Twins Minor League Report (5/27): Kyler Fedko is Surging, Matt Wallner Homers Again on Rehab

[Steve Lein]

Image courtesy of Wichita Wind Surge (Kyler Fedko)

TRANSACTIONS

• Early week transactions in the system included the Cedar Rapids Kernels activating IF Rayne Doncon from the 7-day injured list, while RHP Juan Mercedes was released.
• The St. Paul Saints also placed IF Will Holland on the 7-day injured list.
• The only move on Tuesday was RHP C.J. Culpepper being sent on a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins from the Wichita Wind Surge roster.

SAINTS SENTINEL
St. Paul 5, Omaha 7
Box Score
The rehabbing Matt Wallner led off this one with a bang, taking the third pitch of the game deep down the line in right.

The Saints would build a 4-0 lead after three innings, as Jeferson Morales added a solo home run in the second inning, and Mickey Gasper and Jose Miranda traded places with doubles in the third, along with a sac fly from Edouard Julien, to score two more.

Starting pitcher Cory Lewis worked around some trouble in the first two innings before getting a one-two-three frame in the third on just seven pitches to keep the Storm Chasers off the scoreboard. But he lost his command in the fourth inning and was removed before it was over. In his 3 2/3 total innings, Lewis ended up charged with three earned runs on five hits and four walks, while striking out three. He threw 75 pitches, with 45 of them going for strikes (60%).

Jacob Bosiokovic got the final out of the fourth, before Randy Dobnak came on to begin the fifth. He got knocked around a bit in his first inning, allowing four runs to put Omaha in front 7-5. Dobnak finished 2 2/3 innings, allowing those four runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out two. Kyle Bischoff got the final four outs for the Saints, allowing one hit and striking out two.

St. Paul was only able to score one more run after the third inning, when Miranda scored Gasper with an RBI single in the fifth. Miranda was thrown out at second on the play to end the inning, but Gasper was able to touch home before he was tagged out.

Wallner finished 1-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk in addition to the home run. Gasper (2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 BB, K) and Miranda (3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI) had multiple hits.

MLB.com’s #10 overall prospect, Jac Caglianone, was recently promoted to the Storm Chasers in the Kansas City Royals farm system, and came into this one with five home runs in his first six Triple-A games. Saints pitchers had his number in Round 1 of this series, however, as he finished 0-for-5 with three strikeouts.

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Tulsa 0, Wichita 11
Box Score
The Wind Surge scored early and didn’t let up, riding the hot bat of an outfielder who leads the Texas League in home runs after this one, including passing that top prospect of the Royals mentioned above. 

Kyler Fedko is his name, and he got this blowout started for the Wind Surge in the bottom of the first. With a runner on first base, he launched his ninth home run of the season the opposite way to make it 2-0 early. He made it 10 on the season in the bottom of the third with a solo shot to put Wichita up by three.

He and the Wind Surge weren’t done there, but the pitching staff of the home team wasn’t about to be forgotten.

Lefty Aaron Rozek got the starting nod, and was fantastic for the first five innings. He scattered just three hits and two walks, while striking out three. Pierson Ohl then matched that effort with three scoreless innings, allowing three hits, walking one, and striking out six.

By that time the home team’s lineup had blown the game open. They scored six runs in the fifth, including an RBI single from Fedko, but the big hit of that inning was Aaron Sabato’s fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot that made it 9-0. Ricardo Olivar also contributed a two-run single in the inning.

They tacked on two more in the sixth to make the final, as Rubel Cespedes delivered an RBI single and Olivar brought in another on a bases loaded double-play ball.

Fedko finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, the two home runs, a walk, and four runs batted in. For comparison sake, to give you an idea of just how good Fedko has been, remember that top prospect from the Royals? He had nine home runs and a .947 OPS in 38 games in the Texas League before being promoted. After this one, Fedko now has 10 bombs in 39 games, and leads the league in OPS with a .966 mark. Absolutely scorching start to the 2025 season for the 25-year old Fedko.

