Seth Stohs

I'd go with Dobnak... Dude is so cool, so poised, and along with that, he's got a really good sinker, and he's right handed. I think you'd want to have a Smeltzer or Thorpe at the ready, someone who can each 3-5 innings, if necessary.

The Twins sent him to Ft. Myers and told him to stay ready... I'm sure he was working out at their facilities and there are always people there to catch him.

He's here for depth... that's all... Low leverage situations...

Major League numbers were not to be used in the vote consideration as well.

I am not sure... but he played in 2 games in the GCL before that season was cancelled due to Hurricane Dorian.

For me, this isn't a prospect ranking at all. Blankenhorn is a top 20ish prospect. Snyder isn't... I mean, I have Blankenhorn 8, and though I don't have my stuff in front of me, I think Snyder would have been 9 or 10... I can't say it's not a factor, at least as a tie-breaker. And with six people voting, you'll probably hear 6 (or more) opinions.

I'll tease Ted a bit... Ted is to Jaylin Davis as LaVelle was to Pedro Martinez...

Honorable Mention is simply anyone outside the Top 8 who also received votes. Kirilloff wasn't included because he didn't receive any votes.

You are correct... and I have no idea why you would want to do the math.. Ha! For me the tie-breaker was going to be the first-place votes, but I went to the various voters and a couple of other TD writers and asked for their thoughts/opinions on how to break the tie. I got some good responses both ways. For me personally, the choice was very easy. Jaylin Davis, despite not even being in the organization for the final 5 weeks of the minor league season, put up the best numbers. Not even close. But, a couple of people pointed out that He did a ton of damage in AAA, with the MLB ball and his numbers (compared to league) weren't quite what Larnach's was in FM and Pens... So, I took all the comments and ultimately made the choice. But yes, I certainly won't disagree if some say it should have been Davis... But I also think that Larnach was much better than I realized once I started digging into the numbers (which is why I put him at #2). I do want to point this out... When I sent out the ballots, I did very specifically write this when sending out the voting instructions:

