Matt Braun

Unfortunately the good news just about ends there. Image courtesy of Tim Grubbs TRANSACTIONS INF Alex De Gotti activated from Development List RHP Josh Winder optioned from Twins to AAA St. Paul RHP Jorge Alcala recalled by Twins INF Andrew Bechtold placed on temporary inactive list OF Emmanuel Rodriguez activated from 7-day IL OF Kyler Fedko placed on Development List Saints Sentinel St. Paul 10, Nashville 7 Box Score Simeon Woods Richardson: 3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K HR: Chris Williams (2), Andrew Bechtold (3), Kyle Garlick (5), Jair Camargo (2) Multi-hit games: Edouard Julien (2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, BB), Kyle Farmer (3-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI), Mark Contreras (2-for-5, R) Jair Camargo (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI) The Saints completed their regularly scheduled program on Saturday. Called early due to Mother Nature’s intervention, the Saints and Sounds re-took the field in the bottom of the third, hoping to squeeze in the rest of Friday’s match, and the seven innings constituting Saturday’s battle. That did not happen; the second game experienced the same issues as Friday’s, but they were able to finish what they started in the opening game. The slop evidently fueled St. Paul’s bats—messy and grueling it was, indeed—as they found life in the middle innings, following up a 5th inning three spot with four in the following frame. It was the kind of dynamic offense that would make any baseball fan happy: the Saints racked up walks, steals and extra-base hits in a glorious display capped by Kyle Garlick’s two-run shot in the 6th. They came back to add a cherry-on-top score in the 7th, just for fun. St. Paul’s pitching could also be described as sloppy, though, as each pitcher—each arm desperately hurled into the game to ensure a relatively healthy stable of pitchers—offered two walks in their outing. From Jose Bravo’s admirable three-inning escapade to Patrick Murphy’s game-ending appearance, command was not available. But they found a way to limit damage, and that was enough to allow the Saints to draw victory from the match. Kyle Farmer picked up three hits in the game, including a pair of doubles. Very recent old friend Trevor Megill pitched a scoreless inning for the Sounds. The Saints swiped four bases; Mark Contreras now has seven steals on the season. Sounds pitcher Robert Gasser was the best prospect represented by their squad; he allowed four runs over 3 ⅓ innings while striking out eight. In an unusual event, Andrew Bechtold hit a homer in a game he could not play in, as he was placed on the Development List today while his homer came yesterday. As mentioned earlier, game two was canceled and will be made up in an (alleged) doubleheader on Sunday. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 1, NW Arkansas 5 Box Score Blayne Enlow: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K HR: DaShawn Kiersey Jr. (4) Multi-hit games: Alex Isola (2-for-4) The Wind Surge couldn’t capitalize on an excellent pitching performance on Saturday. Blayne Enlow was masterful, brilliant. When hitters expected the fastball, he delivered them a squirrelly breaker, always finding a way to miss the barrel in his second 6 frame start of the season. He’s apparently jumped on the hype train and added a sweeper to his arsenal, potentially giving him another out-pitch weapon to use against batters. It sure seemed effective tonight. Wichita’s offense was less exciting. Naturals’ lefty Anthony Veneziano ceased any effort to score against him, scattering a smattering of singles across his six impressive innings. Only once did the Wing Surge reach second base against him. But they finally broke free against his teammate. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. sized up his new enemy and found him hittable—the following solo homer was inevitable. Yet, the surge ended as soon as it began, and Wichita scored no more runs while the Naturals ran away with the victory. Luca Tresh—NW Arkansas’ catcher—was their best prospect on Saturday. Ranked 16th in the Royals’ system by MLB.com, Tresh walked and scored in four plate appearances. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 1, South Bend 6 Box Score Jaylen Nowlin: 4 ⅓ IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K HR: Ben Ross (3) Multi-hit games: Kala’i Rosario (2-for-4, 2B) The Kernels offered little fight on Saturday. Almost entirely stymied by the Cubs’ pitching, Cedar Rapids turned in a dreadful hitting performance, earning just six hits and one walk over the 9-inning affair; Ben Ross’ last minute homer saved them from being shut out. Outside a disaster outing by Miguel Rodriguez, the Kernels’ pitchers performed fairly well. Jaylen Nowlin put forth a solid start, allowing a lone earned run over 4 ⅓ innings with five strikeouts and two walks—a free pass total much lower than usual. He also hit three batters, evening out his low walk total. Matt Mullenbach and Charlie Neuweiler did their jobs as well, combining for three frames of work and a single earned run. But Miguel Rodriguez’s outing… did not go well. He allowed five straight singles before eliciting a fly out and leaving the game via stage right. Better things will be on the horizon. Emmanuel Rodriguez made his return from the IL on Saturday; he walked and struck out twice. Cedar Rapids’ defense turned three double plays; they also allowed six stolen bases. No player from MLB.com’s top 30 prospect list for the Cubs played in Saturday’s game. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 2, Dunedin 3 (5 innings) Box Score C.J. Culpepper: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K HR: Alec Sayre (2) Multi-hit games: Carlos Aguiar (2-for-2) The Mighty Mussels lost a quick game on Saturday. Called following the 5th for rain, the match wasn’t much of an offensive display for Fort Myers, as—outside of Carlo Agiuar’s two hits and Alec Sayre’s homer—the Mighty Mussels earned one knock and three free bases from a walk and two hit by pitches. C.J. Culpepper was mostly effective, but a flurry of singles in the 3rd flipped Fort Myers’ lead and stuck him with a tough loss he couldn’t recover from. He does technically earn the complete game for his work, re-emphasizing Monty Python’s message to Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. Fort Myers found the time to steal two bases on Saturday. Dunedin’s shortstop, Adrian Pinto, was their best prospect in the game according to MLB.com; he singled and scored in three at-bats. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Blayne Enlow Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Kyle Farmer PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 0-4, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, BB, 2 K #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 2-4, 2B, 2 R, BB, K #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 3B, K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Nashville @ St. Paul (12:07 PM) - RHP Aaron Sanchez Nashville @ St. Paul (30 minutes following game one) - TBD Wichita @ NW Arkansas (2:05 PM) - RHP David Festa Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (1:05 PM) - RHP Kyle Jones Dunedin @ Fort Myers (11:00 AM) - RHP Tomas Cleto View full article

