Seth Stohs

The Twins lost 4-0 on Wednesday afternoon to the Royals. The Yankees are coming to town for a four game series. The Rochester Red Wings pitching staff has been tremendous all season. However, when the Triple-A All-Star game rosters were announced on Wednesday morning, just one player from the Red Wings was named to the roster. In their game on Wednesday, a Red Wings hitter was one hit away from the cycle. Surprisingly, the one hit that he didn't have was a single. There were a couple affiliates that had the day off on Wednesday. Continue reading to find out what happened throughout the Twins' farm system: photo of Doug Bernier by Steve Mitchell RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 8, Pawtucket 7 Box Score Doug Bernier has had a terrific season, and on this day, he was very good. He went 3-5 and was just a single away from a cycle. He hit his 13th double, first triple, fifth home run and drove in three runs. Chris Rahl went 3-4 with his 11th double and three RBI. Deibinson Romero went 2-4 with a walk, his 22nd double and his seventh home run. Pedro Florimon went 2-4 with a walk and his fifth double. Sean Gilmartin made the start. He gave up three runs on five hits, three walks and a hit batter in five innings. He struck out six. AJ Achter gave up one run on two hits and two walks in two innings. Michael Tonkin gave up three runs on three hits (including a home run) in 1.1 innings. He struck out three. Lester Oliveros came in and got the final two outs, one on a strikeout. Earlier in the day, AJ Achter was named to the AAA All-Star team. Almost inexplicably, he was the only Red Wings player named an All-Star. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain, Binghamton Box Score This game was postponed due to rain. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Bradenton 6 (10 innings) Box Score The Miracle fell behind early, but they scored five runs in the top of the 9th inning to send it to extra innings. Unfortunately, they lost in the 10th inning. Tim Shibuya started the game for the Miracle. He was charged with five runs on eight hits over four innings. He walked none and struck out three. Mason Melotakis struck out two in one scoreless inning. Madison Boer struck out three over two scoreless innings. Brian Gilbert gave up two hits in a scoreless inning. Tyler Jones pitched a scoreless ninth, but he gave up a single run in the 10th frame and took the loss. Michael Gonzales hit his 12th and 13th doubles in five at bats. Travis Harrison was 2-5. In the ninth inning, Adam Walker drove in two runs with his 16th homer. Two batters later, Dalton Hicks tied the game with a two run homer, his fourth of the year. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Wisconsin 1 Box Score Lewis Thorpe may not have lasted through five, but he pitched very well. In 4.2 innings, he gave up only an unearned run on five hits. He walked one and struck out eight. Chris Mazza got the next four outs, three of them on strikeouts. Alex Muren gave up two hits, but no runs, in two innings. He struck out two. Hudson Boyd walked one and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning. Zach Granite led the offense. He went 3-5 with his second double. Bryan Haar went 2-4 with a walk and his 15th double. Alex Swim went 2-4 with three RBI. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton Box Score No Game Scheduled. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 3, GCL Rays 4 Box Score The GCL Twins managed just five hits. Manuel Guzman went 1-3 with a walk and a stolen base. Frank Encarnacion went 1-3 with a walk, his first double and his second stolen base. Onesimo Hernandez gave up one run on one hit over four innings. He walked two and struck out three. Mat Batts walked one and struck out two in three hitless innings. Callan Pearce gave up one run on two hits in one innings. He struck out two. Seth Wagner gave up two runs on three walks in 0.2 innings. Trevor Hildenberger gave up a hit and a walk before recording the final out. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Lewis Thorpe, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Doug Bernier, Rochester Red Wings THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Pawtucket (5:15 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) Binghamton @ New Britain (DH - 4:05 CST) – Tyler Duffey, Virgil Vasquez (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – Matt Tomshaw (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (7:05 CST) – Ryan Eades (Listen) Bluefield @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) – Sam Gibbons (Listen) GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (11:00am CST) – TBD. Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Wednesday games.

In Part 1 of the interview with Rod Carew yesterday, the Hall of Famer shared his thoughts on his playing career. He has been a hitting coach in the big leagues with the Angels and also with the Milwaukee Brewers. Now he is a special instructor for the Minnesota Twins during spring training. In his retirement he makes appearances for the Twins throughout the year. In Part 2 today, Carew was asked questions about coaching, minor leaguers and his thoughts on big league ballplayers today. He was asked what he tells young players and minor leaguers when he gets the opportunity to address them. He said, "With the young players, I tell them, you work hard at the minor league level and you have to keep working hard because no one is going to give you anything to get to the big leagues. Asked about some of the Twins top prospects, he said, “I spent some time with (Byron) Buxton in spring training, spent some time with (Miguel) Sano in spring training. They’ve got some good young kids that I expect to be here in the next year or two. Buxton is on the fast track. When you get young players like that who go out and enjoy the game, and enjoy learning, which I think is the most important thing, they’re going to do well.” He also talked about his role when he goes to spring training where he can often be seen in the batting cages. “I work with the hitters, spend a lot of time with the hitters in the cage. I sit on the bench, and I talk to them about what pitchers might try to do in certain situations. I work with them on bunting because it’s such an important part of the game and a lost art in the game. Just try to get into their heads to see what they’re thinking.” As important as those physical things is the mental side of the game. “We talk so much about the five tools of running, hitting, fielding, power, good arm, but they forget about the mental part, which is the most important part. But if you can understand how to get through the struggles, and be mentally tough, that shows me that you’re going to do well. But if you don’t, and you start worrying about everything, you’re going to struggle.” He was also asked about the differences he sees in today’s players compared to the players when he played. “The major difference I know in the young players is that a lot of them don’t play the game with instincts. They’re always looking for the coaches. Running the bases, they’re looking at coaches. You have to play the game with instinct. I don’t think that players today, in my opinion, know how to play the game as well as when I played the game. Because we were taught how to play the game, we were taught how to play in situations. We were ready for situations.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r94LvIsEoiw He continued, “They make a lot of bad base running mistakes. They swing at a lot of bad pitches, and they’re all trying to hit home runs. That’s why they strike out so much. They don’t care if they strike out. It was an embarrassment for us to strike out. To them, it doesn’t matter.” But back to his message for the young players, be it in the minor leagues or the little leagues. "You have to learn the game, understand the game, know who you are, know what you’re capable of doing and stay in the realm of that. Sometimes I think young players think that you have to hit the ball out of the park to get to the big leagues. I try to tell them, if you can square the ball up every time you take a swing and be consistent, that’s what the organization is looking for." And, if it were me, and Rod Carew was telling me about how to play the game (or specifically how to hit), I think I would listen. Tomorrow, we'll finish this interview with Carew by writing about his thoughts on several other topics. Feel free to comment below or ask any other questions you may have. Twins beat the Royals on Tuesday so on Wednesday you can get a half price large or extra-large pizza at PapaJohns.com when using the promo code 'TWINSWIN'.

Saturday night was Minnesota Twins night at Perfect Game Field in Cedar Rapids. The rains came, but there was an excitement because Twins great Rod Carew made the trek to Iowa. Before the game, he was briefly in the Kernels locker room. He then spent over an hour signing autographs and shaking hands with fans that lined up, around several corners, trying to meet the Hall of Famer. He joined Morgan Hawk, the Kernels radio man who was also on TV locally on that night, for the first two innings. At that time, he was made available to the media. He spent 15 minutes talking about all kinds of topics with the small group. Here is Part 1 of that interview, a look at his career. In the next two days, I'll post two more parts of the interview. Of course, the first question he was asked was if he had been to Cedar Rapids previously, he said that he had. “It was in the dead of winter and it was cold.” Carew never played in Cedar Rapids. The 68-year-old spent just over two years in the minor leagues before he advanced to the big leagues. He made us aware of an interesting rule from a previous era. “Back then, they could take 28 guys north, and at the end of the month they cut down to 25 man rosters.” The Twins history is rich. He played his first big league game with the Twins on April 11, 1967. Carew talked about debuting with the Twins, with some great teammates. “As a 20-year-old kid coming up and being on the same club as Harmon Killebrew, and Tony Oliva, and Jim Kaat, and Mudcat Grant, and Earl Battey. Those are guys that I learned a lot from, especially Tony Oliva and Harmon Killebrew, and we remained friends until his death.” He said that he continues to think about Killebrew frequently since he passed away a couple of years ago. “It’s still hard. We know we’re not going to live forever, but when you get close to someone. He was my mentor. I learned so much from him, and then to lose him. I still think about him. My wife and I were just talking about Harmon a couple of days ago, about his passing, so he’s always here, he’s always in my heart.” He continued, “One thing I learned from Harmon is that it doesn’t cost anything to be nice. And so, when he told me that, I thought to myself that I would go through the rest of my life, no matter what happens, I’m always going to be nice.” Last week marked 50 years since the Minnesota Twins signed Carew out of high school in New York City. Asked to reflect on that time, he said, “You know, I never thought that I would accomplish the things I accomplished in baseball. As a young kid, you hope that you do well, but I never thought I would go on and do the things that I did. But I was fortunate, I had people around me that worked with me and talked to me, so that helped. I was blessed with God-given talent, but having God-given talent is not all that it is. You also have to work. You have to continue honing those skills or trying to get better." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92g2KsIFEZI And to be an all-time great, Carew had to have a competitive edge. “I was greedy. I was never satisfied. If I had three hits one day, I wanted four. If I had four hits one day, I wanted five.” He continued, “That was my mentality. I learned that from being Tony Oliva’s roommate for ten years. He always used to tell me, ‘Rookie, get as many base hits as you can.’ So I was very fortunate.” Carew's numbers are remarkable. In 19 years, he hit .328/.393/.429 (.822). He finished his career with 3,053 hits. He was an 18-time All Star. He won seven batting champions. He had six Top 10 finishes in MVP voting and won the 1977 award. That season was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, in Twins history. He hit .388/.449/.570 (1.059). His OPS+ was 178! He had 239 hits including 38 doubles, 16 triples, 14 homer runs, drove in 100 and scored 128 runs. He played his final game on October 5, 1985, and in 1991, he was inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame. What does it mean to be a Hall of Famer to Rod Carew? “HOF means you’re at the top of your profession. And to be in the same place with Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, Christy Matthewson, and Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson and all those great players. As a young kid, you don’t think about that. You don’t think about playing to get to the HOF. You’re thinking about playing and surviving and hoping you stay healthy to do good things. I was fortunate to do that. It’s one of the greatest fraternities in the world. When we get together Hall of fame weekend, we have a good time. Pitchers talk about how they used to get you out, and hitters talk about how many HR they used to hit off of you. It’s just a great time that we have together.” Over the next couple of days, I'll continue to post Mr. Carew's comments regarding several topics including what he tells young players and how the game is different today than in his era.

Maybe it was because Hall of Famer Rod Carew threw him some batting practice before the game, but third baseman Bryan Haar had one of those special games that players dream about... by the end of the 2nd inning. He went 2-3 with two home runs and seven RBI. The Cedar Rapids Kernels won a 9-5, rain-shortened game at Perfect Game Field on Saturday night. The game had a 31-minute rain delay in the early innings, but after another 30-minute delay in the top of the 7th, the game was called. Three hours later, it’s still raining in Cedar Rapids. Following the game, Haar said that he hadn’t had a game like this in a long time. “It’s been since high school that I hit two home runs in one game.” In the first inning, Zach Granite led off with a solid single up the middle. One pitch later, Engelb Vielma doubled down the right field line. One batter later, Haar came up and launched one. He said, “I got an offspeed pitch the first at-bat, so it went to left center.” In the bottom of the 2nd inning, the Kernels cleanup hitter did just that. With the bases loaded, he had a long at-bat that ended with a long home run to dead center field, just out of the reach of a leaping LumberKings’ center fielder Aaron Barbosa. Haar acknowledged he wasn’t sure if the ball was caught. He said, “I thought he caught it. Oh man, I got nervous for a second.” His approach at the plate with runners on base was certainly sound. He said, “(With) guys in scoring position, I tried to get a pitch up, especially with the wind blowing out tonight. I tried to drive it to the middle of the field.” I don’t know if Bryan Haar is a superstitious, but getting to replicate his pregame from Saturday each day would be great. He told the story: “I was hitting off the tee before the game, and (Rod Carew) had to get loose before the first pitch. He was like, ‘Alright, step in there.’ I took about ten swings off of him, and it was pretty cool. It was a great experience.” For the record, Rod Carew threw a strike to Kernels infielder Tanner Vavra for the game’s First Pitch. Haar was very much knowledgeable of who Rod Carew is and his place in Minnesota Twins history, and in Major League Baseball’s history. It was not the first time he had met the Hall of Famer. (Side Note – Twins Daily was able to interview Carew, and that will be posted here in coming days.) Catcher Bo Altobelli hit his first home run of the season, a solo home run to lead off the 2nd inning. Vielma went 1-2 with a walk and the double was his tenth. Ryan Eades got the start for the Kernels. He had a quick 1-2-3 inning in the first frame. He looked impressive. His fastball sat between 90 and 92 and touched 94 early in the game. He showed a slider at 83, and a changeup at about 82. His curveball was in the low-to-mid 70s. All four of those were quality pitches. He gave up one run in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th innings and then two runs in the fifth inning. He has the pitches, but he seemed to make a bad pitch or two each inning that came back to haunt him. But, he lasted through the first rain delay and then through five innings to record his fifth win. He gave up five runs (4 earned) on seven hits. He walked none, hit one and struck out five. Brandon Bixler worked 1.1 scoreless innings before the rains came. He struck out two. KERNELS NUGGETS I had the opportunity to chat with reliever Todd Van Steensel after the game. He absolutely loves being a closer. His high leg kick is a bit of a timing mechanism for him. However, he will be working on shortening up somewhat when there are runners on base to help against the running game.

