Seth Stohs

Needs to be added to the 40 man after the season, so I'd say he could be a September call-up. Of course, with Kepler, Buxton, Rosario and Grossman in the outfield, there's no reason to call him up before September. Might as well let him keep playing.

I've been hearing great things about him throughout EST, and he was tremendous in his first outing. Fastball 92-96 with movement. He has decent secondary stuff too. He is already 20, but he's here for the first time, so he's doing just fine. Definitely worth monitoring.

Regarding Baxendale I've always kind of seen him as fringy for a starter. But I think with a couple of mph on his fastball (from working shorter outings) to go with his slider, he could be a real solid bullpen option. Murray has a lot of work to do as a catcher defensively. He didn't really catch at Georgia Tech, so he's learning. When I talked to Jake Mauer about him, he said he's a hard worker and is very similar to where Garver was two years ago. That's certainly encouraging.

I'm not concerned... 3 of the 4 walks came in one inning. Likely trying to be a little too fine. That's something you see at various levels. Pitchers think they have to be a little more perfect with their pitches and it doesn't always work. He's got the mechanics and the pitches and the makeup. I'm not worried yet.

These minor league reports are getting longer, chock full of information on six Twins affiliates; highlights, pitchers, game summaries and more, so be sure to grab a beverage of choice and enjoy. As always, feel free to discuss and ask questions. For the second straight day, all six Twins affiliates played and there was a lot of action and some good stories. Stephen Gonsalves made his AA debut. When he was done, he was replaced by a familiar face who has returned to the organization. Tom Hackimer made his pro debut, replacing a former college teammate. Domenick Carlini was also very impressive in his pro debut and was helped by a big prospect from the Dominican. The E-Twins completed a sweep. Miguel Sano played more innings. So much going on, so be sure to read Saturday night’s minor league update.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Louisville 3 Box Score Andrew Albers made the start for the Red Wings. In 5.2 innings, he gave up three runs on ten hits. He walked one and struck out two. He left the game with two runners on. DJ Baxendale was called in for his AAA debut. He came through with a strikeout to end the sixth. He then struck out two more in the seventh and also worked a hitless eighth. 2.1 perfect innings makes for a strong debut. Marcus Walden threw a scoreless ninth inning. Miguel Sano was back at third base on Saturday night. He went 0-3 with a walk and two strikeouts before exiting the game in the 8th inning. Adam Brett Walker went 2-3 with a walk and his 8th and 9th doubles. Kennys Vargas was 1-3 with a walk and his 11th home run. James Beresford went 1-3 with two walks. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Jackson 3 Box Score For the last six weeks or more, we have been wondering aloud (in the Twins Daily forums) when Stephen Gonsalves would be promoted to AA Chattanooga. On Saturday night, he made that debut. An honest assessment would acknowledge that it was a bit shaky. However, if you consider that he gave up just two runs over five innings, it was solid. He gave up six hits, walked four and struck out six. He battled. He struck out three in the first inning but gave up a two-run single with two outs. In the fourth, he walked three to load the bases but did not allow a run. He battled, but overall, it was a nice first start for Gonsalves, something to build upon. In the sixth inning, Zack Jones made his return to the Twins organization and the Chattanooga lookouts. He walked one and gave up a hit, but struck one out in a scoreless inning. Mason Melotakis gave up two hits and a walk but struck out three to get out of the 7th inning without a run. Jake Reed worked a perfect eighth inning. With a three-run lead, Trevor Hildenberger was called in for the ninth inning. He actually gave up a run on two hits and a walk but he struck out three to save a 5-3 win. It is his 12th save with the Lookouts and 15th overall. He recorded the save for Stephen Gonsalves’ first AA win. The game was played on a day that ended in the letters D-A-Y, so Daniel Palka hit a home run, his Southern League-leading 18th homer. Zach Granite went 1-2 with a walk and two RBI. Ryan Walker went 2-3. Stuart Turner hit his 8th double and drove in two runs. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Jupiter 1 Box Score Keaton Steele was on the mound for the Miracle and had a terrific start. He gave up just one run on three hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out one. The lone run came on a solo homer. John Curtiss pitched a scoreless seventh. He got two outs in the eighth inning but left with the bases loaded. Todd Van Steensel came in and got the final out of the inning. He struck out two and also worked a perfect ninth frame for his fourth save. Edgar Corcino led the offense. He went 2-3 with his ninth double and fifth triple. TJ White went 2-4 with a walk. AJ Murray was 2-4 with his first Miracle double. Nick Gordon’s 14th double drove in a run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Beloit 12 Box Score It was a night to forget, for the most part, in Cedar Rapids. However, 2016 draft pick, side-winding Tom Hackimer made his professional debut. But, that was about it for the highlights. That’s not quite true either. While the Kernels had just four hits in the game, one of them was JJ Fernandez. He hit his fifth home run of the season. Brad Hartong went 2-3. Sean Miller had the fourth hit. Cody Stashak started and gave up seven runs on nine hits and three walks in 5.2 innings. He walked three and struck out two. He was replaced by his college teammate at St. Johns, Tom Hackimer. He got four outs without allowing a run. He walked one and struck out one. Cam Booser came in and continued to struggle with control. In 1.1 innings, he gave up five runs (four earned) on two hits and four walks. He also threw three wild pitches. He’s fought through so many injuries, but his mid-to-upper 90s fastball makes him still intriguing. Sam Gibbons got the final two outs on strikeouts. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 5, Kingsport 1 Box Score With this win the E-Twins start their season with a three-game road trip in Kingsport. This was a very well-played game with good pitching and hitting. Domenick Carlini made his first pro start. The lefty who was the 21st round pick from Southeastern Louisiana was on his game. He gave up one run on five hits over six innings. He walked none and struck out three. Righty Tyler Beardsley, the Twins 16th round pick from Sacramento State, picked up his first pro save with three shutout innings. He gave up just one hit, walked one and struck out one. Offensively, Amaurys Minier led the way. The first baseman went 3-5 and each of his singles drove in runs. He had a two-run and two, one-run singles to give him four RBIs. Ariel Montesino went 2-5 to drop his season batting average to .500 (5-10). Jaylin Davis added his 2nd home run of the young season. Shane Carrier recorded his first hit as a pro, a double. Travis Blankenhorn went 0-3 but was on base four times and scored three times. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 0, GCL Red Sox 3 Box Score The GCL Twins were shut out on Saturday morning in their second game. They managed just three hits and no runners advanced past second base. Joe Cronin had a nice day though. He went 1-2 with two walks. Jean Carlos Arias went 1-3 with a walk. Huascar Ynoa made his first start. He was charged with two runs on seven hits over five innings. He walked on and struck out two. Moises Gomez walked one in an otherwise uneventful inning. Zach Strecker made his first appearance. In his inning, he gave up an unearned run on two hits. Onas Farfan struck out four, and walked one, over two hitless innings. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Domenick Carlini, Elizabethton Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Amaurys Minier, Elizabethton Twins SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Louisville @ Rochester (12:35 CST) - LHP Jason Wheeler (6-1, 2.49 ERA) Jackson @ Chattanooga (1:15 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers (5-4, 3.59 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Jupiter (3:05 CST) - LHP Randy Rosario (3-5, 3.38 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 CST) – LHP Lachlan Wells (1st MWL start) Elizabethton @ Johnson City (6:00 CST) - RHP Ryan Mason (1st pro start) GCL Twins - No Game Scheduled. Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Saturday's games. Click here to view the article

I'm told that Tademo has a strong feel for hitting and there is a thought that he could develop power over time. His best position is 3B thoughhe could also play SS and 2B. Marte is a switch-hitting middle infielder. A speed guy.

Gonsalves was promoted, because it was time and he's ready for that next challenge, but a couple of people I talked to said that Jorge is easily the top pitcher at Ft. Myers and has been for awhile. Good stuff, throws hard, throws strikes, gets ground balls and people think he will eventually add more strikeouts.

