Seth Stohs

Correct... it's two starts in a league that he did have some success in last year, so it's way too early to give up on him as a starter.

I agree... but Mauer fully understands that at that level, pitchers need to work in such situations to find out how to get out of situations... It's all part of the development process and important.

Mark Hendrickson is the oldest at 28 years old... although, he did spend a few seasons in the NBA before turning to baseball full time.

Both are encouraging... especially the start Harrison is off to. Of course, small sample size comes into play, but seeing that BA at like .360 is great. I know in talking to him this spring, he put in a lot of work this offseason and it's always good to see that rewarded. Walker? He's just so strong!

Buh-dump-bump...

This is probably a good way to put it, though part of me feels like it doesn't capture enough for Gordon. Like I've tweeted or written before, seeing him in spring training and then this week made me feel very good about ranking him fourth on my Twins prospects list right now. No, he's not Sano/Buxton, but he's a step ahead of others as well.

I can verify and confirm that J, in fact, did say heck. I can't add too much to let Steve has written here, but Jake is definitely a great guy, a great baseball person, and incredibly knowledgeable of the game.

They're very different. Buxton definitely stands out more and does "bigger" things. Jake Mauer said that Buxton was more 'explosive' but Gordon can do everything well. He's not Buxton, but he's really good. As I said when I left Ft. Myers and I feel even more strongly now again, I feel really good about ranking him as the Twins #4 prospect.

I agree. He was still at a good pitch count, so there wasn't any concern there. But it's good to 1.) need to learn how to work out of those types of situations and 2.) show how tough they can be in those spots, not wanting to come out, etc.

He didn't get a lot of chances when I was there. He played all three games at short and did fine. One game, he had a ball come up on him a little bit and it got a few feet away from him. He composed himself, picked up the ball and threw a rocket to 1B to still get the out. Today, he made one play to his left that was very good and one to his right. Neither was a hard play. He seems fine. In BP and infield and stuff, he takes a ton of ground balls and he's very fundamentally sound. he's definitely very impressive.

