Seth Stohs

Download attachment: Aaron Hicks MT.jpg In recent weeks, several more Twins prospect rankings came out. In the past two weeks, Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus added their Top 10 Twins rankings. Here is a compilation of Twins prospect rankings. Feel free to discuss and compare. If you know of other lists we should add to this, please link to them in the Comments. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] SethBaseballBaseballJohn Cody ProspectStohsAmericaProspectusSickelsChristie Miguel Sano11211 Byron Buxton22132 Aaron Hicks35343 Oswaldo Arcia43424 Eddie Rosario57655 Kyle Gibson64566 JO Berrios76777 Max Kepler88889 Kennys Vargas9 15 Joe Benson10 1210 Travis Harrison11 998 Adrian Salcedo12 18 Daniel Santana139 11 Chris Herrmann14 19 BJ Hermsen15 Alex Wimmers16 17 Adam Walker17 1820 Mason Melotakis18 1013 Jorge Polanco19 101312 Pedro Hernandez20 Daniel Ortiz21 Matt Summers22 Luke Bard2310 1114 Levi Michael24 Nate Roberts25 20 Niko Goodrum 1416 JT Chargois 15 Zach Jones 16 Michael Tonkin 17 DJ Baxendale 19 Corey Williams 21 Click here to view the article

For the third straight game, the Minnesota Twins got a quality start, and for the third straight game, they got a win. Still, it took some late-inning dramatics, but the team goes into a Monday off-day with a .500 record (6-6). Raise your hand if you saw that coming. Just 150 games to go! The four minor league affiliates played afternoon games. They also went .500 on the day. Two affiliates won, two lost. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] So, why follow the Twins Minor League affiliates? Well, there are many reasons, however, here is a big one. Two weeks into the season and we have already seen the Twins make a half-dozen transactions. The Twins are not afraid to call people up, so get to know them early! Monday, the Twins have a day off but all four Twins affiliates will be in action. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Lehigh Valley 3 Box Score Kris Johnson gave up two runs in the first inning and another in the second before settling down. Those would be the only runs the IronPigs scored, but on this day it was enough for a win. Johnson went five innings. He gave up the three runs on five hits and a walk while striking out two. Deolis Guerra gave up just one hit over the next two innings. AJ Achter made his first appearance with the Red Wings this year. He had a walk and a strikeout in a scoreless inning. Eric Farris went 2-3 in the game. Wilkin Ramirez went 2-4. Dan Rohlfing added a double and an RBI. Clete Thomas went 2-2 with two walks and a double for Lehigh Valley. The loss ended a six game winning streak for the Red Wings. Deibinson Romero extended his hitting streak to eight games. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 6, Portland 3 Box Score Download attachment: Nate Hanson 2.jpg This was just a good game for the Rock Cats. They didn’t have a big inning. Instead, they scored in five of the nine innings. They got good pitching as well and came away with their fourth win of the year. Nate Hanson led the way. He went 3-5 with two doubles (5 on season) and two RBI. Danny Ortiz was also 2-5 with his third double and he also stole two bases. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his third and fourth doubles in five at-bats. Corey Wimberly had two hits. He added a stolen base. Sean Gilmartin recorded his first win in the Twins organization. The lefty gave up two runs (1 earned) on four hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out three. Cole Johnson came in and gave up one run on one hit and a walk in 1.2 innings. He struck out two. Ryan O’Rourke struck out the one batter he was asked to face. Lester Oliveros got his second save with another 1-2-3 ninth inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, St. Lucie 5 Box Score The Miracle drove across the state of Florida on Friday with a 6-1 record. After falling to the Mets for the third straight game on Sunday, they are now 6-4. Things just started out on the wrong foot for Mason Melotakis. He gave up three runs in the first, two in the third and another in the fourth. In all, he gave up six runs (4 earned) on eight hits in four innings. He walked three and struck out four. Two more Jorge Polanco errors created the two unearned runs. He now has six errors in the team’s ten games. David Hurlbut came on in the fifth inning and gave up two hits and a walk in three shutout innings. Madison Boer gave up one hit in his inning. Like last Sunday, it took some time for the Miracle bats to get a hit. In the sixth inning, Jorge Polanco singled to left for the team’s first hit. Later in the same inning, Michael Gonzales drove him in with a single of his own. Those were the team’s lone hits in the game. The second run scored that inning on an error. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Lansing 2 Box Score Felix Jorge made the start for the Kernels on Sunday. He gave up two runs on three hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out three. Yorman Landa came in and gave up one hit in a scoreless inning. Alex Muren then gave up one hit in two shutout innings. Christian Powell ended the game with a perfect inning. Zack Larson got things going in the first inning with an RBI double, his sixth double of the year. He later added an RBI single and also stole a base. Chad Christensen was also 2-4 with his first triple. Bryan Haar went 1-3 with a walk and his third home run. It was a series sweep for the Kernels on the road. They return home for a six-game series in which they will play games Monday through Saturday. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Sean Gilmartin, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Nate Hanson, New Britain Rock Cats MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pawtucket @ Rochester (6:05 CST) – Trevor May (Listen) New Britain @ New Hampshire (5:35 CST) – Pat Dean (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:30 CST) – Alex Wimmers (Listen) South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (1:05 CST) – Aaron Slegers (Listen) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games. A quick reminder: Thanks to the Twins win over the Royals on Sunday, it means that on Monday you can get 50% off a Large or Extra Large pizza when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code at PapaJohns.com. Click here to view the article

