Article: Twins Minor League Report (5/20): Wins For Everyone

[Loosey]

I think Gonsalves is going to have good chance to a be very good Major League pitcher.  He sits around 91 MPH with his fastball now.  If he can get that up 1 or 2 MPH (possible given he is still developing and getting stronger) his fastball would be considered a "Plus" pitch.  His secondary pitches also seem to be pretty nasty from what I have read and add in his game acumen and he could be something special.  Time will tell though.

[John Kelsey]

Sounds like Mat Batts got the call over Gonsalves to head to Fort Myers. 

 

Luke Bard was finally activated from the DL and will start for the Kernels, Yorman Landa went back to the DL after throwing just one inning. 

[blairpaul715]

 

Sounds like Mat Batts got the call over Gonsalves to head to Fort Myers. 

 

Luke Bard was finally activated from the DL and will start for the Kernels, Yorman Landa went back to the DL after throwing just one inning. 

Corresponding moves???? for Ft Myers.

Edited May 21, 2015 by blairpaul715

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Corresponding moves???? for Ft Myers.

 

No word yet. All the other affiliates are at 25, so it would look like they'll probably be putting someone on the DL. Sticking a starter on the "phantom" DL wouldn't shock me.

[Steven Buhr]

 

The radar gun that goes to teh scoreboard in Cedar Rapids is reportedly 2-3 mph slow. Has been each of the three years that I've gone to games there, and I believe that Steve Buhr can verify this as well. 88 = 91. 

This is true. With the Twins using Trackman now in CR, working media in the pressbox can get a much or accurate velo rate by asking the guy with the laptop.

 

Of couse, they're in Peoria this week, so I have no idea if their scoreboard gun is comparable.

 

I will say Gonsalves has been able to sit 91-92 consistently in CR. His manager has told us he thinks he'll eventually add a tick or two as he gets his "man muscles."

[jokin]

 

This is true. With the Twins using Trackman now in CR, working media in the pressbox can get a much or accurate velo rate by asking the guy with the laptop.

 

Of couse, they're in Peoria this week, so I have no idea if their scoreboard gun is comparable.

 

I will say Gonsalves has been able to sit 91-92 consistently in CR. His manager has told us he thinks he'll eventually add a tick or two as he gets his "man muscles."

 

I asked earlier JC... is there any indication on how Gonsalves has developed, regarding his own personal maturity issues?

[Seth Stohs]

Tyler Duffey up to Rochester. They said corresponding move coming tomorrow.

 

It is possible Hu goes from FM to Chattanooga, but we haven't heard anything yet.

[Steven Buhr]

 

Sounds about right, but I can't recall having a guy that has put up these type of numbers at A ball. Berrios had 19 starts before being promoted, and his numbers were quite pedestrian compared to Gonsalves' incredible production.

Perhaps Steve Buhr can answer this question best, but I am also wondering if Gonsalves is demonstrating new personal maturity to go along with his maturity on the mound? It seems that answering that question in the positive may also have a bearing on his timetable.

I'm not sure about a "new personal maturity." I thought he was pretty mature for his age when he got here last summer. I spoke with him at ST and I've talked to him formally and informally during this season. I find him personable and mature. He's confident in himself and in his abiliies, but that doesn't come across to me in a bad way. He's extremely competitive on the field. I think he absolutely feels he was better than the round he was drafted in and is intent on proving that to be the case, but he doesn't obsess over it. He'll talk about it if you bring it up, but he isn't likely to bring that subject up first.

 

If you're referring to the suspension that cost him high school playing time and, ultimately, at least a couple rounds of bonus money, I've talked to him and others about that situation and I do think he got screwed over a bit in that situation. Whether he's learned to choose his friends more carefully or not, I can't say. Spending his offseason working out with Strasberg and Shields, among others, probably is a good indication he's taking his career seriously.

 

He doesn't turn 21 until July, so I'm not sure we can ask a lot more than that out of him.

[Steven Buhr]

 

First of all, 9 triples in 39 games is stupid.

 

Secondly, is Ryan Eades still viewed as a guy who could move quickly?

I'm really glad to see Eades getting results. He doesn't put up the Ks some of his peers do, but he gets results and quietly goes about his business, trying to improve every time he's out there.

 

He may not move as quick as the strikeout machines among his peers, but that's more of a reflection of just how good some of those other guys are than anything wrong with Eades, imo.

[Steven Buhr]

 

I asked earlier JC... is there any indication on how Gonsalves has developed, regarding his own personal maturity issues?

sorry I was slow to respond, jokin. I was reading through comments from the beginning and then we had a fire drill at the office. All these interruptions!

