Thrylos

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- In the age of social media we live in, more and more teams and players are taking opportunity of the available methods to reach out and communicate with the fans. Or just get something off their mind. Or just post some nonsense. Since there is an off-day today, and there is not much else to do (Twins-wise), I decided to present an unofficial Twins at Twitter guide. I have compiled a list of twitter accounts of players in the Twins' organization, front office personnel, broadcasters, coaches and managers and official minor league teams and presenting them here. There are more than 100 twitter addresses, with 91 players. Some of the players are recently departed, but all of them were with the Twins at the end of the 2011 season. Also, new faces for the 2012 season were added as well. Some are more active than others, but nothing like certain former Vikings' players... I am not including twitter accounts, like Justin Morneau's, which are run by public relations people or of long gone Twins, such as Chuck Knoblauch's, even though the latter might be an interesting list to compile in the future. If you have any additional twitter accounts that I may have missed, please comment and I will add them. Thanks! Here is the list: For space considerations, please visit the original post for the list of Twins on twitter

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- In the age of social media we live in, more and more teams and players are taking opportunity of the available methods to reach out and communicate with the fans. Or just get something off their mind. Or just post some nonsense. Since there is an off-day today, and there is not much else to do (Twins-wise), I decided to present an unofficial Twins at Twitter guide. I have compiled a list of twitter accounts of players in the Twins' organization, front office personnel, broadcasters, coaches and managers and official minor league teams and presenting them here. There are more than 100 twitter addresses, with 91 players. Some of the players are recently departed, but all of them were with the Twins at the end of the 2011 season. Also, new faces for the 2012 season were added as well. Some are more active than others, but nothing like certain former Vikings' players... I am not including twitter accounts, like Justin Morneau's, which are run by public relations people or of long gone Twins, such as Chuck Knoblauch's, even though the latter might be an interesting list to compile in the future. If you have any additional twitter accounts that I may have missed, please comment and I will add them. Thanks! Here is the list: For space considerations, please visit the original post for the list of Twins on twitter

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch --- With the Twins having a severe need for pitching in the organization as well as six picks among the top 100, it is certain that more than one of those picks (and probably the second overall pick) will be used to draft a pitcher. To this respect, I am presenting profiles of the top 22 pitching prospects for the 2012 MLB draft. I will be presenting these alphabetically, and at the end I will rank them. I will be doing about one a day and I will finish before the June 4th draft day. You can find all the profiles (in reverse alphabetical order) as they are presented here. I will start with RJ Alvarez and end with Kyle Zimmer. Each profile with contain a bit of background information and statistics, a mini scouting report and videos and photos. Profile 11: Brian Johnson Profile/Stats: Brian Johnson is a Junior at University of Florida. He was born December 7, 1990 in Lakeland, Florida and went to Cocoa Beach High School. He is Left hand pitcher and first baseman. He is listed at 6'4" and 225 lbs. This season he starter 14 games, pitched 72 innings allowed 15 bases on balls and 59 strikeouts. He has a 3.88 ERA and his opponents batting average is .256. He has been hitting .313/.351/.469. He is Mike Zunino's teammate. He was drafted in the 27th round of the 2009 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mini Scouting Report: Brian Johnson's pitching repertoire features a low 90's fastball, changeup, and curveball. His fastball averages 90-92 but occasionally jumps to 94. His four seamer has good movement. Overall it is an above average pitch. His curveball is a sharp breaking curveball and has the potential to be a plus pitch once he commands it better. His change up is a work in progress. His delivery and mechanics are very consistent. Videos/Photos: Due to the difficulties in embedding videos here, please go to the original post to see 3 videos of Brian Johnson pitching http://www.gatorzone.com/baseball/images/bioimg2011/76.jpg

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch --- With the Twins having a severe need for pitching in the organization as well as six picks among the top 100, it is certain that more than one of those picks (and probably the second overall pick) will be used to draft a pitcher. To this respect, I am presenting profiles of the top 22 pitching prospects for the 2012 MLB draft. I will be presenting these alphabetically, and at the end I will rank them. I will be doing about one a day and I will finish before the June 4th draft day. You can find all the profiles (in reverse alphabetical order) as they are presented here. I will start with RJ Alvarez and end with Kyle Zimmer. Each profile with contain a bit of background information and statistics, a mini scouting report and videos and photos. Profile 11: Brian Johnson Profile/Stats: Brian Johnson is a Junior at University of Florida. He was born December 7, 1990 in Lakeland, Florida and went to Cocoa Beach High School. He is Left hand pitcher and first baseman. He is listed at 6'4" and 225 lbs. This season he starter 14 games, pitched 72 innings allowed 15 bases on balls and 59 strikeouts. He has a 3.88 ERA and his opponents batting average is .256. He has been hitting .313/.351/.469. He is Mike Zunino's teammate. He was drafted in the 27th round of the 2009 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mini Scouting Report: Brian Johnson's pitching repertoire features a low 90's fastball, changeup, and curveball. His fastball averages 90-92 but occasionally jumps to 94. His four seamer has good movement. Overall it is an above average pitch. His curveball is a sharp breaking curveball and has the potential to be a plus pitch once he commands it better. His change up is a work in progress. His delivery and mechanics are very consistent. Videos/Photos: Due to the difficulties in embedding videos here, please go to the original post to see 3 videos of Brian Johnson pitching http://www.gatorzone.com/baseball/images/bioimg2011/76.jpg

interesting... this: 1 - .288/.346/.356 .702 (7) should actually make the people who think that Span is anything more than average lead off hitter, rethink...

