Rubel Cespedes and Zebby Matthews Lead Kernels to Season's First Win

[Seth Stohs]

The Kernels showed off their bats and their pitching on Wednesday night to record their first win of the young season. There were several interesting aspects to the game that it warranted its own article. Seth is in Iowa covering the Kernels for a couple of days and filed the following. So, be sure to read this in conjunction with the regular minor-league report today. 

Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily

 

If you’re looking for the rest of today’s minor league report, click here. However, the Kernels first win of the season provided lots of postgame conversation, and I thought enough to add this Kernels report separately.  Click here for the remainder of today's minor league report. 

First, just a reminder that Cedar Rapids is around four to five hours from the Twin Cities, depending upon your starting point. It’s a pretty quick drive. If you haven’t previously attended a Kernels game, consider it. It’s a fun atmosphere. It is some quality baseball. You can see several future Twins. Of note, since the Kernels became an affiliate of the Twins in 2013, 75 former Kernels have reached the big leagues. You truly are seeing (at least part of) the Twins future. 

I also recommend Haciendo, Nachos and Spanish Rice!! And, if you’re there on a nice night, head down the left field line and get a frozen hot chocolate from Toms (Frozen Treats, maybe. I don’t remember the full name, but you’ll find it!). 

The Kernels came into Wednesday night’s game against Dayton having started the season with two losses in Beloit, a loss for their home opener, and really wanted to get the first win. A really solid combination of hitting and pitching (and an all-important mound visit) helped the team to their first win of the year. 

KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 11, Dayton 2  
Box Score
The Kernels got a clutch start from Zebby Matthews, and Rubel Cespedes led an impressive offensive display on their way to an impressive win over the loaded Dayton lineup. 

We have to start with Rubel Cespedes. In the first inning, he drove in Ricardo Olivar with a single. He did the exact same thing in the third inning. In the bottom of the seventh inning, he crushed a long, three-run homer that scored Olivar and Danny De Andrade. In the bottom of the eighth, he came up one more time and drove in Luke Keaschall and Olivar on a single to right field. On the day, he went 4-for-5 with his second homer and seven RBI. His season line currently shows a .636 batting average with a 1.940 OPS.  

 

After the game, he said (via translator and co-pitching coach AJ Angulo), “We have a plan. We work in the cage, and we’ve executed the plan in the game. That’s why I’m getting good results.” 

Regarding the three-run blast, Cespedes noted, “I’m just looking for the ball and reacting to it. I’m executing the plan. I’m sticking to the plan and executing my plan.”  

He came to the plate with runners in scoring position in four at-bats and came through each time. “Same mentality. It fires me up, having runners on, so I can help the team win. At the end of the day, if we keep bringing runs in, we will have success and we’re going to win ball games.”  

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His manager Brian Dinkelman, who once had a four-hit game in the big leagues, said, “Four-hit games are hard to come by and to have a three-run homer on top of it also. Really good game from Cespy tonight. He’s been swinging the bat really well the first four games already.” 

Dinkelman moved Cespedes from the seven spot on Tuesday night to the five-spot in the lineup on Wednesday night. “You kind of play around with the lineup a little bit and see what blends well. He's been swinging the bat as well as anybody so try to get him more toward the top of the lineup, get his at-bats, hopefully with runners on base, and it paid off tonight.” 

On his first post-teen day, the now-20-year-old Danny De Andrade went 3-for-4. Following Tuesday’s game, the manager said that most days he will find himself somewhere in the middle of the Kernels’ lineup. I asked him if he plans on playing him at shortstop everyday too. The response? “He’s going to play the majority of his games at shortstop, but I think we’re going to try to get him some action at second and third also. You never know. You get to the big leagues and they already have someone there that’s the everyday shortstop. We want you to go play second base. I think it’s good in the minor leagues to get some exposure to different positions, just so you have some awareness and understanding of each position. If you do make the big leagues, you’re not caught off guard having not played there before and not know what to do. This is the time for them to learn other positions too in case that opportunities comes.” 

Olivar went 2-for-3 with two walks and a double. He scored four runs. And, he did a nice job in left field on Wednesday after playing behind the plate on Tuesday.  

