Seth Stohs

In the last couple of days, we have named the June 2018 Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month and the Starting Pitcher of the Month. Today we share with you some of the Twins minor league hitters who had terrific months in June. And there were some really impressive numbers put up by several players in the organization. It’s also worth noting, as you look below, just how many Cedar Rapids Kernels made the list. Previous Starting Pitchers of the Month for 2018: April 2018: Zander Wiel, Chattanooga Lookouts May 2018: Alex Kirilloff, Cedar Rapids Kernels June 2018: See Below.Let’s take a look at the Top 5 hitters for the month of June, but first here are some players deserving of honorable mention. HONORABLE MENTION Willians Astudillo - Rochester Red Wings - 19-65, .292/.317/.477 (.796) with six doubles and two home runs.LaMonte Wade - Rochester Red Wings - 26-90, .289/.430/.433 (.863) with seven doubles and two homersMark Contreras - Ft. Myers Miracle - 22-82, .268/.358/.427 (.785) with three doubles, two triples and two home runs.Andrew Bechtold - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 23-76, .303/.426/.434 (.860) with seven doubles and one homer.Trey Cabbage - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 19-68, .279/.342/.559 (.901) with six doubles, two triples and three homers.Jose Miranda - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 27-96, .281/.340/.458 (.798) with eight doubles and three homers.Jacob Pearson - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 24-81, .296/.380/.432 (813) with six doubles, one triple and one homer.Robby Rinn - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 28-87, .322/.398/.460 (.858) with six doubles and two homers.THE TOP FIVE HITTERS Number 5 – Cedar Rapids Kernels - Royce Lewis - .330/.380/.604 (.984), 30-91 with ten doubles, five home runs and 22 RBI. It’s not always how you start a month, but how you end it. In the first four games Lewis played in June, he went just 1-for-18. In his final four game of June, Lewis went 9-for-13 with four doubles and a home run, as well as three walks. Lewis has continued to develop over the course of the season. His monthly OPS has gone from .747 in April to .828 in May and now .984 in June. While he hit for a slightly higher average earlier in the season, he has added much more extra-base power as the season has worn on. Lewis was named to the Midwest League All-Star Game where he led off and had a single in his first at-bat and stole a base. At this point, we’re all waiting for his imminent promotion to Ft. Myers that we thought would happen after the All-Star break, and then after the Jorge Polanco promotion to the Red Wings. It hasn’t yet, but maybe that’s been a hidden blessing in disguise as Lewis is playing as well as he has all year for the Kernels. Number 4 – Ft. Myers Miracle - Caleb Hamilton - .304/.381/.714 (1.095). 17-56 with seven doubles, two triples, four home runs and 18 RBI. It was a tough first half of the season for Caleb Hamilton. The catcher, third baseman, left fielder (and wherever else needed) was hitting just .147 (.490) at the end of the first half. Things changed when his Oregon State Beavers started their College World Series run on June 16. In the eight games since that date, Hamilton hit hit .404/.487/1.000 (1.487) with five doubles, a triple, three home runs and 14 RBI. Something in that Oregon State blood, I guess. The 23-year-old was the Twins 38th-round pick in 2016. In college, he played all three infield positions. He moved behind the plate after beginning his professional career. Number 3 - Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle – OF Alex Kirilloff - .355/.407/.617 (1.024), 38-107 with six doubles, two triples, six homers and 23 RBI. Just to get it out of the way, Alex Kirilloff did not play at all during the 2017 season after having Tommy John surgery in March. You would hardly know it as he needed maybe four games at the start of the season to start raking again. Drafted with the 15th overall pick in the 2016 draft out of high school in Pennsylvania, he was touted as the top prep bat in the draft. He’s returned and proven a lot of people right. He was the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Month when he posted an OPS over 1.000, something he did again in June. His June might be more impressive because following his All-Star Game experience, representing the Twins and Cedar Rapids, he was immediately promoted to Ft. Myers where he has continued to rake. In his first ten Miracle games, he hit .341 and had five multi-hit games. He’ll certainly have to continue making adjustments, but his prospect status has certainly jumped up this season. Number 2 - Chattanooga Lookouts – 1B/OF Brent Rooker - .312/.393/.645 (1.038), 29-93 with seven doubles, three triples, six homers and 18 RBI. The Twins have been exceedingly aggressive in their promotion of Rooker since he joined the organization as a first-round pick a year ago. He really struggled at the start of the season. In April, he posted a .638 OPS. In May, it jumped up to .739. He had a huge June in which he posted an OPS of 1.038. He hit for average. He started taking more walks. He delivered a lot of power in the form of doubles, triples and home runs. He still struck out a ton, but that doesn’t matter as much when he’s providing the kind of thump he did in June. To have a month like this in Double-A a year after being drafted is impressive.Consider only Brian Navarreto and Lewis Thorpe are younger than the 23-year-old Rooker on the Lookouts roster. The future is bright. And the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month is: Ft. Myers Miracle – IF Luis Arraez - .449/.487/.617 (1.104), 48-107 with nine doubles, three triples, one homer and 13 RBI. Luis Arraez is back! Alex Kirilloff isn’t the only Twins hitting prospect who missed the 2017 season with injury. After winning the Midwest League batting title by hitting .347 as a 19-year-old in Cedar Rapids, Arraez was set for big things in Ft. Myers in 2017. In the third game of the season, he tried to beat out an infield single, hit first base hard, and tore his ACL. It required season-ending surgery. Arraez worked hard to get back. His 2018 season started about two weeks late as he finished up his rehab. In his first six games, he went just 1-for-24 (.042). He did improve upon that, but even when he played on June 5th, he was hitting .205/.277/.252 (.529). Over his final 22 games of June, he hit .474/.500/.649 (1.149) with eight doubles, three triples and a homer. He had more than one hit in 15 of those 22 games including five, three-hit games, two, four-hit games and a five-hit game. He ended the month hitting .321 on the season. Arraez had spent most of the season as the youngest player on the Miracle roster. Over the last month, Ben Rortvedt, Alex Kirilloff and Brusdar Graterol have pushed him down that list. But, it is interesting to note that Arraez has had 248 plate appearances in 2018. Nine of them have come against pitchers that are younger than him. We would like to congratulate Luis Arraez, Twins Daily’s choice for Minor League Hitter of the Month for June 2018. Feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions. Click here to view the article

