Seth Stohs

Yeah, I would think that Camargo would be the other half of the move. The unfortunate thing about that would be if Jeffers loses DH ABs. Kepler in RF. Larnach/Martin in LF. Martin in CF twice a week. And yes, the internet can provide all kinds of fun knowledge and lead us down rabbit holes.

Winokur has been playing most of the innings at short. Doncon has been at thired base much of the time. But they're all going to play a few positions just because that's smart.

What is this based on? They have a minor-league catching coordinator. They have two pitching coaches at each level and three catchers. And most of the affiliates have a former catcher on staff.

Lots of runs scored. Lots of runs given up. Several multi-hit games. A couple of really strong pitching performances mixed in too. Check out how the Twins minor-league affiliates did on Saturday, and how some of the top prospects performed on the field. Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Rayne Doncon) We are three weeks into the season already, and it's fun to see which players have stepped up and which are off to slow starts. On Saturday, there was an intriguing pitching matchup in Fort Myers, pitting two top pitching prospects from the 2023 draft. Cedar Rapids offense showed up, but the pitching and defense had some rough innings. Wichita had a nice, clean win. The Saints got help up and down the order on their way to an easy win. Current W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 7-12 St. Paul Saints: 8-11 Wichita Wind Surge: 3-11 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 6-7 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 6-8 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS OF Carlos Aguiar was placed on the Mussels injured list with a strained intercostal. Taking his spot on the Fort Myers roster was Omari Daniel. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 12, Indianapolis 1 Box Score Through three innings, the Saints were down 1-0 in Indianapolis. Then over the next five innings, they scored two, two, five, zero, and three runs. Alfonso, Virginia, in case you were wondering. In the fourth inning, Yoyner Fajardo singled to score two runs and give the Saints the lead. Tony Kemp came up in the top of the fifth inning with the bases loaded. He lined a single to right field that scored Max Kepler and DaShawn Keirsey. The Saints loaded the bases again in the sixth frame. Chris Williams and Alex Isola each walked in a run. Then Will Holland doubled to clear the bases just missing a grand slam by thismuch!. The Saints concluded their scoring in the eighth inning. Kemp scored on a Wild Pitch. Then Yoyner Fajardo’s third home of the year scored the final two runs. Kepler went 3-for-5 with a walk. Fajardo went 2-for-5 with a homer and drove in three runs. Alex Isola was 2-for-3 with two walks and three RBI. Anthony Prato went 2-for 4 with a walk and a triple. He was also hit by a pitch. Caleb Boushley was the recipient of all of the run support, though he probably would have been OK if they spread it out over a couple of his starts. In this game, he gave up only an unearned run on three hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out eight batters. Josh Staumont struck out three in a scoreless seventh. Ryan Jensen pitched a scoreless eighth inning before giving up three meaningless runs in the ninth. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, Tulsa 3 Box Score The Wind Surge took a 3-1 lead after one inning. Slowly, the Drillers fought back and in the top of the sixth frame they tied it 3-3. The Surge responded well by reclaiming the lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. After a couple of zeroes, Wichita added two more in the bottom of the eighth inning to give them the 7-3 lead. AJ Alexy made the start. The right-hander tossed four innings. He was charged with two runs (1 earned) on two hits in four innings. He walked three and struck out two batters. Hunter McMahon came on and gave up one run on three hits over two innings. Scott Engler gave up two hits and struck two batters out over two scoreless innings. Miguel Rodriguez struck out two batters in a perfect ninth inning. Emmanuel Rodriguez got things started with a leadoff double. He stole second base and scored when Tanner Schobel singled. Jeferson Morales doubled in Schobel. Carson McCusker drove in Morales with a single, the third run of the first inning. With the game tied in the bottom of the sixth inning, Jake Rucker singled in Alerick Soularie and Rodriguez. Then the team added on in the bottom of the eighth. McCusker singled in Noah Cardenas and Morales took third base. Soon after, McCusker was caught stealing second, but not before Morales stole home. Rodriguez was 1-for-3 with two walks and his fourth double. He also stole his seventh and eighth bases. Schobel went 2-for-3 with two walks. Morales was 2-for-5. McCusker was 2-for-4 with a walk. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Wisconsin 14 Box Score C.J. Culpepper was on the mound to start on Saturday in Appleton. He put two zeroes on the board, and then… Dahlonega is the country seat of Lumpkin County, Georgia. A town of approximately 7,500 citizens, it was originally named Talonega. However, after a gold rush in about 1830, the Georgia General Assembly changed the name. Dalonige is a Cherokee-language word that means “yellow” or “gold.” The area is known as “the heart of North Georgia Wine Country.” There are many vineyards and five licensed wineries. So, if you’re looking for a vacation spot, Dahlonega is approximately 65 miles north of Atlanta. While there you can spend time in the Amicalola Falls State Park. You could go way down yonder on the Chattahoochee River and do some hiking on the Crown Mountain. The zip code of Dahlonega, Georgia is 30533, and that is what the Wisconsin line of the scoreboard looked like between the second and sixth innings. They scored three runs in the second, fifth and sixth innings, and a five-spot in the fourth inning. Culpepper gave up five runs (just two earned) on five hits over 3 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out three batters. He left the game with two runners on and Juan Mercedes came in and allowed both inherited runners to score. He then was charged with six runs (5 earned) on seven hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. Kyle Bischoff gave up three runs in the sixth inning. Ricardo Velez came on and struck out three batters over two perfect innings. The Kernels scored eight runs in the game, usually enough to put a tally in the Win column, but not on this day. They had a big, five-run third inning. Rubel Cespedes singled to score Agustin Ruiz with the first run. Danny De Andrade came up with the bases loaded and drilled a double to clear the bases and give the Kernels the 4-3 lead. Jay Harry followed with a single to score De Andrade. Down 11-6 through five innings, the Kernels kept putting pressure on the T-Rats. Gabriel Gonzalez doubled to score Luke Keaschall, and he then scored on a Cespedes single to cut the deficit to 11-8, but that’s as close as it got. De Andrade led the offense. He had two doubles in five at-bats. He also stole a base. Ricardo Olivar went 2-for-4 with a walk and two doubles. Cespedes had two RBI singles in five at-bats. Luke Keaschall went 1-for-3 with two walks and a double. He is now hitting .318 with a 1.019 OPS this season. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Jupiter 3 Box Score The pitching matchup was certainly intriguing. Two of the top prep pitchers from the 2023 draft met in Fort Myers. Jupiter starter Noble Meyer was the Marlins’ first-round pick, 10th overall, out of Portland’s Jesuit High School. In this game, his third start of the season, he went 4 2/3 innings. He gave up three runs on five hits. He had two walks and three strikeouts. 53 of his 85 pitches were strikes. The Twins used their Competitive Balance-A pick, 34th overall, to select Charlee Soto out of Reborn Christian Academy in Kissimmee, Florida. Soto was charged with two runs (1 earned) on four hits over three innings. He walked three and struck out five batters. He threw 36 of his 62 pitches for strikes. Meyer’s average fastball sat at 94.1 mph. For Soto, his average was 94.5. The max velocity for Soto was 97.1 mph and 96.6 mph for Meyer. Danny Moreno came in and gave up one run on two hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. He struck out three batters. Nolan Santos came on and got out all seven batters he faced to earn a Win. Julio Bonilla worked a perfect ninth frame for the save. Rayne Doncon led the offense on Saturday. He went 3-for-4 with his seventh double. He is hitting .362 with an OPS at 1.015. Brandon Winokur went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs. His seventh-inning double scored Doncon to give the Mussels the lead. Gregory Duran followed by knocking in Winokur with a single, his second RBI of the day. Maddux Houghton went 1-for-3 with a walk. He’s hitting .500 with a 1.396 OPS. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day – Rayne Doncon (Fort Myers) - 3-for-4, 2B(7), 2 R. Pitcher of the Day – Caleb Boushley (St. Paul) - 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 61 strikes, 91 pitches. PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #1 - Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) - IL #2 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - IL #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Wichita) - 1-for-3, 2 BB, 2B(4), 2-2B(8), R, K. #4 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids) – 1-for-5, 2B(4), R, RBI #5 - Marco Raya (Wichita) - #6 - David Festa (St. Paul) - #7 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) - 2-for-4, 2B(4), 2 R, #8 - Cory Lewis (Wichita) - IL #9 - Charlee Soto (Fort Myers) - 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 36 strikes, 62 strikes. #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 2-for-4, 2B(3), R, 2 RBI, #11 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 2-for-3, 2 BB, 2B(2), R, RBI, K #12 – Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) – 1-3, 2 BB, 2B(4), R, K #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) - #14 - C.J. Culpepper (Cedar Rapids) - 3 1/3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, HBP, 35 strikes, 65 pitches, #15 – Danny De Andrade (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-5, 2-2B(4), 2 R, 3 RBI, K, SB(2). #16 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – #17 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - IL #18 - Connor Prielipp (Cedar Rapids) - IL #19 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-4, BB, 2-2B(4), R, K #20 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - DNP SUNDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES St. Pau @ Indianapolis (12:35 PM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (1-1, 3.65 ERA) Tulsa @ Wichita (1:05 PM CST) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin (0-1, 5.40 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (1:10 PM CST) - RHP Darren Bowen (0-0, 19.29 ERA) Jupiter @ Fort Myers (11:05 AM CST) - Paulshawn Pasqualotto (0-0, 2.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Saturday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics! View full article

