Matt Braun

Now if only we could get some help from the corpse they call the Angels

Can we find some comps for the 18-year-old with no regard for pitcher’s egos? Image courtesy of Michael Cuneo/STARNEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK Most 18-year-olds are pretty useless. I mean, @Matt Braun, at 18, was entering his Freshman year of college, and he didn't end up doing much that year outside of playing Mario Kart with his buddies on the weekend. Stone sober, of course. Classes? Don't need them; I was feeling tired anyway. That's your average 18-year-old: draining society with their laziness. Walker Jenkins is not average. After taking the Twins down to the wire in contract negotiations, he suited up for the FCL team and hit .333/.390/.537, leading to Minnesota's decision-makers declaring that they've seen enough. Jenkins was sent to Fort Myers when short-season ball ended, and he has since slashed an even better .447/.488/.684, with one strikeout. One. Hey, at least I was a menace on Rainbow Road. His performance so far has been impressive—probably even beyond what the wildest optimist could conceive—so let's look at the numbers and see if we can find some historical comparisons for the terror out of North Carolina. 40 plate appearances is a putrid sample size, but going back to 2006 (the extent of Fangraphs' minor league data), no one tops Jenkins' 1.112 OPS as an 18-year-old at A-ball. Some of his close contemporaries are Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Juan Soto... Domingo Santana... and Giancarlo Stanton. Some players around him never became stars—that happens when you look at small samples in the lower minors—but there are also some undeniable superheroes, easy Hall of Famers, who shaped the game's landscape. But stretching 40-plate appearances that thin, especially when some of these guys are sitting at 500+, is a dangerous game. Expanding the sample to all 18-year-olds with at least 100 plate appearances in a minor league season (conveniently, the number Jenkins has split between Rookie and A-Ball) gives us some interesting results. The greatest 18-and-under batter in recent MiLB history was Malcom Nuñez, who hit for a Bondsian 238 wRC+ in Rookie Ball in 2018. He's now a fringe prospect with the Pirates. So it goes. You'll still find guys like Joey Gallo and Nolan Gorman populating the leaderboard, but most young batters bashing in the low minors hit a wall somewhere in their future development, finding the older competition more challenging to dominate as all the boys mixed in with the men get filtered out eventually. Still, Jenkins is 44th on the list by OPS, tied with Austin Riley as one of the best youngsters to eviscerate his peers thoroughly. Most impressively, though, is that strikeout rate: most 18-year-olds only have a sporadic relationship with contact, finding the ball reclusive and tricky. Not Jenkins. Only one non-DSL hitter—William Bergolla of the Phillies—has a lower K-rate than him amongst 18-year-olds with at least 100 minor league plate appearances. Most are slugging at or around .400; Jenkins is at .579. Honestly, I don't think his numbers can tell us much of anything at this point; you can strangle stats until they tell you what you want to see, but the reality is, plenty of 18-year-olds have appeared to be an unstoppable comet, streaking through the sky, seemingly unable to be stopped until some force (pitchers that aren't literal teenagers) kills their momentum. It happens. It can happen here. So, be excited about Jenkins' tremendous start—lord knows I am—but practicing at least a little discipline may also be wise. Minor league stats can be informal, but they also often lie, leading to unrealistic expectations and dramatic levels of hype that can swallow you whole without you even realizing it. Jermaine Palacios once looked like an unstoppable force, after all. View full article

