These 10 players went 20-20 in the Minors

No two tools are as coveted in baseball as power and speed. Together, they have the potential to make a player an elite, MVP-caliber contributor in the Major Leagues.

Such abilities are typically measured through a combination of home runs and stolen bases, with the 20-homer, 20-steal plateau serving as a key benchmark reached by only a select number of players each year.

Mookie Betts and Christian Yelich both achieved the feat last year during their respective MVP campaigns and headlined a crop of nine big leaguers who recorded at least 20 homers and 20 steals.

Six players have already reached the mark in 2019, with Yelich, Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor and Starling Marte doing it for a second straight year, and 40-40 candidate Ronald Acuña Jr. joining the mix along with Jonathan Villar.

Going 20-20 in the Minor Leagues, where teams play fewer regular-season games, is generally viewed as a tougher feat, though every year there are plenty of players who reach the mark.

This year, there were 10 Minor League players who finished the regular season at 20-20 or better. That total is up from six in 2018, and it also represents the 12th time since 1985 that there have been double-digit 20-20 players in a single season. And for those wondering, the all-time high total for Minor League 20-20 seasons was 19 in 1982.

Luis Robert (32 homers-36 steals) and Kyle Tucker (34-30) -- MLB Pipeline’s Nos. 5 and 12 prospects, respectively -- became the first Minor League duo to tally at least 30 homers and 30 steals since Brad Komminsk (33-35, Braves) and Willie Royster (31-53, Orioles) in 1981.

Here are the 10 prospects (listed alphabetically) who did reach the 20-20 plateau in the Minors in 2019.

Will Benson, OF, Indians’ No. 18
The 2016 first-round pick returned to Class A Lake County this season to post 18 homers and 18 steals in 62 games before moving up to Class A Advanced and reaching the 20-20 mark within a week of joining the Hillcats. Benson had a four-homer game along the way before finishing the year with 22 homers and 27 steals in 123 games.

Dylan Carlson, OF, Cardinals’ No. 2 (MLB No. 49)
Carlson, like Luis Robert, broke out in a big way this season, with his across-the-board tools translating to on-field production. In addition to slashing .292/.372/.542 in 126 games between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis, the 20-year-old switch-hitter racked up 26 homers and 20 steals. He went deep five times and posted a 1.098 OPS in 18 games after receiving a late-season promotion to Triple-A.

Donovan Casey, OF, Dodgers
A teammate of Jeter Downs for much of the season, Casey, 23, had already hit the 20-20 mark (exactly) when he was promoted from Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga to Tulsa on Aug. 6, and he finished the season at 23-22 in 125 games across two levels. Prior to this season, the 2017 20th-rounder had recorded 14 homers and eight steals in 107 games.

Jeter Downs, SS/2B, Dodgers’ No. 6
Downs showed 20-20 potential last year in his first full season last year by compiling 13 homers and 37 steals in 120 games for Class A Dayton. After going to the Dodgers in the offseason trade that sent Yasiel Puig and more to Cincinnati, the 21-year-old broke out with 24 homers and 24 steals in 119 games while advancing to Double-A, where he went deep five times in 12 games.

Sam Hilliard, OF, Rockies’ No. 9
Hilliard, 25, is currently showcasing his massive left-handed raw power in the big leagues, but before that he went deep 35 times and swiped 22 bags in 126 games with Triple-A Albuquerque. It was his second 20-20 season, after he had a 21-37 campaign with Class A Advanced Lancaster in 2017.

Jarred Kelenic, OF, Mariners’ No. 1 (MLB No. 22)
Kelenic was viewed by some scouts as the best prep hitter available in the 2018 Draft, when the Mets selected him 6th overall. After an offseason trade to the Mariners, the 20-year-old outfielder established himself as one of the best young hitters in the Minors by slashing .291/.364/.540 with 23 homers and 20 steals while climbing three levels up to Double-A in his first full season.

Brian O’Grady, 1B/OF, Reds
O’Grady, 27, may be the oldest player on this list, but the longtime Reds farmhand -- he was the club’s eighth-round pick in 2014 -- put it all together this season at Triple-A Louisville and received his first big league callup in early August. In 112 games with the Bats, the Rutgers product had 28 home runs and 20 stolen bases.

