Minor Leagues

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.

Harmon Killebrew hit 573 home runs in his Hall of Fame career. Most people who had the opportunity to meet the slugger talk more about the kind of person that he was. After he passed away, the Twins established the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service. Each of the Twins four full-season affiliates gets one recipient each season.

For the second straight year, reliever Jake Reed is the winner for the Killebrew Award for the Rochester Red Wings. Appropriately, many of the people around Rochester that had the opportunity to meet or work with Reed will likely have several stories to tell about what he did off the field. We’ve got a good one below.

In 2011, the Minnesota Twins announced that legend Harmon Killebrew’s health was deteriorating and he was entering hospice care. Fans around the country, and especially in the Upper Midwest, chimed in to tell tales of Killebrew. I recall finding it interesting that very few of those stories had anything to do with anything that occurred on a baseball field. Most of these stories involved something he had told a kid, shaking hands with fans, his impeccably legible autograph, or some charitable event that he came to and inspired masses. People talked about how great he was as a person.

His baseball prowess was hardly mentioned. His 573 home runs. His 1,584 RBI. His MVP. His six AL home run championships. His 11 All Star appearances. Those are all part of his story, but the stories people told were of Harmon Killebrew, the great human being.

Following Killebrew’s death, the Minnesota Twins established the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service, and each year, the Twins have named one winner for each of their four full-season affiliates. Each affiliate’s GM nominated a recipient who exemplifies Killebrew through their work in the community.

As of your reading of this article, the Arizona Fall League season has gotten underway for the 2019 season. If you’re thinking that seems a bit early, you are not mistaken as the schedule has been changed to closer align with the end of the minor league seasons and major league playoff schedules in October. They’ve also added a wrinkle where the AFL teams will face off against Mexican League teams from September 24^th through October 5^th.

For anyone who doesn’t know, the Arizona Fall League is a short-season circuit where every team in major league baseball sends some of their prospects in October. It is often used as a proving ground for players looking to take the final steps to their MLB dreams. Many of the top prospects in baseball play here every season looking to make a final impression for a call-up next year, but there are also many experienced minor leaguers at the upper levels that are evaluated for protection on the 40-man roster, and those trying to make up some development time after an injury. These minor league games in October can determine a lot going into the next MLB season for these players and MLB rosters, and that’s why I love following the league so closely.

Right-handed relief pitcher Brian Rapp recently completed his first full season in professional baseball, and his name will forever be linked to the great Harmon Killebrew. You will need to continue reading to find out how.

Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew is generally considered the greatest Twins player in their 59-season history in Minnesota. He was an imposing figure on the field, capable of altering a game with one swing of his mighty bat. Off the field, Killebrew was said to be one of the most genuinely compassionate man, respectful and helpful.

Following the Hall of Famer’s death in 2011, the Twins announced the initiation of the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service. One player from each of the four Twins full-season affiliates would be presented with the award in recognition of their work in their community.

Over the coming days, we’ll share with you the four 2019 recipients of the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service.

Throughout this week, Twins Daily has handed out our 2019 minor league awards. Today we continue the series by looking at the top hitters in the Twins organization this season. There were a lot of strong performances, and unlike last year, the vote was not unanimous. In fact, it was closer than you probably think and has a chance to create a lot of discussion.

Previous 2019 Awards
Short-Season Minor League Hitter of the Year: Matt Wallner
Short-Season Minor League Hitter of the Year: Cody Laweryson
Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year: Anthony Vizcaya
Today: Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year: Randy Dobnak
Minor League Hitter of the Year: See below…

Previous Twins Daily Minor League Hitters of the Year:
2012 - Oswaldo Arcia
2013 - Miguel Sano
2014 - Mitch Garver
2015 - Max Kepler
2016 - Daniel Palka
2017 - Mitch Garver
2018 - Alex Kirilloff