Seth Stohs

Yup, and they're all (except Del Rosario) in their first full professional season).

You might have forgotten that he started back in Cedar Rapids because he was moving to starting. A And, you also forgot to not that he posted a 4.7 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP in his 1/2 of a season with the Miracle. And I think the Twins and scouts and opponents' scouts would say that the Twins promote their "prospects" at a pretty good rate.

Yeah, I agree... video doesn't show it clearly, but Rortvedt's reaction tells me that there was no foul ball and he missed it.

He wasn't... He pitched - not too well - today.

This was the first time I remember it. This is what made it take off... I think it's hilarious... http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v31157945/nlcs-gm6-van-slyke-kelly-start-game-with-standoff

Pretty sure he won't be sent down. In fact, I would be surprised if he isn't brought up to AAA very soon.

Post anthem standoff... the players stand outside the dugout, at attention,. When the anthem is done, Melotakis and the guy from Biloxi stayed still. The one that gives in and moves and goes to the dugout first loses. It's funny to watch, but obviously the game has to start.

I found an update explaining the ejection and included it in the article.

It was a busy night in the Twins minor league system. One starting pitcher recorded a career-high in strikeouts. Six hitters recorded three hits on the day as well. There were two one-run games, one of which finished in 12 innings with a walkoff. Hey the Twins beat Justin Verlander on Friday night which is a good reminder that in this great game of baseball, anything can happen. Image courtesy of Kim Klement, USA Today (photos of Engelb Vielma, Nick Gordon) It was a busy night in the Twins minor league system. One starting pitcher recorded a career-high in strikeouts. Six hitters recorded three hits on the day as well. There were two one-run games, one of which finished in 12 innings with a walkoff. Hey the Twins beat Justin Verlander on Friday night which is a good reminder that in this great game of baseball, anything can happen. Continue on to find out all the specifics on a busy night in the Twins farm system. Be sure to go to the Minor League forum and check out the Adopt-a-Prospect. We’d love to have you adopt a Twins prospect or three and follow them throughout the season. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Charlotte 2 Box Score Jason Wheeler has never been described as a strikeout pitcher, but seemingly each year he reaches double digits in strikeouts once. He did so once each year from 2012 through 2015. He didn’t have a ten strikeout game in 2016, but on Friday night the left-hander struck out a career-high 11 batters in seven innings to improve to 2-1 on the season. He gave up two runs on five hits and walked two batters. Drew Rucinski got the first two outs of the eighth inning on strikeouts. Buddy Boshers recorded the third out of the inning. Alex Wimmers recorded his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth frame. The Red Wings tied the game at two in the fifth inning. A wild pitch on a strikeout with the bases loaded allowed the first run to score. Next, Matt Hague grounded out to score the game-tying run. Then in the eighth inning, Kennys Vargas walked for the second time. Bengie Gonzalez pinch ran for him. Daniel Palka doubled him to third base, and Leonardo Reginnato drove him in with a sacrifice fly. Reginnato went 2-3. JB Shuck went 2-4 with his third double. Palka and John Ryan Murphy added doubles. Former Twins starter Mike Pelfrey was supposed to start for Charlotte. Instead, he was called up and will make a start for the White Sox this weekend. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Biloxi 3 Box Score Chattanooga was able to end their series against the Biloxi Shuckers with a nice win. The Lookouts got the majority of their offense from their top two hitters. Nick Gordon went 3-5 with his second double and three RBIs. In the sixth inning with the game tied at three, he hit a bases loaded single. He tried to stretch it into a double but was thrown out at second. In the meantime, the third runner scored all the way from first giving Gordon three RBI on that single. The second-spot hitter was Engelb Vielma. He went 3-5 with two RBIs. He gave the Lookouts the early lead when he hit a two-run single in the third inning. The other Lookouts run scored on an RBI single from Ryan Walker in the fourth inning. LaMonte Wade went 2-3 with a walk. Levi Michael, who made another start in center field, went 0-1 and walked twice. Paul Clemens was back on the mound for the Lookouts. The veteran right-hander gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits in six innings. He walked four and struck out seven. Todd Van Steensel came on and worked 2.1 scoreless innings. He gave up three hits, but no walks and struck out four. John Curtiss recorded the final two outs to earn his second save of the season. May have to do a little digging, but lefty Mason Melotakis was ejected from the game in the first inning. UPDATE: MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 10, Dunedin 4 Box Score A five-run third inning gave the Miracle a lead. They kept adding to it including three runs in the ninth inning to claim a big win. The bats have continued to hit after a very slow start. Ehire Adrianza played in his first game on rehab assignment. He started at shortstop and went 3-5 with a stolen base and three runs scored. Max Murphy was also 3-5. Zander Wiel hit his fourth and fifth doubles and drove in three runs. Nelson Molina went 2-4 with his first triple and two RBI. Chris Paul had just one hit, but his three-run homer was the big blow in that third inning. Keaton Steele was back on the mound. The right-hander gave up four runs on ten hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out four on his way to his first win of the season. Michael Theofanopoulos struck out four batters over two scoreless innings. Jonny Drozd came on and got the final three outs. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Kane County 3 (12 innings) Box Score Travis Blankenhorn led off the bottom of the 12th inning with a walk. Two wild pitches advanced Blankenhorn to third base. After Lewin Diaz was intentionally walks, Jaylin Davis singled in Blankenhorn, ending a long night in Cedar Rapids with a 4-3 Kernels win. Blankenhorn had the big hit early in the game when his double scored two runs for the Kernels. Jermaine Palacios went 3-6 with his second double. Brandon Lopez was 3-5 in the game. Davis went 2-6. Sean Poppen was back on the mound and provided the Kernels with another quality start. The right-hander from Harvard gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out seven. Logan Lombana struck out four over 2.2 scoreless innings. Thomas Hackimer picked up the win with 3.1 scoreless innings, with three strikeouts. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jason Wheeler, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Nick Gordon, Chattanooga Lookouts SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Charlotte (6:05 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers Tennessee @ Chattanooga - (6:15 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart Ft. Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 CST) - RHP Randy LeBlanc Kane County @ Cedar Rapids (5:05 CST) - LHP Domenick Carlini Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Friday night’s games. View full article

