Matt Braun

Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Box Score Joe Ryan: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K Home Runs: Kody Clemens (27) Top 3 WPA: Luke Keaschall (.200), Royce Lewis (.150), Walker Jenkins (.080) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Though often dramatic, the 2026 Twins have proved that a finality can also be soft in execution. There’s little grand, sweeping movements here: the team can spoil the AL West for the Rangers, but will not sniff the playoffs themselves, lest some sort of time travel shenanigans allows them to flip a handful of prior losses to wins. Alas, such terrible writing only exists in Marvel movies. The real life Twins are screwed. But, at least we get to watch a few more ballgames before football fully takes over. Early matters portended ugly outcomes. The Joe Ryan of new appeared once more. A Brandon Nimmo double and Josh Jung hit by pitch clogged the bases before fans could find their expensive beers and opulent hot dogs. Corey Seager stroked a hanging curve into right to score a run. Somewhere, someone paid entirely too much for nachos they’ll find disappointing. Wyatt Langford corkscrewed a grounder to first hit so slowly that the leading runner Jung raced home safely. The runs looked to support Jacob deGrom, 38, in the regal ace’s inaugural outing on the Target Field mound. The righty’s two Cy Young awards and over 2,000 career strikeouts had not yet come with the aid of Minnesota groundskeeping; the erstwhile veteran evidently found hotdish, fishing, and passive aggression to be anathema. Minnesota fell silently in the first and returned with passion in the second. It was a flurry: Josh Bell walked, and Ryan Jeffers and Walker Jenkins slashed singles to load the bases. Royce Lewis then sent one of deGrom’s signature sliders into center to plate two to tie the game. “A nice rally?” Well, the offensive was far from over. A Ryan Kreidler bunt plated one more—and sent the bunter safely to first—while Luke Keaschall slapped a triple into the right field corner, where it rattled and hummed as Nimmo prodded and investigated before finally throwing the ball in, but not before two more runs could score. A wild pitch ushered Keaschall home as the sixth and final run of the frame. The paralyzing furor halted scoring in the third. The Twins returned for more in the fourth. Kreidler walked before Keaschall notched his second extra-base hit of the evening, this time cracking a double off the walk guarding the bullpens in left-center. Kody Clemens soon guided a single in and out of Nimmo’s glove in right for an eighth run. All the while, Ryan settled. He became the man fans know and love; complete with excellent pitching and interpretive mound antics. Strikeouts looking and swinging were accompanied with his usual flair; perhaps a nodding approval, or acknowledged movement typically believed unbecoming of a great pitcher, but commonplace in the Ryan physical vernacular. By the time he walked off the mound, the righty had collected eight strikeouts across six innings, with just the two early earned runs to his name. His season ERA rests at 3.79. Another break begat another Clemens run-scoring hit, this time a two-run shot slashed to left-center in the sixth to give the Twins 10 runs on the day. Following the homer, Kody Funderburk entered the game. His fifth pitch ended in an exquisite catch in left by Emmanuel Rodriguez. Why the lax prose? The video speaks for itself. Funderburk gave way to Tommy Nance, who gave way to Taylor Rogers. Their efficiency mattered little in such a blowout, yet each hurler put forth a scoreless frame. Once more—like so many times in years prior—Rogers earned a 1-2-3 ninth to conclude the game, coaxing a soft flyout from Danny Jansen to secure the win. Notes: Joe Ryan's eight strikeouts give him 878 in his career, the ninth-most in Twins history. He's nine away from tying Dave Goltz. Taylor Rogers appeared in his 383rd game as a Twin, the eighth-most for a pitcher in team history. He's three away from tying Juan Rincon. Luke Keaschall earned his second career four-hit game, with a triple, a double, and two singles. He also stole a base. Since July 1st, he's slashing .322/.414/.498. Kody Clemens bopped his 27th homer of the season, tying him with Willson Contreras, Jake Burger, Dillon Dingler, Carter Jensen, and Zach Neto for the 10th-most in the AL. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Rangers march towards the end with a Saturday afternoon matchup, as Bailey Ober is scheduled to face the intimidating and daunting TBD. First pitch is at 3:10 PM. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet MON TUE WED THUR FRI TOT Morris 0 19 23 0 0 42 Rogers 25 0 0 0 8 32 Funderburk 0 13 0 0 19 32 Gomez 0 0 24 0 0 24 Hoffman 0 24 0 0 0 24 Adams 20 0 0 0 0 20 Minter 0 9 7 0 0 16 Nance 0 0 0 0 11 11 View full article

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photo of Aaron Rozek) TRANSACTIONS No moves were made on Sunday. AWARDS On Saturday, we began to hand out Twins Daily's minor-league awards this weekend. Here are the awards handed out so far and what's coming. Saturday: DSL Twins Hitters Sunday: DSL Twins Pitchers Monday: FCL Twins Hitters Tuesday: FCL Twins Pitchers Wednesday: Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year Thursday: Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year Friday: Twins Minor League All Star Team Saints Sentinel St. Paul 3, Columbus 5 Box Score Aaron Rozek: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K HR: Tanner Schobel (7) Multi-hit games: Kala’i Rosario (2-for-4, R), Tanner Schobel (2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI), Jake Rucker (2-for-3, RBI, BB) The Saints lost to close out their season on Sunday. Given that the squad had already been eliminated from postseason contention, Sunday’s matters were lithe and lighthearted, more akin to the final day of school before Summer break. Kala’i Rosario started in center for just the third time this season. Aaron Sabato didn’t play. Noah Cardenas lumbered to his third stolen base of the season. Jake Rucker probably tried to pitch. All in good fun for a team celebrating an enormously successful year. St. Paul’s 82-67 record is the second-best in their franchise’s history, and the 251 homers hit by the team were the second-most by any affiliated minor league club, only behind the 2019 El Paso Chihuahuas mark of 258 (who also enjoyed the help of the most juiced ball in American baseball history). The best Saints team for winning percentage goes to the independent 2015 iteration, who won 74 games while losing just 26, good for an unthinkable .740 mark. That team hit for a .810 OPS and pitched to a 3.14 