Seth Stohs

I would say that some do. And I would agree that he has learned a lot from Dee and Tom about the game and how to handle things... I'd say early in his career more people used his pedigree/genes as a reason he was going to be good... but like I said I think he stands fully on his own at this point.

No one used his lineage as support for a ranking anymore. He's had 2+ seasons of pro ball of his own to go off of at this point. When people mention it, it's just for background information.

He's not Vielma good, but that's a pretty high scale. Gordon is good. A little better than average range. Average or a little better than average arm. Good instincts. He's good.

This week, the Gophers are making a California swing before getting started with Big Ten play next weekend. They played a single game on Tuesday night at California-Berkeley, and last night they began a three-game series at Sacramento State. Find out more about those games and what’s coming up, but first, here is a Q&A with Gophers senior outfielder Jordan Smith.Smith came to the Gophers after a strong high school career at Eden Prairie. He also was a big Twins fan and is getting the opportunity to live out a dream by playing for the Gophers. Let’s get to know him. Get to know Jordan Smith Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Eden Prairie, were you a big Twins fan? Did you get to many games? Who were some of your favorite ballplayers? Jordan Smith (JS): When I was younger I was a huge Twins fan. I really enjoyed the teams they had in the early 2000s. Guys such as Jacque Jones, Christian Guzman, and Johan Santana were some of my favorite players. SS: What were some of the highlights of your high school career? JS: During my junior year, my legion team won the 2011 American Legion World Series. We had lost our first game I believe 13-1 and ended up winning 6 straight games in 4 days. It was an unbelievable run and something I will never forget. SS: What was it about the University of Minnesota that made you decide to play for the Gophers? JS: I always wanted to play for the Gophers growing up so when I had the opportunity to play here it was an easy choice. I was very comfortable with the coaching staff and I knew a majority of the players coming in with me along with players already on the team. SS: Have you played summer ball through your college years? JS: My true freshman summer I played for the Chaska Cubs. The following summer I played for the Rochester Honkers of the Northwoods League. The last two summers I have not played summer ball due to an injury and an internship commitment. SS: What have been some of the highlights of your time with the Gophers? JS: A moment that I really enjoyed last year was celebrating our Big Ten championship on the field after beating Ohio State. Along with that, playing in a regional tournament was really sweet too. The atmosphere of postseason baseball is something not every player will get to experience during their career so that was something special. SS: What are your goals for the 2017 season? JS: Continue to get better every single day and to make sure each game we compete at a high level. If we are able to do this, I know we can build upon last years season and advance to not just a super-regional, but a trip to Omaha to win a national championship which is the ultimate goal. SS: What is your major, and what are your career goals going forward? (How does baseball fit into that equation?) JS: My major is sport management, and I am not really sure what I want to do yet. Something involved in the sports industry would be my main goal. Maybe win the lottery… GOPHER NOTES On Tuesday at Berkeley, the Gophers lost a 7-1 decision. They managed just three hits. Luke Pettersen went 1-3 and drove in the lone run. Last night (Thursday), the Gophers fell 3-2 to Sacramento State. Lucas Gilbreath made the start and had his best showing of the season. The left-hander went the first six innings. He gave up no runs on two hits. He walked two and struck out a career-high nine batters. The Gophers lost the lead in the 7th inning on a three-run homer. Micah Coffey and Matt Stemper were each 2-4. Toby Hanson went 1-3 with a walk. The Gophers will play two more games against Sacramento State, one each on Friday and Saturday.Then next weekend, they begin Big Ten play at Ohio State. Alex Wimmers, Twins top pick in 2010 and former Buckeye noted the other day, “It’s crazy how college baseball is starting up conference play in a week here already.” He said that he played the Gophers twice at Ohio State and once in the Metrodome during his three years. “They always had a good team when I was there.” Click here to view the article

