Minor Leagues

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?

Week four of the AFL season was likely the most interesting to the casual prospect follower, as it featured the circuit’s all-star showcase on Saturday, where the Minnesota Twins top prospect cemented his status with an MVP performance. In the other games during the week the Salt River Rafters went 2-2 to maintain their lead in the East division. That top prospect also continued an impressive hit streak, while the pitchers were a mixed bag.

To find out how all your #MNTwinsInTheAFL prospects performed on the week, keep reading!

(This report includes the games played through 10/13)

Pensacola just completed their first year of affiliation with the Minnesota Twins and there was plenty to be excited about. Many of the team’s top prospects spent at least part of the season in a Blue Wahoos jersey including top prospects Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff and Brusdar Graterol. On Monday, the team was notified of another recognition to be excited about as outfielder Mark Contreras was named a 2019 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Winner.

The Salt River Rafters went 4-1 on the week in the Arizona Fall League and enter week four with the best record in the league and with a two-and-a-half game lead in the East division. Royce Lewis continued to stand out as a hitter and got some more time in the outfield on the week, while a starting pitcher also had a fantastic outing while showcasing his big fastball. Multiple Twins prospects were also named to the East roster of the Fall Stars Game that will be played on Saturday at the Rafters home ballpark.

Keep reading to find out how all the #MNTwinsInTheAFL fared on the week!

(This report includes the games played through 10/6)

The first week of the AFL season is in the books, and boy was it a good one from one of the games' top prospects. After somewhat of a down year with his bat, Royce Lewis showed there’s still a lot of promise there with multiple big games. He also showed off his defensive chops with a spectacular catch…as an outfielder. In addition to Lewis’ big week, a pitcher also made a strong impression in his first start, and a catcher continued to show why he’s so highly regarded as a defensive backstop.

Royce Lewis was one of the Minnesota Twins prospects selected to participate in the Arizona Fall League. While his home runs are turning heads, so are his starts at third base and center field over his usual shortstop. What might this mean long term for the Twins top prospect?

When Twins legend Harmon Killebrew passed away in 2011, the Twins honored his legacy off the field by creating the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service. There would be one player selected from each of the Twins four, full-season minor league affiliates.Over this week, we have introduced you to three of the four Killebrew Award winners. Today, we will briefly introduce you to the 2019 Killebrew Award winner for the Ft. Myers Miracle, RHP Calvin Faucher.

The Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals are playing Game 2 of this four-game series, the final home series of the 2019 regular season.
Here were some pre-game notes.