Twins Minor League Report (7/26): FCL Twins Hang On, Advance to Championship Series

[Seth Stohs]

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of the FCL Twins)

It makes me sad that the FCL season will be completely over for this year by end of day Tuesday. With the draft moving from early June to mid-July, there isn't 

TRANSACTIONS
With Ryan Jeffers going on the paternity list, Mickey Gasper has been called back up to the Twins.

The Twins announced on Saturday morning that they have officially signed Bruin Agbayani (6th round) and Jonathan Stevens (16th round). That means they signed all 21 of their 2025 draft picks.  

SAINTS SENTINEL
St. Paul 9, Worcester 5
Box Score
A quick look at the final score, it'd be hard to believe that this game was tied 2-2 through the first six innings. Worcester took a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh, but it was (almost) all Saints after that. 

The Saints got on base first in the second innings. Payton Eeles led off with a single. With one out, Jonah Bride singled. Eeles scored on a single to left by Will Holland. With two outs, Austin Martin singled to drive in Eeles with the second run.   

 

  

Jose Urena started, and he tossed four scoreless innings on three hits and two walks. He had four strikeouts. He also hit a batter. Cory Lewis came in to start the fifth frame. In three innings, he gave up three runs (one run per inning) on five hits and three walks. He had three strikeouts. Trent Baker pitched a scoreless eighth inning. With a 9-3 lead going to the ninth, Michael Tonkin came in and gave up two runs on a hit batter and a home run. 

Down 3-2 at the 7th Inning Stretch, Noah Cardenas got things started by being hit by a pitch with one out. Austin Martin singled to right. Luke Keaschall, who played second base for the first time in his rehab stint, hustled to beat out a potential double play and keep the inning alive. Edouard Julien then crush a ball to the opposite field for his 11th home run and to give the Saints a 5-3 lead.   

 

In the eighth inning, Eeles led off by crushing a homer to right-center field.   

 

Later the same inning, Will Holland hit a slow roller toward third base. The ball was thrown away and went out to right field. Jonah Bride scored. Holland just kept running and when the right fielder had a throwing error, Holland came around to score the team's eighth run.   

 

Noah Cardenas followed with his sixth home run in 19 games and 55 at-bats since joining the Saints. 

 

Julien led the way. He went 2-for-4 with his seventh double, 11th homer, and three RBI. Eeles was 2-for-4 with his second homer. Martin was 2-for-5 with two RBI. 

Defensive Play of the Game

 

Check out one of our sister sites, Talk Sox, for more on the Red Sox, and see who their top 20 prospects are (post Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer). 

 

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 3, Springfield 2
Box Score
Connor Prielipp was on the mound again, and he was really solid. He reached 62 pitches and tossed the first 4 1/3 innings. He gave up no runs on three hits and a walk. He also struck out five batters. Joel Cesar pitched really well in relief. He got all five batters out that he faced, two on strikeouts. 

The Wind Surge grabbed the game's first lead with a run in the bottom of the third. Ben Ross scored on a fielding error to make it 1-0. Two innings later they doubled their lead when Jorel Ortega scored on a sacrifice fly by Walker Jenkins. 

10-0 Mike Paredes came on for the seventh and gave up a solo homer to top Rangers prospect Sebastian Walcott which cut the Wichita lead in half.

However, in the bottom of the seventh, the Surge responded by replacing that run. With one out, Kaelen Culpepper walked. He went to second base on a balk that Frisco manager Carlos Cardoza did not agree with and was tossed for it. Culpepper stole third base and when the catcher through the ball into left field, the shortstop scored the insurance run. It proved to be a run they needed as Paredes gave up another run in the eighth to make it 3-2. Paredes worked the ninth inning as well, didn't give up a run, and earned his second save of the season. Paredes gave up two runs on six hits in the outing. 

Wichita didn't have much offensive Surge in this game. In fact, they managed just three hits total. They were helped by four walks and two hit batters. Culpepper, leading off again, got on base with a walk, was hit by a pitch, and doubles for the second time with the Surge. The stolen base was his fourth. The two other Wichita hits were also doubles, Rubel Cespedes's 17th and Kyler Fedko's 14th. 

 

KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 7, Ft. Wayne 0
Box Score
It has been a struggle of late for Alejandro Hidalgo. Two starts ago, he gave up three runs on two hits and three walks in just 2/3 of an inning. In his last start, he gave up seven runs on eight hits and a walk. However, in this game, he had a much-needed fantastic outing. The 22-year-old went 4 2/3 innings of shutout baseball and gave up three hits and two walks. 44 of his 66 pitches were strikes (66.7%).  He also struck out five batters. Chase Chaney came on in relief and got the final out of the fifth inning and then worked four more innings to earn his sixth Kernels win of the season. He gave up just three hits, walked none and had four strikeouts. 

