Minor Leagues

Day 1 of the Winter Meetings came and went. There was a major signing. Stephen Strasburg returned to the Nationals. But for the Twins and their fans, Day 1 was incredibly quiet. Maybe Day 2 will bring more rumors for discussion. Here is the place to discuss any Twins rumors throughout the day.

This morning, the Ft. Myers Miracle had a major announcement. Starting today, they are the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels.

The law has had to prevent Major League Baseball from destroying itself to some degree on multiple occasions over the past 25 years. Fans of minor league teams under threat of elimination in Rob Manfred’s new proposal, such as the Elizabethton Twins, might have to hope justice prevails once again.

Re-post as the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster is 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20.  Between now and March, there are many decisions that this front office will need to make. (See the Twins Daily Offseason Handbook for much more on them.). The Twins made several roster moves on Monday, and more will happen soon. One big decision that is made every November is which players to add to the 40-man roster. Being added to the 40-man roster is a really big deal for players. They make extra money in the minor leagues, but more important, a huge obstacle to being called up to the big leagues is removed. Below you will find a list of Twins minor leaguers who would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft if not protected on the 40-man roster.

We are deeply saddened to learn that Minnesota Twins minor leaguer Ryan Costello passed away in New Zealand. Early reports indicate that he died of "natural causes" at the age of 23.

In this week's Get to Know 'Em podcast, Seth talked to Twins outfield prospect Matt Wallner about playing in Minnesota, at Southern Mississippi, being drafted by the Twins (twice) and more. Also, we had out Ten Minutes with Tyler (Wells) segment, which actually went about 15 minutes.

After having wrapped up their East division title in week five and a place in the Arizona Fall League Championship Game, the Salt River Rafters closed out their regular season with two wins, one loss, and a tie in week six. They finished with the top record in the league at 17-11-1 (.607 winning percentage) and faced the West Division winning Surprise Saguaros on Saturday for the title.

To find out how all your #MNTwinsInTheAFL closed out their regular seasons, and how that title game went down, keep reading!

(This report includes the games played through 10/26 and the end of the AFL season)

The Minnesota Twins top prospect Royce Lewis split his 2019 season between High-A Fort Myers and Double-A Pensacola. After a 2018 that saw him put up impressive numbers across the board, 2019 represented the 20-year-old’s first struggles in professional baseball. With his season extended an additional 22 games, Lewis got in 149 contests, or essentially a full major league slate. The competition is fierce in the Arizona Fall League, but the California native held his own en route to a league MVP.

With the offseason upon us, the Get To Know 'Em podcast returns. Tonight, we talk about Tommy John surgery with RHP Tyler Wells, and then talk about home runs, getting traded and getting The Call with OF Jaylin Davis.

The Salt River Rafters finished week five of the Arizona Fall League season with a 3-3 record that kept themselves atop the East division standings. After a big week four that saw him collect several accolades, Royce Lewis finally appeared somewhat human, but Luke Raley more than picked up the slack with a monster week that could go a long way toward his 2020 prospects with the big-league club. Dakota Chalmers also had another strong start and reliever Zach Neff continued to baffle his opponents with his savvy.

Continue reading to see just how big Raley came up for the Rafters, and how all the #MNTwinsInTheAFL performed in week 5 of the AFL season!

(This report includes the games played through 10/20)

There’s some divide when it comes to the understanding of prospect value. In a traditional sense, many believe that a strong farm system or a belief in prospects is representative of a preference to minimize major league spending. The common refrain is that prospects don’t all pan out, and a heavy reliance on them leaves much to be desired on the major league roster. In a certain sense those sentiments hold weight, but the reality is that the best organizations use player development harmoniously with major league growth, and Minnesota has entered the era in which they can begin to cash in.

Royce Lewis has been lighting up the Arizona Fall League with a 1.066 OPS which ranks second in the league. He helped the East to win the Fall Stars Game after he cranked a two-run home run in the first inning. He would go on to be named MVP of that game and it looks like he is ending the year strong after some inconsistencies during the regular season.

Minnesota drafted Lewis for his athleticism and the potential he had shown as an amateur. Now there are some questions about his defensive future. What position will Lewis play when he gets called up to Target Field?