Seth Stohs

Starting at 1:00 today (Saturday), I wll be again answering your Twins-related questions here. I'll answer questions for at least one hour and as long as we keep getting questions. Last week, we chatted for about two hours. It's fun and it's easy. When the chat starts, just leave your questions below and I'll be sure to answer them. Thank you! Click Read More (or the Title above) to join the chat.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Twins Daily Live Twins Chat Download attachment: baseball question mark.jpg Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins season began on Monday. The season of the Twins full-season minor league affiliates will begin on Thursday. Below are the rosters of the Rochester Red Wings, the New Britain Rock Cats, the Ft. Myers Miracle and the Beloit Snappers. The rosters were sent to the affiliates first, but here is a complete look at the Twins full-season affiliates. Download attachment: Cedar Rapids Kernels.jpg [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Rochester Red Wings Pitchers: Andrew Albers, Kyle Gibson, Pedro Hernandez, Shairon Martis, Mike O’Connor, Luis Perdomo, Bruce Pugh, Anthony Slama, Caleb Thielbar, Dan Turpen, Virgil Vasquez, PJ Walters. DL – Bryan Augenstein, Nick Blackburn, Kyle Davies, Samuel Deduno, Deolis Guerra, Rich Harden, Lester Oliveros, Rafael Perez, Dan Sattler, Esmerling Vasquez Catchers: Drew Butera, Eric Fryer, Chris Herrmann Infielders: Doug Bernier, Jeff Clement, Chris Colabello, Brian Dinkelman, Ray Olmedo, Mark Sobolewski. Inactive – Deibinson Romero Outfielders: Oswaldo Arcia, Joe Benson, Brandon Boggs, Clete Thomas New Britain Rock Cats Pitchers: AJ Achter, Logan Darnell, Pat Dean, Nelvin Fuentes, Jose Gonzalez, Edgar Ibarra, Bobby Lanigan, Blake Martin, Trevor May, Alex Meyer, Marty Popham, Mike Tonkin. DL: Matt Hauser, BJ Hermsen, Aaron Thompson, Dakota Watts, Alex Wimmers. Catchers: Danny Lehmann, Josmil Pinto, Dan Rohlfing Infielders: James Beresford, Jason Christian, Eric Farris, Harold Garcia, Nate Hanson, Reynaldo Rodriguez, Danny Santana Outfielders: Evan Bigley, Danny Ortiz, Antoan Richardson, Curt Smith Ft. Myers Miracle Pitchers: DJ Baxendale, Madison Boer, Cole Johnson, Zach Jones, Miguel Munoz, Ryan O’Rourke, Chad Rodgers, Adrian Salcedo, Tom Stuifbergen, Matt Summers, Jason Wheeler, Corey Williams – DL: Jhon Garcia Catchers: Kyle Knudson, Matt Koch Infielders: Michael Gonzales, Andy Leer, AJ Pettersen, Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano, Kennys Vargas, Stephen Wickens – DL: Levi Michael Outfielder: Jhon Goncalves, Michael Kvasnicka, Angel Morales, Lance Ray Cedar Rapids Kernels Pitchers: Tim Atherton, Hudson Boyd, Tyler Duffey, Steven Gruver, David Hurlbut, Tyler Jones, Brett Lee, Chris Mazza, Mason Melotakis, Taylor Rogers, Manuel Soliman, Matt Tomshaw – DL: Dallas Gallant, Tim Shibuya Catchers: Jhonatan Arias, Tyler Grimes, Jairo Rodriguez – SUSP – Michael Quesada Infielders: Niko Goodrum, Travis Harrison, DJ Hicks, Drew Leachman, Candido Pimentel, Jorge Polanco – DL: Adam Bryant Outfielders: Byron Buxton, Romy Jimenez, Adam Walker, JD Williams – DL: Nate Roberts * Starting Pitchers in Red. Click here to view the article

Before the 2013 season, the Minnesota Twins had two prospects in Baseball America’s Top Ten minor leaguers. Miguel Sano ranked #9, and Byron Buxton ranked #10. Such lofty rankings often raise lofty expectations. One of the best stories in the Twins organization in 2013 is that both these top prospects not only met expectations, but greatly exceeded them. In fact, when Baseball America comes out with its 2014 preseason prospect rankings, it is likely that both will be among their Top Five prospects. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Download attachment: buxton-sano.jpg Sano has been making news since well before the Twins signed him for $3.15 million in October of 2009. It is his immense power potential that gets people talking. He began the season in Fort Myers where, in 56 games, he dominated the pitcher-friendly Florida State League to the tune of .330/.424/655 with 15 doubles, two triples and 16 home runs in 56 games. He helped the Miracle clinch the first half division title early and the next day he was promoted to New Britain. With the Rock Cats, he was a bit streaky but those hot streaks are what make him so exciting. Despite a low average and a bunch of strikeouts, he accounted for some tremendous power. He hit .236/.344/.571 with 15 doubles, three triples and 16 home runs. He drove in 103 runs on the season as well. As encouraging, Sano greatly improved his defense. In 2012 while in Beloit he accumulated 42 errors. In 2013, between the two teams, he had just 23 errors. Obviously the concern right now is Sano’s right elbow. However, if healthy, Twins fans will most likely see him in a Twins uniform by midseason. With Sano, it is his power that is exciting. With Byron Buxton, his speed is electric. However, he is the #1 prospect in all baseball because of his overall game. Buxton began the season in the Midwest League (Cedar Rapids) as most first-round picks do in their first full season. Unlike most every young player to start the season there, he played so well and was so advanced that he spent only about half the season with the Kernels before moving up to Fort Myers for the second half. Not even Joe Mauer did that. In 68 games with the Kernels, Buxton hit .341/.431/.556 with 15 doubles, ten triples and eight home runs. Then, in 57 games with the Miracle, he hit .326/.415/.472 with four doubles, eight triples and four home runs. Buxton’s speed is elite. From the right-handed batter’s box, few in baseball history have been able to get to first base more quickly. He is able to beat out regular ground balls. He turned doubles into triples. Combined, he stole 55 bases, though he was also caught 19 times so that is something he will need to continue to work on. Defensively, he has great range because of his speed, but he actually takes good routes to the ball. He also has a great arm. Buxton is more than just his speed. He is a solid all-round hitter, patient at the plate, yet aggressive with his swing. He uses the entire field and has enough power to hit home runs. As he matures physically and learns the game through experience, he will hit for more power. Consider this: Baseball America commented that Buxton’s tools are even better than Mike Trout’s were as a prospect. Buxton was named the Minor League Player of the Year by many sources. He was named the top prospect in the Midwest League and the Florida State League. Buxton and Sano were the Twins representatives in the 2013 Futures Game and it is possible they will play in the 2014 Futures Game at Target Field. It is also possible that following that game, they could both stay with the Twins. Hopefully these two upper echelon prospects are able to continue to improve and reach their full potential. The best part of this story is that Buxton and Sano were not the only Twins' prospects who moved up in the minds of baseball people. Alex Meyer’s stuff and showing in the Arizona Fall League impressed. Eddie Rosario continued to move up at the same pace as Sano. Kohl Stewart is another Top 4 pick who has the stuff to be a future ace. Jorge Polanco took a major step forward in Cedar Rapids. Josmil Pinto continued to hit in the upper levels and had a terrific big league debut in September. Lewis Thorpe grew and came out of nowhere as a top prospect. Max Kepler showed his power potential with the Kernels in the second half. Adam Walker showed he has Sano-like power. Elizabethton had five or six starters that show potential. There are a few bullpen arms that reach into the upper-90s as well. The farm system is loaded, and that’s a huge story of 2013. However, it all starts with Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. They are truly elite prospects and in 2013 they continued their exciting treks to Target Field. A look at other Twins stories from 2013 includes: #13 – Twins in the WBC #12 – Drew Butera Traded to Dodgers #11 – Twins Sign Kubel, Trade Doumit #10 - Brian Dozier Breaks Through #9 - Kyle Gibson Promoted #8 - Aaron Hicks' Lost Year #7 – Twins Draft Kohl Stewart #6 – Justin Morneau Traded to Pirates #5 – Twins Dismal Starting Pitching Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Deolis Guerra VWL.jpg For the first week of the Winter League updates, we will not be chronicling the Arizona Fall League. Worry not! We still have no fewer than five winter leagues in which Twins players or minor league players are participating. Frankly, this week’s update is lacking in terrific performances as we have seen in recent weeks. But there are certainly a few worth noticing. Here’s how players from the Twins system did during the week from November 19-25. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Deolis Guerra, RHP Guerra was the player of the week choice last week, and he will be my choice again this week. He pitched in the three games and covered 4.1 innings. He gave up no runs on no hits and walked none. He struckout four. Overall, Guerra has thrown 13 innings in 12 games. He had walked just two and struckout 15. Oswaldo Arcia – 4 Games, 2-15 (.133), 2B, HR, 0 BB, 4 KBrian Dozier – 5 Games. 4-18 (.222), 1 BB, 4 KEduardo Escobar – 5 Games, 4-14 (.286), 2B, 2-HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K (had one game in which he was 3-3 with a walk, two homers and six RBI)Darin Mastroianni – 6 Games, 7-25 (.280), 2B, 2 BB, 2 K, 3 SB (was 7-9 the first two games of the week)Josmil Pinto – 2 Games, 0-1Edgar Ibarra – 3 Game, 1 Game Started, 2 innings, 5 hits, 6 earned runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeout.Shairon Martis – 1 Game Started, 3.0 innings, 5 earned runs, 6 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout.Angel Mata – 1 Game, 0.2 innings, 0 runs, one hit, 0 walks, one strikeout.Bruce Pugh – 2 Games, 1.1 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout.Dakota Watts – 3 Games, 4.2 innings, 5 hits, 3 earned runs, 3 walks, 1 strikeout. You have likely noticed that some young Venezuelan kids, like Yorman Landa or Angel Mata, may not pitch each week. However, they are likely playing in Liga Paralela. Josmil Pinto has moved back and forth between the rosters of the big club and it’s Parallel team. A player like Landa got a couple of innings with the big club, but as the offseason goes along, more veterans from Venezuela start playing and the young guys get moved down. It really runs just like a Major League team and its AAA affiliate. MEXICAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Chris Colabello, 1B For the third straight week, my choice for player of the week in Mexico is Chris Colabello. On the week, he played in six games. He went 7-25 (.280) with a double and a home run. He walked twice and struckout eight times. Overall in Mexico, he has had 133 at bats in 36 games played. He is hitting .331/.396/.632 (1.028) with 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 27 RBI. Anthony Slama – 2 Games, 2 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts. 1 save.Gonzalo Sanudo – 3 Games, 2.2 innings, 1 hit, 0 earned run, 1 walks, 1 strikeouts. DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Pedro Florimon, SS To say that the offensive game of Pedro Florimon in the Dominican this winter has been “streaky” might be kind, but it isn’t too far from accurate. He has had a couple of weeks where he had accumulated just one or two hits. This is the second week that he has been named the player of the week. This week, the shortstop went 7-14 (.500) in five games. He walked once and struckout three times. Overall, he is still hitting just .235/.330/.247 (.577) with just one double in 85 at bats. Miguel Sano – 1 Game, 0-1.Drew Butera – 2 Games, 0-6, walk. 1-18 (.056) in last eight games he’s played.Luis Perdomo – 3 Games, 2.1 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts.Samuel Deduno – 2 Games (1 GS), 4.2 innings, 0 runs, 4 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts. PUERTO RICO WINTER LEAGUE Player of the Week – Not Applicable It wasn’t a great week for Twins players in Puerto Rico. I simply can’t pick any of the players as player of the week. Angel Morales – 3 Games, 1-7 (.143), 4 KDanny Ortiz – 4 Games, 0-11, 2 KKennys Vargas – 2 Games, 1-7 (.143), 1 BB, 3 KEddie Rosario – 2 Games, 0-6, 1 KNelvin Fuentes – 1 Game, 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hit, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts. AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE Player of the Week – Josh Hendricks, 1B Josh Hendricks spent the season with the Elizabethton Twins, and now the 21-year-old is playing for the Melbourne Aces. In the past week, he played in four games and went 5-14 (.357) with a double and 6 RBI. Overall, he’s played in 7 games, and is 7-21 (.333) with two doubles and a homer. Logan Wade – 2 Games, 2-7 (.286), 2 walks, 1 strikeoutJD Williams – 4 Games, 2-17 (.118), 1 walk, 8 strikeoutJacob Younis – 2 Games, 2-8 (.250), 2B, 0 walks, 2 strikeoutsTim Atherton – 1 Game, 1 Win, 1.1 innings, 0 walks, 0 hits, 0 runs, 2 strikeoutsSam Gibbons – 1 Game Started, 4.2 innings, 10 hits, 3 walks, 4 earned runs, 0 strikeoutsJosh Guyer – 1 Game, 2.1 innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, 0 runs, 2 strikeoutsTyler Herr – 2 Games, 2.1 innings, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 runs, 0 strikeouts Feel free to discuss or ask any questions that you like. Also, feel free to pick a player of the week. Here were the nominees: Venezuela – Deolis Guerra Mexico – Chris Colabello Dominican – Pedro Florimon Puerto Rico – Not Applicable Australia – Josh Hendricks Click here to view the article