It is a moment that every kid who puts on a baseball glove has. That dream becomes more vivid as you move up the ranks, get drafted and move up the minor league system. After all that Alex Wimmers went through on the field early in his minor league career, he arrived in the big leagues late in August last year. He had some very good moments in a Twins uniform, and he can forever be called a big leaguer. However, following the season, Wimmers had another setback. The Twins designated him for assignment. It could have marked the end of Wimmer's time in a Twins uniform. Because he had originally signed in 2010, he had the right to become a free agent. “When they DFAd me, I was pretty disappointed,” Wimmers said, but he continued, “But then talking to Rob Antony and the guys, they gave me some really good reassurance that they wanted me back and they were really excited for me to come back to the Twins.” Wimmers didn’t have to do much thinking. Very soon, he signed on the dotted line and remained a member of the Minnesota Twins organization.“They’ve dealt with a lot with me and I felt like I owed it to them. At the same time, I love it here. Love the guys. Love the teammates. Love the potential that this team has. I feel like once they offered me to come back, I didn’t want to turn it down because I feel like this team can really be special. I really do. And I feel like I can be a part of that.” ~~~~~ The Twins drafted Wimmers out of Ohio State where he was twice named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. Over those two seasons, he went 18-2 with ERAs or 3.27 and 1.60. The Twins made him the 21st overall pick of the 2010 draft, and he signed and went straight to Ft. Myers to join the Miracle. The next spring, he reported to spring training camp unable to throw strikes. He was shut down and came back later in the year. Things started looking good again. In fact, in his final start of the season, he tossed a no-hitter for the Miracle. Unfortunately, he then needed Tommy John surgery and missed a little more than a year. (Yes, he has talked some with Trevor May after news of his torn UCL, “I talked to him a little bit about it, but at the same time, he can’t do anything about it now. So just do the best he can to rehab and get healthy and try to focus on being healthy for the start of next year.”) Going through all of that was difficult, but it was all part of his maturing process. Through it all, he gained some perspective. When I talked to Wimmers in late September last year, he talked a bit about the perspective he gained in his career. But when his daughter was born last summer, an added bit of perspective was found. It helped him leave the ballgame and the ballpark behind whether he pitched well or not. Wimmers said, “I just try to take everything day-by-day. Stuff happens in life that you can’t control. You can’t expect certain things, and there’s a reason for everything. I know a lot of stuff doesn’t go your way, but if you find a way to take the positives out of it, then I think things will work out in the long run.” After coming back, he tried to return to the role of starting pitcher, but he struggled. Another setback of sorts, but it turned into a positive for his career. The bullpen is a role that he’s been able to adjust to and really thrive in. “Going from starter to reliever is definitely interesting because I have been starting pretty much my whole life. I had to learn in the beginning of last year just how to get ready quickly. That was the hard part especially in the cold weather. That was my big adjustment. Not only get the call to get ready, but still be ready to go into the game later in the game. I had to get used to that.” He continued, “As far as closing, that’s just a role that (Rochester manager Mike) Quade put me in and felt confident in me, and then I took it and ran with it. I enjoy it. I really did.” Wimmers has been able to find success and figure out a way to get batters out with his stuff. He is able to get hitters out, in large part, due to his starting pitcher’s repertoire. He’s got the pitches, and some are above average. “Obviously my changeup is pretty good. I have a really good cutter now. I have a curveball late in the count that I don’t like to show much, but then when I do, it catches them by surprise. I feel like I have four good pitches that I can go to at any time.” ~~~~~ The Red Wings boarded the bus and were on their way to Scranton for a game. The bus was plenty loud as players were talking or watching a movie. Others sat quietly with headphones covering their ears. However, it suddenly got very quiet, and Wimmers heard his name called from the front of the bus. Wimmers recalls, “The coaches told me to come up to the front of the bus, and they told me I was heading to the big leagues. Pretty exciting.” Clearly when you’ve had the ups and downs that Wimmers has had, and you’ve been toiling in the minor leagues for more than six years, he had to have had a very strong support staff. “The first person I called was my wife. She was in tears. Then I called my father and my mom, and everyone was really, really excited.” Wimmers came up and joined the team in Toronto. On August 26th, he made his major league debut against the Blue Jays. He worked a perfect eighth inning and even struck out two batters. He worked a total of 17.1 innings over 16 appearances. He walked 11 and struck out 14, though six of the walks came in back-to-back outings. He recorded his first, and so far only, big league win against the Royals on September 7th. ~~~~~ Since re-signing with the Twins, Wimmers has had a very productive offseason. He said that he learned a ton from his five-week stint in the big leagues that he is able to bring with him. He is glad that he was able to get to the big leagues and get some experience, but now the challenge is to push himself to the next step and get back there. “About myself, (I learned to) just keep trusting my stuff. There’s a reason why I got there with my stuff. I feel like all my pitches did well there, so just continue to pound the strike zone.” He’s been working with a renewed focus, a focus based on having been there, having finally seen that time in the big leagues and learning what he needed to work on. He said, “(I) tightened up my pitches, but my big thing coming into this year, I wanted to make sure I focused on getting strike one. When I got called up, the biggest thing I noticed was when I had the most success I got ahead of batters, so I really want to focus this year.” ~~~~~ Recently Alex Wimmers was joined by his wife (Amy) on the field of Hammond Stadium. Their nearly one-year-old daughter was in her stroller. Amy held a white ball. Alex held a bat in his hands and stood in a left-handed, relaxed stance on the warning track near the Twins bullpen. Moments later, Amy pitched the ball underhanded toward Alex. He took a mighty swing (OK, not really, he was pretty worried about whiffing!). He connected, and the “ball” exploded, producing a puff of blue powder. That’s right. The Wimmers family will expand to four in September when they welcome a son into the world. Alex Wimmers now has a little more perspective, and he has a little more drive to make it back to the big leagues. Don’t count him out. Click here to view the article

