4.11 in 146 starts and 16 relief appearances before getting dealt to the Nats last offseason. He missed all of 2006 with injuries and was released by Washington earlier this month.

1995

1st round (13th overall) – Mark Redman. He spent three years with the Twins, winning 15 games before being dealt to Detroit in 2001 for reliever Todd Jones. Jones pitched for the Twins for half a season, going 1-0, 3.26 in 24 relief appearances, before leaving as a free agent after the 2001 season. He’s still active as the closer of the Tigers.

28th round – Jeff Harris. Harris spent six years in the organization before he was released in 2001. He pitched in independent ball before the Mariners signed him in 2004 and he made 11 appearances with Seattle in 2005, going 2-5, 4.19.

1996

The club signed Juan Rincon, currently on the active roster, out of Venezuela this year.

13th round – Mike Lincoln. He spent two years with the Twins, going 3-13 over 26 games (19 starts). Lincoln was released after the 2000 season and then signed by the Pirates. He went on to pitch four more seasons in the majors, going 13-24, 5.16 in total over 161 games (19 starts). He never completed a game, but finished 30 and saved five. Lincoln missed the last two years because of a pair of Tommy John surgeries.

20th round – Matt Kata. He never signed, but Arizona grabbed him in the ninth round in 1999 and after the 2000 season, converted him to shortstop. Kata spent three seasons in the bigs as an infielder and is still active in the Reds’ organization.

1997

17th round – Kevin Frederick. Frederick didn’t sign with Minnesota, but the Twins tried again, grabbing him in the 34th round in 1998 and were successful in inking him to a deal. In 2002, he made eight relief appearances for the big club, going 0-0, 10.03. The following season, Toronto claimed Frederick on waivers and in 2004, he went 0-2, 6.59 in 22 relief appearances for the Jays, finishing four games, but not saving any. He pitched in the Red Sox organization this season.

21st round – J.C. Romero. Romero pitched for Minnesota for seven years, going 25-20, 4.35 in 305 relief appearances and 22 starts. He never completed a game, but finished 59. In December, he was traded to the Angels for infielder Alexi Casilla. Casilla split this season between High-A and Double-A, batting .331 and .294 respectively. He got a September call-up and was 1-for-4 in nine games.

25th round – Adam Johnson. Johnson didn’t sign, but the Twins obviously loved him, selecting him again in 2000 with the second overall pick. He spent two years in Minnesota, going 1-3, 10.25 in nine games, four of them starts. Johnson did not complete a game, but finished one with no saves. In 26 1/3 innings, he was shelled for 40 hits, not exactly the return the Twins were hoping for. They finally gave up and released Johnson in January 2005 and he went to Indy ball before getting picked up by the A’s. He hasn’t returned to the majors.

1998

9th round – Saul Rivera. Rivera spent four years in the organization before getting claimed on waivers by the Mets. He reached the bigs for the first time this season with Washington, going 3-0, 3.43 with one save in 54 games. Rivera gave up just 59 hits in 60 1/3 innings.

14th round – Mike Gosling. He didn’t sign, so Arizona scooped him in the second round in 2001. Gosling has spent three years in the bigs, going 1-4, 4.73 in 20 games (nine starts) and 59 innings. He’s never completed a game. He pitched with the Reds this year, but was designated for assignment in September.

17th round – J.J. Putz. Here’s a pretty good one that got away. After the Twins didn’t sign Putz, Seattle grabbed him in the sixth round in 1999 and he’s now the Mariners’ closer. In four big league seasons, Putz is 10-9 with 46 saves and a 3.47 ERA.

24th round – Juan Padilla. Padilla spent six years in the Minnesota system before getting dealt to the Yanks for Jesse Orosco in 2003. Orosco made eight relief appearances for the Twins, going 1-1, 6.23 before leaving as a free agent after the season. He was signed by Arizona, but retired before ever pitching for the D’Backs.

1999

14th round – Brian Slocum. Slocum never signed with Minnesota, but Cleveland took him in 2002 with a second round pick and he made his MLB debut earlier this season.

20th round – Travis Bowyer. Bowyer went 0-1, 5.59, in eight relief appearances for Minny in 2005. In December, he was dealt to the Marlins in the Luis Castillo deal. Bowyer missed 2006 with a sore elbow, but will have a chance for a bullpen job in Florida next year. Castillo took over second base in Minnesota this season, batting .296 in 584 at-bats with a career-high 49 RBI, 84 runs and 25 steals, his highest swipe total since 2002.

