Seth Stohs

It’s hard to believe that the month of May is already complete, and with it, it is time to announce the choices for Twins minor league hitter, starting pitcher and relief pitcher of the month. This month, we are going to start with the starting pitching. There were some very solid starting pitchers during the month of May. Instead of making four starts, as they did in April, they had to be good for five or six starts in May. Below, you will find my rankings of the Top 6 starting pitchers in the Twins farm system in the month of May. Be sure to vote for your choice in the comments. --- Number 6 - Beloit – Jason Wheeler - 5 GS, 3-1, 3.09 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 32.0 IP, 34 H, 5 BB, 22 K Wheeler, the Twins 8th round pick in 2011 out of Loyola Marymount, was on this list in April. Overall, the lefty is now 6-1 with a 2.75 ERA. In ten starts, he has given up more than three earned runs just once. In fact, he has given up three runs just once. Number 5 – Beloit – RHP Matt Summers - 6 GS, 3-1, 2.50 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 36.0 IP, 35 H, 10 BB, 24 K Summers was the Twins 4th round pick in 2011 out of UC-Irvine. The big right-hander had a rough April with the Snappers. He went 1-2 with a 6.64 ERA. However, in May, he warmed up with the weather. He walked the same number of batters in over 15 more innings while striking out 11 more. Number 4 – New Britain/Rochester – RHP David Bromberg - 5 GS, 3-1, 2.48 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 29.0 IP, 23 H, 12 BB, 28 K It’s been well documented. Bromberg’s 2011 was a lost season after having a line drive back at him break his forearm. He began this season in the Rock Cats bullpen and gave up nine runs in his first two innings. However, since May, Bromberg was spectacular. At one point, he threw 20 consecutive scoreless innings. The month ended with a start for the Rochester Red Wings. Number 3 – Rochester – RHP Liam Hendriks - 5 GS, 3-1, 2.93 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 30.2 IP, 22 H, 10 BB, 24 K Hendriks was sent back to Rochester after struggling with the Twins in April. He pitched great, and if not for a bad starting on Wednesday night (6 ER in 5 IP), he probably would be #1 on this list. Coming into the game on Wednesday, he was 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP. The right-hander should get another month with the Red Wings and then potentially come back to the Twins in July. Number 2 – Ft. Myers – LHP Pat Dean - 6 GS, 4-0, 1.34 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 33.2 IP, 34 H, 6 BB, 16 K Dean got an extra start in May because he pitched just three innings before there was a rain delay one game, so he was able to come back on short rest. Although he strikes out very few, Dean doesn’t hurt himself with walks. The 2010 third round pick just turned 23. On the season, he’s 4-2 with a 2.70 ERA. He has just 30 strikeouts in 63.1 innings. And the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month is: New Britain – BJ Hermsen - 6 GS, 3-1, 2.68 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 43.2 IP, 39 H, 2 BB, 23 K For the second straight month, BJ Hermsen is my choice for Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Month. Last month, he pitched for Ft. Myers. At the end of the month of April, he was promoted to AA New Britain, and he hasn’t missed a beat. What is remarkable is that he averaged almost 7.5 innings per start. He definitely is a pitch to contact pitcher, reliant upon a lot of movement and pinpoint control (note, two walks in 43.2 innings). Overall this year between the two stops, he is 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA in 66.2 innings. What do you think? I listed six pitchers here that pitched quite well in the month of May. There were actually a few other choices. Who would your choice be? How would you rank these guys (and feel free to include others)? [ATTACH=CONFIG]1090[/ATTACH]

A week ago, we started to take a look at my Top 50 Twins Prospects. Within the last week, we looked at prospects 11-20, prospects 21-30, prospects 31-40, and prospects 41 through 50. The general belief is that the Twins farm system is pretty weak and sadly, from doing this exercise, I find it hard to disagree. However, to say that it is bad and completely void of talent is also not true at all. Within this top ten, there is a lot of talent. There are still plenty of question marks due to age and injuries, but there are some high ceilings. The hope would be that after the Twins make six selections in the top 100 picks in next week’s draft (And sign them), there will be a lot more talent in the system to believe in. Most likely, the player the Twins select with the #2 overall pick should slot right into the #2 spot on the list below. Without further ado, let’s get to the list. Here are my choices for Twins Top Prospects: #10 –Hudson Boyd, RHP Boyd was the