Lefty Jaylen Nowlin closed out the ninth with a scoreless inning to keep the shutout intact. He gave up one hit, walked one, and struck out one.

In addition to Fedko’s outburst, Cespedes (3-for-5, R, RBI) and Olivar (2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, K, 2 SB) contributed multiple hits. Tanner Schobel was 1-for-3 with a pair of walks and scored two runs from the leadoff spot. Kala’i Rosario and Noah Cardenas each drew three walks.

On the visitors side, #OldFriend Noah Miller went 2-for-4 for the Drillers.

KERNELS NUGGETS
Lake County 4, Cedar Rapids 3
Box Score
Cedar Rapids got a quality start from right-hander Tanner Hall, but it wasn’t enough to give the Kernels a victory at home on Tuesday.

Hall completed six innings, with the score being 3-2 Captains upon his exit. He gave up those three runs on nine hits, while walking none and striking out two. He threw 83 pitches in the game, with 56 going for strikes (67%).

The Kernels got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second when Danny De Andrade delivered a two-out triple. Caden Kendle made it count with an RBI single that put them in front 1-0 early. In the bottom of the fourth De Andrade did one better, sending his fifth home run of the season out to center field to tie the game at two.

Down 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Jose Salas got a rally started with a one-out double. A wild pitch and throwing error from the catcher then allowed him to score the game-tying run.

Reliever Wilker Reyes came on for the top of the seventh after Hall was done, and was able to work around three singles for a scoreless inning. Back out for the eighth after the Kernels tied it, a leadoff walk followed by an error ended his outing and left him on the hook for the go-ahead run. Eston Stull was the next reliever summoned and he got a strikeout before a balk put that run 90-feet away. A fielder’s choice out at home kept the game tied for another batter, but a walk and a wild pitch gave Lake County the lead.

Reyes (1+ IP, 3 H, ER, BB, K), Stull (1 1/3 IP, 2 BB, 3 K), and Paulshawn Pasqualotto (2/3 IP, H, K) finished off the final three innings for the home team.

The Kernels got to the top of their lineup up in the bottom of the ninth after a leadoff single from Kendle, but weren’t able to advance him past first base.

Nate Baez (2-for-4, 2B), De Andrade (2-for-4, 2 R, 3B, HR, RBI), and Kendle (3-for-4, 2B, RBI, K) picked up multiple knocks in the loss. Kyle DeBarge was 1-for-5, but stole his Midwest League leading 25th base of the season in his 25th attempt.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Bradenton 3, Fort Myers 6
Box Score
Lefty Michael Carpenter got the starting nod for the Mighty Mussels and pitched into the fourth inning. A pair of singles and a wild pitch led to a Marauders run in the first, then an error and a triple in the second plated two more.

But that would be all Bradenton could manage the rest of the way.

Carpenter pitched a scoreless third and recorded one out in the fourth before giving way to the bullpen. He was charged with all three runs (two earned) on seven hits, no walks, and struck out three.

Fort Myers got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second thanks to the bat of the recently-signed Luke Napleton. His first professional home run made the score 3-2 after two.

Relievers Jakob Hall (W, 3 1/3 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K) and Jacob Kisting (S, 2 1/3 IP, H, 2 K) combined to shut out the Marauders the rest of the way.

The Mighty Mussels big inning came in the sixth once the Bradenton bullpen came into play. The rehabbing Payton Eeles got the hitting started with a one-out single, and he trotted home on a Jose Rodriguez homer, his sixth of the season. Miguel Briceno and Maddux Houghton followed by trading places with doubles, and Yohander Martinez scored their fourth run of the inning with an RBI single.

Houghton (2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI, K) and Napleton (4-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI) collected multiple hits in the win. Eeles batted second, played second base, reached base twice in four trips to the plate, and stole a base. 

COMPLEX CHRONICLES
Monday: FCL Twins 1, FCL Pirates 2 (7 innings)
Box Score
The Twins outhit the Pirates 6-5 in their game on Monday, but the squad wearing yellow and black was the only one that had some go for extra bases, leading to a one-run win.