I mean, Johan wasn't Johan for a year or two. He was a Rule 5 guy, so it's hard to project. That said, Obviously there is hope to have upper-half-of-rotation (meaning 1, 2 and reliable 3s - guys you feel OK about making starts in the playoffs one day). Tyler Jay... Kohl Stewart maybe. Gonsalves maybe. Romero has the kind of stuff to get excited about. Jorge, I think he'll eventually strikeout more. There are some guys who could be... but if the bar is Santana, that's pretty tough.

I would think so, though in my mind, Shortstop is certainly his best position.

I think he will be. Smart though to get him some games in Ft. Myers to get going... that didn't take long. Ha!

Friday was the first day in which all six Minnesota Twins domestic affiliates played a game. The GCL Twins played at jetBlue Stadium in Ft. Myers and got some great pitching. Felix Jorge and Daniel Palka did things they’ve done all year. Two guys had big games in Elizabethton. Man, there is so much in today’s minor league report including a huge return for a player who has missed the first two months of the season with injury. Miguel Sano made his AAA debut. You’ll just have to keep reading.This is my favorite time of the year. Six (or more) box scores most every day. Prospects galore all getting another opportunity to show something. The short-season affiliates are full of guys that have been sitting in extended spring training waiting for this, and the 2016 draft picks would like nothing more than to start off their professional careers on a high note. Six box scores is a lot of work, but it's so much fun! Enjoy! Ask lots of questions. Here is Friday night’s minor league update. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Louisville 5 (12 innings) Box Score Logan Darnell started for the Red Wings on Friday night. The southpaw gave up four runs on five hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out seven. Ryan O’Rourke threw a scoreless top of the seventh inning, but the Red Wings were down 4-0. In the bottom of the 7th, John Ryan Murphy came to the plate with the bases loaded. He delivered a bases-clearing double. It was followed by a Jorge Polanco single to tie the game at four. JT Chargois came in and struck out two in the eighth inning. The Red Wings went scoreless in the bottom of the inning. Chargois stayed in to start the ninth and did not give up a run, reducing his Red Wings ERA to just 0.48. The score remained tied at four until the 12th inning thanks to two shutout innings from Alex Wimmers. In the top of the 12th, Sean Burnett gave up one run on one walk and one hit. In the bottom of the 12th, the Red Wings sent three men, Rosario, Field and Wickens, to the plate and each went down on strikes. Miguel Sano made his first appearance. He played five innings at third base and only had one play. He caught a pop up. He walked in his first plate appearance and then grounded out in his second. James Beresford and Jorge Polanco were both 2-6. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Jackson 8 Box Score It was a rough outing for Ryan Eades in his first second half start. The right-hander gave up eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out four. Luke Westphal threw two innings. He gave up a hit and a walk and struck out two without giving up a run. Raul Fernandez threw the final two innings. He gave up a hit, walked one and struck out one, but did not allow a run. Daniel Palka hit his 17th homer of the season, which leads the Southern League. Mitch Garver went 2-4 and drove in the other Lookouts run. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Jupiter 1 Box Score Felix Jorge did Felix Jorge things on the mound, and Niko Goodrum returned to game action with a big game. Let’s start on the mound though. Jorge improved to 7-3 with a 1.58 ERA. He gave up one run on five hits over six innings. He struck out three without a walk. Brandon Peterson worked a perfect seventh frame. Yorman Landa recorded his fifth save by giving up just one hit over two scoreless innings. Niko Goodrum has been out and on the disabled list since late in spring training. He had a stress reaction in his foot. He was activated yesterday and sent to Ft. Myers to get some game action. In his first game back, Goodrum batted third and played shortstop. He went 4-5 with three doubles. Not a bad way to come back. Trey Vavra and Max Murphy each went 2-5. Tanner Witt went 1-2 with two walks. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Beloit 4 Box Score The Kernels fell behind 2-0 in the first inning, but they came back a couple of times to pick up a nice win. In the third inning, Brad Hartong’s double was followed by Sean Miller’s second home run of the year. It tied the game at two even though they were the only two hits the Kernels had at that time. Then the pitchers put up zeros until the sixth inning when Kernels starter Eduardo Del Rosario was charged with two more runs. However, in the 7th, the Kernels struck for four runs. Austin Diemer hit a solo home run. A JJ Fernandez double scored Rainis Silva to tie the game at four. Chris Ibarra scored the go-ahead run when Brad Hartong hit into a fielder’s choice. Finally, Fernandez scored on a Miller sacrifice fly. Diemer led the way, going 2-3 with his first homer in his return to Cedar Rapids. Miller was 1-3 with his second homer and three RBI. Hartong’s double was his fifth, while Fernandez’s double was his third. Del Rosario started and gave up four runs on nine hits over 5.2 innings. He walked three and struck out two. Williams Ramirez came in and threw 2.1 hitless innings. He walked two and struck out two. Anthony McIver pitched the ninth. He gave up two hits, but got a strikeout and a game-inning ending play to record his third save. E-Twins E-Notes Elizabethton 4, Kingsport 0 Box Score There were a couple of batters with strong games on Friday night, but when a team throws a shutout, we’ll most likely talk about the pitching first. Alex Robinson, a reliever drafted out of Maryland in 2015, made the start for the E-Twins. The good news? He threw 4.2 shutout innings, gave up just two hits and struck out eight batters. The non-good news? He walked six batters. Max Cordy came in for the final out of the fifth and got five more batters out. He gave up one hit, walked two and struck out two. Colton Davis got the final seven outs to record his first save. Two players highlighted the E-Twins offense. In the first inning, Lewin Diaz doubled in Travis Blankenhorn, who had singled. In the third inning, Jaylin Davis doubled in Travis Blankenhorn, who had walked and stole second base. In the eighth inning, they got some insurance when Travis Blankenhorn and Lewin Diaz hit solo homers. Blankenhorn finished the day by going 2-3 with a walk and his second homer. He scored three of the four runs. Diaz made his first start and hit his first double and first home run of the year. Mitchell Kranson, in his first game, played third base and recorded his first professional hit, a double. Caleb Hamilton played shortstop and got his first hit, a single. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 5, GCL Red Sox 3 Box Score The GCL Twins took to the field for the first time this season in a game that counted. Yesterday, we reviewed the roster. Several of those players made their pro debuts on Friday. Joe Cronin led the offense. He went 2-5 and stole a base. Speedster Jean Carlos Arias went 2-4 with a double and two stolen bases. Jorge Munoz had a double. Ben Rortvedt caught the whole game and went 1-4 with a single and an RBI. Miguel De Jesus was the story. The right-hander worked five innings and gave up just one hit. He walked none and struck out five. He was sitting 92-96, with movement, and attacked the strike zone. Daniel Martinez came on and was charged with two runs on three hits and got just two outs. However, the first two batters he faced grounded out. He struck out the third, but on a wild pitch the batter got on base. Could have been a great inning, but then three straight hits scored two runs. Brady Anderson came on and got four outs, three of them on strikeouts. Garrett Kelly gave up just a walk, but the runner scored. Patrick McGuff recorded the save with a perfect inning, including two strikeouts. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Felix Jorge, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Travis Blankenhorn, Elizabethton Twins SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Louisville @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - LHP Andrew Albers (6-1, 3.36 ERA) Jackson @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - LHP Stephen Gonsalves (0-0, 1st AA Start) Ft. Myers @ Jupiter (4:30 CST) - RHP Keaton Steele (2-6, 4.30 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Cody Stashak (4-4, 2.73 ERA) Elizabethton @ Kingsport (6:00 CST) - TBD Click here to view the article

I'd be good with Kevin Cash!!

