Seth Stohs

The last couple of days, we announced our choices for the JuneTwins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Month (Jose Miranda) and Starting Pitcher of the Month (Josh Winder). Today, we will discuss the relief pitchers who pitched well and dominated in the season’s second month. In May, many, if not most, of the pitchers in the system were piggybacking, so it was hard to distinguish ‘starters’ from ‘relievers,’ and that made sense. In June, there were a few more pitchers who were used more consistently out of the bullpen and a few really distinguished this month. Here are four relief pitchers who were great in June, but let’s start with some Honorable Mentions: RHP Steven Cruz, Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels - 6 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.57 WHIP, 12.1 IP, 2 hits, 5 walks, 22 strikeouts. RHP Matthew Swain, Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels - 8 G, 1.93 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 14.0 IP, 7 hits, 4 walks, 19 strikeouts. LHP Zach Neff, Wichita Wind Surge - 9 G, 1.98 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 13.2 IP, 9 hits, 2 walks, 20 strikeouts. LHP Jovani Moran, Wichita Wind Surge - 9 G, 2.51 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 14.1 IP, 5 hits, 5 walks, 27 strikeouts. LHP Andrew Vasquez, St. Paul Saints - 9 G, 3.21 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 14.0 IP, 7 hits, 7 walks, 25 strikeouts. THE TOP FOUR RELIEF PITCHERS #4 - RHP Jordan Gore - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 9 G, 1.80 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 20.0 IP, 6 H, 9 BB, 27 K You know the story. Gore was the Twins 19th round pick in 2017 out of Coastal Carolina… as a shortstop. In fact, in 2019, he was the main starting shortstop until late in the season when Royce Lewis was called up. However, it was also at that time that Gore and the Twins started the conversation about moving to the mound. That transition started at the end of that season, but with the pandemic, he hasn’t been able to show off in his new position until this year. It took a little bit. In May, he struck out 22 batters in 13 2/3 innings, but he had a 4.61 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. In June, he was fantastic. He worked a lot. 20 innings for a reliever in the minors is a lot. He kept his strikeout rate over 12 per nine. Opponents hit just .098 off of him! As impressive as the numbers, his stuff has come along quickly. Yes, he throws a mid-90s fastball, but he knows he needs more than that. If you watch him throw, he throws a lot of changeups and sliders, and both appear to have some potential. #3 - LHP Zach Featherstone - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 9 G, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 15.0 IP, 5 H, 10 BB, 25 K Featherstone was the Twins 12th round pick in 2016 out of community college. Like Gore, he was a position player. After one season splitting time between first base and the outfield, he moved to the mound. He pitched in 12 games in the GCL in 2017. In 2018, he got hurt, and when the GCL season started, he worked in three games to see how he was progressing. It was determined that he needed Tommy John surgery. He missed the 2019 season. He was ready to work some in the GCL late in the season, but a hurricane ended that season early. 2020 pandemic meant another season lost. So this spring when he finally got the chance to pitch again, he was very excited. In fact, in his first inning with the Kernels, he threw one pitch at 97 mph. Again, it took him some time to get into a groove. In May, he posted a 5.40 ERA and a 2.40 WHIP in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out 11 but walked nine. In June, he found the strike zone and showed dominance. Batters hit just .106 off of him. He throws into the mid-90s and has a sharp slider. He’s left-handed and certainly is worth watching. #2 - RHP Osiris German - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels - 6 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.57 WHIP, 12.1 IP, 2 H, 5 BB, 22 K. German signed with the Twins back in 2016 from San Cristobal in the Dominican Republic. The 22-year-old has worked slowly up the ladder. He spent parts of 2017 and 2018 in the DSL. He ended the 2018 season in the GCL. In 2019, he posted a 3.11 ERA over 37 2/3 innings. He struck out 47. After missing the 2020 season, he made the move to the full season with the Mighty Mussels. In May, he posted a 6.55 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP over 11 innings. In June, he put up incredible numbers, several of them were zero, including the number of runs allowed. I mean, he gave up just two hits over the full month. Opponents hit just .053 against him. One report told me that he has a “Devin Williams-like changeup that is a plus-plus pitch.” That certainly is intriguing too. And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is: LHP Denny Bentley - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels - 7 G, 1.35 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, 13.1 IP, 4 H, 5 BB, 25 K Denny Bentley was the Twins 33rd round draft pick in 2018 out of Howard College in Texas. He posted a 2.60 ERA over 17 1/3 innings. He struck out 21. In 2019, he moved up to Elizabethton and had some ups and downs. In 19 games, he went 2-3 with two saves. He had a 4.38 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. When the E-Twins season ended, the Triple-A Red Wings needed some help on the final weekend. Bentley got that opportunity and made the best of it. He tossed two scoreless innings and gave up only a walk. He also struck out two batters. He also pitched for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in the playoffs. Like the others, Bentley did not pitch in 2020. As you might expect, it took Bentley a little while to get things going. In May, he posted a 7.15 ERA and a 2.29 WHIP over 11 1/3 innings. While he struck out 18 batters, he gave up 15 hits and 11 walks. However, it was night-and-day and Bentley earned the top spot on this list. Along with giving up just seven base runners over 13 1/3 innings, he was dominant striking out 25 batters (16.9 K/9). Opponents hit just .095/.184/.143 (.327). His control and command greatly and quickly improved. Also, his stuff just got much sharper. As you can see, there were several solid relief pitcher performances in June. These guys are all worthy of some recognition. It was a good month for each of these pitchers. Congratulations to Denny Bentley, the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month for June 2021. View full article

