Seth Stohs

I just keep going back to the three things that caused a lot of people concern when he was discussed here throughout the offseason: 1.) seriously slumped in the 2nd half... no way he can prove that he's overcome that until the 2nd half. Ha! 2.) Hitting vs LHP in 2017 wasn't good. This year, his OPS vs LHP is at 736 (vs over 900 vs RHP), so that's an improvement, though probably small enough of a sample size that it could be more about scouting and reports than the numbers. 3.) defense at SS... His .958 fielding percentage this year is about the same as his .957 fielding percentage a year ago. But I have heard that he's shown some improved lateral movement this year, so that's' a positive. My guess is that, like LaMonte Wade, they also wanted to see some more power, and he's done that. So, I actually good with the timing. I don't have a problem with him going back, and I like to see them move him up this year pretty quickly too.

This new site, Twitter.com, often has a lot more information too. Ha! I kid, I kid.

Insurance policy for Mauer, probably, and yes, it speaks to Vargas being bad too. Yeah, that was a pretty big transaction...

Wade had the approach,but if there reason was for him to develop some in-game home run power, he's been successful, and that's why I think he'll be moved up soon. Really, same with Gordon. I'm sure they're looking at his defense daily and the pop in his bat, maybe how he battles against lefties. All those things we talked about in the offseason.

