Seth Stohs

The front office provides Baldelli and the coaching staff with all kinds of data for them to review and study. Some is about Twins players, and some is about the other team. The players get as much information as they want as well... But as Tingler said... the manager is able to make decisions using that information, but also based on his knowledge of his team.

I like it a lot. There is such a strange part of fandom that doesn't get that this is the goal of all organizations and how they use analytics.

Camargo will have to be added before the end of the World Series when he again becomes a free agent. Last year, they were able to sign him to a minor-league deal. I can't imagine him not being a Rule 5 pick, so I think they need to add him. The Givens: Austin Martin and Emmanuel Rodriguez. The Tough Calls: Jose Salas, Yunior Severino, Ricardo Olivar. DaShawn Keirsey. - I'd add Severino. The power is legit, depth is good. - I'd very strongly consider Keirsey. He can play in the big leagues now, and he can be a late-inning defensive replacement, pinch runner, etc. - Ricardo Olivar... very tough. Put up strong numbers, but in Low-A. Intriguing player type because he can play LF and CF pretty well, but he also is a catcher. Lots of doubles, but could he stick? Rubel Cespedes is another from the Mighty Mussels, but as a corner infielder, he's probably left off for another year. - Jose Salas... The Twins kept playing him through Cedar Rapids championship run. Tells me they believe in him, or at least his defense, speed, and his potential.

Ump Scorecard for Wednesday night's game:

We already saw Baldelli pinch hit Solano for Kirilloff, and that could carry over to tonight. The overreaction isn't so much about potential lineup changes as it is about some of the big statements on if a player is or isn't clutch based on two games, or even five games, etc.

I definitely agree with this. Experience does matter. Having been there and done that matters. Doing well or doing poorly sets you up for the next time... That's another reason I believe that they need to go with the young guys and play the game situations as they have throughout the second half.

I would say the larger the sample, the more accurate it would be in being predictive. There's no way to know that in a 1 or 2 or even 5-game stretch. Royce Lewis was immensely clutch in his two games against the Jays. He hasn't been in his past two games against the Astros. What does this mean about his ability to perform in a highly stressful playoff environment? It means something he'll come through and sometimes he won't... just like in any day or week of the regular season. I never mean to downplay the playoffs. I get it. That is why they play the regular season and the ultimate goal is the World Series championship. Sonny Gray had one very good playoff start and one not so good. Does that mean he's not clutch? Pablo Lopez was great against the Jays and his Game 2 start vs Houston was legendary... What if there is a Game 5 in Houston on Friday night and he gives up 5 runs in 5 innings? What if he gives up 3 runs in 6 innings and they lose 3-2? Does that alter the narrative? Finally, was Jack Morris a clutch pitcher in the playoffs? Well, he sure was in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. He lost game 4... and a look back at his playoff starts with the Tigers show he wasn't very good at all most of the time. I believe in clutch moments, clutch situations. We all know when somebody comes through in the clutch. But I don't believe that anyone can be clutch enough to know with any real certainty what's going to happen, good or bad. I don't believe in the alleged "Clutch Gene." What I do believe is that given a decent sample size of plate appearances, if a player is equally successful as his regular season numbers in clutch or high pressure situations, that's really good. Who has better playoff offensive numbers? Derek Jeter or A-Rod? Jeter has a few moments that stand out and he was good in the playoffs, but A-Rod was better and people said he couldn't come up big when needed (even though he did). Sorry that got long.

I'm certain he wasn't thinking about his hamstring when he was batting. His concentration is just fine. and players go from clutch to non-clutch to hot to cold all of the time, for like 22-23 weeks in the season. They all want to be hot and clutch at all times, especially in the playoffs, but that's not realistic.

What does the ability to survive on land or in water have to do with it though?

No chance. But I'd have Lewis, Kirilloff, Wallner, Julien all playing. They're facing a right-hander.

Not only did the ball stay down, but it was bounding back and forth like it was moving with some english. Definitely NOT a 'routine' double play. Yes, knock it down, try to get the one out... but WAY too much being made of that one play. Gray relies on spin, and movement because of the spin... Today, there was some spin, but very little movement... That's why the shadows didn't effect their hitters like they did the Twins hitters who were trying to hit balls that not only spun, but dropped and darted. With no spin on pitches they were looking for... and they did a nice job of sticking to a game plan.

