Seth Stohs

I do try to be as often as possible... Ha! Adding to my thoughts above, he hasn't played in a couple of weeks. And won't play now for 6-7 days... so get him some at bats and then move him.

Good for you and thank you for posting this. It's fun to read some positives here... But sadly, as you can see, most commenters prefer to go negative as much as possible. They'll tell you things that they haven't liked from the last 8-9 months. They'll talk about how this front office isn't different, despite the top two positions being completely different... But stay positive!! I think it was a strong draft...

I don't think that's a fair blanket statement. Rooker maybe has faced better competition and succeeded, but not all.

I used to care about where a guy would start too... but I don't any more. I think getting them acclimated to pro ball, wood bats, travel, playing every day is all part of it. I also believe that the relationships are important. I think if Rooker spent two weeks in E-Town, he'll develop relationships with the 2017 draft guys, plus the ET coaches. If it was me, I'd then send him to Cedar Rapids for 2-4 weeks. Let him get to know 25 more guys and three more coaches. Then, if it was me, I'd send him to Ft. Myers for the final 4-5 weeks. Again, 25+ more teammates and 3 more coaches. Then to Instructs... maybe even the AFL... again, that'd be aggressive. If Chattanooga is in the playoffs, and they probably will be, maybe push him up there for the last week and the playoffs. But regardless, he'll most likely start 2018 in Chattanooga (unless he's just awful in FM or CR), and from there, he could be up in the big leagues by midseason... That would be incredibly aggressive... Very unlikely, but at almost 23, possible, I guess. Some of Rooker's timeline could be based on Eddie Rosario and Zack Granite and Daniel Palka too. If someone steps up and joins Kepler and Buxton as a regular in the outfield, there's little reason to rush him if he's not going to play every day.

I agree. This is an evaluation year for Falvey and Levine... That includes people that are and have been here. It appears they'll get some opportunity and give the FO more data points. At some point that will shift. Tonkin and Santana got about six weeks. Some of the others got less. Eventually these guys will get an opportunity.

Wilk didn't even have a place... He wasn't even on the 40 man roster... So, that was a choice... Could have gone to Felix Jorge (who is on the 40 man and pitching well) or even Fernando Romero (though he just pitched)... But, you just kind of play the schedule as it comes.

Because he missed two months with a shoulder issue... He's back at 100% now. Give him 2-3 more starts there and then move him up. I think that's a pretty solid timeline. ...and move him up TO ROCHESTER... though in a month, that could change to TO MINNESOTA. Ha!

I'd put money on Rooker spending at least a little bit of time in Elizabethton and then getting up to Cedar Rapids with a possibility of finishing in Ft. Myers. From what I'm told, the guys in the Top 10 rounds come to Minnesota to sign, and guys in rounds 11-40 do all that in Ft. Myers.

Day 2 Schedule: Class A #1 Parkers Prairie vs #4 Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove #2 Legacy Christian Academy 7 vs Wabasha-Kellogg 5 Class AA #1 Minnehaha Academy 8 #4 Maple Lake 3 Duluth Marshall 11, #4 Pierz 0 Class AAA Waconia 7, #4 Marshall 6 Hibbing 8 vs #3 Alexandria 7 Class AAAA Eden Prairie 14 vs #4 Lakeville #2 Forest Lake vs Woodbury Consolation Bracket games are being played at secondary locations this morning and early afternoon as well. Again, if you're at these games or go to any of them, feel free to provide an update.