ERA, collectively. Lefty Pedro Hernández was the only player on the team with MLB experience (and if you recall his 14 games pitched for the 2013 Twins, then you’re the biggest sicko reading this post). That team won their division but lost to the Sioux City Explorers in the Semifinals, who themselves went 75-25 that year. Tanner Schobel smacked the final blast of the season, a screaming liner that fended off gravity just enough to clank off Columbus’ left field net. Though five innings of work have seen prettier outcomes, Aaron Rozek’s day on the mound set a new single-season career-high in frames with 124 2/3, eking past his 2024 mark of 122. The lefty also set a career-high with 104 strikeouts. Not bad for a hurler concluding his sixth season in the Twins system. One of these days he’ll assimilate into being the St. Paul pitching coach. We're certain that the Twins are quite thankful that the Mets released him at the end of spring training after taking him with a minor-league Rule 5 pick last December. St. Paul’s other two runs came in the fourth off a Tristan Gray sacrifice fly, and a Jake Rucker single. Wind Surge Wisdom The Wind Surge season has ended. Come back in 2027 to read more about them. Kernels Nuggets The Kernels season has ended. Come back in 2027 to read more about them. Mussel Matters The Mighty Mussels season has ended. Come back in 2027 to read more about them. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Garrett Acton? Sure Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Tanner Schobel PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #7 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 0-4, BB #9 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-4, BB MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS All play in the Twins’ minor league system has concluded. Thank you all for another great year. View full article

Image courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez - IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Box Score Connor Prielipp: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K Home Runs: Walker Jenkins (3) Top 3 WPA: Connor Prielipp (.410), Walker Jenkins (.110), Brooks Lee (.090) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) An aimless wandering; an exploration of parts unknown; the playing out of a season whose finality is understood and sealed. Though postseason hopes are stale and dead, the games ahead are an important test, allowing youngsters to prove that they can be a part of future solutions needed to fix current problems. How will that play out? We shall see. Matters started with the predictable: a Luke Keaschall hit by pitch, his 22nd of the year, a new Twins single-season record. A Brooks Lee single advanced our well-bludgeoned protagonist to third, and he was soon cut down at home on a Kody Clemens fielder’s choice. So it goes. The play sent Lee to third and Clemens to second, turning a well-struck Ryan Jeffers liner into a sacrifice fly, with Lee racing home. A Josh Bell single clanked off Mike Trout’s glove coaxed in a second run. The runs put Connor Prielipp in a great position to start, and he responded with vigor, punching out the side in order to start the game. Indeed, this was a game for pitchers. Bats entered with caution. Angels starter Grayson Rodriguez found a deep, dominating groove, only once allowing a runner to reach second until the seventh, as run-scoring attempts fell meagerly and rallies were squashed before they could begin. Prielipp was up for the battle, though, as he had tricks of his own against an impotent Angels lineup. Scattered baserunners in the second, third, and fourth portended nothing; he punched out two in a 1-2-3 fifth to right his efficiency ways. Zach Neto nearly lifted one of the lefty’s signature breaking balls out to left for a solo homer, but Emmanuel Rodriguez saw the sky-scraping shot the entire way, and cleanly robbed the shortstop of a home run. Thank god for short walls. The robbing perhaps ignited something in a stale Twins offense, as Walker Jenkins blasted a solo homer in the next half-inning. The shot was his sixth straight hit, and the second long ball in that span. Prielipp re-took the mound in the seventh with a regal elegance—and with a career benchmark on the line. The lefty had previously never crossed the six-inning threshold as a starter. It stood like the mighty walls of Jericho, blocking all attempts to pass. And here Prielipp stood, armed with metaphoric instruments and a mandate to go beyond the standard he had previously set for himself. Denzer Guzman flew out at the warning track. Oswald Peraza, struck out swinging. Then Travis d’Arnaud stared at three straight strikes to conclude the evening for Prielipp, the new owner of a career-high in innings pitched in a single game. Tommy Nance loaded the bases in the eighth but escaped unscathed. Travis Adams traveled a simpler route in the ninth, earning three quick outs to earn his third save of the season, and to end a firmly successful day for the Twins. Notes: Luke Keaschall's hit by pitch gave him 22 on the season, a Twins record. Connor Prielipp's seven innings pitched are a single-game MLB career-high. Six of Walker Jenkins' seven hits in September have come Thursday and Friday. His slugging percentage rose from .200 to .396. Josh Bell has 89 RBIs on the season, the third-most in a single year for the veteran. His career-high is 116 set in 2019 with Pittsburgh. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Angels continue their late-night show excursions on Saturday, with first pitch coming at 8:38 PM. Joe Ryan is set to start against Reid Detmers. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet MON TUE WED THU FRI TOT Nance 22 0 14 0 23 59 Morris 11 30 0 13 0 54 Minter 18 0 22 14 0 54 Gomez 0 10 24 18 0 52 Adams 0 0 34 0 10 44 Rogers 0 38 0 0 0 38 Hoffman 13 0 16 5 0 34 Funderburk 3 0 4 1 0 8 View full article