Sometimes all you need is one knock. Image courtesy of © David Richard-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Bailey Ober: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Home Run: Max Kepler (4) Top 3 WPA: Bailey Ober (.427), Max Kepler (.226), Jhoan Duran (.087) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) If you successfully navigated the complex superhighway of streaming services, or perhaps sheepishly asked one of your younger, hipper relatives to assist you in the journey, then the Twins vs Guardians on Apple TV+ awaited you as your award. Well-protected and shielded by valuable paywall, the resulting content, the 18-14 Twins—led by Bailey Ober—taking on the 14-17 Guardians—led by Peyton Battenfield—proved a surprisingly wise selection. It was a pitcher’s duel, nearly completely barren of offensive ability for the first five frames as Ober and Battenfield served zeroes. A 4th-inning Josh Naylor double was the only hit for awhile; Battenfield’s no-hitter bid reached the 6th. Ober’s success was not altogether shocking, but for Battenfield—a rookie making his 4th career start—the outing was magnificent. His cutter deftly alluded Minnesota’s bats, leading to whiffs and weak contact as the Twins could not understand Battenfield’s movement; many batters walked back to the dugout in confusion. But fortune changed quickly. After Christian Vázquez singled to break Battenfield’s perfect game, Max Kepler worked a full count, sat on one of those aforementioned cutters, and blasted the pitch 440 feet out to right field, suddenly catapulting the Twins ahead with a 2-0 advantage. This author’s loud father would like the people of Twins Daily to know that he predicted the homer. He was insufferable. With renewed vigor, and a lead for once, Ober continued his mission to mow down the Guardians. José Ramírez singled to apply some pressure, but two straight outs neutered his hit. With Ramírez on second, Oscar Gonzalez shot a grounder off the plate, sending a high, lazy fly ball to the pitcher’s mound; Ober needed to make a play. He did, catching the ball and firing to Donovan Solano off his back foot with not enough juice to catch Gonzalez. Ramírez—sensing an opportunity—scrambled home to try and score Cleveland’s first run, but Solano—quick-witted and aware—fired a throw to Vázquez, and nailed the runner at the plate. And so Ober’s night came to a close. The results were astounding: 7 innings, 3 hits, 0 earned runs, 1 walks, and 6 strikeouts constituted one of the finest starts of his career; Minnesota will need more of that going forward as they look to patch their rotation following two critical injuries. Jorge López worked a breezy 8th inning to set up Jhoan Duran in the 9th. With maybe a desire for some drama, or because of elusive command, Duran kept the game interesting. A lead-off walk of Steven Kwan sunk the pit in Twins’ fans stomachs deeper; a blown lead felt inevitable. But Duran disagreed, and three unceasing outs capped by a strikeout of Josh Naylor ended the game in favor of the Twins. Notes: Bailey Ober's seven-inning start was the second-longest of his career. Max Kepler has now hit 15 homers at Progressive Field—the most non-Target Field total of his career. Jhoan Duran's seven saves ties him for sixth in MLB. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? Sonny Gray will face off against Logan Allen (the new one) in game two of the series; first pitch is at 5:10 PM. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

With hitters and starters covered, come read about the relief arms that crushed the month of April. Image courtesy of William Parmeter 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. But first, a few honorable mentions: RHP Juan Mendez I really wanted to put Mendez on the list given his respectable peripherals, but there's something about the crudeness of a 6.35 ERA that turned me off from doing that. Still, he struck out 32.7% of hitters he faced; a commendable achievement. RHP Brock Stewart Now a Twin, Stewart smoked AAA with a 48.6% (yes a 48.6%) strikeout rate. His most recent MLB outing was shaky, but he could potentially contribute to the team as they look to settle their middle relief situation. LHP Gabriel Yanez 41.9 K-BB%. Who cares about ERA? RHP Jackson Hicks Hicks' low innings total—just 7 1/3 frames—kept him off the list, but he was tremendous by every other metric. Get him some playing time! 5. RHP Connor Sadzeck - AAA St. Paul Saints, 12 2/3 IP, 25.5 K%, 3.55 ERA, 3.44 FIP It’s been a long and winding road for Sadzeck. The member of six separate franchises, Sadzeck owns 36 career MLB innings, often finding injuries halting his effort to hone his craft. He re-entered the minors cycle after signing with Minnesota in the 11th hour on a minor league deal—this time finding himself in St. Paul. The early returns have been excellent. Often used as a two-inning stopper, Sadzeck has only allowed more than one earned run once, cultivating a respectable 3.55 ERA with a 25.5 % strikeout rate. With the unpredictability surrounding relievers and pitching injuries, Sadzeck could join the Twins at some time this season in another effort to prove himself to MLB teams. 4. RHP Ben Ethridge - A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, 10 IP, 27.5 K%, 0.90 ERA, 3.17 FIP Hot out of Southern Mississippi, the college where Brian Dozier set hitting records and Matt Wallner broke them, Ben Ethridge fits perfectly in the mold Minnesota prefers from their pitchers: command wizards with a potential for more. He slid into the Fort Myers bullpen to start 2023, potentially in order to better utilize his classic fastball/slider combo to its full effect. The results—a miniscule ERA with plenty of strikeouts; perhaps more walks than expected—have landed him here on this list. Certainly, the height of his career, this must be. He'll likely earn a promotion to Cedar Rapids soon if he continues to pitch like this. 3. LHP Kody Funderburk - AA/AAA Wichita Wind Surge/St. Paul Saints, 10 2/3 IP, 31.9 K%, 0.84 ERA, 3.10 FIP You cannot do it. Search your mind for days; interrogate Baseball Reference until it sputters and whines; stare at your screen until your eyes bleed red and your brain loses thought and ambition: you will not find a better name in the Twins’ system. A 15th round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft out Dallas Baptist University—the alma mater of Ben Zobrist and Lew Ford—Funderburk has trickled upwards through the years, finally receiving a promotion to AAA in April after spending parts of three seasons at AA. His April was nearly flawless; an outing on the 14th stood as the only run-allowing appearance of the month. The walks were a little high, holding Funderburk back from a better placement on this esteemed list. 2. LHP Zach Veen - A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, 10 IP, 26.3 K%, 1.80 ERA, 2.17 FIP Not to be confused with the “h” deficient Zac Veen drafted by the Rockies in the first round in 2020, Veen joined the Twins in 2022 from Point Loma Nazarene University (they’ve had two major leaguers in their history, don’t laugh), and is beginning to break out in 2023. With just one walk and as many strikeouts as innings pitched (10), Veen’s peripherals support the story his ERA tells: he’s been difficult to score against. Veen is in a similar boat as Ethridge, making him a possible fast-moving short-stint arm capable of impacting the major league roster if he continues his efficient ways. 1. RHP Regi Grace - A+ Cedar Rapids Kernels, 11 1/3 IP, 36.6 K%, 0.79 ERA, 2.40 FIP This was not a difficult choice. Grace was so dominant—better than any other choice—that deciding to place him first took seconds, not minutes. Pick a stat; Grace likely crushed it. He allowed just one earned run in April, striking out 36.6% of batters over his 11 1/3 frames of work; a single April 20th outing proved to be the lone stain on his resume. He suffered from a few streaks of wildness as some hit by pitches cloud an otherwise passable walk rate, The start likely comes as a great relief for Grace, who earned a 4.47 ERA across a trio of levels in 2022. Improved command—about a 3% drop in walks from the season prior—appears to be the positive force working in his favor. Maybe the fifth season in the system will prove to be the best for Grace. What are your thoughts on our choices for the top performing relievers in the Minnesota Twins organization in April? Congratulations to right-hander Regi Grace, this month's top reliever in the Twins farm system. View full article