The Kernels got things going with a three-run second inning. The inning started with back-to-back walks. Justin Connell drove in Poncho Ruiz with a single for the game's first run. Maddux Houghton flew out deep enough to advance the runners to second and third. Luke Napleton drove in Andy Lugo with a ground out. Then Kyle DeBarge doubled to drive in Connell and give the team their third run. 

 

In the bottom of the fifth, DeBarge walked and stole his 52nd base. He advanced to third base when the throw went into center field. He scored on a Kyle Hess ground out. In the sixth frame, Billy Amick led off with a double. He scored on an Andy Lugo single to make it 5-0. 

They didn't really need it, but they added some insurance in the bottom of the eighth with two more runs. Ruiz was hit by a pitch and went to third on an Andy Lugo single. Ruiz scored on a fielding error. Houghton singled to load the bases, and Napleton drove in the seventh run with a sacrifice fly. 

DeBarge went 1-for-3 with two walks, a double and his 52nd steal. Lugo was 2-for-3 with a walk. 

Defensive Play of the Game... You don't run on Luke Napleton! 

 

Check out our new sister site, Padres Mission and see who their top 20 prospects are. 

MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 6, Lakeland 0
Box Score
The team scored six runs, but when you give up zero runs, we are most-likely going to start with the pitching. In this game, the Mussels sent Michael Ross to the mound, and he was really good. The Twins 18th-round pick a year ago out of Samford gave up just one hit and walked one over six shutout frames. The walk and the single both happened in the top of the sixth. He got the first 15 batters of the game out. He had five strikeouts. As impressive, 49 of his 63 pitches were strikes. That's a 77.8% strike percentage. 

Manager Seth Feldman turned the game over to his bullpen. Lefty Brennen Oxford gave up two hits over his two scoreless innings. Ruddy Gomez struck out one batter to finish out the shutout. 

In the bottom of the third, the Mussels got on the board. Caleb McNeely started the inning with a single and stole second base. He scored when Yohander Martinez reached on a throwing error. 

In the fourth frame, Peyton Carr got things going with a one-out double. With two outs, Blaze O'Saben walked. McNeely then came through with a single to drive in Carr. 

It remained a 2-0 game until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Mussels put a big four-spot on the scoreboard. Martinez led off with a walk, and Jefferson Valladares singled. Dameury Pena reached on a fielder's choice and a throwing error. That brought Yasser Mercedes to the plate, and he reminded us of why we still love his tools and power-speed combo. The 20-year-old blasted a shot to the top of the berm in left field to put the game out of reach. 

Caleb McNeely went 2-for-4, scored a run and drove in a run. Jefferson Valladares went 2-for-4. 

Defensive Play of the Day... the Mighty Mussels turned a 5-4-3, around-the-horn Triple Play in the 8th inning on Saturday night. 

COMPLEX CHRONICLES
FCL Twins 4. FCL Tigers 3
Box Score
We’re just going to start at the end because things got a little crazy in Fort Myers. As the game went to the top of the ninth inning, the Twins held a 4-2 lead. 

After pitching some of their more experienced pitchers the first eight innings, they turned the game over to their “closer” Anderson Ramos. The 19-year-old entered the game with six saves. He had 38 strikeouts (and 17 walks) in his 28 1/3 innings. 

The inning started with a walk and a single. Another single drove in a run and made it 4-3. Ramos walked another batter to load the bases with still nobody out. Then came the biggest play of the game. Tigers prospect Javier Osorio hit a line drive to shortstop Ramiro Dominguez who threw to second baseman Irvin Nunez, who threw it to third baseman Yilber Herrera, who threw it to Ramos, who threw it to Dominguez, and threw it to Ramos to record the second out of an important double play. 

Still hanging on to the one-run lead and with a runner on first base, Ramos issued another walk. However, he struck out the next batter to end the game and send the Twins to the Best of Three championship series against the FCL Blue Jays. 

But how did we get to that point? Well, the Twins took the lead with a three-run second inning. That inning began with walks by Irvin Nunez and Merphy Hernandez. After a strikeout, Isaac Pena walked to lead the bases. Yilber Herrera followed with a line drive single that drove in two runs. After a pitching change, Edouardo Beltre doubled to drive in the third run. However, Herrera was thrown out at home.

Sam Rochard started and threw the first four innings. He gave up zero runs on one hit and two walks. He also struck out five batters. The right-hander signed with the Twins in early June out of the independent Frontier League. He turned 25 earlier this week. 

Will Armbruester came in next. The 24-year-old signed with the Twins at the end of April out of the Frontier League as well. He gave up two runs on five hits and a walk over two innings. He walked one and struck out two. Both runs came in the fifth inning. 

