Seth Stohs

Correct... I can't think of any/many top-level players who the Twins didn't extend beyond free agency in the last dozen years.T They locked up Radke, Santana, Hunter, Cuddyer, Morneau, Mauer, Span and more.

I could argue that there is a 'good' chance that they'll start him in AAA next year

Great article... and it is still very exciting to think about the role that Buxton can (And hopefully will) play in the future of this organization. Regarding the service time - He wasn't called up until after the Super-2 deadline (though that's a moving target, so hard to know), so the service time likely won't factor into him leaving any earlier. But it is still frustrating that all those days of him not playing count. I've tweeted this a few times and would love to get others' opinions on this... I think that the Twins use all 20 days that Buxton can rehab in Rochester, but I think they call him up right at that time. If it was me, unless Buxton is just completely struggling, I would really hate to use an option year on him. Of course, we hope that he doesn't need another 3 years of options, hoping that maybe some time next year will be necessary but then he'll take off, but you never know, so I woudln't want to waste the Option, knowing he'd be back up a week later with September call ups.

I think Navarreto can stay at catcher. He's Mauer's size (though not the athlete) and he caught for a decade in the big leagues.

His facebook page is also Aderling... I usually type Aderlin just cuz it's easier...

I don't know what they changed with Burdi... maybe he should make some adjustments? I don't know what's going on behind all the scenes, but it's not always the organization's or coaches fault. And, that adjustment period is pretty normal. That's why when they get to the big leagues and make those adjustments and get to that third year at just one level (albeit the highest level), it's interesting to see what they become. There are so many levels to get to the big leagues though, so it's quite a process.

Yup, the last couple of weeks, I've been tweeting fairly frequently on Navarreto, Turner and Mitch Garver who have all been hitting well the last month (Garver since about June 1).

There were reports shortly after he came back that the Trackman (or whatever that's called) had him hitting 99.8 a couple of times in Cedar Rapids, so I'd say that velo is pretty good!

Yup, Zander Wiel has a broken hand from being hit by a pitch. He's done for the year, but should be just fine next season. Graterol came to the states to have his elbow examined. Won't be pitching in the GCL. Clemensia not likely to play this year. Also, Rainis Silva has a broken finger.

In his last 26 games, he is hitting .330/.365/.440 (.805) with seven doubles and a homer. He's certainly turned it around. To be honest, he's much more impressive in person than on box scores. He's got great size and that arm is very strong.

