Seth Stohs

When he was slapping all those little singles to left...

Speaking of players from Cedar Rapids... isn't that where AJ Puk is from? Also, Perfect Game ranks Dalton Feeney as the #1 prospect in ND, #200 overall. They have Muckenhirn at #330 overall. (Though Muckenhirn is much more likely to sign)

That's fine, but there weren't exactly other teams claiming him either. He didn't sign until pretty late, and he came to Red Sox camp hoping to find some playing time, maybe platooning with Kevin Millar or competing with Jeremy Giambi. It's not like teams were clamoring for him. Good for him though, he made the most of it and took off.

To be fair, when St. Peter is asked about baseball-related topics by whoever, he needs to answer the questions. He often will qualify his comments by saying "That's Terry's group" or something like that. I think St. Peter is very good at his job, and I don't care in the least what his thoughts on on player personnel,etc. I suspect he knows what he needs to know.

Ortiz couldn't stay on the field, and the turf at the Dome killed his knees. Sure would have been nice to get his production, but his career wouldn't have been anything close to what it has become had he stayed. He probably wouldn't have been able to walk by now. Sure, in hindsight, it goes down as one of the biggest blunders in the team's history, but at the time, it made a ton of sense.

Alex Wojciechowski is his name... I'm guessing Jeremy just didn't want to have to spell that a couple of times, and I can't blame him. For UMD this year, he hit .442/.506/.973 (1.479) with 14 doubles, 3 triples, 33 homers and 101 RBI in 55 games. He is about 6-5 and at least 230 and a 1st baseman. I think he'd be hard to NOT take in a late round. He's a senior from Coon Rapids. But he's not the only Bulldogs player worth being interested in, if only it was just based on stats. Jimmy Heck is a 2B from St. Louis Park. This year, he hit .424/.498/.741 (1.239) with 12 doubles, 17 homers and 78 RBI. He's 6-5 and 225 pounds. A big second baseman. Kyle Comer is a 6-1, 220 pound 3B from Rhinelander, Wisconsin. He hit .435/.510/.745 (1.255) with 20 doubles, four triples and 13 homers. The last two names are seniors too. Of course, at that level, the concern about level of competition comes into play for scouts, well beyond the stats themselves. Another name to consider... Bismarck Century (same high school Carson Wentz is from) has a RHP named Dalton Feeney. Again, competition matters, but he has something like a 0.24 ERA this year. He's thrown 2 perfect games. But, he's been on scouts' radars for more than 3 years already. He's committed to the University of Missouri. He sits right around 90, but has been clocked as high as 95. He's definitely one to watch though he said that it'll completely depend on where he's drafted and what he's offered. Like Shore and Boldt three years ago, he's a guy who could go on Day 2, but if he doesn't go pretty early, he'll fall (maybe out of the draft) because scouts know he likely won't sign.

Numbers are fairly similar. And Stewart was there for 10-12 more starts. Without knowing, they may have had a certain plan for Stewart, or certain things they wanted him to do, or see from him, etc. Gonsalves deserves it too, and I think it will happen. I'd be fine with 1.) him starting the FSL All Star game in Ft. Myers, or 2.) let him put up some crazy numbers so he can pitch in the Futures Game in his hometown of San Diego. I'm holding on to the hope that that is the reason he hasn't moved up yet. I'd be OK with that. That's what happened with Berrios two years ago.(not that I put them in the same category quite yet, just comparing the situations).

Probably just outside the Top 30. Maybe... For now... Maybe.

My bad!

He is some kind of impressive. He's a little emotional on the mound - like if he doesn't get a strike call - but he's young. He throws mid-90s and that curveball is sharp. Very exciting.

He's been playing in Extended Spring Training games after his most recent injury. So, I think he's actually on their roster, but it's likely more of a rehab thing.

