Twins Minor League Week in Review (6/18-23): Winning Ways Continue

[Ted Schwerzler]

While the St. Paul Saints didn’t make it a second straight sweep, they did keep on winning and so too did the rest of the Minnesota Twins farm system.

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints

TRANSACTIONS:

• RHP Jay Jackson outrighted to St. Paul

COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Rays 7, FCL Twins 5
Box Score

Juan Cota made the start for the Twins and worked two innings allowing just a single hit while striking out one. Anthony Narvaez pitched four innings, and while he allowed three runs (two earned) he struck out five while walking none.

Daniel Pena kicked off the contest with his first home run of the year, a first inning solo shot. The Rays tied it in the fourth inning and added two more in the fifth inning. Yasser Mercedes singled home Gabriel Gonzalez (who is still rehabbing as he eyes a return to Cedar Rapids) in the sixth inning to make it a 3-2 game.

A three-spot for the Rays in the seventh inning gave them a 6-2 lead, and they added a seventh run in the ninth inning. The Twins wouldn’t go quietly though, and Mercedes ripped his third home run of the season. Ariel Castro followed with another ninth inning blast, and his two run shot scored Moises Lopez to make it a 7-5 game. Gonzalez stepped in with two outs and the bases loaded, but his groundout ended the game.

Pena, Mercedes, and Hendry Chivilli all had a pair of hits. The Twins struck out 14 times during the contest.

DOMINICAN DAILIES
DSL Cardinals 7, DSL Twins 3
Box Score

Leonardo Rondon made the start and pitched four innings of one-run baseball. He allowed three hits and struck out six. Anderson Chacon took the loss in relief.

Yandro Hernandez opened the scoring in the fourth inning with his first professional home run. The Cardinals tied things in the bottom half, and raced out to a 6-1 lead by the fifth inning. Eduardo Beltre grounded out but drove in Merphy Hernandez during the sixth inning and Alver Medina singled home Luis Rodriguez in the seventh inning to make it 6-3.

The Cardinals added another run in the seventh inning, and the 7-3 score is where this one ended. Seven of the nine Twins batters recorded a hit.

WEEK IN REVIEW
Triple-A: St. Paul Saints

• Overall: 38-36 (5-1 last week) Tied second place in the IL West
• Overview: Ripping off 11 wins in a row, the Saints dropped what could have been two straight streaks with a 20-9 loss on Sunday.
• Brooks Lee continues to rake at Triple-A and batted .455 (10-22) with three doubles and three home runs. His 11 RBI led the team.
• Diego A. Castillo played in all six games and went 8-for-20 with three doubles and two home runs.
• Yunior Severino (.471), Will Holland (.438), and Edouard Julien (.364) all helped to pace the lineup.
• DaShawn Keirsey Jr. returned and hit a home run while going 4-for-10 in two games.
• Caleb Boushley was named the International League Pitcher of the Week for his seven inning scoreless start in which he allowed just three hits and struck out five.
• David Festa struck out six more batters in 5 2/3 innings of work.
• Randy Dobnak worked around five walks but struck out four during a five inning outing in which he gave up just one run.
• What’s Next: Headed out to play the Iowa Cubs, St. Paul takes on the second worst team in the IL West.

Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge

• Overall: 31-38 (4-2 last week) Fifth place in the Texas League North
• Overview: Another series win has the Wind Surge pushing towards .500 on the year as the first half ended this week.
• Dalton Shuffield went 6-for-12 in five games with a double and a home run. He also stole three bases.
• Jeferson Morales led the club with five RBI this week.
• Luke Keaschall had a pedestrian week by his standards but still batted .250 with a double.
• Cody Laweryson struck out six across 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.
• John Stankiewicz worked 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief while striking out four.
• Zebby Matthews was again great with a five inning start in which he allowed just one hit and struck out six.
• Travis Adams and Jaylen Nowlin led the club with seven strikeouts each.
• What’s Next: Welcoming NW Arkansas to Wichita, the Wind Surge will kick off their second half.

High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels

• Overall: 39-28 (3-2 last week) Second place in the Midwest League West
• Overview: Wrapping up the first half in Peoria, the Kernels started their second half with a 2-1 record.
• Nate Baez batted .357 with a 1.257 OPS including two home runs in five games this week.
• Payton Eeles continues to crush after his recent promotion, and went 6-for-17 with a double, triple, and home run.
• Rayne Doncon (.386) and Ricardo Olivar (.308) both batted over .300 for the Kernels this week.
• Christian MacLeod was unhittable, throwing six innings of one-hit baseball while striking out ten.
• Ty Langenberg struck out seven during his five inning start.
• Gabriel Yanez recorded a pair of saves across 2 2/3 innings scoreless while striking out four.
• What’s Next: Hosting Beloit, Cedar Rapids welcomes the team that finished just behind them in the first half standings.

