Seth Stohs

It was a big day for a couple of the Twins pitching prospects, and one of their top offensive prospects added to his organization-leading home run total. It was also a day in which there were several transactions. Twins Daily has learned the following (though there could be more coming): RHP Tom Stuifbergen has been promoted from Ft. Myers to AA New Britain. Meanwhile, RHPs Tyler Duffey and Manuel Soliman will move up to the Miracle. Finally, 2012 8th round pick RHP Christian Powell will join the Cedar Rapids Kernels from Extended Spring Training. Also, a second pitcher will be joining the Kernels. The pitcher was released by another organization a week ago and signed by the Twins. Check out the Minor League Movement forum for more. ‘Tis the season for transactions!! With that, check out what happened in the Twins minor league system on Tuesday: Rochester Red Wings 4, Gwinnett Braves 3 Box Score Kyle Gibson was back on the mound for the Red Wings. The lanky right-hander gave up some base runners but really put together a nice game. He went six innings and did not allow a run in the first five. He gave up two in the sixth frame. Overall, he went six innings and gave up two runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out four. He left with a 4-2 lead. Luis Perdomo came in for the seventh inning and got just two outs. He gave up one run thanks to three walks. Aaron Thompson got the save by getting the final seven outs. He gave up just one hit, walked one and struck out two. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4306[/ATTACH] Eric Fryer went 2-4. He had the game’s biggest hit, a bases-clearing double. Antoan Richardson was 2-5 with his seventh and eighth stolen bases. Doug Bernier was 2-3 with a walk. Chris Colabello was 1-3 with two walks and his 18th double. He also stole his first base of the year. New Britain Rock Cats 4, Richmond Flying Squirrels 1 Box Score DJ Baxendale had a rough first appearance in Double-A last week. The beauty of baseball can be that you get a chance to redeem yourself. Baxendale did just that on Tuesday night. The right-hander gave up one run on three hits and two walks in seven innings. He struck out seven. Bobby Lanigan came on and got just one out. He gave up a walk and a hit. Edgar Ibarra came on and got the final two outs without the inherited runners scoring. Matt Hauser came on for the ninth inning and recorded his first Rock Cats save. The Rock Cats got three hits from Danny Santana. They scored two runs in the first inning on ground balls by Josmil Pinto and Danny Ortiz. In the second frame, they scored runs on a sacrifice fly by Mark Sobolewski and on a ground out by James Beresford. Ft. Myers Miracle 2, Brevard County Manatees 3 Box Score The Miracle bats were kept quiet most of this game. Jason Wheeler started for the Miracle. He gave up three runs on nine hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out six. Ryan O’Rourke was brought in, and he struck out two in two scoreless innings. Zack Jones pitched a perfect ninth and struck out one. The Miracle had seven hits and walked five times. However, only Matt Koch had more than one hit. He was 2-4. Miguel Sano knocked his 14th homer run and stole his eighth base. Cedar Rapids Kernels The Kernels had a scheduled day off. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below.

Over the past couple of weeks here at Twins Daily, we have been profiling a player each day who may be available when the Minnesota Twins make their first round draft selection on Thursday night, the fourth overall pick. Today, we are going to do something a little bit different. This is a Minnesota Twins blog, but it’s also important to recognize and support some local players who are likely to hear their names called in the early rounds of the MLB Draft. Today, we’ll briefly discuss three college players and three high school players with Minnesota ties. It’s always fun to keep track of local players as they begin their professional careers. The Gophers Two players on the Minnesota Gophers roster have a chance of being drafted early in the draft. TOM WINDLE Windle is a 6-4, 215 pound left-hander who went 6-4 with a 2.14 ERA for the Gophers this season. He came to the University from Osseo High School where he was runner-up in the Mr. Baseball voting. He was the 2010 Metro Player of the Year. He was drafted in the 28th round of the 2010 draft. He worked 41. 1 innings as a freshman. He worked 41. Innings as a sophomore. He played in the Cape Cod League last summer and made a name for himself. The southpaw has good command of a fastball that generally sits between 88 and 92 mph. He has a very good changeup in the low 80s. He also has a good slider. He profiles as a likely back-of-the-rotation starter. Early in the year, he was believed to be a potential first round pick. Now, it looks like he could sneak into the second round. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4292[/ATTACH] DJ SNELTEN Snelten is actually from Illinois, but he came to the University of Minnesota despite being drafted in the 30th round by the Padres. He is listed at 6-7 and 230 pounds and throws left-handed, so there is plenty of projection in him. He has been clocked as high as 95 mph with his fastball, and some rave about a very good changeup. He has also been working to add a slider. He went 5-2 with a 2.15 ERA in in 58.2 innings this year. As a sophomore, he went 4-4 with a 3.24 ERA. Snelton just turned 21 years old. He could be taken as early as the third round. PREP STARS There are lots of high school baseball players who have Division I scholarships, but three of them appear to stand out as potential early-round selections. RYAN BOLDT The 6-1, 185 pound 18-year old oufielder from Red Wing certainly has had an interesting run the last year or so. Last summer, he played for Team USA in the Junior AAA/18 U World Championships in South Korea. He was also named the MVP of the Perfect Game All-American Game when he went 2-3 with a triple. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4293[/ATTACH] His name grew among scouts last summer as a potential five-tool player. He is a tremendous athlete with great speed. He has run a 6.5 60 and most believe that he has the range and instincts to remain a center fielder. He also has a very strong arm, which is an incredible story. When he was ten, he hurt his left arm, his throwing arm. He had two surgeries on his left arm and was told he probably shouldn’t play baseball. That wasn’t an option, so he tought himself to throw right-handed. He’s had two more surgeries on his left arm in recent years, but his right arm is now a tool that has made scouts believe that he can play center, but also has the arm to play right field. He can hit for average and has good on-base skills. The one tool that remains in question is whether he’ll add power, but he certainly has the frame to do it. He committed to the University of Nebraska and was looking forward to a big senior season for Red Wing high school. Unfortunately, in the first game this spring, he tore his meniscus which required surgery. He has not played this spring. So scouts will have to determine his draft status based primarily on 2012. There was talk that he could be a mid-1st round pick, but it is now possible that he could be available when the Twins pick in the 2nd round. MAX KNUTSON Knutson is a left-handed pitcher from Mounds View who also has committed to play for Darin Erstad at the University of Nebraska. The 6-2, 190 pound pitcher/outfielder touches 92 on his fastball. As you would imagine, his secondary pitches will need plenty of