CEDAR RAPIDS - Another day in Cedar Rapids and no on-field batting practice because of the rains. In reality, it only rained for about 15 minutes, but it came down hard and accumulated. However, the Kernels grounds crew did a great job. There was one more rain cell that hit the ballpark about game time, so the Kernels decided to delay the start of the game by about 45 minutes which was the right decision. It was a fireworks game for the Kernels, so the stands were pretty full, and the crowd got to watch some bonus baseball as the Kernels and TimberRattlers went 11 innings. And the rest of the organization was full of exciting games. See how Travis Harrison helped the Lookouts to a win. How did Tommy Milone fare? Did he throw too many strikes? Stephen Gonsalves was on the mound too. And, were you ready to give up on Eddie Rosario?We’ve got quotes from the Kernels starting pitcher, catcher and manager as well, so continue reading today’s Minor League Report. TRANSACTIONS On Saturday, there was just one transaction in the Twins system: In Ft. Myers, Max Murphy was placed on the 7-Day disabled list with a strained hamstring. Taking his spot is Engelb Vielma who has been rehabbing in extended spring Ttaining.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 3, Charlotte 4 Box Score The reports of the demise of Eddie Rosario might have been a little premature. The outfielder went 4-5 with his sixth double for the Red Wings. He raised his average to .289. Byron Buxton nearly homered but had to settle for a ground rule double on the play. He was 2-4 with his ninth double. Jorge Polanco added his second double. Tommy Milone was the definition of a strike thrower on Saturday night. 82 of his 102 pitches were strikes. The lefty gave up two runs on three hits over 7.2 innings. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out seven. JT Chargois came on for the final out of the eighth inning. He gave up a hit but the inherited runner did not score. Alex Wimmers came on for the ninth. He gave up two runs and got just one out. Sean Burnett got the final two outs on the inning. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Tennessee 2 Box Score Travis Harrison drove in three runs which was enough to help the Lookouts to a 3-2 win. The outfielder went 2-3 in the game with his ninth double. Dalton Hicks and Ryan Walker were both 2-3. Hicks hit his 10th double. Aaron Slegers made the start. The lanky right-hander gave up two runs on five hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out six. Corey Williams was excellent in relief. He struck out three over two shutout innings to improve to 2-0. Trevor Hildenberger recorded his fifth save with a perfect ninth inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 2, Charlotte 3 Box Score This game was close until the eighth when Charlotte put together a big inning. Stephen Gonsalves gave up some hits, but he put together another quality start. In six innings he gave up three runs (2 earned) on nine hits. He walked one and struck out seven. Todd Van Steensel came in and pitched a scoreless seventh inning. However, things didn’t go so well in the eighth. It started with four straight hits. After getting two outs, he gave up a single and a home run. Six runs on six hits, in a hurry. Brian Gilbert got the final out. Logan Wade went 2-4 with his fourth triple. Alex Real went 2-3 with a walk. Tanner Witt and Brian Navarreto each hit his first home run of the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Wisconsin 2 Box Score The story in this game was all the strikeouts. Unfortunately, it was the Kernels who struck out on the scoreboard at the end of the night. Righty Miles Nordgren made the start for the Kernels. He came into the game with 28 strikeouts in 31+ innings. In this game, he went seven innings and struck out 12 batters without issuing a walk. He gave up one run on four hits, easily the best start of his professional career. The lone run he allowed came on a broken bat blooper. The right-hander who says that he hits 90 “on a good day” said that he threw “a lot more sliders” instead of his curveball. His catcher AJ Murray was impressed. “He made my job easy. I just put my glove down and he threw it there every time. He was in control the whole game the whole time, and it’s probably the best I’ve seen him throw this year or last year.” Williams Ramirez came on and worked a season-high three innings. He gave up just one hit, walked none and struck out five. He showed a mid-90s fastball with a very sharp, high-70s curveball. Earlier in the day, Jake Mauer said that Ramirez had never pitched under the lights as he has done a couple of times now with the Kernels. Following the game, Mauer said that Ramirez “He’s got a live arm too. It’s electric. It comes out good. It’s downhill. Breaking ball’s good. He looks more and more comfortable out there each time.” When I said, “The lights don’t seem to bother him,” Mauer said with a chuckle, “No I think he’s used to it now.” Could Ramirez eventually start? Mauer said he could, but right now, the team needs someone to pitch late in games ,and Ramirez is in that mix too. Unfortunately, the Kernels were unable to muster any offense. However, in the bottom of the ninth, they were able to get one across to tie the game and send it to extra innings. JJ Fernandez lined a double to the right field corner. Alex Perez ran for him and advanced to third base on a slow bounder to third base. Jermaine Palacios lined out to medium-deep center field allowing Perez to score the game-tying run and send it to extra innings. In the 11th inning, CK Irby came on. The first batter blooped a single. The second batter bunted. Irby fielded and threw to second. The throw tailed into the runner’s helmet and bounced away. He was able to advance to third, though he was clearly hurt and left the game. A deep fly to right scored the go-ahead run. JJ Fernandez led the way with his 10th double and first triple of the year. Luis Arraez went 2-4. LaMonte Wade wasted no time extending his on-base streak to 28 games with a first inning walk. He added a single later. Sean Miller hit his third triple, and Brad Hartong hit his second double. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Miles Nordgren, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Eddie Rosario, Rochester Red Wings SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Charlotte @ Rochester (12:35 p.m. CST) - LHP Andrew Albers Tennessee @ Chattanooga (5:15 CST) - RHP Omar Bencomo Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (11:35 am CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 CST) – RHP Cody Stashak Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. Click here to view the article