Low-A: Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

• Overall: 34-34 (4-2 last week) Fourth place in Florida State League West
• Overview: Wrapping up their first half with a winning week, the Mighty Mussels handled St. Lucie.
• Michael Clayton owned a 1.224 OPS in four games while launching a pair of dingers.
• Rixon Wingrove led the team with 6 RBI while posting a .990 OPS.
• Walker Jenkins hit his first home run of the season.
• Ricky Castro made his first affiliated start and worked four innings while allowing a single hit and striking out nine.
• Spencer Bengard didn’t give up a run during a two-hit start that saw him go six innings and strike out seven.
• Charlee Soto threw four scoreless innings while striking out five to record the best start of his career.
• Paulshawn Pasqualotto struck out six in three scoreless innings of relief.
• Nolan Santos recorded seven strikeouts across 3 1/3 innings of relief split between two appearances.
• What’s Next: Hosting Tampa, Fort Myers gets the worst team in the Florida State League West this week.

Complex League: FCL Twins

• Overall: 17-17 (2-4 last week) Third place in Florida Complex League South
• Gabriel Gonzalez started a rehab assignment, playing in three games, and going 3-for-12.
• Jayson Bass batted .417 in five games while driving in a team-high three runs.
• Yilber Herrera hit the only home run of the week.
• Kyle Jones made a three inning start in which he was perfect, striking out four.
• Liam Rocha led the team with five strikeouts across two appearances tallying a total of five innings.

Dominican Summer League: DSL Twins

• Overall: 7-8 (2-3 last week) Sixth place in Dominican Summer League South
• Luis Fragoza batted .500 across four games while recording a double and triple.
• Daiber De Los Santos had two home runs to lead the team this week. His five RBI were also a team high.
• Edouard Beltre homered and drove in three runs while batting .273.
• Ricardo Paez hit a home run and had a double while posting a 1.375 OPS in three games this week.
• Melvin Rodriguez struck out seven batters during a five inning start while allowing just one run.
• Anderson Ramos worked two games in relief and put up 4 2/3 scoreless.

PROSPECT SUMMARY
#1– Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – 5-23, 4 R, HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K
#2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – 10-22, 7 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, SB
#4 – David Festa (St. Paul) – 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
#5 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids) – Rehab with FCL - 3-12, RBI, BB
#6 – Marco Raya (Wichita) – 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
#7 – Charlee Soto (Fort Myers) – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
#8 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) – 6-14, 4 R, 3 BB, 3 K, 2 SB
#9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 6-24, 4 R, 2B, 3 BB, 7 K
#11 – Simeon Woods Richardson (Minnesota) – 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
#13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 4-24, 2 R, 2B, BB, 7 K, SB
#14 – Zebby Matthews (Wichita) – 5.0 IP, H, BB, 6 K
#15 – Cory Lewis (Wichita) – 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
#18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 8-17, 2 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K
#20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 4-13, 5 R, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 2 K

Hitter of the Week - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 10-22, 7 R, 3 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, SB

Pitcher of the Week - Christian MacLeod (Cedar Rapids) - 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K

 

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[FlyingFinn]

We used to list a couple guys on each team who had cold weeks. I'll be the Negative Nellie:

Saints - Anthony Prato, Alex Isola and Chris Williams combined to go 1 for 20 (20 at bats between them isn't much time on the field so maybe not a good sign). Varland and Rozek with ERA's over 40.00 from yesterdays game wasn't good.

Wind Surge - Guys can struggle when they hit AA. Cardenas and Cossetti combined to go 1 for 27. Schobel and Ortega were only a little better, hitting around .150. 

Kernels - Jose Salas and Misael Urbina continue their hitting struggles, combining to go 0 for 24. They are not going to be around forever. Rubel Cespedes with a rare rough week, going 2 for 12. 

Mussels - Isaac Pena was 2 for 17. Byron Chourio, who started out the year hot, continues to struggle, going 5 for 23 without an extra base hit (batting .188 over the last 30 days). 

 

[CoastiePilot08]

When do we get Lee at Target Field?

[RpR]

28 minutes ago, CoastiePilot08 said:

When do we get Lee at Target Field?

2025

[Ted Schwerzler]

3 hours ago, FlyingFinn said:

We used to list a couple guys on each team who had cold weeks. I'll be the Negative Nellie:

Saints - Anthony Prato, Alex Isola and Chris Williams combined to go 1 for 20 (20 at bats between them isn't much time on the field so maybe not a good sign). Varland and Rozek with ERA's over 40.00 from yesterdays game wasn't good.

Wind Surge - Guys can struggle when they hit AA. Cardenas and Cossetti combined to go 1 for 27. Schobel and Ortega were only a little better, hitting around .150. 

Kernels - Jose Salas and Misael Urbina continue their hitting struggles, combining to go 0 for 24. They are not going to be around forever. Rubel Cespedes with a rare rough week, going 2 for 12. 