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Gabriel Gonzalez) TRANSACTIONS INF Ben Ross recalled by Twins C Ian Daugherty activated from Development List (AAA St. Paul) Saints Sentinel St. Paul 3, Columbus 2 Box Score Aaron Rozek: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Alan Roden (2-for-4, 2B, R), Gabriel Gonzalez (2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI) The Saints netted a close win on Wednesday. All may be in limbo, as the Saints play out the rest of the season in vain hope for a playoff spot, but that didn’t stop Aaron Rozek from pitching one of his finest games of the season. The lefty was up to his crafty tricks; pounding his mid-80s funk like Prince with a deft and controlling sensibility. He whiffed five. Only one run scored against him. The Saints started the game with a trio of doubles, as Alan Roden, Gabriel Gonzalez, and Matt Wallner all stroked two-baggers to push across a pair before Clippers starter Logan T. Allen could net an out. None were hit particularly hard, with Gonzalez’s 92.6 MPH slash down the line serving as the relative screamer. Still, you hit them where they ain’t, and good things are going to happen. A third and final run arrived on a Wallner sacrifice fly in the fifth. Rozek gave way to Eric Orze, who wobbled in his frame, allowing a run before picking off a runner at second to end the inning. Matt Bowman then surrendered two hits before coaxing a bizarre double play that counted as a double for the batter yet resulted in two outs on the basepaths. Only in minor league baseball. Marco Raya blitzed through a crisp eighth with two strikeouts before Julian Merryweather netted the save, working around a walk in an otherwise harmless appearance. The win pushed the Saints to 80-65, an impressive total—best overall in the International League West—but one that likely won’t send them to the playoffs, as minor league postseason spots are based on first and second half performances. St. Paul finished third before the All-Star break and now find themselves four games back of Indianapolis with four to play. The Clippers are led by Ralphy Velazquez, the 31st overall prospect in MLB. The DH doubled once in four trips to the plate. Wind Surge Wisdom The Wind Surge season has ended. Come back in 2027 to read more about them. Kernels Nuggets The Kernels season has ended. Come back in 2027 to read more about them. Mussel Matters The Mighty Mussels season has ended. Come back in 2027 to read more about them. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Rozek Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Alan Roden/Gabriel Gonzalez PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Walker Jenkins (Twins) - 0-0, R #6 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Twins) - 0-4, BB, K #9 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 2-4, 2B, R, RBI THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (5:35 PM) - LHP Kendry Rojas View full article

TRANSACTIONS LHP Kendry Rojas activated from IL (AAA St. Paul) C Ian Daugherty transferred to Development List (AAA St. Paul) Saints Sentinel St. Paul 6, Syracuse 5 Box Score Kendry Rojas: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K HR: Kala’i Rosario 2 (10, 11), Aaron Sabato (25) Multi-hit games: Kala’i Rosario (2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI) The Saints eeked out a win in their home finale on Sunday. Kendry Rojas! He’s back! The lefty appeared in a game for the first time since suffering a right oblique strain during his outing on August 21st. He looked normal, which is about all you can ask from a pitcher returning from injury, tossing two scoreless innings with a strikeout and a walk. He topped out at 96.7 MPH. 18 of his 28 pitches went for strikes. Rojas’ exit portended a tough day for Trent Baker. The righty allowed a flurry of free passes and hard contact, totaling four earned runs in just two innings. After Baker, though, was a masterclass, with Paulshawn Pasqualotto, Eric Orze, and Marco Raya delivering suffocating, overwhelming pitching performances. Pasqualotto struck out four over two, Orze collected a pair in one frame, and Raya opted to let his defense have more fun; he punched out one batter in his inning. Overall, the three completed four perfect innings. St. Paul’s offense on Sunday was… condensed. Effective enough. Kala’i Rosario blasted a solo shot in the fourth to break the seal, and more blasts in the fifth completed the run barrage. First, Aaron Sabato tucked a three-run shot around the fair side of the right field foul pole, then Rosario exited the building again, with a two-run shot cracked over the famous CHS field wall in right. Rosario presents a conundrum for the Twins this offseason. He’s Rule 5 eligible, and though the franchise finds outfielders in great abundance, 24-year-olds at AAA with his raw pop don’t grow on trees. Might they look to protect him? And how much does the looming lockout affect their plans? We shall see. Émilien Pitre, a wonderful name, is ranked as the 10th-best prospect in the Mets’ system. The second baseman went 0-for-3 with a walk. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 8, Frisco 10 Box Score Preston Johnson: 3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (3-for-6, 2 R), Garrett Spain (3-for-6, 2 2B, R, RBI), Brandon Winokur (4-for-6, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI), Kyle DeBarge (2-for-4, R, RBI, BB), Danny De Andrade (2-for-4, R), Luis Hernandez (2-for-4, RBI, BB) The Wind Surge ended their season with a loss. It was a hitting clinic for Wichita. And they weren’t here for extra-base knock: like Motown before them, hit singles were the target. 14 of them marked an incredible day of line drives, grounders with eyes, dying quails, and whatever else is needed to rack up such an overwhelming total. Wichita scored in seven separate innings. Brandon Winokur was the biggest fueler of the onslaught, collecting four hits and three RBIs. He was also the lone highlight the WInd Surge Twitter account decided to post. Lest you think the offense was all about hits, they also ran wild on the bases, with the team netting seven steals on the day. Kyle DeBarge swiped four bases; Quinn McDaniel, Jaime Ferrer, and Andrew Cossetti—yes, Andrew Cossetti—totaled the other three steals. Cossetti’s was his 13th in 376 minor league games. It was just that kind of day. Unfortunately, Wichita didn’t find such luck on the mound, a curse that befall them all year as they ended with the second-worst ERA in the Texas League. Preston Johnson was worked for six runs in three innings, and Cory Lewis fared only a little better, surrendering four in four frames. Tippy-top prospect Sebastian Walcott—ranked ninth overall by MLB.com—played shortstop and singled once in three at-bats. Kernels Nuggets The Kernels season has ended. Come back in 2027 to read more about them. Mussel Matters The Mighty Mussels season has ended. Come back in 2027 to read more about them. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Paulshawn Pasqualotto Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Kala’i Rosario PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Walker Jenkins (Twins) - 0-4, 3 K #4 – Marek Houston (Wichita) - 3-6, 2 R, 2 K #6 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Twins) - 1-4, 2 K #9 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-3, BB, K #12 – Brandon Winokur (Wichita) - 4-6, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS No games in the Twins’ system are scheduled for Monday. View full article

