Matt Braun

Image courtesy of Zach Del Bello (photo of Jorel Ortega) TRANSACTIONS No moves were made on Sunday. Saints Sentinel St. Paul 3, Indianapolis 0 Box Score John Klein: 2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Kyler Fedko (2-for-4, 2B, R), Tanner Schobel (2-for-4) The Saints shut out their opponent on Sunday. It was a surprisingly tame match for International League standards. Indianapolis simply never got anything going against St. Paul’s litany of pitchers. John Klein? Effective, if not wildly so with three hits and three walks against him. Ty Langenberg? The star of the show. The one who delivered 2 1/3 efficient frames in arguably his best showing in a Saints uniform. Marco Raya? Even more efficient by netting two shutout frames with just 13 pitches. Then Kody Funderburk and C.J. Culpepper finished the job, with both hurlers needing fewer than 10 pitches to do so. St. Paul as a whole threw 110 pitches. It was as if the entire Indianapolis lineup had a tee time to make. The pitching success rendered St. Paul’s relatively meager offensive showing more than enough to claim the win. Tanner Schobel brought in a run in the fourth off an infield single—and though the lineup could have napped at the plate the rest of the game and still won—they tacked on thanks to a two-run single by Aaron Sabato in the fifth. Sabato ended play with a .975 OPS on the season, the eighth-best mark in the International League. Third-ranked Pirates prospect Hunter Barco provided bulk innings for Indianapolis, tossing four frames while surrendering three earned runs. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 4, San Antonio 7 Box Score Cory Lewis: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K HR: Billy Amick (14), Jorel Ortega (2) Multi-hit games: Jorel Ortega (2-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI) The team soon to be formerly known as the Wind Surge came up short on Sunday. Donning the moniker “Turbo Tubs” that will eventually become the team’s permanent name, Wichita didn’t appear especially turbo-ed, though they had chances (whatever that means). They plated a trio of runs off starter Ian Koenig, yet are likely kicking themselves for not scoring more, as the righty walked five in a scattershot outing. Instead, all the Wind Surge could muster against the starter was one run in the second, and two in the fifth. That’s Billy Amick in there somewhere amongst the rain haze, we promise. Amick now has 14 homers on the season, as he’s now tripled what was his career long ball total at the season’s start. His meager .212 batting average betrays a healthy .341 OBP and a robust .475 slugging percentage, giving him a prototypical slashline for a slugging corner infielder. Jorel Ortega added on in the sixth with a solo homer, his second shot of the season. Only former Volunteers could go long on Sunday, evidently. Unfortunately, Wichita pitching matched the sloppiness of the endured weather. Cory Lewis continued to struggle in his attempt to rebound from a disastrous 2025 season; his AA ERA this year sits at 5.60, a disappointing number given his mark across 66 innings with the team two years ago was 2.59. Sam Ryan coughed up three runs in his lone inning of work. Then Nick Mikolajchak became the third pitcher to fail in shutting out the Missions. Zach Vennaro and Paulshawn Pasqualotto finally delivered zeroes, but by then, it was too late. Uber prospect turned ordinary top-100 guy, Ethan Salas, caught for the Missions, collecting two hits in five at-bats. Kernels Nuggets The Kernels started play on Sunday before rain quickly squashed any hopes of completing nine innings. The game was canceled and will not be made up later. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 3, Lakeland 5 Box Score Ramiro Villanueva: 3 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Ryan Sprock (2-for-3, 3B, R, 2 RBI), Graham Brown (2-for-4, RBI), Luis Fragoza (2-for-4) The Mighty Mussels were bested late on Sunday. Perhaps the second inning best portends how the game was to go: Ryan Sprock led off the frame with a triple, only to be stranded as his next two friends went down whiffing, and the third flew out. Then pitcher Ramiro Villanueva walked two—and nearly escaped the inning without allowing a run—only for a single to plate both runners. Villanueva also balked. It didn’t end up mattering. But a balk always foretells grave matters. And if it wasn’t for Sprock, the Mighty Mussels would have walked away from Sunday embarrassed instead of merely beat. The DH lived up to the position’s namesake: he added a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and drove in another run with a single in the eighth. Then he stole second. That’s a lot of bases, and a significant amount of runs, given that Fort Myers only scored thrice, credited to just one player. Graham Brown added on with a game-tying single, yet the Mighty Mussels pitching that bent all game finally broke for good, surrendering two in the bottom half of the frame in what became the game’s deciding effort. Dameury Pena stole his 17th base of the season, tying him for the 10th-most in the Florida State League. Lakeland DH Nick Dumesnil ranks as the Tigers’ 23rd-best prospect. He walked twice in four plate appearances. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Ty Langenberg Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jorel Ortega PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #4 – Connor Prielipp (Twins) - 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-2, R, 2 BB #12 – Andrew Morris (Twins) - 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K #13 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 1-4, K #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 0-4, 3 K #17 – C.J. Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 0-4, BB, K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Braves @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Mets Orange (10:00 AM) - TBD View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Zebby Matthews: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K Home Runs: Brooks Lee (9) Top 3 WPA: Zebby Matthews (.130), Brooks Lee (.120), Orlando Arcia (.120) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) There was rain. Or maybe there wasn’t. Well, there was supposed to be rain. Those who should know told us, anyways. And it might be back there in the distance somewhere. We’ll push this game back an hour and a half. It’ll build character. And then we’ll make them get an Apple TV subscription again. That’ll also build character. Are you tired of all the character? Nestled in Minneapolis—on the outskirts of the skyscrapers and man-made institutions that inspire awe and assert dominance—sits the stadium that contained the baseball played on Friday. The field, a beautiful arrangement of limestone, greenery, and screens, gave way to a classic back-and-forther on Thursday, the kind of game that could entertain even the most arduous baseball hater, though it ended in a loss for the protagonist Twins. And this is where we find our heroes: lauded and mired in the common traps and pitfalls of a team that simply may not be good. Not bad. Just not good. The Lord would spit them from his mouth if given the opportunity. Zebby Matthews certainly didn’t begin his start well. Fresh off the vague, esoteric rain delay, the square-jawed hurler found the terrain unfamiliar and rude. Kansas City crushed his offerings. A Bobby Witt Jr. walk portended a stolen base, placing the dynamic speedster in scoring position for any hitter. Vinnie Pasquantino made the point moot with a double cracked into right field. Jac Caglianone brought home his Italian-American brethren with a double off the Jericho wall in right-center. The instant offense paralyzed the Twins. Their bats remained dormant for two innings. The clever finesse veteran Michael Wacha knew which buttons to press and selected them with the acumen of a hurler 14 years into his major league career. Finally, matters turned in favor of Minnesota—ironically after they lost their best player, Byron Buxton, who exited following a failed encounter with the center field wall. Alex Jackson singled, and pinch-hitter Tristan Gray reached first on a bunt, sending the leading runner to third in the process. Brooks Lee grounded out to conclude the manufactured run. At this point, Matthews was settled in, comfortable. The Royals found him more troublesome than before—though thanks in part to Austin Martin throwing out a would-be runner at home in the fourth. A pitcher can sometimes only be as good as his defense, after all. Sitting at a 2-1 stalemate in the sixth, the Twins trudged to the batter’s box draped in the typical misfortune of an offense that couldn’t get going. They needed a hit to fuel things, yet the only fuel for such an endeavors is a hit. Quite the pickle. So, Lee simplified the situation by blasting a solo home run. “Homers kill rallies,” say some. In this case, they ignite them. Minnesota's bats became a flurry. Doubles by Kody Clemens and Josh Bell shot the Twins into the lead, and Orlando Arcia added on with an RBI knock into right field. Back-to-back wild pitches coaxed the scampering Arcia home safely. Suddenly, it was 5-2 Twins, and the Royals were no longer the aggressors in the game; they hadn’t flashed teeth since the first; they still couldn’t stop running into outs at home; Martin remained an armed terror manning right field with a vigor unseen since the cathedral was raised (outside of Max Kepler, but he never threw runners out quite like this). Matthews ended his night after seven innings, ushering in the bullpen to end what the youngster had brilliantly started. Anthony Banda did so drama-less. Travis Adams did so with a soft tepid feeling of uneasiness, but he never devolved into worse territory, eventually closing the game with a soft pop-up off Kyle Isbel's bat. Notes: Byron Buxton officially left the game with a shoulder injury, the same one he hurt earlier in the season, and manager Derek Shelton removed him from the game before his next at-bat. More updates will arrive later. Kody Clemens is slashing .321/.345/.786 in his last seven games. Zebby Matthews threw seven innings for the second time in 2026. He's averaging more than six innings a start. Anthony Banda has not allowed an earned run since May 8th. Post-Game Interview: Twitter accounts do not post an interview after an Apple TV game. What’s Next? The Twins and Royals return to the Target Field confines Saturday for an early afternoon melee, sparring Joe Ryan against Luinder Avila. First pitch is at 1:10 PM. Maybe. An estimation of rain could soil the start time. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet Morris 0 18 0 48 0 66 Paredes 0 0 0 50 0 50 Gómez 15 15 0 18 0 48 Lawrence 0 0 19 24 0 43 Orze 0 0 26 16 0 42 Banda 0 20 0 8 14 42 Adams 19 0 0 0 16 35 Laweryson 0 0 26 0 0 26 Rogers 0 0 12 11 0 23 View full article

Yes neither the FCL or the DSL Twins teams play on Wednesday (or Sunday, for that matter).