I think I ranked him the lowest... His ranking isn't about his ability to pitch in the big leagues. He probably could right now and be just fine. But, he's a left-handed reliever who will probably top out as a 7th/8th inning guy who throws like 50-55 innings a season. There is a lot of value in that role in the big leagues, no doubt. But compare him to Jordan Balazovic whose upside is probably a #3 starter, maybe even a little higher. He's got a ways to go, but if he gets even closer to being a #3 starter, throwing 160-180 innings a season has a ton of value.

The big league club found another way to lose a game. It’s a good thing we all have the minor league box scores and games to watch and follow, right? The Red Wings had a big night against a rehabbing big leaguer. A couple of the Twins’ big power hitting prospects had big games. Royce Lewis. Alex Kirilloff. Brent Rooker. Byron Buxton. Each of them had a noteworthy night.Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Monday. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS The Twins activated SS Jorge Polanco from the restricted list.To make room for Polanco on the 40-man roster OF Ryan LaMarre was designated for assignment.To make room for Polanco on the 25-man roster, SS Ehire Adrianza was placed on the disabled listIn addition, Adalberto Mejia was optioned back to Rochester with RHP Zack Littell being recalled from the Red Wings.Following the game, the Twins optioned Littell to Rochester. Another arm will be brought up for Tuesday's game.Monday was July 2nd, the first day of the 2018-19 international signing period. The Twins already used $2.5 million of their cap to sign Yunior Severino. On Monday, they signed OF Misael Urbina from Venezuela for $2.75 million AWARDS Lewis Thorpe was named the Pitcher of the Week in the Southern League.Jordan Balazovic was named the Pitcher of the Week in the Midwest League.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 6, Pawtucket 2 Box Score The Red Wings went with a bullpen game on the mound, and the bullpen did very well. Four pitchers combined to give up just two runs on the way to a Red Wings win. DJ Baxendale made the start. He gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in the first three innings. He struck out three. Luke Bard tossed the next three innings. He gave up two hits, but no runs, while striking out one. Jake Reed was next and he walked one and struck one out over two scoreless innings. John Curtiss finished with a scoreless ninth inning. He both walked and struck out one batter. Most of the Red Wings offense came in the first three innings when they scored five runs off of rehabbing Red Sox starter Drew Pomeranz. Byron Buxton got things going with a leadoff home run. In the second inning, Edgar Corcino hit his first Triple-A home run, and LaMonte Wade added a solo home run in the third inning. Vargas went 2-for-5 on the game. He added his ninth double to this tenth home run and drove in three runs. Corcino went 2-for-4. Gregorio Petit went 2-for-4 with a walk. Buxton went 1-for-4 with a walk and his second home run of the Red Wings season. He also struck out twice. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Tennessee 5 (10 innings) Box Score The Lookouts scored a run in the top of the 10th inning. Unfortunately, they gave up two runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a loss. Lewis Thorpe was back on the mound the day that the Southern League named him its pitcher of the week. The southpaw gave up one run on three hits and a walk over the first 2 2/3 innings. He struck out three. Unfortunately, the rains came, and Thorpe’s night was done. Andrew Vasquez, another talented left-hander, came on and got the team through the fifth inning. He gave up just one hit and struck out four. Cody Stashak was very impressive in his outing. He got six outs and five came via the strikeout. Williams Ramirez did not have an impressive outing. He faced three batters. Two got hits and one walked. He was replaced by Ryne Harper, but two of Ramirez’s runs scored. Harper went 2 2/3 innings. He didn’t give up a run until the two runs in the 10th inning. Brent Rooker led the offense. He hit his 14th home run and his 18th double. Alex Perez went 2-for-5. Tanner English was 2-for-4 with his second home run of the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 11, Charlotte 3 Box Score The Miracle bats were busy on Monday night. Alex Kirilloff led the way. He went 3-for-5 with his first Miracle triple. He drove in three runs. He also stole his first base with the Miracle. Mark Contreras had two hits, a walk and his 11th double. He stole his eighth base. Travis Blankenhorn had two hits including his 16th double. Miguel Sano went 2-for-4 with a walk. Aaron Whitefield was 2-for-4 with his fourth steal and scored three runs. Andro Cutura went the first three innings for the Miracle. He gave up one run on two hits and a walk. Hector Lujan went the middle three innings. He gave up two hits and a walk, but no runs. Ryan Mason recorded his fourth save. He gave up two runs on four hits over three innings. He walked one and struck one out. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Wisconsin 9 Box Score Tyler Watson returned to the Kernels from the Miracle. He threw two scoreless innings to start, but then he gave up six runs (five earned) in the third inning. In total, he gave up six hits and walked two in 2 2/3 innings. Melvi Acosta gave up an unearned run on three hits over 3 1/3 innings. He struck out six without walking any. Jared Finkel went the final two innings. He gave up two runs on three hits and a walk. He struck out three. Jacob Pearson got the Kernels off to a good start. He homered in the top of the first inning to give the team a 1-0 lead. It was his third homer. He added a single as well. Royce Lewis extended his on-base streak to 15 games. He went 2-for-5. Jean Carlos Arias hit his 10th double. E-TWINS E-TALK Elizabethton , Princeton Box Score This game has been postponed by rain. The teams will try to play two games on Tuesday. GCL TWINS TALK GCL Twins 12, GCL Orioles 2 Box Score The GCL Twins improved to 7-5 with a big win against the Orioles. Six Twins had multi-hit games. Yeltsin Encarnacion led off and went 2-for-5 with a walk. Tyler Webb went 2-for-4 with a walk. He scored three runs. Janigson Villalobos went 2-for-4 with two walks and his second double. Victor Tademo had a single and a double. Edgar Herrera went 2-for-4 with a walk. Estamy Urena went 2-for-5 with his second and third doubles. Zach Featherstone returned to the mound and started with a 1-2-3 first inning. Michael Montero came on and threw the next four innings. He gave up two runs on five hits and a walk. He struck out one. Dylan Stowell threw two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. He struck one out. Osiris German struck out three over the final two innings. He walked just one. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Alex Kirilloff, Ft. Myers Miracle (3-5, 3B(1), 3 RBI, SB(1)) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Cody Stashak, Chattanooga Lookouts (2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed. Please note that we will be updating our Top Prospect rankings so this list will be updated soon. #1 - Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 2-5, K #2 - Fernando Romero (Rochester) - Did not pitch #3 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 0-5 #4 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Did not pitch #5 - Alex Kirilloff (Ft. Myers) - 3-5, 3B(1), 3 RBI, K, SB(1) #6 - Wander Javier - out of for the season #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - 2-5, 2B(18), HR(14), R, 2 RBI, K #8 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did not pitch #9 - Brusdar Graterol (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2B(13), BB #11 - Zack Littell (Minnesota) - 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP #12 - Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) - 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K #13 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - 1-4, BB #14 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 1-4, HR(2), R, RBI #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 2-5, R, K #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 2-6, 2B(16), 2 RBI, K #18 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton Twins) - Did Not Play #19 - Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) - Did not pitch #20 - Felix Jorge (Chattanooga) - Disabled List, began rehab on June 19. DFAd over the weekend. TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Pawtucket (5:15 CST) - RHP Fernando Romero (1-1, 2.33 ERA) Chattanooga @ Tennessee (6:00 CST) - RHP Omar Bencomo (5-2, 3.19 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:35 CST) - RHP Clark Beeker (3-5, 3.63 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:35 CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (5-2, 4.14 ERA) Elizabethton @ Princeton (6:00 CST) - RHP Pedro Garcia (1-1, 9.00 ERA) GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions about Monday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

De La Torre is a really nice prospect, but it has nothing to do with his stats. Way too small of a sample at this time to even really look at the numbers. But he's known as being very good defensively. Good range, strong arm. Offensively, there are question marks, but he's' got potential. I mean, he's so young at this point, but the tools are terrific. Prospect rankings are based on so many things... Tools, age-to-level, and somewhat stats (though the lower the level, it's less about stats)... But proximity does come into play as well. De Le Torre is kind of at a point where he was 6th round pick, was very young, has OK numbers but is more about the tools right now, so guys with good stat lines that are older and up the system are higher now. But being in the high-30s now is kind of impressive right now.

I like each of these guys as possible big leaguers. Mejia was a good prospect too who could become a 4 probably. I mean, any of these guys could be MLB starters. Any #1s? I mean, the odds of that are always very low. Graterol is probably the only Twins pitching prospect with true #1 upside. Lots of 3-ceilings... but again, hard to know which will be which. The old Corey Kluber wasn't ever a high prospect for Cleveland thing rings very true.

I'd say you might want to follow our Top 40 Twins prospects list which just started last night. Might just see him on the list...