Twins second supplemental first round pick a year ago. He was drafted out of his high school in Ft. Myers. The Twins had him come to Hammond Stadium days before the draft and saw him throw 97 mph. Listed at 6-3 and 270 pounds, Boyd is a big man who the Twins will want to slim down. He didn’t play in 2011 until the Instructional League. Boyd throws hard, and he also throws strikes. He is just 19 years old so he will likely start his career in the GCL as a starter. Many believe that he may eventually need to move to the bullpen. It’s way too early to know that. Reports I’m hearing from Ft. Myers say that he is working really hard and more important, he is throwing really hard and has a very good curveball. #9 – Travis Harrison, 3B Harrison was selected five picks before the Twins took Boyd in the supplemental round of the 2011 draft. Like Boyd, he signed at the deadline for a little bit above slot. He debuted with the Twins in the Florida Instructional League. The 6-3, 215 pound right-handed hitter is one day younger than Boyd. Reports from Ft. Myers tell me that he is crushing the ball. Of course, like most young hitters, especially power hitters, Harrison still occasionally struggles with hitting a curveball. He can be a solid batting average hitter too if he can make contact, as he does a good job of using the whole field thanks to a very balanced swing. He is best known as a guy who hit a ball 504 feet, well out of Tropicana Field. And again, like Boyd, Harrison could start at Elizabethton but most likely with the GCL Twins. #8 – Brian Dozier, SS The Twins drafted Dozier with their 8th round pick in the 2009 draft out of the University of Southern Mississippi. The four-year senior advanced quickly through the Twins farm system. He split the 2011 season between Ft. Myers and New Britain. He was my choice for 2011 Minor League Hitter of the Year after hitting a combined .320/.399/.491 with 33 doubles, 12 triples, nine home runs and 24 stolen bases. Teammates talk about his poise and leadership. After hitting .276/.339/.371 with seven doubles and a homer in 28 AAA games this spring, he was promoted to the Twins. In 22 games, he has hit .227/.247/.341 with four doubles and two home runs. No one is expecting him to post an .800 OPS, but in time, I think he will be a .720-.750 OPS guy for a few years. He has shown good range and hands, and plenty of arm to play shortstop. #7 – Joe Benson, OF The Twins second round pick in 2006 out of his Illinois high school, Benson gave up a football scholarship to Purdue. Since signing, things have not always come easy for Benson. He was the Twins Minor League hitter of the year in 2010, and he was my runner up choice in 2011. He spent each of those seasons in New Britain. Last year, he spent September playing nearly every day with the Twins. In one game against Cleveland, he was 4-4 with a triple and two doubles. He began the 2012 season in Rochester, but through 28 games, he was hitting .179/.269/.316 with seven extra base hits. He was sent down to New Britain where he hit .156 in eight games before having surgery on a broken hamate bone last week. There is no questioning the physical tools that Benson possesses. His competitive and aggressive style can mean good things in many cases. The struggles this year were with the emotional side of the game and being able to handle the negative. If ever the 24-year-old can find a way to slow the game down, he can be a special player. #6 – Kyle Gibson, RHP The Twins top pick in the 2009 draft, Gibson came from the University of Missouri. Gibson was the Twins 2010 minor league pitcher of the year when he quickly moved from Ft. Myers to New Britain and up to Rochester. He began 2011 with the Red Wings and pitched well the first two months of the season. Unfortunately, he had elbow pain and had to have Tommy John surgery. He is expected to throw his first bullpen off of a mound next Monday and hopes to pitch in games in 2012. The idea would be that he be ready to pitch for the Twins sometime in 2013. The lanky right-hander throws a fastball between 89-91 but can touch 93. He has a great sinker and a slider. He also throws a change up. He gets a lot of ground balls. He will be added to the 40 man roster following the season. #5 – Oswaldo Arcia, RHP The Twins had to add Arcia to the 40 man roster last November because the 21 year old signed in July of 2007 out of Venezuela. He came to the States and put up solid numbers in 2009, but in 2010, he was the Appalachian League Player of the Year. In 2011, he put up huge numbers in Beloit in April, but then had to miss six weeks after having elbow surgery. Instead of returning to Beloit, he was moved up to Ft. Myers. That is where he starts this spring. After a slow April (thanks, in part, to a leg injury), he had a big May. Right now, he is hitting .298/.351/.482 with 13 doubles, three triples and four home runs. The left-handed hitter has major power. He