Matt Braun

Image courtesy of © Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Box Score Zebby Matthews: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K Home Runs: Royce Lewis (9) Top 3 WPA: Kody Clemena (.211), Trevor Larnach (.177), Royce Lewis (.118) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Oh, we’re still here. 162 means 162, huh? Every team? Even with football starting soon? Ok, the Ship of Theseus Twins roll on, this time hosting the Padres in a battle between an energetic playoff contender and the rotting husk of what used to be a competitive collection of men. Zebby Matthews and his powerful jawline toed the rubber for the Twins, as Nestor Cortes and his association of tricks that one may call “crafty” took the mound for the Padres. Initial results favored no one. San Diego tried and failed to score in the game’s opening frames. Minnesota, as well, placed men on base, but an invisible barrier cursed second base, causing Ryan Jeffers to attempt in vain to turn a single into a double in the first, and forcing Austin Martin to remain stationary after he doubled with two outs in the second. Stronger attempts will be needed to score. The third brought runs. A sacrifice fly from Luis Arraez. who was returning to Target Field in a non-Twins uniform for the first time. Then a matching RBI groundout by Byron Buxton. Then a second run for the Padres. Soon, chaos. Cortes was thrown out of the game. Unceremoniously. He disagreed with the home plate umpire calling ball four on a close pitch in a 3-2 count and voiced his opinion. The umpire disagreed with his disagreement. Unfortunately for the lefty, umpires hold the ultimate executive ability to do something about it. A simple finger point clarified Cortes’ position remaining in the game. Mike Shildt came to support his player and mime the motions of an upset manager otherwise privy to the uselessness of his objections. A new pitcher trudged in from the bullpen. His ejection came with runners on first and second. Royce Lewis singled to load the bases. Kody Clemens grounded into a gentleman’s “fielder’s choice,” which is the perfectly vague term scorers use to avoid bruised egos from defenders. An accurate description is that Jake Cronenworth mangled a potential double play, causing two runs to score as runners nestled in at second and third. Trevor Larnach chopped a single up the gut to plate two more—and while Minnesota threatened for more in the inning—they settled for a four-piece giving them a 5-2 lead. Sorry, Lewis just homered. 6-2 lead. Sorry, Buxton just drove in a run on a single. 7-2 lead. San Diego plated two more runs to push the situation into "save" territory. Evidently, the man for the job was Kody Funderburk : the lefty emerged from the pen, likely as confused as any that he was the one serving as the closer. Nonetheless, he did it, holding the Padres scoreless to secure the win for the Twins. Notes: With his first steal of the game, Byron Buxton recorded the first 20-20 season of his career. Buxton played in his 873rd game as a Twin, the 24th-most in team history. He's three away from tying Denny Hocking. Kody Funderburk earned the second save of his MLB career. Austin Martin is slashing .538/.647/.769 in 17 plate appearances against the San Diego Padres. Post-Game Interview: Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Rosario has probably been the most difficult prospect in recent years for me to understand. The good has been great, but the bad has been putrid. I think he has the athleticism to eventually masquerade as a league-average corner defender, yet that isn't a guarantee. All of this is to say I don't envy the position the Twins FO are in when it comes to analyzing his future.

Shoot, I meant to have him as an honorable mention. My bad.

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Emmanuel Rodriguez) TRANSACTIONS OF Emmanuel Rodriguez sent to A Fort Myers on Rehab RHP Cory Lewis transferred to development list (AAA St. Paul) LHP Brady Feigl released (AAA St. Paul) RHP Pierson Ohl optioned to AAA St. Paul INF Ryan Daniels transferred to full-season IL (Fort Myers) RHP Simeon Woods Richardson returned to Twins Saints Sentinel St. Paul 3, Toledo 1 Box Score Kendry Rojas: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K HR: José Miranda (7), DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (3) Multi-hit games: None The Saints came out on top in a close affair on Wednesday. Kendry Rojas turned in easily his best start as a Saint. The lefty eschewed whatever malaise had cursed him in his last three starts; against the Mud Hens, he mostly avoided the barrel and whiffed five batters over four shutout innings, walking just one. He threw 77 pitches. Some strike-throwing issues persisted—just 46 of his pitches went for strikes—but that’s a nitpicky complaint in an otherwise encouraging outing. St. Paul condensed their offense to two critical swings: José Miranda in the eighth, and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. in the ninth for insurance. Noah Davis earned the game’s final five outs to notch his second save of the season with the Saints. Though the Tigers boast tremendous prospect talent, most of their best youngsters are in AA, leaving seventh-ranked Hao-Yu Lee as the highest-ranked player in Wednesday’s game. He collected two hits in four trips to the plate. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 8, Arkansas 5 Box Score Ryan Gallagher: 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K HR: Kala’i Rosario (21) Multi-hit games: Kala’i Rosario (3-for-5, HR, 3B, 2B, 3 R, RBI), Hendry Mendez (3-for-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Nate Baez (2-for-5, R), Andrew Cossetti (2-for-4, RBI) Wichita dropped an avalanche of hits to win on Wednesday. Ryan Gallagher’s acclimation to the Wind Surge continues to be rough. The UC Santa Barbara product’s ERA with the team now sits at 6.12 after Wednesday’s outing. The problem? A nearly-escaped fifth inning turned nightmare when Hunter Fitz-Gerald homered to push Gallagher from a reasonable two-run start to a less acceptable four mark. Three walks and a run-scoring wild pitch did not help either. Hopefully, his next start gets him back on track. Fortunately, Wichita’s bats were potent all night. Kala’i Rosario, Hendry Mendez, and Nate Baez—their two, three, and four hitters—all cracked multiple hits; Rosario nearly cycled (again); and Mendez reached base safely all five times. Rosario is slashing .310/.444/.701 (that’s correct) across 23 games in August. Seattle’s sixth-ranked prospect, Michael Arroyo, played second base and collected two hits in five at-bats. