Twins Minor League Report (7/30): Vahn Lackey, Carson Tinney Make Pro Debuts in Fort Myers

[Seth Stohs]

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Vahn Lackey)

TRANSACTIONS   
Late-Night Twins Trade
In case you went to bed early on Thursday night, you missed the Twins first trade deadline deal. I mean, unless you consider the Tommy Nance trade three weeks ago close enough to the deadline. Jeff Passan was the first to announce that the Twins have acquired left-handed reliever A.J. Minter from the New York Mets. Soon after, we learned that Wichita infielder Billy Amick and Fort Myers infielder Bruin Agbayani head to the Mets in return. For much more discussion on the trade, click here.  

2026 Draft Picks
The Twins placed six of their 2026 draft picks on the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. Five of them made their professional debut on Thursday. Top pick Vahn Lackey (Georgia Tech) will be hitting third and playing behind the plate. Second-round pick Carson Tinney (will be DHing and batting fourth. 11th round pick Aidan Teel (Mississippi State) is batting fifth and playing in right field. 12th rounder Colby Turner (Michigan) is batting sixth and playing at the hot corner. Isaiah Lane (Hope International, was transferring to Arizona State), 13th round, will be playing shortstop and batting seventh. In addition, 14th round pick Charlie Scholvin (Toledo) was also assigned to the Mussels and will make his professional debut when he gets into a game. 

With six new hitters being added to the Mussels roster, obviously something had to give. Catcher Luis Hernandez and outfielders Byron Chourio and Jayson Bass were promoted from Fort Myers to Cedar Rapids. Outfielder Ricardo Paez and catcher Victor Leal were assigned to the FCL Twins from the Mussels.  

Infielders Henry Kusiak and Rayne Doncon were released by the Twins. They were both at Cedar Rapids. 

Infielder Jorel Ortega was activated from Wichita’s Development list. Meanwhile UT Jay Thomason was placed on the temporary inactive list by the Surge. 

After a week-long return to Wichita, Tanner Schobel is back with the Saints. 

Ufdah! 

More NDFAs from the MLBDL
Following the draft, the Twins quickly signed four non-drafted free agents, all pitches. However, they continue to add talent to the organization. 

On Wednesday, they signed RHP Finnegan Wall who was playing for the Aberdeen IronBirds in the MLB Draft League. The 23-year-old (turns 24 in about two weeks) pitched at UC-Irvine from 2022-2026. He missed the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery. His parents went to college in southern California and eventually went to acting school. In fact, have you ever seen the movie Gold Dust? Wall’s father, David, was an actor and director in that movie. His mom had a role in the movie as well. Finnegin also had a role in that feature film.  

They also signed right-handed pitcher Kurt Barr from the Williamsport Crosscutters Barr’s first start at Michigan in February of 2023 against Finnegan Wall’s UC-Irvine squad. He pitched for Michigan from 2023-2026. In 2026, the senior was named third-team All-Big 10. He is said to have a deceptive delivery, and has a 12-6 curveball that can be very good. He was a teammate of Twins 12th round pick in this year’s draft, Colby Turner. 

On Thursday, the Twins signed catcher Jimmy Keenan from the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the MLB Draft League. In nine games, he was hitting .222/.405/.667 (1.072) with a double, a triple, and three home runs. Keenan went to St. John’s in 2023 and 2024. He then transferred to Wake Forest for the last two seasons. In 2025, he hit .246/.405/.509 (.914) with five doubles, two triples, and seven home runs in 44 games. In 38 games in 2026, he hit .217/.396/.406 (.801) with five doubles and five home runs. 

SAINTS SENTINEL
St. Paul 4, Omaha 1  
Box Score
The Saints jumped up to an early lead with a three-run top of the first inning and then held on thanks to a terrific start followed by strong bullpen work. 

The Saints got started right away in the top of the first inning in Omaha. Kaelen Culpepper led off with a single. Kyler Fedko walked. After Walker Jenkins struck out, Aaron Sabato launched a towering home run on a 2-1 fastball. It was Sabato’s 19th home run of the season and he now has 59 RBI. He later added his 25th double in this game. There’s no doubt that he has earned an opportunity in the big leagues. It’s hard to imagine that happening with the Twins, but he’s putting up numbers that one would think the other 29 organizations are noticing too.   

Ryan Gallagher’s Triple-A time has been mixed with a few solid outings and several really rough games. This was a strong start. The right-hander went 5 2/3 innings and gave up one run on three hits. He walked three and had six strikeouts. 

From there, Eduardo Salazar, John Klein, and Julian Merryweather took over. Combined they faced 10 batters and got all 10 batters out, seven on strikeouts. 

The Saints scored their four runs on four hits and three walks. As noted, Sabato had a double and a homer in four at-bats. 