strikes out a lot, and will have to figure out how to hit left-handed pitching at a decent rate, but Arcia does have a high ceiling. #4 – Aaron Hicks, OF Hicks was the Twins first-round pick way back in June of 2008 out of high school in California. The 22 year old is getting his first taste of AA this year after posting some impressive numbers in the Arizona Fall League last year. Hicks is not over his head, but he is certainly working through some struggles. Overall this season, he is hitting .246/.335/.392 (.727) with eight doubles, a triple and five home runs. However, he posted an OPS of .824 in April and of just .624 thus far in May. The other question is whether or not Hicks should remain a switch-hitter. Well, this year against left-handers, he is hitting .347/.396/.510 (.906) against left-handers and .205/.313/.344 (.657) against right-handers. I’ve said all along that I would give him this year to work on the switch-hitting, but they do need to think about him just being a right-handed hitter following this season when they add him to the 40 man roster. Hicks is already big-league ready defensively. He has great range and a very strong, accurate arm. He has a lot of strength and is very athletic. If he goes by the same timeline as other athletic high school types like Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer and Denard Span, he should make his debut in 2014. It’s possible if he plays well in the second half that Hicks could debut in September. #3 – Liam Hendriks, RHP Consider that just about two years ago this month, Hendriks was promoted from Beloit to Ft. Myers, he has come a long ways very quickly. Signed by the Twins in 2007 from Australia, the 23-year-old has been on a fast-track, especially when considering that he missed all of the 2008 season with a neck surgery. He was my choice for Twins minor pitcher of the year in 2010 (Gibson was chosen by the Twins). He was my repeat choice in 2011 when he went 12-6 with a 3.36 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 139.1 innings between New Britain and Rochester. He walked just 21 and struck out 111. He pitched in the Futures Game and the Eastern League All-Star game. He then was promoted to the Twins. He began the season in the Twins rotation but April was frustrating for him. He missed his first start due to food poisoning, and then struggled in four starts. He was 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in 18 innings. The Twins sent him back to Rochester, and in four starts, he is 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA. In 25.2 innings, he has given up 15 hits, walked eight and struck out 23. When on, the 6-0 right-hander has a two-seam fastball between 88-91 with a lot of movement. His four-seamer can hit 93. Although we didn’t see it in April, he has a good curveball at two speed, and a very good changeup. On other thing we didn’t see was his impeccable control of the strike zone. His ceiling is the good, healthy Scott Baker. #2 – Eddie Rosario, 2B When the Twins drafted Rosario in the 4th round of the 2009 draft, he was said to be the best hitter from Puerto Rico that year. To this point in his career, he has shown that he can flat-out hit. He posted a solid .781 OPS in the GCL in 2010 and showed a very good all-around game. It was 2011 in Elizabethton where he made his name. He hit .337/.397/.670 (1.068) with nine doubles, nine triples, 21 home runs and 60 RBI in 67 games. He was named the Appalachian League Player of the Year. At Instructs last fall, the decision was made to move Rosario from Centerfield (where he is really good) to second base. He advanced to Beloit and struggled in April with the glove, but he has improved greatly in the last month. He still plays centerfield once every eight to ten games as well. One the season, he is hitting a solid .284/.356/.458 (.814) with 16 doubles, a triple and five home runs. In the two short-season leagues, Rosario stole a lot of bases. In 2010 and 2011 combined, he had 39 steals in 50 chances. This season, he is struggling on the base paths, successful in just nine of 19 attempts. The 20-year-old has a very good swing, very quick and strong hands. He uses the whole field and is a terrific all-around hitter. #1 – Miguel Sano, 3B The Twins were the happy winners in the Miguel Sano sweepstakes when, in October of 2009, he signed with the Twins for a $3.15 million signing bonus. Known as the top Dominican talent that year, he was the subject of the movie Peletero (Ball player). After coming to the States for spring training in 2010, he split that season between the Dominican Summer League and the Gulf Coast League. In 2011, he played in Elizabehton and didn’t disappoint. He hit .292/.352/.637 (.988) with 18 doubles, seven triples, 20 home runs and 59 RBI in 66 games. How would he adjust to the full-season Midwest League and life in Wisconsin? He adjusted well. In April, he hit .276/.422/.586 (1.008) with five