Hendry Chivilli started the game for the Twins and pitched into the third inning. He allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks in his 2 1/3 innings, striking out one. Liam Rocha pitched the next 1 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. Leonardo Rondon went the final two innings and was hit with the loss after allowing one run on two hits and a walk, while striking out two.

Twins hitters were led by Luis Fragoza, who finished 2-for-3. Bryan Acuna (1-for-3, BB, K), Ricardo Paez (1-for-3, R, K), Victor Leal (1-for-3), and Irvin Nunez (1-for-3, RBI) had the other hits. Nunez’s single in the fifth was the team's third in a row, leading to their lone run.

Tuesday: Game 1 - FCL Orioles 2, FCL Twins 8 (7 innings)
Box Score
In their regularly scheduled contest on Tuesday, right-handed pitcher C.J. Culpepper made his first appearance of the season to begin his rehab assignment with the FCL Twins.

He gave up a single to the first hitter he faced, then hit the second one with a pitch, but that pretty much got the nerves out of the way. He struck out the next four hitters he faced and finished two scoreless innings. Will Ambruester came on to begin the third inning, and went the next three. He allowed two earned runs on three hits, while striking out two to pick up the win. Sebastian Pulido went the final two innings to pick up the save, giving up one hit, walking two, and striking out three.

The Twins scored a run in four of their six at bats, including multiple in three of those. Eduardo Beltre singled and stole second base in the first, before Daiber De Los Santos brought him in with a single for their first run. Three more singles in the third led to two more runs and a 3-1 lead. Multiple errors and three walks added two more in the fourth, before the Twins and capped the game with three runs in the sixth, punctuated by a two-run single from Isaac Pena.

Beltre (2-for-3, 3 R, 2 SB) and De Los Santos (2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB) picked up multiple hits in the win.

Game 2 - FCL Orioles 9, FCL Twins 8 (7 innings, makeup of 5/12)
Box Score
All four of the Twins pitchers in this one got hit around a bit, as the Orioles gave the Twins a bit of their own medicine from game one in the morning.

Yoel Roque got the start and went the first 1 1/3 innings. He was charged with two earned runs on three hits and a walk, but did strike out three. Miguel Cordero went the next 2 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits while striking out two. Anderson Ramos came into the game for the fifth with the Twins leading 5-4, but would get tagged with a blown save and the loss after recording only two outs. He surrendered four runs on three hits and a walk, but both of his outs did come via the K. Ruddy Gomez finished out the final 2 1/3 innings for the Twins, giving up just one run of his own on two hits and a walk. He struck out one.

The Twins did score first in this one thanks to a two-run homer from Ricardo Pena in the first, his first of the season. They added a single run in the second thanks to an error, and took a 5-4 lead in the fourth thanks to three walks in the frame, an error, and a wild pitch. 

Down 9-5 going into their final at bat, the Twins did their best to mount a rally. A pair of two-out singles brought Carlos Silva to the plate, and he clubbed his first home run of the year to make it 9-8. But that was as close as they would get. Irvin Nunez (2-for-2, 3 R, 2 BB) and Silva (1-for-1, R, HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB) reached base in all four of their plate appearances in the game.

TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Pitcher of the Day – Pierson Ohl, Wichita Wind Surge (3 IP, 3 H, BB, 6 K)
Hitter of the Day – Kyler Fedko, Wichita Wind Surge (3-for-4, 3 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, BB, K)

PROSPECT SUMMARY
Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they performed on Tuesday.

#3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul): 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K
#6 – Kaelen Culpepper (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5, K
#9 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-3, BB, K
#11 – Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5, SB (25)
#12 – Cory Lewis (St. Paul): 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
#14 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita): 0-for-4, 2 R, BB
#15 – C.J. Culpepper (Rehab w/FCL Twins): 2 IP, 2 H, 4 K
#16 – Eduardo Beltre (FCL Twins): 2-for-5, 3 R, BB, K, 2 SB (7) (2 games)
#17 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita): 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, SB (5)
#20 – Ricardo Olivar (Wichita): 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, K, 2 SB (4)

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Omaha (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 1.50 ERA)
Tulsa @ Wichita (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Ricky Castro (0-3, 6.04 ERA)
Lake County @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Jose Olivares (0-1, 4.71 ERA)
Bradenton @ Fort Myers (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP Dylan Questad (1-2, 5.08 ERA)

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games!

