Twins Minor League Report (6/12): Chase Chaney Tosses Complete Game Shutout for Kernels

[Seth Stohs]

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Kala'i Rosario)

Because of rain outs, there were nine games scheduled in the Twins minor leagues on Thursday. More rain caused Fort Myers to play about one inning, so those two games will results in doubleheaders later this week. 

For the leagues that play a first-half and a second-half, there a couple of Twins affiliates that are likely doing a little bit of scoreboard watching. Check out which affiliates are competing for a playoff spot right now. 

The Twins signed another player from an independent league, and the team that he was signed from currently has three former Minnesota Twins on their roster. It's a fun jaunt down memory lane. 

Today's report has a bit of variety. One team was swept, and one of the losses was a shutout. A Twins minor league pitcher tossed a seven-inning shutout. One team got some great pitching and an ugly big inning for a win. A young prospect hit a homer that, because of rain, essentially became the game-winner. And, the Rockies juggernaut beat the Twins in a close game on Thursday afternoon in the Dominican. 

Enjoy today's minor-league report. But when you're done, be sure to spend five to 10 minutes ranking your Top 20 Minnesota Twins prospects. It's fun to see the results when we get a bunch of participation. Click here to rank your Top 20! 

CURRENT W-L Records
Minnesota Twins: 36-32 (2nd in AL Central, 8.0 games behind Detroit.)
St. Paul Saints: 31-33  (6th place in the International League West Division, 6.5 games behind Nashville.)
Wichita Wind Surge: 31-29 (Tied 2nd in Texas League North, 3.5 games behind Springfield.)
Cedar Rapids Kernels: 35-25 (Tied 1st place in the Midwest League’s West Division with Quad Cities.)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 27-31 (Tied with Bradenton for 5th place in the Florida State League’s West Division, 5.5 games behind Lakeland.)
FCL Twins: 17-11 (1st in FCL South, 0.5 games ahead of the FCL Rays.
DSL Twins: 1-7  

TRANSACTIONS
The Twins traded Jorge Alcala to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for infielder Andy Lugo. Lugo was assigned to the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

The Twins continued to work the independent leagues to give players an opportunity or another opportunity. On Thursday, they signed RHP Tanner Andrews to a minor-league deal and assigned him to the Wind Surge. The 29-year-old had pitched in 15 games for the Staten Island FerryHawks where he teams with Pablo Sandoval and a couple of former Twins in Adalberto Mejia, Mark Contreras and Drew Maggi. Recently the Twins signed LHP Brennen Oxford from the team and sent him to the Mighty Mussels.  

In his 15 games, he is 2-0 with three saves. In 13 2/3 innings, he has given up just five hits, walked two, and he has 25 strikeouts. 

A little more on Andrews, he pitched for Purdue from 2015-2018. That summer, he was the 10th round pick of the Miami Marlins. He spent four seasons with the Marlins. In 2022, he joined the Giants organization and has pitched at Triple-A Sacramento the past two seasons. As you would expect, the numbers in the PCL were not great, but he did stay healthy.  

SAINTS SENTINEL
Game 1: St. Paul 2, Indianapolis 6
Box Score
Morris Roughed Up by Pirates (Prospects) 
Andrew Morris may soon surface with the Twins if they need another starter in the near future. Maybe that’s why he was pushed to 97 pitches in this game. He gave up three runs in the first inning (on a Jack Suwinski homer), but then threw three zeroes on the board. He was charged with one run in the fifth as well. He left the game with two outs in the sixth inning and two runners on base. Jacob Bosiokovic came in and before getting a strikeout to end the inning, walked three batters and allowed both inherited runners to score. 

So the final line for Morris includes six runs on five hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. He did have seven strikeouts

The Saints were kept scoreless until the fifth inning. Anthony Prato led off with a walk. After an out, Prato scored on a double by Tanner Schobel.     

Then in the top of the sixth, Edouard Julien led off with a single. He went to second on a one-out single by DaShawn Keirsey. Prato lined a single to center, but Julien was thrown out at home. However, Keirsey scored when Jeferson Morales reached on a fielding error. 

The Saints had six hits and two walks. Prato reached all three times, twice via a walk and once on a single. Schobel and Julien were both 2-for-3 with their fourth Saints double. Payton Eeles was hit by a pitch twice in this game. 

