Twins Minor League Report (8/19): A Wind Surge Classic in Sweltering Heat

[Matt Braun]

Image courtesy of Charisma Jones (photo of Riley Quick)

 

TRANSACTIONS

No moves were made on Wednesday.

Saints Sentinel

The Saints echoed traffic on Wednesday, with a start-stop nature that eventually resulted in the game being suspended in the bottom of the third. Unlike Traffic, they were not Feelin’ Alright. Play will resume on August 20th. 

Wind Surge Wisdom
Wichita 9, Frisco 8
Box Score
Riley Quick: 4 ⅓ IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
HR: Garrett Spain (22)
Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (2-for-5, 2B, R), Kyle DeBarge (2-for-5, R, 3 RBI), Jay Thomason (2-for-2, R, RBI, 3 BB)

“Now we’ve got that damned Cowboy,” exclaimed Senator Mark Hanna when President William McKinley’s death thrust the youthful Theodore Roosevelt into the highest office in the land. Though his ascent to power was under shocking a macabre haze, the nation’s 26th President would go down as one of its finest, embodying the spirit and vigor of the nascent west with a unique character that continues to reverberate throughout the ages.

The Rough Riders were, of course, a volunteer cavalry in the Spanish-American war, led by former Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt, who resigned his office to fight in Cuba (and he may not even be the most famous Roosevelt to hold the position). Their charge up San Juan Hill remains a defining and iconic story; with the heroic Roosevelt charging head-first into battle, as if death were a mere minor obstacle to be trampled and overcome, much like other challenges in the New York native’s life.

So, why does Frisco carry his namesake? Other than the fact that his men consisted of many Texans, the connection between the parent Rangers and the Rough Riders as  bandolier-strapped enforcers of justice seems to be the key. And also the fact that the affable, outgoing President remains an easily identifiable figure in American culture doesn’t seem to hurt (look, considering some of the stuff minor league teams pull, the logic here isn’t as strained as you may think). 

The Wind Surge won in a thriller on Wednesday.

Meager his introduction to AA may have been, Riley Quick revealed why he’s such a well-regarded prospect. The righty punched out eight across 4 ⅓ innings, driving boring sinkers into right-handed hitters while corkscrewing batters off all handedness with dastardly breaking balls. The strikeout total was his highest since whiffing nine on June 11th.

Marek Houston started matters with a single of Ben Anderson, twin brother of Ian—not the Jethro Tull guy—and advanced to third on a stray pickoff attempt. A Brandon Winokur walk put men on the corners; a Caden Kendle double plated one; a Kyle DeBarge single added two more. Winokur knocked in Houston the second for a fourth run.

The RoughRiders marked Quick with his lone blemish when he unleashed a run-scoring wild pitch in the third, a score soon matched by the Wind Surge in the fifth off a DeBarge groundout.

Sitting at 5-1, Frisco pounced on the incoming Sam Armstrong for a four-run flurry, sending the right-hander in a tizzy as Quick’s hard work was quickly rendered obsolete.

The wonderfully powerful Garrett Spain kicked off a seventh-inning response, shooting an opposite field blast sailing into an empty and sad-looking Peak Porch.

Two more came around to score in the frame off a Graham Brown single.

Unfortunately, Frisco responded. Despite the 100+ degree temperatures, no one was content with packing it in and going home. They matched the Wind Surge volley with one swing: a three-run blast that could have defeated the morals of a lesser-inclined squad.

Once more, Wichita went to work. Spain walked. An error allowed him to reach third. Hoping to end things for good, Jay Thomason grounded a sharp bounding ball through the middle, easily ushering in Spain to give the team a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Mitch Mueller slammed the door in the ninth.

Superstar prospect Sebastian Walcott DH’d for the RoughRiders on Wednesday. The 9th-overall youngster on MLB.com’s top 100 list went 0-5 with a pair of strikeouts. 

Kernels Nuggets
Cedar Rapids 1, Beloit 5 
Box Score
Reed Moring: 3 ⅓ IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
HR: Irvin Nunez (1)
Multi-hit games: None

The Kernels were solidly beat on Wednesday.