It took a little longer than usual to get to Cedar Rapids, but it was worth the travel because we were treated to a terrific game on Friday night. We saw the best start at this level from one of the Twins top pitching prospects and we saw some offense, followed by a tight game at the end. The drive took a little longer because of some scary, torrential rainfall we encountered north of Cedar Rapids. We drove out of it about 20 miles north of Cedar Rapids. When we got to the ballpark, the terrific Kernels grounds crew was putting on the tarp and the rains came. This was at 4:30, and it rained hard for an hour, and yet, due to the work of the grounds crew, the game started on time at 6:35. Lewis Thorpe with his mother, Lynette, after the game. Minutes before the game, I was approached by a kind gentleman who spoke to me with an Australian accent. He introduced himself as Lewis Thorpe’s dad and introduced me to his wife, Lewis’s mom. We had a nice chat. They have been in the States for two weeks and will be here for another week. The couple had intended to fly to Ft. Myers but were forced to change their plans when Lewis was promoted to Cedar Rapids. The Kernels haven’t had a lot of home games of late, so the Thorpes have traveled across the Midwest League. They said they are loyal listeners of the Twins Hangouts podcast and that they listened to it the entire 16-hour flight from Australia to the US. I asked if that was just one episode? They will be around for another week. Thorpe’s mom is really looking forward to celebrating the Fourth of July in the USA. They witnessed their son’s best performance with the Kernels. The line doesn’t look great. Thorpe was charged with three runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out three in 5.1 innings. He got out the first five batters that he faced. Then he gave up a long home run. Starting in the third, he gained control of his curveball and really mixed his three pitches very well. The first strikeout came on a changeup at 82 mph. Then next came on a curveball at 75. The third came on a fastball at 92. Aside from the home run, there wasn’t a lot of hard contract. The second run came when a ground ball took a horrible hop and bounced over the head of first baseman Bo Altobelli. All in all, an impressive showing for the young Australian making his fourth start in the Midwest League. His manager, Jake Mauer, thought he looked much better than he did in his first three starts. “He looked more comfortable than he has, whether it was nerves or trying to fit in or trying to do too much. I thought he trusted his stuff much better tonight. He used his changeup, which is a pretty good pitch. I think he took advantage of their aggressiveness.” His catcher, Alex Swim, agreed, “We got through the lineup once with fastball and changeup, and then we started mixing in curveball/slider. He was on point. Everything was good, sharp.” Thorpe was just happy with a positive result in this start after his first three were rough. “In the first two innings, I wanted to pound the fastball. Then I brought the curveball out in the third inning, and I think that helped me a lot to establish my pitches. Curveball was better. Slider was good, nice and firm down in the strike zone.” He was quick to give credit as well. “It was good. I had a little change in mechanics. (Pitching coach) Ivan (Arteaga) helped me a lot. Everything was working, so it was great.” Thorpe explained that the mechanical change involved his non-throwing arm. The change appears to have increased his velocity and control. According to Arteaga, in his previous starts, his fastball was averaging 89 and touched 90. In this start, he was sitting 92 and touched 94. According to Arteaga, “We actually worked on some stuff the last two weeks, tweaking his mechanics to make sure he can compete. The competition is different than what he has been facing before. The strike zones are tighter, and the hitters are more experienced. He’s an 18 year old kid throwing to kids who are 22, 23, 24. He’s still a work in progress.” He continued, “When he (added his changeup), then he was able to compete and showed everybody what he can do. He’s resilient. He’s smart. He wants to go out and compete, and he really showed today what he’s all about. I’m really happy about that.” Arteaga said he was very pleased with Thorpe’s performance, though he did acknowledge that he will talk to Thorpe about the fact that he threw first-pitch strikes to just eight of the 22 batters he faced. But Mauer hopes this is the start of something bigger for the lefty. “He’s going to be just fine. Hopefully this is something we can continue to build off of.” Arteaga agreed, “I think he did good today. I think he can be better.” Thorpe said that in Extended Spring Training, he was being limited to 65 to 75 pitches. He went over 80 pitches in this game and said it felt good. Though things got interesting late, fellow Australian Todd Van Steensel got the final five outs for his seventh save. Mauer would like to get him more save opportunities. “He’s been really good for us all year. Just trying to get him opportunities when we actually have the lead. He goes out there, and three punch outs. Three of the five outs were strikeouts and we’ll take that any day of the week.” Jon Murphy got the Kernels on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third inning when he launched a solo home run well beyond the fence in left centerfield. In the fourth inning, Chad Christensen singled and advanced to third on a couple wild pitches. He scored on a triple to right center by Jason Kanzler who scored one batter later when Alex Swim singled to left center. In the fifth inning, Bo Altobelli led off with a double. Two outs later, he was on third base and Tanner Vavra drove him in with an infield single. Next, Chad Christensen doubled down the left field line to score the speedy second baseman. He advanced to third on the throw to the plate and then scored the Kernels’ sixth run on a wild pitch. Thorpe was very good. Alex Muren replaced him and was charged with two runs on four hits over two innings. Todd Van Steensel came on and got a strikeout with the bases loaded for the second out of the eight inning. However, on an 0-2 pitch, he threw a 58-foot curveball that got by Alex Swim and cut the Kernels lead to one. One pitch later, he closed out the eighth. He worked a perfect ninth and the Kernels four-game losing streak ended. And for Thorpe, it’s great that his family can be here to see him. “It’s good to have them here. It feels a little bit like home having them here.” KERNELS NUGGETS: I had the chance to catch up with outfielder Zach Granite after the game. The speedster missed over two months with a shoulder injury sustained in the third game of the year. There was an issue with his humerus (which isn’t very funny) and he had shoulder impingement. He told me that he wasn’t able to raise his left (throwing) arm up above his shoulder. He returned to the Kernels recently and said he’s having a blast. He’s still working out some of the rust, but he’s getting there. Mitch Garver is currently on the 7-day disabled list after suffering a concussion. On Thursday, he was catching and the batter foul-tipped a pitch. Garver told me that it hit the facemask squarely, and with enough force that the mask cut his chin and he needed six stitches. He was told that he was on the ground for 60 seconds before getting his bearings. The team immediately took him out. Jake Mauer made the comment earlier that it is a requirement to put him on the disabled list with the concussion. Garver said he is feeling much better and will be able to start working out again on Saturday. Mauer and Garver hope he will need no more than the seven days. Fernando Romero – When we asked Jake Mauer about Fernando Romero, he immediately said that he didn’t think he would pitch again this year. He added that they know he has bone chips in his right elbow, and they suspect it will be more. He is going to travel to Minneapolis and see Dr. John Steubs. He will most certainly have surgery to remove the bone chips, and while in there, the doctor will be able to determine if Tommy John surgery is going to be necessary. Nick Burdi did arrive at the Kernels ballpark on Friday afternoon. Mauer said before the game that he wouldn’t pitch Friday, but there is a chance he could pitch as early as Saturday.

Earlier this week, I looked at the first-half leader board for the Minnesota Twins' minor league hitters. It gave good insight into which players had the best first half, and maybe who we should be looking for in the second half. Today, I'm going to go over the leader boards in a handful of pitcher statistics to take a look at who has been leading the way in the first half. Because with pitchers there are starters and relievers, I had to pick an arbitrary cut-off line for each. Nothing scientific about it, I went with 60 innings pitched for starters and 30 innings pitched for relievers. Just nice, round numbers, but my method cut off a couple of guys who just missed a category. For instance, Red Wings left-hander Aaron Thompson is sitting at 29.2 innings right now. Fair or not, he's not included here. Also, several pitchers spent time both starting and relieving. I went with which category they had more of. For instance, Matt Summers made six starts and has now pitched in 13 games as a reliever, so I counted him among the latter. Tim Shibuya recently was put in the Miracle rotation, but spent most of the first half in the bullpen, so I included him in the relievers. Let's get started with the arbitrary stats that get lots of glory, but as we all know, are dependent on other things: WINS 1.) Yohan Pino - Rochester - 9 2.) JO Berrios - Ft. Myers - 8 2.) Trevor May - Rochester - 8 4.) Sean Gilmartin - New Britain/Rochester - 7 4.) Taylor Rogers - New Britain - 7 4.) Jason Wheeler - Ft. Myers/New Britain - 7 Sure, it's one of 'those' stats, but this is a pretty impressive list of guys who have pitched well this season. SAVES 1.) Lester Oliveros- New Britain - 12 2.) Tyler Jones - Ft. Myers - 9 3.) Hudson Boyd - Cedar Rapids - 6 3.) Todd Van Steensel - Cedar Rapids - 6 3.) Madison Boer - Ft. Myers - 6 Oliveros has pitched great and has now been promoted to Rochester. INNINGS PITCHED 1.) Taylor Rogers - New Britain - 92.1 2.) Jason Wheeler - Ft. Myers/New Britain - 85.1 3.) JO Berrios - Ft. Myers - 83.1 4.) Sean Gilmartin - New Britain/Rochester - 81.0 4.) Pat Dean - New Britain - 81.0 Innings pitched shows that guys are being efficient in their pitches because pitch counts are very closely monitored. It's an underrated stat in that teams are very conscious from year-to-year how many pitches are thrown. To be fair, Trevor May is at 79.2 innings and Tyler Duffey and Kris Johnson are at 79.1 innings. So this is a ranking that could flip-flop from day-to-day depending on who is making a start. ERA (Starters - 60 IP min.) 1.) Yohan Pino - Rochester - 1.92 2.) JO Berrios - Ft. Myers - 2.05 3.) Matt Tomshaw - Ft. Myers - 2.37 4.) Kohl Stewart - Cedar Rapids - 2.53 4.) Jason Wheeler - Ft. Myers/New Britain - 2.53 6.) Kris Johnson - Rochester - 2.72 I added a 6th in this category just because there are so many quality performers. ERA (Relievers - 30 IP min.) 1.) AJ Achter - New Britain/Rochester - 1.47 2.) Brandon Peterson - Cedar Rapids/Ft. Myers - 1.67 3.) Cole Johnson - New Britain - 2.25 4.) Edgar Ibarra - Rochester - 2.36 5.) Tim Shibuya - 2.82 This group has been impressive all season, generally mirroring their career success. WHIP (Starters - 60 IP min.) 1.) Yohan Pino - Rochester - 0.93 2.) JO Berrios - Ft. Myers - 1.06 3.) Matt Tomshaw - Ft. Myers - 1.10 4.) Kohl Stewart - Cedar Rapids - 1.13 4.) Trevor May - Rochester - 1.13 WHIP (Relievers - 30 IP min.) 1.) AJ Achter - Rochester - 0.74 2.) Brandon Peterson - Ft. Myers - 0.96 3.) Cole Johnson - New Britain - 1.00 4.) Tim Shibuya - Ft. Myers - 1.02 4.) Lester Oliveros - New Britain/Rochester - 1.02 I like looking at WHIP, especially for relievers. It's just a look at how many base runners a pitcher has allowed per inning. For a reliever, especially, ERA can be misleading in that you don't consider inherited runners scoring, etc. K/9 (Starters - 60 IP min.) 1.) JO Berrios - Ft. Myers - 10.6 2.) Alex Meyer - Rochester - 10.5 3.) Trevor May - Rochester - 9.2 4.) Yohan Pinto - Rochester - 9.0 5.) Sean Gilmartin - New Britain/Rochester - 8.9 6.) Logan Darnell - Rochester - 8.2 K/9 (Relievers - 30 IP min.) 1.) Brandon Peterson - Cedar Rapids/Ft. Myers - 12.8 2.) Lester Oliveros - New Britain - 10.7 3.) Cole Johnson - New Britain - 10.0 4.) AJ Achter - Rochester - 9.4 5.) Josue Montanez - Cedar Rapids/Elizabethton - 9.1 Obviously we all like strikeouts. They do help predict future success, at least in part. Mainly it marks the quality of "Stuff" and its hit-ability. The Twins do have some guys who can miss some bats, and several of them are in the upper levels. BB/9 (Starters - 60 IP min.) 1.) Matt Tomshaw - Ft. Myers - 1.4 2.) Aaron Slegers - Cedar Rapids - 1.5 3.) Tyler Duffey - Ft. Myers/New Britain - 1.8 4.) Sean Gilmartin - New Britain/Rochester - 2.0 5.) Pat Dean - New Britain - 2.1 6.) Jason Wheeler - Ft. Myers/New Britain - 2.1 BB/9 (Relievers - 30 IP min.) 1.) Tim Shibuya - Ft. Myers - 1.1 2.) Alex Muren - Cedar Rapids - 1.5 3.) Brandon Peterson - Cedar Rapids/Ft. Myers - 1.9 4.) AJ Achter - New Britain/Rochester - 2.7 5.) Cole Johnson - New Britain - 2.8 Focus on control and throwing strikes are obviously very important to the Twins. The Twins have several starters and a couple relievers that really have good control. The question sometimes can be about command within the strike zone, and not being too hittable. But if you look at the K/9 and the BB/9, it's good to see some on both lists. STRIKEOUTS 1.) JO Berrios - Ft. Myers - 98 2.) Alex Meyer - Rochester - 83 3.) Trevor May - Rochester - 81 4.) Sean Gilmartin - New Britain/Rochester - 80 5.) Taylor Rogers - New Britain - 75 Just for fun, I thought we would end with the raw strikeout numbers. It certainly indicates, along with his other numbers, just how good Berrios has been this year. SUMMARY As much as at any time in the past, the Twins do have a handful of starters and relievers who are putting up some hopeful numbers, and it is fun see. How many will be able to maintain their production over the 2nd half? How many will receive 2nd half promotions? How will they adjust to a new league with better competition? Well, we shall find out!

Last week, the Midwest League (MWL) and the Florida State League (FSL) hosted their league All Star games. The Cedar Rapids Kernels had three players on the MWL roster while the Ft. Myers Miracle had four on the FSL South roster. Those All-Star games approximate the halfway point of the minor league season. Two-and-a-half months of season have passed and there is just about two-and-a-half months remaining. I thought it would be a good time to look at some of the top performers in the Twins farm system so far this season by looking at the leader boards in the organization in several statistics. Today, I'll look at the hitters. Later in the week we’ll take a look at the pitchers. Mitch Garver PLATE APPEARANCES 1.) Jorge Polanco – Ft. Myers - 313 2.) Nate Hanson - New Britain - 300 3.) Adam Walker - Ft. Myers - 299 4.) James Beresford - Rochester - 298 5.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - 291 This is a list that shows a lot of guys at the top of their team's order who have remained healthy and have performed well enough to remain there. BATTING AVERAGE (minimum 200 PA) 1.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - .322 2.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - .310 3.) Doug Bernier - Rochester - .307 4.) Chad Christensen - Cedar Rapids - .299 4.) Reynaldo Rodriguez - New Britain - .299 Yes, I agree. On-base percentage is more important, but batting average doesn't hurt anything. In fact, it represents the biggest part of the on-base percentage formula. ON-BASE PERCENTAGE (minimum 200 PA) 1.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - .411 2.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - .395 2.) Deibinson Romero - Rochester - .395 4.) Doug Bernier - Rochester - .386 5.) Jorge Polanco - Ft. Myers - .365 Outs are important. Not getting out should be the goal of every plate appearance. On-base percentage is important, especially for top of the order hitters, but also for middle of the order hitters that pitchers may try to pitch around. SLUGGING PERCENTAGE (minimum 200 PA) 1.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - .537 2.) Reynaldo Rodriguez - New Britain - .516 3.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - .488 4.) Danny Ortiz - New Britain/Rochester - .467 5.) Jason Kanzler - Cedar Rapids - .462 Power is pretty important for middle of the lineup guys. A lineup needs to have several guys that can hit for enough average, but also sprinkle in a bunch of extra base hits as well. Extra base hits certainly increase the probability of scoring runs, which is important in any game. OPS 1.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - .932 2.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - .898 3.) Reynaldo Rodriguez - New Britain - .855 4.) Deibinson Romero - Rochester - .849 5.) Doug Bernier - Rochester - .812 OPS is typically going to be led by middle of the order hitters, the guys who can get on base but also have good pop in their bats. HITS 1.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - 82 2.) Jorge Polanco - Ft. Myers - 80 3.) Reynaldo Rodriguez - New Britain - 76 4.) Chad Christensen/Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - 75 4.) Eric Farris - Rochester - 75 DOUBLES 1.) Reynaldo Rodriguez - New Britain - 20 2.) Travis Harrison - Ft. Myers - 19 3.) Deibinson Romero - Rochester - 18 4.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - 17 4.) Danny Ortiz - New Britain/Rochester - 17 When I look at minor league stats, doubles is one that I look at as important. In my mind, doubles are line drives to the gaps, a sign of developing power. As young players develop, maybe those line drives to the gaps can become home runs over the walls. And if not, doubles tend to drive in a lot of runs. HOME RUNS 1.) Adam Walker - Ft. Myers - 14 1.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - 14 3.) Reynaldo Rodriguez - New Britain - 11 4.) Bryan Haar - Cedar Rapids - 8 4.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - 8 OK, home runs are good too. It shows power, and hopefully that power will continue as they grow. Obviously you have to look at other numbers in conjunction with the homers, but it is a sign of power and the ability to occasionally square up a baseball. RUNS 1.) Jorge Polanco - Ft. Myers - 48 2.) Reynaldo Rodriguez - New Britain - 47 3.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - 43 4.) Chad Christensen - Cedar Rapids - 42 4.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - 42 Runs are scored either by the table-setters who get on base a lot, or by the power guys who, with one swing can put themselves in scoring position, and perhaps score themselves. RBI 1.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - 57 2.) Adam Walker - Ft. Myers - 53 3.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - 47 4.) Danny Ortiz - New Britain/Rock Cats - 44 5.) Chad Christensen - Cedar Rapids - 41 For awhile, there was a belief that the RBI stat is completely overrated. While I agree that it can be, I also think it is a number that matters. When there is a runner on third base and less than two outs, the batter needs to get that runner in. It can mean the player is prone to coming through with a bases-clearing double or a two-run single when there are runners on second and third. In my mind, that is fundamental baseball. STOLEN BASES 1.) Chad Christensen - Cedar Rapids - 18 2.) Niko Goodrum - Ft. Myers - 12 2.) Eric Farris - Rochester - 12 2.) Corey Wimberly - New Britain - 12 5.) Jason Kanzler - 11 Speed. This is certainly an area that has become less important in baseball over the last couple decades, but it can be important. If a player can move up one base (at a high percentage), it can mean a lot. In the minor leagues, the Twins (and many teams) encourage speedy base runners to attempt to steal a lot of bases, even if they get caught, because that is the only way that they can learn that skill. SUMMARY What you've read above is just a numerical look at some of the hitters who have performed well in the first half. What you may have noticed is that there are several guys who have really stood out in the first half. Kennys Vargas - He's #1 in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, hits, home runs and RBI. He's #2 in on-base percentage and #3 in runs scored. Mitch Garver - He's been playing catcher which means he will get a few days off, so he doesn't appear quite as high on some of the counting stats. However, he is #1 in on-base percentage, #2 in batting average and OPS, and #3 in slugging percentage. Reynaldo Rodriguez - He's a veteran of AA, but he continues to put up solid numbers in 2013 despite switching from first base to the outfield. Jorge Polanco - He has slowed since his fast offensive start in Ft. Myers this year, but he has continued to rack up hits and get on base at a strong rate.