A day after naming the June 2018 Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month yesterday, today we dive into some of the top starting pitcher performances during the month. There were a lot of good options. In fact, instead of the usual Top 5, we’re doing a Top 6, and we also will include six more starters under the Honorable Mention category. Previous Starting Pitchers of the Month for 2018: April 2018: Aaron Slegers, Rochester Red Wings May 2018: Brusdar Graterol, Cedar Rapids Kernels June 2018: See Below.Before we share our choices for the Twins Minor League Top Five Starters for June, here are some terrific bullpen performances that just missed the cut. HONORABLE MENTION Andro Cutura - Ft. Myers Miracle - 4 GS, 23.1 IP, 1-2, 3.09 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 22 H, 7 BB, 23 K Randy Dobnak - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 5 G, 4 GS, 32.1 IP, 2-0, 2.78 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 34 H, 5 BB, 15 K Brusdar Graterol - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 3 GS, 16.0 IP, 1-1, 2.81 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 13 H, 3 BB, 15 K Griffin Jax - Ft. Myers Miracle - 5 G, 4 GS, 30.1 IP, 1-0, 3.26 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 34 H, 3 BB, 16 K. Kohl Stewart - Chattanooga Lookouts - 4 GS, 24.1 IP, 1.48 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 27 H, 8 BB, 29 K Lewis Thorpe - Chattanooga Lookouts - 5 GS, 28.1 IP, 3.81 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 24 H, 7 BB, 39 K THE TOP SIX STARTING PITCHERS #6 - LHP Charlie Barnes - Ft. Myers Miracle - 5 GS, 2-0, 1.15 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 30.0 IP, 24 H, 11 BB, 20 K Barnes was the Twins fourth-round pick last year out of Clemson. The southpaw quickly moved from Elizabethton to Cedar Rapids. The Twins had him start the 2018 season in Ft. Myers. After posting ERAs over four in the first two months of the season, Barnes seemed to put things together in June. Opponents hit just .231/.328/.260 (587) against him. Barnes is just 22-years-old. #5 - RHP Jordan Balazovic - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 4 GS, 3-1, 2.74 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 23.0 IP, 22 H, 4 BB, 36 K Balazovic was the Twins’ sixth-round pick in 2016 out of secondary school in Ontario. He impressed that season in the GCL, but he struggled at the same level in 2017. He had an impressive spring training and continued to pitch well at Extended Spring Training. He was promoted to Cedar Rapids after Memorial Day. He made one relief appearance and was sent back to Ft. Myers. Ten days later, he was back up and entered the Kernels rotation. He was very good in his four starts. 36 strikeouts and four walks is very impressive. That equates to 14.1 K/9. Opponents hit .250/.290/.386 (.677) against him during June. He will not turn 20 until mid-September. #4 - LHP Bryan Sammons - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 4 GS, 3-1, 2.67 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 27.0 IP, 23 H, 5 BB, 23 K It was another solid month for the 23-year-old left-hander. He was the Twins eighth-round pick in 2017 out of Western Carolina. Last year, he pitched for Elizabethton and ended the season with Cedar Rapids. While he had a strong 2.67 ERA in June, he’s got a 2.69 ERA on the season. He’s been good, and he’s been consistent. For the month, opponents hit .237/.272/.309 (.581) against him. While he doesn’t throw real hard, he has plenty of velocity (low 90s) to go with strong secondary pitches. As important, he’s got very good control. #3 - RHP Bailey Ober - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 4 GS, 3-0, 2.63 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 24.0 IP, 19 H, 3 BB, 27 K Ober was the Twins 12th round draft pick in 2017 out of the College of Charleston where he was that national freshman of the year, but then he needed Tommy John surgery. He missed more time with other injuries. When healthy, the 6-8 right-hander has a lot of potential. He hyperextended his knee in spring training and stuck in Extended Spring for about six weeks. In his first start, he gave up six earned runs in just 2/3 of an inning. That certainly affected his season’s ERA, but he was good in June. He limited base runners. A 9 to 1 strikeout to walk rate certainly helps. Opponents hit just .221/.247/.337 (.584) in June. #2- LHP Adalberto Mejia - Rochester Red Wings - 5 G, 4-1, 1.41 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 32.0 IP, 19 H, 8 BB, 30 K While his return to the big leagues on the final day of June didn’t go great (though it was as good as any other Twins pitcher against the Cubs), Mejia earned his return to the big league club. It may have happened sooner for the 25-year-old if not for a blister earlier in the season. Opponents hit just .170/.223/.250 (.473) during the month. He went at least six innings in all five of his Red Wings starts. He gave up two run once. On his 25th birthday, he threw seven shutout innings. Mejia has earned an extended stay in the big leagues. And the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month is: Ft. Myers Miracle - RHP Tyler Wells - 4 GS, 4-0, 1.63 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 27.2 IP, 16 H, 5 BB, 25 K The Twins drafted the 6-8 right-hander in the 15th round of the 2016 draft out of Cal State-San Bernadino. He pitched well at the end of that season in Elizabethton. He spent the 2017 season in Cedar Rapids where he posted a 5-3 record with a 3.11 ERA. In 75 1/3 innings, he walked 22 and struck out 92. He’s been even better in 2018 in Ft. Myers and earned his spot on the Florida State League All Star team. He’s currently 7-3 with a 2.54 ERA over his first first 12 starts with the Miracle. He has given up more than two runs in just two of his 12 starts (and once he gave up three). He was obviously very good in June. Opponents hit just .168/.210/.242 (.452) against him during the month. Not included in those stats (or the stats above) are the two scoreless innings that he threw in the All Star game as well. Wells has the high and the pitches. He’s got a good fastball that reaches into the mid-90s at time. He’s got a couple of good breaking balls. He has a slow curveball that drops as well as a slider that darts out of the strike zone. He’s also got an improving changeup. He’s also shown a great work ethic. In the offseason, he worked out a lot and lost over 30 pounds. It’s possible that Wells will get an opportunity to end the season in Chattanooga with the Lookouts. For now, he’s pitching really well with the Miracle and for it, he is our choice for Pitcher of the Month. Congratulations to our Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month of June, Ft. Myers Miracle right-hander Tyler Wells. Feel free to discuss and ask questions. Click here to view the article