No one knows quite how Reed Moring did it. Six hits and four walks across 10 outs should have resulted in at least one run, if not a bushel of scores. Yet, the magician out of Santa Cruz navigated and tamed the flames, somehow escaping with the squeaky clean line of a perfectly efficient hurler.

Ross Dunn wasn’t so lucky; the fires from before singed him for three earned runs, ballooning his ERA as the burning metaphor reached its logical conclusion. 

Irvin Nunez socked a solo homer for the Kernels’ lone run of the day. 

Byron Chourio enjoyed a relatively tepid, yet still successful day at the plate for the Kernels, doubling and walking to push his A+ slash line to .318/.423/.682 in 11 games. The same goes for JP Smith II, whose hit-and-a-walk outing moved his Cedar Rapids line to .333/.464/.644 in 14 games.

You may recognize the name Starlyn Caba. The shortstop was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Jesús Luzardo to Philadelphia before the 2025 season. He collected two hits and walked twice in five plate appearances.

Mussel Matters
Fort Myers 4, Palm Beach 8
Box Score
Matt Barr: 2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
HR: Colby Turner (1)
Multi-hit games: Colby Turner (3-for-5, HR, 2 R, RBI)

The Mighty Mussels were bested on Wednesday.

Don’t blame Colby Turner, mighty in stroke and singular in vision was he. The 12th-rounder out of Michigan waited through a rain delay—sitting, pondering how he may look to start the game as the leadoff hitter—and pounced on the first pitch he saw, lasering the offering 107.5 MPH out to left field. The ball may have left a vapor trail as it sliced through the air. 

The run portended two disastrous early frames, in which Matt Barr surrendered four runs in the second, and Melvin Rodriguez saw three more touch home in the third. Though the Cardinals would only score once more, the damage had been done.

Fort Myers tacked on a run in the sixth off a Vahn Lackey RBI groundout and pushed two more across in the eighth thanks to a moon-scraping triple by Aidan Teel. 

Quentin Young accomplished a dubious feat on Wednesday, collecting his 29th, and 30th errors of the season. Billed a raw prospect, the youngster may need an entire McCormick factory’s worth of seasoning on defense. 

Palm Beach centerfielder Alexander Frias ranks as the fourth-best prospect in the Cardinals system. He went 1-5 with two strikeouts.

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Riley Quick
Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Colby Turner

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

#2 – Vahn Lackey (Fort Myers) - 1-3, R, RBI, 2 BB
#3 – Kaelen Culpepper (Twins) - 3-4, R
#4 – Marek Houston (Wichita) - 2-5, 2B, R
#5 – Riley Quick (Wichita) - 4 ⅓ IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
#8 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K
#11 – Carson Tinney (Fort Myers) - 0-4, 2 K
#12 – Brandon Winokur (Wichita) - 1-4, R, RBI, BB, 2 K
#18 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 0-3, BB, 2 K
#19 – Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids) - 0-5, 4 K

THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
St. Paul @ Columbus (11:05 AM) - RHP Trent Baker
Wichita @ Frisco (7:05 PM) - RHP Preston Johnson
Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:05 PM) - RHP Adrian Bohorquez
Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30 PM) - RHP Cristian Hernandez

 

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[Dman]

Nice to see Quick with a dominant outing at AA.  He's no Zebby when it comes to walks, but he sure has had the stuff to K batters from his first start in pro ball.  Really excited about Quick, but the lack of control worries me. More work to do, but he sure look like a front of the rotation starter if he can find some decent control.

Kendle 2 for 4 with walk.  Both extra bases a double and home run to keep his BA at .,400 and up his OPS 1.151 at AA.  He's been on a heater since July and doesn't appear to be slowing down.  If they move some guys from AAA to MLB I wonder if Kendle gets a shot at AAA this year.

[terrydactyls]

The paragraph about Colby Turner was quite melodious, but no where did you mention that the 107.5 MPH laser beam didn't just go to left field.  It left the park.  It would have been nice if you had mentioned that minor detail.

[Cory Engelhardt]

So Jenkins DID homer in the game that was cut short. Does that count in real life or no? 

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

Quentin Young accomplished a dubious feat on Wednesday, collecting his 29th, and 30th errors of the season. Billed a raw prospect, the youngster may need an entire McCormick factory’s worth of seasoning on defense. 