development. He has also played defenseman on the hockey team. HE is another great athlete who can hit and play the outfield quite well. He has great speed and the size to develop some power. However, if he is drafted (believed to be possible in the 4th to 8th rounds), it will be as a pitcher. LOGAN SHORE At 6-2 and 205 pounds, Logan Shore’s name has been known for several years already. After posting a 0.80 ERA during his junior year, the right-hander from Coon Rapids committed to play his college ball at the University of Florida. Shore throws hard, hitting 92-93 with his fastball. But he is said to have a good curveball and a developing, but encouraging changeup. He is also a shortstop and very good hitter. There is a chance he could go as early as the supplemental first round, though he could land in the 2nd or third rounds too. ONE MORE CHRIS ANDERSON Chris Anderson was Mr. Baseball in Minnesota in 2010 (edging out Windle in the voting) when he played for Centennial High School. He was the 35th round pick of the Cubs that year, but he went on to Jacksonville University where he has teamed with current Twins minor leaguers Matt Tomshaw and Adam Walker. Still just 20 years old, Anderson came into the season as a potential early-round pick after flashing a 96 mph fastball and a very good slider in the Cape Cod League last summer. Early in the season, he was dominant and his name surfaced as a top ten pick. He went 6-5 with a 3.05 ERA this year. In 85.2 innings, he walked 24 and struck out 85. However, throughout the season, he was quite inconsistent. He still could go as early as the mid-first round, though it is also possible (not likely) that he will still be available when the Twins make their second selection. OTHERS There are several other area players who will likely get drafted. Along with Boldt and Knutson, Erstad also has Forest Lake catcher Beau Fandel and Totino Grace infielder Matt Leuty going to Nebraska. St. Paul Academy’s Matt Fiedler is a right-handed pitcher who has committed to stay in-state and play for the Gophers. There are other college players in the region who have made a name for themselves and will likely be selected in the later rounds. One regional name to watch is Layne Somsen, a right-handed pitcher from Yankton, South Dakota, who was the Summit League Pitcher of the Year this year. He led the Jackrabbits to their first NCAA Regional. In their first game against #1 seed Oregon, Somsen held the Ducks to just two hits over seven innings. He is considered a mid-round (15-20th rounds) pick, though that kind of performance with that kind of exposure may move him up a few rounds. It’s always fun seeing who the Twins first pick will be, but its’ also fun to get to know and start to follow some of the local players as well. Check out the other Twins Daily MLB Draft Player Profiles or follow the latest national mock drafts in our forum. Be sure to listen to a short, Twins draft preview podcast as well. Monday, May 20-- Sean Manaea, SP Tuesday, May 21-- Austin Meadows, OF Wednesday, May 22-- Trey Ball, OF Thursday, May 23-- Ryan Stanek, RHP Friday, May 24-- Clint Frazier, OF Tuesday, May 28-- Reese McGuire, C Wednesday, May 29—Braden Shipley, RHP Thursday, May 30 -- Kohl Stewart, RHP Friday, May 31 – Kris Bryant, 3B/1B For MLB Draft Day Coverage, make sure you follow @TwinsDaily on Twitter!

It’s hard to believe that we are already nearly two months through the minor league season. However, it is time to hand out some awards. Today, I’ll name the choice for Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the month of May. There are less candidates this month, yet there were a couple of tremendous performances by relievers in May. The two at the top of the list actually ended the month with a promotion to the next step on their journey up the ladder. Let's get to the Top 4 Relief Pitchers in May Number 4 – New Britain – AJ Achter – 1.64 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 11.0 IP, 9 H, 5 BB, 9 K Achter was my choice in 2012 as Twins Minor League relief pitcher of the year. He split the year, pretty evenly, between Beloit and Ft. Myers. This year, he began the season in New Britain. The former 46th round draft choice from Michigan State started the season slow, but came on very well in May. On the season, he has now given up 21 hits in 27.2 innings while striking out 26 batters. When Michael Tonkin was promoted to Rochester last week, Achter took over the closer job for the Rock Cats. Number 3 – Ft. Myers – Zack Jones – 0.82 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 11.0 IP, 3 H, 11 BB, 16 K Zack Jones was the winner of this “award” last month. His numbers were pretty close to identical. He throws gas, and he’s still working on a hard slider. He is really hard to hit. I mean, 98 mph heat is tough to square up. He doesn’t give up hits and he gets strikeouts. However, the difference between April and May for Jones was the walks. Likely the reason he remains with the Miracle is to continue to work on the slider and his control of the strike zone. Number 2 – New Britain/Rochester – Michael Tonkin – 0.00 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 12.1 IP, 12 H, 3 BB, 20 K Tonkin is the brother-in-law of former Twins OF/DH Jason Kubel, but in the past 12 months, he has certainly made a name for himself. He split 2012 between Beloit and Ft. Myers. He was runner-up to Achter in my reliever of the year balloting. He moved up to New Britain and after not allowing an earned run all month, he earned a promotion to Triple-A for the end of the month. He came into two games for the Red Wings. In the first, he threw one pitch and gave up an RBI single before leaving. In his second AAA game, he came on and threw two pitches before giving up a game-winning single to Gordon Beckham. Tonkin is a very good bullpen prospect. He throws hard and gets a bunch of sink on his pitches. He gets ground balls and strikeouts. That’s exactly what you’re looking for in a reliever. Not bad for a 30th round draft pick. And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is: [ATTACH=CONFIG]4286[/ATTACH] Photo by Greg Wagner/Fort Myers Miracle Ft. Myers/New Britain – Cole Johnson – 0.68 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 13.1 IP, 11 H, 3 BB, 14 K Johnson was born in Wisconsin and went to college at Notre Dame. He was the Twins 44th round pick in 2011. One year ago, he was still waiting for an assignment in Extended Spring Training. It was not until the short-season teams started that Johnson was assigned to the Beloit Snappers. He pitched well and actually was one of their starters in the playoffs. He was assigned to Ft. Myers this spring where he has been overshadowed, but has been nothing short of remarkable. In fact, despite nothing having as much publicity as others in the Miracle bullpen, it was John that was promoted to AA first this year. He was charged with one run in his final update of the month, but he’s shown that he can pitch. Again, we wonder how the Ft. Myers Miracle has been so good this year. They have the hitting prospects in Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario and Kennys Vargas surrounded by solid players. But they also have good starting pitching and a dominant bullpen. While Zack Jones and Corey Williams get a lot of the credit, Johnson has been steady and consistent all season. Matt Hauser started the season on the DL, but he pitched well in his return and has joined the Rock Cats. Hopefully June will be a very good month for the relievers in the Twins minor league affiliates. As always, please feel free to ask any questions you may have.

