Seth Stohs

There are several players that I thought could probably stick in Ft. Myers for another season or half season. I almost wonder if they considered the hitting environment there and thought it might be better to get them to Iowa.

Are people really questioning why Buxton would get a day off last night? He is still returning from a knee injury. He is still "just" DHing, so it's not like he's fully back. To have him play against the lefty on Wednesday, they chose to give him Tuesday off.

Is it written somewhere in the article that this was Alcantara's first start of the season? It was his second. If it's in the article, please point out where so I can see it. Notice that when they are behind it's Pagan and Moran. When they are ahead, it's Lopez, Thielbar and Jax. Duran'll be fine if it's truly just the kink in his neck. They are going to re-evaluate Kepler tomorrow morning to see if he'll play. That said, it's a 1:00 game there, and they're facing a lefty. Give him a second day off and have him fully ready on Friday.

Kenta Maeda is good... He had all the time he needed to recover without rushing. The thing is, assuming he stays healthy, he's just going to get stronger. I'm the biggest back of Bailey Ober, but Kenta deserves the chance to take his job back since it was injury that took it.

I thought about this a little more because I think it's a big question for Brian Dinkelman and their staff. However, my assumption is that they will have almost a lineup for every day of the week. Over those 6 games, the goal would be to get Miller X number of innings at SS and Salas Y number of innings, and Schobel will play second base, and certain guys will have a weekly game at first base. I think you'd almost have to organize it like that to get everyone enough playing time.

De Andrade is on the Mighty Mussels roster. Cruz did go to Twins minor league spring training in Ft. Myers. Mercedes and Rodriguez and Acuna stayed in the DSL for spring training. My assumption is now that things have cleared out in Ft. Myers with three affiliates leaving the location, those guys and a few others will come over. They'll play in the FCL though this year.

Keep Nowlin starting as much as possible... even if he just comes up to pitch out of the bullpen, keep him starting. Build him up to work on all of his pitches.

Just realized that along with Mark Vientos, Brice Turang was also on this team. Greene, Lewis and Turang played against each other in high school. SoCal baseball is amazing!

In the lower levels, they have three catchers and they each usually start twice per week. If they're also a decent hitter, they'll get a game or two more as a DH, maybe at another position. I think Olivar can fit into that category as he can play in the outfield too. They take care of these guys and their legs and understand that it is a position of attrition. It's really hard to get to the big leagues as a catcher. Keep them healthey, and get them a lot of work even when they have an off day. Lots to learn.

Really impossible to know. While unlikely, it's also possible more from this team make it then the Kernels roster will. Just hard to know, especially with the guys from the 2022 draft. A year ago, we probably weren't terribly excited about David Festa and Jaylen Nowlin, and now they're both Top 20ish guys with great stuff. Olivares is a big dude, filled with potential.

Yes, Ernie Yake was that guy the last couple of years too. At least in Yake and Shuffield's cases, they were 5th year senior signs, signed really for that purpose (along with saving bonus pool money). There are a lot of catchers that fit that category too, Kyle Schmidt, Frank Nigro, etc.

Yeah, I'm very curious to see how Brian Dinkelman gets to split the playing time. Salas and Miller should both get time at 2nd and short. Salas maybe some innings at 3B. Ben Ross can play all three infield spots, and probably anywhere. Schobel is a second baseman, but has played shortstop in the past. And they certainly all could play 1B. Cavaco can play all over. Some will get some OF time. Good problem to have.

