Seth Stohs

In addition, can you verify which are Scott Boras guys? I want to say Lewis and Gore are, which means they're unlikely to take too much of a deal, right?

Q&A with Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish: http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2017/6/8/15761176/2017-mlb-draft-sam-carlson-interview Ron Haggstrom of the Star Tribune wrote an article on Carlson. If he's taken in the 1st round, he'll become the first Minnesota pitcher taken in the 1st round. http://www.startribune.com/burnsville-s-sam-carlson-poised-to-make-mlb-draft-history/427130851/ Carlson pitched the final three innings of Burnsville's win last night (his brother Max, a freshman, started again) to send the team to the state tournament.

Maybe... I mean, both were acquired in the same way, are about the same age, one's left-handed and the other is right-handed, but they're pretty similar in profile. Again, I'm good with the move because they need to accumulate some arms and hope one hits, but my expectations are not very high here.

Gonsalves has made 4 starts since missing two months with a shoulder thing... How about let's let him get a few more AA starts and hopefully in July send him to AAA, and then in August, see where the team and Gonsalves are... Same with Romero (though he wasn't injured, he's been very up and down through the first two months). I think they believe Slegers could be solid, but he's been up and down too. Let him keep working in AAA. They already lost Wheeler, so the other AAA options to call up are Yohan Pino, David Hurlbut, Adam Wilk and Nik Turley types. I don't have any problem with claiming guys for the back end of the 40-man and 25-man roster. For years we talked about how the Twins should be doing more of that. The Twins probably need a Sunday starter. Heston can fill that, and if/when Santiago or Hughes come back, or they deem someone from AAA or AA ready, you DFA and hope he sticks so you've got more arms in the system.

Yeah, I mean it was clear that Santiago needed a DL stint (either due to performance or maybe something is actually wrong since his velo was down a bit in his last start). It's not like top guys are available right now, so you try to catch some lightning in a bottle on the fringes. I have no problem with this.

Need a starter for Sunday. Heston became available. Not sure if people thought Darvish or Scherzer might be available...

Was Heston DFAd to make room for Jason Wheeler?

I would think that he's suddenly strongly in the picture. I would keep expectations down. But he's a lefty, throws 91-94. The breaking ball is good. The stuff can be good. He can be pretty wild, and sometimes that is effectively wild. His 'stuff' is better than Buddy Boshers, but his control/command are not as good. I don't know that he can be real successful in MLB, but with these types of numbers, and the struggles of the back of the bullpen, it's worth consideration.

I don't buy what the Birmingham broadcast was showing his velo (86-88). I think he's more 88-91. I think getting back 1-2 more mph as he develops and grows will be good. (EDIT: A Twins contact informed me that the radar gun shown in the Birmingham milb.tv site during games is way off, as much as 4-5 mph. It showed Kopech hitting 92-95 (but he was actually sitting 98-101). It showed Gonsalves at 86-88, and he was actually hitting 90-93. In fact, last night, he hit 94 several times.) As for command, it's definitely more than just walks. His control so far this season has been very good. But as we saw with Jose Berrios, you can have good control and command in the minors and it needs to transfer to the big leagues... I don't think that it's a big concern, but command is as important as any other piece of a pitcher's repertoire.

Gonsalves is legit, and last night may be further proof of that. It's great when you have a game that you throw 88 pitches in 7 shutout innings, but it's impressive when you don't have your best stuff and you still throw 5 shutout innings. Not that you want that to be the case, but it does speak to Gonsalves's "toughness" that he doesn't let struggles become big innings and such. But it is something he'll keep working on. That he's full-go in terms of pitch count is great. Now, at least for me, it's about getting some more velocity back and continuing to work on command.

In general, I would say no, though it is of course worth watching. 8 of his 11 errors are at shortstop. He's got a .946 fielding percentage... Which isn't bad. But he was about 20 points higher in E-Town, in Cedar Rapids and in Ft. Myers, so he can be better. I would also agree with Cody that it could be some of the moving back and forth from SS to 2B earlier in the year when he and Vielma were both in Chattanooga. But i think it's important for him to be able to play both positions as we don't know which one he'll play in MLB. It'll be good for him to see time both places, so it may be a good thing in the big picture.

I think Michael Baumann fits into that category too, though not a Top 10 pick, he was thought of as a possible 1st/2nd round pick. And weren't there some publications that had Dalton Guthrie ranked in the Top 100 before the season?

