Seth Stohs

The trade deadline has passed, and so has the third month of the minor league season. Today, we start handing out awards by discussing the top hitters in the Twins minor leagues this month. Here are the top four hitters for the month of July, but first here are some players deserving of honorable mention. HONORABLE MENTION OF Keon Broxton - St. Paul Saints - 19-68, .279/.383/.618 (1.000) with 2 doubles, 7 home runs, 11 BB, 24 K. IF Andrew Bechtold - Wichita Wind Surge - 21-78, .269/.374/.577 (.951) with 6 doubles, 6 home runs, 12 BB, 31 K. OF Max Smith - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 16-65, .246/.398/.538 (.936) with 5 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs, 17 BB, 30 K. C Charlie Mack - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels - 19-55, .345/.419/.491 (.910) with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 7 BB, 11 K. OF Luis Baez - FCL Twins - 18-49, .367/.466/.551 (1.017) with 3 doubles, 3 triples, 5 BB, 11 K. C Alexander Pena - FCL Twins - 21-50, .420/.473/.520 (.993) with 5 doubles, 4 BB, 13 K. OF Kala’i Rosario - FCL Twins - 26-80, .325/.360/.563 (.923) with 5 doubles, 4 triples, 2 home runs, 5 BB, 20 K. THE TOP FOUR HITTERS Number 4 - Cedar Rapids Kernels - UT Michael Helman - 29-94, .309/.404/.521 (.925) with 6 doubles, 1 triples, 4 home runs, 14 BB, 20 K. Michael Helman was the Twins 11th round pick in 2018 after one season at Texas A&M. Previously, he had put up monster numbers at Hutchinson CC. His pro career started out well with 12 games in Elizabethton before playing 27 games at Cedar Rapids. Combined, he hit .361/.409/.510 with six doubles, two triples and four homers. He jumped to High-A Ft. Myers, but he hit just .197 in 82 before an injury ended his season. After a missed 2020 season, Helman began the season in Cedar Rapids, now the High-A affiliate. In 70 games, he is hitting .233/.332/.421 (.753) with 13 doubles and ten home runs. He’s also got 11 stolen bases. The increased power and his ability to play at least seven positions on the diamond have moved him back up prospect rankings. Number 3 – St. Paul Saints - IF Drew Maggi - 21-81, .259/.355/.667 (1.022) with 6 doubles, 9 homers, 8 BB, 27 K. 32-year-old Drew Maggi is in his third season in the Twins organization. His pro career began in 2010 when he was the 15th round pick of the Pirates. Since then, he also has played in the Dodgers and Cleveland’s system. After splitting 2019 between Pensacola and Rochester, he spent the 2020 season in St. Paul at the Twins alternate site. In 56 games with the Saints this year, he has hit .238/.336/.481 (.818) with ten doubles and 11 homers, nine of which came in July. He had homers in the first four Saints games of July and seven in the first 12 games. Number 2 - St. Paul Saints – IF Jose Miranda - 37-112, .330/.402/.571 (.973) with 9 doubles, 6 home runs, 13 BB. 22 K. Jose Miranda was the Twins Daily choice for Minor League Hitter of the Month in both May and June. This month, his first full month with the Saints, he drops to second on the list despite putting up another great performance in July. Miranda was the 73rd overall pick in the 2016 draft, one spot ahead of Akil Baddoo. Like Baddoo, Miranda was left exposed to the Rule 5 draft. Unlike Baddoo, Miranda was not selected. He spent two months in Double-A to start the season and was promoted to the Saints where he has played 29 games now. Combined, he is hitting .347/.410/.612 (1.022) with 18 doubles, 22 homers and 62 RBI. And the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is: St. Paul Saints – OF Jimmy Kerrigan - 25-68, .368/.436/.735 (1.171), 4 doubles, 7 home runs, 9 BB, 23 K. A Philadelphia native, Kerrigan stayed home and went to Temple University where he played two seasons. Then the school dropped its baseball program. He went to Virginia Commonwealth where he played well for two years but went undrafted. He played in the independent Frontier League before the Twins signed him midway through the 2017 season and played in Cedar Rapids. In both 2018 and 2019, he spent most of the seasons in Double-A with some time in Triple-A. He began the 2021 season at Double-A Wichita, but after just two games, he was promoted to the Saints. In 62 games, he has hit .261/.353/.495 (.848) with eight doubles and 12 home runs. He also can play all three outfield positions well, and has a very strong arm. We would like to congratulate St. Paul outfielder Jimmy Kerrigan, Twins Daily’s choice for Minor League Hitter of the Month for July 2021. Feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions. View full article

I've been trying to find video that I thought I saw on twitter of a Baldelli press conference that I'd like to post here, but I think he explains it well. And it's nothing new... Dan Hayes tweeted why it makes so much sense too. It's not really difficult. 1.) Ober's career-high innings was 78.1 IP in 2019, when he missed half of the season with elbow issues, which he's had since his sophomore year of college. 2.) He pitched zero competitive innings in 2020. He wasn't in St. Paul at the alternate site. He wasn't at Instructional League in Ft. Myers in November. 3.) They need to keep him healthy through 10-11 more starts this year and probably try to keep him in the 110-120 innings range. Baldelli's comments (notice that he says this is an organizational theory, not just his and Wes's, but the front office, the medical team, etc.) Hayes tweets: Ober's comments:

