Seth Stohs

It's been a good thing, the last 2-3 years I have asked the other minor league report writers to vote for these. Before that, it was just my opinion. As you'll see from several of these votes, our winner does not align with my choice. But the authors spend a lot of time throughout the season, scouring box scores, reading game and transaction reports and doing a lot of their own research. It's probably more fair now that there are 7 people getting equal votes than it was before.

The Minnesota Twins had a day off on Monday. Some of the players went to the Minnesota Vikings season opener. Hopefully all of them got some quality rest. The Twins now have 19 games in the next 20 days. And that's assuming there isn't a Game 163, which the Twins have a bit of experience with. Let's take a look at the Twins' opponents over these final 19 games.The Twins have just one off-day (on Monday, September 25th) remaining. Other than that, it's full-steam ahead toward the regular season's finish line. There remain high hopes among players and fans alike that the season will continue beyond the regular season's final regularly scheduled day (Sunday, October 1st). The opponents over the final 19 games comprise an interesting mix of teams. There are a couple of teams playing out the string. There is one team that pretty much never loses. And there is one team that the Twins have some hopes of catching before the end of the season, likely in an attempt to get to play them one more time. Here is a quick look at the remaining opponents on the Twins: San Diego Padres (September 12-13): The Twins played two games in San Diego earlier in the season, and now they will play their final interleague games, starting tonight. The Padres are 65-79 on the season. However, the team just came off of a series in which they won two out of three against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The weekend before, they won three out of four against the Los Angeles Dodgers, starting their losing streak. In between, they lost three out of four to the St. Louis Cardinals. Toronto Blue Jays (September 14-17): The Twins will play four games at home this weekend against the Blue Jays, a team that has had their number in recent years, but the Twins won two out of three in Toronto in late August. The Blue Jays beat Baltimore on Monday, and before that they won two out of three against the Tigers. Before that, they lost two out of three to the Red Sox. New York Yankees (September 18-20): The Twins will travel to the Bronx to take on the team they are chasing for the top wild card position. They are currently four games behind the Yankees for that spot, but that could be different in a week. This is a good Yankees team, but it isn't your older brother's Yankees. Derek Jeter isn't going to walk through that door. Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams aren't going to walk through that door. And if they did... Well, they're still a very good team, obviously, illustrated by being 13 games over .500. They beat Tampa Bay last night. Before that they won two out of three games in September series against the Rangers, the Orioles and the Red Sox (technology and all). Detroit Tigers (September 21-24 (away), September 29-October 1 (Target Field): The Twins and Tigers will play seven times down the stretch. That should be a good thing for the Twins. The Tigers are currently 60-83 and challenging the Chicago White Sox for the cellar in the AL Central. Of course, the White Sox were trying to be bad this year (acquiring tons of top prospects along the way). The Tigers have traded some of their players, like JD Martinez and more recently, Justin Verlander. Victor Martinez is out for the year. These can be tough games though. This month, the Tigers have lost all five games they've played against Cleveland, and by a combined score of 5-40. They lost two out of three to Toronto this weekend, but before that, they won two out of three against the Royals. Cleveland (September 26-28): I mean... wow! They are now 88-56 on the season and currently have won 19 games in a row, one short of the record. They are 13.5 games ahead of the Twins. Their Magic Number to win the division is down to six. It is very likely that they will clinch the division this sometime this weekend which will make these late-season games against the Twins pretty meaningless, but they are very likely to be very meaningful for the Twins. In this 19-game winning steak, they are 5-0 against Detroit, 3-0 against Baltimore, 4-0 against the White Sox, 3-0 against the Royals, 3-0 against the Yankees, and 1-0 against the Red Sox. Their last loss came to the Red Sox on August 23rd. So there you have it, the schedule the rest of the way for the Twins. Here is a quick look at the current standings in the American League Wild Card: Here are the upcoming schedules for the Twins Wild Card competition: Los Angeles Angels (19 games) 3 vs Houston 3 vs Texas 3 vs Cleveland 3 @ Houston 4 @ Chicago White Sox 3 vs Seattle Texas Rangers (19 games) 3 vs Seattle 3 @ Angels 3 @ Seattle 3 @ Oakland 3 vs Houston 4 vs Oakland Kansas City Royals (19 games) 2 vs White Sox 4 @ Cleveland 3 @ Toronto 3 @ White Sox 1 @ NY Yankees 3 vs Detroit 3 vs Arizona Seattle Mariners (18 games) 3 @ Texas 3 @ Houston 3 vs Texas 3 vs Cleveland 3 @ Oakland 3 @ Angels Baltimore Orioles (18 games) 2 @ Toronto 4 @ NY Yankees 3 vs Boston 4 vs Tampa Bay 2 @ Pittsburgh 3 @ Tampa Bay Tampa Bay Rays (17 games) 2 vs NY Yankees 3 vs Boston 2 vs Cubs 4 @ Baltimore 3 @ NY Yankees 3 vs Baltimore There you have it. It's going to be a fun, interesting final three weeks... Click here to view the article