CEDAR RAPIDS - There was rain falling for most of the trek between the Twin Cities and Cedar Rapids on Friday morning and early afternoon, but it was a good night for baseball. The Kernels fell behind early but it was still a good game. Be sure to follow Twins Daily and SethTweets on twitter for many pictures to come. For much more on what happened on Friday in the Twins farm system, including quotes from Kernels manager Jake Mauer, please continue.TRANSACTIONS On Friday there were a few transactions in the Twins system: Catcher Brian Olson was promoted from Cedar Rapids to Ft. Myers. Kevin Garcia was sent down to the Kernels.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 5, Charlotte 0 Box Score Logan Darnell was terrific on this night. The left-hander needed 109 pitches (72 strikes) to throw the complete game shutout. He gave up five hits, walked none and struck out four. It was his second shutout of the season already. Byron Buxton came into the game having homered in three straight games. He didn’t homer, but had a walk and his eighth double. Wilfredo Tovar went 2-4 and stole his 13th base. Buck Britton added his ninth double. Eddie Rosario and Adam Brett Walker each hit their fifth Red Wings double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Tennessee 5 (11th inning) Box Score In the bottom of the 11th, Travis Harrison came to the plate with a runner on and two outs. He singled to score Leonardo Reginnato and give the Lookouts a 6-5 win. Zach Granite led the offense. He went 4-6 and stole three bases. He now has 21 steals on the year. Daniel Palka provided the power. His seventh homer of the year was a grand slam. Mitch Garver went 3-5 with his ninth double. Reginnato hit his ninth double as well, and he walked in the 11th before the Harrison single. David Hurlbut started. The lefty gave up four runs on ninth hits. He walked two and struck out one. Jake Reed struck out four over two scoreless innings. He gave up a hit and walked two. Mason Melotakis gave up a run on two hits in his inning. Trevor Hildenberger worked a quick inning. Luke Westphal struck out five over two scoreless, one-hit innings and is credited with the win. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 2, Charlotte 3 Box Score Kyle Gibson made his second rehab start for the Miracle, this one with Terry Ryan in attendance. The right-hander gave up one run on six hits in five innings. He struck out six without a walk. Nick Anderson came on and gave up one run on four hits over two innings. He struck out two. John Curtiss worked a scoreless inning. However, he gave up an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth to take a loss. Of the four outs he got, he struck out three. Alex Real went 2-4 in the game. Max Murphy doubled for the second time with the Miracle. Logan Wade hit his fifth double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Wisconsin 3 Box Score Dereck Rodriguez’s rocky season continued. Watching him, you can see that he has some good stuff. Low 90s, good breaking ball. But, at some point, he just loses movement and starts getting hit. And he got hit hard, lots of solid contact. The right-hander was charged with seven runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out five in 3.2 innings. Mauer didn’t mince words. “The ball’s up. It’s just plain and simple. He’s got a good breaking ball. He just can’t get to it, but everything’s up. Up. Up. Up. He threw it pretty good, down the first inning, but he was up the second inning. They barreled him up.” It’s not a lack of effort. “It just seems the harder he tries, the more the ball gets elevated. He’s got to figure things out. He’s got good stuff. No doubt about it.” Michael Cederoth came on and threw a wild pitch and gave up a line drive single so both inherited runners scored. However, he settled down and really saved the bullpen. He went 3.1 innings and gave up just two hits. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out five. Mauer said, “It was real encouraging. It was really good to see. That’s the longest he’s thrown here. I thought everything looked good. Fastball looked lively. Breaking stuff was good. They really didn’t touch him up.” It was important, because it was the second straight night the starter didn’t complete four innings. “Him and Theo. We’ve had five innings-plus the last two nights. The bullpen picked us up. Gave us a chance. Keep putting zeroes up.” Mike Theofanopoulos came on and got two outs. With a runner on second base, he got a pop-up straight up. AJ Murray got under it but he dropped the ball and the runner scored. It ended his scoreless innings streak at 19.1. However, he got the third out and worked another scoreless inning. So, the consecutive innings without an earned run streak is now at 20.2. “He started out real slow, walking a lot of guys. He’s been real good the last seven or eight outings. We’re probably going to use him, with (Nick) Anderson gone, trying to find someone to close some games. He’s a guy we’ll start using later in games.” Offensively, the Kernels were unable to put many hits together. Sean Miller went 2-4 with his seventh double. It was questioned as half of the people in the stadium thought it went out. The other half didn’t. After an umpire conference, they decided it was a double. Daniel Kihle went 2-5. Luis Arraez went 2-5 and had a triple. The three-bagger came in the ninth inning and scored a run. Arraez was actually thrown out at third base, but they called “Obstruction” on the first baseman as they made contact. Nelson Molina drove in a run with a double. The throw went home and got past the catcher. Molina was at second base, celebrating with his arms pointed to the sky. He should have been watching the play and run to third base. Mauer was clearly upset and following the half-inning, Molina was replaced by Alex Perez. It was a good learning opportunity. Mauer said, “He’s a good kid. He just got caught up. The ball’s rolling around back (there), and he’s standing there pointing at the sky. That’s not good.” He continued, “He can thank Jesus after the play is over.” LaMonte Wade went 0-4 through the seventh inning. His 26-game on-base streak was in jeopardy. However, in the ninth, two batters reached ahead of him, meaning he would get one more shot. Rains were pouring down. He was facing a hard-throwing lefty who threw side-arm and had a good slider. Wade launched a home… No wait, he just put together a really good plate appearance and drew a walk, but it did extend his on-base streak to 27 games. Zander Wiel, owner of a 14-game hitting streak, got the night off. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Logan Darnell, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Zach Granite, Chattanooga Lookouts SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Charlotte @ Rochester (6:05 p.m. CST) - LHP Tommy Milone Tennessee @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:05 CST) – LHP Randy Rosario Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:36 CST) – RHP Miles Nordgren Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. Click here to view the article