I'd add that Harrison was the #35 overall pick, not a top ten type. I mean, in the draft, there are so few "sure things" at the top of the draft, and even most top draft picks never become what some people expect. So yeah, 23 in AA is pretty good.

He'd been pretty good the last two years there, when healthy. He's actually been healthy for the most part this year, but he's frankly been way outplayed by Ryan Walker, who is a much better defensive player. Reginnato is good, and about the same age. Vielma's going to play. Michael's getting a couple of starts a week at second, and even then Walker is usually playing 3rd.

The site that keeps up with the signings before the Twins site... Twins Daily. Jeremy's had draft updates multiple times a day the last two weeks. Those two signed pretty quickly. http://twinsdaily.com/_/minnesota-twins-news/minnesota-twins-minor-leagues/draft-update-r4843 The above article was just posted yesterday, but he's been posting updates frequently since two weeks ago here: http://twinsdaily.com/_/minnesota-twins-news/minnesota-twins/draft-news-and-notes-r4813

This is what I struggle with. As much as he struggled the first two months of the year, he's currently a 1.1 fWAR player at the halfway point. It's possible he takes off in the 2nd half this year. It's possible he tanks in the 2nd half. No way to know. But I do know that fangraphs had him as at 2.5 WAR, 4.7 WAR and 3.4 WAR the last three years. Even if he's "just" a 2.0 WAR guy this year, that's pretty valuable. And, we all hope that Polanco can be a good offensive hitter - and I think he can be - but we don't know. I think Polanco is ready, and maybe I'd put him at shortstop the rest of the way (after dealing Escobar and/or Nunez?) and see if he can be adequate there... Obviously what he does in a half season doesn't matter much to what he will be, but it's a start. I just have a hard time getting rid of anyone who has been a 2.5+ WAR guy the last three years and is on schedule right now to be right around that number again. I'd hate to lose a guy like that for too little.

The same age that Lewis Thorpe and Fernando Romero arrived in Cedar Rapids in 2014... And Luis Arraez and Jermaine Palacios are this year while spending the full season there...

0% chance since the Twins are no longer in New Britain (I've still done this a few times this year)... but I think when his SP innings limit comes to, he will move up to Chattanooga and work out of the bullpen. But that's just my opinion.

They added a year during one of the recent CBA changes, maybe 3-4-5 years ago. It always was one year earlier. That's why you rarely find the Johan Santana's anymore in the Rule 5 because teams have had another year to evaluate. And, I don't necessarily agree with players who spend two seasons in the rookie leagues being a bust. Jorge Polanco spent two years in the GCL and one in E-Town. Max Kepler spent a year in the GCL and two years in E-Town. They're young. They were very raw. It was the best thing for them. I hate being the guy who just says the same things over and over, but it (player development) just has to be a case-by-case thing. Sano and Rosario went: 1 year - GCL 1 year - ETown 1 year - Beloit 1/2 year - Ft. Myers 1/2 year - New Britain And then that's when Rosario had the 50 game suspension and Sano missed a year. But they moved real quickly, but I'm sure there were others who felt it was still too slow. Buxton: 1/2 year short season - GCL 1/2 year short-season - ETown 1/2 year - Cedar Rapids 1/2 year - Ft. Myers Then he had the injury-plaqued 2014 that would have had him starting in New Britain if not for injuries in spring. Instead, they ended in New Britain. 2015 - he was in Chattanooga and by mid-June, big leagues. Anyone think they maybe shouldn't have promoted him so fast? Can't have it both ways.

I'd need to see a team-by-team, player-by-player study of what they do. I think we should start with the Cardinals as I think they're a great model. I'd be curious the following: 1.) How do they push they're big prospects? Again, because I'd say that the guys who are big prospects for the Twins aren't moved along real slow. 2.) Where do they start the just-drafted college pitchers selected in rounds 1-2? 3.) Where do they start the just-drafted college pitchers selected in rounds 3-10? 4.) Where do they start the just-drafted college pitchers selected in rounds 11-40? 5-13.) Same three questions for just-drafted college hitters, high school pitchers and high school hitters. From those questions, we could develop the next set of questions. And, I'm not going to pretend I know more than Keith Law, but I don't think everything he says means much. We all just have opinions, and so does he. He just gets paid a TON more for his.