Anyone want to point out some standout performers in this group?

Luke Keaschall isn’t your normal middle infielder in a lot of ways, but just what type of player can he become? Which player does he seem to emulate at the plate? Last week, I caught up with the Cedar Rapids Kernels leadoff man, Luke Keaschall. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily Luke Keaschall was born and raised in central California. He was born in Watsonville, California, a city approaching 55,000 people. He grew up just a few miles down the road and went to Aptos High School. It is an unincorporated town of about 25,000 people made up of people from six smaller villages. It is just miles south and east of Santa Cruz and borders Monterey Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains. Baseball is strong in the area. In 2002, the team from Apton Little League team went to the Little League World Series and was the subject of a documentary, Small Ball: A Little League Story. That summer is when Luke Keaschall was born. Former big leaguer Mark Eichhorn was the team’s pitching coach. In addition, former big leaguer Randy Kramer is from there. So is Hall of Famer Harry Hooper. So is MLB umpire Bill Miller. Super Bowl champion quarterback Trent Dilfer went to Aptos High School. Some of you may recognize Marisa Miller, another Aptos native. Keaschall was a star on the baseball diamond but also a great wrestler. He was one match away from making the state tournament as a senior. Last fall, he told The Gazette from Cedar Rapids beat writer Jeff Johnson, “I loved it, had a lot of fun. Can’t say enough about wrestling.” His best sport was baseball. He was a three-time letter winner and two-time all-League. His older brother Jake stayed home and was an all-conference player at Cabrillo College, a two-year school in Aptos. He then transferred to Division I Pacific. As a sophomore in 2018, Luke Keaschall hit .348 and got on base 40% of the time. In his junior season, he hit .395 with a .495 on-base percentage. He had 12 extra base hits and stole 25 bases. Unfortunately, his senior season was lost due to Covid. However, he earned an opportunity at the University of San Francisco, a Division I school about 80 miles from his home. He started right away in 2021 as a freshman. In 53 games, he hit .320/.406/.475 (.881) with 11 doubles, four triples and four home runs. He split that summer playing in the Cal Ripken Collegiate League and the Cape Cod League, hitting over .320 at both spots. As a sophomore, he played in 57 games and hit .305/.445/.502 (.947) with 18 doubles and eight homers. He also stole 30 bases and walked more than he struck out. He made the decision to transfer before his junior season. He moved from the West Coast Conference to the Pac-12, heading south to play at Arizona State. In 55 games, he hit .353/.443/.725 (1.168) with 25 doubles and 18 home runs. Plus, he was 18-for-20 in steal attempts. When the season ended, he had to wait until July for the draft. He put up mammoth numbers in the Pac 12. He went to the Combine. He did all he could. Last week in Cedar Rapids, Keaschall said he really had no idea what the draft would hold for him. I woke up on draft day with no idea what was going to happen. I was just happy to go when I went and happy to be a Twin.” After picking outfielder Walker Jenkins fifth overall, and right-hander Charlee Soto in the Competitive Balance Round, the Twins selected Keaschall with their second round draft pick, #49 overall. After Day 1 of the 2023 MLB Draft, Twins VP of Amateur Scouting Sean Johnson met with local media about his three draft picks that day. What did he and the area scouts like about Keaschall’s baseball acumen? Johnson said Keaschall is a “guy who did well at the U of San Francisco. We got to see him a lot more this spring at Arizona State. We were drawn to him. He’s just a dynamic athlete. I think he’s got a chance to play a lot of different positions. Offensively, he controls the strike zone. I think he had 18 home runs this spring. Just takes really good at-bats and he’s got a chance to play all over the diamond. We’ll figure out where he fits in eventually.” They really liked Keaschall the Ballplayer. They really love Keaschall the Person. Johnson continued, “Terrific kid. One of our favorite players that we connected with at the Combine. We think the makeup is special, a separator, which is rare. Most are just in the middle somewhere. We just fell in love with Luke.” Keaschall signed quickly and reported to Fort Myers. He played three games for the FCL Twins before moving up to the Mighty Mussels. In 20 games, he hit .292/.426/.472 (.898) with eight doubles, a triple, and a home run. He was pushed up to HIgh-A Cedar Rapids where he ended the regular season by hitting .313/.353/.563 (.915) with two doubles and two homers in eight games. Then in the first round of the Midwest League Playoffs, he went 4-for-10 (.400) with two walks against Peoria. In the championship series against Great Lakes, he went 2-for-8 (.250) with two walks. In the championship game, he stole two bases as well. Even for great college players, the adjustment to the professional game can take a little time. “There are a lot of adjustments. You’re swinging wood instead of metal. You’re also playing every day now. You’ve got one day off per week as opposed to four games a week (in college). Now we’ve got six. Those extra two games really make you realize how important it is to take care of your body and be ready to go each day rather than just wake up, throw the cleats on and go play. You’ve got to take care of yourself.” Keaschall’s 2024 season began in Cedar Rapids. Over the offseason, he put in a lot of work, specifically, he noted, “A little offensively and defensively. Offensively, just trying to stay a little more centered and hit balls hard to the center of the field, and getting off my back side a little bit, and hitting into my front side a little bit more. Defensively just working on some arm path stuff and a little bit crisper arm action.” Keaschall began the season as the Kernels’ leadoff hitter and Designated Hitter. He was dealing with some arm issues and putting in a lot of work to get back to second base. His first game at second base came in the team’s sixth game Kernels manager Brian Dinkelman, the 2023 Baseball America Manager of the Year, spoke highly of his leadoff man. “Good approach at the plate, good understanding of the strike zone, has some thump in his bat when he gets into a ball. He can run. He does a good job running the bases.” It’s always interesting to hear what a player thinks of himself. Asked what type of hitter he is when things are going well, Keaschall said, “Looking to do damage on every pitch. A guy that’s hitting extra base hits, swinging at good pitches, taking the balls, taking his walks, and doing the little things right. When you’re on, you’re doing all the little things right and good things happen.” Luke Keaschall’s baseball career is off to a strong start, and he certainly has a chance to move up the ladder. Back to last year’s draft, Sean Johnson noted, “I think he’s got a chance to put on more strength and add to it. He’s a young college player. There’s still some room to grow there. We fully trust our strength and conditioning and PD people on the other side of this that will tap into as much as he can get. But he can certainly hit it over the fence. Wood bat, metal bat, certainly doesn’t matter, I think he’s going to have a decent amount of power, I don’t want to put a number on it. I fully expect he’ll be a doubles/home run guy.” When you see Keaschall in person, you can’t help but notice that he is a big dude. He is not a prototypical, little middle infielder. Instead, he stands about six feet tall, and while he is listed at 190 pounds, I’d venture to guess he’s at least 15 pounds above that. In fact, as I was in Cedar Rapids last week, watching the games and taking photos, I couldn’t help but see a striking similarity between Keaschall and one of the best hitters of the generation. It was uncanny. No, I’m not saying that Luke Keaschall is the next Mike Trout (although I'd be just fine with that!). I’m simply pointing out that there is a resemblance. From a hitting stance, there are some key similarities to note. Both stand fairly tall. Both utilize a similar leg kick. Also notice the arms and bat. Both hold their hands high, with their chin almost tucked into their left shoulders. In doing so, a hitter is basically telling himself to trust his hands, to keep that front shoulder in, and to drive the ball all over the field. It’s a great approach. It’s a process, and it’s trusting that process. Keaschall began this season by going 1-for-11 over his first three games. Since then, he is 11-for-28, hitting .393/.528/.714 (1.242) with three doubles and two home runs. He also has seven walks to just three strikeouts. And, he is 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts. One he got the proverbial camel off of his back, he was able to settle in and get going. Hopefully that can continue through the rest of the season, and beyond. OK, fine... in this photo, he literally looks like Mike Trout, right? View full article

a fairly important thing to note...

It's not good, but not sure it's any indication of that championship team. Something like 15 players from that team are still in Cedar Rapids. Rodriguez and Schobel and Rosario led the Kernels offense. They all moved up and they're doing fine. The Kernels made their championship run in the 2nd half when guys got called up from FM. MacLeod, Matthews, Culpepper, Morris are still in CR. Cory Lewis should join Wichita in the next couple of weeks. Kyle Jones had an emergency appendectomy this spring. They played a tough team early and bad luck. I'm not worried, but then again, I won't even think about minor league playoffs until about September.

#TeamProcess If you believe in your process, you don't think changing personnel after 17 bad games. Everyone wanted Popkins fired through about July last season, and then over the final 2-3 months, he got a lot of credit. Now 17 games later, he (and/or Hernandez, and/or Shomon). Royce has been out since Day 1. Julien's been Julien. Wallner started with a sophomore slump. That's not unusual. Kepler's been hurt pretty much since Day 1. Now Correa, who started out very well, is hurt. Jeffers is doing well. Kirilloff's been fine. They've had very little time with Santana. Castro turned back into Castro. Polanco is gone.