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn- IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Box Score Taj Bradley: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Yoendrys Gómez (-.470), A.J. Minter (-.290), Luke Keaschall (-.140) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Dead, but still living. Walking, though without a clear direction. At some point, the reality of postseason odds will reach through the nether and snatch these Twins, relegating them to a forgotten footnote, cursed to gather dust in the annals of baseball teams deemed too good to laugh at, yet not good enough to care about. A common outcome. One that was seemingly avoidable a month ago. One that grew slowly and slowly and now stands readily apparent. Mark Buehrle isn’t retired; rather, he lives through Parker Messick, the newest vessel containing the fast-paced, crafty lefty gene. And he can move ass. MLB officially calls him 6’0” and 225 pounds. The eye says a few more pounds. Undeniably svelte, he dances on the mound with the grace of a gymnast half his weight. His command-oriented game has fueled a massive rookie breakout season, in which he made the All-Star game, and carries an ERA of 2.53 in 167 innings. And the lefty was on his game. Twins batters stood befuddled by his heaters. Babbled at his control. Three of his five strikeouts were of the staring variety; in which Minnesota never even attempted to swing at the ball. They broke from daze for a moment and struck for a run in the second, with Royce Lewis doubling in Kody Clemens. The run was needed, as Taj Bradley looked off. Well, he was off: the righty started each of his first three frames with a free pass, and had offered four of them before he could net nine outs. It was only with grit—and luck—that he shook loose from the malaise to hold Cleveland at bay, finding the strike zone just enough to nab outs and avoid the looming run spectre that constantly threatened him. And then he found himself. A Travis Bazzana singled in the fourth was later erased with a double play. Then he sat six down in order to breeze through the fifth and sixth, concluding his day with an emphatic 99.7 MPH fastball to strike out Jo Adell. Bradley gave way to A.J. Minter whose appearance sparked inspiration in a wilting Guardians lineup; Bazzana singled and Angel Martínez launched a devastating two-run blast, detailed with admiration and confident gait. We have a game. What would this be if the Twins and Guardians weren’t engaged, close, late? An Austin Martin hit by pitch, Walker Jenkins bunt, and a subsequent bizarre obstruction at second placed Martin at… second. Brayan Rocchio’s only punishment for committing the infraction was to be seen and judged, apparently. Never mind: Kaelen Culpepper singled in Martin anyways. An eighth. Nothing. A ninth. The deciding factor. Once more. As it always is with these two. Yoendrys Gómez fired wildly. The Guardians accepted their walks. A wild pitch. The few hittable pitches were knocked around for doubles. Three runs crossed the plate as the Twins closer failed to escape the frame, and Cade Smith entered in the bottom of the inning to silence any effort at a rally. Notes: Kody Clemens is slashing .320/.393/.560 in his last seven games. Taj Bradley is 10th in MLB with 190 strikeouts, a single-season career-high by 36 whiffs. He also earned his 600th career strikeout in the game. Austin Martin reached base twice in his first MLB game since August 16th. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Guardians meet again on Saturday, with first pitch coming at 3:10 PM. Connor Prielipp is set to pitch against the cool and collected TBD. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet MON TUE WED THUR FRI TOT Adams 0 0 42 0 0 42 Minter 0 23 0 0 17 40 Funderburk 0 0 22 0 15 37 Gomez 0 13 0 0 21 34 Nance 0 0 24 0 0 24 Hoffman 0 18 0 0 10 18 Rogers 0 0 16 0 0 16 Morris 0 8 0 0 0 8 View full article

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Graham Brown) TRANSACTIONS No moves were made on Wednesday. Saints Sentinel St. Paul 5, Syracuse 4 Box Score Germán Márquez: 4 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K HR: Cody Morissette (16) Multi-hit games: Austin Martin (2-for-4, 3B, R, 2 RBI), Alan Roden (2-for-4, BB), Matt Wallner (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB) The Saints won on a walk-off on Wednesday. Matters that begin poorly may not always end so; just ask the Saints. Germán Márquez didn’t have it. His 2018 version a distant memory. The Mets struck for two in the second, and returned for a duplicate pair in the third, dropping a flurry of hits on the starter, as he exited the fourth ragged, tattered, and out of the game. But the Saints had some rally in them—and it all started with one swing. Cody Morissette, unrelated to Alanis, presumably. Though the owner of a swing far twitchier than his more famous surnamed Canadian. He’s slashing .357/.419/.857 in September thanks to hacks like this, in which he swatted a high fastball the other way for a solo homer. A Matt Wallner fielder’s choice in the sixth added a second run. Then, a critical hit from a familiar face. Austin Martin stepped to the plate with two on in the seventh, and delivered the goods with a well-placed gapper, splitting the center and left fielder with precision, scoring two as he dashed into third. An assist goes to Syracuse’s Jose Ramos and his alligator arms. Well, the “walk-off” hint was more literal than you may have thought it was. St. Paul started the ninth with two hits and an intentional walk, putting them in a perfect place for a potential poaching of a win. Aaron Sabato struck out. So it goes. Matt Wallner worked the count full. The 3-2 fastball thudded dully in the dirt. Hey, anti-climaticism counts all the same. Trent Baker, Garrett Acton, and Eric Orze combined to pitch five shutout innings out of the bullpen. They struck out three and allowed a trio of hits. Rehabbing big leaguer Austin Martin went 2-for-4 with a triple, a run scored, and two RBIs. It was his second game played in his rehab assignment. The Mets are the Mets. Their second-ranked prospect, pitcher Jonathan Santucci, tossed five innings with one earned run, striking out six. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 5, Frisco 7 Box Score Preston Johnson: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K HR: Graham Brown (5) Multi-hit games: Kyle DeBarge (2-for-3, R, BB), Graham Brown (2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI) The Wind Surge came up short on Wednesday. Matters that start well may not always end so; just ask the Wind Surge. Wichita loaded the bases in the first and pushed a run across with a Jaime Ferrer walk. The lead held for the three innings—the best frames pitched by Preston Johnson on the day. He struck out two and navigated minor trouble in the third. Then, trouble brewed. Two quick outs in the fourth portended runs. Two scored to swallow what would turn out to be Wichita’s only lead of the day. A Graham Brown blast in the bottom of the frame knotted things, yet the respite turned sour quickly. Darren Bowen replaced Johnson and couldn’t escape the fifth: he surrendered a menagerie of action, totaling four hits, a hit by pitch, a steal of home, and a wild pitch. Four runs scored. Frisco added one more in the seventh, an unnecessary luxury, as Wichita’s three-run volley in the eighth left the team two runs short of a tie. Brown brought in a pair with a double, his second extra-base hit of the day, and Quinn McDaniel singled in one more. Garrett Spain, Caden Kendle, and Brandon Winokur went down 1-2-3 in the ninth to end the game. MLB’s ninth-ranked prospect, infielder Sebastian Walcott, DH’d for the RoughRiders on Wednesday. He went 1-5, with two strikeouts. Kernels Nuggets The Kernels season has ended. Come back in 2027 to read more about them. Mussel Matters The Mighty Mussels season has ended. Come back in 2027 to read more about them. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Trent Baker Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Graham Brown PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Walker Jenkins (Twins) - 0-2, BB, 2 K #3 – Kaelen Culpepper (Twins) - 0-4 #4 – Marek Houston (Wichita) - 1-3, R, 2 BB, K #6 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 1-4, 2 R, BB, 2 K #7 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 1-1 #12 – Brandon Winokur (Wichita) - 0-5, 2 K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ St. Paul (6:37 PM) - RHP Jack Anderson Frisco @ Wichita (6:35 PM) - RHP Ty Langenberg View full article

TRANSACTIONS RHP Billy Oldham released (A Fort Myers) Saints Sentinel St. Paul 12, Omaha 5 Box Score Ryan Gallagher: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K HR: Noah Cardenas (13), Alan Roden (9) Multi-hit games: Emmanuel Rodriguez (3-for-5, 3 R, RBI, BB), Alan Roden (4-for-6, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), Kala’i Rosario (2-for-5, R, RBI), Cody Morissette (2-for-3, R, RBI, BB), Noah Cardenas (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) The Saints smoked their opponent on Sunday. Scoring in six separate innings isn’t just impressive; it’s a sign of an uncommonly potent offense perfectly ok with pushing a boulder up a hill every time they got knocked down. It started with three in the first, then two came in the second, and another pair arrived in the third. A 1-2-3 fourth cooled nothing: St. Paul returned with vitality in the fifth, plating three more off an Alan Roden launch to a barren berm. Top-offs in the sixth and seventh pushed the Saints’ run total on the day to 12, a significant explosion in any context, made even more notable given that they had totaled just four runs across their previous three games. Ryan Gallagher likely appreciated the support. The UC Santa Barbara product tossed six innings for the second time in 2026, striking out three while allowing two earned runs. It wasn’t the sexiest outing a pitcher can have, but it was effective, workmanlike, which Gallagher will certainly take as he nears the end of a challenging season.. The win secured St. Paul’s first road winning season since becoming a Twins affiliate. Previously, their best mark was a 37-37 showing in 2023. Emmanuel Rodriguez continues to argue that he deserves a promotion as well. He slashed .306/.462/.514 in August and is now slashing .308/.419/.538 in his first six games of September. And maybe Alan Roden deserves a second look. He’s off to an incinerating .429/.538/.619 line in September and has a hit in every Saints game since being optioned. Storm Chaser Lucas Braun—presumably no relation to this author—ranks as the 16th-best prospect in the Royals system. A starter, he surrendered six earned runs in two innings. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 13, Tulsa 7 (10 Innings) Box Score Adrian Bohorquez: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K HR: Graham Brown (4) Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (2-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB), Caden Kendle (2-for-5, R, 2 RBI), Khadiam Diaw (2-for-5, 2B, R, RBI, BB), Andrew Cossetti (2-for-6, 2B, RBI), Luis Hernandez (2-for-5, 2 R), Graham Brown (2-for-3, HR, 4 R, 2 RBI, BB), Danny De Andrade (4-for-5, R, 2 RBI) The Wind Surge broke through in the 10th to win on Sunday. Little was clean and obvious early; probably a fair reason why this game needed more time to determine a winner. The melee was messy and favored none—when Wichita rallied, so did Tulsa. The result was a 7-5 game favoring the Drillers after four. A Marek Houston walk, and Caden Kendle sacrifice fly started the Wind Surge scoring. A Graham Brown single and Houston knock the following frame concluded the initial attack. Then, Brown homered in the sixth. Finally, a wild pitch tied matters in the ninth. The Manfred Man is one hell of a shot in the arm, eh? Wichita took their free runner and made the most of it, plating six to take a thorough and convincing lead over the Drillers. Danny De Andrade singled to score two and Houston walked. Next up, Caden Kendle split the middle infield with a single, Khadim Diaw shot a double into right field, and Brandon Winokur coaxed a run home on a groundout. Five was already in. That was probably plenty. No. Andrew Cossetti doubled in another. There we are. Chris Vallimont provided four critical innings in relief, entering after seven tumultuous runs had already been scored (only three of them earned), and held Wichita at bay with three strikeouts. Seven Wichita batters netted multiple hits. They earned 17 in total. Superstar prospect Josue De Paula is ranked as the sixth overall prospect in MLB. He singled twice and walked once in six plate appearances. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 10, South Bend 5 Box Score Kolten Smith: 3 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K HR: JP Smith II (7), Andy Lugo 2 (4, 5) Multi-hit games: Eduardo Tait (2-for-6, 2B, 2 R), Andy Lugo (2-for-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), Luis Fragoza (2-for-4, 2B, R, BB) The Kernels end their season on a high note, belting three homers in a victory. Andy Lugo homered twice. Andy Lugo was not even in the starting lineup. He replaced JP Smith II—who had bombed in the third—and smoked a two-run shot in sixth. Perhaps feeling an enhanced sense of power, Lugo encountered a soft-tossing position player in the eighth, and treated him with a respect appropriate of one throwing eephuses (eephusi?) in a three-run game. Every batter in the Kernels lineup, starting or not, earned a hit on Sunday. South Bend’s tandems on Sunday evidently was not up to base-running halting snuff, as Cedar Rapids swiped a base safely six times, with even Eduardo Tait getting in on the action for his second steal of the season. His first came on Tuesday against these same Cubs. The Kernels had never had a losing season as a Twins’ affiliate, and they made their initial foray into losing a doozy, finishing 2026 with a woeful 48-82 record. Hopefully they can right the ship next year. Cubs’ first baseman Josiah Hartshorn ranks as the 39th-best prospect in baseball according to MLB.com. He doubled twice and walked once in five plate appearances. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 6, Clearwater 4 (10 Innings) Box Score Eric Hammond: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K HR: Carson Tinney (8) Multi-hit games: None The Mighty Mussels exploded in extras to win on Sunday. Eric Hammond continued his post-July brilliance, hurling four shutout innings with five strikeouts. He allowed two hits. The righty entered August with an ERA of 5.27, and pitched well enough down the stretch to lower it to 4.17, a fine showing in his debut professional season. A Quentin Young single in the fourth gave Fort Myers their first run. A double-steal/wild pitch combo in the eighth knotted the game. There’s something about a free runner that sparks and inspires. Hell, Fort Myers even got out twice before revealing their rally. Jimmy Keenan singled, then Merphy Hernandez walked, and Carson Tinney muscled a three-run homer out the other way, showing off the raw pop that coaxed the Twins into taking him in the second round just a few months ago. The Mighty Mussels went 68-60 yet missed the postseason. That didn’t stop them from setting multiple franchise records; in OBP (.365); in OPS (.769); in homers (129); and in stolen bases (288). The steals total lead the entire FSL, too. Overall, it was a dynamic year for offense in Fort Myers, the likes of which they had never seen in their team’s history. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Eric Hammond Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Alan Roden? Andy Lugo? Take your pick. PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Walker Jenkins (Twins) - 0-3, 2 K #2 – Vahn Lackey (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, 2 R, RBI, BB #3 – Kaelen Culpepper (Twins) - 0-3, K #4 – Marek Houston (Wichita) - 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB #6 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 3-5, 3 R, RBI, BB #7 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 1-4, R, RBI, K #8 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 2-6, 2 R #9 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Twins) - 1-1 #11 – Carson Tinney (Fort Myers) - 1-5, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB, 2 K #12 – Brandon Winokur (Wichita) - 0-6, RBI, 2 K #13 – Khadim Diaw (Wichita) - 2-5, 2B, R, RBI, BB, 2 K #15 – Ryan Gallagher (St. Paul) - 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K #18 – Quentin Young (Fort Myers) - 1-5, RBI, 3 K #19 – Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, 3 K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS No games in the Twins’ organization are scheduled for Monday. View full article

Geography was never a strength of mine

Image courtesy of Matt Marton, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Box Score Zebby Matthews: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K Home Runs: Josh Bell (18) Bottom 3 WPA: Zebby Matthews (-.180), Luke Keaschall (-.110), Ryan Jeffers (-.090) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Good and bad. Yin and yang. However you like to interpret the internal battle in all of us, the concept is never more apparent than in a Zebby Matthew start. One day, excellence; another, the ugly flipside of a hurler with a penchant for homers. Seemingly a preference for punishment. His last start against the White Sox nearly resulted in a complete game shutout, while Friday’s affair resulted in turned heads, exalted cheers from the home crowd, and roaring music accompanying a plethora of home run trots. First, the first: an initial blast by Miguel Vargas in the game’s opening frame, a tone setter. Then, a Braden Montgomery shot in the second. Chicago skipped the third - how kind of them - just to return in the fourth with a two-run long ball off the bat of Colson Montgomery, who’s already developing a Twin-killing reputation early in his young career. The 4-0 deficit was already a tough endeavor, and it was made worse by the Big Bad Wolf standing on the mound for the White Sox: Erick Fedde. The monster. A 6’4” 205-pound terror of finesse pitching that no lineup bearing a Twins insignia can figure out, no matter their makeup. He would shut out the 1927 Yankees, if they bore Minnesota jerseys. And he worked his magic once more, surrendering a scattering of baserunners across five innings, but holding the team scoreless as they once more struggled to find the big hit against him. Or against anyone, for that matter. The lively, young offense that pulverized the Tigers, and necessitated an unchanged lineup for nearly a week, showed little vigor. Fedde begat Hagen Smith, who begat Bryan Hudson, all of whom were anathema to Minnesota on Friday. Their collection of singles and walks proved impotent, contrasted with Chicago’s three mighty dingers. Finally, some action arrived in the ninth against the best White Sox pitcher of the night. Go figure. Josh Bell launched a thunderous solo home run, and Royce Lewis doubled after a Gabriel Gonzalez ground out. Another worm-burner by Kaelen Culpepper gave the Twins one final out. Walker Jenkins walked, and Luke Keaschall hit an ordinary fly ball to right to end Minnesota's tepid rally. Notes: Kody Clemens is slashing .292/.400/.667 in his last seven games. Josh Bell's 84 RBIs are his fourth-most in a single-season. Taylor Rogers tied Jesse Crain and Jim Perry for the ninth-most games pitched in a Twins uniform at 376. Kaelen Culpepper stole his first MLB base on Friday. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and White Sox meet at Guaranteed Rate Field for a Saturday brouhaha, with Taj Bradley scheduled to start opposite left-hander Anthony Kay. First pitch is at 6:10 PM. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet MON TUE WED THUR FRI TOT Nance 26 0 33 0 0 59 Acton 0 39 0 0 18 57 Morris 0 29 0 0 0 29 Funderburk 0 0 29 0 0 29 Rogers 0 0 7 0 19 26 Minter 0 0 17 0 0 17 Gomez 0 0 15 0 0 15 Hoffman 0 0 13 0 0 13 Adams 0 9 3 0 0 12 View full article