There were plenty of solid performances throughout the Twins farm system on Sunday. There were three wins, an extra-inning loss, some good pitching, some good storylines and some very good offense. However, in Sunday’s game, there was a moment that hopefully helps remind us that these players are more than prospects, more than just pieces in an organizational puzzle. They are very young people with families. Sometimes we have to be reminded of that. Fortunately, in this case, the news at the end of the day was more encouraging than originally considered. (see the Cedar Rapids update for the story or this stories headline) With that, check out what happened in the Twins minor league system on Sunday: Rochester Red Wings 6, Charlotte Knights 5 Box Score The Red Wings got a very nice win. Andrew Albers started. He gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out four. Aaron Thompson gave up one run in 1.1 innings. He allowed three hits. Shairon Martis got one out. Then Tyler Robertson came on and recorded his first save by getting the final four outs. Two of them came on strikeouts. Antoan Richardson continues to be an on-base machine. He went 2-2 with two walks and his sixth stolen base. Deibinson Romero went 2-4 with a walk and his first stolen base. Clete Thomas and Brian Dinkelman each hit their eighth doubles. Oswaldo Arcia walked three times on Saturday and twice more on Sunday. New Britain Rock Cats 5, Bowie Baysox 4 Box Score Logan Darnell gave up four runs on ten hits and a walk in seven innings. He struck out six. He improves to 5-4 with a 2.76 ERA. Though it wasn’t his best performance, he continued to rack up innings. In his last five starts, he has thrown 37 innings. Dan Turpen came on and struck out two in two perfect innings for his first save. Josmil Pinto’s three-run sixth inning home run gave the Rock Cats a 5-3 lead. It was his ninth homer on the season. Mark Sobolewski’s second Rock Cat homer cut the team’s deficit to 3-2 in the fifth inning. Nate Hanson was 2-4 in the game. Ft. Myers Miracle 8, Palm Beach Cardinals 1 (6 innings) Box Score The Rain and the Miracle won on Sunday. With two outs in the bottom of the 6th inning, the game was called. Fortunately, the Miracle bats got off to a very fast start and had a big lead. The Miracle scored five runs in the top of the first inning. Eddie Rosario singled in a run. Kennys Vargas doubled in two runs. That was followed by a two-run homer by Matt Koch, his second. In the second inning, the Miracle scored three more runs. Vargas doubled in another run. Koch and Jairo Rodriguez each singled in a run. Vargas now has 17 doubles. Rosario was 2-3. Levi Michael was also 2-3. Taylor Rogers was named the Twins minor league player of the week earlier in the day on Sunday. He was the recipient of the early run support in this game. Rogers went all 5.2 innings. He gave up one run on six hits. He walked none and struck out one. He is now 5-1 with a 1.35 ERA with the Miracle since his promotion to the Miracle. Cedar Rapids Kernels 2, Kane County 3 (10 innings) Box Score The story of this game, both good and bad, was Niko Goodrum. In the third inning, Goodrum came to the plate in a tie game and gave the Twins a 2-0 lead with a two-run single. He proceeded to steal second base. The next batter, Jorge Polanco, singled to left. Goodrum rounded third and attempted to score. The ball beat him by plenty to the plate. There was a collision, and Goodrum went down. He was on the ground for quite some time. His neck was secured. He was put on a back board and left the park in an ambulance. Before leaving, he did wave to the crowd. He went through some tests at the hospital but was released. He will be put on the Disabled List with a concussion. A corresponding move will likely be made early on Monday morning, according to manager Jake Mauer. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4278[/ATTACH] Photo by Rinaldi Photos From a team standpoint, that was about it for the offense. In fact, they did not score a run the rest of the game. Tyler Grimes and Dalton Hicks were each 2-3 with a walk. Michael Quesada went 2-4 with his third double. Hudson Boyd made the start for the Kernels. The right-handers had a Quality State. He gave up two runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out six in six innings. One of the runs came on the 8th home run of the season for 1B Dan Vogelbach. I mention that because Vogelbach and Boyd were teammates at Bishop Verot High School in Ft. Myers. They both had committed to the University of Florida. Boyd was drafted 55th overall by the Twins, and Vogelbach was selected by the Cubs with the 68th overall pick. Josue Montanez came on and threw two scoreless innings. He walked one and gave up two hits. Tyler Jones pitched a scoreless ninth, but he gave up a run with one out in the 10th to take the loss. DSL Twins, DSL Reds (Game Postponed by Rain) Please feel free to comment or ask questions below.