He also had 2-3 really good games in the month. Now, clearly he's not a top-of-the-rotation prospect. He's probably a 4/5 starter prospect, and we'll see... but to say that he doesn't have the talent because you saw one of the clunkers isn't really fair either.

I think that's a great comp for what Wade could become, and I think that fans and front offices might much better appreciate what Lawton brought to the table now than they did 15 years ago.

More Vargas than Sano at this point in terms of his look... though he's a bit smaller than Vargas. He's not quite the athlete that Sano is, but he's much more of an athlete than Vargas is.

With his On-Base skills and solid all-around game, I don't know why anyone would put his ceiling at fourth outfielder at this point. He's definitely a potential starting left fielder... I'm not saying that's what will happen, but I don't know why we'd limit his ceiling to 4th OF at this time when his performance and age-to-level and skill set say he could be a starter.

I guess I'd point out Davis's OBP and OPS relative to the others in the Top 5... but I know Home Runs are fun, so I definitely gave him a lot of consideration. He did have a nice month though. I don't think they had anyone from Lindenwood. Brian Dinkelman had gone to an NAIA school from Illinois or Ohio, I believe.

It wasn’t a particularly good night in Anaheim for the Minnesota Twins, but it was an historic game as Albert Pujols hit a grand slam for his 600th career home run. There were several very close contests in the Twins minor league system on Saturday night, so let’s get to that right away.Find out everything and more that happened happened in the Twins system on Saturday night. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 7, Norfolk 8 Box Score The Red Wings fell behind early, but a six-run sixth inning gave them a 7-5 lead. Unfortunately, in the bottom of that inning, the Wings bullpen coughed up the lead. Aaron Slegers, hours after being named the Twins minor league starting pitcher of the month for May, made the start for Rochester. He gave up five runs on 12 hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out three. However, because of the timing of the Red Wings rally, he had the chance to pick up a win. But Kam Mickolio came in and gave up three runs on two hits and a walk. Kevin Chapman and Trevor Hildenberger each worked a scoreless inning. Kennys Vargas put the team on the board with a solo home run. He went 2-4 with a walk as well. Tommy Field went 2-5 with his 13th double and three driven in. Zack Granite was 2-4 with a walk. Mitch Garver went 1-3 with two walks. Niko Goodrum added his 13th double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Birmingham 7 Box Score The Lookouts also had a six-run inning but it wasn’t enough. TJ White went 2-4 with an RBI. Dan Gamache hit his eighth double and drove in two runs. LaMonte Wade was 1-3 with two walks. Randy LeBlanc made the start. He was charged with six runs on 11 hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out three. Nick Anderson came on to make his AA debut. He threw two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out two. Todd Van Steensel pitched a scoreless eighth inning, but with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, he gave up the winning (or losing?) run. Of the five outs he recorded, three came on strikeouts. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Palm Beach 8 Box Score David Fischer made the start for the Miracle. He was charged with six runs (five earned) on six hits and four walks in four innings. Anthony McIver came on and gave up a hit and struck one out. Andrew Vasquez came on for his Miracle debut. He struck out four over 2.2 scoreless innings. He gave up three hits and walked one. Michael Theofanopoulos gave up two runs on three hits in his inning. Max Murphy and Zander Wiel each went 2-4. Rafael Valera added a double. Justin Hazard, in his second game since joining the Miracle from extended spring training, recorded his first hit. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Burlington 4 (10 innings) Box Score Clark Beeker put together another quality start for the Kernels. In seven innings, he gave up two runs on five hits. He struck out four without issuing a walk. Colton Davis came on and gave up an unearned run on three walks in his inning. He struck out two. Alex Robinson worked a scoreless ninth inning before giving up the game-winning run in the 10th. Christian Cavaness went 3-4 in the game with his seventh double and third triple. He drove in two of the three runs. Brandon Lopez went 2-4. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Clark Beeker, Cedar Rapids Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Christian Cavaness, Cedar Rapids SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Norfolk (12:05 CST) - LHP Adam Wilk Chattanooga @ Birmingham (4:15 CST) - RHP Fernando Romero Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (12:00 CST) - LHP Lachlan Wells Cedar Rapids @ Burlington (2:00 CST) - RHP Eduardo Del Rosario Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Saturday’s games. Click here to view the article