"Absurd" doesn't cover it, but describing the play in question would be work for even the nation's finest poets. Image courtesy of Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Dallas Keuchel: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Home Runs: Carlos Correa (18) Top 3 WPA: Carlos Correa (.121), Andrew Stevenson (.120), Caleb Thielbar (.086) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) It had been a while: the Twins and Mets played each other for the first time since 2019, when Minnesota shockingly decimated Jacob deGrom in the middle of his historic terror, and Luis Arraez shook his head into our hearts with his legendary pinch-hit walk off of Edwin Díaz. Those may have been in two separate series, but such memorable events coming from these two teams facing off spoke to something happening tonight. Folks... just wait. Kodai Senga started for New York. The 30-year-old Japanese sensation entered the game with an excellent 2023 already behind him, as his special “ghost-fork” has helped strike out the world. He’s had his issues, though: command occasionally eludes him, as the fork ball refuses to ever truly be mastered, and the Twins were well-prepared to wait him out early. Jorge Polanco walked in the 1st, giving Minnesota their first base runner of the night. They quickly had their second base runner of the night; Royce Lewis scalded a double into the left-field corner, allowing Polanco to gallop home. Dallas Keuchel appreciated the help. The veteran lefty was matched up against a lineup likely far younger than the Mets expected to have at this time of the year—and he diced them up with ease. He worked the edges early, opening up his arsenal of looping off-speed pitches. Usually behind in the count, New York’s rookies flailed helplessly, jutting all sorts of ligaments out over the plate as they swung in vain to make contact. He struck out six. But, things weren’t always smooth sailing—the Mets still employed some talented veterans, after all—and Keuchel ran into trouble in the 4th inning. A walk and a pounded double by Pete Alonso placed two runners in scoring position. Francisco Lindor then caught a cutter far to center-cut not to hit, and plated both runners with a double. Keuchel escaped the trouble with yet another signature double play. And the lead lasted four pitches. Carlos Correa—who was once almost a Met, if your memory can extend back that far—pulverized a Senga offering into the second deck. The ball looked to be rising as it reached the seats. Things settled; Senga found control not previously seen on Saturday, and the Twins began their adventure through their bullpen. Runners sometimes reached, but all rallies died a tepid death. That is, until the bottom of the 7th inning, when perhaps the most ridiculous play since Miguel Sanó lined a ball into right against the Tigers in 2022. With Andrew Stevenson on 2nd and Willi Castro on 1st, the Twins called for a double steal, sending both runners bolting for the next base. Sean Reid-Foley’s offering hit the dirt, shooting by Francisco Álvarez to give the runners their desired base. Stevenson was greedy. He took a few extra steps before letting the universe know through body language that he (messed) up. He scrambled back to third base. Álvarez’s throw scooted into left, sending Stevenson home; Tim Locastro’s throw scooted beyond anyone’s grasp, making Stevenson safe. And, the Twins tacked on two more runs. (The second scored on a Max Kepler dying quail that Bally Sports evidently deemed not cool enough to tweet). That was about it. Jhoan Duran shook off drama after firing a 103 MPH to nowhere in particular, re-finding the strike zone, and ending the game with a pair of strikeouts and a fielder's choice. Notes: Dallas Keuchel's six strikeouts were the most for him in one outing since joining the Twins. Carlos Correa is two homers away from having his 7th 20+ home run season in MLB. Willi Castro's 31st stolen base ties him with 1976 Larry Hisle and 2001 Luis Rivas for the 14th-highest single season total in Twins history. Royce Lewis' pair of doubles gave him his first multi extra-base-hit game since August 24th. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Mets will play the second game of their series on Saturday. First pitch will exit Kenta Maeda’s right hand at 1:10 PM. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Might the Polar Bear soon call home to a land more suited to his arctic preferences? Image courtesy of Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports Dan Szymborski of Fangraphs recently penned a piece in which he pondered a reality in which the Mets dealt their slugging 1st baseman. New York has been a mess in 2023. They already partook in a mass exodus of notable talent—with the future Hall-of-Famers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander as the most prominent names. Even Mark Canha got the boot. Pete Alonso, however, stayed put. The team offered his name around—Steve Cohen had already bought some great prospects, why not get some more—but no deal materialized, and Alonso was forced to stay put, perhaps leading the "Get to Know Each Other" introductions the clubhouse soon held (this did not happen). With the Mets planning on not competing until 2025, finding a new team for a player soon to be a free agent appears inevitable. Let's see how the Twins could fit into this. Alonso is already a Twin in many ways; the righty appears to fit the slugging/OBP/who cares about batting average/why are we striking out so much mold the team has targeted in recent years. That isn't entirely fair. Alonso whiffs at a rate around league average and takes enough walks to buoy his on-base ability to be above your standard MLB first baseman. But who cares about all that? You're trading for Alonso because he hits dingers—a lot. Since debuting in 2019, he's first in all of MLB in long balls—19 above second-place Matt Olson. Part of that is his prodigious power. Alonso has also been remarkably healthy, only hitting the IL twice since breaking into the majors; his 656 games played since 2019 trail just three position players. Alonso plays first base and DHs—he has no positional flexibility. That could cause significant problems for the Twins if they need to run back the Byron Buxton Never Sees the Field show, but otherwise, the fit can work. They'll need to shuffle hitters, ensuring that Matt Wallner, Royce Lewis, Jorge Polanco, Edouard Julien, Alex Kirilloff, and Alonso can't all be in the lineup, but, come on, when have the Twins ever been that healthy? If that's too much, the obvious answer is to deal Polanco, who should be attractive with a vested 2024 option and a cheap 2025 club option. As you may remember from a few paragraphs before, Alonso is a free agent after 2024. Signing recently-acquired players to an extension isn't impossible—just as the Cardinals with Paul Goldschmidt, the Dodgers with Mookie Betts, and the Braves with *gestures broadly*—but it would place pressure on the team to ensure they aren't hemorrhaging prospects for rentals. The future payroll isn't too dirty, as Carlos Correa and Pablo López are the only players set to earn more than $20 million. What would such a trade look like? Baseball Trade Values isn't perfect, but it's helpful to at least get close to finding somewhat even deals; no packaging Nick Gordon and Brent Rooker for stars. I've prepared three deals: The first is a package of two near-big-leaguers and Trevor Larnach. Trade deadline rumors pegged the Mets intrigued by Larnach, so let's give them what they want. Tanner Schobel and Marco Raya give them two quality prospects already at AA—in line with New York's plan to ammo up for a run after next season. I think the site has Raya and Schobel underrated, given that Raya is a 45+/50 FV guy, and Schobel is probably one step behind him, so only one of them may be needed in this deal. The second is a combo of buy-low guys. New York can give Josh Winder a shot in the rotation, something the Twins probably can't/won't do given their need to be competitive; they can't suffer his inevitable lumps if they want to win next year. Jose Miranda muddies the Mets' infielders-in-name-only situation, but as long as his bat rebounds, New York would not mind too much. The third is a precarious long-shot deal. Who knows, though? Steve Cohen may be a fan of lotto tickets. Yasser Mercedes gives them a chance at finding a future dynamic outfield star, while Connor Prielipp could recover on the East Coast, offering a cheap chance at ace upside. This deal could quickly turn into a "we dealt Alonso for two burnouts" trade, but if Cohen wants to roll the dice, this deal offers tremendous upside. It's unlikely that the Twins would acquire Alonso, but it was also twice as unlikely that Correa would sign with them. Minnesota has flipped the popular narrative several times over the last few years. If they want a big bat—and if the Mets are willing to play—bringing Alonso to the Midwest could be the play. View full article

