Seth Stohs

I think we all would agree that creating cookie-cutter hitters isn’t a good philosophy for hitting. Just as people are all different, it is OK to have different philosophies on hitter. That being said, understanding and having control of the strike zone is something that is (or at least would be) beneficial to all hitters. In baseball history, there have been plenty of good, bad-ball hitters. However, in general, they are the exceptions to the rule. More often, hitters who know the strike zone swing mostly at strikes and don't expand the strike zone too much have a much better likelihood of long-term success.In recent years, there are plenty of examples of players who have been unable to control the strike zone. After fast starts, they fell victim to several sophomore slumps. In 2013, Oswaldo Arcia walked 23 times and struck out 117 times in 378 plate appearances.In 2014, Oswaldo Arcia walked 31 times and struck out 127 times in 410 plate appearances.In 2014, Danny Santana walked 19 times and struck out 98 times in 430 plate appearances.In 2014, Kennys Vargas walked 12 times and struck out 63 times in 234 plate appearances.Those are all certainly not good, but there were some real impressive (or unimpressive) strikeout-to-walk ratios in 2015.Danny Santana - 6 walks, 68 strikeouts, 277 plate appearances.Kennys Vargas - 9 walks, 54 strikeouts, 184 plate appearances.Eddie Rosario - 15 walks, 118 strikeouts, 474 plate appearances.Byron Buxton - 6 walks, 44 strikeouts, 138 plate appearances.Byron Buxton is currently at four walks and 49 strikeouts in 116 plate appearances in 2016 with the Twins. In his time with the Twins at the start of the 2016 season, Eddie Rosario walked just three times and struck out 31 times in 121 plate appearances. Rosario was sent to Rochester on May 18th. In his first 19 games with the Red Wings, he struck out 12 times and did not walk. At all. He was hitting .321 despite a slow start, but in this situation, control of the strike zone had to be part of the evaluation. Continuing the trend of swinging erratically at everything just wasn’t going to cut it. In his last nine games, Rosario has five walks and four strikeouts in 40 plate appearance. It is a small sample size of course, but it is a sign of improvement, and to me, that’s all we should expect. Eddie Rosario is never going to be Joe Mauer, but then again, very few are. Consider that in Mauer’s first nine MLB seasons, he walked 555 times and struck out just 475 times. While that trend changed over the past three seasons (188 BB, 297 K), he still had over 60 walks in each season. In 2016, he is on pace for over 80 walks again. Is it fair to expect a player like Rosario who is ultra-aggressive to become more patient? Is that even a realistic request? How would an organization even go about trying to make that happen? It isn’t as simple as saying, “Eddie, take two strikes every plate appearance. Get used to what is called a strike and what isn’t.” To some degree, a hitter is what he is by the time he reaches age 23 or 24. When I was in Cedar Rapids, I asked Kernels manager Jake Mauer about how to help these types of aggressive hitters. He went back to our youth for a reminder. “You know, (Kirby) Puckett was a ‘bad-ball hitter,’ and I think Puckett knew himself. He knew which balls he could drive. If you’ve got a guy that ‘swings at everything,’ you don’t want to tell him to take, but I think they need to learn what they can drive.” Mauer discussed the type of conversation that he would typically have with such a hitter. It starts by helping them realize and learn what pitches they can drive. “I know you can hit this pitch, but is this a pitch you can drive? If the answer is No, well, then you shouldn’t swing at it. If the answer is Yes, well, then go ahead.” In Cedar Rapids, Mauer is working with a variety of players. He’s got a guy like Zander Wiel who played at Vanderbilt who isn’t going to be fazed by a big moment under the lights. He’s also got two 19-year-olds, Jermaine Palacios and Luis Arraez. Palacios broke out last season in the rookie leagues. Arraez played well in the GCL and then got exposure in the Venezuelan Winter League, playing against veterans. LaMonte Wade fits into the Joe Mauer category of pitch recognition. The Twins drafted him in the ninth round last year out of Maryland. In his pro debut last season, mostly at Elizabethton, he walked 47 times with 36 strikeouts. In 261 plate appearances with the Kernels this year, he has walked 44 times with just 27 strikeouts. While he has struggled in his last ten games (3-35) to drop his average to .280, his on-base percentage remains .410. And even in those ten games, he has eight walks to just five strikeouts. I asked him about his approach at the plate and if it is something learned. Wade said, “It’s definitely taught. It also has a lot to do with watching the batters in front of you, knowing the umpire’s strike zone. It starts in batting practice, getting your mind right and making sure you’re not swinging at every pitch.” As Chattanooga Lookouts hitting coach Tommy Watkins said that’s good but it takes more too. “It's very tough because it's hard to simulate live pitching, but I think not swinging at everything in BP is good place to start.” Wade and I discussed this topic quite a bit and I’m not going to give away all of his secrets, but it is quite evident that he goes into every single plate appearance with a plan. “0-0 and advantage counts, I’m looking for a ball middle-away, trying to hit the ball the other way. Obviously with two strikes, you’re just trying to battle. Just looking out over the plate and adjusting when it comes inside.” He said that he learned some things in college at the University of Maryland as well. Again, I’m not going to give away the strategy, but it involves “hunting elevated fastballs up over the plate.” At no point in my conversation with Wade did he mention looking to walk. The goal shouldn’t be to walk, but to get on base. Know the strike zone and attack pitches that you can drive. If it’s not there, let it go and take the walk. But it has to start early as a player ages it gets more and more difficult to become a patient hitter. And of course, as you move up the competition only becomes better and knows how to attack your weaknesses. As Mauer said, “Those guys in the big leagues they’re pretty good. They can expose holes pretty quick.” And that’s what we’ve seen to this point. There are more scouting reports now than even ten years ago. Advanced statistical analysis makes hitting much more difficult, and it was already difficult from the start. Rosario, Santana, and Vargas all got off to fast starts despite their inability to control the strike zone. It caught up to them in Year 2 when pitchers had more information. It is now up to them to make some adjustments to get back to the big leagues and hopefully experience more success. It is very unlikely that they ever become patient and frequent walkers, but improvement will be vital. Understanding the strike zone and their strengths is the key. Click here to view the article

