Seth Stohs

I would think everyone would agree it's disappointing. Doesn't affect his prospect status, but I don't think anyone would tell you that it's been good.

Could do that, but looking at where these players are playing pretty much tells that... the AAA guys are probably most ready, possibly some of the AA guys fit into that equation.

Hard to disagree... would like to see more power, of course. but the average is really good. I just couldn't put him ahead of others, and I think it speaks to the depth of prospects in the organization.

Yes, it is that time again!! It’s time to revisit our top Minnesota Twins prospect rankings. (Be sure to look back at the preseason 2019 Top 20 Prospects.) Sure, it’s a lot more fun to follow the Minnesota Twins big league club this year than it has been much of the decade, but it’s still important to know the minor leaguers as well. Already this season we have seen several prospects make their major-league debuts. Some are top prospects, but the Twins farm system is deep and several players that many hadn’t even heard of are getting an opportunity.Over the next two weeks, Twins Daily will be revealing the Twins Daily Midseason Top 40 Prospects rankings. Our preseason Top Prospect rankings go 20 deep. Our midseason rankings double that output and give some recognition to twice as many players. Several of our minor league writers provided player rankings. They were consolidated Continue reading, and then discussing, the Twins Daily choices for 36th through 40th prospects of the Minnesota Twins below. 40. Sean Poppen – RHP Age: 25 ETA: 2019 2019 Stats MLB: 4.0 IP, 6.75 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, 4.5 K/9, 9.0 BB/9, 0.50 K/BB MILB (AA/AAA): 57.2 IP, 2.97 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 11.4 K/9, 4.5 BB/9, 2.52 K/BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: NR Seth: 23 | Tom: NR | Cody: NR | Ted: NR | Steve: NR From a timing standpoint, we couldn’t ask for anything more. If you watched Poppen in his Major League debut on Wednesday night, you saw why he has impressed coaches and decision-makers in the organization over the last couple of months. The fastball is consistently 95 to 97 mph with movement. His mid-80s slider is sharp. He showed a few changeups as well, which is his clear third pitch. He struggled with control, something that he has done the last year or two, but if he can relax and throw more strikes with his stuff, he can be successful. Look at his strikeout numbers. They have increased dramatically the last year or so. The changeup may determine whether his future is in the bullpen or as a starter. Poppen was the Twins 19th-round pick in 2016 out of Harvard. 39. Zander Wiel - LF Age: 26 ETA: 2019 2019 Stats (AAA): .252/335/.472 (.807 OPS), 13 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 76 K, 23 BB 2019 Ranking: NR Seth: 42 | Tom: 35 | Cody: 47 | Ted: NR | Steve: NR Wiel was the Twins 12th-round draft pick in 2015 out of Vanderbilt University. He has gradually worked his way up the ladder, approximately one year at a time and continuing to be productive. He leads the 2019 Red Wings in home runs this season with ten. Wiel isn’t afraid to work a count, though he does strike out quite a bit. He has mostly played first base in 2019 after splitting his time in left field the past couple of seasons. Wiel is big and strong, but he has made himself a little more athletic in the last year or two and he runs well. He finds himself in a tough spot with CJ Cron as the primary first baseman but with the likes of Marwin Gonzalez and Ehire Adrianza and Willians Astudillo also getting time at first base. The Twins also have strong depth in the corner outfield positions. 38. Bailey Ober - RHP Age: 23 ETA: 2022 2019 Stats (High-A): 24.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, 1.1 BB/9, 8.67 K/BB 2019 Ranking: NR Seth: 30 | Tom: 39 | Cody: 44 | Ted: NR | Steve: NR Ober was the Twins 12th-round draft pick in 2017 out of the College of Charleston. He was the national freshman of the year his first year of college. Unfortunately injuries cost him much of the next two seasons, but the Twins saw enough to draft him. When the 6-9 right-hander has been healthy, he’s been really good. In 2018 in Cedar Rapids, he went 7-1 with a 3.84 ERA in 75 innings. His season began late and then ended early. His numbers (above) are from April when he was the runner-up in Starting Pitcher of the Month voting. But when the month ended, Ober went back on the IL with an elbow injury. 37. Kohl Stewart - RHP Age: 24 ETA: 2021 2019 Stats: MLB: 12.0 IP, 6.00 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 2.3 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, 0.60 K/BB MILB (AAA): 51.1 IP, 4.56 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, 1.88 K/BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: HM Seth: 44 | Tom: 37 | Cody: 30 | Ted: NR | Steve: NR The fourth overall pick in the 2014 draft out of high school, Stewart worked his way up the ladder. It was a surprise when he was called up last August, he showed some glimpses, and the same can be said with his two MLB starts so far in 2019. In late April, he gave up five runs over six innings at Houston. In mid-May, he earned a win with a quality start (6 IP, 3 ER) against Detroit. Stewart is approaching a career crossroads of sorts now. He could be a back-of-the-rotation MLB starter for some teams, or he could move to the bullpen and see what he can do in shorter stints. 36. Gabriel Maciel - OF ETA: 2018 Age: 20 2019 Stats (Low-A): ..309/.395/.377 (.771 OPS), 3 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 31 K, 23 BB. 2019 Ranking: HM Seth: 46 | Tom: 40 | Cody: 24 | Ted: 30 | Steve: 27 The Twins acquired Gabriel Maciel from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Eduardo Escobar trade last July. He joined the Cedar Rapids Kernels and hit .263 (.683) with four doubles, two triples and two homers in 30 games. He began this season on the injured list. He returned to the Kernels and he has taken a step forward. He is not a big guy, but the Brazilian has a real solid approach at the plate and terrific speed. He has primarily played in center field this year but has seen quite a bit of time in right field too. That's it for now. Feel free to ask questions and leave comments below. Learn about another five pack of Twins prospects tomorrow. Click here to view the article