As most of you know, I have now been blogging about the Minnesota Twins for past 11 years (in May). Until we started TwinsDaily.com just over two years ago, I was at SethSpeaks.net. Tonight, I was looking through the Archivesof SethSpeaks.net and back in late 2005, I had a series I called Why Baseball? Several readers of the site submitted essays on what it is about baseball that captures them. In fact, I know that a couple of Twins Daily readers sent in their submissions. As I read some of the articles and the forums here at Twins Daily and see so much negativity, I thought it was time to go back and ask Twins Daily readers to submit their thoughts on what it is about baseball that draws you in. Did you play baseball? To what level? Is it the stats? The history?[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Download attachment: Twins Pitchers.jpg The follow-up question on this Twins-related site is what is it that keeps you being a Twins fan despite the struggles? What are your early memories? Like I said, I tire of the same old discussions about the same negative topics day after day. And yes, I’m not naïve. I understand that things haven’t been good and one of the beauties of watching baseball is that it looks so easy. Most everyone has played Little League baseball, and many get the opportunity to play in high school. So, it’s easy to second-guess every move on the field and in the front office. It’s fun to play Monday Morning Quarterback 162 games each season. So, what was it for me? My dad played amateur baseball when I was very young. We have pictures of myself wearing a diaper and a glove at my dad’s games. (No, I will not post them here.) But, my dad – and my mom – played catch in the front yard almost every day from the day the snow was (almost) gone until the snow started again. We watched baseball games on TBS (hence my Claudell Washington fandom). We saw Cubs games on WGN. I loved when they had double-headers. I played games that I wonder if I would let my kid play. At the house, there were four steps in front of the front door. I would take a baseball, from 30 feet away, and throw the ball toward the steps. Usually it would hit the cement steps and bounce back to me as a ground ball. If I hit the cement at a corner, it would come back to me as a line drive or even a pop up. Often, I hit the front door. There were so many dents in that door. I played a game against myself. I would pretend to be the Atlanta Braves. I knew the lineup. Brett Butler. Bruce Benedict. Dale Murphy. Biff Pocaroba. Basically, I would throw popups to myself, as high as I could. For most players, I would catch the popup and it would be an out. Of course, when Claudell Washington “came to bat,” popups were often dropped, or I would try to make the catch behind my back. My brother and I played catch in the back yard. One would be the pitcher, and the other would be the catcher. The catcher would stand up, and if the pitch was caught within an inch or so of our body, from the knees to the letters, it was a strike. We would play six or seven inning games, throwing fastballs, changeups, and curve balls, taking turns pitching and catching. I remember when Kirby Puckett got called up. I was eight years old, and truth be told I can’t imagine I liked him for any reason other than his cool name. I remember waking up the next year and my mom excitedly telling me that Puckett had hit his first major league home run. I was in 7th grade during the 1987 playoffs. For Game 7, I watched the game all by myself in the basement on a snowy, black-and-white TV, because I couldn’t handle the pressure of watching with anyone else. In 1991, I was a junior and it was just as exciting. I remember “And we’ll see you tomorrow night.” I went to college and played a couple of years of baseball. For the first time in my life, I was on the bench. That was hard, but it allowed me to watch the game from an entirely different perspective. I learned a new way to keep the scorebook. I learned to look at each situation and scenario in a game from a different angle. I could see it from a player perspective, but gained a respect and understanding for the work that coaches and a managers do. But, for a while, I stepped back from the game. But once college was done, and I had an 8-5 job and didn’t have college homework anymore, I dove back into baseball and the Twins headfirst and haven’t looked back. Through writing at SethSpeaks.net and now at Twins Daily, it’s been an incredible perspective. To get the feedback, positive and negative, from readers is what it’s all about for me. Trust me when I say I learn more from the readers and commenters than I can give to them. It has also provided me with the opportunity to meet so many players, coaches, front office types that I normally wouldn’t have. I enjoy following the Twins organization for so many reasons and getting to know so many of the people gives me a better perspective yet. To watch a player go from being drafted, through the levels of the minor leagues and reach that dream is really quite something. When I hear or read people say something like “Player is is a terrible baseball player,” I shake my head. Even the guys that get a cup of coffee in the big leagues are amazing baseball players. As I’ve written in past Prospect Handbooks, I was your typical high school player who hit .420 for four years and played shortstop and pitched. Blah, Blah, Blah. I went to a Division III school and couldn’t hack it. Those players are very good. So, how good are the guys who get to play on Division I teams. Now consider that most Division I players don’t get drafted. How good are the players in Low A, or High A? You have to be remarkable, elite, to just get to AA. The respect I have for all of the guys I write about is immense, and I