After a long and emotional trade deadline day on Friday that ended in another Twins loss, the team came out hitting on Saturday and the pitching backed them up on the way to a nice 8-1 win in St. Louis. Box Score Bailey Ober: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (64 pitches, 44 strikes (68.8%)) Home Runs: Jeffers (9), Top 3 WPA: Jorge Polanco (0.126), Bailey Ober (0.117), Miguel Sano (.109) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Return of Arraez Before Saturday’s game, the Twins announced that Luis Arraez was being activated from the Injured List. Gilberto Celestino was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul (will he finally make his Saints debut?). He was put into the cleanup spot in the Twins lineup. It paid immediate dividends for the team. In the first inning, he came up with runners on second and third base. He gave the Twins a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly. He added another RBI his second time up. With runners on first and second, he hit a double down the right field line. He added a walk later in the game. Bailey’s Big Hit Bailey Ober had not had an at-bat in a baseball game in eight years, since he and Vikings center Garrett Bradbury were starring at Charlotte Christian High School in North Carolina. He stepped to the plate, and on an 0-1 pitch, lined a single to right field for his first big-league hit. OK, softly lined a single to right field. It doesn’t matter. Congratulations to Ober! The Twins' pitchers haven’t had a lot of hits of late. More importantly, Bailey Ober pitched well. He began with three scoreless innings, and then in the fourth, he gave up a run but was able to limit damage with a big double play ball. Despite a 7-1 lead, Ober was due to bat for the third time but Willians Astudillo pinch hit and grounded a single through the infield to give the Twins an 8-1 lead. Ober’s fastball sat between 92 and 93 mph, but he is able to get swings and misses with it up in the strike zone. Why? As important, the Twins bullpen combined for five shutout innings. Jorge Alcala worked two innings, and then Caleb Thielbar, Juan Minaya and Alexander Colome each pitched one inning. (see the bullpen usage chart below) Jeffers Jolts In the third inning, Ryan Jeffers came to the plate and hit a three-run homer to give the Twins a 7-0 lead. It was his ninth homer of the season, but it was his third in his past two starts. Remember, he had two homers in that crazy, 17-14 loss to the Tigers on Wednesday. In his past nine games, Jeffers is 9-for-29 (.310) with two doubles, three homers and an OPS north of 1.000). Since returning from the IL, Mitch Garver has played in five games and hit .278 (1.324 OPS) with two doubles, three homers and ten RBI. After both struggled mightily at the plate in April, Twins fans are now seeing what we thought we might from the Twins catching duo. It feels appropriate to talk about the performance of Twins catchers on a night when Hall of Fame catcher Ted Simmons' number was retired by the Cardinals and a statue of his likeness was unveiled outside the stadium. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Coulombe 0 10 0 0 23 0 33 Thielbar 13 16 0 0 0 14 43 Alcala 0 11 0 0 0 21 32 Gant 0 0 24 0 0 0 24 Colomé 16 0 0 0 0 16 32 Minaya 0 0 45 0 0 18 63 Duffey 11 7 0 0 32 0 50 Burrows 0 0 63 0 0 0 63 View full article

Miranda played more 2B earlier in this career. I think most think he's a good 3B and 1B, OK at 2B and limited at SS. So, Ryan Mason is moving up to Triple-A. Austin Martin will join Wichita on Tuesday. Evan Sisk is with Wichita today. Scherff was put in the IL. Obviously Woods-Richardson was placed on the temporarily inactive list.

They're all in the FCL... Unfortunately, Raya has yet to pitch due to an injury.

Right-handed reliever Hansel Robles has been traded to the Boston Red Sox for minor leaguer Alex Scherff. Struggling Twins reliever Hansel Robles was moved moments before the close of the 2021 MLB trade deadline for Red Sox minor leaguer Alex Scherff. Scherff, a 23 year old right-hander, was drafted by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2017 MLB draft. Register Pitching Year Age AgeDif Tm Lg Lev Aff W L W-L% ERA RA9 G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO HBP BK WP BF WHIP H9 HR9 BB9 SO9 SO/W 2021 23 2 Teams 2 Lgs A+-AA BOS 3 1 .750 2.45 3.07 23 0 15 0 0 4 29.1 22 10 8 1 13 0 46 2 0 3 127 1.193 6.8 0.3 4.0 14.1 3.54 2021 23 -1.8 Portland AANE AA BOS 1 0 1.000 1.35 2.70 6 0 3 0 0 1 6.2 5 2 1 0 2 0 9 0 0 0 28 1.050 6.8 0.0 2.7 12.2 4.50 2021 23 -0.4 Greenville HAE A+ BOS 2 1 .667 2.78 3.18 17 0 12 0 0 3 22.2 17 8 7 1 11 0 37 2 0 3 99 1.235 6.8 0.4 4.4 14.7 3.36 All Levels (3 Seasons) 10 18 .357 4.41 4.92 67 43 15 0 0 4 228.2 244 125 112 22 92 0 212 13 0 20 999 1.469 9.6 0.9 3.6 8.3 2.30 Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 7/30/2021. Robles signed with the Twins early last offseason as a free agent for just $2 million. He had a rough 2020, as many of us did. In 18 games with the Angels, Robles posted a 10.26 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP. In 2019, he had gone 5-1 with 23 saves, a 2.38 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. In 45 games with the Twins this year, he went 3-4 with ten saves, a 4.91 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. He had his moments of good success and big-moment saves, but he walked 24 batters in 44 innings and was very inconsistent. Robles will be a free agent at the end of the season making it an easy decision to trade him if they got any return. The Twins were unable to trade fellow impending free agents Andrelton Simmons, Alexander Colome, and Michael Pineda. Likely the Twins received no offers for Simmons and Colome. However, one would think that the Twins could have received something, maybe even something of quality, for Michael Pineda. Whereas Robles received late-inning opportunities with the Twins, he is more likely to be used in middle relief, maybe in the sixth or seventh innings, for the Red Sox. Scherff isn't going to appear on top prospect rankings. However, the former fifth-round pick has had a nice year at two levels. And 46 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings is very impressive. What do you think of this deal? View full article