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 1, Beloit 0 Box Score Jose Olivares: 4 ⅔ IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 6 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Misael Urbina (2-for-3, 3B, RBI), Caden Kendle (2-for-3) The Kernels won with a shutout on Wednesday. If you don’t know where the ball is going, then neither does the opponent. Jose Olivares epitomized this philosophy. Walking five likely drove his pitching coach mad, yet results favored the righty; the Sky Carp only once ever sent a man to third base, and never ushered one home off Olivares (or anyone, for that matter.) Brennan Oxford, Eston Stull, Julio Bonilla, and Paulshawn Pasqualotto worked to deliver the shutout to its conclusion. The game’s only run arrived off a Misael Urbina RBI triple. Because an error preceded Urbina’s hit, no pitcher was charged with an earned run, meaning there were no earned runs at all in Wednesday’s game. Those are Margaritaville jerseys worn in honor of America’s finest proprietor of leisure and beach lethargy, Jimmy Buffett. Recent first-round pick and 39th-ranked prospect, Aiva Arquette, went 0-3 with a walk and two strikeouts for the Sky Carp. Mussel Matters Game One: Fort Myers 5, Dunedin 1 (7 Innings) Box Score Christian Becerra: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Jacob McCombs (2-for-4, RBI), Dameury Pena (2-for-4, 2B, 2 R), Peyton Carr (2-for-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB) The Mighty Mussels easily took the first of their two games on Wednesday. Perhaps inspired by the presence of Emmanuel Rodriguez, Fort Myers played a well-rounded ballgame. Christian Becerra spearheaded the pitching effort, covering five frames with a leadoff homer as his lone blemish. The Blue Jays only accrued a trio of singles off the hurler the rest of the way. He struck out three. Though Dunedin scored first, the Mighty Mussels responded with three scores in the second. Dameury Pena smacked a double to left, then ran home when Peyton Carr smashed a two-bagger of his own. Feeling left out, Yasser Mercedes also doubled. Feeling content with a hit of any variety, Bryan Acuna singled in Mercedes to cap the rally. RBI singles by Carr and Jacob McCombs in successive innings gave Fort Myers a healthy four-run cushion. Rodriguez singled, walked, and struck out in four plate appearances. No member of Toronto’s top 30 prospect list played in this game. Game Two: Fort Myers 1, Dunedin 3 (7 Innings) Box Score Michael Ross: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Dameury Pena (2-for-3, R) The Mighty Mussels couldn’t complete the doubleheader sweep on Wednesday. Dunedin jumped on starter Michael Ross for a pair of first inning runs aided by a Bryan Acuna throwing error. A third inning run scored off a balk. Fort Myers peppered Blue Jays pitchers for seven hits yet couldn’t escape the shutout until they had two outs in the sixth, when Yasser Mercedes smoked a double to score Dameury Pena. The aforementioned Pena is slashing .352/.413/.380 in 18 games in August. Again, no one on Toronto’s top 30 prospect list played in this game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Kendry Rojas Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Kala'i Rosario (honorable mention to Hendry Mendez) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 0-4, 2 K #2 – Luke Keaschall (Twins) - 2-5, HR, 2B, R, RBI, 2 K #3 – Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 1-5, RBI, K #4 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Fort Myers) - 1-3, BB, K #5 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, BB, 2 K #9 – Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - 4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K #11 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-3, BB, 2 K #13 – Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4 #14 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #17 – Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, R, 2 K #20 – Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 3-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Toledo (5:35 PM) - RHP Andrew Morris Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM) - RHP Sam Armstrong Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM) - LHP Garrett Horn Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 PM) - RHP Eli Jones View full article

Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Box Score SP: Zebby Matthews: 4 2/3 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K Home Runs: Royce Lewis (7) Top 3 WPA: Royce Lewis (.440), Luke Keaschall (.146), Brooks Lee (.123) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Apathy is the worst of all human emotions. Some may believe that title belongs to sadness, but there’s a beauty in its sting; the knowledge that there’s something in this world to provoke such a feeling—the rawness of genuine morose dawning—reminds us that we still care. Caring is important. Indifference is nasty, with its creeping, lingering sense that things don’t matter. It consumes and destroys. Gobbles and spits out. All things matter as long as you place importance upon them. The Twins have given us extraordinarily little to consider important. Fresh off a convincing sweep at home at the hands of one of the worst teams in the AL, Minnesota’s doldrum-findings appeared complete. They’ve played swampy, dreck-full baseball since their great trade-off just three weeks ago, with just a handful of bright spots working to inspire. One of those bright spots might be Zebby Matthews. The 25-year-old has flashed immense strikeout ability in his three August starts, whiffing 21 across 14 2/3 frames. Various bugaboos and afflictions—the common menace, cursing young players looking to establish themselves—have limited his effectiveness to “mild,” rather than “dominant,” but potential clearly thrives in him. Perhaps Friday could be a coming-together party for the righty. Unfortunately, Matthews ran into the same inconsistencies he had seen before. His slider ferried hitters to the dugout, but command eluded him; Chicago pounced for a first-inning run, attacked once more in the fourth, and he was essentially knocked out of the game with a two-run Colson Montgomery homer in the fifth. Aaron Civale started for the White Sox. His usual bag of tricks—looping curves; fastballs that break left or right but never straight—baffled the Twins for three frames. He looked set to hold Minnesota at bay all night. Then, a beautiful moment. A shining beacon suddenly streaking through the screen. Just as we all can be heroes, just for one day, we can also experience gorgeous flashbacks to previous elations, reminding us briefly of what once was. With three men on, Royce Lewis stepped up to the plate. Civale threw a cutter. It sat too high. It flattened out. Lewis swung and drilled the pitch out to left. For a second, he remained in his back-swing; with bat aimed directly towards the sky. Though it had been some time, he knew the feeling of hitting a grand slam. He must know. He perhaps just needed to remember what it was like. The ball traveled 386 feet out to left field and bounced off a seat. 2023 no longer seemed so far away. The bomb aided in a curt outing for