May is complete. June is upon us. Today we look at some of the top hitters in the Twins organization during the season’s second month. As you would expect, there is a good mix of young prospects and veterans. There are some power-hitter types and some guys for whom on-base percentage is a more important indicator of their potential. In case you missed it, here are the previously-announced May winners: Starting Pitcher of the Month, Aaron SlegersRelief Pitcher of the Month, Randy RosarioPitching wins, but only if the hitters score enough runs in that game. There were quite a few hitters that started their seasons strong. Let’s take a look at the Top 5 hitters of the month, but first here are some players deserving of honorable mention. HONORABLE MENTION Edgar Corcino - Chattanooga - 25 G, 28-88, .318/.382/.409 (.791) with five doubles, one homer, 21 RBI.Jaylin Davis - Cedar Rapids - 29 G, 29-113, .257/.294/.531 (.825) with seven doubles, eight homers, 18 RBI.Zander Wiel - Ft. Myers - 25 G, 25-94, .266/.337/.489 (.826) with five doubles, two triples, four homers and 12 RBI.THE TOP FIVE HITTERS Number 5 – Cedar Rapids - Christian Cavaness - .278/.338/.528 (.865). 20-72 with five doubles, two triples, three home runs and 15 RBI. Cavaness signed as a non-drafted free agent after a very successful season at NAIA Lindenwood University in Belleville, Illinois. He split 2016 between Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids. He began this season with the Kernels and played sparingly in April. And then the calendar turned to May. And he started hitting, and Tommy Watkins rewarded him with more and more playing time. He delivered at the bottom of the Kernels order by getting on base and hitting for some power. He can play center field fine. He certainly has the range. But he’s been mostly playing left field and doing a very nice job. Number 4 – Chattanooga – SS Nick Gordon - .294/.374/.532 (.906). 32-109 with 11 doubles, three triples, three home runs and 12 RBI. Gordon was the Twins first pick in the 2014 draft, and he has continued to progress nicely as he’s moved up a level a year. After a very strong showing last year in the Arizona Fall League, Gordon earned an invitation to major league spring training. He told me shortly after he was sent to minor league camp that he was feeling all kinds of confidence due to the opportunities in Arizona and at spring training. He’s been leading off most every game for the Lookouts. He’s been doing a nice job all season, and remained consistent through May. He has started to walk more, showing a much better knowledge or the strike zone. He’s also increased his power this year in terms of doubles and home runs. There continue to be mixed reports on his defense, though most think he can be a major league shortstop. Number 3 - Chattanooga – OF LaMonte Wade - .318/.456/.432 (.888) 28-88 with four doubles, two homers and 14 RBI Wade had a tough first ten games in Chattanooga, but he quickly adapted to the Southern League and has been very good since. He is doing the things that made him such an intriguing prospect. He began walking more than he strikes out. He has a plan going into every plate appearance, and no one in the system knows the strike zone better. Wade was the Twins ninth-round pick in 2015 out of Maryland where he missed a large chunk of his junior season with injury, which probably pushed him down a few rounds in the draft. Number 2 - Ft. Myers – 3B Chris Paul - .383/.459/.585 (1.044), 36-94 with 11 doubles, one triple, two homers and 20 RBI. Chris Paul was the Twins fifth-round draft pick out of Cal-Berkeley. He had spent a couple of summers playing for the St. Cloud Rox. He began 2016 season in Cedar Rapids though he moved up to the Miracle within the first month due to injuries higher up the ladder. He struggled and his season came to an end early due to his own injury. He’s been one of the better hitters in the Twins organization through the first two months of the season.He was good in April, but he was very good in May. He hit for average. He got on base almost 50% of the time, and he hit a bunch of doubles. He had a walk-off, three-run homer and a few days later had a walk-off single for the Miracle. Unfortunately, he ended the month on the disabled list. And the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is: Cedar Rapids – 1B Lewin Diaz - .327/.361/.627 (989), 36-110 with 13 doubles, one triple, six homers and 23 RBI. Lewin Diaz signed with the Twins way back in 2013 for $1.4 million of the Dominican Republic. After a year in the DSL, he moved up to the GCL in 2015. Last year, he was the Twins Daily short-season Minor League Hitter of the Year for his efforts in Elizabethton. This year, he made the move to full season and has done a very nice job for the Kernels. At 6-5 and roughly 250 pounds, he can be an intimidating batter in the middle of the Kernels lineup. He’s got plenty of room for improvement, but he’s more than held his own, and he’s starting to show even more power than maybe expected. His 20 doubles lead the Twins minor leagues right now. He’s in the Top 3 in home runs and RBI. He’s got some work to do around first base, though he is fairly athletic and smooth around the bag. Congratulations to the May Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Month for 2017, Cedar Rapids first baseman Lewin Diaz. Click here to view the article