Hate to see any loss but I think we’d all take winning 4 of 6 in Texas and Cleveland

After taking a look at the best starters of the month, read about what their reliever counterparts did to stand out from the crowd. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints Relief pitching in the minors is weird. Not only are pitchers often shuffled between the rotation and bullpen, leaving the designation of titles obsolete and confusing, but their broad lack of command can lead to bizarre peripherals and misleading ERAs. It is far from uncommon to see a relief outing with three or more walks. Knowing this, let us cut through the fray, hopefully striking at a few names that rose from the control muck and grime, making themselves undeniable in their excellence. Honorable mentions: RHP Regi Grace - AA Wichita, 17 2/3 IP, 19.7 K%, 2.04 ERA, 3.33 FIP Regi Grace’s ERA masks an ordinary strikeout rate; he also allowed multiple baserunners in every outing in August except one. The volume is excellent, though. RHP Devin Kirby - FCL Twins, 11 2/3 IP, 35.4 K%, 3.09 ERA, 4.81 FIP An undrafted signee out of the University of Connecticut, Devin Kirby struck out a whole bunch of batters but also walked a ton of them. RHP Kyle Bischoff - FCL Twins, 11 1/3 IP, 28.6 K%, 1.59 ERA, 4.48 FIP Copy the previous text but change the college to “Michigan State,” and you have Kyle Bischoff’s August with the FCL Twins. LHP Jordan Carr - A+ Cedar Rapids/AA Wichita, 16 2/3 IP, 26.1 K%, 1.08 ERA, 3.77 FIP 2023 has been a dream for Jordan Carr. The lefty toasted Midwestern hitters all season, holding a tiny 1.48 ERA over 60 2/3 frames for the Kernels. The performance earned a recent promotion to AA—he’s made just one appearance there, as of August 31st—as the 25-year-old will now feel the joys of pitching in one of the most offensive-friendly environments in baseball. If Carr’s placement feels low, consider that he also hit four batters this month, artificially keeping his walk rate lower than it would have been if he just handed them four free ones. 5. LHP Aaron Rozek - AA Wichita, 16 1/3 IP, 30.4 K%, 3.31 ERA, 3.05 FIP Aaron Rozek may be the first player to make both the Starting Pitcher of the Month list and its relief counterpart. That’s… maybe not great, but at least it seems that he’s found a home in the bullpen. August was a great month for the Burnsville native; Rozek allowed one or fewer runs in six of his seven outings (the one clunker was a start, funny enough), as he punched out over 30% of batters and kept the walks at an acceptable level. It’s been a true rollercoaster season for him, oscillating between domination and frustration, but his recent results may reveal a newer, better version of Rozek perfectly suited for the bullpen. 4. LHP Kody Funderburk - AAA St. Paul, 13 1/3 IP, 36.5 K%, 2.03 ERA, 3.07 FIP Kody Funderburk’s work in August was so notable that the Twins called him up to the majors to help provide middle relief depth down the stretch. He made two outings there—one excellent, the other dreadful. Nonetheless, Funderburk appears ready for the major-league challenge; the lefty crushed his AAA competition in August, striking out batters at a Haderian level while often acquiring more than just three outs. His sinker/slider/weird cutting fastball combination looks quirky enough to keep hitters on their toes, leading to batters wondering what in the world they just swung at. With nothing left to prove at AAA, this may be Funderburk’s final mention in this series. 3. RHP Mike Paredes - A+ Cedar Rapids, 14 2/3 IP, 30.6 K%, 2.45 ERA, 1.92 FIP A late 2021 draftee, Mike Paredes has now had back-to-back seasons with an ERA in the low 3s. The peripherals aren’t as sexy as other pitchers, but the run prevention has been tremendous—and it looks like Paredes found his strikeout stuff in August. I originally had him off the list, but looking at his numbers, I had to find a place for him somewhere, even if I had full write ups for five other players. Paredes had a disastrous outing on the 16th, but was otherwise stellar for the Kernels, bringing stability to games with quality multi-inning outings. He even vultured three wins. The 22-year-old could very well find himself in Wichita in 2023. 2. RHP Ricardo Velez - A Fort Myers, 15 1/3 IP, 40.7 K%, 1.17 ERA, 1.60 FIP Pound for pound, perhaps no reliever was better in August than Ricardo Velez. He was dynamite for the Mighty Mussels, striking out batters at a rate reserved only for the truly elite bullpen arms. Born in Puerto Rico, Velez attended the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, an NAIA school originally founded as a women’s only institution with an attendance of around 800 (sorry, I’m fascinated by small schools like this). Anyways, Velez barely pitched in 2021 and 2022 in the Twins system before breaking out as a big-time punch-out arm in 2023; his strikeout rate on the year is over 30%. Velez probably should have taken the crown for reliever of the month, but the piece was written and the thumbnail was made before his final, outstanding outing on August 31st. Should have dominated earlier! In all seriousness, it was an incredible month for a pitcher off most peoples radar. 1. RHP Patrick Murphy - AAA St. Paul, 22 IP, 32.6 K%, 2.45 ERA, 4.18 FIP The imposing hard-throwing Patrick Murphy was not your typical reliever in August; he made just one outing that didn’t go for multiple innings as the Saints tried to stretch him into a long relief weapon. It worked. Murphy dominated every multi-frame outing to the tune of a 1.29 ERA and 27 strikeouts over 21 innings. Armed with a fiery fastball and a sharp breaking ball, Murphy appears well-prepared to succeed if the Twins asked him to return to the majors; he owns just under 40 career major-league frames. If not, the Saints will happily watch Murphy gobble up innings with his impressive strikeouts rate and quasi-starter stamina. View full article