Civale, giving way to the White Sox’s tender underbelly: their bullpen. And it proved to be a weakness once again. Trevor Larnach drove in a go-ahead run in the sixth, which begat a Luke Keaschall RBI knock one batter later. Unsatisfied, Minnesota returned for more in the sixth, striking Wikelman González for two; one off an errant throw by infielder Chase Meidroth; the other thanks to an opposite-field slash by Edouard Julien. The tenor of this piece—undoubtedly already all over the place—nearly took a turn. Génesis Cabrera entered in the eighth. Innocuous enough. He earned his first out after two pitches. Innocuous enough. The next six batters reached base. Huh. The White Sox did it the old-fashioned way: one base at a time, advancing on Cabrera and eventually Justin Topa in a methodical rally that put three runs on the board. Win probability suddenly favored Chicago. Topa netted a pop-out turned savior rally-ender when Miguel Vargas broke for the plate, just for Lewis’ throw home to nab him by two steps. Providence never dipped further the rest of the way. Byron Buxton added a ninth and final run to the Twins' total, and Topa sat down the White Sox in the ninth to conclude an eventful game. Notes: The grand slam was the sixth of Royce Lewis' career. Four players, Byron Buxton, Luke Keaschall, Brooks Lee, and Lewis, reached base at least three times on Friday. Buxton earned his 100th (and 101st) hit of the season, the second time he's reached that milestone in his career (2017). Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins stay in Chicago for game two of their series against the White Sox. The talented yet enigmatic TBD will start opposite Davis Martin. First pitch arrives at 6:10 PM. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Moving a pitcher to the development list is almost always just roster shenanigans to get another hurler to make a start. They won’t need him until next week, anyways.

I’d like to thank The Band and Simon and Garfunkel for getting me through a pretty bad night in the minors.

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Kala'i Rosario) TRANSACTIONS LHP Connor Prielipp transferred to Development List (St. Paul) RHP Cody Laweryson activated from 7-day IL (St. Paul) RHP John Klein activated from Development List (St. Paul) Saints Sentinel St. Paul 5, Round Rock 7 Box Score Kendry Rojas: 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K HR: Jhonny Pereda (2) Multi-hit games: None The Saints came up short on Wednesday. Kendry Rojas continued his tepid introduction to the Twins organization. The talented lefty struggled to find the zone, and got hit when his offerings crossed the plate, resulting in far too many “fours” in his stat line than one would care for. His Saints’ ERA sits at 4.97 with a WHIP of 1.66, inflated largely by nine walks issued across 12 2/3 innings. Hopefully, he can find his groove with his next start. The Saints’ offense was… condensed. They scored two in the fourth off a Jhonny Pereda home run and then returned the following frame for three runs off a run-scoring groundout, an Aaron Sabato flop shot, and a wild pitch. With a hit and two walks, Kyler Fedko is now slashing .357/.439/.671 in 17 games since being promoted to the Saints. Old friend Michael Helman played center field for the Express and homered once in five at-bats. Craig Kimbrel—he of 440 MLB saves—closed out this affair with a 1-2-3 inning and two strikeouts. No member of the Rangers’ top 30 prospects played in this game. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 5, Midland 7 Box Score Darren Bowen: ⅔ IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K HR: Kala’i Rosario (20) Multi-hit games: Kala’i Rosario (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI), Maddux Houghton (2-for-4, 2 2B, K) A late-inning scrap did not favor the Wind Surge on Wednesday. Starter Darren Bowen failed to net a third out in the game’s opening frame—though not necessarily for performance reasons. With two on and two out, Bowen balked, allegedly, which ushered in two events: a run scoring, and Bowen to argue with the umpire, likely uttering one of George Carlin’s famous seven words on his way to an ejection from the game. This was now an impromptu bullpen game. The results were reasonably acceptable given the circumstances until John Stankiewicz took the mound in the eighth. What was once tied became untied thanks to a flurry of walks, hits, and steals. The carnage resulted in a three-run lead for the Rockhounds. The game was only tied at the point, though, thanks to Kala’i Rosario doubling in a run in the third, a second run scoring off a wild pitch, and a balk that called home the hero mentioned earlier in this sentence. Then Rosario stepped up to the plate in the eighth and bashed a homer down the left field line. Jake Rucker smacked in another run in the ninth, but it was all window dressing: Kaelen Culpepper lined out to end the game one batter later. Athletics’ new uber prospect Leo De Vries—ranked 3rd in all of baseball—singled once in five at-bats. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 6, South Bend 4 Box Score Jacob Kisting: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Danny De Andrade (2-for-3, R, 2 BB), Poncho Ruiz (2-for-3, 2 RBI) A sixth-inning explosion carried the Kernels to victory on Wednesday. Laying the foundation for that game-winning frame was a pair of scores in the second. The Kernels loaded the bases with no one out before nearly squandering their crooked number opportunity when Misael Urbina lined out to short, which then turned into a double play when an overly excited Danny De Andrade took off for third. A walk reloaded the bases for Poncho Ruiz, who wisely placed his line drive in the safe outfield oasis, scoring two on the play. Then, the sixth. Again, the Kernels loaded the bases, and they quickly took advantage with a two-run swinging bunt from Misael Urbina, a sacrifice fly, and three consecutive base on balls to give Cedar Rapids a sixth and final run. Matt Gabbert worked 3 1/3 unnings with one earned run out of the bullpen. South Bend, as you can imagine, is an affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Their best prospect to play on Wednesday was Cristian Hernandez, an infielder ranked 10th in their system. He doubled once in four at-bats. Mussel Matters Game One: Fort Myers 4, Tampa 15 (7 Innings) Box Score Joel Garcia: 1 ⅓ IP, 8 H, 10 ER, 5 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Dameury Pena (2-for-3, R, BB) Last Wednesday, the Mighty Mussels lost 15-4. This is not an ideal pattern. As it was the first game of a doubleheader, Joel Garcia’s early struggles couldn’t be spelled by a reliever; he had to eat it. So he devoured: 61 terrible pitches with eight hits, 10 earned runs, five walks, and just four outs. Go get them next time, Garcia. Though they accrued just five hits, the Mighty Mussels took eight walks, and—in fact—the Tarpons