Matt Braun

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photo of Ryan Gallagher) TRANSACTIONS RHP Nolan Santos activated from 7-day IL (Cedar Rapids) 3B Murphy Stehly retired (AA Wichita) RHP Charlee Soto sent to A Fort Myers on MiLB rehab RHP Hunter Gregory signed to a minor league contract Hunter Gregory? Yes, the Twins dipped into independent reserves once more. This time, they looked to the mound: former Blue Jays farmhand Hunter Gregory inked a deal to join Minnesota’s farm system. Darren Wolfson of KSTP reported he’ll join the Wichita Wing Surge. Gregory was a four-year player at Old Dominion between 2018-2021, starting the majority of his senior season to great results (a 2.95 ERA over 79 1/3 innings with more strikeouts than frames). Following that year, Toronto selected him in the 8th-round. He reached AAA in 2025, but was roughed up, and the franchise decided that a 26-year-old who walked more batters than he struck out wasn’t worth a roster spot. The York Revolution came calling, and he has been excellent for them: hitters who talk about destruction were counted (called) out, as he racked up 20 strikeouts across 13 2/3 innings. We shall see what he can do in the Twins system. Saints Sentinel St. Paul 10, Indianapolis 1 Box Score Ryan Gallagher: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K HR: Hendry Mendez (4), Matt Wallner (2), Royce Lewis (10) Multi-hit games: Kaelen Culpepper (2-for-4, 3 R, BB), Hendry Mendez (2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), Royce Lewis (3-for-5, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI), Matt Wallner (2-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB) The St. Paul Royce Lewis’s stomped their opponent on Wednesday. At some point, it actually becomes difficult to capture a performance like this in writing: purple prose and exasperation isn’t a happy combination. Lewis is a supernova. He’s played 11 games with the Saints since being demoted and has eight homers. His AAA OPS in 2026 is literally nearly triple his major league mark. And Wednesday’s blast was of the ilk that made him a once-foreseen superstar many moons ago—a grand slam. What he’s doing in St. Paul is unbelievable. He wasn’t the only Saint in a hitting mood on Wednesday, as everyone in the lineup accrued a base knock. More blasts came from Hendry Mendez, who smoked a gorgeous shot to center with a slight fade, and Matt Wallner, who thundered a signature mutant flyball that refused to return to earth. Ryan Gallagher authored five shutout frames on the mound, occasionally giving in to temptation with a walk or two—or four, but who’s counting—yet never budging from his goal to stop Indianapolis from scoring. In fact, only twice did a runner even reach second base. Indianapolis’ leadoff man Termarr Johnson likely caught your eye. The fourth overall pick in 2022, Johnson earned overtures for being unusually “hitterish” at such a young age; his time in the minors has been beset by more ordinary play and a jump in strikeouts (and walks). He’s no longer a top 100 guy, but he’s Pittsburgh’s fifth-ranked prospect, and he singled and walked in five plate appearances. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 7, San Antonio 6 Box Score Cory Lewis: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K HR: Andrew Cossetti 2 (4, 5), Multi-hit games: Andrew Cossetti (2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI) The Wind Surge eked out a win on Wednesday. It’s good to have a big dude who can hit the ball far. Just ask Earl Weaver. That’s what Andrew Cossetti is here for. He stepped up to the plate in his first at-bat with the bases loaded—an ultimate chance to give his team an early advantage—and walloped a mammoth 452 foot grand slam to spearhead a five-run frame before returning in the seventh to blast a two-run shot that catapulted the Wind Surge back into the lead. That’s also, by the way, how a team can score seven runs despite going 1-5 with runners in scoring position. Sometimes, home plate is scoring position. The Missions started Ethan Salas at DH on Wednesday. MLB.com’s 51st-ranked player walked twice in five plate appearances. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 10 Box Score Dasan Hill: 2 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K HR: Yasser Mercedes (3) Multi-hit games: Eduardo Tait (2-for-4, 2B, BB, R), Khadim Diaw (2-for-4, R), Yasser Mercedes (3-for-4, HR, R, 3 RBI) The Kernels were out-slugged on Wednesday. All remains unruly in Dasan Hill’s 2026 season. He struggled to find the strike zone consistently, walking three as just 42 of his 70 pitches went for strikes. He surrendered four hits. The young lefty has flashed tantalizing ability at times, yet an affliction remains that causes the strike zone to often appear like a mustard seed. Hopefully he can figure things out soon. Yasser Mercedes continued to be a dual-threat menace, smacking a three-run homer while stealing his 12th base of the season. He was joined by Brandon Winokur and Jay Thomason, who also swiped a bag for the 12th time on the year. Strange happenings. It was a good, not awe-inspiring line, but Eduardo Tait reaching base thrice without a strikeout was an encouraging sight. He hit a poor .174/.245/.315 in May, so this game could be the positive augur the young catcher was undoubtedly looking for. The Timber Rattlers are an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, and they are the home of their most recent first-round pick, Andrew Fischer. He manned third and reached base three times in five trips to the plate. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 5, Lakeland 11 Box Score Charlee Soto: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K HR: JP Smith II (7) Multi-hit games: None An explosive eighth sunk the Mighty Mussels on Wednesday. Charlee Soto is back! More than a year after not pitching in a competitive game, Soto took the mound and… looked like someone who hadn’t pitched in a competitive game in more than a year. Which is fine. His stuff looked good, and he topped out at 99.9 (they don’t round in Florida). Jason Reitz entered once the Soto fanfare died down to deliver his finest outing since joining the Twins organization, whiffing three in a trio of extraordinarily efficient innings. He didn’t even reach a three-ball count. JP Smith hit the lone homer for Fort Myers—yet it was one of the inside-the-park variety. And it was hit to the pull-side. How is that possible? Well, the left-fielder decided that running the wall flailing would be better than playing the ricochet. He was wrong. And as a result, a rotund man had to run the bases with a vigor likely foreign to him. But what a sight it was! Tigers’ seventh-ranked prospect, Jordan Yost, played shortstop and reached base three times, once each via a hit, walk, and hit by pitch. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Ryan Gallagher Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Andrew Cossetti PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 – Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 2-4, 3 R, BB #5 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, 2B, R, BB #6 – Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - 2 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #7 – Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-4, BB, 2 K #11 – Charlee Soto (Fort Myers) - 1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K #13 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 2-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 0-3, RBI, 2 K #15 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, R, BB, 2 K #16 – Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K #19 – Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, R #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 0-4, R, BB, K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ St. Paul (7:07 PM) - RHP John Klein San Antonio @ Wichita (6:35 PM) - RHP Preston Johnson Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM) - RHP Michael Ross Fort Myers @ Lakeland (5:30 PM) - RHP Justin Mitrovich FCL Twins @ FCL Braves (11:00 AM) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Colorado (9:00 AM) - TBD View full article

Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Welcome to the May edition of our minor league pitcher of the month series. Things are a little different this year: as an acknowledgement of patterns in minor league pitcher usage, we’ve collapsed the “reliever” into the “starter” one. Because teams are in a constant struggle to get players work, they often become “out-getters,” entering whenever the manager deems the situation acceptable, regardless of the typical roles accepted in our shared baseball understanding. This puts short-inning hurlers at a disadvantage for a list like this, but if one was especially efficient in a month, they’ll receive consideration. This author has been writing these pieces for years, and this month was one of the weakest he can remember. The list of candidates was slim. Most of the best pitching talent in the system is on the major-league squad, incapacitated, or underperforming. Of the top seven hurlers on MLB.com’s prospect list for the Twins, four are on the IL, and one—Charlee Soto—hasn’t pitched since Carlos Correa, Jhoan Duran, and everyone else was moved during the Great Firesale of 2025. So, times are strange. Anyway, here’s the list, starting with the honorable mentions: Dasan Hill - A+ Cedar Rapids - 3.18 ERA, 11 ⅓ IP, 3.18 FIP, 34 K% Hill was well on his way to making the list proper, before he blew up in spectacular fashion on May 28, walking six while recording just two outs. Command has proved to be a bugaboo for the prep lefty in 2026: he’s walked 24 across 27 ⅓ frames. If he can tighten that up even a little bit, he’ll be back to doing great things. Yehizon Sanchez, A+ Cedar Rapids - 1.50 ERA, 12 IP, 2.77 FIP, 27.7 K% The efficiency comment from before was aimed squarely at Sanchez, who dominated hitters in May with impressive acumen. Only twice did he allow a run. Both times were limited to just one score. That’s a nearly impossible rate of consistency from a position so often given to the swells of blow-ups and meltdowns—but he also only pitched 12 innings. Darren Bowen, AA Wichita - 3.00 ERA, 15 IP, 4.18 FIP, 19.7 K% The days of Darren Bowen as a starter are over, but as a bullpen arm, he could carve out a longer future in the organization. He has struck out batters at a higher rate while walking fewer of them in his second go-around at AA. That’ll play. John Klein, AAA St. Paul - 3.65 ERA, 12 ⅓ IP, 3.20 FIP, 34 K% A standard solid pitching month. John Klein allowed just six hits for the Saints in May, but his run-suppressing ability was a touch too weak. Hendry Chivilli, FCL Twins - 1.38 ERA, 13 IP, 3.09 FIP, 23.5 K% Hendry Chivilli? The position player? Yes, the former big international player saw some success after moving to the mound last year; he’s off to a great start in 2026. 