1 - 40 man 'issue' - in my opinion, it's not an issue at all. Landa and Rosario were where they were when protected because of injury, not because of being held back. Kepler and Polanco were protected at the same level, and those have worked out fine. The 40 man is definitely not taken lightly. As you can see from the 4 names if there is any issue, it's that guys who sign at 16 have to be added to the 40 man roster when they're 20/21 (and hopefully to CR) or potentially be lost. Guys signed out of high school get a couple of extra years. The issue isn't development as much as it is logistics of signing 16 year olds. 2 - I'd be fine with the team adding a 3 rookie level (short-season) teams, maybe in the New York - Penn League... but first, I want someone to research and find out how many of the 30 MLB teams have three rookie level teams. 3 - LaMonte Wade is one year after signing and he is already in High-A... even if he maybe should have gone to Cedar Rapids a month sooner, he's moving along quite well. And, he was promoted in the midst of a 3-35 stretch. Unless you think a guy is going to seriously have a chance in the big leagues within a year of being drafted, there's no push in their first season, especially coming out of a long college season that started in January. Let them get rest. Don't over-throw them. Guys like Burdi, Reed, Rogers, Baxendale, Zach Jones, they moved up to Cedar Rapids (or Ft. Myers in Burdi's case). And Tom Hackimer is starting in Cedar Rapids now. Kyle Gibson started in Ft. Myers. It just has to be a case-by-case thing. Should have nothing with where they went to college. Things are bad at the big league level. It's not unusual that some rookies go back and forth a few times that some start out hot and then struggle, and others take off right away and never go back down (these are rare). There are exceptions, but every player needs to be handled separately, case-by-case. (Disclaimer - These thoughts are mine. I don't claim they are 100% accurate, especially since there is no 100% accurate when it comes to any of this stuff.)