With almost two full months of the season in the books, the number of Twins fans who believe there’s a playoff run in the cards has dwindled to almost nil. Those left clinging to hope are doing so against all visual and statistical evidence. Some fans are actively rooting for the team to break the Cleveland Spiders’ record for losses in a season (154) to make sure the Braves don’t nick the first overall pick in the 2017 draft, to maximize the probability of a front office overhaul, or because it’s simply more interesting to be a historically bad team than just a typically bad one. But are they just as delusional as those still holding out hope for a postseason run? Long-time Twins fans should know what a bad team looks like. The Twins are headed for 90 or more losses for the sixth season out of the last seven, and from 1993-2000 (less the strike-shortened 1994 season) they averaged 91 losses. But as bad as those teams were -- and they were certainly bad -- they’re actually fairly pedestrian. No one talks about the 1997 or 2014 Twins with disgust, only sadness. However, just three years after they broke out of their nearly decade-long World Series hangover, however, the Twins got an up-close look at a truly horrible team.The 2003 Detroit Tigers are a very worthy successor to 1962 Mets’ crown as the worst team in recent memory, finishing the season 43-119. Nearly 40 years passed between these monuments to ineptitude, but it was worth the wait. They hit rock bottom some 80 games below .500 before a last-season flail netted them five wins in their last six games. At no point in the first half of the season did they break double digits in runs, and they were shut out a total of 17 times. As a team, the Tigers hit .240/.300/.375; their combined 83 OPS+ means they were 17 percent below league average offensively. Yet as bad as their offense was, their pitchers managed to be worse: a combined 5.30 ERA, a 1.51 WHIP, and staggeringly poor 4.8 K/9 all added up to an 81 ERA+. All in, the Tigers posted a team WAR of -1.2. En route to a division title, the Twins beat the hapless Tigers 15 times out of 19 meetings (the second place White Sox went 11-8 against Detroit and lost the division by four games; needless to say, those games were a substantial missed opportunity). They lost close games when their bullpen failed, they lost blowouts when the hitters didn’t hit, they lost pretty much every way imaginable, which is what it takes to get all the way down to 119 losses. The first six weeks of the Twins’ season felt a little bit the same way. They actually pitched moderately well during their losing streak to start the year, but either couldn’t hit or couldn’t preserve the leads they got. Over the first 16 games of the season, they scored 53 runs and allowed 67, making their 5-11 record somewhat puzzling, as the gap of less than a run per game should have -- in theory -- put them closer to .500. Their next 15 games (3-12) made them look like a team with a chance at truly historic ineptitude, as they scored 53 runs in one fewer game, but allowed 93 runs. So through 31 games, the team had been both unlucky and very bad, and the comparisons to the ‘62 Mets or ‘03 Tigers seemed apt. Over the last 15 games, even if the record hasn’t been much better, the Twins are quietly becoming more of the team they looked like they’d be before the season started. They’ve scored 61 runs, just a touch over 4.0 per game or about half a run better than their full-season per-game average, but the pitching has given up 88 more runs and they’ve come in worryingly large bunches. Miguel Sano has five home runs in those games, Robbie Grossman has made a nice first impression, and while there’s still a substantial amount of scuffling in the rest of the offense, it’s getting easier to see how the lineup is supposed to function. Since warm air really does add extra distance to flyballs, and since the Twin Cities are in for a hotter-than-average summer, the Twins should see a few extra home runs now that spring has ended. Yes, it is worrisome that Brian Dozier, Trevor Plouffe, Joe Mauer, Byung-Ho Park, and others look so bad, but it’s a presupposition that the team is bad right now. That they’re at least ahead of a historically bad pace with so much dead weight is a good sign for the future, provided you believe one or more of them will come around before Eduardo Nunez regresses. Contrast this to the Tigers, who were little more than Dmitri Young and the Also-Rans. If he didn’t hit, they didn’t win; though, frequently, they didn’t win even if he did. So, yes, looking at the season to date, the Twins look only marginally better than the Tigers (about 3 percentage points according to both OPS+ and wRC+) but expecting the Twins to improve as the summer heats up isn’t irrational; in fact, it may already be happening. If the Twins are going to avoid being historically bad, however, they’re going to need to start seeing that improvement in the offense soon, because seeing improvement from the rotation takes a good deal of squinting and maybe letting your eyes go out of focus like the old Magic Eye books. Kyle Gibson’s return may help -- it should help -- but it’s hard to guess how much like the old Gibson he’ll look. Jose Berrios will likely return to the majors at some point in the season’s second half, but he too offers an uncertain amount of improvement. Like the Twins’ hitters, their pitchers currently compare favorably to the Tigers’ staff, but the margin is razor thin. If the Twins do end up with the Tigers, Mets, and Spiders as one of the most beatable teams in history, the pitching is going to be a major reason for it. Heading into the middle third of the season, the Twins are on an almost identical pace to the Tigers. If nothing changes, they’ll finish with either 119 or 120 losses, making them one of the all-time worst teams. Injuries could change their course for the worse, but barring a complete health crisis, they’re unlikely to lose more starters than they already have. If I were a betting man, I’d take the under on 120 losses, but until the offense strings together more than two weeks of 4+ runs per game, 100 losses feels very possible. Whether that’s better or worse than being the worst team since those hapless Spiders is a matter of opinion, but if the last few weeks have been an aberration instead of a pattern, the Twins won’t be able to stop fans debating whether they’re one of the most hapless groups to ever take the field. Click here to view the article

