Seth Stohs

Another solid showing, Fellas!

There's too much negative in the world and around the 4-straight bad seasons with the Twins. I think it's good to remember that these are all people and the overwhelming majority are really, really good people. These are four examples, but there are many.

A discussion of the greatest players in Minnesota Twins history is certain to prominently include Harmon Killebrew. In the batter’s box, he was an imposing figure, capable of altering a game at any time. His name appears at or near the top of most statistical categories in Twins history. However, he was also known as a genuinely compassionate man, respectful and helpful. Recently, the Twins announced the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service, given to one Twins minor leaguer at each of the four four-season affiliates. Each affiliate’s GM nominated a recipient who exemplifies Killebrew through his work in the community.Twins Daily would like to congratulate the 2014 Harmon Killebrew Award winners: Rochester Red Wings – Logan DarnellNew Britain Rock Cats – Tony ThomasFt. Myers Miracle – Tim ShibuyaCedar Rapids Kernels – Tanner VavraTwins Minor League Director Brad Steil said, “In partnership with our minor league affiliates, we encourage our players to be active in their community and emphasize the importance of having a positive impact in society beyond the playing field. In the minor leagues, our players take part in all kinds of activities, including school reading programs, hospital visits, working with disabled youth and youth baseball clinics. These experiences help our players understand responsibility, compassion and giving back. Ultimately it helps them mature and grow as people.” Here is a little bit more on each of the winners. LOGAN DARNELL It was an exciting year for the left-hander whom the Twins drafted in the sixth round in 2010 out of the University of Kentucky. Following the 2013 season, the Twins added him to their 40 man roster. He went to big league camp in February before heading to Rochester to start the season. On May 2, Logan Darnell was promoted to the Minnesota Twins and four days later he made his debut with three perfect innings out of the bullpen. It was his lone appearance during his two-week stint with the Twins before heading back to Rochester where he remained until he was a September call-up. With the Red Wings, he went 7-6 with a 3.60 ERA. However, he also was important to the community of Rochester which is why he was the winner of the award. Recently Logan Darnell told Twins Daily, “It’s a great honor to get (the Killebrew Award). After baseball, it’s things like this that I’ll remember more than any athletic awards.” Minor league players are encouraged to participate in various activities in the community during their seasons. Darnell said that he “did a lot of camps, and whatever they asked us to do.” However, he certainly had a project that he was very proud of supporting. “My favorite was working with an organization called Mary Cariola which is a school for kids that were born with disabilities. It is a great thing they do at that school. It makes you realize that sports aren’t everything, and you can make their day just by showing up.” (Learn more about the Mary Cariola Children’s Center on their website or on Twitter.) TONY THOMAS 28-year-old Tony Thomas signed a minor league contract with the Twins shortly before spring training. He was the Cubs third round pick in 2007 and stayed with them through the 2010 season. He spent 2011 through 2013 with the Red Sox organization where he primarily played for AAA Pawtucket. He was sent to AA New Britain where he was an Eastern League All-Star in 2014. He did a little bit of everything for the Rock Cats. He played 53 games at second base, 33 games at shortstop and three games at third base. He also played 27 games in left field and 12 games in right field. At the plate, he hit .241/.302/.411 (.712) with 29 doubles, six triples and 12 home runs. Thomas was quite active in various community activities in New Britain. He said, “I have been to the Children’s Hospital. I have done a few baseball camps and clinics in our stadium and offsite, going to Little Leagues. Also, I went to the public library to read to kids.” Though Thomas was new to the Twins organization and never met Killebrew, he understands fully the meaning of this award. “To win any award named after a Hall of Famer is an honor in itself. To win one named after Harmon Killebrew in the Twins organization is unbelievable. The man took pride in what he did, and it showed in his performance on and off the field. It makes me proud to be in the Minnesota Twins organization.” TIM SHIBUYA Tim Shibuya was the Twins 23rd round pick in 2011. He began this season in Ft. Myers where he went 7-4 with a 3.64 ERA. He made 28 appearances, including 10 starts. He was willing to pitch in a variety of roles for Doug Mientkiewicz’s Miracle staff. His season ended prematurely with an arm injury, but his work in the community continued. The Miracle have an event every year that players really enjoy. They host an annual special needs camp. Shibuya noted, “The entire Miracle team worked a special needs camp with the Dave Clark Foundation. About 30 kids came out for this camp and we were all blown away by the kids and their families. It was a great experience, one none of us will forget about anytime soon. ” Shibuya involved himself in other functions as well. “I was lucky enough to be able to visit Buckingham Exceptional Student Center and spend time with students with moderate-to-severe disabilities. We played T-ball with them, and it was so inspiring to see their excitement being outside and enjoying baseball. Some students struggled sitting up on their own power so we laid down in the grass or in their classrooms and hung out with them and enjoyed being in their company. ” Shibuya is not one to take his job for granted and understands his role in positively effecting young kids lives. “I spoke with a few foster kids and their legal guardians and showed them around our temporary home of Jet Blue Park. Hearing their stories and understanding their situation makes you realize how special of a job we have. The strength and maturity of these kids is amazing considering how much they have gone through.” Though Shibuya never had the chance to meet Killebrew, he is honored to win this award. “To win an award like this is a great honor, especially when it is named after someone like Mr. Killebrew. There is a reason the community award is named after such a legendary figure. When you hear his name you think about humility, class, professionalism and character.” TANNER VAVRA Tanner Vavra was the Twins 30th round pick in 2013 out of Valparaiso University. He starred in the Northwoods League during his collegiate years as well. With Cedar Rapids this year, he played in 81 games and hit .258/.345/.326 (.671) with 16 extra base hits. Vavra is a baseball guy from a baseball family. His father, Joe, is the Twins third base coach. His brother, Trey, was a Twins draft choice in 2014 and one of the better hitters for Elizabethton this year. Vavra knows baseball, but he also understands the role of being involved in the community and embraced that in Cedar Rapids. Vavra noted, “I try to do anything and everything I can in the community. Here in Cedar Rapids, they do a great job of helping out and getting in the community. I was happy to have the opportunity to get out and volunteer.” Though Vavra isn’t certain if he ever met Killebrew, he knows about his greatness. “I have heard his countless stories and attitude toward this great game of baseball and how he gave back to the communities around the country.” He continued, “It’s an honor to have received this award, and a privilege to have given back to the Cedar Rapids community.” ----- One thing you would learn if you follow the Minnesota Twins organization from the big league level to rookie ball is that there are a lot of really good people, a lot of guys that are very happy to volunteer in the community. Darnell said, “There are a lot of guys on the Rochester team that went out and helped too. (It was a) great group of guys there that care for the community. There are a lot of guys with a gift of serving others and guys that like to have fun!” Congratulations to Logan Darnell, Tony Thomas, Tim Shibuya and Tanner Vavra, the deserving 2014 Killebrew Award winners for community service. Click here to view the article