WIND SURGE WISDOM
Wichita 1, Springfield 6 
Box Score
Like the Saints, Wichita got on the board first. The Surge scored a single run in the top of the first inning. Unfortunately, that was it for their offense, and the Cardinals affiliate put two crooked numbers on the board. 

Marek Houston continued his hot hitting streak. He led off the game with his eighth Double-A double. With two outs, Houston was still on second. Andrew Cossetti picked up his teammates by dropping a single into the outfield which allowed Houston to score the first run. 

Last time out, Chris Vallimont threw the first five innings of a combined no-hitter. He was solid on Thursday night too. He went five innings. In the fourth inning, he gave up a one-out, two-run homer to Deniel Ortiz. Vallimont went five innings and gave up those two runs on three hits. He had five strikeouts without any walks. 

Darren Bowen worked in the no-hit game as well, but this was a rough one for the talented reliever. He was charged with four runs on three hits and three walks, and he recorded just two outs. Jaylin Nowlin came in and got the final out of the sixth inning without allowing the two inherited runners to score. Nowlin struck out two in 1 1/3 innings. Kyle Bischoff gave up one hit in a scoreless eighth inning. 

The Wind Surge had two hits in the first inning. They had just three more hits in the next eight innings at the plate. However, they had chances to do more because Cardinals pitchers issued seven walks and hit four Surge batters. However, they went just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base. 

Houston was 1-for-4 with a double and his eighth double. He also stole his 15th base. Jaime Ferrer hit his ninth double, the only other extra base hit. Khadim Diaw had a single, a walk, and was hit by a batter. Brandon Winokur walked twice and was hit by a pitch. Kala'i Rosario was hit by a pitch and walked. Along with his RBI single in the first, Cossetti stole his third base of the season. 

KERNELS CHRONICLES
Cedar Rapids 4, Peoria 5
Box Score
Like the Saints and the Wind Surge, the Kernels took the game’s first lead in the first inning. They got a terrific start. They added a run. The Cardinals High-A affiliate scored in just one inning. Unfortunately, they scored five runs in that inning to take the lead and held on to beat the Kernels. 

Jacob McCombs led off the bottom of the first inning with his sixth home run of the season. 

Yasser Mercedes followed with a double. He scored on an Eduardo Tait single to make it 2-0. Danny De Andrade came up next and doubled to left to drive in Tait and make it 3-0. 

It’s been a tough season for Adrian Bohorquez, but he was fantastic on Thursday. He went four scoreless innings and didn’t give up any hits. He walked one, hit one, and had six strikeouts. 

Cole Perschl came on and tossed two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked two and had two strikeouts. 

With one out in the top of the sixth inning, Dameury Pena and Miguel Briceno walked. Andy Lugo followed with a single to left to drive in Pena and make it 4-0. 

Christian Becerra came in for the seventh inning. He gave up five runs (4 earned) on two hits (both homers) and two walks. 

Yehizon Sanchez struck out three batters over two scoreless innings . 

The Kernels scored their four runs on just five hits and five walks McCombs walked twice to go with his sixth home run of the season. Miguel Briceno had two walks in the game. Mercedes’ double was his 15th with the Kernels, and De Andrade’s double was his 13th.  

MIGHTY MATTERS
Fort Myers 3, Palm Beach 9
Box Score
The Mussels didn’t score first, like the other Twins affiliates. And, they gave up runs in six of nine innings to the Cardinals’ Low-A affiliate. The Mussels were unable to get much going with their bats, but it was a fun game to watch if you’re into prospects. The Mussels lineup included five players that were drafted earlier this month including their top two picks, Vahn Lackey and Carson Tinney. In addition, Emmanuel Rodriguez continued his rehab from more wrist issues. 

Eric Hammond started and gave up two runs (1 earned) on four hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings. He had seven strikeouts. Adam Falinski came on and gave up one run on one hit and two walks. Nick McAuliffe was charged with two runs (1 earned) on four walks over two innings. Michael Hilker gave up four runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings. He had two strikeouts. Billy Oldham came in and got the final out. 

The Mussels scored their three runs on four hits and four walks. They also were hit by a pitch three times, back-to-back-to-back. 

Emmanuel Rodriguez batted second and played center field. He went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. He played seven innings on defense before being replaced by Jhomnardo Reyes. In three rehab games with the Mussels, he is 2-for-11 with eight strikeouts. 

Vahn Lackey, the Twins top pick in the 2026 draft, made his professional debut. He batted third and was the team’s catcher. He walked in his first plate appearance. He soon followed with his first pro stolen base. He grounded out his next time up. He then walked again. His final time at the plate, he was hit in the left shoulder by a pitch. So, in his pro debut, Lackey went 0-for-1 with two walks, was hit by a pitch, and stole a base. Behind the plate, he had an error on a pick-off attempt at first base. He also had a passed ball.     