Two options... Overreact to a couple of bad games against strong teams, or show those guys you believe in them and their future in this organization. Reason #8942 why I hate the playoffs... everything gets overanalyzed and blown way out of proportion. A two-game slump... and its the end of the world. Of note - Solano pinch-hit for Kirilloff with a right-hander on the mound. That's probably a sign of things to come tomorrow, maybe. Wallner didn't and worked two really good plate appearances. I hope not. Go with the guys that got you there. Stick to the platooning, and go from there. Wallner, Kirilloff, Lewis, Julien... all a big part of the Twins future, and that's a good thing. Stand by them. Or don't, that's the purpose of having all this depth. Try to live another day and get to a Verlander-Lopez game 5... that's the goal at this point. But against Urquidy, do you want them to go with Solano at 1st, Farmer at 3rd, Castro in LF with Taylor in CF. Could have Vazquez catch, and let Jeffers DH?

Game's been over for 20 minutes... I'm all good. Just have to hope for a better game tomorrow.

I mean, the guys in the booth don't decide what is shown on TV.

I wasn't a fan of AJ Pierzynski as a player. His perceived arrogance on the field annoyed me, and I thought it would in the booth too. Adam Wainwright just finished playing, so I don't expect him to add anything more than things he might do or about players he's faced over the years. Adam Amin is the play-by-play guy. I was surprised in Game 1 that I was actually really impressed with the call of the game. That doesn't mean I will be in the remainder of the games, but for one game, I thought they did well. Unlike many of the national guys, AJ does have a relationship with the Twins and has done several of their games, and has played against the organization. And I do think he is good in terms of analysis. I think he does a nice job of just calling it as he sees it and analyzing. I actually think Wainwright did a nice job in explaining some things from a pitcher's perspective. He also didn't force things. He didn't overanalyze and talk just to talk. And I thought Amin did a nice job of using both of them and calling the game. Overall, did they talk more knowledgeably about the Astros? Of course, they're the team that has been to the ALCS the last 5-6 years. We all know a ton about them. But they had a good enough knowledge of the Twins players. There was praise for Verlander... as their should have been. But they also fully acknowledged his early innings struggles, but he worked out of them. They were honest about Ryan Pressly's track record in equal parts with his 2nd half struggles. So yeah, I thought they did a nice job... I don't expect it to be a Twins broadcast team. I understand the Astros history. But I thought the conversation and analysis were very fair, very good. Do you agree? Disagree? Discuss.

Walker JenkinsBrooks LeeEmmanuel RodriguezCharlee SotoMarco RayaYunior SeverinoDavid FestaAustin MartinDanny De AndradeKala'i RosarioTanner SchobelYasser MercedesBrandon WinokurNoah MillerLuke KeaschallAndrew MorrisRicardo OlivarCory LewisMatt CanterinoPierson Ohl

Walker JenkinsBrooks LeeEmmanuel RodriguezCharlee SotoMarco RayaYunior SeverinoDavid FestaAustin MartinDanny De AndradeKala'i RosarioTanner SchobelYasser MercedesBrandon WinokurNoah MillerLuke KeaschallAndrew MorrisRicardo OlivarCory LewisMatt CanterinoPierson Ohl

No Buxton, but Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa are back! Image courtesy of ​ Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports The Minnesota Twins had to submit their Wild Card Round roster by 10:00 this morning, 5 1/2 hours before Game 1. There were certainly a lot of questions, but now we have answers. Pitchers (12) Starters: Pablo Lopez, Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan Bullpen: Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Caleb Thielbar, Brock Stewart, Emilio Pagan, Louie Varland, Chris Paddack, Kody Funderburk, Kenta Maeda. Position Players (14) Infielders: Alex Kirilloff, Edouard Julien, Jorge Polanco, Carlos Correa, Donovan Solano, Kyle Farmer, Royce Lewis Outfielders: Max Kepler, Michael A. Taylor, Matt Wallner, Willi Castro, Andrew Stevenson Catchers: Ryan Jeffers, Christian Vazquez. For those interested, the Blue Jays roster includes 12 pitchers and 14 hitters. View full article