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- With the Twins having a severe need for pitching in the organization as well as six picks among the top 100, it is certain that more than one of those picks (and probably the second overall pick) will be used to draft a pitcher. To this respect, I am presenting profiles of the top 22 pitching prospects for the 2012 MLB draft. I will be presenting these alphabetically, and at the end I will rank them. I will be doing about one a day and I will finish before the June4th draft day. You can find all the profiles (in reverse alphabetical order) as they are presented here. I will start with RJ Alvarez and end with Kyle Zimmer. Each profile withcontain a bit of background information and statistics, a mini scouting report and videos and photos. Profile 10: Andrew Heaney Profile/Stats: Andrew Heaney is a Junior at Oklahoma State University. He throws left handed. He was born on June 5thof 1991. He is from Oklahoma City, OK and went to Putnam City High School. He is listed at 6'2" and 174 lbs. This season he started in 13 games and he is 8-1 with 1.59 ERA, 19 BB and 120 Ks in 102 IP. He also has 5 complete games. Has been a 3 -year starter but he relieved in a few games in his freshman and sophomore season. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 24th round of the 2009 season but did not sign. Mini Scouting Report: Andrew Heaney's fastball is a plus pitch averaging 90-91 mph and touching 93 mph. It has a good cut and sink to right hand hitters. He is one of the few pitchers to throw a screwball (high 70s up to 80) and is his best secondary offering. He has a slurve and a change up, both which are average and there is room for improvement, esp. on his change up. He has an easy delivery and a 3/4 arm slot. He is a fast worker on the mound. Has been compared to a young Jamie Moyer. Videos/Photos: Due to the difficulties in embedding videos here, please go to the original post to see 4 videos of Andrew Heaney pitching http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/okst/sports/m-basebl/auto_headshot/7388626.jpeg

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- With the Twins having a severe need for pitching in the organization as well as six picks among the top 100, it is certain that more than one of those picks (and probably the second overall pick) will be used to draft a pitcher. To this respect, I am presenting profiles of the top 22 pitching prospects for the 2012 MLB draft. I will be presenting these alphabetically, and at the end I will rank them. I will be doing about one a day and I will finish before the June4th draft day. You can find all the profiles (in reverse alphabetical order) as they are presented here. I will start with RJ Alvarez and end with Kyle Zimmer. Each profile withcontain a bit of background information and statistics, a mini scouting report and videos and photos. Profile 10: Andrew Heaney Profile/Stats: Andrew Heaney is a Junior at Oklahoma State University. He throws left handed. He was born on June 5thof 1991. He is from Oklahoma City, OK and went to Putnam City High School. He is listed at 6'2" and 174 lbs. This season he started in 13 games and he is 8-1 with 1.59 ERA, 19 BB and 120 Ks in 102 IP. He also has 5 complete games. Has been a 3 -year starter but he relieved in a few games in his freshman and sophomore season. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 24th round of the 2009 season but did not sign. Mini Scouting Report: Andrew Heaney's fastball is a plus pitch averaging 90-91 mph and touching 93 mph. It has a good cut and sink to right hand hitters. He is one of the few pitchers to throw a screwball (high 70s up to 80) and is his best secondary offering. He has a slurve and a change up, both which are average and there is room for improvement, esp. on his change up. He has an easy delivery and a 3/4 arm slot. He is a fast worker on the mound. Has been compared to a young Jamie Moyer. Videos/Photos: Due to the difficulties in embedding videos here, please go to the original post to see 4 videos of Andrew Heaney pitching http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/okst/sports/m-basebl/auto_headshot/7388626.jpeg

He needs to work on his command as well. Some people have been critisizing his mechanics (they say that he is doing the "dreadful inverted W"). He needs to work on his change up big time as well as on his curve. So... lots of things as you would expect from a High School kid. The key is how fast a High School kid can learn. That is where gambling takes place in the draft As far as dropping: I suspect that he will pitch for scouts some time soon (he has been throwing) and that there are medical records readily available to the teams. If all of those go well, I do not see him drop much. Regardless, I don's see him drop out of the top 20 picks. Whether he would sign at #20 or so, that's another question...

No... 3/4 of the minors are not struggling they just have worse OPS than Hicks. He is doing fine and they are doing fine. New Britain and Beloit are very competitive in their leagues and might win it all this season. When the Rookie leagues open, E-town will be a force to reckon with. GCL will depend on drafting, but based on the DSL imports they will also be great. Lots of good players in the system.

This is the same junk that Rochester is doing (yesterday they announced that they were riffling items signed by Orioles' players, for example, and have been rearranging the Red Wings' schedule to accommodate the Yankees, selling Yankees gear from their website - I would understand if they did it in the ballpark, because they host them this season)... Both of those two affiliates have been acting like they are independent league clubs and not affiliates. Esp. Rochester. Good riddance to both. And no player would mind if they get to play a bit more south. The Twins will have at least 3 new affiliates next season. Unfortunately the contract with Beloit will not be renewed, mainly because the ball-park and facilities are a pit and there is no light at the end of the horizon. Did not hear anything about E-town, and it seems like they are staying at Fort Myers for another 15 years. So lots of new changes are coming up and will be pretty exciting... Some of the things I hear is that they will be moving South a bit (AA- Southern League; A South Atlantic League) and that with E-town pretty close in the Appy league, would make all their minor league affiliates (other than AAA maybe) very close to their player development center at Fort Myers, which makes perfect sense.