Great description! Sounds like Young's future may be as a DH.

 

[tony&rodney]

7 hours ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

So Jenkins DID homer in the game that was cut short. Does that count in real life or no? 

Yes, it counts .... because the game was suspended and will continue on today before the regularly scheduled game.

Watched Riley Quick last night and wondered what exactly the pitching coaches show him and/or suggest as skills that Riley needs to refine to prepare himself for the future. Quick has a couple of plus pitches but it looks like he struggles to repeat his delivery. The command within the strike zone will need to improve, but he is a big fellow and can overpower hitters. Quick will be one to watch because he could move through the system.

[DJL44]

13 minutes ago, Bangkok Twins Fan said:

Quentin Young accomplished a dubious feat on Wednesday, collecting his 29th, and 30th errors of the season. Billed a raw prospect, the youngster may need an entire McCormick factory’s worth of seasoning on defense. 

Great description! Sounds like Young's future may be as a DH.

 

Young is currently following the Keoni Cavaco development path 

[Road trip]

2 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Young is currently following the Keoni Cavaco development path 

Young is striking out at what has to be an unprecedented rate.  176 K's in 351 at bats.  I can't fathom how he could stay in the Top 20 prospect list much longer.

[rdehring]

My son was celebrating his 45th birthday last night with his family at the Saints-Clippers game.  Asked him to tell me what he thought of Jenkins.  Got a text after the game started late, "first at bat home run,"

How can you not be excited about Quick.  I may not remember this right, but weren't his innings during college limited by injury?  There is hope, like Prielipp he will get better as he gains more experience.  Hopefully, much better.

Was excited when I saw that Moring pitched 3+ shutout innings.  That was before I saw he put 10 runners on base.  

[Mike Sixel]

Here is a link right to the witchita highlights that doesn't require you to go to a site where the owner thinks we should kill people, among other things 

https://www.milb.com/wichita/video/topic/t3898-default-vtp

This isn't hard. 

[jmlease1]

2 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Young is currently following the Keoni Cavaco development path 

This is silly, unless you're trying to just preemptively declare Young a bust.

But if you want to write off every toolsy, high-ceiling, low floor prospect the Twins draft at age 19 because Cavaco was a bust...I guess you can?

But for someone to actually be following Cavaco's development path, then they need to miss their first full professional year and not actually play because of a global pandemic. Fortunately, Young is not having to face that. Cavaco probably still busts anyways, but missing an entire season of development not because of injury or anything but because they simply didn't have minor league ball and there was nothing he could do about it certainly put a barrier up for Cavaco. It's a bummer he couldn't clear that, but he's ain't the first teenager to not be able to hit as a pro and he won't be the last. (Cavaco also had basically one healthy season as a pro, which is almost certainly another reason why he didn't ever put it together)

Young has real power potential and also has to date a better OPS than Cavaco achieved in a full (or mostly full season) at any level. He's also far from the first guy to struggle defensively finding a position at 19 and botch up a ton of errors. I wouldn't put him high on my prospect rankings; I tend to be skeptical of these kinds of toolsy high school prospects until they show more in the minors...but functionally calling him a bust in his first full pro season is kind of ridiculous.

[FlyingFinn]

3 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Young is currently following the Keoni Cavaco development path

The one big difference is the amount of power Young is showing (I don't remember Cavaco showing much of anything at any time).

[LambchoP]

Hopefully Quick can build on this outing and continue his development while staying healthy. We don't have too many arms in our top prospects lists so Quick will be important.

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, LambchoP said:

Hopefully Quick can build on this outing and continue his development while staying healthy. We don't have too many arms in our top prospects lists so Quick will be important.

Concur.

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

This is silly, unless you're trying to just preemptively declare Young a bust.

But if you want to write off every toolsy, high-ceiling, low floor prospect the Twins draft at age 19 because Cavaco was a bust...I guess you can?