Very kind of you to say. Thank you!

Would it make sense for him to go to Ft. Myers and play about half as much? They wanted him to play a lot. They wanted Stuart Turner to play a lot. It made sense. It was his first full year. Have to play somewhere. They like him enough to want him to play a lot.

Earlier in the week at Twins Daily, we announced the Minor league Relief Pitcher of the Year and the Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year for the Twins. Today, it’s time to point out the hitters who performed very well in the Twins minor league system.There were a lot of solid performances and performers that did not make the top six for various reasons, be it injury, big league time or simply playing in a short-season league. Here are some honorable mentions that I think will illustrate just how good the top 6 are! Honorable Mention Josmil Pinto – Rochester Red Wings – 77-208 - .279/.376/.457 (.833) – 17-2B, 1-3B, 6-HR, 35-RBILevi Michael – Ft. Myers Miracle – 76-243 - .313/.389/.387 (.776) – 11-2B, 2-3B, 1-HR, 24-RBITravis Harrison – Ft. Myers Miracle – 123-458 - .269/.361/.365 (.726) – 33-2B, 1-3B, 3-HR, 59-RBIBryan Haar – Cedar Rapids/Ft. Myers – 114-432 - .264/.318/.438 (.755) – 23-2B, 5-3B, 14-HR, 68-RBIDeibinson Romero – Rochester Red Wings – 111-419 - .265/.364/.406 (.770) – 31-2B, 2-3B, 8-HR, 45-RBIDalton Hicks – Ft. Myers Miracle – 111-423 - .262/.344/.407 (.751) – 24-2B, 2-3B, 11-HR, 76-RBIMike Gonzales – Ft. Myers/New Britain – 105-387 - .271/.348/.439 (.878) – 29-2B, 0-3B, 12-HR, 71-RBIAlex Swim - Ft. Myers/Cedar Rapids - 74-238 - .311/.352/.349 (.700) - 9-2B, 0-3B, 0-HR, 41 RBIJorge Polanco – Ft. Myers/New Britain – 124-505 - .288/.353/.395 (.748) – 23-2B, 6-3B, 7-HR, 61-RBIHitter of the Year #6 – Adam Walker – Ft. Myers Miracle (124-505 - .246/.307/.436 (.743), with 19 doubles, 1 triple, 24 HR, 94 RBI) At 6-4 and 225 pounds, Walker is an intimidating presence in the batter’s box. Fortunately for the Twins, he’s fit the part of powerful, athletic run producer ever since he joined the Twins organization after being selected as the team’s third round draft pick in 2012. In short-season Elizabethton, Walker hit 14 homers and drove in 45 runs in 58 games. Last year in Cedar Rapids, he hit 31 doubles, seven triples and 27 home runs while driving in 109 runs, which was second only to Dalton Hicks in all of minor league baseball. He moved up to the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in 2014 and struggled early. He rarely was able to get his batting average over .250, but he walked eight percent of the time, an improvement. He still has strike zone and contact issues, but there is still so much potential in this 22-year-old. #5 – Max Murphy – Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels (75-243 - .309/.403/.556 (.958), with 14 doubles, 2 triples, 14 HR, 41 RBI) Again, these are full-season awards, but Max Murphy put up such incredible numbers in his debut in the Appalachian League that he was named the league’s hitter of the year. That’s despite getting promoted to Cedar Rapids with three weeks left in the Appy League season. In 35 games at E-Town, he hit .378/.483/.723, with seven doubles, two triples and ten home runs. He struggled some when he got to Cedar Rapids, but he still hit seven doubles and four homers in 32 games with the Kernels. A Robbinsdale, Minnesota native, Murphy was the ninth round pick of the Twins in June out of Bradley University. #4 – Jason Kanzler – Cedar Rapids Kernels / Ft. Myers Miracle (113-401 - .282/.344/.444 (.788), with 11 doubles, 9 triple, 12 HR, 59 RBI) A Rochester, N.Y. native, the Twins made Kanzler their 20th round pick in 2013 after four years at the University of Buffalo. Almost inexplicably, he began the 2014 season at extended spring training, but about two days later he was summoned to Cedar Rapids. There, he hit .286/.334/.448 with eight