Cedar Rapids got ALL the prospects. Almost literally! On Monday, the Cedar Rapids Kernels announced their Opening Day roster for the 2023 season. Players and staff flew from Ft. Myers to eastern Iowa on Sunday. This is their tenth season as a Twins affiliate, and they are hoping to make this their tenth straight season of reaching postseason play. Image courtesy of Cedar Rapids Kernels Let's take a look at the Kernels Opening Day roster. This group of prospects is incredibly exciting, filled with talented, high-upside players. You’ll definitely want to book a trip or four to Cedar Rapids this season! Even if it is just to see one of the biggest scoreboards in minor-league baseball (or the cool things they can do with their lights!). Coaching Staff Brian Dinkelman is back for his fifth season as the Kernels manager. Before taking that role, he was the team’s hitting coach for three seasons. Former Astros pitcher Carlos Hernandez is in his sixth season in the Twins organization. This will be his first season as Kernels’ pitching coach after filling the same role for Ft. Myers the past three seasons. Jonas Lovin joined the Twins organization this winter. This is his first professional coaching job. The 27-year-old had been the pitching coach at Iowa Central Community College. Another new Twins coach in 2023 is hitting coach Corbin Day. He grew up in the Cedar Rapids area and before joining the Kernels, he was at Kirkwood Community College (just outside Cedar Rapids) where he played for two years before playing two seasons at Mount Mercy U in Cedar Rapids. Finally, former Twins minor-league catcher Yeison Perez joins the Kernels staff. He transitioned from player to coach in 2019. He spent the past two seasons in the FCL. Starting Pitchers: Alejandro Hidalgo, Jaylen Nowlin, Pierson Ohl, Kyle Jones, Connor Prielipp. Connor Prielipp has looked dominant in spring training videos, but the Twins 2nd round pick in 2022 will make his pro debut with the Kernels. Jaylen Nowlin, a 19th round pick from 2021, made himself into the one of the top left-handers in the organization with his impressive strikeout rate. He had 111 strikeouts in 71 innings (14.1 K/9) He ended 2022 with three starts for Cedar Rapids. Kyle Jones was the Twins 7th round pick out of the University of Toledo. Pierson Ohl was drafted in the 14th round of the 2021 draft. He has terrific control. Last year in Ft. Myers, he had 101 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 91 2/3 innings. Alejandro Hidalgo came to the Twins this offseason from the Angels in the Gio Urshela deal. He won’t turn 20 until late May! For those curious, Marco Raya is going to be in Cedar Rapids. He’s rehabbing a “minor shoulder” issue but should join the Kernels in May. Christian MacLeod was the Twins fifth round pick in 2021, but he had Tommy John surgery early in 2022. He’s ready to go, but they’re (wisely) going to be cautious with him. Again, no need to rush them back into the cold of the Midwest League. Relief Pitchers: Malik Barrington, Jordan Carr, Regi Grace, Matt Mullenbach, Charlie Neuweiler, Niklas Rimmel, John Stankiewicz, Matthew Swain, Miguel Rodriguez, Orlando Rodriguez, John Wilson There are several intriguing names on this list. Regi Grace was a former 10th-round pick. He has slowly progressed and is ready for this jump. Malik Barrington is a big, strong guy with good stuff out of the bullpen. Barrington and Jordan Carr were signed the same day out of the USPBL. Matt Mullenbach is in his third season in the Twins organization. He is an Iowa native. Niklas Rimmel signed with the Twins in 2017 from Berlin. Miguel Rodriguez and Orlando Rodriguez both spent a little time with the Kernels a year ago. Matthew Swain is 6-7 and throws really hard. He was the Twins 23rd round pick in 2019, and the Twins have been quite patient, but he’s been impressive. Finally, John Stankiewicz was a non-drafted free