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

Image courtesy of Eric Canha-Imagn Images Box Score Connor Prielipp: 4 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K Home Runs: Byron Buxton (16), Austin Martin (2) Top 3 WPA: Austin Martin (0.270), Anthony Banda (0.220), Byron Buxton (0.200) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs): Payton Tolle vs Connor Prielipp. The nation hasn’t seen two young lefties this promising since John and Robert Kennedy. Acquiring the knowledge for the previous joke cost the author thousands of dollars in tuition. With the Twins in Boston, an opportunity arises for two squads; indeed, neither team has particularly impressed—the latter was so lukewarm, Red Sox decision-makers decided to spit the coaching staff from their mouths in April. The Twins haven’t stooped to such means, but their season remains similarly meager. Someone must succeed, though, and the victor of this game, and the series, could use the momentum and good vibes as a propeller towards future wins. The “promising lefties” bit concocted hours before the game ended quickly. Both starters struggled early. Prielipp allowed a flurry of runs—four of them—in the first off a series of hard-hit balls, dinky singles, and outfield-misplayed ricochets. The latter is the only way to explain a Willson Contreras triple. Hit to left-center, nonetheless. Evidently, the Twins were in a respondent mood. Josh Bell singled to set up Gabriel Gonzalez in his first MLB plate appearance. The youngster has made his name as a free-swinger, one who looks to push action further rather than wait for it to happen. He’ll swing 0-0, 3-0, 0-2, and everything in between. There’s no pitch he hasn’t believed he can’t hit—and in his first time in a major-league batter’s box, he walked on four pitches. Strange things must be abound. With two on, Ryan Kreidler bounded a double over third baseman Caleb Durbin’s head and into the left field corner, ushering home Josh Bell. A fielding error set up Luke Keaschall with the bases loaded; he continued the assembly line with an RBI single to right. Though an Alex Jackson strikeout dampened the mood somewhat, Byron Buxton perked matters right back up with an RBI single to left, picking on the stout Durbin once more. Unfortunately, the “suddenly a game” game only remained in that state for one full frame, the third, before Boston struck back at Prielipp for a pair of runs in the fourth. With men on the corners, Durbin dropped down a picturesque sacrifice bunt, made even better when the lefty hurler dirted the throw to first, allowing a run to score as runners nestled home at second and third. A Jarren Duran groundout scored Boston’s sixth run of the game. “Unfortunately?” Well, well, well, the dramatics of the prose written in the fifth proved just that, dramatic. These Twins had more fight in them: Buxton worked a nine-pitch at-bat against reliever Justin Slaten that ended in a two-run homer for the dynamic center fielder. Yet, the dynamic one who was actually playing center on Friday turned out to be Austin Martin, as he also launched a two-run homer in the seventh, with this blast giving the Twins their first lead of the game. Minnesota added on in the ninth with an RBI walk by a pinch-hitting (walking) Trevor Larnach. Though, more could have been had; the bases were loaded with no one out before and after the walk, yet the Twins scored no more. No matter: Anthony Banda remained in the game to finish his eighth inning labor, and ended matters with a scoreless frame. Notes: Byron Buxton is tied for second in the AL with 16 home runs. He's already tied his total from 2017 when he played 140 games and took 511 plate appearances. Anthony Banda is scoreless in his last five outings, dropping his season ERA from 8.27 to 6.23. Austin Martin is fourth in MLB with a .413 OBP (min 150 plate appearances.) Post-Game Interviews: What’s Next? The Twins and Red Sox venture to Fenway again on Saturday for a 3:10 matinee. The illustrious if not road-weary TBD faces off against the recalcitrant young TBD. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet MON TUE WED THU FRI TOT Gómez 11 0 36 0 13 60 Adams 0 19 0 0 29 48 Orze 19 0 0 0 14 33 Banda 0 16 0 0 14 30 Morris 16 0 10 0 0 26 Woods Richardson 18 0 0 0 0 18 Rogers 11 0 0 0 0 11 Garcia 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photo of Kyler Fedko) TRANSACTIONS RHP Matt Bowman released RHP John Brebbia released RHP Alejandro Hidalgo promoted to AAA St. Paul C/OF Ricardo Olivar promoted to AAA St. Paul RHP Ty Langenberg promoted to AAA St. Paul RHP Cory Lewis reinstated from 7-day IL and transferred to AA Wichita OF Jaime Ferrer promoted to AA Wichita RHP Preston Johnson promoted to AA Wichita INF Harry Genth promoted to AA Wichita INF Jorel Ortega placed on 7-day IL (AA Wichita) INF Quinn McDaniel promoted to A+ Cedar Rapids RHP Brian Zeldin promoted to A+ Cedar Rapids UTIL Luis Fragoza promoted to A Fort Myers You got all that? Oh, and for fun, when Tristan Gray goes on paternity leave in the near future, who will get called up? Saints Sentinel St. Paul 14, Omaha 4 Box Score Aaron Rozek: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: Kyler Fedko 2 (9, 10), David Bañuelos (2), Aaron Sabato (10) Multi-hit games: Hendry Mendez (2-for-5, RBI), Gabriel Gonzalez (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB), Kyler Fedko (4-for-5, 2 HR, 2 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI), Aaron Sabato (2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB), David Bañuelos (2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) The Saints bludgeoned their opponent on Wednesday. Most hitters would struggle to compete with one-upping a 15 total base game; evidently, Kyler Fedko isn’t like most hitters. His April 12th masterpiece that swung his season slugging .400 points forward was impeccable. On Wednesday, he was impossible, totaling a pair of homers and doubles with four RBIs. Mason Black must have been in cahoots with a warlock when he struck him out in the fifth. Aaron Sabato’s game wasn’t half-bad either: he homered, doubled, and walked. A mere seven bases if you include the free pass. Ty Langenberg’s first taste of AAA ball went well, as the Urbandale, Iowa native allowed one earned run across three frames, striking out four. Rehabbing big leaguer Cody Laweryson allowed a pair of earned runs in ⅔ of an inning. He threw 26 pitches. Starter Shane Panzini ranks as the Royals’ 19th-best prospect. He allowed four earned runs in 4 1/3 frames. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 0, Tulsa 6 Box Score Cory Lewis: 3 2/3 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Jaime Ferrer (2-for-4) The Wind Surge were shut out on Wednesday. Hey! It’s Cory Lewis! 2025 was a tumultuous time for the righty as every number went in the wrong direction: his ERA; his WHIP; his innings. He probably even shrank a little. His efforts to get back off the ground in 2026 have started slowly, yet just getting back on the mound with tepid success in this start could be the start of the comeback. Good news in this game is self-evidently sparse, so enjoy Jaime Ferrer collecting his first AA hit. Kyle DeBarge stole his 12th base, the 10th-most in the Texas League. Wondering who the next big Dodgers prospect is? Well, he played on Wednesday: outfielder Josue De Paula clocks in as the ninth-best prospect in baseball according to MLB.com. He walked twice in five plate appearances. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 4, Peoria 3 Box Score Michael Ross: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (2-for-5, 2B, RBI), Khadim Diaw (3-for-4, 2B, R, RBI) The Kernels won narrowly on Wednesday. Following his worst game of the season, Michael Ross authored his best performance of the year. The righty was efficient, navigating around two hits, a walk, and an error to limit the Chiefs to just one run over five innings. He threw 64 pitches. It helps when you never throw a pitch while behind. Three straight walks in the first loaded the bases for Khadim Diaw, now presented with a chance to damage the game before it had really begun. He did just that, driving a double deep to left field to score two. He later added two singles to earn his first 3+ hit game since April 29th. Diaw wasn’t the only Kernel with an RBI double; Marek Houston—that’s him in the video, trust—also ripped a run-scoring two-bagger. Though the Cardinals enjoy yet another quality farm system, most of their prospects inhabit the upper levels of the minors, leaving just their 17th-ranked youngster—outfielder Tai Peete—as their finest player on Wednesday. He went 0-2 before leaving the game after three innings. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 6, Dunedin 4 Box Score Ramiro Villanueva: 3 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K HR: JP Smith II (3) Multi-hit games: Dameury Pena (2-for-4, 2 R, BB), Jayson Bass (2-for-4, 2B) The Mighty Mussels held on to win on Wednesday. Platonic ideal leadoff man Dameury Pena continued his tremendous start to the season. Need a man on base? He’ll reach first. Need an extra-base hit? He’ll reach first. His small-talk skills with the opposing team’s first baseman must be major-league quality already. He’s slashing the rare “all 3’s” line in 2026—.321/.390/.368. JP Smith II provided the big swing for Fort Myers, popping an opposite-field homer in the fourth. Buried in the box score is Kolten Smith’s outstanding relief outing: the 22-year-old righty whiffed six over three scoreless frames, providing a crucial bridge in the middle-to-late innings. The Georgia product has 39 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings in 2026. Luis Fragoza made his FSL debut, playing center field for the Mighty Mussels. He doubled once and struck out three times. Rehabbing big leaguer Nathan Lukes started for Dunedin. He walked twice and hit a sacrifice fly before being pinch-hit for. MLB.com’s 32nd-ranked prospect, JoJo Parker, manned shortstop for the Blue Jays on Wednesday, doubling and singling in five at-bats. He’s a 19-year-old former first-round pick from the 2025 draft. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Rozek Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Kyler Fedko PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 – Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 1-4, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB #5 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, R, 2 BB, 2 K #7 – Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 K #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 2-4, 2 R, RBI, BB #12 – Andrew Morris (Twins) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K #13 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 2-5, RBI, K #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 1-4, 2 K #15 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, R, BB #19 – Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 3-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 1-4, 2 K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (6:37 PM) - RHP John Klein Tulsa @ Wichita (6:35 PM) - RHP Jose Olivares Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35 PM) - RHP Jason Doktorczyk Fort Myers @ Dunedin (3:30 PM) - TBD Fort Myers @ Dunedin (Game Two) - TBD FCL Twins @ FCL Pirates (11:00 AM) - TBD View full article

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Taj Bradley) TRANSACTIONS Twins RHPs Taj Bradley and Cody Laweryson were both sent to start their rehab assignments with the Saints in Columbus. Fort Myers placed infielder Bruin Agbayani on the 7-Day Injured List. Previously, he had missed about a month with a thumb injury. RHP Dylan Questad began his rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. Saints Sentinel St. Paul 2, Columbus 3 Box Score Taj Bradley: 1 ⅔ IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Hendry Mendez (2-for-5, RBI), Aaron Sabato (2-for-4, 2B) The Saints lost a frustrating endeavor on Sunday. Runners left on base—the ire of players, coaches, and fans alike. That mysterious curse struck the Saints once more on Sunday, as the team went just 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position, and only plated two runs, despite putting a runner on base to start a frame in six of their nine innings. On-base madness took a backseat to the starter. Taj Bradley pitched for the first time since his May 5th outing in Washington. With his pectoral injury evidently under control, the righty worked 1 2/3 inefficient innings, walking two while allowing a pair of hits. He threw 42 pitches and topped out at 97.8 MPH with his fastball. Hendry Mendez continues to wallop AAA pitching, as his two hits pushed his batting average at the level to .395. Perhaps even more fascinating has been the lefty’s ability to walk more than strikeout (currently at a nine-to-eight rate). He completed this trick across all of 2025; can he repeat it at the highest level of the minors? So far, the results have been encouraging. And he won’t turn 23 until after the season ends. The Clippers are an affiliate in the Guardians system. Known to specialize in switch-hitting middle-infielders, Cleveland once again claims a youngster with such skills: Angel Genoa. The 47th-overall prospect in MLB singled once in four at-bats. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 6, San Antonio 3 Box Score Eli Jones: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K HR: Garrett Spain (10) Multi-hit games: None The Wind Surge needed just four hits to win on Sunday. You, the attentive reader, may wonder how they did so, while scoring six runs along the way. Here’s how: walks and errors. Nine and three of them, respectively. Evidently, one of San Antonio’s Missions was not to play clean, orderly baseball. Jhony Brito started for San Antonio on MLB rehab. He breezed through three clean frames before starting trouble in the fourth. A pair of walks begat a run-scoring fielding error, which was soon worsened when Brito threw away a pickoff attempt, scoring a