Twins Minor League Report (7/22): St. Paul Smackdown

[Matt Braun]

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photo of Hendry Mendez)

 

TRANSACTIONS
INF Quinn McDaniel assigned to A+ Cedar Rapids
INF Tanner Schobel assigned to AA Wichita 
All Twins selections from the 2026 draft were signed (including Vahn Lackey, who signed for $9,740,500)

Saints Sentinel
St. Paul 9, Columbus 0
Box Score
Aaron Rozek: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
HR: Kyler Fedko (17), Ben Ross (9), David Bañuelos (4), Matt Wallner (16), Hendry Mendez (5)
Multi-hit games: Hendry Mendez (3-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI), Ben Ross (2-for-4, HR, R, RBI), David Bañuelos (2-for-4, HR, R, RBI)

The Saints decimated their opponent on Wednesday. 

Five homers? And a shutout? In the same game? Even Odysseus didn’t dominate the cyclops in a manner like this.

Kyler Fedko started matters with an opposite-field swat that simply refused to fall back to the ground; then, Ben Ross and David Bañuelos went back-to-back to push the lead to 4-0. 

Mere batters later, Matt Wallner stepped to the plate and smacked a Wallner-ian blast; pulled with a regal authority and such grand power that even the pitcher had to admire what served as his demise.

Hendry Mendez swept a two-run shot into what lies beyond the field of men and game—where the common person can grasp a ball and declare themselves an actor in the sport. 

The five homers accounted for all nine of St. Paul’s runs in the game; they went 1-2 with runners in scoring position.

The shutout was an effort combined between Aaron Rozek, Garrett Acton, Julian Merryweather, Alejandro Hidalgo, and Eric Orze, with the former going for four frames with an equal amount of strikeouts, and the latter four combining for the final five frames and three strikeouts. The aforementioned Acton did so in his inaugural Saints’ outing, as he had previously made three rehab outings in the lower levels of the minors. 

Ralphy Velazquez, ranked as the 35th-best prospect in baseball, played first base for the Clippers, and went 0-for-3.

Wind Surge Wisdom
Wichita 7, Midland 5
Box Score
Ty Langenberg: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
HR: Billy Amick (21)
Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (2-for-4, RBI), Caden Kendle (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI), Jake Rucker (2-for-4, RBI), Jaime Ferrer (2-for-4, R, RBI

The Wind Surge were victorious on Wednesday.

Four consecutive innings with a score, followed by a pause for a breath, then one more run for good measure. That was the Wind Surge philosophy, as nearly the entire lineup earned a hit and as they went 5-12 with runners in scoring position.

3-8; 1,1,1,3,0,1. The streak that won them the game. Marek Houston broke the shutout with an RBI knock and it only continued from there, with Billy Amick homering the following inning, and Khadim Diaw doubling in the fifth, with the extra-base hit proving controversial enough to cause the RockHounds umpire to be ejected (this author believed the ball to be fair, but more power to those who complain, apparently). 

And the manager, by the way, is 2018 Twins legend Gregorio Petit.

The sixth upended the streak with three runs, rather than the typical one, as Kendle, Jake Rucker, and Jaime Ferrer delivered the goods with singles. A balk in the eighth concluded matters.

Midland outfielder Devin Taylor—the sixth-best prospect in the Athletics’ system—collected three hits in five at-bats on Wednesday.

Kernels Nuggets
Cedar Rapids 5, Dayton 6
Box Score
Cesar Lares: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
HR: Jose Salas (4)

Multi-hit games: Yasser Mercedes (2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB), Enrique Jimenez (3-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB), Miguel Briceno (3-for-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB)

The Kernels fell short on Wednesday.

12 hits yet woe and plunder upon them; for the Dragon potency strikes with a mightier awe. Or, at least a timelier one. Only the nerds care, anyways.

Cesar Lares’ ERA remains in the double digits, as it has for over a month now. The poor fellow. An eight and then 10 run outing will do that. He found a relative modicum of success on Wednesday, with two earned runs spread across four innings, a 4.50 ERA anathema to the finest of hurlers, yet sweet nectar to a lefty scrounging for any minute luck the game may horribly provide.

Miguel Briceno “the .331 man” started the scoring for Cedar Rapids with an RBI double in the second, and Enrique Jimenez knocked in another the following frame. 

Two empty innings begat a resurgence, albeit a minor one, with a run scoring on a Yasser Mercedes infield hit in the sixth. Soon, swelling in nature, two crossed home when Jose Salas swatted a homer down the right field line. 