The work groups are available at the minor league complex. They are currently separated into five groups. When the Twins made their 6 roster moves on Monday, they went from four groups to five groups, adding the Extended Spring Training group.

I saw Duffey's "bad" inning. He was throwing the ball well, but some of those liners just found a spot. There was one liner to center that Quintin Berry dove for and just missed. The liner to left center was crushed. Tomorrow (Thursday), Rochester and Chattanooga will head to Port Charlotte. The Rays Low A and High A teams will play Ft. Myers and Cedar Rapids on the back fields. I'll be there Thursday and Friday. Probably go to the big league game on Saturday.

I don't even know how to write about it but the pride of the players from Puerto Rico and the Dominican and Venezuela - the guys who are at Twins minor league camp - is unreal. The players stay up. There was a huge room full of almost all of the Puerto Ricans and Dominicans during last night's game. I had a nice, long chat on Tuesday with Dereck Rodriguez, and his tone and excitement about that team is great. He's stayeed up and watched every pitch of every Puerto Rico games so far. I've had numerous chats with Nelson Molina, and they are so proud. Santiago and Rosario were in no danger of losing a roster spot for Opening Day when they went, but obviously Berrios and Vargas probably didn't help their chances by going... and yet my guess is that they don't even have a second thought about their decision.

I think that's still most likely. He can use some time, but I think he's showing the reason Baseball America had him in their midseason Top 100 last year. He's certainly got some talent.

Yeah, I don't sense that it's anything negative toward Berrios. Hector and Santana had already been discussed in the post-game scrum, so I'm sure they were top of mind. Berrios was discussed at other times, and he's certainly in the race.

He pitched his three innings and 45 pitches yesterday (Tuesday) and did well. A couple of base runners, several ground balls. He'll be solid.

I'm a fan of Patrick. He and I chat a lot down here, and it was fun. 25 minutes or so, but it was very conversational, a great time!

He moves all over the infield and outfield. He can play probably 7 positions.

He's been moving between 2B and 3B. I'd have to look at those projections. I don't think a lot will change. Obviously I had Kirilloff on there, which opens up a spot.