second unearned run. Should a pitcher’s fielding error count as an earned run? The argument both ways makes sense. We’re digging deep into the technicalities of what “earned” should mean in this context, yet it does feel right that a pitcher should be penalized for a mistake under his control. Garrett Spain homered in the eighth to put a third run on the board; Andrew Cossetti doubled in Jorel Ortega to quickly make it a fourth score. The final two runs score in the ninth when wunderkind prospect Ethan Salas fired a ball wildly into left field in an attempt to nab Spain stealing third. Instead, both Spain and the trailing runner, Caleb Roberts, safely trotted home. The aforementioned Salas is not the uber-prospect he once was, but he still ranks as the 52nd-best youngster in baseball, according to MLB.com. He singled twice in five plate appearances. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 8, Fort Wayne 11 Box Score Miguelangel Boadas: 2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 K HR: Brandon Winokur (5), Yasser Mercedes (1) Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (3-for-4, 2B, 2 R, BB), Brandon Winokur (2-for-5, HR, R, 5 RBI), Yasser Mercedes (2-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI) The Kernels lost a high-scoring affair on Sunday. Brandon Winokur continued his hot-hitting ways with a two-run homer in the first. The 21-year-old hit a paltry .198/.323/.358 in April before exploding to hit .364/.453/.564 in May, with just three hitless days in the month. That’ll play. Cedar Rapids’ second homer of the day off the certainly not Nominative Determinist Jamie Hitt, was a three-run shot by Yasser Mercedes, his first as a Kernel. Mercedes has actually improved his OPS since his promotion, jumping from 1.081 as a Mighty Mussel to 1.198 as a Kernel. It’s been a tremendous season for the 21-year-old in his 40-man decision year. On a day not for faint-hearted hurlers, Paulshawn Pasqualotto authored a fantastic relief outing. The righty whiffed four across 2 ⅓ scoreless innings. His season ERA is now 1.59. A.J. Preller’s dealing ways have left the Padres’ system weak on talent. As a result, the best prospect in the game for the TinCaps was Kavares Tears, ranked 26th in their system. He doubled and singled in four trips to the plate. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 9, Bradenton 2 Box Score Justin Mitrovich: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K HR: Jayson Bass (4) Multi-hit games: Quinn McDaniel (2-for-5, 2B, R, RBI), Bryan Acuña (2-for-4, RBI) The Kernels erupted in the ninth to win on Sunday. Quinn McDaniel, hitting machine, scored the first run with a double cracked into the right-center gap. Then? Nothing. Perhaps an odd baserunner. A rain delay. Bradenton took the lead in what felt like one of those times a team simply ran out of gas before they could repeat their scoring ways. Their first hit since McDaniel’s double didn't arrive until the ninth inning. But what an inning it was. JP Smith II singled and was pinch-run for by Jayson Bass—remember this. Ramiro Dominguez sent Bass to third but was thrown out at second attempting to stretch his hit as far as possible. No matter: Ryan Sprock walked, Irvin Nunez singled, Quentin Young walked, and Bryan Acuña singled to give Fort Myers the lead. A Harry Genth walk and Dameury Pena single made it a 5-2 game. That ushered Bass to the plate with the bases loaded. He was brought in for his legs, but he made the biggest impact with his bat: the lefty demolished one so thoroughly that even the pitcher had no choice but to stand on the mound and watch in pained awe as the ball flew over the fence. Marauders’ third baseman Murf Gray is ranked as the Pirates’ 17th-best prospect. He singled once in three at-bats. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Paulshawn Pasqualotto Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Yasser Mercedes PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #5 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-1, K #7 – Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 3-4, 2B, 2 R, BB, K #10 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-4, BB, 2 K #12 – Andrew Morris (Twins) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K #13 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 2-5, RBI, K #14 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 0-3, R, BB, K #15 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 2-5, HR, R, 5 RBI #19 – Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, 2B, K #20 – Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Braves @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM) - TBD View full article