Seth Stohs

When the odds of any minor leaguer getting to the big leagues is incredibly, incredibly low, getting to the big leagues alone is a huge thing... Yes, having a positive WAR would be ideal... Teams don't have 25 players who are above the 'mediocre' line.

Signed out of the indy leagues... contribute in MLB... success... It's really that simple. Makes it a good signing at least. But I'll stand by the fact that they should continue looking to these places for role players.

Are they riskier than bringing up Gonsalves, Romero, Jorge, Slegers? (I don't know the answer to that question, and of course, there's no way to know)

Agreed on both of them, and Boshers has been pretty good too most of the time out. We always say that the Twins and their scouts an analysis should leave no stone unturned. Lots of talent in the independent leagues. A couple could be alright.

When drafted, he was said to have the most power of any high school hitter in the draft, and that may be right. He's a big kid. After what he did in 2016 in the GCL, I consider his 2017 in E-Town a big step forward for him and his development. It's at least encouraging. I don't think average will ever be his strong suit. He'll need to make more contact, but if he does, good things can happen. But he's still quite raw.

I would think he'd start, but they may limit his innings so he could be ready on Sunday (either for long relief or starting).

Wrote about Melville twice yesterday. Those that watch him say he's been fantastic, good stuff. But the indy thing goes back. Caleb Thielbar. Chris Colabello. Andrew Albers came back to the Twins last year after an indy ball stint and worked back to the big leagues. It's a great story!