The Twins and Cardinals game on Wednesday afternoon had 9,538 fans, a new Hammond Stadium record. While most were wearing Cardinal red, the Twins won an 8-0 decision. While the offense was strong, the story of this game was the pitching. A fifth-starter candidate stepped up big time, and the bullpen was tremendous. Late last week when we learned the unfortunate news that Trevor May has a torn ulnar collateral ligament, the first thought was disappointment for a young man who worked hard this offseason to get healthy. The second thought was that the fifth starter job was suddenly back up for grabs. On Wednesday, Adalberto Mejia made his case.Mejia came to the Twins last July from the Giants in exchange for Eduardo Nunez. He made one relief appearance for the Twins in 2016. He came to spring training as a long shot to make the Twins Opening Day roster, rarely mentioned when fifth-starter options were mentioned. Coming into Wednesday, his first spring start, he worked 6.2 innings over four relief appearances. He’d pitched fairly well, giving up just one run despite five hits and three walks. And, he had struck out only three. The Twins had Tyler Duffey start a minor league game on a back field on Wednesday (more on that later), giving Mejia an opportunity to start at Hammond Stadium against the Cardinals. Despite traveling across the state, the Cardinals brought big leaguers Kolten Wong, Randal Grichuk, Stephen Piscotty, Matt Adams, Tommy Pham and 2016 All Star Aledmys Diaz. In other words, it was a good challenge for the southpaw. Mejia did give up four hits in 3.2 innings of work, but he showed an ability to dominate. He recorded 11 outs, and eight of them came via the strikeout. Mejia said after the game that he threw his “fastball, slider and sinker… and change up.” He came into the game hoping to work all of his pitches. “Obviously I was throwing what the catcher was asking. He’s a veteran. He knows what he’s doing. There were some things I was working on things like taking some speed off of the slider, or taking some speed off of the changeup.” Mejia noted that he throws his slider anywhere from 81 to 87, which can really been beneficial for him. His manager was impressed with the outing. “He’s getting a chance to get extended. I think he realizes we’re trying to get a good look at him, see where he’s at. He’s a different pitcher than the brief look we got at him last year in terms of what he can do with the baseball. Other than the numbers, in an outing like today you look at how he’s handling situations and his, what looks to be a really good idea, what he wants to do with each and every hitter, and he’s executing pitches. It was a good outing. He had some traffic there in a couple of innings and found a way to get off the field including the long battle that ended with the one strikeout. It was solid. Threw strikes. Changeup is very effective. I like that he can change arm angles to give hitters a different look. There’s a lot of good things there.” Tyler Duffey pitched for the AAA Rochester team against the AAA Norfolk team, the affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. He looked strong the first couple of innings. In one inning, he gave up a couple of line drive hits, all over the field. In total, he gave up three runs on three hits and two walks in three-plus innings. He struck out two. Molitor was in the Red Wings dugout for Duffey’s performance. “Duffey had a good day over there too, I thought. He ran into trouble in one inning over there when he couldn’t get off the field with two outs.” photo by Seth Stohs Following Justin Haley’s start on Monday at Hammond Stadium, Molitor indicated that he would like to see Haley get extended some. Ryan Vogelsong is still in the equation as well. Molitor noted after the game, “There were other people that have been in the mix since the beginning that we haven’t excluded yet. We’ve got a little bit of time with the absence of Hector (Santiago) and Ervin (Santana) that the innings are