UPDATE: Twins Daily learned that Alan Busenitz (with Alex Wimmers) will join the Twins on Saturday. I don’t think anyone reading this would be taken aback if I were to say that the Minnesota Twins bullpen has been a bit shaky to this point this year. Not all of them. For the most part, Brandon Kintzler, Taylor Rogers and Tyler Duffey have been quite good. After that, there have been some moments, but a lot of inconsistency. While there’s been a rotating door into the Target Field bullpen, there are some guys in the minor leagues who warrant an opportunity. Chief among them just might be a hard-throwing right-hander in Rochester who appears to be ready. Image courtesy of Joe Territo/Rochester Red Wings UPDATE: Twins Daily learned that Alan Busenitz (with Alex Wimmers) will join the Twins on Saturday. I don’t think anyone reading this would be taken aback if I were to say that the Minnesota Twins bullpen has been a bit shaky to this point this year. Not all of them. For the most part, Brandon Kintzler, Taylor Rogers and Tyler Duffey have been quite good. After that, there have been some moments, but a lot of inconsistency. While there’s been a rotating door into the Target Field bullpen, there are some guys in the minor leagues who warrant an opportunity. Chief among them just might be a hard-throwing right-hander in Rochester who appears to be ready. Alan Busenitz has been terrific since coming to the Twins organization at last year’s trade deadline. Everyone is familiar with the trade in which the Twins sent Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer to the Angels in exchange for Hector Santiago. Few recall that the Twins received hard-throwing right-hander Busenitz from the Angels as well. While the Twins bullpen has been a mess, Busenitz has been a consistent contributor late in games for the Red Wings. On the season, he has worked 29.1 innings in 19 games. He has a 2.15 ERA, a 0.85 WHIP, 9.8 K/9 and just 2.8 BB/9. Opponents have hit just .165 off of him so far this year. While he’s just 6-1 and under 200 pounds, he is blessed with a strong arm. He’ll often reach into the upper-90s with a fastball. He also has a very good breaking ball. It is the usage of the breaking ball, he says, that has really helped him take a step forward in 2017 and credits his Red Wings pitching coach. “I’ve been working with Stu (Cliburn) on throwing the curveball more for a strike. I used to throw it more for swings and misses, but then I would fall behind.” Being able to get ahead with a secondary pitch was important for the 26-year-old from Georgia. And, as you can see from his 2017 stats, he is still able to miss enough bats. While Twins fans are clamoring for bullpen help, Busenitz is just working hard down in Rochester, waiting for his turn. In fact, he says, he hasn’t really given the thought of being called up too much thought. Asked what it would mean to receive that call to the big leagues, Busenitz said, “I don’t even know. It’d be a whole lot of emotion.” He continued, “Probably, first and foremost, my wife would be pumped because that would mean we could move forward even faster on building a house. That’s what she’s after. That would be the first thing on her list.” It would be a day even bigger than the day that he got drafted. That was a busy day for Busenitz. “It was a good day all the way around. My wife’s sister was getting married that day, and then I got drafted so everybody was all excited. As I remember, I was kind of nervous because I didn’t know if I was going to because I wasn’t really even a prospect or anything. Next thing I know, I get a call. I was half watching but it was during the wedding. My cousin called me, and I was like, “Who drafted me?” I didn’t see who it was. He was like, “The Angels.” So, it was pretty funny. A good time. On August 1st last year, Busenitz was sitting in a hotel room in Sacramento when his phone rang. On the other end was the Angels minor league director. “He asked me how my day was, and then said, ‘Oh, you’ve been traded.’ A day later, I was in a different uniform.” He spent a few weeks in Chattanooga, adjusting to the new organization. He ended last year in Rochester which is where his 2017 season began. Busenitz did pitch in one game for the Twins in spring training this year, but maybe his time is coming soon to pitch for the Twins in the regular season. -------------------------------------------------- But Busenitz isn’t the only relief pitcher working in Rochester, biding his time until he get that call. Trevor Hildenberger has been our minor league relief pitcher of the year the last two seasons. His 2016 season ended about a month early with some elbow soreness. He began 2017 in Rochester. In 19 games, he has worked 27 innings. He is 2-1 with four saves. He has a 2.33 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP and opponents have hit just .235 off of him. Randy Rosario came up directly from AA, in part because he is on the 40-man roster, and in larger part because he pitched great throughout May. Lookouts closer John Curtiss did not allow an earned run all season until Tuesday night when he gave up two earned runs. He is 2-0 with 12 saves. He has a 0.75 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, 12.8 K/9 (but 4.5 BB/9). Opponents are hitting just .145 off of him so far this year. ----------------------------------------------------- Brandon Kintzler, Tyler Duffey and Taylor Rogers have been mainstays of the Twins bullpen all season. Matt Belisle and Craig Breslow have been there all year, but it’s fair to say each has had their struggles. So has Rule 5 pick Justin Haley, who has also seen plenty of time on the disabled list. Adam Wilk and Chris Heston have been claimed and pitched in the Twins bullpen. Ryan Pressly, Alex Wimmers, Buddy Boshers, Drew Rucinski and Michael Tonkin have all split their seasons between AAA and the big leagues. Even Jason Wheeler made a couple of appearance. The Twins front office is tossing darts, trying to find a successful combination, some guys who can be reliable. Several have had their opportunities, and it’s likely we will see more. Hildenberger and Busenitz are both 26-years-old all ready, and their minor league numbers tell us that they are ready for an opportunity. Curtiss is 24, so a bump to AAA should be coming for him soon, and then potentially to the big leagues. Rosario will be back at some point, and Mason Melotakis is another guy who is in AA, probably needing a move up to AAA. Moving deck chairs is a phrase that Jeremy Nygaard and others have used as it relates to working on the fringes of the big league bullpen (and the back of the 40-man roster). There are some guys whose AAA success should warrant an opportunity soon. View full article

Day one is complete... There were a few upsets. Tough days for Carlson and Koenig, but future Gopher and Twins pick Max Meyer's Woodbury team advances.

Check out how young this Ely lineup is...

Sam Carlson gave up seven runs in just two innings as Lakeville North beat Burnsville 8-0.