The Twins have an agreement to acquire St. Louis Cardinals pitcher John Gant and LHP prospect Evan Sisk in exchange for LHP J.A. Happ. The Twins are in St. Louis, and J.A. Happ will have to move from the road clubhouse to the home clubhouse. John Gant will turn 29 next week. He was originally the 21st round pick of the Mets out of high school in Florida. He began the season in the Cardinals starting rotation but moved to the bullpen. He is 4-6 with a 3.42 ERA. In 76 1/3 innings, he has walked 56 and struck out 56. Hence, his WHIP is at 1.57. Lefty Evan Sisk went to the College of Charleston with Bailey Ober. This season, he has split time between High-A and Double-A. Overall, he has pitched in 26 games. He has a 3.31 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP. In 32 2/3 innings, he has 20 walks and 46 strikeouts. That is the type of player that can be acquired for the 38-year-old Happ. In his 15th MLB season, he is 5-6 with a 6.77 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP. In 98 1/3 innings, he has given up 125 hits, walked 21 and struck out 77 batters. He had a near no-hitter early in the season, but has really struggled. He leads MLB in allowing barrels. While Gant isn't a prospect - he's been in the big leagues as far back as 2016 - this is a lottery ticket for the rest of the season. Clearly Gant has control and command issues, but he's got decent stuff. Dan Hayes reports that the Twins acquired John Gant from St. Louis in exchange for LHP J.A. Happ. How do you feel about this trade? View full article

And even with the off day tomorrow, we don't know if Berrios will make a start for the Twins on Friday, and if not, how will that play out (who starts? Bullpen game?) So many factors.

I think if you can turn a 15th round pick into a MLB reliever, that is a huge, huge success... But yes, they should absolutely keep him starting 1.) to work in and out of many more situations, and 2.) get more in-game reps on those secondary pitches. And then you hope. If you can turn a 15th round pick into an MLB starter, that is incredible!

Sleep is overrated anyway, right?

We have Minor League Reports every day (Tuesday through Sunday) with game highlights and stars and pitchers and transactions and more. As for Steer, in 23 games since moving up to AA Wichita, he is hitting .189/.245/.389 (.634) with 0 doubles, 0 triple and 6 home runs. Three of those homers game in his first five games, so in the past 18 games, he is hitting just .143/.187/.271 (.458) with 3 homers. In his past 7 games... .115/.115/.231 (.346) with one homer.

Maciel came from the Diamondbacks in the Escobar trade. He's not a big guy. He's got good speed. Can play center, probably better in left. Switch-hitter. Line drive hitter. He's not a Top 20 Twins prospect, but he is talented and should move up for a bit. He isn't a 6-games-a-week guy, but he usually plays 4, sometimes 5. He's been around, but he's so young still. Canterino's getting close to a return, from what I hear. He's still in Ft. Myers. Enlow was just recently able to remove his brace and start moving his arm more. it's a slow process. No updates on Duran, but I think they said they were just going to shut him down for 4-6 weeks and then see where he's at.