doubles, two triples and six home runs. However, he has struggled in May. Following his 19th birthday, he went on a run in which he had just one hit in 39 at bats (including an 0-24 stretch). He has homered in his past two games again. Miguel Sano has unbelievable power, and power potential. On the year, he has ten doubles, two triples and 13 home run in 188 at bats. He has the ability to hit for average, but that will largely be dependent upon his ability to put the ball in play. In 216 plate appearances, he has 60 strikeouts. He also has already committed 17 errors at third base. Those that look at his stats want to see him pushed and promoted quickly to Ft Myers. Those (coaches, front office types, fans, bloggers) who have seen him play in person say that he is where he needs to be because there are a lot of things he needs to work on. Sano is a special talent, and the Twins need to be wise with how they handle him. He can be on the Joe Mauer path (which was very fast) and get to the big leagues by early 2014. It shouldn’t be about getting him there quickly. It should be about getting him there when he is ready. So, there you have my choices for Twins Top 10 Prospects. Later this week, I’ll be back with my choices for Twins Hitter, Starting Pitcher and Relief Pitcher of the Month for May. If you have any questions or comments on any of these prospects, please feel free to ask. [ATTACH=CONFIG]1077[/ATTACH] (Photo Beloit Daily News) --- Over at Twins Daily, you have a one-stop shop for all Minnesota Twins topics. Minnesotan, former Gopher and current Beloit Snappers infielder AJ Pettersen wrote about Traveling in the Midwest League, specifically the team’s road trip to Kane County. Remember Tommy Watkins, the long-time Twins minor leaguer who finally got an opportunity with the Twins in 2007. He’s now in his third season as the hitting coach of the Beloit Snappers. Last night, he was a guest on the SethSpeaks Weekly Twins Podcast and talked about his playing career, but also a lot about coaching the likes of Sano and Rosario in Beloit this year. It was a fun interview, one of guests on the show, so be sure to listen. Cody Christie updated the goings on in the Twins minor leagues on Tuesday. In the forum, there is a terrific look at how impressive the trio of Scott Diamond, PJ Walters and Cole De Vries have been for the Twins. Thrylos continued his look at the top 22 pitchers in the upcoming draft by writing about RHP Michael Wacha. He has just a couple more pitchers to profile before the draft.

Tommy Watkins has been in the Twins organization since 1998 when he was the team's 38th round draft pick of the Twins. He spent two seasons in the Gulf Coast League, one year in Elizabethton and one year in Quad Cities. He spent two years playing for his hometown Ft. Myers Miracle. After two-and-a-half seasons with New Britain, he was promoted to Rochester. He spent three-and-a-half seasons there before retiring. However, in late 2007, all the time and all the work paid off when he was called into his manager's office and told he was going to the big leagues. He played in nine games for the Twins and hit .357 (10-28). Watkins is now in his third season as the hitting coach of the Beloit Snappers where this year he gets to work with a team that is currently four games ahead of its nearest competition in its division. Tonight, I was joined by Watkins on the SethSpeaks Weekly Twins podcast. We talked about his career, but mainly about his coaching with the Snappers. We talked about Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, AJ Pettersen and more players. It was a fun conversation. I was also joined by Ed Thoma of the Mankato Free Press who writes a terrific blog called The Baseball Outsider. Then TwinsCentric and Twins Daily's own Parker Hageman came on to talk about more Twins topics. He also let us in on some Twins Daily 'stuff' that you'll likely be reading about here in the near future. Check out the podcast here. [ATTACH=CONFIG]1074[/ATTACH]

Thank you for the reports. That is great! I'm looking forward to seeing them play too.

Today, we continue to work through my Top 50 Twins Prospects list by looking at my choices for prospects 11 through 20. Last week, we looked at prospects 21-30, prospects 31-40, and prospects 41 through 50. For those that don’t think the Twins have any shortstop prospects, you may want to check out this section. There are some high-quality, future big-league arms in this range. A couple of them were just drafted last year. Unfortunately, a couple of them are currently having some injury issues. There is also a guy who may be Ryan Doumit’s successor… or Joe Mauer’s? Without further ado, let’s get to the list. Here are my choices for Twins Prospects 11-20: #20 –Pedro Florimon, SS The Twins claimed Florimon from the Orioles in December. Days later, they DFAd him and when he cleared waivers, the Twins out-righted him, a great strategy to bring in