Seth Stohs

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey (photo of CJ Culpepper) TRANSACTIONS The Mussels placed OF Jacob McCombs on the 7-Day Injured List with spasms in his left quad. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 1, Toledo 2 Box Score Klein Shines in First Saints Start, but Offense Falls Short in Toledo John Klein made his first start (fourth appearance) for the Saints since his promotion from Wichita, and it was a good one, going six innings, giving up just two runs (one earned), and striking out six. But he fell to 0-2 with the Saints behind a quiet offense. The Mudhens grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. The Saints got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning on Gabriel Gonzalez’s fourth Saints homer. The 21-year-old appears to really enjoy hitting in Toledo. Gonzalez has three home runs in four games there this week. Unfortunately, the Saints managed just four hits and two walks in the game. Noah Cardenas had a single and a walk. Cody Laweryson struck out three batters over two perfect innings. Travis Adams struck out two in a perfect ninth inning. Walker Jenkins went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. Through his first four games, he is 1-for-15 (.067) with a double, two walks, and five strikeouts. Carson McCusker went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Arkansas 0 Box Score Rucker Provides the Power While Culpepper, Four Relievers, Complete Shutout With the exception of the bottom of the fourth inning, there were no runs scored in this game. Fortunately, the Wind Surge were played at their home ballpark and hit in the bottom half throughout the game. With one out, Nate Baez and Ben Ross singled. With two outs, Jake Rucker’s sixth home run of the season drove in all three runs. The Wind Surge had just four hits. Three came in that fourth inning. The only other hit was a Kaelen Culpepper double, his seventh with Wichita. But in any shutout, the big story has to be the pitching, and C.J. Culpepper is putting himself in a better situation with every outing. He certainly appears to be back at full health. For the third straight outing, Culpepper tossed five innings. It is the second time in a row that he gave up no runs and he’s given up just one run over his last three starts. In five starts in August, he is 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA in 23 innings. From there, Michael Martinez, John Stankiewicz, Hunter Hoopes, and Kade Bragg each pitched a scoreless inning. For Bragg, it marked his third save since joining the Wind Surge. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Beloit 5 (10 innings) Box Score Cubs Homers Top Kernels to Take Game and Series 4-2. The Kernels fell behind early in this one, fought back, sent it to extra frames, and then fell short in the tenth inning. Adrian Bohorquez gave up four runs on two hits, two hit batters, and three walks over 3 1/3 innings. He had seven strikeouts. All four runs came in the first inning courtesy of a grand slam off the bat of Brandon Compton, the Marlins' second-round pick from Arizona State. Eston Stuff got the next five outs and gave up just one hit. Jacob Kisting came on and tossed four scoreless, hitless innings. He walked one and struck out six batters. Ruddy Gomez gave up the unearned run in the tenth inning to take the loss. The Kernels got on the board in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Misael Urbina and Caden Kendle walked. Both scored on a double by Poncho Ruiz. In the bottom of the seventh, Eduardo Tait singled and went to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Brandon Winokur singled to drive him in and cut the team’s deficit to 4-3. The Kernels went scoreless in the bottom of the eighth. The first two Kernels hitters in the bottom of the ninth also got out. However, just when you thought it was over, Kyle DeBarge hit a long solo home run to tie the score. Gomez allowed the Manfred Man to score in the top of the 10th. The Kernels got a runner to third in the bottom half of the inning but were unable to drive in the tying run. Tait went 2-for-5 with his seventh double. Brandon Winokur went 2-for-5 and an RBI. Jefferson Valladares went 2-for 4 with his third double. Prior to his game-tying home run, DeBarge was 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 11, Dunedin 4 Box Score Mighty Mussels Flex Their Muscles in Dunedin. The Mussels scored early and often on Friday night, maintaining a comfortable lead throughout the game. Dunedin actually took the early lead with a run in the bottom of the first frame. The Mussels tied it up in the top of the second when Ryan Sprock scored on a bases-loaded fielding error. The Blue Jays also went ahead with a single run in the bottom of the second. But in the top of the third, Mussels' right fielder Yasser Mercedes scored on a Daniel Pena single to tie the game. Yilber Herrera followed with his first Florida State League home run to give his team a 5-2 lead. The Mussels continued to show their Might-y-ness (if you will) in the fourth. Eduardo Beltre hit his second Fort Myers homer. Later in the inning, Peyton Carr hit a three-run homer that made it 9-2. Dunedin scored two more in the fourth to make it 9-4. However, in the top of the sixth Sprock knocked his first professional home run to make it 10-4. In the seventh, Mercedes drove in Emmanuel Rodriguez with a sacrifice fly. That gave the Mussels an 11-4 lead. Rodriguez, returning from an oblique injury, played center field for seven innings. He was 1-for-3 with two walks. Dameury Pena went 2-for-6 with his 10th double. Sprock was 2-for-3 with two walks and a homer. Carr went 2-for-4 with a walk and his fourth home run. Beltre went 1-for-3 with two walks and a homer. Daniel Pena went 1-for-3 with two walks. Herrera was 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI. Michael Carpenter started and gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk over four innings. He struck out four batters. Anthony Narvaez came in and gave up one hit and one walk over two scoreless innings. Zander Sechrist gave up one hit over three scoreless innings to record his second save. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Ryan Sprock (Fort Myers): 2-for-3, 2 BB, HR(1), 4 R, RBI Pitcher of the Day CJ Culpepper (Wichita): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, HBP, 4 K, 74 pitches, 41 strikes (55.5%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1– Walker Jenkins (Wichita) - 0-for-3, BB, 2 K, (played CF) #2 - Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) - 0-for-4, BB, K, (played 2B) #3 - Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 1-for-3, 2B(7), (played SS) #4 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - Rehab in FM (1-for-3, 2 BB, R, K (played CF)) #5 - Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-5, 2B(7), R, K (DH) #11 - Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, HR(4), R, RBI, K (played LF) #14 - Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-5, RBI, K (played SS) #17 - Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-5, HR(7), 4 K (played CF) #18 - C.J. Culpepper (Wichita) - 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, HBP, 4 K, 74 pitches, 41 strikes (55.5%) #20 - Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 0-for-2, 2 BB (played LF) SATURDAY PITCHING PROBABLES St. Paul @ Toledo (6:05 PM CT) - RHP Pierson Ohl (0-1, 2.82 ERA) Arkansas @ Wichita (6:05 PM CT) - RHP Alejandro Hidalgo (0-3, 15.55 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CT) - LHP Dasan Hill (0-1, 7.11 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 PM CT) - RHP Joel Garcia (0-2, 31.15 ERA) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 61-73 St. Paul Saints: 58-70 (25-30 second half, 7th in IL West, 14 GB) Wichita Wind Surge: 67-57 (30-25 second half, 3rd in Texas Lg North, 4 GB) Cedar Rapids Kernels: 68-56 (28-30 second half, T-3rd in MWL West, 4.5 GB, first half winner) Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 49-70 (22-33 second half 6th in FSL West, 9.5 GB) FCL Twins: 39-20 (finished 2nd in FCL playoffs) DSL Twins: 24-32 (season complete) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related in the comments below! View full article

I think Winokur's performance has been pretty solid. We knew he was drafted as a great athlete and that he was raw, but to this point, he's more than held his own. He's not maybe as smooth/natural as Walker Jenkins, so him moving one level per season is fast enough. He's filled out the stat sheet nicely. He did say recently that he prefers 3B to SS, but he's done a very nice job at SS and I think they need to keep playing him there and keep him athletic enough to do it. He's pretty smooth. And he's fine in CF too. But offensively, I'm very encouraged. And he's just getting better.

