Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month: June 2023

It was a rough pitching month for starters in the upper levels of the Twins system. Minnesota has needed to dig into Triple-A depth which can impact other levels too. However, some players are compiling numbers that will put them in the conversation to start showing up on top-30 prospect lists for the Twins. Let's dive into some honorable mentions before we reveal this month's winner. 

RHP Kyle Jones, Cedar Rapids Kernels
Jones was limited to three starts in June but limited batters to a .216 BA. In 10 innings, he allowed two earned runs on six hits with 14 strikeouts and six walks. He allowed his first two home runs of the year in one June start; otherwise, his numbers would look even better.

RHP Jack Noble, FCL Twins
Noble is over two years older than the average age of the competition in the FCL, but he compiled some strong numbers in June. He averaged over five innings per start with an 11.5 K/9. Noble held opponents to a .543 OPS with only one extra-base hit against him. He was promoted to Fort Myers at the end of the month. 

Now onto the top five:
5. LHP Christian MacLeod, High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels, 17 IP, 26.7 K%, 2.12 ERA, 1.47 WHIP
MacLeod has fared well since being promoted to High-A at the end of May. In four starts (17 IP), he posted a 2.12 ERA with a 1.47 WHIP and a 20-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He allowed one earned run in every appearance for the month and never allowed more than five hits. His best appearance for the month was an outing where he didn't start. Marco Raya started the game on June 9th and pitched four innings before giving way to MacLeod. He pitched the final five innings, allowing one earned run on four hits with nine strikeouts. MacLeod is slightly younger than the average age of the competition in the Midwest League, so it will be interesting to see what kind of numbers he can compile as he gets more comfortable at that level.   

4. RHP Miguel Cordero, DSL Twins- 11 2/3 IP, 40.4 K%, 2.31 ERA, 1.11 WHIP
Cordero is in his age-16 season, but he started strongly in his professional debut. He posted a 2.31 ERA in three starts with a 1.14 WHIP and 19 strikeouts over 11 2/3 innings. His first professional start is where batters did all the damage against him. In 3 2/3 innings, he allowed three earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts. In his other two starts, he has been nearly unhittable. Over eight shutout innings, he surrendered one hit and struck out 14 batters. Opponents are hitting .171/.277/.268 (.545) while striking out over 40% of the time. It's been a dominant start to his professional career, and he might be a player to watch in the coming years. 

3. RHP Andrew Morris, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels- 23 1/3 IP, 22.8 K%, 1.93 ERA, 0.90 WHIP
The Twins took Morris with their fourth-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, and he only pitched one inning during his professional debut. His 2023 season started slowly as he spent time on the IL with right bicep tendonitis and had mixed results on the field. Morris allowed an OPS above .800 in the season's first two months (three appearances) but lowered that to .527 during June. In five starts (23 1/3 innings), he posted a 1.93 ERA with a 21-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He is over a year younger than the average age of the competition in the FSL but has faced younger batters in over 60% of his plate appearances. Morris would likely have been the top pitcher on this list in other months because of his accumulated numbers. 

2. RHP C.J. Culpepper, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels- 20 IP, 32.0 K%, 1.35 ERA, 0.95 WHIP
Culpepper was the runner-up for this honor after four tremendous starts in Fort Myers. He's also been among the top-performing starting pitchers in the entire Twins system during the first half. Over 20 innings, he posted a 1.35 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP while averaging six strikeouts per appearance. Batters hit .177/.253/.265 (.518) against him, and he's held opponents to a .523 OPS or lower in every month of the season. Culpepper averaged a 62-game score across his four appearances, including two games with a 70 or higher. Minnesota can leave him in Fort Myers for the entire season, but it wouldn't be surprising for him to get a promotion at some point in the second half. 

1. RHP Cory Lewis, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels/Cedar Rapids Kernels - 15 2/3 IP, 33.9 K%, 0.57 ERA, 0.96 WHIP
The Twins promoted Lewis from Fort Myers to Cedar Rapids earlier in June, and he had no trouble adjusting to the higher level of competition. In his first start, he pitched five shutout innings with eight strikeouts while limiting Daytona to three hits. Six days later, he continued his strikeout barrage with nine strikeouts over five frames. He had 15 or more swinging strikes in each of those two starts. In his final start of the month, he pitched five innings and allowed no earned runs on three hits. Batters hit .146/.242/.182 (.424) against him for the month, his second straight month with an OPS below .500. He has yet to allow a batting average above .200 in any month, and he has one of the best strikeout-to-walk rates in the farm system. For the season, he has faced younger batters the majority of the time, but that will likely change as he pitches more innings in High-A. 

What are your thoughts on the starting pitching performances in the Twins' minor leagues in June? How would you rank these pitchers? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.