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- With the Twins having a severe need for pitching in the organization as well as six picks among the top 100, it is certain that more than one of those picks (and probably the second overall pick) will be used to draft a pitcher. To this respect, I am presenting profiles of the top 22 pitching prospects for the 2012 MLB draft. I will be presenting these alphabetically, and at the end I will rank them. I will be doing about one a day and I will finish before the June 4th draft day. You can find all the profiles (in reverse alphabetical order) as they are presented here. I will start with RJ Alvarez and end with Kyle Zimmer. Each profile with contain a bit of background information and statistics, a mini scouting report and videos and photos. Profile 9: Lucas Giolito Profile/Stats: Lucas Giolito is a senior at Harvard-Westlake High School in Encino, CA, like another top High School pitching prospect, Max Fried. Both Fried and Giolito have committed to play for the same College, UCLA. He is listed at 6'6" and 220 lbs. He was born on July 14, 1994. He throws right handed. He was shut down for most of 2012 with a strained UCL. Mini Scouting Report: His fastball is a plus plus pitch. It sits at 94-95 and occasionally jumps to 99-100 mph. It has good downward movement and he has very good control of it; however the command (especially on the lower part of the zone is developing). His curve ball is above average and potentially can be a plus pitch at 81-82 mph. He is working on his change up which is a work in progress. His delivery is somewhat slow and deliberate. Would need work to improve his time from wind up to the plate. Videos/Photos: Due to the difficulties in embedding videos here, please go to the original post to see 4 videos of Lucas Giolito pitching http://www.perfectgame.org/images/profilepics/11SSWCB24.jpg

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- With the Twins having a severe need for pitching in the organization as well as six picks among the top 100, it is certain that more than one of those picks (and probably the second overall pick) will be used to draft a pitcher. To this respect, I am presenting profiles of the top 22 pitching prospects for the 2012 MLB draft. I will be presenting these alphabetically, and at the end I will rank them. I will be doing about one a day and I will finish before the June 4th draft day. You can find all the profiles (in reverse alphabetical order) as they are presented here. I will start with RJ Alvarez and end with Kyle Zimmer. Each profile with contain a bit of background information and statistics, a mini scouting report and videos and photos. Profile 9: Lucas Giolito Profile/Stats: Lucas Giolito is a senior at Harvard-Westlake High School in Encino, CA, like another top High School pitching prospect, Max Fried. Both Fried and Giolito have committed to play for the same College, UCLA. He is listed at 6'6" and 220 lbs. He was born on July 14, 1994. He throws right handed. He was shut down for most of 2012 with a strained UCL. Mini Scouting Report: His fastball is a plus plus pitch. It sits at 94-95 and occasionally jumps to 99-100 mph. It has good downward movement and he has very good control of it; however the command (especially on the lower part of the zone is developing). His curve ball is above average and potentially can be a plus pitch at 81-82 mph. He is working on his change up which is a work in progress. His delivery is somewhat slow and deliberate. Would need work to improve his time from wind up to the plate. Videos/Photos: Due to the difficulties in embedding videos here, please go to the original post to see 4 videos of Lucas Giolito pitching http://www.perfectgame.org/images/profilepics/11SSWCB24.jpg

The list is overall YTD-based performance based, that's why they are not here. It is not a slice in time list. Also, batting average is one of the considerations. Sano at this point has the highest OPS in the organization at any level. If I put Hicks on this list, 3/4 of the organization would also need to be in it.

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch --- With the Twins having a severe need for pitching in the organization as well as six picks among the top 100, it is certain that more than one of those picks (and probably the second overall pick) will be used to draft a pitcher. To this respect, I am presenting profiles of the top 22 pitching prospects for the 2012 MLB draft. I will be presenting these alphabetically, and at the end I will rank them. I will be doing about one a day and I will finish before the June 4th draft day. You can find all the profiles (in reverse alphabetical order) as they are presented here. I will start with RJ Alvarez and end with Kyle Zimmer. Each profile with contain a bit of background information and statistics, a mini scouting report and videos and photos. Profile 8: Kevin Gausman Profile/Stats: Kevin John Gausman is a draft-eligible sophomore at Louisiana State University. He throws right handed. He was born on January 6th, 1991. He is from Centennial, CO and went to Grandview High School. He is listed at 6'4" and 185 lbs. In his senior season in High School he went 9-2 with a 3.12 ERA and 14 walks and 88 strike outs. In his College Freshman season he went 5-4 in 14 GS (89.2 IP) allowing 23 walks and 85 strike outs with a 3.51 ERA. He made 2 starts for the US Collegiate National team in 2011, pitching for 8.2 innings, allowing 2 runs with 3 walks and 9 strikeouts. In the current season, Gausman is 8-1 in 13 GS. He pitched 91.2 innings, allowing 81 hits and 34 runs, 21 bases on balls and 112 strikeouts, for a 2.95 ERA and a .235 opponent's batting average. He also had 11 wild pitches. Here is an interview of Kevin Gausman by Jeremy Nygaard of ManCenter.com. Gausmann was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixth round of the 2010 draft. Mini Scouting Report: Gausman has four pitches: a fastball, a curve, a slider and a change up. The fastball is a plus pitch, sometimes a dominating pitch, and is surely his best pitch. It sits in the mid 90s with occasionally hitting 98-99 especially early in games. He has good control and command and he has been throwing it with various arm angles. His slider is better than his curve, with a tight hard break and it may become his primary breaking ball. His curve is a slow 12-6 curve that needs a bit of work. His changeup is a borderine plus pitch and it is his best secondary offering. He needs better consistency with his mechanics to be able to command his pitches a bit better. Videos/Photos: Due to the difficulties in embedding videos here, please go to the original post to see 4 videos of Kevin Gausman pitching, including one in which he reveals one of his obsessions when he is pitching. http://media.nola.com/lsu_impact/photo/9299519-small.jpg