24-year-old Brent Francisco worked a scoreless seventh inning despite a hit and a walk and a hit batter. He signed with the Twins from the independent Washington Wild Things on May 20th. 

Xander Hamilton walked one and had three strikeouts in a scoreless eighth frame. Hamilton was the TWins 14th round pick in 2023 out of Appalachian State. He pitched in five games in 2023. Last year, he pitched in 35 games for the Mighty Mussels and another seven games in Cedar Rapids. He had 70 strikeouts in 57 innings total, plus nine saves. Hamilton spent much of the 2025 season on the Injured List. 

And, here is Ramos’s interesting pitching line. He gave up one run on two hits and three walks in the ninth inning. 

The Twins offense struggled a bit outside of the three-run second inning. They managed just five hits but added eight walks. They had people on base, but went just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. 

Herrera went 1-for-2 and walked twice in addition to his two-run single. Dominguez went 2-for-4 with a double. Beltre doubled as well. Nunez and Hernandez each walked twice. Jayson Bass was the one hitter who had both a single and a walk. 

The FCL Blue Jays topped the FCL Astros 4-3 in 10 innings. The Twins and Jays will play Game 1 of their Best of 3 series on Sunday morning in Dunedin. They will play Game 2 in Fort Myers on Monday. If a Game 3 is needed, it will be played on Tuesday in Fort Myers.  

DOMINICAN DAILIES
DSL Twins 2, DSL Angels 8 
Box Score
The Twins gave up runs in each of the first four innings and then gave up a three-spot in the seventh inning.

Rainer Marin fell to 0-3 on his season. He gave up one run in each of the first four innings. He gave up four runs (3 earned) on five hits and a walk. Jensi Infante came in and allowed an inherited runner to score. He gave up one additional run on one hit, but he also hit two batters in his 1 1/3 innings. Aaron Carranza gave up three runs on two hits, two walks and a hit batter over 1 2/3 innings. Juan Figaro got the final four outs without allowing another run. 

The Twins scored single runs in the fourth and ninth innings. With one out in the top of the fourth, Jose Barrios was hit by a pitch. He stole second and with two outs scored on a Joyner Perez single. 

Jhomnardo Reyes tripled to lead off the ninth inning. He scored on a ground out by Darwin Almanzar. Reyes led the offense. He had two of the team’s five hits. It was his eighth triple of the year.  

PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Hitter of the Day  
Edouard Julien (St. Paul): 2-for-4, 2B(7), HR(11), R, K
Yilber Herrera (FCL Twins): 1-for-2, 2 BB, R, 2 RBI, K

Pitcher of the Day 
Michael Ross (Fort Myers): 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 63 pitches, 49 strikes (77.8%)

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

#1– Walker Jenkins (Wichita) - 0-for-2, BB, SF, RBI, K (played CF)
#2 - Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) - Rehab in St. Paul - 1-for-4, BB, R, 2-SB(8) (played 2B)
#3 - Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 1-for-2, BB, HBP, 2B(4), R, SB(4) (played 2B)
#5 - Connor Prielipp (Wichita) - 4 1/3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 62 pitches, 44 strikes (71.0%)
#14 - Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, 2 BB, 2B(17), R, RBI, SB(52) (played 2B) 
#16 - Billy Amick (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, 2B(10), R, 3 K (played 1B) 
#19 - Eduardo Beltre (FCL Twins) - 1-for-5, 2B, RBI, K
#20 - Ricardo Olivar (Wichita) - 0-for-4, 2 K (DHd) 

SUNDAY PITCHING PROBABLES
Worcester @ St. Paul (2:07 PM CT) - RHP Connor Gillispie (4-1, 6.35 ERA),
Frisco @ Wichita (1:05 PM CT) - RHP Darren Bowen (2-5, 5.22 ERA)
Fort Wayne @ Cedar Rapids (1:05 PM CT) - RHP Jose Olivares (4-3, 3.99 ERA)
Lakeland @ Fort Myers (11:05 AM CT) - RHP Eli Jones (2-8, 5.94 ERA)
FCL Twins @ FCL Blue Jays (Best of 3, Game 1, 11:00) - TBD
DSL Twins - No Game Scheduled

CURRENT W-L Records
Minnesota Twins: 52-54
St. Paul Saints: 45-54
Wichita Wind Surge: 51-44
Cedar Rapids Kernels: 56-38
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 42-51
FCL Twins: 39-20 (playoffs, 1-0)
DSL Twins: 15-24

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

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[jkcarew]

Remember when Raya and Rodriguez were going to be material contributors at some point in 2025?

[Seth Stohs]

1 hour ago, jkcarew said:

Remember when Raya and Rodriguez were going to be material contributors at some point in 2025?

Nope. 