found themselves in a walking mood as well. All told, there were 15 free passes and three hit by pitches, a gentle reminder of the frayed relationship low-minors pitchers often have with the strike zone. Dameury Pena, with his two hits, walk, and stolen base, put forth the best offensive effort of any Mighty Mussel. The 19-year-old is reaching base at a .413 clip in August. Tanner Schobel walked twice in four plate appearances on a minor league rehab assignment. Tampa is a member of the juggernaut Yankees farm system. Their eighth-ranked prospect—shortstop Dax Kilby—picked up a pair of hits and walked once in five trips to the plate. Game Two: Fort Myers 0, Tampa 4 (7 Innings) Box Score Michael Ross: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 6 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None Fort Myers lost the second game of their doubleheader on Wednesday. At least the previous match possessed some intrigue; game two was a desolate, uneventful slog. The Mighty Mussels reached base five times all game. The Tarpons reached base five times before their first trip through the lineup concluded. Bryan Acuna earned the team’s only extra-base hit with a second inning double. The aforementioned Kilby DH’d and walked twice in four plate appearances. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Matt Gabbert Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Kala’i Rosario PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Walker Jenkins (Wichita) - 1-3, R, BB #2 – Luke Keaschall (Twins) - 2-4, 2B, BB #3 – Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 0-5, K #5 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2B, 2 R, BB #9 – Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - 3 ⅔ IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K #13 – Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, RBI, BB #17 – Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 0-5, K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Round Rock @ St. Paul (7:07 PM) - TBD Wichita @ Midland (7:05 PM) - RHP Ryan Gallagher Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05 PM) - RHP Jose Olivares Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM) - RHP Jonathan Stevens View full article

To my eyes, Ohl and Adams need some more seasoning in the minors. Honestly, I would probably cut bait on Adams' prospects as a starter, have him focus on two or three of his best offerings, and have him back as a reliever next year. Ohl, for some reason, I have some belief he can stay a starter. I'd give him another year in a rotation, at least. That changeup really is something. I think we'll see Taj Bradley soon, but I wouldn't count on Mick Abel being in a Twins uniform in 2025. The more likely scenario is that Simeon Woods Richardson returns with Andrew Morris being the next man up on the call-up totem pole.

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Box Score Pierson Ohl: 2 ⅓ IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Pierson Ohl (-.400), Edouard Julien (-.050), Royce Lewis (-.035) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Friday’s match gave us a classic baseball archetype: that of the young, spry hurler facing off against the wily veteran. Minnesota’s starter was eight years old when Tigers pitcher Charlie Morton debuted; the elder statesman has him bested by 2,155 career strikeouts, 404 regular-season games, and an iconic moment as the man on the mound when the Astros earned their first World Series* win in their franchise’s history. But all that matters is what lies ahead for these two—and Pierson Ohl could win the generation battle with an impressive performance. He didn’t win. Frankly, it wasn’t close. The line speaks for itself as a Greek chorus of sorts; sloppy weather portended sloppy play from the Ship of Theseus Twins, with a pair of singles placing men on the corners, and a clanked grounder by Luke Keaschall opening the scoring for Detroit. The second baseman should have made the play. The run would have scored, yet Minnesota could have had two outs. The Tigers pounced. A flurry of hits turned the lead from one to five, with the inning’s final out—perhaps fittingly—coming on an RBI double halted at just one run on a questionable send and competent relay by Royce Lewis. Ohl survived through a scoreless second, though Detroit returned in the third to eventually knock the righty out of the game. A single, walk, and sharply struck double ended his night. Reliever (Piggybacker? Other Bulk-Guy?) José Ureña entered to save the bullpen and survive as long as possible—his two long-term goals. He’d accomplish those in time. In the short term, he’d allow one more run to give the Tigers a commanding seven-run advantage. That left the quadragenarian Morton as the decisive winner of this somewhat arbitrary conflict. His effectiveness these days usually precedes the word “wild” and Friday was no exception: he walked three and hit a batter, yet kept Twins hitters off the barrel, coaxing a variety of weak contact across six shutout innings. Don’t let anyone tell you that a 41-year-old can’t offer the sport new lessons. Detroit's bullpen took over to declare what we all knew to be true. The middle-to-final innings weren't a game; it was like watching the teacher walk over to hand you back a test you didn't study for. The result was inevitable. Maybe there was a faint sense a miracle would occur. However, fate was sealed long ago. Minnesota almost avoided a shutout, placing runners on base in the ninth to threaten at least something. Naturally, with one out, Edouard Julien lined a pitch up the middle... into shortstop Trey Sweeney's glove, leading him to catch the ball and step on second to end the game and secure the shutout. So it goes. Notes: Luke Keaschall reached base thrice for the third time in his MLB career. José Ureña's Twins ERA is now 2.13. Erasmo Ramirez appeared in his 333rd career MLB game. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Tigers play the third of their four-game set on Saturday, with first pitch set to arrive at 6:15 PM. Zebby Matthews will start opposite Casey Mize. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Image courtesy of David Malamut (photo of Ty Langenberg) TRANSACTIONS RHP John Klein transferred to development list (St. Paul) RHP Julio Bonilla promoted to A+ Cedar Rapids C Daniel Pena promoted to A Fort Myers Saints Sentinel St. Paul 8, Omaha 3 Box Score Kendry Rojas: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K HR: Payton Eeles (3), James Outman (2) Multi-hit games: Kyler Fedko (3-for-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB), James Outman (2-for-5, HR, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI) Multiple crooked frames carried the Saints to victory on Wednesday. What’s better than a three-run inning? How about a five-run inning?. St. Paul’s initial rally kept it simple: Payton Eeles homered, then Kyler Fedko doubled, and James Outman hit one over the fence in a five-pitch stretch. That’s one of the more efficient rallies you’ll ever see. Unsatisfied, the Saints returned in the fourth with an unquenching desire to bludgeon some baseballs. Jonah Bride earned the first RBI of the frame; then Fedko knocked in two, Outman summoned another run with a triple, and Gabriel Gonzalez ushered him home with a sacrifice fly. Needing just six outs, St. Paul sent out and successfully returned eight baserunners. Kendry Rojas continued his shaky introduction to the Twins organization with a forgettable four-inning, three earned run outing. He topped out at 95 MPH and earned 11 swings and misses. Hopefully, the 22-year-old can find his comfort and performance soon. Christian MacLeod played hero with four clean innings out of the bullpen, striking out four to deliver the game to Noah Davis, who concluded the game with minimal resistance. Outman’s seven total bases were the highest since July 4th, when he was a member of the Dodgers organization. Old friend Diego A. Castillo played shortstop for the Storm Chasers. Rehabbing big leaguer Mark Canha homered and walked in four plate appearances for Omaha. No member of Kansas City’s top-30 prospect list played on Wednesday. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 1, Springfield 5 Box Score Connor Prielipp: 3 ⅓ IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K HR: Kala’i Rosario (18) Multi-hit games: None The Wind Surge were bested on Wednesday. Brevity may be the soul of wit, but it isn’t the ideal descriptor of an offense. Kala’i Rosario homered in the seventh. That was the lone hit of Wichita’s night. Unfortunately, their dry spell coincided with a less-than-sharp Connor Prielipp outing. He gave up a flurry of hits—six across ten outs netted—as the Cardinals plated three earned runs on his watch. His season WHIP now sits at 1.49. Ricky Castro was unable to save the day, though his 3 ⅔ inning appearance with a lone earned run deserved a spotlight. Springfield catcher Leonardo Bernal, ranked as the 74th best prospect in baseball, collected two hits and a walk in four plate appearances. Kernels Nuggets Game One: Cedar Rapids 3, Quad Cities 0 (7 Innings) Box Score Ty Langenberg: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Kyle DeBarge (2-for-3, 2B, R, RBI), Danny De Andrade (2-for-3, 2 2B, R), Maddux Houghton (2-for-2, RBI) Ty Langenberg tossed a complete-game shutout in game one of Cedar Rapids’ doubleheader on Wednesday. Ok, it was only seven innings, not the usual nine. Still, Langenberg’s effort remains impressive. The Urbandale, Iowa native walked the lead-off hitter in a prolonged plate appearance before falling into a deep groove, allowing just four more baserunners the rest of the way as he cruised in possibly the best start of his professional career. Certainly, it was the best of his work in 2025; his previous high in innings in a start was just six, and he only earned a clean earned run slate twice. He threw 98 pitches. Maddux Houghton broke the stalemate with a fifth-inning RBI single. Kyle DeBarge cracked an opposite field double the next frame to push the lead to two, and Misael Urbina drove in his two-bagging teammate for a third and final run. The 49th-ranked prospect in MLB, Blake Mitchell, DH’d for the River Bandits, singling once in three trips to the plate. Game Two: Cedar Rapids 3, Quad Cities 9 Box Score Chase Chaney: 3 ⅓ IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Jaime Ferrer (2-for-3, 2B, R) Matters did not favor the Kernels in game two. The bats remained consistent—they scored thrice just as they did the previous game—but Cedar Rapids’ pitching crumbled. The River Bandits thrashed starter Chase Chaney for nine hits and five runs, then smacked Juan Bonillo for three more runs in his Kernels debut. Ivran Romero somewhat settled the melee, yet even he was tagged for an unearned run. Jaime Ferrer earned his second multi-hit game of August. Luis Hernandez caught his first game for the Kernels. The aforementioned prospect Mitchell caught in game two, tripling, singling, and walking in five plate appearances. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 4, Daytona 15 Box Score Joel Garcia: 3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K HR: Enrique Jimenez (1) Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (2-for-5, RBI), Dameury Pena (2-for-4, BB), Enrique Jimenez (2-for-3, HR, R, RBI, BB) The Mighty Mussels were eviscerated on Wednesday. It started bad and got worse. Three runs arrived in the first, another came in the second, and a fifth runner touched home before the third inning concluded. A respite fourth—an oasis in a painful desert—gave Fort Myers time to breathe, before the whole thing came crashing down with ten runs spread across the fifth and sixth frames. ERA ballooned. Egos were destroyed. A trench on the basepath between third and home started to form. Some minor positives: newcomers showed out. Enrique Jimenez blasted his first homer in the Twins organization while reaching base three times, and Marek Houston cracked two hits. Minnesota’s recent 1st-rounder is slashing .378/.410/.432 in eight games with Fort Myers. Yet another elite catching prospect played against a Twins affiliate on Wednesday. The 75th-ranked prospect in MLB, Alfredo Duno, cracked three hits, including a homer, in five at-bats. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Ty Langenberg Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – James Outman PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Walker Jenkins (Wichita) - 0-4, K #2 – Luke Keaschall (Twins) - In Progress #3 – Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K #5 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, K #6 – Connor Prielipp (Wichita) - 3 ⅓ IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K #9 – Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - 4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #11 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-3, RBI, BB #13 – Marek Houston (Fort Myers) - 2-5, RBI, K #14 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 0-6, K #17 – Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 3-6, 2 2B, R, 3 RBI THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (6:35 PM) - RHP Marco Raya Wichita @ Springfield (7:05 PM) - RHP Alejandro Hidalgo Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM) - RHP Jose Olivares Fort Myers @ Daytona (5:35 PM) - RHP Michael Ross DSL Twins @ DSL Rockies (10:00 AM) - TBD View full article