talent yet not lose a 40 man roster spot. The switch-hitting 25 year old was originally signed by the Orioles in 2004 out of the Dominican Republic. He played for AA Bowie last year and hit .267/.344/.396 with 27 doubles, four triples, and eight home runs. He also stole 15 bases. He went 1-8 with a walk, a double and six strikeouts with the Orioles in September. He impressed the Twins coaches this spring with his glove and arm. He began the season with 30 games in New Britain. He hit .283/.347/.372 with four doubles and two home runs. He moved up to Rochester where he has played 19 games and hit .257/.304/.378 with a double, triple and two home runs. #19 – Matt Summers, RHP Summers was drafted in 2008 by the New York Yankees, as an outfielder. Instead of signing, he went to UC-Irvine and gradually became a pitcher. The Twins used their 4th round pick to take Summers. Due to innings, they had him pitch in the Elizabethton bullpen. In 20.2 innings ,he gave up 11 hits, walked five and struckout 36 batters. Moving to the Midwest League this year, has been a learning experience for Summers. He struggled early but has been much better in May. Overall, he is 4-3 with a 4.21 ERA. In 55.1 innings, he has given up 48 hits, walked 19 and struckout 29. Summers has a fastball in the mid-90s with a sharp slider as well. #18 – Danny Santana, SS The Twins signed Santana, the 22 year old shortstop, from the Dominican Republic in December of 2007. The 5-11, 170 pounder has an incredible tool set. Defensively, he has tremendous range and a great arm. Offensively, Santana is a very aggressive hitter. He is not one to walk much. That is evident by the fact that he hasn’t had an OBP over .300 since 2009 in the GCL. He isn’t a big guy, but he is aggressive and has good extra-base pop in his bat. Last year in Beloit, he hit 15 doubles, five triples and seven home runs. He also stole 24 bases. In 41 games with the Miracle this year, he is hitting .299/.322/.414 (.736) with five doubles, three triples and three home runs. #17 – Madison Boer, RHP The Twins went with a local product with their second round pick in 2011. They drafted the 22 year old right-hander from Eden Prairie out of the University of Oregon. In college, he went back and forth between the bullpen and the starting rotation. When he is a starter, his fastball sits between 92 and 94 mph, but when pitching out of the bullpen, he hits 97. He also throws a hard slider. After signing, he went to Elizabethton, where he predictably dominated. In 17.1 innings, he walked two and struck out 31. He struggled with a 6.75 ERA in eight Beloit innings, although he did walk just one and struckout twelve. He began this season with five starts in Beloit where he went 2-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 27.2 innings. He moved up to Ft. Myers where he has lasted just 20.2 innings in five starts. He is 0-5 with an 11.76 ERA. That said, in his most recent start, he gave up just one earned run in five innings. #16 – Niko Goodrum, SS The Twins used their 2nd round pick in 2010 on a high school shortstop named Cartier Goodrum. “Niko” got off to a horrible start in the GCL after signing. Last year in Elizabethton, he was terrific but it was lost behind the big seasons of Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario. He hit .275/.352/.382 with ten doubles, three triples and two home runs He stole eight bases, and although he committed a lot of errors, he has great range and a very strong arm. Long and lanky, he will need to bulk up a little to continue hitting for any power. The 20-year-old will go back to Elizabethton and hopefully put up some big numbers. #15 – Levi Michael, SS To say that the last twelve months have been tough for Levi Michael might be an understatement, well, other than that seven-figure signing bonus. His North Carolina team advanced to the College World Series, but he struggled mightily. He fell to the Twins with the 30th pick even though many draft experts ranked him much higher. He signed at the very last minute, and he didn’t play at all last season because he had so many injuries. The Twins started him in Ft. Myers this year, and he has really struggled. Just 21 years old, he is quite young for his draft class thanks to skipping his senior year of high school to go play in college. The switch-hitter should eventually hit for average with some gap power. He has a good glove and hands, but average range and arm, so most believe he’ll eventually move to second base. #14 – BJ Hermsen, RHP The 22-year-old was the Twins 6th round pick in 2008 out of high school in Iowa. The Twins went well over slot to sign him and keep him from going to Oregon State. Hermsen split the 2011 season between Beloit and Ft. Myers. He was my runner-up for 2011 Twins minor league pitcher of the year. He went 13-8 with a 3.33 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. In 151.1 innings, he walked just 37 and struck out 