Coming into play on Tuesday, August 8th, the Rochester Red Wings have a record of 65-50. That puts them 8 ½ games back of International League North Division leading Scranton-Wilkes-Barre. They’re in third place, two games behind the Lehigh Valley IronPigs for second place in the division, and more important, in the wild card race. That’s why it’s understandable that the organization made the move to bring up lefty starter Stephen Gonsalves and righty reliever Luke Bard. The hope could be that the two will help bolster the Red Wings pitching staff and help them get into the playoffs. Well, that, along with some good experience in a playoff chase at a new level of development. Gonsalves will make his first AAA start on Thursday against Norfolk. When he and Bard make their Red Wings debuts, they will be the 37th and 38th pitchers to throw for the team this season, already a franchise record. With that, I thought I’d bring out a Triple-A version of Nick Nelson’s Three-Bagger series. Below you’ll find three players at Rochester of particular interest.Here are three Rochester Red Wings to pay particular attention to in the coming weeks. MITCH GARVER Those that follow me on Twitter know that I’ve been including the hashtag #CallHimUp on any of the tweets that mention Garver. He’s 26, and he’s put up tremendous numbers. In fact, someone close to the Red Wings said he’s “having one of the best seasons as a catcher in recent Red Wings history.” Through 81 games this season, he is hitting .276/.378/.521 (.898). He’s hit 23 doubles and 16 home runs. Since being drafted in the ninth round of the 2013 draft, after his senior season at the University of New Mexico, he has continued to improve each season. That’s great since he was the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2014 while playing in Cedar Rapids. This year, he’s been impressive, showing a strong knowledge of the strike zone and attacking driveable pitches into the gaps and over the fence, to either field. As important in a catcher’s development, he’s improved tremendously behind the plate as well. He’s blessed with a very strong arm, and has always thrown out base stealers at a strong percent. While his pitch framing numbers aren’t as strong this year as last, pitchers rave about his ability to call a good game. My first thought was maybe Wilson Ramos put up some strong numbers for the Red Wings. However, in 71 games for the team in 2010, he hit .241/.280/.345 (.625) with 14 doubles and five home runs (as a 22 year old) in 71 games. In 2014, Josmil Pinto hit .279/.376/.457 (.833) with 17 doubles and six homers in 60 games for the Red Wings. In 2008, Jose Morales hit .315/.348/.426 (.774) with eight doubles and four homers in 54 games. In 2007, Morales hit .311/.366/.399 (.765) with 25 doubles and two homers in 108 games. In 2005, Rob Bowen hit .268/.368/.402 (.770) with 13 doubles and six homers. And that takes us back through the Twins affiliation with Rochester. I think it’s safe to say that the season Mitch Garver is putting together is the best in the last 15 years, to be sure. Meanwhile, Jason Castro is hitting .227/.322/.371 (.693) with 20 doubles and six homers in 80 games for the Twins. Backup Chris Gimenez is hitting .202/.317/.355 (.672) with four doubles and five homers in 47 games. Garver has versatility too. He’s caught in 61 games. He played first base in five games, and he’s played 14 games in left field. While his range may be that of a catcher in left field, he would be a right-handed bench or DH option for the Twins. There is no question that Mitch Garver will be called up for September. There should be little question that he should be given every opportunity next spring to break with the big league club. For good. MICHAEL TONKIN After starting the season 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA and a 2.18 WHIP through nine games and 11 innings for the Twins, the front office decided it was time to DFA the hard-throwing right-hander. Tonkin was drafted by the Twins in the 30th round of the 2008 draft out of high school in California. He was given some opportunity to start, but in 2010, he made the move to the bullpen. He quickly became one of the Twins top relief pitching minor leaguers. Blessed with a 95 mph fastball and a good slider, he showed good control while striking out ten or more batters per nine innings pitched. He got his first taste of the big leagues in 2013, and he went up and down for a few seasons. His first full season in the big leagues was 2016, his first season without options remaining. This spring, he again made the Opening Day roster, primarily due to the options situation. But as we mentioned, by early May, the decision was made to let him go. Fortunately for the club, Tonkin passed through waivers and has been pitching late innings for the Red Wings this season. And he’s been pitching well. In 23 games and 33 innings since joining the Red Wings, he is 3-2 with four saves. He has posted a 1.91 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. He’s walking 3.0 batters per nine while striking out an impressive 13.1 per nine (48 strikeouts in 33 innings). More impressive, in his last 15 games (21 innings), he has a 0.86 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP. He’s walked three batters and struck out 34! Tonkin is already 27, but maybe the extended trip back to AAA allowed him to figure something out. Maybe. Maybe not. But it does feel like he would warrant one last shot with the big league club to see what has stuck. If it looks legit, keep him on the roster. If not, you DFA him and let him