doubles, eight triples and nine home runs. He finished the season with 27 games in Ft. Myers where his plate discipline greatly improved. Always known for his defense, he won two Gold Gloves in college and provided great leadership in the outfield. He came through big time for the Miracle in the playoffs. In one game, he had a double, a home run and drove in six runs. In the final game, his two-run, 11th inning homer gave the Miracle their first championship. #FearTheStache #3 – Reynaldo Rodriguez – New Britain Rock Cats (.278/.337/.495 (.832), with 37 doubles, 2 triples, 22 HR, 70 RBI) Rodriguez was a powerful force in the middle of the Rock Cats lineup throughout most of the 2014 season. He provided leadership for young Latin players such as Kennys Vargas and Eddie Rosario. And, he was an extra base machine. He hit 36 doubles and 21 home runs for the Rock Cats. He got to play ten games with Rochester as well and added one homer and one double. At 27-years old, he is a veteran who has been in professional baseball since signing with the Yankees in 2006. In 2014, he moved to the outfield after primarily playing first base in previous seasons. #2 – Kennys Vargas – New Britain Rock Cats (100-356 - .281/.360/.472 (788), with 17 doubles, 0 triples, 17 HR, 63 RBI) I think it’s safe to say that Kennys Vargas has made a pretty strong first impression with Twins fans who just got to know him in the second half of this season. For those who have followed him since he signed as an undrafted free agent in 2009 out of Puerto Rico, his production throughout 2014 has been a pleasant surprise. Vargas is a large man and carries a big bat. His numbers through the first two months of the minor league season were incredible. He put up the above numbers despite the fact that in his final 29 games in AA this season, he hit just .173/.271/.298 with seven extra base hits. The overall numbers still look pretty good because in his first 68 games with the Rock Cats,he hit .325/.397/.544 with 27 extra base hits. It is going to be interesting to see how Vargas progresses and adjusts in the big leagues going forward, but he has made a great impression this year! Hitter of the Year – Mitch Garver – Cedar Rapids Kernels (128-430 - .298/.399/.481 (.880), with 29 doubles, 1 triple, 16 HR, 79 RBI) Mitch Garver was drafted by the Twins in the ninth round of the 2013 draft as a fourth-year senior out of the University of New Mexico. Many teams like to draft fourth-year seniors in the second half of the first ten rounds because they can sign them for well below slot and go over slot on others. Whatever the reason for drafting Garver in the ninth round, the Twins got a very good baseball player who showed his potential in 2014 in Cedar Rapids. Garver started the season strong by hitting .321 (1.041) with 13 extra base hits in April and was our hitter of the month. He slowed down in May, but he posted an OPS over .870 in each of the final three months. Garver put up the offensive numbers that he did while playing the most grueling position on the field, catcher. On June 24, he took a foul tip off of his face mask that cut his chin and put him on the 7-day concussion DL. He returned and continued to hit. He also did a nice job behind the plate. He blocks the ball in the dirt pretty well. He has a strong arm that is usually quite accurate. He threw out 32% of would-be base stealers. At 6-1 and 220 pounds, Garver has a strong, powerful swing that fits well in the middle of a lineup. He is a line drive hitter who puts together quality at bats with his very good plate discipline. He will advance to Ft. Myers to start 2015, but he could be a guy who moves up to New Britain at some point next season as well. So there you have it. There were some really terrific offensively performances by Twins minor leaguers in 2014. Please feel free to discuss, Click here to view the article