Plus a solid start from Randy Dobnak and a massive performance from Yunior Severino. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Yunior Severino) TRANSACTIONS LHP Brent Headrick optioned to AAA St. Paul RHP Bailey Ober recalled by Twins Saints Sentinel St. Paul 1, Rochester 2 Box Score Randy Dobnak: 4 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Andrew Stevenson (2-for-4, R), Elliot Soto (2-for-4) St. Paul lost on a walk-off on Saturday. It was a night of restrained offense and missed opportunities, where pitchers of all kinds found the sweet waters of fortune; at least, most of them did. Saints starter Randy Dobnak worked four efficient frames, allowing a lone run off a homer while striking out one. Most notably for Dobnak, he avoided the dreaded walk, surrendering no free bases during his time on the mound. St. Paul's offense could not support their arms, however, but their efforts were not entirely futile, weak. In every inning but one, they placed a runner on base, often finding multiple baserunners crawling around the infield: they just only brought one of them home. That run came when Ryan LaMarre smacked a double in the 8th inning, momentarily tying the game. But the effort was greeted with evil finality; Kevin Plawecki homered off of Jorge Alcala the following inning to end the game, handing the Saints a loss for their work. The Rochester Red Wings are a Who’s Who of Some Guys, boasting a roster of players like Matt Adams, Nomar Mazara, Chad Pinder, and old friend Ildemaro Vargas. Their best prospect—Jake Alu, the 27th ranked prospect, according to MLB.com—went hitless in four at-bats. Alex Kirilloff did not play on Saturday. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 10, Springfield 16 Box Score Carlos Luna: 3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K HR: Pat Winkel (1), Yunior Severino (6) Multi-hit games: Brooks Lee (2-for-5, BB), DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (2-for-6, 2 R), Jake Rucker (2-for-6, 2 R), Yunior Severino (4-for-6, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI), Seth Gray (3-for-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB), Will Holland (2-for-5, RBI) The Wind Surge lost an offensive bonanza on Saturday. With bats refusing to cease, sparking action and inspiring defensive conditioning, the two teams combined for 36 hits—somehow finding the most success with singles, as neither squad exceeded three extra-base hits in the match. Only one Wichita pitcher escaped the carnage without damage to their ERA; Osiris German stood alone amongst starters and relievers alike leaving the mound with hanged head and sorrow moods; two earned runs proved to be the lowest total allowed by any non-German hurler. The Wind Surge pitching staff has now given up 46 runs over their past four games. Yunior Severino commanded the charge offensively, cracking his sixth homer of the season on his way toward four hits, four RBIs, and two runs scored. He easily earned the title of “Hitter of the Day.” But others impressed as well, as every starting batter earned a hit, and every hitter outside of Yoyner Fajardo reached base safely at least twice. Extra credit goes to Patrick Winkel, who smoked a 114 MPH screamer for his first homer of the season. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. stole his eighth base of the season; only one player in the Texas League has swiped more bags. 34 more steals ties his total from 2022. The typically strong Cardinals system lacks an overwhelming supply of talent at AA, but Mike Antico holds the title of their 22nd best prospect: he collected two singles, stole two bases, and scored twice. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 0, West Michigan 4 Box Score Pierson Ohl: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Jose Salas (2-for-4) The Kernels lost quietly on Saturday. Lacking the pitching acumen of the Saints and the offensive display of the Wind Surge, the Kernels just kind of slid into defeat, almost never threatening Western Michigan’s lead and losing by, not a major margin, but enough to accurately reflect the quality of each team on Saturday. Pierson Ohl was fine, acceptable. He tossed four innings with two earned runs as some 2nd inning wildness killed his efficiency, stopping him from reaching the critical fifth frame. While John Wilson handed in two shutout innings, Malik Barrington and Matt Mullenbach surrendered a run each, putting the game well out of reach late. Outside of an 8th inning rally soiled by a double play, and a 9th inning spark knocked dead in its shoes, Cedar Rapids’ offense never threatened, offering four singles in support of their bats—two from Jose Salas. They did take six walks—a legitimate sign of good strike zone control—but the batted ball gods saw no need to bless their bats, and the Kernels fell silent when they could not take advantage of an error that loaded the bases in the 9th. Izaac Pacheco is the 12th-ranked prospect in the Tigers system, and he proved his worth, singling in a run in the 1st inning. Jose Salas stole his sixth base of the season. Mussel Matters Lightning ended Fort Myers’ match before it could begin and the game will be made up at a later date. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Randy Dobnak Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Yunior Severino PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 2-5, BB #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, SB #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-2, 2 BB #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4 #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 3 K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Rochester (1:05 PM) - RHP Aaron Sanchez Springfield @ Wichita (1:05 PM) - RHP Blayne Enlow Western Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (1:05 PM) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin Fort Myers @ Daytona (4:00 PM) - RHP C.J. Culpepper View full article