Image courtesy of David Malamut (photo of Ty Langenberg) TRANSACTIONS RHP John Klein transferred to development list (St. Paul) RHP Julio Bonilla promoted to A+ Cedar Rapids C Daniel Pena promoted to A Fort Myers Saints Sentinel St. Paul 8, Omaha 3 Box Score Kendry Rojas: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K HR: Payton Eeles (3), James Outman (2) Multi-hit games: Kyler Fedko (3-for-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB), James Outman (2-for-5, HR, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI) Multiple crooked frames carried the Saints to victory on Wednesday. What’s better than a three-run inning? How about a five-run inning?. St. Paul’s initial rally kept it simple: Payton Eeles homered, then Kyler Fedko doubled, and James Outman hit one over the fence in a five-pitch stretch. That’s one of the more efficient rallies you’ll ever see. Unsatisfied, the Saints returned in the fourth with an unquenching desire to bludgeon some baseballs. Jonah Bride earned the first RBI of the frame; then Fedko knocked in two, Outman summoned another run with a triple, and Gabriel Gonzalez ushered him home with a sacrifice fly. Needing just six outs, St. Paul sent out and successfully returned eight baserunners. Kendry Rojas continued his shaky introduction to the Twins organization with a forgettable four-inning, three earned run outing. He topped out at 95 MPH and earned 11 swings and misses. Hopefully, the 22-year-old can find his comfort and performance soon. Christian MacLeod played hero with four clean innings out of the bullpen, striking out four to deliver the game to Noah Davis, who concluded the game with minimal resistance. Outman’s seven total bases were the highest since July 4th, when he was a member of the Dodgers organization. Old friend Diego A. Castillo played shortstop for the Storm Chasers. Rehabbing big leaguer Mark Canha homered and walked in four plate appearances for Omaha. No member of Kansas City’s top-30 prospect list played on Wednesday. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 1, Springfield 5 Box Score Connor Prielipp: 3 ⅓ IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K HR: Kala’i Rosario (18) Multi-hit games: None The Wind Surge were bested on Wednesday. Brevity may be the soul of wit, but it isn’t the ideal descriptor of an offense. Kala’i Rosario homered in the seventh. That was the lone hit of Wichita’s night. Unfortunately, their dry spell coincided with a less-than-sharp Connor Prielipp outing. He gave up a flurry of hits—six across ten outs netted—as the Cardinals plated three earned runs on his watch. His season WHIP now sits at 1.49. Ricky Castro was unable to save the day, though his 3 ⅔ inning appearance with a lone earned run deserved a spotlight. Springfield catcher Leonardo Bernal, ranked as the 74th best prospect in baseball, collected two hits and a walk in four plate appearances. Kernels Nuggets Game One: Cedar Rapids 3, Quad Cities 0 (7 Innings) Box Score Ty Langenberg: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Kyle DeBarge (2-for-3, 2B, R, RBI), Danny De Andrade (2-for-3, 2 2B, R), Maddux Houghton (2-for-2, RBI) Ty Langenberg tossed a complete-game shutout in game one of Cedar Rapids’ doubleheader on Wednesday. Ok, it was only seven innings, not the usual nine. Still, Langenberg’s effort remains impressive. The Urbandale, Iowa native walked the lead-off hitter in a prolonged plate appearance before falling into a deep groove, allowing just four more baserunners the rest of the way as he cruised in possibly the best start of his professional career. Certainly, it was the best of his work in 2025; his previous high in innings in a start was just six, and he only earned a clean earned run slate twice. He threw 98 pitches. Maddux Houghton broke the stalemate with a fifth-inning RBI single. Kyle DeBarge cracked an opposite field double the next frame to push the lead to two, and Misael Urbina drove in his two-bagging teammate for a third and final run. The 49th-ranked prospect in MLB, Blake Mitchell, DH’d for the River Bandits, singling once in three trips to the plate. Game Two: Cedar Rapids 3, Quad Cities 9 Box Score Chase Chaney: 3 ⅓ IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Jaime Ferrer (2-for-3, 2B, R) Matters did not favor the Kernels in game two. The bats remained consistent—they scored thrice just as they did the previous game—but Cedar Rapids’ pitching crumbled. The River Bandits thrashed starter Chase Chaney for nine hits and five runs, then smacked Juan Bonillo for three more runs in his Kernels debut. Ivran Romero somewhat settled the melee, yet even he was tagged for an unearned run. Jaime Ferrer earned his second multi-hit game of August. Luis Hernandez caught his first game for the Kernels. The aforementioned prospect Mitchell caught in game two, tripling, singling, and walking in five plate appearances. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 4, Daytona 15 Box Score Joel Garcia: 3 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K HR: Enrique Jimenez (1) Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (2-for-5, RBI), Dameury Pena (2-for-4, BB), Enrique Jimenez (2-for-3, HR, R, RBI, BB) The Mighty Mussels were eviscerated on Wednesday. It started bad and got worse. Three runs arrived in the first, another came in the second, and a fifth runner touched home before the third inning concluded. A respite fourth—an oasis in a painful desert—gave Fort Myers time to breathe, before the whole thing came crashing down with ten runs spread across the fifth and sixth frames. ERA ballooned. Egos were destroyed. A trench on the basepath between third and home started to form. Some minor positives: newcomers showed out. Enrique Jimenez blasted his first homer in the Twins organization while reaching base three times, and Marek Houston cracked two hits. Minnesota’s recent 1st-rounder is slashing .378/.410/.432 in eight games with Fort Myers. Yet another elite catching prospect played against a Twins affiliate on Wednesday. The 75th-ranked prospect in MLB, Alfredo Duno, cracked three hits, including a homer, in five at-bats. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Ty Langenberg Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – James Outman PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Walker Jenkins (Wichita) - 0-4, K #2 – Luke Keaschall (Twins) - In Progress #3 – Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K #5 – Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, K #6 – Connor Prielipp (Wichita) - 3 ⅓ IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K #9 – Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - 4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #11 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-3, RBI, BB #13 – Marek Houston (Fort Myers) - 2-5, RBI, K #14 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 0-6, K #17 – Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 3-6, 2 2B, R, 3 RBI THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (6:35 PM) - RHP Marco Raya Wichita @ Springfield (7:05 PM) - RHP Alejandro Hidalgo Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM) - RHP Jose Olivares Fort Myers @ Daytona (5:35 PM) - RHP Michael Ross DSL Twins @ DSL Rockies (10:00 AM) - TBD View full article

He threw one 95.8 and sat 93.4. His average on the season is 93.5.