Diaz is...

Have to be careful with IP for guys who play in Extended and Short seasons. Balazovic was in Extended Spring Training last year. He pitched in Extended Spring games and threw bullpens and they track all of that. So yes, he'll likely pitch less innings than Duran, but I don't think that the 20% or 30% or whatever number will be based on 61 IP.

Guess not...

I would not be surprised. I kind of think that we may see Aaron Whitefield promoted to take Tanner English's roster spot. With Randy Cesar also released, they will need to add at least one more player as well.Though that could be a guy coming off IL.

Why would Wallner take less? I mean, he already went about $180K under slot... even though he was projected to go in that part of the draft. It's not like the Twins took a 3rd round talent there. I figured they would have to go slot on him there, or maybe get a slight discount. I actually think that they discount he gave was really nice.

updated as 8th round pick Casey Legumina has signed. Haven't seen any details yet.

I think Steve forgot the Transactions section, so here they are: IF Luis Arraez and OF Jake Cave were promoted to the Twins with Byron Buxton and Ehire Adrianza going on the IL.The Twins signed LHP and MLB vet Ian Krol to a minor league deal and sent him to the Red Wings. OF Jimmy Kerrigan was promoted to the Red Wings. C Trevor Casanova was promoted toCedar Rapids.3B Andrew Bechtold was promoted to Ft. Myers (which we had a couple of days ago but just became official today) RHP Yancarlos Baez and Miguel De Jesus, and LHP Matt Jones, were all placed on the IL (60 Day) by Elizabethton.Also, OF Matt Wallner, IF Anthony Prato, and Pitchers Sean Mooney, Brent Headrick, and Sawyer Gipson all added to the Elizabethton roster. Also RHP Casey Legumina also signed. I think that's it...