On Tuesday, we named Jermaine Palacios the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month. Today, it is time for us to unveil the starting pitcher of the month of July and recognize others who performed well in the month. I don’t think I’ve ever had this many candidates for pitcher of the month. Consider this. I am going to place Rochester’s JO Berrios in the Honorable Mention, but he probably would rank 15th or 16th this month. Lots of great performances from starters, which is obviously a good thing.With that, let's start our list of the Top 6 Starting Pitchers for July. We had a chance to catch up with this month’s choice as well. We begin with the big lot of players deserving of honorable mention. Rochester RHP JO Berrios – 5 GS, 2-0, 3.52 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 31.1 IP, 26 H, 10 BB, 30 KRochester LHP Pat Dean – 6 GS, 2-2, 3.20 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 39.1 IP, 41 H, 10 BB, 23 KChattanooga LHP Jason Wheeler – 5 GS, 2-1, 2.84 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 31.2 IP, 32 H, 5 BB, 26 KCedar Rapids RHP Felix Jorge – 5 GS, 3-1, 2.78 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 32.1 IP, 29 H, 9 BB, 27 KCedar Rapids RHP Sam Gibbons – 4 GS, 2-0, 2.42 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 22.1 IP, 23 H, 7 BB, 15 KCedar Rapids LHP Randy Rosario – 5 GS, 1-2, 2.42 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 22.1 IP, 23 H, 7 BB, 16 KElizabethton Twins RHP Cody Stashak – 5 GS, 2-1, 2.42 ERA, 26.0 IP, 24 H, 4 BB, 27 KGCL Twins RHP Jose Martinez – 5 GS, 1-2, 2.57 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 21.0 IP, 16 H, 7 BB, 11 KGCL Twins LHP Lachlan Wells – 5 GS, 2-1, 2.31 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 23.1 IP, 19 H, 6 BB, 22 KGCL Twins RHP Eduardo del Rosario – 5 GS, 2-0, 1.57 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 23.0 IP, 15 H, 5 BB, 28 KTOP 6 STARTING PITCHERS IN JULY Number 6 – Ft. Myers Miracle – LHP Stephen Gonsalves - 5 GS, 3-1, 0.96 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 28.0 IP, 21 H, 13 BB, 21 K Seriously, Gonsalves had a 0.96 ERA over 28 innings in the month and isn’t higher than sixth this month. Gonsalves was the Twins fourth-round pick in 2013 out of high school in San Diego. He began the season by making nine starts with Cedar Rapids. He went 6-1 with a 1.15 ERA in 55 innings. He has now made nine starts with the Miracle and is 5-1 with a 2.11 ERA. 11-2 with a 1.59 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP is pretty solid for the recently-turned 21 year old. In July, batters hit just .206/.296/.225 (.521) against him. Number 5 – Rochester Red Wings – RHP Tyler Duffey - 5 GS, 1-2, 2.48 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 32.2 IP, 25 H, 10 BB, 20 K So, his major league debut didn’t exactly go well, but Duffey was the right choice. He was easily the best pitcher available in Rochester, the most ready. His final start of the month wasn’t real strong, but he still has terrific numbers for the month. The Twins fifth-round pick in 2012 out of Rice, he has been a strong performer as a starter since moving into that role. Generally, he is a ground ball pitcher with good control. He really does typically keep the ball in the park. He can be a solid major league starter, and should they decide to move him to the bullpen in time, he can be very good. Opponents hit just .205/.264/.279 (.542) against him. Number 4 – Elizabethton Twins – RHP Dereck Rodriguez - 5 GS, 2-1, 1.33 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 27.0 IP, 22 H, 6 BB, 19 K Rodriguez was the Twins sixth-round pick way back in 2011 out of high school in Florida. The son of Pudge Rodriguez, Dereck is a lanky 6-1 and maybe 180 pounds. He began his career as a potential five-tool outfielder, but that didn’t work. So before the 2014 season, he was moved to the mound. After working out of the bullpen last year, he has been starting for the Elizabethton Twins this year. He had short stints with the Miracle and Kernels when they needed an arm earlier in the year. Overall with the E-Twins, he is 4-1 with a 1.37 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. He is 23-years-old, but patience will be important in this transition. In July, opponents hit just .216/.279/.245 (.524) off of him. Number 3 – Elizabethton Twins – RHP Andro Cutura - 5 GS, 1-1, 1.20 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 30.0 IP, 18 H, 6 BB, 21 K Cutura was the Twins seventh-round draft pick in 2014 out of Southeastern Louisiana University. He didn’t pitch at all last year with injury and spent much of the first half rehabbing. He’s now starting at E-Town and pitching well. Overall, he is 2-2 with a 1.12 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP in 40 innings over seven starts. For the month, opponents hit just .170/.221/.236 (.457). Number 2 – GCL Twins – RHP Williams Ramirez - 5 GS, 2-1, 0.71 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 27.0 IP, 7 H, 13 BB, 29 K Ramirez will turn 23-years-old on Saturday. So, why is he still in the GCL, you ask? He signed when he was a little older and was moved from a hitter to a pitcher at that time. He spent two years developing in the Dominican Summer League, and he has greatly improved his pitching this year. He was a third baseman/outfielder who had never pitched, but he had a strong arm and a good sense for secondary pitches. It’s all coming together. Hitters in the GCL hit ..092/.233/.118 (.352) against him in July. And the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month is: Ft. Myers Miracle – LHP Mat Batts – 5 GS, 3-0, 1.15 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 31.1 IP, 20 H, 7 BB, 30 K Mat Batts was the Twins 17th round pick just a year ago after pitching for five years and UNC-Wilmington. He began his career in June of 2014 with three outings in the GCL before making four starts for Elizabethton. He ended the season with six appearances with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He returned to the Kernels to start this season. In seven starts, he went 3-2 with a 2.21 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. He was promoted to the Miracle where he has now gone 5-3 with a 2.04 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. Within a twelve month period, Batts pitched for five teams (UNC-W and four affiliates). However, he feels like he was well-prepared for all of this. “I don't know if I really ever thought about it. I will say that pitching in college for five years really prepared me for what I've faced in pro ball these past two years. I think college teaches everybody how to fail and how to make adjustments when you fail. Had I not gone through the experiences I did in college, I don't think I would be prepared for the demands of pro baseball. ” Listed at 5-11 (maybe, Mat?) and 190 pounds, Batts has walked just 23 batters while striking out 105 batters in 111.1 innings. He has made the transition from the Midwest League to the Florida State League look simple. He told us, “There wasn’t a huge difference between the two leagues. Hitters in the Florida State league definitely barrel up more balls, especially if you get behind in the count, but I’d say the benefit of the larger fields makes this league as much of a pitcher’s league as any out there.” That said, with the larger fields, you’d think there could be more hits. In July, opponents hit just .179/.233/.214 (.448) against the left-hander. Though he isn’t a flame-thrower, Batts is able to work with a five-pitch mix. He throws a two-seam and a four-seam fastball. He also has a curveball, a changeup and a slider. There is no truth to the rumor than he also throws a kitchen sink from time to time. In fact, if you ask him about it, he will likely tell you that a kitchen sink would be too heavy to throw and could mess up an arm real quick. As far as what he considers his best pitch, he is non-committal. “It really depends on the day for which pitch is best. I think I can get outs with all four but a lot of it depends on the hitter’s approach and what they are looking to do up there. Generally we look to mix speeds early in the game with the change up but it doesn't always play out exactly how you plan.” Batts has been part of a very impressive, deep, six-man rotation in Ft. Myers. Being around other starters with that much talent certainly pushes the teammates. “We do have a great group of guys in this rotation. Obviously losing Hu last week, and now Slegers, it will be a different group moving forward but I'd say absolutely we feed off one another and compete with each other. Nobody wants to be the guy that can't do their job when it's their turn to pitch.” One key to success for any player is to understand himself as a player. Batts understands why he has been successful and what he needs to do to remain successful as he moves forward, and moves up the organizational ladder. Batts said, “I'd say my biggest key to success is just throwing strikes and being the aggressor. The more you attack hitters with quality strikes the more they are going to get themselves out, regardless of your stuff.” Overall this season, Batts is 8-5 with a 2.10 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 19 total starts. It is likely that Batts will stick with the Miracle for the remainder of the 2015 season as they hope to get into a playoff position in the 2nd half. Please feel free to post your comments on Mat Batts and the rest of the Twins minor league starting pitchers who pitched well in July. How do you feel about the rankings? We’ll be back tomorrow with the Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month. Click here to view the article