Luis Robert, OF, White Sox No. 1 (MLB No. 5)
It’s hard to believe that Robert, a physical specimen who oozes athleticism, didn’t hit a single home run in 50 Minor League games in 2018. The power outage was chalked up to the various injuries that plagued Robert throughout the year, and he confirmed that assessment in 2019 by erupting to hit 32 homers across three levels. He had four multihomer games, including a two-homer, seven-RBI debut for Triple-A Charlotte, and hit a number of balls that have yet to land.

As a runner, Robert absolutely flies. Need proof? Well, he reached a sprint speed of 31.3 feet per second – anything above 30 ft/sec is considered elite -- running out a groundout to second base in the Futures Game in July. That speed along with his aggressive mindset on the basepaths enabled him to swipe 36 bags this year and fuels his ability to rack up extra-base hits (74).

Josh Rojas, IF/OF, D-backs’ No. 29
Rojas, a 26th-round pick by the Astros in 2017, stole 38 bases but only hit eight homers in his first full season. But an improved, more impactful left-handed swing enabled Rojas to flourish offensively in 2019, and he ultimately batted .332/.418/.606 with 23 homers and 33 steals in 105 games while ascending from Double-A to the Major Leagues with Arizona, who acquired him from the Astros in the Zack Greinke Trade Deadline blockbuster. On top of that, the 25-year-old can play just about anywhere defensively.

Kyle Tucker, OF, Astros’ No. 1 (MLB No. 12)
With his career-best 34 homers and 30 steals in 125 games at Triple-A Round Rock, Tucker became the first Minor Leaguer to record three consecutive 20-20 seasons since Greg Vaughn (1987-89). The 22-year-old outfielder had five multihomer games and hit 11 of his homers over 28 games in May.

Here's a look at every player who has recorded a 20-20 season in the Minors from 1988-2019:

Year - Player, ORG, (HR-SB)