All week, we have been handing out the Twins Daily Minor League Awards. Today, we conclude that series by recognizing the top hitters in the Minnesota Twins organization during the 2023 season. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints We have been handing out proverbial hardware this week at Twins Daily. Dameury Pena is our Short-Season Hitter of the Year. Juan Cota is our Short-Season Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Kody Funderburk was named the Minor League Reliever of the Year. Cory Lewis is the choice for Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. Today, we announce our Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year. You might agree with our choice when you're done reading this article, but hopefully, you will see many excellent options. There were several solid offensive performances this season by players up and down the organizational ladder. Does this year's winner fit well into our list of previous winners? Certainly. PREVIOUS WINNERS 2012 - Oswaldo Arcia 2013 - Miguel Sano 2014 - Mitch Garver 2015 - Max Kepler 2016 - Daniel Palka 2017 - Mitch Garver 2018 - Alex Kirilloff 2019 - Trevor Larnach 2021 - Jose Miranda 2022 - Matt Wallner Here are the guys that rounded out the Hitter of the Year ballots: Honorable Mentions 2B/OF Austin Martin, 24, St. Paul - 59 G, 54-205, .263/.387/.405 (.791), 11-2B, 6-HR, 28 RBI, 36 BB, 43 K. C/OF Ricardo Olivar, 22, Fort Myers - 100 G, 106-372, .285/.403/.452 (.855), 28-2B, 2-3B, 10-HR, 58 RBI, 59 BB, 93 K. IF Jorel Ortega, 22, Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids - 120 G, 117-456, .257/.361/.445 (.807), 34-2B, 5-3B, 14-HR, 75 RBI, 69 BB, 133 K. IF/OF Anthony Prato, 25, Wichita/St. Paul - 115 G, 92-361, .255/.402/.435 (.847), 25-2B, 2-3B, 12-HR, 60 RBI, 79 BB, 104 K. C/1B Chris Williams, 26, St. Paul - 95 G, 73-309, .236/.352/.495 (.846), 13-2B, 2-3B, 21-HR, 75 RBI, 51 BB, 122 K. Others Receiving Votes Kyle Garlick, Trevor Larnach, Alex Isola, Noah Cardenas, Yoyner Fajardo, Rubel Cespedes. Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year Here are the top seven players for the Twins Daily Hitter of the Year, leading up to the choice for Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year. 7. OF DaShawn Keirsey, Jr., 26, Wichita / St. Paul 130 G, 144-490, .294/.366/.455 (.821), 18-2B, 8-3B, 15-HR, 61 RBI, 50 BB, 124 K. Keirsey was the Twins fourth-round pick in 2018 out of the University of Utah. After he missed time with injuries in 2019 and 2021, he has been one of the organization's more exciting and underrated prospects. His combination of speed with some power is very intriguing. He can be a top-of-the-order type of Hitter or hit anywhere in the lineup. He takes pitches, knows the strike zone, gets on base, and once there, he can steal bases. After stealing 42 bases in 2022, he stole 39 bags in 2023. Defensively, he has excellent speed and range and can play all three outfield positions. 6. SS Brooks Lee, 22, Wichita / St. Paul 125 G, 138-501, .275/.347/.461 (.808), 39-2B, 3-3B, 16-HR, 84 RBI, 56 BB, 91 K For many, Brooks Lee was the best pure hitter in the 2022 draft, and somehow, he was available for the Twins with the eighth overall pick. He signed fairly quickly, and after four games in the FCL games, he played in 25 games for Cedar Rapids and the final two games in Wichita, where he was also on the Wind Surge playoff roster. He spent most of 2023 with the Surge and played well. In 87 games, he hit .292/.365/.476 (.841). He hit 11 homers, and his 31 doubles led the league at the time of his promotion. He ended the season with 38 games in St. Paul. He hit just .237/.304/.428 (.731), but he added eight doubles, three triples, and five home runs. Lee strikes me as someone whose tools and athleticism won't jump off the charts. He may not stand out if you were to watch one game. But his at-bats will be good, and he will make all of the plays at shortstop. And at the end of the year, he will be hitting .280ish, get on base about 35% of the time, hit a ton of doubles and up to 20 homers, and have a high fielding percentage. When drafted, we knew his floor was high. Then he put up these solid numbers as a 22-year-old in his first full professional season, and it's fair to say that