As has been the case throughout most of the first two months of the 2013 season, the excitement on this night in the Twins minor league system came from the bottom two levels. The Ft. Myers Miracle and Cedar Rapids Kernels combined to score 28 runs on the day. One prospect drilled two home runs in a game. Vance Worley made his second start with Rochester. Was he able to duplicate he results of his first game? And which Alex Meyer showed up on Saturday. The Twins minor leagues have had quite a few walk-off wins already this year. It was fun watching the big league club get a walk-off win on Saturday afternoon. With that, check out what happened in the Twins minor league system on Saturday, including the Dominican Summer League opener: Rochester Red Wings 3, Charlotte Knights 4 Box Score Vance Worley took the mound for his second Red Wings start. His first was a complete game shutout. His second? Not so much. He gave up a first inning run. Then he gave up three runs in the second inning. Not good start, but he went on to throw five shutout innings. Overall, he gave up four runs on ten hits and a walk in seven innings. He struck out seven. Luis Perdomo struckout one in a scoreless ninth inning. The Red Wings had plenty of scoring opportunities. They have eight hits, but they also walked 12 times. Somehow, they managed to score just three runs. Antoan Richardson led off and went 1-2 with three walks and his fifth stolen base. Oswaldo Arcia was 1-2 with three walks. His sixth Red Wings home run came in the ninth inning and cut the deficit to one. Jeff Clement was 2-4. New Britain Rock Cats 4, Bowie Baysox 3 Box Score Alex Meyer has been solid but quite inconsistent for the Rock Cats this season. On this night, he was terrific. The lanky right-hander went the first 6.1 innings. He gave up one run on two hits and two walks. He struck out a season-high ten opponents. Blake Martin came on and gave up two runs on two hits and two walks. AJ Achter came on and got the final five outs for his third save. He gave up two hits and a walk, but no runs. James Beresford led the way by going 3-4 with his fifth stolen base. He’s now hitting .338 and inexplicably remaining in AA. Danny Ortiz was 2-4. Danny Santana was very good in May and went 2-4 with his 10th and 11th stolen bases in this game. Nate Hanson and Curt Smith each doubled. Ft. Myers Miracle 13, Palm Beach Cardinals 4 Box Score The Miracle offense exploded in this game. Angel Morales is inexplicably still in Ft. Myers. It’s his third season with the Miracle, and he had a terrific month of May. In this game, he was 3-4 with two doubles. Kennys Vargas was 3-6. Eddie Rosario went 3-5 with his fifth triple. Andy Leer went 2-4 with two walks and his fourth home run. Aderlin Mejia was 2-5 with a walk. Jhon Goncalves went 2-6. Tom Stuifbergen was the recipient of all the run support. The Dutch right-hander went six innings. He gave up three runs on seven hits. He walked none and struck out three. Chad Rodgers threw two shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked two and struck out one. Nelvin Fuentes gave up a run on a hit in an inning. Cedar Rapids Kernels 15, Kane County 2 Box Score Byron Buxton was given a very rare night off, and the Kernels’ bats took off. Fifteen runs on fifteen hits and nine walks makes for a pretty good day. Dalton Hicks led the way. The burly first baseman went 3-4 with a walk, his sixth and seventh homers and four RBI. Tyler Grimes went 3-3 with two walks and a triple. Jeremias Pineda went 2-3 with two walks and his first home run. JD Williams and Niko Goodrum were both 2-5 with a walk and a double. Jorge Polanco and Adam Walker each added a double. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4273[/ATTACH] Photo by Rinaldi Photos Lefty Brett Lee was appreciative of the run support, though he did not need all of it. He gave up two runs (1 earned) on seven hits and two walks in seven innings. He struck out four. Manuel Soliman then struck out four in two perfect innings. DSL Twins 5, DSL Orioles 6 Box Score Opening Day in the Dominican Summer League. The Twins squad used seven pitchers to get through nine innings. Onesimo Hernandez gave up one run on four hits (and a hit batter) in three innings. He struck out thre. Carlos Aponte gave up two runs on two hits and a hit batter in one inning. Sebastian Perez gave up one run on two hits in two innings. Robener Cabrera gave up an unearned run on one hit and a walk in one innings. Johan Quezada walked two and struck out two in one scoreless inning. Rendis Reyes got two outs, though he gave up one run on two walks. Ezequiel Zarzuela got the final out. The offense was led by 17-year-old catcher Rainis Silva who went 2-4. Rafael Valera and Carlos Martinez each doubled. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below.

A night after the Twins and the Twins minor league affiliates went 6-0, the organization went 1-4 on the final night in May. The two upper affiliates both played one-run games. On Saturday, the Twins Dominican Summer League team will open up its season. We may have to do a game report or two this weekend. Also coming will be the Twins minor league hitter, starting pitcher and relief pitcher of the month reports. The Twins did make some transactions in the minor leagues on Friday. Matt Hauser was promoted to New Britain while Jose Gonzalez was sent back to Ft. Myers. Both would pitch for their new team on this night. Check out what happened in the Twins minor league system on Friday: Rochester Red Wings 3, Charlotte Knights 2 Box Score Cole De Vries struggled, but he found a way to get through five innings and give up just two runs. He gave up nine hits and intentionally walked a batter. However, his night ended with a nice 1, 2, 3 fifth frame. Virgil Vasquez came on and threw three shutout innings. However, he gave up a leadoff single to start the bottom of the 9th. After a sacrifice bunt, the next batter was intentionally walked. Michael Tonkin was brought in. He is a ground ball pitcher, so they were hoping for an inning-ending double play. However, as he had done a night earlier in his Red Wings debut, Tonkin gave up a run-scoring single to Gordon Beckham that ended the game. The offense was pretty quiet. Doug Bernier went 2-4. Both Red Wings runs came on home run balls. Oswaldo Arcia’s fifth home run but them on the scoreboard. With two outs, down by a run in the top of the 9th, Brian Dinkelman pinch hit for Danny Lehmann and hit a game-tying home run. It was his third homer of the season. New Britain Rock Cats 6, Bowie Baysox 7 Box Score Trevor May had one rough inning again. In total, he gave up four runs on eight hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out five. However, he gave up all four runs in the second inning before settling in. The Rock Cats were able to tie it up in the third inning. Chris Pettit had a two-run double. It was followed by a two-run homer by Reynaldo Rodriguez. Edgar Ibarra came on and gave up two runs on three hits in his two innings. After Dan Turpen and Matt Hauser each threw a scoreless inning, the game went to the bottom of the ninth. Nate Hanson crushed a double off of the wall with two outs to tie the game. Cole Johnson came on for the bottom of the ninth. Unfortunately, he gave up the first run he’s allowed in all of May, and the Rock Cats dropped the game. Curt Smith went 3-5. Nate Hanson was 2-5 with his second double. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 2-5 with his fifth home run. Ft. Myers Miracle 1, Palm Beach Cardinals 4 Box Score Matt Summers was excellent through five, but the Miracle bats just couldn’t muster enough on this night. Summers started the game with five shutout innings. He got two outs in the 6th inning, but gave up a run in the inning before being replaced by Jose Gonzalez who got the inning’s final out. Gonzalez then gave up a run in the 7th inning. Corey Williams pitched the 8th frame and gave up two runs on a hit and two walks. Eddie Rosario was 2-4. He had two of the team’s five hits. Jhon Goncalves hit his sixth double. Following up on yesterday’s story, Miguel Sano was in the lineup today for the Miracle and went 1-3 with a sacrifice fly. Cedar Rapids Kernels 5, Kane County 2 Box Score The Kernels jumped out to a fast start with two runs in the first inning. JO Berrios started out slow. He gave up a run in the first inning on a hit and an uncharacteristic two walks. However, he settled down nicely. Berrios gave up one run on three hits and two walks in 5.2 innings. He struck out four. He was replaced by Alex Muren who went the next 2.1 innings without allowing a run. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out one. Tim Atherton got just one out in the ninth inning. He gave up one run on two hits and a walk. David Hurlbut came on and got the final two outs for his fifth save. Berrios improved to 4-2. Dalton Hicks wen 3-4 with his 16th double. Michael Quesada went 2-4 with his second double. Adam Walker went 2-4 with his 11th double. Byron Buxton stole his 26th base. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4266[/ATTACH] Photo by Rinaldi Photos Please feel free to comment or ask questions below.

I like it. This was very interesting... Now I have another name to follow through the draft next week!

It is a rarity when the Minnesota Twins get wins because of the home run ball. That was the case for the hometown nine on Thursday night. It was a trend that carried down through the Twins farm system as there were several big home runs. The Twins got four homers in their win over the Brewers. The Red Wings hit four home runs in their game. The Miracle got three home runs, including a huge, late-inning one. The Kernels had a significant home run in each game of their double header. Of course, you’re going to have to keep reading to find out the specifics. Check out what happened in the Twins minor league system on Thursday: Rochester Red Wings 13, Lehigh Valley IronPigs 10 Box Score In his most recent start, Kyle Gibson did something that he had not done to that point. He put together two straight good starts. Could he make it a third? Well, he did extend his scoreless innings streak to 20, but after that, that wheels fell off. He gave up three runs in the third inning, and when his afternoon was over, he had given up six earned runs on eight hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out six. Aaron Thompson got three outs. Anthony Slama’s 2013 struggles continued. He recorded just one out in the eighth inning and was charged with four runs (3 earned) on three hits and a hit batter. His season ERA is now 17.28. Michael Tonkin came on to make his AAA debut. He threw two pitches and gave up a two-run single before being replaced by Tyler Robertson who got thefinal two outs of the inning. Shairon Martis came on and gave up one hit in a scoreless inning. Fortunately, the Red Wing bats showed up on this day. Oswaldo Arcia ended an 0-14 stretch since his return to Rochester. He went 4-5 with his third double and fourth home run. Dan Rohlfing went 3-4 (and is now hitting .800 in his two AAA games!). Eric Fryer went 2-3 with two walks. Like the Twins, the Red Wings hit four home runs in this game. Along with Arcia, Clete Thomas (9th), Jeff Clement (7th) and Deibinson Romero (1st) each homered. New Britain Rock Cats 2, Richmond Squirrels 1 Box Score This game lasted less time than the Cedar Rapids Game 1 rain delay on this night. The pitcher’s duel was complete in just two hours and 21 minutes. Pat Dean started and gave up one run on five hits in seven innings. He walked none and struck out three. Blake Martin struck out two in the 8th inning. AJ Achter came on for the 9th frame. He gave up two hits, but no runs, to record his second save. There was very little offense in this one. The Rock Cats had six hits. However, Danny Ortiz went 2-3 and drove in both runs. Ft. Myers Miracle 7, Bradenton Marauders 4 Box Score The Miracle just continue to find ways to win. This was yet another come-from-behind win. Jason Wheeler got the start. The lefty gave up four runs (2 earned) on six hits. In seven innings, he walked two and struck out four. Ryan O’Rourke is back from the DL and continues to play the role of Vulture. He came into the game with the team down a run. Immediately the Miracle came back. He threw two scoreless innings and improves to 5-0. Eddie Rosario went 2-4 with his 12th double. Angel Morales hit his fifth homer. Levi Michael hit his second homer. Down 4-3 going into the bottom of the 8th inning, the Miracle scored four runs that inning. The big blow was a three-run blast by Kennys Vargas. Vargas was 2-4 in the game. The Miracle are now 38-14. In case you look at the box score, Miguel Sano was removed from the game and replaced by Stephen Wickens. Announcer Brice Zimmerman suspects that it was because after the ball got away from the catcher after his second strikeout, Sano did not run down the line. This is similar to the reason that Eddie Rosario was benched about a week ago. Doug Mientkiewicz and the Twins are (and should be) sticklers for doing things right, whether you are a star or not. It will be interesting to see if Sano plays on Friday. Game 1 - Cedar Rapids Kernels 5, Clinton LumberKings 3 Box Score This was a comeback game in a couple of ways. First, after four innings, this game experienced a rain delay. Nearly three hours later, the two teams came back to the field. Tyler Duffey threw four shutout innings before the delay. He gave up five hits, walked none and struck out five. When the game resumed, Steve Gruver came on. He gave up three runs on five hits and a walk in just 1.1 innings. He left the game with runners on and the team down 3-2. Alex Muren came on and threw one pitch. That was all he needed to get a ground ball double play. In the bottom of the 7th, Tyler Grimes launched a three-run homer to give the Kernels the lead. The timing made Muren a winner even with just one pitch thrown. David Hulbut came in for the 7th to get the save. Byron Buxton went 2-3 with a walk and his 24th stolen base. Adam Walker added his fifth triple. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4249[/ATTACH] Photo by Rinaldi Photos Game 2 - Cedar Rapids Kernels 3, Clinton LumberKings 2 Box Score Hein Robb had to wait a little bit longer to make his Midwest League debut. The southpaw from South Africa went the first three innings. He gave up two runs on four hits and a walk. He was replaced by Tyler Jones who gave up a hit and three walks in two scoreless innings. Josue Montanez worked the final two innings and recorded a strikeout to end the game. Dalton Hicks hit a double, and he twice drove in Byron Buxton. However, it was yet another big home run that was the difference-maker. This time, it was Travis Harrison. The third baseman hit a deep home run to center field to give the Kernels the 3-2 lead that they were able to hold on to. It was Harrison’s ninth home run of the year. The Kernels are now 33-19 after the double-header sweep. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below.