The Twins, Saints, Wind Surge and the Kernels all played afternoon games on Wednesday. The Kernels played two games. There are still plenty of individual performances that are exciting. See how Gabriel Gonzalez did today. Which Mussels hitter showed of his muscles on Wednesday. Which pitchers did well? Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily (photo of Gabriel Gonzalez) The Twins aren't hitting. The Saints aren't hitting. The Wind Surge aren't hitting. Injuries have certainly hurt the Twins, and that trickles down. The Saints have already had to add several players via trade to attempt to field a competitive lineup. It has been a frustrating start to the season for many. Also of note... The Twins have played 17 of 162 games on the schedule. The Saints have been able to stay near .500. The Wind Surge have lost nine in a row, but there is a lot of season left. It's way too early to panic at any of these levels, especially not the big leagues. Current Win-Loss Records Minnesota Twins: 6-11 St. Paul Saints: 7-9 Wichita Wind Surge: 1-10 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 5-5 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 4-7 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS RHP Jack Noble was returned to Cedar Rapids from Wichita. He had spent about a week with the Wind Surge. RHP Ty Langenberg was placed on the Fort Myers Development List. Following their Wednesday afternoon game, the Saints announced the Twins signing of veteran utility man Tony Kemp. Read more about that move here. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 0, Indianapolis 1 Box Score You can call this game what you want. The options include, but are not limited to: a.) a fantastic pitchers duel, b.) a game of missed opportunities and bad offense? The latter probably is correct from the Saints perspective. St. Paul had just three hits in the game, one each for Diego A. Castillo, Alex Isola and Dalton Shuffield. Shuffield hit a double, the lone extra base hit. Anthony Prato reached base three times on walks. When they got on base, the team stole four bases. Yet, they went scoreless because they were 0-for-11 with Runners in Scoring Position and left eight on base. Yet, the Saints pitchers did well. David Festa made the start and struck out five batters over four scoreless innings. He gave up just two hits and walked two batters. Diego Castillo came in and got four outs. He gave up one hit in the sixth inning and was replaced by Scott Blewett who got the final two outs of that inning. Jorge Alcala struck out four batters over two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit and walked two batters. Ryan Jenson came in for the ninth inning and gave up the game’s lone run on two hits and a walk. The game itself lasted 2 hours, 23 minutes… Before it began, the teams had to wait out a 62-minute rain delay. And the good news? On Thursday, they get to face Pirates top pitching prospect and the #2 overall pick in the 2023 draft, Paul Skenes. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 1, Tulsa 2 (11 innings) Box Score Despite playing two bonus innings, there was another low scoring game in Wichita on Wednesday afternoon. Down 1-0, the Wind Surge scored in the bottom of the fifth inning when Kyler Fedko singled to score Kala’i Rosario to tie the game. The game remained scoreless until the top of the 11th inning when Tulsa took the 2-1 lead and then held on in the bottom of the inning to win the game. Solid pitching for the Wind Surge in this one. Jarret Whorff started and gave up one run on two hits over four innings. He had just one strikeout to go with five walks and two hit batters. Effectively wild, right? Hunter McMahon came on and settled things down. He tossed three scoreless innings and allowed only a walk. Jared Solomon struck out three batters over two innings of scoreless, hitless ball. John Stankiewicz was given the unenviable task of working in extra innings. He got out of the 10th inning without the Manfred Man scoring, but gave up the unearned run in the 11th. The pitchers got themselves into trouble with the walks and hit batters, but Tulsa went just 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base. Not good, but wait until you read the next paragraph. The Wind Surge found their way on base throughout this game. They had eight hits and walked another six times. However, they went just 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position and left 13 runners on base. Kala’i Rosario went 1-for-2 and walked three times. Jorel Ortega was 1-for-3 and walked twice. Ben Ross was the lone Surge hitter with two hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Game 1: Cedar Rapids 3, Wisconsin 5 Box Score Rain pushed the start of this week’s six game series between the Twins and Brewers’ Triple-A squads back a day. Weather was a bit better on Wednesday. An afternoon game was on the schedule, so they turned it into a doubleheader. The Kernels got on the scoreboard first in the top of the third. Nate Baez scored on a balk for the first run. Then Willie Joe Garry Jr scored on a groundout. The TimberRattlers scored twice in the bottom of the inning to tie it at two. A Jay Harry double in the top of the fourth inning scored Danny De Andrade to put Cedar Rapids in the lead. However, a Luis Lara RBI single was soon followed by a two-run Luke Adams home run, and Wisconsin was in the lead at 5-3. That was about it for the offenses and the game ended after seven innings at that same score. Andrew Morris made the start and was charged with five runs on 10 hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings. He struck out four batters. Jacob Wosinski got the final out of the fourth and pitched a scoreless fifth frame. Juan Mendez pitched a scoreless sixth. A highlight of the game was Gabriel Gonzalez showing off his arm and throwing out a runner at the plate. Game 2: Cedar Rapids 8, Wisconsin 2 Box Score The Kernels bats did arrive later in the afternoon. In the second inning of the second game, they scored three runs. Keoni Cavaco put them on the scoreboard with an RBI double scoring Agustin Ruiz. Gabriel Gonzalez came through with a two-run double to give them a three-spot in the inning. Jump ahead to the fourth inning. With the bases loaded. Rubel Cespedes hit a double that scored Dillon Tatum and Luke Keaschall. A Jose Salas single drove in Gonzalez from third base. Cespedes scored on a ground out by Misael Urbina. At that point, the Kernels had a fairly comfortable 7-2 lead. Cespedes add another RBI double in the sixth inning to drive in Gonzalez with the team’s eighth and final run. Zebby Matthews was on the mound and worked the first five innings. He gave up two runs on five hits. He struck out four batters and walked his usual… zero. Kyle Bischoff came on and struck out three batters over two one-hit innings. Gonzalez went 3-for-3 with a walk and two doubles in this game, pretty much his breakout game with his new organization. Cespedes went 2-for-3 with a walk and his two doubles. With three RBI, he is already at 14 for the season. Agustin Ruiz had a double and a walk in the game. Dillon Tatum went 2-for-3 with a walk. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Jupiter 4 Box Score Gregory Duran attempted to power the Mussels to a win. Angel Del Rosario attempted to use his speed to help his team. Unfortunately on this night, it wasn’t quite enough as Fort Myers lost a one-run decision at Hammond Stadium. Ross Dunn made the start for Fort Myers on Wednesday night. He gave up three runs on four hits and a walk over five innings. He had two strikeouts. Nolan Santos came on and gave up an unearned run on two hits and a walk over two innings. Julio Bonilla struck out two batters over two innings in his Mussel debut. He was a hit batter from two perfect innings. Duran went 2-for-4 with a triple, and a three-run home run. Angel Del Rosario went 1-for-3 with a walk and four stolen bases. He already has nine on the season. Rayne Doncon went 2-for-5 with his fourth double. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day – Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-6, BB, 2-2B, Pitcher of the Day – David Festa (St. Paul) - 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Wichita) - 0-for-4, IBB, 2 K #4 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids) – Game 1: 0-for-3, RBI, Game 2: 3-for-3, BB, 2-2B(3), 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB. #6 - David Festa (St. Paul) - 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 KJ, 57 pitches, 39 strikes (68.4%) #7 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) - 1-for-4, R, RBI, great catch! (played CF) #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, R, 2K. #11 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 1-for-5, 2 K #12 – Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) – Game 1: 1-for-4, SB(6), Game 2: 1-for-3, BB, R, K #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) - 1-for-2, 3 BB, R, #15 – Danny De Andrade (Cedar Rapids) – Game 1: 1-for-2, HBP, 2B(2), R, Game 2: 0-for-4, 2 K #16 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 0-for-3, BB, K, SB(1) #19 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – Game 1: 0-for-3 (catcher), Game 2: DNP. THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Iowa @ St. Paul (5:35 PM CST) - RHP Joe Gunkel (0-1, 7.27 ERA) vs Paul Skenes!! Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams (1-1, 7.04 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Cedar Rapids (6:40 PM CST) - RHP John Klein (0-0, 1.13 ERA) Jupiter @ Fort Myers (6:05 PM CST) - Jeremy Lee (1-1, 2.08 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics! View full article