his ceiling also continues to move up. 5. OF Emmanuel Rodriguez, 20, Cedar Rapids 99 G, 85-455, .240/.400/.463 (.863), 13-2B, 9-3B, 16-HR, 55 RBI, 92 BB, 134 K Like Lee, Rodriguez is a consensus top-50 prospect in baseball, and for a good reason. He originally signed as a top international free agent in 2019. Unfortunately, he was unable to make his pro debut until 2021. In the GCL, he began to show his immense power potential with 10 home runs in 37 games. He spent the 2022 season in Fort Myers, where he hit nine home runs in just 47 games before a season-ending knee injury. There were some question marks coming into this season, but E-Rod was pushed to Cedar Rapids and continued his rise. He missed some time early in the season with an injury, and he wasn't consistent throughout the year, but the power was there. And considerable speed continued to be a big part of his game. Along with his 38 extra base hits, he had 20 stolen bases in 25 attempts. Defensively, he does a nice job in center field and has good range. Rodriguez certainly profiles as a modern player. He is unlikely to hit for a very high average. However, he will take a ton of walks and hit for plenty of power. The key will be to keep his strikeout rate as low as possible because good things happen when he puts the ball in play. He has a flair for the dramatic. In the Midwest League championship series, he hit two home runs in Game 1 to help the Kernels to a comeback win. Then, in the decisive Game 3, hit a big grand slam to put the Kernels ahead early and held on to win the league's championship. 4. OF Kala'i Rosario, 21, Cedar Rapids 118 G, 112-445, .252/.364/.467 (.832), 27-2B, 3-3B, 21-RBI, 94 RBI, 75 BB, 157 K Rosario was the Twins fifth-round pick in 2020 out of high school in Hawaii. The previous summer, he and Red Sox prospect Blaze Jordan put on shows in home run contests nationwide. Of course, Rosario's pro debut didn't start until 2021. In the GCL that year, he hit .277 with 10 doubles, four triples, and five homers on his way to the Twins Daily Short-Season Minor League Hitter of the Year. In 2022, he moved up to the Mighty Mussels. In 109 games, he hit .239/.320/.408 (.727) with 21 doubles, three triples, and 12 home runs. Not huge numbers, but he held his own for a 19-year-old in the pitcher-friendly atmosphere. The Twins were aggressive with him in 2023, and he proved them right. In 118 games in Cedar Rapids, he hit .252/.364/.467 (.832) with 27 doubles and three triples. His 21 homers and 94 RBI led the Midwest League and earned him the league's MVP award. No surprise Rosario will have to work hard to cut down the strikeouts as he continues to grow and develop. He will get some extra opportunities in the Arizona Fall League over the next six weeks. Will the Twins add him to their 40-man roster in November? That will be an interesting decision. 3. OF Andrew Stevenson, 29, St. Paul 106 G, 132-416, .317/.395/.522 (.916), 23-2B, 7-3B, 16-HR, 57 RBI, 42 BB, 97 K Stevenson was the second-round pick of the Nationals in 2015 out of LSU. Just over two years later, he made his big-league debut. Between 2017 and 2020, he played in 139 games for the Nationals. Then, in 2021, he played in 109 games for the Nationals. He spent the full 2022 season with Matthew Lecroy at the Rochester Red Wings. The Twins signed him on a minor-league deal in early March and sent him to the Saints. While he provided a potentially young team with a veteran presence and some depth, I can't imagine they believed he would put up the tremendous numbers he did. He hit for average. He has on-base, leadoff batter skills. He has some extra base hit power with his 23 doubles, seven triples, and 16 home runs. He had 44 steals in 49 chances. What a great season, he 100% earned and deserved his call to the Twins in late August. He can be a pinch-runner and late-inning defensive replacement in the big leagues. He also takes the kind of plate appearances that he can be a fourth or fifth outfielder. 