Ted voted Enlow #1... thanks for catching that.

It's not great video, but I was sent the below video of Rodriguez's walk-off home run.

Now that you've read the report above, be sure to vote for your choice for Short-Season Pitcher of the Year.

At the end of June each year, the short-season minor leagues begin. The GCL Twins stay in Ft. Myers, and the Elizabethton Twins take the long bus ride to Tennessee. In 2017, both of these teams made the playoffs. The E-Twins just won their seventh Appalachian League title since the turn of the century. At Twins Daily the last couple of seasons, we have added two annual awards for the short-season Twins players. Tomorrow we’ll hand out the award for the top hitter in the short-season teams, but today, we’ll start with the pitchers. Last year, the Twins Daily Short-Season Pitcher of the Year was Huascar Ynoa. He had spent that summer in the GCL, and he began 2017 with Elizabethton. However, at the July trade deadline, he was traded to Atlanta in exchange for lefty Jaime Garcia. As you’ll see below, there were several pitchers on the Twins short-season teams who put together real solid seasons. Of course, we are generally talking about a limited number of innings due to their seasons being just two months long. One poor outing can have an effect on their overall numbers. Seven Twins Daily Minor League writers were asked to vote for the various awards. For the short-season pitcher of the year, we each voted for five players. The player who was voted as #1 received five points, #2 received four points and so on with the #5 vote receiving one point. Results were tabulated and can be found below. Short profiles of our top five are to follow, but first, some players worthy of honorable mention. These players also received votes. Others Receiving Votes: Jared Finkel - Elizabethton Twins - 17 G, 2-1, 3 Saves, 2.18 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 33.0 IP, 33 H, 7 BB, 29 K Bryan Sammons - Elizabethton Twins - 7 G, 3 GS, 2-0, 1.46 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 24.2 IP, 14 H, 7 BB, 31 K (does not include stats at Cedar Rapids) Derek Molina - GCL Twins - 10 G, 2 GS, 1-0, 4 Saves, 1.08 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 16.2 IP, 12 H, 3 BB, 21 K. Randy Dobnak - Elizabethton Twins - 5 G, 3 GS, 2-0, 1 Save, 2.39 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 26.1 IP, 19 H, 6 BB, 22 K (does not include stats at Cedar Rapids) Pedro Garcia - GCL Twins - 10 G, 3 GS, 6-2, 2.59 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 48.2 IP, 26 H, 17 BB, 41 K Nick Brown - Elizabethton Twins - 11 G, 7 GS, 3-1, 1 Save, 3.93 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 50.1 IP, 49 H, 15 BB, 54 K Short-Season 0Pitcher of the Year Here are the top five vote-getters for Twins Short Season Minor League Pitcher of the Year. #5 – Edwar Colina, Elizabethton Twins: 12 G, 11 GS, 3-5, 3.34 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 59.1 IP, 48 H, 29 BB, 56 K. Colina signed with the Twins in September 2015. He spent 2016 in the Dominican Summer League and went 1-3 with a 2.30 ERA. He came to the States this spring and made the jump up to Elizabethton. The Caracas native turned 20 in May and pitched well enough to be named the Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year. At 5-11 and stocky, Colina has proven durable. He’ll certainly need to work on his control, but he’s got good stuff. #4 – Brusdar Graterol, GCL Twins/Elizabethton Twins: 10 G, 7 GS, 4-1, 2.70 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 40.0 IP, 26 H, 13 H, 45 K. Another Venezuelan, Graterol signed with the Twins in February of 2015. At 16, he made four appearances in the Dominican Summer League before coming to Minnesota to undergo Tommy John surgery. That cost him the 2016 season. But he returned for Instructs and impressed, touching triple-digits with his fastball. This spring, shortly before coming to spring training, he broke his hand. However, he was ready by the short-season. He made five appearances in the GCL and posted a 1.40 ERA in 19.1 innings. He was promoted to Elizabethton where he made five starts and posted a 3.92 ERA. Graterol did not turn 19 until the end of August. He has the kind of stuff that could see him rise up