That's why he's #40 on this list. If there weren't any question marks, with his athleticism and talent, he'd be way higher on the list.

It’s hard to believe that the minor league seasons are reaching their second half and the Twins have had some strong performances throughout the system. As we approach the 4th of July, it’s again time to celebrate with some awards. Tonight, we start our series of Twins Daily Minor League Monthly awards by looking at the top relief pitchers in the Twins system during the month of June. (Over the next few days, we’ll also announce our choices for the top starting pitchers and hitters for June. Also, be sure to stop back often throughout the Fourth of July week as we are about to begin our midseason Top 40 prospect rankings.) Previous Relief Pitchers of the Month for 2018: April 2018: Nick Anderson, Rochester Red Wings May 2018: Todd Van Steensel, Chattanooga Lookouts June 2018: Well, just keep reading (if you happened to not look at the graphic that you clicked on to read this story.Before we share our choices for the Twins Minor League Top Five Relievers for June, here are some terrific bullpen performances that just missed the cut. HONORABLE MENTION Tyler Duffey, Rochester Red Wings, 8 G, 2.03 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 13.0 IP, 12 H, 6 BB, 11 KJared Finkel, Cedar Rapids Kernels, 7 G, 3.75 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 12.0 IP, 10 H, 3 BB, 5 KGabriel Moya, Rochester Red Wings, 10 G (3 GS), 1. 59, 1.06 WHIP, 17.0 IP, 15 H, 3 BB, 16 KTHE TOP FIVE RELIEF PITCHERS #5 - Hector Lujan - Ft. Myers Miracle - 6 G, 2.13 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 12.2 IP, 12 H, 2 BB, 13 K The Twins 35th round draft pick in 2016 out of Westmont College had a real solid month with the Miracle in June. After a breakout 2017 season in Cedar Rapids in which he posted a 1.13 ERA and 17 saves, 2018 has had some ups and downs. However, he now has a 3.18 in 39 2/3 innings. Opponents hit just .240/.283/.340 (623) off of him in June. #4 - Paco Rodriguez - Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts - 7 G, 0.90 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 10.0 IP, 7 H, 4 BB, 6 K Rodriguez was the second-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012. Later that season, he made his big league debut and stayed in the big leagues through the 2015 season. Unfortunately, he fought several injuries. Fast-forward to this year, and after the season started, the Twins signed him as a free agent. Soon after, he spent a couple of weeks with the Miracle before moving up to Chattanooga in late May. The southpaw had a strong month for the Lookouts. Opponents hit just .206/.300/.294 (.594) off of the 27-year-old during the month. #3 - Alan Busenitz - Rochester Red Wings/Minnesota Twins - 8 G, 3.07 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 14.2 IP, 13 H, 0 BB, 13 K Busenitz wasn’t as good in June as he was in April and May, but he was still quite good. While fans wanted him up soon, he did get called back up with a week left in June, though he was again optioned before the month’s end. Opponents hit just .228/.241/.333 (.575) off of him. Most impressive was 13 strikeouts and zero walks. Despite his 6.43 ERA with the Twins this year, he has a 12-2 strikeout to walk ratio. #2 - Andrew Vasquez - Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts - 6 G, 2.79 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 9.2 IP, 3 H, 7 BB, 17 K Vasquez represented the Twins and the Miracle in the Florida State League All-Star game in June and threw a scoreless inning (if you want to add that to his above stats). As you can see, there are times that Vasquez can struggle with control, but he limits hits by utilizing a tremendous slider that can miss a lot of bats. Like Lujan, Vasquez was drafted out of Westmont College in 2016 in the 32nd round. Following the All-Star break, he was promoted to Chattanooga. He’s made two appearances and has 10 strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is: Cedar Rapids Kernels – LHP Jovani Moran - 6 G, 0.90 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 15.0 IP, 4 H, 7 BB, 23 K Moran was the Twins seventh-round draft pick in 2015 out of high school in Puerto Rico. He missed the 2016 season after having surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow. He returned strong in 2017, and he was the Twins Daily short-season Minor League Pitcher of the Year. For Elizabethton, he gave up just one run in 24 2/3 innings (0.36 ERA), and had just six walks to go with 45 strikeouts. Moran began the 2018 season in Cedar Rapids. He struggled with his control in April when he had 12 walks and 12 strikeouts in just 7 1/3 innings for the Kernels. Since then, he has been much improved. In May, he had 26 strikeouts and seven walks in 18 innings. As you see above, he had 23 strikeouts and seven walks in 15 innings. Still not great control, but his swing-and-miss stuff make the walks more bearable. Moran is not a big guy .He stands 6-foot-1 and weighs in at about 170 pounds. He’s got a good whip-like action and some deception in his delivery. His fastball reaches into the low-90s, and he’s got a good slider and changeup. He really just needs to keep working and developing, and gaining strength could help him add a little more velocity. He’s a really good athlete who fields the position well. There were several strong relief pitcher performances in June throughout the Twins minor league system. It was a good month for each of these pitchers mentioned today, but again, congratulations to the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month for June 2018, Jovani Moran of the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Click here to view the article