Do the Dragons play in Dayton’s downtown? The surrounding buildings speak to a city that offers fairly well-known cover bands and a restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives 10 years ago. How bizarre.

Third baseman Tyson Lewis clocks in as the third-best prospect in the Reds system; he went 0-4, with a pair of strikeouts. 

Mussel Matters
Fort Myers 12, St. Lucie 9
Box Score
Callan Fang: 2 ⅔ IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
HR: Luis Hernandez (1), Ricardo Pena (1), Quentin Young (11)
Multi-hit games: Jayson Bass (2-for-6, R), JP Smith II (2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB), Luis Hernandez (2-for-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB)

The Mighty Mussels out-slugged their opponents on Wednesday.

It started in the second. It only finally stopped in the seventh. Luis Hernandez initiated the scoring with a solo shot slugged out to left-center, opening a Pandora’s Box that no St. Lucie pitcher could shut regardless of the quality of their attempt.

A Luis Fragoza sacrifice fly in the third added on—and ushered in a moment of silence; the kind of tepid quiet that could seemingly cut either way; either in complete silence or the calm before a run-scoring storm. This one was the latter. The fifth opened. The terrible fifth.

Fragoza started the frame by reaching on a strikeout. The bizarre nature of the inning should have alerted all to what may portend. JP Smith II doubled, Quentin Young scored one on a sacrifice fly, and Harry Genth drove in another with a single. Two arrived in the sixth off a Smith single and a run-scoring wild pitch.

With seven in their pocket, the Mighty Mussels were not satisfied—and the score was only tied. Once more for a final offensive? Sure, they thought. They set their Trojan Horse for a final, successful, brutal attack that would once and for all end the threat they sought to silence. 

Ricardo Pena homered for the first time since May 27th, 2025, a two-run shot. Then, with two on, Young found the right-center wall a worthy target for his blasting, sending the ball sailing with a Nick Castellanos-esque hack and irregular intentions. 

The St. Lucie Mets employ the labor of the sixth-ranked prospect in the team’s system, infielder Elian Peña. He collected two hits in five at-bats.

Complex Chronicles
FCL Twins 8, FCL Red Sox 5
Box Score
Michael Carpenter: ⅔ IP, 2 H. 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
HR: None
Multi-hit games: Yovanny Duran (2-for-2, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Victor Leal (2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI)

An FCL game? On Wednesday? It’s more likely than you think.

A remake of a previously weather-prevented match, the FCL game on Wednesday played out like a classic low-level game; when the stolen base portion of the box score reads like a Cormac McCarthy sentence, you know things got weird. 

Every batter in the lineup outside of Acuña reached base safely.

18-year-old Yovanny Duran displayed an elder understanding of what it means to hit leadoff, earning two hits and two walks in four plate appearances. He also stole three bases, perhaps revealing that he may secretly be Rickey Henderson in a teenager’s body. 

Reliever Cristian Hernandez provided bulk innings in an impressive manner, totaling 5 ⅓ frames with two earned runs. He struck out seven, his second-highest total this year outside his 11 K outing on June 16th.

Minor league rehabbers Bryan Acuña and Michael Carpenter played in the game, with the former going 0-4 and the latter earning two outs with 30 pitches before being relieved.

Center fielder Harold Rivas ranks as the 18th-best prospect in the Red Sox system, and he went 1-4 with a run scored. 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Cristian Hernandez
Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Hendry Mendez ft. Yovanny Duran

PROSPECT SUMMARY
Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed:

#1 – Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 1-5, R, K
#5 – Marek Houston (Wichita) - 2-4, RBI, K
#7 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, K
#10 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 3-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
#11 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-4
#14 – Khadim Diaw (Wichita) - 1-4, 2B, RBI
#15 – Brandon Winokur (Wichita) - 1-3, 2 R, BB
#17 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 1-4, HR, R, 4 RBI

THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
Columbus @ St. Paul (7:07 PM) - RHP Ricky Castro
Midland @ Wichita (7:05 PM) - RHP Cory Lewis
Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (6:05 PM) - RHP Kolten Smith
Fort Myers @ St. Lucie (3:00 PM) - RHP Reed Moring
Fort Myers @ St. Lucie (Game Two) - TBD
FCL Twins @ FCL Orioles (9:00 AM) - TBD
DSL Twins @ DSL Tigers 2 (10:00 AM) - TBD

 

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[mikelink45]

Fedko back in St Paul after 0 for Minneapolis and hits a HR. Watching the Saints hit bombs and wondering what it means?  Is it just that easy in St Paul?  Is AAA pitching that bad?  