Luke Keaschall was robbed of a hit in his first at-bat on a bad call at first base. However, he ended the night 2-for-4 with a walk. Dinkelman says he “has a good approach at the plate. Good understanding of the strike zone. Has some thump in his bat when he gets into a ball. He can run. Defensively, he’ll continue to work at second base, throwing and stuff like that.” 

Keoni Cavaco had a single and a double in four at-bats. I told him before the game that I felt a three-hit game for him. When we reconvened after the game, we both agreed that two hits was just fine on this night. 

Zebby Matthews was Terrific on the Mound
It may not be evident from the final score, but this was a really tightly contested ballgame until the Kernels scored five runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth frame. 

Zebby Matthews took the mound for his first start of the season and looked really good. Let’s start with the stat line. Over five innings, he gave up just one run on four hits. He walked none and struck out eight batters. If that’s all I wrote, the report would be very positive. 

His catcher, Nate Baez, said, “Zebby is really good at just pounding the zone and attacking hitters. We just stuck with our plan and trusted what he had and his stuff. It was just working today.” 

Next, let's look at the scouting report. Matthews is known for filling the strike zone, not walking anyone. When drafted, he was touching 90, maybe 91 on occasion. On this night, he was sitting 93-96, and he hit 97 mph a couple of times. And, he has done that without losing control or command of the strike zone. His secondary stuff looked really good as well and he got a lot of swings and misses. This year, he also is throwing a cutter with higher vertical break in the 90-92 range. He is going with a more-traditional slider (as opposed to the sweeper). He's got a changeup that is thrown in the low-80s to keep hitters off balance. And, he's got a nice curveball that he continues to work on to try to throw it a little harder. 

Matthews said that adding velocity has been a goal, something he has worked hard to do. “It’s a part of the process. I think every pitcher wants to throw harder. I give props to the coaches and all of the player development staff. They do a really good job of keeping us, giving us goals to reach. They do a really good job of helping us get there.” 

Dinkelman noted, “Last year, we put him in the ‘pen at the end of the season. He was 94, 96, whatever. Throws strikes, and he got some swing-and-miss tonight with eight strikeouts. It was a good outing for him.” 

One Fantastic Mound Visit 
One more piece to the Zebby Matthews “puzzle” on this evening isn’t necessarily something that’s measurable, but you sure do notice when you see it. In the fourth inning, the Kernels held a 2-0 lead with one out. Suddenly, Dayton knocked three straight singles. Was their vaunted lineup about to put up a crooked number? 

 

Co-pitching coach Jonas Lovin and catcher Nate Baez walked out to the mound. It was a fairly extended trip to the mound, but when Lovin got back to the dugout, and Baez returned to the plate, Matthews had found a new level. He proceeded to strike out the next two batters, leaving two runners stranded. His competitive nature showed up and he played the role of bulldog.

Baez said, “We just slowed him down a bit, let him catch his breath, and then just had him stick with his plan.”  

Matthews said, “It just gave me a breather. I had given up three singles in a row. With that many consecutive at-bats, they gave me a breather, helped me re-focus. Reminded me to stick to the game plan.” 

Lovin added a little more detail to the conversation. “I told him I love that he works fast, but in this situation, take a second to catch your breath because he looked rushed. And, then I gave him the scouting report on the next two hitters, and he did the rest.”

Dinkelman summarized, “That was a big swing in the game to keep us ahead after they got three straight runners on. Good job by Zebby to get us through five innings.” 

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Matthews came back out for the fifth and had a perfect inning. He had two strikeouts, and his night ended with a web gem from left fielder Ricardo Olivar. 

Matthews noted, “The only thing I want to do is go deep into starts and give my team a chance to win. I just go out there and do my job” 

You can see all eight strikeouts and Olivar’s catch here:  

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AJ Labas came in. He was charged with an unearned run over 1 2/3 innings. He had three strikeouts. Then Ricardo Velez entered the game. He gave up a couple of hits, but no runs. He struck out three batters. Miguelangel Boadas struck out two batters in a scoreless ninth. ‘

The Kernels pitching staff finished the night with 16 strikeouts and they didn’t walk a single batter.  While this type of result is always the goal, it isn't normal. Lovin added, "Control and command is a massive part of our minor-league development. Punch guys out, limit damage, and don't give free passes. Throw nasty stuff in the zone." 