We are just under two weeks from the start of the 2018 MLB Draft. I think this is a good time to look at the depth in the Minnesota Twins organization, by position, to see if there are areas that the team should focus on adding some depth to. Of course, in the first ten to 15 rounds, the team should really just take the players they believe have the most potential. Beyond that, there are positions that need to be filled by players that hopefully have some tools. Today, we will discuss the middle infielders throughout the system. Naturally, these are typically some very good athletes, capable of moving around the diamond as needed. As it relates to the draft, in the early rounds, it is best to believe that guys can stick at shortstop. Besides catcher, it is probably the most difficult position to play.We’ll start in the big leagues, but we’ll work our way down throughout the minor league system, including the guys in extended spring training. These rosters are as of this moment, so the list is subject to change at a moment’s notice. MINNESOTA TWINS Shortstops: Jorge Polanco (24), Eduardo Escobar (29), Ehire Adrianza (28), Gregorio Petit (33) Second Base: Brian Dozier (31) Jorge Polanco was the shortstop that we were all very excited about coming into spring training. He was arguably the Twins best hitter over the season’s final two months. Unfortunately, less than two weeks before the season started, Polanco was given an 80-game suspension for PEDs. He should return to the lineup in early July. So, Eduardo Escobar was given the starting shortstop job to start the season. However, a couple of weeks into the season, Miguel Sano was hurt and Escobar moved over to third base. Enter Ehire Adrianza who has manned the position most of the last month. Veteran Gregorio Petit came up and has been used in a utility role. Brian Dozier is the second baseman. He’s been the team’s best player the last three years. He’s off to a slow start again this year, but the Gold Glove winner is in the lineup nearly every day. ROCHESTER RED WINGS Shortstops: Nick Gordon (22), Leonardo Reginnato (28) Second Base: Taylor Featherston (28), Sean Miller (23) Nick Gordon finally received the promotion to Triple A and the Red Wings on Thursday. He’s been a Top 50 prospect in all of baseball since the Twins used their first-round pick on him in 2014. At AA, he’s hit for average, improved his power production, and has also improved at shortstop. He’s close. Featherston is a veteran of several season in MLB baseball and plays around the infield. The same can be said of Reginnato. Miller has also played all around the infield. He spent 2017 in Ft. Myers and then went to the Arizona Fall League after the season. He was the organizations top defensive infielder last year and spent the first half of spring training in big league camp. After starting the season in Chattanooga, he was quickly promoted to Triple A where the defense has played, but the bat has not. He may return to Double A where he should get more time at shortstop. CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS Shortstop: Ryan Walker (26) Second Base: Alex Perez (25) Ryan Walker has slowly worked up the system. He has now spent most of the past three seasons with the Lookouts. He’s played mostly second base, but he’s a natural at shortstop. He’s also played third base and some in the outfield. He recently returned from the disabled list after missing some time with a knee injury. Perez was a late round pick just a couple of years ago after being a four-year starter at Virginia Tech at shortstop. He’s also played mostly at second base in pro ball. He takes incredibly professional at-bats and works counts very well. FORT MYERS MIRACLE Shortstop: Brandon Lopez (24), Joe Cronin (24) Second Base: Travis Blankenhorn (21), Luis Arraez (21) Lopez was a four-year starter at shortstop at Miami. He was promoted to the Miracle after the All-Star break a year ago. He’s spent some time on the DL this season. He’s played quite a bit at all three infield spots. Cronin played four years at Boston College. He’s solid all-around and can play all three non-first base infield spots well. Upon starting his season this year, he was one of the top hitters in the organization in April. Luis Arraez tore up his knee in the third game in 2017 and missed the remainder of the season. He came back to the Miracle a couple of weeks into the season. It took him a while to get the bat going, as you would expect, but his average is again over .200 and working its way up quickly. While he’s probably a second baseman, he has made starts at third base and shortstop this year already. Blankenhorn is one of our Top 20 Twins prospects. He has split his time between third base and second base, and even had a couple of games in the outfield. He’s produced a lot of power so far this season and been much improved with the glove. CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS Shortstop: Royce Lewis (18) Second Base: Jose Miranda (19), Jordan Gore (23) Royce Lewis was the top pick in the entire 2017 draft out of high school in California. After starting his career in the GCL, he was pushed up to Cedar Rapids. That’s where he’s started 2018. While he has slumped the last week or two, he’s still hitting over .300. As impressive, his defense at shortstop has been good. A move up to Ft. Myers could be in the near future for the barely still-just 18-year-old. Jose Miranda was the second Comp B pick taken by the Twins after the second round of the 2016 draft. He had a nice showing in Elizabethton and has experienced some ups and downs already in his first season at Cedar Rapids. He’s played more second base, but he’s also spent time at third base. He’s got good power potential. Jordan Gore was drafted a year ago out of Coastal Carolina. He’s played shortstop when Lewis is given a day off. He’s played more at second base. While he has hit ninth, the switch hitter has hit over .300 and played very good defense. EXTENDED SPRING TRAINING Shortstop: Wander Javier (19), Carson Crites (23), Ricky De La Torre (18), Agustin Marte (19) Second Base: Ariel Montesino (22), Emmanuel Morel (20), Yunior Severino (18), Yeltsin Encarnacion (19) While we wondered how Toby Gardenhire would get both Royce Lewis and Wander Javier into the Kernels lineup at the same time. Unfortunately, we may never know, at least not for a while. Javier re-injured his left (non-throwing shoulder) and required surgery recently. He’s immensely talented, and while it is unfortunate he’ll miss the year, hopefully it won’t mean too much long-term. Carson Crites fits a similar mold as the likes of Cronin and Perez. Late-round college picks who may not have any high-end tools, but they also have few flaws in a solid all-around game. He’s spent a little time with the Miracle this year. Rick De La Torre was considered a first or second round talent early in 2017, but the Puerto Rico native fell to the Twins in the sixth round. Montesino has been in the organization for a long time. The switch-hitter split 2017 between Cedar Rapids, Elizabethton and Ft. Myers, playing around the infield and even some in center field.Emmanuel Morel is one of the fastest runners in the minor leagues. After being injured in 2016, he performed much better in 2017 in the GCL and should move up to E-Town. Yunior Severino is also a Top 20 prospect. He became a free agent this winter after baseball’s investigation of the Atlanta Braves. The Twins signed him for $2.5 million. He’s impressive from the left and right side of the plate. While most think he’ll spend most of his time at second base, he should get time at shortstop too. Agustin Marte and Yeltsin Encarnacion are in extended spring training after playing in the Dominican Summer League a year ago. Encarnacion is 20 and has played three years in the DSL. Marte is 19 and has played there the last two seasons. Twins Top Middle Infield Prospects 1 - Royce Lewis - SS 2 - Nick Gordon - SS 3 - Wander Javier - SS 4 - Yunior Severino - 2B 5 - Luis Arraez - 2B There is the list of middle infielders throughout the Twins system. Things are pretty solid in the big leagues with Brian Dozier, Jorge Polanco (when he returns) and Eduardo Escobar. And Nick Gordon is one step away. Royce Lewis is one of the top prospects in baseball, and Wander Javier will come back in 2019. Those three players are Top 100 prospects. So, should the Twins avoid the shortstop position in the upcoming draft or in the international market? Absolutely not. Keep bringing in great athletes and baseball players and hope that you end up with a log jam. Shortstops can move elsewhere on the diamond, or they could trade excess at the position for other needs. One example is the trade of Jermaine Palacios to the Rays this spring for Jake Odorizzi. Click here to view the article

I have to assume that Wade would be moving up with Gordon today if not for the shoulder injury.