And Prato got spiked and was unavailable to play on Saturday.

He was signed out of the independent Frontier League... Getting to AA already makes him a huge success. I'd say he compares most to Adam Brett Walker, though without quite as much athleticism or track record. But his is what I love about player development... you just never know. Maybe something clicks at 26 and he becomes a 30 homer guy for 4-5 years. That'd be huge, and incredibly unlikely.

Find out what all happened through the Twins minor-league system on Saturday. There were lots of transactions. All four affiliates played. E-Rod kept crushing Double-A. Keirsey had a huge game for St. Paul. Cespedes keep hitting Midwest League. And Charlee Soto was fantastic, dominant! Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily It's been a fun week-plus away from home. I was at the Twins home opener. Then I went to the Kernels home opener and two more games in Cedar Rapids. And on Saturday, I enjoyed the day CHS Field watching a Saints game. I still need to get to Wichita. I've been saying that for three years or more. But now, the trek home. It's been busy. It's been fun. I've got photos of a lot of Kernels and some Saints. Minor League Baseball is the best! RECORDS Minnesota Twins: 6-7 St. Paul Saints: 6-7 Wichita Wind Surge: 1-7 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 3-4 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 4-4 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS A couple of situations occurred that forced another busy day on the Twins transaction wire. The Thursday rain out created a doubleheader on Saturday. The Twins called up Simeon Woods Richardson as the 27th man. As you likely know by now, that was a good decision. Woods Richardson earned his first MLB win with six strong innings in Detroit. As per the rules, he was sent back to St. Paul after the game. The other unfortunate event was the Carlos Correa oblique injury. He was placed on the 10-day injured list. Taking his spot was catcher Jair Camargo. Additionally, the Twins DFAd Michael Tonkin and called up fellow reliever Matt Bowman. As I was thinking about which player could replace Correa on the roster, I thought that Michael Helman might make a lot of sense due to his versatility. Unfortunately, he injured his hamstring and was placed on the Saints 7-Day IL. Dalton Shuffield was promoted from the Wichita development list to the Saints. Outfielder Gregory Duran was promoted to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels from the Florida Complex. On Sunday morning, the Twins activated LHP Caleb Thielbar and options RHP Jorge Alcala to St. Paul. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Iowa 4 Box Score Burnsville native and former Minnesota State-Mankato alum Aaron Rozek began the season with Wichita but before even making an appearance. On Saturday afternoon, he took Simeon Wood Richardson’s rotation spot and made his first start of the season. The southpaw battled through three innings. He gave up three runs on seven hits, a walk and two hit batters. The big hit was a two-run homer by first baseman Matt Mervis. The Saints started to claw back in the fifth inning. DaShawn Keirsey launched a two-run home run into the Twins bullpen in left center. Keirsey said, “I thought there was a chance, but I saw Pete Crow getting close and timing a jump. At that point, I was thinking Please, please go. It eventually did and that was a great feeling.” An inning later, Chris Williams hit a hustle double, showing off his speed as he slid safely into second base. That brought Alex Isola to the plate. He took a fastball near the outside corner and lined it just inside the right field line for an RBI double to tie the game at three. That is how the score remained until the top of the eighth. With Darius Hill on base, Chase Strumpf lined a single to center to drive in what proved to be the winning run Strumpf, who was the shortstop at JSerra High School during Royce Lewis’s first couple of years of varsity baseball. DaShawn Keirsey led the offense. He went 2-for-3 with two walks and the home run. Asked what he feels he needs to do to make one more jump into the big leagues; “I think it’s just staying true to myself, not trying to do too much or be something I’m not. Just go out there and play the game I play. I think everything at that point will take care of itself.” Ryan Jenson came in after Rozek and tossed 2 2/3 scoreless, one-hit innings against his former team and many former teammates. He had two walks and six strikeouts. Scott Blewett took the loss, but he pitched well. In 2 1/3 innings, he gave up only an unearned run. He had five strikeouts. Diego Castillo pitched a scoreless ninth inning. On the weekends in Triple-A, they do the ABS Challenge system, which I really like. If a batter, catcher or pitcher question a call (usually by tapping their helmet). I was told in Friday night’s game only one pitch was challenged. On Saturday afternoon, there were 13 pitches challenged. Once, three consecutive pitches were challenged. However, the review is so quick that is hardly slows down the game. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Springfield 5 Box Score The Cardinals affiliate jumped out to a 4-1 lead off the first inning. The Wind Surge tried to claw back but came up short. Pierson Ohl made the start on the mound. He was credited with those four first-inning runs. He gave up two, two-run homers. But then he settled in and threw four zeroes on the board. Jack Nobel, who came up to Double-A earlier in the week, gave up one run over his three innings. Ben Ross got the game’s scoring started in the top of the first inning. Eight of nine starters had on hit. Kala’i Rosario, Jake Rucker, and Alerick Soularie each hit a double in the game. Emmanuel Rodriguez stayed on fire. He went 1-for- 3 and added his fourth homer of the young season. He also walked twice. Through his first eight games of the season, he is hitting a cool .385 with an on-base percentage of .556, and an OPS of 1.594. All incredible numbers. Of his 10 hits, he has three doubles, a triple and four home runs. He also has nine RBI. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Dayton 5 Box Score It was back-and-forth game in Cedar Rapids, but a four-run fourth inning was the differentiator in this one. Rubel Cespedes continued to make a strong early impression. He went 2-for-5 including his third home run of the season. Jay Harry had two doubles in the game. MIsael Urbina was 2-for-4 with a double. Gabriel Gonzalez also had to hits. Luke Keaschall went hitless, but he walked three times. Keoni Cavaco launched his first home of the season. Christian MacLeod made his first start of the season. Unfortunately, after two innings, he had to leave the game before the third inning began. He had been working on a blister before the game, and it popped on him before the start of the third frame. He should be good to go. Miguelangel Boadas came in and worked three scoreless innings. He gave up two hits and had just one strikeout. Juan Mendez worked an inning and gave up one run on three hits, though he did strike out three batters. Ricardo Velez gave up two runs on two hits over two innings. Kyle Bischoff came in for the ninth and recorded the save. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 10, Clearwater 0 Box Score I’m not certain a coach could draw up a more-perfect win for his team. While the end score makes it look like a blowout, this was a highly competitive game through at least six innings. The Mussels got on the board in the third inning thanks to an RBI double from Byron Chourio. They got single runs in the fifth and sixth innings on sacrifice flies from Rayne Doncon and Maddux Houghton. In the seventh inning, Brandon Winokur hit another sacrifice fly, but they added a second run on a Poncho Ruiz RBI single. Trevor Larnach was 0-for-4 in his rehab outing, but he played the full game in right field. He hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. Finally, in the top of the ninth, the Mussels scored four more runs. Rafael Cruz hit an RBI double. Houghton tripled to score two more runs. T game started with an RBI double from Byron Chouio, and a second double from Chourio scored the 10th and final run of the game. On the mound, Charlee Soto looked more comfortable in this one and the results showed. He threw four scoreless, hitless innings for the Mussels. He walked one and struck out seven batters. Tanner Hall, Xander Hamilton and Kade Bragg combined for five shutout innings and seven struck outs. Poncho Ruiz had a 4-for-5 day at the plate. Maddux Houston went 2-for-2 with two walks, three runs and three RBI. Byron Chourio had two doubles, a single and a stolen base. Rafael Cruz had two hits including a double. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day – DaShawn Keirsey, Jr (Saints) - 2-for-3, HR(1), 2 BB, R, 2 RBI, 2 SB(6). Pitcher of the Day – Charlee Soto (Mussels) - 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Wichita) - 1-for-3, 2 BB, HR(4), 2 K #4 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-5, R, RBI #7 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) - Game 1 (2-for-2, BB, K, 2 R, 2 RBI, played CF-2B), Game 2 (1-for-4, R, played LF) #9 - Charlee Soto (Fort Myers) - 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K. 49 pitches, 33 strikes. #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – (0-for-3, BB, K (played SS) #12 – Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) – 0-for-2, 3 BB, 2 R, 3 SB. #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) - 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K. #16 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-for-4, BB, 3 K (played 1B #20 - Siemon Woods Richardson (Minnesota) - 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 80 pitches, 53 strikes. SUNDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Iowa @ St. Paul (2:07 PM CST) - RHP Caleb Boushley (1-1, 7.84 ERA) Wichita @ Springfield (1:05 PM CST) - RHP A.J. Alexy (0-1, 13.50 ERA) Dayton @ Cedar Rapids (1:05 PM CST) - RHP C.J. Culpepper (First Start) Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:30 PM CST) - Paulshawn Pasqualotto (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Saturday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics! View full article