Game 2: St. Paul 0, Indianapolis 5
Box Score
Saints Blanked by Indianapolis Fellows 
The Saints did little on offense in Game 1, but Drake Fellows and two relievers shut out the Saints offense. They managed just three hits and three walks. They struck out 10 times. 

So, let’s start with the pitching. Randy Dobnak got the start. He was charged with four runs (3 earned) on four hits (including a home run) and two walks. He struck out four batters. Jarret Whorff followed and gave up only an unearned run over three innings. He gave up two hits. Ryan Jensen pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Both relievers had two strikeouts and no walks. 

Payton Eeles had a single. Tanner Schobel hit a single. DaShawn Keirsey hit his fourth double since joining the Saints recently. Jose Miranda walked twice, and Diego Cartaya walked once. That is the complete Saints offensive report, well, I did already mention the 10 strikeouts too, right? They were also 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. 

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 5, Corpus Christi 1
Box Score
Four-Run Fourth Frame Fuels Surge to a Win in Texas 
The credit in this game has to go to the Wind Surge pitching. Five pitchers combined to give up just one run on four hits over nine innings. A big inning pushed the team to a win. 

Minnesotan John Klein made the start in this game. In four innings, he gave up one run on three hits. He walked one and had four strikeouts. Lefty Jaylen Nowlin came in and tossed two scoreless innings. He issued one walk and had four strikeouts. Michael Martinez tossed two scoreless innings, and John Stankiewicz and Cole Percival combined to toss a scoreless ninth inning and preserve the win. 

The Surge scored four runs in the fourth inning, but it wasn’t pretty. Kala’i Rosario walked and stole second. Rubel Cespedes singled him to third. Ricardo Olivar walked to load the bases. Andrew Cossetti drove in the team’s first run, but taking one for the team. Tyler Dearden followed with a single to left that drove in two more runs. Following a Ben Ross single, the fourth run scored on a double play ball.   

The fifth inning insurance run wasn’t any prettier. With two outs, Cespedes walked. Olivar had an infield single, and Cespedes scored on a throwing error. Not exciting, but they all count the same. 

Dearden led the offense. He had two of the team’s five base hits and drove in two runs. Wichita also had six walks. Rosario walked twice. Cespedes singled and walked twice. 

By the way, Rosario stole his 12th base of the season. That matches the total number of stolen bases he had over the past three years. He had seven in 2022 in Fort Myers. He had just two steals when he was the Midwest League MVP in 2023 with the Kernels. Last year, he had three steals with the Wind Surge. Rosario also increased his on-base streak to 16 games on Thursday.     

KERNELS NUGGETS
Game 1: Cedar Rapids 3, Peoria 0 
Box Score
Chaney Throws Complete Game Shutout
Right-hander Chase Chaney delivered a dominant complete-game effort, tossing seven scoreless innings in Cedar Rapids’ 3–0 victory over Peoria. Chaney allowed just three hits, walked two, and struck out five to improve to 4–1 with a 3.19 ERA on the season.

Designated hitter for Game 1 was Brandon Winokur, and he provided the biggest swing of the game, launching his seventh home run in the fourth inning. Winokur has 37 RBIs and a .706 OPS. Jaime Ferrer drove in runs with an RBI single and a sacrifice fly, raising his RBI total to 12.

Left fielder Jay Thomason sparked the offense with two hits (a single and a double) and two stolen bases, and he scored twice. Thomason now has three stolen bases since joining the Kernels on June 4th. Kaelen Culpepper also recorded a multi-hit game, 2-for- 3, pushing his average to .305 with an .892 OPS.

Defensively, the Kernels turned a double play and committed no errors. They were efficient offensively, converting one of three opportunities with runners in scoring position and stranding just four. Chaney faced only three batters over the minimum in the seven inning complete game shutout. .

Cedar Rapids continues to lead with strong pitching performances and steady contributions from the middle of the order.

Game 2: Cedar Rapids 3, Peoria 4
Box Score
Late Push Not Enough in Kernels’ Loss
Cedar Rapids dropped a tight 4–3 contest to Peoria despite a late-inning rally and strong relief work. Starter Jeremy Lee was charged with four runs (two earned) in 2 2/3 innings, giving up a two-run homer to Miguel Villarroel and an RBI single later in the third. He walked three and struck out one batter.