Image courtesy of © Brad Rempel-Imagn Images Box Score Joe Ryan: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K Home Runs: Matt Wallner (16), Kody Clemens (13) Top 3 WPA: Luke Keaschall (.146), Ryan Jeffers (.101), Kody Clemens (.094) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The prodigal sons return home. Or maybe they never left. Connecting the allegorical themes of the biblical story and this baseball team seems strained. In any case, the Ship of Theseus Twins, fresh off a convincing and enjoyable series win in Detroit, graced Target Field with their presence for the first time since 40% of the squad was sent elsewhere. It’s the dawn of a new age; one in which Alan Roden not only exists in Minnesota’s shared memory, but hits leadoff. How would the hometown faithful greet their new heroes? And would they bring new tales to tell? Initial results favored the opponent. Long-time Giant Mike Yastrzemski greeted Joe Ryan with a lead-off blast deep into the overhang in right field. The homer augured an occasional quirk of Ryan: a decidedly poor first inning that casts doubt on his ability going forward in the game. He allowed another hit. He threw 26 pitches. The final out nearly banged off the right field wall. That’s just how it goes. Fortunately, these Twins are apparently resilient in a way previously rarely seen before the Great Trade-Off of 2025. Facing Seth Lugo and his perpetual offerings, Matt Wallner found a fastball to his liking and cracked the pitch 434 feet to left-center to tie the game. With an even slate, Minnesota went to work. Ryan Jeffers walked, and Kody Clemens sharply singled to left to set up Luke Keaschall with two men on base. Pro tip: you do not want to set up Luke Keaschall with two men on base. The youngster slashed a single to right before helping a third run score by beating the throw to second off a Royce Lewis dribbler. The onslaught continued. A pair of runs scored in the second. Ryan Jeffers knocked in the first. The RBI machine, Keaschall, drove in the other. The jersey retirement ceremony will occur any day now. The Twins fell silent in the third—perhaps lulling Lugo into some sense of relaxation—before uncoiling for a fourth-inning strike. Jeffers chopped a grounder too tall for first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, setting up Clemens to smash a two-run shot, giving Minnesota seven runs off the 2024 AL Cy Young runner-up. All the while, Ryan settled into the usual competence that made him so coveted at the trade deadline - and so worthy of remaining a Twin. He navigated Kansas City’s lineup with ease, striking out five across five frames with the Yastrzemski homer remaining as his lone blemish. Once again, he also blessed us with an iconic image: this time, a still of him harkening back to Suleiman the Magnificent, or perhaps an ancient Muslim at the Baghdad House of Wisdom, or maybe the Girl with the Pearl Earring, this time swathed in a Gatorade-branded towel. The rest of the game was window dressing surrounding the inevitable. Travis Adams entered. Bobby Witt Jr. immediately homered. So it goes. Minnesota responded with two scores to push their total to nine. Adams allowed another run. Cole Sands was forced to enter the game. He loaded the bases. There was maybe a second where things got uncomfortable. Adam Frazier softly grounded out to conclude the threat. Brooks Kriske took the mound in the ninth to end what we already knew to be true; that the Twins had won on Friday in impressive fashion. Few cared that he allowed a run. Is this 2017 2.0? We shall see. Notes In his pregame talk, manager Rocco Baldelli revealed that his strategy versus Lugo was to load up the lineup with as many left-handed hitters as he could find because Lugo has been particularly effective versus right-handed hitters this year. He's right: left-handed batters entered the game wth a 788 OPS against Lugo, while right-handed hitters have just a 572 OPS with a .177 batting average. So the Twins lineup only included three right-handed hitters: Royce Lewis, Luke Keaschall, and Ryan Jeffers. The other seven batters went 7-17 (.412 BA) against Lugo, including two home runs and seven earned runs. Though the three righties found success, as well, so maybe it was just one of those nights. Matt Wallner is slashing .292/.452/.792 in his last seven games with more walks (6) than strikeouts (5). Joe Ryan has set a career high in fWAR with 3.2 (although that number could fall, as WAR is not a counting stat.) He also crossed the 600-inning mark in his MLB career. Luke Keaschall's 10 RBIs through his first 10 games is a Twins team record. Across their last three games, the Twins have taken 12 walks while striking out nine times. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Royals meet again for a game on Saturday. An evening affair with a 6:10 PM start time, Bailey Ober will start opposite lefty Noah Cameron. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints TRANSACTIONS RHP Cole Percival placed on 7-day IL (St. Paul) LHP Brady Feigl transferred to 60-day IL (St. Paul) C Daniel Pena activated (FCL Twins) 3B Billy Amick placed on 7-day IL (Cedar Rapids) C Khadim Diaw placed on 7-day IL (Cedar Rapids) C Ian Daugherty promoted to A Fort Myers C Jefferson Valladares promoted to A+ Cedar Rapids OF Jayson Bass promoted to A Fort Myers Saints Sentinel St. Paul 4, Iowa 7 Box Score Taj Bradley: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K HR: Noah Cardenas (7) Multi-hit games: Noah Cardenas (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI) A disastrous seventh inning sank the Saints on Wednesday. With eyes aplenty casting judgement upon his start, Taj Bradley performed marvelously. The 24-year-old kicked off his Twins organization debut with four consecutive 1-2-3 innings, with two coaxed double plays, and ended his