become a free agent. TIM MELVILLE Every time the Twins sign someone out of independent leagues or promote a 27+ year old player to Rochester, I can always anticipate a certain faction of the Twins Daily readership cringing. I’m guessing that when the Twins signed RHP Tim Melville from the independent league Long Island Ducks earlier this season, several of you reading this hated it. But Melville has made himself interesting, or at least he should be interesting to Twins fans. The still-just-27-year-old righty is 3-3 with a 2.55 ERA for the Red Wings in 10 games (nine starts) since joining their roster nearly two months ago. He’s got a 1.07 WHIP. In 60 innings, he’s given up 44 hits, walked 20 and struck out 58. If he was 1-2 years younger, we’d be crying out for him to get an opportunity. Instead, Melville has had to live with the “bust” label, fair or not. He was a highly-touted prep player from Missouri. The Royals used a fourth-round draft pick, and a lot of cash ($1.25 million). He was a top prospect until he had Tommy John surgery in 2012. In 2014, he went 2-11 with a 5.50 ERA for the Royals AA affiliate and was let go by the organization. The Tigers swooped in and signed him for 2015. He went 7-10 with a 4.63 ERA in AAA. In 2016, he signed with the Reds. He was called up and made his MLB debut on April 10th. He went 0-1 with an 11.00 ERA in three games (two starts) for the Reds. He was DFAd on April 22nd and went to AAA where he got hurt. He found himself without an offer this spring, so he went the independent route. With the Ducks, he was 3-4 with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in nine starts when the Twins signed him. While his background doesn’t necessarily convince you that he’d have success if the Twins promoted him, his ‘stuff’ might. In his starts, he has been between 93 and 96 mph and been able to maintain that throughout the game. He’s got a pretty good curveball that can get swings-and-misses, and often gets weak contact. And his changeup is about average. Now, I’m not saying he would come up and insert himself as a mid-rotation starter. Not at all. But maybe he can be the starting pitcher depth that Thad Levine talked about. Maybe he can be a guy at AAA who can make a few starts in the big leagues from time to time. Maybe not. But if the Twins bring him up in September and give him a shot, I certainly won’t feel bad about it. Maybe he can be a stop-gap until the new front office believes that the likes of Gonsalves, Romero, Jorge, Littell, Slegers are more ready for that role. RED WINGS NOTEBOOK OK, so I can’t stop at just three. Here are a few more Red Wings notes of note. Niko Goodrum is setting himself up to be a valuable utility player. So far this year, he has played first base (three games), second base (24 games), third base (16 games), shortstop (nine games), left field (one game), center field (13 games) and right field (40 games). In 106 games, he’s hitting .259/.308/.413 (.721) with 23 doubles, four triples and nine home runs.Matt Hague has quietly been very good for the Red Wings. In 110 games, he’s hit .294/.371/.405 (.777) with 21 doubles and eight homers. Very professional.Since his return from fractured fingers, Daniel Palka has hit .277/.329/.446 (.775) with a double, two triples and two homers in 16 games. Reports indicate that he’s been much better the last week or so and appears to be returning to form.Byungho Park started the season very slow, but he’s come on very strong. The 30-year-old is hitting .263/.321/.428 (.749) with 22 doubles and nine homers. In his last 57 games, he’s hitting .303/.351/.476 (.827) with 14 doubles and six homers.In 18 games since he returned to the Red Wings, Kennys Vargas is hitting .234/.338/.516 (.853). However, in his last two games, he has gone 5-8 with two doubles and a homer, which account for most of that stat line.Mason Melotakis has made 11 appearances (13.1 innings) since coming off the Twins 40-man roster for the Red Wings. He has a 2.03 ERA despite a 1.35 WHIP. Reports are that he’s been quite good despite the fact that his velocity has been way down from where has had been.Jake Reed is 1-0 with a 1.45 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP in 14 games (18.2 innings) since joining the Red Wings. He has 16 strikeouts and six walks. He’ll need to be added to the 40-man roster in the offseason, so a September call up should happen.John Curtiss has been with the Red Wings for about a month now. In 14 games (17.2 innings), he’s got a 2.04 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. He’s got eight walks and 24 strikeouts, so he’s been a bit more wild, but he’s certainly a candidate for a September call up.Aaron Slegers’ eight-game winning streak came to an end with his most recent start, but he’s been terrific and appears to be a very strong candidate for International League Pitcher of the Year. . He is 12-4 with a 3.22 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in 20 starts (123 innings). He’s got 91 strikeouts to go with just 27 walks. While he doesn’t profile as a top prospect because his “stuff” doesn’t grade out real high, Slegers knows how to pitch. He’ll give up some hits, but he won’t hurt himself with walks, and his home run rate has stayed down as well. He’s earned a shot at a September call up. However, the business side of the 40-man roster decisions and the Rule 5 implications may make him a tough choice.So there you have it. A whole bunch on the Twins AAA affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings. Feel free to discuss and ask questions. Click here to view the article