Jaime Ferrer doubled and walked, while Kyle Hess delivered a triple and an RBI single in a 2-for-2 effort before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth inning. Misael Urbina added his third home run of the season, a solo shot in the fifth frame. Urbina reached base twice and raised his OPS to .789.

Cedar Rapids’ bullpen was solid. Samuel Perez and Wilker Reyes combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and one hit allowed. At the plate, the Kernels went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base.

Danny De Andrade and Justin Connell also scored runs for the Kernels, who pulled within one after a wild pitch in the top of the sixth. However, the offense couldn’t capitalize in the final innings. The loss moves Lee to 4–3 with a 6.82 ERA.

MUSSEL MATTERS
Game 1: Fort Myers 0, Dunedin 1 (Game Suspended bottom 1)  
Box Score
I’m sure they meant well, thinking maybe they could get one of the two games of their doubleheader in before the rains came. But not. Four Mussels came to the plate. Three got out, but Walker Jenkins got hit by a pitch. The game will continue where it left off, with Blue Jays runners on second and third and two outs in the bottom of the first inning.  

Game 2 will (hopefully) be made up as part of a doubleheader on Sunday, June 15th. 

And if you happen to be traveling to Fort Myers in a week or so, you might be able to get a Walker Jenkins bobblehead.     

COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Twins 4, FCL Pirates 3 (6 innings)
Box Score
Beltre Blast Gives Twins Win and First Place in the Division
The FCL Twins continued on their winning ways. After falling behind early, the Twins scored later, and then the game ended a little early due to the weather. 

Melvin Rodriguez made the start. He gave up three first-inning runs, but responded by posting four zeroes on the scoreboard. In his five innings, he gave up the three runs on six hits and no walks. He also had five strikeouts. Newcomer Sam Rochard worked the sixth inning. He gave up one hit and struck out three in his first appearance. The 24-year-old is getting some work before he likely heads to a full-season affiliate. 

The Twins hitters went scoreless through the first four innings. The fifth inning started out with two strikeouts. Daiber De Los Santos ripped a double and scored on a single by Irvin Nunez. 

Still down 3-1, the Twins started the bottom of the sixth inning with a single by Isaac Pena. A bunt advanced him to second, and then he stole third base. Yandro Hernandez walked. Pena scored on a fielder’s choice by the rehabbing Yasser Mercedes who hustled to avoid an inning-ending double play. He proceeded to steal second base. And then Eduardo Beltre followed with his second home run of the season to give the Twins a 4-3 lead. That is when the rains came and after a delay, the Twins had another win. 

Mercedes went 2-for 4. De Los Santos went 2-for-4 with his fourth double of the season. Nunez went 2-for-2 with a walk and his third double. Ramiro Dominguez walked and added his seventh double. 

DOMINICAN DAILIES
DSL Twins 5, DSL Rockies 7
Box Score
Twins Use Efficient Offense, but Fall Short to the Soaring Rockies 
Sure, the MLB version of the Colorado Rockies is off to an historically bad start, but their DSL affiliate is now 6-1 after taking the late lead from the 1-7 DSL Twins. 

The Twins offense was pretty efficient. They scored their five runs on just three hits and four walks. 

Down 4-0 through four innings, Darwin Almanzar’s first pro homer put the team on the scoreboard. 

The Twins were especially efficient in the top of the seventh. With the bases loaded, Jhomnardo Reyes hit a single to right field to drive in three runs. Reyes got caught in a rundown that involved enough throws to allow all three runs to score and tie the game at 4-4. That was the team’s lone at-bat with runners in scoring position. Reyes is 17 years old and with this 1-for-4 game, he is still hitting .435 with an OPS over 1.215. 

In the top of the eighth, the Twins took the lead when Jamesson Val scored on a sacrifice fly by Gerardo Cardona. It was short-lived though as the Rockies scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to take the 7-5 that carried through the ninth inning. 

Jensi Infante started and toss two scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit and had two strikeouts. Eli Urena came on for the third inning. He recorded one out but walked four batters. Three of them eventually scored, two while Aaron Carranza finished out that inning. Carranza was charged with one run of his own over his 2 2/3 innings. He had three strikeouts. Finally Marlon Mirabal worked the final three innings. He gave up three runs (2 earned) on four hits and a walk. He did record four strikeouts. 

Haritzon Castillo was the lone Twins batter to have both a single and a walk in the game. He is also hitting .435 with an OPS of 1.263. 

PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Hitter of the Day  
Tanner Schobel (St. Paul):  3-for-6, 2B(4), RBI, 2 K

Pitcher of the Day 
Chase Chaney (Cedar Rapids): 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 90 pitches, 58 strikes (64.4%)

PROSPECT SUMMARY
Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Thursday.  Reminder: You can vote and rank your top 20 Twins prospects and help us update the Twins Daily Top 20 prospects. Click here.

#1– Walker Jenkins (Wichita) - rehab in FM, 0-for-0, HBP (DHd)
#6 - Kaelen Culpepper (Cedar Rapids) - Game 1 (2-for-3, played SS), Game 2 (0-for-4, K, DHd)
#8 - Andrew Morris (St. Paul) - Game 1: 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 7 K, 97 pitches, 62 strikes (63.9%)
#9 - Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - Game 1 (1-for-3, HR(7), R, RBI, K, DHd), Game 2 (0-for-3, K, played SS).
#11 - Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - Game 1 (0-for-3, played 2B), Game 2 (0-for-3, BB, 2 K, played 2B)
#14 - Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita) - 0-for-4, K (DHd)
#16 - Eduardo Beltre (FCL Twins) - 1-for-4, HR(2), R, 2 RBI, K.
#17 - Tanner Schobel (St. Paul) - Game 1: 2-for-3, 2B(4), RBI, K, (played 3B) Game 2: 1-for-3, K (played SS)
#18 - Yasser Mercedes (Fort Myers) - rehab in FCL (2-for-4, R, RBI, K, SB, CS)
#19 - Carson McCusker (St. Paul) - Game 1: 0-for-3, K  (DHd), Game 2: 0-for-3, 2 K (played RF)
#20 - Ricardo Olivar (Wichita) - 1-for-3, BB, R (catcher) 

FRIDAY PITCHING PROBABLES
Minnesota @ Houston (6:10 PM CT) - RHP Chris Paddack (2-5, 3.53 ERA)
St. Paul @ Indianapolis (6:05 PM CT) - RHP Trent Baker (first Saints start) 
Corpus Christi @ Wichita (7:05 PM CT) - RHP Ricky Castro (0-3, 6.31 ERA) 
Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CT) - RHP Alejandro Hidalgo (0-1, 5.71 ERA)
Fort Myers @ Dunedin (DH @ 3:00 PM CT) - TBD for suspended game, Game 2: RHP Adrian Bohorquez (1-3, 9.68 ERA)
FCL Red Sox @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM CT) - TBD
DSL Phillies @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM CT) - TBD 

Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss Thursday’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related!

 

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[Dantheman]

I don’t think Andrew Morris is close to even being usable in the bigs even if the Twins needed a starter with all the injuries the numbers just ain’t there. They’d probably go the route of signing an older vet to fill in the role. I would rather see them use Adams in that emergency starter role due to injuries if it came to it, if he gets some innings and experience from the long relief role and shows he can handle the hitters at the big league level, why not give it a shot, he use to be a starter and was decent and can throw a lot of innings, he’s still throwing 4 innings how hard could it be to build him up and add another 1-2 innings out of him. JMO

[tony&rodney]

5 hours ago, Dantheman said:

I don’t think Andrew Morris is close to even being usable in the bigs even if the Twins needed a starter with all the injuries the numbers just ain’t there. They’d probably go the route of signing an older vet to fill in the role. I would rather see them use Adams in that emergency starter role due to injuries if it came to it, if he gets some innings and experience from the long relief role and shows he can handle the hitters at the big league level, why not give it a shot, he use to be a starter and was decent and can throw a lot of innings, he’s still throwing 4 innings how hard could it be to build him up and add another 1-2 innings out of him. JMO

The move from AAA to MLB is almost always a difficult learning process for players. Whether Andrew Morris is ready or not depends on how one viewed others, like Festa, Matthews, etc., as usable. It is a step.

When people comment on minor league players I wonder if they have watched them play or have looked at numbers. I have watched (via milb.com) most of the innings that Morris has pitched this year. I'm not privy to the accuracy of whatever system is used to gage velocity or how one places the dots on a Gameday box. I am able to discern that a routine fly ball that gets lost in the lights is recorded as a hit and that routine ground balls to infielders very frequently get recorded as base hits. Watching the games gives one some realistic idea of the players, at least in the context of their competition.