They slipped him through last year, but that may have been helped by the fact that he missed like 10 weeks last year with injury. But he's gonna be hard to ignore this offseason. He's got the power (which has always been his thing), but he has more doubles. Still has a ton of strikeouts, but he's stolen like 25 bases this year too. Did he focus on speed and athleticism last offseason? If so, it appears to have worked, at least in the form of steals. I think that's been part of his issue in the outfield too. Being a little quicker and athletic only helps.

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Rubel Cespedes) We are approaching September, the final month of the regular season. Rosters will expand (but only by two), and especially with where the Twins are in the standings, opportunities will be given. The minor-league affiliates finish their season early, unless they are in the playoffs. It appears that the Cedar Rapids Kernels will be the lone Twins affiliate to reach the postseason… as they do every year. Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids seasons last two more weeks. Their final game is Sunday, September 7. Cedar Rapids begins their playoff run on Tuesday, September 9. Wichita plays for three more weeks. Their final game is Sunday, September 14. The Saints play for four more weeks. Their season concludes on September 21. It is in the offseason that decisions about 2026 roster building happen, if it hasn’t already happened. Some of those decisions will happen before the season ends. And some of those decisions are in preparation for moves in the offseason. For instance, the Twins front office may have already made decisions on some players. There may be people on the 40-man roster that they know will be DFAd or non-tendered in the offseason. With that knowledge, there might be an opportunity to DFA them in-season. That would allow that player to potentially catch on with another organization for a couple of weeks. It would also allow a 40-man spot to open up for a potential free agent or someone who would not be given that opportunity if the Twins were playing better and competing for a playoff spot. At the completion of the World Series, players eligible to become free agents become free agents. That includes minor leaguers. I’ve always said that I think that players who are signed or drafted by an organization and stay in that organization continuously without making it to the big leagues until they become free agents deserve more recognition. That is seriously impressive. Those players are obviously very, very good baseball players that just didn’t get a big-league call. There are currently five players in that exact situation with the Twins. Three of them signed with the Twins during the international signing period of 2018-19. Two others were drafted by the Twins in 2019 and remain in the organization. All five have spent seven seasons in the Twins system, and none of them have spent a day in the big leagues. So, as you read about these five players consider the three options that the Twins have for each, and think about what you would do? Add to the 40-man roster before the end of the World Series. The Twins have done this with a few players, most recently catcher Jair Camargo. Re-sign them to a minor-league contract. This can be done before or after the World Series. It can also be done before or after the Rule 5 draft. If the player signs back with the Twins before the Rule 5 draft, he is again subject to selection in the Rule 5. If he waits and signs after the Rule 5 draft, he’s heading to Fort Myers for spring training. Let them go as free agents. This is often the case, but as a free agent (for the first time since signing with the Twins, they (their representatives) have the right to chat with all 30 organizations, and even teams in Japan, Korea, Europe, or Mexico. And they could sign later with an independent team in hopes of getting another opportunity with an affiliate. Or they retire from baseball. 2019 MLB Draft Picks Consider this. The Minnesota Twins drafted 41 players. 32 of them signed. The first-round pick, 13th overall, was infielder Keoni Cavaco. He never reached Double-A. Their Competitive Balance Pick, 39th overall, was Matt Wallner who already has spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues. Their second-round pick was Matt Canterino, one of the most talented pitchers with some of the best “stuff” that we have seen from a pitching prospect. Unfortunately injuries have limited him to just 85 innings since he was drafted. He hasn’t pitched in a game since 2022. He was on the 40-man roster for over two years. After impressing early in spring training, he was injured and needed season-ending surgery. They removed him from the 40-man roster and then signed him to a two-year minor-league deal. Aside from Wallner, six more Twins 2019 draft picks have reached the big leagues. That includes three players the Twins traded as prospects: Spencer Steer (3rd), Sawyer Gipson-Long (6th), and Casey Legumina (8th). Brent Headrick (9th) debuted with the Twins, pitched in parts of two seasons before the Twins DFAd him. The Yankees claimed him, and he’s been solid when called upon out of their bullpen. Finally, Louis Varland (15th) and Edouard Julien (18th) each spent parts of three seasons with the Twins. Varland was inexplicably traded last month, and Julien’s offseason could be interesting. (The Twins also took Stillwater LHP Drew Gilbert in the 35th round, but he went to the University of Tennessee and three years later was a first-round pick. He made his MLB debut this month with the Giants and has a homer.) A few more players got close and had their moments as a prospect. Fifth round pick Seth Gray showed impressive power in the lower levels of the minor leagues. 29th round pick Alex Isola spent a couple of seasons at Triple-A St. Paul. Isola was released late in spring training. He has played this season with Lancaster in the Atlantic League. On Monday, the Twins released 2019 seventh-round draft pick Anthony Prato. He had a bit of a breakout in 2022 in Cedar Rapids, adding extra base power, and showing the ability to play around the diamond. He ended that season playing even better at Wichita. In 2023, he struggled early with the Wind Surge, but there was a need in St. Paul and Prato got the call. In 72 games with St. Paul in 2023, he hit .302/.452/.539 (.990) with 23 doubles and 10 homers. He returned to the Saints in 2024 and hit .228/.370/.350 (.720) with 20 doubles, six triples and three homers. In 82 games this year, he hit .259/.396/.360 (.755) with nine doubles, a triple and four homers. In 260 games with the Saints, he had 36 bases. He is the Saints franchise career leader by being hit by 31 pitches. An on-base machine. He should get more opportunities with other organizations for 2026, or he could potentially play in Japan or Korea and make some money. So as of this moment, there are two players remaining that fit the criteria of a.) 2019 draft pick and b.) stayed in the organization c.) without getting to the big leagues. With a month left in the season, they remain with the Twins. Have you already figured out who they are? Will Holland Holland and Julien were teammates at Auburn for three years. In 2019, they played in the College World Series. During the CWS, the Twins used their fifth-round pick on Holland, an exceptionally athletic shortstop, one of the fastest players in college baseball. He had a big offensive year as a sophomore, hitting .313/.406/.530 (.936) with 18 doubles and 12 homers. There was certainly steam that he could be a first-round pick in 2019, but instead he hit .246/.376/.401 (.777) with nine doubles