Thank you to Cody for covering the last 2 minor league reports while my cable and Internet are out. Lightning strike nearby on Friday morning. Still waiting!

Yeah, he was only added to the 40 man last November. This is his first option year.

He and I chatted about this at Twins Fest. His plan was to play out his contract and be done. He said when he came up in 2006 he talked a lot with Radko. Ranked could have had more surgeries but wanted to spend time watching his kids grow up. Perkins wants to be a present parent for his two daughters.

Danny Santana's rehab was nearing an end, so the Twins had a difficult decision to make for how to get him back on the 25-man roster. Following the Twins loss at Target Field to the Yankees, Paul Molitor announced that the team had designated Oswaldo Arcia for assignment.Let's start with the decision on Thursday. Obviously this decision wasn't made just today. It is likely something that the front office has been pondering for a week or more. By designating Arcia for assignment, he is immediately removed from the team's 40- man roster. The team will have ten days to trade him, place him on waivers or release him. What other options did GM Terry Ryan have in this case? Well Byron Buxton and Max Kepler have options left. They could have been sent down to Rochester. A case certainly could be made that they could both use continued time at AAA. At least for now, the Twins are clearly looking to the future, a future that includes Buxton and Kepler in the starting lineup almost every day. In mid-June of a losing season, it's hard to argue that. You could DFA Robbie Grossman. I mean, he's been arguably the Twins best hitter since he signed with them almost a month ago. I can't imagine anyone would think that's a good idea. They could have designated Danny Santana for assignment, but with his speed and versatility, he is able to do more things in a backup role for the Twins. The team could have gone down to a 12-man pitching staff, but with the worst pitching staff in baseball and many short starts, it's hard to justify that. At that point, the best - though not easy whatsoever - decision was to DFA Oswaldo Arcia. Frankly, he hasn't been given much opportunity this season and because he 1. can't hit left-handed pitching, 2. can't hit breaking balls, and 3. can't play very good defense, he just doesn't give a manager many options. Now that's not to say that this may not be the best thing that could have happened for Arcia too. He could go to a statistically strong organization which will use him solely against right-handed pitching. That team could use him in the outfield, or if it's an AL team, he could be a strong DH. Again, against right-handed pitching. There is little question that when he is on, Oswaldo Arcia - still just 25-years-old - has the ability to be a dangerous, impact hitter in the major leagues. There is so much strength and so much talent. Consider that in 103 games for the Twins in 2014, he hit .231 with 16 doubles and 20 home runs. His minor league track record certainly indicated that he had the ability to hit. He hit well - for average and power - at each and every minor league level including AAA, with the exception of his horrific 2015 season. He knew he needed to put together a strong spring training to remain with the Twins. He put in the work in the offseason. I don't think anyone will question that. He came to camp in really good shape. Despite some good moments, he just wasn't getting any consistently playing time. Was it the right decision by the Twins? Probably. Was it probably the best situation for Oswaldo Arcia? I think so. In my mind, the perfect scenario for Arcia would be in Milwaukee. His younger brother, Orlando, is one of baseball's best prospects and is pretty much ready to take over shortstop for the Brewers. Maybe being around his brother would help push Arcia to some success. But also, Miller Park is a good place for power hitters. If utilized properly, I have little doubt that Arcia can be a 20+ home run guy in the big leagues again. Consider Danny Valencia. When he left the Twins, he was able to crush left-handed pitching but really struggled against right-handers. When he went to Toronto, they used him almost solely against left-handers and he put up great numbers. He went to Oakland and the same thing, he crushed southpaws. Then after some transactions, he started playing against right-handers too. Now he is hitting well overall. I see Arcia being able to do something very similar. Again, that doesn't mean that this move was bad, or wrong... The Twins have options for their future in the outfield that we think are going to be better, and right now those guys need to play. This is a classic case where a change of scenery might just be the best thing for Oswaldo Arcia. I hope it is. Click here to view the article

I think it's a solid comp. Long and wiry. Similar arm action. Good athlete. Similar pitch-mix.

Casey Scoggins tweeted last night that he's in Ft. Myers. Mentioned an early morning, so either he signed yesterday, or that is likely to happen today.

The stat I kept going back to last year and now can continue into this year: Last year, he completed 6 innings in 20 of his 22 start (and completed 5 in the other two). This year, he has completed 6 innings in 9 of his 10 starts (and completed 5 in the other). He's been tremendous.

According to Jeff Johnson (The Gazette in CR), he's been dealing with some hamstring issues.

For those that missed it, the Twins named him the top defensive pitcher in the minor leagues for 2015. Great athlete, very quick off the mound, fields his position very well.