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch --- With the Twins having a severe need for pitching in the organization as well as six picks among the top 100, it is certain that more than one of those picks (and probably the second overall pick) will be used to draft a pitcher. To this respect, I am presenting profiles of the top 22 pitching prospects for the 2012 MLB draft. I will be presenting these alphabetically, and at the end I will rank them. I will be doing about one a day and I will finish before the June 4th draft day. You can find all the profiles (in reverse alphabetical order) as they are presented here. I will start with RJ Alvarez and end with Kyle Zimmer. Each profile with contain a bit of background information and statistics, a mini scouting report and videos and photos. Profile 8: Kevin Gausman Profile/Stats: Kevin John Gausman is a draft-eligible sophomore at Louisiana State University. He throws right handed. He was born on January 6th, 1991. He is from Centennial, CO and went to Grandview High School. He is listed at 6'4" and 185 lbs. In his senior season in High School he went 9-2 with a 3.12 ERA and 14 walks and 88 strike outs. In his College Freshman season he went 5-4 in 14 GS (89.2 IP) allowing 23 walks and 85 strike outs with a 3.51 ERA. He made 2 starts for the US Collegiate National team in 2011, pitching for 8.2 innings, allowing 2 runs with 3 walks and 9 strikeouts. In the current season, Gausman is 8-1 in 13 GS. He pitched 91.2 innings, allowing 81 hits and 34 runs, 21 bases on balls and 112 strikeouts, for a 2.95 ERA and a .235 opponent's batting average. He also had 11 wild pitches. Here is an interview of Kevin Gausman by Jeremy Nygaard of ManCenter.com. Gausmann was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixth round of the 2010 draft. Mini Scouting Report: Gausman has four pitches: a fastball, a curve, a slider and a change up. The fastball is a plus pitch, sometimes a dominating pitch, and is surely his best pitch. It sits in the mid 90s with occasionally hitting 98-99 especially early in games. He has good control and command and he has been throwing it with various arm angles. His slider is better than his curve, with a tight hard break and it may become his primary breaking ball. His curve is a slow 12-6 curve that needs a bit of work. His changeup is a borderine plus pitch and it is his best secondary offering. He needs better consistency with his mechanics to be able to command his pitches a bit better. Videos/Photos: Due to the difficulties in embedding videos here, please go to the original post to see 4 videos of Kevin Gausman pitching, including one in which he reveals one of his obsessions when he is pitching. http://media.nola.com/lsu_impact/photo/9299519-small.jpg

This is the second version of the 'who is NOT hot in the Twins' minors' series for 2012. I have been doing the Who is hot in the Minors series for a few years now and I decided that a complimentary list might be in order. I will be updating those every month or so, as well. The current "who IS hot" list can be found here and the former "who is NOT hot" list can be found here. This list is getting smaller, but it is unfortunate to see one of the Twins' top prospects (Adrian Salcedo) in it. Without further ado, here is the list, going from AAA to A. The clubs represented are AAA Rochester Red Wings, International League, AA New Britain Rock Cats, Eastern League, A+ Fort Myers Miracle, Florida State League, A Beloit Snappers, Midwest League (Note: Yesterday's games are not reflected) : http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5152/7098789651_02fb66b359_z.jpg Catchers: Rene Rivera (RHB, 28, AAA) .169/.250/.277 2 HR, 3 RBI, 73 PA Kyle Knudson (RHB, 24, A) .154/.154/.154 0 HR, 1 RBI, 15 PA Infielders: Danny Valencia (RHB, 27, AAA) .125/.125/.188 1 RBI, 16 PA Estarlin De Los Santos (SHB, 25, AA) .169/.233/.205 0 HR, 5 RBI, 91 PA Andy Leer (RHB, 24, A+) .175/.246/.302 0 HR, 2 RBI, 71 PA Outfielders: Rene Tosoni (LHB, 25, AAA) .125/.222/.167 0 HR, 3 RBI, 55 PA Joe Benson (RHB, 24, AA/AAA) .164/.252/.276 2 HR, 8 RBI, 131 PA Marc Dolenc (RHB, 27, AA) .141/.176/.141 0 HR, 1 RBI, 76 PA Danny Rams (RHB, 23, A+) .069/.206/.069 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 H, 34 PA 1st basemen/DH: Matt Rizzotti (LHB, 26, AAA/AA) .256/.256/.282 0 HR, 5 RBI, 2 H, 39 PA Rory Rhodes (RHB, 20, A) .146/.204/.188 0 HR, 4 RBI, 54 PA RH Starters: Daryl Thompson (26, AAA) 4.5a ERA, 1.604 WHIP, 6.15 K/9, 1.1 K/BB Madison Boer (22, A/A+) 6.81 ERA, 1.739 WHIP, 5.9 K/9, 1.53 K/BB Adrian Salcedo (21, A+) 5.64 ERA, 1.881 WHIP, 5.24 K/9, 0.87 K/BB Marty Popham (24, A+) 4.66 ERA, 1.578 WHIP, 5.35 K/9, 1.21 K/BB LH Starters: none RH Relievers: Brendan Wise (26, AAA) 5.66 ERA, 1.935 WHIP, 5.23 K/9, 1.2 K/BB LH Relievers: Edgar Ibarra (23, A+) 4.63 ERA, 1.629 WHIP, 5.79 K/9, 1.88 K/BB