Image courtesy of milb.tv (South Bend production) TRANSACTIONS RHP Jui-Chieh Lin transferred to Development List (A Fort Myers) Saints Sentinel St. Paul 9, Omaha 7 (10 Innings) Box Score Ricky Castro: 3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K HR: Cody Morissette (14), Jake Rucker (1) Multi-hit games: Alan Roden (2-for-3, 2B, 2 R, RBI, 3 BB), Kala’i Rosario (2-for-6, 3 RBI), Cody Morissette (2-for-5, HR, R, 2 RBI), Jake Rucker (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB) The Saints won in extras on Wednesday. Tuesday was an active day for Emmanuel Rodriguez—what with the cycling and what not—so he spent Wednesday walking. Four times, in fact. It was a day of free passes for the Saints as a whole; they took 11 safe saunters to first base, outnumbering their hits on the day by one. Eric Orze, Marco Raya, and Julian Merryweather combined 5 2/4 shutout innings during the game’s most critical juncture. Battered by seven earned runs and a deluge of hits, the three relievers entered, and it was as if a faucet was turned off: one hit off Orze proved to be the only non-rule sanctioned baserunner the Storm Chasers could muster. Cody Morissette continued to swing a molten bat, homering for the third straight game. On the topic of homers, Jake Rucker hit a notable one. As the incoming tweet will say, his blast with the Saints was his first with the team in nearly 1,500 days. That’s an odyssey. Walker Jenkins hadn’t even been drafted by the Twins at that point, and he’s now their starting center fielder. Every batter in the Saints lineup reached base safely outside Tanner Schobel. Emmanuel Rodriguez is slashing .270/.432/.560 with the Saints in 2026. Center fielder Carson Roccaforte ranks as the 17th-best prospect in the Royals’ system; he went 0-5 with three strikeouts on Wednesday. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 4, Tulsa 5 Box Score Chris Vallimont: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI), Khadim Diaw (2-for-5), Graham Brown (2-for-3, R, RBI, BB) The Wind Surge lost a tight match on Wednesday. Like a well-lit beacon, Chris Vallimont’s pitching line sparkles and shines, illuminating an excellent day on the mound for the 29-year-old. He punched out six without allowing an earned run, surrendering just two hits without walking a batter. That pesky “earned run” notion proved especially troublesome on Wednesday. Two scored in the third thanks to a pair of errors, one by second baseman Danny De Andrade, and one from the hurler himself. Though ERA looks the other way, those runs matter—and they came into play in the late innings, as Wichita looked to separate themselves from Tulsa. The Wind Surge already had two runs when their errors occurred, thanks to a run-scoring groundout by Jaime Ferrer, and a single from Graham Brown. They sat silent for three frames before a walk and a single placed a man in scoring position for Marek Houston, who stroked a single into center to break the tie. The Drillers responded with a sacrifice fly in the seventh and a two-run homer in the eighth. A final Brandon Winokur sacrifice fly couldn’t spark more, and Wichita fell one run short of tying the game. The Drillers, as you probably know, are an affiliate of the regal Dodgers farm system, a group typically bursting with young talent. This team is no different: Josue De Paula—strapping and intimidating—is the sixth overall prospect in MLB, and he went 0-2 with a sacrifice fly on Wednesday. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 3, South Bend 4 Box Score Cesar Lares: 4 2/3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None A late Kernels rally came up short on Wednesday. Down 4-0 in the eighth, Cedar Rapids netted their first run on a groundout by Eduardo Tait, scoring Vahn Lackey. With a sudden taste for scoring, they returned for a pair in the ninth, as an Andy Lugo triple begat a sacrifice fly. Then, Yasser Mercedes walked, stole second, and reached third on a wild pitch. Lackey walked. With a speeding mad man 90 feet away from scoring, the Kernels pulled off a double steal, with Mercedes safely arriving home as Lackey took second. That was all. The next two batters struck out to leave the tying run stranded in scoring position. Matt Canterino! He’s alive! His last professional game of baseball was on July 30th, 2022, as he pitched for the FCL Twins. And on Wednesday, he rose from the ashes and pitched for the Kernels, striking out one, and walking one in a scoreless inning. Cesar Lares was effective once more, culling his ERA as it descends from the mountaintops to… a place still pretty close to the top, yet lower. Nonetheless, that’s back-to-back starts of allowing just one earned run for the lefty. Yasser Mercedes stole three bases, pushing his Kernels total to 41, and his season total to 52. MLB’s 39th overall prospect played for the Cubs on Wednesday. First baseman Josiah Hartshorn walked once in three plate appearances. Mussel Matters You’ll never believe it, but the Mighty Mussels were forced to postpone their game on Wednesday due to inclement weather. Mother Nature is mighty—and she is no baseball fan, apparently. They will try to make the game up tomorrow, but you guys already know that is no guarantee. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Chris Vallimont Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jake Rucker PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 – Vahn Lackey (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, R, 2 BB, K #4 – Marek Houston (Wichita) - 2-4, 2B, R, RBI #6 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 0-2, 2 R, 4 BB #7 – Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) - 1-5, R, BB #8 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, 2B, RBI, K #12 – Brandon Winokur (Wichita) - 0-2, RBI, 2 BB #13 – Khadim Diaw (Wichita) - 2-5 #19 – Yasser Mercedes (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, R, BB THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (6:35 PM) - RHP Germán Márquez Wichita @ Tulsa (7:00 PM) - RHP Cory Lewis Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05 PM) - RHP Reed Moring Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:30 PM) - RHP Matthew Dalquist View full article

