Seth Stohs

Which guys at Cedar Rapids should be released... or which guys at Ft. Myers? They're not all as advanced and have more to learn...

Like who? I 100% agree with college guys spending at least some time in E-Town. I like that strategy. The high-upside guys move to CR, like Tom Hackimer, their 4th or 5th round pick this year. The rest of the college guys on this list were drafted in later rounds, and they were drafted in later rounds because they have something, but need more development.

Cabbage is on the DL (as mentioned in the article)... he's got a back issue and will likely fly up in a week or so, rather than sit on a bus for 13 hours. Blankenhorn struggled this spring and he was learning second base (with Cabbage playing mostly at third).

Hurlbut is pitching tonight... the Lookouts just sent out a release saying that Gonsalves is likely to pitch on Saturday, though that is subject to change.

Tonight, the Elizabethton Twins will open up their 2016 season on the road. Below you can find the 2016 Elizabethton Twins Opening Day roster (along with a few names who will be there shortly). This team has some older players, college guys drafted this year or last, but there are some very intriguing younger players who are certainly worth watching. Elizabethton is a great little town for minor leaguers to make their professional debut. Many of these players, particularly those drafted this month, have likely never been real far from home, had to pay their own bills, etc. Others have been in Ft. Myers for the last three months, eagerly anticipating getting to Tennessee (if not Iowa) to start playing games where box scores show up online! Manager Ray Smith has been on the coaching staff in Elizabethton for 30 seasons now. This is his 22nd season as manager. His hitting coach, another former big leaguer, Jeff Reed will be in that role for the 14th straight year. This year, Luis Ramirez is the team’s pitching coach. It is his second season in that role after spending 2014 in that same role in the GCL and 2013 in the Venezuelan Baseball Academy.Here is a very brief look at the players on the 2016 Elizabethton Twins Opening Day roster (plus a couple of others who could soon be there). Please feel free to ask questions on these players and we’ll try to answer them. With regard to the 2016 draft picks, hopefully Jeremy Nygaard can help out with some answers too. Note also that this roster is subject to change for a variety of reasons, particularly in the next few days as more players sign, etc. HITTERS Catchers: Bryant Hayman (23), Mitchell Kranson (22), Robert Molina (19) Molina is the young guy in the group. At just 19 through the season, he is one of the younger players on the roster. He is listed as a catcher, but he could play some first base as well. Kranson was the ninth-round pick this year. He is the old-school prototype for a catcher, listed at 5-9 and 210 pounds. He also played around the field a bit, mainly at third base. Hayman started the year at Cedar Rapids but went back to EST. He was a non-drafted free agent a year ago. Infielders: Travis Blankenhorn (19), Lewin Diaz (19), Caleb Hamilton (21), Andre Jernigan (22), Amaurys Minier (20), Ariel Montesino (20). Blankenhorn was the team’s third-round pick last year. He ended his season in Elizabethton. He played mostly third base last year. He spent the majority of his EST time at second base. Lewin Diaz, the bulky first baseman (inexplicably listed at 180 pounds on the roster, he’s actually about 250 pounds) can provide some power. He got into a handful of games in E-Town a year ago. He didn’t get many hits, but four of them were home runs. Hamilton and Jernigan are college guys drafted just this month and should get a lot of time in the middle of the infield. Minier is a guy who signed a big bonus four years ago, and it is time for him to stay healthy and start producing the kind of offense that many hoped from him. Montesino started last year in E-Town, but went back to the GCL because of the emergence of Jermaine Palacios. He’ll be back with the Twins this year. Note also that Trey Cabbage will likely be joining the E-Twins in a couple of weeks. He has a back injury - different than last year - and should be manning third base for this team soon. Also note, Brandon Lopez who just finished his college career in the College World Series, will also be a middle infielder on this roster when he gets signed and is ready. Outfielders: Matt Albanese (20), Shane Carrier (20), Christian Cavaness (22), Jaylin Davis (21), Roberto Gonzalez (21), Alex Kirilloff (18), Hank Morrison (22), Casey Scoggins (22) Albanese was drafted this month and will start the year on the DL. Carrier, Morrison and Scoggins are all 2016 draft picks who will be making their pro debuts in Elizabethton. Likewise, I have included first-round pick Alex Kirilloff on this roster as we have heard this is where he is likely to start his pro career. Of course, he is in the Twin Cities as we speak, likely about to sign his professional contract. Cavaness began the season as the fourth outfielder in Cedar Rapids but was sent back to Extended. Jaylin Davis is one to watch. He was drafted by the Twins in 2015 but was hurt. He has tremendous power and should be a fixture in the middle of this lineup. Likewise, Roberto Gonzalez spent two years in the GCL after being drafted in the 15th round in 2014 out of high school in Orlando. He also has incredible power. He just needs to stay healthy and make more contact. PITCHERS Starters: Jose Martinez (19), Ryan Mason (21), Sean Poppen (22), Alex Robinson (21), Alex Schick (21) Jose Martinez pitched in the Gulf Coast League last year, going 1-5 with a 4.31 ERA. Alex Robinson was the team’s fifth round pick just last year out of Maryland. He’s a college reliever they believe has the stuff to be a starter, so he is getting that opportunity. Alex Schik (6th) and Ryan Mason (13th) were both drafted out of Cal-Berkeley this month. Sean Poppen was the team’s 19th-round pick this year out of Harvard. Relievers: Tyler Beardsley (22), Domenick Carlini (22), Max Cordy (23), Colton Davis (22), Griffin Jax (21), Hector Lujan (21), Johan Quezada (21), Andrew Vasquez (22) Hector Lujan got into one game for the Miracle. He and Vasquez pitched together and were both drafted last June out of Westmont College in California. Cordy was the Twins 40th-round pick out of UC-Davis just last year. Johan Quezada is the 6-8, hard-throwing right-hander who took over as the GCL close last year. He sits 96-100 mph. Since signing with the Twins in 2012, he has added about eight inches in height and 40 pounds to go with about 10 mph on his fastball. Beardsley (16th), Carlini (21st), and Davis (25th) were all drafted in 2016. So was Griffin Jax, their third- round pick out of the Air Force Academy. He is expected to be able to pitch for a couple of weeks at some point during the season. Of course, this roster is subject to change as guys in the GCL start performing, or as more 2016 draft picks decide to sign. It has to be challenging for the coaches and for the minor league coordinator to keep things straight for the next week or so with these rosters. On Friday afternoon, the GCL Twins will play their first game. We’ll provide a roster preview for them this evening. Click here to view the article