I would think he could be. He's been pretty good all year and really good the last month.

I don't know. I don't get it either...

Akil Baddoo has done a nice job as Cedar Rapids’ leadoff man throughout the year. While his batting average his not high, his on-base percentage has been on base between 35% and 40% through most of the season. Alex Kirilloff was promoted, but Royce Lewis is still around. Between the two Kernels on Friday, they went 10-16 with five doubles and a homer in the Kernels double-header sweep of Burlington.Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Monday. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Before the Twins game, they announced that utilityman Taylor Motter had been placed on the DL with concussion symptoms. To take his spot is 26-year-old catcher/third baseman/left fielder Willians Astudillo. To make room for Astudillo, the Twins DFAd RHP Felix Jorge who has made a few rehab appearances in the GCL this season. Following the Twins game, they announced that Adalberto Mejia was added to the roster with reliever Alan Busenitz again being shuttled back to Rochester. The Miracle announced that OF Shane Carrier was placed on the DL with a quad strain. Aaron Whitefield returns from the DL after missing two months with a broken hamate bone. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Lehigh Valley 2 (10 innings) Box Score Stephen Gonsalves started and gave up one run on three hits over five innings. He struck out seven, but he also walked five batters. He got a lot of help from his bullpen. Tyler Duffey struck out five batters in three perfect innings. Jake Reed pitched a scoreless ninth. But he did give up a run in the 10th inning, an unearned run due to the inning starting with a runner on second base. He struck out three and didn’t issue a walk. The Red Wings were unable to get much offense going. Gregorio Petit went 2-for-5 and drove in the team’s lone run. His single scored Chris Carter who was on with his sixth double. Of note, Byron Buxton went 1-for-5 with a double. He also threw out a runner at home. Jorge Polanco went 1-for-3 with a walk. The winning pitcher for Lehigh Valley was former Gophers LHP Tom WIndle. Trevor Plouffe went 0-2 with two walks and two strikeouts. Danny Ortiz was 0-4. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 7, Tennessee 2 Box Score The Lookouts had help throughout the lineup and got strong pitching to win on Friday night. Jaylin Davis led the offense. He went 2-for-3 with his first double and drove in two runs. He was twice hit by a pitch. Brent Rooker was also hit by a pitch. He added a single and a walk and scored twice. Andy Wilkins provided some power with his fifth homer, a two-run shot. Alex Perez set the table with three walks. Sean Poppen started and went the first four innings. He gave up two runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out four batters. Ryan Eades struck out three over two scoreless relief innings. Sam Clay struck out four over two scoreless innings. Tyler Jay struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 6, Lakeland 1 Box Score Tyler Wells has been very good most of the 2018 season for the Miracle. He was again on Friday night. In 6 2/3 innings he gave up one run on five hits. He walked one and struck out eight batters to improve to 7-3 on the season. Tom Hackimer came on and threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked two and struck out one. Miguel Sano had a good game with the bat. He went 3-for-4 and drove in tree runs. (He did have one throwing error on defense.) Aaron Whitefield returned to the Miracle lineup after missing nearly two months with a broken hamate bone. He had a single and a walk and scored twice. Alex Kirilloff went 2-for-3 with a walk. Caleb Hamilton kept his hot streak going with an RBI double. KERNELS NUGGETS Game 1 - Cedar Rapids 7, Burlington 4 Box Score The Kernels got off to a quick start and held on in Game 1 of their doubleheader. They got offensive contributions from several players. Akil Baddoo went 3-for-5 with his tenth double. Royce Lewis was 2-for-2 with a walk and his 17th double. He also stole his 19th base. Robby Rinn went 2-for-2 with two walks and his sixth double. David Banuelos had two hits, including his eighth double. Jordan Gore was also 2-for-4. Outfielder Jared Akins made his Midwest League and Kernels