Throughout this week, Twins Daily has handed out our 2019 minor league awards. Today we continue the series by looking at the top hitters in the Twins organization this season. There were a lot of strong performances, and unlike last year, the vote was not unanimous. In fact, it was closer than you probably think and has a chance to create a lot of discussion. Previous 2019 Awards Short-Season Minor League Hitter of the Year: Matt Wallner Short-Season Minor League Hitter of the Year: Cody Laweryson Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year: Anthony Vizcaya Today: Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year: Randy Dobnak Minor League Hitter of the Year: See below… Previous Twins Daily Minor League Hitters of the Year: 2012 - Oswaldo Arcia 2013 - Miguel Sano 2014 - Mitch Garver 2015 - Max Kepler 2016 - Daniel Palka 2017 - Mitch Garver 2018 - Alex KirilloffBefore we get to the Top Eight, let’s take a look at the others who received votes. This year’s group is interesting. You’ll see players who spent time at a couple of levels. You’ll see a couple of players who finished the season elsewhere. We have some minor league veterans who signed, looking for an opportunity, and there are a few of the top prospects. The six Twins Daily Minor League writers were asked to vote for the various awards. For the hitter of the year, we each voted for eight players. The player who was voted as #1 received eight points, #2 received seven points and so on with the #8 vote receiving one point. Results were tabulated and can be found below. Short profiles of our top eight are to follow, but first, some players worthy of honorable mention. These players also received votes. Honorable Mention Tomas Telis - Rochester Red Wings - 82 games, 101-306, .330/.364/.490 (.946), 21-2B, 2-3B, 8 HR, 44 R, 46 RBITravis Blankenhorn - Ft. Myers Miracle/Pensacola Blue Wahoos - 108 games, 122-440, .277/.321/.466 (.787) with 22-2B, 2-3B, 19 HR, 56 R, 54 RBILuis Arraez - Rochester Red Wings - 54 games, 73-212, .344/.409/.401 (.810) with 10-2B, 1-3B, 0 HR, 26 R, 22 RBI.Jake Cave - Rochester Red Wings, 48 games, 69-146, .352/.393/.592 (.984) with 18-2B, 4-3B, 7 HR, 37 R, 39 RBISpencer Steer - Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels, 64 games, 70-250, .280/.385/.424 (.809) with 18-2B, 3-3B, 4 HR, 40 R, 33 RBINick Gordon - Rochester Red Wings, 70 games, 87-292, .298/.342/.459 (.801) with 29-2B, 3-3B, 4 HR, 49 R, 40 RBIGilberto Celestino - Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle, 125 games, 133-480, .277/.349/.410 (.759) with 28-2B, 3-3B, 10 HR, 58 R, 54 RBI.Minor League Hitter of the Year Here are the top eight vote getters for Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year: 8. Gabe Snyder – Cedar Rapids Kernels - 114 games, 110-424, .259/.338/.462 (.800), 21-2B, 4-3B, 19 HR, 63 R, 58 RBI Snyder really had an impressive season. He was a Midwest League All-Star at the midseason and for the postseason. The burly first baseman was relatively consistent and quite productive at the top of in the middle of the Kernels lineup most of the year, but he was not on the team’s opening-day roster. That said, he was called up very quickly and made his debut on April 11th, the team’s eighth game. At 6-5 and 235 pounds, Snyder looks the part at first base and has the power to hit the ball a long way. The 24-year-old was the #MNTwins 21st-round pick in 2018 out of Wright State. 7. Ryan Jeffers – Ft. Myers Miracle/Pensacola Blue Wahoos – 103 games, 97-368, .264/.341/.421 (.762) with 16-2B, 14 HR, 48 R, 49 RBI. Jeffers was a surprise (to many) second-round pick for the Twins in 2018 out of UNC-Wilmington. He dominated at Elizabethton before ending his 2018 with 36 games in Cedar Rapids. Despite limited time in the Midwest League, Jeffers made the jump to Ft. Myers to start the 2019 season. After a slow start, he really got things going. In 79 games with the Miracle, he hit .256/.330/.402 (.732) with 11 doubles and ten homers. He earned a promotion to Double-A Pensacola where he hit .287/.374/.483 (.856) with five doubles and four homers in 24 games. The night that he was promoted to Pensacola, he didn’t start, but in the 14-inning game, he hit a walk-off double. 6. Wilin Rosario – Rochester Red Wings – 105 games, 124-413, .300/.339/.504 (.843) with 24-2B, 20 HR, 71 R, 91 RBI From 2011 through 2015, Rosario hit 71 home runs for the Colorado Rockies. He hit 28 homers in 2012 and another 21 homers in 2013. He spent some time in Korea and then in Japan. This past offseason, he wanted to get back to playing in affiliated ball and the Twins gave him an opportunity. He made the best of it by putting up fantastic numbers in Rochester. He hit for average. He hit for power. The Red Wings named him their team MVP this season. He did some catching early in the season, but he was mostly the team's DH. 5. Brent Rooker – Rochester Red Wings – 65 games, 64-228, .281/.398/.535 (.933) with 16-2B, 14 HR After a strong showing at Double-A Chattanooga in 2018, Rooker got his first big league spring training invitation and started the season at Triple-A Rochester, just one step away from the big leagues. It is fair to say that things started slowly for the slugger. In 16 April games, he hit just .214 and struck out 28 times in 56 at bats. After that, things changed. In 49 games from May 1st on, he hit .302/.432/.558 (.990) with 14 doubles and 10 homers. Along with the improved hitting, walk rate and power, he also reduced his strikeout rate from 45.9% in that first month to just 31.5% the rest of the season. Unfortunately, a mid-July injury prematurely ended his season. 