An extra-innings game and a whole bunch of transactions. Chattanooga and Cedar Rapids were still on their All-Star Game breaks. On Thursday, all four full-season affiliates will play and the Elizabethton Twins will make their 2016 season debut. On Friday, the GCL Twins will play their first game of the year. Starting Friday, we will have daily reports from each of the six Twins domestic affiliates. Of course, the Dominican Summer League Twins have also been playing for about two weeks as well. A quick update, I learned on Wednesday was that Wander Javier has been doing running and infield drills, so he should return to the lineup in the next few days. They are wisely being overly cautious with their prized, 17-year-old prospect. Speaking of guys recovering from hamstring woes, Miguel Sano will begin his rehab assignment in Rochester on Thursday. Alex Kirilloff, the Twins top pick in the June draft, arrived in Minneapolis on Wednesday and took his physical. He went on the field before the game. He is expected to sign his contract on Thursday.Here is Wednesday night’s minor league update. TRANSACTIONS It is the day after the Florida State League and Southern League All-Star Games. That means one thing… it’s a big day for transactions, to be sure. Here is my attempt at keeping up with them. Following his outing in the Southern League All-Star Game, Doug Mientkiewicz was able to tell RHP DJ Baxendale that he is heading to AAA Rochester.To make room for Baxendale, the Twins released LH RP Dan Runzler.LHP Stephen Gonsalves got the news that he has been promoted to Chattanooga.RHP Fernando Romero, C AJ Murray and OF LaMonte Wade are on their way to the Miracle for the 2nd half.C Brian Olson was sent back to Cedar Rapids. Logan Wade was released by the Twins.In case you missed it yesterday, LH RP Michael Theofanopoulos was promoted to Ft. Myers with Brian Gilbert moving to the disabled list.OF Austin Diemer also returns to the Kernels. He started the season in Ft. Myers but was sent to EST a few weeks ago.According to a scouce, LHP Lachlan Wells, RHP Thomas Hackimer and C Rainis Silva are heading to Cedar Rapids from extended spring training. (Update - the Kernels announced Wells and Hackimer were added to the roster. Silva is listed on the Elizabethton Disabled List, though I have heard he went to Cedar Rapids.) (Update 2 - The Kernels announced that Rainis Silva is now on their roster with Kevin Garcia going on the DL.)Soon, we will be posting Elizabethton and Gulf Coast League Twins roster previews as well.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 2, Columbus 7 Box Score Things started out well in Pat Dean’s return to the Red Wings. He started with four shutout innings, but then the Clippers started showing off some power. He gave up four in the fifth, one in the sixth and two more in the seventh. In all, he went six innings and gave up seven runs on eight hits (three home runs). He walked and struck out none. David Martinez came on and struck out three of the four batters he faced. Ryan O’Rourke got the final two outs of the eighth inning for the Red Wings. Jorge Polanco got things going for the Red Wings quickly. With two outs in the first inning, Polanco hit his fourth home run of the season. He later added a walk on a 1-3 day. The team had just three more hits the rest of the game. The Red Wings fell to 44-29 which is still the best record in the International League. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER The Lookouts remain on their All-Star Game break. They will begin their second half by hosting Jackson on Thursday. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Charlotte 2 (10 innings) Box Score On Tuesday night, we learned that right-hander Fernando Romero was promoted to Ft. Myers. He was to make his Florida State League debut on Wednesday. Of course, rains caused a delay. When Romero took the mound for the first inning, his nerves showed. He gave up two runs on three hits in the inning. But that was about it. He went five innings and gave up just those two runs. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out five. He was removed at 74 pitches as the Twins continue to monitor his return after missing nearly two full seasons with injuries (Tommy John surgery in 2014 and knee surgery in 2015). The Miracle bullpen then came through with more zeros. John Curtiss threw two scoreless innings without allowing a hit. He walked one and struck out four. Michael Theofanopoulos also made his FSL debut. He needed just seven pitches to work a perfect eighth inning. He struck out one. Todd Van Steensel threw two scoreless innings, walking one and striking out two. In the first inning, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Chris Paul scored TJ White who had walked to lead off the inning. It cut the deficit to 2-1. In the second inning, another player made his FSL debut. A night after homering in the Midwest League All-Star Game, AJ Murray DHd and batted seventh for the Miracle. With Trey Vavra on via a single, Murray tripled in his first at-bat to tie the game at two a piece. But that was it for the Miracle offense. In the bottom of the 10th inning, still tied at two, Brian Navarreto led off with a walk. He advanced to second on a TJ White sacrifice bunt. Edgar Corcino was intentionally walked. Chris Paul lined a single to right field, though it was hit hard enough that Navarreto was only able to get to third base, loading the bases. Joe Maloney stepped in and hit a sacrifice fly to end the game and give the Miracle a three-game sweep. White led off and got on base three times with a single and two walks. The Miracle had just five hits but added eight walks in the game. Nick Gordon missed his third straight game after tweaking a muscle in the FSL ASG on Saturday night. It is not believed to be serious as one person told me that the Twins would not have released Logan Wade if they were concerned about Gordon being out very long. KERNELS NUGGETS The Kernels remain on their All Star break. They will begin their 2nd half by hosting Beloit on Thursday night. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Fernando Romero, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – TJ White, Ft. Myers Miracle THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Columbus (6:05 CST) - RHP Jose Berrios (5-3, 3.35 ERA) Jackson @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut Ft. Myers @ Jupiter (5:30 CST) - Tyler Jay (5-5, 2.97 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Miles Nordgren (2-3, 2.86 ERA) Elizabethton @ Kingsport (6:00 CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Wednesday's games. Click here to view the article