On Friday, we reviewed the top relief pitchers in the Minnesota Twins organization in May. There were so many really, really good options that it was difficult to pick some over the others. Today we highlight the better starting pitching performers in May, and let’s just say that the task is a little more difficult. Let’s get to it. Before we get to our Top 5 starting pitchers for the month of May, here is a list of a couple others who deserve to be recognized for a solid first month.HONORABLE MENTION Brady Anderson - Ft. Myers - 5 G, 2 GS, 17.1 IP, 1-0, 2.08 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 15 H, 2 BB, 8 KRandy LeBlanc - Ft. Myers/Chattanooga - 4 GS, 24.0, 2.25 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 25 H, 9 BB, 5 KFelix Jorge - Chattanooga - 5 GS, 31.0 IP, 2-1, 3-0, 3.19 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 30 H, 10 BB, 15 KTHE TOP FIVE STARTING PITCHERS #5 - Clark Beeker - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 5 GS, 2-1, 3.19 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 31.0 IP, 25 H, 6 BB, 20 K Beeker was the Twins 33rd-round draft pick last June after four years at Davidson University. He made an appearance on this list last month too when he went 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA. In May, he did a nice job of keeping runners off base well, though his ERA is a bit higher. Opponents hit just .225/.273/.405 (.678) off of him in the month. Beeker relies on control and command of a fastball that reaches into the upper 80s. He mixes his pitches well. Get to know more about Clark Beeker in his Twins Daily Q&A from November. #4 - Sean Poppen - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 5 GS, 3-1, 2.97 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 30.1 IP, 30 H, 8 BB, 27 K Another Kernels starter, Poppen was the Twins 19th-round pick last year after four years at Harvard. He started with the Kernels this season, and he’s been solid all year. Of his ten total starts, he has quality starts in nine of them. While Poppen sits 91-93, he works with a strong four-pitch mix and good control. Opponents hit just .259/.318/.328 (.645) during May. He is a good combination of enough smarts and with a strong baseball IQ. #3 - Nik Turley - Chattanooga Lookouts - 6 G, 4 GS, 0-1, 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 20.0 IP, 16 H, 6 BB, 26 K Turley was a 50th-round pick of the Yankees, was once their minor league pitcher of the year and on their 40-man roster. The Twins signed him this offseason from the independent leagues, and he’s been a pleasant surprise. After dominating AA in April, he spent May going back and forth between Chattanooga and Rochester, and between starting and the bullpen. But he handled it well. While his strikeout rate was down a bit (it had to come down from an incredible April, right?), opponents hit just .216/.272/.365 (.636) off him. #2- Ryan Eades - Chattanooga Lookouts - 5 G, 4 GS, 3-1, 2.52 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 25.0 IP, 20 H, 8 BB, 20 K A former Twins second-round pick, Eades had moved to the bullpen last year, and it was the role he spent April in Chattanooga filling. But early in May, the Lookouts needed a starter, and he made the start. He has made three more starts, including what may be a spot start in AAA Rochester, and done quite well. Opponents hit just .220/.280/.330 (.610) against him. His future role may be in the bullpen, but he’s always had a good mix of pitches And the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month is: RHP Aaron Slegers- Rochester Red Wings – - 5 GS, 2-1, 3.41 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 31.2 IP, 27 H, 4 BB, 11 K. It’s been an interesting season for Sleegers, the 2013 fifth-round pick of the Twins out of Indiana. He wasn’t added to the 40-man roster last fall, but he was invited to big league spring training. He went to Rochester, and in his first start, he went six innings of no-hit ball. He then struggled a bit, but he seemed to figure things out well again in May. In fact, he had another game in which he had a no-hitter through seven innings. Opponents hit just .225/.248/.392 (.640). Feel free to agree or disagree with the order, if you like. It wasn’t as easy a decision as you might think. There were several solid starters in May without one that really stood out. And it’s always good to have lots of starting pitchers throwing well! Click here to view the article

Hi Baseball Mom... Let me start by sincerely apologizing for this happening. I'm very embarrassed. I had an appointment late this morning at a specialists office and decided to read some comments. I rarely comment using my phone, and I thought everything looked good when I hit "Add Comment" but I guess not. That was 9-10 hours ago. I had a good appointment, had another 2+ hour drive and then spent some time with my daugher and my parents. I'm just now getting back online and I see this. Please accept my apology. I'm a big fan of Niko's. He's always been good to me. I believe he does hav a future with the Twins.

I want to know... Walks have been his only real downfall.