We are already about 15 games into the minor league season. It’s not a lot, but it is just over 10% of the season’s schedule, even though there have been a lot of weather-related postponements and double-headers. It’s too early to call any of the numbers more than a Small Sample Size, but it’s always fun to take an early look at Twins prospects. Below, you will find my preseason Top 30 Minnesota Twins prospects along with their statistics through Sunday, along with some of my thoughts and observations on many of the players. It’s exciting to see so many of these top prospects start the season strongly.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] (Note this is my personal prospect ranking, use for entertainment purposes – and for learning about Twins prospects – only.) 1. Miguel Sano – Ft. Myers Miracle - .375/.438/.734 (1.173) with 5-2B, 0-3B, 6-HR, 16-RBI in 64 AB. 2. Byron Buxton – Cedar Rapids Kernels - .415/.523/.642 (1.165) with 2-2B, 2-3B, 2-HR, 10-RBI in 53 AB. Also 6-10 in SB attempts. 3. Oswaldo Arcia – Rochester Red Wings - .394/.474/.727 (1.201) with 2-2B, 3-HR, 8-RBI. Also 1-9 in 3 games with the Minnesota Twins. 4. Alex Meyer – New Britain Rock Cats – 1-0, 1.69 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 16 IP, 13 H, 7 BB, 19 K These top four prospects would most likely fit into an “Elite” category. These are the guys who should be in Top 50 lists of any publication. All four of them are off to spectacular starts. Sano and Buxton are like Prospects 1a and 1b. Arcia and Meyer would be #1 prospects in several organizations. 5. Aaron Hicks – Minnesota Twins – .059/.200/.059 (.259) with 4-RBI. 6. Kyle Gibson – Rochester Red Wings – 0-3, 4.43 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 20.1 IP, 19 H, 7 BB, 19 K 7. Eddie Rosario – Ft. Myers Miracle – .352/.385/.507 (.892) with 5-2B, 2-HR, 11-RBI in 71 AB 8. J.O. Berrios – Extended Spring Training – Prospects #5 through #8 aren’t quite in the elite category, but they are highly regarded in the industry. Hicks’ struggles at the onset of his big league career have been well chronicled, but there is little reason to believe that he will not adjust. Gibson is still working on his gradual return from Tommy John surgery and is really just building up strength. Rosario made a name for himself in Puerto Rico this offseason, and earned his spot on that country’s WBC team. He impressed in Ft. Myers in spring training and he is off to a fast start with the Miracle. Berrios is also from Puerto Rico and, despite his youth, was also on the Puerto Rican WBC team. Because of that, he spent the first three weeks of the season in Ft. Myers, in Extended Spring Training. He made his first Cedar Rapids start on Monday night and gave up two runs in five innings. He sat between 92 and 94 with his fastball and touched 96. He got a couple of strikeouts on a strong breaking ball. 9. Trevor May – New Britain Rock Cats – 0-1, 3.14 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 14.1 IP, 13 H, 10 BB, 19 K 10. Max Kepler – Extended Spring Training Disabled List – Rounding out the Top 10, these prospects have high ceilings yet have something to overcome. For May, it is his ability to consistently throw strikes. He has the ‘stuff’, but if he can’t control it, it will be difficult for him to consistently get big league hitters out. Kepler has yet to play because of an elbow injury. He’s still young and raw, but incredibly talented. 11. Joe Benson – Rochester Red Wings – .170/.235/.191 (.427) with 1-2B, 0-HR, 1-RBI. Benson has been bothered by his wrist early in the season and is off to a slow start. He’s primarily playing left field although he has already played all three outfield positions. 12. Kennys Vargas – Ft. Myers Miracle – .238/.294/.460 (.754) with 5-2B, 3-HR, 12-RBI in 63 AB. Vargas just looks like David Ortiz. He’s fun-loving, and strong. He has a ton of power, but has a lot of work to do to advance. The talent is there! 13. Danny Santana – New Britain Rock Cats – .250/.267/.319 (.586) with 1-2B, 2-3B, 0-HR, 7 RBI in 72 AB. Early in the season Santana has had offensive struggles. That could be attributed to small sample size. Another concern might be the eight errors he already has committed at shortstop. 14. Travis Harrison – Cedar Rapids Kernels – .291/.349/.527 (.876) with 7-2B, 2-HR, 8-RBI in 55 AB. Harrison has tremendous power potential, power that has yet to develop. He certainly looks the part with a strong, balanced swing. He has five errors on the season. 15. Alex Wimmers – Disabled List – Wimmers had Tommy John surgery last August, so he will likely be getting on a mound for the first time in 5-6 weeks. He might start rehabbing when the GCL season begins. 16. Adam Walker – Cedar Rapids Kernels – .264/.328/.358 (.686) with 2-2B, 1-HR, 9-RBI in 53 AB. Walker has as much power as anyone in the organization, including Miguel Sano. He is a big, strong man. Last night, he hit a long blast for his second home run. His father was a replacement player for the Vikings back in the ‘80s. 17. Chris Herrmann – Rochester Red Wings – .175/.233/.200 (.433) with 1-2B, 2-RBI, in 40 AB. Herrmann is struggling early in the season, his first games at the AAA level. He has primarily been catching, though he has the versatility to play other positions as well. 18. BJ Hermsen – New Britain Rock Cats – 0-1, 9.64 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K. Hermsen went to big league spring training. After being optioned out, he was sidelined by an intercostal strain. He made his first start of the season on Sunday for the Rock Cats. 19. Jorge Polanco – Cedar Rapids Kernels – .300/.323/.417 (.739) with 4-2B, 1-HR, 11-RBI in 60 AB. Polanco had good offensive numbers a year ago in Elizabethton, but I wasn’t able to move him higher up this list. When I update this list, he will move up. Having seen him play, the quality of his game was a pleasant surprise. Specifically, it was great to see him swing and hit. I now am a believer in his potential with the bat. He has a ways to go, but he has a decent chance. 20. Luke Bard – Extended Spring Training Disabled List – Bard is in extended spring training fighting some arm soreness. When he is able to reach the pitch count limit, he will move up to Cedar Rapids and possibly go directly to Ft. Myers. 21. Adrian Salcedo – Ft. Myers Miracle – 1-0, 5.63 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 8 IP, 10 H, 0 BB, 8 K. A former Top 10 prospect, he had a lost 2012 season due to elbow and shoulder injuries. He did not have surgery, and he is being brought along slowly. So far, he has been used only out of the bullpen. 22. Mason Melotakis – Cedar Rapids Kernels – 1-1, 2.84 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 12.2 IP, 12 H, 7 BB, 11 K. Melotakis was one of the 2012 draft picks who was a college reliever who will get an opportunity to start in 2013. He has had mixed results through three starts. He’s limited runs, though he has given up a lot of base runners. He throws 94 from the left-side, so he’s got a chance.) 23. Nate Roberts – Disabled List – Roberts had a good year at Beloit last year, and then he went to Arizona and led the AFL in Batting Average, On-Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage. Unfortunately, he tore his meniscus while preparing for the season and is on the disabled list awaiting clearance to play. 24. Michael Tonkin – New Britain Rock Cats – 1-0, 6.23 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 8.2 IP, 10 H, 4 BB, 7 K. Tonkin took a big step forward in 2012 and with a big fastball/slider combination he has a chance to move up quickly in 2013. He is off to a slow start so far in New Britain. 25. Pedro Hernandez – Minnesota Twins – 0-0, 3.86 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 9.1 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 4 K. The lefty had a very good camp with the Twins but he went back to Rochester to stretch out and start. He never did pitch for the Red Wings as he was needed for a spot start with the Twins. He has stuck with the big league club. 26. Danny Ortiz – New Britain Rock Cats – .313/.356/.582 (.938) with 7-2B, 1-3B, 3-HR, 13-RBI in 67 AB. Often overlooked among the Twins outfield prospects, Ortiz can hit. The Puerto Rican is off to a fast start with the Rock Cats. He can play all three positions. He’s not a big guy, but he packs a big punch. 27. Niko Goodrum – Cedar Rapids Kernels – .298/.400/.383 (.783) with 4-2B, 0-HR, 5-RBI in 47 AB. Niko is a tremendous athlete who is finally growing into his frame. He plays a very good shortstop. He has greatly improved his swing from the left-side. He’s has a chance to keep moving up. 28. Matt Summers – Ft. Myers Miracle – 1-1, 4.30 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 14.2 IP, 16 H, 5 BB, 5 K. Summers certainly looks the part of potential starter. He has the motion and the delivery. He has stuff and touches 93 at times. I'm not sure why he doesn’t get many strikeouts as a starter. 29. Hudson Boyd – Cedar Rapids Kernels – 1-1, 5.14 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 14.0 IP, 13 H, 7 BB, 12 K. Boyd is young, and has a lot to work on, but after seeing him in person, I can see why the team made him a supplemental first-round pick. He has a good arm, a good changeup and a good curveball. He’ll develop and has a chance to be good. 30. Levi Michael – Disabled List – Michael struggled throughout his first pro season in 2012. In 2013 he has fought a shoulder injury. In his stead, former Gopher and Minnetonka native AJ Pettersen has run with the shortstop job in Ft. Myers, hitting .360 on the season while batting at the top of the order. Michael is likely out another week or two and when he’s healthy he’ll likely be starting. Feel free to ask questions about these 30 prospects or any other prospect in the Twins farm system. View full article

On Thursday night, the Beloit Snappers beat Peoria 5-3. It wasn’t just another game and just another win for the team. With the win, the Snappers clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2007. In the Midwest League (and the Florida State League), they play two halves of the season. The division winners from each half make the playoffs and the MWL has a wild card spot. Wisconsin won the MWL West division over the Snappers, but the Snappers get the wild card. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] I thought it would be fun to take a look back at that 2007 Beloit Snappers playoff team. There are a lot of recognizable names.. I had been following the Twins minor league system for a couple of years, and I remember that team. Several members of that team took a few minutes to tell me what they remember of that team and that season. Matt Fox was a supplemental 1st round pick in 2004 out of Central Florida but had surgery in 2005. In 2006, he returned with Elizabethton, and in 2007, he spent the year in Beloit. He began the year in the bullpen before becoming a starter in the second half. As he remembers, “we had a big house on a river up there, lived six guys in one house, road to the field in back of someone pickup truck and just were having fun and playing hard.” According to Fox, Jeff Smith (currently the manager in New Britain), “just tried to hammer it in to us to play hard and good things will happen. That's about it, well that and the long bus rides.” Cole De Vries, who went 9-5 in 25 starts for the Snappers that season, marveled at the amount of talent that played in Beloit that season. “I think one of the things that is the most amazing about that team is how many guys that were on that team that have played in the big leagues. (Danny) Valencia and I were talking about it the other night and I think there are 10-12 guys from that team that are or have been in the big leagues. It’s amazing when you think that about half of a low level team have played in the big leagues. That's something you would expect from a AAA team not a low A team.” Brian Dinkelman added, “What is amazing to me is how many players from that team are still with the organization.” Members of the 2007 Beloit Snappers that played in the Major Leagues: Joe Benson, Alex Burnett, Cole De Vries, Rob Delaney, Brian Dinkelman, Matt Fox, Armando Gabino, Jeff Manship, Chris Parmelee, Wilson Ramos, Anthony Slama, Rene Tosoni, and Danny Valencia.Also on the Beloit roster in 2007 but no major league service time but still in the Twins organization: Tyler Robertson and Deibinson Romero.Like this 2012 team, the 2007 Snappers clinched a playoff spot by winning the first half. Of course, that meant that several of the players that helped clinch the playoff spot did not play in the playoffs because they were promoted to Ft. Myers. Dinkelman said, “Even though I was not there for the playoffs it was still exciting to help clinch a spot in the playoffs.” Gabino was promoted in May. Dinkelman, Manship and Valencia were promoted right after the Midwest League All-Star game. Allan de San Miguel and Rob Delaney moved up in July. The same will likely happen with the 2012 team. For instance, Michael Tonkin has been great all season for the Snappers but particularly dominant since the calendar changed to June. In five games, he has thrown eight innings and given up no runs on no hits and no walks while striking out 18 batters. Now that the Snappers have clinched, he should get the opportunity to pitch in the league all star game and then but pushed up to Ft. Myers. AJ Achter is another reliever that could move up. As those players move up, others will get an opportunity. In all likelihood, the Twins should be able to push 2012 draft picks like Mason Melotakis, Luke Bard, JT Chargois and Tyler Duffey to Beloit when needed. In 2007, it was Anthony Slama that came to the Snappers in mid-July and helped out of the bullpen down the stretch and in the playoffs. Slama was drafted in the 36th round of the 2006 draft, but he did not sign. Instead, he went back to San Diego for his senior season of college. However, before the 2007 draft, he signed (in the final year of ‘draft-and-follow) with the Twins. After a few games in Elizabethton, he came up to the Twins. In 2007, the Elizabethton Twins won the Appalachian League title. Rene Tosoni and Deibinson Romero were the top players on that team. Following the championship series, the two moved up to Beloit where they played in the final two games of the season with the Snappers. They were also able to play with the Snappers in their playoff run. Not only did they play, they often hit in the middle of the lineup. The 2007 playoffs began with a series against Clinton. In the first game, De Vries threw a shutout through 8.1 innings. He gave up a solo home run to Chad Tracy in the 9th inning but got the final two outs for the win. In game two, it was Matt Fox who threw five shutout innings. The game was still tied at zero in the 8th inning. Rene Tosoni came off the bench to pinch hit and drilled an RBI double. Chris Parmelee then singled in Tosoni to give the Snappers a 2-0 lead, a lead that Anthony Slama was able to hold for the save. The Snappers won the best-of-three series 2-0. Download attachment: Chris Parmelee Snappers.jpg That set up a best-of-five championship series against West Michigan. West Michigan won the first two games of the series. Game 1 – Beloit 3, West Michigan 4 – Alex Burnett threw a complete game but took the loss. He gave up four runs (3 earned) on five hits and two walks in eight innings. Matt Betsill was 2-2 with two walks. Greg Yersich was 2-4. Game 2 – Beloit 2, West Michigan 3 – The Snappers managed just two hits. Garrett Olson hit a two-run homer in the second inning to give the team a lead, but the White Caps scored the final three runs of the game. Tyler Robertson started and gave up three runs in six innings, but just one was earned thanks to three Snappers errors. Duane Below started or the Tigers’ affiliate. He struck out ten and gave up just one hit and two walks in seven innings. Current Red Wings reliever Casey Fien got the save by striking out three in the final two innings. Game 3 – Beloit 8, West Michigan 5 – Cole De Vries had a rough start, but the bullpen came through for the team. De Vries gave up five runs on seven hits and four walks in 4.1 innings. Then Danny Vais came in and threw 2.2 scoreless innings. Dan Leatherman pitched a scoreless eighth inning before Anthony Slama pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his third save of the playoffs. Steve Singleton went 2-4 with two RBI. Joe Benson was 2-4 with a double. Danny Santiesteban went 2-4. Garrett Olson hit another home run. Game 4 – Beloit 5, West Michigan 0 – Deibinson Romero hit a three-run homer in the first inning to get things off on the right foot. Joe Benson added a solo homer in the fifth frame. That was more than enough offense for Matt Fox. The right-hander threw six scoreless innings. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out ten. Matt Williams threw a scoreless inning. Allen Craig threw two scoreless innings. Game 5 – Beloit 5, West Michigan 11 – The Snappers scored five runs in the third to take a 5-3 lead. Unfortunately, West Michigan scored eight runs in the fifth inning and that was it for the offense. Catcher Greg Yersich hit a bases-clearing triple for the Snappers, and Santiesteban went 2-4 in the game. Joe Benson also hit a triple. Alex Burnett started and gave up three runs (2 earned) on five hits in three innings. Leatherman came in and pitched a scoreless fourth inning before he gave up three unearned runs in the fifth inning without getting an out. Jose Lugo got two outs in the fifth and gave up four runs (3 earned). Danny Vais got the final out of the fifth inning and then threw two more innings. Anthony Slama and Jesus Carnevales each threw a scoreless inning. Based on all the unearned runs, you know that the Snappers defense wasn’t great. They committed SIX errors. What a run it was for the 2007 Beloit Snappers. It was a fun time following the Midwest League playoffs in 2007, and thanks to a nice first half by the Snappers, there will be another playoff run for the 2012 team. Download attachment: Steve Singleton Snappers.jpg Click here to view the article

The Twins lost again last night to fall to 10-25 on the season. A Ryan Doumit 8th inning home run got Twins fans quite interested, but Matt Capps gave back the run in the top of the ninth. Enough about that, huh? [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Today, Justin Morneau turns 31 years old. New shortstop Brian Dozier celebrates his 25th birthday. And my little girl, Jozie, is more than a little bit excited to be turning a big six years old. In other words, she's been keeping me busy with her excitement the last couple of days (err... months!) anticipating today, May 15th. With so little positive to talk about with the current Minnesota Twins team, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at some Twins history on May 15. 1978 - The Twins and Orioles matched up and it wasn't exactly a pitcher's dual when Dennis Martinez opposed the Twins' Roger Erickson. In this May 15 game, the two teams set the record for most walks in a game with 22. Martinez walked four Twins batters in 4.1 innings. Nelson Briles walked three in 3.2 innings. John Flinn walked three in 1.1 innings. Erickson, the Twins starter, impressively only gave up four runs in his 5.1 innings during which he gave up seven hits and eight walks (without a strikeout). St. Cloud State's Greg Thayer came in and walked three over the next three innings (he also hit two batters). Mike Marshall came in and he walked just one batter in 1.2 innings. The only pitcher in the game who did not walk a batter was Orioles' lefty Tippy Martinez, who got the one batter he faced out. The Twins managed to win this game, 9-6, in ten innings when Willie Norwood knocked a three-run, walk-off homer to score Rich Chiles and Rob Wilfong. 1981 - On the day Justin Morneau was born, the Twins lost 9-4 to the Orioles. ronizlally, the O's starter was Dennis Martinez in this game too. FOr the Twins, it was the great Pete Redfern on the mound. He gave up five runs on 11 hits and two walks in 4.1 innings. Jack O'Connor came in and gave up two runs on six hits and three walks in three innings. John Verhoeven gave up two unearned runs on two hits and a walk in 1.2 innings. Gary Ward led the Twins on this day. He was 2-3 with a walk, his third home run, two RBI and a stolen base. Mickey Hatcher was batting third. He hit his eighth and ninth doubles of the season in this game. For the Orioles, there was plenty of offense. Al Bumbry went 2-3 with three walks. Ken Singleton was 3-4 with a walk, his eighth home run and four RBI. Eddie Murray went 3-6 with his third double. Former Twins hitting coach Terry Crowley hit his fourth double of that season. Long-time Ft. Myers Miracle hitting coach Jim "Slice" Dwyer was 1-2. Oh, and Bobby Bonner went 4-5. Those were four of the 21 big league hits he accumulated over parts of four seasons. Just 6,268 fans came out to Met Stadium to watch this game. 1987 - Brian Dozier was born on this day, and the Twins got a very exciting win over the Boston Red Sox! When we think back to the '87 Twins World Series team, we certainly don't think about Juan Berenguer as a starter. However, he started this game and gave up just one run on three hits and a walk in eight innings. The lone run came on a solo home run off the bat of Wade Boggs. Bruce Hurst was very good for the Red Sox too, going all nine innings. Steve Lombardozzi went 2-4. Tom Brunansky, Greg Gagne and Dan Gladden each had a hit. But Kirby Puckett played hero in this one. He was 2-3 with an intentional walk in the game. After George Frazier pitched a perfect top of the ninth inning, Puckett came up with a runner on in the bottom of the ninth inning and hit a two-run, walk-off home run to give the Twins a 3-1 win over the Red Sox. 1989 - Kent Hrbek dislocated his shoulder attempting to make a diving play and wound out on the Disabled List until June 26. 1991 - On May 15, the Twins lost 4-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers. The story was St. Paul native and future Twins DH, Hall of Famer Paul Molitor. He hit a single, a double, a triple and a home run, all off of Twins starter Kevin Tapani. 2006 - My daughter was born and while in the hospital, we watched the Twins lose 7-3 to the Chicago White Sox. Scott Baker gave up five runs on 11 hits and a walk in 4.2 innings. Willie Eyre gave up a run in his inning. Dennys Reyes (aka, Big Sweat) came in and struck out four over 2.1 innings. Joe Nathan struck out two, but gave up a single run in the 9th. For the White Sox, Scott Podsednik, Joe Crede, Chris Widger and Robb Mackowiak each had three hits. Podsednik, Crede and Widger each hit a home run. For the Twins, Michael Cuddyer was 2-3 with a walk. Torii Hunter was 2-4 with his eighth home run of the season. 2011 - Jose Bautista hit three home runs against the Twins... if you can believe that. Future Hall of Famer, John Smoltz, who certainly is a memorable opponent name in Twins history (pitched Game 7 of the 1991 World Series opposite Jack Morris), turns 45 years old today. Hall of Famer, George Brett of the Royals, who had many memories against the Twins, turns 59 years old today. Finally, Red Sox starting pitcher (and all-around good guy?) Josh Beckett turns 32 years old today. Thank you for taking a day here with me and walking through some random Twins history on this date. The Twins had a couple of walk-off home runs on this date, and a couple other historical (positive or not) moments. So, what will happen when the Twins player Cleveland this afternoon? How will Brian Dozier perform on his 25th birthday? How will Cleveland outfielder Michael Brantley perform on his 25th birthday? Download attachment: Birthday Cake.jpg Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Buxton_Byron_Batting_Rinaldi_686.jpg The Twins just announced that 16 players were told this morning they will be sent to minor league camp. Seven 40 man roster guys were optioned. So were nine non-roster invitees, including the team's top three prospects. Byron Buxton homered yesterday and was sent down this morning. So was Miguel Sano, though that obviously comes as no surprise. In a bit of a surprise, Alex Meyer was also sent down. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The Twins optioned lefties Logan Darnell, Edgar Ibarra and Brooks Raley. Right-hander Trevor May was also optioned. Kennys Vargas, Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco were optioned as well. Those re-assigned to minor league camp (meaning guys not on the 40 man roster) included nine more players. Along with Meyer, Buxton and Sano, the team also sent pitchers Lester Oliveros, Yohan Pino down. Catchers Kyle Knudson, Matt Koch and Stuart Turner will soon report to minor league camp. Also, outfielder Chris Rahl. The Twins roster now consists of 48 players. They have 22 pitchers, five catchers, 12 infielders and nine outfielders. I spent time talking this morning with the three catchers who were sent down. Stuart Turner talked about his being a great opportunity for him, one he was very thankful for. Matt Koch was excited to learn from the likes of Terry Steinbach and work with some of the pitchers he did. This is Knudson's second big league spring training, so he knew it would be coming soon. I also talked to Max Kepler who said he has really improved his outlook and ability to handle struggles. Logan Darnell was enjoying his time in camp, learning a lot. He hopes to be in the Rochester rotation this year. Click here to view the article