agent signing after the shortened 2020 draft. He began the 2022 season on an incredible run in Ft. Myers before ending his season with the Kernels. John Wilson is a left-hander, also signed in 2020, who has fought a lot of injuries since being a freshman All American in college. He continues to work his way back. Charlie Neuweiler is new to the organization very recently. He was the Royals' fifth-round pick in 2017 out of high school in New York. In 2022, he spent most of the season with Quad Cities, though he also made two appearances in Double-A and pitched in one Triple-A game too. Catchers: Noah Cardenas, Charles Mack, Jeferson Morales Noah Cardenas was the Twins eighth-round pick in 2021 out of UCLA. Last year in Ft. Myers, he was named the Twins Daily All Minor League catcher last year. Charles Mack was drafted out of high school in New York in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. He spent last year in Ft. Myers, continuing his transition to catching. Jeferson Morales signed with the Twins in 2016. Last year, he played in Cedar Rapids but fought injuries much of the season. He can also play in the outfield. Infielders: Keoni Cavaco, Noah Miller, Ben Ross, Jose Salas, Tanner Schobel, Ernie Yake. What a group of intriguing prospects. Jose Salas ranks the highest in our prospect rankings. He came to the Twins with Pablo Lopez (and Byron Chourio) in the Luis Arraez trade. He will turn 20 in three weeks and ended the 2022 season at High-A. Keoni Cavaco was the Twins first round pick (13th overall) in the 2019 draft. While his prospect glimmer has faded, the tools are still there. He has soft hands and a strong arm that translates well at third base. He’s got good speed and power potential too. Maybe getting out of Florida will be what it takes to get him going. Noah Miller was the Twins Competitive Balance pick in 2021 out of high school in Wisconsin. He struggled with the bat in Ft. Myers last season, but he is tremendous defensively at shortstop. His brother, Owen Miller, was traded from Cleveland to his hometown Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason. Tanner Schobel was the Twins Competitive Balance pick in 2022 after the 2nd round. He played/starred at Virginia Tech. Ben Ross was their fifth round pick from Division II Notre Dame College. He has really impressed in his short time in the organization with his all-around game. Ernie Yake was the team’s 10th round pick in 2021 out of Gonzaga. In 2022, he played in the FCL, in Ft. Myers, in Wichita, and in St. Paul… Now he will get some time in Cedar Rapids. Outfielders: Kyler Fedko, Willie Joe Garry, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Kala’i Rosario, Misael Urbina. Obviously everyone will want to talk about Emmanuel Rodriguez, and for good reason. He’s really good, and one of the top prospects not only in the organization but also a global top 100 prospect after his incredible 2022 season. Unfortunately, that season was just two months long after he had knee surgery, but he’s back and ready to go again. Misael Urbina is also a very good prospect. A seven-figure bonus baby from 2018, he has spent the past two seasons with the Mighty Mussels. Last year, he missed several months due to a visa issue. Kala’i Rosario was their fifth round pick in 2020 out of high school in Hawaii where he was one of the top high school power prospects in the draft. Willie Joe Garry can absolutely fly. He’s a very good outfielder. There is a lot of talent and he’s looking forward to putting it together with the bat this year. Kyler Fedko spent much of the second half of the 2022 season with the Kernels. He was the team’s 12th round pick in 2021 out of UConn. TWINS DAILY TOP 20 PROSPECTS #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez #4 - Marco Raya #7 - Connor Prielipp #8 - Jose Salas #14 - Noah Miller #18 - Tanner Schobel #20 - Misael Urbina View full article