They've just done a really nice job of drafting pitchers in the 5th -20th rounds in the drafts, at least going back to Ober in 2017, Funderburk in 2018, Varland in 2019, Festa and Ohl in 2021. Lewis, Culpepper, Morris, Jones, and others in 2022. And I hear really good things about 2023 guys like Paulshawn Pasqualotto, Ty Langenburg, and a few others. They've done a nice job of taking something in each and building upon it. Whether they are starters or become relievers, if they get to the big leagues, it's a huge success for Player Development. In reality, if they get to Triple-A, it's a success.

I asked Dinkelman after the game yesterday. He's played 1B and 3B in the two games I've been at. Not sure he's really had to make plays in either game. Dinkelman saw him in spring training and feels comfortable with him in either spot. My observation from pregame is that he's definitely athletic enough to play 3B, and he has a very strong arm. Dinkelman must have hit him 30-40 extra ground balls during BP and he looked fine. He looks fine at first too, but it's hard to see how that translates.

He is set to start on Sunday (vs Rhett Lowder) for the Kernels. Talked to him a bit yesterday. He needed a few days in his buildup, so his season starts a week later. Nothing to worry about. Same thing, I understand, with Cory Lewis in Wichita. Fell a little behind (weather it was soreness, missed a few days, whatever the reason) this spring and they aren't rushing him.

I was just going by the scoreboard. I actually didn't see anything lower than 95 on there, but first start, early season, I figure it may drop a little bit over the season, over a few starts. But, impressive nonetheless. Also, Calvin (radio/streaming voice of Kernels) has access to statcast data instantly, so what he's saying is based on that, not the scoreboard.

The reason is because there is a second article. As the note says by the Players of the Day header, the Kernels will get their own. Article just published.