With a 6-5 win on Sunday, the Minnesota Twins swept the Chicago White Sox! That’s always fun. Phil Hughes had his worst start of the season for the Twins, but he was credited with the win thanks to enough offense and a spectacular job by the bullpen. There were some really good games in the Twins minor leagues on Sunday, several were one-run games. Continue reading to find out what happened in the Twins farm system on Sunday: RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Buffalo 3 Box Score The Red Wings saw plenty of former Twins players in this loss at Buffalo. PJ Walters started for the Bisons and gave up one run on six hits and two walks in five innings. Former Twins draft pick John Stilson went the next two innings and gave up one run. Bobby Korecky reduced his season ERA to 0.45 and claimed his 9th save with a scoreless ninth inning. Darin Mastroianni went 0-4 in the game, leading off and playing right field. Now to the Red Wings. Doug Bernier had a big game at the plate. He went 4-5 with a double and now he’s hitting .307. Chris Colabello went 2-3 with a walk and his fifth double. Chris Rahl added two hits. Sean Gilmartin started for the Red Wings. The left-hander gave up three runs on five hits and two walks in 5.2 innings, earning the loss He struck out four. Michael Tonkin gave up a hit over 1.1 scoreless innings. Aaron Thompson pitched a perfect eighth inning. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 5, Reading 3 Box Score Tyler Duffey started and led the Rock Cats to their 11th straight win. The righty went 7.1 innings and gave up three runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out six. Adrian Salcedo walked one in one inning. Ryan O’Rourke came on and struck out the final two batters. Since May 17, the lefty reliever has accumulated seven innings in 11 games and given up no runs on just two hits and one walk and has struck out 12. The Rock Cats got five hits and walked six in this game. Aaron Hicks went 1-3. Kyle Knudson went 2-3. Brandon Waring hit his 16th double. Nate Hanson walked twice. Stephen Wickens went 1-3 with a walk. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Charlotte 3 Box Score Jorge Polanco broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the 9th and Tyler Jones closed it out in the bottom of the inning. Polanco went 2-5 with his 12th double. Lance Ray was 2-5 with his sixth double. Stuart Turner went 2-4 with his fifth homer. Matt Tomshaw got the start on Sunday. The lefty went five innings, giving up two runs on five hits. He walked two, hit one and struck out three. Madison Boer struck out three in two scoreless innings. He gave up a hit and walked two. Mason Melotakis, getting the win despite blowing the save, gave up a run on two hits and a walk in his inning. Tyler Jones gave up only a hit in the ninth to record his ninth save. KERNELS NUGGETS Game 1 – Cedar Rapids 5, Kane County 0 Box Score Chad Christensen had a big game for the Kernels. He went 2-2 with two walks, hit his seventh home run and drove in three runs. Zach Granite went 2-4. Mitch Garver was 1-2 with a walk, was hit by a pitch and added his 17th double. Ryan Eades threw four shutout innings. He gave up two hits and walked four while striking out one. Alex Muren gave up one hit over two scoreless innings, earning the win. Todd Van Steensel hit a batter in a scoreless seventh inning, completing the shutout. Game 2 – Cedar Rapids 2, Kane County 3 Box Score Tied at one going into the seventh inning, Alex Swim drove in Mitch Garver to give the Kernels a 2-1 lead. Hudson Boyd came in for the bottom of the seventh. The first batter he faced hit a home run to tie the game. A walk, a single, and another walk loaded the bases before Jacob Hannemann singled in the winning run. Fernando Romero started and gave up one run on one hit in three innings. He walked two and struck out two. Jared Wilson followed with three scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and one walk and struck out three. Boyd threw the seventh and earned the loss. Alex Swim tied the game at one in the fifth inning with a double that scored Jason Kanzler who was 1-2 and stole his 11th base. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Pulaski 0 Box Score Rookie League ball is always interesting. Box scores are typically not as clean as they are when you move up the system. This game is a good example of that. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning. Brian Navarreto singled up the middle. He was replaced by speedy Jonatan Hinojosa as a pinch runner. Three wild pitches later, and the E-Twins had a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the 8th, the first two batters walked. Following a fielder’s choice, a wild pitch gave the team a 2-0 lead. Felix Jorge dominated Appy League hitters a year ago. This spring, he really struggled in the Midwest League and was recently sent down to extended spring. His first start with the E-Twins this season was just like 2013. The righty threw five shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out four. Kuo Hua Lo worked two innings, yielding one hit and no walks and struck out two. Jake Reed came on and threw two scoreless innings for his first pro save. He struck out two. Since going 4-5 in his debut, Nick Gordon has gone 1-13 and is now hitting .278. GCL TWINS TAKES The GCL Twins do not have games on Sunday. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Duffey, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Chad Christensen, Cedar Rapids Kernels MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) Altoona @ New Britain (5:35 CST) – Virgil Vasquez (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:30 CST) – JO Berrios (Listen) Cedar Rapids – No Game Scheduled (Listen) Pulaski @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) – TBD (Listen) GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00am CST) – No Game Scheduled. Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games. A quick reminder: Thanks to the Twins fourth straight win over the White Sox on Sunday, it means that on you can get 50% off a Large of Extra Large pizza for the fourth straight day (on Monday) when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code atPapaJohns.com.

Lately, we have read a lot about the starting staff in Rochester, and for good reason. Yohan Pino has already been promoted to the Minnesota Twins. Logan Darnell and Kris Johnson are pitching well, and each has pitched once with the Twins already this year. Alex Meyer is a future ace and Trevor May is probably next in line for a promotion. Less is being said about a reliever in Rochester who appears ready for an opportunity to help the Minnesota Twins at the big league level. For AJ Achter, that phone call would mean the world. Achter (pronounced awk-ter) said recently, “I can imagine it would be an amazing roller coaster of emotions. Just to think of so many people who have invested so much time and made so many sacrifices over my career to even give me this opportunity is unbelievable. For me to get the ultimate reward of reaching that goal, would not just be a big deal for me personally, but everyone who has believed in me my entire life.” Photo by Joe Territo/RedWingsBaseball.com As you know, Achter was the Twins 46th round pick in 2010 out of Michigan State University. He went to the Cape Cod League and then signed with the Twins twenty minutes before the August 16 deadline. He pitched in just four games that year for Elizabethton. In 2011, he went to Beloit where he made 19 starts. He returned to Beloit in 2012, this time in the bullpen. Since that move, he has flown through the Twins farm system. He posted a 1.70 ERA between Beloit and Ft. Myers in 2012 to earn the Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year ‘Award.' Last year, he split his season between New Britain and Rochester and posted a 2.54 ERA. Following the season, he was invited to participate in the Arizona Fall League, where he pitched well. It was an experience the right-hander enjoyed. “The experience in the AFL was unbelievable. It was a privilege to put on the Twins uniform every day and compete against the best prospects in baseball. My first seven or eight outings were great. Then I tired out and those guys out there make you pay for mistakes. But it was a great experience playing with so many outstanding players and forming lifelong friendships with them.” However, Achter was not added to the 40-man roster last fall and went undrafted in the Rule 5 draft. He also did not get an invitation to big league camp as a non-roster player. Then, after spring training camp, he began the 2014 season back a level at New Britain, a decision that likely disappointed Achter. He handled it well. “It was disappointing to start back there after having some success in Rochester the year before, but I understood that was the numbers game. I tried to turn it into motivation to get back to AAA as soon as an opportunity opened up and thankfully it did in mid-April.” That promotion to the Red Wings happened after just three games with the Rock Cats. In 6.2 innings, he gave up no runs on three hits and a walk while striking out 11. With the Red Wings, he has continued his dominance. In 20 games and 34 innings, he has a 1.85 ERA and a minuscule 0.77 WHIP. He has given up just 14 hits, walked 12 (five in his last two outings) and struck out 33 batters. Opponents are hitting just .124 off him. Achter has a solid three-pitch mix. He has a two-seam fastball in the low 90s which moves and sinks. He also is occasionally able to touch 95 with a four-seam fastball. He also has a sharp slider and a very good changeup. So, at 6'-5", he throws hard and gets ground balls, but is also able to mix his speeds well. He has always shown good control. So, to what does Achter attribute his success? “It's been a combination of everything. Aside from my last outing, my fastball command has been very good which is what I work off of. I've used a new slider grip that has helped that pitch be more consistent.” Achter has always been able to find motivation. He knows that 1,394 players were selected before him, and he uses that. “My motivation is working toward a dream that I've had since I've been a kid. With my dad playing in the NFL, I always had a dream of playing pro football, but baseball was always my true love. Regardless of obstacles or circumstances I've never lost sight of the same goal I had as a kid and that's being a Major League Baseball player. It is my motivation every day I wake up.” Achter’s father, Rod, was the Minnesota Vikings 9th round pick in the 1983 NFL Draft. The Rochester starting rotation and bullpen have both been tremendous. Gene Glynn and pitching coach Marty Mason have used them all very effectively. Achter has been used in save situations and in long relief. Achter gives a lot of credit to his pitching coach. “Marty has been one of the biggest reasons this staff has been what's it's been. He's an unbelievable influence, especially on us younger guys. He lets us do our own thing but if something needs to be corrected his knowledge of pitching is second to none. I cannot say enough good things about the impact he's had on me out on the mound.” In my mind, the 25-year-old has a chance to be a solid set up man, pitching in the 7th inning or even in long relief. In that way, I think he would profile similarly to Matt Guerrier during his early years with the Twins. The Minnesota Twins currently have eight men in their bullpen, one more than would be ideal. Should a time come this season when the Twins need another arm, Achter's name should come up prominently in those discussions.

It was a busy day in the Twins organization, even with the Cedar Rapids Kernels game in Kane County being rained out. The Red Wings and Miracle both played doubleheaders. Both short-season teams played. The New Britain Rock Cats sent Jason Wheeler to the mound for his Eastern League debut in search for the team’s record tenth straight win. Could they get it? Also, Mark Hamburger was promoted from New Britain to Rochester. The Twins beat the White Sox for the third straight time on Saturday afternoon. Kevin Correia was solid again, and Glen Perkins was able to hold on for a save. Let’s check out what happened in the Twins farm system on Saturday: RED WINGS REPORT Game 1 – Rochester 6, Buffalo 3 Box Score Before the game, Mark Hamburger was promoted from New Britain to Rochester after just eight games with the Rock Cats since his return from his 50-game suspension. He was put in action right away and recorded a two-inning save in the first game. He gave up two hits but walked none and struck out two. Trevor May was the winner for the eighth time this year. The right-hander gave up a three-run homer in the first inning, then threw four scoreless innings. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out three. Chris Rahl went 2-3 with his eighth double and two RBI. James Beresford went 2-3. Dan Rohlfing drove in two with his 12th double. Deibinson Romero went 1-2 with a walk and his second triple. Game 2 – Rochester 3, Buffalo 7 Box Score With the doubleheader, Scott Diamond was given another chance to start. It went about as well as expected. In 3.1 innings, he gave up five runs on six hits and two walks (without a strikeout). Deolis Guerra came on and gave up two runs on one hit and two walks. He struck out one. Edgar Ibarra went the next 1.2 innings and gave up one hit. He walked none and struck out two. Doug Bernier was 2-3 with a walk. Chris Herrmann went 2-4. Eric Farris was 2-3 with his 12th double. Josmil Pinto hit his second home run with the Red Wings. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 5, Reading 2 Box Score The Rock Cats were looking to increase their winning streak to a club record ten games, and they sent Jason Wheeler to the mound to make his AA debut. The lefty was up to the challenge. He gave up just two runs over 6.1 innings. He allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out seven. Cole Johnson came on and struck out two over 1.2 scoreless. Lester Oliveros came in for the ninth inning and gave up a hit but no runs for his 11th save. The Rock Cats managed just five hits, but they added six walks and took advantage of a couple Fightin Phillies errors. Nate Hanson drove in two runs. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his 20th double and stole his fourth base. Mike Kvasnicka walked twice and stole two bases. Aaron Hicks was 2-4, but as was noted, at least one of his hits was left-handed. With Hicks on the roster, Eddie Rosario played left field in this game. MIRACLE MATTERS Game 1 - Ft. Myers 3, St. Lucie 0 Box Score Tim Shibuya had to wait a day after yesterday's rainout but it didn’t seem to affect him at all. The right-hander threw all seven innings and didn’t give up a run. He gave up five hits, walked none and struck out one. He now has a 19.1 inning scoreless streak. Lance Ray had a double and drove in two runs. Max Kepler went 2-3 with his sixth double. He also stole his third base. Jorge Polanco went 2-4. Mike Gonzales and Travis Harrison each went 2-3. Harrison’s first hit of the day extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Tim Shibuya photo by Linwood Ferguson Game 2 - Ft. Myers @ St. Lucie Box Score In the second game, the script was switched. It was the Miracle bats that were silenced by Mets pitching prospect Matt Koch. The Miracle had just four hits. Jorge Polanco had two of them. Travis Harrison had a single to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. He had a 15 game hitting streak earlier in the season. It was a bullpen game for the Miracle. Steven Gruver, Brian Gilbert and Brandon Peterson each pitched two innings. Gruver gave up one run on one hit and two walks. Gilbert did not allow a run. Peterson gave up an unearned run on two hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids @ Kane County Box Score The game was postponed by poor weather. They will play a doubleheader on Sunday. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 5, Greeneville 6 Box Score It was a big day for a couple Minnesota kids. Eden Prairie’s (via U of Maryland) Blake Schmidt started at shortstop, and Red Wing's (via U of Nebraska) Pat Kelly played second base. Schmidt went 2-4. Kelly was 3-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Jonatan Hinojosa went 2-3 with a walk and a triple. Dutch Deol and Brian Navaretto each had a double. Nick Gordon was the DH. He went 1-4 in the game. Chih-Wei Hu went the first four innings. He gave up one run on two hits. He walked two and struck out four. Keaton Steele gave up three runs on five hits and a walk in two innings. He struck out one. Josue Montanez gave up two unearned runs on two hits and a walk. He struck out two. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Red Sox 5 Box Score The GCL team had an early-morning game at home on Saturday. They fell by one run. Brandon Easton started and went the first three innings. He gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks while striking out two. Zach Tillery gave up an unearned run on one walk and no hits. Miles Nordgren gave up two hits and a walk over three scoreless innings. Trevor Hildenberger came on and gave up an unearned run on two hits. Amaurys Minier is back in the GCL for a couple reasons. He had offseason shoulder surgery and he is also shifting from third base to the outfield. One thing he does possess is some power. He went 3-4 with his first home run of the season. Rafael Valeda went 2-4. Jarrard Poteete hit a double. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Tim Shibuya, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Pat Kelly, Elizabethton Twins SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (12:05 CST) – Sean Gilmartin (vs PJ Walters) (Listen) Reading @ New Britain (5:35 CST) – Tyler Duffey (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (4:00 CST) – JO Berrios (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (1:00 CST) – Fernando Romero (Listen) Pulaski @ Elizabethton (5:00 CST) – TBD (Listen) GCL Twins – No Game Scheduled. Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. A quick reminder: Thanks to the Twins third straight win over the White Sox on Saturday, it means that on you can get 50% off a Large of Extra Large pizza for the third straight day (on Sunday) when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code atPapaJohns.com.