prospect rankings. #3 – Carlos Suniaga, GCL Twins: 12 G, 6 GS, 4-0, 1 Save, 1.58 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 51.1 IP, 37 H, 12 BB, 42 K. Another right-hander from Venezuela, Suniaga came to the States in 2017. He also signed with the Twins in February of 2015. In 2016, he went 7-3 with a 2.03 ERA in his second season in the DSL. That earned him an opportunity in the States. He actually started the season by making one appearance in Elizabethton (3.1 scoreless innings). He was sent back to the GCL where he made 11 appearances (including six starts) and posted a 1.69 ERA. #2 – Blayne Enlow, GCL Twins: 6 G, 1 GS, 3-0, 1.33 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 20.1 IP, 10 H, 4 BB, 19 K. The first draft of Sean Johnson as scouting director was certainly interesting. The Twins were able to save a bit on the top overall pick, Royce Lewis, and with the added funds, they were able to offer Enlow for a well-over slot value of $2 million. The Louisiana prepster had a commitment to play at LSU, but he instead signed with the Twins. Enlow was brought along slowly. While he was used primarily out of the bullpen, or at least was used after a rehabbing pitcher, there is no question that the 18-year-old will be developed as a starter. He showed good control and an ability to miss bats. He throws in the low-90s and is said to have a terrific curveball. He’s got good size, and has a real chance to be a special pitcher. Like Graterol, Enlow should find his name among the top Twins prospect this offseason. Pitcher of the Year – Jovani Moran, Elizabethton Twins:. 11 G, 3-1, 0.36 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 24.2 IP, 12 H, 6 BB, 45 K. The Twins drafted Jovani Moran in the seventh round of the 2015 draft out of the Carlos Beltran Academy in Puerto Rico. The left-hander pitched as a starter that season in the GCL. Unfortunately, he missed the 2016 season after having bone chips removed from this throwing elbow. This year he jumped up to Elizabethton and worked out of the bullpen where he absolutely dominated. Maybe you noticed, but 45 strikeouts in 24.2 innings equates to a K-rate of 16.4 per nine innings. He gave up just one earned run the entire season. His manager with the E-Twins was Ray Smith this year. Of Moran, Smith said, “We didn’t want to force anything with Jovani due to his arm issues last year. I’ve never seen him being utilized in a starting role, but with this ‘stuff’ being so good, it might turn out to be his role once it’s decided that his arm will continue to be 100%” Moran was used in the playoffs too and dominated even more. He pitched twice in the two-game sweep in the Appalachian League championship series. Combining the regular season and playoffs, Moran’s numbers are incredible. Smith added, “Obviously he was dominant for us out of the ‘pen. Good intangibles. Fields his position. Mature approach.” It was a fantastic season for Jovani Moran and the Elizabethton Twins. He’s a very intriguing prospect and 2018 ought to be quite interesting. Will he continue to work in the bullpen? Will he get an opportunity to start? To the questions, well, I’ll agree with Ray Smith when he said, “Glad his uniform says ‘TWINS’ on the front of it!” There you have it, the top pitchers in the short season leagues for the Minnesota Twins in 2017. The Ballots In an attempt to be transparent, here are the votes from our Twins Daily minor league writers: Seth Stohs – 1) Jovani Moran, 2) Blayne Enlow, 3) Carlos Suniaga, 4) Brusdar Graterol, 5) Bryan Sammons Jeremy Nygaard – 1) Jovani Moran, 2) Blayne Enlow, 3) Brusdar Graterol, 4) Edwar Colina, 5) Nick Brown Cody Christie – 1) Carlos Suniaga, 2) Blayne Enlow, 3.) Jovani Moran, 4) Derek Molina, 5) Jared Finkel Tom Froemming - 1) Jovani Moran, 2) Carlos Suniaga, 3) Blayne Enlow, 4) Brusdar Graterol, 5) Bryan Sammons Steve Lein – 1) Jovani Moran, 2) Carlos Suniaga, 3) Brusdar Graterol, 4) Blayne Enlow, 5) Bryan Sammons Eric Pleiss – 1) Jovani Moran, 2) Carlos Suniaga, 3) Blayne Enlow, 4) Edwar Colina, 5) Pedro Garcia Ted Schwerzler - 1) Blayne Enlow, 2) Carlos Suniaga, 3) Jovani Moran, 4) Jared Finkel, 5) Randy Dobnak Feel free to discuss. What do you think? How would you rank them? How would your ballot look? View full article