The Twins drafted shortstop Nelson Molina in the 11th round of the 2013 draft out of Antonio Luchetti High School in Puerto Rico. He was a wiry, 17 years old known for his glove work. It’s three years later and Molina finds himself making his full-season debut with the Kernels. On my recent trip to Cedar Rapids, I had the opportunity to meet Molina and spend a little time chatting with the talented 21-year-old.After being drafted, Molina went to the Gulf Coast League where he struggled with the bat, hitting just .110. He returned to the GCL in 2014 and hit .243. Last season, Molina moved up to Elizabethton where he hit .207. Having seen Molina in spring training the last three years he was very intriguing. At 6-3 and lean Molina looks the part of a shortstop prospect. With the glove he is smoooth and has a strong arm. At the plate, he has a good stance with a good swing. He has a good approach at the plate. For some reason, the numbers just didn’t show up during games in the rookie leagues.And he knows it, so his goals for 2016 were clear. “My goal every season is to have a good year and help the team every time I can. Mostly this year I was trying to get a better average. I wanted to help my team offensively, hitting more. I’m doing good now, and I’m really excited about it.” In 36 games since his promotion to the Cedar Rapids Kernels in late April, Molina has hit .291 with a .380 on-base percentage. In the last couple of weeks, he has been batting fifth for the Kernels and on Tuesday, he came through with a big two-run single in their 2-1 win. “I was doing really good in extended (spring training), thank God. I was trying to increase my career, working hard every day to be a better player. I was trying to get here as soon as possible. It was what I had in mind. I think I earned it. Now I’m here and enjoying the moment.” What did he credit for his success in his start with the Kernels? He said it was a combination of his years of experience, but also credits some mechanical changes. “It’s a little bit of both. I think I’ve been getting a lot of experience during the years and that’s helped me a lot. It’s another Nelson Molina in the batter’s box now. I’m thinking, I’m going with another plan with another view of the game. Also, it’s a lot of work. I’ve been working a lot on my hitting mechanics since Puerto Rico. When I got to spring training, I started to work with the coaches down there and they helped me a lot. Everything is going really good now. I’m really excited about it. Very happy about it.” It is always fun hearing about a player’s draft-day experience, and when I asked Molina about the draft, his eyes brightened and his smile increased. “That was, I can say, one of the best moments of my life, for real. I was expecting to be (drafted higher), but it doesn’t mean it wasn’t a special moment. I was in my house with my family. They were following the draft on the computer. I really didn’t want to follow. I was just sitting on the couch. I remember that I had a bat in my hands. In the 11th round they usually have the pick first on the computer and then they announce it. That pick they didn’t put in the computer. I asked my dad, ‘what is going on?’ He said ‘Man, nothing’s coming. They haven’t put anything yet.’ Then the speaker started, and I just heard, ‘Nelson Molina.’ What? My dad started laughing, and I said, ‘That’s me?’ ‘Yeah that’s you that’s you, that’s you’. I just started jumping all over the house. It was a great moment. My dad was really proud. I think that was the proudest moment of my life. Seeing my family’s faces.” It’s such a big moment for these kids because it is something they have worked for all of their still-young lives. “All my life, I started playing at three years old. Since I Was 15, I was working really hard to be a pro player. That was a good feeling, for real.” Molina went to Antonio Luchetti school in Puerto Rico. It is a public school and not one of baseball academies in Puerto Rico. “In Puerto Rico, we have three baseball academies right now. My high school was just a normal high school. It was an academic school. I got into a routine. I went to school 8:00 to 3:00 and right when I got out of school, I trained until 7 or 8 p.m. I played with two teams there, and the league is all around the year.” Nelson Molina speaks English nearly fluently and credits his school for that, as well as what the Twins are doing for the Latin American players. Jake Mauer said that English classes are mandatory in the Twins Academy in Ft. Myers, but players in Cedar Rapids are also required to take English classes in Cedar Rapids. When the new academy in the Dominican Republic is complete, they will have better facilities and classrooms for their classes as well. “In Puerto Rico, they give you English classes since kindergarten. I started speaking it regularly in high school. When I got here, it was pretty easy. I started taking the classes with the Twins. I tried to speak to other guys, and they would say you need to say this instead of this. That was a good way to learn. I learned really fast that way.” Molina is not the only player in the Twins organization who attended Antonio Luchetti. Current Twins backup catcher Juan Centeno also went to the school and was drafted six years before Molina. Molina noted that Centeno was a guy who returned to his hometown and school and that was motivation for students and baseball players there. “Yeah, of course. He’s from the same city as me. I remember when I was playing back in Puerto Rico in the leagues at 15, 16 years old. Centeno was with the Mets at the time. He gave us batting gloves and bats all the time and would say ‘Hey, keep working hard and you can do the same thing as me.’ He’s a great guy. He’s a good player too. We know each other well. I know his family. He’s a really good guy.” There is a real pride in Puerto Rico for its baseball players. It’s real, and the players are very happy when others get to the big leagues. “When (Jose) Berrios, (Kennys) Vargas and (Eddie) Rosario were up, it was real exciting for us. For me, it was a good moment because I got real excited for them. I know how they have to work to get there. Berrios played with me back in Puerto Rico. He was a year older than me, but he we faced him. To see a guy like that get to the big leagues is very nice. I was really proud of Puerto Rico.” Molina played this winter for Indios de Mayaguez in the Puerto Rico Winter League. “That was a great experience. It’s a big reason for what I’m doing right now. You get a lot of experience. You meet a lot of big leaguers, a lot of great guys.” He credited former big leaguer Ruben Gotay for really helping him out, talking to him about hitting, defense, situations and the mental part of the game. He is a natural shortstop, but he has played all over the field in his four seasons in the organization. He says he feels comfortable on the left side of the infield. “For real, I feel comfortable at all three (infield positions). I played shortstop all my life. But third base, I’ve been playing every day now and I feel very comfortable. I think it’s easier to go from shortstop to third base than the other way.” For now, Molina is working hard every day with one goal in mind for the rest of the season. Well, he has a couple of goals, but it is clear in talking to him that one goal trumps the rest. “Main goal is win the ring. Work hard every day, and have good numbers at the end of the season, help win that ring and bring it home.” Click here to view the article