When Zack Littell returned to Rochester at the start of the month of June, he was told that he should work out of the bullpen. Did he sulk? No. Did he make some alterations? Yes. Over the weekend, we caught up with the Twins right-hander about the changes he has made and why he has shown so much success of late.In four games with the Red Wings before his most recent promotion to the Twins, Littell worked solely out of the Rochester bullpen. In 7 2/3 innings, he gave up just three hits, walked one and struck out 13 batters. Opponents hit just .115 off of him. When Littell was optioned, Rocco Baldelli and Wes Johnson gave him some things to work on with the Red Wings. The big thing was that he should work in shorter appearances out of the bullpen, rather than go back to starting which is the role he’s played his entire career. “Me and Rocco talked about it a little bit, working in shorter stints. They said I could go two or three innings, but usually just two.” With that plan in place, it can sometimes be as much mental as physical. “Taking that, it kind of changes your mind set a bit. I can just go out there and give everything I’ve got. Don’t have to worry about pitch count. Don’t have to worry about grinding out six or seven innings.” Included in their message to him for his time in Rochester was a plan to reduce the number of pitches he throws. “We talked “about shortening the repertoire. We’ve gone predominantly fastball-slider, with a few changeups as well.” That all makes sense, and if you stayed up and watched his impressive two-inning performance on Tuesday night (and Wednesday morning), you saw him airing it out. You saw a fastball at 95 to 97 mph. There were sliders at 89 to 90 mph. The fastball was effective up in the zone and the slider was good, especially when it was darting to the knees on the corners of the zone. When the Twins acquired Littell from the Yankees on July 31, 2017, he was known for his curveball, and at times it has been quite good. But not lately. “The curveball is a pitch that has been with me since the start. I always felt it was best pitch, always had the most confidence in it. The curveball is a great pitch if I’m throwing it for strikes, and I wasn’t doing that. It doesn’t do me any good, especially with the way I use my fastball up in the zone, there’s no point in throwing a curveball out of the zone being that it doesn’t tunnel at all. We were having some issues with that. General command issues.” However, while he has struggled with his curveball, his slider has become a very effective pitch for him. And, he’s been shown the analytics to back it up. “Developmentally, the slider has gotten ten times better. If you look at the numbers - swing and miss, hard contact, stats like that - the slider has been the better pitch. I think that boils down to throwing it for strikes.” While the numbers are there, Littell stresses that it is about his mindset and aggressiveness. “I think the past ten to twelve days are pretty much just a mindset thing. Being able to go out there and attack hitters right away and give everything I have, be more aggressive and not worry about pitch count.” Littell is just 23 years old, so the question has to be asked; Are his days as a starter over? Is he now deemed a relief pitcher going forward? Littell said, “They were very clear… this is just what we need now and a way to help the Twins win this year. And honestly, whatever keeps me here and helps these guys win. Nobody doesn’t want to be a part of this. Whatever keeps me here.” Outings like last night when he worked two scoreless innings and picked up his first MLB win (and showed off that 97 mph fastball) certainly help make his case. Of course, the business side of baseball isn’t always so kind, and Littell has been a part of that a couple of times already this year. Littell and Tyler Duffey are the two relief pitchers with options on the current Twins staff. It is entirely possible that if the front office decides that a fresh arm is needed on Wednesday night when the Twins play the Red Sox again, one or both of those two right-handers could find themselves back with the Red Wings. But it is clear that Littell can help the Twins in 2019, and he will (and should) continue to get opportunities. He’s just got to maintain that mindset. He will turn 24 on October 5th, and I’m sure he’d like nothing more than to be on the Twins October roster, pitching out of the bullpen in some playoff games! Click here to view the article

They''ve shows some of the improvements on social media. The clubhouse looks so much nicer. (from the pictures) Also, yes, the Parks and Rec no longer runs the day-to-day of the ball club.

Benninghoff looked good in spring training. Had some control issues (in the one or two innings I saw, admittedly), but he throws pretty hard. Canterino may not even pitch this year. They may just have him on the GCL roster and keep him there. Or maybe have him throw a couple of innings for E-Town ,or maybe a couple of innings for Cedar Rapids. I dont' think he'll throw much this year at all. Yeiner Cano is listed on the GCL roster... Just guessing, he'll get some work there,, maybe a couple of appearances, and then move him up somewhere. I wouldn't be surprised to see him start with the Miracle and see how that goes for a couple weeks. If it goes well, he could go to AA and see how that goes.

My assumption is that Wallner will go to Ft. Myers for a little bit just to get going, get some workouts in and then get him to E-Town. There could be an IL situation or someone sent back to GCL.

Ft. Myers hasn't announced their moves yet. I assume a couple of guys will get moved up. Could be Kirilloff... but they could promote Aaron Whitefield to play CF as well. We know the Kirilloff injury. It's been written about in recent minor league reports.

It's his wrist. He got a cortisone shot recently, so he shouldn't be out too much longer. He is in Ft. Myers.

He's been listed on the IL in spring trainings. I truly don't' know what the deal is because watching him in the bullpen is pretty impressive. Throws really hard.

Interesting and I think that the answer is Yes. At least until Wallner gets there.

Updated as Matt Wallner has now signed, and we have the dollar value of the Brent Headrick deal.

First on ... Not So Good... this one... Pretty good!!

1.) Yes, but 2.) Last night, they only really honored Mauer (and his wife Maddie) for their work in the community.

I was told it's the wrist again... but still no idea of severity.