Seth Stohs

Already working on next week's podcast... who would you like to hear me chat with?

If anyone can find a link on iTunes, I'll be happy to put it into the original story so that others can find it.

I know nothing about iTunes... I don't have an iPhone. I can't find it on my computer... but I'm told that if you search "Minnesota Sports Weekly" under podcasts on iTunes, it's there... I wish I could find a link or something. I guess you can also search "Seth's Twins Talk."

I'll have to listen to it. I was originally going to do just an hour, but then got an extra guest, so I changed it to 90 minutes about 4 minutes before the show was supposed to start. So, maybe that created some issues. I'll see what I can find out. But yes, Wells is pretty impressive, isn't he? Answered each question very well. His response on Royce Lewis was exciting...

It's been almost four years since I last did my own podcast. For a variety of reasons, I stopped at that time. Twins Daily was taking off. Listeners were low. We were contemplating Vikings and Wild and Wolves websites. Life. But the reality is that I really liked my podcast. It was something that I liked listening to. I liked talking about the Twins. I loved talking to players. And that's what I'm planning to do again with this podcast. Tonight at 8:00 central time, I was joined by three members of the Minnesota Twins organization, a senior on his year's Minnesota Gophers baseball team, and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo. We just talked baseball. It should be a lot of fun. If you're able to listen live, that would be great. If you have a football game to watch and don't want to mute the TV, you can always download it later. You will be able to leave questions in the page's chat room, or feel free to send questions in the comments below and I will be happy to ask them for you (if they're fair questions, of course).In tonight's podcast, Get to know a little more about minor league outfielder LaMonte Wade, two-time Twins Daily minor league pitcher of the year Stephen Gonsalves, minor league pitcher Tyler Wells, and Minnesota Gophers senior second baseman Luke Pettersen. LaMonte Wade was the Twins 9th round pick in 2015 and has quickly moved up the system. He ended 2017 in the Arizona Fall League. Stephen Gonsalves was the Twins 4th round pick in 2013. He went to big league came in 2017 and reached AAA late in the season. He was added to the Twins 40-man roster in November and should make his Major League debut in 2018. Tyler Wells was drafted by the Twins in 2016. The big right-hander had a quality season in Cedar Rapids and looks to jump to Ft. Myers in 2018. Finally, Luke Pettersen is a senior on the 2018 Minnesota Golden Gophers roster. We discuss his final college season and how the Gophers might fare in the Big Ten this year. Also, MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo talked about the Twins 2017 draft as well as another one of his projects. In this return podcast, I was joined by the following: 8:00 - Gophers second baseman Luke Pettersen (1:35 - 12:17) 8:15 - Twins minor league outfielder LaMonte Wade (14:58 - 31:15) 8:30 - MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo (32:05 - 47:45) 8:45 - Twins minor league pitcher Stephen Gonsalves. (48:20 - 1:02:08) 8:30 - Twins minor league pitching Tyler Wells (1:03:33 - 1:24:40) A special thanks to Travis Aune and Chad Smith who are letting me use their Minnesota Sports Weekly platform for now. Upon the show's completion, it will be available on iTunes as well. I will provide those links as they are available. Click here to view the article

Just giving you a hard time... This is good, and Hildy is a great story. I enjoy hearing about 4-year college guys who make it, and Hildenberger was at Cal-Berkeley for 5 years. So it's a great thing.

How is that possible since he was the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2015 and 2016, and won like half of the Twins Daily Relief Pitcher of the Month Awards. the last three years...

I remember that... and I completely agreed with Anderson. Of course... had it been reversed, I would not have liked it if Higuera had done the same thing. Ha!

Good stuff, Tom! This is good and hopefully readers will click on a bunch of these links.

It's easy to say, especially when the team was so bad in 2016, that they should clear space for a younger guy. Frankly, I wasn't against it for a monster haul. But the thought of trading Dozier (with his now 4-year track record) to make room for a prospect that we hope will come close to Dozier's production (and, because that's how baseball is, likely won't), it doesn't make sense. I mean, unless you're getting a package of two top 10 prospects, at least one of them being a top, top pitcher, just keep him. Take the offense you pretty well know you're going to get. Lock him up if you can do 4 years or less.