During the 2013 season, the Minnesota Twins promoted many players to the big leagues. Many of them were rookies. So, who would get your vote for the top performing rookie on the team in 2013? To keep it somewhat limited, I only looked at those rookies that were with the team for long enough that they will not be a rookies in 2014. In other words, Josmil Pinto will still be a rookie in 2014, so he and his impressive September will not be eligible (though, you can choose him as a write-in candidate in the comments below). So without further ado, here are the candidates: [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Aaron Hicks - After trading Denard Span and Ben Revere in the offseason, the Twins heavily touted Aaron Hicks as the future at centerfield. He came to spring training and hit very well and won the competition. Then things started to go bad. On Opening Day, Hicks struck out three times against Justin Verlander. He went on to hit .192/.259/.338 (.597) with 11 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 27 RBI. He stole nine bases in 12 attempts. He struck out 84 times and walked 24 times in 81 games before he was optioned to Rochester. He did not return in September. WAR = -0.7. Oswaldo Arcia - A spring training injury meant that Arcia was not able to show his offensive skills as much as he would have wanted. However, within the first two weeks of the season, he was promoted. At times, he realized the potential that he has. Considering he struck out an amazing 31% of the time (117 times to go with just 23 walks), his 102 OPS+ is impressive considering his age. When he put the ball in play, he did some damage. Overall, in 97 games, he hit .251/.304/.430 (.734) with 17 doubles, 2 triples, 14 home runs and 43 RBI. WAR = -0.4. Chris Colabello - He was the story of the year in 2012 in the Twins farm system. This year, he was invited to big league spring training before starring for the surprising Team Italy in the WBC. He dominated AAA, and at age 29, earned his first big league promotion. In 160 at bats over 55 games, he hit .194/.287/.344 (.631) with three doubles, seven homers and 17 RBI. He did strike out 58 times. Again, he showed a rare power this year that makes him intriguing going forward. WAR = -0.2. Chris Herrmann - He had a mid-September promotion to the Twins in 2012. He made his AAA debut in 2013, but he was summoned to the big club in May when Wilkin Ramirez had his concussion. He certainly showed his defensive versatility, playing well behind the plate and in the two corner outfield positions. He had a couple of moments with his bat too. Overall, in 157 at bats over 57 games, he hit .204/.286/.325 (.611) with five doubles, two triples and three home runs. WAR = 0.2. Pedro Hernandez - The lefty was up and down with the Twins a few times throughout the season. With the big league club, he made 12 starts and twice came out of the bullpen. He went 3-3 with a 6.83 ERA, a 1.82 WHIP and a 5.54 FIP. In 56.2 innings, he gave up 80 hits, walked 23 and struck out 29. Ryan Pressly - The Twins acquired Pressly from the Red Sox organization in the Rule 5 draft. Very few Rule 5 picks remain with their drafting team, but Pressly became a success story. He pitched in 49 games for the Twins and went 3-3 with a 3.87 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, and a 3.67 FIP. In 76.2 innings, he gave up 71 hits, walked 27 and struck out 49. Andrew Albers - Another tremendous story who has moved swiftly up the Twins system since signing out of the Can-Am League before the 2011 season. He was the Twins choice for minor league pitcher of the year, and he finally made his big league debut. In his first start, he went 8.1 scoreless innings. In his second start, he threw the team's only complete game shutout of the season. Overall, in his ten starts, he gave up 64 hits, walked seven and struck out 25 in 60 innings. He went 2-5 with a 4.05 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and a 3.96 FIP. Kyle Gibson - The 2009 top pick returned from Tommy John surgery and was able to hit a combined 150 innings this season. After coming up to the Twins in June, he made ten starts. He went 2-4 with a 6.53 ERA, a 1.75 WHIP and a 5.17 FIP. In 51 innings, he gave up 69 hits, walked 20 and struck out 29. He will come to big league camp in 2014 with a chance to be in the Opening Day rotation. Those are the candidates, with one exception. My choice for 2013 Twins Rookie of the Year is... Download attachment: Thielbar.jpg photo by Betsy Bissen Caleb Thielbar - The Twins signed Thielbar from the St. Paul Saints late in the 2011 season. He moved up three levels in 2012 and then pitched in the Arizona Fall League before being added to the 40 man roster. He struggled in spring training, but it wasn't long into the season that he was summoned to the Twins. He made his big league debut on May 20 in Atlanta where he struck out three over two perfect innings. He did not give up a run until July 8th, a period that covered 17 games and 19.2 innings. Over the course of the rest of the season, he gave up more than one run just one time. Overall, he pitched in 49 games. He went 3-2 with a 1.76 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP and a 3.40 FIP. In 46 innings, he gave up just 24 hits, walked just 14 and struck out 39 (7.6 per nine innings). I talked to Thielbar on Saturday at Target Field. How did he feel about his rookie season? What did he learn? He said, "Just proving to myself that I can pitch at this level I think is a big deal." What was his key to success? "Just throwing strikes and getting ahead of guys. When I get ahead of guys, it's fine. I run into a little trouble when I fall behind guys. I think that's the main problem I've had at some points this year. I guess mixing all of the pitches has been real effective, just like in the minor leagues." Why is that so important, especially in the big leagues? "Everyone is good up here. Everyone is awesome!" The most important thing for all of these rookies is that now they have some big league experience. Every player who debuts has some struggles. It's a matter of what they learn and what they do with that information to make adjustments and become better in the long run. In 2014, there will be several more rookies making their debuts and going through their struggles as well. Wouldn't it be nice if it just came easily? That's not reality for the vast majority of big leaguers. So, every experience, good and bad, can provide value. So, you've seen the options, and you've seen my choice, now it's your turn. Who would you chose as the 2013 Twins Rookie of the Year, and why? Click here to view the article

Today, we continue our trek through my Top 50 Twins Prospects list by looking at my choices for prospects 21 through 30. Yesterday we looked at prospects 31-40, and the day before I presented prospects 41 through 50. I think that this 21-30 group is interesting. You still have some young players who have great potential but haven’t quite reached it... yet. You have a couple of players who have been ranked quite a bit higher who, for whatever reason, have fallen and are looking to move back up. Without further ado, let’s get to the list. Here are my choices for Twins Prospects 21-30:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] #30 –Jason Wheeler, LHP Those that follow the Northwoods League may remember that Wheeler was the Pitcher of the Year in 2010 when he pitched for the St. Cloud River Bats. The Twins made the 21-year-old their 8th round pick last year out of Loyola Marymount. At 6-6 and 260 pounds, he has a strong build and a very good delivery. His fastball touched 93 and due to his height, he gets a good downward plane. He has an improving changeup in the low 80s and an above average slow curveball. He didn’t sign in time to pitch last year, but in his first nine starts for Beloit, he is 5-1 with a 2.82 ERA. #29 – Miguel Munoz, RHP The Twins signed the now-23-year-old Munoz as a 17 year old in 2005 from Caracas, Venezuela. His 2011 season was lost due to elbow problems. The Twins went the rest-rehab route with Munoz, and he has been able to avoid Tommy John surgery. He did have some surgery to remove bone chips. He has recently returned to the Ft. Myers Miracle and pitched in seven games, making two starts. He has a four-seam fastball that reaches into the mid-90s. His two-seam fastball sinks and generates lots of groundballs. He has a decent curveball, and continues to work on a slider/cutter as well. #28 – JD Williams, OF Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario got all of the attention in Elizabethton in 2011, but JD Williams quietly put together some impressive numbers. He hit .324/.406/.465 with 12 doubles, a triple and four home runs. He was drafted as a shortstop out of his Florida high school in 2010. He is all about speed, one of the fastest players in the Twins organization. He moved up to Beloit this year where he is currently hitting .227/.308/.311 after a very slow start. He has eight doubles and a triple. He has already stolen eight bases. #27 – Max Kepler, OF It appears that Kepler will be returning to the Appy League for the 2012 season. In 2011 at Elizabethton, he hit .262/.347/.366 with 11 doubles, three triples and a home run. Solid, but unspectacular numbers in the hitter-friendly atmosphere. He was signed by the Twins in July of 2009 out of Germany. At 6-4 and 200 pounds, the 19-year-old is very strong and very fast. He has one of those classic left-handed swings. He can play all three outfield positions. #26 – Logan Darnell, LHP Darnell was the Twins 6th round pick in 2010 out of Kentucky. In 2011, he pitched in Beloit, Ft. Myers and made five starts in New Britain. In total, he recorded 11 wins and threw an impressive 150.1 innings. The 23 year old has the ability to throw four pitches for strikes. The southpaw’s fastball sits between88-91, occasionally hitting 93. He has a good changeup, a slider (81-84) and a slow curveball (75-76). He is currently 5-2 with a 4.53 ERA in nine starts with the Rock Cats this year. #25 – Tom Stuifbergen, RHP If Stuifbergen can get back on the mound soon, he could be a top 15 prospect again by the end of the season. If there has been one thing that has slowed Stuifbergen in his career, it has been injuries, and he is fighting some shoulder issues now. However, the 23 year old from the Netherlands has been very successful when he has been healthy. At 6-3, he has great control of a 2-seam and 4-seam fastball (touches 94), a curveball and a changeup. He has had a lot of success in international competition since making his name in the last WBC in a game against the Dominican Republic. Last fall, he led The Netherlands to the World Cup championship in Panama when he threw 17 shutout innings. Later, he was knighted in his homeland, so you can call him Sir Tom Stuifbergen. #24 – Angel Morales, OF Things started out so well for Morales, the Twins 3rd round pick in 2007 out of Puerto Rico. In 2008 in Elizabethton, he posted a 1.036 OPS with 12 doubles and 15 home runs. Since then, he has had his moments of success and still has glimpses of 5-tool talent. He missed most of 2011 with an elbow injury that finally required arthroscopic surgery. In 2012, things started out so well for Morales. Through April 24, he was 23-67 (.343). Since that date, he is 10-83 (.120). His season average is down to .220 (through 150 at bats). He has just seven extra base hits and has struck out 50 times. However, I still believe in his talent and his tools. He won’t turn 23 until late November, so I’m far from giving up on him. #23 – Corey Williams, LHP The Twins used their 3rd round pick last June on Vanderbilt lefty-reliever Corey Williams. At the time, there was some concern about signability. However, the Twins went $250,000 over slot to sign him. He throws a fastball between 92 and 94 mph. He has a very good changeup. He is very smart, and has very good stuff. He is currently with the Beloit Snappers where he has six saves. In 18.2 innings, he has walked ten but also struck out 21. #22 – David Bromberg, RHP Bromberg ended the 2010 season by making nine starts in Rochester. He was an easy choice to add to the 40 man roster following the season. In 2011, he started back with the Rock Cats in New Britain, but in late April, he took a liner and broke his forearm (which he was using to protect his face). He had surgery and missed over three months, but when he came back, he was still affected by it. He was removed from the 40 man roster after the season, cleared waivers and remains with the Twins. The 24 year old started this season with New Britain, in the bullpen. In five games as a reliever, he posted a 20.25 ERA in 4 innings. In six starts for the Rock Cats, he is 1-1 with a 1.42 ERA. In 31.2 innings, he has given up 20 hits, 13 walks and struck out 33 batters. At one point, he threw 20 consecutive scoreless innings. I’d expect him to move up to Rochester soon, and he is definitely back in the Twins picture. #21 – Pat Dean, LHP Dean was the Twins 3rd round pick in 2010 out of Boston College. He was hurt at the start of the 2011 season and yet he still pitched at Beloit, Ft. Myers and New Britain, although not to his talent level. He began 2012 back with Ft. Myers. He has made 10 starts and is 3-2 with a 2.78 ERA. The lefty has a fastball between 90-92 mph. He has an above average curveball and a very good changeup. He is barely striking out a batter every other inning, which is concerning, but he does have three good pitches, so those numbers should improve. I think he profiles pretty similarly to Brian Duensing. So, there you have my choices for Twins prospects 21-30.Later this week, I’ll be back tomorrow with my next installment which will be prospects 11-20). If you have any questions or comments on any of these prospects, please feel free to ask. Download attachment: PatDean.jpg Click here to view the article

As we get closer to the end of the minor league seasons, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the leaders in many statistical categories. Throughout the season, Twins Daily has posted daily minor league reports. Within those, some names certainly tend to find their way into the reports more frequently than others. At the same time, there are others who have just been solid throughout the season and may surprise you when you see some of their rankings. There is still another 3-4 weeks, but this could be considered an early look at potential players of the year. Here are the Twins offensive statistical leaders through games played on Saturday, August 11th: [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Plate Appearances: #1 - Miguel Sano 478 #2 - Chris Herrmann 470 #3 - Aaron Hicks 467 #4 - Evan Bigley 464 #4 - Chris Colabello 464 #4 - Deibinson Romero 464 #7 - Danny Santana 463 #8 - Pedro Florimon 460 #9 - Oswaldo Arcia 438 #10 - Levi Michael 435 Hits: #1 - Oswaldo Arcia 122 #1 - Danny Santana 122 #3 - Chris Colabello 119 #4 - Chris Herrmann 113 #4 - Evan Bigley 113 #6 - Aaron Hicks 110 #7 - Matt Carson 108 #8 - Pedro Florimon 107 #9 - Deibinson Romero 105 #10 - Miguel Sano 100 #10 - Danny Ortiz 100 Doubles: #1 - Chris Colabello 34 #2 - Oswaldo Arcia 30 #3 - Eddie Rosario 27 #4 - Evan Bigley 25 #5 - Miguel Sano 24 #6 - Chris Herrmann 22 #7 - Matt Carson 21 #8 - Danny Ortiz 21 #9 - Aaron Hicks 19 #9 - Pedro Florimon 19 #9 - Dan Rohlfing 19 Triples: #1 - Danny Santana 8 #2 - Aaron Hicks 7 #3 - Niko Goodrum 6 #4 - Oswaldo Arcia 5 #4 - Danny Ortiz 5 #6 - 8 tied with 4 Home Runs: #1 - Miguel Sano 23 #2 - Chris Colabello 18 #3 - Deibinson Romero 16 #4 - Oswaldo Arcia 14 #4 - Evan Bigley 14 #4 - Wilkin Ramirez 14 #7 - Chris Parmelee 13 #7 - Lance Ray 13 #9 - Aaron Hicks 12 #9 - Adam Walker 12 #9 - Matt Carson 12 Runs Scored: #1 - Aaron Hicks 82 #2 - Chris Herrmann 80 #3 - Chris Colabello 68 #4 - Miguel Sano 62 #5 - Oswaldo Arcia 61 #6 - Danny Santana 59 #7 - Deibinson Romero 57 #7 - Matt Carson 57 #9 - Evan Bigley 51 #10 - Levi Michael 49 RBI: #1 - Miguel Sano 89 #2 - Chris Colabello 87 #3 - Evan Bigley 81 #4 - Oswaldo Arcia 78 #5 - Deibinson Romero 66 #6 - Lance Ray 61 #7 - Eddie Rosario 58 #8 - Aaron Hicks 54 #9 - Chris Herrmann 50 #10 - Josmil Pinto 48 Stolen Bases: #1 - Aaron Hicks 27 #2 - Nate Roberts 19 #3 - JD Williams 17 #4 - Danny Santana 16 #4 - Jhon Goncalves 16 #6 - Darin Mastroianni 14 #7 - Joe Benson 13 #7 - Pedro Florimon 13 #9 - John Murphy 12 #10 - Aderlin Mejia 10 Walks: #1 - Miguel Sano 73 #2 - Aaron Hicks 67 #3 - Deibinson Romero 52 #4 - Levi Michael 48 #5 - Chris Herrmann 47 #6 - Jhon Goncalves 45 #7 - Oswaldo Arcia 43 #8 - Wang-Wei Lin 42 #9 - Lance Ray 41 #10 - Angel Morales 36 Strikeouts: #1 - Miguel Sano 128 #2 - Pedro Florimon 111 #3 - Evan Bigley 107 #4 - Angel Morales 103 #5 - JD Williams 100 #6 - Matt Carson 99 #7 - Wilkin Ramirez 96 #7 - Aaron Hicks 96 #9 - Matt Koch 92 #10 - Oswaldo Arcia 87 #10 - Clete Thomas 87 Batting Average (min. 250 plate appearances): #1 - Oswaldo Arcia - .319 #2 - Eddie Rosario - .313 #3 - Nate Roberts - .295 #4 - Chris Colabello - .286 #5 - Josmil Pinto - .285 #6 - Danny Santana - .283 #7 - Aaron Hicks - .282 #8 - Matt Carson - .278 #9 - Nate Hanson - .277 #10 - Chris Herrmann - .273 On-Base Percentage (min. 250 plate appearances): #1 - Nate Roberts - .437 #2 - Oswaldo Arcia - .389 #3 - Aaron Hicks - .383 #4 - Miguel Sano - .379 #5 - Eddie Rosario - .368 #6 - Jhon Goncalves - .362 #7 - Deibinson Romero - .358 #8 - Josmil Pinto - .351 #9 - Chris Colabello - .350 #10 - Matt Koch - .348 Slugging Percentage (min. 250 plate appearances) #1 - Oswaldo Arcia - .533 #2 - Miguel Sano - .515 #3 - Eddie Rosario - .505 #4 - Chris Colabello - .502 #5 - Aaron Hicks - .459 #6 - Josmil Pinto - .458 #7 - Wilkin Ramirez - .440 #8 - Deibinson Romero - .439 #9 - Matt Carson - .434 #10 - Nate Roberts - .430 #10 - Evan Bigley - .430 OPS (min. 250 plate appearances): #1 - Oswaldo Arcia - .922 #2 - Miguel Sano - .894 #3 - Eddie Rosario - .873 #4 - Nate Roberts - .867 #5 - Chris Colabello - .852 #6 - Aaron Hicks - .842 #7 - Josmil Pinto - .809 #8 - Deibinson Romero - .797 #9 - Matt Carson - .775 #10 - Matt Koch - .758 Download attachment: Aaron Hicks Hit.jpg Click here to view the article