There is talk that he will quickly move up to Cedar Rapids, but I’d like to see him stay in Fort Myers, at least through the weekend. The last time he played a competitive game was June 1st when #2-ranked Georgia Tech was eliminated by the eventual College World Series champion Oklahoma. Let him get 3-10 games under his belt, playing with draft classmates, developing relationships with the Mussels players, coaches, trainers and other staff in Fort Myers. He’ll move up fast, but there is no push in terms of where he needs to be by season’s end. Whether he ends the 2026 season in Cedar Rapids or Wichita will likely have no impact on their decision for where he will start the 2027 season. 

Mussels, Kernels, and Wind Surge Schedules (BOLD where I would have him assigned)
7/31 - 8/2 - Fort Myers (home), Cedar Rapids (home), @ Springfield
8/4 - 8/9 - @ Bradenton, @ South Bend, @ NW Arkansas
8/11 - 8/16 - Clearwater (home), Wisconsin (home), Corpus Christi (home)
8/18 - 8/23 - @ Palm Beach, @ Beloit, @ Frisco 
8/25 - 8/30 - Bradenton (home), Lake County (home), Arkansas (home)
9/1 - 9/6 - @ Clearwater, @ South Bend, @ Tulsa 
9/8 - 9/13 - Mussels and Kernels seasons complete, Frisco (home)  
9/15 - 9/20 - Mussels, Kernels and Wind Surge seasons complete. Saints play in Columbus. Could he get one extra week of games in?

They could do a similar schedule with second-round pick Carson Tinney who also made his professional debut on Thursday night. He struck out in his first at-bat before walking in his next two plate appearances. He was hit by a pitch in his final plate appearance. Like Lackey, Tinney was 0-for-1 with two walks and was hit by a pitch. He batted fourth and was the DH. 

Batting fifth for the Mussels in this game was Aidan Teel. The Twins 11th round pick from Mississippi State debuted. He struck out in his first at-bat. He then reached on an infield single that could have easily been called an error. Teel, whose older brother Kyle Teel is a catcher with the White Sox, went 1-for-3, and he was the third Mussels batter to be hit by a pitch in a row in the eighth inning. 

Colby Turner, the team’s 12th round pick from Michigan went 1-for-4. After a strikeout, he dropped a single into center for an RBI. He batted sixth and played third base.  

Finally, Isaiah Lane went 1-for-4 in his debut. He played second base and batted seventh. He had the lone extra base hit, a double down the left field line. He made several plays with his glove. Lane went to NAIA Hope International and had committed to going to Arizona State via the transfer portal before signing with the Twins. 

Infielder Charlie Scholvin is the other 2026 draft pick who was added to the Mussels roster on Thursday. The 14th round pick from Toledo will certainly be in the lineup on Friday. 

The team was 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left six on base. Murphy Hernandez hit a single and stole his 28th base for Fort Myers. 

COMPLEX CHRONICLES
DSL Twins 5, DSL Rangers 4
Box Score
The Twins fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first inning. Neither team scored until the bottom of the fifth when the Twins got on the scoreboard. With one out, Fabian Ulloa tripled and scored on a Luis Duarte single to make it 1-1, 

That’s where the score remained until the eighth inning. The Rangers scored three in the top of the inning. But the Twins responded with three of their own in the bottom of the inning. 

Alam Soriano made the start and tossed the first three. He gave up one run on three hits. He walked two and had four strikeouts. Yosangel Braffit was impressive. He struck out seven batters over four scoreless innings. He gave up three hits and walked none. Herkyn Taveras gave up three runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings. Jeremy Jimenez got the final four outs 

The Twins scored their five runs on nine hits and five walks. Fabian Ulloa led the way. He went 2-for-3 with a walk, his sixth double and his first triple. He is now hitting .338. Jefferson Abreu was the only other multi-hit player. He was 2-for-4. He had the only other extra base hit, his fourth double. Abel Sosa and Enmanuel Merlo each had a single and a walk. Jendy Martinez walked twice. 

PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Hitter(s) of the Day  
Aaron Sabato (St. Paul): 2-for-4, 2B(25), HR(19), R, 3 RBI(59)
Fabian Ulloa (DSL Twins): 2-for-3, BB, 2B(6), 3B(1), R, RBI, K

Pitcher(s) of the Day 
Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul): 5 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 K, 94 pitches, 56 strikes (59.6%)
Adrian Bohorquez (Cedar Rapids): 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 63 pitches, 41 strikes (65.1%)
Yosangel Braffit (DSL Twins): 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K, 

PROSPECT SUMMARY
Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. Notice that the prospect rankings have been updated to include the Twins 2026 Draft picks. 