I think the idea of ADDING at the deadline for the Twins this year is long gone. Also, Gibson will get the Rangers a huge haul as he has been one of the best pitchers in the American League all season (after Opening Day, of course).

No win for Emmy's 106th Birthday (though I heard the party was great! The Minnesota Twins fell to the Royals again on Saturday afternoon to extend their losing streak to five games. Box Score Griffin Jax: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K Home Runs: Trevor Larnach (6) Bottom 3 WPA: Griffin Jax (-0.368), Alex Kirilloff (-0.129), Luis Arraez (-0.094) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Jax Makes First Start After earning his first MLB Win in his previous appearance, the Twins sent Griffin Jax to the mound on Saturday afternoon for his first major-league start. He struggled in the first inning. It started with a 10-pitch plate appearance for Whit Merrifield. Then Jorge Soler had a long at bat. Jax needed almost 30 pitches to work out of the first inning (without allowing a run, mind you). He then breezed through the second and third innings. Unfortunately, he ran into trouble again in the fourth inning. He gave up four runs and then gave up two more in the fifth inning. While he walked three batters, Jax threw 58 of his 88 pitches for strikes (65.9%). After Derek Law tossed two scoreless innings, Danny Coulombe pitched a scoreless eighth frame. I think that Jax can find several positives from the first three innings, but he can (and presumably will) learn a lot from all five innings. It's also very likely that had the Twins been in a different place in the standings, Jax probably would have been removed earlier in the fourth inning. But, it's all about development, and Jax was able to do just that. Donaldson Leaves Game Early Stop me if you've heard this before, Josh Donaldson was rounding first base on a hard smash when his looked as if he'd been shot in the back of the hamstring. Somehow, he continued to hobble toward second base and was safe with a double. Wisely, the Twins took him out of the game. It was later announced that Donaldson left with a tight hamstring. He was trying to remain in the game, and actually didn't look too bad. However, it's a long season. That means two different things. First, there were rumors late this week about the Twins and Mets having "preliminary discussions" about Donaldson, so no sense in letting him get hurt further. Also, if he isn't traded, he does still have two years left on his contract (plus an option), so no sense in seeing him make it worse by trying to score from second on a possible two-out single. Larnach Launch The Twins faced a lefty in Danny Duffy on Saturday. It seems that Baldelli & Company are going with a rotation when the team faces southpaws. Two of the Max Kepler, Luis Arraez, Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach group start versus lefties with the other two on the bench. It seems this playing time is spread fairly evenly. On this day, Trevor Larnach was not in the starting lineup. However, a series of events put Gilberto Celestino in right field, and when a right-handed reliever entered the game, Larnach was called on to pinch hit and play the rest of the game. He responded with a hard-hit single, and then hit a LONG home run in the eighth inning off of Greg Holland. It was his sixth home run on the season. Celestino Holding His Own Before Larnach pinch-hit for him, Celestino was 1-for-2 with a double. He also threw out Hunter Dozier at the plate, showing off a strong arm. Since starting his MLB career by going 0-for-15, he is hitting .250 (7-for-28) with two doubles and two home runs. He has also played much better defense since the nervous blunders the first couple of games. Are those great numbers? Certainly not. But when we remember that he should be playing, arguably, in Double-A Wichita and has been pushed into big-league action before he was ready, it is encouraging for his future to see the adjustments he has made. And, as noted in the header, it's probably much more fun to play when you aren't just overwhelmed. Postgame Interview Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT Coulombe 43 0 0 16 7 66 Duffey 15 0 0 13 0 28 Thielbar 0 16 0 0 0 16 Robles 0 0 34 0 0 34 Law 0 0 32 0 34 66 Colomé 0 14 0 17 0 31 Rogers 0 0 0 22 0 22 Alcala 0 0 19 0 0 19 Jax 0 0 0 0 88 88 View full article