Yeah, I really have no idea why he wasn't drafted after that Junior season, especially putting up those numbers on a strong team. The Brian Doziers are why I have been able to continue this blogging thing for almost 15 years. Having the opportunity to meet guys like him make all the late nights, lack of sleep, etc., worth while. As good as he is on the field, he's probably a better person off of it. I figured that out the first times I interacted with him and many times since. (and, frankly, there have been a lot of people like that I've been able to meet and get to know a little bit). I think it's surprising just how good he's become and all of the power. Talking to Tommy Watkins in Beloit in 2012, I remember him asking my thoughts on Dozier. In the discussion, Watkins basically said that he is the kind of guy that you may not appreciate much if you watch him play a game or two, but over the course of time, you begin to appreciate how good he is. Well, now he's become a guy you notice right away. I thought he would have a good career, but he's been so much more. Jake Mauer always talked about his leadership when he managed him in Ft. Myers. Seemingly every time I talked to Mauer, Dozier's name would come up. Said he came in and was a leader right away without really even trying. People gravitated to him. Doing these stories is a lot of fun. I did a story on Andrew Albers in that same 2012 book. It was one of my favorite stories ever to get to tell. There have been several since.

I think it would be horrible if he signed elsewhere. There's not much better than a player who spends his whole career with one team and one organization (Puckett, Hrbek, Ripken), and it's rare. Mauer was strong in 2017. Obviously let's see how 2018 goes. But there isn't anyone right now that's close to ready to take his spot. He's still an on-base machine. He's terrific at first base with the glove. In a year, all of that might be different, but I personally would like to see him keep climbing up all of the all-time Twins stats. And, he'll be older, and there will need to be more games where he isn't playing, which may allow them to ease in someone like Brent Rooker if he's ready in 2019. Rooker can play 1B, LF, RF, DH. Mauer can DH more. There is definitely a way to keep him, and they should... Especially since we'll be talking about $4-8 million instead of $23M.