This is the second version of the 'who is NOT hot in the Twins' minors' series for 2012. I have been doing the Who is hot in the Minors series for a few years now and I decided that a complimentary list might be in order. I will be updating those every month or so, as well. The current "who IS hot" list can be found here and the former "who is NOT hot" list can be found here. This list is getting smaller, but it is unfortunate to see one of the Twins' top prospects (Adrian Salcedo) in it. Without further ado, here is the list, going from AAA to A. The clubs represented are AAA Rochester Red Wings, International League, AA New Britain Rock Cats, Eastern League, A+ Fort Myers Miracle, Florida State League, A Beloit Snappers, Midwest League (Note: Yesterday's games are not reflected) : http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5152/7098789651_02fb66b359_z.jpg Catchers: Rene Rivera (RHB, 28, AAA) .169/.250/.277 2 HR, 3 RBI, 73 PA Kyle Knudson (RHB, 24, A) .154/.154/.154 0 HR, 1 RBI, 15 PA Infielders: Danny Valencia (RHB, 27, AAA) .125/.125/.188 1 RBI, 16 PA Estarlin De Los Santos (SHB, 25, AA) .169/.233/.205 0 HR, 5 RBI, 91 PA Andy Leer (RHB, 24, A+) .175/.246/.302 0 HR, 2 RBI, 71 PA Outfielders: Rene Tosoni (LHB, 25, AAA) .125/.222/.167 0 HR, 3 RBI, 55 PA Joe Benson (RHB, 24, AA/AAA) .164/.252/.276 2 HR, 8 RBI, 131 PA Marc Dolenc (RHB, 27, AA) .141/.176/.141 0 HR, 1 RBI, 76 PA Danny Rams (RHB, 23, A+) .069/.206/.069 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 H, 34 PA 1st basemen/DH: Matt Rizzotti (LHB, 26, AAA/AA) .256/.256/.282 0 HR, 5 RBI, 2 H, 39 PA Rory Rhodes (RHB, 20, A) .146/.204/.188 0 HR, 4 RBI, 54 PA RH Starters: Daryl Thompson (26, AAA) 4.5a ERA, 1.604 WHIP, 6.15 K/9, 1.1 K/BB Madison Boer (22, A/A+) 6.81 ERA, 1.739 WHIP, 5.9 K/9, 1.53 K/BB Adrian Salcedo (21, A+) 5.64 ERA, 1.881 WHIP, 5.24 K/9, 0.87 K/BB Marty Popham (24, A+) 4.66 ERA, 1.578 WHIP, 5.35 K/9, 1.21 K/BB LH Starters: none RH Relievers: Brendan Wise (26, AAA) 5.66 ERA, 1.935 WHIP, 5.23 K/9, 1.2 K/BB LH Relievers: Edgar Ibarra (23, A+) 4.63 ERA, 1.629 WHIP, 5.79 K/9, 1.88 K/BB

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch --- With the Twins having a severe need for pitching in the organization as well as six picks among the top 100, it is certain that more than one of those picks (and probably the second overall pick) will be used to draft a pitcher. To this respect, I am presenting profiles of the top 22 pitching prospects for the 2012 MLB draft. I will be presenting these alphabetically, and at the end I will rank them. I will be doing about one a day and I will finish before the June 4th draft day. You can find all the profiles (in reverse alphabetical order) as they are presented here. I will start with RJ Alvarez and end with Kyle Zimmer. Each profile with contain a bit of background information and statistics, a mini scouting report and videos and photos. Profile 5: Max Fried Profile/Stats: Max Fried is a senior at Harvard-Westlake High School in Encino, CA, like another top High School pitching prospect, Lucas Giolito. Max Fried transferred there for from Montclair Prep for his senior season. It is interesting that both Fried and Giolito have committed to play for the same College, UCLA. He is listed at 6'4" and 175 lbs. He was born on January 18, 1994. He throws left handed. He is a 2012 Rollings first team All-American. In addition to pitching he has played in the OF and 1B where he compiled a .360/.455/.627 line as a Junior. As a Junior pitcher he pitched 69.2 innings, allowing 44 hits, walking 38 and striking out 100, for a 1.31 ERA. Mini Scouting Report: He has a plus fastball that sits at 89-90 and bursts into 92-93 with excellent movement and occasional sink. His best pitch is his plus plus curveball, which has a tight hammer-like break. His FB velocity is projected to increase as he fills up. He is throwing a changeup which is average at this point but projects to develop. His delivery mechanics are good, but he needs to maintain a consistent arm slot. He is releasing at 3/4. Has good control but needs to be able to command all his pitches better, especially low in the strike zone. Videos/Photos: Due to the difficulties in embedding videos here, please go to the original post to see 4 videos of Max Fried pitching http://www.perfectgame.org/images/profilepics/11NATTX4.jpg