2. C/1B Andrew Cossetti, 23, Fort Myers / Cedar Rapids 95 G, .287/.426/.534 (.960), 23-2B, 4-3B, 15-HR, 63 RBI, 64 BB, 79 K Cossetti grew up in the northwest suburbs of Philadelphia and stayed home for college by attending St. Joseph's University. He spent four seasons playing in the A10. He played 47 games as a freshman and 10 games before the Covid shutdown of the 2020 season. In 2021, he hit .318 (1.170) with 16 homers. Then in 2022, he hit .327 (1.167) with 19 home runs in 54 games. After that season, he played 28 games in the MLB Draft League and hit .410 (1.112) with 13 extra base hits. The Twins used their first pick on Day 3 of the 2022 draft. He played in just one FCL Twins game after signing. He began the 2023 season in Ft. Myers and started fast. In 35 games, he hit .330/.462/.607 (1.069) with 11 doubles and six home runs. He was promoted to Cedar Rapids, and after a slow start, he hit .262/.406/.492 (.898) with 12 doubles, three triples, and nine home runs over 60 games. Considering the power potential Cossetti has shown, his 79 strikeouts in 392 plate appearances (20.2%) is very solid. Defensively, he is a work in progress behind the plate, but he knows what he needs to work on and will do so in the Arizona Fall League. He made 44 starts this season as a catcher and 20 at first base. 1. IF Yunior Severino, 23, Wichita / St. Paul 120 G, 127-467, .272/.352/.546 (.898), 17-2B, 3-3B, 35-HR, 84 RBI, 51 BB, 173 K Severino was a high-profile international signing by the Atlanta Braves in 2016. When the Braves were found to have violated rules, Severino and others were deemed free agents. The Twins swooped in and signed him to a second seven-digit signing bonus. He has been moved up consistently by the Twins since the lost 2020 season. It has been a consistent improvement from year to year. In 2021, he hit eight homers. He hit 19 homers in 2022 between High-A and Double-A. This year, he tied for the minor-league lead with 35 home runs. "Anytime you tie for first in the minor leagues in home runs, you're deserving of Minor League Hitter of the Year consideration," said Twins Director of Player Development Drew MacPhail. He continued, "Yunior's calling card is his massive raw power and ability to hit the ball hard - which he did an awesome job of translating into games this year." It is hard to believe that it has been over seven years since Severino signed, yet he is still just 23. He is still growing physically and in his knowledge of the game. A big part of his power development may sound simple, but it's huge. He kept the ball off the ground. He hit many more line drives, and 35 fly balls became home runs. MacPhail said, "(That was) an issue he's worked hard at over the course of his career." For the Twins player development team, from the front office to the coaches and coordinators, it has to be a lot of fun and a source of pride to work with a kid over the years and see the work rewarded. Now the question becomes, will he be added to the team's 40-man roster this fall? He'd be a quick addition as soon as the Twins playoff run ends, hopefully after a third World Series title. The next question is a lot more complicated. Where will he play? MacPhail noted, "What won't go mentioned, but equally impressive, is the work and dedication Yunior put into his defense this year." So, we are going to mention it here. In 2023, he made 64 starts at third base and 21 at second base. He also made 14 starts at first base after joining the Saints. The infield has plenty of options on a potential Twins' 2024 roster that already includes Alex Kirilloff, Edouard Julien, Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Jose Miranda, and Jorge Polanco (who has two options remaining). Add in Severino, Brooks Lee, and Austin Martin; it is a good "problem." Congratulations to Yunior Severino on his fantastic 2023 season. He earned himself the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year award. In addition, join us in congratulating the others written about today. Also, with our Top 7, the Honorable Mentions and the others that received votes deserved recognition. To read much more Twins Daily content on each of these players, click on their names below. Yunior Severino, Andrew Cossetti, Andrew Stevenson, Kala’i Rosario, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Brooks Lee, DaShawn Keirsey, Austin Martin, Ricardo Olivar, Jorel Ortega, Anthony Prato, Chris Williams, Kyle Garlick, Trevor Larnach, Alex Isola, Noah Cardenas, Yoyner Fajardo, Rubel Cespedes. View full article