It's been a very slow offseason all around baseball, so I thought it would be fun to take a look back. For the 2012 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook, I wrote a story on the 2011 Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year, Brian Dozier. It was a fun story, going back to his roots in Mississippi, his college days and working his way quickly up the Twins minor league system.Brian Dozier has become one of the best second basemen in baseball. He's played in an All-Star Game. He's participated in a Home Run Derby. He hit over 40 homers once. He's become the leader of the team. However, this story is from a year before Brian Dozier made his major league debut. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Brian Dozier grew up in the small town of Fulton, Mississippi. The town’s population is just shy of 4,000 in the northeast corner of the state. To Dozier, it’s the “best place on Earth to me. Everything is always the same. You always know what you’re going to get when you come back here.” Occasionally, Dozier tells people that he’s from Tupelo. “I’m actually ten minutes outside of Tupelo. I tell people sometimes when I’m on the road that I’m from Tupelo just because a lot of people have heard of Tupelo with Elvis being from there.” But Dozier is proud of his Mississippi toots. “It’s awesome. Everybody knows everybody. All of my best friends are still here. It’s just very laid back, and I love it here.” Brian Dozier was the choice for Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year for 2011. It may be a cliche, but Dozier can be described as a “Baseball Player.” If you’re looking for someone in the Twins farm system who represents the organization perfectly, look no further than Dozier. “I grew up around baseball. My dad was my coach throughout all of my years. I had an older brother - two years older than I am - that I looked up to throughout my younger days, and even now. He has taught me a lot.” Although he grew up a big Mississippi State fan, watching all the greats that came through here, Dozier decided to attend the University of Southern Mississippi. “I had a lot of offers. I’m actually from right outside of Ol’ Miss and Mississippi State, two great SEC schools that kind of recruited me. I chose well by going to Southern Miss, I believe. It was also a great fit with me, a blue-collar program, and I fell in love with the coaching staff. Dozier was very successful in college. As a freshman, he played in 62 games and hit .368/.442/.488 (.930) with eight doubles, four triples and three home runs. As a sophomore, he played 61 games and hit .339/.402/.456 (.858) with 17 doubles and four home runs. In his junior year of 2008, he played in 64 games and hit .342/.403/.476 (.879) with 17 doubles, two triples and five home runs. Despite the tremendous numbers, he went undrafted and returned for his senior year. Unfortunately, a broken collarbone cost him time during his senior season. It limited him to just 37 games, but he hit .391/.485/.587 (1.072) with 13 doubles, a triple and four home runs. However, it was all worth it. “We had the opportunity to go to Omaha (to play in the College World Series) which was one of the best times of my life my senior years.” In his four seasons, he walked 87 times while striking out just 73 times. He was also hit by a pitch 25 times. The Twins used their eighth round pick in 2009 to draft the shortstop. “I was very blessed to be drafted by the Twins and believe it was a great fit for me.” He signed quickly and reported to Ft. Myers where he spent five games with the GCL Twins. He was then sent to Elizabethton where he hit .353/.417/.431 (848) with 17 doubles in 53 games with the E-Twins. He was able to get off to a fast professional start, and he quickly credits the coaching staff. “Right out of the gate, we have the best managers in our system in Elizabethton, Ray Smith, Reeder (Jeff Reed), and Shelly (Jim Shellenback). Those guys have been around the game so long, and they are just so knowledgeable about everything. I remember going to Elizabethton and Reeder being my hitting coach. I didn’t really have to ask him much. Rather, I just fed off of his stories. The stuff he was telling, it just gave you goosebumps. He talked about playing with Barry Bonds, catching a perfect game, that kind of stuff. And, he taught me a lot. Right away, he found a little hole in my swing, and we got going on fixing it Day 1. Elizabethton had a great influence on me.” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was originally posted in the 2012 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. Available in paperback. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He began 2010 with the Beloit Snappers. In 39 games, he hit .278/.347/.338 (.685) with seven doubles and a triple. On May 22, he was promoted to Ft. Myers. He played 93 more games and his .274/.352/.354 (.706) with 11 doubles, on triple, and five home runs. One the season, he walked 60 times with 57 strikeouts. He had 16 stolen bases in 21 attempts. He successfully laid down 12 sacrifice bunts. It was a solid 2010 season for Dozier, his first full season in the Twins system. It came as a surprise to many when the Twins announced that Dozier received an invitation to big league spring training. Dozier said, “I was very much surprised. I got the invite on Christmas Day. We were opening presents and that was the biggest one of them all. Very blessed.” Merry Christmas, indeed! Dozier made a strong impression on the Twins coaching staff, but he also learned a lot from the experience. “For me, the experience to get to know all the guys. I came in the first day, and I was locker mates with Michael Cuddyer, who I’ve been watching for years on TV. He has become a friend of mine now. I learned a lot from him and the other older guys, how they are on and off the field, how they interact with fans. I think that’s the biggest thing. As a young guy, you worry so much about the baseball side, you also have to think about the stuff that comes with it. I had an awesome time and had a lot of fun.” Having ended 2010 in Ft. Myers, he knew that he would not be making the big club. He was sent back to Ft. Myers to start the 2011 season. He played in 49 games with the Miracle. He hit .322/.423/.472 (.895) with 11 doubles, five triples and two home runs. Again, he credited his manager, Jake Mauer. “I tell you what. He’s a player’s coach. He’s been there, gone through the system and everything. He really relates to his players very well.” He moved up to New Britain and worked with former Twins hero Tom Brunansky, a member of the Twins 1987 World Series championship team. Dozier said, “He is one of the best when it comes to hitting. He knows how to hit. Actually, when I got moved up, he found a couple of little tweaks in my swing that I never knew I was doing. He showed me on film. I was like, ‘Well, that makes sense!’ Ever since then, since that first week, we worked really hard in the cage, and he found a couple of things, and it took off from there.” Under the tutelage of Brunansky and manager Jeff Smith, Dozier played in 78 games with the Rock Cats and hit .318/.384/.502 (.886) with 22 doubles, seven triples and seven home runs. Just days after he was promoted to New Britain, he was hit in the face with a pitch and missed just a week. Mark Dolenc is a Minnesota native who spent the past two seasons in New Britain. He said, “When Dozier came up, he immediately stepped in and took on a leadership role.” Dozier said, “I think from a leadership aspect, everybody kind of looks to the shortstop. They are the captain on the infield. I know Gardy takes a lot of pride in his shortstop being like the quarterback on the field. I’ve taken that to heart a lot. Same thing with my college coach. He was the same way. I’m not a big vocal guy. I never have been. I do try to put myself into the right situations, the right place at the right time, not only on the field but off the field. We see a lot of guys that aren’t playing the game the way it is supposed to be played, but if you play the game the way it is supposed to be played and always give 110%, people will respect that. I try to do that each and every day.” Not only did Dozier put up big numbers for the Rock Cats, but he did so while helping his team push for a spot in the playoffs. The team fell short on the final day, but it was a great experience. “We had a great year with the Rock Cats. Even in Ft. Myers, before I got called up, we were in the race for the first half of the division. I left a week early to go to New Britain and found myself in a great situation. They were in a playoff race the whole time I was there. You can’t ask for anything else when you come down to the wire. It just makes it that much more fun.” So how does he separate winning with personal development in the minor leagues? “Sometimes everybody is worried about stats and you want to move up, but at the same time, stats will come if you work hard and put yourself in the right position for when the time comes. So you have to sit back and let that take care of itself and just play the game of baseball. Sometimes, especially at this level, we get into this mindset that it’s such a business. We try to do too much, but it’s a game. It’s a game we all grew up loving to play. We’ve got a group of good friends that have we’ve made over the years. If we just go out and play that game, which we all love to do, we have a lot of fun, and that’s what we did.” Combined, Dozier hit .320/.399/.491 (.890) with 33 doubles, 12 triples and nine home runs. He scored 92 runs and drove in 56. He stole 24 bases. He was hit by 11 pitches. He successfully laid down 10 sacrifice bunts. He primarily played shortstop (93 games), but he also played 28 games at second base and three games at third base. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be sure to pick up your copy of the 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook now. Available in paperback or e-book. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Late in the season, he found out that he was invited to participate in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. He was excited. It’s a great opportunity to play with and against the best guys in the minor leagues. I’m truly blessed that they picked me for that.” In 26 games for the Mesa Solar Sox, Dozier hit .296/.358/.454 (812) with eight doubles and three home runs. He scored 28 runs and knocked in 22. He was 4-4 in stolen base attempts. He was selected to play in the league’s Rising Stars game, and in his first at-bat, he homered. Did he get out of the AFL what he was hoping to? “Yeah, I really did. The Fall League offers so much. You get to see where you are versus some of the best competition in the game at our level. I got to meet a lot of new guys, guys I’ve played against but never actually got to develop a friendship with. Now I have, and hopefully I can play many years against them down the road. I got to play under a great manager in Joe McEwing. He’s so intelligent with the game. I got to learn a few things from him. Actually, he gave me some insight on being set up for the play. I think that’s the biggest thing I learned from ‘Super Joe.’ I had a great time.” Between 1998 and 2006, Joe McEwing played in 754 games with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, and Houston Astros. He was a very solid utility player. He played more than 45 games in the big leagues at second base (238), left field (161), shortstop (99), third base (92), right field (79), first base (61) and center field (46). McEwing ended his playing career after the 2008 season and has quickly moved up the coaching ranks in the White Sox organization. In 2011, he was the manager of the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. After Robin Ventura was named the new manager of the White Sox, McEwing was named his third base coach. McEwing was a great influence for Dozier. “He stressed to me that I’m still a young guy and primarily a shortstop, and the TWins want me to play shortstop, but down the road, you never know, may have to play second base. I may have to in the near future. He saw one little thing with my set up before plays, a tip, and it flew out from there, improved my range. I’m very grateful for that. Anything you can learn from a guy like Joe McEwing is always a positive. He’s a great guy, and I’m lucky that he got to be our manager out there.” 2011 was a great year for Brian Dozier. But he knows that he still has more work to do before he reaches his goal of getting to the big leagues. “I’ve just got to be prepared. I have to get myself into the best shape possible. I’m not taking too much time off from baseball. Swinging that bat. Taking ground balls. All that footwork and stuff to put myself in the best possible position when I go to big league camp in February.” With all the Twins issues and injuries in 2011, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire mentioned Brian Dozier several times as a guy he would like to see up with the Twins. It didn’t happen for various reasons, many of them business-related. But Dozier said, “I’m going to get there. It’s just the fact that you’ve got to wait it out and prepare yourself so when that time does come, you’re fully prepared and ready to go. I felt like I had a pretty good year and put myself in the talk up there (with the Twins management) to actually be called up just two years into the system, which is great. Hopefully I can work hard this offseason and get that opportunity next year.” There is a strong likelihood that Twins fans will see Dozier in the big leagues sometime in 2012. And when he gets there, Twins fans will see a “Baseball Player.” They will see a team-first leader. They will see a guy who is proud of where he is from and appreciative of all those who have helped him get to where he is. He hasn’t played in a big league game yet with the Twins, but Brian Dozier is already a strong representative of what defines a “Minnesota Twin.” Click here to view the article