Each year, I try to do a Minnesota Twins Top 52 Prospect list right before the draft. That way, we're looking at players who have (generally) now been in the organization for at least a year. It can also give you a sense of which positions have some strength. Through nearly two months of the season, there have been several very impressive performances throughout the organization. Many of the top prospects are in the lower levels, but when you put together this list, you see that there are a few players mentioned in the upper levels too. I'll count down from 52 with brief comments on each, right up to the Top 2 prospects, and I have to say, it's still a very difficult decision. Who will I put at Number One? Aaron Hicks has 'graduated' from the "Prospect" lists as he is now over the 130 at bats mark. For pitchers, the limit is 50 innings. Let's get to the list: #52 - Caleb Thielbar - LH RP - Rochester/Minnesota - The Randolph native has been impressive in his debut. He throws hard and has three good pitches. He can be a solid big league reliever. #51 - Tyler Jones - RH RP - Cedar Rapids Kernels - Jones was a starter a year ago, but he's got the fastball and breaking pitch to be a very good reliever as well. He missed a few weeks with an injury. #50 - Madison Boer - RH RP - Ft. Myers Miracle - Yes, I am listing him as a reliever because I would be done with the starting experience for him. He's can reach into the upper-90s with his fastball out of the bullpen, so they need to go with that. That is, when he returns from his broken hand. #49 - Mike Kvasnicka - OF/C - Ft. Myers Miracle - The former Gopher came to the Twins from the Astros late in spring training and pretty much immediately broke his hamate bone. He'll be out a few more weeks. He didn't put up the numbers you would hope from a 1st round pick with the Astros, but he does have power. #48 - Jason Wheeler - LHP - Ft. Myers Miracle - Since signing with the Twins as an 8th round pick in 2011, he has gone 19-6 with a 3.62 ERA. The 6-8 lefty doesn't throw over 89 mph, but he has good control of multiple pitches. #47 - Kuo-hua Lo - RHP - Extended Spring Training - Lo signed from Taiwan and he has very good stuff. He can throw hard, has multiple pitches, good control and a knowledge of how to pitch. He should start for the Elizabethton Twins. #46 - Austin Malinowski - LHP - Extended Spring Training - The Minnesota native gave up a scholarship to the University of Arizona to sign with the Twins. He pitched well in the GCL last year and should be in the Elizabethton rotation. #45 - James Beresford - 2B/SS - New Britain Rock Cats - I have no idea why he is still in New Britain. Despite missing a couple of weeks with an injury, he is hitting over .330, and he is an elite defensive player around the infield. #44 - Felix Jorge - RHP - Extended Spring Training - Hard-throwing youngster has terrific stuff and should be in the rotation for the E-Twins. #43 - Angel Morales - OF - Ft. Myers Miracle - He seems to have figured things out with the Miracle, and although he can be a six-year minor league free agent after the season, he is still just 23 years old. He should move up to New Britain soon. #42 - Dan Rohlfing - C/OF - New Britain/Rochester - Last night, he homered in his first AAA game. Always seen as more of an organizational player, Rohlfing has worked hard and made himself into a future big leaguer because of his athleticism and versatility. #41 - Dalton Hicks - 1B - Cedar Rapids Kernels - Hicks is a large man with great power. Drafted in the 17th round last year, he has come up with some big hits in his two pro seasons. #40 - Tom Stuifbergen - RHP - Ft. Myers Miracle - "Stuif" is finally healthy and pitching well again this season. He has incredible control and works fast. It'd be nice to see more strikeouts, but has the pitches. #39 - BJ Hermsen - RHP - New Britain Rock Cats - The Twins minor league pitcher of the year a year ago, Hermsen has put up very good numbers at every level, despite low strikeout totals. He went to big league camp and unfortunately got hurt. He has struggled in his return and moved now to the bullpen. He'll start again, and he'll be fine. #38 - Angel Mata - RHP - Extended Spring Training - Last year in Elizabethton, he made 13 starts. He threw 53.1 innings, gave up just 31 hits and struck out 55. Why is he not in Cedar Rapids? Well, he also walked 34. #37 - Randy Rosario - LHP - Extended Spring Training - Call me intrigued by left-handed pitchers who have been clocked at 95 mph. Rosario struck out 42 in 38.1 innings last year (And walked 19). #36 - Matt Summers - RHP - Ft. Myers Miracle - Still hasn't put up big numbers despite having very good stuff. Maybe he'll be a reliever down the line, where he might see those strikeout numbers increase. #35 - Aderlin Mejia - IF - Ft. Myers Miracle - He's been a story the last three weeks in Ft. Myers, hitting .400 and playing all over the field. He was just supposed to be with the team for a short period, but he's earned his way into the daily lineup. #34 - Nate Roberts - OF - Ft. Myers Miracle - He's an on-base machine and showed in the AFL just how good he can be at the top of an order. He just has to find a way to stay on the field and another offseason knee surgery has limited him to just one game this year. #33 - JT Chargois - RH RP - Extended Spring Training - Chargois throws incredibly hard and can be a late-inning reliever. He just has to get healthy. #32 - JD Williams - OF - Cedar Rapids Kernels - A tremendous athlete, the charismatic outfielder has done a great job of getting on base and even showing power to go with his great speed. #31 - Hudson Boyd - RHP - Cedar Rapids Kernels - The numbers don't show it yet, but Boyd does have a chance to be good. He has the pitches, a fastball up to 93, a very good curveball and a terrific changeup. He just needs to find consistency with each of those pitches. #30 - Levi Michael - IF - Ft. Myers Miracle - His season was delayed several weeks with another injury, and he hasn't hit much since his return. The positive is that a big percentage of his hits have gone for extra bases. #29 - Chris Herrmann - C/OF - Rochester/Minnesota - He struggled in his AAA debut the first month of the season, but he had been much better before his promotion. His value is that he is a solid