and nine homers. The Twins bet on his athleticism and potential and saw a good hitter with speed and a little pop in his bat. It took a while for his offensive game to come back. He hit for a low average, but he generally had a good on-base percentage, and he showed enough pop to compile lots of extra base hits. He moved up to St. Paul in 2024 and hit .299/.428/.556 (.983) with 10 doubles, a triple and six homers in just 41 games. Unfortunately, his season ended with an injury. He missed a couple of months again this season with injury, but in 57 games, he has hit .220/.319/.382 (.700) with seven doubles and seven homers. Will Holland can play in the big leagues. No question in my mind. He has a good approach at the plate. His speed can be game-changing as a pinch runner but also on defense. He can play a solid shortstop, and he’s spent time at both third base and second base. He has also spent a lot of time at all three outfield spots. He has the speed to play center, and he has a strong arm. Can he keep the strikeouts down enough to be a decent contributor offensively? That’s really the one big question, in my mind. Cody Laweryson With their 14th round pick in 2019, the Twins selected Laweryson out of the University of Maine. He had a strong showing that summer in Elizabethton and was named the Twins Daily Short Season Minor League Pitcher of the Year. In 2021, he was a starter at Cedar Rapids. He returned to the Kernels in 2022 and that’s when he transferred to the bullpen. Before the mid-point of the season, he was promoted to Wichita where he went 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA over 59 2/3 innings. He had 69 strikeouts. It earned him an invitation to big-league camp in 2023 and spent that full season with the Saints. He posted a 4.80 ERA and started having some arm injuries and spending time on the IL. In 2024, he spent the full season back in Wichita and posted a 6.82 ERA. This season, he split the season between Wichita and St. Paul and just recently returned from the Injured List. 2018-2019 International Signing Period Likewise, international signings from the 2018-19 international signing period will also be eligible for free agency following the World Series unless they are added to the 40-man roster before the conclusion of the World Series. There are three players that the Twins signed during the 2018-19 international signing period that have remained in the Twins organization to this day. Misael Urbina In July of 2018, MLB.com ranked their Top 30 international prospects and the Venezuelan-born Urbina was Number 3 on that list. The Twins signed the outfielder for $2.75 million. He made his pro debut in the DSL in 2019 and his .279 with 14 doubles, five triples, two homers, and 19 stolen bases. He also walked 23 times with just 14 strikeouts. When baseball returned in 2021, he moved up to Fort Myers, skipping the FCL. In 101 games, he hit .191/.299/.286 with 12 doubles, five homers and 16 steals. He repeated at Fort Myers in 2022 and played in just 50 games due to injury. He hit .246 with 16 doubles and five homers. In 2023, he made the jump to Cedar Rapids where he was almost a year-and-a-half younger than the average hitter. In 102 games, he hit .180/.289/.282 (.571) with 18 doubles, three triples, and four home runs. He returned to the Kernels in 2024 and hit .218/.335/.324 (.659) with 16 doubles, two triples and five home runs. In April he turned 23, and he celebrated in Cedar Rapids for the third straight year. Hopefully someone took him to Bushwood. He just came back from the injured list. In 64 games this season, he has hit .243/.354/.386 (.740) with 14 doubles, two triples, and three home runs. Just last weekend, he had a four-hit game. Rubel Cespedes Prior to 2021, the international signing period began July 2nd and went the full year. In 2021, the beginning of the signing period moved to January which made it easier to determine when a player could become a free agent. Cespedes signed very late in the signing period. The Twins signed him on April 29, 2019. He was already 18. A month later, he was added to the DSL Twins roster. He came to the States in 2021 and played in the FCL. He then spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons in Fort Myers with the Mussels. He added doubles power in 2022 and in 2023, he hit .233 with 26 doubles, two triples, and 13 home runs. He began getting playing time in big-league spring training games and advanced to Cedar Rapids in 2024. He got off to a fast start and played well throughout the year. In 110 games, he hit .282/.346/.431 (.777) with 22 doubles, two triples and 12 home runs. He has played in 91 games for Double-A Wichita this year. He has split his time between first base, third base, and DH. He has hit .244/.307/.395 with 21 doubles, three triples and nine home runs. Julio Bonilla Bonilla signed even later than Cespedes. He signed with the Twins on June 1, 2019, three weeks later, he was officially assigned to the DSL Twins. The Santo Domingo native pitched in the DSL in 2019, 2021 and 2022 before coming to the States in 2023 to pitch for the FCL Twins. He threw 25 1/3 innings in both 2019 and 2022, and that remains his season high. He’s struggled on the mound, and he’s struggled to remain on the mound. In 2024, he pitched in 19 games and 23 innings for the Mighty Mussels. He had a 7.83 ERA, a 1.78 WHIP, and 18 walks (7.0 per 9.0 IP). He did strike out 27 batters, but he hit three and threw four wild pitches. He went on the Injured List June 3rd and returned June 18th. He went on the IL on July 16th and returned on August 12th. He went on the IL on August 27th for the remainder of the season. He began the 2025 season on the Mussels 60-Day injured List. He began a rehab assignment in mid-June and was activated on July 7th. In 10 innings over eight outings, he gave up four runs on 10 hits and four walks, but he also struck out 12 batters. On August 13th, he was promoted to Cedar Rapids where he has pitched three innings in three games. He’s given up three runs on two hits and three walks, and he’s got four strikeouts. Easy choice to let the 24-year-old go, right? But I spent time looking at his Statcast game data, and it’s easy to understand the intrigue. Bonilla stands 6-3. He throws four different pitches. He has two fastballs (Four-seam and sinker) that average about 94 mph and touched 97. His cutter sits in the 86-88 range. He also throws a low-90s slider. He gets a ton of movement on the sinker and even the four-seamer. In his first four appearances in Fort Myers, he threw approximately 25-30% of his pitches outside the strike zone. In his last four appearances with the Mussels, he was closer to 50/50. If a team knew he could stay healthy, which no team can say with certainty about any pitcher, especially with Bonilla. But just based on his stuff and velocity, he seems like he’d be a great project to take on and see what he can become. There you have it. There are five players in the Minnesota Twins organization who will become free agents after spending the past seven seasons in the Twins system. These players deserve recognition for their “service time,” and it is worth discussing if the Twins should bring any of them back in the offseason. What do you think? Would you try to sign any of these players? My Opinion 1.) Add none of them to the 40-man roster. 2.) Attempt to re-sign all of them, but especially Holland, Cespedes and Bonilla. Your turn. Which, if any, of these players would you attempts to bring keep in the organization for 2026? Also, thank you for reading through here about these five guys who have toiled in the minors for so long and deserve to be recognized. View full article