Yesterday, we announced Kody Funderburk as the Twins Daily relief pitcher of the year. Today, we shift our attention to the starting pitchers, and there were several very impressive pitching prospects who took bit strides in 2023. If we have learned anything over the past couple of years, it's that when the Twins draft a college pitcher on the third day of the draft, don't just assume they will be an organizational filler. Who knows? That Day 3 draft pick may become an organizational thriller (like Louie Varland, Bailey Ober). A look through the top starting pitchers in the Twins minor leaguers, we see more examples of this. Pitchers drafted out of college on Day 2 or 3 fill up much of this list. The Twins 2022 college draft picks helped lead the Cedar Rapids Kernels to the Midwest League championship this year. It's fun to see these pitchers enter the organization with one scouting report, and one or two years later, they have added four to six mph of velocity and a second and/or third pitch that are now at least an average pitch. Before getting into the top four starters, here are some others who received votes. . Others Receiving Votes RHP C.J. Culpepper, 21, Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids: 21 GS, 86.0 IP, 72 H, 31 BB, 89 K, 3.18 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9, 9.3 K/9. RHP Andrew Morris, 22, Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids: 18 G, 17 GS, 84.1 IP, 86 H, 19 BB, 79 K, 2.88 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.0 BB/9, 8.4 K/9. RHP Marco Raya, 21, Cedar Rapids/Wichita: 22 GS, 62.2 IP, 45 H, 22 BB, 65 K, 4.02 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9, 9.3 K/9. RHP Louie Varland, 25, St. Paul: 16 G, 15 GS, 81.2 IP, 84 H, 26 BB, 88 K, 3.97 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9, 9.7 K/9. Others Receiving Votes Blayne Enlow, Ben Ethridge, Ronny Henriquez, Simeon Woods Richardson Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year Here are the top four vote-getters for Twins Starting Pitcher of the Year. 4. RHP David Festa, 23, Wichita/St. Paul 24 G, 22 GS, 92.1 IP, 86 H, 42 BB, 119 K, 4.19 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 4.1 BB/9, 11.6 K/9. Festa was the Twins 13th round pick in 2021 out of Seton Hall. He had a tremendous first full season in pro ball in 2022. After five starts (with a 1.50 ERA) in Fort Myers, he moved up to Cedar Rapids and went 7-3 with a 2.71 ERA. In 103 2/3 innings, he had 108 strikeouts with 34 walks. As important as the numbers, Festa had developed some really awe-inspiring “stuff,” including a fastball in the upper 90s. The 23-year-old began this season in Wichita and pitched in 21 games (19 starts). He went 3-3 with a 4.39 ERA, and in 80 innings, he struck out 104 batters. He also walked 34 batters. In July, he pitched an inning in the Futures Game. He ended his season with three starts for the Saints. He was 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA. He had 15 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings. He also walked nine batters. He will need to hone in on his control, but David Festa should spend the 2024 season at St. Paul, eagerly awaiting an opportunity. He should continue to start, but like Louie Varland this year, Festa has the arm to finish the season as a dominant, late-inning reliever if needed. 3. RHP Zebby Matthews, 23, Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids 22 G, 20 GS, 105.1 IP, 96 H, 15 BB, 112 K, 3.84 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 1.3 BB/9, 9.6 K/9. A native of North Carolina, Zebby Matthews began his college career at Walters State. In 2020, he transferred to Western Carolina and went 3-1 before the season ended due to Covid. Over the next two seasons, he went 10-8 and posted sub-4.00 ERAs both years. In 157 innings, he had 182 strikeouts and just 28 walks. The Twins drafted him in the 8th round in 2022. He pitched in just two games. Matthews began the 2023 season at Fort Myers. However, after eight games (7 starts), he went 3-1 with a 2.56 ERA and was promoted to Cedar Rapids. He made 14 games (13 starts) for the Kernels. As he did in college, he continued to show great control. In 105 1/3 total innings, he has 112 strikeouts with just 15 walks. Matthews has a fastball that reaches 94-95 mph. He has also developed a sweeper and cutter, making them effective secondary pitches. The combination of three potentially average-or-better pitches and his ability to throw strikes and command the zone makes him very intriguing. 