The Red Wings got a big blast and held on. The Miracle got another great start - as we’ve come to expect - to go with enough offense to pull off the win. The Kernels also got a tremendous start and just enough offense near the end of the game to come away with a win. A few more players drafted by the Twins last week have signed. Jeremy is keeping tabs on each signing here. Because of the added players coming into the organization over the next couple of weeks, the Twins released six minor leaguers from extended spring training. Pitchers Rich Condeelis, Nate Gercken and Luis Hernandez were released. So were catcher Jose Ortiz, infielder Ruar Verkerk and outfielder Rowan Ebersohn. Finally, top pick Alex Kirilloff was named to the USA Today High School All-American first-team today. His Plum High School team is playing today (Thursday) for the Pennsylvania State Championship. If you missed it, John and Jeremy interviewed him last Friday. Also, Doogie Wolfson interviewed him on this week’s Scoops podcast (along with a fun interview with Torii Hunter).Here is Wednesday night’s minor league update. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Columbus 1 Box Score While there were other hits as the game went along, Kennys Vargas provided the biggest hit of the game in the third inning. He came to the plate with the bases loaded and unloaded for his ninth home run of the season. The grand slam gave the Red Wings a 4-0 lead, a lead they were able to hold onto the rest of the way. Andrew Albers started and improved to 5-1 with the win. He gave up one run on eight hits over 5.1 innings. He walked one and struck out four. Sean Burnett came on and got the next five outs, two of them on strikeouts. Alex Wimmers threw two scoreless innings to record his fifth save of the season. Vargas was 3-4 in the game including his 11th double. Eddie Rosario was 2-3 with a walk. Tommy Fields went 1-2 with two walks and his sixth double. Danny Santana went 1-4. It was his second rehab game. After starting in right field on Tuesday night, he started in centerfield on Wednesday. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Montgomery 4 Box Score The Lookouts fell behind early and just were unable to mount much of a rally the rest of the way. DJ Baxendale started. In just three innings, he gave up three runs on nine hits and a walk. He struck just one out. Raul Fernandez came on and gave up one run on three hits over his three innings. Mason Melotakis struck out two in his inning. Omar Bencomo struck out one in a perfect inning. The Lookouts had six hits. Levi Michael had the lone extra-base hit, his fifth triple of the year. Zach Granite had an RBI single. Travis Harrison was 1-3 and added a sacrifice fly. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Lakeland 2 Box Score Felix Jorge just continues to amaze and impress. Wednesday night was no exception. The right-hander started the game by throwing seven shutout innings. He gave up one in the eighth. Overall, he gave up one run on six hits over 7.2 innings. He struck out six without issuing a walk. He is now 6-3 with a 1.59 ERA. Brandon Peterson got the Miracle out of the 8th and then gave up one run in the ninth but held on for his fourth save. He struck out four in 1.1 innings. TJ White was one of my breakout prospects coming into this season. He is a sturdy, 5-10 and 215 pounds, but he has really good speed and power. Due to need, he was pushed to AA to start the season and really struggled. Last week, he came back to teh Miracle and as you would expect he struggled to find his stroke again. But that’s changing. Moved to the leadoff spot, he went 3-4, was hit by a pitch and homered in this game. Nick Gordon, now batting third again, went 3-5 with his 11th double. Alex Perez went 2-4 with his first double with the Miracle. Brian Navarreto was also 2-4. Alex Real added his seventh double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Burlington 1 Box Score This was quite the pitching matchup through the first seven innings. Burlington’s Jared Ruxer and Jhonny Polanco combined to throw seven shutout innings. Kernels right-hander Miles Nordgren matched zeroes with them. Nordgren gave up just three hits, walked one and struck out six. Sam Gibbons came in for the eighth inning. He gave up one run on three hits. However, in the bottom of the inning, the Kernels were also able to get on the board. Sean Miller led off and reached on an error. After a one-out walk by Zander Wiel, Nelson Molina bounced one to first base. The first baseman fielded it but his throw to second base hit Wiel. Instead of a possible double play, Sean Miller scored the game-tying run. Next up was Daniel Kihle and he lined a single to score Zander Wiel. Williams Ramirez came on for the ninth inning. He got the first two outs, but after a single, Michael Theofanopoulos came in and got the final out. It was Theofanopoulos’ second save. 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 – TJ White, Ft. Myers Miracle THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Columbus @ Rochester (12:35 CST) - LHP Jason Wheeler Chattanooga @ Montgomery (7:05 CST) - Ryan Eades (vs Chih-Wei Hu) Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – RHP Keaton Steele Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (7:00 CST) – RHP Cody Stashak Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Wednesday's games. Click here to view the article