Interesting comparison because they're similar in size, build and stuff... but Guerrier has been a fly ball guy in his career, while Muren is a ground ball type. Obviously that can change and normalize if he continues to move up the system, but there's something to that.

Actually the low innings is the only reason that Gallant and Burdi weren't there. Reed's numbers were absolute video game numbers, and so were Gallant's. But innings pitched factor into this as well, and 57+ nearly doubles 31 and it does double 28 and 20. It's definitely nothing against those guys as much as it's that Peterson and the rest of the top 4 did it for the full season as opposed to half of a season.

In the minors, it isn't necessarily a promotion or demotion to move up or down a level. For instance, Jake Mauer was the manager at Ft. Myers. When Buxton and that talented group were going to Cedar Rapids for their first full seasons, the Twins wanted Mauer to be the one with them. His personality was perfect. His charisma was perfect. His discipline was perfect. So despite moving "down" a level, I think that was a sign of confidence from the organization. Gene Glynn - I like that he has been given few prospects and a lot of guys who are AAAA types, and he has won. He has kept the locker room in a place where that's difficult to do (AAA). He has kept players interested by playing them all over. And they've won. He's got a lot of great characteristics. I also think that Jake Mauer would be a very good big league manager for reasons above, plus he's just got a great baseball mind. Like all good managers, he's thinking situations 2-3 plays ahead.

Definitely can't argue with Oliveros either. He's had a very strong season, especially considering it's his first year back.

Consider this too... The Twins announced Tom Kelly has an interim manager in 1986. He was the 3B coach previously, but before that he had managed many of the Twins young core in the minor leagues. Fast Forward to 2001. The Twins hire Ron Gardenhire. He had been a long-time 3B coach, but he had also spent time managing in the minor leagues. His coaching staff had been managing the crop of players who became that Twins starts from 1998-2006. I think that familiarity is important. Mientkiewicz has managed many of the top prospects. He has won. He has won with ever-changing rosters. I should also say this, a lot of what Doug Mientkiewicz is now is a lot of what Ron Gardenhire was in 2001. He was in his low 40s. He was very firy. I think there are a lot of similarities between Gardenhire and Mientkiewicz. Redmond is a great example of something like this happening. Consider Tigers manager Brad Ausmus had never managed before getting that job this spring. Robin Ventura was manager of the year in his first year after having no previous managerial experience.