Cuz he's one of their best hitters and a key component to the solid Twins infield defense because of his glove at first base... His trade value this offseason is probably valued because of the contract, as well as other teams' need for a 1B. That said, if the Twins are out of contention and he's available at the trade deadline, they could probably get something for him, though even then, it would be like $8 million for the final two months. All that factors in.

I'm so excited to go there... may have to go for a second trip for the 2nd time... only other year I made two trips was 2013, which was also a pretty good class.

I've gone the last four years (maybe five?), and it is a wonderful event. Silent auction. Lots of current and former Twins players. An awards banquet. Good food. And lots and lots of great Twins talk...

He also was promoted from Low A to High A... In addition, I had a couple of reports that told me that his exit velos and launch angles in the Florida State League were very good. He had a lot of atom balls in the 2nd half.

My first sports heroes... 1.) Claudell Washington - cocaine suspension. 2.) Kirby Puckett - 3.) Chuck Knoblauch... It was at the point that I figured out, and I was old enough, to look up to players as players and realize that I don't know them personally and what they do in their personal, private lives. Now I'm with Tom on this... While I agree with my of Charles Barkeley's commercial, the reality is that kids will look up to athletes or musicians or both. And that's probably OK. Looking up to people is natural and it's good, but it can also teach lessons. That's not a bad thing. It helps growth. At this point, I do have a little different perspective. I do know many of the Twins players, obviously some more than others. I know a lot of the Twins minor leaguers to some degree... I like to think that I have an idea of who they are as people from conversations and interactions... If certain Twins players or prospects got in trouble of any sort, I'd be disappointed. But at the end o the day, even when we see them in teh clubhouse, it's just a part of who they are. We don't see them at home... We like to think that we know these guys, from how they interact with the media and from stories told, but there's more to their lives than time at the ballpark... I also fully believe that 95+% of the players are really good people who make good choices most of the time.

I may be rare... but i hvae nothing against Jim Pohlad... 1.) it's his company, and he can run it as he sees fit, 2.) the Pohlad family didn't get rich by making foolish decisions, 3.) He has generally kept the Twins between the recommended/typical 48-52% of revenues. They went over that in the second year of Target Field and likely went a little under it in a couple of bad, rebuilding years. Contraction was Carl's thing... I'm obviously glad it didn't happen, but I'm not against contraction, in general. For instance, if the Rays and A's or Marlins were contracted, it wouldn't be a bad thing for baseball. I mean, except for the handful of fans in those markets.

Prospect Rankings are way easier than what Nick is trying to do. Prospect rankings contain a ton of variables, but for me, it's like 50% (or more) ceiling... another factor is proximity/likelihood of reaching near that ceiling (so floor), age-to-level of competition, scouting reports, personal opinions... They're absolutely subjective as there is really no official mathematical way to dig into it with confidence.

I'm not sure about that, and I'd probably have to give it more thought.. .but my quick response is that they gave opportunities to the guys who were performing at the time of the need. When Rosario was called up in June, most thought it would be Melotakis, but Rosario was pitching much better at the time. Nik Turley earned his call up. As much as I wanted to see Gonsalves, Tim Melville was pitching great. So, individually, I never really had any issue with the call ups... but overall, I can agree that it looks kind of scrambled... then again, there were definitely times when the pitching staff was more than a little scrambled...