23rd round – Willie Eyre. Eyre is currently on the 40-man roster.

45th round – Pat Neshek. Neskek didn’t sign in 1999, but the Twins picked him again in 2002, this time with a sixth-round selection. He’s on the current active roster.

2000

1st round (2nd overall) – Adam Johnson. See 1997, 25th round.

1st round (31st overall) – Aaron Heilman. Heilman is another quality arm that got away. The Mets grabbed him 18th overall in 2001 and he’s spent four seasons in the majors, going 12-18 with five saves and a 4.34 ERA in 146 games (25 starts) with one shutout.

2nd round – J.D. Durbin. Durbin is currently on the 40-man roster.

3rd round – Colby Miller. Miller went 1-1, 2.55 in five games (two starts) at Double-A this year. He’s only 24, but has control problems.

4th round – Jason Miller. Miller went 3-8, 3.81 in 15 starts and 17 relief appearances at Triple-A in 2006. He’s also 24, and with just 10 homers allowed in 99 1/3 innings, Miller keeps the ball in park.

8th round – Henry Bonilla. Bonilla pitched in 35 games (eight starts) at Triple-A this season, going 3-7, 4.26. The 28-year-old keeps having his role changed. He was a starter, then a reliever, then a swing man, and now he appears to be more of a long reliever/spot starter, working only 95 innings this year. Bonilla looks like an organizational player.

17th round – Paul Maholm. Another solid young arm Minnesota failed to reel in. The Pirates drafted him eighth overall in 2003 and he’s spent two seasons in the bigs, going 11-11, 4.27 in 36 starts without a complete game.

31st round – Beau Kemp. Kemp pitched at Triple-A in 2006, going 7-4, 2.32 in 49 relief appearances. He was considered for a call-up when the Twins needed a long man last month. He’s just 25, and has very good stuff, but is hardly dominant, fanning just 35 in 89 1/3 innings.

2001

2nd round – Scott Tyler. Tyler pitched in the Twins’ system for five years before being included in the December deal to Florida for Castillo. The Marlins converted Tyler to relief and he pitched at Double-A this season.

4th round – Angel Garcia. Went 2-1, 2.93 in eight relief appearances at High-A this season. The 22-year-old was taken by the Rays first overall in the 2005 Rule 5 draft, but was returned to Minnesota despite pitching well in spring training. Garcia, a 6’6” Puerto Rican, has had shoulder problems that have prohibited him from topping 53 innings pitched in any of his six minor league seasons.

13th round – Kevin Cameron. Cameron was 6-4, 2.98 in 40 relief appearances for Triple-A with nine saves and 65 Ks in 66 1/3 innings. He’s 26 and has a chance to get a look. Cameron, who looked very good in spring training this year, would deserve a spot on the 40-man roster in most organizations, but the Twins have so much pitching depth.

29th round – Nick Blackburn – Went 7-8, 4.42 in 30 games (19 starts) at Double-A. The 24-year-old did not complete a game this year. He showed potential in 2005, but backslid this season and is no longer a prospect.

43rd round – Jason Vargas. Vargas didn’t sign and the Marlins scooped him up with their second round pick in 2004. He’s spent two years in the majors, going 6-7, 5.25 in 29 games (11 in relief). He has one complete game and no shutouts, giving up 121 hits in 116 2/3 innings.

2002

The Twins signed Jose Mijares, currently on the 40-man roster, out of Venezuela in 2002.

2nd round – Jesse Crain. Crain is currently on the active roster.

6th round – Pat Neshek. See 1999, 45th round.

7th round – Ricky Barrett. Barrett was 5-1, 3.42 with one save in 27 relief appearances at Triple-A in 2006. The 25-year-old didn’t allow a single home run, so he could get a chance at some point.

17th round – Adam Hawes. The Twins couldn’t sign Hawes so they took him again in 2003 with their 40th round pick. He pitched in low-A this season, going 4-4, 4.02 with one save in 24 games, 14 of them starts. Hawes is 23 and his strikeout rate dropped significantly this year, so I’m not bullish on his prospects.

2003

2nd round – Scott Baker. Baker is on the 40-man roster.

4th round – David Shinskie. In 2006, Shinskie split the season between low-A and Double, going a combined 6-11, 3.23 in 59 relief appearances with 11 saves. He’s just 22, but was rocked at Double-A with stuff too hittable to be successful at that level. So Shinskie needs a full season of Double-A ball before he’ll be ready to move on.