Yesterday, we named JO Berrios as the Minnesota Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. Today, we will be diving into the top relief pitchers for the season. Clearly the Twins have made it a focus tto obtain power arms in recent years, particularly in the draft. Many of them have moved up the system and are performing very well. Hopefully several of those power arms will quickly work their way up the farm system to the majors.It’s been a very good year for relievers in the Twins minor leagues. I think we need to recognize several more pitchers who have had terrific seasons. HONORABLE MENTION Jim Fuller – New Britain Rock Cats (3-1, 1 save, 2.41 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 56.0 IP, 48 H, 30 BB, 68 K)Ryan Pressly – Rochester Red Wings (1-4, 6 saves, 2.98 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 60.1 IP, 55 H, 21 BB, 63 K)Jared Wilson – Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-4, 2.95 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 58.0 IP, 46 H, 25 BB, 56 K)Nick Burdi – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle (2-0, 5 saves, 2.66 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 20.1 IP, 13 H, 10 BB, 38 K)Brandon Bixler – Cedar Rapids Kernels (7-4, 2.68 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 74.0 IP, 49 H, 37 BB, 77 K)Chris Mazza – Cedar Rapids Kernels (4-4, 2.79 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 48.1 IP, 47 H, 11 BB, 62 K)Dallas Gallant – Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-1, 5 saves, 0.64 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 28.0 IP, 12 H, 9 BB, 46 K)Michael Tonkin – Rochester Red Wings (3-4, 2.80 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 45.0 IP, 41 H, 12 BB, 46 K)Feel free to debate them, or ask any questions you may have. Relief Pitcher of the Year #6 – Alex Muren – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle (4-2, 1 save, 2.77 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 74.2 IP, 65 H, 12 BB, 55 K) Muren was the Twins 12th round pick in 2012 out of Cal State-Northridge. He has worked out of the bullpen since signing and despite not having a huge fastball, he has put up solid numbers all the way through. In 2014, he began in Cedar Rapids. The 22-year-old posted a 2.89 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP in 56 innings over 29 games in Cedar Rapids. He was promoted to Ft. Myers where he posted a 2.41 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP. He averaged just 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings, but he doesn’t hurt himself with walks, having given up just 1.4 walks per nine innings. Muren is successful because he has been able to coax about 2.8 ground balls per flyout and keet the ball in the park. #5 – Jake Reed – Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-0, 8 saves, 0.29 ERA, 0.45 WHIP, 31.0 IP, 11 H, 3 BB, 39 K) Should Reed be on this list since he only started pitching in late June? Well, just take a look at those numbers again and tell me that we shouldn’t find some place for him in the top 6. Including the playoffs, he ended the season by tossing 24.2 consecutive scoreless innings. The 21-year-old was the Twins 5th round pick this June out of the University of Oregon. He is blessed with a mid-90s fastball and good secondary stuff too. Like fellow 2014 pick Nick Burdi, Reed could move up quickly in the Twins farm system. In fact, he will be participating in the Arizona Fall League this year. #4 – AJ Achter – New Britain Rock Cats/Rochester Red Wings (4-4, 7 saves, 2.17 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 78.2 IP, 47 H, 25 BB, 80 K) Achter won this award in 2012, his first year as a reliever. Last year, he was the runner up to Tyler Jones. This year, he falls to #4 on the list, but he is doing it at the highest level. He was the Reliever of the Month the first two months of the season. And on September 1st, he learned that he was headed to the big leagues. Achter was the lone representative of the Rochester Red Wings in the AAA All-Star game. He pitched in every role for the Red Wings this season. He was the closer, a set up man, a long reliever and even made a spot start. He has three or four pitches and when he has control, he can be very good. #3 – Todd Van Steensel – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle (1-0, 9 saves, 1.39 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 58.1 IP, 38 H, 24 BB, 71 K) It’s been an interesting ride for Van Steensel the last five years. He signed with the Phillies and pitched in the GCL in 2009. He was released, but he signed with the Twins and pitched at Elizabethton in 2011. The Twins released him after that season. Then, he pitched in the Netherlands and in his native Australia. He became a reliever, started throwing harder and the Twins gave him another opportunity before spring training this year. He began the season at extended spring training but was soon promoted to Cedar Rapids where he became a late inning man. In 34.2 innings, he walked just nine and struck out 45. He posted a 1.30 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP. He was promoted to Ft. Myers where he fit into the sixth and seventh innings. With the Miracle, he worked 23.2 innings and struck out 26. The 23-year-old has a big, tall leg kick and then throws a low-to-mid 90s fastball with a sharp slider. #2 – Lester Oliveros – New Britain Rock Cats/Rochester Red Wings (4-3, 18 saves, 1.64 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 65.2 IP, 44 H, 27 BB, 88 K) Oliveros came to the Twins in August of 2011 in the Delmon Young trade. In September of 2012, he had Tommy John surgery and aside from a few rehab appearances, he missed the entire 2013 season. The Twins chose to start him off in New Britain where he dominated as the team’s closer for the season’s first half. In 24 games and 30.1 innings, he posted a 0.89 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. He walked 14 and struck out 36. He was just as good in Rochester where in 24 games, he worked 35.1 innings. He walked 13 and struck out 52. He finished the season very strong in August and earned his September recall to the big leagues. Relief Pitcher of the Year – Brandon Peterson – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle (2-1, 4 saves, 1.56 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 57.2 IP, 37 H, 19 BB, 84 K) In June of 2010, Brandon Peterson was finishing his senior year in high school. He was Burnsville high school’s shortstop and their top pitcher. His team played in the Minnesota state high school championship game. They lost 5-3, but Peterson became the first high school player to hit a home run at Target Field. Now Peterson’s ultimate baseball goal is to pitch in Target Field and attempt to not give up home runs for the Minnesota Twins. After two years at Des Moines Area Community College, Peterson went to Wichita State where he had a strong junior season in 2013 with the Shockers. After the season, he was the Twins 13th round draft pick. Since signing, he has been a strikeout machine. In 27.1 innings with Elizabethton last year, he struck out 40. He began the 2014 season in Cedar Rapids where he pitched in just nine games. In 12.2 innings, he walked just two and struck out 19. He posted a 0.71 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP. He was quickly promoted to Ft. Myers. In 45 innings, he walked 17 and struck out 65. He posted a 1.80 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. He did not give up a home run all year. Though he did not get as much name recognition as teammates like Nick Burdi and Zack Jones late in the season, Peterson was a vital man in the seventh and eighth innings for the Miracle. Peterson throws a fastball that sits 92 to 93 mph and occasionally touches 95. He also has a slider in the low 80s. ---- Congratulations again to Brandon Peterson and all of these relief pitchers who had some terrific seasons of the bullpen in the Twins farm system. We’ll be back tomorrow with the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year. Click here to view the article