Wichita has very little depth, even now. They've done this in the past with Ernie Yake, Dalton Shuffield, Mikey Perez, etc. They aren't going to mess with "the plan" for development for the "prospects" like Marek Houston, Brandon Winokur, Kyle DeBarge, Danny De Andrade. Those guys they want to play most every day. Genth is a 4-year-college guy. He plays once, maybe twice a week. I'm sure he'd like to play more, but as a non-drafted guy who likely signed for a plane ticket to Fort Myers.

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey (photo of Harry Genth) Quality Pitching and Defense help teams win. Likewise, bad pitching and defense help teams lose. On Sunday, the Twins and their affiliates pitched really poorly, and the results were a lot of losses. TRANSACTIONS On Sunday, the Twins added RHP Taj Bradley to the big-league roster. He started on Sunday and went five innings in Chicago. To make room on the 26-man roster, RHP Erasmo Ramirez was Designated for Assignment. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Round Rock 11 Box Score Saints Mount Mid-Game Comeback but Fell Behind Too Much Too Early The scheduled starters for the Saints this weekend were Mick Abel and Taj Bradley. Both were called up to pitch for the Twins. On Sunday, Cory Lewis got an opportunity to start for St. Paul. Every out he got came on a strikeout. Unfortunately, he got just one out. He gave up six runs on five hits and two walks. One of the hits was a grand slam. Just 20 of his 38 pitches were strikes. Lefty Aaron Rozek came in and gave up three runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out one. Noah Davis gave up two runs on four hits. He had two strikeouts. Trent Baker tossed two scoreless innings. He gave up no hits, walked three, and had one strikeout. Jarret Whorff gave up one hit in a scoreless ninth frame. Down 9-0 going to the bottom of the fifth inning, the Saints scored four runs. The innings started with singles by Will Holland, Anthony Prato and DaShawn Keirsey. The latter drove in the first run. Gabriel Gonzalez drove in Prato with a sacrifice fly. Johnny Pereda walked, and Aaron Sabato singled to load the bases. After a pitching change, Carson McCusker drove in Keirsey with a sacrifice fly. Pereda scored the fourth run on a Jose Miranda fielder’s choice. Down 11-4, the Saints added one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Holland led it off with a single and went to second on a throwing error. Anthony Prato grounded out to first base to move Holland to third base. Keirsey singled to drive in Holland and make it 11-5. The Saints got base runners the rest of the way. They had two singles in the seventh inning and one in the eighth. They loaded the bases on a walk and two singles but were unable to cut the deficit. Will Holland went 4-for-4 with his seventh double. Aaron Sabato went 3-for-5. Keirsey went 2-for-5. Pereda went 2-for-4 with a walk. Carson McCusker went 1-for-3 with a walk and knocked his 22nd double. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 2, Midland 6 Box Score Genth Slams First Pro Homer, but Wind Surge Fell Behind Too Early The Wind Surge fell behind early and pretty much stayed there the rest of the game. Alejandro Hidalgo gave up two runs in the first inning, two more in the second inning, and another in the third frame. In total, he gave up five runs on six hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. Gabriel Yanez gave up three hits but no runs in 1 1/3 innings. Logan Whitaker gave up two hits in a scoreless inning. Darren Bowen came in and gave up one run on four hits and a walk over the final three innings of the game. Things looked good for the Surge early in the game. Kaelen Culpepper led off the game with a single to right. Walker Jenkins followed with a bunt single. Unfortunately, three batters later, neither of them even advanced a base. In fact, the Surge went scoreless until the seventh inning. With one out, Jake Rucker walked. With two outs, Harry Genth got a 2-1 changeup down the middle of the plate and hit his first professional home run. He ripped a blast through the wind coming in from left field. Following the game, Genth told Twins Daily, "Definitely felt good to get the first home run out of the way!" The diminutive (listed at 5-8) infielder signed with the Twins a day after the conclusion of the 2025 draft. He had a monster offensive season at Division III Haverford College. When you put up those kinds of numbers, it’s definitely worth signing and giving some opportunity! Genth added, "The transition hasn’t been without its bumps and bruises, but the guys and coaches have been unbelievably helpful so far. The opportunity in Double-A has been awesome. Being able to watch how all these guys go about their work and be a part of the clubhouse has honestly been the coolest part. Whatever I can do to help our team win I want to excel at regardless of what my playing time looks like. I feel like I’ve learned a ton already in just a couple weeks." That was really it for the offense. The team had six hits and three walks. Couple that with going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and you have a loss. The teams split the six-game series. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, South Bend 2 Box Score Cubs Homers Top Kernels to Take Game and Series 4-2. The Cubs got on the scoreboard first with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. Jacob Kisting started and gave up two runs on three hits (including a homer) over 3 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out four batters. Ivran Romero came on and walked one and struck out one and recorded three outs. Matt Gabbert gave up two runs on two hits (including a homer) in 3 1/3 innings. He had one strikeout. Down 2-0 through five innings, Marek Houston led off with his first Kernels double. With one out, Eduardo Tait singled to score Houston and cut the deficit in half. Unfortunately, the Cubs responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 4-1. In the top of the ninth, the first two Kernels struck out. Danny De Andrade walked and scored on a double by Poncho Ruiz. The Kernels had just five hits, but three of them were doubles by Houston, Ruiz and De Andrade. It was De Andrade’s 25th double. Brandon Winokur stole his 24th base. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers/Tampa (DH Cancelled) If you read Saturday’s minor league report, you saw that I included the hour-by-hour weather forecast for today. If you saw that, you’re probably not even a little bit surprised that Sunday’s doubleheader games were cancelled. With both teams well out of playoff contention, they will not have to make up the games. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Will Holland (St. Paul): 4-for-5, 2B(7), 2 R Pitcher of the Day Darren Bowen (Wichita): 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 38 pitches, 26 strikes (68.4%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1– Walker Jenkins (Wichita) - 1-for-3, BB, K, (played CF) #2 - Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) - 1-for-3, BB, 2B(8), K, 2 E (played 2B) #3 - Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 1-for-4, (played SS) #5 - Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, RBI, K (DH) #11 - Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, SF RBI #13 - Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, R, 2B(1), K (played SS) #14 - Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, SB(24), K (played CF) #17 - Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 2 K (played 2B) UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES Monday: Minnesota @ Toronto (6:07 PM CT) - RHP Joe Ryan (12-6, 2.77 ERA) Tuesday: St. Paul @ Toledo (5:35 PM CT) - Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM CT) - Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CT) - Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 PM CT) - CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 59-71 St. Paul Saints: 55-69 (22-29 second half, T-6th in IL West, 13 GB) Wichita Wind Surge: 63-57 (26-25 second half, T-3rd in Texas Lg North, 4 GB) Cedar Rapids Kernels: 66-54 (26-28 second half, T-3rd in MWL West, 3.5 GB, first half winner) Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 46-69 (19-32 second half 6th in FSL West, 11.5 GB) FCL Twins: 39-20 (finished 2nd in FCL playoffs) DSL Twins: 24-32 (season complete) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View full article

Yes, CJ Culpepper is Rule 5 eligible this offseason if not added to the 40-man. There are a bunch of players that need to be added this year. They will likely have some pretty tough decisions. I could make a case for at least 12 players... And that doesn't include Sabato.