2. RHP Pierson Ohl, 24, Cedar Rapids/Wichita 24 G, 21 GS, 127.1 IP, 117 H, 18 BB, 115 K, 3.32 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 1.1 BB/9, 9.1 K/9 A southern California native, Ohl headed east, to Phoenix and Grand Canyon University for his college years. As a freshman, he posted a 3.45 ERA in 16 starts. He had a 2.89 ERA through his four pre-Covid starts in 2020. Then in 2021, he went 10-2 with a 2.60 ERA. Over those final two college seasons, he struck out 120 batters and walked just 13. Based on those numbers, the Twins had to be thrilled to draft him in the 14th round in 2021. He spent the entire 2022 season at Fort Myers and went 6-7 with a 3.53 ERA. In 91 2/3 innings, he had 101 strikeouts and just 13 walks. Oh began the 2023 season in Cedar Rapids where he pitched in eight games (7 starts). He started the season with five really good starts and had just two walks and 26 strikeouts in 26 innings. But then, over the next three starts, he gave up 15 runs (13 earned) in 14 1/3 innings, which made it very interesting that he was promoted to Double-A. He gave up nine runs in 10 2/3 innings in his first two Wichita starts. However, over his final 14 starts, he went 7-2 with a 2.00 ERA. In 76 1/3 innings, he struck out 65 and walked just 13. Opponents hit just .197 against him. While working as a starter, he touched 97 on the radar gun, well above the high-80s, low-90s he threw when drafted. He also has a good curveball and a change-up that can be very good most days. 1. RHP Cory Lewis, 22, Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids 22 GS, 101.1 IP, 74 H, 33 BB, 118 K, 2.49 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9, 10.5 K/9 I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that Cory Lewis was a star on his Marina High School baseball team. He was a four-year letter winner. He was the league’s freshman of the year. He was named the league’s top pitcher as a sophomore. He was also All-League as a first baseman. He was the league’s MVP his senior season. After high school, he went to UC-Santa Barbara. He was set to redshirt his first year, which worked out fine since it was the Covid season. In 2021, he pitched in 15 games and made 10 starts. He was 7-4 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. In 80 innings, he had 86 strikeouts to go with 31 walks. In 2022, he made 16 starts and went 9-1 with a 3.57 ERA. In 88 1/3 innings, he had 107 strikeouts and 42 walks. As a redshirt sophomore, Lewis was the Twins ninth-round pick in 2022. He didn’t pitch at all in the Twins organization. So he made his professional debut in 2023, and it went well. He began the season with nine starts in Fort Myers. He went 4-3 with a 2.75 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. In 39 2/3 innings, he struck out 55 batters and issued 15 walks. In mid-May, he threw the first 5 2/3 innings of a combined no-hitter for the Mussels. He was promoted to Cedar Rapids where he made 13 starts. He was 5-1 with a 2.32 ERA. In 62 innings, he had 63 strikeouts and 18 walks. And all that work led him and the Kernels to their Midwest League championship. Twins Director of Player Development Drew MacPhail began by simply saying, “Big Game Cory!” He continued, “Not only did Cory Lewis dominate across two levels this year. He also pitched in two, winner-take-all playoff series at Cedar Rapids (including a championship rubber match) and dominated both outings! Not only does Cory have outlier fastball pitch qualities and traditional secondary offerings, but he pairs that with an 84 mph knuckleball that got outlier miss across Low A and A+ this year.” You’ve been reading about Lewis throughout the season here at Twins Daily, so you knew he threw a knuckleball. However, he is not a knuckleball pitcher, per se. He doesn’t just throw a 60 mph knuckleball every pitch. No, with Lewis, the knuckleball is just one of his quality pitches. He threw it about 10% of the time in 2023, and as Mr. MacPhail noted, he throws it hard, generally between 82 and 85 mph. That is very unusual. And those pitches are typically seen heading toward the plate at less than 200 RPMs. Lewis has a fastball in the 91-93 mph range, but he can throw it very well up in the zone. He also has a solid changeup, curveball and slider. It will be interesting to see how his pitch repertoire changes as he continues to move up the organizational ladder. Congratulations to Cory Lewis on winning the Twins Daily Starting Pitcher of the Year award for 2023. He’s obviously joining an impressive group of previous winners. And congratulations to all of the pitchers mentioned in today’s articles on fantastic 2023 seasons! Join us in congratulating Lewis and the rest of these pitchers and discussing them and the Twins pitching pipeline in the comments below. For more Twins Daily content on the pitchers mentioned in today's article, click on the links below: Cory Lewis, Pierson Ohl, Zebby Matthews, David Festa, CJ Culpepper, Andrew Morris, Marco Raya, Louie Varland, Blayne Enlow, Ben Ethridge, Ronny Henriquez, Simeon Woods Richardson. Previous Starting Pitcher of the Year Winners: 2022 winner - Louie Varland 2021 winner - Louie Varland 2019 winner- Randy Dobnak2018 winner - Tyler Wells2017 winner - Stephen Gonsalves2016 winner - Stephen Gonsalves2015 winner - Jose Berrios2014 winner - Jose Berrios2013 winner - Taylor Rogers 2012 winner - BJ Hermsen View full article