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch --- With the Twins having a severe need for pitching in the organization as well as six picks among the top 100, it is certain that more than one of those picks (and probably the second overall pick) will be used to draft a pitcher. To this respect, I am presenting profiles of the top 22 pitching prospects for the 2012 MLB draft. I will be presenting these alphabetically, and at the end I will rank them. I will be doing about one a day and I will finish before the June 4th draft day. You can find all the profiles (in reverse alphabetical order) as they are presented here. I will start with RJ Alvarez and end with Kyle Zimmer. Each profile with contain a bit of background information and statistics, a mini scouting report and videos and photos. Profile 5: Max Fried Profile/Stats: Max Fried is a senior at Harvard-Westlake High School in Encino, CA, like another top High School pitching prospect, Lucas Giolito. Max Fried transferred there for from Montclair Prep for his senior season. It is interesting that both Fried and Giolito have committed to play for the same College, UCLA. He is listed at 6'4" and 175 lbs. He was born on January 18, 1994. He throws left handed. He is a 2012 Rollings first team All-American. In addition to pitching he has played in the OF and 1B where he compiled a .360/.455/.627 line as a Junior. As a Junior pitcher he pitched 69.2 innings, allowing 44 hits, walking 38 and striking out 100, for a 1.31 ERA. Mini Scouting Report: He has a plus fastball that sits at 89-90 and bursts into 92-93 with excellent movement and occasional sink. His best pitch is his plus plus curveball, which has a tight hammer-like break. His FB velocity is projected to increase as he fills up. He is throwing a changeup which is average at this point but projects to develop. His delivery mechanics are good, but he needs to maintain a consistent arm slot. He is releasing at 3/4. Has good control but needs to be able to command all his pitches better, especially low in the strike zone. Videos/Photos: Due to the difficulties in embedding videos here, please go to the original post to see 4 videos of Max Fried pitching http://www.perfectgame.org/images/profilepics/11NATTX4.jpg

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- This is the second version of the 'who is hot in the Twins' minors' series for 2012. About a month and a half into the minor league seasons now, a lot of changes have happened on the pitching leaders from the last "who is hot" list, mainly because of promotions and because PJ Walters and Scott Diamond are now excluded from the list. Nice to see that there are reliable relief corps throughout the organization, including the AAA. The bats have cooled considerably, but there are a lot of new bats in the minors and Wilken Ramirez and Miguel Sano continue their domination. Here is the list, going from AAA to A. The clubs represented are AAA Rochester Red Wings, International League, AA New Britain Rock Cats, Eastern League, A+ Fort Myers Miracle, Florida State League, A Beloit Snappers, Midwest League (does not include yesterday's games) : http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5152/7098789651_02fb66b359_z.jpg Catchers: Matthew Koch (RHB, 23, A) .235/.409/.353, 6 2B, 68 PA Infielders: Deibinson Romero (RHB, 25, AA) .264/.350/.430 3 HR, 21 RBI, 140 PA Jairo Perez (RHB, 24, A+) .257/.367/.450 3 HR, 13 RBI, 128 PA Miguel Sano (RHB, 19, A) .293/.410/.639 11 HR, 35 RBI, 161 PA Eddie Rosario (LHB, 20, A) .289/.381/.467 3 HR, 21 RBI, 7 SB, 155 PA Outfielders: Clete Thomas (LHB, 28, AAA) .280/.333/.480, 1 RBI, 28 PA Matt Carson (RHB, 30, AAA) .289/.367/.413, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 121 PA Wilkin Ramirez (RHB, 26, A+/AA/AAA) .359/.388/.688, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB, 67 PA Aaron Hicks (SHB, 22, AA) .258/.347/.414 4 HR, 21 RBI, 9 SB, 150 PA Oswaldo Arcia (LHB, 21, A+) .286/.349/.455 2 HR, 21 RBI 127 PA Lance Ray (LHB, 22, A+) .239/.331/.440 4 HR, 25 RBI, 130 PA 1st basemen/DH: Chris Colabello (RHB, 28, AA) .242/.326/.442 5 HR, 21 RBI, 139 PA RH Starters: Liam Hendriks (23, AAA) 1.54 ERA, 0.857 WHIP, 9.3 K/9, 3 K/BB (11.2 IP) Cole DeVries (27, AAA) 4.19 ERA, 1.241 WHIP, 7.22 K/9, 4.43 K/BB (38.2 IP) BJ Hermsen (22, A+/AA) 1.66 ERA, 0.900 WHIP, 5.19 K/9, 3.57 K/BB (43.1 IP) Tim Shibuya (22, A) 2.83 ERA, 1.257 WHIP, 7.71 K/9, 4.29 K/BB (35 IP) LH Starters: Andrew Albers (26, AA) 4.50 ERA. 1.310 WHIP, 7.29 K/0, 11.33 K/BB (42 IP) Jason Wheeler (21, A) 2.84 ERA, 1.289 WHIP, 6.16 K/9, 2.89 K/BB (38 IP) RH Relievers: Anthony Slama (28, AAA) 0.51 ERA, 1.132 WHIP, 14.26 K/9, 2.55 K/BB (17.2 IP) Deolis Guerra (23,AA/AAA) 1.14 ERA, 0.761 WHIP, 9.51 K/9, 5 K/BB (23.2 IP) Lester Oliveros (24, AA/AAA) 1.42 ERA, 0.895 WHIP, 7.58 K/9, 2.29 K/BB (19 IP) Dan Turpen (25, AA) 3.79 ERA, 0.947 WHIP, 10.42 K/9, 22 K/BB (19 IP) Bobby Lanigan (25, AA) 2.84 ERA, 1.211 WHIP, 8.53 K/9, 9 K/BB (23 IP) David Bromberg (24, AA) 3.91 ERA, 1.217 WHIP, 8.61 K/9, 2.2 K/BB Miguel Munoz (23, A+) 2.77 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 5.54 K/9, 4 K/BB (13 IP) Ricky Bowen (24, A+) 1.93 ERA, 1.114 WHIP, 7.33 K/9, 3.8 K/BB (23.1 IP) AJ Achter (23, A) 0.86 ERA, 0.952 WHIP, 9.86 K/9, 4.60 K/BB (21 IP) Michael Tonkin (22, A) 2.05 ERA, 1.136 WHIP, 9.00 K/9, 7.33 K/BB (22 IP) LH Relievers: Caleb Thielbar (25, A+/AA) 1.35 ERA, 0.950 WHIP, 9 K/9, 4 K/BB (20 IP) Nelvin Fuentes (23 A/A+) 3.05 ERA, 1.210 WHIP, 9.15 K/9, 3.5 K/BB (20.2 IP) Ryan O'Rourke (24, A) 4.08 ERA, 1.132 WHIP, 7.13 K/9, 3.5 K/BB (17.2 IP) Matthew Tomshaw (23, A) 2.54 ERA, 0.988 WHIP, 7.31 K/9, 5.75 K/BB (28.1 IP, 4 GS) Corey Williams (21, A) 3.77 ERA, 1.326 WHIP, 11.30 K/9, 2.57 K/BB (14.1 IP)