Life is a little more fun with dramatic heroics. Image courtesy of William Parmeter TRANSACTIONS C David Bañuelos transferred from AAA St. Paul to AA Wichita Saints Sentinel St. Paul 11, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 6 Box Score Louie Varland: 4 2/3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 8 K HR: Ryan LaMarre (2), Hernán Pérez (3) Multi-hit games: None The Saints overcame a 4-0 deficit to easily win on Saturday. A week and a day after starting against the Yankees, Louie Varland faced their Triple-A team—and performed a little worse. He still struck out eight, but was also touched for five runs as a 4th inning hit parade soiled his afternoon. Statcast clocked one of his fastballs at 98.7 MPH. Fortunately for Varland, his bats ensured that he would not leave with a loss on his ledger. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s pitchers were wild all day, handing out walks like Costco samples, and the Saints exploited the free runners with glee. The 4th frame was their masterpiece, as—working with just a trio of extra-base hits—they scraped together a five-spot, surging ahead of the RailRiders with one effective attack. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tied the game quickly, but St. Paul piled on with three more two-run innings, eventually totaling 11 runs on the game—more than enough to best a RailRiders lineup stifled by the Saints’ bullpen. Jordan Balzovic was amongst the relief crew; he earned a 1-2-3 inning and lowered his season ERA to 1.59. It was a strange offensive day, as six of St. Paul’s seven hits went for extra bases and no player earned multiple hits. They also walked more than they struck out. Elijah Dunham was the best prospect for the RailRiders on Saturday. The 18th-ranked player in the Yankees farm system, Dunham doubled twice and walked while playing center field. Alex Kirilloff did not play in Saturday’s game and neither did Josh Winder, whose last appearance came on April 19th. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 4, Tulsa 3 Box Score Chad Donato: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K HR: Will Holland (1), Jake Rucker (3) Multi-hit games: Jake Rucker (2-for-4, HR, R, RBI), Yunior Severino (2-for-4, R), DaShawn Kiersey Jr. (2-for-4, R), Will Holland (2-for-4, HR, R, RBI) Wichita scrapped by their opponents on Saturday. Chad Donato set the tone, working four quality innings—and recovering well after allowing a home run on the first pitch of his night. His only other blemish came via another homer in the 3rd inning. Wichita’s bats had their hands full with Emmet Sheehan on the mound. The tall righty worked four frames as well, striking out eight batters to double his counterpart; his earned run total was half, as well. But fortunately, Sheehan burned out early, and the Drillers defense handed the Wind Surge plenty of chances to make up the difference. Will Holland’s solo homer in the 2nd was no fluke, but when he grounded a ball to Tulsa third baseman Brandon Lewis and came up safe with Yunior Severino scoring, it was apparent that fortune was on his side. Brooks Lee’s strikeout-to-reach-base-to-score-another-run—somehow not the only one in the system on Friday—gave Wichita their first lead of the ballgame. The Drillers added another homer to their collection in the bottom of the innings, but all they did was set up the grand finale: a dramatic Jake Rucker 9th inning shot to hand Wichita a slim 4-3 advantage. They held on. With outstanding relief pitching allowing just one run over five frames, the Wind Surge claimed victory over the Drillers, giving them their seventh win of the year. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 1, Beloit 7 Box Score Orlando Rodriguez: 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Jeferson Morales (2-for-3, R), Ernie Yake (2-for-3, 2B) The Kernels lost a decisive game on Saturday. With much of the action limited to two innings—particularly brutal 4th and 5th frames for the Kernels—this was a classic quick event; the entire game lasted less than two hours. Beloit starter Luis Palacios controlled Cedar Rapids’ offense, allowing just three singles while punching out six over seven strong innings. His win was well-deserved. The Kernels as a whole pitched better than their line suggests, only running into trouble when a Jose Salas error broke the dam in the 4th, plating the first of four runs that eventually drowned Cedar Rapids’ chance of winning. Iowa native Matt Mullenbach proved the most effective hurler of the day; he pitched a pair of scoreless frames with two strikeouts for his troubles. Charlie Neuweiler claimed an empty inning as well. Cedar Rapids’ bats were ineffective—tepid, if one were being mean. Outside of a strong back-end showing by Jeferson Morales and Ernie Yake, the lineup produced enough “1s” and “0s” to be mistaken as binary. Their lone run came in the 8th when Kala’i Rosario grounded out to plate Morales. The Sky Carp are led by Jacob Berry—a third baseman and the Marlins’ 2nd-best prospect according to MLB.com. He was drafted two spots before the Twins picked Brooks Lee. He singled and scored in four trips to the plate. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 9, Jupiter 7 Box Score Zebby Matthews: 4 2/3 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K HR: Carlos Aguiar (3), Dalton Shuffield (2) Multi-hit games: Dalton Shuffield (2-for-5, HR, 2B, R, 2 RBI) Fort Myers won on a walk-off on Saturday. The Mighty Mussels struck first, handing starter Zebby Matthews an early 3-0 lead off of four 3rd inning walks and a double; Andrew Cossetti added a sacrifice fly for good measure. They went on to walk nine times in the game. For Matthews—already cruising early, extending his scoreless streak to 13 frames—the runs seemed all he needed to carry the win. Jupiter did score in the 4th, finally snapping his record, but it appeared that Fort Myers was in good shape to hold their advantage. What they didn’t predict, though, was a four-run 5th, with a lead-off triple and back-breaking three-run homer that flipped a solid-looking lead the other way; Jupiter now commanded a two-run hold. And the Mighty Mussels were up to the challenge. Again forcing starter Jacob Miller to be his own enemy, Fort Myers hitters walked three times in the 5th, forcing a fresh arm to relieve the ineffective Miller from his post. With a new arm to target, Carlos Aguiar took aim and deposited a ball beyond the fence, handing his team a new one-run lead. It lasted half an inning. Although, this time there was no response; both teams settled into an extended siege. The tie broke in the 10th, as Jupiter plated their Manfred Man and placed pressure onto the Mighty Mussels to force an ultimatum. They did—but not in the way the Hammerheads wanted, nor in any way that could have been predicted. A wild pitch advanced Danny De Andrade—already gifted second base—to third with one out. As Aguiar struck out swinging, the ball bounded past the catcher’s reach, coaxing De Andrade home as Aguiar scampered to first, somehow eliciting a positive outcome from his actions. With hilarity, Dalton Shuffield swung at the second pitch he saw and blasted a 402 foot walk-off homer to end the game. So it goes. Credit must go to Fort Myers’ bullpen as well: the collection of Gabreil Yanez, Juan Mendez, and Zach Veen worked 5 ⅓ innings with just one earned run. Mendez was especially crucial, firing off 96 MPH darts over his three scoreless frames; he struck out a trio. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Juan Mendez, Fort Myers Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Dalton Shuffield, Fort Myers PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 0-5, 2 K #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 1-4, 2B, BB, K #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Minnesota) - 4 2/3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #9 - Louie Varland (St. Paul) - 4 2/3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 8 K #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-3, R, 2 BB, K #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K #20 - Miseal Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4 SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes-Barre @ St. Paul (2:07 PM) - TBD Wichita @ Tulsa (1:05 PM) - RHP Carlos Luna Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (1:05 PM) - RHP Pierson Ohl Jupiter @ Fort Myers (11:00 AM) - RHP Tomas Cleto View full article