Mussels - Isaac Pena was 2 for 17. Byron Chourio, who started out the year hot, continues to struggle, going 5 for 23 without an extra base hit (batting .188 over the last 30 days). 

 

As I have been the curator for this all year, I have tried to trend against that and show those that are going off. Obviously those not mentioned would fall in a middle ground or the opposite category.

If this is an important designation, I can get back to that. Open to commentary.

[Ted Schwerzler]

2 hours ago, RpR said:

2025

Zero chance Lee doesn't debut for the Twins this year unless he's traded IMO

[mikelink45]

I love it when the minor league teams are winning and as I read this article and look at some of the statistics from the players at various levels, it looks to me like we have a lot of people ready to be promoted. I would rather see some of these AA players get a chance in AAA then fill the roster with people like Jackson, Julie just and DFAD. 

I expect to see Lee coming up and some changes at the top as well. That will open up something for AA. 

What moves are you expecting to happen yet this summer between the various levels?

[Doctor Gast]

9 hours ago, Ted Schwerzler said:

As I have been the curator for this all year, I have tried to trend against that and show those that are going off. Obviously those not mentioned would fall in a middle ground or the opposite category.

If this is an important designation, I can get back to that. Open to commentary.

I think you're good Ted. I appreciate FlyingFinn post but those that follow certain prospects dig a little deeper to get that info the rest may not care. I'm fine either way.

[Dman]

10 hours ago, Ted Schwerzler said:

As I have been the curator for this all year, I have tried to trend against that and show those that are going off. Obviously those not mentioned would fall in a middle ground or the opposite category.

If this is an important designation, I can get back to that. Open to commentary.

I did like the hot and cold from last year.  It is a game of trends so nice see what those trends are both ways IMO.  Still gonna read it one way or another though.

[Five minute major]

10 hours ago, Ted Schwerzler said:

Zero chance Lee doesn't debut for the Twins this year unless he's traded IMO

They are going to give Correa more breaks as the season progresses which is why Lee is playing almost exclusively at SS in St. Paul.  He will be up sooner rather than later.................barring injury of course. 

[wabene]

@Ted Schwerzler highlighting the struggles of prospects is just as important. For example seeing that the formerly high ranking Salas still isn't hitting is meaningful. He was considered the cherry on top in the Arraez/Lopez trade. Give us the straight dope, we can handle it, lol

[Dman]

With all the hitters back and a deeper lineup the Saints lineup has been on fire.  The pitching has been solid as well which gave them that 11 game streak to get back over .500.  Really nice to see so many players playing well, but AAA is a goofy league because of callups teams can be good for awhile and then fall off as talent gets taken away. It also makes player results a mixed bag as well because the competition level changes so much.  At any rate nice to see the team clicking.

The Wichita rotation has some of the best arms in the system on it and while there record shows them as last place team they beat the top team in the league 4 games to 2 last week so this is a different team.  The lineup is still struggling with Ortega, Ross, Cardeness, Cossetti, Schobel all struggling, but the pitching has kept them in games and they have been able to do just enough.  Hopefully the bats come around and they go on a long winning streak to get back above 500 like the saints.

Feels like things are trending up for all the main affiliates.  Hopefully they can keep it going.

[terrydactyls]

11 hours ago, Ted Schwerzler said:

As I have been the curator for this all year, I have tried to trend against that and show those that are going off. Obviously those not mentioned would fall in a middle ground or the opposite category.

If this is an important designation, I can get back to that. Open to commentary.

Listing Jenkins among those "going off" because he hit one HR is misleading.  He hit .217 for the week.  Last year, that would have gotten him mentioned in the "not performing" write up.

[LambchoP]

Sure seems like Lee should replace Farmer in the bigs. He can be our second baseman and also spell Correa a few days to keep him healthy. This would also allow Castro to just focus on playing the outfield everyday. I think Zebby needs to get bumped up to AAA. Call up Festa and move Paddack to the bullpen. Varland sure looks cooked as a starter too, think it's time to move him to the bullpen. Severino looks real good lately. Tons of power, switch hitter. Don't look like he's going to have a position to play in the twins infield. Might be a good guy to build a trade package around while his value is high...

[roger]

For me, it isn't just about individual player development as I like to see all the teams doing well.  Hopefully, a few will make the playoffs and one will win it all every few years like the Kernels last fall.

Was a disappointing start to 2024 as it wasn't that long ago that all the teams, except Cedar Rapids, were well under .500.  After a couple great weeks the Saints have gotten over .500 and the Mussels as of Sunday are right at .500.  Great seeing three of four full season teams in the winners column.

Thanks for these reports, Ted.  It is appreciated.

[NYCTK]

3 hours ago, LambchoP said:

Severino looks real good lately. Tons of power, switch hitter. Don't look like he's going to have a position to play in the twins infield. Might be a good guy to build a trade package around while his value is high...

I don't know how high of value a bat only prospect with a sub 850 OPS can be...