Wade is on the DL with a left shoulder injury... sounds like he's progressing well.

Lewis is currently in a 6-36 (.167) slump over his last 10 games. That's why you can't just call up guys who are hitting .380 four weeks into the season. There are ebbs and flows throughout the course of a long season. Obviously the 10-game slump isn't a big deal. But at this point, there doesn't need to be a rush. Kirilloff's been terrific, but after missing a full year, there's nothing wrong with letting him experience some prolonged success, rebuild his confidence and all that kind of stuff. Lewis and Kirilloff are both very strong mentally and physically. They'll be fine in Ft. Myers. But whether they move up in a week or in three weeks is pretty insignificant in the big picture. Also, frankly, there's nothing wrong with letting the two of them help the Kernels to a playoff berth and then moving up. Again, one week versus three weeks just isn't a big deal, but it's a nice thing for those minor leaguers that will be there all season.

I mean, wasn't that my point... lots of similar players who are defense-first, fundamentally-sound college infielders who are likely AA/AAA/AAAA types and could get a cup of coffee. His AFL performance was actually pretty encouraging. The fact that he's in AAA tells me there is some shot, even if it's a very small shot. I would suspect that he and Walker will soon switch places so that Miller is back where he should be.

The Cedar Rapids Kernels won a one-run ball game in the ninth inning on Monday night. To be honest, the three other games in the Minnesota Twins minor leagues on this night were not pretty. But that doesn’t mean that there weren’t some very noteworthy performances and transactions.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 announced that Ervin Santana was not able to make his scheduled start in Extended Spring Training on Monday because of rain. With more precipitation in the Ft. Myers forecast the next couple of days, Santana will head to Chattanooga where he will make a start on Wednesday.Following the Twins 4-2 win against the Tigers, the Twins announced that they will DFA RHP Phil Hughes. A corresponding move will be made on Tuesday.The Lookouts announced that RHP Randy LeBlanc has been placed on the disabled list with a flexor mass strain. He left his start on Sunday in the fourth inning. RH RP Zack Jones comes off of the DL.RH RP Logan Lombana was placed on the DL by the Miracle. LH RP Alex Robinson returns from the DL.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 2, Lehigh Valley 6 Box Score Dietrich Enns had a rough start and the IronPigs powered past the Red Wings in this game. In just 3 2/3 innings, Enns gave up five runs on six hits (three HRs) and three walks. He struck out three. DJ Baxendale came on and threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up a hit, walked two and struck out two. Luke Bard gave up a solo homer in his inning. He struck out two. Jake Reed then struck out two in a scoreless inning. Nick Buss was the lone Red Wings hitter with a multi-hit game. He went 2-for-4. Wynston Sawyer had two walks in the game. Kennys Vargas had a single and a walk. He also had one of the two RBIs for the team. Miguel Sano went 1-for-4 in the game and is now 1-for-8 in his three rehab games. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 7, Biloxi 12 Box Score The Lookouts offense came up strong, but when the other team still has more walks that your team has hits, it is hard to win. Anthony Marzi started. He started with three scoreless innings, but he was tagged with seven runs in the fourth frame. He went 3 2/3 innings and gave up four hits and five walks. Casey Crosby came on. He gave up two runs on two hits and four walks, and he recorded just two outs. Tyler Jay came on and got the next five outs. He gave up a run on two hits. Williams Ramirez gave up two runs on one hit and two walks before being replaced by Zack Jones who got the final five outs. The Lookouts got plenty of offense for most nights. They scored their seven runs on 12 hits and added two walks. Nick Gordon went 2-for-5 with his fifth home run of the year. Zander Wiel went 2-for-5 with his 12th double and drove in two runs. Brian Navarreto and Edgar Corcino each went 2-for-5 with a double. Tanner English also had two hits. Brent Rooker drove in a run with his ninth double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 0, Bradenton 9 Box Score It was just a rough game all around for the Miracle on Monday night. They didn’t get much quality pitching. Their defense didn’t help, and well, they got shut out, so the bats didn’t exactly provide assistance on this night. Clark Beeker started and gave up three runs on five hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out three. Kevin Marnon came on and gave up four unearned runs on three hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings. Hector Lujan got the final seven outs, but he gave up two runs (one earned) on one hit and two walks. Of the nine runs allowed, just four were earned thanks to three Miracle errors. Brandon Lopez led the offense. He went 2-for-3 with his second double. Luis Arraez added his fifth double. Lewin Diaz hit his third double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Kane County 2 Box Score Edwar Colina has had a solid season for the Kernels so far, but he has fought his control quite a bit. On this night, he had his best start. The right-hander gave up just one run on five hits over five innings. He walked just one while striking out seven batters. Randy Dobnak came out of the bullpen and provided two shutout innings. Jared Finkel gave up a home run in the eighth that tied the game at two, but given the lead back, he worked out of a mess in the ninth to end the game. The Kernels grabbed a 2-1 lead in the third inning when Royce Lewis hit a sacrifice fly which was followed by an RBI single from Alex Kirilloff. In the top of the ninth, it was Ben Rodriguez who came up with a sacrifice fly to give the Kernels a lead they held on to. Jose Miranda and Trey Cabbage each had a single and a walk. The Kernels had just seven hits in the game. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Nick Gordon, Chattanooga Lookouts (2-5, HR) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Edwar Colina, Cedar Rapids Kernels (5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, RBI, K, SF #3 - Nick Gordon (Chattanooga) - 2-5, HR(5), R, RBI, K #5 - Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, RBI, K #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - 1-4, BB, 2B(9), R, RBI, K #13 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - 1-4, 2B(3) #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4 #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 1-3, BB, K #19 - Tyler Jay (Chattanooga) - 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Lehigh Valley (6:05 CST) - RHP Trevor May (0-1, 2.25 ERA) Chattanooga - No Game Scheduled. St. Lucie @ Ft. Myers (10:00 am CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (1-2, 2.70 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (12:00 CST) - LHP Tyler Watson (2-2, 2.63 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions about Monday’s full schedule of games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