Again, this is not a prospect ranking. We'll get to that later in the offseason.

Doc - I'd generally agree with that, but I really wouldn't undersell Taylor Rogers. I think he could be legit.

Meyer had good strikeout numbers and a decent ERA... However, he has the highest WHIP of anyone listed (Top 6 of HM), and without doing math, his BB rate was the highest (along with Thorpe).

Vasquez's numbers overall were pretty pedestrian, but his value to the organization obviously isn't in his ability to move up as much as it is to be a model for younger pitchers and to eat innings, helping save the bullpen. The no-hitter was awesome. I couldn't put him in this list, but he served his purpose.

Strikeouts can certainly play a big role in prospect rankings, but I look at a lot more than that in this award.

Guys with potential to be 1s or 2s are Meyer, Berrios and Stewart.

Forgot Michael at 2B and Kepler at 4 OF spots and 1B... Top of head doesn't always work. Just a lot of talent!

No worries... Only two 21 year olds on the team. The rest are older. Kepler and Burdi are the only 21 year olds. If Berrios would have stuck with the Miracle all season, he is only 20 until next May.

I posted that on Twitter last night... after the excitement of the Miracle winning, it it me that there would be no more minor league box scores for Twins affiliates until April. We'll have the Arizona Fall League and the winter leagues in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Australia... but kind of sad!