6th round – Errol Simonitsch. He’s on Minny’s 40-man roster.

7th round – Chris Schutt. He split the year between High-A and Double-A, going 1-0, 10.12 in seven relief appearances in Double-A. The 24-year-old had control problems, so obviously needs another full year of Double-A action.

8th round – Brandon McConnell. He pitched in the Rookie-level Appalachian League in 2006, going 1-1, 7.30 in 20 games (one start) with no saves. McConnell is just 21, but after missing all of 2004 he has a long road ahead of him, especially after the beating he took this season.

14th round – Levale Speigner. Spent the season between Double-A and Triple, going 1-1, 4.97 in nine relief appearances with one save at the higher level. The 25-year-old has control problems.

17th round – Danny Vais. Vais pitched at low-A this season, going 3-4, 2.12 in 47 relief appearances. He’s 21 and has proved harder to hit at each level he’s moved up, a very promising sign. The draft-and-follow from Kansas surrendered just 80 hits in 80 2/3 innings this year.

40th round – Adam Hawes. See 2002, 17th round.

2004

1st round (22nd overall) – Glen Perkins. Perkins is currently on the active roster for Minny.

1st round (25th overall) – Kyle Waldrop. He split the season between Low-A and High-A, going 3-2, 3.57 in eight games (seven starts) at High-A with no saves. He pitched 45 1/3 innings but managed just 25 Ks. Waldrop will be 21 later this month, but his strikeout rate keeps dropping, and that’s going to hurt him when he tries to make the jump to Double-A. He was the second of three first rounders the Twins had in 2004, and was penned for a cool million bucks.

1st round (35th overall) – Matt Fox. Fox pitched in the Rookie-level Appy League this year, going 4-0, 3.79 in 20 games (one start). The 23-year-old, who missed all of 2005, got some much-needed innings under his belt this season so he should be ready for full-season ball in 2007.

2nd round – Anthony Swarzak. Pitching at High-A, Swarzak was 11-7, 3.27 in 145 2/3 innings as a starter. He walked 60, which is troublesome, but the 21-year-old looks ready to tackle Double-A. Swarzak was a All-Star in the Midwest League in 2005.

3rd round – Eduardo Morlan. Morlan toiled at Low-A in 2006, going 5-5, 2.29 in 28 games (10 in relief). He was dominant, fanning 125 in 106 1/3 innings, so this 20-year-old looks ready for High-A.

5th round – Jeff Schoenbachler. He pitched in the GCL, going 0-0, 0.00 in a one-inning rehab start with no walks or strikeouts. Injuries have taken Schoenbachler off track so far, but he just turned 21 last month, so has time to recover.

6th round – Patrick Bryant. Bryant pitched in the Rookie-level Appy, sporting an 0-1 record with 6.61 ERA for 14 games, 11 in relief. Bryant, 20, is simply too hittable to get far, giving up 40 hits in 32 2/3 innings.

8th round – Jay Sawatski. The lefty from the University of Arkansas split the year between High-A and Double-A, going 4-2, 2.87 in 44 Double-A games. The 24-year-old long reliever appears prepared for the challenge of Triple-A and could be a possibility for a roster spot.

9th round – J.P. Martinez. He went 4-4, 2.91 at High-A in 48 relief appearances. His hit rate rose, but he keeps the ball in the park so he might be ready for Double-A.

11th round – Kyle Aselton. Aselton went 9-5, 3.79 as a starter in High-A this season. His K rates dropped, but he still managed 90 strikeouts in 97 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old might be ready for Double-A in another half-season.

28th round – Aaron Craig. He worked in the Rookie-level Appy, gojng 2-1, 5.11 in 20 relief appearances with no saves. Craig, 20, tossed 24 2/3 innings, giving up 26 hits, 16 runs, 14 earned runs, one homer and 15 walks. Throw in 10 wild pitches, and it’s clear he has serious control issues and will need to repeat this level.

35th round – Jeff Mouser. Mouser also pitched in the Rookie-level Appalachian League this season, going 2-0, 4.63 in 18 appearances out of the pen. The 22-year-old doesn’t look like he has much of a future, though, as he was too hittable (25 hits in 23 1/3 innings).

2005

1st round (25th overall) – Matt Garza. He’s on the 40-man roster already.

2nd round – Kevin Slowey. Slowey split 2006 between High-A and Double-A, going 4-3, 3.19 in nine starts and 59 1/3 innings with just 50 hits allowed at the higher level. Just 22, Slowey is being moved at a pace that’s anything but. He struck out the side in his one inning in the FSL All-Star game this year.