He did tweak something, though I was told they wouldn't have released Logan Wade if they were worried about Gordon needing to go on the DL. Just making sure he's 100% rather than hurrying it.

By the way... I've started tonight's Minor League Report... Already have 14 player transactions included... Busy day!

The pitchers haven't pitched yet. Jay starts on Thursday, and Jorge will probably start Friday. Obviously Gonsalves moved up. Van Steensel and Landa? I think Landa worked an inning, maybe Todd did too. Vavra's been back in the lineup. Mine was just a guess. I've seen All Star position players get one game off at the start of the second half. It's also possible Gordon tweaked something in the All Star game. We'll find out. I'll dig.

He's only thrown 28 innings. I'm sure he'd get at least 72 more innings. He's going to start tonight, so I'm sure he'll get 13-14 more starts. They'll watch it but he may not be shut down since he missed so much time to start the season.

Jeff Johnson also reporting that Fernando Romero will be promoted to Ft. Myers as well. I'll be surprised if Sam Clay isn't promoted to the Miracle in the next day or two. Likewise I would expect Stephen Gonsalves and maybe even Felix Jorge to be promoted to Chattanooga very soon as well. So, who will come up to Cedar Rapids from Extended? And what happens in Chattanooga to make room for a picture or two?

Another tough thing, as evidenced by Guerra, Gomez, Arcia and others... players from Venezuela or the Dominican or other interenational signings that sign at age 16 have to be added to the 40-man roster when they are maybe 20 years old. They are out of options by 23-24 years old, and that is very young for prospects. It almost makes sense that several of these players become the player we thought they might be with their second organization.