On Thursday night the Elizabethton played their Opening Night game. We previewed their roster here. This afternoon (well, morning on Minnesota time), the Gulf Coast League Twins will play their first game of the season. The Gulf Coast League has an interesting blend of players. There are kids who signed right out of high school. There are players in their first year or two from another country There are some late-round college picks (and this year, several undrafted free agents) to help fill out the roster and to work on their tools or their control, etc. Like the E-Town roster, it allows for many more players. The roster is also subject to quite some change as more players are signed or now players can move up and down from Elizabethton. While the team plays at noon six days a week (Sundays off), the playing time is generally split a little more equally, generally with the exception of the guys who are considered strong prospects. Same thing at Elizabethton: look at the number of plate appearances and games played to see who the top prospects likely are.With that mini intro, let’s get to the GCL roster. COACHING STAFF The team is managed by Ramon Borrego. This is his seventh season with the Twins GCL squad, the sixth as the manager. He is assisted by extra coaches since these rookie leagues are all about player development. The hitting coaches are Javier Valentin (2nd year) and Steve Singleton (1st year). The pitching coaches are Virgil Vazquez (2nd year) and Cibney Bello (1st year, though he held a few pitching coach positions in the Mariners organization). HITTERS Catchers: Jhon Alvarez (20), Juan Gamez (22), Ben Rortvedt (18), Kidany Salva (17) Rortvedt clearly is the top prospect in this catching group. Drafted early this month in the second round, many believe that he will hit and have the ability to stick behind the plate.Alvarez has spent the past three seasons in the Dominican Summer League. He’s 20 and making his US debut. Last year he hit .250 with a .706 OPS. Better known for his defense.Kidany Salva was the Twins 17th round pick this month out of high school in Houston. He just signed in the last day or two.Juan Gamez was the team’s 31st round pick, a defensive-minded catcher out of NDSU.Infielders: Joe Cronin (22), Zach Featherstone (20), Dane Hutcheon (21), Kolton Kendrick (19), Jose Miranda (17), Emmanuel Morel (19), Jorge Munoz (20), Roni Tapia, Joe Cronin has a Hall of Fame name, however, the 34th round pick will have to earn his playing time. The Twins selected him as a shortstop, though he has played mainly first base and third base in the last two seasons and Boston College.Featherstone was drafted after two seasons at Tallahassee CC. He is expected to get time in left field and at first base.Dane Hutcheon was the Twins 29th round pick. He played mostly shortstop at the U of Montevallo. He’s got good speed.Kolton Kendrick was the Twins 8th round pick a year ago out of high school in Louisiana. He came down with mono so his season started late and he didn’t really regain his strength until after the season. He was drafted for his power. (Here is a Q&A with the slugger)Jose Miranda was the Twins first 2nd round Lottery B pick (#73) last month out of high school in Puerto Rico. He will turn 18 next week. Many believe he is likely to move to second or third, he is going to get a lot of time at shortstop this summer.Emmanuel Morel is one of the fastest players in the Twins minor leagues. The 5-10, 164 pound infielder spent the last two seasons in the DSL. Last year he hit .282 with a .428 OBP and 24 stolen bases. He will play both middle infield spots.Jorge Munoz is one of the players that really stood out to me. He’s thin. He's two inches taller than Engelb Vielma (6-1) and weighs exactly the same amount (165). But he’s got a little pop in his bat. He hit .315 with a .415 OBP last year in the DSL. He played almost exclusively on the left side of the diamond. Strong defensively at shortstop, he can get a bit flashy at times. He just turned 20 this week.Tapia got a nice bonus from the Twins a couple of years ago ($500K). He spent a year in the DSL and then really struggled last year in his first go-round in the GCL. At 6-3 and 205, he’s got the strength. He’ll play both corner infield spots.Outfielders: Juan Carlos Arias (18), Lean Marrero (18), Luis Martinez (20), Aaron Whitefield (19), Akil Baddoo (17), Tyree Davis Arias debuted in the DSL a year ago where he hit .311/378/.537 (.914) with 13 doubles, nine triples and two homers. At 5-11 and 180 pounds, he’s got good strength to go with real good speed.Marrero was drafted a year ago in the 16th round of the the Leadership Christian Academy, the same school Jose Miranda was drafted from this year. Last year, he struggled to a .159 average. Weighing in at 6-1 and 177 pounds, Marrero does have a nice, left-handed swing worth watching this year.Martinez is a terrific defensive center fielder which is why he played 39 games for the DSL Twins last year despite hitting just .140. Obviously he’ll have to hit, but at 5-11, 190 pounds, he has some potential pop.Aaron Whitefield signed with the Twins last summer in time to play in six games in the GCL. He had only started playing baseball a year earlier. He ended up being an All-Star in the Australian Baseball League this winter. He’s a great athlete with terrific speed and defense. You’ll