The Twins blew a ninth inning lead, but Brian Dozier made a huge play with his glove and followed it with a game-winning, walk off single (after replay, of course). A night after the Elizabethton Twins opened their 2014 season, the GCL Twins season began. Ft. Myers' game in St. Lucie was postponed by rain, so Saturday will be a full day for Twins minor league baseball. There are eight games now scheduled for Saturday. We'll be sure to update you later tonight on what happened. So, for right now, enjoy what happened in the Twins farm system Friday: RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Buffalo 5 Box Score Kris Johnson was terrific through the game’s first innings. He held Buffalo scoreless. However, he was charged with three runs in the seventh inning before being removed with two outs. Johnson went 6.2 innings and gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks. Ryan Pressly came on and got the next three outs. Then he allowed two runs on one hit and three walks. AJ Achter came in and walked in a run before getting the final out. Chris Colabello got the game going in the right direction for the Red Wings. He hit a two-run homer in the first inning, his second with the team. Doug Bernier went 2-4. Josmil Pinto was 0-1, but he walked three times. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 10, Reading 8 Box Score The Rock Cats used the long ball to help power them to a win. All nine Rock Cats starters had at least one hit in the game. Eddie Rosario went 3-5 with his fourth double. Nate Hanson remained hot, going 2-4 with a walk. Kyle Knudson went 2-4. Brandon Waring gave the team an early lead with his sixth home run. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his 11th homer and Mike Kvasnicka hit his fourth homer in the seventh inning. The Fightin Phils had just tied the game at six in the top of the inning before those home runs. Taylor Rogers pitched well. He went 6.2 innings. He was charged with five runs, but four were unearned due to an error by Eddie Rosario (at second base). Rogers gave up nine hits, walked three and struck out three. Dan Turpen gave up a run on two hits and got just two outs. Ryan O’Rourke came on and struck out the two batters he faced. Matt Summers got the ninth inning. He gave up two runs on two hits and a walk. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers @ St. Lucie Box Score The game was postponed by rain and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Kane County 6 Box Score The Kernels grabbed a two run lead in the top of the first on a Mitch Garver two-run homer. Single runs by Kane County in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings had the team down by two. However, the Kernels tied the game with two runs in the sixth inning. Unfortunately, the Cougars scored two in the bottom of the 8th and held on for the win. Lewis Thorpe made his first start of the second half. He gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk in four innings while striking out two. Chris Mazza came on and gave up a run on two hits in two innings. He struck out three. Brandon Bixler gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in two innings to take the loss. Engelb Vielma led the offense. He was 2-3 with a walk and his ninth double. Bryan Haar went 2-4. Garver had a walk to go with his eighth home run. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 6, Greeneville 4 Box Score Greeneville took a 2-0 lead in the first, but the E-Twins clawed their way back. A three run eighth inning gave them a lead they were able to hold on to. Sam Gibbons made the start. He went four innings and gave up two runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out three. Dereck Rodriguez came on and worked three scoreless innings. He gave up just two hits, walked none and struck out one. Sam Clay came on for the eighth. He got two outs, but he gave up two runs on two hits and two walks. CK Irby came on and got the final out of the eighth inning and three outs in the ninth for the save. He walked two and struck out three. Jeremias Pineda, rehabbing from a hamate injury, went 2-3 with two walks and two stolen bases. He could return to Cedar Rapids soon. Max Murphy and Brett Doe each went 2-4 with a walk. After going 4-5 in his professional debut on Thursday night, Nick Gordon went 0-5 in his second game. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Red Sox 6 Box Score Dubal Baez went 3-4 with a double and a stolen base. Frank Encarnacion was 2-4 with a stolen base. Amaurys Minier, playing left field, added a double. Joel Polanco also had a double. Logan Wade went 0-3 on a rehab appearance. Onesimo Hernandez started and gave up three runs on four hits and three walks in just two innings. He was replaced by Mat Batts. The lefty was charged with the loss, though he pitched well. He gave up only an unearned run on one hit in three innings. He struck out two. Zach Hayden came in and walked the two batters he faced. Both came around to score. Seth Wagner replaced him and went two innings. He gave up just two hits and no runs. Callan Pearce have up one hit, and struck out two, in a scoreless inning. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Dereck Rodriguez, Elizabethton Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Eddie Rosario, New Britain Rock Cats SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (DH @ 4:35 CST) – Trevor May, Scott Diamond (Listen) Reading @ New Britain (5:35 CST) – Jason Wheeler (Listen) Ft. Myers @ St. Lucie (DH @ 3:00 CST) – Tim Shibuya, Matt Tomshaw (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 CST) – Ryan Eades (Listen) Elizabethton @ Greeneville (5:00 CST) – Chih-Wei Hu (Listen) GCL Red Sox @ GCL Twins (9:00am CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games. A quick reminder: Thanks to the Twins win over the White Sox on Friday, it means that on Saturday you can get 50% off a Large of Extra Large pizza when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code atPapaJohns.com.

On Thursday night, the short-season Elizabethton Twins opened their season with a win in Greeneville. This afternoon, the Gulf Coast League Twins begin their schedule. Today, I’ll be taking a look and trying to familiarize Twins Daily readers with these young players. The GCL squad is always an interesting mix of players from all over the world and with all kinds of experiences and backgrounds. This season is no different. There are some 17 year olds who signed internationally a year ago, and there are some 22 year olds who just finished their fourth year of college baseball. Some of these players will work their way up to Elizabethton later in the season. Maybe next year a couple of them will work their way up to full season Cedar Rapids. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. Nelson Molina The Pitchers Mat Batts – The Twins drafted former Baseball America intern in the 17th round this month out of UNC-Wilmington. He will not use Batts to earn his pay in baseball. Instead he will use his left arm, which may not hit 90 on a radar gun, but can throw three pitches. He went 6-3 with a 2.69 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in 15 starts. In 103.2 innings, he walked just 18 and struck out 105. Eddie Del Rosario – Eddie Del Rosario made his professional debut last summer in the Dominican Summer League. In 44.1 innings, the right-hander gave up just 22 hits. He also walked 25 while striking out 30. The now 19-year-old went 2-3 with a 2.03 ERA. Brandon Easton –The Twins drafted Easton in the 24th round last year as a left-handed pitcher out of Lakeland Community College. There, he played a lot of first base, but at 6-5, he profiled more as a pitcher. He throws hard, but he’s still learning to pitch. Last year in the GCL, he went 1-3 with a 7.45 ERA and a 1.97 WHIP. In 19.1 innings, he gave up 25 hits, walked 13 and struck out 11. Onas Farfan –The Twins took Farfan in the 21st round this year out of Ridgewater College which is in Willmar/Hutchinson. The Venezuelan moved to Minnesota when he was 16 to live with relatives. It is being pointed out that he was the first player drafted out of the Minneapolis RBI program. He is left-handed, hits 91 and made a name for himself with an impressive showing in the Northwoods League in 2013. Miguel Gonzalez – The 19-year-old right-hander pitched in 20 games out of the bullpen last year in the GCL. In 25.2 innings, he gave up just 20 hits, walked nine and struck out 33. He went 0-0 with three saves and a 1.05 ERA and a WHIP of 1.13. Josh Guyer – The Twins signed the right-hander out of Australia in 2012. Last year, he made his professional debut with the GCL team. He went 1-2 with a 5.30 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP in just 18.2 innings. He gave up 18 hits, walked 13 and struck out 22. Zach Hayden – 23rd round 2013, U South Carolina – Zach Hayden was the Twins 23rd round pick out of the University of South Carolina, in Aiken, S.C. Last year he pitched just nine innings in the GCL. He went 1-0 and didn’t give up a run. He walked five and struck out six. Onesimo Hernandez – Though Hernandez is already 22, 2013 was his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League. In 46 innings, the right-hander gave up 48 hits, walked 17 and struck out 32. he was 2-3 with a 4.11 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. Trev Hildenberger – He was the Twins 22nd round pick just this year out of Cal-Berkley. He was the team’s closer and pitched in 28 games. In 47.2 innings, he gave up 41 hits, walked 11 and struck out 48. He went 3-3 with 10 saves with a 2.83 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. Wilfredy Loranzo – The 19-year-old righty made his pro debut last year in the DSL. He went 3-4 with a 3.07 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. In 51 innings, he gave up just 21 hits. He walked 27 but struck out 62. Miles Nordgren – Nordgren was the Twins 23rd round pick this year out of Birmingham Southern. He was 8-2 with a 1.37 ERA in 78.2 innings. He walked just 11 and struck out 62. Callan Pearce – The Twins signed Pearce from Australia last year when he was just 16. 2014 will be his professional debut. Alexis Tapia – Tapia spent 2013 as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League. The right-hander went 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA with a 0.87 WHIP. In 42 innings, he issued just five walks while striking out 31. Mike Thoefanopoulos – If nothing else, the Twins 30th round pick will make things difficult for Twins writers and bloggers. The left-hander went to the University of California at Berkley. He went 7-27 (.259) with a home run as a hitter for the Golden Bears this season. In 25.1 innings on the mound, he gave up 29 hits, walked 11 and struck out 24. Zack Tillery – Zack Tillery is a hard-throwing, right-handed reliever the Twins drafted out of Florida Gulf Coast this year in the 13th round. He hit .314/.388/.476 (.864) with 17 extra base hits, but he was drafted as a pitcher. He pitched 35.2 innings and gave up 39 hits, walked 14 and struck out 28. Seth Wagner – Wagner was the Twins 39th round pick a year ago after his high school career in Pennsylvania. The lefty signed fairly late and pitched 10.2 innings over six games in the GCL. He gave up only five hits, but he walked seven while striking out eight. Reyson Zoquiel – Zoquiel is a left-hander who throws hard. In 2013, he made his US debut in the GCL after two seasons in the DSL. He worked just 14 innings, in large part due to control issues. He gave up 17 hits and 17 walks leading to his 2.49 WHIP. The Catchers Gabriel Ojeda – Ojeda was the Twins 27th round pick this year out of high school in Puerto Rico. A young but strong, athletic catcher. He has an average arm, but has put up some very good pop times. Offensively, he could develop some power. Jarrard Poteete – Poteete was the Twins 19th round pick this year out of Connors State College (a junior college). He hit .390/.481/.538 (1.019) with 15 doubles, a triple and four home runs. Rainis Silva – Silva, who is just 18 years old, made his professional debut last summer in the DSL. He hit just .223/.289/.250 (.539) with four doubles. He has a strong arm. The Infielders Jack Barrie – The Twins signed the lumbering 18-year-old from Australia late last year. He certainly has a lot of power potential. Manuel Guzman – In 2013, Guzman was an 18 year old making his pro debut in the DSL. He hit .291/.392/.378 (.770) with four doubles, three triples and a home run. He stole 12 bases. It should be noted as well that he walked 23 times while striking out 19 times. Nelson Molina – A year ago, Molina was the Twins 11th round pick out of high school in Puerto Rico. It was a tough debut with the bat as he hit just .110/.178/.119 (.297) with one double. However, at 6-3 and 175 pounds, he has a chance to grow. Defensively, the belief is that he can be a big league shortstop, though he will also play some second base. He compares favorably, in my mind, with Engelb Vielma. Ariel Montesino – A year ago, Montesino was a 17 year old making his pro debut in the DSL. He hit .270/.393/.419 (.812) with two doubles, three triples and a home run. He also stole eight bases. Joel Ramirez – Last year was Ramirez’s first year in the DSL. He hit .252/.394/.315 (.709) with seven doubles and a triple. He also stole 20 bases. Although he played around the infield, he was mostly at shortstop. Rafael Valera – Valera has spent each of the past two years in the DSL. As an 18-year-old last year, he hit .262/.420/.315 (.736) with five doubles and two triples. He stole 19 bases. He played all over the infield and outfield, but primarily at third base. Ruar Verkerk – He was signed last offseason as a 16 year old from Netherlands. He's now 17 and will likely play mostly at third base. The Outfielders Dubal Baez – After spending four seasons in the DSL, the 21-year-old Baez will make his debut in the US with the GCL Twins. Last year, he hit .335/.447/.396 (.844) with eight doubles and a triple. He also stole 27 bases. He primarily played in center field, but also got time in the middle infield. Tyree Davis – Davis was the Twins 37th round pick earlier this month of out high school in Compton, California. A great athlete with speed, Davis fits the profile of toolsy, athletic type. He is a switch-hitter who can play a good centerfield. Frank Encarnacion – Last year in the DSL, Encarnacion hit .267/.344/.422 (.766) with 13 doubles, a triple and two home runs. The 18-year-old played all three outfield positions, mostly in left field. He’s one of those rare players who bats right-handed and throws left-handed. Roberto Gonzalez – This toolsy outfielder from Orlando was the Twins 15th round pick this year. He has very good speed and can play good defense. Depending on how many of his tools become skills, he is certainly one to watch. Amaurys Minier – Just 18, Minier made his US debut last year in the GCL. He hit .214/.252/.455 (.707) with five doubles, two triples and six home runs. He played third base. This spring, he had shoulder surgery so he missed a lot of time. That is likely part of the reason that he is back in the GCL, and may be part of why he is now in the outfield. Disabled List Jose Abreu – 21, RHP Damian Defrank – 18, RHP Leonel Zazueta – 19, RHP Jhon Silva – 21, RHP (After three years as an outfielder in the DSL, he was moved to pitcher last year. This is his US debut.) Joel Polanco – 21, C/1B