Download attachment: AJ-Burnett-Would-Like-to-Know-Who-Farted.jpg No, I do not think that the Twins should consider a trade to bring back former catcher AJ Pierzynski. I’m talking about whether or not the Twins should consider working on a trade with the Yankees to acquire RHP AJ Burnett. When asked about that idea weeks ago, my immediate response was “No, thank you!” But upon further review, I think it’s a valid question to ask. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Burnett has been pretty bad the last two seasons. In 2010, he was 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. In 2011, he was 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. He is also owed $33 million over the next two seasons. He turned 35 years old in January. All those reasons mean that the answer probably should be “No, thank you!” But maybe it isn’t and shouldn’t be that simple. It appears that a deal between the Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates is likely, but here are a few reasons that the Twins should at least make a quick phone call to Brian Cashman: The first assumption would have to be that the Yankees will cover $20-25 million of the $33 million remaining on Burnett’s contract. If that can’t be agreed upon, then there is zero reason to continue discussion. The second assumption is that the Yankees are not looking for a top prospect in return. Of course, if they’re going to hand over that much money, they will want something of quality too. If they think they’re going to get Miguel Sano, then the discussion can end too. He has made 32 or more starts each of the past four seasons. He has thrown more than 186 innings each of those seasons. Getting out of New York can be a good thing for many pitchers, especially after a bad year or two. Think anyone understands that better than Carl Pavano. The two were teammates with the Marlins from 2002 through 2004. Could playing in Minnesota and with an old teammate help Burnett reach his potential again? Burnett may be a big of an enigma, but he’s an enigma who throws really hard and has a really nasty slider and as recently as three years ago, he struck out more than a batter per inning. A rotation of Burnett, Liriano, Baker and Pavano is a pretty good start. Burnett has the stuff, like Liriano, to be a top of the rotation guy. Baker is a very good #2. Burnett has playoff experience and success.The case can also be made that he, like Liriano, may be a bit of a head case. We don’t know if he will improve by being out of New York. We don’t know that he will continue to be healthy. We don’t know what the Twins advanced scouts think of what he has left. It won’t happen, and it probably shouldn’t happen. At the end of the day, I probably would still say “No, Thank you!” The discussion is certainly worthwhile, and I have to assume that it was discussed at least to some level in the Twins front offices. Any thoughts? Please feel free to use the Comments Section! Click here to view the article

The baseball offseason can be a lot of fun for rumor mongers. It is always interesting to hear what rumors are going around, particularly about the Minnesota Twins. Maybe it’s the cynic in me, but I have to take everything I read in the offseason with a little grain of salt, at least until things have gone a little further. For instance, we heard last week that the Twins have already talked to agents about several pitchers including Bronson Arroyo and Phil Hughes. I read that and immediately think, “Yeah, no surprise on either of those.” But what does it mean? [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Terry Ryan likely has talked to most agents (or at least agencies) already this offseason. In doing so, he probably is getting a feel for what they're thinking about all their clients. This is likely something that every GM in baseball has already done. Then we read that the Twins have asked to review the medical reports of Johan Santana. Guess what? It’s likely most teams in baseball have requested that paperwork. It doesn’t necessarily indicate that the Twins and Santana are close to any deals. My assumption is no fewer than 28 teams will at least have a conversation about the former Twins Cy Young recipient. The day the Twins and Joe Mauer announce he is going to move to first base, they are linked to Jarrod Saltalamacchia. I love reading stuff like that. I mean, it’s fun to read the hometown nine linked to such a big (and long) name. “Salty” has been very good. But, when the Twins have a guy like Josmil Pinto very nearly ready to post a .750 OPS in Target Field, does it make sense to give a catcher a four year deal worth 8 figures each year? I can see them adding a veteran to a one year deal to split time with Pinto, or even give Pinto another half-season in Rochester. I’d be perfectly fine with giving a one year deal to someone like AJ Pierzynski or John Buck, or any of several veteran catchers. I find all of it fascinating, and I enjoy dissecting each rumor, putting it to a test in my mind to see if there is anything worthy of excitement. With the General Manager’s meetings going on this week, a lot of those rumors will start up. Little, if anything of note, will happen during the week, but it may set the table for the annual Winter Meetings in early December. My favorite rumors may be those where we hear what a player is expecting or asking for as a free agent. In the last week, it came out that Ervin Santana was looking for five years and at least $100 million. Ricky Nolasco was looking for five years and $80 million. Sure, those are the numbers the agents and players want, but will they get them? I guess it’s like when you were younger and walking through the toy section at the store with your parents. It doesn’t hurt to ask for the really cool, spendy toys, but generally speaking, the parents will say no. Except this offseason, will 30 GMs all balk at this crazy types of numbers? Well, I guess we will find out. We know that each team is expected to get $25 million in additional revenue from the television deals. 52% of that is about $13 million. So, there are extra funds, but will teams just give that money to one player or will it be spread over a few players, or will it just be used to pay arbitration-eligible players? I guess we will find out. I do think a little sanity check is needed when it comes to a few of these top starting pitching free agents. ERVIN SANTANA After a horrible 2012 with the Angels, Santana was traded (given away) to the Royals. He put together a very solid season in 2013. He will be 31 years old in December. Stats since 2006: ERA – 4.28, 5.76, 3.49, 5.03, 3.92, 3.38, 5.16, 3.24ERA+ - 106, 79, 127, 87, 102, 111, 74, 127IP – 204, 150, 219, 139.2, 222.2, 228.2, 178, 211WHIP – 1.23, 1.55, 1.12, 1.48, 1.32, 1.22, 1.27, 1.14K/9 – 6.2, 7.6, 8.8, 6.9, 6.8, 7.0, 6.7, 6.9Santana certainly put himself in a good position for a new contract, but if we’re being honest, he’s no Anibal Sanchez. A year ago, Sanchez signed with the Tigers for 5 years and $85 million. Sanchez was also about three years younger when he signed his deal. Santana has been healthy for the most part. He has value. I know a lot of Twins fans want to see a guy who can miss bats. Though Santana’s strikeout rate would be higher than most Twins pitchers, he is far from a strikeout pitcher. He has eaten a lot of innings for most of his career and has really been good in two of his last three years. I think that the Twins (and any other team) would be crazy to give him more than four years, but he will likely get a fifth year. There’s no way he should make more than $16 million per season, but I would expect he will get at least $18 million. He will probably get five years and $90 million. The team that signs him will likely be looking to get rid of the contract by year three. UBALDO JIMENEZ I have not yet read any rumors on what Jimenez’s side is requesting. I’m certain he’ll be looking for at least $16 million a year for four years. Hey, it’s understandable for him to ask for those kind of dollars. He was very good in 2013, in his contract year. He even struck out more than a batter an inning. Jimenez will turn 30 in January. Stats since 2008: ERA – 3.99, 3.47, 2.88, 4.68, 5.40, 3.30ERA+ - 118, 136, 161, 93, 72, 114IP – 198.2, 218, 221.2, 188.1, 176.2, 182.2WHIP – 1.44, 1.23, 1.16, 1.40, 1.61, 1.33K/9 – 7.8, 8.2, 8.7, 8.6, 7.3, 9.6FB Velocity – 94.9, 96.1, 96.1, 93.5, 91.7Again, Jimenez was pretty good in 2013, but even then, he gave up a bunch of base runners thanks to walking 3.9 batters per nine innings (4.0 BB/9 career rate). The drop in fastball velocity has to lead to concern for injury going forward. Frankly, he has not been a great pitcher since the All-Star game in 2010. I can see him getting a four year contract at $16 million per year. That would scare me as a Twins fan to no end. Three years, maybe up to $36 million is where I would feel comfortable with the risk-reward and even then I would be immensely nervous. RICKY NOLASCO Nolasco spent a lot of time in relative anonymity with the Marlins. He has been a guy that people have thought would take the next step for several years. He really just hasn’t, and yet, some of his peripherals look very good. He will turn 31 in December. Stats since 2008: ERA – 3.52, 5.06, 4.51, 4.67, 4.48, 3.70ERA+ - 124, 85, 92, 84, 91, 101xFIP – 3.69, 3.23, 3.37, 3.55, 4.17, 3.58IP – 212.1, 185, 157.2, 206, 191, 199.1WHIP – 1.10, 1.25, 1.28, 1.40, 1.37, 1.21K/9 – 7.9, 9.5, 8.4, 6.5, 5.9, 7.4FB – 91.2, 91.5, 91.2, 90.5, 90.0, 90.3Although his ERAs haven’t looked great, his xFIP has consistently been around a full run less than his ERA. He walks just 2.1 per nine inning. His fastball velocity has dropped, but minimally. Again, if you look at his strikeout rate and his velocity, he is not the kind of guy many visualize when they think of a $15 million pitcher. Download attachment: Ricky Nolasco.jpg I think Nolasco is a guy I would feel comfortable going to four years with, but maybe at $13 or $14 million year, not the $16 million he is looking for. I’d feel OK about a four year deal between $52 and $56 million. At that price, he would likely have a few suitors, which means he may get that fifth year and the average annual rate may move up a bit. MASAHIRO TANAKA Some may have various opinions based on what MLB and Japan work out in a new posting system, but rumors earlier indicated his posting fee would be upwards of $75 million, maybe more. Let me remind you, under the current system, that means a team would pay $75 million just to negotiate a contract with Tanaka. That’s in addition to the 6 years and $75 million he might get in a contract. Yes, he was 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP this season. Yes, he just turned 25. Yes, in his last three seasons he has BB/9 rates of 1.1, 1.0 and 1.4. Yes, he’s got talent and he most likely will be good. Yes, there’s no guarantee at all. I’m certainly comfortable with the 6 years and $75 million or so. But, those numbers guarantee nothing. Yu Darvish was certainly good in his second season in the States after coming from Japan. In 2013, he went 13-9 with a 2.83 ERA. Through two seasons, he has a 3.34 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. For comparison’s sake, in Daisuke Matsuzaka’s second season in the States, he went 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA. Like any pitcher, there is no certainty Darvish won’t follow the Dice-K path. Tanaka could be great, but the change to starting every fifth day instead of every sixth day is always an adjustment. Tanaka may be very good, but would he be worth 6 years and a total of $150 million? Maybe. I guess I would rather take my chances and sign Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes (or another starter who could get $20-30 million packages), and you could still sign a Saltalamacchia or another hitter as well. ------------------------------------------- I have no problem with the concept of the Twins spending. I just think fans need to understand these guys that are likely to get 4-5 year contracts worth $60 to $100 million are not the sure-fire aces their contracts will imply. If the Twins sign one of them to crazy money, I’ll hope like crazy he stays healthy and pitches consistently well. I just don’t see an arm in this free agent class that is worth breaking the bank for. Thankfully we have this comment section so in the years to come we can all go back and remember what we said, what we would have offered and stand by those comments over the life of these contracts. Click here to view the article

Through May of 2012, Trevor Plouffe was hitting just .163/.261/.347 (.608) with three doubles and five home runs. Then the calendar turned to June. Over his next 32 games played, Plouffe hit .317/.373/.634 (1.006) with nine doubles and 14 home runs. That's when he injured his thumb and did not play again until mid-August. Over his final 45 games of 2012, he hit .196/.254/.344 (.598) with seven doubles and five homers. 2013 was meant to be a big year for several Twins including Brian Dozier and Chris Parmelee. However, arguably, 2013 was most important for Trevor Plouffe. Was he the sub-.300 on-base percentage guy still looking for a defensive position? Or, could he put up numbers approaching what he did for a month last June? Download attachment: Trevor Plouffe.jpg For the most part, 2013 has been a frustrating season for the Twins third baseman. On May 21, he was kneed in the head as a base runner at second base and ended up on the Disabled List with a concussion. Before he could get back in the lineup, recurring calf tightness put him on the 15 day disabled list. When he returned in mid-June, he had a single, double and home run in his first game and had hits in 13 of 14 games played in the month. Unfortunately, July was a tough month as well as he hit just .189/.223/.300 (.523). Since August 1st, he has hit .237/.298/.404 (.702), though that includes the first two games in Houston when he went 7-9 with two homers. There are 20 MLB third basemen who qualify for a batting title (3.1 plate appearances per game their team has played). Here are Plouffe's rankings in several categories: Batting Average - .243 (15/20)On Base Percentage - .301 (17/20)Slugging Percentage - .404 (15/20)OPS - .705 (18/20)WAR - 1.4 (17/20 - only Mike Moustakus, David Freese and Michael Young have lower WAR) So, now what? Trevor Plouffe will likely need to show in the final month of the season that he should be the team's Opening Day third baseman. To assume that is a given is not correct on a couple of fronts: First, there is the Miguel Sano factor. The Twins ultra-talented, immensely powerful prospect finished his 2013 campaign with 35 home runs and will likely be ranked in the top three baseball prospects when the lists come out next spring. He finished the season in AA after spending the first half in Ft. Myers. He will be invited to spring training, but will the Twins be willing to give him the opening day starting job after seeing the struggles of Aaron Hicks coming straight from AA? Sano will be just 21 years old when the 2014 season starts. My assumption is that Sano will start the season in Rochester, but he won't be there for long. No more than two months, most likely. Second, Trevor Plouffe came into the 2013 season with 1.162 years of service. As he spent the entire season with the Twins, that number will be 2.162 at season's end. He is shy of 3 years of service time, but it is almost guaranteed that Plouffe would be a Super-2 arbitration-eligible player. That means that he will likely go from making just over $500,000 this season to somewhere between $1.8 and $2.8 million in 2014. Could the Twins non-tender Plouffe? I don't think that they would. He is still just 28 and although his defense has, at times, been shaky all around the field, he can play multiple positions even if it is in a super-utility role. That kind of position flexibility, and the fact that he does have good power, makes the idea that he could be traded at least feasible. Plouffe has been with the Twins since they drafted him out of high school with the first of five first round picks in 2004. He worked up the system one step at a time, and then was up and down with the Twins for a couple of seasons. He has been on the Twins roster for the last two years. So, what does the future hold for Trevor Plouffe in a Twins uniform? In my opinion, he will likely begin the 2014 season as the Twins third baseman. I do expect that Miguel Sano will be up by mid-June, if not by the end of May, and when he does the third base job will be his. I think that Trevor Plouffe can easily shift over to first base where he can split time with Joe Mauer. I think Mauer will continue to do some catching in 2014, but will also play a lot of first base. Plouffe can be a right-handed bat off of the bench, but he can also be a backup in the corner outfield positions, and yes (gasp) in the middle infield as well. That's how I envision things shaking out in 2014 for Trevor Plouffe. What do you think? Click here to view the article