[jokin]

 

I'm not sure about a "new personal maturity." I thought he was pretty mature for his age when he got here last summer. I spoke with him at ST and I've talked to him formally and informally during this season. I find him personable and mature. He's confident in himself and in his abiliies, but that doesn't come across to me in a bad way. He's extremely competitive on the field. I think he absolutely feels he was better than the round he was drafted in and is intent on proving that to be the case, but he doesn't obsess over it. He'll talk about it if you bring it up, but he isn't likely to bring that subject up first.

 

If you're referring to the suspension that cost him high school playing time and, ultimately, at least a couple rounds of bonus money, I've talked to him and others about that situation and I do think he got screwed over a bit in that situation. Whether he's learned to choose his friends more carefully or not, I can't say. Spending his offseason working out with Strasberg and Shields, among others, probably is a good indication he's taking his career seriously.

 

He doesn't turn 21 until July, so I'm not sure we can ask a lot more than that out of him.

 

Thanks JC.  Yeah, us guys far removed from the situation can only go by the bits and pieces parceled out to project a personality profile.  I would guess the general assumption about Gonsalves is: a talented but a bit highstrung, flighty, but competitive personality, with some childhood mistakes overhanging from his past, which taken as a whole, seemed to play at least some role in causing his draft status to drop precipitously.  Assuming that at least some of that perception is/was true, I like the Twins taking the gamble, and maybe perhaps, correctly assessing the potential for a good outcome on the maturity issue.  Your comments on recent developments tend to confirm that assessment.  I'm getting more on board this train, even more than before  (although it seems that's likely to soon suck for you guys down in Cedar Rapids....)

[Steven Buhr]

 

Thanks JC.  Yeah, us guys far removed from the situation can only go by the bits and pieces parceled out to project a personality profile.  I would guess the general assumption about Gonsalves is: a talented but a bit highstrung, flighty, but competitive personality, with some childhood mistakes overhanging from his past, which taken as a whole, seemed to play at least some role in causing his draft status to drop precipitously.  Assuming that at least some of that perception is/was true, I like the Twins taking the gamble, and maybe perhaps, correctly assessing the potential for a good outcome on the maturity issue.  Your comments on recent developments tend to confirm that assessment.  I'm getting more on board this train, even more than before  (although it seems that's likely to soon suck for you guys down in Cedar Rapids....)

If that's the general perception, then the Twins' scouts got to know him well enough to see the perception is inaccurate in some ways, at least. I would say he's far from highstrung. Pretty laid back, really. Not at all flighty, very focused. But he has personality and, based on his activities in the offseason, has adopted a pretty good work ethic.

 

Seeing good players promoted up from CR is part of the deal at low-A ball. You'd love to watch some of these guys all summer, but you get really happy for them when they're promoted (as I am for Mat Batts today). And every new replacement is a new story waiting to be written, so that's cool, too.

Edited May 21, 2015 by Steven BUHR

[tobi0040]

 

If that's the general perception, then the Twins' scouts got to know him well enough to see the perception is inaccurate in some ways, at least. I would say he's far from highstrung. Pretty laid back, really. Not at all flighty, very focused. But he has personality and, based on his activities in the offseason, has adopted a pretty good work ethic.

 

Seeing good players promoted up from CR is part of the deal at low-A ball. You'd love to watch some of these guys all summer, but you get really happy for them when they're promoted (as I am for Mat Batts today). And every new replacement is a new story waiting to be written, so that's cool, too.

 

My understanding is he got in trouble because as a senior in high school, he was in a hotel room where he or someone else was smoking something wacky.....he refused to tell on who was all there.

 

I am lettling that slide as a 17-18 year old.  No immaturity as far as I am concerned.  I am guessing 90% of the high school players in the next draft have been in that same position.

 

 

[blairpaul715]

 

Tyler Duffey up to Rochester. They said corresponding move coming tomorrow.

 

It is possible Hu goes from FM to Chattanooga, but we haven't heard anything yet.

I am going to take an uneducated guess, and say it will have something to do with Hamburger and or Wheeler.

[jokin]

 

My understanding is he got in trouble because as a senior in high school, he was in a hotel room where he or someone else was smoking something wacky.....he refused to tell on who was all there.

 

I am lettling that slide as a 17-18 year old.  No immaturity as far as I am concerned.  I am guessing 90% of the high school players in the next draft have been in that same position.

 

No doubt a reasonable conclusion.  It still is strange how far his stock dropped, and with all of this dirty laundry attached to it.... it seems there were also questions about emotional maturity thrown in the mix, as well.

[tobi0040]

My understanding RE: his draft slip is that he was viewed as a first rounder. then he was suspended 8 games, so teams didn't get to look at him or know exactly what happened. So kudos to the twins for doing some digging and taking a calculated risk.

[AlwaysinModeration]

I was in CR for Gonsalves rain-shortened start last week, and sat behind Felix Jorge and a couple of other pitchers with radar guns. Gonsalves was hitting 91/92 on all of his fastballs, and the scoreboard was definitely 2-3 mph slow.