offensive contributor with defensive versatility that includes improved abilities behind that plate. #28 - Logan Darnell - LHP - New Britain Rock Cats - Darnell seems to have taken that next step and is pitching very well. He's left-handed and knows how to pitch. #27 - Corey Williams - LH RP - Ft. Myers Miracle - The power lefty is off to a great start with the Miracle after a disappointing 2012 in Beloit (despite 17 saves). He's still not getting the strikeouts you'd like to see from someone with his stuff. #26 - Adrian Salcedo - RHP - Ft. Myers Miracle - He was a top ten Twins prospect until an injury-plagued 2012 season (elbow and shoulder). He struggled at the start of this season, but in the last month, he has reclaimed his stuff and, in my opinion, should return to starting soon. #25 - Luke Bard - RHP - Extended Spring Training - His season is yet to start due to some arm problems, but he can pitch. Whenever he does get on a mound, he has the stuff to be very good. #24 - Danny Ortiz - OF - New Britain Rock Cats - Arguably the most under-appreciated prospect in the organization. Maybe it's because there are so many outfielders, but Ortiz has put up numbers, in AA and in Puerto Rico, to warrant a higher ranking. #23 - Mason Melotakis - LHP - Cedar Rapids Kernels - He has been alright so far as a starter for the Kernels. The numbers have been 'good.' Of course there is a lot more value if he can be a starter, but if he does move to the bullpen again, he can be a dominant reliever. #22 - Tyler Duffey - RHP - Cedar Rapids Kernels - Another college reliever turned starter, Duffey has pitched quite well to this point for the Kernels. He threw 7 perfect innings in his first start and has been good the rest of the way. #21 - DJ Baxendale - RHP - Ft. Myers/New Britain - The Twins 10th round pick a year ago had a rood awakening in his AA debut last night, but had thrown 31 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. He can be a mid-rotation starter but it won't be overnight. #20 - Taylor Rogers - LHP - Cedar Rapids/Ft. Myers - 11th round pick a year ago, the lefty throws 91-92 mph with a very good slider. He just looks like a future starter and has the make up to be very good. #19 - Zack Jones - RH RP - Ft. Myers Miracle - 100. That says it all. OK, his fastball generally sits 96 to 98 mph, but when you can touch 10, that's impressive. He's working on the consistency of his slider, but when that comes, he could dominate. #18 - Michael Tonkin - RH RP - New Britain - After spending time as a starter, and maybe too much time in Beloit, he has skyrocketed the last 12 months because he has put it all together. A mid-90s fastball with good secondary pitches makes for an exciting late-inning option. #17 - Danny Santana - SS - New Britain Rock Cats - April was not a good month for the talented shortstop. He didn't hit, and he committed a ton of errors. He now has 18 errors on the season, but most came in the first month. He has also hit very well in May. Now, he just needs to be consistent. #16 - Alex Wimmers - RHP - New Britain Rock Cats - the right-handed former first round pick is now throwing off of a mound in his return from Tommy John. He is about on the same schedule as Kyle Gibson was a year ago. If he can end the season making starts in New Britain, that would be great. He'll be added to the 40 man roster after the season. #15 - Niko Goodrum - SS - Cedar Rapids Kernels - Niko has amazing tools, but watching him play makes you really appreciate just how solid he is. He makes the routine plays. He hits well from both sides of the plate. He has range. He has a great arm. He needs time, but he has great upside. #14 - Max Kepler - OF - Extended Spring Training - There was a lot of excitement about Kepler coming into the season. Unfortunately, an arm injury has meant that he is yet to debut with the Kernels this year. He's got size and power and very good speed. He just needs to get on the field. #13 - Josmil Pinto - C - New Britain Rock Cats - OK, I give in. I have ranked him far too low for far too long. The guy can flat-out hit. He is OK behind the plate, but when you have a catcher that you also like to hit #3 and DH, you have something special. #12 - Adam Walker - OF - Cedar Rapids Kernels - Walker has shown a flair for the dramatic, with big, long home runs and some important grand slams. He needs to find more consistency, but he has so much talent and incredible power. He should move up to Ft. Myers. #11 - Trevor May - RHP - New Britain Rock Cats - May is back in the Eastern League and he's showing the talent he has. He's also continued to be inconsistent from start to start and his control has not been great. But he's still young and he puts in the time and I believe he'll be alright. #10 - Travis Harrison - 3B - Cedar Rapids Kernels - The supplemental first round pick in 2011 showed last year in E-Town that he can hit. This year, he has flashed some of the incredible power potential that he has. He has made improvements with the glove, but his power potential and youth makes him very exciting. #9 - Jorge Polanco - 2B/SS - Cedar Rapids Kernels - The former slick-fielding, little middle infielder has grown up. He now has the size to put up some numbers with his bat too. He has a smooth swing from both sides of the plate with extra base pop. And, his glove is still terrific. #8 - Kennys Vargas - 1B - Ft. Myers Miracle - Baby Papi just keeps hitting for power. He's got 15 doubles and 10 home runs in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. He's made improvements in his footwork at 1B as well. #7 - Kyle Gibson - RHP - Rochester Red Wings - Three out of four starts have been tremendous. If he can put up another good start tonight, we could see him in Minnesota as early as next week. Still just 25, Gibson has very good stuff, throws strikes, gets ground balls and has great makeup. He's going to be a good one. #6 - Eddie Rosario - 2B - Ft. Myers Miracle - No one questions his bat. He is going to hit. What people are most impressed by so far this year from Rosario is how well he has made the adjustment to second base. He has been very good defensively which shows that he's willing to do work. Still some maturity issues to work through, but he will. #5 - Jose (JO) Berrios - RHP - Cedar Rapids Kernels - A supplemental