We are officially past the halfway point in the minor league season. By the next time we provide a Week in Review, the trade deadline will have passed, we will post our July minor league awards, and it is likely the Twins will add more prospects to the organization. . Be sure to read Nick’s Twins Week in Review from yesterday, and then jump into the minor league week. Before we get started, let’s check out the Transactions and the FCL Twins game on Monday: Infielder Yunior Severino was promoted from Ft. Myers to Cedar Rapids. Right-Handed Pitcher Cole Bellair was sent from Ft. Myers to the Complex. FCL Twins Talk On Monday, the FCL Twins game against the FCL Orioles Black was suspended in the first inning. With that, let’s look at Week 12 in the Twins minor leagues: RESULTS Triple-A: St. Paul Saints: Week (4-2, @ Omaha), overall (37-34) Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge: Week (4-2, @ Arkansas), overall (41-31) High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels: Week (4-2, hosting Beloit), overall (40-32) Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels: Week (3-3, hosting Daytona), overall (39-33) Complex League FCL Twins: Week (1-4), overall (5-14) IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Here are the week’s Twins minor league-related articles. Twins Minor League Week in Review: All Four Teams Over .500 Tuesday: Balazovic Extends Scoreless Streak Wednesday: Dingers Galore, Nick Vincent Shines Thursday: Little Bit of Everything One Prospect the Twins Should be Willing to Trade Friday: Close Games Across the Board Twins Minor League Pitching Report: Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman Finding Hope for a 2022 Bullpen Saturday: Some Strong Corn Sunday: Fantastic Feliz! This Saints Outfielder is Making his Mark Highlights We will start with the Twins choices for the organizational hitter and pitcher of the week, and then mention several other Twins prospects who had good Week 12 performances Twins Player of the Week: Trey Cabbage, Wichita Wind Surge Trey Cabbage was the Twins choice for Hitter of the Week. He played in all six games for the Wind Surge. He hit .304/.320/.652 (.972) with two doubles and two home runs. Cabbage was the Twins fourth-round pick in 2015 out of high school in Tennessee. He began the season in High-A Cedar Rapids. In 40 games, he hit .266/.342/.538 (.880) with 10 doubles and nine home runs. In 25 games for Wichita, he has hit .231/.317/.451 (.768) with five doubles and five more home runs. His 15 doubles this season is fifth in the Twins system, and his 14 homers ranks fourth. His 49 RBI ranks third in the organization this year. Twins Pitcher of the Week: Louie Varland, Cedar Rapids Kernels In his second start with the Kernels, Varland tossed five scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit, walked two and struck out nine batters. In his first start for Cedar Rapids, he threw six shutout innings. Overall this year, he is 4-2 with a 1.70 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. In 58 1/3 innings, he has walked 20 and struck out 90 batters. Varland, who has a diploma from North St. Paul High School, was the Twins 15th round pick in 2019 out of Concordia University in St. Paul. His brother Gus Varland pitches for Tulsa, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Highlights St. Paul Saints It’s the highlights list, so of course Jose Miranda needs to be here. In six games last week, he hit .321/.345/.714 (1.059) with two doubles, three homers and six RBI. Roberto Pena doesn’t play a ton, but he went 3-for-9 with a double and a homer. He also walked three times. Jimmy Kerrigan played in five games and hit .300/.533/.800 (1.333) with two doubles, a homer and five walks. Andrew Albers gave up one run on six hits and a walk over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six batters. Chandler Shepherd gave up one runover five innings in his outing. He struck out six as well. Andrew Vasquez came out of the Saints’ bullpen three times and recorded seven outs, three on strikeouts. Wichita Wind Surge Along with Cabbage, the Wind Surge’s top performers last week were hitters signed to minor league contracts before or during the season. Catcher/First Baseman Roy Morales played in all six games and hit .500/.571/.636 (1.208) with a double, a triple and five walks. Jermaine Palacios was limited to three games, but he hit .308/.357/.769 (1.126) with two home runs. DJ Burt played four games and went 8-for-15 (.533) with a double and a triple. Adam Lau made a spot start for the Wind Surge. He went 3 2/3 scoreless innings and gave up just one hit and walk. He struck out six. Continuing his