Very good. It's great to see. He's got the size, has a couple of good pitches and is very smart.

As we continue to prepare for the 2016 MLB Draft, today I present a review of the catchers in the Minnesota Twins organization. Yesterday, we reviewed the Outfielders. Next week, we’ll continue with the Infielders and the pitchers while I’ll also post my updated Top 30 Twins Prospect rankings. Why look at the organization’s depth before the draft? As we mentioned yesterday, taking "best player available" is always the right strategy early in the draft, but in the later rounds, it might be important to add some depth at other positions as they look to fill some rosters.Minnesota Twins - Kurt Suzuki, Juan Centeno The Twins signed Suzuki before the 2014 season to a nice, one-year contract. He had an all-star caliber first half, so they extended him and he immediately turned back into the catcher and hitter he had been the previous few seasons. The Twins have played him less this year, ensuring that his $6 million option will not vest. Juan Centeno was brought in as a minor league free agent. He had a solid spring training and when John Ryan Murphy struggled and was sent to Rochester, the 26-year-old was called up and is off to a good start. Rochester Red Wings - John Ryan Murphy, Carlos Paulino Murphy came over from the Yankees where he spent parts of three seasons backing up Brian McCann. Nothing in his MLB or minor league track record indicated he would slump as badly as he did in the season’s first month. However, he is still young and can become a starting-caliber MLB catcher. Carlos Paulino also was invited to MLB spring training after joining the Twins organization a year ago. He is a defense-first catcher. Chattanooga Lookouts - Stuart Turner, Mitch Garver, Jairo Rodriguez In a way, Stuart Turner and Mitch Garver have been linked since they were drafted in the 2013 draft. At the same time, this is the first year they have been on the same team since that summer in Elizabethton. While the senior-sign Garver began his first full season in Cedar Rapids, Turner (who signed after his junior season at Ole Miss) skipped straight to High-A. While Garver was our hitter of the year in 2014, Turner has struggled with the bat. Turner spent all of 2015 in Chattanooga while Garver is there for the first time. Turner has the reputation as a better defensive catcher while Garver is known for a bigger bat. Reports indicate that Garver has narrowed the gap defensively. He stacks up among the best in the minor leagues at pitch framing while throwing out about 73% of would-be base stealers. Garver just returned to the lineup on Wednesday after suffering a concussion. Jairo Rodriguez is one of the longest-tenured players in the Twins organization. He has played throughout the system over the last eight or nine years, serving as a backup (or third catcher) where needed. Ft. Myers Miracle - Brian Navarreto, Kevin Garcia Brian Navarreto has a powerful arm. He also has size that one might think could develop some power. To this point, however, he hasn’t hit at all. Kevin Garcia signed with the Twins before spring training after being let go by the Tigers after a couple of pro seasons. He began this season in extended spring but came up when Alex Swim abruptly retired. Cedar Rapids Kernels - AJ Murray, Brian Olson AJ Murray has been one of the better hitters in the organization so far this year. He takes quality atebats, gets on base and has some power. He also has been the primary catcher behind the plate. Olson was a late-round pick a year ago. He hit well in the GCL and in Elizabethton last year. While he started the season in EST, he has hit well over .300 since joining the Kernels. Extended Spring Training - Bryant Hayman, Robert Molina, Rainis Silva, Jhon Alvarez, Jose Ortiz, Kerby Camacho (Suspended) Rainis Silva is the best prospect of this group. He is very good defensively. He spent a little time in Cedar Rapids last year before the Elizabethton season started. Hayman started the season in Cedar Rapids this year but was recently sent back to extended spring. Molina played last year in the GCL. He also gets time at first base. Alvarez and Ortiz are in the States after playing in the Dominican Summer League last year. Top Prospects 1.) Mitch Garver, 2.) Stuart Turner, 3.) AJ Murray Draft Thoughts It is very difficult to get a catcher to the big leagues for several reasons. Injury/Concussion - Yes, there are a lot of catcher concussions due to repeated foul tips to the face mask as well as “regular” injuries. It is a position of attrition in some ways.Most organizations value defense above hitting for catchers for obvious reasons. They have to be smart and call a good game while working with individual pitchers, but they also need to have a strong arm and enough accuracy to help control a running game. Pitch framing and ability to block balls in the dirt are also important.However, a starting catcher also needs to hit enough . “Enough” can be dependent on team.Look at the number of catchers the organization keeps at extended spring training. In some ways, an organization needs to draft a few catchers every year just to help with bullpens in the rookie leagues and in spring training (and EST). In the past, the Twins have typically drafted at least one catcher in the top ten rounds. They then will draft a couple more in the later rounds. Just a few years ago, the Twins drafted Stuart Turner, Jorge Fernandez and Mitch Garver in the first nine rounds. The Twins have quantity of catchers. In my opinion, they should take one in the top three or four rounds if they believe he can develop into a starter at some point. Then maybe add one or two in the late rounds. Click here to view the article