I really enjoy guys like this, and the Twins take a lot of them. Infielders that can play multiple positions, hit a little bit, and play good defense. Going back to AJ Pettersen in about 2010-2011 or so. But in the organization now, you've got guys like Sean Miller, Ryan Walker, Alex Perez, Joe Cronin, Carson Crites... college guys who weren't' hit picks but just solid all-around players.

He was a Top 5 Twins prospect at Twins Daily, so it's' not like people didn't expect him to be a really, really good hitter. Before the injury, he was generally a Top 100 guy nationally. I think the surprise is more about how quickly he got it back. Pretty impressive.

He went on the DL on Friday... I haven't' been able to figure out from anyone yet what the injury is. Not good.

Anderson the next Hader? No. I would guess Lewis. Wiel into the Top 20... it''ll probably be awhile. He's a nice player though.

That's one way to look at it. Another is to say that there are probably a lot of guys who could be just fine given an opportunity. Slegers might be one of those guys. His ceiling is probably a #4/5 starter in the big leagues, but he's really good in AAA. He could go to the Marlins or something and pitch in their starting rotation (maybe as their #3/4) for 4-5 years. With the Twins, he's kind of a #6/7 right now.

When is the last time that Kepler played 1B?

I think that's a pretty solid reason alone... but I also think it makes sense to get the new guy in right away rather than have him sit, especially with how well Cave had been hitting in Rochester.

I get that it was a mistake for Morrison to get picked off, but that happens. It happens from time to time. Also, "we" knew what we were getting with Morrison. His value is based on offense. Not defense. Not running. Hitting. I think it's fair to say that he's been pretty good the last 20 games with the bat.

I know a book about Twins prospects, which has recently been discounted quite a bit, that provides detailed scouting reports for over 150 Twins prospects... http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/sethspeaks Anderson's a legit MLB prospect... even if he isn't a top "prospect." The reason he isn't is because of his age, but he's got the fastball/slider combo to potentially be an MLBer.

I thought/think that Hjelle and Pompey will go late in the first round. Hjelle is surprisingly smooth and athletic for his height. I think Pompey is a great athlete who probably needed college out of high school. Especially since the Twins drafted him so late. I've followed Kentucky for years. They have a ton of talent. I like Kole Cottam as a 2nd or 3rd round type of guy. Minnesotan Luke Becker could be a late round pick from Kentucky too.