Last week, I posted the August minor league award winners, but today it’s time to start the big, year-end, player of the year awards here at Twins Daily. What I’ll be doing is posting write-ups on the top six or seven players, along with several players worthy of honorable mention. I’ll rank my Top 6, but I certainly welcome your feedback.It seems that pitching has come to the forefront in baseball, ahead of hitting. We see it at the big league level and with several examples, we have seen it trickle into the minor leagues as well. It’s happening in the Twins minor league system as well. There were several starting pitchers (and relievers as you’ll see tomorrow) who performed well in 2014. Again, I encourage you to read through the top starting pitching candidates for Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year and then discuss and rank them as you see fit. Note also that this is not a prospect ranking. Before getting to the top six, here are others who are worthy of recognition for strong performances on the mound in 2014: HONORABLE MENTION Logan Darnell – Rochester Red Wings (7-6, 3.60 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 115.0 IP, 108 H, 49 BB, 90 K)Sean Gilmartin – Rochester Red Wings (9-7, 3.71 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 145.2 IP, 145 H, 44 BB, 133 K)Kris Johnson – Rochester Red Wings (10-7, 3.48 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 132.0 IP, 115 H, 55 BB, 102 K)Alex Meyer – Rochester Red Wings (7-7, 3.52 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 130.1 IP, 116 H, 64 BB, 153 K)Brett Lee – Ft. Myers Miracle (10-5, 2.45 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 106.1 IP, 111 H, 33 BB, 54 K)David Hurlbut – Ft. Myers Miracle (3-4, 2.20 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 65.1 IP, 62 H, 13 BB, 35 K)Matt Tomshaw – Ft. Myers Miracle (11-6, 3.50 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 136.1 IP, 152 H, 28 BB, 82 K)Kohl Stewart – Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-5, 2.59 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 87.0 IP, 75 H, 24 BB, 62 K)Lewis Thorpe – Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-2, 3.52 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 71.2 IP, 62 H, 36 BB, 80 K)Mat Batts – GCL/Elizabethton/Cedar Rapids (4-1, 1.78 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 60.2 IP, 40 H, 7 BB, 67 K)Stephen Gonsalves – Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels (4-3, 3.02 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 65.2 IP, 54 H, 21 BB, 70 K)Starting Pitcher of the Year #6 – Trevor May – Rochester Red Wings (8-6, 2.84 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 98.1 IP, 75 H, 39 BB, 94 K) May came to the Twins, with Vance Worley, in the December 2012 trade from the Phillies with in exchange for outfielder Ben Revere. After spending 2013 in New Britain, he moved up to Rochester this year and took a step forward in his prospect status. May put up best numbers since Low-A ball in terms of WHIP, HR/9 and walks per nine. May looked to be in line for a big league call up in June when, after being named to the Futures Game, he hurt his calf. He missed the Futures Game and nearly a month of innings. However, it wasn’t long after his return to the Red Wings that May made his much-anticipated big league debut. He has certainly taken his lumps with the Twins, but he put together a strong AAA debut and earned a spot on this list. #5 – Chih-Wei Hu – Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels (8-2, 2.15 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 71.0 IP, 47 H, 15 BB, 64 K) Hu was signed by the Twins out of Taiwan in August of 2012. The 20-year-old began the 2014 season at extended spring training and then made three starts for Elizabethton before being summoned to Cedar Rapids. Though he’s always been intriguing as a prospect since he dominated on his national team through his amateur years, no one could have expected him to do what he did with the Kernels. He became the best starter on a team with several highly-regarded pitching prospects. Blessed with a good fastball that has reached 95 mph, he has several pitches that can be good. With the Kernels, he wasn’t hit, didn’t walk anyone and got a good number of strikeouts. Definitely one to watch! Will he start 2015 back with the Kernels or could he start in Ft. Myers? #4 – Tyler Duffey – Ft. Myers/New Britain/Rochester (13-3, 3.67 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 149.2 IP, 142 H, 30 BB, 113K) Duffey was the Twins fifth round pick in in 2012 out of Rice University where he was a part-time closer. Since signing with the Twins, he has primarily worked as a starter. In 2014, all 14 of his appearances were at the start of ballgames. He began by going 3-0 in four starts with the Miracle before being promoted to New Britain. In 18 starts with the Rock Cats, he went 8-3. Late in the year, he was promoted to AAA Rochester. The assumption made by many was that he would just make a spot-start in a doubleheader and return, but instead, he finished the season with three starts for the Red Wings and went 2-0. Though he averaged just 6.8 K/9 overall, his strikeout rate actually increased with each promotion. As a starter, he has a three-pitch