We don’t know a lot about what will happen at the end of the season, but we do know that the Ft. Myers Miracle will return to the Florida State League playoffs. It came down to the final game, but their win clinched the division and a playoff spot for Doug Mientkiewicz’s crew. Kyle Gibson has done a great job of late at proving those who believed in him right. On Wednesday afternoon in Fenway Park, Gibson threw seven more shutout innings, increasing his streak to 22 consecutive innings. However, it wasn’t enough as the Twins fell 2-1 in ten innings to the Red Sox. Let’s check out what happened in the Twins farm system on Wednesday: RED WINGS REPORT Game 1 - Rochester 4, Pawtucket 9 Box Score Sean Gilmartin made his Rochester debut on Tuesday night. He went 3.1 innings and gave up two unearned runs on six hits. He walked none and struck out two. That’s when the rains came and the game was suspended until Wednesday night. Scott Diamond took over on the mound. The lefty went the next 2.1 innings. He gave up one unearned run on three hits. Deolis Guerra came on and was charged with four runs (2 earned) on three hits and recorded just one out. AJ Achter came on and got the next three outs. However, he was uncharacteristically wild. He gave up two runs on four walks and struck out two. Edgar Ibarra threw the final two innings. He didn’t give up a run, though he allowed three hits and walked two. He struck out three. Dan Rohling led the offense. He went 2-3 with a walk and his tenth double. Eric Farris was 2-5 with his 11th double and two RBI. Deibinson Romero doubled for the 18th time. Chris Herrmann hit his second triple. Game 2 - Rochester 1, Pawtucket 4 Box Score Another start for Alex Meyer, and again he was unable to eat many innings due to high pitch counts. He needed 78 pitches just to get through three innings. He gave up no runs on two hits. He walked two and struck out four. Ryan Pressly came in and threw three shutout innings. He gave up a hit, walked one and struck out two. Michael Tonkin came in for the seventh inning. He gave up four runs (3 earned) on three hits, a walk and a hit batter. Aaron Thompson came in and got the final two outs of the inning, but not before walking two batters. There wasn’t much offense for the Red Wings in this one. Wilkin Ramirez went 2-3 with his 16th double. Dan Rohlfing was 1-2 with a walk and his 11th double. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 5, Harrisburg 4 Box Score Down 4-3 after eight innings, the Rock Cats scored two to take the lead. The runs were driven in by Mike Kvasnicka with a bases loaded single. He was 2-3 with two walks. Kennys Vargas went 3-5 with his 13th double. Tony Thomas went 3-4 with a walk and his 13th double. Virgil Vasquez made the start for the Rock Cats. He went 6.2 innings and gave up four runs on eight hits (two home runs) and two walks. Matt Summers came on and got four outs, two on strikeouts. Lester Oliveros struck out two in the ninth for his tenth save of the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Bradenton 0 Box Score Doug Mientkiewicz is in his second season as the Miracle manager. For the second straight season, he has led his squad to a first-half title. It took until the final game of the first half, but the Miracle win on Wednesday night means they will be in the playoffs again. A year ago, they clinched with about eight games to go. This year it was a little more difficult. DJ Baxendale made the start for the Miracle. He went six shutout innings. He gave up just four hits, walked none and struck out five. Matt Tomshaw came on in relief and did what he’s done all season: throw up a few zeroes. He threw three scoreless innings for his second save of the year. The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when Stuart Turner stepped to the plate and hit his fourth home run of the season to give the Miracle a 1-0 lead. Turner went 2-3 in the game, adding his eighth double. Stephen Wickens and Lance Ray each went 2-4 with a double. Travis Harrison also had two hits. KERNELS NUGGETS All Star Break. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – DJ Baxendale, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Mike Kvasnicka, New Britain Rock Cats THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (12:05 CST) – Logan Darnell (Listen) New Britain @ Harrisburg (6:00 CST) – TBD (Listen) Ft. Myers @ St. Lucie (5:30 CST) – TBD (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 CST) – Aaron Slegers (Listen) Elizabethton @ Greeneville (6:00 CST) - Stephen Gonsalves Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Wednesday games. CEDAR RAPIDS / TWINS WEEKEND Consider a trip to Cedar Rapids for the series against Clinton June 27-30. It is their Twins Weekend, and they have several fun events. Check out www.kernels.com for more information or to order tickets. Friday, June 27 Friday Mug Club Drink Special Autism Action Jersey Night - fans can bid on jerseys and take players' jerseys home that night. Halfway to Christmas - (Santa, Mrs. Claus and reindeer will be there) Post game fireworks Stadium Snow Globe giveaway Saturday, June 28 Twins Night - Rod Carew, Twins organist Sue Nelson and TC Bear will be there. Post game fireworks Sunday, June 29 Post game run the bases Autographs from Kernels on field after the game Play bingo for a chance to win Twins tickets

Since Opening Day of the minor league season, we have been doing daily Twins Minor League Reports here at Twins Daily. Each day, we were following the Rochester Red Wings, the New Britain Rock Cats, the Ft. Myers Miracle and the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Meanwhile, many Twins minor leaguers have been in Ft. Myers, working out and playing in extended spring training. Later this week, those players – along with signed 2014 draft picks – will begin their official seasons. The Elizabethton Twins (Advanced Rookie) open on Thursday while the Gulf Coast League Twins (Rookie) start on Friday afternoon. Today, we’ll take a look at the Elizabethton Twins roster as their season begins. Tomorrow, we’ll look at the Gulf Coast League roster. Note that these are very brief bios, so feel free to ask any questions you would like. The Starting Pitchers Stephen Gonsalves – The Twins 4th round pick in 2013 pitched really well last year for the GCL Twins and the E-Twins in his professional debut. He combined to post a 0.95 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in 28.1 innings. He walked 11 and struck out 39. If I’m being honest, I’m shocked that he isn’t in Cedar Rapids, and I expect he’ll perform well again. Sam Gibbons – The 20-year-old Australian has pitched in the GCL each of the last two seasons. Chih-Wei Hu – The stocky, 20-year-old from Taiwan went 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA last year with the GCL Twins. He walked eight and struck out 39 in 36.2 innings. Felix Jorge – A year ago, Jorge went 2-2 with a 2.95 ERA in 12 starts for the E-Twins. In 61 innings, he walked 18 and struck out 72. He began this season in Cedar Rapids, but went 2-5 with a 9.00 ERA in 12 games for the Kernels. In 39 innings, he walked 20 and struck out 23 before being sent back to EST. Derrick Penilla – The 22-year-old lefty was the Twins 15th round pick a year ago. He pitched for the GCL Twins a year ago. He began this season at EST but was promoted to Cedar Rapids where he pitched in just seven games before heading back down. Mike Cederoth – Cederoth is the hard-throwing third round pick from San Diego State. He signed just last week. He pitched primarily out of the bullpen where his 98 mph fastball plays well. He has had opportunities to start in college, but his downfall has been his control. The Twins are going to give him a chance to start. The Relief Pitchers Cameron Booser – He signed after the 2013 draft after not being drafted. He pitched in just three games at the end of the GCL season. Reports from spring training indicate that the 6-3, 225 pound lefty throws really hard. Sam Clay – The Twins 4th round pick this year out of Georgia Tech. Some think he may be able to start at some point, but he’ll likely continue to work out of the bullpen for the E-Twins this summer. Andro Cutura – He was the Twins 7th round pick this season out of Southeastern Louisiana University. CK Irby – Irby was the Twins 10th round pick just last year out of Samford University. He pitched in ten games last year for the E-Twins. Randy LeBlanc – LeBlanc was the Twins 10th round pick this year from Tulane University. He was a fourth-year, redshirt junior. Kuo Hua Lo – Lo pitched for the E-Twins a year ago. In 38 innings, he walked 14 and struck out 34 in 38 innings. He was 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA. The right-hander from Taiwan is 21 years old. Dereck Rodriguez – The Twins selected Ivan Rodriguez’s son with their 6th pick in the 2011 draft out of high school. After hitting .216/.279/.336 (.615) over three years in the rookie leagues, he has been moved to pitcher where the hope is his strong right-arm will be able to get hitters out. Keaton Steele – He was the Twins 8th round pick this year out of the University of Missouri, which has been a hot bed for big league pitchers in the last half-dozen years. Catchers Brett Doe – Doe was the Twins 38th round pick this year out of Baylor University. Brian Navaretto – Navaretto was the Twins 6th round pick last year out of high school in Jacksonville, Florida. The 6-4, 220 pound (at least), 19-year-old hit .226/.318/.365 (.683) with ten doubles and three homers with the GCL Twins last year. He is quite impressive in spring training and has a ceiling of Salvador Perez. Alex Real – He was the Braves 48th round pick out of high school. He went to the University of New Mexico where he was a teammate of Kernels' catcher Mitch Garver. Real played first base and DH his first two years as Garver caught. He caught this year. The Twins selected him with their 24th round pick this year. INFIELDERS Nick Gordon – The Twins top pick will begin his professional career with Elizabethton. This is not a typical Twins move as even Kohl Stewart and Byron Buxton began their careers with the GCL. It will be interesting how Gordon adapts to professional ball, wood bats and life away from his family. Don’t worry at all about the stats, but it is very exciting to see him get started. Jonatan Hinojosa – He is a 21 year old who spent three seasons in the Dominican Summer League. He spent last season in the GCL where he hit .236/.310/.336. He began this season at EST but was promoted to Cedar Rapids where he played one game before being suspended for 50 games. His suspension continues. Will Hurt – Hurt was drafted in the 16th round in 2012 out of Lexington High School, the same school Ben Revere went to. He has spent the last two seasons in the GCL. Last year, he hit .342 but had a .387 OBP as he walked 16 times and struck out 17 times. He’s a speed guy who can play both middle infield positions. Pat Kelly – Kelly was the Twins 12th round pick out of the University of Nebraska. The Red Wings, MN, native had a solid three-year career with the Cornhuskers. He should play a lot of second base. Tyler Mautner – Mautner was the Twins 14th round pick this year out of the University of Buffalo, the same school as Kernels outfielder Jason Kanzler. The third baseman is believed to have good power. Blake Schmidt – Another Eden Prairie native, Schmidt was the Twins 26th round pick after three years at the University of Maryland. Trev Vavra – He was the Twins 33rd round pick this year out of Florida Southern University. As you know, he is the son of Twins third base coach, Joe, and the brother of Kernels second baseman, Tanner. OUTFIELDERS Dutch Deol – Deol was the Cardinals 17th round pick out of high school in 2011. He has spent the last three years in the rookie leagues and was hurt most of last year. He hit .152/.245/.230 over those three years and the Cardinals let him go. He’s a good athlete so the Twins took a shot, signing him to a free agent contract. Austin Diemer – He was the Twins 28th round pick after his career as a centerfielder at Cal State-Fullerton. He is a good athlete. Max Murphy – Another Minnesota native, Murphy was the Twins 9th round pick this year out of Bradley University. Another guy drafted as a centerfielder, he will get a chance to play around the outfield. He is from Robbinsdale, MN. DISABLED LIST Josh Burris – RHP JT Chargois – RHP Jorge Fernandez – C Carson Goldsmith – RHP Jake Proctor – OF Tyler Stirewalt – RHP Ryan Tufts – OF