Agreed... though I admit that I took that picture 2 days ago!! Very impressive young lady!

He has a minor hamstring injury. Sounds like he should be back in the lineup soon.

Agreed... especially now after a missed season. Will they be Hall of Famers? Probably not, but there is no reason to think they can't be big leaguers (even though the odds for any minor leaguer is never real high).

Have to? It's so good we GET to listen to it... I did watch it on Disney+ too, and it's good... but really long! Great stuff as always @RandBalls Stu!

On Saturday, Perham resident Emmy Rosen will be celebrating a remarkable milestone with a party in her honor. However, at least some of (OK, a majority of) her focus and attention will be cheering for the Twins even though she’s not happy with them and their 2021 season right now. “I know one thing about a birthday,” said Emmy Rosen from her reclining chair in her Perham Living nursing home room. “One year older.” OK, maybe. However, turning 106 years old is a pretty big milestone! In 1915, Emmy Matz was born near Perham in west Central Minnesota. She grew up in a farming family and attended a country grade school through the eighth grade. Because their farm was 12 miles from Perham, she was done with school at that point. She married Herb Rosen and the couple were together for 45 years. Emmy’s family enjoyed baseball. She has fond memories of playing as a kid. “My dad made us a bat. It was pretty wide so we could hit good.” Back in the middle years of the 20th century, town team baseball was big. Hundreds if not more than a thousand people would attend the Sunday afternoon Perham Pirates game, especially when the legendary Roy “Fireball” Martin was pitching. “Even my mom and dad came into town from the country (for Pirates games). My dad would park the car early enough and then walk back to our house. Then mom and dad went with Herb and me.” Her mother was unable to sit in the bleachers by then, so having the car in a strategic location became very important. Others will tell you, and verify, that some people left their cars around the ball field on Saturday just to make sure that they had a good spot to watch the game. But Emmy wasn’t always a big fan of watching baseball on TV. If we’re being honest, baseball on TV simply wasn’t available for most people. However, Herb was a big fan and really enjoyed watching the Twins. “Herb liked to watch baseball, but I was never that interested in them. I thought, well, if Herb liked to watch it, I want him to watch it. He said, ‘Why don’t you just sit down and watch them. You will like them.’ I did it, and I did learn to like them a lot.” When Herb passed away in the late ‘80s, Emmy continued to watch the Twins and her love for the team only grew. She pointed out, “Baseball is the only sport I really like. I know the football games are good too, but I don’t understand them enough.” She has her favorite players over the years. “Oh, (Joe) Mauer. (Justin) Morneau. Torii Hunter. Oh gosh. Kirby Puckett, that was a long time ago. Kent Hrbek. All those guys. Dan Gladden, oh, he helped win the Series.” She remembers watching both World Series championships (1987 and 1991). “They were very exciting!” To this day, as Emmy Rosen is about to turn 106 years old young, she watches nearly every Twins game on the TV in her room. She joked, “How many games are there each year? 162? I watch a lot more than that.” “I usually watch them play if I have time… (pause for dramatic effect)... as if I’m busy.” she said with a sly chuckle. On Thursday, the Twins played an afternoon game in Chicago. Emmy likes to walk and still moves around pretty well, especially considering her age. She takes some walks with Fern, who lives across the hall at the nursing home. “I always tell her. There is a game, and when it is over, it might be 4 o’clock.” Fern is OK with that, and they walk after the game’s final out. It was surprising to hear that Emmy has only been to one Twins game, and it was over 40 years ago. As mentioned in the first paragraph, Emmy is not happy with the 2021 Twins season. She said, “I don’t like it. I don’t like that they are not very good right now. No.” She went on to talk about the tough one-run loss to the White Sox on Tuesday night in detail. She does like the team’s players though. When I asked who her favorite players on the current Twins roster are, Emmy got a big smile and said, “Oh, I like Buxton!” She just wants him to be healthy and play because she enjoys watching him so much. She continued, “Oh, and (Alex) Kirilloff. He’s good! Of course, (Nelson) Cruz is good too.” Again, on Saturday, Emmy Rosen will turn 106 years young. Asked what she would like as a gift from the Twins, she said matter-of-factly, “Win the game!” We often hear that the Twins are very popular in nursing homes around Twins Territory. I don’t know if that can truly be quantified, but here is one example of how important the Twins are to people who are no longer mobile. From what I am told, she is not the only resident at Perham Living who loves watching the Twins play almost every game. There is a reason that the Twins Winter Caravan holds so many stops at nursing homes. “The Minnesota Twins are blessed with a loyal and passionate base of fans,” Twins President & CEO Dave St. Peter said. “However no sector of that fandom is more dedicated than our beloved seniors. Simply put, Twins baseball is must-see programming – every day, all season long – in every senior living facility across Twins Territory.” Happy Birthday Emmy! Let’s hope you celebrate your 106th Birthday with a Win from the Twins! View full article