Very soon... I'll have a roster preview... They are on the bus to E-Town already.

No, but they usually like to give the guys who played and didn't get 3 days off an extra day, at least in the lower levels. I think he's fine.

For the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft, the Minnesota Twins were coming off of a winning season that awarded them just the 15th overall pick. Not selecting in the top 10 for the first time in a while, Minnesota had a few options that would be presented to them. When the dust settled, they ended up going with the power-hitting outfielder Alex Kirilloff. The Pennsylvania native has plenty of potential, and he's ready to unleash it for the Twins. Kirilloff's prep career came to an end one win short of a Pennsylvania State Championship. Losing in the title game, you can bet his hunger to get back on the field and compete in the Twins organization remains high. He's likely going to head to Elizabethton to start his professional career, and his bat should be the thing that carries him early on.Recently, I was able to catch up with the Twins top pick. We talked about his game, the Twins, and a few things in between. Here's what he had to say: Off The Baggy: Tell me a little bit about your game. Most of the national outlets have described you as a solid all-around athlete with a great hit tool and solid arm strength. Likely starting your professional career in the outfield, how would you describe your game as a whole? Alex Kirilloff: I pride myself on being as well-rounded of a player as I can be. I work very hard on all parts of my game. I feel that my biggest asset is my bat. OTB: I believe you really burst onto the power scene with a recent home run derby performance. Was that your first home run contest and what was the experience like? AK: I was 11 years old in my first home run derby. I had just started using a leg lift with my swing, which helped me hit the ball further immediately. I beat a 12 year old who was the favorite to win the whole thing. So the only two home run derbys I have ever been in I won. OTB: Being from Pennsylvania, I'd assume you're a Pirates fan. I saw that longtime Pittsburgh fan favorite Neil Walker congratulated you on Twitter. Who is a big leaguer that you have modeled your game after? AK: Neil Walker is first class and I now have even more respect for him than I already had before. I like watching Andrew McCutchen, he is a pretty well-rounded player himself so I am inspired by him. OTB: When looking at the Twins, what do you know about the organization, its players, and the state of Minnesota as a whole? AK: I know Minnesota is cold...but it's okay, I am used to it coming from Pittsburgh! With two World Series titles, Hall of Fame players throughout the decades, and great traditions built, I am excited to be a part of the culture, history, and richness of the organization. OTB: Tell me about your draft day experience. I believe you got to watch it unfold with teammates and friends as you were still wrapping up your season. What was the call like, and did you have any indications it was going to come from the Twins? AK: It was a great experience being able to share it with my teammates, coaches, family, girlfriend, and friends. The call was a dream come true. OTB: There's been some talk already that Minnesota may have you skip the Gulf Coast League and head straight to Elizabethton for your professional debut. What are your goals in your first professional season? AK: My goals are to train, develop, learn, adapt, and play to the best of my ability while embracing the lifestyle of professional baseball. Let the rest take care of itself. OTB: Let's end it with this, when Twins fans look ate Alex Kirilloff the baseball player, what do you hope they notice most? AK: I hope they notice the baseball player and person that they want representing their fan base, city and baseball team. With a great head on his shoulders, it seems Kirilloff is going to start off on a great foot for the Twins. He is headed to Minnesota this week and then will begin his professional career in the organization. He's going to be fun to watch, and should be another high-ceiling prospect Minnesota can add to the farm system. Recently, he was included in the Off The Baggy Top 15 update. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz Click here to view the article

Fair point... but my point is that sometimes it becomes a personal attack (that's a little strong, I know) when a player is overly aggressive or isn't able to make adjustments. Sometimes it takes a little longer with a guy. Sometimes they never figure it out and don't get there, or don't get back and stick. I just want to make sure people don't think that it is necessarily a lack of effort. But as Tommy said, it's really hard to simulate outside of games.

Having watched Walker, I know that 1.) he's really worked on it, and 2.) Chad Allen and others have really worked on it. He just hasn't been able to lay off of certain pitches. There are many times he is patient and ends up in 0-2 or 1-2 counts. I've seen him lay off of those sliders down and away on 0-2 and 1-2 only to swing at it on 2-2 or 3-2. I think every coach in the Twins system and the front office types get it. You just hope that a guy who is still just 24 can find a way for something to click. But just saying "Take pitches" isn't necessarily the best way to do that.

Yup, you don't want to take away aggressiveness, just need to find a way to harness it. Become patient enough to know which pitches they can drive. You don't want hitters thinking Walk, but knowing themselves and the strike zone enough that if they're given a walk, they're OK with it, but if they're thrown pitches they can drive, they don't miss them.

I think he's played there quite a bit since being down in Rochester.

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.