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey (photo of Preston Johnson) Welcome to the August 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” article. 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 had to make some pretty serious cuts this month. The top five was straightforward enough, but there were a handful of guys who could have—and in other months, would have—made the honorable mention list. Because this article gets bloated enough already, they had to be nixed. With all that being said, let’s get to the list. Honorable Mentions: Matt Bowman, AAA St. Paul - 2.25 ERA, 16 IP, 4.14 FIP, 25.8 K% Bowman gobbled up an impressive volume of innings in relief, earning more than three outs in seven outings in August with solid efficiency. A poor appearance on the 13th limits him to the honorable mention list. Nick McAuliffe, A Fort Myers - 2.13 ERA, 12 ⅔ IP, 2.19 FIP, 40.7 K% McAuliffe put forth an extreme “effectively wild” month of relief for the Mighty Mussels, striking out the world, while walking eight and uncorking five wild pitches. Crazy stuff. The whiffs were enough to net him a placement here. It was the kind of fun you can only have in Class A—and probably wouldn't want to have at any other level, anyway. Kendry Rojas, AAA St. Paul - 0.75 ERA, 12 IP, 3.35 FIP, 26.7 K% Rojas was well on his way to placing on the list proper, before an oblique strain cut his August 21 start short and curtailed his season. The improved command was good to see; he walked just three batters in the month. Eric Hammond, A Fort Myers - 2.41 ERA, 18 ⅔ IP, 3.99 FIP, 23.7 K% Hammond went undrafted after pitching for USC and Georgia, and has found mild success as a swing man for the Mighty Mussels in 2026. The six walks and three hit-by-pitches tinge a month that wasn’t quite as sparkling as his ERA suggests, but it was still solid. Julian Merryweather, AAA St. Paul - 1.74 ERA, 10 ⅓ IP, 1.38 FIP, 41.5 K% This might be the fewest innings thrown by any hurler to be mentioned in one of these articles, but Merryweather’s efficiency was impossible to ignore. A 41.5% strikeout rate! If this were the majors, only Mason Miller would have a higher one. It’s good to be in any sentence that contains the phrase “only Mason Miller”. 5. Trent Baker, AAA St. Paul - 3.00 ERA, 18 IP, 4.29 FIP, 32.5 K% A former minor-league Rule 5 pick, Baker has established himself as a consistent presence on the CHS Field mound. He’s spent most of the year pitching wherever manager Brian Dinkelman needs him—whether it be at the end, in the middle, or at the beginning of games—but has been essentially a traditional starter since the end of July, albeit in outings that never go beyond 70 pitches or so. The strategy has worked. Since July 25, the righty has a 2.62 ERA while punching out a third of the batters he's faced. His mid-90s heat paired with his screwball changeup has proved to be an effective combination, keeping hitters off-balance as they only see the hurler once or twice a game. At 27 years old and in his sixth season of professional baseball, Baker has never brewed much prospect hype, but if he continues to pitch the way he did in August, the Texan could force his way onto a major-league roster. He kicks off the countdown in earnest. 4. Michael Ross, A+ Cedar Rapids - 2.33 ERA, 19 ⅓ IP, 3.37 FIP, 23.0 K% Dreadful though Michael Ross’s season had been entering August, he shook that misery off and pitched his finest ball of the season. The 24-year-old who went 13-0 with Samford in 2024 enjoyed a great year with the Mighty Mussels in 2025, holding a 3.18 ERA across 82 innings. Given that all highlights of him found on Twitter are from that season, you can probably guess how his 2026 with the Kernels has gone. The righty entered the month with a 7.85 ERA, an impossibly high number. That’ll happen when you have six outings with at least six earned runs. August snapped something into place, though. Ross pitched back-to-back shutout starts to start the month, totaling 8 ⅓ frames between the games. Though he allowed five runs in his next 11 innings, the month began strongly enough to carry his overall performance and land him a spot on our list. 3. Ty Langenberg, AA Wichita - 1.00 ERA, 27 IP, 3.48 FIP, 22.1 K% The prodigal son? Sort of. Depends on how you feel about Iowa. Anyway, it’s been a tough two seasons for Langenberg since his promising 2024 campaign. The righty saw his numbers turn for the worse in his second go-around with the Kernels in 2025, and his time spent in St. Paul this year was mostly as an observer, watching opposing batters dash around the bases as his ERA crept higher. That earned him a trip back to Wichita, where he has pitched much better. Three earned runs in 27 innings says it all. The 24-year-old dominated. He allowed just 10 hits the entire month, and no more than three in any one appearance. The peripherals weren’t as convinced by Langenberg’s play, meaning he has to settle for a third-place finish in this month’s honors. 2. Adrian Bohorquez, A+ Cedar Rapids/AA Wichita - 0.45 ERA, 20 IP, 3.75 FIP, 32.4 K% What a return to play for the 21-year-old! Bohorquez missed nearly two months of action, spent some time building up, and locked into an overwhelming groove, smothering hitters with such acumen that he earned a promotion to Double-A. And wouldn’t you know it, the promotion didn’t slow him down one bit. Bohorquez donned a Wind Surge jersey and immediately went to work: he punched out seven over five innings without an earned run (though with four unearned). That’s good stuff. Given how awesome his month was, this author isn’t absolutely convinced he doesn’t deserve the top spot. A well-earned silver medal should weigh and dangle with sparkling achievement, anyways. 1. Preston Johnson, AA Wichita - 1.44 ERA, 25 IP, 3.87 FIP, 35.6 K% The man of the hour is also a man who may need some introduction. Born in Jackson, Mississippi (hotter than a pepper sprout), Johnson spent two years at Mississippi State, four in the Orioles’ system, and 11 innings with the independent Mississippi Mud Monsters, before joining the Twins organization earlier this year. The results have been fabulous: a 3.94 ERA and 95 strikeouts across 77 ⅔ innings at Double-A. Langenberg is the only Wind Surge hurler with at least 70 innings and a better ERA. A tall Southern man with a dastardly curve, Johnson found some extra giddy-up on his heater, which now sits in the mid-90s. Perhaps the real secret to his success is quite simple: he’s the father of twins. Consistency was the driving force for the righty in August, as he never allowed more than two runs in an appearance and walked away scoreless on four occasions. Johnson’s monumental strikeout rate and impressive volume of innings gave him the edge over Bohorquez, whose month also waded in murky unearned-run waters, the nature of which makes his numbers harder to judge. So, Johnson will be the one to take home Twins Daily’s August Minor League Pitcher of the Month honors. Tell him to save some space on his digital mantel. View full article

Because the focus of these reports is the play in the minor leagues, and Gabriel Gonzalez being recalled means he is no longer a minor leaguer, at least for a moment. Typically, call-ups and notable recalls get their own piece.