There has been plenty of speculation the last week or two about which Twins starter would be replaced in the rotation, and by whom. First, it was Kevin Correia, and now he has had two straight terrific starts including last night’s 1-0 loss to the Red Sox. Sam Deduno has had two very poor starts in a row, and now the discussion is about who will take his spot in the rotation starting on Thursday. The Rochester Red Wings starting rotation has been very impressive which means that speculation of who will make Deduno’s start on Thursday can lead in several directions. We’ll try to clarify that today, or at least arm you with what you need to know as it relates to the Twins decision. While we are at it, we’ll take a look at some of the other players (relievers and hitters) in Rochester who deserve at least consideration for a call up to the Minnesota Twins. RED WINGS STARTERS We’ve been informed via Chris Fee that Sean Gilmartin has been called up to the Red Wings and will start on Tuesday. Yohan Pino will now start on Wednesday. Alex Meyer has been pushed to Thursday. Logan Darnell follows Meyer in the Red Wings rotation. Trevor May pitched on Monday night, and Kris Johnson pitched on Sunday. So, here’s a look at the Red Wings starters and their promotion credentials. Alex Meyer – Meyer is the top prospect, the guy that we are all waiting for. He has been solid with the Red Wings this year. Meyer has a record of 4-3, with a 3.62 ERA. In 64.2 innings, he has given up 56 hits, walked 30 and struck out 76. We love the strikeout rate. We love the big fastball, and the fact that he has four pitches that most evaluators believe will make him a top of the rotation starter. That said, if you’re walking 4.2 per nine innings in AAA, that isn’t very good. It is his career high. He is coming off of his worst start of the year. He went just two innings on Friday and gave up three runs on five hits and two walks. He threw 55 pitches before being removed. The start before that he threw six shutout innings and gave up just four hits and a walk while striking out eight. The game before that, four runs in five innings. Consistency is a legit concern at this point for the 24-year-old, but there’s little question he can be a good big league starter. Yohan Pino – The Twins signed Pino in 2004. He was traded to Cleveland in the Carl Pavano trade in 2009. Since then, he’s been between AA and AAA but never made it to the big leagues. The 30-year-old right-hander is at least putting his name on the map as a possible call up. He is 9-1 with a 1.92 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP. Though he doesn’t throw very hard, he has been racking up strikeouts. In 61 innings, he has 61 strikeouts to go with just 16 walks. He has pitched out of the bullpen and as a starter and done well in either role. Kris Johnson – Johnson came to the Twins this offseason in a trade for Duke Welker, who was the player to be named later in the Justin Morneau trade to Pittsburgh. Last year, he led the International League with a 2.39 ERA. He’s doing just as well this year. He is 6-3 with a 2.60 ERA. He has 62 strikeouts and 28 walks in 72.2 innings. He did make one start for the Twins earlier in the season and went five innings. Johnson has struggled in two of his last three starts. Most recently, he gave up three runs on five hits and three walks in 5.2 innings. The start before that, he gave up two runs in eight innings. Three starts ago, he gave up five runs on four hits and three walks in five innings. Logan Darnell – The 25-year-old had a nice ten-day stint with the Twins earlier this season when the Twins needed a bullpen guy who could eat multiple innings. In his one appearance, he was very impressive in three shutout innings. With the Red Wings, he is 2-4 with a 2.75 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. In 55.2 innings, he has 53 strikeouts, but he also has walked 24 (3.9 BB/9 IP). On June 8, he gave up four runs on eight hits and three walks in 5.1 innings. In his most recent start, he threw five innings and gave up only an unearned run. He gave up just three hits, but he uncharacteristically walked five. His spot in the rotation comes up on Thursday, making him the starter who is in line to start in Deduno’s spot without altering his schedule. Trevor May – The speculation was that the 24-year-old might be the guy to come up to replace Deduno. Some of that may be because he was on the same schedule as Kevin Correia who two starts ago looked to be on his last leg. May made his scheduled start on Monday night. He wasn’t on a pitch count limit, to be sure. He threw 120 pitches and pitched in the ninth inning and gave up just one run. Control was his biggest issue earlier in his career, but his walk rate has drop from 4.7/9 innings in 2012 to 4.0/9 innings in 2013. After last night’s start, his walk rate is at 3.5 per nine. Like Meyer, May has the “stuff” and the prospect status that people believe will give him a shot to succeed in the big leagues. Let’s just compare the stats of these five starters. Try your best not to look at the name and especially their ages when evaluating who has been the best, or is the most deserving of the promotion. [TABLE] Pitcher W-L ERA WHIP H/9 BB/9 K/9 Alex Meyer 4-3 3.62 1.33 7.8 4.2 10.6 Logan Darnell 2-4 2.75 1.37 8.4 3.9 8.6 Kris Johnson 6-3 2.60 1.20 7.3 3.5 7.7 Yohan Pino 9-1 1.92 0.93 6.0 2.4 9.0 Trevor May 7-4 2.77 1.11 6.5 3.5 9.4 [/TABLE] There is no statistical analysis that can look at the above numbers and say that Yohan Pino is not deserving of an opportunity. However, that’s where the statistical world and the scouting world will butt heads. Many will say that Pino doesn’t have the stuff to get big league hitters out. That may very well be true. However, my opinion (and maybe mine alone) is that when you put up those kinds of numbers at the highest level below the big leagues, you deserve an opportunity just to see. That said, if any of these five guys got called up, or get called up later in the season, it will have been earned. If you believe Trevor May should be the one promoted, they can do so creatively. They could have Darnell start for the Twins on Thursday, in his normal spot, and then after the game send him down. At that point, there could be a shifting of the rotation such that May would start on Sunday or Monday for the Twins as well. It can happen if they choose to go in that direction. That said, if it is Logan Darnell, he’s earned the opportunity and it would be nice to see him get a handful of starts. THE BULLPEN OPTIONS Real quickly I wanted to point out that there are a couple of good options in Rochester if the Twins needed a bullpen arm (and didn’t just move a starter there). AJ Achter and Michael Tonkin both have pitched well for the Red Wings. Tonkin has the name, and he’s on the 40 man roster, and he throws pretty hard. Achter is not on the 40 man roster, doesn’t throw as hard, but has consistently put up remarkable numbers. If they were to want or need a left-hander, Aaron Thompson should be considered. [TABLE] Pitcher W-L ERA WHIP H/9 BB/9 K/9 AJ Achter 2-2 1.38 0.61 3.6 1.9 8.5 Michael Tonkin 1-0 1.93 1.00 7.1 1.9 9.0 Aaron Thompson 1-2 2.67 1.15 6.7 3.7 8.3 [/TABLE] HITTERS Chris Colabello and Josmil Pinto were a big part of the Twins offense early in the season. They are each working their way back in Rochester, but a few other names are worth getting to know. Deibinson Romero made a strong impression with his bat in spring training, and he has continued to rake in Rochester. He is now hitting .312/.407/.468 (.875) with 17 doubles and five home runs. He does already have 15 errors at third base, but his bat may be able to play in the big leagues. While Romero is the hitter, the Twins have a couple of glove-first guys in Rochester who would have to be considered if the Twins need another utility infielder (they have several already). We saw Doug Bernier last year. He has been playing all over the diamond this year, and he’s hitting .288/.369/.412 with 10 doubles and three home runs. James Beresford has been the Red Wings second baseman. He’s hitting .293/.343/.360 (.703) with 11 doubles, a triple and a homer. Eric Farris got one at-bat in 2011 with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 2012, he went 1-8 with the Brewers. He came to the Twins a year ago and split time between New Britain and Rochester. He’s been the primary centerfielder for the Red Wings this year. He has hit .289/.328/.362 (.690). So, there may not be as many hitters as pitchers putting up big numbers, but it’s always nice to know who could be next should a need arise.

I certainly hope all of the fathers out there had a wonderful Father’s Day! I hope that is the case even if you did watch the Twins/Tigers finale on Sunday afternoon. The Twins put on a very poor defensive display and fell to the Tigers by a score of 4-3. The Florida State League All-Star game was on Saturday night, and the Midwest League All-Star game will be played on Tuesday. That means we may see some promotions soon. One important thing to watch on Monday is the start of Trevor May in Rochester. If he is pitching fairly well and only throws 50 pitches or so, consider it a sign. On Sunday morning, Trevor Plouffe was put on the disabled list with a strained oblique muscle. Pedro Florimon was in Detroit in case that needed to happen. Below you’ll find what happened in the Twins farm system on Sunday: RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Lehigh Valley 5 Box Score Doug Bernier led the Red Wings offense on Sunday. He went 3-4 with his 10th double and three RBI. Josmil Pinto went 2-4 with his first AAA double of the year. Kris Johnson went just 5.2 innings. He gave up three runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out three. Ryan Pressly then gave up two unearned runs on two hits in 2.1 innings. He struck out four without a walk. Michael Tonkin struck out two in a perfect ninth. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 6, Trenton 2 Box Score Taylor Rogers was my choice for Twins minor league starting pitcher of the year in 2013. After three poor starts at the beginning of the season, he has been quite good. On Sunday, the lefty threw a nine-inning, complete game for the win. He gave up two runs on six hits. He walked none and struck out two. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 3-4. Brandon Waring went 1-2 with two walks and his 15th double. Kennys Vargas went 1-3 with a walk and his 12th home run. MIRACLE MATTERS Florida State League All-Star Break KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Burlington 13 Box Score Coming into the season, the thought was that the Kernels offense would struggle, at least relative to the dominant 2013 lineup. However, the other belief was that the Kernels pitching would be able to help carry the team. What people forgot was that most of the hitters were older minor leaguers while the pitchers were generally very young. It should have been expected that there might be days like this. Ethan Mildren started and gave up four runs on nine hits over 3.1 innings. Jared Wilson replaced him and was charged with three runs, one earned, on two hits in 1.2 innings. Alex Muren was next up, and he gave up four runs on five hits in 2.1 innings. Todd Van Steensel got the final five outs. He gave up two runs on three hits and a walk. He struck out four. Chad Christensen went 2-4. Tanner Vavra went 1-2 with two walks and his fourth stolen base. Ryan Walker hit a two-run double. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Taylor Rogers, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Doug Bernier, Rochester Red Wings MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (6:05 CST) – Trevor May (Listen) New Britain – No Game Scheduled (Listen) Bradenton @ Ft. Myers (6:05) – Jason Wheeler (Listen) Cedar Rapids – All Star Break (Listen) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games. CEDAR RAPIDS / TWINS WEEKEND Consider a trip to Cedar Rapids for the series against Clinton June 27-30. It is their Twins Weekend, and they have several fun events. Check out www.kernels.com for more information or to order tickets. Friday, June 27 Friday Mug Club Drink Special Autism Action Jersey Night - fans can bid on jerseys and take players' jerseys home that night. Halfway to Christmas - (Santa, Mrs. Claus and reindeer will be there) Post game fireworks Stadium Snow Globe giveaway Saturday, June 28 Twins Night - Rod Carew, Twins organist Sue Nelson and TC Bear will be there. Post game fireworks Sunday, June 29 Post game run the bases Autographs from Kernels on field after the game Play bingo for a chance to win Twins tickets

The Twins attempted to come from way behind on Saturday but fell to the Tigers 12-9. Injuries were the story. Trevor Plouffe hurt his oblique. He was replaced at third base by Eduardo Nunez, who later pulled his hamstring. Because of these injuries, the Twins will have Pedro Florimon in Detroit on Sunday, ready to play if either Plouffe or Nunez needs to go on the disabled list. In the minor leagues, there were some impressive performances by hitters. One hitter put himself in the spotlight and showcased his skills at an All-Star game. At least eight players had three hits or got on base four times. Even better, all three affiliates that played got a win. Below you’ll find what happened in the Twins farm system on Saturday: RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 11, Lehigh Valley 1 Box Score The Red Wings got off to a fast start and never really looked back in this blowout of the IronPigs. The team scored two runs in the first inning and a Josmil Pinto grand slam in the second frame further got things going on the right note. Wilkin Ramirez went 3-5 with his 12th and 13th doubles. Deibinson Romero went 3-5 with his 16th double. Chris Colabello went 2-2 with two walks. Pinto added a single to his grand slam. Chris Rahl hit his third home run and drove in three runs. Logan Darnell was uncharacteristically wild, and yet he pitched out of some jams. The lefty went five innings. He gave up only an unearned run on three hits. He walked five batters and struck out four. AJ Achter came on and continued his dominance. He struck out three in three shutout innings. That puts him at 13.2 consecutive scoreless innings. He did give up one hit which ended a stretch of ten innings without yielding a hit. Aaron Thompson pitched a scoreless ninth. ROCK CATS REVIEW Game 1 – New Britain 3, Trenton 2 Box Score This game began on Friday night but was suspended due to weather late in the game. It finished on Saturday in walk-off fashion. Down 2-1 going into the bottom of the 9th inning, Nate Hanson and Kennys Vargas walked. Reynaldo Rodriguez singled to load the bases. That brought Brandon Waring to the plate. The veteran singled to left which scored Hanson with the tying run and Vargas with the winning run. Waring finished 2-4 with his 14th double. Rodriguez was 2-4 and gave the Rock Cats their first run of the game with his ninth home run. Virgil Vasquez started the game and went six innings. He gave up one run on four hits. He walked three and struck out six. Adrian Salcedo gave up a hit and walked two but didn’t allow a run in the 7th inning. Matt Summers got the eighth frame. He gave up a run on two hits. Cole Johnson pitched the ninth and struck out two in a perfect inning. Game 2 – New Britain 4, Trenton 3 Box Score It has been a season of ups and downs for lefty Pat Dean, but on Saturday night, it was definitely a good day. Dean gave up just one run on five hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out three. Mark Hamburger gave up a run on two hits in his two innings. Lester Oliveros recorded his ninth save. He gave up one run in the ninth but held on. It was surprising to see Jairo Rodriguez start this game as the team’s designated hitter. It was even more surprising to see that he went 3-4 with the bat. It is most surprising that he stole a base. Mike Kvasnicka went 2-4 with his ninth and tenth doubles. Kennys Vargas went 2-4 with his 11th home run. MIRACLE MATTERS Florida State League All Star Game Box Score Most of the Miracle team was able to take a second straight day off. Four members of the team were named to the Florida State League All Star game. David Hurlbut and Brett Lee didn’t play in the game. JO Berrios and Adam Walker both did, and both performed like stars. JO Berrios was the starter for the South team. He gave up one hit and one walk, but he struck out two in the first inning. Adam Walker put on a show before the game and then during the game. He participated in the annual Home Run Derby and demolished baseball after baseball to win the competition. In the game, he batted fifth and played right field. He went 3-5 with a double and a solo home run. He was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Burlington 6 Box Score This game went back and forth, right up to the final batter of the game, but the Kernels came through with the win. Kohl Stewart was pushed ahead a day, likely to allow him to be able to pitch an inning in the Midwest League All-Star game on Tuesday. The young right-hander threw four shutout innings. He gave up six hits, walked three and struck out three. Josue Montanez gave up three runs on three hits, a walk and a hit batter in three innings. Brandon Bixler gave up one run on one hit and a walk in his inning. That brings us to the ninth inning. Hudson Boyd came in to protect a 6-4 lead, but he gave up home runs to the first two batters he faced to tie the game. He managed to keep the game tied. So, the game went to the bottom of the ninth. The first two batters got on which brought Jason Kanzler to the plate. Kanzler laid down a perfect bunt in an attempt to advance the runners. However, a poor throw got by the first baseman and allowed the winning run to score. Ryan Walker led the offense. He went 3-4 with his third and fourth triples. Engelb Vielma went 3-5. Jon Murphy went 3-4. Chad Christensen went 2-5 with his sixth home run. Jason Kanzler was 2-5. Jake Mauer missed the final inning as he was ejected earlier in the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Adam Walker, Ft. Myers Miracle SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (12:05 CST) – Kris Johnson (Listen) Trenton @ New Britain (12:35 CST) – Taylor Rogers (Listen) Ft. Myers– All Star break (Listen) Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 CST) – Ethan Mildren (Listen) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games.

On May 23, 2010, I watched my first Beloit Snappers game - my first minor league game. In it, I saw a solid Brian Dozier play shortstop for the Snappers. After that game, Dozier was promoted to the Ft. Myers Miracle and Danny Santana was called up to the Snappers from Elizabethton. The next night I watched Danny Santana for the first time. Four years later, Santana has been one of the better stories in the 2014 Minnesota Twins season. Despite playing just 23 games in centerfield in his minor league career (and just two games since 2011 in Beloit), he finds himself as the Twins starting centerfielder. I can’t help but wonder what the future might hold for the diminutive speedster. Photo by Brad Rempel In 2010, Brian Dozier was 22 and looked polished. Danny Santana was just 19 years old and looked really rough around the edges. In his first Midwest League game, Santana went 1-5, struck out three times and had three errors in the field. And yet, I came away very impressed. Why? It was obvious Santana was anxious in that first game. However, he showed a very quick swing that despite his small stature suggested that he could become more than a slap hitter. On defense, he made a couple of the more remarkable plays that I have seen, plays that should have been on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays – you know, had there been cameras in Beloit’s stadium. He showed great range and a powerful arm. And yet, he booted a couple routine ground balls. He also had a couple errant throws. He returned to Beloit in 2011 and spent the full season there. In the games I saw, the tools remained clear. He posted a fielding percentage of .924. In 2012, he moved up to Ft. Myers and committed 18 errors for a .950 fielding percentage. Last year, he was in New Britain and had 32 errors and a .946 fielding percentage. Three full seasons later, reports on his defense remain the same. They start with his great range and very strong arm. They always continue with “but he had a tendency to boot several routine plays.” Offensively, it’s hard to look at his minor league track record and get excited about his potential. In seven minor league seasons, he has hit .274/.318/.393 (.711) with 90 doubles, 45 triples and 25 home runs. More important are the numbers he has put up the last couple seasons. In 2012 in Ft. Myers, he hit .286/.329/.410 (.739) with 21 doubles, nine triples and eight home runs. Last season in New Britain, he hit .297/.333/.386 (.719) with 22 doubles, ten triples and two home runs. In those two seasons, he stole 47 bases, but he was caught 24 times (66%). Santana’s minor league track record tells us that he will hit for some average, but he is not going to be a guy who gets on base via the walk often. He will not hit many home runs, but his speed will turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples. Beyond that, he can steal a base though he has a long ways to go to be a good base runner. He is a guy who can score from first on a double. Through his first 25 big league games, he is hitting a remarkable .372/.406/.500 (.906) and has five doubles and two home runs. His Isolated Discipline (.034) is below even his minor league numbers. This is not a surprise. He also has 21 strikeouts in 87 plate appearances. Can Danny Santana be a guy who hits .290/.330/.380 (.710) in the big leagues? If so, and he is able to play solid defense, he can be a very productive major league shortstop. Both these variables – offense and defense – are still question marks. A funny thing happened along the way, however. Suddenly, Danny Santana is the Minnesota Twins' starting centerfield and would appear to be for the foreseeable future. Aaron Hicks has struggled again in a second extended opportunity to take a stranglehold on the centerfield job. Byron Buxton has missed most of the season with his wrist injury. Santana could very well be the team’s starting centerfielder for at least the next calendar year. As many questions as I still have about whether Santana can ever play shortstop well enough defensively, he has generally looked at least adequate defensively in centerfield. His routes aren’t always perfect but his speed has generally been able to make up for it. The plays he struggles with the most have been those where communication comes into play. He and Josh Willingham have nearly run into each other in the left centerfield gap a couple times. We hold our collective breath when Santana charges in on pop ups that the middle infielders are also in pursuit of. Success with those plays takes time and communication, and it would appear Santana is going to get that time. That isn’t to say that Santana should stop taking ground balls at shortstop. Let’s not forget, the centerfielder of the future remains Byron Buxton. Buxton could take over the job as early as next June. Eduardo Escobar has taken over shortstop duties in the last four or five weeks. He has earned it. Can he continue in the role until Buxton takes over center and Santana moves in to the infield? In my opinion, Jorge Polanco won’t debut with the Twins until at least the end of the 2015 season. 2014 top pick Nick Gordon most likely will not be ready for four or five years. In other words, Danny Santana should continue to work at shortstop as well as in the outfield. As the Twins enjoy an off day in Detroit on Thursday, give this topic some thought. What does the future hold for Danny Santana with the Minnesota Twins? What are your predictions for the rest of 2014, and what do you think will happen with him going forward?