In yesterday's outing Andrew Morris was pushed to 97 pitches. He sat 95-96 MPH and hit 98 numerous times with his FB. He did give up a home run in the first inning. Thereafter one run was directly due to a misplay and the last two were let in with two outs by the relief pitcher. Morris was really good yesterday.

The ABS challenge system is very problematic in my view. I have mentioned my objection in the past. Yesterday, in Morris' outing, provided a fair example of my objection. The Saints lost two challenges early in the game and thereafter I counted 7 of Morris' pitches where an apparent strike was called a ball. These hurt Morris in pitch count and walks. Either use the system or do not. I continue to suggest a form of bonus payments for excellence and retraining and demotion for those umpires who do not meet an expected/agreed upon level.

Finally, I do believe Andrew Morris projects as a #3-5. starting pitcher and he still has more refinement to accomplish before he is ready to succeed in MLB.  Morris, if he must be called upon, would work best with Christian Vazquez. 

[tony&rodney]

I'm interested to hear what others see when they watch the minor league games. Occasionally I litter the site with what I see, which is just my opinion.

Then I see a down thumb and wonder what it was that a person disagreed with based on  having watched the games. Is it: 1) MLB is a huge step up from AAA? 2) The subjective term usable? 3) That watching games gives one more information than looking at numbers? 4) The subjective view of Morris' outing? 5) The thought on the ABS challenge system? 6) The loose projection for Morris? 7) The value for inexperienced pitchers working with an experienced catcher like Christian Vazquez? Some of the 7 listed require an actual viewing of a game but clearly an opinion on some of thoughts does not need an observation. What is it? Again, anyone who bothers to watch the minor leagues games .... I'm interested to hear the specifics of what you see. 

[stringer bell]

10 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

I'm interested to hear what others see when they watch the minor league games. Occasionally I litter the site with what I see, which is just my opinion.

Then I see a down thumb and wonder what it was that a person disagreed with based on  having watched the games. Is it: 1) MLB is a huge step up from AAA? 2) The subjective term usable? 3) That watching games gives one more information than looking at numbers? 4) The subjective view of Morris' outing? 5) The thought on the ABS challenge system? 6) The loose projection for Morris? 7) The value for inexperienced pitchers working with an experienced catcher like Christian Vazquez? Some of the 7 listed require an actual viewing of a game but clearly an opinion on some of thoughts does not need an observation. What is it? Again, anyone who bothers to watch the minor leagues games .... I'm interested to hear the specifics of what you see. 

I agree that minor league games look really different. In watching perhaps 10 such games, I’ve seen multiple odd or fluky plays that affect players stats. For example McCusker in a game I watched hit a catchable fly ball and an infield pop that went for hits. Pitchers are frequently victimized by plays not made and pickoffs seem commonplace for some reason. Maybe it’s the lights, maybe it’s the skill of the players, but it is not the same as MLB. 

[Dman]

2 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

The move from AAA to MLB is almost always a difficult learning process for players. Whether Andrew Morris is ready or not depends on how one viewed others, like Festa, Matthews, etc., as usable. It is a step.

When people comment on minor league players I wonder if they have watched them play or have looked at numbers. I have watched (via milb.com) most of the innings that Morris has pitched this year. I'm not privy to the accuracy of whatever system is used to gage velocity or how one places the dots on a Gameday box. I am able to discern that a routine fly ball that gets lost in the lights is recorded as a hit and that routine ground balls to infielders very frequently get recorded as base hits. Watching the games gives one some realistic idea of the players, at least in the context of their competition.

In yesterday's outing Andrew Morris was pushed to 97 pitches. He sat 95-96 MPH and hit 98 numerous times with his FB. He did give up a home run in the first inning. Thereafter one run was directly due to a misplay and the last two were let in with two outs by the relief pitcher. Morris was really good yesterday.

The ABS challenge system is very problematic in my view. I have mentioned my objection in the past. Yesterday, in Morris' outing, provided a fair example of my objection. The Saints lost two challenges early in the game and thereafter I counted 7 of Morris' pitches where an apparent strike was called a ball. These hurt Morris in pitch count and walks. Either use the system or do not. I continue to suggest a form of bonus payments for excellence and retraining and demotion for those umpires who do not meet an expected/agreed upon level.

Finally, I do believe Andrew Morris projects as a #3-5. starting pitcher and he still has more refinement to accomplish before he is ready to succeed in MLB.  Morris, if he must be called upon, would work best with Christian Vazquez. 