But for someone to actually be following Cavaco's development path, then they need to miss their first full professional year and not actually play because of a global pandemic. Fortunately, Young is not having to face that. Cavaco probably still busts anyways, but missing an entire season of development not because of injury or anything but because they simply didn't have minor league ball and there was nothing he could do about it certainly put a barrier up for Cavaco. It's a bummer he couldn't clear that, but he's ain't the first teenager to not be able to hit as a pro and he won't be the last. (Cavaco also had basically one healthy season as a pro, which is almost certainly another reason why he didn't ever put it together)

Young has real power potential and also has to date a better OPS than Cavaco achieved in a full (or mostly full season) at any level. He's also far from the first guy to struggle defensively finding a position at 19 and botch up a ton of errors. I wouldn't put him high on my prospect rankings; I tend to be skeptical of these kinds of toolsy high school prospects until they show more in the minors...but functionally calling him a bust in his first full pro season is kind of ridiculous.

He might not be a bust now, but he’s headed in that general direction. He’s clearly less interesting now than he was on draft day.

He is striking out over 40% of the time and has been awful on defense. He will probably end up in Fort Myers for a 3rd straight season.

[Obsvr]

13 hours ago, terrydactyls said:

The paragraph about Colby Turner was quite melodious, but no where did you mention that the 107.5 MPH laser beam didn't just go to left field.  It left the park.  It would have been nice if you had mentioned that minor detail.

when the writing is this self indulgent, the game details matter very little.

[jmlease1]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

He might not be a bust now, but he’s headed in that general direction. He’s clearly less interesting now than he was on draft day.

He is striking out over 40% of the time and has been awful on defense. He will probably end up in Fort Myers for a 3rd straight season.

"3rd straight season"? let not pretend the cup of coffee he got last year after being drafted counts as anything more than a cameo. 5 games and 22 PA's is not now, nor has it ever been "a season".

he might end up back at Ft. Myers, but he's still going to be a year younger than the average age down there. If you start declaring kids like this to be busts after 1 season at 19 you might as well never draft another HS player.

And I say this as someone who isn't a big fan of Quentin Young.

[DJL44]

7 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

"3rd straight season"? let not pretend the cup of coffee he got last year after being drafted counts as anything more than a cameo. 5 games and 22 PA's is not now, nor has it ever been "a season".

he might end up back at Ft. Myers, but he's still going to be a year younger than the average age down there. If you start declaring kids like this to be busts after 1 season at 19 you might as well never draft another HS player.

And I say this as someone who isn't a big fan of Quentin Young.

Young is the same age as Fragoza with a very different trajectory 

[jmlease1]

8 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Young is the same age as Fragoza with a very different trajectory 

and you probably would have called Fragoza a bust at the start of the season (if you'd been aware of him enough to care) because he "repeated a level for the 3rd straight season", since he started this year back in rookie ball.

Fragoza has had 3 great months. That's awesome and good news for the franchise, but there's also a reason why people are writing things on this site saying "let's calm down on Fragoza a little". Too soon to be all-in on Fragoza, despite this great run of hitting. Too soon to cut bait on Young, despite his many many many errors and K's.

[Mike Sixel]

I agree it is too soon to call Young a bust, but if you aren't worried at this point.....I don't know. He can't play SS and he strikes out more than I did back in the day....

[DJL44]

58 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

I agree it is too soon to call Young a bust, but if you aren't worried at this point.....I don't know. He can't play SS and he strikes out more than I did back in the day....

The biggest reason for my pessimism is he’s had a year’s worth of practice and reps and the results don’t appear to be getting any better. He hasn’t improved his defense or his strikeouts. He’s a year older and not making progress. There are a lot of rungs he still needs to climb and he needs to make adjustments a lot quicker than this if he wants to climb all of them.

[Seth Stohs]

9 hours ago, rdehring said:

My son was celebrating his 45th birthday last night with his family at the Saints-Clippers game.  Asked him to tell me what he thought of Jenkins.  Got a text after the game started late, "first at bat home run,"

 

45th!!! 

Wasn't he just playing in the American Legion World Series?!?!? :)

[rdehring]

16 hours ago, Seth Stohs said:

45th!!! 

Wasn't he just playing in the American Legion World Series?!?!? :)

No, his team went the year before he was on it and the year after he went off to college.  The most basic rule of baseball got'em, their two best pitchers missed his entire last year.

Scarry fact is that he is closer to retirement than he is to his college graduation.