exactly, and I like Berrios as much as anyone, but I definitely think that Duffey gives them a better chance to win. Of course, there's no way to know. Berrios is close. They aren't afraid of calling him up.

My assumption is that at some point, that will happen. I think Duffey can be a solid #4 starter, like May, and that Berrios can potentially be a #2. With the others under contract, I think Duffey will eventually get pushed to the pen. I think Duffey and May are pretty similar. Fastballs are similar (Duffey maybe more movement and control), and May has the very good changeup while Duffey has the very good breaking ball. Similar upsides.

Fair point... I don't know what they'll do, but if they're in contention, I can see them calling them all up. Maybe not.

Oh, I'm sure... but I'm certain that Kepler will spend much of 2016 in Rochester. He'd just come up for September, not for good. He's not in the Buxton/Sano category, though he's that next step.

I think the September call up is a given. I think he sticks with Chattanooga through their playoff run unless something weird happens.

Milone is on the 15-day DL.. that's at least 2 and probably 3 starts.

I'm good with - an expect - that.

Great point in the 2nd sentence on the prospects. Let's just enjoy it. Need more than three starts to evaluated his potential as a SP for next season. I don't think the Twins are calling up Duffey because they have to prove something, or need a success story. They are calling him up because he is the most ready. Isn't that enough?

Fair enough. I think that May should not have been removed from the rotation a month ago too. But he was, so this is an easy choice. Just so people have it, in the Twins Prospect Handbook, Jeremy ranked Duffey 12th, I had him at 16th and Cody had him at about 18-19. And, with his performance this year, the increased Ks, the lack of HR allowed, he moves up that list a bit.

And May can dominate in the bullpen. Really, this was a pretty easy choice.