On Monday, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels officially announced their Opening Day roster. Find out which prospects will be starting with a full-season affiliate for the first time? How many 2022 draft picks are on the roster? How many of the Twins Daily Top 20 prospects are on this roster? Image courtesy of William Parmeter (L to R: Carlos Aguiar, Luis Baez, Rubel Cespedes) Let's take a look at the Mighty Mussels Opening Day roster. Coaching Staff Brian Meyer is back for his third season as the Mighty Mussels manager, his fourth in the organization. Pitching Coach Richard Salazar moves from Cedar Rapids to Ft. Myers this season after spending the past two years with the Kernels. Jared Gaynor will enter his second season as a Mighty Mussels pitching coach. Rayden Sierra returns to the Mighty Mussels as their hitting coach again. Luis Reyes was a coach in the FCL a year ago and he is now the Assistant Hitting Coach in Ft. Myers. Starting Pitchers: Tomas Cleto, Cory Lewis, Andrew Morris, Juan (Miguel) Olivares, Zebby Matthews. Andrew Morris was the Twins fourth-round pick from Texas Tech a year ago and made an appearance for the Mighty Mussels in the playoffs last year. Cory Lewis was their ninth round pick out of UC-Santa Barbara in 2022. Zebby Matthews is a hard throwing righty taking the eighth round last year out of Western Carolina University. Tomas Cleto pitched well in the FCL last season and earned a late-season promotion to the Mussels. Juan Olivares was the Twins Daily short-season minor league pitcher of the year last year when he, going by Miguel last year, posted a 144 ERA in the DSL. Relief Pitchers: Johnathan Lavallee, Develson Aria, Ben Ethridge, C.J. Culpepper, A.J. Labas, Juan Mendez, Samuel Perez, Jackson Hicks, Wilker Reyes, Zach Veen, Gabriel Yanez Ben Ethridge was the Twins 15th round pick a year ago from Southern Miss. CJ Culpepper was their 13th rounder out of California Baptist. Zach Veen was their 18th round pick in 2022 out of Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. Lavallee was their 16th round pick in 2021 out of Long Beach State. Hicks signed late in the 2021 season out of the USPBL in Michigan. That is about the time they signed AJ Labas who had gone undrafted out of LSU. Sam Perez was the Twins Daily short-season minor league pitcher of the year in 2021 and spent most of the 2022 season with Ft. Myers. Gabriel Yanez signed with the Phillies in 2016 and reached Low-A Clearwater in 2022. The Twins signed him this offseason as a free agent. Last year in this league, he had 58 strikeouts and just 13 walks over 50 1/3 innings. One to watch is hard-throwing Juan Mendez. And lefty Develson Aria is intriguing as well. Catchers: Andrew Cossetti, Ricardo Olivar, Dillon Tatum Andrew Cossetti was drafted in the 11th round last year out of St. Joseph’s in Philly. Tatum caught two Mussels no hitters last year. Olivar had a breakout season in the FCL last year, hitting .349/.442/.605 (1.046) with 12 doubles, three triples and five homers over 40 games. A good athlete, he actually spent more time in the outfield in 2022. Infielders: Rubel Cespedes, Danny De Andrade, Yohander Martinez, Jorel Ortega, Mikey Perez, Dalton Shuffield. Danny De Andrade is the top prospect in this group. One of the top international signings in 2021, he held his own in the FCL a year ago. Jorel Ortega was the team’s sixth round pick a year ago. He had one at bat with the Mussels and had an RBI hit, but he hurt his wrist on the play which ended his season. Cespedes is an intriguing prospect who has some offensive upside. Martinez was a minor-league Rule 5 pick in December. And why Mikey Perez and Dalton Shuffield are starting in Ft. Myers is just silly. Perez was the 15th round pick of the Twins in 2021 from UCLA. He played 81 games in Ft. Myers a year ago, then moved up to Cedar Rapids for 28 more games. He even played one game with the Saints and hit a game-winning, three-run homer in his lone at-bat. He led the organization with 48 stolen bases last year. And, for good measure, he played in nine spring games for the Twins this year and went 4-for-10. Shuffield spent five years at Texas State University before the Twins took him in the 10th round of the 2022 draft. After three games in the FCL last year, he moved up to Cedar Rapids for eight games. Then he moved up to Triple-A St. Paul and started almost every day for 14 games. He hit .271/.314/.542 (.855) with three doubles, two triples, and two home runs. All that is small sample size, but he just turned 24. Outfielders: Carlos Aguiar, Luis Baez, Maddux Houghton, Alec Sayre, Dylan Neuse. Carlos Aguiar and Luis Baez signed with the Twins in 2017 from Venezuela. Aguiar is a big, strong power hitting outfielder. Baez is a speed merchant, capable of stealing a ton of bags and taking extra bases at will. Houghton signed with the Twins just before spring training began. He spent five years at Lipscomb and then last year played in a summer wood bat league. Alec Sayre was the Twins 17th round pick a year ago out of Wright State. Neuse was the Twins 17th round pick in 2021 out of Texas Tech. His older brother Sheldon spent parts of 2019, 2021 and 2022 in the big leagues. He played in 89 games last year for the A’s. This year, he is playing in for Hanshin, in Japan. TWINS DAILY TOP 20 PROSPECTS None. Danny De Andrade is likely the highest-ranking prospect by most systems. There are definitely some pitching prospects to watch on this list. What do you think of the Mighty Mussels roster? Which players are you most intrigued by and interested in following? View full article