love to tell their stories. Sure, it’s fun to see a guy like Byron Buxton who has a chance to debut in 2014 as a 20 year old after being a top first round pick and getting a huge signing bonus. However, what makes me want to do this from day to day are the stories like Tommy Watkins', who spent 10 or 11 years in the minor leagues before getting his cup of coffee. I enjoy telling the stories of Eric Fryer and James Beresford as much as I enjoy writing about Kohl Stewart. Getting to know a guy like Chris Colabello and the perspective he has on the game of baseball is really something that makes you want to see him succeed. Talk to Andrew Albers about the opportunity that the Twins gave him and learn what it is to love the game of baseball and have a strong passion for the game. So there you have it… a small piece of what I love about baseball, the Minnesota Twins and now writing about the organization. Before I turn it over to you, I asked three guys what it is about baseball and a career playing the game. First, I talked to Trevor Plouffe. He is one of the more charismatic personalities that I’ve had the opportunity to meet. His response may surprise you some. Next, I talked to Jermaine Mitchell who had a strong showing in big league camp. Of course, earlier this week, the Twins released him and he will get another opportunity elsewhere. Finally, I had a chance to ask Tommy Watkins about what it is about baseball for him. He is one of the best ambassadors of the Minnesota Twins and especially the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Yes, the Twins have had some rough seasons of late, but you’re all still coming to Twins Daily. Yet you’re still here, frequenting this Twins-related site, and we appreciate that. But now it’s your turn. I’d love to hear and ready YOUR stories. So, what is it about baseball? What is it about the Minnesota Twins? Click here to view the article

Here are some quick injury updates on players through the Twins minor leagues: Fernando Romero and Tyler Stirewalt have had Tommy John surgeries this year. (Randy Rosario had the surgery in April)JT Chargois, who had TJ surgery last August, is throwing bullpens and likely will not pitch until Instructional League.Zack Jones is throwing bullpens and there is a chance he will get into games before the season's end.Taylor Rogers was placed on the DL with some biceps tendinitis. DJ Baxendale was placed on the DL with a biceps strain.The sense is that Max Kepler won't be out too long with his thumb injury. (could it be tied to Buxton moving up to AA soon?)Josh Burris has missed so much time this year because of an oblique injury.2014 draft pick Andro Cutaro has been out with a back injury.Based on things I've heard, I don't think that Kohl Stewart's shoulder is anything concerning. Might just be skipping a couple of starts. There is just some soreness.

The Rochester Red Wings and the Cedar Rapids Kernels each had the day off on Tuesday. The Red Wings made the long trek back up north from Virginia. The Kernels didn’t play, but they were still in the news. The Twins found out that they received LHP Miguel Sulbaran from the Dodgers as the Player to be Named Later in the Drew Butera trade.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] He has pitched for Great Lakes in the Midwest League throughout this year and will report to the Kernels. Sulbaran pitched in 23 games for Great Lakes, making 16 starts. In total, he was 6-4 with a 3.01 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. In 92.2 innings, he allowed 89 hits, walked 27 and struck out 85. He is just two months older than JO Berrios. Download attachment: MiguelSulbaranDODGERS.jpg Speaking of Berrios, he was put on the Disabled List with a right elbow contusion. I talked with three people familiar with the situation. In his most recent start, he was hit by a line drive in the elbow. However, by the next day, he appeared to be much better. The Twins decided to be cautious, as they should with such a talent, and put him on the Disabled List. One other person told me that the plan was actually to shut him down for a week or two in an attempt to manage his innings and help him be strong for the Midwest League playoffs. In other transactions, lefty David Hurlbut was promoted to Ft. Myers to take the spot of righty Cole De Vries, who was promoted to New Britain. There were actually several games to talk about, and the Twins now have their first 30 home run hitter of the season. See what else happened in the Twins farm system on Tuesday. Rochester Red Wings No Game Scheduled. Game 1 - New Britain Rock Cats 4, New Hampshire 5 Box Score Miguel Sano homered for the 30th time this year (14th with the Rock Cats), but it wasn’t enough in Game 1. Danny Santana went 2-4. Reynaldo Rodriguez added his 19th home run and drove in two runs. DJ Baxendale went all seven innings. Unfortunately, he was charge with five runs and just one was earned. He gave up eight hits (and three of those went for home runs). He walked one and struck out six. Game 2 - New Britain Rock Cats 6, New Hampshire 5 Box Score In the second game, the Rock Cats found themselves down 5-3 going into the bottom of the ninth. Kyle Knudson led off with a double. He scored when the next batter, Angel Morales, doubled. After a sacrifice bunt, Eddie Rosario doubled in the tying run. Understandably, Miguel Sano was intentionally walked. However, a wild pitch advanced Rosario to third, and Sano stole second. New Hampshire decided to walk powerful Reynaldo Rodriguez. However, the fourth pitch was wild and Rosario scored the winning run. Knudson was the one Rock Cats hitter with more than one hit. He was 2-3 and the double was his third. Rosario was 1-3 with a walk and his 14th double. Reynaldo Rodriguez added his 26th double. Matt Hauser made his first start of the year in this bullpen game. He was able to go four innings. He gave up three runs (1 earned) on four hits and a walk. He struck out four. Daniel Turpen came on and gave up three runs on three hits and a walk in two innings. Dakota Watts gave up one hit over two innings to get the Win. Ft. Myers