Twins AFL Report, Week 5: Miguelangel Boadas Shows Off in Fall Stars Game

[Steve Lein]

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Game Results:
Tuesday, 11/4 | Peoria 0, Glendale 7
Wednesday, 11/5 | Peoria 3, Salt River 4
Thursday, 11/6 | Glendale 11, Peoria 0
Friday, 11/7 | Mesa 0, Peoria 3
Sunday, 11/9 | Fall Stars Game: National League 4, American League 5

Minnesota Twins prospects and the Peoria Javelinas had a bit of a rough go in week 5, finishing 1-3 in their four games, and being shut out in two of them. That means they headed into the “Fall Stars” weekend with an 11-14 overall record, good for fourth in the standings.

The all-star weekend in this circuit includes a home run derby, which Kala’i Rosario of the Twins has won in the past, as well as the NL vs. AL game for which the top prospects on lists get showcased along with some of the league’s best performers. Royce Lewis was also named the MVP of this game in the past, before taking home the same honor for the league as a whole all the way back in 2019.

The Twins did have a participant in this year’s showcase game, but once again none of their players appeared amongst the top performers of the week. Twins prospects will have one more week to make their mark before the AFL playoffs commence next weekend. Unlike prior years, all six teams will be participating in the playoff tournament, with the top two teams receiving a first round bye week.

 

OF Hendry Mendez
Week (did not play)
Overall: .300/.391/.500 (.891 OPS)
Outfielder Hendry Mendez has not been playing in AFL games since week two due to a personal matter, and it is uncertain if he will be able to come back before the season is over.

Mendez had appeared in five games for the Javelinas and had at least one hit in each of them,  including a home run.

IF Brandon Winokur
Week (3 games): 1-for-9, 2B, RBI, BB, K, SB (2)
Overall: .191/.273/.309 (.582 OPS)
Winokur once again led the way for Twins prospects during the week, getting the start in three games. He played shortstop twice and third base once, batting seventh in the lineup each time. 

While being shutout by Glendale on Tuesday, Peoria managed just two hits and five walks as a team, finishing 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Winokur drew one of those walks after challenging a pitch, then also stole his second base of the season. A few batters later, he was forced out at home and the Javelinas wouldn’t get another chance the rest of the game.

The lone hit of the week for the big right-hander came in Thursday’s second shutout of the Javelinas by the Desert Dogs on the week, as his double to lead off the fifth inning was his second of the season, and the last hit Peoria would muster on the day.

Though he finished 0-for-4 on Friday, he drove in one of his team's runs with a groundout in the bottom of the sixth that made the 3-0 final in Peoria’s lone win.

IF Billy Amick
Week (1 game): 0-for-2, BB, 2 K
Overall: .037/.316/.037 (.353 OPS)
Amick served as the designated hitter in Thursday’s 11-0 loss to the Desert Dogs, batting ninth, and finished 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts. On the positive side, he drew one of the team’s four walks on the day after Winokur’s double in the sixth and would end up in scoring position, but got left stranded.

RHP Miguelangel Boadas
Week (1 appearance): 1 IP, BB, 2 K
Overall: 1-0, 1.54 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, .158 BAA, 9 BB, 8 K (11 2/3 IP)
Boadas’ lone appearance of the week came in the Fall Star’s game on Saturday. So while his outing won’t be included in his season long numbers shown above, he continued to perform admirably.

With the score 4-1 in favor of the American League team, Boadas came on to pitch the top of the seventh inning. While he walked the leadoff man on just four pitches, he came right back and struck out the next hitter on a slider at the top of the zone. After four pitches were fouled back on the next hitter, including a 98.2 MPH fastball, he buried a slider away for a swing-and-miss and another strikeout. His catcher then threw a runner out a second to end the inning with a double-play.

LHP Zander Sechrist
Week (1 appearance): 1 IP, H, R (0 ER), BB, K
Overall: 0-0, 2.57 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, .208 BAA, 4 BB, 6 K (7 IP)
Sechrist got in one inning of work in Tuesday’s loss to Glendale, pitching the seventh inning in a game already out of reach for his team. An error from Winokur at shortstop put the leadoff man on base who would come around to score after a walk and a single. With two outs and runners on second and third, Sechrist got out of the inning without any further damage by picking up a swinging strikeout.

RHP Dylan Questad
Week (1 appearance): 2 IP, H, 3 BB, K
Overall: 0-1, 15.19 ERA, 3.38 WHIP, .238 BAA, 13 BB, 5 K (5 1/3 IP)
Questad was the first reliever summoned for the Javelinas in Friday’s 3-0 win over Mesa. He began the top of the third inning and worked around a two-out single and a walk for a scoreless inning. Back out for the fourth he again had a couple baserunners after issuing a pair of two-out walks, but recovered to finish his scoreless outing with a three-pitch strikeout.