5. Garrett Horn, FCL Twins/A+ Cedar Rapids - 0.75 ERA, 12 IP, 3.27 FIP, 28.6 K% The lefty from Liberty starts us off. Acquired from the Rangers last year for Danny Coulombe, Horn was cromulent (if a bit walk-happy) in his initial foray with the Kernels. In a new year, Horn put forth one of the finest pitching months in the Twins system, allowing one run and three hits across 12 innings equally split between Cedar Rapids and the FCL. “He’s a vertically-oriented lefty who was 92-95 in his most recent ACL outing prior to list publication,” wrote Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan in their 2025 writeup of the Rangers system. Indeed, Horn’s exaggerated slot helps generate unique ride on his fastball, turning the offering into a vertical-breaking monster coveted by major-league teams these days. Self-evidently, hitters have a difficult time hitting his heat. Early results are promising for Horn. Now let’s see him sustain it at A+ ball. 4. Michael Hilker, A Fort Myers - 2.51 ERA, 14 ⅓ IP, 1.97 FIP, 27.9 K% An honorable mention last month, Hilker improved his play enough to make the list proper in May. A 2025 20th-round draftee, Hilker left his college in Tucson, Ariz. for some Florida waves; he moonlighted for two innings last year with the Mighty Mussels before returning for a full go-around in 2026. Once again, we’re dealing with a fastball known to grow wings and take off when it reaches the plate; Hilker’s heater averaged 22.6 inches of induced vertical break, which would be the highest in MLB this year by almost a full inch (Alex Vesia is at 21.7). (We should note, in the interest of fairness, that IVB is higher in Florida than just about anywhere else, due to a combination of humidity and low elevation. Still, he's at the top end of the scale.) Armed with that special heater, Hilker made fools of A-ball hitters in May, whiffing them at an elite rate while keeping the walks at bay, offering just three free passes. He could be an under-the-radar relief arm to keep tabs on. 3. Paulshawn Pasqualotto, A+ Cedar Rapids - 2.19 ERA, 12 ⅓ IP, 2.56 FIP, 42.9 K% Paulshawn Pasqualotto just casually had one of the most efficient relief months you’ll ever see. The Cal, Berkeley product decided to become Goose Gossage, gobbling batters—often in multi-inning outings—with outstanding strikeout ability. In four appearances, he struck out at least four hitters. That’s simply electric no matter the level of play. A twin himself, Pasqualotto has already almost matched his strikeout total over 51 ⅓ innings with the Kernels last season, an impossible task given he’s totaled just 18 frames so far this year. His fastball/changeup combination drives his profile; the cambio remains his favored off-speed offering, though he continues to refine his breaking stuff. The 25-year-old saw a cup of coffee with Wichita at the end of April; he’ll probably return to Kansas soon if he continues to pitch like this. 2. Mike Paredes, AAA St. Paul - 2.70 ERA, 23 ⅓ IP, 3.39 FIP, 26.9 K% The newest Twin, Mike Paredes flourished at AAA in the month of May before earning his call to the majors. The righty never allowed more than two earned runs in an outing all month. He swept, and swept, and swept some more, as his arching breaking ball came into sharp focus in May, helping usher Paredes to the big leagues—and hitters back to the dugout. Cody Christie penned a full piece on Paredes and his story. It’s worth emphasizing: Paredes is a former 18th-round pick with a 5.28 ERA coming out of San Diego State in 2021. And now he’s a big leaguer. What an outcome for Paredes (and the Twins organization). With the rash of pitching injuries cursing the team, there’s a real chance Paredes gets an extended look on the Target Field mound. That probably doesn’t happen without his excellent month of May with the Saints. 1. Justin Mitrovich, A Fort Myers - 1.15 ERA, 15 ⅔ IP, 2.05 FIP, 35.5 K% Fun fact: before taking Ryan Sprock in the 8th round in the 2025 draft, the last Elon product the Twins drafted was catcher Alex Swim in 2013. They then drafted Justin Mitrovich one round later. Go figure. What a pick it may be. Mitrovich debuted in the Twins system on May 3rd and has been awesome, striking out 22 batters across 15 ⅔ frames, while allowing two earned runs. Two. Clearly, there’s some deception in his “oops, all ligaments” delivery, which flings arms and legs in various directions before sending the ball hurling at the hitter upwards of 95 MPH. Mitrovich could soon become the latest in the line of Twins college hurlers who shot through the minors and became top prospects and/or big leaguers. So far, though, he’ll have to settle for being the Twins Daily minor league pitcher of the month for May. View full article

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of CJ Culpepper) TRANSACTIONS RHP Travis Adams recalled by Twins RHP Ricky Castro promoted to AAA St. Paul RHP Mike Paredes selected by Twins Saints Sentinel St. Paul 3, Louisville 0 Box Score Trent Baker: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K HR: Matt Wallner (1) Multi-hit games: Matt Wallner (2-for-5, HR, R, RBI) The Saints pitched a combined shutout on Sunday. Though Trent Baker appeared first, he was a false starter: indeed, C.J. Culpepper and Ricky Castro teamed up to provide bulk frames in this match. The day was a triumph for both pitchers; for Culpepper, as it was easily his best appearance as a Saint; and for Castro, who performed better for St. Paul than he did during his substitute teaching foray in late April. Combined, they totaled six shutout innings with eight strikeouts. The big blast in the game came from Matt Wallner, who popped his first longball since his demotion. And it was a vintage sight: a fastball coming in at 98 that left the bat with screaming, evil intentions. Héctor Rodríguez, who