101. Despite a 6-6 frame, Hermsen relies on control of an 85-89 mph two-seam fastball that has very heavy sink. His four-seamer can touch 91-92. He has a very good curveball and changeup, but teammates are most impressed by his poise. He made just nine starts at Ft. Myers (5 last year, 4 this year) before being promoted to AA New Britain. In five starts there, he has already pitched 35 innings. He is 2-1 with a 2.83 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. The Twins will need to decide following the season whether to add him to the 40 man roster or not. It’s hard to imagine that they wouldn’t, at this point. #13 – Adrian Salcedo, RHP The Twins signed Salcedo out of the Dominican Republic in December of 2007. The 21-year-old has been very successful at every step up the ladder. In 2011 in Beloit, he went 6-6 but posted a 2.93 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. In 135 innings, he walked just 27 and struck out just 92. At 6-4 and 175, he is lanky and very athletic. His fastball is in the low-90s. He also has a good curveball and a good changeup that sit between 84 and 86 mph. This year he moved up to Ft. Myers and really struggled. In seven starts, he went just 22.1 innings. Twice he left in the first inning. Once, due to a one-hopper that broke his nose, and the other time due to a blister. However, he allowed 27 hits, walked 15 and struckout 13. With control issues that he had never fought before, immediately there was concern about his elbow. He was put on the disabled list with an elbow injury and has had an MRI. For now, he will be rehabbing. #12 –Alex Wimmers, RHP Speaking of rehabbing, that is what Wimmers is doing down in Ft. Myers despite being diagnosed with a partially torn UCL. You can’t help but feel bad for the 2010 first-round draft pick from Ohio State. When he was drafted, his changeup and poise were deemed most major league ready. 2011 was a tough year, and yet by the end, he had overcome Blass Disease and finished the season with a 7-inning, no-hitter. The 23-year-old began this season with New Britain and made one start. That’s when the elbow issue started, and he hasn’t pitched since, and reports I’m hearing indicate it might be awhile before he pitches again. However, when healthy, the two-time Big 10 Pitcher of the Year has a good fastball at 88 to 92 mph. He throws a curveball, and his changeup is terrific. #11 – Chris Herrmann, C The Twins used their sixth round pick in 2009 draft on the athletic, versatile Herrmann. In college, he played all over the infield and outfield. The Twins drafted him as a catcher. He has played a lot of outfield in his time in the Twins system, but in the last two years, he has spent the majority of his time honing his catching skills. In 2011, he split time between Ft. Myers and New Britain and hit a combined .269/.385/.399 with 19 doubles, six triples, eight homers, 62 RBI and ten steals. He went to the AFL and hit .380/.456/.620 with six doubles and two homers. For the second straight season, he was invited to big league spring training where he continued to impress. He started out slow in New Britain this spring, but he is now hitting .260/.310/.410 with 14 doubles and four home runs. Herrmann could be with the Twins as early as September. So, there you have my choices for Twins prospects 11-20. Later this week, I’ll be back with my next installment which will be The Top Ten Twins Prospects. If you have any questions or comments on any of these prospects, please feel free to ask. [ATTACH=CONFIG]1068[/ATTACH] (photo courtesy milb.com)

Join Seth at 1:00 CST for a live Twins chat. Feel free to ask questions on the Minnesota Twins, the minor leagues, prospect rankings, the upcoming draft... or anything baseball-related. These chats are always fun and entertaining. This will be taking place during the Twins/Tigers series finale, so it'll be good. (Of course, if this time doesn't work for you to participate, you can come back later to read the transcript.) --- Twins Daily Live Twins Chat

Join Seth at 1:00 CST for a live Twins chat. Feel free to ask questions on the Minnesota Twins, the minor leagues, prospect rankings, the upcoming draft... or anything baseball-related. These chats are always fun and entertaining. This will be taking place during the Twins/Tigers series finale, so it'll be good. (Of course, if this time doesn't work for you to participate, you can come back later to read the transcript.) --- Twins Daily Live Twins Chat