As the World Series is about to start, and the Minnesota Twins are not particularly close to that, I thought it would be a good time to talk about Twins minor leaguers. Today, I will be beginning a series showing my top 50 Twins prospects. People often ask why fifty? To that I say, well, why not 60 or 75 or 30? For me, it's always about giving recognition to players who worked hard throughout the 2013 season and deserve to be noticed. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Prospect rankings are obviously a very subjective thing. As a disclaimer, this prospect ranking is mine and is based on my thinking at this time based on information such as statistics, scouting reports, video, some in-person watching and, frankly, opinion. I would certainly welcome you taking the time to list out the Twins minor league prospects and rank your top fifty. Before we get to the list and the series, a quick reminder of my definition of a prospect. First, I follow the guidelines that Major League Baseball uses for rookie of the year eligibility. That is, 130 big league at-bats for hitters and 50 innings pitched for pitchers. There is also a service time piece so that relievers that spend 2/3 of the season with the big league club yet only rack up 40 innings do not quality as a prospect any longer. I consider a lot of factors in my rankings. I consider Age-To-Level-Of-Competition. I consider the tools of the player. I look at the numbers, but scouting reports mean more sometimes, especially when the player is further from the big leagues. I welcome your feedback as we trek through this series of prospects five at a time. Feel free to ask questions. This ranking will almost certainly change as I continue to get more reports. By the time my sixth annual Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook comes out, I'll have a more official Top 30 list in the book. Enjoy the series. Download attachment: AdrainSalcedoMiracle.jpg Part 1: Prospects 46-50 Part 1 starts with three relief pitchers, a very intriguing, big upside starter from the 2013 draft, and a highly-drafted defensive-minded catcher. As you would expect, these are not the glamour prospects by any means, but the relievers have a chance to contribute and catchers always have value and if the starter's stuff measures up, well, you never know. #50 – Adrian Salcedo – Ft. Myers – RH RP (22) Adrian Salcedo was a Top 10 Twins prospect in my rankings as recently as two years ago. Unfortunately, 2012 was a lost year for him because of injuries to his elbow and shoulder. He avoided surgery and returned to the mound in the Miracle bullpen. He remains intriguing because of a mid-90s fastball, a low-90s sinker and a terrific changeup. It will be interesting to see if he gets another shot at a starting spot in the Twins system. #49 – Josue Montanez – Cedar Rapids – LH SP (21) The left-hander was the Twins 15th round pick in 2011 out of community college. He was impressive in the GCL, though he fought injury and missed time. He has a sturdy frame and a solid, three-pitch mix. He fought consistency in Cedar Rapids, but has shown flashes of potential. #48 – Aaron Slegers – Indiana/Elizabethton – RH SP (21) Slegers certainly has a lot of mound presence, including a big shadow. The 6-10 righty was a fixture in the Indiana starting rotation that went to the College World Series in June. He hadn’t pitched much due to injury before 2013, his junior season as a Hoosier, but he went 9-1 with 1.93 ERA and hit 93 mph with his fastball. He gave up just one earned run in 19 innings out of the bullpen in Elizabethton. Finding a consistent release point and mechanics could lead to even more velocity. One could say, if one wanted, the sky is the limit. #47 – Stuart Turner – Mississippi/Elizabethton/New Britain – C (21) With their third-round pick this year this June, the Twins took the best college catcher available. Turner, from Ole Miss, won the 2013 Johnny Bench Award given to the top catcher in college. Known for his defense, Turner hit .264 at Elizabethton before going 2-4 in one game at the end of the season for New Britain. How much will he hit? That is the big question, but his role in the organization is pretty important as he'll be working with some very impressive young pitchers. #46 – AJ Achter – New Britain/Rochester – RH RP (25) Achter was the Twins 46th round pick in 2010 out of Michigan State. He made the move to the bullpen in 2012 and was my choice for Twins minor league relief pitcher of the year when he posted a 1.70 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and 10.4 K/9 between Beloit and Ft. Myers. In 2013, he split the season between New Britain and Rochester and earned an opportunity in the Arizona Fall League. He may not be as flashy as Michael Tonkin, but he has put up equivalent numbers without as much acclaim. He'll be considered for a 40-man roster spot this fall and is certainly worth watching. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tomorrow, we'll be back with Part 2, prospects 41-45. Please feel free to leave your thoughts and questions below. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Arcia_Oswaldo.jpg Tonight, Oswaldo Arcia will be presented with a Diamond Award tonight as the Sherry Robertson Award winner as the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year. The talented outfielder had a tremendous 2012 season and is moving up prospect rankings. More important, he is putting himself in position to be part of the Minnesota Twins big league roster sometime in 2014. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Arcia is prominently featured in the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook (paperback or e-book). Like 150 other Twins prospects, he is profiled, but because he was also our choice for minor league hitter of the year, there is a feature story on him with quotes from teammates. Quotes like, “He was the guy we wanted up when we needed a big hit.” Or, “He just always finds a way to get the good part of the bat on the ball.” But the question for today is: Following a tremendous 2012, will Oswaldo Arcia be Better or Worse in 2013? He will head to his second big league spring training in mid-February and that is when we will start to find out. 2012 Recap I guess when you are named the Twins minor league hitter of the year (in a year with several very strong candidates!), the assumption can be that the season was quite good. For Arcia, it certainly was. He had moved up to Ft. Myers for the second half of the 2011 season following elbow surgery, and he struggled a little bit. He hit .263/.300/.460 (.760) with 24 extra base hits, including a team-leading eight home runs. So, he returned to Ft. Myers to start 2012 where, as a 20 year old, he hit .309/.376/.517 with 16 doubles, three triples and seven home runs. He did cut out his strikeout rate (23% to 19%), while significantly increasing his walk rate (4% to 10%). After 55 games, he was promoted to AA New Britain, which is supposed to be more difficult. However, Arcia made a mockery of the Eastern League, fully solidifying himself as a top prospect in more than just the Twins system. In 69 games, he hit .328/.398/.557 (.955) and hit 20 doubles, five triples and ten home runs. His strikeout rate increased by about 1.6% from where it was in Ft. Myers, but his walk rate dropped less than half of a percent. Overall, he hit .320/.388/.539 (.928) with 36 doubles, eight triples, 17 home runs and 98 RBI. He played in the Futures Game where he was 1-2 with a double off of Pirates pitching prospect Jameson Taillon. Baseball America ranked him as the Twins #3 prospect (as did I) and John Manuel commented that there are several teams where he would be the easy choice as #1 prospect. Arcia has been hitting since probably long before the Twins signed him out of Venezuela in 2007. He posted a .775 OPS in 2008 in the Dominican Summer League. His OPS was .792 in 2008 with the GCL Twins. His status was certainly heightened in 2010 when he was the Appy League player of the year. He hit .375/.424/.672 (1.096 OPS) with 21 doubles, seven triples and 14 home runs. He moved up to Beloit in 2011 where, in a month, he hit .352/.420/.704 (1.124 OPS) with eight doubles, a triple and five home runs. In a month. He ended that 2011 in Ft. Myers, where I said he struggled, but ‘struggled’ was still posting a .760 OPS. Why He’ll Be Worse It will be a very important spring training for Arcia. Where he breaks camp will be quite interesting, and frankly, could send him any of three directions. Due to numbers and the fact that he can be called up from AA as well as AAA, he could return to New Britain for a couple of months. Most would say that he should just start the season at Rochester. There is also an outside chance that he could start the season with the Twins, however, that is quite unlikely. The Twins have Josh Willingham and Chris Parmelee that should start the season in the corners, and Ryan Doumit can (kind of) play those positions as well. Arcia is just 21 years old, so he needs to play and there is no reason to rush him. There are still things that are, at least to some level, that he has to work on. We have already talked about his strikeout rate which has been pretty consistently between 19% and 23% throughout his young career. For the type of production he has put up, those numbers are far from alarming, but could it become an issue as he moves up? Potentially. Although his overall numbers hardly indicate it, Arcia has struggled at times against left-handed pitchers. In fact, in the season’s first month, his lefty-righty splits were quite different, as was the case in 2011 at Ft. Myers. He made some adjustments during the 2012 season to greatly improve his performance against southpaws. He’s a very smart baseball player already considering his youth, but he can certainly improve his base running as well. Why He’ll Be Better Frankly, it is going to be hard for Arcia to move up a level and put up the kinds of video game numbers he put up in 2012 again, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t continue to keep his prospect status just as high or higher. However, Arcia is a natural hitter. He has tremendous power to all fields, and those things you hear from his teammates about always being able to get the good part on the bat really matter. It speaks to his ability to make adjustments, not only over the course of a season but even on the level of a single at bat. He can turn on a fastball inside, but he knows best to take those pitches on the outside corner to the opposite field. He will not turn 22 years old until May. The sky is the limit for him. The experience he has had this offseason in the Venezuelan Winter League, particularly in the playoffs where he more consistently is playing against top talent, has been very encouraging. He has displayed his power potential. Can he put the ball in play a little more often? If so, that would help some. 2013 should be a fun season to follow Oswaldo Arcia. If he goes back to New Britain, the hope would be that he would rake for a month and prove that his 2012 was not just a fluke. Against the much-older pitchers in AAA, he will have to show patience and that he can make adjustments. Arcia is a good defensive outfielder. He is a right-fielder primarily because he has a very strong arm. He has about average speed, so he is a better fit in the corners, especially when you have speed guys like Aaron Hicks and Joe Benson for centerfield. He did play a handful of games in center in 2012, and played there primarily in Elizabethton. He has not played left field since his GCL days. Seth Projected ETA for Arcia – I think that the Twins will trade Justin Morneau in July. At that time, Chris Parmelee will move back in to first base, and Arcia will take over in right field. So, which will it be? Will (or can) Oswaldo Arcia get (any) better or worse in 2013? Let us know what you think. Meet Twins Daily! If you are interested, come to Huberts (by the Metrodome) on Saturday night from 6-9 p.m., following Twins Fest. The Twins Daily guys will be there, as will Aaron Gleeman and many of your favorite writers. It should be a lot of fun! Click here to view the article

Each night throughout the entire minor league season, Twins Daily will be writing up game notes and highlights from all of the Twins minor league affiliates. Thursday was Opening Day for the full-season minor leagues, so here is our first Minor League Report.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Since I am currently spending the opening weekend following the Cedar Rapids Kernels, that’s where we will start with our report. It will be followed by reports from the other Twins affiliates. As we did in 2012, there will be several writers composing these updates, so please let us know if you would like to see something specific in the report, and please feel free to ask questions in the Comments section. Twins Minor League Hitter of the Day - Chris Colabello, Rochester Red Wings Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Tyler Jones, Cedar Rapids Kernels Cedar Rapids Kernels 9, Beloit Snappers 7 On Wednesday night, Kernels pitching coach Gary Lucas told the crowd of media, “I think there’s potential to strike people out. Fans come to the ballpark looking for home runs and strikeouts a lot of times and from a pitching standpoint, we’ve got some arms and some velocity coming out of those arms.” In Thursday night’s season opener at Perfect Game Field in Cedar Rapids, four pitchers combined to strikeout 16 Beloit Snappers hitters. The tone was set quickly when starter Taylor Rogers, who would not be classified as strikeout pitcher, struckout the side in the top of the first inning. He struckout seven batters in 3.2 innings. Lucas said of Rogers, “He’s a location pitcher. When he’s on his game, he can throw it low and work both sides of the plate. I would say that he has a lot of savvy and ability to read at bats and read swings and work off of hitters’ weaknesses and strengths.” His slider was terrific on this night, especially to lefties. “It was a good pitch, and when he’s on his game, he can double up and triple up on that slider, and he plays a little tune with them. If they go out to try to take the slider away, he has the ability to throw it in on their hands and jam them. He’s more of a finesse guy and a control pitcher compared to getting them to swing and miss bats.” The Kernels grabbed an early lead with a three-run first inning. Byron Buxton led off with a single to center. He stole second, but one pitch later, second baseman Jorge Polanco hit a home run over the wall in right field. After the inning’s first out, Dalton Hicks hit a very long home run over both walls in right field. In the second, the Kernels tacked on another run when Niko Goodrum scored from third on a Buxton fielder’s choice (That was a tailor-made double play ball to shortstop that he simply beat out). Unfortunately, Rogers was hurt by his defense in the top of the third inning, and it cost four runs and allowed the game to be tied. Manager Jake Mauer said, “It started with a leadoff error. That’s the thing we harp on all spring training. You have to protect that starting pitcher. Starting pitcher is making pitchers, we’ve got to get outs.” Following the error, Rogers did make one mistake. As Lucas said, “He didn’t get away with the fastball inside, the one that (Renato) Nunez hit the home run off him. He tried to come inside there, and he didn’t get it in to where he wanted to get it.” Rogers went 3.2 innings due to having met the 70 pitch limit. He left the game with a couple of runners on, and Tyler Jones came in and got the job done. He got out of that jam with a big strikeout. Jones said, “When I came in there the first half inning with two outs and men on 1st and 3rd, I was thinking strikeout. I didn’t want to let the guy get the bat to the ball because anything can happen. Equally important, he was able to pitch very well for the next three innings. Mauer said that Jones’ performance was “Huge! Absolutely huge!” “He attacked. Second time through the league. He’s carrying himself a little differently this year. To get that big out in that inning to stop the bleeding and calm things down, and then really dominate for three. He threw the ball very well. So I was very pleased. He threw a heck of a game.” He is literally carrying himself differently. Jones pitched for Beloit last season, but did not get promoted to the Snappers until early May, and he knows why. “To be honest, it was really my own fault that I wasn’t on the Opening Day roster. I was out of shape.” So, what did he do this past offseason to get ready? “I worked harder in the offseason, so I knew what to expect. The previous offseason, it was the first time I had time to myself. So, I didn’t work hard enough, not nearly hard enough and my diet wasn’t good. So, this past offseason, really ate healthy, worked harder and came in better shape. It paid dividends in spring training and I hope it continues throughout the whole season.” Lucas added, “I was so happy that he gave us those innings. We had some long innings offensively while he was out there. He went out and shut them down and got our hitters back out there again. It was a good thing to see. He was keeping his focus, going after the first guy. It made his job a lot easier. He was in a real groove as far as attacking with fastballs, hitting the low, outside corner, using his slider so they didn’t know when it was coming. Just about the time he lost his feel on his fastball, He went to his slider. He was able to be a pitcher, rather than just overpowering people. So, it was nice to see.” The Kernels answered with three runs in the fourth inning and two more runs in the fifth inning to gain a 9-4 edge. Manuel Soliman came on to pitch in a game for the first time since last April when he threw in just two games for the Ft. Myers Miracle. He gave up two runs on three hits and a walk, but he got through the inning. Before the game, he told me that his shoulder felt “Good! Very, very good!” After the game, he said it felt great to get back on the mound, and that he really wasn’t even nervous. Lucas said of Soliman’s game, “The thinking with Soliman was, give us two innings at the end, and I didn’t want to break his arm. He threw 25-30 innings in the inning, and I didn’t want to take a chance.” Mauer added, “You get him out there. Get him out in the cold. Get him used to it. He got two quick outs, looking good, and then a base hit. He needs to understand he’s OK. He’s got good stuff. Just to trust it. Go right at guys. No one on base, they’re not going to hit a five run home run.” Chris Mazza came in and gave up a run in the ninth. Once he gave up a couple of hits, he came on strong and ended the game with two strikeouts to end the game. Mauer said, “Honestly, we didn’t want to get him out there, but we had him in our back pocket. Any time you have a six-man rotation, you’re always scared of using your bullpen and using three guys is probably too many.” It was a nice win for the hometown team in their first night as a Minnesota Twins affiliate. Jim Rantz was in attendance to throw out the first pitch. Over 1,900 fans were at the game, and it was a fun evening. The offensive highlights included: [*=1]Jorge Polanco went 3-5 with that first inning home run and drove in three runs. Mauer said, “Nice two-strike approach there, right? I saw him as a 16-year-old and this is the first I’ve seen him three years later, and he’s starting to physically mature, and he’s swinging the bat like we think he can. [*=1]Byron Buxton went 2-5 with a stolen base and two RBI. Mauer said, “A couple hits. Stole as base. Went first to third. Did a nice job. I thought a couple of balls in the dirt read, he could have been a little more aggressive on, but that might be nitpicking. Did a nice job in center. Paid attention to him moving outfielders and being in control, noticing swings. He’s further along than a lot of the guys I had previously, and he’s a lot younger. So, he’s pretty exciting.” [*=1]Jairo Rodriguez does a very nice job behind the plate. In spring, he was yet to catch more than five innings in a game, and tonight he caught all nine innings. He also hit the ball well, with two hits including a line drive double down the left field line. [*=1]JD Williams is back in the Midwest League and he is all about fun. In this game, he also went 2-3 and had a sacrifice fly. [*=1]Dalton Hicks hit a big, long home run in the first inning. He has asked to be called by his first name, Dalton, rather than his nickname of DJ. His final at bat of the 2012 season resulted in a walk-off grand slam to win the Appalachian League championship for Elizabethton. His first at bat of the 2013 season was also a home run. [*=1]Niko Goodrum went 1-3 with a walk. Travis Harrison added a double. The Kernels will send RHP Hudson Boyd to the mound on Friday night to square off with A’s young prospect, Michael Ynoa. If you leave the Twin Cities by about noon on Friday, you can be at the stadium in Cedar Rapids by about the time the gates open. They also play at 2:05 on Saturday and Sunday. If you’re going to be there, be sure to say Hi. Rochester Red Wings 7, Buffalo Bisons 12 The Red Wings traveled over to Buffalo to take on the Bisons (Blue Jays affiliate) in the first minor league game to be played in the 2013 season. PJ Walters made his second consecutive Opening Day start for the Red Wings. He gave up five runs on nine hits and a walk in four innings. He struckout just one. He was relieved by lefty Caleb Thielbar who, in one inning, gave up two runs on three hits and a walk. Bruce Pugh then made his AAA debut and gave up two runs on four hits and a walk in two innings. Daniel Turpen came in for the 8th and got two outs. However, he walked two and hit one and all three of those runners scored. Luis Perdomo came in and gave up a hit that scored the final runs before getting the final out. It was a terrific AAA debut for a couple of minor leaguers who were talked about a lot this spring. Oswaldo Arcia went 2-4 with a walk, a double, a home run, and he also threw out two runners trying to advance to second base. Chris Colabello debuted by going 3-4 with his first home runs of the season. Both homers went to dead center. Ray Olmedo went 3-4. Mark Sobolewski went 2-4 with a double and two RBI. Alex Burnett, who the Blue Jays claimed last week when the Twins DFAd him, pitched 1.1 innings for the Bisons, giving up just one hit. On Friday, Kyle Gibson will make his season debut against former Twins starter Ramon Ortiz. New Britain Rock Cats 0, Richmond Flying Squirrels 0 (Game Suspended in the 4th due to rain) With two outs in the bottom of the 4th inning, the rains came and the game ended for the night. It will be made up, starting where they left off. Logan Darnell started the opener for the Rock Cats. He did not give up a run despite giving up four hits and walking two. He struckout two. Danny Santana made his Eastern League debut, with two hits in his two at bats. Antoan Richardson doubled for the Rock Cats. Those were the only three hits to this point in the game. Ft. Myers Miracle 4, Bradenton Marauders 3 It was a back and forth game through, but in the end, the Miracle closed out a 4-3 win. Tom Stuifbergen started and gave up three runs on six hits in five innings. He gave up solo home runs in the first and second innings which is interesting because his ground ball to fly ball ratio was 8:1. Ryan O’Rourke came on with a runner on in the sixth and allowed the inherited runner to score. But he worked two innings and gave up just one hit. He struckout two. Chad Rodgers made his Twins organization debut and struckout the side. Then hard-throwing Zack Jones came in for the ninth with a one run lead. He went 1-2-3, striking out one to record his first save of the season. Jhon Goncalves led the offense, going 3-4 with a double. Stephen Wickens was 2-4. Twins Daily’s AJ Pettersen started in left field for the Miracle and was the leadoff hitter. He led off the first inning with a walk, then went 0-3. Miguel Sano was 1-3 with a walk. Eddie Rosario went 0-3 with a walk. Feel free to leave any questions or comments. View full article