 

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[DJL44]

Fedko probably deserves a AAA promotion at some point this season. He's getting regular playing time at Double-A and that's probably more important.

[mickster]

Day off tomorrow and Wallner will meet us on the West coast for Friday's series start.   McCusker takes a flight back to St. Paul after the game today

[Elite Benchwarmer]

Fedko was locked in last night.  This photo is just before his RBI single.  His uniform is still clean given homers in his first 2 ABs.

[FlyingFinn]

38 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Fedko probably deserves a AAA promotion at some point this season. He's getting regular playing time at Double-A and that's probably more important.

After a .646 OPS last year at the same level and not even starting all the time last year (I don't remember any injury and he only had 251 AB's), this year is surprising. He really has to continue this for awhile to show this can be sustained. Anyone know how his defense is?

[MMMordabito]

Get Wallner back on the big club already. Nothin' rehabby about that homer.

[Western SD Fan]

Another old friend greeted us in Omaha as Trevor Richards closed out the game for the Storm Chasers.

[Old Twins Cap]

18 minutes ago, MMMordabito said:

Get Wallner back on the big club already. Nothin' rehabby about that homer.

Yeah, just need to see the kids turning to run beyond the RF wall and not stopping.  That's a blast, for everyone.

[jmlease1]

Fedko's an interesting player. At this point he's established a bit of a pattern on his development track: needing a second look at a level to figure it out. He struggled in his first try and low A, high A, and AA, but in his second go-around he's done much much better, showing increases of 100-200 points of OPS between the first year in a level and the second. I'm not sure what that means for his prospects, but the consistency of needing that second time around at a level to figure it out is interesting (maybe it's about his off-season program? Maybe he just needs more time and experience to internalize the adjustments?) He's getting a bit older to be a prospect, but just because you're older doesn't mean you can't contribute. Good for him.

[madtowntwin]

Was Jose Miranda not 3 for 4 with a double and 2 RBIs??

[Steve Lein]

4 minutes ago, madtowntwin said:

Was Jose Miranda not 3 for 4 with a double and 2 RBIs??

That's in there. Definitely a good sign for him. Is there something further you're implying?

[Steve Lein]

1 hour ago, FlyingFinn said:

After a .646 OPS last year at the same level and not even starting all the time last year (I don't remember any injury and he only had 251 AB's), this year is surprising. He really has to continue this for awhile to show this can be sustained. Anyone know how his defense is?

Has been primarily playing CF thus far, but that is because Walker Jenkins isn't around. More of a corner outfielder profile, that can slide to center when needed.

Edited May 28, 2025 by Steve Lein

[mikelink45]

Just like last year we are wasting a lot of Wallner bombs in AAA.  Some players need less of a runway to returning.  Sorry McCusker did not get more of a chance.  Now to get Keaschall back.

I went to the minor league stats and Winokur and Rodriguez do not look like they belong as high as we all expected.  I hope they get it going.  I am also less impressed with Lewis this year.  Am I missing something?

[jmlease1]

1 minute ago, mikelink45 said:

Just like last year we are wasting a lot of Wallner bombs in AAA.  Some players need less of a runway to returning.  Sorry McCusker did not get more of a chance.  Now to get Keaschall back.

I went to the minor league stats and Winokur and Rodriguez do not look like they belong as high as we all expected.  I hope they get it going.  I am also less impressed with Lewis this year.  Am I missing something?