Stewart's performance was actually much more impressive than even the box score shows. First, that was a tough error on Walker, ball bad-hopped on him, but had it not, it would have been another double play. Then, after a sac bunt, there were runners on 2nd and third. That's when he got his first strikeout, which was impressive. With two outs, he got a ground ball to the left of third base that went just off the glove of 3B Leo Reginnato. Engelb Vielma was going for it in the hole as well and because the ball was deflected, it ended up going behind him as well. Just because of inches and where the ball happened to end up in shallow left field, the batter was able to get to 2nd and both runs scored. It wasn't hit all that hard... Obviously that's how the game works, and they were unearned runs, but he really pitched well in that spot.

The Twins have also signed RHP Brady Anderson from Florida Gulf Coast University:

Sean Miller grew up in Maryland. He is the son of a former professional ballplayer. Following high school, Miller went to the University of South Carolina in Aiken where he started in at least fifty games all three years. The Twins drafted him in the 10th round last June. After just 11 games in Elizabethton he was promoted to Cedar Rapids for the end of their season and their playoff run. In the last month, he has become one of the most reliable hitters in the Kernels lineup.However, things weren’t looking real good early in the season. On May 2nd, the 21-year-old infielder was hitting just .171/.188/.237 (.424) through the first 19 games with the Kernels. Not exactly numbers that earn a player a promotion, but when Nick Gordon went on the 7-Day disabled list in Ft. Myers, Miller was called up. In his week with the Miracle, Miller played in four games and hit just .125 (2-16). Gordon came off the DL, and Miller was shipped back to Cedar Rapids. Ironically, some of his baggage arrived in Ft. Myers after Miller returned to Iowa.. Back in Cedar Rapids, things changed. Miller got back to work and the results started showing immediately. “When I got back, I really started to get to work with Jake (Mauer) and Dink (hitting coach Brian Dinkelman), and they’ve really helped me turn things around. Once I started consistently doing it, it just took off for me. Once you get hot and get confident, it’s kind of hard to go back to... crap, which is what I was doing.” In 27 games since returning to the Kernels, Miller has hit an impressive.368/.372/.496 (.868) with nine doubles and three triples. In that time, he has hits in 25 of the 27 games, and he’s been on base in all but one game. Because of it, he finds himself hitting at the top of the Kernels lineup. Drafted in large part due to his ability to play shortstop, he has played all over the diamond for the Kernels already this season. “I’ve gotten used to playing third and second. I’ve played a lot at third this year. This is the first time I’ve ever played there, but I've learned a lot from Jake over there. He’s taught me and showed me different things.” Miller continued regarding the differences between shortstop and the hot corner, “Maybe the spin on the ball. Balls that are smoked and maybe top-spun, you just have to react. You don’t have time. At short, I have time to move my feet. At third it’s taking different angles and getting used to it.” Just one year ago, Miller had completed his junior season at USC-Aiken. He was back home with his family. He assumed he wouldn’t be drafted on Day 1, but he figured there was a really good chance he would be taken sometime on Day 2. “I was expecting to go in the Top 10 (rounds) somewhere, I just didn’t know where, I had no idea.” The draft is always unpredictable. Players may hear all kinds of opinions on where they might be selected. They talk to scouts, but even that doesn’t