I edited/updated to include positions with each player's name. Not an easy one this month as several players have played several positions... which is good.

Of course, Civale, Plesac and Bieber were never "real prospects" either... So, it's also OK to hope and dream on guys like Ober, Jax and Barnes too...

Thank you!!

If I included DSL players in the book, Gil probably would have ranked toward the bottom of the Top 30... maybe. Again, they knew his talent. He was already in the upper 90s and touched 100. But he had like 7 levels to move up.

Last November, the decision was easy on Baddoo or Celestino. If the Twins had added Baddoo to the 40 man roster at that time, he would have been behind Celestino on the depth chart. He probably wouldn't have played much in spring training. He would have started this season, probably, in Cedar Rapids, but maybe in Wichita. Again, the Twins knew how good Baddoo had the potential to be. Celestino has just as much potential. And he was helpful. Of course Celestino looks overwhelmed now. He should be at Wichita, or at least St. Paul. Yes, Baddoo could have been at the alternate site. But he wasn't ready to play at the start of last season. He was in Ft. Myers during the 2020 spring training. Whitefield wasn't at the alternate site. He was on the Opening Day roster solely because of his speed and defense (pinch runner and late-inning defensive replacement) when the rosters were expanded at the start of the season. As soon as the rosters dropped, he was DFAd and sent home.

The original deal with Atlanta was for Nick Burdi, but Atlanta didn't like his medicals. In our rankings, we had them something like 17th and 18th. When the Twins have DFAd guys and been able to make a trade, they have received similar players in return too. Some potential and a LONG way to go.

Not sure if people saw this or not... I participated in the Prospects Live MLB Mock Draft on Friday. I made picks 26, 36 and 61 for the Twins. Check out who I took... and why.

Absolutely normal for AAA rosters to be like that. Before the season, I though the Saints were pretty lucky and might get prospects like Kirilloff, Larnach, maybe Jeffers, Duran... But instead, Rooker, Jax and Ober have been the prospects there. Whitefield has been very good again.

Only had to wait a couple of hours!

Done. He had a very nice June in Cedar Rapids.