It was a busy Tuesday in the Minnesota Twins minor league system. All six full-season affiliates played, with the GCL Twins playing two games. Max Kepler got on base four times, and he wasn’t even the hitter of the day. Kennys Vargas did a couple of things that will probably surprise you. Zach Granite made a web gem for Ft. Myers. And you’ll be impressed by the top of the Cedar Rapids lineup.All that and more in the coming paragraphs of today’s Twins Minor League Report. TRANSACTIONS With Tyler Duffey promoted to the Twins, Jason Wheeler was promoted from the Lookouts to the Red Wings. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Gwinnett 5 Box Score Michael Bowden made his second Red Wings start. In this one, he gave up two runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings. He walked two and struck out one. Aaron Thompson came on and got the final out of the sixth. He got one out in the seventh as well before leaving with two men on base. Michael Tonkin came on having not allowed a run in over 16 innings. However, he gave up a three run homer that provided the final 5-2 score. The Red Wings had eight hits. James Beresford and Jose Martinez each had two hits. Reynaldo Rodriguez and Danny Ortiz each hit their 28th doubles. Chris Herrmann went 1-2 with a walk and stole his third base. Danny Santana went 0-4 and is now 1-12 since his return from the Twins. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 10, Jackson 3 Box Score Down 3-2 going into the seventh inning, Chattanooga scored five times in the seventh and three times in the eighth to get a commanding win. Catcher Jairo Rodriguez was the only Lookouts hitter without a hit. Kennys Vargas was moved to the ninth spot in the lineup. He went 2-5 with a triple (yes, really) and his fifth home run. Max Kepler went 2-3 with two walks. He also stole his 14th and 15th bases. Stephen Wickens went 2-4 with a walk and his tenth double. Dalton Hicks and Heiker Meneses each went 2-5. Jorge Polanco hit a single and walked twice. Adam Brett Walker doubled for the 24th time this season and drove in his 85th and 86th runs of the season. With Jason Wheeler moving back up to AAA, the Lookouts needed to go with a bullpen game. Tim Shibuya started and gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits in three innings. Adrian Salcedo gave up one run on two hits and a walk in two innings. DJ Johnson gave up a hit and a walk, but no runs, in two innings. Alex Wimmers struck out three over two perfect innings. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, St. Lucie 7 Box Score Mat Batts had a great July, but this August started out poorly. He gave up three runs in the first inning and another in the fourth. In all, he went five innings and gave up four runs (3 earned) on nine hits and a walk. He struck out three. He falls to 5-3 with a 2.04 ERA. Brian Gilbert gave up three runs on five hits in his inning. Zack Jones came on and struck out four over two perfect innings. Corey Williams struck out one in his scoreless inning. Marcus Knecht went 2-4 with a walk and his 18th Miracle double. Engelb Vielma was 2-4 with a walk. He stole his 25th and 26th bases. Aderlin Mejia went 2-5 with his sixth double. Zach Granite hit his third triple. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Dayton 1 Box Score The Kernels got strong pitching in this one, but the story in this game was the offense. The Kernels knocked out 15 hits to go with five walks. The top of the lineup definitely set the table. Leadoff man Tanner English led the way. He went 5-5 with three doubles (19 for the season) and three RBIs. He also stole his organization-leading 34th base. Nick Gordon hit second and went 3-4 with a walk. Brian Navarreto went 2-3 with a walk. Tyler Kuresa went 1-3 with two walks. On the mound, Keaton Steele got the job done and evened his season record at 3-3. He gave up one run on five hits over seven innings. He struck out three without walking a batter. Luke Bard gave up one hit over two scoreless innings. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Johnson City 5 Box Score One tough inning was the difference in this game. Jermaine Palacios has been great with the bat, but his fifth inning error led to four unearned runs. Andro Cutura was charged with five runs, though just one was earned, in five innings. He gave up seven hits, walked one and hit one while striking out four. Tyler Stirewalt gave up just one hit and hit a batter over three shutout innings. Manuel Guzman led the offense. He went 3-4 with his second double. Jermaine Palacios went 2-5 with his fourth double in four games with the E-Twins. Travis Blankenhorn went 2-4. GCL TWINS TAKES Game 1 – GCL Twins 7, GCL Orioles 0 Box Score The Twins had a tremendous effort with the bats and the arms in Game 1 on Tuesday. Lachlan Wells made the start. The Austalian righty gave his team five innings of shutout ball. He gave up just two hits, walked one and struck out two. He is now 3-1 with a 2.10 ERA on the season. Brandon Poulson came on and worked two perfect innings. He struck out two. When Jermaine Palacios was promoted to Elizabethton, Ariel Montesino was sent back to the GCL. In this game, he went 2-3 with a walk, a double and a home run. Luis Martinez went 2-3 with two RBI. Lewin Diaz went 1-2 with two walks. Christian Cavaness made his first start and went 1-2 with a walk. A rehabbing Blake Schmit went 1-3 with a walk. Game 2 – GCL Twins 4, GCL Orioles 5 (8 innings) Box Score The second game needed an extra inning. Eduardo del Rosario made the start and he continued to pitch very well. He gave up just one hit over five shutout innings. He walked two and struck out five. Then Max Cordy came on for the sixth inning. He gave up two runs on one hit and a walk in just 2/3 of an inning. Johan Quezada came on and got the final out of the sixth and then worked the seventh. He gave up an unearned run on two hits. He struck out two. Hector Lujan came on and got two outs in the eighth. However, he gave up two runs on three hits to take the loss. Lean Marrero, the Twins 16th-round pick in June out of Puerto Rico, went 2-4 in the game with his first professional home run. Lewin Diaz went 2-3 with a walk. Roberto Molina went 2-4 with two RBI. Luis Arraez went 1-3 with two walks. Blake Schmit went 1-4 and stole a base. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Keaton Steele, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Tanner English, Cedar Rapids Kernels WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Gwinnett (6:35 CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers (8-8, 3.65 ERA) Chattanooga @ Jackson (7:05 CST) – RH Greg Peavey (6-3, 4.41 ERA) St. Lucie @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – LHP Stephen Gonsalves (5-1, 2.11 ERA) Dayton @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Felix Jorge (5-4, 2.49 ERA) Elizabethton – No Game Scheduled GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00 CST) – TBD Feel free to leave any questions or comments below Click here to view the article

Great article! Duffey is a strong kid, and he can eat some innings when he is on because he doesn't throw a lot of pitches. I don't think he'd be on any sort of innings limit, maybe 170-180. Also, we need to be excited about him debuting in the big leagues and his potential... however, we need to remember that he has to overcome nerves and excitement AND the Blue Jays offense. I talked to him in spring training. Check that story out here.