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photo of Carson McCusker) TRANSACTIONS On Saturday, the Twins announced that RHP Mick Abel was being promoted to the big leagues to make his first Twins start. He is taking RHP Jose Urena’s spot on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters as the veteran hurler was DFA’d. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 9, Round Rock 10 Box Score Saints Fall Short in Another Round Rock Rollercaster The Saints have played some crazy, high-scoring, inter-league games against the Pacific League’s Round Rock Express this week. This was definitely another one. The Saints scored first in the bottom of the second inning when Carson McCusker knocked his 21st home run of the season to make it 1-0. Round Rock scored the next five runs. Christian MacLeod gave up five runs on six hits and two walks in three innings. He gave up three runs in the third inning. He also was charged with the two runs in the top of the fourth without recording a 10th out. Darren McCaughan came in and allowed one inherited runner to score. He gave up two more runs over his four innings. He gave up three hits, walked one, and struck out four batters. In the bottom of the fourth, the Saints scored two runs to cut their deficit to 5-3. Aaron Sabato led off with a single. With two outs, he advanced to third base on Anthony Prato’s ninth double. Patrick Winkel singled to drive in both runners. The Express scored two runs off of McCaughan in the top of the seventh, but the Saints responded after the 7th Inning Stretch with three runs to make it a one-run game (7-6). Prato led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk and went to second on a passed ball. Payton Eeles walked. Kyler Fedko walked to load the bases. With two outs, Johnny Pereda drove in all three with a double. Travis Adams pitched a scoreless top of the eighth inning. In the bottom of that inning, Carson McCusker led off with his 22nd home run of the year which tied the game at 7-7. Adams came out for the top of the ninth and gave up a leadoff home run. After a single, he recorded a strikeout. After a second single, Jarret Whorff came into the game. After a stolen base, an Omar Narvaez single drove in both inherited runners and gave the Express a three-run lead. But again, it’s been a crazy week of games, so what happened in the bottom of the ninth? Could the Twins tie it up and send it to extra frames, or could they score four runs and walk it off? Well, it started out with an Eeles walk. With one out, Gonzalez singled. Next, Pereda doubled to drive in Eeles. Will Holland pinch ran for the DH. Down two runs, Aaron Sabato flew out to right field, deep enough for both runners to advance. Down one run with the game-tying runner 90 feet from home plate, McCusker walked up to the plate. Maybe looking fastball, he got a changeup over the middle of the plate and just missed it, flying out to center field to end the game. Round Rock 10, Saints 9. McCusker went 2-for-5 with his 21st and 22nd homers. The first homer tied the Saints franchise record for homers in a season. He set the record with the second homer. In case you were wondering Chris Williams and Jair Camargo hit 21 Saints homers, and Yunior Severino reached that number in 2024. Pereda went 2-for-4 with a walk, his fifth and sixth doubles, and four RBI. Sabato went 2-for-4 with a sac fly. Winkel was 2-for-4. Gonzalez went 2-for-5. Eeles walked twice. Prato hit his ninth double and walked. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, Midland 3 Box Score Wichita Surges Ahead while CJ Culpepper’s Scoreless Start Sets the Tone C.J. Culpepper’s season started late, and he has eased back quite slowly. However, on Saturday, Culpepper tossed five scoreless innings for the Surge. It was the second straight start in which he completed five innings. He gave up three hits, walked four and had six strikeouts. With Wichita, he now has a 2.21 ERA over 12 starts and 40 2/3 innings. He earned his first Double-A win. The Surge scored first in the second inning when Ben Ross knocked in Hendry Mendez with a sacrifice fly. The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth when Wichita added some insurance. With one out, Jose Salas hit his seventh Surge double and then stole his eighth base. . Kaelen Culpepper walked, and Walker Jenkins was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a pitching change, Kala’i Rosario drove in two runs with a double. Tanner Andrews entered the game and gave up one run on three hits in the sixth inning. The Wind Surge responded by adding four more insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. With one out, Rosario doubled, Mendez walked, and Cossetti was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Following a strikeout, Nate Baez cleared the bases with a triple. He scored the fourth run of the inning on a Ross single. Michael Martinez walked two but tossed a scoreless seventh. Mike Paredes came on and gave up two runs over two innings, both scoring in the eighth inning. Kala’i Rosario went 2-for-4 with a walk and his 24th and 25th doubles of the season. He now has 49 extra base hits this year. Baez went 2-for-4 with a walk, his seventh double and fourth triple, and three runs driven in that proved important. Defensive Play of the Day Speaking of setting the tone, Culpepper was helped by a huge double play ball in the bottom of the first inning. The bases were loaded. Culpepper got the ground ball, and his infield completed a 3-6-3 double play. You've seen in happen before, but this one came with a couple of nice plays thanks to a couple of tough throws. Nate Baez was the first baseman. Andrew Cossetti was behind the plate. Both were drafted as catchers in 2022, in large part for their bats. Both have played behind the plate much of their minor-league careers, but they have both played quite a bit at first base and DHd. Cossetti was the Twins 11th round pick out of St. Josephs. Nate Baez was the Twins 12th round pick out of Arizona State. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, South Bend 2 Box Score Tait Doubles Up, but Kernels Shutout in South Bend It’s like the calm before the storm. As you would expect in South Bend, Indiana, in late August, offenses were quiet, and there weren’t a lot of big hits. Give it a couple of weeks. Notre Dame football’s season begins next weekend with a Sunday night game against fellow preseason Top 10 Miami in southeast Florida. Their first game at home in South Bend is September 13th when they welcome fellow preseason Top 20 Texas A&M. Alright, let’s head a bit south and west. It’s an 11-12 minute drive from Notre Dame Stadium to Four Winds Stadium. The Kernels did have a few hits, they just didn’t get a big hit in a timely situation. They were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base. Eduardo Tait went 2-for-4 with his third and fourth Cedar Rapids doubles. Brandon Winokur knocked his third triple. In the first inning, Tait doubled, but it came right after Kyle DeBarge was caught stealing. Winokur’s triple came with two outs. Their biggest threat came in the top of the eighth. Jefferson Valladares and Marek Houston started the inning with back-to-back singles, but the next two hitters popped up in the infield. So when a wild pitch was thrown, runners got to second and third base. Young lefty Dasan Hill made the start for the Kernels. He gave up one run on three hits. Over 3 2/3 innings, he walked three and had four strikeouts. Julio Bonilla got the final out of the fourth inning. Adrian Bohorquez tossed the final four innings. He gave up only an unearned run on three hits. He walked two and had five strikeouts. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers/Tampa (PPD) Saturday’s game was postponed due to “unplayable field conditions and persistent weather.” The plan is for the two teams to play a doubleheader on Sunday. Here is a look at the forecast for Sunday in Fort Myers (scheduled Game 1 game time is 12:05 pm). PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Jhonny Perada (St. Paul): 2-for-4, BB, 2-2B(6), 4 RBI, 2 K. Carson McCusker (St. Paul): 2-for-5, 2-HR(22), 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K Kala’i Rosario (Wichita): 2-for-4, BB, 2-2B(25), R, 2 RBI, 2 K Nate Baez (Wichita): 2-for-4, BB, 2B(7), 3B(4), R, 3 RBI. Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-4, 2-2B(4), K Pitcher of the Day CJ Culpepper (Wichita): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 K, 80 pitches, 44 strikes (55.0%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1– Walker Jenkins (Wichita) - 0-for-3, BB, HBP, 2 K, SB(11) (played CF) #2 - Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) - 1-for-4 (played 2B) #3 - Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 0-for-4, BB, R, 3 K (played SS) #5 - Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, 2-2B(4), K (catcher) #7 - Dasan Hill (Cedar Rapids) - 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 70 pitches, 40 strikes (57.1%) #8 - Mick Abel (Minnesota) - 3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 63 pitches, 42 strikes (66.7%) #11 - Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 2-for-5, R #13 - Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, E (played SS) #14 - Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, 3B(3), K (played CF) #17 - Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, CS(7) (played 2B) #18 - C.J. Culpepper (Wichita) - 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 K, 80 pitches, 44 strikes (55.0%) #20 - Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 0-for-3, BB, HBP, 2 R, 2 K (DHd) NOTE: The hyperlinks in the Top Prospect section will take you to a page with articles that they have been tagged in. Click on a couple of see what happens. SUNDAY PITCHING PROBABLES Minnesota @ Chicago (1:10 PM CT) - RHP Taj Bradley (6-6, 4.61 ERA) Round Rock @ St. Paul (2:07 PM CT) - RHP Cory Lewis (3-5, 6.55 ERA) Wichita @ Midland (1:00 PM CT) - RHP Alejandro Hidalgo (0-2, 15.12 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (1:05 PM CT) - RHP Jacob Kisting (2-3, 2.84 ERA) Tampa @ Fort Myers (DH @ 11:05 AM CT) - RHP Jason Doktorczyk (3-6, 5.18 ERA) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 59-70 St. Paul Saints: 55-68 (22-28 second half, T-6th in IL West, 13 GB) Wichita Wind Surge: 63-56 (26-24 second half, T-3rd in Texas Lg North, 4 GB) Cedar Rapids Kernels: 66-53 (26-27 second half, T-3rd in MWL West, 3.5 GB, first half winner) Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 46-69 (19-32 second half 6th in FSL West, 11.5 GB) FCL Twins: 39-20 (finished 2nd in FCL playoffs) DSL Twins: 24-32 (season complete) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View full article

Morris just came back after missing 2ish months. I'd be surprised if he's called up, but he'll definitely be added to the 40-man this offseason. Raya is a possibility for September. But if Abel and Bradley are getting called up this weekend. Pablo and SWR will be coming up. And they probably want to make some decisions on some of the others. Klein has pitched a lot. I'd be shocked to see him called up in September. He's made himself into a serious candidate to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason.