[glunn]

Excellent writeup.

[Sampson5]

Any idea when Culpeper will be getting off the il ? Miss watching him abuse AAA pitchers 🥲 also be nice to have him knocking on the door of a call up again now that kriedler trending back down to earth as a hitter so unfortunate that all our good prospects immediately get hurt before they get called up hopefully that changes personally think Culpeper & Jenkins can help the twins make the playoffs assuming they open up room while also adding some additional pitching help with whoever they can replace at the deadline 

[terrydactyls]

4 hours ago, Sampson5 said:

Any idea when Culpeper will be getting off the il ? Miss watching him abuse AAA pitchers 🥲 also be nice to have him knocking on the door of a call up again now that kriedler trending back down to earth as a hitter so unfortunate that all our good prospects immediately get hurt before they get called up hopefully that changes personally think Culpeper & Jenkins can help the twins make the playoffs assuming they open up room while also adding some additional pitching help with whoever they can replace at the deadline 

The use of punctuation is allowed.

[terrydactyls]

4 hours ago, glunn said:

Excellent writeup.

Except for the Pulitzer Prize effort paragraph about Marek Houston breaking some mold (?) and Khadim Diaw's double.  I've read and re-read that paragraph and still have no idea what the hell happened.

[stringer bell]

6 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

Is it just that easy in St Paul?  Is AAA pitching that bad?  

To quote the Chief “yes”. 

[Possumlad]

5 hours ago, Sampson5 said:

Any idea when Culpeper will be getting off the il ? Miss watching him abuse AAA pitchers 🥲 also be nice to have him knocking on the door of a call up again now that kriedler trending back down to earth as a hitter so unfortunate that all our good prospects immediately get hurt before they get called up hopefully that changes personally think Culpeper & Jenkins can help the twins make the playoffs assuming they open up room while also adding some additional pitching help with whoever they can replace at the deadline 

IF Kaelen Culpepper (Twins' No. 2 prospect)

Injury: Left glute injury

IL date: July 7 (7-day IL)

Expected return: Late July

Status: Expected to be in games by the end of the week. Unclear whether that will be in a rehab assignment or if he will go straight to Triple-A. (Last updated: July 20

[Major League Ready]

Glad to see they got Wachsmann signed.  None of these signings are updated in the MLB draft tracker.  Is there another source?

[Russ]

Any hopeful return date for Emmanuel Rodriguez?

[Matt Braun]

2 hours ago, terrydactyls said:

Except for the Pulitzer Prize effort paragraph about Marek Houston breaking some mold (?) and Khadim Diaw's double.  I've read and re-read that paragraph and still have no idea what the hell happened.

I cannot be held responsible for what gets written in the delirium of the final game of the night (you are correct, that paragraph was confusing). 

[Dman]

1 hour ago, Major League Ready said:

Glad to see they got Wachsmann signed.  None of these signings are updated in the MLB draft tracker.  Is there another source?

The only source I saw was Jim Callis via Bleacher report on X.  He doesn't have all the Twins players, but ones on TD look like the same ones he tweeted.

[jmlease1]

9 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

Fedko back in St Paul after 0 for Minneapolis and hits a HR. Watching the Saints hit bombs and wondering what it means?  Is it just that easy in St Paul?  Is AAA pitching that bad?  

Bad probably isn't the right word for it, but the gap between AAA and MLB is pretty big right now, which makes it challenging for some of these guys. Approaches that work in AAA don't always translate to MLB. 

[terrydactyls]

1 hour ago, Matt Braun said:

I cannot be held responsible for what gets written in the delirium of the final game of the night (you are correct, that paragraph was confusing). 

So what did happen?

[rdehring]

No problem, Matt.  Loved your reference to diners, drive-ins and dives.

The best news of the day for me is that Wallner went deep, took a couple walks and didn't strike out.  He needs to heat up over the next week so some GM might think he has some value.  Would also be best for Matt to get into a new organization, likely one with an opening at DH.

[DJL44]

“proving controversial enough to cause the RockHounds umpire to be ejected”

I have never heard of an umpire getting ejected. Pretty sure that’s wrong.

[Dman]

7 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

Glad to see they got Wachsmann signed.  None of these signings are updated in the MLB draft tracker.  Is there another source?

Tracker has been updated.  I show Twins saved $178,000 in the top 10 picks and that gets whittled down to $68,400 after over slot in the 11-20 rounds.  Still one pick unsigned not sure if they would over slot or not or if Twins needed extra money for free agents, but at least for now it looks like there is some left.