One might argue that if that second paragraph is all true, then Molitor should probably be manager of the year for getting a team with that big of an issue late in games to a point where on September 10th they have a 2-game lead for the 2nd wild card and are 6-7 games over .500.

It was a night with a couple of tough losses for a couple of Twins affiliates. The Cedar Rapids dropped Game 1 of their best-of-three series. They’ll need to win on Sunday to extend their season. The Chattanooga Lookouts will have to win on Sunday night or they will end their season with a loss as well. However, if the Lookouts win on Sunday, they will win a co-championship. Should be an interesting, fun day on Sunday!Continue reading to find out how the two Twins minor league playoff games went and who performed well in the losses. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 0, Montgomery 2 Box Score The final score was the same as Game 3. Unfortunately for the Lookouts, they were on the short-end on the scoreboard in Game 4. Adalberto Mejia made his final rehab start. He had made two starts for the Red Wings, but their season is over, so he made a start for the Lookouts. Having thrown 61 pitches in his previous rehab appearance, he was in line to throw about 75 pitches in this one. He threw 73 pitches, and 50 of them were strikes. The left-hander threw the first five innings. He gave up just one hit, walked none and struck out five without allowing a run. He appears ready to rejoin the Twins starting rotation. The Rays also used a couple of rehabbing pitchers. Nathan Eovaldi struck out two in the first innings. Then Xavier Cedeno threw a scoreless inning. At that point, #OldFriend Logan Darnell came in to the game to face the Lookouts. The southpaw went the next 4.2 innings without allowing a run to get the win. The Lookouts were unable to score in the game. Darnell said it wasn't too strange to pitch against the Twins affiliate. "I mean, not that strange. I only knew a handful of guys and Baxendale might be the only guy I played with. But honestly it's good to see the staff... Jake (Mauer), Ivan (Arteaga), CJ the most! Great people! Chattanooga is a solid team! Very tough to pitch against... perfect mix of patience and aggressive hitters. TJ White is dangerous player." TJ White had two of the Lookouts' four hits. Jonathan Rodriguez walked twice. But the Lookouts ended the game without a run. DJ Baxendale came into the game for the sixth inning and put up another zero. Unfortunately, the Lookouts defense was not good. They committed four errors in this game. Baxendale gave up one run each in the seventh and eighth innings, but they were both unearned. Nick Anderson pitched a scoreless ninth. That sets up a winner-takes-all game on Sunday night in Chattanooga. Remember, the Southern League has cancelled its championship series due to Hurricane Irma, so there will be co-champions. Pensacola won the other half. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 5 (10 innings) Box Score The Kernels won their first round series against Kane County and even had a day off while waiting to find out who they would play in the Midwest League’s Western Division finals. That team was Quad Cities, so it was off to Davenport on Saturday for the Kernels. There was no scoring in the first inning, but the Kernels put together a nice second inning. They scored four runs. Lewin Diaz led off with a double which was followed by a walk by Caleb Hamilton. With one out, Jimmy Kerrigan walked to load the bases. Ben Rortvedt came through with a two-run single to right field. Kerrigan was able to advance to third base which was important because he scored soon after on a wild pitch. Rortvedt advanced to second base on the wild pitch which allowed him to score on an Ariel Montesino single. Tyler Watson made the start and he was terrific through six innings. He put up six zeroes on the board. However, the Twins were not able to add on. Watson went out for the seventh and it didn’t go well for him. Watson struck out the first batter. He then issued a walk but got the second out on a fly out. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to get the third out. The next three batters hit singles before Watson was replaced by Logan Lombana. Lombana gave up a single to score one, and then the game-tying run scored on an error. Bryan Sammons and Max Cordy combined to throw two scoreless innings and send the game to extra innings. Ryan Mason came in for the 10th inning. Colin Moran walked to lead off the inning. A pinch-runner advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. The Kernels chose to intentionally walk the next batter, hoping to coax a double play ball. Instead, the next batter singled which scored the runner from second and ended the game. The Kernels dropped Game 1 of the Best of 3 series. Game 2 will be in Cedar Rapids. The Kernels will need to win to keep their season going. SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Montgomery @ Chattanooga (5:15 CST) - LHP Dietrich Enns Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (4:05 CST) - LHP Charlie Barnes Please feel free to ask any questions about Saturday night’s playoff games. Check back on Sunday night for another night of Twins minor league playoff action. Click here to view the article