Solano is at .296/.381/.414 on the year. Not a bad way to spend $2 million.

Mayhaps someone needs to find a lost shaker of salt. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (Image is of Trevor Larnach) TRANSACTIONS RHP Austin Schulfer activated from 7-day IL (St. Paul) RHP Alex Scherff transferred from AA Wichita to AAA St. Paul RHP Francis Peguero transferred from AAA St. Paul to AA Wichita Saints Sentinel St. Paul 1, Columbus 4 Box Score Randy Dobnak: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K HR: Alex Kirilloff (4) Multi-hit games: DaShawn Keirsey Jr . (2-for-4) The Saints’ meek offense doomed them on Saturday. The bats couldn’t do much; in total, they collected just six hits, taking four walks while going 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. The only score came when Alex Kirilloff blasted a very Kirilloffian homer out to left field. It’s a shame, because Randy Dobnak pitched excellently, allowing a pair of solo homers across six stellar innings. Perhaps most important to the sinker-baller: he only walked one batter. He threw 62 of 92 pitches for strikes, earning five strikeouts for his troubles. Trevor Larnach reached base three times, singling and walking twice. Kyle Manzardo was the return for Cleveland when they dealt Aaron Civale to the Rays; he, the 60th best prospect in MLB, doubled twice and walked. Brayan Rocchio is ranked 49th and he singled while striking out twice. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 3, San Antonio 5 Box Score Pierson Ohl: 5 ⅔ IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Yoyner Fajardo (2-for-5, 2B), Michael Helman (2-for-5), Tanner Schobel (2-for-4), Alex Isola (2-for-4, 2B, R), Willie Joe Garry Jr. (2-for-4, RBI) The Wind Surge came up short against the Missions on Saturday. Pierson Ohl, fresh off being named our Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month, was on his game again. He was one out short of a quality start, but still made a massive impact, allowing just one lone run in his outing. He struck out just one. Perhaps he wanted his defense to get in on the fun as well. His bats had his back; Willie Joe Garry Jr. knocked in a run in the 2nd and Jake Rucker blasted a triple in the 6th to plate a second run. A wild pitch soon plated Rucker. But, fortune soon changed for Wichita, as Regi Grace and Jordan Carr threw the ball all-around the backstop, leading to four runs off a hit by pitch, three walks, and a back-breaking double. The Wind Surge attempted a comeback—Yoyner Fajardo led the effort with a pair of knocks—but could not mount anything worthwhile, eventually falling to San Antonio with a double play. The 9th prospect in MLB, Jackson Merrill, hit the critical double, but went hitless in his other at-bats. Number 5 prospect—17-year-old (that’s right) catcher Ethan Salas—started but left the game in the 3rd. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 3, Lake County 8 Box Score Kyle Jones: 5 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K HR: Emmanuel Rodriguez (16) Multi-hit games: Keoni Cavaco (2-for-5) The Kernels melted late, dropping a rare game on Saturday. Although Khalil Watson isn’t the prospect he once was when the Marlins drafted him, he still flexed his power chops in the 1st, blasting a two-run shot to give the Captains a lead. He ranks as Cleveland’s 16th prospect. In response, Emmanuel Rodriguez lasered a solo shot off technically old friend Steve Hajjar. Rodriguez has actually hit lefties better than righties in 2023 (.894 OPS vs a .847 OPS). Wait, wasn’t Hajjar dealt to the Reds? Yes, but he was announced as the PTBNL in the deal that sent OF Will Benson to Cincinnati. Starter Kyle Jones recovered well, striking out seven before exiting in the 6th; he allowed just one more run. Staring at the maw of the late-innings, the Kernels folded. Malik Barrington coughed up two runs and Jackson Hicks one-upped him, totaling five runs in the final two frames to place the game firmly out of reach. A late 9th inning rally loaded the bases and led to two runs, but Cedar Rapids could do no more, and Rodriguez’s final whiff ended the game for good. Kernels hitters walked 12 times on Saturday. Mussel Matters Ft. Myers 6, Clearwater 1 Box Score Jose Olivares: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K HR: Nate Baez (1) Multi-hit games: Jay Harry (2-for-5, 2B, R), Ricardo Olivar (2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI), Rubel Cespedes (2-for-4, R, RBI, BB), Alec Sayre (2-for-5) The Mighty Mussels smoked the Threshers on Saturday. Jose Olivares followed up his decent five inning start last week with… five more innings, improving his numbers almost across the board. He allowed a run in the 1st, but quickly settled down, allowing a few runners to reach base before escaping unmarked every time. He gave way to Ty Langenberg and Xander Hamilton—two 2023 draftees who combined for four scoreless frames. Fort Myers’ bats were potent as well. They plated two in the 3rd with a Ricardo Olivar double and a Rubel Cespedes single. They waited a little to score again—perhaps looking to build drama—before exploding with three in the 7th. All three runs scored on Nate Baez’s first homer of the season. He added a sacrifice fly in the 9th for good measure. Another 2023 draftee, Jay Harry, collected a pair of hits to push his Fort Myers slashline to .351/.440/.481. Walker Jenkins did not play after starting both games of Friday’s doubleheader—an act of mercy for Clearwater’s pitchers. Philadelphia’s first-round pick in 2023—shortstop Aidan Miller—singled and struck out in four at-bats. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jose Olivares Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Nate Baez PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 0-4 #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, HR, R, RBI, BB, 2 K #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-4, R, BB, 2 K #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 0-4, 2 K #10 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 2-4, K #19 - Brent Headrick (Minnesota) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W (3-0) SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Columbus @ St. Paul (5:07 PM) - RHP Patrick Murphy San Antonio @ Wichita (1:05 PM) - RHP Travis Adams Lake County @ Cedar Rapids (1:05 PM) - LHP Christian MacLeod Fort Myers @ Clearwater (11:00 AM) - RHP Ben Ethridge View full article