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- This is the second version of the 'who is hot in the Twins' minors' series for 2012. About a month and a half into the minor league seasons now, a lot of changes have happened on the pitching leaders from the last "who is hot" list, mainly because of promotions and because PJ Walters and Scott Diamond are now excluded from the list. Nice to see that there are reliable relief corps throughout the organization, including the AAA. The bats have cooled considerably, but there are a lot of new bats in the minors and Wilken Ramirez and Miguel Sano continue their domination. Here is the list, going from AAA to A. The clubs represented are AAA Rochester Red Wings, International League, AA New Britain Rock Cats, Eastern League, A+ Fort Myers Miracle, Florida State League, A Beloit Snappers, Midwest League (does not include yesterday's games) : http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5152/7098789651_02fb66b359_z.jpg Catchers: Matthew Koch (RHB, 23, A) .235/.409/.353, 6 2B, 68 PA Infielders: Deibinson Romero (RHB, 25, AA) .264/.350/.430 3 HR, 21 RBI, 140 PA Jairo Perez (RHB, 24, A+) .257/.367/.450 3 HR, 13 RBI, 128 PA Miguel Sano (RHB, 19, A) .293/.410/.639 11 HR, 35 RBI, 161 PA Eddie Rosario (LHB, 20, A) .289/.381/.467 3 HR, 21 RBI, 7 SB, 155 PA Outfielders: Clete Thomas (LHB, 28, AAA) .280/.333/.480, 1 RBI, 28 PA Matt Carson (RHB, 30, AAA) .289/.367/.413, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 121 PA Wilkin Ramirez (RHB, 26, A+/AA/AAA) .359/.388/.688, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB, 67 PA Aaron Hicks (SHB, 22, AA) .258/.347/.414 4 HR, 21 RBI, 9 SB, 150 PA Oswaldo Arcia (LHB, 21, A+) .286/.349/.455 2 HR, 21 RBI 127 PA Lance Ray (LHB, 22, A+) .239/.331/.440 4 HR, 25 RBI, 130 PA 1st basemen/DH: Chris Colabello (RHB, 28, AA) .242/.326/.442 5 HR, 21 RBI, 139 PA RH Starters: Liam Hendriks (23, AAA) 1.54 ERA, 0.857 WHIP, 9.3 K/9, 3 K/BB (11.2 IP) Cole DeVries (27, AAA) 4.19 ERA, 1.241 WHIP, 7.22 K/9, 4.43 K/BB (38.2 IP) BJ Hermsen (22, A+/AA) 1.66 ERA, 0.900 WHIP, 5.19 K/9, 3.57 K/BB (43.1 IP) Tim Shibuya (22, A) 2.83 ERA, 1.257 WHIP, 7.71 K/9, 4.29 K/BB (35 IP) LH Starters: Andrew Albers (26, AA) 4.50 ERA. 1.310 WHIP, 7.29 K/0, 11.33 K/BB (42 IP) Jason Wheeler (21, A) 2.84 ERA, 1.289 WHIP, 6.16 K/9, 2.89 K/BB (38 IP) RH Relievers: Anthony Slama (28, AAA) 0.51 ERA, 1.132 WHIP, 14.26 K/9, 2.55 K/BB (17.2 IP) Deolis Guerra (23,AA/AAA) 1.14 ERA, 0.761 WHIP, 9.51 K/9, 5 K/BB (23.2 IP) Lester Oliveros (24, AA/AAA) 1.42 ERA, 0.895 WHIP, 7.58 K/9, 2.29 K/BB (19 IP) Dan Turpen (25, AA) 3.79 ERA, 0.947 WHIP, 10.42 K/9, 22 K/BB (19 IP) Bobby Lanigan (25, AA) 2.84 ERA, 1.211 WHIP, 8.53 K/9, 9 K/BB (23 IP) David Bromberg (24, AA) 3.91 ERA, 1.217 WHIP, 8.61 K/9, 2.2 K/BB Miguel Munoz (23, A+) 2.77 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 5.54 K/9, 4 K/BB (13 IP) Ricky Bowen (24, A+) 1.93 ERA, 1.114 WHIP, 7.33 K/9, 3.8 K/BB (23.1 IP) AJ Achter (23, A) 0.86 ERA, 0.952 WHIP, 9.86 K/9, 4.60 K/BB (21 IP) Michael Tonkin (22, A) 2.05 ERA, 1.136 WHIP, 9.00 K/9, 7.33 K/BB (22 IP) LH Relievers: Caleb Thielbar (25, A+/AA) 1.35 ERA, 0.950 WHIP, 9 K/9, 4 K/BB (20 IP) Nelvin Fuentes (23 A/A+) 3.05 ERA, 1.210 WHIP, 9.15 K/9, 3.5 K/BB (20.2 IP) Ryan O'Rourke (24, A) 4.08 ERA, 1.132 WHIP, 7.13 K/9, 3.5 K/BB (17.2 IP) Matthew Tomshaw (23, A) 2.54 ERA, 0.988 WHIP, 7.31 K/9, 5.75 K/BB (28.1 IP, 4 GS) Corey Williams (21, A) 3.77 ERA, 1.326 WHIP, 11.30 K/9, 2.57 K/BB (14.1 IP)