Of course, that's easier said than done. 

Dinkelman was clearly happy after the game to have that first Win. “Like hitters, you always want to get that first hit and settle in and get going. We’ve had that with a lot of guys. I think, hopefully now, everybody settles in and feels better about themselves and continue that going forward.” 

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Please feel free to ask questions about the Kernels and their roster. I've seen two games now, so the sample size is quite small. However, first impressions are sometimes interesting. I will be at Thursday night's Kernels' game before leaving Cedar Rapids. 

 

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[FlyingFinn]

41 minutes ago, Seth Stohs said:

He came to the plate with runners in scoring position in four at-bats and came through each time. “Same mentality. It fires me up, having runners on, so I can help the team win. At the end of the day, if we keep bringing runs in, we will have success and we’re going to win ball games.”

Can we have this posted in the Twins locker room!

 

41 minutes ago, Seth Stohs said:

The Kernels pitching staff finished the night with 16 strikeouts and they didn’t walk a single batter. 

May as well post this in the locker room while we are at it.

 

Matthews hitting 97 mph. Kernels fans had better go see him pitch soon. He's going to be in Wichita before you know it.

[Dman]

With the bats struggling at CR to start the season things were starting to look ugly.  They had two games worth of hits last night so that was good to see.  

I have been watching Cespedes for a while now and was starting to think the bat just wasn't there.  It looks like he has been working hard as his batting average of .636 is higher than a good chunk of the teams OPS right now.  I know it is super small sample size and just the beginning of the season, but man that is one hot start.  Also nice to see that HR as his slugging has been a weak spot for him as well.  I hope he has found what he needs to be a great hitter. His team and the system could use it.

Nice to see Matthews looking even better than last year with the velocity up and raining K's.  Also nice to see the pen close the door on this game.  

If the bats can heat up this should be another really good Kernel's team this year.

[2wins87]

Got to watch a couple innings of Matthews start and he did look great.

I don't know that the velocity in the Cedar Rapids broadcast can be directly compared to statcast data, but his fastest recorded pitch in low-A last year was 96.3 and he hit 97 several times deep in the start yesterday.  I don't think I saw a FB register below 95, while again his average was a little over 93 in low-A last year.  I think we can be pretty sure he's added some more velocity this year. 

The pitches I think I identified as a changeup looked to be 81-85, which is a big velocity difference with the added fastball velocity.

It looked like he was still throwing 3 distinct breaking balls which also appeared to have increased velocity from his time in Fort Myers.  The cutter looked to be hitting the low 90s up to at least 91, the slider was mid to upper 80s and the curveball low 80s.

Obviously he is still pumping strikes, but when he allowed some contact and got into trouble in the 4th, he did a great job of limiting the damage with some big strikeout pitches.

I don't think he'll be in Cedar Rapids for long this year.

[nova_twins]

What's up with CJ Culpepper? Interesting he hasn't pitched yet.

[Seth Stohs]

3 hours ago, 2wins87 said:

Got to watch a couple innings of Matthews start and he did look great.

I don't know that the velocity in the Cedar Rapids broadcast can be directly compared to statcast data, but his fastest recorded pitch in low-A last year was 96.3 and he hit 97 several times deep in the start yesterday.  I don't think I saw a FB register below 95, while again his average was a little over 93 in low-A last year.  I think we can be pretty sure he's added some more velocity this year. 

The pitches I think I identified as a changeup looked to be 81-85, which is a big velocity difference with the added fastball velocity.

It looked like he was still throwing 3 distinct breaking balls which also appeared to have increased velocity from his time in Fort Myers.  The cutter looked to be hitting the low 90s up to at least 91, the slider was mid to upper 80s and the curveball low 80s.

Obviously he is still pumping strikes, but when he allowed some contact and got into trouble in the 4th, he did a great job of limiting the damage with some big strikeout pitches.

I don't think he'll be in Cedar Rapids for long this year.

I was just going by the scoreboard. I actually didn't see anything lower than 95 on there, but first start, early season, I figure it may drop a little bit over the season, over a few starts. But, impressive nonetheless.