debut at DH. He went 0-for-4. Bailey Ober was the beneficiary of the offensive support. He improved to 4-1 despite allowing four runs on six hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out five. Melvi Acosta picked up his second save with two scoreless innings. He struck out two. Game 2 - Cedar Rapids 6, Burlington 3 Box Score Akil Baddoo had a terrific day, and he got Game 2 started as well as anyone could hope for the Kernels. He launched his eighth homer of the year. He went 2-for-4 in the game. Royce Lewis hit three doubles in the second game, giving him four on the day and 20 on the season. Jean Carlos Arias hit his ninth double and fourth home run. Jordan Gore had two more hits. Ben Rodriguez hit his fifth homer, and Andrew Bechtold and Robby Rinn each contributed a double. Trey Cabbage added his third triple of the year. Blayne Enlow started the second game. He gave up one run on four hits and two walks in four innings. He struck out three. Jared Finkel came on and worked the next 2 2/3 innings. He gave up two runs on two hits, He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter. He left with just one more out to get. Jose Martinez was successful and earned the one-out save. E-Twins E-Talk Elizabethton 5, Danville 6 Box Score The E-Twins had plenty of base runners, but on this night, it wasn’t enough. The team had nine hits and seven walks, but their five runs came up one short. Ryan Jeffers led the way. He went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Trevor Casanova was 2-for-4 with his third double. Chris Williams walked twice. Carlos Suniaga started and went the first 2 2/3 innings. He gave up three runs on four hits. He walked three and struck out three. Andrew Cabezas came on and gave up three runs on four hits and three walks as well, but he struck just one out. Moises Gomez struck out six over three, one-hit, no-run innings. He walked two, but he made up for it somewhate by picking off two. Derek Molina struck out one in a scoreless final inning GCL Twins Talk GCL Twins , GCL Red Sox Box Score Game postponed by rain. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Akil Baddoo, Cedar Rapids Kernels (5-9, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) Royce Lewis, Cedar Rapids Kernels (5-7, BB, 4-2B, 3 R, 2 RBI) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Tyler Wells, Ft. Myers Miracle (6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed. Please note that we will be updating our Top Prospect rankings so this list will be updated soon. #1 - Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 5-7, BB, 4-2B(20), 3 R, 2 RBI, SF #2 - Fernando Romero (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #3 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 0-4, K, SH #4 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 7 K #5 - Alex Kirilloff (Ft. Myers) - 2-3, BB #6 - Wander Javier - out of for the season #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - 1-3, BB, 2 R, K, SB(2), HBP #8 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K #9 - Brusdar Graterol (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - 5-9, 2B(10), HR(8), 2 R, 2 RBI #11 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did not pitch #12 - Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) - Did not pitch #13 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - 1-4, R, K #14 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 1-3, BB #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, BB #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Play #18 - Yunior Severino (Elizabethton Twins) - Did Not Play #19 - Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) - 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K #20 - Felix Jorge (Chattanooga) - Disabled List, began rehab on June 19. DFAd on Friday, June 29. SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers (5-5, 3.36 ERA) Chattanooga @ Tennessee (6:00 CST) - LHP Anthony Marzi (0-4, 7.51 ERA) Lakeland @ Ft. Myers (5:00 CST) - RHP Ervin Santana (Rehab) Cedar Rapids @ Burlington (6:30 CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (2-1, 3.05 ERA) Elizabethton @ Danville (6:00 CST) - TBD GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins (9:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions about Friday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