2019 - Luis Robert, CWS (36-32)
2019 - Kyle Tucker, HOU (34-30)
2019 - Josh Rojas, HOU/ARI (23-33)
2019 - Will Benson, CLE (22-27)
2019 - Jeter Downs, LA (24-24)
2019 - Sam Hilliard, COL (35-22)
2019 - Dylan Carlson, STL (26-20)
2019 - Jarred Kelenic, SEA (23-20)
2019 - Donovan Casey, LA (23-22)
2019 – Brian O’Grady, CIN (28-20)
2018 - Corey Ray, MIL (27-37)
2018 - Kyle Tucker, HOU (24-20)
2018 - Kevin Smith, TOR (25-29)
2018 - Cavan Biggio, TOR (26-20)
2018 - Dom Thompson-Williams, NYY (22-20)
2018 - Casey Golden, COL (34-24)
2017 - Jose Siri, CIN (24-46)
2017 - Ronald Acuna, ATL (21-44)
2017 - Sam Hilliard, COL (21-37)
2017 - Fernando Tatis Jr., SD (22-32)
2017 - Troy Stokes Jr., MIL (20-30)
2017 - Scott Kingery, PHI (26-29)
2017 - Monte Harrison, MIL (21-27)
2017 - Daniel Johnson, WSH (22-22)
2017 - Kyle Tucker, HOU (25-21)
2017 - D.J. Stewart, BAL (21-20)
2016 - Derek Fisher, HOU (21-28)
2016 - Dylan Cozens, PHI (40-21)
2016 - Jason Martin, HOU (23-20)
2015 - Derek Fisher, HOU (22-31)
2015 - Daniel Palka, ARI (29-24)
2015 - Trevor Story, COL (20-22)
2015 - Jared Hoying, TEX (23-20)
2015 - Jarrett Parker, SF (23-20)
2015 - Jason Pridie, OAK (20-20)
2014 - Michael Taylor, WSH (23-37)
2014 - Teoscar Hernández, HOU (21-33)
2014 - Joc Pederson, LAD (33-30)
2014 - Alex Glenn, ARI (24-22)
2014 - Chris Dominguez, SF (21-21)
2014 - Jared Hoying, TEX (26-20)
2013 - George Springer, HOU (37-45)
2013 - Joc Pederson, LAD (22-31)
2013 - Francisco Sosa, COL (20-30)
2013 - Lewis Brinson, TEX (21-24)
2013 - Javier Baez, CHC (37-20)
2013 - Kyle Waldrop, CIN (21-20)
2012 - George Springer, HOU (24-32)
2012 - Jason Martinson, WSH (22-30)
2012 - Melky Mesa, NYY (23-22)
2012 - Trayce Thompson, CWS (25-21)
2012 - Cory Vaughn, NYM (23-21)
2012 - Keury De La Cruz, BOS (20-20)
2011 - Kalian Sams, SEA (24-26)
2011 - Tim Wheeler, COL (33-21)
2011 - Brett Jackson, CHC (20-21)
2011 - Kole Calhoun, LAA (22-20)
2010 - Nick Franklin, SEA (23-25)
2010 - Danny Espinosa, WSH (22-25)
2010 - Brandon Belt, SF (23-22)
2009 - Grant Desme, OAK (31-40)
2009 - Terry Evans, LAA (26-28)
2009 - Chris Heisey, CIN (22-21)
2009 - Michael Taylor, PHI (20-21)
2009 - Joseph Dunigan, SEA (30-20)
2009 - Kyle Russell, LAD (26-20)
2008 - Greg Halman, SEA (29-31)
2008 - Casper Wells, DET (27-25)
2008 - Matt Downs, SF (20-25)
2008 - Nelson Cruz, TEX (37-24)
2008 - Bryan Petersen, MIA (23-23)
2008 - Drew Sutton, HOU (20-20)
2007 - Justin Maxwell, WSH (27-35)
2007 - Charlton Jimerson, SEA (25-35)
2007 - Greg Halman, SEA (20-31)
2007 - Matt Antonelli, SD (21-28)
2007 - Spike McDougall, MIA (21-28)
2007 - Justin Leone, SF (20-26)
2007 - Justin Ruggiano, TB (20-26)
2007 - Adam Boeve, PIT (21-23)
2007 - Cody Ransom, HOU (28-21)
2007 - Quinn Stewart, TB (21-21)
2007 - Josh Rodriguez, CLE (20-21)
2006 - Terry Evans, STL (33-37)
2006 - Tyler Greene, STL (20-33)
2006 - Ryan Braun, MIL (22-26)
2006 - Joey Votto, CIN (22-24)
2006 - Alex Gordon, KC (29-22)
2005 - Daniel Ortmeier, SF (20-35)
2005 - Chris Young, CWS (26-32)
2005 - Delmon Young, TB (26-32)
2005 - Reggie Abercrombie, MIA (25-26)
2005 - Noah Hall, CWS (26-24)
2005 - Matt Kemp, LAD (27-23)
2005 - George Lombard, BOS (20-23)
2005 - Julio Ramirez, SF (23-22)
2005 - Scott Moore, CHC (20-22)
2005 - Kevin Melillo, OAK (24-21)
2005 - Craig Stansberry, PIT (21-21)
2005 - Alan Moye, KC (24-20)
2005 - Brooks Conrad, HOU (23-20)
2004 - Chris Young, CWS (24-31)
2004 - Chip Ambres, MIA (20-26)
2004 - Ian Kinsler, TEX (20-23)
2004 - Antonio Perez, LAD (22-22)
2004 - Delmon Young, TB (25-21)
