Seth Stohs

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.

Goodrum is a utility guy. He's a yes at least 5 positions already this year. Great athlete, very strong. Melotakis struggled some in May. Rosario was incredible.

Over the last two weeks, I have updated you on my midseason Top 40 Minnesota Twins prospects rankings. In Part 1 I shared my choices for prospects 31-40. Part 2 was prospects 21-30. Earlier this week, we entered the Top 20 with my selections for Twins Prospects 16-20, and prospects 11-15. Yesterday, in Part 5, we discussed Twins prospects six through ten. Below you’ll find brief profiles my choices for the Twins top five prospects. I also welcome your questions and discussion in the forum.I don’t think there are any major surprises in this grouping. The top four players are the same four players I had in the preseason. And my preseason #6 moved up to #5 with Tyler Jay’s move to the bullpen and a couple of injuries. The order of your top four may vary. I’d be curious how you have them ranked and why. And as is the case with all prospect rankings, only time will tell what they become, but these are five worth watching closely 5. Lewin Diaz, 1B, 20 The Twins signed the burly first baseman in July of 2013 out of the Dominican Republic for $1.4 million. He spent 2014 in the Dominican Summer League. He began 2015 in the GCL before finishing in Elizabethton. That’s where he spent 2016, and he responded by being the Twins Daily short season minor league hitter of the year. He has been a force so far this season with the Kernels. He has hit .292/.329/.516 (.844) through the team’s first 50 games. He has a Twins organization-leading 20 doubles so far to go with seven home runs. As impressive for the 20-year-old has been, his strikeout rate is right around 15% which is terrific. He has his moments around first base, but he certainly has the ability to be more than adequate with the glove. Doubles are a good indicator of future power, and ultimately Diaz’s value to the Twins will be in his power. Preseason Ranking: 6 4. Alex Kirilloff, OF, 19 Kirilloff was the Twins first-round pick in 2016, the fifteenth overall selection. At Plum HS near Pittsburgh, he played center field, first base and did a bit of pitching. However, it was his bat that got him noticed and drafted so high. Upon signing, he was sent to Elizabethton where he hit .306 with nine doubles and seven homers in 55 games. However, late in the season, he left a game holding his left elbow. This spring, he had Tommy John surgery and will miss the full season. It certainly is not unprecedented for a position player to have elbow surgery. Look no further than the Twins’ Miguel Sano. And if there is an organization that has plenty of people to talk to about the surgery, it is the Twins who have had many. Kirilloff can hit, and while he’ll need to adjust again next spring, he should be able to put up some offensive numbers, including power. Defensively, he profiles as a right fielder who could be a first base option down the line. Preseason Ranking: 3 3. Fernando Romero, RHP, 23 Speaking of Tommy John survivors, Romero is on that list. He returned in mid-May of last year after missing nearly two years due to the surgery (and a subsequent knee injury). When he returned, he immediately shot up prospect rankings because of his big fastball (98+), really dominant breaking pitches, general control and performance. Romero was added to the Twins 40-man roster after last season. After his time in big league camp, he was sent to Chattanooga where it’s been a bit of a mixed bag, but his prospect status remains high. He is 4-5 with a 3.63 ERA in ten appearances (nine starts, and his one relief appearance was starting a suspended game). In 52 innings, he has given up 49 hits, walked 22 and struck out 49 batters. Some think he could be a decent contributor in the Twins bullpen now, but they need to build up his innings to be a starter as he has the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation starter. Preseason Ranking: 2 Pre-2016 Ranking: 27 Pre-2015 Ranking: 25 2. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP, 22 Gonsalves was the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2016 (and Twins Daily’s Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year) when he went a combined 13-5 with a 2.31 ERA between Ft. Myers and Chattanooga. It was his dominance of AA that really opened a lot of eyes. Gonsalves was the Twins fourth-round draft pick in 2013 out of high school near San Diego. He has gradually and consistently worked his way up the system, experiencing a lot of success along the way. While Gonsalves doesn’t light up the radar gun like Romero, he is a very smart pitcher who understands how to work opposing batters. He was invited to big league spring training and performed well in very limited opportunity before experiencing the same issue in the back of his left shoulder that he had in the Arizona Fall League last year. He has made three starts in Chattanooga of late and pitched well. In 17 innings, he has given up 11 hits, walked two and struck out 18 batters. As his velocity returns this summer, he should also move up to Rochester, and maybe even some big league time. Preseason Ranking: 1 Pre-2016 Ranking: 6 Pre-2015 Ranking: 15 Pre-2014 Ranking: 13 1. Nick Gordon, SS, 21 Gordon came to the Twins as their first-round draft pick in 2014 out of high school in Orlando. He went straight to Elizabethton. He spent 2015 in Cedar Rapids and 2016 with the Miracle and Ft. Myers. Following his 2016 season, he went to the Arizona Fall League and his status really took a step forward. He hit .346 (.862) and played a lot of shortstop. He was invited to big league camp. I talked to him shortly after he was sent back to minor league camp, and he was glowing, talking about the confidence he had gained from the Fall League and his time in big league camp. He was expecting a strong season. So far, so good. Through his first 49 games, he has hit .306/.377/.490 (.867). He split time early in the season, playing about 2/3 of his games at shortstop and 1/3 of his games at second base, but since Engelb Vielma was sent to Rochester, Gordon has been playing exclusively shortstop.His offense has taken a step forward. His defense has taken a step forward. Gordon’s game has become quite well-rounded and he could be ready to start for the Twins within the next 12-14 months. Preseason Ranking: 4 Pre-2016 Ranking: 4 Pre-2015 Ranking: 4 So there you have it, a quick (six-part) review of my personal midseason (pre-draft) Top 40 Prospect rankings and how those guys have done through the All Star break this year. If you missed any of the previous rankings, you can find them here: Part 1: Prospects 31-40 Part 2: Prospects 21-30 Part 3: Prospects 16-20 Part 4: Prospects 11-15 Part 5: Prospects 6-10 Feel free to discuss any of these prospects and ask any questions that you may have. Of course, we also welcome your Top 10 or 20 prospect rankings as well. Click here to view the article

It’s hard to believe that the baseball season is already nearly two months complete. The calendar has turned to June, and it is again time to hand out some awards. Today we start with the relief pitchers. Over the next few days, we’ll also post our top starting pitchers and hitters in the Twins minor leagues in May. As bad as the final four May games were for the Twins bullpen, they had been fairly solid up until that point. There have been several transactions in recent days, and that will likely continue. Ironically, this was a terrific month for minor league relievers in the Twins system. Most important, several of those strong bullpen performances came from the upper levels of the system, AAA and AA. It was hard to cut down the honorable mention group, but it had to be done.Before we share our Twins Daily Minor League Top 5 Relievers for May, here are some terrific bullpen performances that just missed the cut. HONORABLE MENTION Nick Anderson - Ft. Myers - 9 G, 1.64 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 11.0 IP, 8 H, 2 BB, 13 KLuke Bard - Chattanooga - 7 G, 2.03 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 13.1 IP, 12 H, 3 BB, 20 KSam Clay - Ft. Myers - 10 G, 1.17 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 15.1 IP, 10 H, 9 BB, 17 KColton Davis - Cedar Rapids - 10 G, 1.08 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 16.2 IP, 10 H, 9 BB, 12 KHector Lujan - Cedar Rapids - 9 G, 1.23 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 14.2 IP, 12 H, 2 BB, 15 KWilliams Ramirez - Ft. Myers - 11 G, 2.93 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 15.1 IP, 9 H, 10 BB, 16 KAlex Robinson - Cedar Rapids - 10 G, 1.35 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 13.1 IP, 12 H, 5 BB, 20 KAndrew Vasquez - Cedar Rapids - 9 G, 1.26 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 14.1 IP, 7 H, 5 BB, 21 KTHE TOP FIVE RELIEF PITCHERS #5 - John Curtiss - Chattanooga - 8 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 9.1 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 12 K John Curtiss was named the Southern League Relief Pitcher of the Month of May on Thursday. His month was terrific. His scoreless innings streak to start the season is now at 17.2 innings and 16 appearances. He is 1-0 with nine saves for the Lookouts. It’s hard to put up those