Winokur is experiencing some developmental bumps. He's still very young, and young for the level. Too soon to worry about him. Rodriguez isn't doing poorly; OPS is over .800 and he still controls the strike zone incredibly well, he's just not destroying AAA yet. Still hasn't reached 200 AB in AAA. Lewis has definitely struggled. AAA has kicked his butt so far, but this is also the first time in his pro career that he's struggled. Development isn't linear. He might need to drop back to AA for a reset, or he might just need time to work through it. It's also possible that he's hit the wall, but it's a little too early to judge. Fortunately, there's several guys ahead of him in the pecking order if we need more help in the rotation.

No-win situation on Wallner for management: if he hits bombs in AAA we're "wasting" them, if he doesn't immediately crush it in MLB after a lengthy layoff then they should have made him do rehab. It's been 4 games. He's getting his timing back and will be up very soon.

[madtowntwin]

59 minutes ago, Steve Lein said:

That's in there. Definitely a good sign for him. Is there something further you're implying?

Perhaps a flip flop with an un-named Twins player who has been visibly struggling and was not in the lineup for yesterday's game...More emphasis than critique. I totally get the push for Wallner's return to the Twin's but....Enjoyed the article Steve.

Additionally - ESPN posted a 2025 Mock Draft today and posit the Twins selecting Jace LaViolette CF Texas A&M. Future prospect him for sure, but anyone know anything about him in addition to the synopsis within the article?? The Twins Cities loses one "Flower" and gains another??!!

[D.C Twins]

E Rod: 0-2 with 2BB and 2K perfectly encapsulates his problem.

He has a good eye at the plate, but he cannot consistently hit pitches in the zone when they come.

He's not a top 100 prospect on my list (which to be clear... nobody cares about :)

[Mike Sixel]

45 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

Winokur is experiencing some developmental bumps. He's still very young, and young for the level. Too soon to worry about him. Rodriguez isn't doing poorly; OPS is over .800 and he still controls the strike zone incredibly well, he's just not destroying AAA yet. Still hasn't reached 200 AB in AAA. Lewis has definitely struggled. AAA has kicked his butt so far, but this is also the first time in his pro career that he's struggled. Development isn't linear. He might need to drop back to AA for a reset, or he might just need time to work through it. It's also possible that he's hit the wall, but it's a little too early to judge. Fortunately, there's several guys ahead of him in the pecking order if we need more help in the rotation.

No-win situation on Wallner for management: if he hits bombs in AAA we're "wasting" them, if he doesn't immediately crush it in MLB after a lengthy layoff then they should have made him do rehab. It's been 4 games. He's getting his timing back and will be up very soon.

There's no planet in which McCusker should be up for Wallner at this point. 

[Steve Lein]

11 minutes ago, madtowntwin said:

Perhaps a flip flop with an un-named Twins player who has been visibly struggling and was not in the lineup for yesterday's game...More emphasis than critique. I totally get the push for Wallner's return to the Twin's but....Enjoyed the article Steve.

Additionally - ESPN posted a 2025 Mock Draft today and posit the Twins selecting Jace LaViolette CF Texas A&M. Future prospect him for sure, but anyone know anything about him in addition to the synopsis within the article?? The Twins Cities loses one "Flower" and gains another??!!

Well, can certainly make an argument. The three hit game is nice, but Miranda definitely hasn't been knocking down the door recently. That's why I say it was perhaps a good sign, but I'd need to see much more of that, personally.

I am not too versed on LaViolette, but have seen a few notes about him recently. Like his batting average this season is significantly below the averages of first round hitters in the last 20+ years. I would bet our own @Jamie Cameron would have some better intel, though!

[saviking]

3 hours ago, FlyingFinn said:

After a .646 OPS last year at the same level and not even starting all the time last year (I don't remember any injury and he only had 251 AB's), this year is surprising. He really has to continue this for awhile to show this can be sustained. Anyone know how his defense is?

Our organization needs more power bats. Good to see someone delivering ..

[bean5302]

49 minutes ago, D.C Twins said:

E Rod: 0-2 with 2BB and 2K perfectly encapsulates his problem.

He has a good eye at the plate, but he cannot consistently hit pitches in the zone when they come.