Arias is mentioned in the report. He came to the States right after spring training for Extended Spring Training.

My thoughts - When I saw him this spring, he looked 'bigger' than he did a year ago (not as in good of shape). He tops out at like 93, though he sits 89-91 most of the time. I'm very intrigued by his success, especially at AAA because of how much he struggled there last year. I'd like to catch up with him on what the difference has been.

ESPN just did a very interesting story on Thornley and a very interesting hobby of his, graving: http://es.pn/1RrER8Q

As Jeremy noted earlier, we are about to embark on a ton of draft coverage here at Twins Daily. We will be posting several draft prospect profiles of players who could be available when the Twins make the 15th overall pick. Jeremy will post a couple more mock drafts. I’ll post my updated Top 30 prospects, and also will consider the Twins organizational depth. Why look at the organizational depth right now as the draft approaches? Nearly two months into a new season, trends may start taking place, storylines are developing, players are stepping up, or they’re not. As you know, in the early rounds of the MLB Draft, it is wise to generally take Best Player Available, but as you get to Day 2 and especially Day 3 of the draft, it may make more sense to load up on positions of need. Today, we will begin this series by looking at the outfielders.Minnesota Twins - LF: Robbie Grossman, CF: Danny Santana, RF: Miguel Sano, OF: Oswaldo Arcia, Darin Mastroianni (DL) The Twins have had a lot of talented outfielders come through the big leagues in recent years. Several were traded, others have just begun to arrive. At times last season, Twins fans dreamed on a future outfield of Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton and Aaron Hicks. Hicks was traded to the Yankees. Eddie Rosario and Byron Buxton are both at AAA. Miguel Sano has struggled defensively at times (and offensively too) in his transition to right field. So, right now, the Twins big league outfield is not at all what the Twins or the fans thought it would be at this point in the season. Instead, Robbie Grossman opted out of his minor league contract with Cleveland last week, signed with the Twins, played one game in Rochester and was called up. He has been on base in all six games he’s played since. Santana and Arcia are both out of options. Rochester Red Wings - LF: Eddie Rosario, CF: Byron Buxton, RF: Max Kepler (DL), OF: Adam Brett Walker Now this is the outfield a lot of Twins fans were dreaming of and hoping for starting in spring training. Rosario’s inability to not swing at pitches outside the strike zone came back to bite him, and even his defense took a step back. He’s hit just .160 in his week in AAA so far. Buxton missed a week recently with back spasms. However, after a slow start, he has torn up the International League in May, cutting down his K-rate while being more aggressive and showing power. Kepler is on the DL right now with a groin strain, but he has been on fire for the last two weeks. Adam Brett Walker launched his 10th home run of the season on Wednesday night. Yes, he’s striking out about 44% of the time, but he is showing great power. Chattanooga Lookouts - LF: Travis Harrison, CF: Zach Granite, RF: Daniel Palka, OF: Joe Maloney, Shannon Wilkerson Palka was the story in April, cutting down his strikeouts and showing strong power. He has struggled in May, but he is a strong prospect acquisition. Harrison gets the opportunity to repeat at the level and that should prove beneficial. Zach Granite leads the organization with 17 stolen bases. Joe Maloney was the top player from independent leagues in 2015. He is among organization leaders in doubles. Wilkerson signed last July with the Twins and was an instigator for the Lookouts championship run. He has