I decided to do the ones I have ranked as the top 22 (since I had 22 days until the end of this month.) pitchers. Buttery did not the cut. I think that he is not a consensus first rounder. He is a high school pitcher and there are probably 7-8 high school pitchers who are better than at this point

True. But Gardenhire (and his coaches) and Ryan are also given multiple chances to prove themselves...

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- With the Twins having a severe need for pitching in the organization as well as six picks among the top 100, it is certain that more than one of those picks (and probably the second overall pick) will be used to draft a pitcher. To this respect, I am presenting profiles of the top 22 pitching prospects for the 2012 MLB draft. I will be presenting these alphabetically, and at the end I will rank them. I will be doing about one a day and I will finish before the June 4th draft day. You can find all the profiles (in reverse alphabetical order) as they are presented here. I will start with RJ Alvarez and end with Kyle Zimmer. Each profile with contain a bit of background information and statistics, a mini scouting report and videos and photos. Profile 6: Zach Eflin Profile/Stats: Zach Eflin is a senior at Hagerty High Scholl in Oviedo,FL. He is listed at 6'5" and 200 lbs. He was born on April 8, 1994 and he throws Right Handed. In his current season, Eflin is 5-2 with a 0.55 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 38 innings pitched. ESPN published great article on Zach,discussing how he used baseball to escape from a difficult home situation. Eflin nissed all the month of April with tricep tendonitis, but his MRI is clear and has returned to action earlier this month. He committed to play for the University of Central Florida. Mini Scouting Report: Efling has good control of his above average fastball that averages 91-93 mph with occasional 94-95 mph spikes and good movement. His changeup is a plus pitch, sits from 79-82 mph and has good fade an sink. He is working on spike curveball which is a major work in progress and will probably turn into a slider as he progresses. His stamina is somewhat questionable, since the velocity and effectiveness of his fastball has been decreasing in the later innings. His delivery is effortless and his frame is projectible. Videos/Photos: Due to the difficulty in embedding Videos here, please go to the orginial post for Videos of Zach Eflin. http://www.perfectgame.org/images/profilepics/11NATTX4.jpg

Originally published at The Tenth Inning Stretch ---- With the Twins having a severe need for pitching in the organization as well as six picks among the top 100, it is certain that more than one of those picks (and probably the second overall pick) will be used to draft a pitcher. To this respect, I am presenting profiles of the top 22 pitching prospects for the 2012 MLB draft. I will be presenting these alphabetically, and at the end I will rank them. I will be doing about one a day and I will finish before the June 4th draft day. You can find all the profiles (in reverse alphabetical order) as they are presented here. I will start with RJ Alvarez and end with Kyle Zimmer. Each profile with contain a bit of background information and statistics, a mini scouting report and videos and photos. Profile 6: Zach Eflin Profile/Stats: Zach Eflin is a senior at Hagerty High Scholl in Oviedo,FL. He is listed at 6'5" and 200 lbs. He was born on April 8, 1994 and he throws Right Handed. In his current season, Eflin is 5-2 with a 0.55 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 38 innings pitched. ESPN published great article on Zach,discussing how he used baseball to escape from a difficult home situation. Eflin nissed all the month of April with tricep tendonitis, but his MRI is clear and has returned to action earlier this month. He committed to play for the University of Central Florida. Mini Scouting Report: Efling has good control of his above average fastball that averages 91-93 mph with occasional 94-95 mph spikes and good movement. His changeup is a plus pitch, sits from 79-82 mph and has good fade an sink. He is working on spike curveball which is a major work in progress and will probably turn into a slider as he progresses. His stamina is somewhat questionable, since the velocity and effectiveness of his fastball has been decreasing in the later innings. His delivery is effortless and his frame is projectible. Videos/Photos: Due to the difficulty in embedding Videos here, please go to the orginial post for Videos of Zach Eflin. http://www.perfectgame.org/images/profilepics/11NATTX4.jpg