want to read his back story here.Still just 17, Baddoo has a ton of potential, but we will have to be patient with him. Drafted with the Twins second 2nd round Lottery B pick (compensation for not signing Kyle Cody a year earlier) this month, he is known to have a really quick bat and good speed.Tyree Davis was the Twins 37th round pick in 2014 out of Compton, California. He got hurt again last season and missed time, but he worked out hard and jumped up to 6-3 and 200 pounds. He is one of the best pure athletes in the organization and has a very high upside. He just needs to stay healthy and get the at-bats to gain some confidence.PITCHERS Starters: Huascar Ynoa (18), Miguel de Jesus (20), Taylor Clemensia (19), Quinton Grogan (23), Tyler Fox (22), Brady Anderson (23). Huascar Ynoa was the Twins big international signing in 2014 though it was the only year in at least the last four years where they didn’t hand out a 7-digit signing bonus to an international, 16-year-old. Ynoa is the younger brother of White Sox pitcher Michael Ynoa (who once got a $4 million signing bonus from the A’s when he was 16). This Ynoa throws 90-94 gets good movement and knows how to pitch. He has the ability to dominate. He is 6-3 and 215 pounds and just turned 18. He went 2-5 last year in the DSL but posted an ERA of 2.70.De Jesus is pretty similar. He’s 6-1 and 205 pounds. Last year in the DSL, he went 6-6 and a 4.30 ERA and a strikeout per inning. He has a fastball that sits 92-94. He gets a lot of sink on it and should be a ground ball machine in time. Though he signed last summer,Clemensia is a left-hander out of The Netherlands who will be making his professional debut.Quinton Grogan had 83 strikeouts in 75.1 innings at Lewis-Clark State this year.Following this month’s draft, the Twins signed right-hander Tyler Fox out of the University of Nebraska-Omaha where he went 10-2 with a 3.04 ERA in just over 100 innings.Brady Anderson doesn’t have far to travel. The Twins signed out of of Florida Gulf Coast University. He graduated in 2015 but had a year of eligibility remaining so he started taking Masters courses and continued pitching. He leaves the school as one of the best pitchers in the school’s history, though I think Chris Sale likely edges him out for the top spot.Relievers: Clark Beeker (23) Onas Farfan (23), Moises Gomez (19), Bo Hellquist (22), Garrett Kelly (21), Daniel Martinez (22), Pat McGuff (22), Callan Pearce (20), Matz Schutte (18), Zach Strecker (22). Beeker was the Twins 33rd round pick this month out of Davidson. He was a 5th-year senior who throws a lot of strikes.Farfan went to Robbinsdale Cooper and was drafted in 2014 out of Ridgewater College in Willmar. He is coming back after missing the 2015 season with Tommy John surgery. Just turned 23 yesterday. Gomez struck out 12 and walked 14 in 24 innings out of the GCL bullpen a year ago, but he has some stuff and will get another shot as a 19-year-old this year.Hellquist had a solid four-year career at Minnesota-Duluth. When he went undrafted earlier this month, the Burnsville High School grad signed with the Twins. He fits the ‘crafty lefty” mold and could get a shot as a starter as well.Garrett Kelly is another non-drafted free agent signed following the draft. He is an interesting story in that he only became a full-time pitcher a year ago, as a college junior. Before that, he was a catcher. He had a strong arm and has been clocked at 96 mph. He’s the kind of guy you take a shot on.Daniel Martinez is the younger brother of Cedar Rapids pitching coach JP Martinez. He too wasn’t drafted despite a solid college career at the University of New Orleans. In 2016, he led the team with 12 saves and struck out 66 batters in 59.2 innings.Patrick McGuff started the last couple of years at Morehead State where he struck out basically a batter per inning (98 Ks in 99 IP). He was the Twins 39th round pick this year.This will be the third straight season in the GCL for right-hander Callan Pearce, though he is just 20. He was signed out of South Africa, and this spring he was pitching important innings for his country’s WBC Qualifier team that almost upset host Australia. He needs to find his control.Matz Schutte is just 18. He posted a 3.07 ERA last year in the GCL, his first, but he throws in the low-to-mid 80s now. The right-hander from The Netherlands does have some pitch-ability.Zach Strecker is another non-drafted signee. He pitched at the University of Kentucky. He posted a 1.84 ERA over 29.1 innings this spring for the Wildcats.Your random note of the day: At a U15 tournament in 2012, Taylor Clemensia was named the best batter and Matz Schutte was named the top pitcher. So there you have it… a current look at the Gulf Coast League team roster. There appear to be more non-drafted free agents than the Twins have signed in recent years, or in the last decade that I can remember. Then again, they have had non-drafted free agents get to the big leagues. The youngest player on this roster is 17 while the oldest just recently turned 23. It’s a diverse group in terms of number of countries represented as well. It’s always a fun roster to follow and we can start following those box scores on Friday! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask, though I may need Jeremy Nygaard’s thoughts on some of the 2016 draft picks. Click here to view the article