Article: Twins Minor League Report (AFL Week 3): Hits and Holds

[Seth Stohs]

The end of the third week in the Arizona Fall League marks the halfway point of the season, and at this juncture the Salt River Rafters, for whom the Twins prospects play, have clearly been the class of the league. They lead the East Division with a 12-4-1 record and are the only team with double-digit wins.In week 3, Taylor Rogers was again the only Twins representative who didn’t see action.

 

Did Eddie Rosario continue to hit? Did Byron Buxton turn it around? Did Zack Jones and Jake Reed continue to mow down hitters?

 

Read on to find out!

 

 

Byron Buxton – 4 games, 6-18 (.333), 2B, 3 R’s, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K’s, 3 SB’s (4).

 

Buxton played in four games this week, including another appearance in RF.

 

His big game of the week came on Friday, when he went 3-5 with a double, scored two runs, drove in two more and stole two bases. It was the second game in a row he collected multiple hits, having gone 2-5 the day before.

 

It’s a good sign to see all of his tools back on display, and Buxton is happy to be moving forward after his injury-wrecked 2014 season.

 

Buxton raised his average from .229 to .264 during the week.

 

 

Eddie Rosario – 4 games, 6-13 (.462), 2 R’s, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, 3 SB (9).

 

Rosario continued to bat third in the Rafters lineup this week, and continued to rack up hits.

 

He currently is second in the league in batting average (.429) and total hits (21), fourth in RBI’s (11) and second in stolen bases (9).

 

He had at least one hit in all four games during the week and collected multiple hits twice. In Tuesday’s 5-0 Rafters win, he was 2-2 with two RBI sac flies in four plate appearances.

 

He was 2-4 with three RBI in his next game on Thursday, where he also stole two more bases.

 

Of major note in reference to Rosario, is the fact that he has hit safely in all ten games he has played in the AFL, and seems to like the pace of play created by the 20-second pitch clock.

 

 

Max Kepler – 3 games, 5-12 (.417), 2 R, 2 2B’s, 3B, RBI, 1 BB’s, 4 K’s, SB (3).

 

Kepler saw action in three games during the week, and made the most of his opportunities as he went 2-4 on Tuesday, 2-5 with a double and triple on Wednesday, and 1-3 with a double, walk, and RBI on Thursday.

 

His triple in Wednesday’s 9-3 victory sparked a four run second inning for the Rafters.

 

He raised his average to .290 in league play, with an on-base percentage of .405.

 

 

Taylor Rogers – Did not play.

 

Rogers took a line drive to his shoulder in his only start for the Rafters in week 1, and has not pitched since.

 

 

Jason Adam – 1 game, 1 IP, 0 R’s, 1 H’s, 0 BB, 1 K. 0.00 ERA.

 

Adam finally made his first scoreless appearance in Friday’s 8-1 win, allowing just a single in the sixth inning. The runner moved to second on a passed ball, but he finished the inning with a strikeout and picked up his first hold.

 

 

Zack Jones – 2 games, 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H’s, 3 BB, 0 K, 2 Holds. 0.00 ERA.

 

Zack Jones made appearances in the wins on Monday and Thursday, picking up a hold in both contests.

 

In Monday’s win, he gave up a double but retired the three other batters he faced.

 

In Friday’s win, he lost his control in the seventh inning, throwing just eight of twenty-one pitches for strikes while walking three to load the bases. He recorded just one out, but still picked up a hold as Kaleb Fleck from the Diamondbacks organization retired the next two batters.

 

 

Jake Reed – 2 games, 2 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 K’s, 2 Holds. 0.00 ERA.

 

Reed pitched in the same games as Jones, pitching the inning before him in each contest. He was extremely efficient, throwing twenty of twenty-four pitches for strikes, while allowing just one hit in his two innings. He also recorded two holds.

 

Of note from Jones and Reed: neither hurler recorded an out with a strikeout on the week.

 

 

Notes

 

-Twins hitters combined to bat .395 with 3 2B’s, 1 3B, 7 R’s, 10 RBI, 4 BBs, 9 K’s, and 7 SB during the week.

-Twins pitchers compiled a 0.00 ERA in 4.1 IP, allowing 0 R’s on 3 H’s and 3 BBs, while striking out one on the week.

 

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[Seth Stohs]

Some nice performances. Hopefully Buxton has shaken off the rust and can end strong. Rosario continues to impress. Kepler had a nice week. Jake Reed continues to pitch great. 

 

Jones had a bout with wildness in one outing, but he's on the right path.

[Steve Lein]

I like the .395 collective batting line for sure!

[nater79a]

Think Rosario and Reed are the best bets to be picked for the Fall Stars game on Saturday?

[Willihammer]

What's the scoring environment like in the AFL? Is it a hitters league?

[Thegrin]

Arizona has thin dry air usually at this time of year.  Probably its a hitters league as breaking balls don't seem to break so much.

[markos]

What's the scoring environment like in the AFL? Is it a hitters league?

To the best of my knowledge, it is considered a hitters league because 1) its location and weather, and 2) most of the best pitchers are shut down by this part of the season. 

 

The latter varies year to year, and this year the pitchers are particularly strong because several big names (Appel, Walker and Bradley) were all injured this season and need the extra innings. But I would still guess that it favors the hitters.

[Steve Lein]

Definitely a hitter's league.  16 leaderboard-qualifying players from only 6 teams hit .300+ in the League last season, 21 the year before that, 26 in 2011, etc...  There's usually one or two who hit above .400 as well.  Though I would say this is also driven somewhat by the small sample size.

[Steve Lein]

Think Rosario and Reed are the best bets to be picked for the Fall Stars game on Saturday?

 

Well, the Fall Stars game is really not based on League performance per se, it's about the big names...

 

Case in point:  Buxton and Reed are the picks from the Twins.

[nater79a]

Well, the Fall Stars game is really not based on League performance per se, it's about the big names...

 

Case in point:  Buxton and Reed are the picks from the Twins.

 

Yeah, I noticed that after I did some digging.  There's pitchers with a 12.00+ ERA on the teams and position players hitting .150.   Really just a Futures Game, part 2.

[Steve Lein]

An editorial note, since I can't revise this posting myself:

 

Eddie has hit safely in 11 of 12 games played, not "all 10."  I overlooked the 10/18 game in my spreadsheet where he was 0-3 and apparently another game as well, haha!  So he began the year with a 7-game hit streak, and has hit safely in his 4 games since.  Still pretty awesome!

[JB_Iowa]

William Boor ‏@wboor  · 7m7 minutes ago 
#Twins prospect Byron Buxton, MLB.coms top prospect, just left today's #AFL14 game with an injury. Looked like he hurt wrist diving for ball

 

Rhett Bollinger retweeted

William Boor ‏@wboor  · 11m11 minutes ago 
Buxton was taken to clubhouse. Will report anything I learn postgame. #AFL14

 

LaVelle E. Neal III ‏@LaVelleNeal  · 4m4 minutes ago 
Hearing Byron Buxton dislocated a finger today while diving for a ball during Arizona Fall League. Will post something soon.

Edited October 27, 2014 by JB_Iowa

[Shane Wahl]

No Twins OF should ever dive for a ball in the AFL . . .

 

I really like the performances, especially from the 5/6 the 7 who matter: Buxton, Rosario, Kepler, Reed, and Jones (with Rogers already progressing nicely overall . . . should be a 175 innings guy next year anyway).

[Seth Stohs]

I almost assume that Eddie Rosario will replace Byron Buxton in the Fall Stars game. 

 

And yeah, it's never been about who is performing for the first four weeks of the AFL.