return to the mound, Cole Sands struck out four batters over three shutout innings. Chris Vallimont was very good in his start. He tossed six scoreless innings, gave up three hits, three walks and struck out eight batters. On Tuesday, Jordan Balazovic tossed seven shutout innings to extend his streak to 25 2/3 consecutive scoreless frames. He wasn’t as strong in his second start of the week. He gave up three runs on five hits and five walks in five innings. Cedar Rapids Kernels The highlight of the week for the Kernels, at least from a Twins/Player Development standpoint, has to be the return of Matt Wallner from his hamate bone injury. He played in five games and hit .278/.381/.611 (.992) with two home runs. Gabriel Maciel played in four games and hit .500/.571/.583 (1.155) with a double and three big RBI. Kyle Schmidt played in three games and went 5-for-11 (.455). Along with Louie Varland, the Kernels had some really good starts. Ben Gross struck out eight batters in five shutout innings. Jon Olsen gave up just three hits over 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Cody Laweryson and Tyler Watson both gave up one run on three hits in their five-inning starts. The sixth Kernels starter, Tyler Beck gave up two runs (and struck out seven batters) in five innings. Melvi Acosta struck out six batters in 3 2/3 innings. He gave up only an unearned run. Zach Featherstone struck out six batters in 2 2/3 one-hit innings. Erik Manoah struck out five batters in three no-hit innings. Ft. Myers Might Mussels Charlie Mack played in five games last week. He hit .333/.429/.500 (.929) with three walks, a homer and four RBI. Jesus Feliz posted an .807 OPS, but he also provided the team with a walk-off homer on Sunday. Lefty Zarion Sharpe had his best start. He gave up two hits over five shutout innings. He struck out five. Sawyer Gipson-Long had a Quality Start. He gave up two runs on six hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out 11 batters. Denny Bentley pitched in three games. He got a Win and two Saves. In 5 2/3 innings, he gave up one hit, walked three and struck out seven batters. FCL Twins Luis Baez went 6-for-15 (.400) with a double and a triple last week. Alexander Pena went 5-for-11 (.455) with a double. LaRon Smith, Malfrin Sosa, Argenis Jimenez and Kala’i Rosario each hit a home run. Develson Aria and Juan Mendez each tossed three scoreless innings. Aria struck out six and gave up only one hit. Lowlights We are talking about small samples for these six-game weeks, so it’s important not to make any big decisions or develop a full impression on a player from this small size. It’s just a reminder of the fact that baseball is hard, and all players have good and bad stretches. St. Paul Saints It has certainly been a struggle of late for JT Riddle. He played all six games last week, but went just 1-for-19 (.053). Ian Hamilton has been fantastic for the Saints for a couple of months, but he had a rough week. He came into three games and was charged with four runs on one hit and four walks. That said, he also was 2-for-2 in Save Opportunities. Yennier Cano gave up five runs (4 earned) on nine hits over just 3 2/3 innings. Wichita Wind Surge Last week, we highlighted catcher Chris Williams. This week, he only played twice and went 0-for-8 with five strikeouts. Aaron Whitefield went 2-for-17 (.118, .308 OPS). Spencer Steer went 3-for-22 (.136) with a homer (.409 OPS). Bryan Sammons gave up four runs on two hits and four walks in three innings in his appearance. Joe Kuzia made one appearance and gave up three runs on two hits, a walk and a hit batter in just 2/3 of an innings. Cedar Rapids Kernels A lot of Kernels struggled at the plate last week. Wander Javier went 2-for-20 (.100) with eight strikeouts. Edouard Julien went 2-for-24 (.083) with 11 strikeouts. Max Smith went 1-for-11 (.091). DaShawn Keirsey went 1-for-12 (.083). Luis Rijo made one appearance out of the bullpen. In 1 2/3 innings, he gave up four runs on five hits and a walk. Ft. Myers Might Mussels Justin Washington played four games and went 1-for-12 (.083). Willie Joe Garry was hitless in 14 at bats, but he did walk five times for a .300 on-base percentage. Keoni Cavaco played in four games in his return to the lineup after missing a week. He went 3-for-19 (.158) with eight strikeouts. Aaron Sabato went 2-for-16 (.125) with ten strikeouts in five games. He did walk seven times and had an on-base percentage of .391. Bobby Milacki gave up five runs (4 earned) on five hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. Juan Pichardo gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk in two innings. FCL Twins 31-year-old