Twins AFL Report (Week 1): Kala'i Rosario, Ben Ross Power Salt River Rafters

Game Results:
Tuesday, 10/8 | Scottsdale 9, Salt River 7
Wednesday, 10/9 | Salt River 4, Glendale 2
Thursday, 10/10 | Salt River 6, Mesa 4
Friday, 10/11 | Salt river 10, Surprise 11 (10 innings)
Saturday, 10/12 | Surprise 1, Salt River 14

Before getting into how each Minnesota Twins prospect performed in Week 1 of this showcase season, be sure to get to know ‘em by reading Seth’s roster preview. Along with the Twins, the Rafters roster is made up of prospects from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, and New York Yankees.

Salt River went 3-2 in the season’s opening week, powered by a prolific offense that outscored their opponents 41-27 in their five games. That being said, you’re likely going to see a bunch of big numbers on the scoreboards of AFL parks this year, as with all those runs, the Rafters didn’t even lead the circuit as a team in any major hitting categories. So buckle up and keep reading to find out how all the Twins prospects fared to open up the 2024 AFL season.

OF Kala’i Rosario
Week: 3-for-12, 3 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, SB (3 games)
Overall: .250/.333/.750 (1.083 OPS)
Rosario got the start in three games on the week, spending the first two in right field and closing out his week with one in left. He batted in the middle of the Rafters lineup and made loud contact worthy of those spots.

In Tuesday’s season opener, Rosario wasn’t able to get a hit, but he did drive in one of the Rafters seven runs with a sac fly--and that spare description undersells him. The ball shrieked off Rosario's bat at 112 miles per hour, on a line, but right at the outfielder.

On Wednesday, it was Rosario who got the scoring started. Leading off the fifth inning, he launched his first home run of the campaign, giving the Rafters a 1-0 lead; they’d go on to get their first win against Glendale. This one was thumped to the tune of 113 miles per hour, and while it had enough loft to sail 441 feet through the thin Arizona air, it, too, was as much line drive as fly ball. He also drew a walk among his four plate appearances.

Moving up to third in the lineup on Friday against Surprise, Rosario flew out and drew a walk in his first two plate appearances as the Rafters fell behind 9-1 early. Once again leading off the fifth inning, Rosario hit his second home run of the season and kicked off the comeback for the Rafters. This was a measly 105 miles per hour off the bat, placing it fifth in the pecking order among the seven balls he hit at least 101 MPH in his first week.

The Rafters would score three in that fifth inning, one in the seventh, and five more in the eighth to send the game to extras. In that game-tying eighth frame, Rosario delivered a bases-loaded single to score the first run of the inning (identical in exit velocity to the homer, just on a lower line), and a bunch of walks later, they had it tied at 10. 

IF Ben Ross
Week: 4-for-15, 5 R, 2B, 2 3B, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 7 K, SB (4 games)
Overall: .267/.429/.600 (1.029 OPS)
While Rosario was hitting bombs, Ross was doing everything except hitting balls over the wall. He played shortstop in three of his games, and served as the DH in the other.

In the season opener against Scottsdale, Ross finished 1-for-3 with an RBI batting second in the lineup. He was hit by a pitch in the third inning, singled in the seventh, and delivered a sac fly in the ninth for the Rafters seventh and final run of the game.

Serving as the DH on Wednesday against the Desert Dogs, Ross had his only quiet game of the week, finishing 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. If I were him, I’m blaming that strictly on not being in the field, as this was the first time Ross has served as a designated hitter in his entire professional career, while he has played every other position except pitcher and catcher.

Ross then went off in his final two games of the week, back to playing shortstop and batting fifth in the order. He went 3-for-7 with a double, two triples, three RBI, and a stolen base in the last two games of the week. In Friday’s extra-inning loss to Surprise, Ross led off the second inning with a triple, and scored their first run of the game. On Saturday, his triple in the bottom of the first scored the first two runs of a game they would go on to win 14-1. He also drew two walks, added a double, and scored two runs in that one.

IF Danny De Andrade
Week: Did not play.
The Venezuelan infielder has not yet seen the field in AFL play. If Twins Daily is made aware of any information on why or why not this may be, we will be sure to share!

De Andrade is a prospect with plenty of upside, and is thought to be able to stick at shortstop long-term. He injured his ankle back in May, and spent the rest of the season on the injured list, so making up some at-bats in the AFL will be plenty useful when he is able to get back on the field.

RHP Devin Kirby
Week: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K (1 appearance)
Overall: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .000 BAA, 2 BB, 2 K (2 IP)
Kirby made one appearance on the week, and it came in a less-than-ideal situation as part of Friday’s extra-inning loss. After four walks and a pair of singles had pushed the Saguaros lead to 8-1 in the third, the knuckleballer was summoned with the bases loaded and nobody out. He only allowed an additional sacrifice fly, getting out of the inning with an important effort that played a big part in the Rafters being able to come back and send it to extras. He added a scoreless fourth inning, finishing with two walks and two strikeouts. Two other Twins relievers would follow him after his exit.

Though all 41 of his pitches were coarsely classified as knuckleballs in the Statcast readouts of the game, Kirby actually threw nine fastballs and one pitch that appeared to be a light experiment in the cutter. Obviously, for Kirby, the headliner is the knuckler. Six of them danced in with spin rates south of 100 RPM during the outing, which is nuts even for a knuckleball. Overall, he got three in-play outs, four whiffs, and two called strikes with the knuckleball--but if you're noticing that that leaves a lot of pitches that had to be either foul balls or balls, you're right. That's in the nature of the knuckler, too.

RHP Jack Noble
Week: W, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, BB, 2 K (1 appearance)
Overall: 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .333 BAA, BB, 2 K (2 IP)
Noble was credited with the win in the only game he pitched during the week, getting the fifth and sixth inning of the Rafters' 6-4 win over the Solar Sox on Thursday. He allowed one run after a walk, steal, and a wild pitch that allowed the leadoff man to score in the sixth, but surrendered just one other hit and struck out two to finish his outing. He also induced a double-play ball.

LHP Kade Bragg
Week: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K (1 appearance)
Overall: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .000 BAA, BB, K (1 IP)
Bragg was part of a middle-inning run of Twins relievers in Friday’s extra-inning clash with Surprise.

He pitched the seventh inning with the score 10-5 Saguaros. He walked the first man he faced in the inning, but got a double-play grounder before closing his outing with a strikeout of Alejandro Osuna, the 16th-ranked prospect in the Texas Rangers organization and younger brother of former MLB closer Roberto Osuna.

RHP Jacob King
Week: 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R (1 appearance)
Overall: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, .000 BAA, 0 BB, 0 K (2/3 IP)
King’s lone appearance of the week came in the Rafters' season opener against Scottsdale. He recorded the final two outs of the game for Salt River after entering with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the ninth. It was 9-6 Scorpions at that point, but he got a pop-out and a lineout to end the inning without any further damage to the scoreboard.

RHP Liam Rocha
Week: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, BB, 3 K (1 appearance)
Overall: 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .250 BAA, 1 BB, 3 K (2 IP)
Rocha was the middle man between Kirby and Bragg in Friday’s extra-inning affair with Surprise.

He pitched the fifth and sixth innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and a walk, while striking out three. He bookended a scoreless fifth with a pair of strikeouts, but was greeted with a leadoff double in the sixth that led to his one earned run allowed. He left the game with the score 10-4 in favor of the Saguaros.

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

Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!