The Twins lost on Saturday afternoon to Max Scherzer and the Detroit Tigers. Justin Morneau’s ninth home run tied the game at two in the second inning. Unfortunately, in the top of the 5th, Carl Pavano gave up six straight hits (5 singles and a double) and gave up four runs. Denard Span cut the lead to 6-3 with his first home run of the season, but that was it. The Twins were able to get no closer and lost 6-3. Span had a double and the home run. Ben Revere went 3-4 in the game. However, the rest of the lineup managed just three hits. The Twins tied a club record with 16 strikeouts in the game. Josh Willingham led the way with for strikeouts. Brian Dozier and Drew Butera each had three. On Sunday, the Twins will send PJ Walters to the mound in hopes that he can duplicate his last outing, a complete game. The bullpen could use that. Walters (2-1, 2.95 ERA, 0.94 WHIP) will face RHP Rick Porcello (3-4, 5.29 ERA, 1.47 WHIP). Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Saturday: ROCHESTER 2, GWINNETT 4 Luke French got the starting nod for the Red Wings on Saturday afternoon. The left-hander gave up two runs on four hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out six. Deolis Guerra took the loss. He gave up two runs on two hits and a loss in two innings. Michael Hollimon went 3-4 with his third home run of the season. Sean Burroughs went 2-3 with a walk. Following the game, Jeff Manship learned he was being promoted to the Twins. He was scheduled to start for the Red Wings on Sunday afternoon. The team may need to have a bullpen game. NEW BRITAIN 3, PORTLAND 4 (Completion of Suspended Game) As mentioned yesterday, Andrew Albers threw four scoreless innings on Friday night before the game was suspended due to fog. Brad Thompson came on when the game was resumed on Saturday afternoon. The righty gave up two runs on five hits in 2.2 innings. He walked none and struck out three. Daniel Turpen gave up two runs on five hits and two walks in one innings. He struck out two. Bobby Lanigan came in and got the final out. Matt Rizzotti was 3-4 with his second double in the game. Chris Colabello hit his seventh home run. NEW BRITAIN 3, PORTLAND 4 (Regularly Scheduled Game) The regularly scheduled game started well for the Rock Cats. Evan Bigley launched a big, three-run home run in the top of the first inning gave the team a 3-0 lead. Unfortunately, the homer was one of just two hits the team had in this game. Steve Hirschfeld started and gave up three runs on six hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out five. Luis Perdomo came in to start the bottom of the 7th inning. He got two outs, but he couldn’t get the third out before allowing the winning run. He gave up two hits and walked one. FT. MYERS 6, PALM BEACH 5 Danny Santana came into the game as a pinch hitter for Jairo Perez who was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the 9th. Oswaldo Arcia attempted a bunt on the first pitch to him, but three pitches later he hit a double down the right field line. Santana raced to 3B, and when the cutoff play was bobbled, Santana headed toward home with the walk-off win. The game was delayed, so it didn’t even start until just after 9:00 eastern time. The game finished minutes after midnight on Sunday morning. Jhon Garcia got the start and gave up two runs on three hits in three innings. He walked two and struck out five. He left with an apparent elbow injury although details are not yet known. Edgar Ibarra gave up three runs on four hits and three walks in 3.1 innings. He struck out three. Ricky Bowen came in and went the final 2.2 innings without giving up a run, a hit or a walk. He struck out three and gets the Win. Arcia led the offense with his 12th and 13th doubles. Michael Gonzales went 1-2 with two walks and a two run homer, his fourth of the year in the fifth inning. In the sixth inning, Lancy Ray hit a solo homer, his sixth of the season. The Miracle had seven hits, walked seven times and twice reached after being hit by a pitch. BELOIT 1, KANE COUNTY 5 The Snappers lost the first game of their road trip on Saturday night. Adam Bryant went 2-4 with his seventh double. Miguel Sano was 1-3 with a walk, his tenth double and fourth stolen base. He also committed his 16th and 17th errors. Lefty Steven Gruver started for the Snappers and gave up five runs (just one earned) on four hits and four walks in three innings. He struck out three. Australian righty Tim Atherton made his Snappers debut and threw three perfect innings, with four strikeouts. David Hurlbut struck out two in two scoreless innings. Matthew Tomshaw was placed on the 7-Day Disabled List, with Atherton taking his roster spot. --- Players of the Day for Saturday, May 26, 2012 Pitcher of the Day – Tim Atherton [ATTACH=CONFIG]1051[/ATTACH] Hitter of the Day – Michael Hollimon [ATTACH=CONFIG]1052[/ATTACH] --- A Look Ahead – Sunday, May 27, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Gwinnett – TBD (Jeff Manship was to start, but he’s been promoted) New Britain @ Portland – LHP Logan Darnell Ft. Myers vs Palm Beach – LHP Pat Dean Beloit @ Kane County – LHP Jason Wheeler --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them!

Twins DHs have been Morneau, Mauer and Doumit... that's a pretty good group. #5 hitter started with the hot Willingham, and then Morneau moved back there and he's been hitting well. Doumit from time to time.