I'd add Curtiss to that group and project that he'll be the best of them. And, Jake Reed is still around... There are definitely still some big bullpen arms out there.

As we reach the end of 2017, it’s always fun to look back at the year. One of my favorite things to do is to remember all of the players who made their major league debuts in a Twins uniform this year. In total, 14 players made their big league debuts for the Twins in 2017, a big number especially when you consider this was a playoff team.It will likely not surprise anyone to know that of the 14 players to debut, 11 of them were pitchers. The first four pitchers on the list below are no longer with the organization. Of the remaining players, it’s not difficult to see a potential role for each of them at some point in 2018 or beyond. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As someone who follows the Twins minor league system so closely, it’s fun to watch several of these players work their way through the entire minor league system and get that big league opportunity whether it’s a long-term gig or just a short-term opportunity. That’s part of why I write the Twins Prospect Handbook, and why I encourage Twins fans to do so each year. The 10th Annual Twins Prospect Handbook (2018) is now available in paperback or e-book. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Justin Haley - April 5 Haley was the Rule 5 draft pick who came to spring training. He made the Opening Day roster and in the team’s second game, he recorded the final three outs of a Twins win. Two outings later, he struck out six in 3.1 scoreless innings to record his first MLB save. He went on the disabled list twice before being offered back to the Red Sox where he finished the season in AAA. Jason Wheeler - May 30 Wheeler had worked his way up the Twins minor league system since being drafted out of college in 2012. He had been added to the Twins 40-man roster after the 2015 season. He was removed late in the 2016 season, but he kept working, making starts and finally got the call in late May. In his first inning (8th inning against the Astros), he issued a one-out walk but then coaxed a double play. Then the Astros scored two runs off of him, singles by Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, in his second inning. He pitched in relief again the next night. After that series, he was DFAd and claimed by the Dodgers. He also pitched in the Orioles organization. Randy Rosario - June 2 Rosario was the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month in May. He gave up just one run on four hits and two walks in 13.2 innings in Chattanooga. He struck out 18. The Twins had a need at the start of June, and Rosario was called up directly from AA. In his first inning, he came into the 8th inning against the Angels with the Twins ahead 11-2. He worked a 1-2-3 inning. Former Twins outfielder Shane Robinson was his first strikeout. He also got Albert Pujols out. He came back out for the ninth inning and gave up three runs. He worked in one more game, and gave up five runs in 0.1 innings. He was sent down and finished the season with the Lookouts. He was DFAd after the season and claimed by the Chicago Cubs. Nik Turley - June 11 Turley signed a minor league deal with the Twins and didn’t even get a big league spring training invite. However, in the season’s first two months, he gave up 33 hits, walked 15 and struck out 84 batters in 52.2 innings. Fans (at least those who follow the Twins minor leagues) were clamoring for him to be called up. He made his debut in San Francisco. He gave up four runs on eight hits over four innings. He walked none and struck out four. He made two more (not-so-good) starts before being sent back to the minors. He came up twice more throughout the season and ended the year in the bullpen. Following the season, he was DFAd and claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Alan Busenitz - June 17 Busenitz came to the Twins from the Angels in the Ricky Nolasco/Alex Meyer/Hector Santiago deal. Busenitz may be the best of the traded players. He came up for the first time in mid-June. He struck out the first batter he faced, MVP candidate Jose Ramirez. He walked a batter and gave up a hit in his first inning. He worked a second inning (and gave up a homer to Francisco Lindor). He went up and down a couple of times before coming up for good for the final two months. By season’s end, he became a reliable bullpen arm for Paul Molitor late in the season. Trevor Hildenberger - June 23 Hildenberger was well known to Twins Daily readers as he was the Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2015 and 2016. He was well on his way to a third straight award when he was called up in late June. In his first game, he came in for the ninth inning with a 5-0 lead. Roberto Perez was the first batter he faced, and the first strikeout