Also, Calvin (radio/streaming voice of Kernels) has access to statcast data instantly, so what he's saying is based on that, not the scoreboard. 

[Seth Stohs]

1 hour ago, nova_twins said:

What's up with CJ Culpepper? Interesting he hasn't pitched yet.

He is set to start on Sunday (vs Rhett Lowder) for the Kernels. Talked to him a bit yesterday. He needed a few days in his buildup, so his season starts a week later. Nothing to worry about. Same thing, I understand, with Cory Lewis in Wichita. Fell a little behind (weather it was soreness, missed a few days, whatever the reason) this spring and they aren't rushing him. 

[FlyingFinn]

3 hours ago, Dman said:

I have been watching Cespedes for a while now

Anyone know if his fielding is good or not? Errors don't tell everything in the minors but I see he's made plenty of them at 3B. Less errors at 1B and 2B.

[DocBauer]

What a great write up! Love the details and the personal touches in articles like these.

I really liked Lewis and Matthews when they were picked a couple of years ago. They were two of my favorite selections in that draft. So far, Lewis seems to have done a tad better, has gotten more attention, and has been ranked on the various prospect lists a little higher. But if Matthews can command 5 different pitches...solid to very good...with that reported increase in velocity, he just might surpass Lewis before the season is done.

Until the season began and rosters were announced, I had actually forgotten how many 2023  drafted arms had yet to debut, or, had seen an inning or two only last year. Definitely have an eye trained on Tanner Hall in particular, but he's not the only "rookie" to keep track of. 

[Seth Stohs]

11 minutes ago, FlyingFinn said:

Anyone know if his fielding is good or not? Errors don't tell everything in the minors but I see he's made plenty of them at 3B. Less errors at 1B and 2B.

I asked Dinkelman after the game yesterday. He's played 1B and 3B in the two games I've been at. Not sure he's really had to make plays in either game. Dinkelman saw him in spring training and feels comfortable with him in either spot. 

My observation from pregame is that he's definitely athletic enough to play 3B, and he has a very strong arm. Dinkelman must have hit him 30-40 extra ground balls during BP and he looked fine. He looks fine at first too, but it's hard to see how that translates. 

[DocBauer]

Also: I'm kind of excited to see catcher Nate Baez at CR to begin the year. I wasn't sure if he would be there or Ft Myers, just depending on who got promoted to where. He's almost 23yo, but he was only drafted in 2022. Despite having a pretty solid 2023, he was limited to only 32 games on the season. So I'm excited to see him at A+ and to see what kind of season he has.

He came to catching late after bouncing around the OF and INF at Arizona State. He's a really good athlete for a catcher, and he's got  some bat potential. Winkel, Cardenas, Cossetti, and Baez are the top 4 catching prospects in the system not on the 40 man like Camargo is. They've all got combinations of similar and varying skill sets, and all pretty close in age, and all 4 drafted in back to back drafts, IIRC. And for the most part, at least 3 of them seem to be flying under the radar. 

Here's hoping for a really good season from all of them. 

[Seth Stohs]

8 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

What a great write up! Love the details and the personal touches in articles like these.

I really liked Lewis and Matthews when they were picked a couple of years ago. They were two of my favorite selections in that draft. So far, Lewis seems to have done a tad better, has gotten more attention, and has been ranked on the various prospect lists a little higher. But if Matthews can command 5 different pitches...solid to very good...with that reported increase in velocity, he just might surpass Lewis before the season is done.

Until the season began and rosters were announced, I had actually forgotten how many 2023  drafted arms had yet to debut, or, had seen an inning or two only last year. Definitely have an eye trained on Tanner Hall in particular, but he's not the only "rookie" to keep track of. 

They've just done a really nice job of drafting pitchers in the 5th -20th rounds in the drafts, at least going back to Ober in 2017, Funderburk in 2018, Varland in 2019, Festa and Ohl in 2021. Lewis, Culpepper, Morris, Jones,  and others in 2022. And I hear really good things about 2023 guys like Paulshawn Pasqualotto, Ty Langenburg, and a few others. 

They've done a nice job of taking something in each and building upon it. Whether they are starters or become relievers, if they get to the big leagues, it's a huge success for Player Development. In reality, if they get to Triple-A, it's a success.