I don't disagree with plays not being called errors that should be.  I have questioned plenty of those at the minor league level.  Still I think there are concerning underlying numbers when you look at Morris.  

First would be K rate.  It is lower than you would like at 19%.  His WHIP is way to high for a starter.  He has given up 75 hits in 60 innings pitched with another 20 walks to boot for a whopping 1.60 WHIP.  That doesn't scream dominance to me.

His ERA FIP and xFIP pretty much match which to me says this is pretty much who Andrew Morris is at his 4.40 ERA.  Even last year with some better luck his ERA was 3.48 but FIP and xFIP 4.28 and 4.57.  So unless changes are made he doesn't look like someone I would want to bring up to the MLB level this year unless absolutely forced to.

He is just allowing too many balls to be put in play and odds are some of those are going to find holes or end in errors.  I don't think Morris is a "bad" pitcher or that he isn't promising, but it sure seems like something needs to change before he takes the next step.

[tony&rodney]

4 minutes ago, Dman said:

I don't disagree with plays not being called errors that should be.  I have questioned plenty of those at the minor league level.  Still I think there are concerning underlying numbers when you look at Morris.  

First would be K rate.  It is lower than you would like at 19%.  His WHIP is way to high for a starter.  He has given up 75 hits in 60 innings pitched with another 20 walks to boot for a whopping 1.60 WHIP.  That doesn't scream dominance to me.

His ERA FIP and xFIP pretty much match which to me says this is pretty much who Andrew Morris is at his 4.40 ERA.  Even last year with some better luck his ERA was 3.48 but FIP and xFIP 4.28 and 4.57.  So unless changes are made he doesn't look like someone I would want to bring up to the MLB level this year unless absolutely forced to.

He is just allowing too many balls to be put in play and odds are some of those are going to find holes or end in errors.  I don't think Morris is a "bad" pitcher or that he isn't promising, but it sure seems like something needs to change before he takes the next step.

I'm not suggesting Morris is the answer for the Twins. I'm aware of his statistics. What I want to hear is thoughts from those who have watched him pitch on a half dozen occasions. To me the stats are virtually useless. I like the idea of Carson McCusker. His stats when he was called up to the Twins were top of everything more or less but his inexperience, size, and the holes in his swing were always questions for those of us who saw him bat more than 50 times. The Twins put him on the bench and gave him the equivalence of an IL stint. He doesn't look as confident since he returned to St. Paul, which is more likely just a coincidence than a causal relationship. So the stats for me are often useless. I do understand that many put huge importance on the stats.

How many times have you watched Morris' outings? What did you see?

[Dman]

1 minute ago, tony&rodney said:

I'm not suggesting Morris is the answer for the Twins. I'm aware of his statistics. What I want to hear is thoughts from those who have watched him pitch on a half dozen occasions. To me the stats are virtually useless. I like the idea of Carson McCusker. His stats when he was called up to the Twins were top of everything more or less but his inexperience, size, and the holes in his swing were always questions for those of us who saw him bat more than 50 times. The Twins put him on the bench and gave him the equivalence of an IL stint. He doesn't look as confident since he returned to St. Paul, which is more likely just a coincidence than a causal relationship. So the stats for me are often useless. I do understand that many put huge importance on the stats.

How many times have you watched Morris' outings? What did you see?

I really only watched him pitch one game this year on MiLB and it was very early in the year.  When the weather is so cold I tend not to put too much stock in anyone's performance.  He had trouble finding the zone in that game which isn't that unusual in colder weather.  Too many grooved pitches and I think he only lasted 3 innings in that one. Hard to take much from that game IMO.

I saw him several times the year before and he was very efficient in most games I watched.  Lot's of balls hit right at people and some quick innings especially at AA.  When the balls in play end in outs he looks really good, but I also saw a couple of games where the balls find holes and he gave up a 4 run inning in one of those.  Three straight singles before he got the first out, then a big double I believe.  It happens to every pitcher, but I worry more with him since he seems to allow more contact than most pitchers I watch, well most good pitchers.  His K rate while not terrible is lower than you would like to see and that seems to show up in games where he gives up more runs.

Hitters do seem to struggle with the angle he creates with his pitches and that angle also seems to create weak contact at times.  Still when they start to figure him out later in the game it seems like he gives up some awfully hard contact. Sometimes those are hit at people sometimes not.  It feels like he needs a better mix it up pitch to keep hitters more off balance to me, but I am no expert just an observer. His performances seem very up and down to me. Some great games with no runs allowed and then others where he gives up a fair amount of runs. 