The Twins got multi-hit games from seven hitters and seven shutout innings (nine strikeouts) from Phil Hughes on their way to a 7-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Joe Mauer and Kendrys Morales each had three hits, and Hughes improved to 7-2 on the season. Following the game, the Twins optioned Josmil Pinto to Rochester where he’ll join the Red Wings in Lehigh Valley on Thursday. The Twins will be adding a catcher to their roster on Thursday or before the game on Friday. Also, you can expect to hear about several Twins draft pick signings on Thursday. However, this is the Minnesota Twins Minor League Report, so let’s see what happened in the Twins farm system on Wednesday: RED WINGS REPORT No game scheduled. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 8, Reading 5 Box Score The Rock Cat bats powered their way to another win. Sam Fuld, in what likely was his final rehab game, went 3-5 with a walk and his second double. Brandon Waring hit his fourth and fifth home runs of the season. He also walked and was hit by a pitch. Matt Koch and Tony Thomas were both 2-4 with a walk. Kennys Vargas was 2-5 and drove in two runs. Sean Gilmartin gave up a lot of hits but was able to limit the damage. In five innings, he gave up 11 hits but just four runs. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out six. Mark Hamburger came on and gave up one run over his two innings. He gave up a solo homer. Jim Fuller gave up two hits but no runs over two innings. Cole Johnson recorded his fifth save when he struck out two in a perfect inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 7, Charlotte 6 Box Score The Miracle got yet another terrific start from JO Berrios. The offense supported him, and the team was able to hang on at the end for the win. Berrios went six innings and gave up two runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out seven. Steven Gruver struck out two over two perfect innings. With a five-run lead, Tyler Jones came on for the ninth inning. He was charged with four runs, all unearned, in the ninth, but was able to close the game for a one-run victory. Stuart Turner gave the Miracle an early lead with a two-run homer in the second inning. Michael Gonzales was also 1-3 with a walk and a home run. He drove in three runs. The Miracle had just six hits but they also walked six times. Travis Harrison doubled for the 18th time this season. In his last nine starts, Berrios has been incredible. He has gone 6-1 with a 1.75 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, 11.5 K/9 and a 2.6 BB/9. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 4 Box Score This was a tight game throughout. The Kernels scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, then gave up three runs in the top of the ninth and barely hung on for the win. Phenom Fernando Romero made the start and went four innings. He gave up one run on five hits. He walked two and struck out one. 46 of his 76 pitches were strikes. SD Buhr pointed out that his fastball was sitting between 91 and 96 mph. He was replaced by Brandon Bixler who struck out two over three perfect innings. Hudson Boyd pitched a scoreless eighth inning. However, he gave up three runs in the ninth inning and got just the first two outs. Todd Van Steensel recorded his sixth save by getting a fly out to left. Mitch Garver went 3-4. Tanner Vavra and Bryan Haar each went 2-4. Jon Murphy was 2-3 with his second double. Jason Kanzler hit his sixth home run. Chad Christensen hit his third triple and drove in three runs. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – JO Berrios, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Brandon Waring, New Britain Rock Cats THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Lehigh Valley (6:05 CST) – Yohan Pino (Listen) New Britain @ Reading (6:05 CST) – Virgil Vasquez (Listen) Charlotte @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – Matt Tomshaw (Listen) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – Ryan Eades (Listen) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Wednesday games. A quick reminder: Thanks to the Twins win over the Blue Jays Wednesday, it means that on Thursday you can get 50% off a Large of Extra Large pizza when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code at PapaJohns.com.

The day started with news that Kendrys Morales was in the Twins Cities taking a physical. At an 11:00 press conference, the Twins made the signing official. Though he may not play much in the next week or so, he is certainly a potent bat who will be able to hit in the middle of the Twins lineup. Sam Deduno struggled with his control in a manner we haven’t seen too often the last two seasons. The bullpen didn’t help, and the Twins fell to the Houston Astros, which has one of the league’s best records since mid-May, by a score of 14-5. They will now begin a long road trip on Monday against the Blue Jays. However, this is the Minnesota Twins Minor League Report, so let’s see what happened in the Twins farm system Sunday: RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Gwinnett 4 Box Score There wasn’t much offense for the Red Wins who fell behind 3-0 after two innings. Logan Darnell started and went 5.1 innings. He gave up four runs on eight hits. He walked three and struck out two. AJ Achter came in and got the final two outs in the sixth inning. He went 2.2 perfect innings, striking out three. The team managed just six hits. Eric Farris continues to do well at the top of the Red Wings lineup; in this game he went 1-3 and walked twice. Dan Rohlfing went 2-3 and was also hit by a pitch. The Red Wings are now 36-27. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 7, Binghamton 3 Box Score For the eighth time in his last nine starts, lefty Taylor Rogers provided the Rock Cats with a quality start. In six innings, he gave up three runs (2 earned) on five hits. He walked two and struck out three. Jim Fuller came on for the seventh inning and struck out two. Cole Johnson got the eighth inning, giving up four runs on four hits and a walk to take the loss. Matt Koch was the lone Rock Cat with more than one hit. He went 2-4. Nate Hanson was 1-3 with a walk and his 13th double. Eddie Rosario was 1-3 with a walk. Kennys Vargas drove in two runs. In his rehab appearance, Sam Fuld went 1-3 with a walk and played eight innings. The Rock Cats are 28-32 on the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 2, Jupiter 3 Box Score Jason Wheeler was terrific again, but his outing lasted one batter too many (in retrospect, of course). The lefty went seven shutout innings and gave up just three hits and a walk. However, he came out for the 8th inning and gave up a leadoff single before coming out of the game. Unfortunately, that runner came around to score, as did two more Hammerheads. The Miracle scored two in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough. Wheeler was terrific. He was charged with the one run on four hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out eight. Brandon Peterson came on and gave up two runs on two hits. Steven Gruver got the final two outs but only after an inherited runner scored. The Miracle managed just five hits as well. The two runs came in the top of the ninth when Jorge Polanco hit his fourth home run of the year. Mike Gonzales added his ninth double. The Miracle fell to 36-26. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Kane County 2 Box Score Ethan Mildren put together one of his best starts of the season for the Kernels. He gave up two runs on six hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out six. He improved to 2-3. Alex Muren struck out two in two perfect innings. Todd Van Steensel came on to protect a one-run lead in the ninth. He gave up one hit and hit one batter, but he struck out two to hang on to the lead and record his fifth save. The Kernels scored three runs but had just five hits. Jason Kanzler went 2-3 with his fifth triple. Joel Licon was 1-1 with a walk and a sacrifice fly. The win puts the Kernels at 28-35 this year. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jason Wheeler, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Dan Rohlfing, Rochester Red Wings MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Gwinnett (5:35 CST) – Kris Johnson (Listen) New Britain – No Game Scheduled (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Jupiter (5:35 CST) – DJ Baxendale (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 CST) – Kohl Stewart (Listen) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games.

According to Jon Heyman, the Minnesota Twins have agreed to sign 1B/DH Kendrys Morales to a deal. Little is known at this point, and a deal likely will not be able to be completed until after the draft concludes later today. Minutes later, Ken Rosenthal was able to confirm the reports and indicated that the dollars will be a little less than Stephen Drew's, but in the "same ballpark." Entering 2010, Morales was a budding star, fresh off a 34 home run season with the Angels and just 26 years old. But following a walk-off grand slam in May, he broke his ankle during the celebration at home plate. The injury was particularly gruesome and took two years to recover. Since returning, he has hit 45 home runs combined with a .275/.329/.457 line over the last two years. Morales was one of the top free agent hitter available this offseason. He was still available because the Mariners gave him a “qualifying offer” this offseason which means they offered him a one-year, $14.1 million contract. When Morales turned that down, it meant the Mariners would receive a high draft pick in this year's draft from any team that signed Morales. Teams didn’t want to give up that draft pick, so Morales had to wait until after the draft was over to be free of that obligation that was attached to him. Multiple teams were reported to be interested in him. Morales will likely be the full-time designated hitter. He is 30 years old and a switch-hitter, but has had more success batting left-handed versus right-handed pitchers. He can also play first base, but has done so only 59 times in the last two years. Last year, he hit 3rd or 4th for the Mariners. Rhett Bollinger reported the agreement is a one-year deal for $12 million and is prorated, so the Twins have committed somewhere around $8M to boost their lineup. Entering today's game, the Twins were 2.5 games out of the Wild Card race, and five games behind Detroit in the AL Central. I think most Twins fans will find this surprising. The Twins have certainly shown they are not afraid to deal with Scott Boras. Maybe this is a "sorry for the Pelfrey thing" make up? This likely means that Jason Kubel and/or Chris Parmelee, both of whom have really struggled, will be designated for assignment soon. Stephen Drew played in the minor leagues for about a week before joining the Red Sox. I would guess that Morales would follow a similar timeline before joining the Twins. More information will be shared here as we learn more.

On Day 1, the Minnesota Twins used their first round draft pick on prep shortstop Nick Gordon. They followed that by selecting flame-throwing Louisville closer Nick Burdi with their second round pick. On Day 2, the Twins made eight selections and seven of their were pitchers. All eight came from the college ranks. So, what will the Twins do on Day 3? They will draft 30 more players. At noon, the draft will resume, and Twins Daily will continue to update you on the Twins selections. Looking at the current Minnesota Twins roster, it becomes clear that although few from Day 3 will make it to the big leagues, it is where you can sometimes find a hidden gem. Jason Kubel was drafted out of high school by the Twins in the 12th round of the 2000 draft. He's had a very solid career. Twins cleanup hitter Josh Willingham was the 17th round pick of the Florida Marlins in 2000. Casey Fien was the Tigers 20th round pick in 2006. Caleb Thielbar was drafted by the Brewers in the 18th round of the 2009 draft. Michael Tonkin was a 30th round pick in 2008 by the Twins. Of course, in the 17th round of the 1978 draft, the Twins took a kid from Bloomington. Kent Hrbek went on to have a Twins Hall of Fame career. Of course, a year earlier in the 17th round, the Twins selected Scott Ullger, and he's still in uniform with the team! In all, 900 players will be drafted on Saturday. Which 30 will the Twins take? 11th Round (320) - Tanner English - CF - South Carolina English has game-changing speed and top-flight defensive ability. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf7qV2eF_I8&app=desktop 12th Round (350) - Pat Kelly - 2B - Nebraska (from Red Wing, MN) Kelly helped recruit Ryan Boldt to Nebraska (and I thought for sure I had mentioned him in a draft story at some point, but can't find it) and now he's heading home. Eventually. Hopefully. He's homered at Target Field before, so there's that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsB4JXG9meI And defense: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkRiv2zLtpshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkRiv2zLtps 13th Round (380) - Zach Tillery - RHP - Florida Gulf Coast (Dunk City) 14th Round (410) - Tyler Mautner - 3B - U. of Buffalo When I saw this name the first time, I thought for sure I read "Taylor Lautner", which, of course, would be pretty radical if you're into werewolves. 15th Round (440) - Roberto Gonzalez - RF - High School (!!) My favorite Day 3 pick. I've heard great things about the Miami-Dade CC commit. He's almost like a Dominican guy, you're dreaming on him. He's raw, and that's an understatement. Has shown glimpses of plus power, speed and arm throughout the fall, but can't put them all together. Sounds like signing him could be an issue, but if that gets done, you're looking at a guy with all the tools. 16th Round (470) - Tyler Kuresa - 1B - UC-Santa Barbara (Twins drafted him in the 11th round in 2010) (Sr) 17th Round (500) - Mat Batts - LHP - UNC-Wilmington (5th-year Sr) 18th Round (530) - TJ White - 3B - UNLV 19th Round (560) - Jarrard Poteete - C - Connors State College (OK) - JC 20th Round (590) - McCarthy Tatum - 3B - Clovis (CA) high school Tatum is committed to Fresno State and will likely end up there. High school teammate of Jacob Gatewood. 21st Round (620) - Onis Farfan - LHP - Ridgewater (MN) College - JC - He's from New Hope, MN. 22nd Round (650) - Trevor Hildenberger - RHP - Cal Berkeley (5th-year Sr) 23rd Round (680) - Miles Nordgren - RHP - Birmingham Southern (Sr) 24th Round (710) - Alex Real - C - New Mexico 25th Round (740) - Taylor Hearn - LHP - San Jacinto College North (JC) 26th Round (770) - Blake Schmit - SS - Maryland (Sr) (from Eden Prairie) 27th Round (800) - Gabriel Ojeda - C - Puerto Rico HS 28th Round (830) - Austin Diemer - CF - CS Fullerton 29th Round (860) - Cameron Avila-Leeper - LHP - California HS 30th Round (890) - Theo Theofanopoulos - LHP - Cal Berkeley 31st Round (920) - Sam Hilliard - LHP - Crowder College (Missouri) 32nd Round (950) - Orynn Veillon - RHP - High School in Lafayette, Louisiana 33rd Round (980) - Trey Vavra - 1B - Florida Southern U (Joe's son, Tanner's brother) 34th Round (1,010) - Mike Baumann - RHP - Mahtomedi (MN) High School 35th Round (1,040) - Brad Mathiowetz - C - Rochester Mayo High School (MN) 36th Round (1,070) - Kirvin Moesquit - SS - High School in Florida 37th Round (1,100) - Tyree Davis - CF - High School in California 38th Round (1,130) - Brett Doe - C - Baylor University 39th Round (1,160) - John Jones - C - High School in Florida (Orlando, again) 40th Round (1,190) - Dalton Guthrie - SS - High School in Florida. He is the son of former Twins pitcher Mark Guthrie.