Thoughts on Baddoo are above. I enjoy(ed) chatting with him and all knew his talent. Still no problem with taking that risk that he wouldn't stick. I really, really like Wade. I like his style of player, but with Buxton and Kepler there, and Kirilloff, Larnach and Rooker coming, I definitely understand trading from excess to add at a position of need. And then Jake Cave vs LaMonte Wade chat was again understandable. I liked Wade a little more, but I also think Cave was pretty good for two years as a fourth outfielder. He got overexposed earlier this year and obviously was playing hurt. Nick Anderson was absolutely a miss. I don't think any of us understood that move at that time. But... if we're being fair, we also would have added Jake Reed to the 40 man roster on several occasions. I didn't understand that Zack Littell decision as well. But we also didn't understand the decision not to bring back Matt Wisler. Luis Gil is exciting, but when you're in the process of trying to win, that's the type of deal that happens. You get a guy who helps you for 3-4 years in a role for a guy who, we knew threw upper-90s, but hadn't pitched above the DSL. Hard to get upset about that one.

I think most thought he had a very good chance of being selected in the Rule 5 draft. I don't think that many thought he would stick with the other team just because he really hadn't played more than a dozen games in High-A and hadn't played in almost two years. The decision on Baddoo was and is absolutely defensible. They knew his talent level.