[jkcarew]

2 hours ago, Seth Stohs said:

Nope. 

Jan 10 article…Other Top Prospects Poised to Debut
While Jenkins is the headliner, he’s not the only prospect in the system ready to make an impact. Outfielder Emanuel Rodriguez could claim a regular role in the Twins’ outfield by mid-2025, since he finished last season at Triple-A St. Paul. In 47 games, he hit .280/.459/.567 with 25 extra-base hits and a 62-to-51 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In many other farm systems, Rodriguez would be the top-ranked prospect. Rodriguez’s advanced approach at the plate and defensive versatility make him a prime candidate to fill a need at any outfield position, depending on the Twins’ roster configuration.

November ‘24 prospect article on Raya (no. 5)…

In a perfect world, Raya reaches the 100-inning mark for the first time in his career before August. If he is not already making starts for the Twins by then (which could be a good or bad thing) but showing he deserves a chance, they then find a place for him in the bullpen as they make a playoff push.

Just two of many many references to their 2025 arrivals on TD. And, I’m not suggesting many, if any, of us disagreed at the time.

 

[Dman]

You don't see a triple play everyday.  Had to watch it three times.  That's the kind of play that makes a pitcher very happy.

Nice to Eeles hitting for some power.  His batting average is always right around .300 so if he can get his slugging up the Twins will have to take notice.

Prielipp pitched well  Nice to see a line like that.  It seems like he is carrying his stuff deeper into games.  So hopefully he is getting stronger in that regard.

Nice win by the FCL club. I generally don't pay much attention to that league as I don't know a lot of players and a lot of them wash out there.  They have had an amazing season.  Hope they can finish off with a championship.

[Doctor Wu]

9 hours ago, Dman said:

Prielipp pitched well  Nice to see a line like that.  It seems like he is carrying his stuff deeper into games.  So hopefully he is getting stronger in that regard.

Prielipp progress. Very encouraging game for him! Also, a great roundup overall. These minor league reports are fun stuff after the discouraging results with our MLB team. 

[HrbieFan]

Cringing as the OP used through when referring to moving a baseball.  🤫

Nice to see Prielipp staying healthy and throwing dimes 

[Seth Stohs]

13 hours ago, jkcarew said:

Jan 10 article…Other Top Prospects Poised to Debut
While Jenkins is the headliner, he’s not the only prospect in the system ready to make an impact. Outfielder Emanuel Rodriguez could claim a regular role in the Twins’ outfield by mid-2025, since he finished last season at Triple-A St. Paul. In 47 games, he hit .280/.459/.567 with 25 extra-base hits and a 62-to-51 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In many other farm systems, Rodriguez would be the top-ranked prospect. Rodriguez’s advanced approach at the plate and defensive versatility make him a prime candidate to fill a need at any outfield position, depending on the Twins’ roster configuration.

November ‘24 prospect article on Raya (no. 5)…

In a perfect world, Raya reaches the 100-inning mark for the first time in his career before August. If he is not already making starts for the Twins by then (which could be a good or bad thing) but showing he deserves a chance, they then find a place for him in the bullpen as they make a playoff push.

Just two of many many references to their 2025 arrivals on TD. And, I’m not suggesting many, if any, of us disagreed at the time.

 

Good usage of receipts. 

The nice part about this site is we like varying opinions. That's a good thing. 

As it relates to these guys, I definitely thought that both could get MLB time this year, but:

As for E-Rod, the Twins were going to start the season with Buxton, Wallner, Bader, Larnach... and Martin and Keirsey were going to be called up first. They wouldn't call up E-Rod to be a backup.  Maybe if there was a major injury. 

As for Raya, he was behind Lopez, Ober, Ryan, SWR, Paddack, Zebby, Festa, and probably Morris, Lewis... and even a guy like McCaughan early in the year. In other words, if the point where Raya was going to be a key contributor, things would have had to go very wrong. 

[rdehring]

Thanks for a great report, Seth.  And congrats to the FCL Twins who are headed the the championship series.

Liked that Keaschall was at second base.  Also huge that he stole two bases last night.  Heard somewhere that because he was out so long he will definitely take the full 20 days on his rehab stint.  Also somewhat surprised when I looked at the box score that Martin is hitting .330 something.  Probably does make sense to bring him back should they move Castro this week.  Also interesting that Julien is punishing the ball of late.  Still don't see his fit with this team.  So makes sense that they move him if they can get something in return.  At least makes sense to me.

Loved last night's start by Prielipp.  Seems like he is checking all the boxes to join the Twins by early next summer.  Remain hopeful that he will join Zebby as the next young starter to make an impact for this team.

[Jeff K]

The Twins might as well call up "Iron Glove" Julien so they can have another DH on the team.  You can never have too many!