victim. After a double, Hildenberger got Jason Kipnis and Jose Ramirez to ground out to end the game. It didn’t take long for Hildenberger to become the most reliable, and used, reliever in the Twins bullpen. Felix Jorge - July 1 Jorge washttp://m.mlb.com/cut.../239860898/null directly from AA Chattanooga as the 26th man and started the second game of the doubleheader against Kansas City. He gave up two runs in the first inning, but then he put four straight zeroes on the board. He gave up a leadoff single in the 6th inning and was taken out. That man later came around to score. He recorded his first MLB Win. He went down after the game, but four days later, he came back up to make a second start. This time he didn’t get out of the third. He was sent down again after that game and didn’t return. However, he showed enough stuff that he should remain on the 40-man roster and continue to get opportunities. Zack Granite - July 8 Zack Granite was scheduled to play in the AAA All-Star Game, but Jason Castro went on the 7-Day disabled list and Granite was called up. When Castro came off the DL, Byron Buxton was hurt so he stayed, and he played well. In his major league debut, Granite was called on to pinch-hit late in the game. He worked an 11-pitch at bat before popping out. His first hit was a double just out of the reach of Jose Altuve. Late in the season, Granite got hold of one for his first Major League home run. And while he may not be quite Byron Buxton in center field, Granite can cover some serious ground in the outfield. Dietrich Enns - August 10 Enns came to the Twins with Zack Littell from the Yankees in exchange for lefty Jaime Garcia. Just a couple of weeks later, he was called up to make a start in Milwaukee. In it, he went just 2.1 inning and gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits. The highlight of that game for him was probably getting his first big league hit. Five days later, he came out of the bullpen and gave up two runs in five outs. He was sent down, and then he spent most of the rest of the season on the disabled list. He remains on the 40-man roster. Aaron Slegers - August 17 Aaron Slegers has gradually worked his way up the Twins system, one year at a time, and in 2017, he was the Twins minor league pitcher of the year for a very good season in AAA Rochester. In mid-August, he was added to the 40-man roster and called up to start Game 2 of a doubleheader as the team’s 26th man. Through six innings against Cleveland, he gave up just one run. He got a strikeout to start the 7th, but then he gave up a hit and was removed. The game-tying run scored after he left. But Slegers gave up two runs on two hits and two walks over 6.1 innings. He was sent down after the game but came back up with the September call ups. He remains on the Twins 40-man roster and should be a candidate for starts in 2018. Mitch Garver - August 19 In mid-August, Robbie Grossman dove for a ball, collided with Byron Buxton and broke his thumb. Grossman was placed on the DL, and Mitch Garver was called up. In his debut, he struck out as a pinch hitter. The next day, he went 1-4 with a walk. His hit, as expected, was an infield single. He had a total of nine hits in 46 at-bats including three triples and a double. At this point, Garver appears to be the backup catcher option for the Twins heading into the 2018 season. John Curtiss - August 25 Curtiss was the Twins Daily choice for Minor League Relief PItcher of the Year in 2017. It’s been a quick ascension for Curtiss in the last two seasons. He began 2016 in Cedar Rapids, then was promoted to Ft. Myers a month later, and then pitched in the Arizona Fall League. He began this season in Chattanooga and moved up to Rochester midseason. He was surprised when he got his promotion to the big leagues. In his debut, he came into the 9th inning with the Twins leading Toronto 6-1. He struck out the first batter he faced, Steve Pearce, and then got fly outs from Josh Donaldson and Justin Smoak to end the game. His fastball/slider combination make him a potential late-inning option for years to come. Gabriel Moya - September 12 Gabriel Moya came to the Twins in late July in a trade with the Diamondbacks for John Ryan Murphy. He was so good all year in Double-A, that MiLB.com named him the top relief pitcher in all of the minor leagues this year. He continued the dominance and helped the Chattanooga Lookouts to a share of the Southern League championship. As soon as that series was done, the Twins added him to the 40-man roster and called him up. He worked 6.1 innings over seven outings. In his debut, he came into the ninth inning with the Twins leading 16-0. He issued a one-out walk to Wil Myers, but he struck out Jabari Blash to end the inning and the game. Congratulations to each of these players! Share your thoughts on these debuts and these players. Click here to view the article