He looks close to being a 4th 5th type start at the MLB level, but it feels like be needs something more to me.

[tony&rodney]

12 minutes ago, Dman said:

I really only watched him pitch one game this year on MiLB and it was very early in the year.  When the weather is so cold I tend not to put too much stock in anyone's performance.  He had trouble finding the zone in that game which isn't that unusual in colder weather.  Too many grooved pitches and I think he only lasted 3 innings in that one. Hard to take much from that game IMO.

I saw him several times the year before and he was very efficient in most games I watched.  Lot's of balls hit right at people and some quick innings especially at AA.  When the balls in play end in outs he looks really good, but I also saw a couple of games where the balls find holes and he gave up a 4 run inning in one of those.  Three straight singles before he got the first out, then a big double I believe.  It happens to every pitcher, but I worry more with him since he seems to allow more contact than most pitchers I watch, well most good pitchers.  His K rate while not terrible is lower than you would like to see and that seems to show up in games where he gives up more runs.

Hitters do seem to struggle with the angle he creates with his pitches and that angle also seems to create weak contact at times.  Still when they start to figure him out later in the game it seems like he gives up some awfully hard contact. Sometimes those are hit at people sometimes not.  It feels like he needs a better mix it up pitch to keep hitters more off balance to me, but I am no expert just an observer. His performances seem very up and down to me. Some great games with no runs allowed and then others where he gives up a fair amount of runs. 

He looks close to being a 4th 5th type start at the MLB level, but it feels like be needs something more to me.

Thank you.

I have watched most of his starts this year because I enjoy watching him learn how to pitch. I have stated a couple of times on separate occasions a thought pretty much the same as what you have said. Morris needs work on sequencing and pitch mix. If he can master an above average change up he will become a top prospect. I do think he has sacrificed some sure outs by working on various pitches which is what I want to see from a guy developing in the minor leagues.

[Dman]

2 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Thank you.

I have watched most of his starts this year because I enjoy watching him learn how to pitch. I have stated a couple of times on separate occasions a thought pretty much the same as what you have said. Morris needs work on sequencing and pitch mix. If he can master an above average change up he will become a top prospect. I do think he has sacrificed some sure outs by working on various pitches which is what I want to see from a guy developing in the minor leagues.

Agreed. Happy to see his stats tank to some degree if he can gain a better K rate or manage more weak contact on his pitches.  I think a good to great changeup would really make a difference but I wonder if the somewhat odd angle he throws at will tunnel well with that pitch.  At any rate he needs to refine a few things. Not a lot as he is pretty successful with what he currently has, but at the MLB level you need to have some extra tricks up your sleave to throw at guys to get outs when you need them.  Hopefully he finds that extra something that make him a difference maker.

[LambchoP]

Doesn't look like the Twins have any viable pitching candidates in AAA right now. If Ober goes on the IL, which is looking more and more likely, the Twins are in real trouble. They're going to need to try to acquire one or two starters from outside the organization. Maybe one trade and one dumpster dive waiver wire pickups? Either way, the deep "pitching pipeline" surplus myth has been debunked. There truly is no such thing as having enough pitching.

[Mike Sixel]

41 minutes ago, LambchoP said:

Doesn't look like the Twins have any viable pitching candidates in AAA right now. If Ober goes on the IL, which is looking more and more likely, the Twins are in real trouble. They're going to need to try to acquire one or two starters from outside the organization. Maybe one trade and one dumpster dive waiver wire pickups? Either way, the deep "pitching pipeline" surplus myth has been debunked. There truly is no such thing as having enough pitching.

How many legit MLB starters would be deep for you? Do you think teams have more than six or seven legit starters in their system? What exactly are you expecting?

[Dantheman]

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

I'm not suggesting Morris is the answer for the Twins. I'm aware of his statistics. What I want to hear is thoughts from those who have watched him pitch on a half dozen occasions. To me the stats are virtually useless. I like the idea of Carson McCusker. His stats when he was called up to the Twins were top of everything more or less but his inexperience, size, and the holes in his swing were always questions for those of us who saw him bat more than 50 times. The Twins put him on the bench and gave him the equivalence of an IL stint. He doesn't look as confident since he returned to St. Paul, which is more likely just a coincidence than a causal relationship. So the stats for me are often useless. I do understand that many put huge importance on the stats.