give them a whole lot of clues. “I met with one Twins scout, one time, in Charlotte, NC, and that’s the only time I talked to them. I got a couple of calls before the tenth (round), but nothing really worked out and all of a sudden I got that call, and it was awesome.” You’ll find that players hoping to be drafted will try to find anything to keep from following the draft too closely (while at the same time fully understanding what’s going on). His advisor was keeping him updated through much of the day, so Miller spent the morning golfing. However, he was at home during much of the draft. “I was playing golf, and then I went home sitting on the couch watching TV. My dad had it (the draft) on in the other room. I was done. I was over it. But then he called me into the room, and I said ‘Wow, I’m glad you called me in here.’” It was appropriate that he was able to share the draft day experience with his father, Steve. When asked who in his life helped him get to where he is today (playing pro ball and finding success), Miller answered very quickly. “I would say my dad. He played pro ball for several years. He’s been around. He knows more than me. He’s helped me prepare for it, to know to expect or not to expect. The highs and lows of playing. He coached me for two years in HS, freshman and sophomore years, and then he was done.” It was time for him just to enjoy watching his son play ball. Steve Miller was San Francisco’s 13th-round pick in 1983 and spent five years in the Giants organization. He spent a couple of years in AAA but fell just short of the big leagues. He was known for his glove and for his defense primarily. Some of the best advice the son has been given by his father? “Don’t get too low, or don’t get to high. If you go 0-20, don’t go out and stay out all night. Still have to treat it like you’re 10-20 or something.” Sean has an older brother who pitched for four years in college. While Sean is listed at about 5-11, his brother stands 6-7. So what were Miller’s goals heading into this season? “I moved up quick last year. I wanted to come in here and do that again, maybe move up at some point. Mainly I just want to get comfortable and show my skills at the plate. I know I can hit. I want to show everyone that I can hit, and I’m starting to. After a rough start, I’m starting to show that I can hit a little bit.” Though he hasn’t walked a lot through his hot stretch, Miller knows that getting on base will be a key skill for him. “For me I’ve got to get on base and run, use my speed. See more pitches. I mean, I can hit a lot of pitches, but hitting pitches that are in my zone is just going to help me so much. I’ll be successful.” But that doesn’t mean he he isn’t continuing to work hard on his defensive skills. “I’m definitely a defensive guy, but I want to show that I can swing the bat too. I’m not just a guy who’s going to get infield singles or bloop balls. I’ve got a little pop.” Miller is talked about as a leader on the team, a real team player on and off of it. He has been active in the Cedar Rapids community already, recently spending time meeting and playing games with elderly. Following each Sunday home game, the Kernels spend a half-hour in the outfield, giving autographs and taking pictures. It’s neat to see how the kids kind of gravitate to Miller. On the field, Miller continues to improve, and it is possible that at some point he could find himself in Ft. Myers for more than just one week. Click here to view the article

That's maybe my plan for 2016, but it certainly isn't for 2017. I'd have him star, as a starter, in Chattanooga.

Kiriloff led Plum HS to a state semi-final win this afternoon. He'll play one more high school game, might as well win it, and then start talking to the Twins!

Javier's home run was on Saturday and mentioned in that report.