available to keep getting looks at people, those guys or Vogelsong. So we’re still watching.” As for Mejia, he’s not trying to do too much. “I just kept thinking, throw strikes, throw strikes. There’s nothing else you can do out there on the mound. If you keep thinking about other things like what am I going to do differently that’s when you mess up. So I just went out there and kept throwing strikes.” He later added, “I’m not thinking. I’m just trying to go out there and do my job and trying to do what they ask me to do.” Molitor insists that the fifth start job is still an open competition. “We were open-minded. I think the message in camp early was that we feel there is a lot of competition here, a lot of people in the mix. I was kind of looking foward to see what he could do. So far he’s done a nice job.” Mejia is just going to keep working and let the chips fall where they may. “I just want to help the team. That’s the goal, to be on the big club and help the team win. I’m just throwing pitches, learning from all the people here, learning from the veterans and people who have been in the position I’m in. I throw strikes and whatever happens happens. Today was a good day.” BULLPEN LINES UP Jake Reed struck out the one batter he faced to end the fourth inning. Then the Twins rolled out five relievers that could (maybe should) all be on the Opening Day roster. Brandon Kintzler, Craig Breslow, Ryan Pressly, Matt Belisle and Taylor Rogers combined for five shutout innings. They combined to give up just one hit, walked one and struck out three. Belisle struck out two in his inning. NEW LINEUP Molitor went with a lineup combination that we haven’t yet seen, and we’ll likely see more combinations as spring winds down. “There are some combinations that I want to look at. When you’re not having your guys play together very often, you don’t get a lot of opportunities to do that. Today was a day I thought we’d change it up and see what it looked like and how it would play out. Potentially you’ve got a couple of guys that aren’t here that might be in the mix too.” The Twins came through with eight runs in the game. In the third inning, Byungho Park and Jason Castro hit singles which were followed by a Jorge Polanco walk. Joe Mauer came up and hit a bases-loaded double to score two runners. A Brian Dozier ground out scored the third run of the inning. Max Kepler doubled to right-center, though Mauer was only able to advance to third base because the ball bounced off the tip of the center fielder’s glove and probably should have been caught. Mauer was tagging up to get to third base. Buxton walked before the final out was made. It was a nice inning Molitor said “Buxton’s been a one or nine guy for us. To try to get him some bats in the middle of the lineup. With Joe, we tried that last year a little bit leading off. You might see a couple more combinations going forward." photo by Seth Stohs The Twins added another run in the fifth. Joe Mauer led off with a single up the middle. After Brian Dozier and Max Kepler flew out, Miguel Sano walked. Byron Buxton doubled to left to score Mauer. For what it’s worth, Mauer was 2-3 with the two-run double. Buxton was 1-2 with a walk and an RBI double. For today, the lineup worked. The Twins scored another four runs in the 7th inning, though it was the backups that created that offense. Ehire Adrianza walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Daniel Palka then walked. Eduardo Escobar singled in Adriana. After a fly out, Zack Granite walked. Matt Hague singled in a run. Chris Gimenez singled to score two more runs. The Twins are on the next couple of days. Tomorrow they go to Jupiter tomorrow to play the Cardinals again. Then on Friday they will go to Bradenton to take on the Rays. Asked if there could be more roster moves coming in the near future, Molitor noted that with the two road games. “There might be some more movement here by the end of the week.” Feel free to discuss. Click here to view the article