4. Lewin Diaz – Ft. Myers Miracle/Pensacola Blue Wahoos – 90 games, 100-340, .294/.336/.553 (.889) with 27-2B, 2-3B, 19 HR, 46 R, 62 RBI 2018 was a frustrating year for Diaz. He had worked really hard and lost some weight, but he struggled in Ft. Myers until his season ended with a wrist injury. In 2019, he came to camp in even better shape and the work paid off. He returned to the Miracle where he hit .290/.333/.533 (.860) with 11 doubles and 13 homers in 57 games. He was again named a Florida State League All-Star and soon moved up to Pensacola. In 33 games, he hit .302/.341/.587 (.928) with 16 doubles and six homers. Then came the trade deadline and he was dealt to the Miami Marlins in exchange for RH RP Sergio Romo, RHP Chris Vallimont and Cash. In 31 more games for Jacksonville, he added six doubles and eight home runs. 3. Zander Wiel - Rochester Red Wings – 126 games, 119-469, .254/.320/.514 (.834) with 40-2B, 5-3B, 24 HR, 86 R, 78 RBI Zander Wiel has quietly put together a strong resume, moving up one level each year. While he ended the 2018 season with a few games with the Red Wings, he was a very productive hitting in their lineup in 2019. As you can see, the Vanderbilt product (12th-round pick in 2015) was an extra-base machine. He plays a good first base and generally puts together good at-bats, though he will strike out a lot. 2. Jaylin Davis - Pensacola Blue Wahoos/Rochester Red Wings – 99 games, 109-366, .298/.391/.563 (.954) with 20-2B, 1-3B, 25 HR, 73 R, 67 RBI Jaylin Davis had an incredible 2019 season, and it will continue through the end of the MLB season. His season began in Pensacola with the Blue Wahoos. In 58 games, he hit .274/.382/.458 (.840) with nine doubles and ten home runs. He was promoted to Rochester and just took off. In 41 games, he hit .331/.405/.708 (1.112) with 11 doubles, a triple and 15 home runs. The Twins wanted to add bullpen, and Davis headlined a trade in which the Twins sent three prospects to the Giants for Sam Dyson. He went to AAA Sacramento where he hit .333/.419/.686 (1.105) with six doubles and ten homers in just 27 games. And then, he got The Call. He joined the Giants in St. Louis and singled in his first at-bat. Obviously for this Twins award, only his numbers with the Twins were to be considered, and those numbers were incredible. Davis was the Twins 24th-round draft pick in 2015. Hitter of the Year Trevor Larnach – Ft. Myers/Pensacola Blue Wahoos – 127 games, 147-476, .309/.384, 458 (.842) with 30-2B, 1-3B, 13 HR, 59 R, 66 RBI. Trevor Larnach was named the Florida State League Player of the Year last week. As we end our week of Twins Daily Minor League awards, he has now been named the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year by our panel. I’m sure the honor are pretty equivalent. But it is very deserved. Trevor Larnach grew up in California. Following his high school career, he was the 40th-round pick in the 2015 draft by the Padres by chose to attend Oregon State. It was a decision that proved wise for him. Three years later, he had the opportunity to play hero and win a College World Series title. In June 2018, he was also the 20th overall draft pick of the Minnesota Twins. He split the remainder of that season between the Elizabethton Twins and Cedar Rapids Kernels. Despite just 24 games with the Kernels, he began 2019 with the Ft. Myers Miracle. Larnach put together a strong season. In 84 games with Ft. Myers, he hit .316/.382/.459 (842) with 26 doubles, a triple and six home runs. He was promoted to the Blue Wahoos where he hit .295/.387/.455 (.842) with four doubles and seven homers in 43 games. His 147 hits led the organization, as did his .309 batting average (for anyone with over 300 plate appearances). The Ballots In an attempt to be transparent, here are the votes from our Twins Daily minor league writers: Seth Stohs – 1) Jaylin Davis, 2) Trevor Larnach, 3) Zander Wiel, 4) Lewin Diaz, 5) Wilin Rosario, 6) Brent Rooker, 7) Spencer Steer, 8) Travis BlankenhornMatt Braun - 1) Jaylin Davis, 2) Lewin Diaz, 3) Trevor Larnach, 4) Luis Arraez, 5) Jake Cave, 6) Brent Rooker, 7) Ryan Jeffers, 8) Travis BlankenhornCody Christie – 1) Jaylin Davis, 2) Trevor Larnach, 3) Zander Wiel, 4) Wilin Rosario, 5) Lewin Diaz, 6) Brent Rooker, 7) Tomas Telis, 8) Gabe SnyderTom Froemming – 1) Jaylin Davis, 2) Trevor Larnach, 3) Lewin Diaz, 4) Ryan Jeffers, 5) Gabe Snyder, 6) Zander Wiel, 7) Wilin Rosario, 8) Travis BlankenhornSteve Lein – 1) Trevor Larnach, 2) Jaylin Davis, 3) Zander Wiel, 4) Lewin Diaz, 5) Brent Rooker, 6) Gabe Snyder, 7) Travis Blankenhorn, 8) Gilberto CelestinoTed Schwerzler – 1) Brent Rooker, 2) Zander Wiel, 3) Wilin Rosario, 4) Tomas Telis, 5) Travor Larnach, 6) Ryan Jeffers, 7) Nick Gordon, 8) Gabe SnyderFeel free to discuss. What do you think? Do you agree with our rankings? How would your ballot look? Click here to view the article