missed time with a quad injury a couple of times this season. Ft. Myers Miracle - LF: Austin DIemer, CF: Edgar Corcino, RF: Chad Christensen, OF: Max Murphy, Tanner English (DL) Tanner English has been out over a month with a concussion. He was the Twins minor league defensive outfielder of the year last year and is a leadoff type of hitter. Murphy was promoted to Ft. Myers just about two weeks ago and already has four home runs with the Miracle. Corcino has been terrific with nearly every day playing time in May. Diemer and Christensen are terrific athletes with good speed and the ability to play all over the outfield. Cedar Rapids Kernels - LF: Daniel Kihle, CF: LaMonte Wade, RF: Jorge Fernandez, OF: Brad Hartong LaMonte Wade has been the most consistent hitter in the organization throughout the season. He was our choice for May Minor League Hitter of the Month. He walks more than he strikes out, plays solid defense and has some pop in his bat. Jorge Fernandez has been a catcher in the organization since being drafted in 2012. The athlete was moved to the outfield and has shown good pop in his bat. Daniel Kihle and Brad Hartong were drafted last year and began the season in extended spring but were recently promoted to the Kernels. Extended Spring Training - Rowan Ebersohn, Cristian Cavaness, Tyree Davis, Jaylin Davis, Roberto Gonzalez, Jean Carlos Arias, Luis Martinez, Lean Marrero, Aaron Whitefield. In extended spring training, this group of outfielders has a ton of talent and athleticism. Most are quite young and have to learn more about how to be a baseball player. Ebersohn was a member of the South African team in the WBC Qualifier in Australia. Jaylin Davis and Roberto Gonzalez have a ton of power. Davis was drafted last year but did not play due to injury. Gonzalez has been hurt quite a bit since being drafted in 2014. Tyree Davis is a tremendous athlete with great speed and developing power. Arias and Martinez come from the Dominican Summer League where they showed a ton of speed. Marrero has a fluid left-handed swing but he’s young. Whitefield was an international softball player from Australia before leaning how to play baseball less than two years ago. He too is a great athlete. Top Prospects (Outfielders) 1.) Max Kepler, 2.) Adam Brett Walker, 3.) LaMonte Wade, 4.) Daniel Palka, 5.) Travis Harrison. Draft Thoughts The Twins have clearly focused on pitching the last two or three drafts and it has shown in the offensive numbers in the lower levels of the minor leagues. Obviously pitching is important and should always be a focus in the draft, but the Twins certainly can afford to restock bats too. As always, we can’t look at team needs now when it comes to the draft. Even the top picks generally need at least a year and a half to get to the big leagues. There is no way to know what the Twins needs will be, for sure, four to six years from now. So when it comes to outfielders, the Twins should always draft a few. If we’ve learned a few things this year, defense does matter but the Twins also just need to have hitting. Therein lies the rub. In the top five rounds, you’re obviously looking for a mix of athleticism and ability to hit, even with some power. Looking at the big league roster, you can see a log jam of of corner outfielders, first base and DH types, but at the same time, if those types of guys can hit, they can move up the system and provide value. However, the Twins have had a lot of success drafting athletic, center field types. They can move a little more slowly as they translate from athlete to baseball player. We also have seen the value of having a great outfield defense. Speed and natural outfield senses are important. Personally, I would most likely draft mostly center field types knowing they can transfer to the corners as they move up. Click here to view the article