Good thing that the Twins won on Monday night against the Brewers because their five affiliates that played all lost. That isn’t to say there weren’t some solid performances. And, as we know, winning isn’t the most important thing in the minor leagues. Player development is. But, learning how to win and being part of that atmosphere can be an important part of development. This year, the combined record of the Twins affiliates ranks second in baseball to the Yankees organization. There are a lot of really good things going on in the Twins minor leagues.Find out everything and more that happened happened in the Twins system on Monday. Let’s start with the transactions of the day: As we heard on Sunday night, LHP Stephen Gonsalves and RHP Luke Bard have been promoted to AAA Rochester. On Monday morning, more parts of the transaction were announced:OF Edgar Corcino was sent back to the Lookouts. With Zack Granite returning to the Red Wings, and Daniel Palka now healthy, and JB Shuck in the picture, it makes sense to send Corcino to Chattanooga where he will play. Also, as mentioned yesterday, LaMonte Wade was placed on the disabled list.RHP DJ Baxendale was also sent from the Red Wings to the Lookouts.The other part of the move is Sam Clay’s promotion from Ft. Myers to Chattanooga.His season has been half-interesting, half-remarkable. In his first outing, he gave up six earned runs on 0.2 inning. Then he went 13 games (24.1 innings) without allowing a run. He then gave up one run in back-to-back games. Since then, he’s pitched in 20 games (31.0 IP) without allowing a run.Also, about a week ago, the Twins released infielder Zaino Henriquez from the Dominican Summer League roster. The Curacao native did a Q&A with Jeremy before the 2015 season. He had signed with the Twins in August 2015 at the age of 16.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 1, Columbus 4 Box Score Tim Melville was on the mound for the Red Wings, and as he has been since signing from the Atlantic League, he was very good. The right-hander gave up one run on one hit over seven innings. He walked three batters, but he struck out nine. When he left the game, it was tied at one. Drew Rucinski entered and because of an error, he was charged with three unearned runs on four hits in the eighth inning. He struck out two. Michael Tonkin came on and struck out the side in the ninth. Daniel Palka went 2-4. The Red Wings run scored on a single off the bat of Matt Hague. It scored Niko Goodrum, who had knocked his 23rd double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Jackson 9 Box Score It was another Fernando Romero outing, which is normally a very good thing. On this night, Romero had one of those clunkers that every pitcher experiences. He gave up single runs in the first and second innings before giving up four runs in the third. He settled down and ended his night with two scoreless innings. In all, he gave up six runs on nine hits over five innings. He walked none and also struck out none. Dereck Rodriguez made his second straight appearance out of the bullpen. He gave up three runs on seven hits in his three innings. He struck out three. Todd Van Steensel dropped his season ERA to 1.45 with a scoreless ninth inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Palm Beach 5 Box Score Take away the bottom of the third, and the Miracle would have posted a win, even a shutout, but that’s not how it works. Eduardo Del Rosario started, and he gave up five runs on six hits and four walks. The damage all came in that third inning. Williams Ramirez struck out two over two scoreless innings. Then Michael Theofanopoulos struck out one over two scoreless innings. The Miracle tried to come back. Brent Rooker went 2-4, and his three-run homer in the sixth inning cut the Miracle deficit to just 5-4. But they were unable to push another run across the plate. Mitchell Kranson and Brandon Lopez each had two base hits. Jaylin Davis and Tanner English each added a double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Wisconsin 7 Box Score The game was close throughout until a four-run eighth inning gave the TimberRattlers the final margin of victory. Ben Rortvedt and Trey Cabbage combined to give the Kernels their two runs. In the second inning, Rortvedt doubled and later scored on a Cabbage single. Again in the fourth, Rortvedt doubled, his 14th of the year. Two batters later, Cabbage knocked him in with a sacrifice fly. Eight of the nine Kernels hitters had at least one hit, but they were only able to score the two runs. 12 strikeouts may have played a factor in that too. Tyler Beardlsey started and went the first 4.2 innings. He was charged with three runs on three hits and three walks. He struck out two. Patrick McGuff came on and threw 2.1 scoreless innings. He walked two and struck out two. Colton Davis has been arguably the most consistent Kernels reliever all year, but it started out rough. The first batter of the eighth inning homered, and they added three more runs off of the Kernels reliever. His ERA jumped from 2.52 to 3.18 in this outing. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton, Bluefield Box Score The game was postponed by rain. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 0, GCL Orioles 6 Box Score There was very little offense for the Twins in this game. Alex Robles had the lone hit for the team. Colton Burns had the lone walk. Henry Centeno made his third rehab appearance. He went 2.2 innings and gave up one run on three hits. He struck out three without issuing a walk. Jordan Balazovic came on and gave up five runs (three earned) on eight hits in 3.1 innings. He walked three and struck out two. Taylor Clemensia threw two scoreless innings. He gave up a hit, walked one and struck out one. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Tim Melville, Rochester Red Wings. Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Brent Rooker, Ft. Myers Miracle THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Columbus @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - LHP Hector Santiago Jackson @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - RHP Felix Jorge Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30 CST) - RHP Brady Anderson Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (7:05 CST) - LHP Bryan Sammons Elizabethton @ Bluefield (DH at 4:05 CST) - RHP Melvi Acosta, RHP Nick Brown GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00 am) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article