RHP Jakob Hall
Week (1 appearance): 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER
Overall: 0-1, 8.53 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, .385 BAA, BB, 4 K (6 1/3 IP)
After two scoreless innings from their starting pitching on Tuesday, Hall came on to start the third and ended up being charged with the loss as he gave up a pair of runs. His frame went groundout, single, single, double and also had a couple of wild pitches that lead to a 2-0 Desert Dogs lead. He got the final two hitters on a groundout and strikeout to end his appearance.

RHP Hunter Hoopes
Week (1 appearance): 1 IP, ER, 3 BB
Overall: 0-2, 11.57 ERA, 2.43 WHIP, .300 BAA, 8 BB, 7 K (7 IP)
Hoopes finished off the first of the Javelinas shutout losses on Tuesday, pitching the eighth inning. For Twins pitchers, it was again a “walks will haunt” scenario as his three free passes allowed a Glendale run to come home on a groundout to make the final score.

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects playing in the AFL this week!

 

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[nclahammer]

Overall an underwhelming bunch for the Minnesota Twins this fall.  Good to see Miguelangel Boadas putting some good innings together though. 

[jmlease1]

Rough go for Billy Amick: struggling to get hits AND not playing much. He's probably looking forward to the end of the AFL, some time off, and a reset before going back to Cedar Rapids to give it a new go.

Boadas has been bad ass, but the walks are unsustainable. Will be interesting to see if he can control his electric arm next season and move up.

[rdehring]

Looking at Boadas previous stats, he was nothing special prior to the AFL.  Great seeing him have the opportunity after missing all of 2025.  Next year is going to be important as he will need to be added to the 40-man or he will become a free agent.  That's right, isn't it?

[Seth Stohs]

48 minutes ago, rdehring said:

Looking at Boadas previous stats, he was nothing special prior to the AFL.  Great seeing him have the opportunity after missing all of 2025.  Next year is going to be important as he will need to be added to the 40-man or he will become a free agent.  That's right, isn't it?

Probably, but the Twins pushed him too before Tommy John surgery last year. He's definitely someone they like. 

[Otaknam]

Not much to inspire Twins fans. Boadas’ stat line is also volatile: 1-0, 1.54 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, .158 BAA, 9 BB, 8 K (11 2/3 IP). Nice ERA and BA, but 9 walks and 8 Ks in 11 2/3 innings! Yikes!

[Blyleven2011]

I appreciate these articles on our players but this year hasn't been all that impressive  ...

Winokur plays alot more outfield for our minors leagues but is playing shortstop most exclusively so it seems in the AFL  ,  amick isn't getting much of an opportunity and is stuck in a rut they don't seem interested in letting him work through it , Mendez' started first week was good but then the personal reasons for leaving the AFL and then boadas is working in strengthening his arm with work after Tommy John surgery and showing some good and some not so good results ( walks ) , the others aren't getting much of an opportunity  ...

Not much baseball left in the AFL but the playoffs are coming for all teams and as alot of fans say , anything can happen  ...

 

[LambchoP]

That is an awful lot of walks from our pitchers...

[Steve Lein]

2 hours ago, Otaknam said:

Not much to inspire Twins fans. Boadas’ stat line is also volatile: 1-0, 1.54 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, .158 BAA, 9 BB, 8 K (11 2/3 IP). Nice ERA and BA, but 9 walks and 8 Ks in 11 2/3 innings! Yikes!

Definitely some command problems to work through in there. But that is also almost always an issue for guys returning from TJ surgery and the long layoff that he had. What I am more impressed by, is the limiting of damage when the command has been off, because of the "stuff" he has been throwing.

94-98 MPH with his heavy sinker.
87-91 Cutter.
Lower 80's slider.

I think the Twins believe in the stuff.

[TopGunn#22]

For an organization that reportedly has one of the top farm systems in MLB, this looks like an absolutely underwhelming group.  Mendez had that good initial week but I hope everything is O.K. for the young man and his personal situation can get sorted out.    

Winokur is an interesting prospect, but I'm surprised he's still playing SS.  With Culpepper and Marek Houston in the system and DeBarge winning a minor league Gold Glove, it's probably time for Winokur to just concentrate on playing OF and to focus primarily on his hitting.  He's got a nice power/speed combo, but hitting .191 with a .582 OPS is going to get him the wrong kind of attention.

Billy Amick was a masher in college at Tennessee.  It's just deflating to look at an .037 batting average in the AFL.  

None of the pitchers we sent can throw strikes consistently.  Boadas has a good arm, with lively "stuff" so at least there's that.