And it's most likely they had a deal with him before the draft started, not just on Day 2...

Scoreboard (I'll update this throughout the day... please provide updates below if I miss some): Class A (Mini-Met in Jordan) Pillager 0 vs #1 Parkers Prairie 8 #5 Fosston 1 vs #4 Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove 11 Ely 4 vs #2 Legacy Christian Academy 9 Wabasha-Kellogg 2 vs #3 Martin Luther/GHEC-Truman 0 Class AA (Dick Putz Field, St. Cloud) Warroad 5 vs # 1 Minnehaha Academy 10 #5 Rochester Lourdes 1 vs #4 Maple Lake 11 Duluth Marshall 8 vs #4 Belle Plaine 4 New London-Spicer 2 vs #3 Pierz 6 Class AAA (Siebert Field - U of MN) Mahtomedi 1 vs #1 Waconia 2 (9 innings) #5 Marshall 3 vs #4 Red Wing 1 Hibbing 9 vs #2 St. Cloud Tech 4 St. Thomas Academy 2 vs #3 Alexandria Area 7 Class AAAA (CHS Field, St. Paul) Eden Prairie 6 vs #1 Wayzata 1 #5 Burnsville 0 vs #4 Lakeville North 8 Maple Grove 5 vs #2 Forest Lake 6 Woodbury 4 vs #3 Champlin Park 1

Today (Thursday) begins the 2017 Minnesota State Baseball Tournament. I don't know how many of our readers are interested, but certainly some of you are aware of it, maybe even involved in it. And, there are several players in it who were drafted this week. So, if you're into it, or see articles on it, let's talk about it here. Please post links or share stories as you'd like and are able. Here are the four brackets: All championship games will be on Monday at Target Field. Class A (Mini-Met in Jordan) Pillager vs #1 Parkers Prairie #5 Fosston vs #4 Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove Ely vs #2 Legacy Christian Academy Wabasha-Kellogg vs #3 Martin Luther/GHEC-Truman Class AA (Dick Putz Field, St. Cloud) Warroad vs Minnehaha Academy #5 Rochester Lourdes vs #4 Maple Lake Duluth Marshall vs #2 Belle Plaine New London-Spicer vs #3 Pierz Class AAA (Siebert Field - U of MN) Mahtomedi vs #1 Waconia #5 Marshall vs #4 Red Wing Hibbing vs #2 St. Cloud Tech St. Thomas Academy vs #3 Alexandria Area Class AAAA (CHS Field, St. Paul) Eden Prairie vs #1 Wayzata #5 Burnsville vs #4 Lakeville North Maple Grove vs #2 Forest Lake Woodbury vs #3 Champlin Park Players Drafted: Brewers 40th round, Trevor Koenig from St. Cloud Tech Twins 34th round, Max Meyer from Woodbury Mariners 2nd round, Sam Carlson from Burnsville Hopefully we'll have some readers update this through the next couple of days.

Correct... that is the nature of the draft. The reality is that we just don't know, so all we can do is 'judge' the strategy. If they get one star out of a draft class, that's tremendous. If they can get a star, a solid regular (mid-rotation starter, lineup contributor for 3-4 years), and a couple of part-time guys (utility, bullpen, spot starter) in a draft, that's hugely successful. Like I've said in other threads... I think that it was a very sound strategy and they ended up with the best high school player in the draft, the best college hitter in 2017, and two high-ceiling starting pitchers from the high school ranks. Well done, I'd say, and now we'll find out in 5-10 years how it all panned out.