The big inning off of SWR last night started with a fielding error on Sabato. Things could have been completely different. That said, yeah, he was hit pretty hard, but he was throwing strikes, mixing it up some and looked much better than the numbers indicated.

thanks for keeping me on my toes... I tout and promote the promotions, write about them in the "Transactions" section... and then forget to change that. Thank you!

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Walker Jenkins) TRANSACTIONS None .No Transactions on Thursday. Well, other than Pablo Lopez officially starting his rehab in St. Paul. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 0, Round Rock 6 Box Score Rehab Night in St. Paul; Offense Takes the Night Off The Saints fans got to see a couple of rehabbing big leaguers on Thursday night. Pablo Lopez had not pitched in a game that counts since June 3 in Sacramento. He made the start for the Saints and gave up one run on four hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. He had two strikeouts. He threw 45 pitches. 25 were strikes. Trent Baker came on and got the final out of the second inning and worked a scoreless third inning. In the fourth inning, the rehabbing Simeon Woods Richardson entered the game. In 3 1/3 innings, he gave up four runs (3 earned) on five hits. He walked one and had four strikeouts. 40 of his 64 pitches were strikes. Marco Raya was next. He got the final two outs of the seventh inning and then worked the eighth and ninth inning too. He gave up one run (on a solo homer) on two hits and a walk. The Saints were shutout for the first time in months (at least in a nine-inning game). They certainly had opportunities. While they had just six hits, they also walked eight times. However, they went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Eight of the hitters in the lineup had either a walk or a hit. Noah Cardenas was 0-for-1 but had three walks. Will Holland went 2-for-3 with a walk. Jhonny Pereda and Anthony Prato each had a hit and a walk. Holland, Prato and Pereda each had a double. DK Doing DK Things WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Midland 9 Box Score Jenkins, Salas Go Deep, But Surge Can't Overcome Gallagher's Tough Night One night after Darren Bowen recorded just two outs before being ejected, Wichita manager Brian Dinkelman certainly wanted to get a little length out of his starter. Because of that, to some degree, Ryan Gallagher had to take one for the team. He gave up four runs in the first inning and eight runs (7 earned) over four innings. He gave up 10 hits, walked one and had just one strikeout. Lefty Kade Bragg gave up one run on two hits over his three innings. Jaylen Nowlin worked the final inning and gave up one walk to go with three strikeouts. The Wind Surge actually got on the scoreboard first. With one out in the top of the first inning, Walker Jenkins knocked his seventh Surge homer of the season. Down 9-1 going to the seventh, Wichita scored two more runs on a Jose Salas, two-run homer. That was it for the scoring. Jenkins went 2-for-3 with a walk and his home run. Salas went 2-for-4 with his fourth Surge homer. Rubel Cespedes hit his 21st double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, South Bend 6 Box Score Kernels Start Quick, but Cubs Storm Back The Kernels scored one run in each of the first two innings of this game. Then the Cubs responded with six straight runs. Caden Kendle led off the game by being hit by a pitch. With one out, Eduardo Tait walked. Brandon Winokur drove in Kendle with a single. With one out in the second inning, Jefferson Valladares singled. Kendle singled to advance him to second base. With two outs, Tait dropped a single into left field to drive in Valladares and make it 2-0. Jose Olivares made the start. He got the first seven batters that he faced out. He then walked the eighth and ninth batters before giving up his first hit, and his first run of the game. He worked a perfect fourth inning, but in the fifth, he gave up a second and third run before coming out of the game. Brennen Oxford came on. Cubs prospect Cristian Hernandez stole two bases and scored on a wild pitch. His run was charged to Olivares. In 4 1/3 innings, Olivares gave up four runs on four hits. He walked three and had six strikeouts. Oxford allowed the inherited runner to score but got the two outs to end the fifth inning without further damage. Spencer Bengard gave up one run on two hits and a walk over his two innings. Then Paulshawn Pasqualotto gave up one run on two hits in his inning. He had two strikeouts. Caden Kendle went 2-for-4 and was hit by a pitch. Eduardo Tait went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Brandon Winokur went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Misael Urbina went 0-for-1 but walked three times. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 12, Tampa 11 (10 innings) Box Score Mussels Survive 11 Steals, Five Errors in Walkoff Win. This was a back-and-forth game throughout, but in the extra frame, the Mussels ended it with a walkoff. The Mussels scored in six of the first seven innings. The score was 5-5 after two innings. It was 8-8 after four innings. Through six innings, it was 10-10. Through eight innings, it was 11-11. This was certainly not a pretty game. The Mussels scored their 12 runs on 13 hits, 11 walks, and two hit batters. Tampa had 11 runs on 13 hits and three walks. Fort Myers helped them by committing five errors. The Tarpons helped themselves with 11 stolen bases. Fort Myers stole four bags. A rehabbing Tanner Schobel led off and went 1-for-4 with two walks and a double. Jacob McCombs was 2-for-6 with two stolen bases. Enrique Jimenez went 2-for-4 with two walks and a two-run triple. Dameury Pena was 2-for-6 and his leadoff single in the 10th inning provided the walkoff. Eduardo Beltre was 1-for-3 with three walks and a stolen base. Ian Daugherty went 2-for-4 with a walk. Yilber Herrera walked twice and stole a base. Jonathan Stevens started for the Mussels. In two innings, he gave up five runs (3 earned) on five hits. He walked one and struck out five batters. Xavier Kolhosser gave up three runs on five hits over his three innings. He had three strikeouts to go with no walks. Tyler Stasiowski was charged with two runs on two hits and a walk over two innings. Brent Francisco was charged with an unearned run on one hit and one walk. He had six strikeouts and earned the win. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Walker Jenkins (Wichita): 2-for-3, BB, HR(7), R, RBI, K Enrique Jimenez (Fort Myers): 2-for-4, 2 BB, 3B(1), 2 R, 2 RBI, K Eduardo Beltre (Fort Myers): 1-for-2, 3 BB, 2 R, RBI, SB(5), K Pitcher of the Day Brent Francisco (Fort Myers): 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 44 pitches, 30 strikes (68.2%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1– Walker Jenkins (Wichita) - 2-for-3, BB, HR(7), R, RBI, K (played RF) #2 - Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) - 0-for-3, R (played 2B) #3 - Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 0-for-4, 2 K (played SS) #5 - Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, BB, RBI (catcher) #12 - Marco Raya (St. Paul) - 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 30 pitches, 23 strikes (76.7%) #13 - Marek Houston (Fort Myers) - 0-for-5, 2 K (played SS) #14 - Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-5, RBI (played 3B) #20 - Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 0-for-4, K (played LF) FRIDAY PITCHING PROBABLES Minnesota @ Chicago (6:40 PM CT) - RHP Zebby Matthews (3-4, 5.06 ERA) Round Rock @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CT) - RHP Andrew Morris (3-4, 4.28 ERA) Wichita @ Midland (7:00 PM CT) - RHP Sam Armstrong (1-1, 5.63 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05 PM CT) - LHP Garrett Horn (0-0, 3.52 ERA) Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CT) - LHP Michael Carpenter (0-5, 4.61 ERA) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 58-69 St. Paul Saints: 55-66 Wichita Wind Surge: 61-56 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 65-52 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 46-68 FCL Twins: 39-20 (finished 2nd in FCL playoffs) DSL Twins: 24-32 (season complete) Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View full article

I could spend hours looking at maps to try to consider options for expansion and realignment... Honestly, I think they should make them make sense and then re-evaluate in 8-10 years. I think that stuff like the expansion draft are what I think would be very interesting. Then again, I do agree with the thought that adding two more teams really just waters down the competition. It's fun for me because I love seeing people live out their dreams and more will get that opportunity. I also think there is a a pitching shortage already.... adding two more organizations means another 30ish starters to the big leagues and another 250 minor league pitchers.