One interesting possibility I've heard discussed is this: Park and Vargas to AAA. Grossman the primary DH... extra outfielder (or infielder). Grossman would be the primary DH, but obviously guys like Mauer, Sano, Rosario, Dozier, really anyone could DH on a given day. In that scenario, the one concern is that Sano will have to play some first base too. But Chris Gimenez can also play 1B, if he makes the team. I think there are some creative possibilities to start the season that would allow an "extra" hitter on the roster.

Stubbs isn't on the 40-man roster so he doesn't have to clear waivers to be sent down. I don't think we've heard anything yet on whether or not he has an opt-out date. Likely does.

Ryan Walker gained another 10 pounds after gaining 15+ last year. Akil Baddoo is remarkably strong. I mean, they all are working out so much all offseason, they all look strong, but those two were noticeable.

No, just taking it slow early this spring so he doesn't reach any innings limit too early in the season.

I don't, but most (or many?) of them do, at least during the season.

The Twins had a scheduled off day on Tuesday so Hammond Stadium was very quiet. However, the back fields were busy. Practice began about 9:15 and went until around 11:30 when the players broke for lunch. At 1:00, there were two intrasquad games played. So there was a lot of action in the minor league ranks. Today I’ll be posting some of what I’ve seen and heard around the park.I’ve had the opportunity to watch a few practices and some games down on the minor league fields, and today will share some of what I have seen and heard. As always, I welcome your questions and comments in the forum below. And think of other questions that you would like me to ask players if I run into them this week. As a quick note, I’ll likely be doing some Live Twitter/Periscope broadcasting throughout the next week, so be sure to follow Seth and Twins Daily on Twitter. I’ll be taking a ton of photos too, so be sure to Like Twins Daily on Facebook. On Tuesday, I did a 17-minute Live Twitter in which I walked around the back fields right before the intrasquad games. It was windy, so the audio isn’t great, but it does give a good feel for the lay of the land down there. Also, there are cameos from Todd Van Steensel, Callan Pearce, TJ White, and a short (almost inaudible) interview with Lachlan Wells. INJURY UPDATES: Tommy John rehab and recovery: Andro Cutura, Tyler Benninghoff, Brusdar Graterol and Alex Kirilloff. Kirilloff is back in Ft. Myers following his surgery. I chatted with Tyler Benninghoff a bit on Tuesday afternoon. Earlier in the day, he was on the field playing catch from 130 feet. Coaches and trainers were nearby to monitor him. He said he was throwing 70-80% While the scar is impressive, he noted that he is scheduled to throw off of the mound for the first time next Friday (3/24). He is about 8 ½ months after his surgery and on pace. Who knows? He may be able to make his pro debut sometime in the GCL. Zack Jones is also in Ft. Myers rehabbing from his shoulder surgery. Stephen Gonsalves is listed on the DL, though he is expecting to throw a bullpen on Wednesday. Johan Quezada has shoulder impingement and is yet to pitch in spring training. He remains very tall. Right-hander Ryan Mason is fighting some back spasms right now. Brandon Peterson has suffered a lat strain. Vadim Balan continues to deal with his back issues as well. In terms of hitters, as you know, Trey Cabbage is likely out another week with his ankle/foot injury. I told him today that he’s looking too comfortable walking around in his walking boot. He agreed. Catcher Bryant Hayman had ACL surgery, so he’ll be out for a while. GRANITE’S SPEED I have to recommend that you read Phil Miller’s article in the Star-Tribune on Zack Granite and his speed. Miller chatted with Granite and with manager Paul Molitor about Granite. In the article, Miller used several quotes from the manager, but since we aren’t limited by space here, I wanted to include several more quotes. I think it shows just how much of a fan Molitor is of Granite and the type of player that he can become. Molitor is impressed by the speedster’s game. On one play, he was on second base and there was a looping liner to left field. With a runner on third making sure the ball wasn’t caught, Granite cautiously took off toward third. When the left fielder slightly bobbled the ball, Granite took off, rounded third and scored on the play. “You still need guys that can do those things, table set and run the bases. The play today was just... my favorite part about that play was that he made the decision himself. He didn’t come into third and look for help. He peripherally saw the slight bobble and just kicked it into gear. That was a good instinctive play. He’s done that a few times in different situations on the bases.” Not only that, Molitor noticed, “He turned around that 97 mph fastball and hit it up the middle. He’s coming off a really good year with a lot of people speaking very highly of him. I like those kind of players. It’s better when they blend in with guys who can produce in terms of hitting the ball over the fence and drive people in, but there’s a definite place for those guys.” Here are some other phrases that Molitor used to describe Granite: “Shows no fear.” “Strike zone knowledge.” “Defensive awareness.” “He’s thrown the ball well.” “He’s gone to get it.” “There’s a lot of people, but I was looking forward to watching him play.” While Granite remains a long shot to make the Opening Day roster, it’s clear that Granite has fans in important places in the Twins organization, and it’s easy to understand why. NIKO GOODRUM Before Paul Molitor joined the Twins’ big league coaching staff (and then became manager), he was a roving instructor in the Twins minor league system. He’s seen a lot of these younger players develop. On Monday, Niko Goodrum made a start at first base and finished the game in left field. Regarding Goodrum’s evolution since being