Miracle 4, St. Lucie 5 Box Score Lefty David Hurlbut was promoted from Cedar Rapids and made his Miracle debut. He made less than a handful of starts this season, pitching primarily out of the Kernels bullpen. But, he made the start tonight for Ft. Myers. He began with three scoreless innings. However, he gave up three runs in the fourth. He gave up eight hits, didn’t walk anyone, and struck out four. Nelvin Fuentes came on and struck out three in two scoreless innings. He walked one. Corey Williams got the final two innings. He gave up a big two-run homer in the seventh that proved to be the game’s decider. He gave up the two runs on three hits, no walks and struck out two. Byron Buxton is back to .300 for the Miracle after a 3-4 night. He drove in two runs. Dalton Hicks went 2-4 with his third home run. It was a solo shot. The RBI gives him a combined 97 RBI on the season between Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. Cedar Rapids Kernels No Game Scheduled. Elizabethton Twins 6, Danville Braves 3 Box Score It was a good all-around game for the E-Twins. They got a good start from lefty Hein Robb. He gave up one run on five hits in five innings. He did walk four while striking out five. Andre Martinez came on and threw two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked three and struck out two. Ryan Eades came on and pitched the final two innings. He gave up two runs on two hits and two walks. He struck out three. Javier Pimentel was the offensive hero. He was 3-4 with his 11th double and three RBI. Tanner Vavra was 1-2 with a walk and two RBI. Zach Granite extended his hitting streak to eight games. GCL Twins 3, GCL Orioles 1 Box Score Righty Alex Meyer returned to the mound for his second rehab appearance. This time, he was able to go three shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked two and struck out two. He was replaced by Jared Wilson who was charged with one run on three hits in three innings. He walked three and struck out two. Chih-Wei Hu came on and struck out one over two scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit. Tyler Stirewalt got the save. He didn’t give up a run despite allowing two hits and walking one. Alex Swim went 2-4 with an RBI. Adonis Pacheco was 1-2 with two walks. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. Click here to view the article

On the previous, it showed the lats 8-10 forums that had been posted in. In this current one, all 5-6 of the last entries could be from the same forum. I think that giving visibility to more forums encourages discussion on more topics.

Eddie Rosario's path through the Minnesota Twins farm system has directly mirrored that of Miguel Sano. When Rosario was the Twins 4th round pick in 2010 out of Puerto Rico, he spent the summer as Sano’s teammate in the GCL. The next summer, the two put up incredible numbers at Elizabethton. Rosario led the league in most categories including home runs and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. They were together in Beloit in 2012. In 2013, the two started in Ft. Myers before being promoted to [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]New Britain on the same day. No wonder that a player who has hit .307/.358/.510 (.867) over his four-year minor league career is often overlooked and overshadowed. Of course, as spring training is soon to begin, there is another, darker shadow Rosario will need to overcome. The Good Download attachment: top-prospects-05-eddie-rosario.jpg Eddie Rosario is an offensive talent. Listed at just 6-0 and 175 pounds, Rosario has incredible quick and strong hands and can generate a lot of bat speed. Though he has never approached the 21 home runs he hit in the small parks of the Appalachian League, he is capable of 12 to 15 home runs a year. He profiles as a guy whose line drive swing will turn into a lot of doubles. He has very good speed and can turn doubles into triples. Because he has such quick hands, he is able to allow the ball to travel a little deeper over the plate. At his best, he is drilling line drives to the opposite field. However, he has the ability to turn on a good fastball and pull it a long way. Rosario has very good speed. He also is a terrific defensive outfielder,including the ability to play centerfield, with good range and a very strong arm. The Bad Rosario is a very good defensive outfielder but for the last two years he has been primarily playing second base. You see, two years ago at this time, the Twins lacked any second base prospects, so they took the athletic outfielder and moved him to second base. The transition has not affected Rosario's offensive output. To be fair, there have been mixed reports on Rosario’s defense. Playing on the major league caliber infield of Hammond Stadium in Ft. Myers, most reports called Rosario’s defense adequate. Other reports indicate that Rosario is unlikely to ever be anywhere near an adequate defensive second baseman. Of course, his perceived value (relative to his position) would be much higher as a second baseman than as a corner outfielder. Rosario tends to put together some quality at-bats, though he is not one who wants to walk. In MLB in 2013, the average Isolated Discipline (IsoD, on base percentage minus batting average) was 0.065. Rosario’s was 0.060 at Elizabethton, but at every other level his IsoD was between 0.046 and 0.049. As mentioned, Rosario has good speed. In his two rookie league stops, he stole 38 bases in 50 attempts (78%). However, the last two seasons, in full-season leagues, he is just 21 of 42 in steal attempts, a rate of just 50%. The Ugly Obviously there is one topic that has to be addressed when talking about Eddie Rosario. Last month, he was given a 50-game suspension for testing positive for a drug of abuse. The 50 game suspension means it was his second positive test. The bigger concern is not so much the suspension. In my mind, the concern is that he had the first test, knew what a second failed test would mean, and still did it. A 50 game suspension is a slowing down of his development. Sure, he played another 70 or so games this