Corrected...

They’re all big games in the playoffs, but Friday was a fun night to be a fan of the Twins minor league teams. Elizabethton had a chance to win another Appalachian League title. The Lookouts looked to regain home-field advantage on the road. The Cedar Rapids Kernels learned that their Midwest League Western Division championship series will start on Saturday in Davenport against Quad Cities.Both of the Friday games were close. A two-run game and a one-run game… nail-biters, to be sure, especially given the playoff implications. Be sure to read through today’s article for everything about these two games and what is next. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Montgomery 0 Box Score There isn’t a lot to write about this game, but that’s OK if you’re a Twins or Lookouts fan. The important thing to know is that they have regained the home-field advantage with a big win in Montgomery. Felix Jorge returned to the Lookouts and he worked six scoreless innings. He gave up just three hits, walked one and struck out four to earn the win. Todd Van Steensel did what Todd Van Steensel does. He threw two scoreless innings, striking out three batters. The offense? I’m glad you asked. Jonathan Rodriguez was on first base in the fourth inning when TJ White came to the plate. White hit his third home run in as many games in this series to give the Lookouts a 2-0 lead. That’s all they’d need. Gabriel Moya got a strikeout to end a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record the save. SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Montgomery @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - TBD (likely a rehabbing Adalberto Mejia) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:35 CST) - LHP Tyler Watson Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Elizabethton’s championship, the Lookouts taking back home field advantage or the Kernels starting their second round playoff series. Check back on Saturday night for another night of Twins minor league playoff action. Click here to view the article

Just guessing: 2018 - Cedar Rapids 2019 - Ft. Myers 2020 - Chattanooga 2021 - Rochester and Twins? Even that is pretty standard. Many of the top guys will maybe do a half-year somewhere, but even some of the good prospects will repeat, or spend an extra half-season at a level... So hard to know.

I don't know if Palka is or isn't an MLB hitter... I think he can be. Not a star, but I think he can be semi-productive... But, the Twins already have Mauer, Vargas and Garver for 1B, and Granite is already primarily sitting on the bench and pinch-running as the top three outfielders need to play most games. And yeah, maybe if Palka batted right-handed, it might make more sense. And I agree on Park... Tough year for him... may now want to head back.

I don't think those bad months are unique to such your players. The difference is that a lot of young players aren't capable of putting up those incredible months. So, more consistency (which typically eventually happens) will have a higher ceiling than most players. That's - at least for me - why Blankenhorn is such an intriguing prospect. He's got real good talent, but it is a long season and those valleys weren't pretty. Lots of swing and miss. And yes, I think that's pretty aggressive for Baddoo, but he is incredibly talented.

He's a good player. Stocky guy, but very strong and surprisingly quick. Fun to watch. Really good kid. But he's already 25, so he has a chance, but it'll be tough to crack 3B with the Twins in the next couple of years.

Did we get it right? Who would you have voted for? Here's a quick Twitter poll where you can help vote...

Quick poll on what the Twins should do with Escobar this offseason. What do you think?