mix and throws his fastball 91-93 mph. When he ended 2013 in the Miracle bullpen, he hit 97 at times. Will he be able to continue starting right up to the big leagues? We shall see. But for now, he had a very solid 2014 season as a starting pitcher. He should start 2015 in the Red Wings rotation. #3 – Taylor Rogers – New Britain Rock Cats (11-6, 3.29 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 145.0 IP, 150 H, 37 BB, 113 K) Rogers was my choice for Twins minor league starting pitcher of the year in 2013 when he went 11-6 with a 2.55 ERA in Ft. Myers after opening last year with three starts in Cedar Rapids. This spring, he jumped right to New Britain and got off to a slow start. Through his first five Rock Cats starts he was 1-3 with an 8.14 ERA and a 1.72 WHIP. His strikeout and walk rates were very good (9.6 K/9, 1.8 BB/9), but he was very hittable. And then a switch flipped. In his final 19 starts, he went 10-3 with a 2.31 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. His strikeout rate dropped to 7.2 per nine and his walk rate increased 2.4 per nine, but he was pitching so much better. The left-hander is able to maintain 92-94 mph throughout a game. He also has a very good slider. He was the Twins 11th round pick in 2002 out of the University of Kentucky. The 23-year-old will head to the Arizona Fall League next month. He will likely begin 2015 in Rochester and we could see him sometime in 2015. #2 – Jason Wheeler – Ft. Myers/New Britain/Rochester (11-9, 2.67 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 158.1 IP, 151 H, 37 BB, 115 K) Wheeler will likely become a lawyer at some point after his playing career is over. After his 2014 season, those days may have to wait a while. The 6-8 left-hander was the Twins eighth round pick in 2011 out of Loyola Marymount. In 2013, he went 9-4 with a 3.70 ERA at Ft. Myers but returned to the Miracle to start 2014. It proved to be quite beneficial. Encouraged to be more aggressive with his fastball, his performance was much better. In 13 starts, he was 6-5 with a 2.51 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He was promoted to AA New Britain where he made 12 starts. There, he went 5-4 with a 2.78 ERA and a 1.14 ERA. He even made a spot start for Rochester and gave up two runs in five innings. Not a strikeout pitcher, Wheeler averaged 6.5 K/9 through the season. His fastball sits 89-91, though at times he has hit 94. He also has a good changeup and curveball as well. The 23-year-old will likely start 2015 with the Rock Cats depending upon who remains in the Rochester rotation. Starting Pitcher of the Year – Jose (JO) Berrios – Ft. Myers/New Britain/Rochester (12-8, 2.76 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 140.0 IP, 118 H, 38 BB, 140 K) 2013 was a long year for Berrios. He went to big league camp in preparation for representing Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Then, after pitching in the bullpen for Puerto Rico, he was stretched out for a month before joining the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He went 7-7 with a 3.99 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP as a 19-year-old, but he clearly tired late in the year. Fast-forward to 2014 and Berrios was pushed to Ft. Myers. In 16 starts for the Miracle, he went 9-3 with a 1.96 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. In 96.1 innings, he gave up 78 hits, walked just 23 and struck out 109. Pitching Coach Gary Lucas informed me that in June, he sat down with Berrios, as he did with all pitchers, and discussed his goals. Berrios quickly responded with three goals. First, he wanted to start in the Florida State League All-Star game. Second, he wanted to be named to the Futures Game. Third, he wanted to get promoted to AA New Britain. Check-Check-Check. Berrios was the starter for the World Team in the Futures Game at Target Field and threw a 1-2-3 inning. Three weeks earlier he had been the starting pitcher in the Florida State League All-Star Game, and one week before the World Game he had made his AA debut. With the Rock Cats, he made eight starts and went 3-4 with a 3.54 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in 40.2 innings. There was a scare involved though. In one start, he wasn’t hitting the same velocities he had been all season, and he left the game with a shoulder problem. It turned out to be some shoulder stiffness. He skipped one start and came back without missing a beat. On the final weekend of the season Rochester was still in playoff contention. Berrios was called up to make a start. It didn’t go so well. He gave up six runs in three innings, but what a learning experience for the guy who is, with little doubt, the top pitching prospect in the organization. He was the Twins supplemental first-round draft pick in 2012 out of Puerto Rico. He won’t even turn 21 years old until next May. Though unlikely, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Berrios could debut with the Twins around that time. In January, JO Berrios was kind enough to do an interview with Twins Daily. Thanks to his aunt, that interview is available in both English and Spanish. --- There you have it, my Top 6 Twins minor league starting pitchers in 2014. Feel free to discuss. Click here to view the article