doubled twice and singled once on Sunday, ranks as the Reds’ fifth-best prospect, according to MLB.com. Wind Surge Wisdom Game One: Wichita 3, Springfield 4 (8 innings) Box Score Cory Lewis: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: Andrew Cossetti (3), Jose Salas (5) Multi-hit games: Andrew Cossetti (2-for-2, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB) This was a continuation of Saturday’s game, which was suspended after six innings. Perhaps matters should have been forgotten about entirely: Wichita returned to the field and found the grass unfriendly and the dirt cruel. The squandered an opportunity with two men in scoring position in the eighth, before losing outright when third baseman Murphy Stehl airmailed his toss to second in an effort to turn two. Fun stuff. Game Two: Wichita 5, Springfield 6 Box Score Jose Olivares: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K HR: Caleb Roberts (2) Multi-hit games: Garrett Spain (2-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB), Caleb Roberts (2-for-3, HR, R, RBI, 2 BB) The Wind Surge were walked off on Sunday. You don’t see many shutout outings with more balls than strikes, yet that’s exactly what Jose Olivares delivered, shutting out the Cardinals for four frames despite having 29 of his 56 pitches fall safely outside the strike zone. “Effectively wild,” you may call it. The Wind Surge offense laid dormant for six innings, putting men on in nearly every frame without successfully advancing anyone home. Ironically, the seventh seemed like it would be more of the same, as a leadoff single was erased by a double play. Back-to-back walks returned hope, and singles from Garrett Spain and Kala’i Rosario placed two runs on the board. That broke the dam: Caleb Roberts cracked a solo homer in the eighth, and Kyle DeBarge drew two more home with a double later in the inning. The Wind Surge led 5-1. Such a lead ordinarily should have been safe, but the bottom of the ninth proved to be no ordinary inning, as a flurry of singles, and a sacrifice fly suddenly cut the deficit in half. No matter. Jarrett Whorff needed just one more out to escape the inning—and the game—with the lead. He reared back and fired a slider—one of the cement mixing variety—and Miguel Ugueto blasted the offering out to left field to catapult the Cardinals into the lead. An imminent win turned sour in seconds. Springfield catcher Rainel Rodriguez clocks in as the game’s 24th-best prospect. He went 0-4. Rehabbing big leaguer Lars Nootbaar DH’d for Springfield, walking twice in five plate appearances. That sounds like Lars Nootbaar, alright. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 8, Quad Cities 1 Box Score Garrett Horn: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB), Quinn McDaniel (2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB) The Kernels crushed their opponent on Sunday. Marek Houston established the game’s story immediately, walking and on five pitches before reaching third on a pair of wild pitches. He finished his hero’s journey around the bases thanks to a Khadim Diaw sacrifice fly. And he wasn’t done: the shortstop stepped to the plate in the second with two one, and he brought both home with a sharp double into the left field corner. Seven of Cedar Rapids’ nine batters reached base on Sunday. Quinn McDaniel continues to be a force in the Twins organization. He’s played just 15 games but has collected 26 hits—that’s as many as Cal Raleigh across his 41 major league games this year. The indy-ball signing rapidly earned a promotion to Cedar Rapids; a ticket to Wichita may arrive in no time. On Sunday, he singled twice and walked. Garrett Horn made his second start for the Kernels since returning from injury, and he was once again extremely effective, whiffing five over three innings. He allowed one run. Including his rehab outings, the lefty allowed just one earned run and three hits across 12 frames in May. Catcher Blake Mitchell ranks as the 54th-best prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com. He went 0-4 on Sunday with a pair of strikeouts. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 5, Jupiter 4 Box Score Reed Moring: 3 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K HR: Quentin Young (5) Multi-hit games: Graham Brown (2-for-3, 2 R, RBI) The Mighty Mussels scored five unanswered to win on Sunday. As always, disaster started with Nixon. Chirinos, in this case. The Hammerheads catcher may not be a crook, but he helped Jupiter steal three runs in the second, when a walk portended a Henry Kusiak throwing error, which portended a pair of run-scoring hits. Jupiter was playing chess while Fort Myers was stuck with checkers. The gaffe snapped the Mighty Mussels back into focus. Quentin Young got the team on the board with a skyscraping opposite-field blast in the third, and Luis Fragoza slugged in a pair on a double two innings later. Suddenly, Fort Myers was only down by one. Suddenly, Jupiter looked meek. A Yilber Herrera sacrifice fly in the seventh evened the score—and Graham Brown snuck one up the middle one frame later to complete the comeback. Michael Hilker and Mike McKenna combined to retire 15 consecutive Hammerheads to end the game. Andrew Salas—brother of Padres prospect, Ethan, and Wind Surge, Jose—ranks as the Marlins’ 11th-best prospect. He went 1-for-4 with a double. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – C.J. Culpepper Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Caleb Roberts PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 – Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1-3, 2 BB, K #5 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-5, K #7 – Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-2, 2B #13 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 0-4, BB, K #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 1-3, HR, R, RBI, BB, K #15 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, R, BB, K #17 – C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul) - 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K #19 – Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 1-2, R, 2 RBI, BB #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 1-8, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Rays @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM) - TBD DSL Rangers Red @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM) - TBD View full article

Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Box Score Taj Bradley: 4 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Home Runs: Kody Clemens (6), Trevor Larnach (3) Bottom 3 WPA: Taylor Rogers (-.790), Taj Bradley (-.180), Byron Buxton (-.160) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Ah, welcome back, Apple TV. How we all missed signing up for a free trail with a new email, or prodding a friend or family member for their log in. What a wonderful present the captains of industry have created for us. Taj Bradley earned the start for Minnesota, as Jared Jones—in his first major league outing since 2024—took the mound for Pittsburgh. That’s two power pitchers on the mound; owners of the kind of regal stuff that so dominates today's game. Either hurler is capable of unleashing diesel, owning hitters with raw velocity and jet-fueled breaking balls, corkscrewing batters too antsy for their heat. They could turn any band of batsmen on the run back to the dugout. Naturally, they were both hammered early. Jared Jones looked like Nolan Ryan’s lost grandson in his first two batters, before Kody Clemens stepped to the plate and swatted one of his lethal fastballs for a solo homer. “Hit this,” said Jones. “I Will,” said Clemens. The early support didn’t aid in Bradley’s mound endeavors. Runners appeared here, there, and everywhere in the first, as walks begat hits, which begat runs (though not without some poor defense from the corner infield spots; both Brooks Lee and Josh Bell aided in abetting runs to their counterparts). Suddenly, the Pirates claimed three runs, Bradley had thrown 30 pitches, and the only help he received was in a confirmed strike three call on Endy Rodriguez. As Pittsburgh’s lead said hello, Minnesota’s offense quickly bade it goodbye: they loaded the bases in the second, and tied the game when Tristan Gray found a lovely gap in the infield that scored two. Maybe we’re amazed at this game’s pace; maybe we were soon to be amazed at what was a mammoth match-altering blast by Trevor Larnach. He saw one of Jones’ signature fastballs and smoothly stroked the offering deep into the Pittsburgh night, perhaps flirting with the Allegheny River in the process (neither Kris Atteberry or Glen Perkins could parse whether the ball landed in water, or whether it was an ordinary stands-clearing shot.) In any case, his silver hammer returned the lead to Minnesota. Oneil Cruz immediately refused to let Larnach’s blast be; indeed, he sent one 450 feet out right, almost certainly entertaining the aquatic life in the 325-mile tributary of the Ohio river with red-stitched leather. Editor's Note: A couple of innings later, the Pirates media relations staff announced that the two home runs both ended up in the river. Larnach's got there. Cruz's homer was the seventh home run to land in the river. He had hit two of the seven while Twins Josh Bell is the only other with two homers landing in the river. All of this occurred in just three innings, mind you. If Apple was paying for efficiency, they must have been pleased with their investment. The early excitement gave way to a long and winding road: the Twins and Pirates settled into a typical baseball stalemate, perhaps occasionally trading baserunners and mild excitement, but never ultimately impacting the score. The fourth became the fifth, which became the sixth, which became the seventh. The “Bradley and Jones” of before turned into afterthoughts. Did Clemens homer in the first? Only a historian could answer that. The eighth appeared to change matters. Cruz walked, and Konnor Griffin reached on a “fielder’s choice,” with an error unfairly charged to Tristan Gray (the real culprit was Luke Keaschall, whom the scorer must assume has the range of a caterpillar.) In any case, reliever Cody Laweryson was now in real trouble—runners stood on the corners with no one out. He blew a fastball by Rodriguez for the first out. Then Jake Magnum grounded one to Clemens, now at first, who didn’t make the same mistake Bell once suffered: he easily threw the runner out at home. Jared Triolo flew out to get the Twins back to their unthreatened lead. The eighth apparently was a portend of things to come, as Taylor Rogers entered to save the game for Minnesota. A well-placed single placed a man on base, and an inside sinker never reached the front door; rather, Bryan Reynolds crushed the pitch for a walk-off two run-homer. It was only waiting for its moment to arise, apparently. Notes: Taj Bradley's K% of 27.5 ties him with Joe Ryan for the 15th-best mark amongst qualified starters (though Bradley is just barely not a qualified starter). Kody Clemens is slugging .508 in his last 15 games. Trevor Larnach's .374 OBP would be a career-high, besting his .338 mark set in 2024. Cody Laweryson pitched a shutout inning in his first MLB appearance since April 8th. Post-Game Interview: The Apple state media halts any release of a post-game interview (at least so far as this author can see). What’s Next? The Twins and Pirates continue their Central Switch-Up matchup with a 3:05 PM matinee on Saturday. Bailey Ober is scheduled to start opposite Mitch Keller. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI TOT Woods Richardson 0 35 0 0 67 0 102 Gómez 22 0 18 0 17 14 71 Orze 10 0 0 29 0 23 62 Banda 10 0 10 0 14 18 49 Rogers 13 0 16 0 7 12 48 Morris 0 0 8 0 29 0 37 Laweryson 0 0 0 0 0 16 16 Funderburk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Image courtesy of Malamut Photography (photo of Brandon Winokur) TRANSACTIONS In anticipation of the DSL season starting June 1st, players were officially assigned to rosters today. You can check out the Twins’ collection of players here. We now have minor leaguers born in 2009, the Joe Mauer MVP year. And so, the passage of time trudges on. Saints Sentinel St. Paul 5, Louisville 10 Box Score SP: Mike Paredes: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K HR: Ben Ross (3) Multi-hit games: None The Saints were outgunned on Wednesday. Though, Mike Paredes did his best to ensure that wasn’t true. The St. Paul starter was phenomenal, working five innings with seven strikeouts, allowing a lone run on an awkwardly-caromed fly ball turned inside-the-parker from Héctor Rodríguez (more on him soon). Otherwise, Paredes was magnificent. His sweeper ushered Bats’ hitters to the dugout. On 19 offerings at the pitch, Louisville hitters came up empty 12 times. Rodríguez remained a nuisance, however, as the inside-the-parker perhaps fueled a vengeful rage to clear the great outfield walls. And so, he did. Twice: once as a part of a three-homer barrage against reliever Alejandro Hidalgo in the sixth, and again in the seventh off Kody Funderburk. He likely possesses one of the rare three-homer games that includes a long-ball that didn’t actually go long. The outburst obscured what was once a 5-1 lead for the Saints. In the second Kaelen Culpepper singled home two off this excuse-me poke to center. Then, an extra base onslaught in the fifth: Gabriel Gonzalez tripled, Kyler Fedko doubled him home, and Ben Ross hit one that remained in the air for about an hour before finally landing safely in the fan section. Old friend Darren McCaughan started for Louisville. MLB.com’s 99th-ranked prospect, Edwin Arroyo, played shortstop for the Bats on Wednesday. You may remember Arroyo as one of the critical youngsters netted by the Reds in the Luis Castillo trade in 2022. He went 0-4 in the game. Wind Surge Wisdom The Wind Surge did not play on Wednesday. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 3, Quad Cities 7 Box Score Jason Doktorczyk: 1 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Brandon Winokur (2-for-3), Danny De Andrade (2-for-4, RBI) The Kernels fell behind early and never recovered on Wednesday. Three straight run-scoring innings in the early going will get you. Starter Jason Doktorczyk labored for 49 pitches before he could record his first out, portending what would become a poor day on the mound for Cedar Rapids hurlers. Neither Adam Falinski nor Cole Peschl could improve on the situation. And by the time Paulshawn Pasqualotto established order, the deficit was so dire that it no longer mattered. Brandon Winokur continued his torrid month of May, collecting two singles and swiping a base to extend his hitting streak to six games. He was also hit by a pitch. He’s now slashing .341/.430/.518 in the month, a drastic improvement over his .198/.323/.358 line in April. RBIs in this game went to Jacob McCombs and Danny De Andrade, respectively. Catcher Blake Mitchell ranks as MLB’s 55th-best prospect, and he walked twice in five plate appearances against the Kernels on Wednesday. Mussel Matters “Inclement weather and unplayable field conditions” ended matters in Fort Myers before they could begin. A doubleheader is scheduled for Thursday, May 28th. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Mike Paredes Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Brandon Winokur PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 – Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1-5, 2 RBI, 2 K #4 – Connor Prielipp (Twins) - 4 1/3 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #5 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-4, 3B, R, BB #15 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 2-3 #19 – Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2B, R THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (5:35 PM) - RHP Ryan Gallagher Wichita @ Springfield (4:35 PM) - RHP Sam Armstrong Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM) - LHP Dasan Hill Jupiter @ Fort Myers (3:35 PM) - RHP Jason Reitz Jupiter @ Fort Myers (Game Two) - TBD FCL Orioles @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM) - TBD View full article