Wonderful blog... thank you for sharing!!

Our final monthly award of 2017 comes to you today in the form of the August 2017 Minor League Hitter of the Month. While the pitcher awards this month may have been underwhelming, the hitters more than made up for it. Four hitters ended the month with an OPS over 1.000 which is tremendous. I think you'll enjoy reading today's installment. However, if you missed either of the other awards, here are the quick links: Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month - Zack LittellTwins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month - Nick AndersonLet’s take a look at the Top 6 hitters for the month of July, but first here are some players deserving of honorable mention. HONORABLE MENTION Shane Carrier - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 23 G, 26-88, .295/.340/.568 (.909) with six doubles, six homers and 12 RBILewin Diaz - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 24 G, 31-94, .330/.373/.457 (830) with six doubles, two homers and 11 RBI.Wander Javier - Elizabethton Twins - 19 G, 25-77, .325/.384/.506 (.890) with five doubles, three home runs and 14 RBI.Leonardo Reginnato - Rochester Red Wings - 27 G, 27-80, .338/.427/.463 (.890) with seven doubles, one triple and 11 RBI.Zander Wiel - Ft. Myers Miracle - 25 G, 27-92, .297/.365/.516 (.882) with six doubles, one triple, four home runs and 18 RBI.THE TOP SIX HITTERS Number 6 – GCL Twins - Jean Carlos Arias - 24 G, .315/.382/.533 (.915). 29-92 with four doubles, two triples, four home runs and 21 RBI. Arias signed with the Twins way back in July of 2014 out of the Dominican Republic. He has slowly worked his way up. 2017 was his second season in the GCL, and it was a nice improvement from his first season. While he played all three outfield positions, he spent most of his time in center field. Arias is a multi-talented player who has the potential to be a five-tool player (though those ultimately are rare). He’s fast, and some believe he’ll add more power as he continues to grow. Number 5 – Jonathan Rodriguez – 1B Jonathan Rodriguez - 27 G, 281/.418/.542 (.960). 27-96 with seven doubles, six home runs and 18 RBI. Rodriguez was our choice for minor league hitter of the month in July. Frankly, he had an incredible season. The 28-year-old spent the first eight seasons of his career in the Cardinals organization. He came to the Twins this offseason and hasn’t stopped hitting. In 119 games for the Lookouts, he hit .309/.414/.525 (.939) with 31 doubles, 21 homers and 76 RBI. His season ended with five games in Rochester, and another home run. Number 4 – Cedar Rapids Kernels - Travis Blankenhorn - 17 G, .338/.390/.634 (1.023). 24-71 with four doubles, one triple, five home runs and 18 RBI. It was a bit of an inconsistent season for Blankenhorn, which likely explains why the recently-turned-21-year-old stayed in Cedar Rapids all year. But, he ended his season on a very strong note in August. His OPS by month were .776, .604, 1.048, .449, 1.023, as well as 1.500 in September where he was 3-6 with two walks, a double and a triple. Blankenhorn spent the first half of the season playing third base. After some roster changes after the All-Star break, he has primarily played second base. Get to know Travis Blankenhorn Catching Up With Travis Blankenhorn Number 3 - Chattanooga Lookouts – 3B TJ White - 27 G, .340/.397/.613 (1.010), 36-106 with ten doubles, two triples, five homers and 20 RBI. The 25-year-old from Las Vegas, and drafted out of UNLV in 2014, quietly put together a strong 2017 season. Considering that he started the season in extended spring training before re-joining the Lookouts in mid-May, he was impressive. Overall, he hit .276/.358/.484 (.842) with 26 doubles and 14 home runs. White is a strong kid, but he’s also quicker than you might think. At third base, he had a fielding percentage of .959 and reports say he showed quite a bit of improvement. Get to know TJ White (including comments from his high school teammate, Joey Gallo) Number 2 - Ft. Myers Miracle – 1B/OF Brent Rooker - 27 G, .341/.411/.706 (1.116), 29-85 with four doubles, nine homers and 31 RBI. Most months, the numbers that Brent Rooker put up in August would be tops on the board. This month, it falls just a little bit short. Rooker played his initial 22 pro games in Elizabethton, getting back into the swing of things and getting some at-bats under his belt. But the plan all along was to get him to Ft. Myers quickly, which they did. While he struggled some early in his move to the Florida State League (hit .163 through his first 12 games), he has been terrific since, and most of that has been in the month of August. Sure, he still struck out 32% of the time (30 K in 95 PA), but when he made contact, big things happened. He was an extra-base machine. Not only did he have nine homers, but most of them drove in more than one run. Overall, it’s been a strong pro debut for Rooker, who had 18 total home runs. It’s certainly something to build on in 2018. I guess he answered the question of whether or not he was promoted too aggressively. Get to know Brent Rooker And the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is: Elizabethton Twins – OF Akil Baddoo - .389/.504/.622 (1.127), 35-90 with 13 doubles, one triple, two homers and 13 RBI. He got on base in over 50% of his plate appearances over the final month of the season, while playing at a new level. Not only did Akil Baddoo walk a lot, but when he did hit, he drove the ball with authority with his 16 extra-base hits. Akil Baddoo was one of the two Comp picks that the Twins had after the second round of the 2016 draft. One was used to draft Jose Miranda, the other on Baddoo, a prep player from Georgia. Baddoo debuted with 38 games in the GCL last year. He stayed in the GCL to start the 2017 season as well where he hit .267/.360/.440 (.800) with eight extra base hits in 20 games. When Rooker was promoted to Ft. Myers, Baddoo took his spot in Elizabethton. He has been their leadoff man pretty much every day since. In 33 games for Elizabethton, the 19-year-old outfielder hit .357/.478/.579 (1.057) with 15 doubles, two triples and three home runs. He reportedly gained 15 pounds in the offseason which gave him more power. He did so without losing speed. He was Elizabethton’s center fielder most games, getting the occasional DH day. A tremendous athlete, Baddoo should find his name moving up prospect rankings this year. He should begin the 2018 season in Cedar Rapids. While you could argue for as many as four players to win the award, we would like to congratulate Akil Baddoo, Twins Daily’s choice for Minor League Hitter of the Month for August 2017. Click here to view the article