I mean, he was placed on the DL with a cervical injury AND concussion-like symptoms, so it's very much a concern.

I mean, to me, he looks good. I don't get the lack of strikeouts cuz he's got good velo and good stuff. I have no idea how to differentiate a AAA, AAAA and #4/5 starter is. Probably not much more than opportunity and patience. He has enough stuff to pitch in the big leagues, I think, but I would hope that people don't see him as a frontline starter at this point.

It was a night of close games throughout the Twins minor league system. Rochester won a 2-0 decision behind a K-filled start by one of the organization’s top pitching prospects. The three other affiliates all played close, one-run games. Along with Stephen Gonsalves, the other starters on Friday included a current, former and potentially a future Top 10 Twins prospect. Find out how they all did.Keep reading to find out more on the night in the Twins minor league system on Friday. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS It’s been few and far between, but there were no transactions in the Twins farm system on Friday.However, following the Twins loss to the Brewers, they said that Miguel Sano will be joining the Rochester Red Wings on Saturday to start a rehab assignment.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 2, Pawtucket 0 Box Score Stephen Gonsalves made two very strong starts in AAA before throwing a bit of a clunker in his third start. He responded well in his fourth start with 5 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up four hits, walked four and struck out 11 batters. Alan Busenitz came on and got the next five outs. He walked one and struck out one. John Curtiss recorded his third save with two scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out three. There wasn’t a lot of offense, but just enough. Ryan LaMarre went 3-for-4 with his fourth double. He’s hitting .478 at AAA. Willians Astudillo hit his third home run. For the PawSox, Dustin Pedroia played his first rehab game. He went 0-for-2 with two walks and two strikeouts. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Biloxi 2 Box Score Things went well for the Lookouts both early and then late. Nick Gordon hit a home run in the first inning, his fourth of the year, to give the Lookouts a 1-0 lead. Kohl Stewart made the start. He threw five scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, walked four and struck out one. Ryan Eades pitched a scoreless sixth inning, but he gave up solo home runs in both the seventh and eighth innings. But in the top of the eighth, the Lookouts scored two runs, on back-to-back RBIs off the bats of Chris Paul and Ryan Walker. Williams Ramirez recorded his sixth save with a perfect ninth frame. Paul went 2-for-4 with his 12th double. Alex Perez went 2-for-4. Tanner English went 2-for-4. LaMonte Wade was out of the lineup after leaving the game in the sixth inning of Thursday night’s game after a collision with a wall. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, St. Lucie 2 Box Score On this day, the Miracle bats just were not able to get much going. They managed just three hits and one walk. Tyler Wells made the start for the Miracle. He was charged with two runs on five hits and two walks over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out three. Andrew Vasquez came on and struck out four over 2 1/3 innings. He gave up four hits but no runs. Ryan Mason struck out two in a scoreless innings, and Hector Lujan worked a perfect ninth frame. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Clinton 7 Box Score Blayne Enlow put together arguably the best start of his season for the Kernels. The young right-hander gave up six hits, but no runs, in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three and did not issue a walk. It was a rough outing for righty Nick Brown, however, In just one inning, he gave up seven runs on eight hits and a walk. Jose Martinez worked the final 2 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two. The Kernels tried to make a comeback. In the eighth inning, they scored six runs (and just one was earned). The big blow came on a bases-clearing double off the bat of Ben Rortvedt. Trey Cabbage went 2-for-4 with his first triple. Alex Kirilloff was also 2-for-4. Jordan Gore went 2-for-3 and drove in a run. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Ryan LaMarre (3-4, 2B(4)) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Stephen Gonsalves (5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 11 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, R, 2K #3 - Nick Gordon (Chattanooga) - 1-4, HR(4), 2 R, RBI #4 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - 5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 11 K, 94 pitches, 63 strikes #5 - Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, R #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) - 1-5, R, K #8 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - 4.1 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, #10 - Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #13 - Lewin Diaz (Ft. Myers) - 0-4 #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2B(6), 3 RBI SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - RHP Myles Jay (2-5, 5.22 ERA) Chattanooga @ Biloxi (6:35 CST) - RHP Omar Bencomo (3-0, 2.41 ERA) St. Lucie @ Ft. Myers (5:00 CST) - Brady Anderson (0-4, 5.92 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (6:35 CST) - LHP Bryan Sammons (0-3, 2.76 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions about Friday’s full schedule of games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article