Sometimes a few dribblers can be the death of you. Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Tyler Mahle: 6 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Home Run: Joey Gallo (5) Bottom 3 WPA: Griffin Jax (-.467), Jose Miranda (-.370), Jorge Polanco (-.182) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) “It is snowing in Minneapolis on April 21st.” Bundled in whatever they could find around the house, fans and players alike trudged to the ballpark, eschewing both a Wild and Timberwolves playoff games to stir up the familiar lights of Target Field, this time with Jorge Polanco in the lineup for the first time all season. Tyler Mahle took the mound opposite Trevor Williams. Both veterans of a wily nature, the pitchers offered their low 90s fastballs and assorted mix of breaking balls to hitters who looked like they would rather be elsewhere—not that anyone could blame them. The game danced its usual refrain for the first two frames, exchanging zeroes as each team worked to get a feel on their opponent. Minnesota succeeded first once that movement ended: “when he hits it, it stays hit,” spoke Roy Smalley, unknowingly prophesying the first run of the ballgame. The batter—one Joey Gallo—evidently heard the saying, felt the words in his soul, and he almost immediately belted a screaming line drive that nearly took out an entire section of fans in right field. The ball left his bat at 113 MPH. It was his fifth homer of the season. The Twins felt like scoring a little more, though, as a Ryan Jeffers double—with some help from a poor play by Nationals right fielder Lane Thomas—begat a medium-deep sacrifice fly off the bat of Max Kepler. After just a few pitches, the Twins had a 2-0 lead. And it was all Tyler Mahle needed. The righty attacked the tepid Nationals lineup, coaxing fly balls that died in the crisp evening air while accepting strikeouts as they came. His fastball only occasionally tickled 94, but Washington saw it poorly all the same; they earned just three hits while Mahle stood on the mound. Unfortunately, the last of those hits was a solo homer from Joey Meneses on Mahle’s final pitch of the ballgame. The 6 1/3 innings of work were deeply appreciated by Rocco Baldelli—a manager juggling a bullpen low on gas following a draining Boston series. And thus entered the reliever battle. Caleb Thielbar brought the 7th to a close, allowing Griffin Jax to claim the 8th. The first two outs came easy, but a lethargic grounder found open grass, allowing C.J. Abrams to take second base. With a bit more gusto—a respectable exit velocity—Lane Thomas tied the game on a ground ball beyond two diving infielders. Suddenly, a Keibert Ruiz single gave the Nationals a lead unthinkable if you had watched any of the previous frames. The Twins fell silently against Hunter Harvey in the 8th, striking out thrice against the flowing hard-thrower; Washington was equally weak against Jorge López. At this point—with Gallo’s homer coming seemingly four days ago—Minnesota found themselves in the crucial situation: down a run in the bottom of the 9th. Byron Buxton singled and Trevor Larnach walked; life appeared quickly. Polanco lined out, unfortunately unable to turn his process into a hit, and Jose Miranda stepped up as the potential hero. With a wild Kyle Finnegan on the mound, seemingly vulnerable, Miranda swung at his opening offering, grounding a ball directly at Jeimer Candelario; the ensuing double play was as easy as it looked. With a 2-0 lead on one of the worst teams in MLB, the Twins found a way to extract a loss from their fortunes. Notes: Joey Gallo is slugging .889 on the year. Tyler Mahle lowered his season ERA to 3.32. Griffin Jax is the 6th most valuable reliever in MLB by fWAR, holding a 0.4 mark over 10 outings. Post-Game Interview: Pablo López will take on Chad Kuhl on Saturday; the game starts at 1:10 PM. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Episode two of Matt's variety show focuses on some more eclectic choices. Image courtesy of © Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports Right on Right Changeups to Judge Quick scenario for you guys: you are Joe Ryan facing Aaron Judge with a 2-2 count. Do you: Throw a slider down and away Throw a high fastball Either pitch should do just fine. In this era of pitching, the dominant strategy has tightened its focus to these two pitches being the go-to for a pitcher in need of a whiff. Plot twist, though: Ryan did neither. Sorry for tricking you like that. That pitch selection—a low splitter, easily Ryan’s third-best offering—intrigued me. Ryan is your prototypical four-seam/sweeper guy—the two pitches you would expect most in a situation against a hulking slugger like Judge. But, rather than select those pitches, Ryan tossed a split and elicited a strikeout from possibly the most dangerous hitter on the planet. If you noticed carefully, the Twins actually threw Judge a lot of changeups—all of them right-on-right—and darn it, I want to talk about it. Since the start of 2022, Judge has seen changeups from righties 9.8% of the time (splitters included; I will be calling them “off-speed” pitches for the rest of this article). During the four-game series against the Twins, Judge saw 40% of off-speed pitches from righties. That’s a big difference, one that seems to point towards a specific plan of attack for the reigning MVP. And it’s weird, at least on the surface. Long the ire of baseball people, same-handed off-speed pitches have a reputation for being ineffective—or, at least, not as effective as other selections. I don’t have any data to conclude whether that’s good thinking generally, but the splits bear out that pitchers generally avoid same-handed off-speed pitches unless theirs happens to be elite. Judge from the start of 2019 has performed terribly against right-handed off-speed offerings: his xwOBA against splitters is .309 and .289 against changeups. His numbers looked better in 2022, but that was true for everything across the board; he set the AL homerun record after all. Did it work? Well, Judge slashed .167/.333/.500, walked 20.0% of the time, and struck out in 33.3% of his plate appearances. Throw all his numbers together and you get a 130 wRC+. The only off-speed pitch he put into play was a pulverised 105 MPH double against Tyler Mahle that was a few points of launch angle away from becoming a souvenir. The call is up to you, but I would say the Twins limited him about as well as any team can expect; the process seemed solid, at any rate, and that’s all you can ask for. Zebby Matthews and The Kitchen Sink If you habitually skip following the minor leagues, then you may not yet know about Zebby Matthews . The Western Carolina product — a school that claims just 10 big-leaguers, and a former winner of Big Brother — has thrown 10 straight scoreless innings across two starts to begin his 2023 season with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. That’s