I don't believe there is any video evidence of the cartwheels....

For me, it came down to innings pitched, right or wrong. No question, Ober was the most dominant, and you're right, it wasn't close. But he threw so many less innings. And, when I considered that Ober threw nine rehab innings in the GCL which put him below 70 innings for the year. Doesn't lessen how much he dominated in 2019.

Yeah, ultimately this was an easy choice for me... Dobnak threw a ton of innings, performed well, kept moving up and quickly adjusting... In my voting, IP is a category I consider. And this doesn't count his innings with the Twins, which have also been really good. Also, Roger makes a good point. These guys aren't necessarily the high-draft pick types. But, that's the same thing with Cleveland's pitchers. None of them are high draft picks. Kluber (4th round) wasn't a big prospect. Bieber (4th), Plesac (12th), Plutko (11th), Civale (3rd) and Clevinger (4th) weren't high picks and all college guys. If Falvey can work the wonders with the Twins that he did with Cleveland, it'd obviously be fantastic!

It's not just a regular mistake, Matt... you might call it an Uber-mistake....

Regarding Hackimer... he came in 9th on my rankings... He had a good WHIP (1.06), but in addition to 20 walks, he also hit 20 batters, just a crazy high number. And, he had the midseason suspension, so I considered that too. Neff came in #7 for me. Adam Bray was #6.

I watch too much on Netflix and Amazon. On Amazon, I just finished the four seasons of Monster Quest. I've also been watching Boston Legal for a while. On Netflix, I just finished the new episodes (I think season 3) of The Good Place.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of the genre, but I have watched all three seasons. I thought season 1 was ok, season 2 did nothing for me, but i did like season 3.

The Young'n and I went to It, Chapter 2 on Saturday night. We watched It (from a year or two ago) on Friday night via Amazon. I used to have no interest in scary movies, but my daughter loves them and I have started enjoying them if they are well done. It and It Chapter 2 were pretty good. I prefer the first one, but the 2nd one was solid. It was about 2 hours, 45 minutes though. The Insidious movies were really good, at least the first and second ones. Loved how they played off each other.

1.) I think there is little chance that Derek Shelton is back, unless there just aren't more than a couple of manager jobs open. 2.) As for Falvey and pitching... he's known for developing the pitching in Cleveland's system... no signing big free agents. Acquiring a guy like Kluber and developing the likes of Salazar, Carrasco, Clevinger, Bieber, Civale, etc.... The Twins are going to try to do the same, and we are starting to see the very early results of that in 2019. Think of the likes of a Randy Dobnak, who they brought in two years ago and developed. Think about the likes of Duran, Alcala, Smeltzer that they have acquired in trades. Think about what they have done to the velocities of the likes of Graterol and Colina. Think about the likes of Ober and Balazovic and Sands and Winder, guys drafted and developed. Could 1-2 of those guys be aces? Kluber certainly wasn't an "ace" as a prospect. Neither was Civale. Bieber was said to have some upside... We'll see how it pans out, but i like the track record and the development plans.