I think the theme of the Minnesota Twins draft day two is, “You can never have enough pitching.” The team made eight picks and seven of them were college pitchers. On the field, the Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros began a three-game series with a rain delay. The young, talented Astros showed some power against Phil Hughes and the Twins. But hey, on Saturday, Lewis Thorpe will make his full-season debut for the Cedar Rapids Kernels while Alex Meyer pitches for the Red Wings. Eddie Rosario was promoted to New Britain after his stint in Ft. Myers. He showed that he was ready. Speaking of getting ready, check out the big hit in the top of the first inning for the Rochester Red Wings. And which farmhand launched two home runs tonight? And, which prospect added to his organizational lead in home runs? And, which prospect carried his team to victory by knocking in all of his team’s runs. [h=4]Malcolm MacMillan, founder of TheBallparkGuide.com[/h]Without further ado, here is what happened in the Twins' farm system on Friday night: RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 13, Charlotte 4 Box Score It’s always fun beating the White Sox, even when it is at the AAA level. Charlotte is the AAA affiliate of the South Siders. The Red Wings got off to a quick start and didn’t look back. In the first inning, Chris Colabello came up with the bases loaded and chose the perfect time to knock his first Red Wings home run. Wilkin Ramirez hit his first and second home runs of the season and drove in three. James Beresford was 2-5 and walked once. Chris Rahl was 2-4. Brad Nelson was 2-4 with a walk. Pedro Florimon was 2-5. Dan Rohlfing was 1-3 with two walks. It was a good game for the offense. Yohan Pino had arguably his worst outing of the season, and yet his offense helped him to the win. In five innings, he gave up four runs on eight hits, three of which were home runs. He walked one and struck out five. Edgar Ibarra and Deolis Guerra each threw two scoreless innings. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 6, Binghamton 3 Box Score Eddie Rosario returned to the New Britain Rock Cats after a short stint with the Ft. Myers Miracle following his 50-game suspension. He had a good game. He batted second and played center field. He went 2-5 with a double. However, on this night, his story falls to the performance of his countryman Kennys Vargas. Down 4-2 in the fifth, Vargas came up with the bases load. He cleared them with his ninth home run of the season. An inning later, he drove in two more runs with his 12th double. He had a single as well and finished a triple short of the cycle. Tony Thomas went 3-5. Mike Kvasnicka was 3-4 in the game. Nate Hanson added a single and walked twice. Virgil Vasquez started for the Rock Cats and improved to 4-2. He went six innings and gave up three runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out seven. Dan Turpen struck out one in a scoreless seventh inning. In the eighth, Matt Summers struck out two without allowing a run. Lester Oliveros recorded his eighth save with two strikeouts in the ninth inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Lakeland 4 (11 innings) Box Score The Miracle got another great start from their ace, and a big jolt from their power supplier, but they fell in extra frames. JO Berrios started and gave up three runs (two earned) on eight hits in eight innings. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out nine. Two of the runs, including the unearned run, scored in that eighth inning. Mason Melotakis worked two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out one. In the 11th, Madison Boer gave up an unearned run on two hits to take the loss. The Miracle had eight hits in the game. Adam Walker went 2-5 and hit his 13th home run of the season. It was a three-run blast that gave the Miracle all three of their runs. Stephen Wickens was the only other Miracle hitter to get on base more than once. He had a single and a walk. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Wisconsin 12 Box Score The funny thing about the MLB draft is its uncertainty. Sure things are not sure things. In 2013, the Twins took Ryan Eades in the second round with the industry-wide belief that he could be a fast mover. He may figure some things out in time, but fast-moving is probably out of the question. He is now 3-7 with a 7.07 ERA after another rough start. On this night, he gave up nine runs on eight hits in just two innings. He walked two, hit one and struck out two. Jared Wilson came on and was charged with three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk in three innings. Chris Mazza worked two scoreless innings and struck out two. Todd Van Steensel worked a quiet, scoreless inning. The Kernels got plenty of offense. They had seven hits and walked seven times. Chad Christensen led the way. He went 4-5 his tenth double and three RBI. He also stole his 15th base. Ryan Walker went 2-4 with a walk and scored three runs. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – JO Berrios, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Kennys Vargas, New Britain Rock Cats SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Gwinnett (6:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) New Britain @ Binghamton (6:05 CST) – Pat Dean (Listen) Lakeland @ Ft. Myers (5:05 CST) – Matt Tomshaw (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 CST) – Lewis Thorpe (Listen) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Friday games.

The MLB Draft resumes today at 12:00 (central time) with each organization making their 3rd round through 10th round draft picks. The Minnesota Twins will have the fifth pick in each round. Throughout the day, Twins Daily's draft guru, Jeremy Nygaard, will be here posting the Minnesota Twins draft picks and providing some analysis on the player and the selection. He'll also be in the forums answering other questions you may have. These picks are all important and there is a strategy to them. The Twins have about $7.5 million to spend on their first 10 draft picks and about $3.85 million is allotted to their top pick, Nick Gordon. What will they do? See below. 3rd Round (79; $703,900) - RHP Michael Cederoth, San Diego State An interesting pick at #79, Cederoth started the season with mid-first round buzz. Hailing from the same school as Stephen Strasburg, there were some unfair comparisons, but the velocity is there (98-100 mph). The Twins seem poised to give Cederoth an opportunity to start. His slider is his strikeout pitch in the mid-80s. He also features an average changeup, which he didn't throw much this year, and a slower curveball. Cederoth is a big, lanky dude (6'6, 215) and has a violent delivery and a penchant for missing the strike zone - the difference between being a 3rd rounder and a 1st rounder. While the rumor had been that Cederoth was looking for a seven-figure deal, I've been assured that that is not accurate and my assumption is that he'll sign for slot. Pre-draft rankings: Baseball America, 45; MLB.com, 59; Perfect Game, 63; Scout, 75. 4th Round (110; $476,100) - LHP Sam Clay, Georgia Tech Clay is a draft-eligible sophomore who projects as a reliever. Clay isn't as hard of a thrower as the previous two players who were selected, reaching the low-90's. He also has a slider, who some believe can be a plus pitch. Clay has a lot of raw ability, but will need to harness it and cut down on walks. Pre-draft rankings: Baseball America, 144; Perfect Game, 226; MLB.com, unranked; Scout, unranked. 5th Round (140; $356,400) - RHP Jake Reed, Oregon Another reliever... well, Reed was a starter for two seasons, but was much better after being converted to a closing role. Reed features a three-pitch mix: low-90s fastball, a slurvy slider and a circle-change. Some consider him another guy that could move quick, though probably not as a closer. Pre-draft rankings: MLB.com, 123; Baseball America, 144; Perfect Game, 226; Scout, unranked. 6th Round (170; $266,900) - RHP John Curtiss, Texas Unlike any of the previous picks, Curtiss projects to be a starter - even though he closed for the Longhorns in 2014 - with an upside of a #2. Despite being a redshirt sophomore - he missed 2013 after undergoing Tommy John surgery - Curtiss is already graduated and appears to be signable. Curtiss has a mid-90s fastball and three ordinary secondary pitches. There's still some projection based on the missed time. If his slider and change-up can develop, there's hope that Curtiss can stick in the rotation. Pre-draft rankings: MLB.com, 88; Perfect Game, 158; Baseball America, 159; Scout, 246. 7th Round (200; $199,900) - RHP Andrew Cutura, SE Louisiana U Cutura is a junior. The short (6' 0) right-hander isn't on a lot of radars, but came as a recommendation of area scout Greg Runser, who has had his hand in drafting a lot of pitchers recently. Cutura was a three-year starter for SE Lousiana. Cutura is a bulldog. He has a 88-92 mph sinker, a hybrid breaking ball that sits in the mid-80s, and a changeup around 80 mph. He commands all three pitches well and knows how to put guys away. Pre-draft rankings: MLB.com, unranked; Perfect Game, unranked; Baseball America, unranked; Scout, unranked. 8th Round (230; $161,300) - RHP Keaton Steele, Missouri Steele missed the 2011 season due to shoulder injuries. He's been a two-way player, but will pitch as a professional. Steele has another year of eligibility due to the injury, but has graduated and is signable as a redshirt-junior. Steele closed for Missouri this year and features a low-90s fastball and a mid-80s slider. It remains to be seen if he's viewed as a starter or reliever. He was moved to Missouri's rotation late in the year and had a couple complete games. Pre-draft rankings: Scout, 146; MLB.com, 177; Baseball America, 275; Perfect Game, 428. 9th Round (260; $150,600) - OF Max Murphy, Bradley According to Chris Cotillo, Murphy and the Twins have agreed to a $130k deal. This is what I said about Murphy when I had him pegged for the 260th overall pick in my 10-round Twins mock: The organizational dearth of outfielders may have the Twins going to the college ranks to draft outfielders even earlier. Murphy is a guy who makes a ton of sense for the Twins, partially because he played his high school ball in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Murphy's best tool is he power. He's compact (only 5' 11"), runs well and has a clue in the outfield. While his arm could play in right (his current position), some think he could move to center. The question about Murphy is his hit-tool. Pre-draft rankings: Baseball America, 275; Perfect Game, 327; Scout, unranked; MLB.com, unranked. 10th Round (290; $140,700) - RHP Randy LeBlanc, Tulane LeBlanc missed his freshman year with an elbow injury that resulted in Tommy John surgery. Highly touted out of high school, LeBlanc has spent four years at Tulane and still has one year of eligibility left. He's back healthy ago and hitting 95 with ease. His breaking ball and change-up are below-average pitches, but, even at 22, still has some projection left. His got a good pitcher's body too (6' 4, 200). The Twins hope that with advanced instruction, he can turn his curveball and change-up into above-average offerings. Pre-draft rankings: MLB.com, 188; Baseball America, 236; Perfect Game, 327; Scout, unranked.

“We got our man!” Those were the words of Minnesota Twins scouting director Deron Johnson talking about the team’s first round pick, Nick Gordon. “Just to be picked by Minnesota, it’s the greatest feeling in the world.” That is how Nick Gordon described his emotions upon being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft. Photo by Rinaldi Photos It seems like a match made in heaven. The Twins are a team always looking for athleticism, and Gordon provides that. There is a lot to like about the young shortstop from Orlando, Florida. “(We liked) his ability to play shortstop. We think he’s offensive. He’s got a really good swing. I think he’s going to have power down the road. He’s going to stay at shortstop, in my mind. He’s got great work ethic. Great kid. Big league bloodlines with his brother and his dad. We expect big things from him.” His brother, Dee, is the second baseman of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is in his fourth season with the Dodgers and just now becoming the player many thought he would become. He is hitting .279/.327/.372 with 15 extra base hits. He already has 35 stolen bases and the season is just one-third over. Is Nick as fast as Dee? According to Johnson, “There’s not too many people in baseball with his brother’s speed, but he can run. He doesn’t show you a great time on the clock just because he’s got a pretty big swing, and he’s got power. But he’s a plus-runner.” Their father, Tom “Flash” Gordon debuted with the Kansas City Royals as a 20-year-old in 1988. He played for the Royals until 1995. He spent time with the Red Sox, the Cubs, the Astros, the White Sox, the Yankees, the Phillies and the Diamondbacks before retiring after the 2009 season. He had a solid major league career, though he really became a star once he moved into the bullpen. Nick Gordon has spent his life around the game of baseball thanks to his father. “It’s been all my life. Ever since I was born, my dad had me in a clubhouse. Always had a bat and ball, always trying to get on a baseball field.” He understands and appreciates what he has in his father and his brother. “Without my dad and my brother, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Everything I know and everything that they’ve taught me. I’ve used it in my game. It’s made me a totally better player and a better person, and I thank God for them every day.” Deron Johnson talked a little bit about how the bloodlines matter in scouting. “In the scouting world, we always say big league bloodlines are going to help at some point. You really don’t know, but the kid is made up right.” He added what might be the biggest advantage when a player does have family with that big league acumen. “(Confidence is) what really helps him out with the big league bloodlines because there’s a lot of peaks and valleys in baseball. He’s a pretty even-keeled kid.” But let’s not confuse things. Nick Gordon was not the fifth overall pick solely because his dad and brother are major league baseball players. Gordon has earned his lofty draft position. The Twins first saw him when he was a sophomore in high school when they were at his high school to see a couple other players they were scouting. Scouts talk about the five tools; hitting, hitting for power, fielding, arm and speed. The Twins believe he already has four of those tools. They believe he will hit. They believe he can stick at shortstop because he is a very solid, sure fielder. He also has the 90+ mph arm which will help him make those long throws from deep in the hole. Though he isn’t as fast as his brother, he also has great speed. Where even the Twins draft room was divided is whether or not he will develop the power tool. Johnson said he believes he will develop some power as he continues to grow and mature and learn the game. “I think he’s going to have power. We all think he’s going to hit for high average. If he hits for power, he can be a JJ Hardy type, or a Stephen Drew type.” For what it’s worth, Gordon also believes he will be able to hit the ball out of the park. “I think I can be a line drive, gap-to-gap hitter, but I also think I can hit 20 to 25 bombs a year. I can be that leadoff guy. I can be the next Carl Crawford leading off, or the next Derek Jeter leading off. I pattern my game after those guys at the plate. I know I can be a 1 or 2 or 3 hitter in the game someday.” Although it isn’t always listed with the other five tools, many people now put “plate discipline” in the category of the tools. It is an area that both Gordon and Johnson say he continued to improve in his senior year in high school. It’s a skill that is very important as he progresses up the organizational ladder. Plate discipline also speaks to poise and maturity which is important when you consider giving such a young man a large signing bonus. The slot amount for the number five pick this year is about $3.85 million. There is no question that Gordon will be able to handle the money and continue to work as hard as he has to get to this point. Beyond the bloodlines, Gordon has some of the intangibles that can take him to that next level. “I’m so competitive now. I love winning, and I love being a leader.” When asked who some of the players were who he looked up to and admired, we get a glimpse of what makes him so special as a person and as a prospect. “Derek Jeter and my brother. I get compared to my brother a lot, but I want to be the player Derek Jeter was one day. He’s a leader. He’s accountable. He’s always in the right place. He’s a professional on and off the field. My brother can really play the game. He plays the game hard, and he doesn’t take it for granted. Even through the struggles, he’s learned to work his way through them and make adjustments. I want to be able to do that when I get older, and I know I’ll be able to do that.” Last summer, Gordon came to the Twin Cities for the Perfect Game Nationals. He enjoyed it, but he understands the weather in Minnesota will not be the same as it was in Orlando. “One thing I really knew is it was really cold in Minnesota. I’ve got to make that adjustment. But if I’m cold, then everyone else is cold. I’m going to enjoy playing in the cold, and in the climate. Being away from home, I’m ready to see it.” When asked, Deron Johnson said that he didn’t know where Gordon would start his journey as a professional baseball saying that once he signs, it will be up to Brad Steil and the player development team. That said, we can make some assumptions based on history. On signing, he will begin his professional career, most likely with the Gulf Coast League Twins. If he performs and looks comfortable, there is a good chance he will end the year with a stint in Elizabethton. Following the season, he will likely be invited to Florida Instructional League. That is the path that the Twins went with Byron Buxton, their first round draft pick in 2012. That is the path that they went with both Kohl Stewart, last year’s top choice. In each of those cases, the players began their first full season in Cedar Rapids. It’s a long journey from high school draft pick to the big leagues and for Nick Gordon his journey with the Minnesota Twins is about to take off. It should be a lot of fun for us to watch at Twins Daily over the coming years.