I used to be such a fan of the tanking philosophy, and I do subscribe to the thought that, if you aren't going to make the playoffs, it doesn't matter if you finish in 3rd or 5th in the division. But I've watched enough bad baseball in my lifetime that at point, I'd much rather watch competitive baseball than worry about draft positioning (especially since the change to the lottery system). This team is going to struggle to win 40% of their remaining games just because they lost a lot. I don't want to see them do things or make decisions that'll make that even lower. And I really don't so much care about the wins vs the losses at this point. I just want to watch decent baseball with great effort by guys trying to make their case for (a roster spot next season, staying on the 40-man this offseason, showing another team that they can be productive). The other side of it is that there are no guarantees in the draft, even in the top 5 or top 10 picks. The Twins give us enough examples of that (Gordon, Stewart, Jay, Johnson, etc.), and there isn't an organization that doesn't have their own examples. So I say that they keep playing hard, putting out lineups that are strategic for that game, give young guys opportunities for growth and see what happens.

Winokur is doing exactly what he needs to be doing. He's playing every day and getting better. Looking at his statline, you can see that he's a guy that can fill up the stat box. Doubles, homers, stolen bases. And he's played CF and SS more than adequately... though he acknowledged the other day that he feels most comfortable at third base. If a high school kid gets drafted, starts his first full season in Low A and starts the second season in High-A and continues to progress, that's very encouraging. To expect anything more than that isn't really fair, especially for guys not taken in the first half of the first round.

It is crazy what playing for the Saints has done to some hitters' numbers. I'm sure we can all come up with a name or two each year. But Sabato's put in his time. He's clearly worked. I've noted since spring training that he's put himself in much better shape. He looks find around first base. And, the power and power potential are certainly there. I think he's done enough to get an opportunity. And yes, when Mick Abel is throwing strikes, he has some tremendous stuff

I got hit in the hand by a pitch on Thursday. He stayed in the game to run and played some defense, but he didn't bat again. His hand was pretty swollen. I would think that, as long as x-rays were negative, he'll be back in the lineup on Tuesday.