The 2023 Twins Daily Minor League Reliever of the Year is familiar to Twins fans since he's been in the big leagues for about a month. Learn more about lefty Kody Funderburk and other top relievers this year in the Minnesota Twins organization. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints We started this week by naming the Twins Daily short-season minor league award winners. Infielder Dameury Pena was named the hitter and Juan Cota was named the top pitcher. Today, we start handing out the full-season awards. Relief Pitchers are often overlooked in the big leagues, much less in the minor leagues, but not here at Twins Daily. Relievers need to be recognized too! We have seen the value of having a lock-down bullpen in the big leagues. Unfortunately, the times that relievers get talked about are when they have a bad day. So let's discuss several relievers that had good days most of the 2023 season. Past Winners of the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year Award 2021: Jovani Moran 2019: Anthony Vizcaya 2018: Andrew Vasquez 2017: John Curtiss 2015 & 2016: Trevor Hildenberger Honorable Mention RHP Patrick Murphy (St. Paul): 42 G, 4 GS, 85.1 IP, 83 H, 50 BB, 97 K, 3.69 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 5.3 BB/9, 10.2 K/9. RHP Oliver Ortega (St. Paul): 24 G, 34.2 IP, 24 H, 10 BB, 44 K, 1.82 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9, 11.4 K/9. RHP John Stankiewicz (Cedar Rapids): 37 G, 66.2 IP, 51 H, 15 BB, 66 K, 3.11 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 2.0 BB/9, 8.9 K/9. Others Receiving Votes Jordan Carr, Jackson Hicks, Isaac Mattson, Hunter McMahon, Samuel Perez , Cole Sands, Ricardo Velez. Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year Here are the top three Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year vote-getters. 3. RHP Miguel Rodriguez, 24 (Cedar Rapids/Wichita) 46 G, 54.2 IP, 51 H, 15 BB, 66 K, 3.13 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 2.5 BB/9, 10.9 K/9 Rodriguez has been in the organization for a long time, and in 2023, we started getting a strong feel for why. The Twins signed Rodriguez in 2017, and he has slowly worked up the organization's ladder. He spent a season in the DSL and one in the GCL. He missed the 2020 season. He pitched for Fort Myers in 2021, and in 52 innings, he struck out 58 batters. In 2022, he pitched in 39 games in Cedar Rapids and posted a 3.36 ERA. He had 67 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings. For whatever reason (likely a numbers game, and too many walks), he returned to the Kernels in 2023. He went 2-3 with a 2.85 ERA and 14 saves. He was quite dominant in the closer's role. In 41 innings, he had 11 walks to go with 42 strikeouts. He was promoted to Wichita in early August and struggled a bit. However, in his 13 2/3 innings, he had 24 strikeouts and four walks. He was hurt by unearned runs (just 6 of 14 runs allowed were earned). 2. RHP Regi Grace, 23 (Cedar Rapids/Wichita) 44 G, 73.2 IP, 52 H, 28 BB, 83 K, 3.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 3.4 BB/9, 10.1 K/9 Regi Grace took some positive strides forward in 2023. He was the Twins 10th round draft pick out of high school in Mississippi in 2018. He spent 2018 and 2019 in the GCL, and then after missing the 2020 season, he appeared in the FCL in 2021 before ending that season with the Mussels. He spent most of the 2022 season in Ft. Myers, where he shifted to the bullpen. In doing so, he struck out 74 batters in 56 2/3 innings. He ended the season with three games in Cedar Rapids. That is where Grace began the 2023 season. In 17 games, he posted a 1.16 ERA and a 0.73 WHIP. In his 23 1/3 innings, he gave up just 12 hits, walked five, and struck out 30 batters. He posted a 4.11 ERA in 27 games with the Wind Surge, but a handful of games certainly inflates it. In his 50 1/3 innings, he had 23 walks, but he struck out 53 batters. At 23, Grace remains a very intriguing bullpen arm. He works hard and is very strong. 2024 could be an exciting season for him. 1. LHP Kody Funderburk, 26 (Wichita/St. Paul) 42 G, 2 GS, 61.0 IP, 42 H, 27 BB, 89 K, 2.36 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 4.0 BB/9, 13.1 K/9 Not all prospect development is linear. It very rarely is. And that is true for several reasons beyond just that baseball is tough. Funderburk was the Twins' 15th-round pick in 2018 and has slowly moved up the organizational ladder. He finally got The Call to the big leagues in late August, and you have to feel good for him considering the journey. Funderburk is from Arizona and was an All-State performer his senior season. He went to Mesa Community College. As a freshman, he was 8-4 in 15 games (13 starts) and hit .324 with four homers. As a sophomore, he hit .400/.504/.651 with eight home runs and 55 RBI. He pitched in eight games and just 12 2/3 innings. He then went to Division I Dallas Baptist and hit .304/.429/.584 (1.013) with 19 doubles and 13 home runs in 63 games. He had 47 walks and just 53 strikeouts. He pitched in 15 games (14 starts) on the mound and went 1-3 with a 6.84 ERA. In 50 innings, he struck out 53 batters and walked 31. However, the Twins scouting staff saw something they liked when watching him on the mound. It's easy to understand why he fell to the 15th round, but as we have seen from Sean Johnson's drafts, their ability to find little characteristics in a pitcher to take a shot. Player development deserves a ton of credit, too. Despite putting up huge offensive numbers in college, he has zero plate appearances in his professional career. Instead, the southpaw has been developed on the mound. He finished the summer of 2018 at Elizabethton. He pitched at Low-A Cedar Rapids in 2019 and ended the season with one game in Fort Myers. Like most others, he didn't pitch in 2020. He was the Kernels' (now High-A) Opening Day starter in 2021 and made ten starts. He moved to Wichita and pitched 21 2/3 innings over seven relief appearances. He was 3-0 with a 1.25 ERA in that stretch. He ended that year with six starts in the Arizona Fall League. In 2022, Funderburk began the season making starts for Wichita. In total, he pitched in 32 games and made 17 starts. He went 10-5 with a 2.94 ERA over 107 innings. And that brings us to the 2023 season. Funderburk began the season back at Wichita but gave up one run over nine innings and was quickly promoted to the Saints. In St. Paul, he went 4-1 with a 2.60 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP. In 52 innings, he gave up just 37 hits, walked 21, and struck out 75. He has worked on his fastball and has gained velocity. Earlier in the season, he hit 96 on the radar gun. Since joining the Twins, he has been in the 91-94 range. However, his breaking ball has become very good. He's got a sharper slider/cutter, but he also sometimes slows it down with more of a slurve. Both have been good strikeout pitches. In nine games with the Twins, he had given up one run on four hits and four walks over nine innings. He has 13 strikeouts. Twins Director of Player Development Drew MacPhail touted Funderburk and his makeup, "Few players have improved as much year in and year out as Kody Funderburk, and that's a total testament to his buy-in and work ethic." For example, MacPhail added, "Kody had a tough assignment going back to Double-A to start the year. He didn't complain once. Instead, he proved he was better than the level by dominating and moving quickly through the minor leagues this year." What is clear is that if Kody Funderburk continues to develop and throw more and more strikes, he can be a reliable late-inning reliever for years to come. Congratulations to Kody Funderburk and the other relievers mentioned today. For more Twins Daily content, click on the below links: Kody Funderburk, Regi Grace, Miguel Rodriguez, Patrick Murphy, Oliver Ortega, John Stankiewicz. View full article