While the Saints continued to struggle, the Wind Surge, Kernels and Mighty Mussels continued to play well and are over .500. There were transactions galore on Monday. And, it was Opening Day in the FCL!! Check out the Twins FCL roster. As always, I welcome your feedback on what you would like to see from these Week in Review articles, so let me know in the comments below. Of course, I also encourage you to read Nick’s Twins Week in Review from yesterday. Before we get started, the Twins made a flurry of pretty big transactions throughout the system on Monday: RHP Josh Winder promoted from Wichita to St. Paul. IF Jose Miranda promoted from Wichita to St. Paul. LHP Bryan Sammons sent from St. Paul to Wichita. OF/1B Trey Cabbage promoted from Cedar Rapids to Wichita. IF Spencer Steer promoted from Cedar Rapids to Wichita. IF Yeltsin Encarnacion sent from Wichita to Cedar Rapids. IF/LF Edouard Julien promoted from Ft. Myers to Cedar Rapids. With that, let’s look at Week 8 in the Twins minor leagues: RESULTS Triple-A: St. Paul Saints: Week (2-4 at Columbus), overall (21-26) Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge: Week (5-1 at Midland), overall (28-20) High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels: Week (4-2, hosting Lansing), overall (26-22) Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels: Week (3-3 at Palm Beach), overall (28-20) IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Here are the week’s Twins minor league-related articles. Twins Minor League Week in Review: Kernels Jump Over .500 Twins Claim RHP Beau Burrows off Waivers Tuesday: Mark and Miranda Mash Wednesday: Winder Wows, Rooker Rakes, Bechtold Blasts Thursday: Cabbage Crushes, Miranda Continues Success Friday: A Dismal Day on the Farm Confidence and Patience are Keys for Wander Javier Saturday: Contreras Crushes for Saints Sunday: The Surge Goes On for Wichita 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 8 performances too. However, kind of cool to see both of the Twins choices get promoted to Triple-A. Twins Player of the Week: Jose Miranda, Wichita Wind Surge Miranda just continues to rake, and he may have had his best week of the season. In six games and 29 plate appearances, he hit .481/.517/.778 (1.295) with two doubles and two homers. Miranda has played in 47 of 48 Wind Surge games. He has hit .345/.408/.588 (.996) with eight doubles and 13 homers. He also leads the organization with 38 RBI. Twins Pitcher of the Week: Josh Winder, Wichita Wind Surge Another repeat choice, Winder is back on the list. In his start this week, he gave up one run on four hits over seven innings. He struck out seven without issuing a walk. On the season, Winder has made 10 starts. He is 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA. In 54 2/3 innings, the 24-year-old has struck out 65 batters and walked just ten. Other Strong Performances this Week St. Paul Saints Mark Contreras was a minor league Gold Glove outfielder in 2019. This week, he put up huge numbers for the Saints. In six games and 25 plate appearances, he hit .409/.480/.909 (1.389) with two doubles and three homers. In the series in Columbus, Contreras had 20 total bases and three homers. Brent Rooker continues to hit for a low average while bashing the ball and getting on base. In five games, he hit .235/.435/.588 (1.023) with three doubles and a home run. He currently has a streak of reaching base safely in 15 consecutive games. Lefty Andrew Vasquez pitched twice and tossed 4 1/3 innings. He gave up zero runs, zero hits, walked none and struck out six batters. Long-time MLB veteran Nick Vincent joined the team and pitched twice, working a scoreless inning each time. Bryan Sammons went five innings in his start this week. He gave up just one run on two hits over five innings. However, he did walk four and struck out three. Ian Hamilton hasn't allowed an earned run since May 18th. That covers 11 games and 16 innings. The 11 outings rank tied for fifth-longest in the Triple-A East. Wichita Wind Surge Along with Miranda, BJ Boyd had a big week. The “outfielder-turned football player-turned back to the outfield” played in all six games. He hit .381/.480/.619 (1.099) with two doubles and a homer. Aaron Whitefield had a strong week. He hit .407/.429/.556 (.984) with a double and a homer. He also stole four bases. He is now hitting .314 on the season. Andrew Bechtold has really come on after a slow start. During this week, he hit .261/.320/.609 (.929) with two doubles and two homers. In four games, David Banuelos hit .385/.529/.385 (.914). While Winder had one terrific start, Austin Schulfer had two terrific starts. Over 11 combined innings, the righty from Wisconsin-Milwaukee did not allow a run. He gave up seven hits, walked four and struck out 13 batters. What a week! On Sunday, Chris Vallimont tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out nine. Cedar Rapids Kernels If we’re looking for highlights, Gabriel Maciel was certainly one. In five games, he hit .357/.438/.571 (1.009). And...how about his walk-off grand slam this week? Also nice to see