At the end of June each year, not long after the completion of the draft, the short-season minor leagues begin. The GCL Twins stay in Ft. Myers, and the Elizabethton Twins take the long bus ride to Tennessee. The last few seasons, Twins Daily has added two annual awards for the short-season Twins players. Yesterday, we handed out the award for the top hitter in the short-season teams. Today, we’ll start with the pitchers. Previous Winners: 2016: Huascar Ynoa 2017: Jovani Moran 2018: Andrew CabezasAs you’ll read below, there were several pitchers on the Twins short-season teams who put together real solid seasons. Of course, we are generally talking about a limited number of innings due to their seasons being just two months long. One poor outing can have an effect on their overall numbers. Six Twins Daily Minor League writers voted for the various awards this year. For the short-season pitcher of the year, we each voted for five players. The player who was voted as #1 received five points, #2 received four points and so on with the #5 vote receiving one point. Results were tabulated and can be found below. Short profiles of our top five are to follow, but first, some players worthy of honorable mention. These players also received votes. Others Receiving Votes: Osiris German - Elizabethton Twins - 16 G, 3-1, 3.11 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 37.2 IP, 30 H, 10 BB, 47 KAnthony Escobar - GCL Twins - 11 G, 6 GS, 5-2, 3.83 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 42.1 IP, 33 H, 13 BB, 37 KEvan Gillespie - GCL Twins - 12 G, 1 GS, 3-1, 2.16 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 16.2 IP, 14 H, 4 BB, 18 KShort-Season Pitcher of the Year Here are the top five vote-getters for Twins Short Season Minor League Pitcher of the Year. #5 – Ryan Shreve, Elizabethton Twins: 14 G, 2 GS, 2-2, 3.40 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 45.0 IP, 55 H, 7 BB, 58 K Shreve was the Twins 16th-round pick in 2019 out of the University of the Pacific where he pitched for three years. He spent one summer with the St. Cloud Rox. The 6-6 right-hander from South California signed quickly and went to pitch for the Elizabethton Twins. After pitching 79 innings in college this season, he worked another 45 innings for the E-Twins, mostly out of the bullpen. #4 – Miguel Rodriguez, GCL Twins: 9 G, 5 GS, 2-2, 2.48 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 32.2 IP, 29 H, 11 BB, 39 The Twins signed Rodriguez in July of 2017 out of Venezuela. He spent the 2018 season pitching in the Dominican Summer League. He came to the States in 2019 and pitched for the Gulf Coast League Twins. He’s got good control and a good mix of pitches. He also showed an ability to miss bats. Opponents hit just .236 off of the 20-year-old. #3 – Donny Breek, GCL Twins: 10 G, 7 GS, 1-2, 0.74 ERA, 36.1 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 21 H, 19 BB, 38 K Breek signed with the Twins out of The Netherlands in September of 2017. He pitched in the GCL in 2018, posting an ERA of 2.84. He returned to the level this year, and as you can see, he was much improved. He has the ability to miss bats, though lack of control is the only thing really slowing him down. Over the weekend at the European Championships, he struck out ten batters over six scoreless innings. Gave up just just two hits and one walk. #2 – Niklas Rimmel, GCL Twins: 9 G, 7 GS, 3-1, 2.15 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 37.2 IP, 30 H, 8 BB, 34 K The Twins signed Rimmel out of Germany about a week before they signed Breek. The right-hander threw just over 14 innings in 2018, but he greatly improved his control. Rimmel stands about 6-3 and is lanky. He’s got a very smooth delivery with a repeatable motion. . Pitcher of the Year – Cody Laweryson, Elizabethton Twins: 10 G, 6 GS, 1-1, 1.76 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 41.0 IP, 25 H, 9 BB, 59 K Laweryson grew up in Maine and went to the University of Maine where he pitched for three years. He worked primarily out of the bullpen the first two seasons before moving into their starting rotation this year. In 14 starts, he went 5-5 with a 2.85 ERA. He threw 72 2/3 innings and struck out 79 batters. With that performance, and his size (6-4) and stuff, he caught the eyes of Twins scouts. The Twins drafted him in the 14th round in June. He signed quickly and reported to Ft. Myers for that fun-filled bus ride up to Elizabethton. The right-hander began by pitching six games for Elizabethton before moving up to Cedar Rapids where he made a spot start. In that Midwest League game, he tossed five shutout innings and gave up just two hits. He returned to the E-Twins where he made four more appearances. In his final start of the season, he struck out 15 batters in six shutout innings. Laweryson made a great first impression. He threw strikes (2.0 BB/9), recorded strikeouts (12.3 K/9), and opponents hit just .168 off of him on the season. All told, it was an easy choice for our votes, and summed up, it was clear why Cody Laweryson was our unanimous choice for Twins Daily Short-Season Pitcher of the Year. There you have it, the top pitchers in the short season leagues for the Minnesota Twins in 2019. The Ballots In an attempt to be transparent, here are the votes from our Twins Daily minor league writers: Seth Stohs – 1) Cody Laweryson, 2) Donny Breek, 3) Miguel Rodriguez, 4) Niklas Rimmel, 5) Anthony EscobarCody Christie – 1) Cody Laweryson, 2) Donny Breek, 3) Niklas Rimmel, 4) Miguel Rodriguez, 5) Evan GillespieTom Froemming - 1) Cody Laweryson, 2) Osiris German, 3) Niklas Rimmel, 4) Ryan Shreve, 5) Donny BreekSteve Lein – 1) Cody Laweryson, 2) Donny Breek, 3) Niklas Rimmel, 4) Osiris German, 5) Miguel RodriguezTed Schwerzler - 1) Cody Laweryson, 2) Niklas Rimmel, 3) Donny Breek, 4) Miguel Rodriguez, 5) Ryan ShreveMatt Braun - 1) Cody Laweryson, 2) Ryan Shreve, 3) Niklas Rimmel, 4) Miguel Rodriguez, 5) Donny BreekFeel free to discuss. What do you think? How would you rank them? How would your ballot look? Click here to view the article