https://twitter.com/MiracleBaseball/status/854781560855384064

I encourage you to check out Jake Depue’s weekly Mining The Minors article on 1500ESPN.com. In it, he provides updates on several of the Twins top prospects that he finds intriguing. This week, he asks if it’s time to call up Daniel Palka. At Twins Daily, we’ll keep updating you on the top prospects, but you will also be able to learn more about some lesser-known prospects or at least guys who maybe aren’t being talked about as much as they deserve. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily (photos of Alex Perez, Edgar Corcino, Jermaine Palacios) I encourage you to check out Jake Depue’s weekly Mining The Minors article on 1500ESPN.com. In it, he provides updates on several of the Twins top prospects that he finds intriguing. This week, he asks if it’s time to call up Daniel Palka. At Twins Daily, we’ll keep updating you on the top prospects, but you will also be able to learn more about some lesser-known prospects or at least guys who maybe aren’t being talked about as much as they deserve. In today’s article, I’m going to write about one hitter from each of the Twins affiliates who is off to a good start without much fanfare. Rochester Red Wings IF Matt Hague In spring training, the thought was about how much Byungho Park did to earn an Opening Day job with the Twins. Park is hurt, and now the favorite to be called up if (or when?) the Twins jump back to 12 pitchers has to be Kennys Vargas. If it was me, I would give serious consideration to calling up Mitch Garver since he can play first base and also catch, and he’s hitting well. But the unsung guy all along has been Matt Hague. The 31-year-old was the International League MVP two years ago with the Blue Jays organization. Last year, he played in Japan. The Twins signed him to a minor league deal with a spring training invite. He was one of the last players sent down at the end of camp. In 47 plate appearances this spring, Hague hit .349/.429/.558 (.987) with six doubles and a home run. He went to Rochester, and through his first 13 games and 58 plate appearances, he is hitting .353/.431/.451 (.882) with two doubles and a homer. He’s been a factor in the middle of the Red Wings lineup. While it remains unlikely he will be called up, he is off to a good start and warrants discussion. Chattanooga Lookouts - OF Edgar Corcino I’ve been a fan of Edgar Corcino, the player, since first seeing him at spring training in Ft. Myers in 2015. He was one of the better athletes that I saw. Still just 24, Corcino has been in pro ball since the Tigers drafted him in the 26th round of that draft out of Puerto Rico. He spent four seasons in the Tigers organization. In 2013, he played in the independent leagues. The Bayamon, Puerto Rico, native works out in the offseason with Jose Berrios. The Twins took a chance on him before the 2014 season and he has been solid since. He split the 2016 season between Ft. Myers and Chattanooga. After hitting .266 (.760) in 74 games in Ft. Myers, he hit .284 (.754) in 50 games in Chattanooga. Corcino is capable of playing all three outfield positions well. He has good speed and a strong, accurate arm. Last Friday, he singled in his first at-bat and sprained his ankle. He returned to the lineup on Tuesday. He is currently hitting .308/325/385 (.710) with three doubles. While his ceiling is likely not that of an MLB starting outfielder, his skill set and all-around game make him a possibility as a fourth or fifth outfielder. Ft. Myers Miracle - IF/OF Alex Perez Alex Perez was a four-year starter at shortstop for Virginia Tech. The Twins drafted him in the 23rd round in 2015. He began 2016 in extended spring training. He moved up to Cedar Rapids, where he sporadically played. In his 18 games there, however, he hit .262/.403/.311 (.714). He moved up to Ft. Myers and actually played quite frequently. In 69 games with the Miracle, he hit .242/.345/.273 (.618). The slick fielder can play all over the field. He has played second base and third base this season along with left field. While he’s not a big guy, so don’t expect a lot of slugging, he showed an ability to really control the strike zone. That hasn’t turned into walks so far this season, but he has been very good. He started the season with a nine-game hitting streak, and he has multiple hits in six games. Despite on 0-5 on Thursday, he is still hitting .322/.365/.407 (.772) with three doubles and a triple this season. There is value in guys who can play good defense at several positions. There is also value in guys who put the ball in play and know the strike zone. Cedar Rapids Kernels - SS Jermaine Palacios A year ago at this time, Palacios was a highly-touted prospect. In some local and national rankings, he was a Top 10 Twins prospect. He was 19 years old and coming off a 2015 season when he combined to hit .370/.398/.540 (.938) with 23 doubles, four triples and three home runs between the GCL and Elizabethton. However, last year, he really struggled early in the season in Cedar Rapids. In 71 games, he hit just .222/.276/.287 (.564) with eight doubles, three triples and a homer. His season came to an early end when he was hit by a pitch and broke his hand. Palacios returned to Iowa this spring and his start was much, much better. On Thursday night, Palacios hit a single, double and triple which helped raise his slash line to .388/.444/.490 (.934). For much of this group, the ceiling is that of a role player, but Palacios has the upside to be a MLB shortstop, and he’s certainly one to watch this year and beyond. ------------------------------------ So there you have it. A quick look at four minor leaguers who are, for whatever reason, not at the forefront of Twins prospect conversation. Who are some of the other Twins minor league hitters that you’re interested in? We’ll do this from time to time, discussing minor leaguers who deserve to be discussed. Though I’m looking to you to help me come up with a catchy title for this series… Leave your suggestions or ideas in the comments below. View full article

I noticed that last night and forgot to change it... Just corrected it. Thank you!

I wouldn't necessarily say that AAA has better pitching than AA. The prospects are in AA. The veterans and AAAA types are in AAA. They can face the talent in AA, and then face those crafty veterans in AAA. Both are valuable. Regarding Melotakis, he missed like 3-4 weeks of spring training, he he's just getting going really. Also, I'm sure they didn't want to sent him up north to Rochester if they didn't have to. He'll get to AAA soon, but they're going to take care of his arm. Vielma... I guess he could be at AAA, and if he keeps hitting, he likely will be fairly soon. I never have a problem with a guy who doesn't dominate a level getting a little more time there. He should have improved and hopefully that'll show up in the numbers.