Ft. Myers’ offense has been up and down much of the year. After lots of rain and delays, the Miracle scored 18 runs on Wednesday. Max Murphy led off and led the way for the Miracle, getting on base in one game and driving in runs in the other. Nick Gordon hit a monster home run. Zack Granite’s hitting streak was extended. The Kernels are still looking to clinch a playoff berth. And, the Lookouts received another strong start from Fernando Romero. It was a busy day in the Twins minor league system. Image courtesy of Kim Klement, USA Today (photo of Fernando Romero) Ft. Myers’ offense has been up and down much of the year. After lots of rain and delays, the Miracle scored 18 runs on Wednesday. Max Murphy led off and led the way for the Miracle, getting on base in one game and driving in runs in the other. Nick Gordon hit a monster home run. Zack Granite’s hitting streak was extended. The Kernels are still looking to clinch a playoff berth. And, the Lookouts received another strong start from Fernando Romero. It was a busy day in the Twins minor league system. Find out everything and more that happened happened in the Twins system on Saturday night, starting with the transactions of the day. TRANSACTIONS Check out the transactions through the minor league system on Wednesday: The Red Wings officially announced that Nick Tepesch has been assigned to Rochester where he is on the disabled list (elbow impingement). Drew Rucinski, DFAd last week, was also re-signed by the Twins and assigned to the Red Wings. Kevin Chapman, the LHP acquired from Atlanta in the Danny Santana deal, was released. Dereck Rodriguez was assigned back to Ft. Myers (where he will likely pitch in the FSL All Star game and probably then return to Chattanooga). Randy LeBlanc was promoted back to Chattanooga. Again. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 6 Box Score Zack Granite has been on fire the last few weeks. On this night, he went 3-5 with two doubles. Over his now 13 game hitting streak, he is 27-55. John Ryan Murphy, Bengie Gonzalez and Engelb Vielma each went 2-4 in the game. Matt Hague went 1-3 with two walks. David Hurlbut started and gave up four runs on seven hits. In five innings, he walked one and struck out three. Drew Rucinski was perfect for the next two innings. Michael Tonkin came in to protect a one-run lead. Unfortunately, he gets the loss. He gave up two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on two hits and two walks. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 8, Tennessee 1 Box Score If you want to write up what you would like to see in a game for your favorite team, it might look a lot like this Lookouts win. They got ahead early, got a very strong, lengthy start, added some runs late and win the game. Nick Gordon got things going in the second when he launched his sixth home run literally out of Smokies Stadium. Gordon went 2-5 in the game. Fellow Southern League All-Stars Edgar Corcino and LaMonte Wade each had 3-5 nights. Jonathan Rodriguez provided some power late. He was 2-4 with his sixth homer. In between, TJ White, who went 2-5 and is now hitting .320 since his return to the lineup, went 2-5 with his second homer. Fernando Romero got the start and was quite strong. He started with five shutout innings, gave up a run in the sixth and then recovered with a scoreless seventh inning. Romero went seven innings and gave up one run on seven hits. He struck out seven without issuing a walk. Todd Van Steensel closed the door with two scoreless frames. MIRACLE MATTERS Game 1 - Ft. Myers 9, Charlotte 3 Box Score The Miracle used their bats, and didn’t use their bats, on their way to a big win in the first game of a doubleheader. Max Murphy, batting leadoff, went 0-1 but walked four times.Alex Perez was 2-4 with a walk. Trey Vavra went 1-2 with two walks. Sean Miller went 3-4, and Brian Navarreto went 2-4. In total, the Miracle scored nine runs on nine hits and 11 walks. Lewis Thorpe was back on the mound. The southpaw gave up two runs on four hits. In four innings, he walked just one and struck out eight. He left the game having thrown 68 pitches, 47 for strikes. Michael Theofanopoulos came on and gave up one run on three hits over the next two innings. Andrew Vasquez struck out one in a perfect seventh. Game 2 - Ft. Myers 4, Charlotte 9 Box Score The Miracle completed the sweep of this doubleheader with another strong offensive outburst. Max Murphy got on base in Game 1. He drove in the runs in Game 2. The outfielder went 2-3 with two doubles and five RBI. Trey Vavra went 2-3 with a walk. Kevin Garcia was 2-2 with a walk. Brady Anderson was given the start on the mound. The right-hander gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits in five innings. He struck out just one and did not issue a walk. Sam Clay threw two scoreless innings, though he gave up two hits and hit two batters. He also struck out two batters. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Quad Cities 7 Box Score The Kernels fell behind early and weren’t able to make up the difference. Domenick Carlini gave up five runs on nine hits over five innings. The lefty struck out two and walked four. Patrick McGuff came on in relief and gave up two runs on three hits and two walks over the next two innings. Evan Sanders worked a scoreless eighth frame. The Kernels had plenty of base runners. They just were not able to score a lot of runs. Nine-hitter Aaron Whitefield went 1-3 with a walk. The first four batters in the lineup (Travis Blankenhorn, Jermaine Palacios, Lewin Diaz and Mitchell Kranson) each had two hits. Blankenhorn hit his fifth triple. Sixth hitter, Brandon Lopez, also went 2-4. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Fernando Romero, Chattanooga Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Max Murphy, Ft. Myers THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/Wilkes Barre (5:35 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers Chattanooga @ Tennessee(6:00 CST) - LHP Stephen Gonsalves Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (DH at 4:30 CST) - RHPs Cody Stashak, David Fischer Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:35 CST) - RHP Clark Beeker Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Wednesday’s games. View full article

I'm more and move convinced that Royce Lewis was truly #1 on their board in terms of talent alone...

In the 40th round, the Milwaukee Brewers selected LHP Tyler Koenig from St. Cloud Tech. He is committed to St. Cloud State.

The Twins drafted Woodbury high school RHP Max Meyer in the 34th round. He'll go play for the Gophers, but a nice pick.

Saw the story when I was researching last weekend... sounds like an impressive kid!

LHP Brody Rodning taken by the Blue Jays in 13th round... Minnesota State-Mankato and Sibley East.