How many times have you watched Morris' outings? What did you see?

The situation with McCusker is he got called up, got to pinch hit late in games which he’s not used to and gets his rhythm thrown off by not playing and then gets sent back down and now he’s struggling. If you're gonna bring a guy up like him who was red hot play him don’t just toss him on the bench to get late game abs especially as a rookie, confidence is key. I’ve watched plenty of St. Paul games and watched Morris pitch plenty and I’ve noticed that he gives up a lot of hits, doesn’t strikeout a bunch and gets into trouble of having bases loaded no outs or even 2nd and 3rd no outs and manages to get out of it with a line drive to the shortstop then a double play really mix of any events, and to me it seems like he gets bailed out of a lot of situations and at the next level it’s not gonna happen like that, those runs will cash more often then not. Morris is a great pitcher and has a bright future in this org, I just don’t think right now if an injury were to come about they should bring him up bc it wouldn’t end well, he needs more time to develop at the triple A level. 

[DocBauer]

With over half a season to go in AAA, does Schobel continue his strong year and challenge for a spot on the Twins in 2026 as a possible replacement for Castro? Too soon?

I only have what I read as I haven't watched him since ST, but every time I read about a Morris game it always seems to end with a couple inherited runners scoring. I appreciate that he might be responsible for runners reaching base, but they never seem to be stranded. It feels like his numbers are somewhat inflated.

Rosario and Winokur both got off to rough starts this season. But while I don't have the numbers in front of me, both of them seem to have really picked it up the last month or so. Rosario re-establishing himself as a decent prospect? Winoker proving just how good of a prospect he really is?

[TwinsDr2021]

48 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

With over half a season to go in AAA, does Schobel continue his strong year and challenge for a spot on the Twins in 2026 as a possible replacement for Castro? Too soon?

If the Twins think Schobel is an option to replace Castro next year, he should be up as soon as possible to see what he has and start his learning, IMO you can't replace somebody as vital to the Twins as Castro with an unproven rookie. Get him up and give him the time currently given to Clemens. 

[mark sills]

3 hours ago, Dantheman said:

The situation with McCusker is he got called up, got to pinch hit late in games which he’s not used to and gets his rhythm thrown off by not playing and then gets sent back down and now he’s struggling. If you're gonna bring a guy up like him who was red hot play him don’t just toss him on the bench to get late game abs especially as a rookie, confidence is key. I’ve watched plenty of St. Paul games and watched Morris pitch plenty and I’ve noticed that he gives up a lot of hits, doesn’t strikeout a bunch and gets into trouble of having bases loaded no outs or even 2nd and 3rd no outs and manages to get out of it with a line drive to the shortstop then a double play really mix of any events, and to me it seems like he gets bailed out of a lot of situations and at the next level it’s not gonna happen like that, those runs will cash more often then not. Morris is a great pitcher and has a bright future in this org, I just don’t think right now if an injury were to come about they should bring him up bc it wouldn’t end well, he needs more time to develop at the triple A level. 

I don't think that situation ever happened. I don't remember any game Morris pitched where the bases were loaded with no outs. Think you have no clue.

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

If the Twins think Schobel is an option to replace Castro next year, he should be up as soon as possible to see what he has and start his learning, IMO you can't replace somebody as vital to the Twins as Castro with an unproven rookie. Get him up and give him the time currently given to Clemens. 

He got promoted to AAA like last week.

[FlyingFinn]

3 hours ago, DocBauer said:

Rosario re-establishing himself as a decent prospect? Winoker proving just how good of a prospect he really is?

No and yes, respectively. Winoker improving after a slow start is a very good sign. Very young yet. Rosario repeating AA, not good on D and I don't think he's a future major leaguer (surprising steals this year but that won't translate to MLB). He will top out at AAA. Winoker though, keep an eye on him.

[TwinsDr2021]

18 hours ago, DJL44 said:

He got promoted to AAA like last week.

So he is 24 years old, the last 3 plus years in the minors wasn't enough? Sure a little bit more time at AAA is fine, which why I should as soon as possible. The idea that every prospects must spend as much time as possible at each level and then spend another 2 to 3 years being limited in the majors before being let loose is pretty crazy in my mind, but hey it is the Twins way right.