past offseason between the Arizona Fall League and the Puerto Rican Winter League. His winter team finished second in the Caribbean Series this past weekend. The frustration is simply be that it was unnecessary. The suspension is obviously not ideal. Hopefully losing game time will make him think and realize the opportunity he has. His prospect status, as a 22-year-old who has put up tremendous numbers, should not be altered by the suspension. His future remains as bright as ever. Rosario also missed a few games in 2013 at Ft. Myers after being benched by Manager Doug Mientkiewicz. Rosario is incredibly talented, especially as a hitter. He has been included in some national Top 100 lists this offseason and is likely right on the border of those in which he didn’t make the list. As a second baseman, his offense has the potential to stand out a little. On the field, 2013 was a good year for Rosario. He began with 52 games in Ft. Myers. He hit .329/.377/.527 (.903) with 13 doubles, five triples and six home runs. Like Sano, the day after the Miracle clinched the first-half title, Rosario was promoted to New Britain. In 70 games with the Rock Cats, he hit .284/.330/.412 with 19 doubles, three triples and four home runs. That all came after being named to the Puerto Rican WBC team in which he started half the games in left field. 2014 is going to be an interesting year for Rosario and the Twins second base depth. Brian Dozier is looking to show that his performance starting in late May is something he can sustain. Rosario will miss 50 games before likely heading back to New Britain, probably after a handful of games in Ft. Myers. On his heels is Jorge Polanco, another Top 10 Twins middle infield prospect. Previous 2014 Twins Daily Top Twins Prospects: #10 – Trevor May #9 – Lewis Thorpe #8 – Jorge Polanco #7 – Josmil Pinto #6 – Jose Berrios #5 – Eddie Rosario Click here to view the article

Late Saturday night, players and coaches assigned to play for the Elizabethon Twins left Ft. Myers on a bus destined for Tennessee. It would mean a 13 hour drive, but for all of the players, they are more than happy to make the trip. Most of the players reported to Twins minor league spring training in early March and remained at Extended Spring Training. Hopping on that bus means they will be playing in the Appalachian League instead of staying in Ft. Myers and playing in the Gulf Coast League. They are excited to play in games that matter. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Ray Smith is back for his 18th year as manager of the E-Twins and 26th year with the team in Elizabethton (not coaching his time there as a player. He has a record of 748-464 as manager. Jeff Reed is back for his 11th season as the E-Twins hitting coach. Ivan Arteaga takes over for long-time pitching coach Jim Shellenback. Arteaga has served in that role with the GCL Twins the past six seasons. The 2011 team boasted Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year Tim Shibuya and Hitter of the Year Eddie Rosario. Rosario’s 21 home runs was one more than teammate and Twins top prospect Miguel Sano. Those three, and most of the 2011 team, have moved their way up to the Beloit Snappers roster. However, there is some very good talent on the 2012 Elizabethton Twins roster and they will most likely again compete for an Appalachian League title. THE PITCHERS Ricardo Arevalo (SP-21), Hudson Boyd (SP-19), Josh Burris (20), Steve Evans (22), Dallas Gallant (23), Tyler Herr (21), Garrett Jewell (21), Zach Jones (21), Corey Kimes (SP-22), Brett Lee (SP-21), Angel Mata (SP-19), Mason Melotakis (21), Luis Nunez (20), Hein Robb (SP-20), Taylor Rogers (21). DL – Tyler Duffey (21) and JT Chargois (21). As you can see, this group is a combination of young guys who spent time in the GCL last year and college guys drafted earlier this month. There are a few college guys from last year’s draft as well. 2012 Draft – Mason Melotakis was the team’s first second round pick this year out of Northwestern State. Chargois was the team’s second second round pick this June from Rice. Duffey was the Twins second pick from Rice this year, and the team’s fifth round pick. Zach Jones was the fourth round pick out of San Jose State. Taylor Rogers is left-handed. He was the 11th round pick out of Kentucky. The Twins clearly made a concerted effort to add some power arms. They did that, particularly with Melotakis, Chargois and Duffey. It will be fun to see how that plays out. I also can’t help but wonder how quickly some of these college guys move up to Beloit. 2011 Draft – Hudson Boyd was the Twins second supplemental first round pick a year ago out of high school. There was a lot of speculation about whether he was go to the GCL or E-Town. The hard thrower will make his debut in the Appy League. If you’re looking for a guy and wondering why he is still in Elizabethton, look to 2011 13th round pick Steve Evans. He pitched for Elizabethton last year, very well, and returns in 2012. How well? He was 2-1 with a 1.54 ERA in 21 games out of the bullpen. In 23.1 innings, he walked 11 and struck out 24. Garrett Jewell pitched just eight games last year for the E-Twins before coming down with mono. Corey Kimes got into a game or two before he fought injury the rest of the year. Brett Lee was a last day signing last year as well. The left-hander was the team’s 10th round pick a year ago. Josh Burris has a huge upside thanks to a big fastball and a devastating curveball. If he throws strikes, he will be very good. The GCL Guys – Ricardo Arevalo has made 25 appearances and 20 starts for the GCL Twins over the past two seasons. He is 0-11 with a 4.37 ERA. Tyler Herr was the Twins 44th round pick in 2009 out of high school. He didn’t pitch in the GCL until 2010. He stayed there in 2011 and was much improved out of the team’s bullpen. He looks to continue that trend with the E-Twins. Hein Robb has been a mainstay on the South African team in international competitions since he was 15 years old. The Twins signed him, and he came to the States as an 18 year old. He struggled in the GCL in 2010 and was much better