The Kernels showed off their bats and their pitching on Wednesday night to record their first win of the young season. There were several interesting aspects to the game that it warranted its own article. Seth is in Iowa covering the Kernels for a couple of days and filed the following. So, be sure to read this in conjunction with the regular minor-league report today. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily If you’re looking for the rest of today’s minor league report, click here. However, the Kernels first win of the season provided lots of postgame conversation, and I thought enough to add this Kernels report separately. Click here for the remainder of today's minor league report. First, just a reminder that Cedar Rapids is around four to five hours from the Twin Cities, depending upon your starting point. It’s a pretty quick drive. If you haven’t previously attended a Kernels game, consider it. It’s a fun atmosphere. It is some quality baseball. You can see several future Twins. Of note, since the Kernels became an affiliate of the Twins in 2013, 75 former Kernels have reached the big leagues. You truly are seeing (at least part of) the Twins future. I also recommend Haciendo, Nachos and Spanish Rice!! And, if you’re there on a nice night, head down the left field line and get a frozen hot chocolate from Toms (Frozen Treats, maybe. I don’t remember the full name, but you’ll find it!). The Kernels came into Wednesday night’s game against Dayton having started the season with two losses in Beloit, a loss for their home opener, and really wanted to get the first win. A really solid combination of hitting and pitching (and an all-important mound visit) helped the team to their first win of the year. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 11, Dayton 2 Box Score The Kernels got a clutch start from Zebby Matthews, and Rubel Cespedes led an impressive offensive display on their way to an impressive win over the loaded Dayton lineup. We have to start with Rubel Cespedes. In the first inning, he drove in Ricardo Olivar with a single. He did the exact same thing in the third inning. In the bottom of the seventh inning, he crushed a long, three-run homer that scored Olivar and Danny De Andrade. In the bottom of the eighth, he came up one more time and drove in Luke Keaschall and Olivar on a single to right field. On the day, he went 4-for-5 with his second homer and seven RBI. His season line currently shows a .636 batting average with a 1.940 OPS. After the game, he said (via translator and co-pitching coach AJ Angulo), “We have a plan. We work in the cage, and we’ve executed the plan in the game. That’s why I’m getting good results.” Regarding the three-run blast, Cespedes noted, “I’m just looking for the ball and reacting to it. I’m executing the plan. I’m sticking to the plan and executing my plan.” He came to the plate with runners in scoring position in four at-bats and came through each time. “Same mentality. It fires me up, having runners on, so I can help the team win. At the end of the day, if we keep bringing runs in, we will have success and we’re going to win ball games.” data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== His manager Brian Dinkelman, who once had a four-hit game in the big leagues, said, “Four-hit games are hard to come by and to have a three-run homer on top of it also. Really good game from Cespy tonight. He’s been swinging the bat really well the first four games already.” Dinkelman moved Cespedes from the seven spot on Tuesday night to the five-spot in the lineup on Wednesday night. “You kind of play around with the lineup a little bit and see what blends well. He's been swinging the bat as well as anybody so try to get him more toward the top of the lineup, get his at-bats, hopefully with runners on base, and it paid off tonight.” On his first post-teen day, the now-20-year-old Danny De Andrade went 3-for-4. Following Tuesday’s game, the manager said that most days he will find himself somewhere in the middle of the Kernels’ lineup. I asked him if he plans on playing him at shortstop everyday too. The response? “He’s going to play the majority of his games at shortstop, but I think we’re going to try to get him some action at second and third also. You never know. You get to the big leagues and they already have someone there that’s the everyday shortstop. We want you to go play second base. I think it’s good in the minor leagues to get some exposure to different positions, just so you have some awareness and understanding of each position. If you do make the big leagues, you’re not caught off guard having not played there before and not know what to do. This is the time for them to learn other positions too in case that opportunities comes.” Olivar went 2-for-3 with two walks and a double. He scored four runs. And, he did a nice job in left field on Wednesday after playing behind the plate on Tuesday. Luke Keaschall was robbed of a hit in his first at-bat on a bad call at first base. However, he ended the night 2-for-4 with a walk. Dinkelman says he “has a good approach at the plate. Good understanding of the strike zone. Has some thump in his bat when he gets into a ball. He can run. Defensively, he’ll continue to work at second base, throwing and stuff like that.” Keoni Cavaco had a single and a double in four at-bats. I told him before the game that I felt a three-hit game for him. When we reconvened after the game, we both agreed that two hits was just fine on this night. Zebby Matthews was Terrific on the Mound It may not be evident from the final score, but this was a really tightly contested ballgame until the Kernels scored five runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth frame. Zebby Matthews took the mound for his first start of the season and looked really good. Let’s start with the stat line. Over five innings, he gave up just one run on four hits. He walked none and struck out eight batters. If that’s all I wrote, the report would be very positive. His catcher, Nate Baez, said, “Zebby is really good at just pounding the zone and attacking hitters. We just stuck with our plan and trusted what he had and his stuff. It was just working today.” Next, let's look at the scouting report. Matthews is known for filling the strike zone, not walking anyone. When drafted, he was touching 90, maybe 91 on occasion. On this night, he was sitting 93-96, and he hit 97 mph a couple of times. And, he has done that without losing control or command of the strike zone. His secondary stuff looked really good as well and he got a lot of swings and misses. This year, he also is throwing a cutter with higher vertical break in the 90-92 range. He is going with a more-traditional slider (as opposed to the sweeper). He's got a changeup that is thrown in the low-80s to keep hitters off balance. And, he's got a nice curveball that he continues to work on to try to throw it a little harder. Matthews said that adding velocity has been a goal, something he has worked hard to do. “It’s a part of the process. I think every pitcher wants to throw harder. I give props to the coaches and all of the player development staff. They do a really good job of keeping us, giving us goals to reach. They do a really good job of helping us get there.” Dinkelman noted, “Last year, we put him in the ‘pen at the end of the season. He was 94, 96, whatever. Throws strikes, and he got some swing-and-miss tonight with eight strikeouts. It was a good outing for him.” One Fantastic Mound Visit One more piece to the Zebby Matthews “puzzle” on this evening isn’t necessarily something that’s measurable, but you sure do notice when you see it. In the fourth inning, the Kernels held a 2-0 lead with one out. Suddenly, Dayton knocked three straight singles. Was their vaunted lineup about to put up a crooked number? Co-pitching coach Jonas Lovin and catcher Nate Baez walked out to the mound. It was a fairly extended trip to the mound, but when Lovin got back to the dugout, and Baez returned to the plate, Matthews had found a new level. He proceeded to strike out the next two batters, leaving two runners stranded. His competitive nature showed up and he played the role of bulldog. Baez said, “We just slowed him down a bit, let him catch his breath, and then just had him stick with his plan.” Matthews said, “It just gave me a breather. I had given up three singles in a row. With that many consecutive at-bats, they gave me a breather, helped me re-focus. Reminded me to stick to the game plan.” Lovin added a little more detail to the conversation. “I told him I love that he works fast, but in this situation, take a second to catch your breath because he looked rushed. And, then I gave him the scouting report on the next two hitters, and he did the rest.” Dinkelman summarized, “That was a big swing in the game to keep us ahead after they got three straight runners on. Good job by Zebby to get us through five innings.” Matthews came back out for the fifth and had a perfect inning. He had two strikeouts, and his night ended with a web gem from left fielder Ricardo Olivar. Matthews noted, “The only thing I want to do is go deep into starts and give my team a chance to win. I just go out there and do my job” You can see all eight strikeouts and Olivar’s catch here: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== AJ Labas came in. He was charged with an unearned run over 1 2/3 innings. He had three strikeouts. Then Ricardo Velez entered the game. He gave up a couple of hits, but no runs. He struck out three batters. Miguelangel Boadas struck out two batters in a scoreless ninth. ‘ The Kernels pitching staff finished the night with 16 strikeouts and they didn’t walk a single batter. While this type of result is always the goal, it isn't normal. Lovin added, "Control and command is a massive part of our minor-league development. Punch guys out, limit damage, and don't give free passes. Throw nasty stuff in the zone." Of course, that's easier said than done. Dinkelman was clearly happy after the game to have that first Win. “Like hitters, you always want to get that first hit and settle in and get going. We’ve had that with a lot of guys. I think, hopefully now, everybody settles in and feels better about themselves and continue that going forward.” Please feel free to ask questions about the Kernels and their roster. I've seen two games now, so the sample size is quite small. However, first impressions are sometimes interesting. I will be at Thursday night's Kernels' game before leaving Cedar Rapids. View full article