He's not a top 100 prospect on my list (which to be clear... nobody cares about :)

Emma doesn't have a great eye at the plate in my opinion, but it's not terrible, either. Pitchers are throwing him absolute junk because there's no reason to stay in the zone against him. I've long suspected Rodriguez would struggle against better pitching, and while he is walking in AAA, MLB pitchers won't have to throw "junk" to get him out IMHO.

Swinging strike 3 down and away (changeup) and up and away (fastball) to frame his 4 plate appearances where pitchers felt comfortable throwing him a ball in the dirt on 3-0 counts in the middle two plate appearances. I've been watching the box scores against him recently. Could be a really cold spell, but seems consistent.

[rdehring]

Great seeing Wallner with another bomb.  They like to see players on rehab play back-to-back games.  Expect he will play tonight in Omaha, then catch a flight in the morning to Seattle.  If so, expect McCusker will be on a flight from Tampa to Omaha tonight.

Great seeing Miranda with a three hit night.  Am I remembering right that he has been hitting better the last week or so?  With the infielders the Twins have, don't see a future for Jose with the Twins going forward.  So hopefully, he will start mashing the ball so he has some value come late July. 

[Edit. See he will be playing 9 innings today, Thursday.  Looks like he won't be going west for another day or two]

[jmlease1]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

There's no planet in which McCusker should be up for Wallner at this point. 

True, because they're not interested in playing McCusker and Wallner looks ready and healthy. But are you saying they should have activated Wallner without any rehab assignment? And if he did need a rehab assignment, aren't we just arguing about 1-2 games at this point? (seems like he's going to be joining the team after the TB series to me)

[Mike Sixel]

1 minute ago, jmlease1 said:

True, because they're not interested in playing McCusker and Wallner looks ready and healthy. But are you saying they should have activated Wallner without any rehab assignment? And if he did need a rehab assignment, aren't we just arguing about 1-2 games at this point? (seems like he's going to be joining the team after the TB series to me)

They could lose the division by one or two games. Or miss the playoffs. One or two games matters, imo. 

[jmlease1]

7 minutes ago, rdehring said:

Great seeing Wallner with another bomb.  They like to see players on rehab play back-to-back games.  Expect he will play tonight in Omaha, then catch a flight in the morning to Seattle.  If so, expect McCusker will be on a flight from Tampa to Omaha tonight.

Great seeing Miranda with a three hit night.  Am I remembering right that he has been hitting better the last week or so?  With the infielders the Twins have, don't see a future for Jose with the Twins going forward.  So hopefully, he will start mashing the ball so he has some value come late July. 

You are correct: Jose has been hitting like he's held a bat before the last week. .824 OPS, back to looking like a pro hitter. He'd definitely got obstacles in his path, though.

[jmlease1]

1 minute ago, Mike Sixel said:

They could lose the division by one or two games. Or miss the playoffs. One or two games matters, imo. 

Did you know how many rehab games Wallner should have gotten before He went to Saint Paul? Are you sure he didn't need any?

If he needed a rehab assignment to get his timing back, the Twin win the series against TB, and he's back against Seattle, then we're literally talking about 1 game...and I don't think having Wallner in the lineup would have fixed the Twins giving up 7 runs.

[LambchoP]

Glad to see Wallner crushing it. Him and Buxton will be a huge boost to this lineup. Mccusker and Keirsey back to AAA. We just need Keaschal back now. I think Royce Lewis needs a ST Paul trip to get his swing back. I'm a bit worried about our AAA arms. Raya, Lewis and Morris all look like they're taking a major step back. Hopefully they can work it out. What's up with Jenkins? Is he going to miss all year because of his ankle? Do we have another Buxton or Lewis on our hands?

[bean5302]

Fedko is following the pattern of struggle, do well, struggle, do well on back to back years at the same level. Generally, it's synonymous with iffy prospects and Fedko is already 25. It's great to see him hitting so well, but he's never shown this kind of power production. He's literally doubled his best ISO's of his MiLB career so far. It's not unheard of for game power to explode at age 24-26, but he looks like a pretty late bloomer.