It was a great night for the Rochester Red Wings’ offense and it was led by Byron Buxton as you’ll read below. Adam Walker did what he does best, crush mistake pitches. Jason Wheeler continued to pitch well. Two long streaks continued for Kernels players, and the Miracle got a clutch hit from a top prospect. It was an eventful night in the Twins minor league system.NOTE: Seth will be in attendance at the games in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so expect reports and stories from there throughout the weekend. Remember, Cedar Rapids is less than five hours south of the Twin Cities. It’s certainly worth the trip, especially if you’re interested in prospects. Also, the Field of Dreams movie site is less than an hour away. Consider making a trip this summer! You’ll enjoy it! Check the Kernels schedule and get tickets here. For much more on what happened on Wednesday in the Twins farm system, please continue. TRANSACTIONS On Wednesday, there were a few transactions in the Twins system: First, the Twins moved LHP Glen Perkins to the 60-Day disabled list. They put OF Darin Mastroianni on the 15-Day disabled list. They purchased the contract of LHP Buddy Boshers and called him up to the big leagues.Mitch Garver was activated from the DL, but RHP Ryan Eades was placed on the DL.RHP Hector Lujan was returned to extended spring training. RHP Nick Anderson was promoted from Cedar Rapids to Ft. Myers. RHP Kuo Hua Lo was brought back to the Kernels from extended spring training.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 9, Indianapolis 8 Box Score Byron Buxton has had a tremendous May with the Red Wings which begs the question, how long will (and should) he remain in AAA before coming back to the Twins? It’s a fair question, to be sure. He led off this game with a double. In his second at-bat, he hit his fifth home run, a long blast to the right of center field. He was intentionally walked the next time up. In his final plate appearance, he lined a single up the middle. Altogether, he was 3-4 with his seventh double, fifth homer and two RBI. In the first inning, Tommy Field knocked a three-run homer, his third homer in just over a week with the organization. He went 2-3 with a walk and four RBI. Field’s home run was followed by Adam Brett Walker’s tenth home run of the season, a tape-measure shot measured at about 450 feet. Kennys Vargas went 2-4 with a walk. Eddie Rosario went 2-4 with a double. Jorge Polanco added his fifth triple. Jason Wheeler was good again. He improved to 3-1 with a 1.86 ERA with six solid innings. He gave up two runs in five hits and a walk. He struck out three. David Martinez came on and gave up one run on one hit and two walks in the seventh. He struck out two. Alex Wimmers gave up a hit in a scoreless eighth. The Red Wings went into the ninth inning with a 9-3 lead. Ryan O’Rourke started the inning. He got two outs, but gave up five runs (two earned) on five hits. JT Chargois came in and gave up a hit, but he then got the final out for his third Red Wings save. The Red Wings have now won 15 of their last 20 games and are 26-20 on the season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Tennessee 2 Box Score Good things come in threes, right? The Lookouts scored three runs in the third inning thanks to two triples. TJ White got things going with a two-run triple. Next up was leadoff man Zach Granite who switched places with him with a triple of his own. Ryan Walker went 2-4 with his third stolen base. Leonardo Reginnato went 2-3. Daniel Palka added a triple late in the game. DJ Baxendale started and worked the first 6.2 innings. He gave up two runs on four hits. He also hit a batter. He struck out one. Mason Melotakis came on and get the final out of the 7th inning, on a strikeout. Trevor Hildenberger picked up his fourth save. He struck out three over two scoreless innings. He gave up two hits. Baxendale improved to 4-5 with a 3.06 ERA. With the win, the Lookouts improved to 20-26 on the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Palm Beach 10 (10 innings) Box Score Obviously the tenth inning didn’t go well for the Miracle. Nick Gordon’s third triple tied the score at four in the ninth inning. However, in the tenth, the first eight batters reached for the Cardinals and six of them scored. Keaton Steele started. The right-hander gave up one run on six hits and four walks in five innings. He struck out four. Nick Anderson came on for his Florida State League debut. He gave up an unearned run on one hit and one walk in his inning. The unearned run was due to a throwing error by Anderson himself. He struck out two. Raul Fernandez threw two scoreless innings. John Curtiss gave up two runs in the ninth, but when the Miracle scored two to tie it, he returned for the tenth. All three batters he faced reached base. He was replaced by Brian Gilbert who faced five batters and gave up three hits, a walk, and the next batter reached on an error. He was replaced by Todd Van Steensel who gave up a hit but got the final three outs, two on strikeouts. Max Murphy and Brian Navarreto each went 3-5 in the game. Tanner Witt went 2-4 with a walk. Edgar Corcino went 2-4 and his fourth home run of the year tied the game at two in the eighth inning. Gordon went 1-3 with two walks and the triple. The Miracle fell to 24-23 on the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Burlington 7 Box Score Sam Clay had his first rough start of the season. The left-hander gave up seven runs on six hits, five walks and a hit batter in just 2.2 innings. He struck out one. Kuo Hua Lo struck out six over the next 3.1 innings. He gave up two hits and walked two, but no runs. Williams Ramirez then worked two perfect innings, striking out one. LaMonte Wade got things going for the Kernels with a home run, his fourth, in the first inning. He didn’t take long to increase his streak of consecutive games getting on base to 25. He went 3-5 in the game. Later, Zander Wiel extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a two-run single. Brad Hartong went 2-4 with his first triple. Jermaine Palacios went 2-4 with his third double and two driven in. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Trevor Hildenberger, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byron Buxton, Rochester Red Wings THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ Rochester (10:05 a.m. CST) - RHP Jose Berrios Tennessee @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - LHP Nick Greenwood Palm Beach @ Ft. Myers (6:00 CST) – RHP Felix Jorge Cedar Rapids @ Burlington (6:30 CST) – RHP Fernando Romero Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Wednesday games. Click here to view the article