in 2011, although inconsistent. In 2010 in the GCL, Luis Nunez struck out 30 batters in 29 innings, but he also walked 15. Last year, he returned and was incredible. He went 5-0 with 5 saves, and in 32.1 innings, he struck out 37 and walked just six. He’s skinny and throws really hard. Angel Mata is the youngest guy on the pitching staff. Last year in the GCL, he went 0-1 with a 1.46 ERA. In 37 innings, he walked 19 and struck out 30. Dallas Gallant has tremendous upside. He was drafted in 2010, but he missed all of 2011 with Tommy John surgery. He has a fastball that touches 95 and he could be one to watch late in games. CATCHERS Bo Altobelli (21), Jhonathan Arias (23), Michael Quesada (22) Arias returns to Elizabethton after spending most of 2011 in Beloit. Following the 2011 season, he went to Instructs and became a pitcher. However, he is back to catching. Quesada was the team’s 24th round pick in 2010 out of Sierra College. He signed late and played in just three games that year. Last year, he was a constant in the GCL lineup. He hit .211, but got on base 31% of the time. He also had seven doubles, two triples and three home runs. Bo Altobelli was drafted the team’s 21st round pick this month of Texas Tech. INFIELDERS Niko Goodrum (20), Travis Harrison (19), Josh Hendricks (20), DJ Hicks (22), Candido Pimentel (21), Jorge Polanco (18), Stephen Wickens (23) This is a group of immensely talented, young players. These guys have very high ceilings, but there are still many questions with each of them, as you would expect from guys this young. Goodrum was the Twins 2nd round pick in 2010 out of high school. A tremendous athlete, he hit just .161 in 128 Pas in 2010 in the GCL. However, last year in Elizabethton, he hit .275/.352/.382 with 10 doubles, three triples and two home runs. He was also 8 of 9 in stolen base attempts. More important, he got better every month, offensively and defensively at shortstop. Josh Hendricks is 20 years old and hit .275/.316/.350 in the GCL a year ago with eight doubles and two triples. The Australian first baseman is 6-3 and 220 pounds. He had great power potential. His problem in his first two seasons in the States has been consistency. He has had several very good and several very bad streaks. DJ Hicks was the Twins 17th round pick this year out of Central Florida. He has a lot of power potential as well, and should play a lot of 1B, although he also can play in the outfield. Jorge Polanco was a highly-ranked Dominican prospect. He was signed as a shortstop, for about $700,000. In his second turn in the GCL last year, Polanco hit .250/.319/.349 with eight doubles, three triples and a home run. Polanco played 19 games at shortstop, 14 games at third base and 10 games at second base. He also spent some time at all three outfield positions. Polanco will turn 19 in July. Candido Pimentel has been an outfielder through his minor league time, but this year, he is listed with the infielders. He is a lanky, speedy, Otis Nixon type bat, and maybe the better Nixon comparison would be his speed on the base paths. OUTFIELDERS Romy Jimenez (21), Max Kepler (19), Kelvin Mention (20), Rory Rhodes (20), Adam Walker (20). Jimenez (who you may remember as Romy Trinidad in the DSL) hit .321/.367/.429 with three doubles in 28 at bats before his season came to an end with injury. The 21-year-old has terrific speed. Kepler played in Elizabethton last year. He hit .262/.347/.366 with 11 doubles, three triples and a home run. Those are solid, but unspectacular numbers, so the 19 year old gets to go back. Hopefully, like Goodrum, he will dominate the league this year. Kelvin Mention went to high school with Beloit’s JD Williams. Unfortunately, he missed all of last season with injury. He is big and strong and if he can stay healthy, he could hit some home runs. Rory Rhodes started this season at Beloit but hit just .189/.262/.289 before moving back to Extended Spring Training. Instead of playing at first base, he is now listed with the outfielders. Finally, the Twins used their 3rd round pick (97th overall) on Adam Walker. Although he played 1B and Jacksonville U, the Twins wanted to list him as a right fielder. Although he’ll likely strike out a lot, there is a good chance that he will hit a lot of home runs. NEW RULE - Previously, a player could spend no more than three years combined between the GCL and Elizabethton. A new rule this year allows three players with more than three years of experience. This is important in the case of Rory Rhodes. The 6-7, 20 year old from Australia played in the GCL in 2009 and 2010. He played in Elizabethton last year. That's three years. However, he is allowed to play in Elizabethton again in 2012 because of this rule. It would appear that this is a rule designed for players signed as 16 or 17 year olds from other countries. The players from Central America can play in the Dominican Summer League before coming up to the short-season leagues. However, players from Australia (Rhodes, Hendricks), or South Africa (Robb) or Germany (Kepler) or other places that don't have a pre-short season place to play. I think this is a good rule. SUMMARY This roster for Elizabethton has another chance to compete for another Appalachian League title. There are some good veterans in the rotation and in the bullpen which always helps. However, there are also some high-end pitching prospects worth watching to see how they adjust to a little better competition. On the offensive side, it is also a good mix. It is a good mix of college guys and young players. There is a good combination of power guys (Walker, Kepler, Hendricks, Rhodes, Quesada, Harrison, Hicks) and speed (Goodrum, Polanco, Kepler and Jimenez). Tomorrow, we will take a look at the GCL roster. It includes several players drafted this year and last year out of high school as well as several players who have come up from the Twins Dominican Summer League team. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to ask. Download attachment: ETwins Logo.jpg Click here to view the article