The Cedar Rapids Kernel take the title of Twins affiliate to last the longest in 2019. They faced another must-win game on Monday. With a win, the Kernels would advance to the Midwest League finals. Lose, and the players would be sent home on Tuesday.Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Thursday, starting with the transactions of the day. TRANSACTIONS NoneKERNELS NUGGETSCedar Rapids 2, Clinton 6 Box Score The Cedar Rapids Kernels season ended one win shy of participating in the Midwest League championship series. Congratulations to first-year manager Brian Dinkelman and his coaching staff. Brian Dinkelman sent RHP Tyler Palm to the mound to start, it was all hands on deck for the Kernels in the win or go home game. Unfortunately, Palm didn’t get through the first inning. He got two outs, but he was removed having given up three runs on three hits and a walk. Lefty Denny Bentley came on and gave the team length. He was able to work three scoreless innings and gave up just two hits. Jose Martinez got two outs but was charged with one run. Nate Hadley recorded five outs and gave up just one hit. JT Perez came on for the top of the seventh inning. He was charged with two unearned runs. Austin Schulfer worked the final two innings Tyler Webb continued to hit in the playoffs for the Kernels. His fifth inning single drove in a run and cut the Kernels deficit to 4-2 at the time. Webb went 10-for-17 (.588). On the other side of the spectrum, Matt Wallner went 0-for-24 with 10 strikeouts in the six Kernels playoff games. Wander Javier had a single and two doubles in the game as well. Jared Akins and Trevor Casanova each had a double for the Kernels as well. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Denny Bentley, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Wander Javier, Cedar Rapids Kernels PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, 2-2B, R #15 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, BB, K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS No More Games! Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s Kernels game or any other minor league topics you would like. Click here to view the article