lefty Sean Gilmartin pitched in 81 games in the big leagues from 2015 through 2020. The Twins signed him a few weeks ago, probably with the plan of getting him up to the Double-A or Triple-A level soon. In three games and 4 1/3 innings, he has given up nine runs (8 earned) on ten hits, two walk sand eight strikeouts. It’s been a tough season for righty from The Netherlands, Donny Breek. He pitched in four games with the Mighty Mussels earlier this year. He gave up 11 runs on six hits and 12 walks in just 3 2/3 innings. For the FCL Twins, he has now worked 1 2/3 innings and gave up nine runs (4 earned) on zero hits and seven walks. Overall, that’s a 25.31 ERA and a 4.69 WHIP in 5 1/3 innings. He’s given up six hits, walked 19, hit four and struck out three batters. Trending Storyline The trade deadline is Friday afternoon at three o’clock. The team has already made one trade, acquiring Triple-A right-handed pitchers Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman from the Rays for Nelson Cruz. There is a good chance that by the next time you read this, the Twins will have acquired several more prospect for us to research and discuss. Along with the draft picks that have signed, we may even be in need of a new prospect rankings. PROSPECT SUMMARY We have now updated this Prospect Summary to show our Midseason Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings… #1 - Royce Lewis (Wichita) - Out for Season (torn ACL) #2 - Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – 5 G, 4 GS, 16.0 IP, 16 H, 13 BB, 22 K, 5.06 ERA, 1.81 WHIP (on IL with a right forearm strain) #3 - Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – 10 GS, 49.1 IP, 41 H, 15 BB, 61 K, 2.74 ERA, 1.14 WHIP #4 - Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – 4 GS, 18.0 IP, 10 H, 3 BB, 35 K, 1.00 ERA, 0.72 WHIP (went on the IL with right elbow strain) #5 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) – 71 games, .342/.405/.610 (1.015) with 16 doubles, 21 homers, 60 RBI, 28 BB, 43 K #6 - Keoni Cavaco (Ft. Myers) – 42 games, .264/.343/.346 (.689) with 6 doubles, 2 triple, 1 homer, 19 RBI, 18 BB, 52 K, 6 SB #7 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – Wichita (21 games, .250/.344/.381 (.725) with 5 doubles, 2 homers. 11 BB, 24 K), Minnesota (22 games, .140/.183/.298 (.482) with 3 BB, 13 K) #8 - Josh Winder (St. Paul) - 14 GS, 72.0 IP, 55 H, 13 BB, 80 K, 2.63 ERA, 0.94 WHIP #9 - Aaron Sabato (Ft. Myers) – 70 games, .185/.370/.290 (.660) with 13 doubles, 4 homers, 26 RBI, 66 BB, 97 K #10 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – 24 games, .322/.380/.600 (.980) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, 16 RBI, 7 BB, 36 K. #11 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – 3 GS, 14.2 IP, 13 H, 6 BB, 23 K, 1.84 ERA, 1.30 WHIP (underwent Tommy John surgery on June 9th) #12 - Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – St. Paul (4 GS, 16.0 IP, 13 H, 5 BB, 21 K, 2.81 ERA, 1.13 WHIP), Minnesota (10 GS, 43.1 IP, 42 H, 13 BB, 45 K, 5.19 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) #13 - Cole Sands (Wichita) – 9 GS, 36.2 IP, 25 H, 18 BB, 49 K, 2.45 ERA, 1.17 WHIP #14 - Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – St. Paul (58 games, .239/.368/.566 (.934) with 8 doubles, 1 triple, 19 homers, 37 BB, 74 K), Minnesota (12 games, .136/.191/.386 (375) with 2 double, 3 homers, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 18 K) #15 - Misael Urbina (Ft. Myers) – 64 games, .208/.310/.308 (618) with 7 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homer, 42 RBI, 34 BB, 56 K, 10 SB) #16 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 68 games, .244/.356/.465 (.821) with 7 doubles, 1 triple, 16 homers, 37 RBI, 42 BB, 59 K) #17 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 66 games, .215/.274/.400 (.674) with 11 doubles, 5 triples, 9 homers, 36 RBI, 18 BB, 96 K) #18 - Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A (injured) #19 - Edwar Colina (Minnesota) - 60-Day IL (had surgery on his right elbow to remove bone chips) #20 - Chris Vallimont (Wichita) - 12 GS, 51.0 IP, 46 H, 28 BB, 82 K, 3.88 ERA, 1.45 WHIP LOOKING AHEAD Ft. Myers @ Clearwater (Sawyer Gipson-Long, Brent Headrick, Landon Leach, TBD, TBD): Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin:(Louie Varland, Jon Olsen, Tyler Watson, Ben Gross, Cody Laweryson, Tyler Beck) Wichita @ NW Arkansas: (Chris Vallimont (Cole Sands), Austin Schulfer, Bryan Sammons, Jordan Balazovic, TBD, Chris Vallimont) Indianapolis @ St. Paul: (Beau Burrows, Charlie Barnes, Matt Shoemaker, Griffin Jax, Drew Strotman, Beau Burrows): Feel free to ask any questions you like. View full article