The Twins lost again, this time to the Tigers. They scored six runs on ten hits which should be enough most of the time. Unfortunately, Anthony Swarzak wasn’t feeling well and it showed. He gave up six runs and didn’t get through the fourth inning. Francisco Liriano gave up four more runs without completing three innings. Denard Span had three hits including two doubles, but it just wasn’t enough. Ron Gardenhire was ejected moments after Jamey Carroll was ejected for the first time in his career. Gardy wasn’t the only manager in the Twins organization to be ejected, and Carroll wasn’t the only player. Here is a look at the Twins minor league scores and highlights from Friday: ROCHESTER 8, GWINNETT 13 Matt Maloney made his first start of the season, and it wasn’t what he would have wanted. The lefty gave up five runs on six hits in three innings. He had no walks and no strikeouts. Esmerling Vasquez tossed the next two innings and gave up three runs on three hits and a walk. He struckout four. Lester Oliveros took the loss. He gave up two runs on three hits in 1.2 innings. Tyler Robertson gave up a hit but got the final out of the 7th inning. Brendan Wise pitched the eighth and gave up three runs (2 earned) on two hits and two walks. The Red Wings offense got off to a fast start. They scored five runs in the first frame and two in the second to take a 7-2 lead, but that would be about it. Sean Burroughs had two doubles and drove in four early runs. Tsuyoshi Nishioka was 2-5 with a walk and his fourth steal. Pedro Florimon and Matt Carson each had two hits. Danny Valencia had a two-run double. Unfortunately, he didn’t play after being ejected in the 4th inning for arguing balls and strikes. NEW BRITAIN 1, PORTLAND 0 (Game Suspended after 4 innings) It’s not every day that it happens, but the game in Maine was postponed by fog. Andrew Albers started and threw the four shutout innings. He had given up two hits, walked two and struck out six before the game was suspended. The Rock Cats bats managed only a single from Matt Rizzotti in their four innings. The game will be continued on Saturday, followed by the regularly-scheduled game (Which will be just 7 innings). FT. MYERS 2, CLEARWATER 6 The bats didn’t hit, and the arms didn’t pitch. Overall, this was just not a good game for the Miracle. The team managed just two hits. Josmil Pinto was 1-3 with a walk. In the fifth inning, he hit his fourth home run of the year. Levi Michael started the game by going 0-3 and dropped his batting average to .200. In his fourth at bat, he got a single to raise it to .205. Miguel Munoz got another start. The right-hander went the first five frames and gave up three runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out two. Cole Nelson gave up one run on two hits and two walks in his three innings. Nelvin Fuentes then gave up two unearned runs on two hits in the final inning. BELOIT 4, CEDAR RAPIDS 5 (12 innings) It took extra innings and a play at the plate, but the Snappers fell 5-4 to Cedar Rapids at home. Tim Shibuya got the starting nod. He gave up three runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out three. Ryan O’Rourke came in and gave up a run on three hits in two innings. He struck out three. Michael Tonkin struck out two and walked two in two scoreless innings. Clint Dempster threw two scoreless innings before giving up a single run in the top of the 12th to take the loss. Kyle Knudson led the offense. The former Gopher went 2-5 with a walk and his first double. Eddie Rosario was 2-5 with a walk. Drew Leachman had two hits. Adam Bryant was 1-3 with two walks and his sixth double. Bryant led off the bottom of the 12th inning with a double and advanced to third on a bunt. Leachman came up and grounded toward shortstop. In a close play at the plate, Bryant was called out and at that point, Snappers manager Nelson Prada was ejected. One batter later, the game was over. Miguel Sano Update – Sano led off the top of the 10th inning with a single. It was his first hit since Thursday, May 17, when he hit a single in the 7th inning. It was an 0-24 stretch. Sano’s struggles of late have been well documented. Since getting the day off on his birthday (May 11), Sano has played 13 games and gone 4-45 (.089). In his last ten games, he is 2-36 (.056). I mention these numbers not to downgrade Sano. He is no less of a prospect because of a bad streak. Most prospects, especially 19-year-old prospects, have these types of stretches. My point is that if he had started the season on a bad streak like this, would fans be clamoring for him to be promoted to Ft. Myers? --- Players of the Day for Friday, May 25, 2012 Pitcher of the Day – Andrew Albers [ATTACH=CONFIG]1045[/ATTACH] Hitter of the Day – Sean Burroughs [ATTACH=CONFIG]1046[/ATTACH] --- A Look Ahead – Saturday, May 26, 2012 Schedule Rochester @ Gwinnett – LHP Luke French New Britain @ Portland – RHP Steve Hirschfeld Ft. Myers vs Palm Beach – RHP Jhon Garcia Beloit @ Kane County – LHP Steven Gruver --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, players, teams, etc., leave them in the Comments and I’ll try to answer them!

I like this... Frankly, I miss the days when I could just watch and enjoy a game without worrying about who is playing or not, what position players are playing, who could or should be promoted. Just enjoying the game, not over-thinking everything. Those were the days. And, players were the same way. I wish I could say, "Hey! Dan Gladden made a big difference for those championship teams." instead of saying "Man, he was a terrible player. HOw could he have been a leadoff batter? He never got on base!" I miss sometimes having a favorite player the way I did with Kirby Puckett or Chuck Knoblauch. Instead, I now think too much, analyze too much and think that this team really won't be competitive until 2014, and that Morneau won't be around then, and Span is a guy that the team can actually get nice pieces in return, and draft picks are better than free agents acquired. Its' a weird thing. I enjoy following, and I enjoy thnking through all these scenarios from the game, managerial decisions, front office decisions, everything. But there are times I wish I could go back.