The Southern League is more of a hitters' league than the Eastern League... but also, if you look at prospect rankings, he's below the Gonsalves/Romero level and more in line with Jorge and Stewart. But as others have said, it's only been two starts. He could be working on things and trying to fit in and the catchers are learning him and all that stuff too.

The defense is definitely that good... but hitting has always been the question mark. His offense will largely be dependent on what his batting average looks like. He won't have much of any power, a few doubles, and pitchers aren't going to want to walk him. So, he'll have to hit for average... I don't know about the 40-man. I could go either way on that.

I'd nominate me... I've been doing this forever... I have the occasional good article, but most are just kind of OK, and there are some real clunkers, for sure. And also, I mean... #BigSexy!!

Chatted with him yesterday. He said he had a flexor mass strain, and that it 'shouldn't be much longer.'

Saturday had a little bit of everything. A big win. A big loss. A close loss. Some big home runs by power-hitting prospects, including a grand slam. Some big errors. Good pitching, and some really bad pitching. Such is life in the minor leagues. You see the good, and you see the bad. The Kernels made a fun stop on their way to Wisconsin. In case you missed any of them you can read the Twins Daily July minor league hitter and pitchers of the month here: Hitter of the Month: Jonathan Rodriguez, Chattanooga LookoutsStarting Pitcher of the Month: Aaron Slegers, Rochester Red WingsRelief Pitcher of the Month: Nick Anderson, Chattanooga LookoutsFind out everything and more that happened happened in the Twins system on Saturday. Let’s start with the transaction of the day: As you know, Kyle Gibson was added back to the Twins roster. It was Zack Granite returning to the Red Wings.Shane Carrier is returning to Cedar Rapids. The outfielder who received strong consideration for July Minor League Hitter of the Month began the season with the Kernels. He returned to Elizabethton where he has raked.For the GCL Twins, Edgar Herrera was activated from the disabled list. He had been out with a broken hamate.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 4, Syracuse 9 Box Score The Red Wings jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. However, they gave up five in the bottom of the inning and were unable to come back. David Hurlbut made the start. The southpaw gave up seven runs (six earned) on nine hits. He struck out four and walked none. Hurlbut pitched to three batters in the fourth, but he was unable to record an out. DJ Baxendale came on to replace him. He allowed one inherited runner to score and one more. He was charged with one run on one hit and one walk over three innings. He struck out four. Mason Melotakis came in and worked the final two innings. He gave up one run on four hits. He struck out four without walking anyone. Mitch Garver got things going right in the first inning when he knocked his 16th home run. Garver went 3-5 in the game. Kennys Vargas was 2-4 with his fifth and sixth doubles. Niko Goodrum was also 2-4. Byungho Park, Daniel Palka and Engelb VIelma each had a double in the game. Zack Granite was 0-5 in his return to the Wings. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Jackson 14 Box Score Kohl Stewart was on the mound, and he actually pitched fairly well. Unfortunately, the Lookouts bullpen - which has been so strong all season - had a hiccup, a really big hiccup. The offense had plenty of base runners. While they had just five hits, they also walked seven times. Stewart gave up just one run on five hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out five. When he left the game, the Lookouts had a 2-1 lead. However, Raul Fernandez came on for the seventh. He got two outs and was charged with four runs (three earned) on four hits. He walked two and struck one out. Randy Rosario was charged with seven runs on four hits and three walks in 0.2 innings. Luke Bard got the final two outs of the eighth inning and the three ninth inning outs. He was charged with two runs on three hits and a walk. He struck out three. Max Murphy, Ryan Walker, Carlos Paulino and Travis Harrison each had one hit and walked once. Harrison hit his 20th double. Andy Wilkins walked twice. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 10, Jupiter 4 Box Score The Miracle had a much-needed offensive outburst. Jaylin Davis went 3-4 with three runs scored. He also threw out a runner at the plate. Nelson Molina went 2-3 with a walk and his seventh double. Mitchell Kranson drove in two runs. Brent Rooker had the big hit, though. The 2017 pick hit a grand slam. It was his third homer with the Miracle, and his tenth as a pro. Randy LeBlanc made the start for the Miracle. He went three innings and gave up just one run on three hits and three walks. He struck out two. Anthony McIver was tasked with the next three innings. He gave up five hits, but no runs, and struck out two. Keaton Steele gave up three hits but no runs in his two innings. Alex Robinson got the ninth. He gave up three runs on two hits and two walks, though he did strike out two. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Wisconsin 6 Box Score The Kernels made the road trip from Cedar Rapids to Appleton, Wisconsin. On their way, the team stopped by Dyersville, Iowa, to check out the Field of Dreams movie site. It’s a must-see for baseball fans, a bucket list item, if you will. Anthony Marzi was on the mound for the Kernels. The lefty gave up two run (one earned) on six hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out six. Max Cordy came in and was charged with three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk in two innings. He struck out two. Hector Lujan pitched an inning and gave up a solo home run. Not much offense for the Kernels on this night. Hank Morrison hit his sixth double. Joe Cronin went 1-2 with a walk. The big hit came off the bat of the newest Kernel, Jordan Gore. The shortstop hit his first Kernels homer, a two-run shot. He had one homer in Elizabethton shortly before being called up to the Midwest League. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 3, Burlington 4 Box Score The E-Twins have been the comeback team through the year, but on this night, they took the one-run loss. Akil Baddoo led the offense. He went 3-5 with his fourth and fifth doubles. Carson Crites went 3-4 with his eighth double. Kolton Kendrick was 1-3 with a walk and his fourth double. Bailey Ober made the start for the Twins. He gave up one run on two hits over four innings. He walked one and struck out six. Blair Lakso came on and threw two scoreless innings despite giving up a hit and walking two. He struck out two. Rickey Ramirez gave up one run on two hits and a walk over his two innings. Jose Martinez threw the ninth and gave up one run on one hit. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 12, GCL Red Sox 4 Box Score This was a strong all-around game for the Twins, a good way to end their work week. They got offense and solid pitching on their way to a big win. Jean Carlos Arias led the offensive attack. He went 3-3 with a walk, his fourth double and his third home run. He drove in two runs, and he is now hitting .330 on the season. After a slow start, he’s really come on. In his last 16 games, he’s hit .386. Alex Robles went 2-2 with a walk and two runs driven in. He is hitting .342 on the year. Edgar Herrera made his first appearance in the States. After three years in the Dominican Summer League, he came to the States. Unfortunately, he broke his hamate bone and missed two months. He went 1-2 with two RBI in his first game. Taylor Grzelakowski made his Twins debut. He was signed last week from the USPBL. In this game, he DHd and batted sixth. He went 1-4 with a walk and two RBI. Michael Kohn made another rehab appearance. He gave up one hit over a scoreless first inning. He struck out one. Landon Leach came on for his second pro appearance. He worked three innings and gave up one run on four hits. He struck out three without issuing a walk. He was happy with the performance. “It felt great! Better than the last outing. Felt a lot more comfortable and had a good pace. I haven't thrown this amount of innings in a while, so it was good to see how I did, and it went really well. Can't wait to get back out there again.” Next up was recently-signed Kevin Marnon. He was charged with three unearned runs on three hits and a walk over two innings. He struck out two. Derek Molina recorded a save. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out three over three innings. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Kohl Stewart, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jean Carlos Arias, GCL Twins SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (12:05 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers Jackson @ Chattanooga (1:15 CST) - RHP Zack Littell Jupiter @ Ft. Myers (10:05am CST) - RHP Sean Poppen Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (1:05 CST) - LHP Charlie Barnes Burlington @ Elizabethton (5:05 CST) - TBD GCL Twins - No Game Scheduled Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Saturday’s games. Click here to view the article