outfielder DaShawn Keirsey return from his hamstring injury. He went 2-for-3 on Sunday with a double and a three-run inside-the-park home run. Trey Cabbage led the offense this week. In six games, he hit .300/.348/.700 (1.048) with two doubles, two homers and six RBI. The Kernels got some big hits this past week, but man, did they ever get some great pitching performances! Tyler Beck tossed four scoreless innings (2 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts). Andrew Cabezas tossed five scoreless innings (4 hits, 2 walks, six strikeouts). Ben Gross gave up two unearned runs over five innings (4 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts. Jon Olsen tossed five scoreless innings (1 hit, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts. Kody Funderburk had a strange start too. He walked six batters in four innings, but he didn’t give up a run, or even a hit. Zach Featherstone gave up an unearned run over 3 2/3 innings this week. He gave up just one hit, walked two and struck out seven batters. Derek Molina tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He gave up two hits, walked none and struck out six. Ft. Myers Might Mussels Infielder Will Holland hit .267/.500/.467 (.967) with three doubles. He also had six walks over his five games played. Sawyer Gipson-Long gave up just one run on six hits over six innings this week in his start. He struck out five. Bobby Milacki gave up one run on five hits over five innings. He struck out six without issuing a walk. Miguel Rodriguez and Louie Varland each had a start in which they gave up two runs (1 earned) on seven hits and a walk over 4 2/3 innings. Osiris German and Matthew Swain each struck out four batters over three scoreless innings (in two games) this past week. 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 was another rough week for Keon Broxton. He played in four games and went 1-for-15 (.067) with 10 strikeouts in 16 plate appearances. The Saints had a couple of rough starts. Rob Whalen gave up seven runs on seven hits and four walks over just 2 2/3 innings. Charlie Barnes had a rough start… actually a rough inning. However, he was able to recover from a seven run (6 ER) inning to provide five innings. Wichita Wind Surge Caleb Hamilton played all six games. He went 3-for-21 (.143), though he did get on base 31% of his 26 plate appearances. Minnesota native Jordan Milbrath continued to struggle. He came into one game with a big lead. He gave up three runs on two hits and a walk and recorded just one out. In four games and 5 1/3 innings, he has now walked 11 batters. Cedar Rapids Kernels Max Smith played in all six games, but he went just 1-for-19 (.053) with nine strikeouts. Michael Helman went 1-for-18 (.056) over five games. Alex Isola played in four games and went 1-for-11 (.091), though he got on base at a 33% clip. Ft. Myers Might Mussels Willie Joe Garry went 4-for-19 (.211). Aaron Sabato went 3-for-21 (.167), though he did walk five times. Trending Storyline Monday was Opening Day in the Florida Complex League. Yes, that is the league formerly known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). With the elimination of minor league affiliates last offseason, the Twins no longer have a rookie-league team in Elizabethton, Tennessee. Instead, players not with full-season affiliates remain at the Florida Complex. Hence, the Florida Complex League. With the new creative naming conventions in minor league baseball this year, I’m sure you’ll be shocked to read that there is also an Arizona Complex League. So, Monday was Opening Day in the FCL, and the FCL Twins hosted the FCL Orioles. I believe they even played at Hammond Stadium. The Twins lost by a score of 6-1. (Box Score). Below is the roster, so check out which players will be playing in the FCL to start their season. While we know very little about many of these players because most have played in the DSL, or not at all yet after signing, we do know that this is a melting pot of players from around the globe. You’ll also notice there is a strong representation from the Dominican Republic. I have included their age and where they are from. Please note that some of the older players on the roster have been recently signed out of independent leagues and have yet to be added to a full-season roster. The FCL Twins will be managed by Takashi Miyoshi. There will be four pitching coaches (Dan Urbina, Calvin Maduro, Jared Gaynor, Bobby Hearn). There will be two hitting coaches (Shawn Schlecter, Seth Conner). Yeison Perez and Brad McKenney will also be coaches on the team. Right-Handed Pitchers Cole Bellair (24, USA) Donny Breek (21, Netherlands) Rafael Feliz (20, Dominican Republic) Giovahniey German (20, USA) Landon Leach (21, Canada) - 2nd round pick in 2017, he hasn’t pitched since 2018 due to a variety of injuries. Juan Mendez (22, Dominican Republic) Erasmo Moreno (18, Venezuela) Danny Moreno (21, Venezuela) Matt Mullenbach (24, USA) Ramon Pineda (23, Dominican Republic) - Yes, Michael Pineda’s brother. Zaquiel Puentes (20, Venezuela) John Stankiewicz (22, USA) Lucas Sweany (22, USA) Joseph Yabbour (17, Venezuela) Marco Raya, IL (18, USA) Niklas Rimmel, IL (22, Germany) Left-Handed Pitchers Develson Aria (20, Dominican Republic) Elpidio Perez (22, Dominican Republic) Samuel Perez (21, Venezuela) Wilker Reyes (19, Dominican Republic) Aaron Rozek (25, USA) - Burnsville native. Ryan Hortsman, IL (28, USA) Jesus Toledo, IL (21, Venezuela) Catchers Wilfri Castro (20, Dominican Republic) Willy Diaz-Vasquez (21, Dominican Republic) Nick Garland (25, USA) Frank Nigro (23, USA) Ricardo Olivar (19, Venezuela) Laron Smith (20, Canada) Amilcar Vasquez (19, Venezuela) Infielders Rubel Cespedes (20, Dominican Republic) Jesus Feliz (21, Dominican Republic) Luis Gomez (20, Dominican Republic) Alexander Pena (19, Venezuela) Breilin Ramirez (18, Domincan Republic) Jose Rodriguez (19, Venezuela) Yonardy Soto (18, Dominican Republic) Wander Valdez (21, Dominican Republic) Jim Caceres, IL (20, Dominican Republic) Outfielders Carlos Aguiar (19, Venezuela) Luis Baez (20, Domincan Republic) Rhodery Diaz (20, Dominican Republic) Nelson Roberto (20, Dominican Republic) Emmanuel Rodriguez (18, Dominican Republic) Kala’i Rosario (19, USA) Malfrin Sosa (18, Dominican Republic) Miguel Vallejo (19, Dominican Republic) Please feel free to ask questions about these players if you have any. PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects have performed on the season (as well as too many unfortunate injuries). The Top 20 Prospect Rankings will be updated very soon. #1 - Alex Kirilloff (Minnesota) – St. Paul (2 rehab games, went 3-6 with 2 homers, 2 K), Minnesota (42 games, .260/.303/.442 (.745) with 8 doubles, 1 triple, 6 homers, 26 RBI, 10 BB, 36 K) #2 - Royce Lewis (Wichita) - Out for Season (torn ACL) #3 - Trevor Larnach (Minnesota) – St. Paul (3 games, went 3-11 with two homers, two walks, 8 strikeouts), Minnesota (41 games, .250/.359/.417 (.776) with 7 doubles, 5 homers, 13 RBI, 18 BB, 45 K) #4 - Ryan Jeffers (Minnesota) – St. Paul (24 games, .217/.340/.446 (.786) with four doubles, five homers, 16 BB, 26 K), Minnesota (28 games, .200/.269/.411 (.680) with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs, 14 RBI, 9 BB, 37 K) #5 - 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) #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – 5 GS, 18.2 IP, 26 H, 6 BB, 27 K, 5.79 ERA, 1.71 WHIP #7 - Keoni Cavaco (Ft. Myers) – 28 games, .264/.333/.340 (.673) with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 11 RBI, 10 BB, 32 K, 4 SB (on Injured List, Concussion) #8 - Aaron Sabato (Ft. Myers) – 47 games, .182/.381/.296 (.676) with 9 doubles, 3 homers, 17 RBI, 47 BB, 66 K #9 - 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) #10 - 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) #11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesotal) – Wichita (21 games, .250/.344/.381 (.725) with 5 doubles, 2 homers. 11 BB, 24 K), Minnesota (12 games, .105/.128/.211 (.339) with 1 BB, 8 K) #12 - Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – St. Paul (40 games, .226/.371/.511 (.882) with 6 doubles, 11 homers, 28 BB, 53 K), Minnesota (8 games, .103/.133/.241 (375) with 1 double, 1 homer, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 13 K) #13 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – 17 games, .333/.384/.621 (1.005) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 14 RBI, 5 BB, 28 K. (on IL after having hamate bone surgery) #14 - Misael Urbina (Ft. Myers) – 40 games, .200/.302/.280 (582) with 3 doubles, 3 triples, 1 homer, 24 RBI, 21 BB, 38 K, 7 SB) #15 - Cole Sands (Wichita) – 7 GS, 31.2 IP, 22 H, 18 BB, 42 K, 2.84 ERA, 1.26 WHIP (about to go on the IL) #16 - Edwar Colina (Minnesota) - 60-Day IL (had surgery on his right elbow to remove bone chips) #17 - Ben Rortvedt (Minnesota) – St. Paul (5 games, .286/.318/.571 (.890) with 3 doubles, 1 homer, 1 BB, 6 K), Minnesota (21 games, .140/.189/.220 (409) with 1 double, 1 homer, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 20 K) #18 - Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A (injured) #19 - Jose Miranda (Wichita) – 47 games, .345/.408/.588 (996) with 8 doubles, 13 homers, 38 RBI, 17 BB, 25 K (promoted to AAA St. Paul on Monday) #20 - Bailey Ober (St. Paul) – St. Paul (4 GS, 16.0 IP, 13 H, 5 BB, 21 K, 2.81 ERA, 1.13 WHIP), Minnesota (5 GS, 21.1 IP, 24 H, 4 BB, 23 K, 4.64 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) LOOKING AHEAD Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (Miguel Rodriguez, Brent Headrick, TBD, Sawyer Gipson-Long, Louie Varland, Bobby Milacki): Lansing @ Cedar Rapids:(Tyler Watson, Ben Gross, Cody Laweryson, Tyler Beck, Kody Funderburk, Jon Olsen) Wichita @ Midland: (Jason Garcia, Jordan Balazovic, Bryan Sammons, Chris Vallimont, Austin Schulfer, Jason Garcia) Iowa @ St. Paul: (Yennier Cano (opener)/Rob Whalen, Andrew Albers, Michael Pineda (Rehab), Charlie Barnes, TBD, TBD): Feel free to provide some feedback below regarding these reports. What do you like to read? What types of information would you like added? Also, feel free to ask any questions you like. View full article