It's also hard for me to get too worked up about minor league ages when the big league roster has so many guys under 25.... Sano, Kepler, Buxton, Rosario, Polanco. I don't mind taking a shot on indy guys that are older. They've had some success getting guys to the big leagues and having some success. I just personally don't see anyone in the minor league system that is being blocked and is at a level below where they probably should be. And if or when someone pushes their way to the next level, they'll make changes. As always. And again, when you consider the list of players that are 2+ years younger than the league average, I'm not too worried about anything. Geez they pushed LaMonte Wade to AA this year after playing like 25 games in High A.

I'm the one who linked to the article, so it's my fault... but I have no problem with questioning everything and I'm very certain that is exactly what Derek Falvey is doing. I'm sure he's watching and observing everything. I just don't think that this report is meaningful. I think that Brock's ideas for what might be a little more meaningful.

Yeah, he is another that had a one-year shot at starting, which he did before his TJ surgery in college. Once he moved to the bullpen, he took off. He touches 97, sits 94-95. He has good other stuff too. He moved up mine, but yes, I think he's legit, and I think the Twins do too.

They gave him a chance to start because of his pitch mix. It didn't go terribly well (though he did start the MWL All Star game last year)... He's moving back to the bullpen, and the hope is that he can add the velocity back. But he especially needs to throw more strikes. He could keep moving up. But the Twins have a bunch of high-ceiling left relievers ahead of him too, so that all factors in.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/ranking-baseballs-youngest-farm-systems/#DRfBPmXTCuQ81sDD.97 If will surely come as no surprise to see that the Twins are 27th in terms of youngest farm systems. IT's been something that has followed the organization for years... But, does it matter? Here's how I look at it. You've got your future stars (potentially) and those guys tend to move up a little faster, get pushed. The other guys may or may not get to the big leagues. Generally if they do, it'll be a role, so I don' really care if they come up at 26, 27, 28, 31. Whatever... Here is a look at why I don't really worry much about these rankings: AAA - 27.6 average - Berrios 23, Slegers 24, Palka 25 AA - 25.2 average - Gordon 21, Stewart and Romero 22, Jorge, Roseario, Vielma, Wade 23 High-A - 24.0 average - Arraez and Lachlan Wells are 20. Sean Miller, Nelson Molina, Brian Navarreto, Rafael Valera are 22. Low-A - 22.4 average - Ben Rortvedt - 19 Travis Blankenhorn, Lewin Diaz, Jermaine Palacios and Aaron Whitefield are 20. This one I don't think I care about at all... If guys were drafted last year after 3 years of college, they're already 22 (which makes sense for that to be the average player there). There are some four year guys drafted lower who are there as well. So, feel free to discuss. I think that Age to Level of competition matters in prospect rankings, but it doesn't bother me too much at all in an overall perspective. Consider AAA where Quinton Berry is 32. Matt Hague is 31. There are a couple of 30 year olds. Just doesn't bother me.

I just updated the Arraez injury portion of today's article. I found out this morning that it was a torn ACL, and he is expected to miss the entire season. Unfortunate for any minor leaguer, but especially a guy coming off such a tremendous year and starting well for the Miracle.

He strained his oblique... He told me it happened on the last day of spring training. He's down in Ft. Myers now and could be back fairly soon.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19188672/brian-dozier-sees-plan-every-puzzle ESPN's Jerry Crasnick wrote about Brian Dozier. The story is really interesting and talks about how multifaceted the second baseman is. We saw his ability to do a Rubik's Cube. His work at home and abroad. His willingness and drive to learn Spanish, and his ability to adapt as a hitter. The story is really good. Take a look at discuss.