Cedar Rapids – The Kernels completed their second sweep of the season tonight in Cedar Rapids to improve to 6-0 on the young season. The team’s eight runs was one more than their season average coming into the game. They are playing very good defense, and getting some good pitching as well. Though they may not have as many top twenty prospects as some of the other Twins affiliates, this team has a lot of talent that is worth watching. Below you will find the Kernels game story as well as the Twins Minor League Report for Tuesday. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs (Trey Vavra rounding third after his first inning home run) Cedar Rapids – The Kernels completed their second sweep of the season tonight in Cedar Rapids to improve to 6-0 on the young season. The team’s eight runs was one more than their season average coming into the game. They are playing very good defense, and getting some good pitching as well. Though they may not have as many top twenty prospects as some of the other Twins affiliates, this team has a lot of talent that is worth watching. Below you will find the Kernels game story as well as the Twins Minor League Report for Tuesday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Beloit 4 Box Score The Kernels got the scoring going right away in the first inning. After two were out, left fielder Trey Vavra launched a home run to left-center field on a 1-2 fastball. After the game, he said, “He threw me a fastball, inner half and I was able to get to it. He had thrown me two curve balls before and though he could get it by me.” The Kernels added four runs in the second inning to take a commanding 5-0 lead. With one out, Tyler Kuresa singled and TJ White walked. Pat Kelly beat out a fielder’s choice, but there were now two outs and runners on first and third. The Kernels have really done a good job in this series scoring multiple runs after two outs. Tanner English singled in Kuresa with the first run of the inning. Zach Granite walked to load the bases for Nick Gordon. Gordon came up big again, driving in two runs with a single up the middle. His eight RBIs is one shy of the league leader, Kernels outfielder Zack Larson. Gordon worked with hitting coach Tommy Watkins on his approach in such situations this spring. “In spring training, Tommy (Watkins) and I had a little fun with it. With runners in scoring position, I would get really big. I would try to bring everybody in. He told me to calm down and stay within myself and let things happen. With runners in scoring position, we have a little deal. Every time I try to get big and go deep, I owe him a buck every time. It’s kind of a Twins Court that we have. It’s really been helping me. It’s kind of competitive, and for him to do that for me keeps me focused.” According to manager Jake Mauer, Gordon is “a good hitter. He knows where the barrel is. He just keeps going. It’s what you look for. A lot of the guys that have success and get up to the big league level always did real well with runners in scoring position, for whatever reason, they just relish that, and that’s when it kind of rises. They don’t let the situation get too big.” The fourth run of the inning came when Trey Vavra lined a shot that went right through the legs of the third baseman. Beloit had three errors in this game while the Kernels had none. Defense has been a key for the Kernels early success. Mauer said, “We worked hard in spring training. We really did a lot of the little things. We really harped on the little things. The boys have really taken to it. We’re going to make our fair share of errors. There’s no doubt about it, but we’re making the plays we’re supposed to, and I think that’s a big reason that we’ve started the way that we have.” Starter Jared Wilson did a nice job in his first start of the season. He hadn’t really ever been a starting pitcher before this year, so it was a good showing. He went five innings and gave up two runs on six hits and a walk. He struck out three. Following the game, he said, “I felt pretty good. Obviously it’s the longest I’ve gone in my pro career, and I never really started in college, so it’s uncharted territory, but I felt strong.” It didn’t always come easy, and he had to work himself out of a couple of tough situations, but he was able to successfully limit damage. “I’ve spent so much time in the pen and inherited a lot of runners in past experiences, so I didn’t get too rattled. It’s more just trying to find a way to get out of it. I didn’t really have straight-out-of-the-bullpen stuff, but I was just trying to find ways to keep guys off balance and get out of the inning.” Randy LeBlanc pitched a scoreless sixth inning. However, he struggled in the seventh. He gave up two runs on three hits and two walks in the inning. C.K. Irby came in to get the final out on a ground out. The Kernels still had a 6-4 lead. The team responded well right away in the bottom of the inning. Tanner English initiated the scoring again with a leadoff single. Zach Granite followed with a line-drive single to left field. Nick Gordon sacrificed both runners (though he appeared to be bunting for a base hit). With two outs, Max Murphy walked to load the bases. Jorge Fernandez was due up, but the Snappers manager brought in a left-hander, so Fernandez had to move to the right-hander’s batter’s box. He responded with a solid, line drive beyond a diving shortstop. The hit scored two runs and gave the Kernels their four-run lead again. Mauer said, “Fernandez had a heck of an at-bat. It was two big runs there to give us a cushion. He was right on it.” Irby walked three batters in the eighth inning but the Snappers were unable to score in that inning. Cameron Booser was brought in for the ninth inning. He needed just nine pitches to get through the inning. Of those nine pitches, eight were fastballs and all sat between 95 and 96 mph. He threw one changeup at about 85 mph. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 1 Box Score Up 1-0 in the sixth, the Red Wings added two runs to their lead. Argenis Diaz doubled in James Beresford. Later, Aaron Hicks tripled in Diaz. Pat Dean made the start for the Red Wings. He replaced Trevor May in the Red Wings rotation. He performed well. He went six innings and allowed only an unearned run on three hits. He walked two and struck out eight. Lester Oliveros recorded five outs, three of them on strikeouts. Logan Darnell got the final out of the eighth inning. Michael Tonkin pitched a perfect ninth inning for the save, his third of the young season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER After playing their first five-game series of the season in Montgomery, the Lookouts return home to play their home opening series today. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Tampa 3 Box Score The Miracle played a morning game, and their bats were unable to wake up in this one. Of course, there are two exceptions to that. Niko Goodrum knocked his fifth double in addition to a walk. Alex Swim extended his hitting streak to all six games by going 2-4. Logan Wade added a double. Lefty Luke Westphal made the start for the Miracle. In 3.1 innings, he was charged with three runs (two earned) on five hits. He walked none and struck out five. Tim Shibuya came on and gave up four hits, but no additional runs, in his 2.2 innings. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out two. Brandon Peterson walked on and struck out one in two scoreless innings. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Alex Swim, Ft. Myers Miracle WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/Wilkes Barre (9:35 a.m. CST) – RHP Alex Meyer Birmingham @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – RHP Tyler Duffey Tampa @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – LHP Mat Batts Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Wednesday games. View full article

They're all playing well. They have a ton of talent. Guys who aren't Top 30, Top 40 prospects are still really good players.

To be fair, Stauffer has not been a bad player in recent years. Boyer... nothing worth worrying about losing.

I like that Lenny Dykstra comp too... an interesting one. I do hear the Granite one from time to time too, and it's fair.

TK Guy, you should post your studs and duds under each day's Minor League Report, kind of as a summary of those articles, pointing out what you think the most important things were.

I don't agree with that. That's maybe what they said, and they should say... but I think that Ryan regained control with the managerial change. The roster decisions were all business decisions. The one exception might be the backup catcher. Molitor really likes Herrmann, and Pinto's concussion likely got Ryan to option him and keep Herrmann. Stauffer - he was a free agent they weren't going to drop before the regular season. Boyer - had the opt-out... the other guys had options. Robinson - the same. 5th starter - Pelfrey would have been lost. Pelfrey and Milone were making money. May had an option left. Nunez over Bernier is about the contract.