1.) Left-handed. 2.) Breathing.

Granite it .500+ one month last year. It's not normal though... Plenty have done it for a ten-game stretch, but Arraez is certainly back. Remember when he was at Cedar Rapids, all the 2, 3, 4 and even 5-hit games.

It's not that they can't... pros just care more about the long-term value of the player than a college program will.

No, he didn't. I edited it after re-listening to the interview. Poor transcribing on my part. He said "comfortable."

I don't think the Twins ever said it was. Molitor said that it wasn't that he was pitching horrible, just that it was becoming very laborious. He definitely had been struggling in his past 4-5 starts, so I think they're almost calling it a refresh.

I am often asked for the names of a few Twins minor leaguers who might not rank in a Top 30 list but are sleeper candidates. Maybe they were drafted out of a smaller school but have strong tools. Maybe there is a player who develops a little later. Maybe the player has one pitch or one tool that is significant and worth following. One name that I often mention is that of Elizabethton Twins relief pitcher Derek Molina. In fact, if you read Molina’s profile in the 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook, you’ll see a star above his picture with the words Seth’s Sleeper. I recently had the opportunity to chat with the 20-year-old and get to know a little more about him.Derek Molina grew up in northern California, so it is no surprise that his favorite team was the Oakland A’s. “Just because they were near, and my dad really liked them.” You might be a little surprised to learn that his favorite player was not a pitcher. Instead, it was one of the greatest shortstops in baseball history. Molina said, “I looked up to Derek Jeter, especially growing up playing infield all my life. He was a role model for me.” When Derek Molina entered high school, he played three sports. Besides baseball, he spent some time playing football and basketball. Unfortunately, a couple of major injuries pushed him to focusing on baseball. “In high school, I played football my freshman year. I messed up my knee, my meniscus, but I kept playing through the season. When basketball season came along, I made the team. I went up for a rebound, and I really messed up my knee more. I needed surgery, and that’s when I stopped playing basketball.” Molina’s story continued, “The next year, I played football again, but I tore my ACL and meniscus, so that’s when I stopped playing football and focused on baseball.” At Atwater High School, he was a three-year letter winner in baseball and impressed on the national circuit. Following high school, Molina spent one year at Cal State-Northridge. He played 19 games but accumulated just 16 at bats. He made the decision to transfer to Merced College, a two-year school closer to home. “I knew the coach from Merced growing up. My brother had gone there, and he was always around and at a lot of our games. He had interest in me out of high school, but he also helped set me up at Northridge. He and the recruiting coordinator at Northridge were really good friends. It was the closest school to home, and I knew I would be in good hands if I went to Merced because of the coaching staff. It was a late decision, but I trusted it.” He went to Merced where he played mostly second base and hit most every game. However, he also pitched, working 28 1/3 innings over the season. As the season went on, there was one scout that watched Molina frequently throughout the season. “Michael (Quesada), the Twins scout responsible for drafting me was one of the only ones all along. He wanted to see me throw. He took the time to go out there. I wasn’t throwing a lot, but he made sure he was there when I did. I’m not going to say I was a bad hitter, but all the scouts really liked my arm. It wasn’t something I really expected or tried to focus on. I just wanted to have fun.” As the draft approached, Molina was hearing a variety of thing, but mostly he assumed he would be a Day 3 pick. “I was talking to a scout for a good amount of time. I had an idea the day before. ‘Be excited for tomorrow.’ I really didn’t think I was going to go in the 14th round, like I did, because other scouts I’d talked to thought I would be late third day because you’re a reliever and don’t have much experience. I kind of had an idea that I was going to the Twins.” Upon signing, Molina went to the Gulf Coast League where, in 16 2/3 innings, he walked three and struck out 21 batters. This spring, he began the season at Extended Spring Training. He had a short, seven game stretch with Cedar Rapids early in the season when the needed an arm. In 13 2/3 innings, he struck out 15, but he also walked nine.He gave up at least one run in five of the seven appearances. However, he had one outing in which he faced eight batters and got each of them out, six of them on strikeouts. In his next outing, he pitched three scoreless innings to record a win. He returned to Extended Spring Training and made the trek north to Elizabethton where he has seven strikeouts and no walks in five innings. Molina has a good, three-pitch mix. He throws a fastball. (“I’m really comfortable with my fastball.”) He has a curveball (“actually, it’s a little slurvish. I’d say it’s my number two pitch.). He is also working on his changeup (“I really like my changeup. I’m just not throwing it as much as I should.” Pitching was still so new to new to Molina. In fact, he acknowledges that last year, he didn’t know a lot about pitching, as much on the mental part of the game along with the act of pitching. “I was able to go up on the mound and, pitching was new to me, so I didn’t have too much to think about. I went out there with an empty mind and filled the zone. This year, I’ve faced some adversity. I’m learning as I go. There are things that I wish wouldn’t occur like learning how to respond to them. I’m definitely learning more on the mental side of the game. I think that’s a big thing. I can always work on that, to be more mentally strong. Just little things with batters to get your advantage. That’s something I’m always working on. There’s some stuff that the pitching coordinator and the coaches want me to do. My glove hand a little higher when I pitch. That could help me be more explosive with my legs. Just little mechanical things. Help save my arm and add a little velo.” Pitching is definitely much more than taking the sign from the catcher and throwing the ball. That’s for sure. As a reliever, one of the bigger adjustments for Molina has been getting used to pitching occasionally and not playing every day. Asked if he misses hitting, Molina answered definitively. “I miss it a lot. I just miss playing in the infield and hitting. It’s just something I did all my life. I always dreamed of myself being in the infield and hitting. But he doesn’t call that his biggest adjustment. “Biggest adjustment would probably be, I’d say, taking care of your body. As a pitcher, you’re not in the game every day, but still you’re out on the field doing a lot of stuff. This is my first longer season. I was in CR (Cedar Rapids) for a bit. In the beginning of the year, I got drained really, really fast. I think that’s something I’ll work on. You've got to really take care of your body and be in the training room a lot. You don’t want to get hurt in the season.” Molina has a nice, three-pitch mix already despite doing very little pitching in his lifetime. As he works more innings and continues to learn the mechanics and the mentals side of the game, his natural skills should continue to improve. He sits 92-93 with his fastball and touches 94 and even 95 already. Mechanical adjustments could increase his velocity a few ticks. But mostly just learning from in-game experiences, good and bad, is what he needs. “I’m really happy with where I am right now. I’m not going to take anything for granted.” Click here to view the article

He's played in some road games. I'm not totally sure of his complete travel schedule.