First... thank you very much for a kind message. It's nice to hear, and I hope people tend to see my more positive-leaning thoughts, or more laid back approach. I am certain there are times when I'll rant and lean the other way, but i choose not to dwell on those things and seek out more positive things to share with people. Second... Like you, I choose who I read based on certain things as well. I enjoy a variety. I can read human interest stories, and I can read some (not much) overly analytical stuff. I can read positive, and I can read negative. I just want a fair message. I was going to say Fair and Accurate, but sometimes the Accurate can be based on what I think is accurate, but I don't mind when others disagree with what I think in their opinion. I enjoy reading other opinions. I certainly don't claim to have all the answers, and when it comes to baseball, I believe there are very few absolutes. Third... I don't necessarily disagree with you about Souhan's writing. It often leans critical, and that's not always bad. I disagreed, mainly with the timing, of Souhan's original Sano article. I was OK with the second, and not just because he mentioned Brandon and I. There were also parts of it I didn't like. Telling people what to do or think rarely comes over well, and I didn't like the shot at Perkins. But the next day (or maybe 2 days later), he wrote a really good column on football, watching the NFL and it's dangerous nature, understanding the CTE/concussion concerns and yet watching it all the time. So, I do think that Nick was write in his article on local writers in pointing out that Souhan can be a good writer as well. Fourth... I do find some irony is some bloggers and other writers writing or talking about Souhan's article on bloggers calling him out... When some of those bloggers (and tweeters and such) are constantly calling out Souhan... l or other writers, or other bloggers. I do think that it cuts both ways... If we are willing to criticize other writers or those with public forums, then we need to be ready and OK with taking it back when it comes back... That's just the nature of putting yourself out there.

Correct... this isn't a Twins thing... People aren't always willing to get on the record about things... I very often will have things told to me and I'll ask them if it's ok to report that, and many times they'll say, "Sure, as long as no one could tell that it's from me." Obviously some of those things are bigger than others, but as long as you're confident in your sources and have a trust there, I'll go public with it... usually on twitter, of course. This happens in every market, at every level, in every sport... Souhan is doing nothing that wouldn't happen by columnists everywhere else in the country.