He won't be DFAd... He just won't be added to the 40-man roster. That would make him eligible for the Rule 5 draft. Hard to picture a offensive-first player who hasn't provided a lot of offense at a offensive defensive position (that's easy to say/think/type) getting selected. and Sabato can't be a free agent for like 3 more years... So, he's got time to continue developing. Again, the walks help the OBP and the home runs and doubles help the SLG, but the batting average at .200 and the strikeouts are concerning. But they've invested in him. He could and should continue to get time.

I mean, he will strike out a ton, walk a ton... hit about .275, get on base about 42% of the time, probably hit 25 doubles and 20 homers...

On the telecast today, they mentioned that yesterday (Saturday) Duran wasn't available because he somehow slept awkwardly on his shoulder/neck and was all discombobulated (wow, I assumed that would be spelled wrong). So I'm assuming today they preferred not to use him... But getting that fourth run in the top of the inning helped. Also, Lopez has pitched an inning in all three games (well, 2/3 of an inning in one), and he's throw a total of 24 pitches. That's insanely efficient.

Julien is like 1-for-12 with 7 strikeouts or so.

On Sunday afternoon, the Wichita Wind Surge announced their 28-man Opening Day roster. They will begin their season on Thursday (April 6) with three games in Springfield. They will head home to start a six-game series against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Top prospect Brooks Lee headlines the team's roster to start the season. Image courtesy of William Parmeter The Wichita Wind Surge roster had 28 players on it. There are 15 pitchers and 13 position players. 17 players return to the club that played there last year. The team will have two Top 20 prospects including the #1 overall Twins prospect Brooks Lee. Let's take a look at the Wind Surge Opening Day roster. Coaching Staff Ramon Borrego is back for his third season as the Wichita manager. He is one of the more respected people in the organization. He was a coach for Team Venezuela in the WBC. His pitching coaches will be Dan Urbina and DJ Engle. The hitting coach is Shawn Schlechter. Takashi Miyoshi is the team's bench coach. Pitchers Pitching is what wins, right? So that's where we'll start. Starting Pitchers: David Festa, Travis Adams, Carlos Luna, Kody Funderburk, Aaron Rozek Festa was the Twins 13th round pick in 2021 from Seton Hall. He has developed into a very exciting prospect. He's got three solid pitches, but it comes with a fastball that routinely hit 97 and 98 mph a year ago and touched 99. Travis Adams spent most of 2022 in Ft. Myers, but he spent the final month in Cedar Rapids. He was the Twins sixth round pick in 2021 from Sacramento State. A command and control guy, Adams was hitting 97 mph by the end of last year. Kody Funderburk is a little underrated in the system, but he's one to watch. A left-hander, he's become crafty southpaw. At Dallas Baptist, he was a fantastic two-way player, but the Twins have developed him into a pitcher to watch. Rozek is a Minnesota native and went to Minnesota State-Mankato. He signed with the Twins in 2021 and has pitched at each level including Double-A, the past two years. Carlos Luna comes to the Twins from the Brewers as a minor-league free agent. Sits in the low-90s and mixes his pitches really well. Relief Pitchers: Tyler Beck, Michael Boyle, Jose Bravo, Jordan Brink, Chad Donato, Blayne Enlow, Osiris German, Hunter McMahon, Seth Nordlin, Alex Scherff. Good to see Tyler Beck back on the mound again. He had Tommy John surgery shortly after the 2021 season and was excited that he would be full-go to start this season. Blayne Enlow came off of the Twins 40-man roster this offseason, but the organization was thrilled when he cleared waivers and will stick in the organization. He is now further from the Tommy John and should be full-go this year. German is intriguing in that he has one of the best changeups in the organization. Hunter McMahon was finally healthy in 2022, and he was terrific, one of the best