Image courtesy of © Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images It was May 8, and Anthony Banda had a problem. He stood on the mound in Cleveland, a journeyman: the common clay of MLB relievers. Guys like him barnstorm across the league, offering their services in low-leverage situations for a relative pittance—in this case, $1.625 million and whatever future considerations the Twins gave to the Dodgers in exchange for the lefty hurler. The problem? Banda entered the game with an 8.04 ERA, and would crank it up to 8.27 following this outing. Something had to change. And so it did. Banda pitched 1 ⅓ scoreless innings two days after that appearance at Progressive Field, with a pair of strikeouts. Can you spot the adjustment Banda made between outings? dnZ3REtfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X1V3UlpCVmRSWDFjQVhGVURWd0FIVndFQ0FGaFdBRmdBQTFJTkJRRUhCZ05jVXdOVQ==.mp4 bGJ3TDdfVjBZQUhRPT1fQXdSUVVsY0dBd0FBQ0ZGUlVnQUhBMVVGQUFOUUJ3SUFVRkpSVXdCWEJ3UmRCMVpW.mp4 Instead of the high-leg kick he’s used since his second season in MLB, Banda switched to a simple slide-step, and the results so far have been promising. He has since experimented with a modified, medium-sized leg kick, starting with the Astros series, but May 10 remains a sharp line between his old style and his new one, given that the new leg kick isn’t as extreme as the previous one. Banda’s main issue early in the season was a ghastly lack of control. He had already plunked six batters and uncorked four wild pitches as of May 8, pushing previously shaky command to untenable levels. Nor was it just one offering suffering: he hit three batters each with his heater and slider. After that last brutal outing, his rate of pitches in the “waste zone”—the part of the strike zone so utterly out of the way that it rarely ever results in a positive outcome for the pitcher—was 12.4%, the 4th-highest total in the league among hurlers who had thrown at least 400 pitches. Life is hard when an eighth of your pitches are uncompetitive. Since the switch, his waste rate hasn’t improved. It actually crept up a little, to 12.9%, though no pitch (save a back-foot slider to Rhys Hoskins) came close to hitting someone. Is the mechanical change a red herring? Is the sample too small? Five of those misses came on the day he made the change—perhaps a sign of growing pains—and two came in the rain-soaked Boston game on Sunday. Perhaps this is simply something that should be earmarked to return to at a later date. Not all pitches to the waste zone are created equal, though. The real difference, it appears, is part mechanical, and part managerial. Before May 10, 40% of Banda’s pitches came against lefties, but since then, 55% of his offerings have come with the platoon advantage. As a result, he’s been able to pitch more against lefties. Unsurprisingly, he's been better against them throughout his career. You can also live a bit more in the waste zone left-on-left, with the slider that makes Banda good when he's right moving well out of the zone but inducing chases. What else happened on May 10? Travis Adams re-joined the Twins bullpen, giving them more relief depth against right-handed hitters. To this author, the change in usage goes hand in hand with the adjustment Banda made: seven of the awry balls from the lefty since he cut down on his leg kick have been sliders against lefties, pitches that will almost never result in a hit by pitch. It appears he’s gripping and ripping at the same rate as before, but with better matchups, he's able to do without fear of plunking batters and with a better chance of getting a hopeless swing from an opponent. In conceiving of and writing this story, the conclusion changed a few times. Obviously, something had happened to unlock a better version of Banda, but what was it? The slide step sparked the notion, but the numbers don’t lie: Derek Shelton simply has been able to find better spots to use his lefty hurler. His cobbling of loose pieces and unrefined goods early in the season resulted in awkward fits—pushing guys into situations they don’t excel in—which likely resulted in Banda’s ugly stats. Since then, though, Banda has culled two runs off his ERA, and he now looks like a somewhat reliable arm, given the right context. As long as his save Friday isn't indicative of a future as the team's closer, Banda appears to have found his way back to a successful groove. View full article

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints TRANSACTIONS No moves were made on Sunday. Saints Sentinel St. Paul 3, Omaha 5 Box Score Ty Langenberg: 3 2/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K HR: Royce Lewis (6), Kyler Fedko (11) Multi-hit games: Royce Lewis (2-for-3, HR, R, RBI, BB) The Saints came up short on Sunday. The day started with the sun rising in the East, so Royce Lewis homered. In six games with St. Paul in 2026, he’s collected eight hits, six of them homers, giving him the hilarious .348/.400/.1.130 slash line. Yes, that’s his slugging, not his OPS. It appears something about the demotion has improved his play. Will it be enough to earn a spot back on the major league roster? Or, in other words, what exactly does he need to prove to return to the Twins? Bashing the brains out of AAA pitchers is nice and all, but is that all he needs to do? Speaking of guys homering a lot, Kyler Fedko launched one as well. He now has an OPS of 1.165 in May, even better than what the incoming tweet says. It's unclear whether he can find a spot on the major league roster, and history says the Twins probably won't promote him, but someone somewhere should probably give him a look. Lest his play be wasted in the margins of reports like this. Ty Langenberg’s introduction to AAA baseball continued to be rocky; the hurler surrendered three runs in 3 ⅔ frames, giving him a 5.40 ERA at the level with 10 hits allowed across 6 2/3 innings. With Carter Jensen now in the big leagues, the Storm Chasers lack an imposing top prospect. Their best youngster is 26th-ranked outfielder Gavin Cross, who was once a big deal, but has struggled mightily at AAA. He collected three hits in four at-bats on Sunday. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 8, Tulsa 4 Box Score Cory Lewis: 3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K HR: Maddux Houghton (2) Multi-hit games: None A Maddux Houghton grand slam fueled a Wind Surge win on Sunday. Despite the byline, matters started poorly. Following an ordinary-enough caught stealing of Kyle DeBarge and a swinging strikeout of Garrett Spain, in which there was one close—but correct—called strike, Jaime Ferrer attempted to take his at-bat. Suddenly, the first base umpire ejected Spain, and coach Julian Gonzalez—after an impressive George Brett impression following the infamous “pine tar” decision—was tossed as well. What precisely they were upset about, this author could not parse. Tulsa soon took a 3-0 lead. But Wichita rallied. They plated a run in the third before loading the bases for Maddux Houghton, now in the game for the ejected Spain. Naturally, he launched one 434 feet, way beyond the bullpens and off the scoreboard for a dramatic grand slam. Because something nefarious cursed this game, more oddities were afoot, with two runs scoring in the fifth off a truly bizarre play. “Poncho Ruiz advances to 3rd, on a fielding error by left fielder Zyhir Hope” reads the Gameday description, and the casual observer is robbed of an experience. Indeed, Hope butchered what should have been a catch; but only one should have—and would have—scored, had the cutoff Tulsa infielder not committed the rare triple clutch on his relay attempt. The aforementioned Hope ranks as the 20th-best prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com. He singled and walked in five plate appearances. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 3, Peoria 5 Box Score Riley Quick: 2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (3-for-5, 2 2B, R) Brandon Winokur (2-for-3, 2 RBI) The Kernels surrendered late to lose on Sunday. It happened. Riley Quick finally bled. His numbers at Cedar Rapids entering Sunday represented a step back from the cartoonish dominance he displayed in April, perhaps not a surprise given the promotion and the high standard he set for himself. And Sunday was the nadir: he surrendered three runs in less than three innings, with a second inning three-run homer proving to be his downfall. It was due to happen eventually. Because he’s Riley Quick, though, seven of his eight outs were on strikes; the only straggler was a soft tapper back to the mound. He should be just fine. The Cedar Rapids lineup was mostly empty on Sunday: no player south of Khadim Diaw, batting fourth, earned a hit. Marek Houston shined in the leadoff spot, however, counting three hits with two of them being doubles. It’s his second straight Sunday with three hits. Brandon Winokur was workmanlike in the three-hole, singling twice and driving in two of his teams three runs on the day. Garrett Horn returned to the mound as a Kernel on Sunday, pitching three shutout innings while striking out two. The lefty was acquired for Danny Coulombe at last year’s trade deadline. The Chiefs are an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Once a talent powerhouse, the system has fallen a bit as the once eminent baseball force searched fora new identity in a changing prospect landscape; on Sunday, the best the Chiefs could offer was the franchise's 28th-ranked prospect, Jack Gurevitch. He singled and walked in four plate appearances. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 2, Dunedin 3 Box Score Kolten Smith: 4 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K HR: Enrique Jimenez (1) Multi-hit games: Enrique Jimenez (2-for-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB), Ryan Sprock (2-for-3, 2B, BB) The Mighty Mussels were too meager on Sunday. Enrique Jimenez provided the memorable spark in this one, obliterating a fastball out to right-center in the fourth for his first homer of the season. The 20-year-old Venezuelan is an intriguing prospect: though less heralded than Eduardo Tait, he, too, was a switch-hitting catcher acquired at last year’s trade deadline—and in 23 games for Fort Myers, he nearly walked as much as he struck out while slugging .551. We shall see what he can do this year. Rehabbing big leaguer Nathan Lukes played for Dunedin on Sunday. He went 0-2 as the DH. Once again, the opposing team in one of these games claimed a Top 50 prospect. This one was JoJo Parker, a shortstop the Blue Jays took in the first round of the 2025 draft. He went 0-3. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Garrett Horn Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Royce Lewis PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 – Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1-4, R, 2 K #5 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-1, K #7 – Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 3-5, 2 2B, R, K #8 – Riley Quick (Cedar Rapids) - 2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Twins) - 2-4, 2 R, RBI, BB #13 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 1-4, 2B #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 1-3, BB, K #15 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 2-3, 2 RBI, K #17 – C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul) - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K #19 – Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, RBI #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 1-3 R, 2 BB, K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Wichita @ Springfield (4:35 PM) - TBD FCL Pirates @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM) - TBD View full article