The question has already been asked.

On Monday night in Cedar Rapids, the Kernels topped the Beloit Snappers by a score of 9-0. With the win, they improve to 5-0 on the young season. As has been the case throughout the first five games, the Kernels had a perfect combination of strong pitching and big hitting. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs On Monday night in Cedar Rapids, the Kernels topped the Beloit Snappers by a score of 9-0. With the win, they improve to 5-0 on the young season. As has been the case throughout the first five games, the Kernels had a perfect combination of strong pitching and big hitting. Here are some notes from Monday night’s game in Cedar Rapids and some additional notes. FELIX JORGE SHINES Following Felix Jorge’s seven shutout innings on Monday night, Kernels manager Jake Mauer called it a “Great start. Just to watch his poise and the look in his eyes, it was a lot different than when he took the mound out here last year.” 2014 was a strange season for Jorge. He came into the 2014 season as one of the more intriguing pitching prospects in the system. A year earlier, at Elizabethton, he went 2-2 with a 2.95 ERA. He had 72 strikeouts and just 18 walks in 61 innings. He moved up to Cedar Rapids to start last season, but he struggled mightily. In 12 games (8 starts), he went 2-5 with a 9.00 ERA In 39 innings, he gave up 57 hits, walked 20 and struck out 23. He was finally sent down to Elizabethton when the short-season started and was named the Appy League Pitcher of the Year. He went 4-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 12 starts. In 66 innings, he walked just 14 and struck out 61. Those numbers, coupled with his struggles a year ago, make the 6-2, 170 pound right-hander one of the more intriguing prospects again in 2015. On Monday night, he gave the Kernels and the Twins reason for optimism. Jorge completed seven shutout innings and gave up just two hits. He walked two and struck out ten. Through six innings, he had given up just one hit and one walk. His seventh inning started with a single and a walk, but after a visit from pitching coach Henry Bonilla, Jorge responded. He struck out the next two batters. He got a fly out to left field. It was a very good note to end his first start of the season. Mauer discussed that seventh inning. “You get in that situation. It’s his runs and a shutout, you don’t want to turn it over to the bullpen. You want to give him a chance. I think he earned the right to give him a chance to keep the shutout. We got Theo up. I think he saw that, and he said, ‘You’re not taking me out.’ So that was pretty good.” Left-hander Mike Theofanopolous came in and threw zeroes on the board in the eighth and ninth innings to maintain that shutout. But the talk on this night revolved around Felix Jorge. Mauer reiterated, “It’s a testament to him. He went down to E-Town and worked his tail off. Henry (Bonilla) was down there and had him. He regained his confidence. His fastball command was good. He kind of used their aggressiveness against him. Using that fastball, getting outs early. He threw seven innings and he was up at only about 90 pitches. That’s pretty good. So what is the scouting report on Jorge, and more important, what are the keys to his success going forward this season. According to Mauer, it starts with his fastball. Everything else feeds off of it. “Fastball command, I think, is number one for him. He throws so many strikes, and a lot of them are up in the zone. For him, fastball command and learning how to get the ball down. Also, his secondary pitches have really improved and he’s able to throw those for a strike. Getting that ground ball to get out of innings. Anytime you’ve got a guy that throws a lot of strikes, they’re going to make contact obviously. It’s just a matter of understanding the type of contact you’d like them to make. Sinking it here, cutting it there, elevating when you have to with two strikes and then being able to bury one. He moved the ball up and down and in and out really well tonight.” One observer – OK, me – noted that Jorge’s curveball looked really good on this night. Mauer said, “Yeah, he’s got a good breaking ball. It’s going to be a strikeout pitch for him.” According to the stadium radar gun (and adding for the two miles per hour that it is purported to be), Jorge’s fastball sat between 89 and 92, touching 93 a few times. His curveball was usually in the upper-70s and dropped. He stayed on top of it throughout the game. As impressive, he showed a calm, a poise, even in those rare times that he did allow base runners. It was a terrific start to Jorge’s 2015 season. After his struggles in the Midwest League in 2015, it was likely a nice obstacle for him to overcome. Hopefully it can springboard him into a strong season. If so, he certainly is someone who could rocket back up prospect rankings. It is easy to forget – and important to remember - that he is still just 21-years-old. KERNELS NUGGETS The Kernels had batting practice on the field. First baseman Tyler Kuresa put on a very strong power display in BP, hitting several balls well over the fence in right field. After the team’s batting practice was complete and the team was in its locker room, Kuresa went to the batting cage under the stadium. He hit another 100 baseballs off the tee. He was by himself. He was focused. The extra work paid off during the game, and early. He came to the plate with