day with a lone earned run struck against him—a solo homer off the bat of Chase Strumpf. He earned eight swings and misses. Unfortunately, John Klein found no such fortune. The Brooklyn Park native crushed AA this season with a 3.12 ERA across 95 strikeouts, earning a promotion to the Saints. Wednesday was his first appearance with his new team. He’d probably like a mulligan. The Cubs batted him around, totaling six knocks, two walks, and a hit by pitch in a seventh inning he started, yet could not escape from. Trent Baker arrived to nab the final out. Hopefully, Klein’s second AAA outing goes better. St. Paul’s hitting effort was tepid; they plated an early run off a dribbling infield hit by Kyler Fedko before falling dormant for five frames. Noah Cardenas drew them from the doldrums with a ninth-inning three-run shot, though the blast was too little, too late. Iowa sent rehabbing big leaguer Javier Assad to the mound, and he pitched 4 ⅓ innings, allowing one earned run. MLB’s 47th-ranked prospect, Moisés Ballesteros, DH’d for the Cubs, doubling once in five at-bats. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 6, Naturals 0 Box Score C.J. Culpepper: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Kala’i Rosario (2-for-4, 3B, R), Hendry Mendez (2-for-3, 2 R, BB) The Wind Surge pitched a combined shutout on Wednesday. C.J. Culpepper kicked off the fun with four workman-like innings, narrowly escaping a bases-loaded situation in the third before ending his day with a breezy fourth. Logan Whitaker begat Jacob Wosinski, with both hurlers adding a pair of innings to the effort. That left Kade Bragg to conclude things—which he did, though not without two walks to add drama. For six innings, it seemed that Wichita’s bats may not do enough to support their pitchers, as the infamous murder’s row lineup went quiet. The silence did not last. Kala’i Rosario cracked a triple and broke the seal by scoring on a wild pitch. Two walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with two outs. Then, mild carnage: Ben Ross lined a two-run single to left, Jorel Ortega nubbed an infield hit to score one more, and Kaelen Culpepper pulled out his pitching wedge and dropped a flop-shot in front of the right fielder to cap the rally. Andrew Cossetti doubled in a sixth and final run the following frame. Hendry Mendez is hitting .588 in 17 at-bats since joining Wichita. Kansas City’s fourth-best prospect, pitcher Ben Kudrna, started for NW Arkansas, allowing three runs across 6 ⅓ innings. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 2, West Michigan 8 Box Score Adrian Bohorquez: 5 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K HR: Caden Kendle (8), Eduardo Tait (1) Multi-hit games: None The Kernels fell convincingly on Wednesday. It was a day for team debuts, and Adrian Bohorquez was amongst those looking to impress his new peers. The reigning FSL Pitcher of the Month was… fine. He whiffed four—always a skill in his toolset—but allowed eight hits and hit two batters. The seemingly endless traffic resulted in three runs, likely a somewhat fortunate amount. Still, his feet at A+ ball have now been soaked, and the talented righty has a platform to grow from as he continues to develop. Cedar Rapids scored just twice. If you went to pee, you could have missed it: Caden Kendle homered in the sixth, then Eduardo Tait went deep in the same inning. That not only concluded the scoring on the day for the Kernels, but the two homers represented the only hits Cedar Rapids accrued on Wednesday. West Michigan’s second baseman John Peck ranks as the 17th-best prospect in the Tigers system; he racked up three hits in five trips to the plate. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 4, Clearwater 6 Box Score Jason Doktorczyk: 5 ⅓ IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Marek Houston (2-for-5, RBI), Dameury Pena (2-for-4, RBI), Peyton Carr (2-for-5, R), JP Smith II (3-for-5, 3B, 2B, 2 R, RBI), Bryan Acuna (2-for-4, R, RBI, BB), Luis Hernandez (2-for-4, BB) The Mighty Mussels tried to piranha their opponent to death on Wednesday. The ratio of players with multi-hit games to runs scored is incongruent. Perhaps it’s no surprise Fort Myers left 13 runners on base—and that’s not even the juiced way of counting. Spearheaded by a JP Smith II double in the second, the Mighty Mussels plated a trio of runs; Smith, Marek Houston, and Dameury Pena earned RBIs. Then, Smith—Minnesota’s 17th-round pick this last draft—tripled in the third, placing him in position to score off a Bryan Acuna single. The Twins selected Houston in the first-round last month thanks in large part to the strength of his glove. He’s a warlock with the leather, they said. He showed off some of that ability in the third inning of Wednesday’s game. Rehabbing big leaguer Christian Arroyo earned two hits for the Threshers. DH Dante Nori is the Phillies’ fifth-ranked prospect. He tripled and walked in five plate appearances. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Taj Bradley Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Noah Cardenas PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Walker Jenkins (Wichita) - 0-3, BB, K #2 – Luke Keaschall (Twins) - 2-5 2 2B, 3 RBI #3 – Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 1-4, RBI, K #8 – Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-4, K #10 – Marek Houston (Fort Myers) - 2-5, RBI, K #11 – Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4 #14 – Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K #15 – C.J. Culpepper (Wichita) - 4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Wichita) - 0-3, R, BB View full article

Definitely not this winter and likely not even post-2026, though that's what Fangraphs claims is a possibility. I tried to stick with their information even if the arb timelines weren't realistic.