3rd round (84th overall) – Brian Duensing. This 23-year-old has moved fast, pitching at three different levels this year. He wound up at Double-A, going 1-2, 3.65 in 10 games (nine starts) and 49 1/3 innings, with 51 hits, 29 runs (20 earned) and six homers allowed. His strikeout rate (just 30) dropped substantially in the jump to Double-A, so I’m a bit concerned that Duensing has been moved too quickly.

3rd round (105th overall) – Ryan Mullins. The Twins’ second third-rounder in 2005 pitched this past season at Low-A, going 5-8, 3.86 in 26 starts and one relief appearance. He’s 22 (turning 23 next month) and I’m a bit concerned about his command, which weakened quite a bit in the jump from Rookie ball. The lefty looks like a mid-range prospect right now.

8th round – Daniel Powers. Powers split 2006 between Low-A and High-A. At High-A, he was 6-2, 3.10 in 30 games (two starts). Powers, 24, saved 10, and has totaled 16 saves in two pro seasons, gaining valuable closing experience.

11th round – Brian Kirwan. Kirman made his pro debut this year in the Appy, going 5-5, 5.63 in 13 starts. The 19-year-old’s ERA was high, but his peripherals really weren’t that bad at all. Let’s see how he does in full-season ball before passing judgment. He’s a high-ceiling player, originally expected to go in the first two rounds of the 2005 draft before he tore his ACL playing football.

12th round – Alex Burnett. Pitching at the Rookie-level Appalachian League, Burnett went 4-3, 4.04 in 13 starts. I really like that this 19-year-old’s hit, HR and walk rates have all dropped while his Ks went up. I’m curious to see if he does as well in A-ball.

13th round – Michael Allen. Allen made his pro debut in the GCL this year, going 0-2, 4.91 in six starts. The 19-year-old struck out a batter per inning, so deserves a longer look.

22nd round – Curtis Leavitt. He made his pro debut in the GCL this year, going 0-2, 7.59 in nine games (six starts) with no saves. The 19-year-old was way too hittable, giving up 45 hits in 32 innings. Combine that with wildness (16 walks, five WPs) and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

32nd round – David Bromberg. Also debuted in the GCL in 2006, going 3-3, 2.66 in 10 starts and 50 2/3 innings. He’s a bit wild (18 walks, five wild pitches), but just turned 19 last month, so let’s cut Bromberg some slack.

44th round – Jose Cordero. Pitching in Low-A, Cordero was 3-2, 4.24 in five starts and 18 relief appearances. The 23-year-old struck out 50 in 51 IP – not too shabby.

2006

3rd round – Tyler Robertson. Went 4-2, 4.25 in 11 games (10 starts) in the GCL with no complete games or saves. This 18-year-old had just 15 walks in 48 2/3 innings, but he was a bit too hittable (.280 BAA).

9th round – Sean Land. Pitching in Appy, Land was 3-5, 4.45 in 11 starts and two relief appearances. Land turned 22 last month and got some good experience to prepare him for full-season ball. The former Jayhawk’s 30 ER in 60 2/3 innings was disappointing, but let’s see what happens in 2007.

14th round – Jeff Manship. He split the year between the GCL and High-A, going a combined 0-0, 1.26 in six games (three starts). Manship surrendered only 10 hits in 14 1/3 innings with 22 Ks and three walks. At 21, it looks like the Twins plan on moving him fast.

23rd round – Thomas Wright. Wright was 0-1, 11.74 in nine relief appearances in the GCL. He did not save a game. The 18-year-old gave up 15 hits in 7 2/3 innings – way too hittable stuff for Rookie ball.

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NEXT: Spikes Up will return on October 16, for its third last incarnation (it will be wound up at the end of this month).

Comments? Questions? Criticisms or witticisms? You can reach me at rob@creativesports.com if you’d like further information or have a question you’d like me to answer in an upcoming column. Have a suggestion for a column or want to hear analysis about a particular player? Feel free to write. I might even answer!

Rob Blackstien is a freelance writer and the principal of Pen-Ultimate (www.pen-ultimate.ca), a Toronto-based writing and editorial services firm. On Thursdays, he writes Offseason Lowdown and posts fantasy baseball news daily on Rotoworld, and his baseball work has also appeared on BaseballNotebook.com and the Fantasy Baseball Guide magazine. Rob has also written baseball and basketball columns for usatoday.com and foxsports.com.