numbers, not give up a run for the season’s first two months, and not be the choice for relief pitcher of the month. But Curtiss will be fine. The former Texas Longhorn has really taken off since moving to the bullpen full time at the beginning of last season. He throws hard, often hitting 97 and 98. He should be moving up fairly soon, I would think. In the month of May, opponents hit .133/.235/.233 (.469). #4 - Trevor Hildenberger - Rochester - 9 G, 1.29 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 14.0 IP, 6 H, 5 BB, 14 K Speaking of guys who need to move up, Trevor Hildenberger is no stranger to the Twins Daily relief pitcher awards. He was our choice for Relief Pitcher of the Year the last two seasons. He’s been just so consistent since he was drafted in 2014. This month, opponents hit just .128/.226/.128 (.354) off of him for the month. He is used in a variety of roles for the Red Wings. And seriously, it’s time for him to get an opportunity with the Twins. #3 - Tom Hackimer - Cedar Rapids - 9 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.54 WHIP, 13.0 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 18 K Hackimer was the Twins fourth-round pick a year ago after four seasons at St. Johns. He went right to Cedar Rapids and began the 2017 season there as well. In May, opponents have hit just .114/.204/.136 (.340). He did not give up a run during the month. He also went 2-0 with four saves for the Kernels. As the month came to an end, he received his promotion to Ft. Myers. Through his two months with the Kernels, he went 3-1 with six saves. He posted a very good 1.50 ERA, and a miniscule 0.58 WHIP. Definitely promotion-worthy. #2 - Alan Busenitz - Rochester - 8 G, 0.73 ERA, 0.49 WHIP, 12.1 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 15 K When we heard the news that Ryan Pressly had been optioned and Jason Wheeler had been DFAd, speculation began about who would be called up. One of the names most often mentioned with hard-throwing right-hander Alan Busenitz. He came to the Twins with Hector Santiago from the Angels last August. He was solid in April, but in May, he has been nearly unhittable. Opponents hit just .125/.167/.125 (.292). While he’s not much over 6-0 tall, Busenitz sits in the mid-to-upper 90s with his fastball. He is a guy who should be up with the Twins at some point in the near future. And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is: Chattanooga Lookouts – LHP Randy Rosario - 6 G, 0.66 ERA, 0.44 WHIP, 13.2 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 18 K Rosario signed with the Twins way back in August of 2010 out of the Dominican Republic. He slowly worked his way up the system. In 2014, he was starting in Cedar Rapids, but after just a few starts, he had Tommy John surgery and missed just over a year. He returned to the Kernels in 2015 and was flashing 97 at times with his fastball. He was added to the 40-man roster after that season. Last year, he began the season in the Ft. Myers rotation where he spent most of the year. Late in the year, he was moved to the bullpen and headed up to Chattanooga. This year at spring training, he learned when he was sent down to minor league camp that they were moving him to the bullpen full time. I chatted with him right after that, and he was very excited about the move saying he thought it was the best thing for him. After a strong May, he finds himself in the big leagues two months later. He pitched in just six games during the month of May, but he worked 13.2 innings during those outings. Opponents hit just .087/.143/.130 (.273) off of him in the month. They were just 4-46 off of him, and he walked just two batters while striking out 18 hitters. He actually began the season at Ft. Myers, but after just two appearances, he was moved up to Chattanooga where he has pitched quite well. How long will he be in the big leagues? I guess that depends a lot on how he performs. The left-hander hits 97 mph with his fastball and has the makings of a very nasty slider. While he has been in the organization nearly seven years, he only turned 23-years-old two weeks ago. He is certainly a part of the future. There were so many great relief pitcher performances in May throughout the Twins minor league system. It’s encouraging that several of them are in the upper levels as well. My sense is that we will see several of them before the season is over. Feel free to agree or disagree with the order, if you like, but congratulations to each of these individuals on an excellent first month to their seasons. Congratulations to the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month for May 2017, Randy Rosario. Click here to view the article