relievers in the organization all year. He started the season in Ft. Myers, moved up to Cedar Rapids, and ended with a few outings for the Wind Surge. Speaking of guys being healthy, Alex Scherff came to the Twins from the Red Sox organization. He had been a really good prospect as a starter, but injuries derailed that a bit. He has been on the Injured List the majority of the time with the Twins but is finally healthy and ready to go this year. Boyle, Bravo, Brink, Donato, and Nordlin all signed with the Twins as minor-league free agent this offseason. Catchers: Alex Isola, Patrick Winkel Just two catchers in Wichita to start the season. Isola returns and may need to do more catching because of it. He had a nice showing in the Arizona Fall League, mostly playing first base. He's got a good combination of plate discipline and some pop in his bat. Winkel is arguably their best catching prospect. The organization is very high on him. He spent last season in Cedar Rapids and gets the bump to Double-A this year. He should do the majority of the catching. Infielders: Seth Gray, Will Holland, Brooks Lee, Anthony Prato, Jake Rucker, Aaron Sabato, Yunior Severino. Clearly Brooks Lee is the top prospect in this group. I mean, he's the #1 prospect in the organization by many outlets, including Twins Daily. He ended the season last year by DHing for the Wind Surge in the playoffs. He had a solid showing in his first big-league camp. He didn't hit much, but he showed a good approach and played very good defense at shortstop. Likewise, Gray, Holland, Prato, Sabato and Severino all spent the final month or more in Wichita last year. Holland has primarily an outfielder at this stage. In fact, that's all he played in big-league spring training games, but he was drafted as a shortly. Prato broke out in 2022. He became a solid on-base guy with some power, and he showed he can be a plus-defender in the infield and in the outfield too. Severino seemed to put some things together last year with the bat and did a nice job after moving up to the Surge. He played mostly second base in Cedar Rapids and then mostly third base in Wichita. Aaron Sabato continued to struggle to make contact, but he kept walking and he kept hitting home runs. He moved up to Double-A late and was just getting going when a pitch hit his wrist and ended his season. Jake Rucker started last year in Ft. Myers and then he moved up to the Kernels. When their season ended, he was promoted to the Saints for the final couple of weeks of their season. Outfielders: Yoyner Fajardo, DaShawn Keirsey, Jr., Armani Smith, and Alerick Soularie. DaShawn Keirsey was healthy in 2022 and really put things together. First and foremost, he is a tremendous defensive centerfielder, with great range and the ability to close on fly balls and create web gems. But he also had a ver solid offensive year as well. He got on base, but he hit for some power. He turns singles into doubles. He had a couple of inside-the-park homers. And he can steal bases like crazy. Hopefully he can get up to Triple-A at some point. Alerick Soularie was the second round pick in 2020 from Tennessee, but he started his career by getting hurt. Last year in Cedar Rapids, he struggled with the bat, but he can play second base and in the outfield. Hopefully a bump to Double-A will help him take off. Fajardo and Smith were both selected in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft. Smith is very intriguing. He's a big dude with tremendous power potential, kind of in the Franmil Reyes mold. TWINS DAILY TOP 20 PROSPECTS #1 - Brooks Lee #13 - David Festa View full article

The two aren't related... this is just the player that he is. He walks a lot. He strikes out a lot. He has good power. He has good speed. He may hit .280 sometimes.

Julien fills up a box score... including the strike outs. He's had well over 100 strikeouts the last two years.

It wasn't a bad decision then. It wasn't a bad decision even if he had become an All Star. At that time, it wasn't easy, but not protecting him was the right move based on where he was and that the hadn't played in two years.