drafted in the second round of the 2010 draft, Molitor noted, “It seems like he’s been here a long time. I remember him as a youngster coming in as a prospect, switch-hitter guy who could play around. His body developed. He had some injuries and things along the way, but he re-emerged and found himself back on the map. Molitor noted that he hasn’t played a ton because of a “little shoulder issue that’s plaguing him a bit, but he’s taken good at-bats when he gets the chance.” MORE NOTES Talked briefly with Tanner English, Ryan Walker and LaMonte Wade. All three of them had the opportunity to play for Team USA last Wednesday when they took on the Twins at Hammond Stadium. All three agreed that it was really cool to be in the dugout with that team, and that they were able to glean some good stuff from those players. They didn’t work out or practice with Team USA, but they did spend the morning working out with the Twins. All said it was just a very good day, and are grateful for the opportunity.Wander Javier is pretty impressive. He’s pretty big in person, though he certainly has room to grow. He looks like a guy who could probably stick at shortstop. And, he can hit. On Sunday, he drilled an opposite field double. On Monday, he had a home run against Bethel. He’s got a long ways to go. I would assume he will start in the GCL, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets to Elizabethton by the end of the season.Chatted briefly with Lewis Thorpe. He said he’s supposed to work three innings on Wednesday in a minor league game. He says he feels great and is strong. It’s been a long couple of years for the Australian southpaw. It’s hard to imagine that the Twins would want to start him in the cold of Cedar Rapids, so they could have him start with the Miracle.The wind was blowing out to right field on the field the Miracle and Kernels were playing on. Ben Rortvedt hit a long, long home run to right field that would have been well beyond the fence even without the wind. On Twitter, I estimated that it measured 7,000 feet. I talked to him afterward, and he said that felt pretty good. Through a couple of days of observing, he also appears to be real good defensively. He has the tools to become a very good defensive catcher, but I thought he also showed some real leadership vocally as well.I chatted a little bit with 2016 draft pick Caleb Hamilton. He was by the bullpen waiting his turn to catch a bullpen. I asked him if he had ever caught before coming to the Twins and switching positions in the Instructional League. He said that he had caught a little bit, and caught some bullpens in college at Oregon State. He said that with all of the injuries his team had last year, he played every position but first base. He said he even warmed up in the bullpen once and almost came in to pitch. He’s really enjoying learning to catch and all it entails.While it’s probably more random than anything else, side-winding Trevor Hildenberger was pitching on one field, side-winding Tom Hackimer was pitching on the other field. I took time to watch both from almost right behind home plate. They are very similar. I will say that I was incredibly impressed with Hildenberger’s changeup and how much command he has with that delivery. Hackimer was a little more wild, but I think could move up really fast too. Travis Harrison had the opportunity to travel to Bradenton with the big league club on Sunday. Not only did he travel, but he got to play. He also got two at-bats. He said that he just missed one in his first at-bat, flying out to the warning track in center. He was also (understandably) excited about his second at-bat when he homered. The homer came off of Pirates Rule 5 pick Tyler Webb.It was a lot of fun seeing Kernels pitching coach JP Martinez working with the young pitchers, many in their first spring training. Pitchers stood on the mound and went through their delivery (not throwing). As they did that, Martinez would load a ball into the pitching machine and “shoot” it toward the mound. The pitcher would have to field it and throw it toward second base. A big net was positioned at second base with a strike-zone sized box in the center. The pitcher had to field the ball, turn, and throw to second base. If they didn’t field the ball cleanly or they missed the target, they were “out.” Eddie Del Rosario was the winner of that particular competition. But it was fun to see the creativity and keeping things like PFPs, which are important but can get monotonous, fun.Starting pitchers in minor league camp are hoping to reach three innings (at 45 pitches) in their first outings. In their next start, they hope to go four innings (60 pitches). They will continue to ramp it up to 90 pitches which will likely be their limit for a couple of starts early in the season.Mike Radcliff told me the the team has signed several more minor league free agents than they have in the past. The idea is more players equals more competition equals better baseball. As we know, the new front office regime has talked about expanding the front office. They also want to make sure there are more players in minor league camp.The Twins had their first full minor league practices last Thursday. They had three days of just workouts. The last three days they have worked out in the morning and then played intrasquad games in the afternoon. On Wednesday, they will play their first games against other organizations. Rochester and Chattanooga will host Norfolk and Bowie, the AAA and AA affiliates of the Baltimore Orioles at 1:00 on the back fields. The Ft. Myers and Cedar Rapids rosters will travel to Sarasota to take on Frederick and Delmarva (High-A and Low-A affiliates). The affiliates will play all but one day right up until April 3rd when the teams travel to their cities. We’ll be back with more throughout the next week. Again, feel free to use the comments section below to ask questions about this article or things you would like me to dig into on the back fields. Click here to view the article