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photo of Aaron Sabato) A couple of weeks ago, I tweeted about going to a local convenience store. The cashier, the guy standing in line behind me, and the person in the working in the deli did not know who Janet Jackson is. I was in awe. While I find those types of scenarios hilarious when they happen to other people, but it made me feel really old. When trying to think of an introduction to this article, my first thought was The Festrunk Brothers, the "Wild and Crazy Guys" from the 1970s skit on Saturday Night Live. I didn't actually watch them in the '70s but am old enough to know who they are since I became an SNL fan in the early '90s. But I do apologize to those reading this who just don't get the reference because I'm old. Here we go... On Sunday afternoon, the Twins had an easy win against the Tigers. When it comes to the minor-league affiliates of the Twins and their games, all four of them were wild and crazy. They were regular-season games, but each was filled with dramatic swings, clutch performances, offenses that refused to give up. There were a couple of multi-homer games. There were late-inning rallies. TRANSACTIONS OF Alan Roden was transferred from the 7-Day to the 60-Day Injured List. That allowed the Twins to add LHP Genesis Cabrera to the 40-man roster. They did that because he was also called up to the 26-man roster. To make room for him there, the Twins optioned RHP Travis Adams. Kernels RHP Spencer Bengard, who last pitched in late May, began a rehab assignment with the Mighty Mussels on Sunday afternoon. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 11, Omaha 12 Box Score Sabato and Winkel Shine, but Saints Slip in Slugfest You will notice a theme as you go through these game recaps. Lead changes. Big innings. Wild plays. Quick responses. Games decided late. In this game, the Saints scored first, but Omaha responded in the bottom of the first. The Saints jumped ahead 5-1, but then Omaha made it 5-4, and the 5-6. Then the Saints scored three in the fifth inning to tie the game at 8-8. An inning later, St. Paul scored three runs in the top of the sixth to give them an 11-8 lead. That was where the game stayed until the bottom of the eighth when the Storm Chasers caught up and reclaimed the lead with a four-run inning. The Saints scored first when Payton Eeles scored from first on a dropped fly ball off the bat of Gabriel Gonzalez. In the second inning, Patrick Winkel lined a double off of the wall in right field. When the right fielder bobbled the ball, Jonah Bride raced home with the second run. The third inning began with back-to-back doubles by DaShawn Keirsey and Gabriel Gonzalez. With one out, Aaron Sabato hit a two-run homer that gave the Saints a 5-1 lead and ended John Gant’s start. Taj Bradley started and gave up five runs on five hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings. He had eight strikeouts but gave up two home runs. He gave up one in the first, three in the third inning, and one in the fourth inning. Noah Davis replaced him and immediately gave up a home run to Harold Castro. Aaron Sabato hit his second home run of the game with two outs in the top of the fifth which tied the game at 6-6. Then the Saints added another run on singles from Jonah Bride, Jose Miranda, Patrick Winkel (RBI), and Payton Eeles (RBI) to give the Saints the 8-6 lead Davis also worked the bottom of the fifth inning and gave up two more runs to tie the game again, this time at 8-8. In total, he gave up three runs on two hits (both homers) and a walk. Next up was Christian MacLeod. He gave up zero runs in the sixth and seventh innings. In the top of the sixth inning, Gabriel Gonzalez led off by being hit by a pitch. He left the game for a pinch runner, Will Holland. With one out, Sabato walked. Jonah Bride doubled to drive in Holland and give the Saints the 9-8 lead. With two outs, Winkel singled to right field to drive in two more runs and make it 11-8. MacLeod came back out for the bottom of the eighth, but it started with a walk. After a fly out, Harold Castro hit his second home run of the game. Jac Caglianone doubled, and that’s when Trent Baker came into the game. The first batter he faced was Carter Jensen who hit another home run. This one gave them Omaha the 12-11 lead. The Saints went 1-2-3 in the ninth inning. They scored 11 runs on 14 hits and nine walks. Two more batters were hit. Patrick Winkel went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, and three RBI. Sabato went 2-for-4 with a walk, two home runs, and three RBI. Eeles reached base his first five times, twice with singles and three times with walks. Gonzalez was 2-for-3 with his second double before leaving the game after being hit by a pitch. Bride went 2-for-4 with a walk and his sixth double. Jose Miranda went 2-for-5 with his 11th double. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, Springfield 4 Box Score Salas Homers Twice, Wichita Wins with Ninth-Inning Blitz The game was scoreless through three innings. Springfield took a one-run lead in the bottom of the fourth. The Wind Surge took a one-run lead in the top of the fifth, but the Cardinals reclaimed a one-run lead in the bottom of that inning. Wichita tied the game in the top of the sixth inning, but Springfield took back a one-run lead in the bottom of the sixth. That’s where the score remained until the top of the ninth when the Wind Surge scored four runs to take the lead and the game. Down 1-0 through four, Ben Ross led off the top of the fifth inning with an infield single. Jose Salas came to the plate and launched his second Double-A homer to give the Surge the 2-1 lead. Down 3-2 through five innings, Salas homered again with two outs to tie the game at three. Jumping ahead to the top of the ninth, Wichita was down 4-3. With one out, Kaelen Culpepper singled. Kala’i Rosario singled him to second. Then Hendry Mendez singled off the pitcher to load the bases. At that point, the Surge doubled their pleasure. Nate Baez drove in two runs with a double to make it 5-4 Wichita. Rubel Cespedes followed with his 20th double of the season which drove in two more runs and gave the Wind Surge the lead they held onto in the bottom of the ninth. C.J. Culpepper started and tossed a season-high five innings. He gave up three runs (1 earned) on three hits and a walk. He also hit two batters. He had three strikeouts and now has a 2.52 ERA. Gabriel Yanez came up and gave up one run on two hits over two innings. Michael Martinez pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and Hunter Hoopes followed suit in the ninth to earn his first Surge Save. Wichita scored their seven runs on 10 hits and five walks. Eight of the nine batters had at least one hit. The top four in the lineup accounted for all five walks. Jose Salas was the lone Wichita batter with more than one hit. He went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI. Rosario went 1-for-3 with two walks. Culpepper and Mendez each had a single and a walk. Nate Baez hit a double and walked. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 3 Box Score DeBarge’s Four-Hit Day Leads Kernels to Win Like the Wind Surge game, this ballgame was scoreless through the first three innings. The Kernels grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. The River Bandits tied the game in the top of the fifth. The Kernels scored two in the bottom of the fifth, but Quad Cities rescinded with two runs in the top of the sixth to make it 3-3. Cedar Rapids scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 6-3 lead. Quad Cities followed with three scoreless innings and the Kernels took the win. It always starts with starting pitching. Chase Chaney started the game with four scoreless innings. He had three hits, walked none and had four strikeouts. Matt Mikulski came on and got one out, but he walked two guys and hit another. Ivran Romero came in with the bases loaded and just one out in the fifth, but he allowed just one inherited runner to score. Romero also pitched the sixth. In that inning, he gave up two runs on three hits and two walks. Julio Bonilla came on and had three strikeouts over two, one-hit innings. Paulshawn Pasqualotto picked up his ninth save with a scoreless ninth inning. The Kernels got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Kyle Hess tripled and scored on a Jaime Ferrer double. Tied at one going to the bottom of the fifth, Caden Kendle got things going with a double. Kyle DeBarge followed with a double to give the Kernels the lead. Two batters later, DeBarge scored on a Brandon Winokur single that made it 3-1. Going to the bottom of the sixth, the game was again tied, this time at 3-3. The first two batters struck out. Jefferson Valladares was hit by a pitch. Kendle walked. A wild pitch put runners on second and third. DeBarge singled to left which drove in Valladares and Kendle. He advanced to second on the throw. Eduardo Tait followed with a single to center that drove in DeBarge with the team’s sixth run. DeBarge had a big game. He went 4-for-4 with his 22nd and 23rd doubles. He scored twice and drove in three runs. He also stole his 61st and 62nd bases of the season. Winokur went 2-for-4 and added his 23rd stolen base. Hess was 2-for-4 with his third triple of the season. Congratulations to Jon Jon on his 25 years with the Kernels!! MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Daytona 8 Box Score Mussels Ride the Rollercoaster; Tortugas Walk it Off in Ninth Like the other affiliates, the Mussels played a game that went back and forth, right from the start, and this one wasn’t decided until the final at-bat. Of course, when your team is on the road, having the winning run be a walk off is never a good thing. The Mussels got things going right away in this game. Marek Houston led off the game with his fourth double. He scored on a Dameury Pena single. Spencer Bengard made his first in-game appearance since late May, making a rehab start for the Mussels. He also started the game by allowing a double. But he struck out the next two batters. Unfortunately, he threw two wild pitches which allowed the runner to score before striking out his third batter of the inning. Bengard, who was the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2024, gave up one run on one hit over two innings. 18 of his 28 pitches were strikes, and he had four strikeouts. The Mussels scored the next two runs of the game. In the third inning, Houston singled, stole second, stole third, and scored on a single from Dameury Pena. Then in the fourth inning, Ryan Sprock led off with a walk. He went to second on a Yasser Mercedes single. Bryan Acuna walked to load the bases. After a pop out, Houston came to the plate and grounded out to second base, but Sprock scored and the other runners advanced. Christian Bacerra worked the third, fourth and fifth innings. He put two zeroes on the board, but then gave up three runs in the fifth inning which gave the Tortugas a 4-3 lead. In the top of the sixth, Ian Daugherty scored on a single by Enrique Jimenez to tie things up at 4-4. With one out in the eighth inning, JP Smith, Jimenez and Eduardo Beltre walked consecutively to load the bases. Ryan Sprock singled in two runs, and a third run scored on a wild pitch. The Mussels had a three-run lead. Based on other games in the organization on Sunday, you won’t be surprised to learn that Daytona responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth. Jonathan Stevens worked two scoreless innings, the sixth and seventh frames. However, he came out for the eighth inning and gave up a bloop single, a walk, and a three-run homer that tied the game at 7-7. Will Armbruester came in and got the next three batters out. In the top of the ninth, the Mussels got two runners on base but were unable to score. Armbruester started the bottom of the ninth with a strikeout. But then he issued a walk, a stolen base, and another walk. Jakob Hall came into the game and gave up a single to center that drove in both runners and gave the Mussels their 66th loss of the season. Ryan Sprock went 3-for-4 with two walks. Houston went 2-for-5 with a walk and his fourth double. He also stole his fifth and sixth bases.. Dameury Pena went 2-for-4 with two walks and two RBI. He stole his 24th base. Yasser Mercedes went 2-for-4 with his 33rd steal. Ian Daugherty had a walk and his first double. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids): 4-for-4, 2-2B(23), 2 R, 3 RBI, 2-SB(62) Payton Eeles (St. Paul): 2-for-3, 3 BB, R, RBI, K Aaron Sabato (St. Paul): 2-for-4, BB, 2-HR(9), 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 K Patrick Winkel (St. Paul): 3-for-4, BB, 2B(6), 3 RBI Jose Salas (Wichita): 3-for-4, 2-HR(3), 2 R, 3 RBI, K Ryan Sprock (Fort Myers): 3-for-3, 2 BB, R, 2 RBI Pitcher of the Day Chase Chaney (Cedar Rapids): 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 57 pitches, 37 strikes (64.9%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #2 - Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) - 1-for-4, R, CS(2) (played 2B) #3 - Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita) - 1-for-4, BB, R, K (DHd) #5 - Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, RBI, K (DHd) #11 - Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 2-for-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI (played RF) #13 - Marek Houston (Fort Myers) - 2-for-5, BB, 2 R, RBI, K, 2-SB(6) (played SS) #14 - Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, RBI, SB(23) (played 3B) #17 - Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids) - 4-for-4, 2-2B(23), 2 R, 3 RBI, 2-SB(62) (played SS) #18 - C.J. Culpepper (Wichita) - 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP, 69 pitches, 42 strikes (60.9%) #20 - Hendry Mendez (Wichita) - 1-for-4, BB, R, K What’s Next? Monday: DSL Phillies @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM CT) - TBD Tuesday: Oakland @ Minnesota (6:40 PM CT) - RHP Joe Ryan (12-5, 3.30 ERA) Round Rock @ St. Paul (6:05 PM CT) - Wichita @ Midland (6:30 PM CT) - Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05 PM CT) - Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CT) - DSL Mets@ DSL Twins (10:00 AM CT) - CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 58-66 St. Paul Saints: 54-64 Wichita Wind Surge: 60-54 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 64-50 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 45-66 FCL Twins: 39-20 (finished 2nd in FCL playoffs) DSL Twins: 23-31 Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View full article