a runner on in the second inning. He got a fastball and he got all of it, hitting a rocket over the fence in right-center field. Mauer said, “It was fun to see Kuresa get the head out. He’s been working really hard on it all spring with Tommy, and he turned on it and that ball got out in a hurry.” He added a single later, but he hit the ball on a line a couple of times. Second baseman Pat Kelly was the Twins 12th round pick in 2014 out of the University of Nebraska. He is a native of Red Wing, Minnesota. He played just one of the first four Kernels game, but he took advantage of the playing time on Monday night with a good game. In his first at-bat, he rocketed a double. In his second at-bat, he did more. With two runners on, Kelly launched a three-run homer over the left field wall. “It was a fastball, fastball in. I just reacted.” Jake Mauer said it was a huge homer for Kelly and for the team. “Pat Kelly kept his hands in and got one over the fence there. That was a big three-run home run that really opened the game up.” Robbinsdale, MN, native Max Murphy was out of the lineup on Sunday night for the first time this year. He was back in the lineup, hitting cleanup and playing right field. He hit the ball real hard. He had a triple to deep right center field. Trey Vavra was back in the lineup after not playing Sunday as well. He played left field in this game after playing first base in the earlier games. It’s not a position he’s unfamiliar with. Last year at Elizabethton, he played 27 games at first base, but another 13 games he spent in left field. He was aggressive at the plate. He hit singles in his first two at-bats. The first was a hard-hit ground ball, the second provided a big RBI. Nick Gordon was impressive again. He notched three more base hits and walked another time. He is now 9-21 (.429) on the season with two triples. He has a very smooth, left-handed swing and a good idea of the strike zone. Though he isn’t going to be a home run hitter yet, he does have some serious thump in his bat. From my not-a-scout-but-have-seen-a-lot perspective, I believe that he will develop some home run power over time. His first two hits in this game were both pulled. Late in the game, facing a left-handed reliever, Gordon stayed down on the ball really well and lined a single to left-field. Mauer noted, “I don’t think he’s missed the barrel many times this year. Not yet, that’s for sure.” That’s encouraging because of his young age relative to most of the league. He’s still able to get the barrel of the bat to the ball. Last year, Jason Kanzler played a lot of center field and made a lot of web gems for the Kernels. Tanner English has been the primary center fielder so far for the Kernels (and likely will remain so other than the occasional day off). On Monday night, there was a low, line drive hit to center field. English came charging in and dove forward to make the lunging catch. That’s one of the more difficult plays a center fielder can make. He has very good speed, but he looks natural out in center field. He appears to get really good jumps and take good routes to fly balls. Listed at just 5-10 (generous) and 160 pounds, the Twins 11th round pick a year ago out of South Carolina is very talented. According to Jake Mauer, “He’s really good defensively. He’s a guy that’s got a lot of tools, a lot of tools. I think he’s going to surprise some people.” In one of the lighter moments in the postgame discussion with Mauer, he was asked about English’s approach at the plate. Mauer said, “He’s gotten way better. That’s what we’ve been working on is his being aggressive to his pitch. He took two sinkers that, earlier in the year, he was swinging at.” Mauer caught himself and smiled. “Earlier in the year, like, three days ago.” Right-hander Jared Wilson gets the start for the Kernels on Tuesday night against Beloit. Other than three starts in the GCL in 2013, Wilson has been a reliever. Even going back to college at UC-Santa Barbara. Last year, he moved up to the Kernels in May and posted a 2.95 ERA in 58 innings (56 strikeouts).He is getting a chance to start in 2014. I asked him before Monday’s game if there would be a pitch or inning count on him this year because he had been a bullpen guy. Sure, he had just 58 innings with the Kernels year, but he said between spring training, some extended spring training, the Kernels season and Instructional League, he actually through close to 120 innings. He’s been stretched out this spring to start, so he thinks he should be able to throw 85 to 100 pitches, which isn’t limited at all. The Kernels are off to a 5-0 start and really playing well. Some of the discussion in the press box has been, ‘Is this team really this good or are they playing weaker Midwest League teams to start the season?’ Obviously that’s to be determined as the season goes on, but I have been able to observe that there are a lot of very good baseball players on this roster. View full article

It'd be hard to know that without being there in person and being able to see him from that dugout level where you could see where he's set up relative to Herrmann or Rohlfing or Suzuki, etc. I suspect he sets up in approximately the same place.I'd also wonder whether he receives the ball softly and into his body, or if he reaches forward to catch it. There are two schools of thought on which is better or right. Without seeing him in person, it'd be hard to know with any confidence.