Sometimes, it's Jordan Luplow and Christian Vázquez carrying the squad. Image courtesy of Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Joe Ryan: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K Home Runs: Jordan Luplow (2), Christian Vázquez (5), Jorge Polanco (11) Top 3 WPA: Jordan Luplow (.356), Joe Ryan (.172), Christian Vázquez (.085) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) It was Joe Ryan vs Max Scherzer, again. The two matched up last Saturday in Minnesota, resulting in a Texas win after the Rangers jumped on the Twins bullpen in the 9th inning. It was their only win of the series. Friday was more of the same; the two starters were on their game, earning whiffs and frustrated looks from hitters as they confounded and dazzled all day. Scherzer had his vintage form. Every pitch worked. When hitters expected the fastball, he snuck in a breaker. And vice versa. The Twins pushed a runner to second base on a few separate occasions, but it never really mattered; Scherzer always clamped down on the potential rally, making hitters prefer the un-embarrassing fortress of the dugout rather than the mockery-inducing batter’s box. Ryan matched him. There’s less of a guessing game with him—you’re getting a fastball; good luck hitting it—but Rangers batters looked silly nonetheless. He diced through an elite Texas lineup, earning seven strikeouts with only three hits allowed. But, naturally, one of those hits was a homer. Corey Seager—always Corey Seager—correctly predicted one of those rising fastballs was on the way, and he blistered the offering deep into the night to give Texas a slim 1-0 lead. It was the only run Ryan allowed. He had some help from Andrew Stevenson. It was at least a little surprising that Bruce Bochy ended Scherzer’s night after just six frames. The ace to end all aces in modern times threw only 88 pitches; surely, he had more in him. (Edit: Scherzer exited with forearm tightness.)The lefty Brock Burke took the mound. He allowed a floppy single to Carlos Correa before Rocco Baldelli sent Jordan Luplow out to hit for Matt Wallner. The move worked brilliantly. Luplow took a mighty hack at a heater on the outside corner, cracking a fly ball deep into the right field bleachers that—seemingly impossibly—stayed fair. Christian Vázquez followed suit with an eerily similar shot. Yet again, as if they were fueled by Texas’ infamous bullpen, the Twins blasted another homer—this one a two-run shot by Jorge Polanco to give the team a 5-1 advantage. So, now, the onus was on Minnesota's bullpen to not screw up royally, at least in comparison to Texas' blunders. Griffin Jax didn't. Neither did Caleb Thielbar. With the weight of Ryan's excellent start, and the pressure from Cleveland's earlier victory against the Rays on his mind, Baldelli went with the overkill option, handing the ball to Jhoan Duran in a non-save situation. The stud reliever needed to get back on the horse. He certainly wasn't dominant, but he earned three clean outs, ending the game without drama or stress. Notes: Andrew Stevenson earned his first major-league hit since October 2nd, 2021. He also stole two bases. Joe Ryan has allowed two earned runs over 11 innings since coming off the IL. Jorge Polanco has homered three times in his last six games. Ryan Jeffers is 5-for-6 when pinch-hitting in 2023. Updated Standings Post-Game Interview: What's Next: The Twins and Rangers will play the second game of their series on Saturday, with first pitch coming at 6:15 P.M. A pair of lefties named after Southern cities, Dallas Keuchel and Jordan Montgomery, will face off against each other. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

A champ on the 2019 Nationals toasted AAA enough to earn a promotion to the Twins. Image courtesy of Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports As reported by Do-Hyoung Park, the Twins have called up outfielder Andrew Stevenson as part of September’s roster expansion. In his first season with the Twins organization, Stevenson played in 106 games with the St. Paul Saints, slashing .317/.394/.522 (.916) with 16 homers, 91 runs, and 44 stolen bases. That last number may be the most pertinent; the Twins are stagnant on the bases outside of Willi Castro and Michael A. Taylor, so adding Stevenson deepens their pinch-running pockets, allowing the team to be a little more aggressive later in ballgames. Stevenson’s glove is also considered plus, according to Eric Longenhagen’s 2018 prospect report on him. Stevenson, 29, has 248 MLB games under his belt, all with the Washington Nationals. Most of his playing time came in 2021, when he hit .229/.294/.339 (.633) in 213 plate appearances. He was, though, on the 2019 roster when the Nationals won the World Series, giving the Twins yet another former player from that team (Taylor). Stevenson didn’t factor into the postseason much; his lone appearance came during the infamous Wild Card game vs the Brewers, when he pinch-ran and scored on Juan Soto’s single late in the game. The move leaves Austin Martin out in the cold. Martin crushed AAA pitching in August with a .329/.460/.544 (1.004) slash line and more walks than homers, leading to hushed murmurs on a potential promotion. That will likely have to wait. Although the team could add him if a relevant player is injured, the move signifies a preference for veteran assurance over seeing what the youngster Martin could do. To make room for Stevenson on the 40-man roster, the Twins placed infielder Jose Miranda on the 60-Day Injured List. The other September call-up is left-handed pitcher Brent Headrick. View full article

Good question. I would go Lewis as of now, but Culpepper, Morris, Ohl, and Festa have arguments as well.