My guess is he'll join Cedar Rapids for the playoffs and start there in 2018.

I agree with all of this. (though Jeremy must have written the projection. Ha!! I figured he'd be in Cedar Rapids all year). When I saw him in early May, he was topping out at about 88, but I've talked to a couple of people and they say that he really just needs an opportunity in Ft. Myers. Until then, he keeps pitching.

The last two days, we’ve handed out our July Twins Minor League Hitter and Starting Pitcher of the Month Awards. Today, we’ll take a look at the top relievers in the Twins system in July. It was extremely difficult to come up with the top six because there were so many good candidates. However, we did it, and our honorable mention list is huge too, so let’s get started. If you missed any of the previous July awards, click the following links: Hitter of the Month - Jonathan Rodriguez, Chattanooga LookoutsStarting Pitcher of the Month - Aaron Slegers, Rochester Red WingsBefore we share our Twins Daily Minor League Top 6 Relievers for July, here are some terrific bullpen performances that just missed the cut. It may have been a shorter list to jot down which minor league relievers didn’t have a good month out of the bullpen. HONORABLE MENTION Luke Bard - Chattanooga Lookouts - 10 G, 14.1 IP, 14 H, 5 BB, 16 K, 1.26 ERA, 1.33 WHIP.John Curtiss - Rochester Red Wings - 9 G, 9.2 IP, 6 H, 4 BB, 17 K, 3.72 ERA, 1.03 WHIP.Colton Davis - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 8 G, 9.1 IP, 7 H, 4 BB, 10 K, 0.00 ERA, 1.1 WHIP.Raul Fernandez - Chattanooga Lookouts - 7 G, 15.1 IP, 12 H, 5 BB, 20 K, 0.59 ERA, 1.11 WHIP.Logan Lombana - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 7 G, 12.2 IP, 8 H, 2 BB, 10 K, 1.42 ERA, 0.79 WHIP.Hector Lujan - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 9 G, 11.2 IP, 10 H, 2 BB, 14 K, 0.77 ERA, 1.03 WHIP.Jose Martinez - Elizabethton Twins - 5 G, 9.1 IP, 8 H, 0 BB, 6 K, 0.96 ERA, 0.86 WHIP.Mason Melotakis - Rochester Red Wings - 8 G, 9.2 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 9 K, 1.86 ERA, 1.14 WHIP.Alex Muren - Ft. Myers Miracle - 9 G, 14.2 IP, 14 H, 3 BB, 15 K, 1.84 ERA, 1.16 WHIP.Alex Robinson - Ft. Myers Miracle - 8 G, 11.1 IP, 7 H, 4 BB, 22 K, 1.59 ERA, 0.97 WHIP.Randy Rosario - Chattanooga Lookouts - 9 G, 16.0 IP, 14 H, 4 BB, 8 K, 1.13 ERA, 1.13 WHIP.Drew Rucinski - Rochester Red Wings - 7 G, 11.1 IP, 10 H, 2 BB, 11 K, 3.18 ERA, 1.06 WHIP.Michael Tonkin - Rochester Red Wings - 8 G, 10.0 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 13 K, 0.90 ERA, 1.10 WHIP.Alex Wimmers - Rochester Red Wings - 8 G, 10.0 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 12 K, 1.80 ERA, 0.80 WHIP.THE TOP SIX RELIEF PITCHERS #6 - Todd Van Steensel - Chattanooga Lookouts - 9 G, 1.00 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 18.0 IP, 12 H, 4 BB, 21 K It seems like Todd Van Steensel has been around the Twins organization for a long time. He has, even if not all of the time has been continuous . Originally signed by the Phillies, he pitched for them in 2009. The Twins signed him in 2011 and he pitched (primarily as a starter) for Elizabethton. The Twins let him go at that time, and he pitched in Europe and in his native Australia. But before the 2014 season, the Twins signed him again, and he’s been really good ever since. He pitched in Cedar rapids that season. He pitched in 101 games out of the Miracle bullpen over three years. Last year, he made his AA debut late in the season. He was set to stay in Ft. Myers to start this season, but last minute, he had to drive himself to Chattanooga because of some plane scheduling issues. And as always, he’s been very good. In July, opponents hit just .190/.246/.254 (.500) which is really impressive when you realize that he threw 18 innings, most among Twins relievers in the month by two innings.He’s always been able to miss bats, but he threw a lot of strikes in July, the one thing that he has struggled with to some degree in the past. Overall this season, he is 4-2 with a 1.52 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. In 47.1 innings, he has 19 walks and 51 strikeouts. Van Steensel continues to fly under the radar. #5 - Andrew Vasquez - Ft. Myers Miracle - 9 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 14.1 IP, 11 H, 2 BB, 20 K Andrew Vasquez is another relatively unknown Twins minor league relief prospect. That’s easy to happen because relievers don’t get talked about as much as starters and position players. But that’s reason #194 why we want to highlight relievers each month here at Twins Daily. Vasquez is becoming more known because he’s been showing up on these reports consistently. Recently, he ended a streak of 30.1 scoreless innings. He did not give up a run from May 16th until August 3rd. Which brings us to his July performance. He did not give up a run, obviously. He allowed very few base runners. He can get a lot of strikeouts, and he’s got good control. Opponents hit just .212/.281/.231 (.511). Between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers, Vasquez has a 1.15 ERA and a 1.00 ERA. In 47 innings, he’s walked 15 batters and struck out 72 (13.8 K/9!). At this rate, lots more Twins fans will know about the former 32nd-round pick from 2015 from Westmont