The Twins lost 9-3 to the A’s on Saturday night. It was a bad games for the Twins right from the start. Cole De Vries gave up four runs in the first innings, the big blast was a three-run homer off the bat of Chris Carter. The A’s hit three more homers in the game. The Twins rang the bases really poorly. The offense did very little against the A’s Tommy Milone. Brian Dozier and Josh Willingham each had solo home runs, but it was far from enough. With that, here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from the Saturday games in the minor leagues. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER 4, TOLEDO 3 Nick Blackburn was back on the mound for the Red Wings after throwing eight scoreless innings in his previous start. In this game, he went seven innings. He gave up three runs (just one earned) on five hits. He walked one and struck out three. Caleb Thielbar came in and pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Lester Oliveros returned to the mound for the first time in almost a month when he went on the Disabled List with elbow issues. The right-hander recorded his fifth Red Wings save and struck out two in the inning. Danny Valencia went 2-4 and drove in a run for the fifth straight game. Michael Hollimon was 2-3. Tsuyoshi Nishioka had a walk and his ninth double. The Red Wings won for the seventh time in eight games and are now just two games below .500. With the return of Oliveros, Steve Hirschfeld was sent back to New Britain. Esmerling Vasquez will take his place on the mound in the Sunday game. NEW BRITAIN 5, TRENTON 6 The game was tied, heading to the 9th inning. The Rock Cats brought Bruce Pugh into the game. It was Pugh’s 15th game with the Rock Cats and he was yet to give up a run. However, he gave up a solo homer in the 9th frame in this game and takes the loss. Blake Martin started and gave up five runs on nine hits over six innings. He struck out six and did not walk a batter. David Bromberg struck out three over two scoreless innings. Chris Herrmann went 3-4. Chris Colabello hit his 25th and 26th doubles in four at bats. Nate Hanson was 2-4 with his 11th double. FT. MYERS 4, CLEARWATER 5 Joe Benson appears to be turning things around with the Miracle. In this game, he went 3-5 with two stolen bases. Jhon Goncalves was 3-4 with his 10th and 1th doubles. Danny Rams was also 3-4. Danny Ortiz was 2-5. Matt Hauser made another start. The righty went the first 4.2 innings and gave up two runs (one earned). He gave up six hits, walked four and struck out two. Nelvin Fuentes gave up two runs in the next 1.1 innings. Ricky Bowen came in and went the final 2.2 innings. He struck out four before giving up the winning run. BELOIT 2, LAKE COUNTY 5 David Hurlbut pitched much better than his line would indicate. Through six innings, the lefty had allowed just one run. Unfortunately, in the 7th frame, he gave up a four-spot. Overall, he gave up five runs on ten hits and a walk in 6.1 innings. Tim Atherton struck out two in the net 1.2 innings without giving up a run. Miguel Sano led the offense. He was 2-3 with his 18th double. He was also hit by a pitch. Stephen Wickens went 2-3. ELIZABETHTON 4, BLUEFIELD 0 Taylor Rogers, the Twins 11th round pick from the University of Kentucky, started for the E-Twins and went the first six innings. He gave up no runs and just two hits. The lefty walked one and struck out seven. JT Chargois struck out three, and walked two, over the next two innings. Mason Melotakis struck out two in his inning. Max Kepler led the offense. He was 3-4 with his third double and third triple. Romy Jimenez was 1-2 with a walk and his eighth double. Jorge Polanco doubled for the third time this year. GCL TWINS 4, GCL RED SOX 2 The Twins used six pitchers to get this win. It started with lefty Austin Malinowski. The Minnesotan went the first three innings and gave up one run on three hits in three innings. He walked none and struck out three. Trent Higginbotham struck out three over the next two innings. Markus Solbach gave up a run on two hits in his inning. Hung-yi Chen struck out two in his inning. Chis Mazza pitched a 1-2-3 inning. J.O. Berrios recorded his fourth save and struck out the side in the ninth. Aderlin Mejia led the offense by going 3-4 and stole his seventh base. Rene Tosoni went 2-4 with his fourth double. Javier Pimentel and Logan Wade each went 2-5. --- Players of the Day for Saturday, July 14, 2012 Hitter of the Day – Max Kepler Download attachment: Max Kepler.jpg Pitcher of the Day – Taylor Rogers Download attachment: Taylor Rogers.jpg --- A Look Ahead – Sunday, July 15, 2012 Schedule Rochester vs Toledo – RHP Esmerling Vasquez New Britain vs Trenton – RHP BJ Hermsen Ft. Myers vs Dunedin – LHP Cole Nelson Beloit @ Lake County – LHP Ryan O’Rourke Elizabethton vs Bluefield – TBD GCL Twins – No Game Scheduled --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them! Click here to view the article

Over 60 Twins minor leaguers were adopted in yesterday's Twins Adopt-a-Propsect. If you are interested, you can still adopt a Twins prospect by clicking hereand selecting a Twins minor leaguer. There is a huge interest in the Twins minor league system, and for good reason. Although you may read or hear that the Twins farm system is struggling and middle-of-the-pack, that certainly does not mean that there are not people worth tracking. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] That's what we'll do here today. In each of the four Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbooks that I have written, I put in my Top Twins Prospect rankings and those of several Twins writers and bloggers, local and national. Although we are just three weeks into the minor league season, I thought it would be good to track how the Twins top minor league prospects are performing to date. We can track this monthly, or whenever, to see how these guys are doing. ---- #1 Miguel Sano - 3B - Beloit Snappers - 18 Sano has stepped into the full-season and come out hitting like crazy. He is hitting .311/.447/.705 (1.152 OPS) in 61 at bats. He has four doubles, a triple, six home runs and 18 RBI. He has 14 walks, but he also has struck out 20 times. Not just a big man, he has good speed and has stolen two bases in three attempts. #2 Eddie Rosario - 2B - Beloit Snappers - 20 Last year's Appalachian League MVP is off to a very solid start in 2012. he is hitting .317/.427/.444 (.871) in 63 at bats. He had five doubles, a home run and 13 RBI. He has good speed, stealing six bases in eight attempts. He also has walked 12 times and struck out just 11 times. His transition to 2B is going as expected. He has five errors already, but reports indicate that he is doing better than that number would indicate. #3 Oswaldo Arcia - RF - Ft Myers Miracle - 20 He is somewhat off to a slow start, hitting just .267/.358/.467 (.825) in 45 at bats. A lingering leg injury cost him about a week's worth of games already this month. He had a big 4-5 game on Sunday with a triple and a home run that really boosted his early season numbers. He has two doubles, two triples, a home run and four RBI on the year. He has six walks, but the number to watch with him is his strikeouts, and he already has 17. #4 Aaron Hicks - CF - New Britain Rock Cats - 22 Many expected Hicks to struggle with the jump to AA this spring, but he has held his own to this point. He is hitting .274/.356/.516 (.872) with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and ten RBI in 62 at bats. He is also 2-3 in steal attempts. He has walked nine times and struck out 16 times. Hicks has a history of being quite streaky and we've seen that already in the early season. The goal will be to minimize the length of the bad streaks. #5 Joe Benson - CF - Rochester Red Wings - 24 Benson is off to a slow start in AAA. He is hitting .185/.318/.241 (.559) in 54 at bats. He has one double, one triple and no home runs to this point. He has walked ten times, but he has also struck out 17 times. That is the key for him, putting the ball in play because when he does, generally good things happen. He is also 3-3 on the base paths so far this season, and we all know about his range and arm on defense. #6 Liam Hendriks - RHP - Minnesota Twins - 23 Thanks to a bout with food poisoning, Hendriks missed his first start of the season, but he has been solid in his first two starts since. He is 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. In 11.2 innings, he has given up 12 hits, walked just two and struck out five. In each of his games, on bad home run ball allowed really hurt him, but he has looked poised and shown good stuff on the mound. Download attachment: Liam Hendriks.jpg #7 Kyle Gibson - RHP - Rochester Red Wings - 24 As you know, Gibson is on the Disabled List after having Tommy John surgery in September. He expects to throw off of a mound in early June and could be making rehab starts in late July or early August. The goal is to have him ready to compete for a Twins job next spring training. #8 Adrian Salcedo - RHP - Ft. Myers Miracle - 21 The talented right-hander has made three starts this season without a decision. He has a 3.21 ERA that looks much better than the 1.64 WHIP he has posted. In 14 innings, he had allowed 15 hits, uncharacteristically walked eight and struck out ten. #9 Alex Wimmers - RHP - New Britain Rock Cats - 23 After a frustrating 2011 season that ended with a no-hitter in Ft. Myers, Wimmers made the jump to AA to start the 2012 season. In his first start, he gave up two runs on six hits and two walks in 4.1 innings. (4.15 ERA, 1.85 WHIP) He hasn't pitched since due to a sore back and a slightly strained flexor (elbow). He hasn't pitched in two weeks, but hopefully he can get back on a mound soon. #10 Chris Parmelee - 1B/OF - Minnesota Twins - 24 Parmelee was a big surprise in spring training, earning a spot on the big league roster thanks to the decision to use Justin Morneau primarily as a DH. He has held his own at the start of the season, hitting .273/.304/409 (.713) in 44 at bats. He has four doubles, a triple and two RBI. he has walked just twice and struck out 11 times. #11 Brian Dozier - SS/2B - Rochester Red Wings - 24 Dozier has certainly made a name for himself in the organization's mind the last two seasons. He got off to a great start in AAA this season, and despite going 4-27 (.148) in his last seven games, he is still hitting .311/.373/.459 (.832) in 61 at bats this season. He has six doubles, a home run and six RBI. He has walked six times and struck out nine times. He has just one steal in three attempts. To this point, he has hit 1st, 2nd and now 3rd in the Red Wings lineup. He has primarily played shortstop, but has a handful of starts at 2B as well. (It is important to note that we have passed the point in the season where, if the Twins called him up today, they would still have control of his services until the 2018 season. He would be a Super-2 arbitration-eligible player, but the Twins would keep him the extra season.) #12 Travis Harrison - 3B - Extended Spring Training - 19 The Twins supplemental first round pick in 2012 is playing in Extended Spring Training right now and will play in either the GCL or for Elizabethton when the short-seasons start in late-June. #13 Tom Stuifbergen - RHP - Ft. Myers Miracle - 23 He came to spring training with an injured foot and a sore shoulder. A recent MRI indicated some issues in his shoulder that hopefully can be fixed through some shoulder strengthening. It is still uncertain when he will next pitch. #14 Angel Morales - CF - Ft. Myers Miracle - 22 2011 was a lost season for Morales, for the most part, due to his elbow pain and then surgery. However, he is back in 2012 and hitting very well. He was the Florida State League's hitter of the week for the seasons for ten days. He is hitting .339/.400/.452 (.852) through 62 at bats. He has two doubles, a triple, a home run and seven RBI. he is 3-4 in stolen base attempts. He has seven walks, but a concern would be his 19 strikeouts. #15 Chris Herrmann - C - New Britain Rock Cats - 24 Herrmann broke out last year and then made another strong impression this spring as a future Twins catcher. He is off to a slow start with the Rock Cats this year. He is hitting just .226/.273/.387 (.660) in 62 at batswith seven doubles, a homer and five RBI. He has just four walks to go with 13 strikeouts. #16 Manuel Soliman - RHP - Ft. Myers Miracle - 22 The hard-throwing former 3B has moved up a level each year. He has made two starts with the Miracle this season before being put on the Disabled List this weekend with a sore shoulder. Through two starts, he had thrown just five innings. He was 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA and a 2.40 WHIP. He allowed seven hits, walked five and struck out five. #17 Levi Michael - SS - Ft. Myers Miracle - 21 Michael, the Twins top pick in 2011, is making his professional debut this spring. he is off to a slow start with the bat and the glove. In 57 at bats, he is hitting .228/.338/.281. This weekend, he smashed his first professional home run (and his first extra base hit). He has walked ten times and struck out ten times. He is 1-1 in steal attempts. #18 Max Kepler - OF - Extended Spring Training - 19 The young German OF is starting this season in EST. He could advance to Beloit if there is a need, or he could return to Elizabethton and hope to improve upon a decent first showing there. #19 Niko Goodrum - SS - Extended Spring Training - 20 The super-talented shortstop actually had a quietly very good 2011 in Elizabethton. He committed a lot of errors, but he did well with the bat. He is back at EST, and like Kepler, I would not be surprised if he moves up to Beloit before the short-season starts. #20 Hudson Boyd - RHP - Extended Spring Training - 19 The Twins second supplemental first round pick last year was the stocky right-hander from Ft. Myers. He throws hard and it will be interesting to see if he goes to the GCL or Elizabethton. #21 BJ Hermsen - RHP - Ft. Myers Miracle - 22 Everyone wants to point out that he doesn't throw real hard, but what he does do is get hitters out with a good mix of pitches and a poise on the mound. Hersen has made three starts and is yet to get a decision despite tremendous numbers. He is 0-0 with a 0.50 ERA and a 0.72 WHIP. In 18 innings, had has given up just nine hits, walked just four and struck out ten. #22 Danny Santana - SS/2B/CF - Ft. Myers Miracle - 21 Santana got off to a very fast start with the Miracle, and even now after 66 at bats, he is hitting .303/.324/.455 (.778). He has two doubles, a triple, two home runs and eight RBI. He has walked just twice and struck out nine times. Very fast, he is just 2-4 in stolen base attempts. #23 Madison Boer - RHP - Beloit Snappers - 22 The Eden Prairie native and Twins 2nd round pick last June, Boer has found that the Midwest League can be a little more difficult than the Appy League. He has made four starts and is 1-2 with a 3.74 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. In 21.2 innings, he has given up 20 hits, walked seven and struck out 17. He is doing just fine as a starter. #24 Logan Darnell - LHP - New Britain Rock Cats - 23 The left-hander who pitched at three levels last year returns to New Britain where he ended the season. He is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. In 16 innings in three starts, he has given up 13 hits, six walks and struck out ten. #25 David Bromberg - RHP - New Britain Rock Cats - 24 Bromberg has been moved to the bullpen by the Twins and he has struggled in the transition. He did make one, three-inning spot start. The numbers don't look great. He is 0-0 with a 15.00 ERA and a 2.83 WHIP. However, it is just six innings. He has given up 13 hits, walked four and struck out just two. So, there are the updates on my Top 25 Twins prospects from my Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. I'll be looking to update my Top 50 Twins Prospect list in late May or early June, before the draft. So, continue to look for updates. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to ask in the Comments! Click here to view the article