Read and rejoice in the starting pitchers who thrived in the month of August. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge An issue that pops up in these lists is that of role assignments: pitchers in the minors often flip-flop between starting and relieving to eat up innings whenever they can. This poses challenges for those who acknowledge the delegation of title, as a starter with one relief appearance is still obviously a starter, but some situations aren't as clear-cut. I did my best to adhere to the spirit of the award while still understanding the sometimes silly nature of minor-league pitching order. Below are the names I thought most deserved to be on the list. Their ranking is entirely subjective; I value innings thrown, as those are outs, and outs are valuable, but also like to weigh strikeouts and peripherals as they can differentiate between dominance and a pitcher merely getting lucky. In times when it's a toss-up, I valued the almighty ERA as the great equalizer—got that? Good; let's start. Honorable mentions: RHP Louie Varland - AAA St. Paul, 23 2/3 IP, 18.6 K%, 1.90 ERA, 4.61 FIP Louie Varland had a sparkling 1.90 ERA in the month of August but walked a few too many people for my liking. Somehow he had eight unearned runs spread across multiple starts, which seems like a lot. Give him some help, Saints defense! RHP Carlos Gutierrez - FCL Twins, 12 2/3 IP, 35.7 K%, 4.26 ERA, 3.71 FIP Carlos Gutierrez allowed a few too many runs to make a serious case for the list, but he also struck out 20 in just over 12 innings. RHP Juan Cota - DSL Twins, 10 IP, 32.4 K%, 2.70 ERA, 1.88 FIP Lacking the innings to overtake other arms, Juan Cota nonetheless whiffed 12 over 10 frames, and only walked one batter—something almost no DSL pitcher ever does. RHP Miguel Cordero - DSL Twins, 9 2/3 IP, 20.5 K%, 2.79 ERA, 3.25 FIP Like Cota, Miguel Cordero showcased unusual command for a DSL pitcher. Even more impressive is Cordero’s fresh age of 17 (he was 16 for most of the season!). He was one of three Twins to appear in the DSL All-Star game. 5. RHP Cory Lewis - A+ Cedar Rapids, 23 1/3 IP, 28.4 K%, 3.09 ERA, 3.01 FIP At this point, Cory Lewis should just start paying rent for how much he lives on these lists. He’s been one of the best pitchers in the system since the season started, totaling a 2.62 ERA with a system-leading 115 strikeouts while pitching for both Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids. August was yet another stellar month for the part-time knuckler and full-time Kernels ace. He had two partial clunkers, holding him back from being even higher on this list, but was otherwise his usual, impressive self with squirrelly stuff and tremendous command. Expect him to rocket up end-of-season prospect lists. 4. RHP John Klein, A Fort Myers/FCL Twins, 21 1/3 IP, 32.5 K%, 2.95 ERA, 3.65 FIP Minnesotan alert! John Klein was born in Brooklyn Park and discovered when pitching for Iowa Central Community College—a university with quite the brotherhood of pro ball players. Klein popped up on the prospect radar after striking out 11 over four frames with the FCL Twins on June 10th (those especially handy with numbers may understand how impressive that is). July wasn’t kind to him, but fortune reversed in August, leading to four impressive starts—two of which were back-to-back starts of six shutout innings. That strikeout rate is especially impressive; he whiffed eight and nine batters respectively in those scoreless starts. 3. RHP Andrew Morris - A+ Cedar Rapids, 27 IP, 20.7 K%, 2.00 ERA, 2.82 FIP There was a time where Andrew Morris once seemed like the runaway winner of this award. His first three August starts were absurdly dominant, highlighted by a nine strikeout start on the 5th, and a seven punch-out outing on the 17th. His final two starts weren’t quite as good—proving the prestigiousness needed to take home honors from us gruff Twins Daily judges—so he’ll have to settle for 3rd place. Hopefully he’s not crestfallen over this bronze medal. Morris’ calling card is a spinny, vertical fastball that often appears to take off, rocketing far higher in the zone than hitters expect. Throw in a semi-crossbody delivery, and it’s understandable to see batters swing wildly at his offerings. The Texas Tech product is now solidly established as a prospect. 2. RHP David Festa - AA Wichita/AAA St. Paul, 20 1/3 IP, 33.3 K%, 1.33 ERA, 2.86 FIP Perhaps Minnesota’s best pitching prospect, David Festa was incredible in August. He allowed just three runs the entire month, steadily increasing his stamina following a short stint dabbling in short stints. The Twins saw enough after a dominant start against the Travelers and sent him to St. Paul. Festa appears well suited to join the crowd of small school arms turned into overwhelming pitching forced by the Falvey regime. He hammers the zone with a dominant fastball and well-command off-speed stuff, making hitters uncomfortable with his twisty windup and great extension. His early-season results weren’t sparkling—they were merely fine—but some of that could be chalked up to the difficult pitching environment that is the Texas League. If you’re looking for the next great Twins starter; here he is. 1. RHP Pierson Ohl - AA Wichita, 30 2/3 IP, 23.4 K%, 1.17 ERA, 2.75 FIP This was not a difficult deliberation; only Festa offered a serious case over Pierson Ohl. The Grand Canyon university product started the month with six shutout frames against the Tulsa Drillers—the Dodgers AA affiliate—and only surged from there, earning a win in each of his appearances. Pick any of his starts in August, and you have a gem on your hands: do you prefer his eight-inning outing on the 8th, or his eight strikeout performance on 26th to end the month? Ohl’s relentless pursuit of throwing strikes appears to be the fuel to his success. Batters simply can never get ahead of him. Falling behind too far only invites a dastardly changeup or a well-spotted fastball that often leaves hitters trudging back to the dugout unable to understand how to deal with Ohl’s craftiness. View full article