The Mighty Mussels made a valiant comeback only to give up their lead late. The Saints fell to a veteran starter who is off to a great start and a power-hitting rehabber. Wichita got rained out. Here is the primary Minor League Report for Wednesday. There will be a Kernels-only report as well, filled with quotes after their first win of the season. Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Maddux Houghton going through the line on Opening Day). Please note that today's Minor League Report is actually split into two reports. Below, you will find most of the information you would expect. However, since I am in Cedar Rapids, and the Kernels won their first game, and there is a lot to write about that game, I am going to do a separate Kernels report. Please check that out. It will be available soon. We are still incredibly early in the season. Over the rest of the week, there will be several pitchers making their first starts of the season for their Twins’ affiliate, but there are already lots of storylines to follow. While we don’t really have any reason to look at the standings for a couple of months, I’ll include it anyway. Minnesota Twins: 4-6 St. Paul Saints: 5-5 Wichita Wind Surge: 1-3 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 1-3 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 3-2 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Wichita placed RHP Cody Laweryson on the 7-Day Injured List. In a surprise move, RHP Jace Stoffal, the team’s eighth-round pick in 2023 from Oregon, officially retired on Tuesday. In recent days, catchers Duncan Hewitt and Frank Nigro were released by the Twins. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 1, Iowa 4 Box Score 29-year-old lefty Thomas Pannone made his third start of the season for the Iowa Cubs. In his first start, he gave up two hits over five scoreless innings. In his second start, he gave up two hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. So maybe the Saints shouldn’t feel too bad about scoring just one run on three hits and two walks against Pannone. Powerful Patrick Wisdom provided the offense the Cubs’ needed to take down the Saints. Wisdom hit a deep fly ball to right-center field that landed beyond the fence. Jake Slaughter and Ali Sanchez scored in front of the rehabbing-big leaguer. Wisdom is currently on the Cubs’ Injured List. Over the past three years with Chicago, he has hit a combined 76 home runs. Until that point, Randy Dobnak was very good again. However, his final line shows three runs allowed on five hits. He walked one and struck out seven batters. Matt Bowman struck out three batters over 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Diego Castillo came on and gave up one run on two hits over 1 2/3 innings. He gave up a solo home to Cubs powerful outfield prospect Alexander Canario. Ryan Jensen came in for the ninth inning and struck out three batters. The Saints had just six hits in the game. Chris Williams led the way with two hits including his second double. Michael Helman hit his first double of the season. Helman scored the team’s lone run in the sixth inning on a Yunior Severino single. The game began 32 minutes late due to a rain delay, but it finished in two hours and 43 minutes. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita, Springfield (Postponed) Box Score The game was postponed due to inclement weather. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Friday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 11, Dayton 2 Box Score It was a terrific night in Cedar Rapids for the Kernels. The bats showed up. The pitching was fantastic. I talked to quite a few people. So, I decided to create a separate article for the Kernels report. Be sure to check that out right here. Lots of quotes from the likes of Brian Dinkelman, Zebby Matthews, Rubel Cespedes, Nate Baez, and more. Click here for the Kernels Report: Rubel Cespedes and Zebby Matthews Lead Kernels to Season's First Win. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Clearwater 8 Box Score It was a back-and-forth game in Clearwater on Wednesday night. The Threshers grabbed two in the bottom of the third. The Mussels responded with one in the fourth. Clearwater added three in the bottom of the fifth frame. All five runs were charged to starting pitcher Ty Langenberg. The 2023 draft pick from the University of Iowa gave up five runs on nine hits in five innings. He walked none but struck out, you guessed it, five batters. Spending the past couple of days in Cedar Rapids, there are some Kernels fans who are eager to see Langenberg move up to High-A. I would suspect it won’t take more than about a half-season. Lefty Wilker Reyes came on and struck out three batters over two scoreless innings. That allowed the Mussels to show off their muscles. Maddux Houghton’s first homer of the season drove in Yohander Martinez and Angel Del Rosario to cut the deficit to 5-4. With Byron Chourio on base, Brandon Winokur’s first home run put the Mussels ahead 6-5. The Mussels added another run in the eighth inning on a Houghton ground out. Up by two, Brian Meyer turned to Xander Hamilton for the bottom of the eighth. Unfortunately, he gave up three runs on two hits and a walk in the inning. The Mussels went quietly in the top of the ninth. Eight of the nine Mussels hitters had at least one hit. Rayne Doncon went hitless, but he walked twice. Del Rosario and Houghton, the team’s eight and nine hitters in this game, each went 2-for-4. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY (The Kernels will get their own, though both awards would certainly belong to Kernels on a normal report.) Hitter of the Day – Maddux Houghton (Fort Myers) - 2-for-4, HR(1), R, 4 RBI, Pitcher of the Day – Ryan Jensen (St. Paul) - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #4 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids) – 0-for-5 #7 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) – 0-for-2, BB (played CF) #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, HR(1), 2 RBI, 3 K (played 3B) #12 – Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-4, 2B(1), BB, 2 R, RBI, 1 BB (DHd) #15 – Danny De Andrade (Cedar Rapids) – 3-for-4, HBP, R, RBI, SB(1). #16 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-for-3, BB, RBI, K (played 3B) #19 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 2-for-3, 2B(1), 4 R, 2 BB, K (played LF) THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Iowa @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CST) - RHP David Festa (0-0, 1.59 ERA) Wichita @ Springfield (6:35 PM CST) - LHP Jarret Whorff (First Start), facing Tink Hence. Dayton @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) - RHP Andrew Morris (First Start) Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:30 PM CST) - Ross Dunn (0-0, 2.25 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics! View full article