I’ve been following the Twins minor league system pretty much daily for the past eight years. I can honestly say that I have not seen a pitcher have an opening stretch like DJ Baxendale has had this season. His May numbers (see below) have been incredible. But there were other great performances including a 22-year-old southpaw throwing eight innings in New Britain. And Ft. Myers continues to get offense from unlikely sources. Check out what happened in the Twins minor league system on Thursday:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Rochester Red Wings 4, Charlotte Knights 3 Box Score Rochester got another quality start from Andrew Albers. In six innings he gave up three runs on ten hits and one walk while striking out six. Then Aaron Thompson came on for his second Red Wings appearance. The lefty worked three perfect innings and struck out three for the save. Brian Dinkelman led the offense. He went 3-3 with his sixth and seventh doubles. Doug Bernier was 2-3. New Britain Rock Cats 1, Binghamton Mets 0 Box Score Lefty Logan Darnell pitched a tremendous game Thursday morning. In eight innings he yielded no runs, giving up six hits and one walk, and he struck out nine. His ERA dropped to 2.47. He has given up just one run in his past two starts (15 innings). Need innings? The 24-year-old Darnell, the Twins' 6th round pick in 2010 out of the University of Kentucky, has thrown 23 innings over his last three starts. Michael Tonkin came on and pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save of the year. There was very little offense from the Rock Cats. James Beresford raised his average to .346 by going 2-4, but Danny Ortiz’s sixth home run of the year was all the team needed. Twins Daily’s AJ Pettersen went 1-3. He now has a modest three game hitting streak and is hitting .375 in it. Ft. Myers Miracle 6, Lakeland Tigers 1 Box Score The DJ Baxendale story continues to get better and better. On this night, the 22-year-old righty gave up only an unearned run over seven innings. He gave up three hits, walked two and struck out four. It reduces his season ERA to 0.94. After being the choice for Pitcher of the Month of April, he has not yet allowed an earned run in 28 innings in May. photo by Greg Wagner Nelvin Fuentes came on and struck out one in a scoreless inning. Then Corey Williams gave up a walk and a hit in a scoreless ninth inning. Aderlin Mejia was a GCL all-star a year ago, the lone member of last year’s GCL Twins team to achieve that honor. He had been at extended spring training this spring, waiting for the Elizabethton season to begin. The Miracle had a need and Mejia was called up for a short time. Well, that short time has now become 13 games, and he is doing the job. He is hitting .360 after going 3-5 on Thursday. He also stole three bases and has seven on the year. Angel Morales should soon be promoted to New Britain. He went 2-4 with his fourth home run and third stolen base. Kyle Knudson went 3-4 with his third double. Levi Michael went 2-5. Miguel Sano and Kennys Vargas each hit their 12th double. Sano stole his seventh base. Cedar Rapids Kernels 3, Beloit Snappers 5 Box Score It was a rough one for Mason Melotakis. The lefty gave up five runs on seven hits. He walked four and struck out three in 4.1 innings. Alex Muren came on and got the next five outs. He walked two and struck out one. Josh Burris and David Hurlbut each gave up a hit and struck one out in his inning. Byron Buxton went 2-4 with a walk, his 11th double, his 21st stolen base and his eighth caught stealing. Candido Pimentel was 2-4 with a walk and his eighth stolen base. JD Williams was 2-4 with his ninth stolen base. Note also that the Twins Dominican Summer League schedule is about to get started. On Thursday, the Twins' team played an exhibition game against a Canadian national team. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below. View full article

After the Ft. Myers Miracle and Cedar Rapids Kernels lost their playoff series in recent days, this Minor League Report is now basically just a Rochester Red Wings Report. It will be that way for at least one more day. The Red Wings lost 5-1 on Friday night in Pawtucket to fall behind 2-1 in the best of five series against the Red Sox affiliate. After seeing top prospect Anthony Ranaudo in Game 1 and Clay Buchholz in Game 2, the Red Wings faced knuckleballer Steven Wright in Game 3. The Red Wings got plenty of offense. They had nine hits in the game and walked five times, but unfortunately were not able to come up with a big hit and scored just one. Ray Olmedo went 2-4 with a double and drove in the lone run of the night for Rochester. Aaron Hicks was also 2-4 and had a double. Eric Farris was 2-3. James Beresford continued his hot hitting. He was 2-4 with a walk. Chris Parmelee walked twice, but went 0-3 with three strikeouts. Download attachment: beresford 600x312 copy.jpg Lefty Pat Dan made the start for the Red Wings. In five innings, he gave up four runs (3 earned). He allowed eight hits, walked one and struck one out. Then Trevor May came in to make his AAA debut, and according to Josh Whetzel, his first relief appearance since the 2010 season. In his first inning, he pitched a scoreless inning despite two errors behind him. In three total innings, he gave up one run on three hits and a walk. He struck out three. What's Next? The Red Wings and Paw Sox will play Game 4 in Pawtucket on Saturday night. Scott Diamond will oppose Matt Barnes. Diamond went 4-0 with a 2.41 ERA with the Red Wings. Matt Barnes made 24 starts for the Red Sox AA affiliate in Portland before ending his season with one start with Pawtucket. On the season, he is 48 walks and 142 strikeouts in 113.1 innings pitched. The Red Wings must win to force a Game 5 and continue their season. Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins returned to Hammond Stadium on Wednesday to play their first game there since Sunday. The Twins lost 8-4 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Things didn’t go well for Kevin Correia or Vance Worley in the game, but Oswaldo Arcia returned from his food poisoning time off. Aaron Hicks was not in the starting lineup, neither was Chris Colabello, but the two provided some strong offense for the Twins. Before we begin, a reminder that you should “Like” the Twins Daily Facebook page where well over 100 photos have been uploaded. Also, expect to see some more Twins Daily YouTube video.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Here are several notes from the day at Hammond Field: CORREIA GIVES UP HOMER TO FRIEND Kevin Correia was charged with four earned runs on seven hits over three innings. He said he was happy with his control over the first two innings, but he did give up three runs in the third inning. Jaff Decker led off the inning with a double. Correia got the next two batters out. However, Pedro Alvarez acme up and launched a long home run, nearly out of the ballpark in right centerfield. The two were teammates with the Pirates as recently as 2012 and are good friends. Correia said, “I talked to him (Alvarez) a little before the game. The wind was blowing out to right pretty good. I told him, ‘Gonna try to get one?’ He said, ‘No way.’ Sure enough, he got it. More important is what Correia said next. “It’s also one of those things. I almost got out of that inning. In a situation with a runner on second and two outs and Pedro Alvarez coming up… In a normal (regular) season situation, he’s not going to get a fastball right there to hit. It’s one of those spring training type deals.” CORREIA ON WORKING WITH PINTO Correia talked briefly about working with Josmil Pinto in this start. I asked if they had worked together yet this spring. “I haven’t this spring yet. Last year I did at the end of the season. Had a few starts with him. But that was our first outing this year together. (He’s) still young and we haven’t had a lot of work together. We’re really working to get it nailed down by the end of spring, and hopefully we’ll be on the same page come opening day. ” THE CHANGEUP OF DEOLIS GUERRA Deolis Guerra came on for the fourth inning and was again very impressive with a 1-2-3 inning. His changeup is absolutely big league and Ron Gardenhire knows it. “He’s got a good one. He’s got a good angle going. His velocity is 88-90. He’s got a nice angle over the top. He’s healthy. He’s always had a great changeup. Watched him pitch last year. His changeup is a dominant pitch. He can throw it just about any time. It’s a really tough pitch for him. He’s throwing real good in spring training and let’s see how we go along here. A guy we thought a lot of when we got him in that trade. He’s had some injuries and hasn’t gone as far as we wanted him to yet, but he’s coming along pretty good. Ball’s coming out of his hand pretty nice. He’s a young kid. A really young kid.” WORLEY’S PERFORMANCE Vance Worley was charged with four runs on four hits and two walks in 3.2 innings. The numbers don’t look great, but there are some positives. For instance, his first inning produced four ground balls. He missed on a pitch to Travis Ishikawa who hit it onto the batter’s eye for a home run. Worley said he felt good and had better command of his pitches. He also said that the home run wasn’t off of his best pitch. “Threw three changeups today, one of them was the bomb. Fourth best pitch, but it was working well in the ‘pen. I figured today would be a good day to work on it.” Worley said that in his previous start, he felt too good in the bullpen. This time, he didn’t. “Today, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t too good in the ‘pen and use all the good stuff.” He said that with a sly smile. THE RETURNS OF HICKS AND ARCIA Oswaldo Arcia has not played in over a week due to food poisoning. He was in the Twins starting lineup on Wednesday. He had a rough go of it as he was 0-3 with three strikeouts. It was a much better return for Aaron Hicks, who also was out for over a week. He was not in the starting lineup again, which caused more consternation. Rob Antony described it as mild inflammation in his elbow, though it only caused pain when he hit. Hicks came into the game in the middle innings to replace Alex Presley. On a 1-0 pitch in that first at bat, Hicks crushed a long home run just to the left of the centerfield batter’s eye. Asked what his approach was in that first at bat, he said, “Trying to get a good pitch to hit, got one, and it was a good first at bat.” What was the pitch that he got? “Fastball, little two-seemer inside. Got out front and hit it pretty well.” Pretty well. Probably 420 feet well!! COLABELLO: TEAM’S BEST HITTER THIS SPRING Download attachment: Chris Colabello 5.jpg Chris Colabello has been pretty impressive so far this spring. He homered on Wednesday and is now 7-15 with two doubles and the homer. Gardy has certainly noticed. “All I know is he’s swinging really well right now, putting nice swings on the ball, driving it all over. He’s been our best hitter so far in spring training. I do know that.” But he isn’t going to say that is solely due to the mechanical adjustments that Colabello worked on in the offseason. Hitting well is nothing new for the first baseman. “You’ve got to remember the guy had a pretty good year last year of hitting. He’s off to a good start which you have to do in spring training.” Colabello discussed the home run following the game. “Trev(or Plouffe) was on second base, nobody out. Situation like that, still looking to drive the ball, but really making sure that worst case, getting the runner to third. Threw me a breaking ball 0-0, bounced it, so I was kind of dead red. Ran in on me a little bit, so I kind of had to force it that way.” Regarding his manager saying he’s been the team’s best hitter this spring, Colabello took it in stride. “It’s obviously good. My job here is to come in every day and play hard, try to have good at bats, work to get better every day and let the cards fall where they may.” He also credits some of his success to being more comfortable. “I’m more comfortable in my environment, and this year obviously I know the guys a little bit and the coaching staff. One day at a time.” Yes, it’s a bit of a cliché, but when you’ve played independent league ball for as long as he did, it’s like the only way he knows how to think. DEIBINSON ROMERO CAN HIT Deibinson Romero hit a ground rule double in Wednesday’s game. On Sunday, he hit a triple over the head of Ben Revere in centerfield. He is now 6-14 (.429) on the season with three doubles and a triple. Gardenhire has noticed. “Debby’s swinging really well. He always seems to come up and get the barrel to the ball. Absolutely. He missed all of camp last year because of visa problems and didn’t get a chance to take a look at him, but he had a pretty decent year at AAA. He wanted to re-sign back with us. We re-signed him. Brought him in to camp, and he’s playing well. Doing very well and getting the barrel to the ball.” Asked whether his defense is something he would feel comfortable with, Gardy responded, “He catches the ball. If you go by all the scouting reports, which is all I have to go by until I see him, limited range, but he catches the ball he gets to but he caught the ball well, and he moves around OK.” WILL TWINS CARRY TWO UTILITY INFIELDERS? Eduardo Escobar is certainly the favorite for the utility infield spot. He is a solid defensively player and is out of options. Asked if it is conceivable for the Twins to have two utility infielders, Rob Antony mentioned several variables, including whether they bring 12 or 13 pitchers up for Opening Day. He mentioned that Gardy will determine his 25th roster spot. “It’s all going to depend on how he sees these guys playing. How he plans on using them and everything.” The second utility infielder would come from a group including Jason Bartlett, James Beresford and Doug Bernier. How has Gardy seen them play so far this spring. Well, Beresford and Bernier will provide tremendous defense in the infield, and Bartlett is shaking off some rust. Offensively, it’s a different story. Beresford is 2-11 (.182) so far this spring.Bernier is 1-8 (.125)Bartlett went 0-3 on Wednesday and is now 0-17 (.000).On Thursday, the Twins will host the Boston Red Sox at Hammond Stadium. Phil Hughes is expected to make the start. Sam Deduno is slotted into the bullpen. I will again be sure to check out the minor league workout in the mornings. The affiliates will again be playing the affiliates of the Boston Red Sox. I will also be tweeting during the game from the Twins Daily twitter account, so follow that. Click here to view the article

In the past couple days, as we are leading up to an exciting draft for the Minnesota Twins, we are also looking back at the top performers in the Twins' farm system for May. In the past two days, we have named Cole Johnson the Reliever of the Month and DJ Baxendale the repeat-winner of the Starting Pitcher of the Month. Today, we swing our attention (see what I did there?) to the bats. Although there wasn’t a battle for the top spot as there was in April, there were still plenty of strong performances. The runner-up for this month, a member of the Ft. Myers Miracle, would win most months. I gave strong consideration to him, but the guy at the top put up some incredible numbers… and didn’t even spend the whole month as a minor leaguer. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Let’s get to it. Here are my selections for the Top 5 Twins Minor League hitters in May: Number 5 – Ft. Myers – Angel Morales - (27-87) .310/.381/.529 (.910) with four doubles, three triples, three home runs and 17 RBI. It’s been a difficult couple seasons for the talented, athletic centerfielder of the Miracle. However, he has been on a pretty nice hot streak since the early part of May. First things first, his defense in center has never been a question. One of his main issues has been strikeouts. Those numbers were still high, but Morales made up for that with ten extra base hits and a .310 batting average. Although he has lost quite a bit of time in the two past years due to injury, he is now in his fourth season with the Miracle. He’s played 270 games at the level. Now that he’s experiencing success, the time is now to push him to New Britain. Number 4 – New Britain – Josmil Pinto - (33-99) .308/.423/.495 (.936) with seven doubles, no triples, 3 home runs and 18 RBI. Pinto has now been in the top five each of the first two months of the season. Sure, his OPS dropped by about .050 points, but he still posted tremendous numbers, including the ten extra base hits. With Pinto, you don’t even need to add the “for a catcher” qualifier to the batting evaluation. Because of that, he is a legit prospect as he can be a #3 (or #2) catcher and feel OK about him DH'ing. Number 3 – Ft. Myers – Miguel Sano - (28-91) .333/.413/.538 (.962) with seven doubles, a triple, four home runs and 18 RBI. Speaking of guys who were on this list last month, Sano was at the top of the list for me. The Twins themselves went with Byron Buxton and I don’t think anyone complained about that choice. In May, Buxton posted an OPS of .833 which is very good, but Sano again approached the 1.000 mark. He has also become a stolen base threat with eight on the season. People continue to talk about his ever-improving defense, but it’s his offense that will carry him. He was named a Florida State League All-Star recently, and conventional wisdom (and years of seeing how this works with the Twins) says that a promotion to New Britain will be coming shortly. Number 2 – Ft. Myers – Kennys Vargas - (30-96) .313/.407/.646 (1.053) with eight doubles, no triples, eight home runs and 30 RBI. Most months, Kennys Vargas, or anyone who put up these numbers, would be a pretty easy choice for hitter of the month. Unfortunately for Vargas, in May, it was good for #2. There are still some questions about his ability to hit a good fastball, but there should be no questions about his existing power, and his power potential. The FSL is not a hitters league yet Vargas had 16 extra base hits, including eight home runs. When I saw him last year in Beloit and watched him interact with teammates, watched him swing, watched him run the bases, watched him point to the sky after a home run, and yes, watched him around first base, the comparisons to David Ortiz werer obvious. For Twins fans, that’s a lofty expectation, but there is plenty of reason for hope! The May Minnesota Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is... Photo of Colabello's first MLB hit, by Rick Osentoski Rochester Red Wings 1B Chris Colabello (34-80) .425/.489/.800 (1.289) with 12 doubles, no triples, six home runs and 20 RBI. I struggled with this a bit. Colabello didn’t even play in a minor league game after May 21. Should I give him the #1 spot for the month? Should I factor in his 2-15 performance with the Twins? Does he have enough at- bats to qualify for this ‘award’? Well, he’s got plenty of at-bats, and his numbers are incredible. Didn’t play in the last 9-10 Red Wings games of the month and still accounted for 18 extra base hits. Also, his story is remarkable and for it to culminate with his first big league promotion at the age of 29, after seven years in independent ball, just adds to the reasoning. Look again at the month he had and remember that he also had a very strong April. There is no reason to believe that Colabello can’t be a big league role player. We do know that he can mash AAA pitching, something he’ll be doing again here in June. There were several strong performances in May that weren’t included in the Top 5. Here are some Honorable Mentions: Aderlin Mejia (Miracle) – (28-74) .378/.440/.432 (.873) with four doubles and nine stolen bases. Also nine walks to go with just six strikeouts. Danny Santana (Rock Cats) – (39-115) .339/.353/.435 (.788) with seven doubles, two triples and seven steals. Byron Buxton (Kernels) – (35-119) .294/.380/.454 (.833) with six doubles, two triples, three homers and a remarkable 17 stolen bases. Adam Walker (Kernels) – (30-107) .280/.310/.523 (.833) with eight doubles, three triples, four home runs. It was another very solid month for Twins' minor league hitting prospects. Hopefully, even through several likely promotions, there will continue to be plenty of options in June! Feel free to comment and discuss. View full article