the sort of thing that draws attention, especially in a system now known for elevating under-the-radar college arms. Matthews doesn’t quite fit the bill of the David Festas of the world, though; his velocity is a perfectly healthy 93 MPH on average, but he will legitimately toss six different pitches, making hitters jitter and guess — so far, incorrectly — at the forthcoming pitch. It’s been just two starts, but it appears that he favors his cutter (26.1% usage on April 8th; 20.8% on April 16th) and fills in the cracks with four-seamers and whatever breaking pitch the situation calls for. I think it’s cool that Matthews is succeeding not based on a dominant pitch or two, but with an abundance of selections — not quite Darvish-like — that likely causes a lot of guesswork for the hitters. We shall see how he continues to pitch and whether this approach carries him further through the minors. Nick Gordon’s Discipline Nick Gordon is off to a putrid start. Pick any stat you want to measure it: his slashline is .109/.128/.152; his wRC+ is -31 (yes, negative); and the guy doesn’t even have a stray RBI to make up for it. But, somehow, he’s running a 2.1% walk rate and a 6.4% strikeout rate. 6.4! Nick Gordon! He’s not suddenly Juan Soto, but he has lopped off four points from his O-Swing rate (38.0%, down from 42.4%), while adding five points of Z-Contact (up to 88.7%), making him look the part of a more selective hitter. He’s even swinging and missing at a below-average rate (in a good way). The strikeouts will return, but maybe at a more stomachable level than before. The quality of his contact has dropped completely off the planet, though, as the surprisingly excellent exit velocity master we saw in 2022 has been replaced by Astudillo-ian sluggish hits. We shall see if this is a concerted effort to become a more well-rounded batter — it’s only been 47 plate appearances, after all — but it certainly seems that something is going on in the background. View full article

Sometimes the game refuses to act normally. Image courtesy of © Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Sonny Gray: 5 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K Home Run: Max Kepler (2) Bottom 3 WPA: Jovani Moran (-.902 good lord), Griffin Jax (-.184), Kyle Garlick (-.070) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) From being dominated by Chris Sale to watching umpires decipher through grain whether their night would end, the Twins experienced the full range of baseball emotions on Tuesday. Oscillating between uneasy optimism and certain expectations losing, the game had it all, and each reaction and re-action was more extreme than the one that came before. Be warned: this is the kind of game that can eat up lesser souls. Boston wasted no time scoring. Lead-off man Alex Verdugo stroked a double into the right-center gap and Rafael Devers chopped a single too far to Willi Castro’s right to score him. Just like that, before Sonny Gray could ease into the start, the Red Sox had a run, and Minnesota would need a response. Unfortunately for them, their opponent was a certain stork-like pitcher, known for regularly—although inconsistently, recently—making fools of even the best hitters. And he was on his game. The opening innings consisted of whiffs, and wrong guesses; the first out Chris Sale recorded that didn’t come via a punchout was in the 3rd—when Donovan Solano tapped out directly to Rafael Devers. Whenever Minnesota expected fastballs, he tossed sliders, always in the perfect spot to coax a swing. Gray suffered no such fortune. The veteran righty did a lot of pitching—entirely too much pitching—battling himself over the first two frames as Red Sox batters stood stoically against his balls and smoked his strikes. He had over 50 pitches after just two innings. Somehow, though, he slithered away from damage, never allowing Boston to secure the knock-out blow they desperately craved. He ended his start with five innings, and a medium-sized village stranded on base; the opening run was his lone blemish. Just as soon as it seemed that Sale would settle in, he finally wavered, relenting in his command to walk Michael A. Taylor, hit Max Kepler, and see Castro split the infield with a bunt single. Solano struck out, but a Carlos Correa liner brought Taylor home to somehow even the game at one. Even as Byron Buxton extended his dreadful streak of ineffective hitting—batting as if he were blinded—the Twins could finally claim a competitive match. In a sign that the baseball gods absolutely have a sense of humor, the second Sale exited the game, Max Kepler took fresh pitcher Josh Winckowski deep to right field, inconceivably handing the Twins a 2-1 advantage. It was his second shot of the season. Thus started the running of the bullpen: Jorge López’s 6th frame was smooth, while Caleb Thielbar’s only 7th inning trouble came when Devers poked a shift-beater the other way. Griffin Jax found his 8th difficult, though, as a cheeky soft liner and a confusing catcher’s interference placed runners on the corners. Rather, actually, Solano took the play off after the catcher’s interference was called, allowing Reese McGuire to reach base while Kiké Hernández took off for third base. An obscure rule—one so unheard of that Dick Bremer had to provide clarity to the people watching— allows for a manager to elect for the play to count, allowing the runner to advance to third base. No matter; it isn’t like the extra base had game-altering implications. Anyways, Boston tied the game when Jarren Duran’s grounder provided enough space for Hernández to bolt home safely. Jhoan Duran carried the 9th, turning the match into a Manfred Man fest with Minnesota up first. Boston reliever John Schreiber couldn’t locate the strike zone, hitting Solano and walking Correa to load the bases. Buxton then sent a deep enough fly ball to right to score a run—and advance the runner from second to third—which allowed Miranda to plate a second score with a grounder. Lacking a hit, the Twins still scored two. If you’re counting at home, Rocco Baldelli was now left without his best relievers, making Jovani Moran the pitcher called upon to save the game. Hernández struck out with suspicious intent; Moran’s changeup is good, but the offering was so low in the dirt, it seemed that he anticipated the chance to scamper to first base. A walk loaded the bases and finally, McGuire re-knotted the game with a dumping single to left field. A knock placed Moran into familiar confines. With Rob Refsnyder at the plate, Moran delivered another signature change, getting the roll-over he wanted; Miranda snagged the ball, tagged the runner going to home, then gunned out Refsnyder to turn an immaculate double play. It was all for nothing, however, as Verdugo’s painted fly ball to right fell on the field side of the wall, giving Boston the bizarre walk-off a game like this deserved, but only after the lights person, the umpires, and every player stood around thoroughly baffled at what just occurred. Notes: Post-Game Interview: The Twins will take on Boston again tomorrow; Joe Ryan will pitch opposite Corey Kluber. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

That 2016 draft—with Miranda, Kirilloff, and Jax—now looks like Terry Ryan’s final parting gift to the organization. With Rortvedt, Baddoo, Tyler Wells, Sean Poppen, and Caleb Hamilton also making the majors, it seems like he had one last stroke of genius before it ended.