pick just a year ago, Berrios is very young. He now has 6 walks and 40 strikeouts in 33.1 innings with the Kernels. That's after he walked four and struck out 49 last year in the rookie leagues. He's got good stuff and a fastball that hits 94-95 mph. #4 - Alex Meyer - RHP - New Britain Rock Cats - The 23-year-old has been good in his adjustment to AA after just nine games in High-A a year ago. In 54.2 innings, he has struck out 54, but he has also walked 25. He hasn't walked hitters in the past, so hopefully that's just a mirage. But his four-pitch mix is special. He just needs some time. #3 - Oswaldo Arcia - OF - Rochester Red Wings - We all knew he could hit. We all know he's going to be a special hitter in the big leagues. Now we have seen a little glimpse of what he can be. He needed to go back down to Rochester as he has some adjusting to do, but he'll make those adjustments and be back in no time. #2 - Miguel Sano - Ft. Myers Miracle - It's really ridiculous to have Miguel Sano as the #2 prospect. In how many organizations would that be the case? Maybe three or four? In reality, I'm not even comfortable having him at #2. He is a Top 10 prospect in baseball and has put up incredible numbers, including power numbers, in Ft. Myers. All while improving his defense and stealing bases. He's so good. #1 - Byron Buxton - OF - Cedar Rapids Kernels - He has slumped in May and yet I still rank him (slightly) ahead of Miguel Sano. He's just such a great all-around talent. He does have power. His speed is elite. His defense is incredible, and he has a strong and accurate arm. He has great plate discipline and isn't afraid to hit with two strikes. He hits the ball to all fields. I don't know if there's anything he can't do. He just needs time and patience, but it'll be hard not to move him up the ladder pretty quickly. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4228[/ATTACH] So there you have it. I hope you've enjoyed reading about 52 names in the Twins system. I did not include Amaurys (German) Minier, though he should start appearing in my lists following this season, especially if he spends time with the GCL Twins. What do you think? Who is too high? Who is too low? Who do you have questions about? Feel free to ask and I'll try to answer as many as I can throughout the day.

We are all very excited about the potential of Jose (JO) Berrios. DJ Baxendale has been the best pitcher in the Twins organization to this point in the season. Tyler Duffey has been strong and consistent through the year. Two other 2012 draft picks made impressive starts in the Twins farm system on Tuesday night. 2nd Round Mason Melotakis looked to end the Cedar Rapids Kernels’ six-game losing streak. 11th round pick Taylor Rogers looked to keep things rolling for the Miracle while putting up some impressive numbers. It would be nice to get Luke Bard and JT Chargois going, but even without those two starting yet, the Twins 2012 draft class is off to a very strong start. Check out what happened in the Twins minor league system on Tuesday: Rochester Red Wings, Lehigh Valley IronPigs This game was suspended by rain with one out in the top of the 5th inning. Andrew Albers was working on his first clunker of the season. Jeff Clement had homered. When the game is resumed, and then completed, we’ll provide the game’s story. New Britain Rock Cats 1, Richmond Squirrels 2 Box Score Logan Darnell had another very good start, but unfortunately, the Rock Cats were kept quiet. Darnell has been very good of late. In this game, he went six innings. The lefty gave up two runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out five. Cole Johnson came to the team and got into game action right away. He pitched a scoreless inning in his AA debut despite giving up two hits and a walk. Michael Tonkin came on and struck out five over two perfect innings. Jordan Parraz hit his second home run in the week since he joined the Rock Cats. It was one of just three hits for the team. Down a run in the ninth, Reynaldo Rodriguez doubled to lead off the inning. AJ Pettersen bunted him to third base, but the team was unable to plate the game-tying run. Ft. Myers Miracle 5, Bradenton Marauders 0 Box Score Aderlin Mejia continues to impress with the Miracle, but it was another player who did not start the season with the team that was the story in this one. DJ Baxendale has been the organization’s top starter so far this season. He was the Twins 10th round pick a year ago. One round later, the Twins drafted left-hander Taylor Rogers from the University of Kentucky. He began the season with the Kernels but was promoted to Ft. Myers at the start of the month. On this night, he worked seven shutout innings. He gave up seven hits, walked none and struck out seven to improve to 4-1 and reduce his ERA to 1.32 with the Miracle. Ryan O’Rourke returned to the Miracle bullpen and threw a scoreless inning. He struck out two. Matt Hauser struck out the side in the 9th. [ATTACH=CONFIG]4208[/ATTACH] Photo by William Parmeter Mejia is supposed to be in Ft. Myers waiting for the Elizabethton season to start. If he keeps playing like he has, he may have to stick. In this game, he went 2-2 with three walks. He doubled for the fourth time and stole his eighth base. Eddie Rosario went 2-3 with two walks and his 10th double. Miguel Sano went 2-4 with his 14th double. Jhon Goncalves went 2-4 with his fourth double. Angel Morales was also 2-4. Cedar Rapids Kernels 9, Clinton LumberKings 4 Box Score The Kernels found a good equation to end their six-game losing streak. They got some big hits, including a couple of home runs, and a terrific start. Like Rogers and Baxendale, Mason Melotakis was a 2012 draft pick. He improved to 4-2 with a 3.69 ERA on the season with seven innings in this one. He started with six shutout innings before giving up two runs in the seventh. In all, he gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out three. Tim Atherton pitched the eighth inning. He gave up two runs on a walk and a home run. Steven Gruver struck out two in a scoreless ninth. JD Williams led the offense on this night. He went 3-4 with his fifth home run. Byron Buxton went 3-5. Travis Harrison knocked his eighth home run. Jorge Polanco hit his seventh triple. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below.