2004 - Alex Frazier, ARI (20-21)
2004 - Reggie Taylor, CIN (20-21)
2004 - Jamar Hill, NYM (26-20)
2003 - Jeff Salazar, COL (29-28)
2003 - Dan Uggla, ARI (23-24)
2003 - Bobby Crosby, OAK (22-24)
2003 - Jayson Nix, COL (21-24)
2003 - J.J. Davis, PIT (26-23)
2003 - Jason Bay, SD (20-23)
2003 - Franklin Gutierrez, LAD (24-20)
2003 - Justin Leone, SEA (21-20)
2002 - Carlos Duncan, LAA (21-35)
2002 - Abraham Nunez, MIA (21-31)
2002 - Andrew Beattie, CIN (21-28)
2002 - Lew Ford, MIN (20-28)
2002 - Corey Hart, MIL (24-27)
2001 - Jacques Landry, OAK (36-37)
2001 - Marlon Byrd, PHI (28-32)
2001 - Jon Topolski, HOU (24-28)
2001 - Wily Mo Pena, CIN (26-26)
2001 - Kelly Johnson, ATL (23-25)
2001 - Dante Powell, SF (22-25)
2001 - Eric Byrnes, OAK (20-25)
2001 - Randy Ruiz, CIN (20-21)
2001 - Eric Hinske, OAK (25-20)
2000 - Chad Mottola, TOR (33-30)
2000 - Corey Patterson, CHC (22-27)
2000 - Keith Ginter, HOU (26-24)
2000 - Jose Ortiz, OAK (24-22)
2000 - Aaron Rowand, CWS (20-22)
2000 - Eric Cole, HOU (22-21)
2000 - Mark Bellhorn, OAK (24-20)
2000 - Dee Brown, KC (23-20)
2000 - Jason Lane, HOU (23-20)
2000 - Mark Cridland, MIL (21-20)
2000 - Joshua Hochgesang, OAK (20-20)
1999 - Calvin Murray, SF (23-42)
1999 - Abraham Nunez, ARI (22-40)
1999 - Jayson Bass, SEA (21-34)
1999 - Brandon Pernell, SD (21-33)
1999 - Corey Patterson, CHC (20-33)
1999 - Chin-Feng Chen, LAD (31-31)
1999 - Dee Brown, KC (25-30)
1999 - Jon Nunnally, BOS (23-26)
1999 - Lyle Mouton, MIL (23-22)
1999 - Chris Truby, HOU (28-20)
1999 - Mike Peeples, TOR (20-20)
1998 - Alex Escobar, NYM (27-49)
1998 - George Lombard, ATL (22-35)
1998 - Jose Santos, MIA (23-31)
1998 - Jayson Bass, SEA (21-31)
1998 - Trot Nixon, BOS (23-26)
1998 - Juan Dilone, SF (22-22)
1998 - Jimmy Hurst, BOS (20-22)
1998 - Chad Hermansen, PIT (28-21)
1998 - Adam Piatt, OAK (20-20)
1997 - Adrián Beltré, LAD (26-25)
1997 - Todd Dunwoody, MIA (23-25)
1997 - Michael Coleman, BOS (21-24)
1997 - Derrick Gibson, COL (26-20)
1997 - Anthony Sanders, TOR (26-20)
1997 - Rich Butler, TOR (24-20)
1996 - Dante Powell, SF (21-43)
1996 - Mike Cameron, CWS (28-39)
1996 - Decomba Conner, CIN (20-33)
1996 - Edward Davis, LAD (29-31)
1996 - Andruw Jones, ATL (34-30)
1996 - Mike Neill, OAK (20-28)
1996 - Scott Krause, MIL (22-27)
1996 - Miguel Tejada, OAK (20-27)
1996 - Todd Dunwoody, MIA (24-24)
1996 - Jose Guillen, PIT (21-24)
1996 - Bruce Aven, CLE (23-22)
1996 - D.T. Cromer, OAK (30-20)
1996 - Don Denbow, SF (27-20)
1996 - Scott Smith, SEA (20-20)
1995 - Andruw Jones, ATL (25-56)
1995 - Derrick Gibson, COL (32-31)
1995 - Adam Riggs, LAD (24-31)
1995 - Ruben Rivera, NYY (24-24)
1995 - Todd Walker, MIN (21-23)
1995 - Gus Kennedy, ATL (24-20)
1995 - Preston Wilson, NYM (20-20)
1994 - Ruben Rivera, NYY (33-48)
1994 - Pat Watkins, CIN (27-31)
1994 - Michael Smith, TEX (21-28)
1994 - Al Shirley, NYM (23-23)
1994 - Jon Nunnally, CLE (22-23)
1994 - Robert Heath, ATL (20-23)
1994 - Ryan Radmanovich, MIN (21-22)
1994 - Alex Rodriguez, SEA (21-20)
1993 - Curtis Pride, WSH (21-50)
1993 - Cliff Floyd, WSH (28-33)
1993 - Ernie Young, OAK (28-31)
1993 - Rick Holifield, TOR (20-30)
1993 - Vincent Moore, ATL (20-30)
1993 - Cleveland Ladell, CIN (20-24)
1993 - Dwayne Hosey, SD (21-20)
1992 - Ray McDavid, SD (24-43)
1992 - Mike Kelly, ATL (25-22)
1992 - Gary Mota, HOU (23-22)
1991 - Leon Glenn, MIL (21-34)
1991 - Jeromy Burnitz, SEA (31-31)
1991 - Butch Huskey, NYM (26-22)
1990 - Gerald Williams, NYY (20-37)
1990 - Luis Gonzalez, HOU (24-27)
1990 - Mark Davis, LAA (21-23)
1989 - Glenallen Hill, TOR (21-21)