There have been several Twins minor league hitters who have made significant strides during the 2021 season. After a lost 2020 campaign, it was hard to predict how players would perform in their return. St. Paul Saints outfielder Mark Contreras has taken a big step forward in his career and finds himself one call away from the big leagues. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints 2019 was a rough year at the plate for Mark Contreras. In 27 games with the Ft. Myers Miracle, he hit just .101. At Double-A Pensacola, he hit .210/.279/.381 (.660). He did start to display his power stroke with the Blue Wahoos, hitting 12 doubles, three triples, and ten home runs. He was moved up and down five times before sticking in Pensacola after mid-June. Earlier this year, Ramon Borrego talked about the challenge of moving back and forth between levels during a season. Not being able to get into a routine, or once you do, you could be sent packing either direction. It wasn't easy, but Contreras understood and used it as motivation. "It wasn't the best of situations, but honestly, it fired me up. When I initially got to Double-A, we had a series in Biloxi, and I was there for one series. I hadn't been hitting much in Ft. Myers, and I had some success that one week. I was like, that's where I need to be, that's the swing, that's the approach. I got sent down after that. I told myself I need to get back to Double-A because that's where I'm comfortable." The experience taught Contreras another lesson. "That back-and-forth helped me understand the mental grind of the game." As difficult as 2019 was for Contreras, he was great defensively in the outfield. In fact, he won a minor league Gold Glove Award for his glove work. "Winning the Gold Glove was awesome. My dad always told me, if it's in the air and it's going to hit your glove, you better catch it. If you're having a bad day at the plate, you can't take it into the field. You can make a great play and change the whole energy of the game. Maybe not for you, but maybe for your teammates. You can change the momentum real quickly with one play, one catch, one throw. So I take that very seriously." Contreras arrived at spring training in 2020, ready to prove that he could hit. He frequently spent time with the big league club throughout spring games and had the opportunity to work with the big leaguers. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit, and while Contreras stayed ready, hoping for an invitation to the alternate site, he spent the entire year at home in southern California. "I hit every day of the week, Monday through Friday, with my dad." Mark's father has been a big part of his development over the years. He coached Mark in Little League, some All-Star, and travel teams. His mom played a huge role in his development as well. "My mom deserves a lot of the credit. She's there. She drove me to wherever I needed to be. Mom was the one that made sure I was eating well. She made sure I got the support after a bad game. She was always there to motivate me." Things weren't always easy, though. I mean, his dad is a fan of the Cincinnati Reds, but his side of the family is all big Dodgers fans. His mom's side of the family is fans of Angels. Mark noted, "We would go to both games (Angels and Dodgers), especially the Freeway Series. Lots of smack talk." But beyond that, his parents instilled in him the work ethic that still drives him today. "My dad was always there. Whenever you want to do some more work, let's do it. It was tough love, but he wanted me to live out my dream of being in the big leagues. He always took the passive approach of when you're ready, let me know. He wasn't down my throat. Tell me if you want to work. That's how my parents were. They helped me establish my work ethic. They were not going to tell me; you have to go hit today. You have to go lift today. It's like, if you really want to do it, you have to put the time in. You have to seek out the help, and let's go get it. That's how they were. All credit to them because they helped mold me into the person I feel like I am today. I'm always learning something about myself, but they helped me get to where I am now. Every lesson that they taught me, I take it every day and try to build off that." It’s a work ethic that made him and his high school teammates during his four years at Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley (CA) stay late after practices to get more swings and more ground balls. (Side Note: Former Twins outfielder/DH Bobby Kielty went to the same high school, 20 years earlier.) And it's that work ethic that motivated him during the lost 2020 season. For Contreras, it was a return to what worked for him in college that he feels helped him a lot. "When I was younger and playing in college, I went from the college season, straight to summer ball, straight to fall ball. You don't stop. I feel like the rhythm that I had in the 2020 spring training, I wanted to continue that and continue to work on the things we were working on." Mark began the 2021 season in Wichita. He played 18 games before moving up to Triple-A St. Paul. The 26-year-old played in six games for the Saints in Des Moines. But, Gilberto Celestino needed to be promoted to Triple-A in case he (and his 40-man roster spot) needed to be called up to the Twins. Contreras returned to Double-A and played one game for the Wind Surge (and went 2-for-4). At that point, the Twins called up Celestino, and Contreras was promoted back to the Saints and has been there since June 3rd. In 19 games with the Wind Surge, he hit .269/.355/.448 (.803) with four doubles, a triple, and two home runs. In 41 games with the Saints, Contreras has hit .260/.335/.562 (.897) with ten doubles, two triples, and ten homers. Quick to credit those he's worked with, Contreras said, "When the season started, I had hitting coach Ryan Smith in Double-A, and he worked with me, not on the physical, but the mental side of the game." He continued, "Getting to Triple-A, Borgs (hitting coach Matt Borgschulte) and Smars (coach Tyler Smarslok), they took me aside and said we really need to establish the approach now and work on a plan every time you're in the box. I've been riding it and continue to work on it every day because it will never be perfect. It's just constant working on it." And, seeing the results certainly helps too. But what kind of hitter does Contreras think that he is? Power hitting (22 extra-base hits in 41 games)? Patient? Solid plate discipline. Does he consider himself a home run hitter? "I just hit it and start running. I've never considered myself a home run hitter. I know that I have it in me, but I'm not trying to hit a home run. I'm just trying to make some hard contact and put the ball in play. My thought every day is, let me hit four line drives, and that's a good day." And now he finds himself one call, one step from the big leagues. He is also playing with and against players in Triple-A with a lot of experience, several major leaguers. "They have a different outlook on the game itself. It took me a while to get used to. Get to the field. Get yourself ready for your game and do what you have to do for yourself, but also what you need to do to help win the game today." His roommate on the road is Sherman Johnson. In 2018, he played ten games for the Los Angeles Angels. Contreras hasn't been afraid to pick his brain. "He was around Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani when he debuted, and he's helped me understand the preparation aspect of getting to the big leagues. You have to show up every day." Already a strong defender, he has been able to learn from Keon Broxton, a great defensive outfielder with five years in the big leagues. Contreras noted, "Keon is a great guy, funny, always joking around. I talk to him a lot about his speed. His jumps laterally; he gets to his top speed so fast. What's the key to that first step?" He can also gain confidence by playing against some players with a lot of experience. "Every team we face has big leaguers, ex-big leaguers, or current big leaguers. We're playing against that kind of competition. So it's encouraging. We're