The hidden skill aiding Matt Wallner’s stellar rookie season. Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports There’s an art to being hit by a pitch. While some only occasionally dabble, perfectly content with letting the pitcher hit him on the hurler’s terms, others know that there’s a successful strategy that can earn him a free—albeit painful—trip to first base. Matt Wallner is one of those players. The rookie lefty has been struck by 12 pitches this season. He’s played in 49 games. Alexi Casilla, Jason Kubel, Ted Uhlaender; these are just a few players who lap Wallner in major-league experience, and none were smoked more than him. Shoot, if you add the two times he was hit last year, he’s already tied with Shannon Stewart, Eduardo Escobar, and Steve Braun. Now that’s a list of names. Is there anything behind this impressive plunking rate? I pulled up every clip of Wallner being plunked (thanks, Baseball Savant!) to see if there’s anything to it. I’ve observed that there are two general styles that constitute a Wallner hit by pitch, with both strategies stemming from a similar place. The first is an elbow-specific move. See if you can spot it: A more strict umpire may call him back for that. He didn’t even try to get out of the way! In fact, I see a slight lean in, just to ensure that Lucas Giolito’s slider scrapes something. This is how a few of his free bases have come; Wallner naturally sets his arms very close to the high-and-tight edge of the strike zone, making it a prime destination for a pitch thrown just a little off. It's earned him a few jogs to first. This isn’t even that bad of an offering from Giolito; Wallner is just hard to miss up there. The second is a stagnant, stoic acceptance in the face of imminent foot danger: Usually you see some sort of exotic dance as a batter realizes a flying, welt-inducing object will soon come into contact with their money-makers. Not Wallner! He has no interest in moving at all. None. He just stands there, accepting the price extracted for a free bag before skipping down the line, perhaps gleeful that he turned a 1-2 situation into a runner on first. I think you can even pinpoint the moment he goes from "focused on fighting off a tough pitch" to "giving in to what he needs to do to turn the situation around." Granted, it required the kind of chutzpah most hitters aren’t willing to procure, but OBP does not discriminate; a base is a base. When I started this analysis, I was expecting a story of a batter hugging the plate, coming so close to the strike zone that he could eat it, something akin to how Anthony Rizzo would occasionally become one with the very location pitchers are aiming for. Wallner is no stranger to the strike zone—he gets cozy with the plate when he wants to—but that doesn’t appear to be exactly what’s going on here. Wallner is a master at not flinching. Plenty of his plunks could have become balls if he simply acted like a normal batter. He is not a normal batter. He has weaponized a rule designed to keep hitters safe, turning it into a legitimate method of reaching base consistently. This isn’t new, either; he was hit 28 times in college, eight times while playing in the Cape Cod League and the AFL, and 43 times in the minors. Lord knows what timid high school pitchers did against him. All told, we’re looking at 93 recordable hit by pitches in just 625 games—a total that decimates Chuck Knoblauch’s Twins record of 74. Can he reach that total? I think he absolutely can. He’s already shown to be adroit at wearing one. Perhaps that rate will slow down at times—hit by pitches are notoriously finicky; he could take two next week or go the rest of the season painless. He may run out of playing time if his rate of pulverizing baseballs slows down, throwing a wrench into the longevity needed to rack up historic numbers. Still, as long as pitchers aren’t perfect, Wallner will be right there, standing, unmoving, and grateful for the one-way ticket to first base. View full article

Thome-esque picture of Wallner, there

14 out of 15 doesn’t mean much if it only comes with six extra-base hits, especially in an offensive-friendly environment. At least that’s how I see it.

Doesn’t have the stuff of other Twins prospects, but no one may have better command. He paints the corners with the best of them.