If I’m being honest, the Snappers game tonight was pretty bad for the hometown nine, at least for eight-and-a-half innings. However, in the bottom of the 9th, the Snappers bats woke up. The team had scored just one run in the first eight innings. The ninth frame started with walks to the eight and nine hitters. JD Williams singled to right field to load the bases. Wang-Wei Lin struck out. Eddie Rosario worked the count to 3-1 before drilling a two-run single of the middle. Miguel Sano came up and worked a walk to again load the bases. Kennys Vargas came up representing the game-tying run. On the first pitch, he uncoiled a huge swing but missed. The second pitch was offspeed and on the outside corner, and he drove a two-run single to the left centerfield gap. AJ Pettersen pinch-ran for Vargas, but Drew Leachman and Stephen Wickens both popped out to end the comeback and end the game. Day 1 of the Beloit Trip was a long one, and yet a lot of fun.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Travis and I left my sister’s place by about 6:50, even ten minutes ahead of schedule. In doing so, we were able to drive Highway 494 and get to 94 and out of the Twin Cities Metro area with little traffic. As we did a year ago, we at some breakfast at Perkins in Menomonie. We continued at a nice, leisurely pace until arriving at our hotel in Beloit around 1:30. We checked in to our hotel room and were able to rest up a little before going to the ball field. I say this all the time, but those of you in the Twin Cities, Beloit is really just a five-and-a-half hour drive. I lived in Bloomington for three years and it wasn’t until the last year there that I realized what a nice trip it was. Hey, if you don’t have any plans for the weekend yet, come to Beloit for games on Saturday night at 7 and then on Sunday at 2. If you’d rather not work on Friday afternoon anyway, take a half-day off and get to Friday night’s game too! Upon arriving at Pohlmann Field, we were met by Snappers Director of Media and Public Relations Chrissy Scaffidi, who let us in and then chatted with us. She was immensely helpful. We actually got there even a little bit before batting practice started. Tommy Watkins was getting things ready for BP. When he saw me, he immediately asked how the trip was. When he was set up, he came over and chatted with us for a good ten minutes about all kinds of things. The man is hilarious. Talked about the immergence of Kennys Vargas and how much he has done in his first nine games. I joked, “Yeah, and he finally hit a single last night to go with his six home runs, a triple and two doubles.” “We got the ball for him after that!” The pitchers came out next and they were working through a pretty strenuous stretching, running and throwing program. Some of the hitters came out to work on bunting for ten minutes before BP. Stephen Wickens and AJ Pettersen seemingly rolled the ball down the base lines, bunting the ball with perfection. I noted at that time that I might be the only person who could enjoy just sitting and watching bunting practice. So, when it was time to watch actual batting practice, it was great. The first group contained JD Williams, Wang-Wei Lin, Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano, the first four hitters in the lineup. Tommy Watkins really asked them to focus on hitting line drives the first several rounds. All four hit lots of liners. Some say that when certain batters hit, the ball makes a different sound. Many laugh at that notion. But when Miguel Sano connects, it appears that he gets the good part of the bat on the ball and really hits it solidly. He hit line drive after line drive, using the whole field. Rosario also had a tremendous round, but he seems most comfortable letting the ball get a little bit deeper and ripping line drives to the opposite field. In later rounds, Watkins encouraged the batters to let it fly. Sano hit a couple over the scoreboard in left center. Rosario hit a couple of opposite field homers and one to dead center and pulled a couple. For a guy who is not terribly big, he has just tremendous bat speed. I pointed out on Twitter that it was a joy to watch Sano and Rosario take BP. We had the opportunity to talk with AJ Pettersen when he came out for BP, just for a minute. He was carrying a big catcher’s bag. As he had written recently, when he is not in the lineup, he enjoys catching bullpens. In the regular game, he was down in the bullpen, wearing the gear and warming up the pitchers until he was used as a pinch-runner in the ninth inning. If you get to Pohlman Field, and you need more than just a snack to tide you over, I encourage you to go down the right field line. There, you can get all the normal hot dogs and hamburgers and that kind of stuff. However, last night, I was encouraged to get a True Wisconsin Cheeseburger, so I did, and it was quite good. It is a regular cheeseburger, but above the burger and cheese, there are cheese curds and it is dripped in nacho cheese. It’s a lot, but it is good. Friday night, I may go for the Snappy Burger, which as I understand it is a hamburger with a sliced-in-half brat on top of it. I don’t know. I like hamburgers and I like brats, so it would seem to make sense that I would like the Snappy Burger! And then it was time for the game to start. We sat in the box seats which are literally right at field level. In fact, where I sat was right behind home plate, even with the inside corner of the plate. Alright, here are just some random observations from the evening. Some were posted on Twitter and I’ll elaborate. Others never made it to Twitters, so I guess they should be considered Twins Daily exclusives! The Times... Are they, huh, changin'? It was kind of an awkward thing, but one overriding theme from the evening was the state of the relationship between the Twins and Beloit. It was strange because so many people wanted to talk about it. Clearly it is a huge topics. I would venture to guess that no fewer than eight people there asked me about it. The Snappers are run by a Board of Directors who are most likely in frequent communication with the people in the Twins front office that would be involved in that decision. Nobody that I talked to wants to see the Twins leave Beloit. One person talked about the player accessibility at the stadium and said that it is what it should be like throughout the minor leagues. One fan said that it was disappointing five or six years ago when the Brewers decided to move from Beloit to Appleton and difficult for fans to get used to the Twins. (However, fans didn’t even show up to watch the local Brewers squad.) They also said that the Twins draft and sign such high quality people who do a lot in the community and do a great job interacting with fans, that those who frequent games just love the Twins organization. However, the other theme from this discussion was the due to lack of attendance and the need for a new stadium, they would completely understand if the Twins decided to move elsewhere. One person commented that if the Twins move to Cedar Rapids, it will be the worst-kept secret in minor league baseball. That was certainly something I heard from a couple of people. One wise person later told me that according to MLB rules, if an MLB team or a MILB team intends to move, they can not comment until September 1. The Twins re-upped with New Britain. Meanwhile, Rochester and Beloit's contract with the Twins are up at the end of the season. Seemingly, the longer this plays out, the more likely it is that those teams could move. Obviously for me, if the Twins move out of Beloit, it would be somewhat disappointing. This is my fourth trip over the past three seasons to see Snappers play. I have really enjoyed the atmosphere, but also been able to meet several Snappers fans and the people in their front office are great. Like stated above though, I would understand if the Twins decided to leave Beloit. Alright, on to some quick hitters: Kennys Vargas and Miguel Sano walked onto the field for batting practice together. It was incredible. Vargas made Sano look short and skinny! Late in the game, Travis asked me, “Do you know who else has Vargas’s body type?” Immediately, I responded, “David Ortiz.” We laughed at thinking the same thing, but it is true.Since returning to the Snappers, Rosario has had two three hit games and last night he had two hits including a double. He is not wearing any special face protection following his surgery. What could it be? Maybe it’s just being back and seeing pitches well? Or, maybe it’s the cool Mohawk that he is sporting!Speaking of facial hair, there are a couple of really bad mustaches on the Snappers roster. So bad, in fact, that it kind of looks cool. Nate Roberts has the best one. I’ll have to see if I can get a picture!The Kane County manager is former Twins outfielder/DH Brian Buchanan. Their pitching coach is another former big leaguer, and a former Gophers pitcher, Jim Brower.Of course, while watching the Snappers game, I have to keep tabs on the Twins game. It was fun to read on Twitter how Sam Deduno was pitching (wild but effective… or effectively wild). Late in the game, Brian Dozier hit a two-run homer to give the Twins the 5-0 lead that would be the final score. I talk about how two years ago when I went to Beloit, Mike Trout was playing for Cedar Rapids. I almost forgot the Brian Dozier was playing for Beloit. Yes, I realize that Trout was 18 years old and that Dozier was 22 or 23, but the fact remains that both players flew through the minor leagues and less than two years later were playing in the big leagues. Trout debuted at 19. Dozier debuted at 24.This is a very small sample thing, but Miguel Sano has only had two or three errors in the last month. I saw him commit two of three errors in the two games I saw him play at the beginning of June. This is just an observation, but watching him at third base as the pitch is being delivered, he looks so much more focused and prepared to make plays. I think he only had two or three opportunities last night to make plays, and he made them, but the pre-pitch preparation was encouraging.Alright, that’s it for Day 1 in Beloit. Day 2 has started with waking up, which is a good thing. It sounds as though Twins Daily contributor Jeremy Nygaard will be here for tonight’s game. Also Jim Crikket is saying he’ll be here on Saturday. If anyone else is interest, there will be tickets available, so come on down to Beloit. I’ll be back tomorrow morning with thoughts from Day 2! If you’d like to follow my four days in Beloit, there are a few ways to do that. I do hope to blog a little bit each day. I also have set up a forum page where I may occasionally update on the goings on, and you can ask questions and such. Obviously you can do the same in the comments below. But you’ll also want to either follow me on Twitter, or just bookmark my Twitter feed for more updates. Download attachment: BeloitSnappersLogo.jpg Click here to view the article

Is it fair to say that many Twins fans were pleasantly surprised when we learned on Monday morning that Tsuyoshi Nishioka had been optioned to Rochester? It was never really a question about whether he warranted a big league roster spot. It was clear to pretty much everyone that he wasn’t. It was the contract and the commitment that made it such a big decision. The Twins have three-million reasons to keep him at the end of their bench. However, Nishioka’s demotion appears to open up a spot on the 25-man roster for someone else. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]There are several names being discussed for that roster spot, and frankly, it is difficult to pick out a favorite among the bunch. Several of the options are not on the 40 man roster which although not a complete deterrent, it does require one extra step. A couple of the possibilities would likely only make the roster if they would be starting. Will Ron Gardenhire be willing to use Alexi Casilla as his back up shortstop, or would the utility player need to be able to play shortstop? I wanted to look at the candidates for that final roster spot. I’m making the assumption that the Twins infield will include Justin Morneau, Alexi Casilla, Danny Valencia, Jamey Carroll and Luke Hughes. I’m also making the assumption that the Twins will choose to keep three catchers on the big league roster, although that does appear to be excessive. If the Twins did decide to only keep Joe Mauer and Ryan Doumit on the roster, then two of the seven players below could make the roster. I believe there are seven candidates in camp that have some case to make the opening day roster, and I wanted to find a way to organize my thoughts on each in a consistent way for each player. I considered what the categories are that could differentiate the options. Age: This is more just a reference number for readers.40 Man Roster: Is the player on the 40 man roster or no?Must Start: Yes or No... is the player a prospect who should only make the big league roster as a starter?Positions Played: what positions has the player played, particularly in recent years.Offense: I’ll really just look at the 2011 numbers. That is recent performance-related information that isn’t completely small sample size.Defense: What is the reputation of each player with the glove?Spring Training Stats: This should be the last category and the most meaningless category at this point. Right now, the player below with the most appearances has just 26. And over the next two weeks, starters will play a bit more, so these candidate’s numbers over the next two weeks may mean a little bit more, but even that is a small sample size.Other information: Just an open spot for any other information.With all of that information, maybe there will be an answer that sticks out? Or, maybe we can eliminate a couple of candidates. Let’s take a look at the candidate’s in alphabetical order. SEAN BURROUGHS Age: 3140 Man Roster: NoMust Start: NoPositions Played: 3B, 1BOffense: .273/.289/.336 in 115 plate appearance (78 games) in Arizona after not being in the big leagues since 2006. Has just 12 MLB HR in 1,805 plate appearances.Defense: average defensive third basemanSpring Training Stats: .286/.423/.381. 6-21 with two doubles, five walks and four strikeouts.Other Information: Left-handed bat who spent 2011 as a pinch hitter.Seth Opinion – I would much rather the Twins have Burroughs as a left-handed bench bat than a 3rd catcher. RAY CHANG Age: 2840 Man Roster: NoMust Start: NoPositions Played: 2B, 3B, SSOffense: .271/.323/.368 in 65 games combined between AA New Britain and AAA Rochester. 22 HR in 1,789 minor league plate appearances.Defense: Above average middle infielderSpring Training Stats: .300/.462/.500 (3-10) with two doubles, 3 walks and no strikeouts.Other Information: Played for the Chinese team in the WBC. Bats Right-handed.Seth Opinion – Chang is probably a long-shot, but he might be the best combination of a little offense and solid defense needed to play all three infield positions as a utility player. BRIAN DINKELMAN Age: 2840 Man Roster: NoMust Start: NoPositions Played: 2B, LF, RFOffense: .243/.316/.324 in 127 games at AAA Rochester. Hit .301 in 23 games with the Twins. 40 HR in 2,923 minor league plate appearances.Defense: solid but average in the infield and outfield.Spring Training Stats: .300/.348/.400 (6-20) with two doubles.Other Information: Left-handed bat who hit in limited time last year.Seth Opinion – He had a nice showing with the Twins last year, but the Twins need is more for a utility infielder and 2B is the only infield position the Dinkelman has played. BRIAN DOZIER Age: 2440 Man Roster: NoMust Start: YesPositions Played: SS, 2BOffense: .320/.399/.491 last year between Ft. Myers and New Britain. 14 home runs in 1,413 plate appearances. Nine last year in 569 plate appearances.Defense: solid defender with average arm, average rangeSpring Training Stats: .273/.305/.500 (6-22) with triple and home run.Other Information: right-handed bat was the Twins minor league player of the year in 2011.Seth Opinion – The Twins are using a lot of the same adjectives to describe Dozier that they did when Joe Mauer came into spring training 2004 as a 20-year-old starting catcher who had not yet played in AAA. Dozier is older and has a lot of the same qualities. His possibility of making the opening day roster is only as a starter which would mean that either Jamey Carroll or (more likely) Alexi Casilla would move to the bench. There’s enough discussion to say that this is not a legitimate possibility. PEDRO FLORIMON Age: 2540 Man Roster: NoMust Start: NoPositions Played: SS, 2BOffense: .267/.344/.396 at AA Bowie (Orioles). 27 HR in 2,428 career plate appearances. Played in four games for Baltimore in September. Went 1-8 with a walk and six strikeouts. He had a double and two RBI.Defense: smooth, flashy defender with good range and a strong arm. Probably the top defensive shortstop in the mix.Spring Training Stats: .188/.316/.250 (3-16) with a double, three walks and two strikeoutsOther Information: Might be the best option if the Twins want a backup shortstop behind Jamey Carroll. He is a free-swinger who did have several extra base hits last year.Seth Opinion – He is a pretty solid shortstop, very good defensively although prone to make silly errors. Probably the weakest of the bats on this list but his role would be primarily defense. Although he profiles more as a utility guy, he did show enough with the bat at AA a year ago, that he should also get some every day work in Rochester. MICHAEL HOLLIMON Age: 2940 Man Roster: NoMust Start: NoPositions Played: 3B, 2B, SS, LFOffense: .231/.326/.416 between AA (97 games) and AAA (29 games). 18 home runs.Defense: average all over with gloveSpring Training Stats: .500/.526/.688 (8-16) with home run, two walks and three strikeoutsOther Information: The switch-hitter was the Twins 49th round pick in 2003. He later was drafted by the Tigers and hit .261 with two doubles, a triple and a home run in just 25 plate appearances with Detroit in 2008.Hollimon and his bat have certainly been a story the first couple of weeks of spring games, but we will find out a lot more about him in the next week or two when he gets more at bats against big league pitchers. I think he could handle the utility role, and he has as much power as anyone on this list. CHRIS PARMELEE Age: 2440 Man Roster: YesMust Start: YesPositions Played: 1B, RFOffense: .287/.366/.436 in AA New Britain. Hit .355/.443/.592 with six doubles and four home runs in 21 games with the Twins in September. He has 84 home runs in 2,663 minor league plate appearances.Defense: getting there with the glove at 1BSpring Training Stats: .308/.400/.577 (8-26) with a double and two home runs.Other Information: Left-hander has shown power in minimal big league time last September and this spring. Promoted straight from AA New Britain.Seth Opinion - His role with the Twins in 2011 seems to be directly tied to the health of Justin Morneau, or to Ryan Doumit to a lesser degree. I remain skeptical on what type of hitter he is. I’d like to see him get a half season in Rochester to find out if the power is legit or not. Terry Ryan has also said a couple of times that it is possible that the Twins would look outside the organization for a utility infielder. I could be OK with that as well, as long as the Twins wouldn’t have to give up a prospect to get it. Here is how I would rank these players’ likelihood of making the Twins Opening Day roster (assuming health all-around) as of right now. I am putting in this order with the hope that two of these guys make the roster while the Twins go with just two catchers. #8 – Brian Dinkelman #7 – Chris Parmelee #6 – Ray Chang #5 – Michael Hollimon #4 – Brian Dozier #3 – Pedro Florimon #2 – Terry Ryan acquires a utility infielder from outside the organization. #1 – Sean Burroughs Download attachment: SeanBurroughs.jpg Click here to view the article