facing big-league pitching every day." Mark Contreras has enjoyed his time in St. Paul with the Saints. It's not the first time that he has played in Minnesota, though. Following his sophomore and junior seasons at UC-Riverside, Contreras was an outfielder for the Rochester Honkers in the Northwoods League. "That was fun. Meeting new guys. The competition was great. The success our first year. We got to the semi-finals. The St. Cloud Rox kept kicking our butt. They put it on us. Going back for another year was great. Playing in Rochester exposes you to a lot of excellent players from around the country." He hoped to get drafted after his junior college season. He became a key bat in the lineup and hit .332/.407/.430 (.837) with 14 doubles, a triple, and a home run. He also was becoming a quality defensive outfielder. Not bad, considering he had been a shortstop throughout his high school days and transitioned to the outfield because a spot was open. At that time, his coach asked, "How comfortable are you in the outfield?" to which Contreras replied, "If I'm in the lineup, it doesn't matter. I'd love to play." "I proved to myself that I could play college baseball. You never know. Maybe I'll get an opportunity. When it didn't happen, I said OK, on to the senior year." As a senior, he hit .366/.427/.558 (.985) with 11 doubles, eight triples, and two home runs. He had also had several conversations with scouts, including Twins southern California area scout John Leavitt (a veteran of nearly 35 seasons in the Twins organization). Contreras noted, "It was a crazy feeling. John Leavitt gave me a great feeling when he talked about possibly being drafted by the Twins. That comfort. That trust. Hey, this could possibly be happening. He stayed in contact with me the most throughout the process. I was excited when he called me on the second day of the draft and said we might be taking you in the next few rounds." As a senior in the draft, it's hard to know what will happen. You could be a senior signed, selected in the top ten rounds to manipulate a team's bonus pool, or you could be selected any round later. On Day 2 of the 2017 draft, Contreras was at home, watching the draft with his sister. During the seventh round, Leavitt made a phone call to Mark, telling him to be ready, that the Twins could take him in the eighth or ninth round. Regarding where he might be drafted, Contreras wasn't too concerned. "Doesn't matter. Take that next step. Get my foot in the door. Then from there, we'll show them again. I was blessed to be drafted in the ninth round as a senior sign, which didn't matter to me because I'm there, I'm here. Thanks to the Minnesota Twins for that and for making this dream come true. Now the next step in this journey is to get to the big leagues, and going through the minors has been fun. You learn something every year, even every day. I'm excited about the opportunity and to be in the position I'm in. Excited to be here, and we'll see." Another goal? He is just a few credits shy of completing his degree from UC-Riverside in Business Management and takes a couple of classes each offseason. ********************************************** Contreras has enjoyed his time in St. Paul. "The city of St. Paul is very nice. It's opening back up and there are some nice breakfast spots. I'm a big brunch person, so I love going to a nice little breakfast before the game." He loves playing at CHS Field and the atmosphere of the ballpark. "The things they do throughout the game to keep it lively for the fans. It's a great fan experience, I believe. It's fun. The field is beautiful. They take care of it. The locker room is nice. We have everything we need." Another nice feature of CHS Field for the players? It's 12 1/2 miles from Target Field. "We're 20 minutes from Target Field, and being so close to that… We know we're so close." He has seen many of his current and former teammates get The Call, and not only is he excited for them, but he is also motivated by them. "It's definitely amazing to see my teammates that I grinded a whole year at High-A or Double-A with getting their opportunity to be in the big leagues. Not just there and back, but proving that they can be in the big leagues. Trevor Larnach. Alex Kirilloff. Luis Arraez is one of the best hitters I've seen. Griffin Jax got his opportunity this year, and he's doing what he needs to do. Charlie Barnes just got called up the other day, and he had a great outing for his first start. We were drafted in the same year. I know there's a lot more that I've played with. Akil Baddoo is getting his opportunity. It's very motivating because it shows that they're getting the chance to show, I can be a part of this long term. I can contribute to the end goal here of winning ball games and having fun doing it. Just seeing them be able to do that and have success is very motivating, but playing alongside Larnach and Kirilloff in High-A and AA the last few years. I played with Arraez in High-A. He's doing what he's doing, and talking to him and having a relationship with him is very motivating. He always tells me, just keep doing what you're doing. Keep hitting. Have great at-bats." What does it mean to Mark Contreras, being one phone call away from the big leagues, to get The Call himself? "I mean, that's a lifelong dream. I feel like that's the cliche answer, for sure, but it just shows that with the work we put in in the past, we're going in the right direction. It would mean everything, honestly. But the work doesn't stop when you get there. What I've always heard is that it's hard to get there and very hard to stay there. So you've always got to be on, at 100%, do what you need to do to survive, and help the team succeed in winning games, whether it's defense, offense, pinch-run, pinch-hit. I believe that's where the actual work starts. All of this (minor leagues) is just prep for the main stage. Att the main stage, that's when everything counts. There can be no stone left unturned when you get there. You have to perform from Day 1.” He added, "I want to have a big-league career. I don't want to just get there and bounce back." Until then, he knows that there is more work to be done. "I'm not there, so the goal is to take care of the What, and then the When will happen. That's the mindset I have. I can't worry about somewhere I'm not right now. I have to worry about today, the game we have today. One day at a time. I tell everybody. My goal is to get two hits every game, but you can't get two hits with one swing. You have to take care of the first one before you take care of the second one. That's just always how I've been. I can't worry about something somewhere I'm not because it can be a distraction. But definitely, the end goal is I want to be a big leaguer." And he wants to see Target Field. He hasn't been there before, so if and when that big-league promotion comes, it will be a memorable, 20-minute trip. View full article

Rosario's definitely a power guy...

Dude has an OPS over .900 in St. Paul too and leads minor league baseball in home runs... Yes, he needs to find a way to make more contact, but when he does, it's usually hard contact. Also, I would love for him to become Adam Dunn...

Brent Rooker has been called up by the Twins. The second part of that now is that he will just need to play, almost daily.

I don't know if they promised him starts or not, but he's been good before, and can be again. He accepted the assignment, but the Twins have gone to other pitchers when needed. We have to again remember that this season is also about keeping pitchers healthy after not pitching last year. We've seen how many pitchers have been brought in. Still have to get through half the minor league schedule. Lots of innings.

Probably... Jax and Barnes both made spot starts for the Twins. Winder can only start when it's his turn. Shoemaker can pitch in the big leagues. Albers and Shepherd are also making starts there. But Strotman will likely take one spot and then Ryan when he gets back.

Yeah, I think we'll update our Prospect Rankings a little more often, maybe monthly... add these guys, plus the top draft picks, etc.