Felix Jorge was sitting between 89 and 92 throughout the game. Jake Mauer talked about his fastball command being the key. He's got good mechanics, and I was really impressed with his curveball. He looked really good. He's also a really good athlete and fielded his position well.

On Saturday in Kane County, Zach Granite hit a single. Only he didn’t see it as a single and hustled to second, beating the throw fairly easily for a double. A couple of pitches later, Nick Gordon bunted for a hit and was barely thrown out at first base. Granite advanced to third base, but he didn’t stop there. Without even a slight hesitation, he rushed toward home and slid in safely, easily beating the throw from first base. Speed Kills. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs On Saturday in Kane County, Zach Granite hit a single. Only he didn’t see it as a single and hustled to second, beating the throw fairly easily for a double. A couple of pitches later, Nick Gordon bunted for a hit and was barely thrown out at first base. Granite advanced to third base, but he didn’t stop there. Without even a slight hesitation, he rushed toward home and slid in safely, easily beating the throw from first base. Speed Kills. When it comes to speed, few in the Twins organization are faster than Granite. In fact, if you were to line up every member of the Twins organization, and had them run the 60-yard dash, there’s a good chance that Granite would cross the finish line first. Zach Granite is from Staten Island, New York and proud of it. He’s tough, and he plays with an aggressiveness that is fun to watch on the baseball diamond. After high school, he attended Seton Hall before the Twins drafted him in the 14th round of the 2013 draft. The 22-year-old is returning to the Cedar Rapids Kernels this year in large part because he missed so much time with injury in 2014. He was hurt four games into the season. He returned in late June, but two weeks later, he was back in Ft. Myers with another injury. As you would expect and understand, he was quite frustrated when he went back home to New York. “I had a really bad season last year, so I took a good month off and cleared my head. I needed that. I was in my own head, just from not playing. I was thinking too much about it.” However, manager Jake Mauer is happy to have Granite back in the outfield and back at the top of the order. “He had a real tough year last year. He can ignite the offense. He sees a lot of pitches. He hits line drives. He steals bases.” For his part, Granite understands his role at the top of the order. Granite fits the mold for a leadoff hitter. “I’m just trying to see pitches. I’m trying to get myself good counts. They just keep throwing me balls so I keep walking. I feel like I have a pretty good eye at the plate. I’m just waiting for my pitch and if it’s not there, I’m not swinging.” Twice in the Kernels first four games, Granite has stretched a single into a double by simply hustling right out of the box and not hesitating. Asked if he is thinking double out of the box, Granite said, “Oh yeah. I’m thinking triple out of the box. I stop at second because they throw it in, but yeah, I’m always thinking extra bases. There’s nothing better than a double. I like having extra base hits.” As Mauer said, his professional approach at the plate and that aggressiveness on the base paths can be contagious. Mauer said that Granite “sets the tone.” Granite is excited to be a part of this Kernels roster and how they are coming together as a team (as their 5-0 record through Monday's game shows). He enjoys seeing how well everyone is running the bases. “The way we’ve been playing right now, we’re running until they stop us. The first four games, we’ve been doing an excellent job on the bases. Larson, he’s got more stolen bases than me, and I’m not happy about it. He’s doing a good job.” Asked for comment about having more stolen bases, Zack Larson said, “And it’s going to stay that way!” Granite is also impressed thus far with the young man hitting right after him in the Kernels lineup, Nick Gordon. “Having Nick Gordon hitting behind me is great. He is doing a really great job.” The goals are high for Granite in 2015, and it starts with staying on the field. “The most important thing - 100% - stay healthy. I want to lead the league in runs scored. I think that’d be huge for a leadoff hitter, and I think it’s attainable with the guys I’ve got hitting behind me like Gordon and Larson, and all the way down.” He continued. “I want to grab 50 bags this season. I think it’s attainable. I’ve been working with Sam Perlozzo, our base running guy, and even Tommy (Watkins), we’ve been doing stuff to improve.” Defensively, Granite says he is comfortable at all three outfield positions. Fortunately, his manager is comfortable with that as well. “He is probably best suited for left field, but he can play all three, especially center and right if needed.” 2015 is a big year for Zach Granite, and he knows it. As mentioned, he just needs to stay healthy. If he is able to do that, he will be a catalyst for this Cedar Rapids roster. Well, he will be until there is a need for an outfielder in Ft. Myers, of course. View full article