Minor Leagues

While the Twins were in the midst of the longest game in Target Field history, the Twins minor leagues were in the middle of a busy day. Only two teams have games on Memorial Day so Sunday became a critical day as multiple affiliates float around the .500 mark.

What teams could shine? What players would struggle? Who would help their team to win? Read on to find out.

Karma’s a … well, let’s just say don’t mess with karma. In a completely unlikely and bizarre twist of fate, Zach Granite delivered a walk-off victory off a player he had gotten into a bit of a dust-up with earlier in the evening.

Find out what else happened around the Twins' minor leagues on Saturday.

Stephen Gonsalves made his return last week in a brief start, but Friday night we saw the big southpaw return to his 2016 form. His team won in a wild (literally) fashion, but another Twins affiliate picked up a victory in one of the more lopsided games you’ll ever see.

Find out what else happened around the Twins' minor leagues on Friday.

Prospect rankings are meant to be fun, but they're also meant to recognize players that work hard throughout the season. I choose to update my personal Top 40 Twins prospect rankings before the draft, before an influx of 25 or so new prospects. Obviously the draft, particularly the #1 overall pick but also several others in the top rounds, will affect any organization’s rankings. When the season is complete I do a quick preliminary Top 50 rankings before diving deep into the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. It is in that publication where you can find my “official” preseason rankings, and a lot more on all Twins minor leaguers.

The Twins were off, but there was plenty of notable news to share across the minor league sytem from Thursday evening. Tyler Jay made his 2017 debut, Lewis Thorpe looked good again in his second start of the year and Nick Gordon set a new career high in home runs.

Find out what else happened around the Twins' minor leagues on Thursday.

Prospect rankings are always fun. I choose to update my personal Top 40 Twins prospect rankings before the draft, before an influx of 25 or so new prospects. Obviously the draft, particularly the #1 overall pick but also several others in the top rounds, will affect any organization’s rankings. When the season is complete I do a quick preliminary Top 50 rankings before diving deep into the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. It is in that publication where you can find my “official” preseason rankings.

Ft. Myers had their game postponed. The three Minnesota Twins affiliates did all play each received a quality start from their starting pitcher. That’s always good, at least enough to keep a team in a game until late. John Curtiss kept a streak going. And, Tommy Watkins experienced a first as a manager. To find out what it was, well, you’ll just have to keep reading.

The Twins will officially be on the clock with the first overall pick on the evening of June 12th. They should be making their selection shortly after 6pm. This will be the first time the franchise selects first overall since taking catcher Joe Mauer in 2001.

Along with the first overall pick - and two other first day picks (35th and 37th overall) - the Twins also have the largest combined draft pool, $14,156,800. Round 3-10 will be on Tuesday. The final 30(!) rounds are on Wednesday.

It stands to be an exciting few days for Twins fans and draft enthusiasts. There will plenty of draft coverage right here in the weeks leading up, so check back often.

Earlier this week, we posted Part 1 of a Q&A with Burnsville High School's Sam Carlson. The right-handed pitcher and outfielder is believed to be a mid-to-late first round pick on June 12.

The questions in Part 2 of the Q&A are different than part 1, so continue reading to learn more about the hard-throwing right-hander. His team's playoffs start on Thursday, so we can watch them through their playoff run.

Only three of the Twins four full-season affiliates were in action on Tuesday, as the Chattanooga Lookouts enjoyed a much needed day off. They also got some good news for their already stalwart bullpen, as a top prospect was activated from the disabled list. A much talked about name in the offseason made an appearance in AAA, but Rochester’s starter made the bigger story. A couple of hitters also continued impressive showings in the last week with home runs.

Ben Rortvedt was the Minnesota Twins’ second-round draft pick one year ago. He may be struggling at the plate with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, but he has become a trusted man behind the plate for Tommy Watkins and the Kernels pitching staff. Consider that just over a year ago, he was going to prom and graduating from high school.

Recently, we caught up with the talented catcher to talk about the beginning of his season, his pre-pro baseball experiences and much more.

The Twins opened their brief road trip on Monday in Baltimore. Kyle Gibson, who was recalled from Rochester when Phil Hughes was placed on the disabled list, made the start.

Congratulations to Chris Paul of the Miracle, who was named Florida State League Player of the Week. Paul hit 12-25 last week with nine runs, nine RBI, five doubles and two home runs, including a three-run walk-off and a walk-off single in consecutive games.
Let’s check the affiliates.