Earlier this week, we introduced you to Vadim Balan, the first player from the Republic of Moldova to sign a contract with a Major League organization. Today, we will learn more about the second player signed out of Moldova. His name is Petru Balan, and yes, he is the brother of Vadim Balan. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily (photo of Petru Balan) Earlier this week, we introduced you to Vadim Balan, the first player from the Republic of Moldova to sign a contract with a Major League organization. Today, we will learn more about the second player signed out of Moldova. His name is Petru Balan, and yes, he is the brother of Vadim Balan. Like his older brother, Petru grew up playing soccer. It is the sport most kids around Europe play. Petru started playing baseball in his third year of school. He didn’t know the sport. It wasn’t at all developed in the country. “Coaches made for us a presentation of this sport. It seemed very unusual and interesting.” Along with four years of soccer, he also played football as a youth. However, at some point, he was pushed to make a decision. “In the end, I had to chose between two sports, soccer and baseball. I’ve been playing baseball now for 12 years.” He continued to throw the javelin. His coach was Alexander Moiseenko. “I was a javelin thrower for four years, until I was 17 years old. I had the one coach in both the javelin and baseball. He is still my coach. One of the best coaches ever. He taught me everything since I was a kid.” Like his brother, Petru spent his formative years learning the game and representing his country in various international competitions. “We represented the Moldova National Team in the European Championships in Poland in 2007, 2008 and 2009.” His brother did a lot of the research, but Petru traveled and participated in the MLB tryouts too. “When I was 16 years old, we went to the MLB tryout in the Czech Republic. It was my first competition in front of a lot of pro scouts. I hit 89 mph. After the tryout, five pro teams took my personal information. They were interested in me.” After the tryout, he returned home to Moldova, unsigned. “Two or three weeks later, scouts came to Moldova to see our games.” They received their invitation to the MLB academy in 2012 in Italy. “51 of the best European players were invited. That is three weeks of camp. We were coached by MLB coaches and players. And, we were playing against each other. There were a lot of scouts coming to watch, looking to sign contracts.” Over the next few years, Petru was invited to the MLB academies three times. He went to Germany in 2014 and The Netherlands in 2015. “Twins scout Glenn Godwin was looking at us. I started pitching in the Czech Extra League for the season. Glenn came to Ostrava and offered our contracts. Vadim signed, but I didn’t.” He had an offer to sign a professional contract. It would have allowed him to sign with the same team as his brother. So, why didn’t he sign? “I decided that I needed more game practice before I signed.” That brings us to 2016. He was invited to be part of the European All-Star team. The team would travel a lot and play all over. “In March, we went to the MLB tour to St. Petersburg, Florida. I did very good there. The Twins were still interested in me.” When that camp was complete, he flew to the Czech Republic for another season. In October, he was selected for the World Select team. It consisted of 29 players from four continents and included a one-month trip to the States. They spent two weeks in Tennessee and two weeks at the Arizona Fall League. “There I also did well. After that, the Twins offered to sign me again.” This time, he agreed to the terms and became a professional baseball player, a member of the Minnesota Twins organization. Like Vadim, Petru is now living his dream. “It was so important to be together with my brother. We support each other, and we can help each other any time as we move forward.” He joined his brother at spring training this year. And he has learned a lot about himself already, and he’s made several adjustments. “There have been many changes, both on the field and off the field. Full-scale training process, work regimen, sleep, nutrition. This is what we need to observe daily to be better every day.” Petru Balan throws a four-seam fastball, a slider, a curveball and a changeup, and sometimes a two-seam fastball. “What makes me successful? Well, every time when I’m on the baseball field, it makes me happy. Most of that when I am on the mound. Every day, I try to get better. That is my mindset.” Balan uses the following motto to drive him. “You are what you think about and how you manage your thoughts” Petru has some solid goals and high expectations for himself. “My goal for 2017 is to get better every day, and as soon as possible, to play in the Major Leagues.” When asked his favorite team? “My favorite team is the Minnesota Twins!” Good answer. As for which pitchers he enjoys watching, he clearly knows who the right guys to watch. “I have favorite pitchers, like Clayton Kershaw, Madison Bumgarner and Aroldis Chapman. I’m trying to find for myself something from them.” This 21-year-old southpaw has a live arm, but he’s still raw. It will be interesting to see how he develops over the next couple of years. But like his brother, his arm makes is worth taking a shot and seeing what happens. View full article