College. #4 - Sam Clay - Ft. Myers Miracle - 9 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 14.1 IP, 5 H, 9 BB, 13 K Sam Clay has had a real good year in his transition from starter to reliever (which he had been at Georgia Tech too). Overall this year for the Miracle, he is 8-0 with nine saves. He’s got a 1.29 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP. Those numbers are even more impressive when you remember that his first appearance of the year did not go well. He gave up six earned runs in 0.2 innings. Since that game, he has given up two earned runs in 55.1 innings (0.33 ERA). His current streak is 29 straight scoreless innings. How he’s stayed in Ft. Myers all year is beyond my knowledge. In July, batters hit just .119/.275/.119 (.394) off him. If there is one area that he’s struggled, it is with his control. He has 28 walks in 56 innings this year, with 56 strikeouts. I guess we can say that he is effectively wild. #3 - Tom Hackimer - Ft. Myers Miracle - 10 G, 0.68 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, 13.1 IP, 4 H, 5 BB, 17 K Hackimer was the Twins fourth-round pick in 2016 as a senior out of St. John’s University. At 5-11 and stocky, Hackimer doesn’t look like a typical Twins pitcher. And he doesn’t throw like one either. Well, literally he throws like one Twins pitcher… Trevor Hildenberger. Hackimer throws from the side which can be real tough on opposing hitters. He ended last year in Cedar Rapids, and that’s where he began this season. With the Kernels, he posted a 1.50 ERA and a 0.58 WHIP in 24 innings before a late-May promotion to the Miracle. In 25.1 innings with Ft. Myers, he’s got a 1.07 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. In July, opponents hit just .095/.220/.095 (.315). #2 - Patrick McGuff - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 9 G, 0.56 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 16.0 IP, 8 H, 4 BB, 25 K A year ago, Patrick McGuff was the Twins 36th-round pick out of Morehead State. He began in the GCL where he threw 5.2 scoreless innings before moving up to Elizabethton. He continued to pitch well there as he picked up nine saves and struck out 33 in 26 innings. He was called up to the Kernels and helped them in the postseason. It was a surprise when he began this season in extended spring training. He was brought up to the Kernels at the end of May. He struggled for a couple of weeks, but the last six weeks, he’s been really good (as indicated by his July numbers). Opponents hit just .148/.220/.222 (.443) off him in the month. And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is: Chattanooga Lookouts – RHP Nick Anderson - 10 G, 0.87 ERA, 0.39 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 14 K It’s been a wild and interesting ride for Nick Anderson in his career since graduating from Brainerd High School. He went to St. Cloud State for three years before going to Mayville State. He was drafted by the Brewers, but they didn’t even offer him a contract. So, he had to go the independent ball route. Late in the 2015 season, he was signed by the Twins, and he’s been terrific since. He ended that season closing games for the Kernels. He split the 2016 season between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He began this season with the Miracle as well. In 15 games, he posted a 0.89 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP. He has pitched in 18 games with the Lookouts and posted a 1.19 ERA with a 0.79 WHIP. And July was a big part of that. Anderson dominated hitters in July. They hit just .088/.139/.147 (.286) off him. He has a good, mid-90s fastball, and he throws a lot of strikes. But he also is able to miss bats. Already 26, he’s one of several Lookouts relievers who are ready for Triple-A, and they all become intriguing options for an organization whose big league club is in need of bullpen options. There were a lot of very strong relief pitcher performances in July throughout the Twins minor league system. There aren’t a lot of months with this many Honorable Mentions. Feel free to agree or disagree with the order, if you like, but congratulations to each of these individuals on an excellent month of relief work. Congratulations to the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month for July 2017, Nick Anderson. Click here to view the article

My mistake... Yes and No. He should be on this list, and I'll add them. He had a .943 OPS overall in E-Town, but in July, he hit .339/.400/.441 (.841) overall. Remember that he went 8-13 in his first three games in E-Town, and those three games were in June.

The error was mine... he gave up 14 runs... but he gave up 32 hits. I've edited this.

That's a good question. He's got really good stuff. Unfortunately, he missed last year due to bone chips being removed from his elbow. Maybe it's a way of transitioning him back?

Maybe... he's also a 24 year old who's had a lot of success in AAA now, as a starter. You don't find many starters in the Rule 5. A team like San Diego could take him and put him right into their rotation next year and see what happens. Obviously he's more of a back-of-the-rotation ceiling guy, but that's not a bad pitcher. Maybe a long-relief role. He's a borderline add, but he'd have to be considered.