Zebby Matthews is definitely nearing “dude” territory. A few more starts and he could officially be the David Festa of 2023!

Yeah I definitely typed in “I N D I A N S” but normal in the write up. Didn’t see the automatic switch until you guys mentioned it.

You can't win 'em all; and sometimes you don't win at all. Image courtesy of William Parmeter TRANSACTIONS OF Matt Wallner optioned from Minnesota to AAA St. Paul C David Bañuelos moved to development list Saints Sentinel St. Paul 2, Indianapolis 9 Box Score Simeon Woods Richardson: 3 1/3 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Andrew Bechtold (2-for-4, 2B, R) The Saints were blown out on Saturday. It was not Simeon Woods Richardson’s day; the Sugar Land native couldn’t find the right answers against Indianapolis' lineup, allowing 10 hits—the most he’s relinquished in his minor-league career. Randy Dobnak relieved Woods Richardson—probably emotionally as well as physically—after the starter allowed a pair of hits in the 4th. Dobnak quickly learned that Indianapolis’ hitters didn’t mind the pitcher, though, and he subsequently saw four runs score against him. St. Paul’s hitters faced a Quinn Priester that was sharp and effective, punching out nine times against the top prospect; a pair of runs blemished his stat line but make no mistake: this was a dominating performance from Priester. And Indianapolis' bullpen continued the trend, adding 4 1/3 scoreless frames with seven extra strikeouts; the Saints only collected one extra-base hit off Indianapolis relievers. Andrew Bechtold and Connor Sadzeck served as the two bright spots, with the former adding two more hits—a double included—to his early-season stash; the latter pitched 2 1/3 innings without allowing a run. He struck out three. Beyond Priester, Indianapolis boasts a talented squad, enjoying the unique talents of catcher/infielder/outfielder Endy Rodriguez and the piranha-ish Nick Gonzales. Rodriguez earned three hits while Gonzales collected four; they totaled four extra-base hits. Joey Gallo struck out all four times he stepped to the plate; Chris Williams pinch-hit for him in the 9th inning and walked. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 3, NW Arkansas 12 Box Score Aaron Rozek: 2 1/3 IP, 9 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, 1 K HR: Yunior Severino (2), Alerick Soularie (1) Multi-hit games: Brooks Lee (2-for-3), Yoyner Fajardo (2-for-4) The Wind Surge experienced a good old-fashioned butt-kicking on Saturday. It started out bad and only got uglier. The Naturals pounced on Aaron Rozek for two runs in the 1st before coming back with vigor in the 2nd, smacking three extra runs onto his ledger. That would normally be enough to punish a pitcher—five runs wins you most ballgames—but NW Arkansas felt especially spicy on Saturday; they plated five more runs in the 3rd, this time splitting the damage between Rozek and reliever Seth Nordlin. Wichita’s offensive burst, while soft in comparison, was admirable, as both Yunior Severino and Alerick Soularie blasted homers in support of their ailing pitchers. Severino’s shot was a classic pulled meteor; but Soularie’s was incredible: he somehow pushed a casual fly ball deep enough to clear the fences the other way. You don’t see that every day. Unfortunately, the good news ends there. Wichita’s offense set a season-high for strikeouts with 16 and have now struck out at least 12 times in five consecutive games. The NW Arkansas Naturals are typically led by catcher Luca Tresh, the Royals’ 13th-best prospect according to MLB.com, but since he had the day off, Andrew Hoffmann—the starter who mowed down seven batters over five innings—served as their finest prospect representative. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 3, Quad Cities 5 Box Score Alejandro Hidalgo: 1 2/3 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 6 BB, 3 K HR: Emmanuel Rodriguez (3) Multi-hit games: Ben Ross (4-for-4, 2 2B, R) The Kernels could not get out of their way on Saturday. Alejandro Hidalgo—fresh-faced, still just a teenager—took the mound for the first time in the Twins’ system. The Venezuelan change-up specialist found no fortune with command; walking six and hitting one in a curt, ineffective start. Strangely, all of his walks came with two outs. Hopefully, Hidalgo, who joined the Twins following an off-season deal with the Angels that sent Gio Urshela out west, will find more fruitful days in his future. The short start placed Cedar Rapids’ bullpen in a tough spot, needing 7 1/3 frames of work to finish the game, but they nearly pulled it off. Regi Grace established order by ending the 2nd and pushing the effort to the 5th, making Miguel Rodriguez the next crucial cog. He faltered. The Kernels’ second Venezuelan hurler of the night breezed through the 5th, but stepped into a 6th-inning ambush, leading to three runs and a burned ego; Cedar Rapids never recovered. But they put up a solid fight: Noah Cardenas bounced into a run-scoring double play in the 2nd and Emmanuel Rodriguez continued his habit of only hitting homers to the deepest parts of the ballpark. He now leads the Midwest league in RBIs with 12. That was all, though, and a run-scoring balk in the 8th nailed the Kernels into their coffin. Ben Ross, Minnesota’s 5th-round pick in 2022 out of Notre Dame College—no, the other one—collected four hits, doubling twice in an effective day from the cleanup spot. The River Bandits are led by outfielder Gavin Cross—the Royals’ best prospect and the 56th-best prospect according to MLB.com. He tripled and walked in five plate appearances. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 1, Clearwater 3 Box Score Jose Olivares: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The Mighty Mussels lost an offensive-deficient game on Saturday. Jose Olivares owned the mound; the Venezuelan righty worked five efficient innings, striking out a trio of batters while allowing a lonely run to score off a solo homer in the 4th. Not bad for the first start of the season at an elevated level. The bats, though, were locked up, evidently tossed away or hidden as the Mighty Mussels only collected three hits—all singles—on top of five walks; a Jorge Polanco sacrifice fly in the 3rd served as the only run they could muster. Catcher Ricardo Olivar caught the worst of it, striking out all four times he stepped up to the plate; left-fielder Dalton Shuffield punched out three times. Josh Winder tossed 1 2/3 innings in relief of Olivares, allowing one run and three hits while striking out three. Alex Kirilloff drew two walks and played seven innings in the field at first base; Polanco played the full game at second base, drawing a walk on top of his sacrifice fly in four trips to the plate. The Threshers are led by outfielder Justin Crawford—son of Carl, and the fourth best prospect in the Phillies system; he tripled, singled, and scored a pair of runs from the lead-off spot. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jose Olivares Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Ben Ross PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 2-3 #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, 3 K #5 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 0-4, 2 K #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 3 1/3 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, K #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-5, 2B, 2 K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, BB #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, BB, K #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2 K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Indianapolis (12:35 PM) - LHP Brent Headrick NW Arkansas @ Wichita (1:05 PM) - RHP Chad Donato Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (1:05 PM) - RHP Orlando Rodriguez Fort Myers @ Clearwater (11:00 AM) - RHP Zebby Matthews View full article

Sometimes you want to talk about Pablo López and Trevor Larnach but don't have enough to material to write full pieces on them. Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports Last week, Ben Clemens of Fangraphs kicked off a “Five Things I Liked (and Didn’t Like) This Week” series where, in a nod to Zach Lowe’s “10 Things” series for the NBA, he writes on a handful of topics—mainly stats—that may not merit their own piece, but should be noted in some fashion. I am not above thievery, so this article will mark the first of my own “Things” series looking at a few undergoings in the Twins system that are interesting, but not capable of carrying an extended essay. Some weeks may see five topics, but I'll decided to let the game move me as it does, so the number of points will vary. Let’s begin. Now, while you, the good baseball fan, should abstain from traditional statistical practice until at least June, there are a few numbers safe for casual consumption and analysis. Let us not see these numbers as scripture that must be followed; rather, as trends that should be carefully observed. Today we’ll focus on plate discipline stats, as they tend to indicate a change in performance quicker than other numbers. Pablo López’s Sweeper Has Been Elite So Far One of the fascinating developments of 2023 baseball has been the integration of the term “sweeper” into our shared lexicon. First placed forth into the public sphere by Eno Sarris in 2021, the pitch behaves similar to a slider, but eases off the velocity a touch, and darts to the glove side as if a magnet were coaxing the ball off the plate. Hitters expect the ball to drop more than it actually does, and the sweeper subsequently finds the very tops of bats, and then the fielders glove—in precisely that order. It’s nasty. And it’s effective. Pitchers from all walks of life have adopted it to great success, and Pablo López’s version of the pitch has proven absurd. With one allowed hit, López has offered batters 60 chances to do damage on it, and has fooled almost all of them, earning a .118 xwOBA and the highest swinging strike rate on sweepers in all of MLB. Already used 22.1% of the time, López dispatches the pitch strictly against righties, instead relying on his trusty fastball/changeup/curveball mix against opposite-side hitters. While lefties have given him some trouble in his first three starts (12.5 K-BB%), righties shouldn’t even bother heading to the plate (38.3 K-BB%) Ted Schwerzler covered López the other day, and our own Lucas Seehafer did so as well over at Baseball Prospectus, if you must consume more regarding the pitch. Curiously, as Seehafer notes, the pitches’ pure movement is mediocre, far below some of the nastier offerings supplied by the finest spin masters currently pitching. The simple existence of an extra average pitch—one more guess a hitter must eliminate—partly fuels its success; but Lopez’s unique extension and its newness likely also helps confound hitters. It’s hard to hit something you have context for, after all. Trevor Larnach’s Plate Discipline I have long been fascinated with Trevor Larnach. Since his days bopping on some very good Oregon State squads, the corner outfielder found a way to stand out, producing excellent exit velocities with immense raw power. Minnesota was the perfect landing place for him. It’s been a mixed bag since, though, as Larnach breezed through the minors like a junior in a 100-level class, but ran into injuries and slight troubles with major-league stuff. Despite a solid slash line to start his season, nothing under the hood appears different: he’s swinging at pitches outside the zone at almost exactly the same rate as before (23.5% to 25.1% career) while his other swing decisions remain similarly unmoved. He’s making contact with pitches outside the zone more, but I’m not sure that’s a good thing; those tend to not end up as well-hit balls, after all. To my eyes, this is largely the same player we’ve seen over the last two seasons: a batter inconsistent in tapping into his massive power potential, still swinging at a few too many poor pitches to make an impact. But, this is still April; Larnach has time to make the necessary adjustments and, before a dreadful performance in the White Sox series, he claimed some of the best discipline in all of MLB. It's clear, though, that his early swoon was BABIP-fueled, and a separate change must come for Larnach to officially claim "breakout" status. Emmanuel Rodriguez Crushes Just look at these: Those are two homers to dead center off of lefties. That doesn't happen everyday. We've poured plenty of hype into Rodriguez, but we might still be underrating just how utterly game-changing his power could be. Just please, keep him healthy. All stats are updated following play on April 13th. View full article