#1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, R, K (batted third, played LF)
#2 - C Vahn Lackey (Fort Myers) - 0-for-1, 2 BB, HBP, R, SB(1) (pro debut, batted third, catcher)
#3 - IF Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, R, 3 K (batted first, played SS)
#4 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - Rehab(FM): 0-for-3, 3 K (batted second, played CF)
#5 - SS Marek Houston (Wichita) - 1-for-4, BB, 2B(8), R, K, SB(15) (batted first, played SS)
#7 - C Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, R, RBI (batted second, played catcher)
#10 - OF Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 0-for-2, BB, HBP (Batted sixth, played LF) .
#11 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-for-4 (batted fifth, played RF)
#13 - C Carson Tinney (Fort Myers) - 0-for-1, 2 BB, HBP, R, K (pro debut, batted fourth, DHd)
#14 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (Wichita) - 1-for-3, BB, HBP (batted second, DHd)
#15 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (Wichita) - 0-for-1, 2 BB, HBP, K (batted fifth, played 3B) 
#18 - RHP Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul) - 5 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 94 pitches, 56 strikes (59.6%)

UPCOMING PROBABLES
Friday, July 31
St. Paul @ Omaha (7:05 pm CT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (2-1, 2.92 ERA) 
Wichita @ Springfield (7:05 pm CT) - RHP Sam Armstrong (5-8, 4.92 ERA)
Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 pm CT) - LHP Dasan Hill (1-8, 6.21 ERA)  
Palm Beach @ Ft. Myers (6:05 pm CT) - RHP Matt Barr (0-0, 16.88 ERA)  
FCL Twins - Season Complete. 
DSL Twins @ DSL Rockies (10:00 am CT) - TBD

CURRENT W-L Records
Minnesota Twins: 55-55
St. Paul Saints: 60-44
Wichita Wind Surge: 37-60
Cedar Rapids Kernels: 38-59
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 52-45
FCL Twins: 33-26
DSL Twins: 11-29 

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

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[Cory Engelhardt]

Seeing Jenkins play in left field is interesting to me. Makes me think his debut might not be all that far away after all.

And it sure was fun to see Lackey’s name in the box score. They got a good one with him 

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

Another informative and detailed roundup of the minor league games. I love this stuff. Thanks, Seth! Finally getting to see Lackey and the other draft picks in some real games. Fun times. 

[DJL44]

Walker Jenkins has been struggling. He’s hit .254/.359/.388 over the last 28 days. I don’t think he needs a reset in Double-A but maybe drop him in the lineup to take some pressure off him.

[Seth Stohs]

2 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Walker Jenkins has been struggling. He’s hit .254/.359/.388 over the last 28 days. I don’t think he needs a reset in Double-A but maybe drop him in the lineup to take some pressure off him.

No chance of that. Look at the lineups at every level. The top 3 hitters are the top 3 prospects most days. Also, a .750 slugging percentage is like 2% below league average OPS+ this year. He's not doing great, but if this is struggling, we might want to review our expectations for Jenkins or any prospect.

[DJL44]

6 minutes ago, Seth Stohs said:

No chance of that. Look at the lineups at every level. The top 3 hitters are the top 3 prospects most days. Also, a .750 slugging percentage is like 2% below league average OPS+ this year. He's not doing great, but if this is struggling, we might want to review our expectations for Jenkins or any prospect.

I am being a little tongue in cheek here, but I have no idea why people think someone who is currently a below average hitter in AAA will be an offensive savior in the majors immediately.

[DJL44]

Exciting stuff happening in Fort Myers

[chpettit19]

33 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

I am being a little tongue in cheek here, but I have no idea why people think someone who is currently a below average hitter in AAA will be an offensive savior in the majors immediately.

Talent. I don't know that people (well, not all people, at least) hoping to see Jenkins think he'll be a "savior." But I think it's reasonable to think his talent will play better than at least a handful of guys currently on the major league roster. Luke Keaschall was a 93 wRC+ bat in AAA. But he's talented. Not Jenkins talented, but more talented than most of our other options. So, he was able to perform well in the majors last year just based on pure swing decision and contact talent. Jenkins has more of that talent than Keaschall.

Numbers don't translate level to level. In either direction (good or bad). I don't know what Jenkins will do in his first taste of the bigs, but I'm quite confident in watching his PAs that he won't be overwhelmed. He'll take good at bats and put the bat on the ball. That's more than at least a few current Twins players can do.

[Old Twins Hat]

Seems like the low minors pitchers like it when millionaire prospects step up to the plate -- plunk, plunk, plunk.

Welcome to the Bigs Vaughn and Carson.!