There's a lot of moving pieces right now in the Twins' system with Wallner set to be activated any day.
Outfield Options for St. Paul
DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. - 26 man
Emmanuel Rodriguez - 40 man
Jeferson Morales - a26 NR (Intl sign Venezuela 2016)
Daulton Shuffield - a26 NR (10th round 2022)
Austin Martin - 7 day IL Hamstring (probably back soon)

Shuffield can play IF, same with Austin Martin, who might be better at 2B than as a corner OF option, but who the Twins shift around is totally up in the air to me.

[Dman]

19 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Emma doesn't have a great eye at the plate in my opinion, but it's not terrible, either. Pitchers are throwing him absolute junk because there's no reason to stay in the zone against him. I've long suspected Rodriguez would struggle against better pitching, and while he is walking in AAA, MLB pitchers won't have to throw "junk" to get him out IMHO.

Swinging strike 3 down and away (changeup) and up and away (fastball) to frame his 4 plate appearances where pitchers felt comfortable throwing him a ball in the dirt on 3-0 counts in the middle two plate appearances. I've been watching the box scores against him recently. Could be a really cold spell, but seems consistent.

 

I haven't seen every at bat, but there does seem to be some trends for how to pitch to Emma.  One is to throw an almost down the middle strike to get ahead in the count and then maybe a pitch somewhere on an edge for strike two and then try to coax him into swinging out of the zone for strike three.  He rarely swings at first pitch strikes so it seems like an easy way to get ahead in the count for the pitcher.

Second approach is as you showed is to pitch him very carefully and try to get him to chase. I feel like when there are men on base they tend to stay out the zone more with him due to his extra base power.  In those scenarios they seem fine to walk him if he isn't going to swing at borderline or out of the zone pitches.

The strange thing is I have seen him swing and miss at stuff almost right down the middle of the plate more than a few times which makes me wonder about his contact skills.  Still for all my wondering and complaining he has a 1.000 OPS for May. So his approach is working.  At least this month anyway.  His approach confounds me leaving me hot and cold with him more often than not.  Still as stated his approach works for him, but it feels like maybe with some tweaks he could be even better.

[bean5302]

I wonder what the Twins intend with Pierson Ohl? Past due for AAA now, but he gives up too many hits to project well. Seems like he's staying in the zone way, way too much. 71.2% zone rate here in 52 pitches, 37 were in the zone. In MiLB, seems like Ohl's stuff is good enough to generate a lot of foul balls from pitches in the zone, but it actually just leads to him being surprisingly inefficient considering how much he pounds the zone. Those foul balls won't stay foul in MLB, either. He'll get himself destroyed throwing 71% in the zone, though Ohl's locations look pretty good most of the time.

Should be able to find some space in the AAA rotation by bumping Raya and/or Lewis.

[bean5302]

2 minutes ago, Dman said:

I haven't seen every at bat, but there does seem to be some trends for how to pitch to Emma.  One is to throw an almost down the middle strike to get ahead in the count and then maybe a pitch somewhere on an edge for strike two and then try to coax him into swinging out of the zone for strike three.  He rarely swings at first pitch strikes so it seems like an easy way to get ahead in the count for the pitcher.

Second approach is as you showed is to pitch him very carefully and try to get him to chase. I feel like when there are men on base they tend to stay out the zone more with him due to his extra base power.  In those scenarios they seem fine to walk him if he isn't going to swing at borderline or out of the zone pitches.

The strange thing is I have seen him swing and miss at stuff almost right down the middle of the plate more than a few times which makes me wonder about his contact skills.  Still for all my wondering and complaining he has a 1.000 OPS for May. So his approach is working.  At least this month anyway.  His approach confounds me leaving me hot and cold with him more often than not.  Still as stated his approach works for him, but it feels like maybe with some tweaks he could be even better.

He whiffs way too much in the zone for my taste. His pitch identification skills seem a bit lacking. When I look at his plate approach pitch by pitch, it just seems like there are endless ways for an MLB caliber pitcher to exploit him. I need to go back and see how MLB pitchers on rehab assignments have potentially pitched him.