As happens every three years, Major League Baseball's Spring Training gets interrupted by the World Baseball Classic. Some teams had to qualify in the fall of 2012 but by March, 2013 teams comprised of players from 16 countries participated. In 2013, the Minnesota Twins were very well represented in the WBC. Several players contributed with very impressive performances, and several helped unexpected teams advance in the tournament. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Let's start with the teams that advanced to the final, championship round of the WBC. The Dominican Republic beat Netherlands in one semi-final game while Puerto Rico beat two-time WBC defending champion, Japan. In the championship game, the Dominican Republic was victorious. One of the heroes of that Dominican Republic team was none other than the Twins' Sam Deduno. He went 2-0 in his three starts in the tournament. He was the winning pitcher in the championship game. In 13 WBC innings, he gave up 11 hits, walked five and struck out 17, working his curveball as his strikeout pitch and showing exuberance that was fun to watch. Download attachment: Samuel Deduno DRWBC.jpg Two young Twins' prospects competed for the Puerto Rico team. In an outfield that had Angel Pagan in center and Alex Rios in right, Eddie Rosario split time in left field with veteran Jesus Feliciano. Rosario played very well last winter in the Puerto Rican Winter League, then went 3-14 in the tournament with a double. Also on the roster was youngster JO Berrios, working out of the bullpen. He did strike out Robinson Cano, but he did give up four runs in his two innings over two games. Netherlands was the surprise WBC team in the 2009 Classic. This time around, they didn't surprise teams, but they still got to the finals. Tom Stuifbergen had been a hero for the team in '09, but he struggled in 2013: in three games, he gave up eight earned runs in 6.1 innings. Shairon Martis gave up four earned runs in seven innings over two games. Team USA created a lot of discussion and controversy. While the top players from many other countries were playing for their homeland, many of the top players from the US said "No". However, two Twins' All-Stars represented the Twins and the Stars and Stripes. Joe Mauer, the teams cleanup hitter, caught a couple games and was the team's DH in the other games. He came through by going 9-21, hitting .429/.538/.619 (1.158) with two doubles and a triple. Glen Perkins was named to the bullpen by manager Joe Torre. He pitched in just two games and two innings. He gave up two earned runs on two walks and three hits while striking out two. The surprise team of the 2013 WBC was the from Italy. Most of the players on the roster were qualified due to distant, generational relations. The Twins' Chris Colabello and his parents had lived in Italy for several years. Colabello had played for Team Italy in youth tournaments. In this Classic, he went 6-18 with two homers and seven RBI, hitting .333/.368/.667 (1.035). Drew Butera went just 3-16, but each of his hits was big, including an RBI double and a big home run. Former Twins player Nick Punto hit .421 and posted a 1.003 OPS in the tournament. Australia didn't get out of the first round. Shortstop James Beresford went 2-11 in the round. Finally, the team from Canada also had a first-round exit though Justin Morneau did all he could, though. Morneau went 7-11. He hit .636/.692/.909 (1.601) with three doubles. The only hitter in the tournament who put up more impressive numbers was his teammate, outfielder Michael Saunders. Andrew Albers pitched three innings in one game for the Canadian team and gave up two runs on six hits. He walked none and struck out five. Albers and former Twins outfielder Rene Tosoni were involved in an event that may be the most memorable play of the 2013 WBC. Tosoni was the batter hit by a Jose Leon pitch after third baseman Luis Cruz essentially told him to (following a Chris Robinson bunt). A brawl ensued and there were several ejections, including Tosoni and Albers. The WBC is an interesting topic of discussion for baseball fans. Is there a good time for it? Should the best players play? If you were an owner, would you want your top players playing for their country and risking injury (see the Mark Teixeira situation). It is a good opportunity for some players and teams to get extra recognition. It is fun. It is what it is in terms of importance. And it was a part of 2013 for many players in the Twins' system. Click here to view the article

The Twins and Tigers were rained out on Sunday, so the Twins were able to avoid Justin Verlander. Monday is a scheduled off day before a three-game series at Target Field against the Dodgers where they will see former AL Central nemesis Zach Greinke in Game 1. In the minors, there were a couple of very strong starts. One of the affiliates won on a walk-off, and another used some big extra base hits to mount a huge comeback. On the other hand, one affiliate gave up a late-inning lead. But, one affiliate scored a dozen runs. So, mix and match. Which affiliate did each of these? Read below to find out. Download attachment: Aaron Slegers.jpg RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Pawtucket 2 (10 innings) Box Score Chris Parmelee went 0-3 with three strikeouts. It threatened to end his 11-game hitting streak. However, he singled in the 8th inning to help the Red Wings tie the game and send it to extra innings. In the bottom of the tenth, Parmelee hit a walk-off home run to get the Wings back in the win column after two losses. Logan Darnell was on the mound and again very good. He was charged with two runs (1 earned) on five hits and a walk in 6.1 innings. He struck out six. As he walked to the mound for the seventh inning, he had not yet allowed a run. Yohan Pino came in to replace Darnell. He got the final two outs of the seventh inning and then worked three more scoreless innings. It wasn’t until the 10th inning he even gave up a base runner. He was helped by right fielder Doug Bernier who threw out a runner at the plate that inning. Pino struck out six in this outing. He is now 4-0 with a 1.17 ERA. Parmelee was 2-5 in the game with the big hits. James Beresford was 2-4. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 5, Richmond 7 Box Score The Rock Cats got a great start and got some big hits. Until the bottom of the 8th inning, this was a terrific game in Richmond for the Rock Cats. And then came the eighth inning. Virgil Vasquez started and threw six shutout innings. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out four. Not bad coming off his previous start when he threw seven three-hit, shutout innings. Ryan O’Rourke came in for the seventh inning and gave up a run while striking out two. The Rock Cats grabbed the lead early. Brandon Waring, who had a nice showing in big league camp this spring but was hitting under .180 coming into this game, hit a first inning double that scored Nate Hanson and Kennys Vargas. The Rock Cats added two more in the fourth inning. Former Gophers Kyle Knudson and AJ Pettersen each had an RBI double. With two outs in the seventh inning, Nate Hanson was hit by a pitch and Vargas singled. Then Waring drove in his third run of the game with a single. The Rock Cats had a 5-1 lead heading into the bottom of the 8th inning. Dan Turpen came in. He gave up a single, a walk, a single and a bases-loaded walk before striking out a batter. He was replaced by Jim Fuller who hit the one batter he faced to make the score 5-3. Cole Johnson came on. He hit the next two batters he faced to tie the score at five. A single then scored two more runs before Johnson got the final two outs. Kennys Vargas was 3-4 with his fourth double. Brandon Waring was 2-5 with his sixth double and three RBI. AJ Pettersen went 2-4 with his first double. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his seventh double, and Kyle Knudson hit his second double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 10, Palm Beach 7 Box Score The Miracle had a bit of a miracle on Sunday afternoon. Down 5-0 after just two innings, the team fought back and came away with a great team victory. Alex Wimmers made the start. He went five innings and was charged with seven runs, though just four were earned. He gave up seven hits (2 homers) and walked three. He struck out two. Mason Melotakis came on and gave up two hits (and a hit batter) over two scoreless innings. Madison Boer earned his third save with two perfect innings. Down 7-2 going into the sixth inning, the Miracle put six on the board to take the lead. The inning started with walks to Adam Walker and Mike Gonzales before Niko Goodrum’s single loaded the bases. Max Kepler came to the plate and picked the perfect time for his first home run of the season, a grand slam that cut the lead to 7-6. After a pitching change, Tyler Grimes doubles. Following a Levi Michael walk, Travis Harrison doubled to score Grimes and tie the game. Jorge Polanco came up and hit a sacrifice fly to give the Miracle an 8-7 lead. The Miracle added some insurance in the bottom of the 8th inning when Travis Harrison doubled in Levi Michael and scored on a Jorge Polanco single Harrison was 3-5 with the two doubles, his fifth and sixth on the season. Polanco was 2-4. Levi Michael was 1-2 with three walks. Adam Walker was 0-2 but walked three times. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 12, Clinton 1 Box Score When a team scores 12 runs in a game, you’d think we’d start with a note on the offense. Not in this game. Aaron Slegers started and was terrific. He went seven innings and gave up just one run on six hits. He walked none and struck out eight batters. Todd Van Steensel made his Kernels debut and had a one, two, three inning with two strikeouts. Christian Powell came in for the ninth. He gave up a hit, but he struck out two in a scoreless inning. Chad Christensen went 3-5 with a walk. He stole his sixth base. Zack Larson went 3-5 with his league-leading tenth double and his third stolen base. Ivory Thomas was 2-3 with two walks and his first stolen base and Midwest League home run. Mitch Garver was 2-4 with a walk. Tanner Vavra was 2-5 with his sixth double. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Slegers, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Chris Parmelee, Rochester Red Wings MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Charlotte @ Rochester (6:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) New Britain @ Harrisburg (6:00 CST) – Matt Summers (Listen) Bradenton @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – Jason Wheeler (Listen) Kane County @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – Ryan Eades (Listen) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games. Click here to view the article

Sunday is Mother’s Day! (All of you guys, after you’re done reading this, go to the store and pick up some flowers or at least a nice card for your mom) Two years ago before Mother’s Day, Trevor Plouffe donated his hair to Locks of Love in honor of his mother, Diane, who is a breast cancer survivor. Today, Diane Plouffe was kind enough to write for us and give us some insight into what it’s like to be the mother of a Major League Baseball player. Thank You, Diane! -------------------------------------------------------------------- A Mother’s Perspective by Diane Plouffe As a mother, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing your child immersed in their life-long passion, waking up every morning to do something they absolutely love, and have worked so hard for. Although I should be used to it by now, I still get chills whenever I have the opportunity to see Trevor play. It is so surreal that the same little boy I took to tee-ball practice years ago is at the height of his professional career in Major League Baseball. I think back to his childhood baseball games, and I remember standing for seven innings straight with my stomach in knots, riddled with anxiety. I think the only thing that has changed in the past twenty years or so, is that now I have to stand for nine innings instead of seven! After almost ten years, you would think I would get used to my son leaving for months at a time, but honestly, I still cry the same way I did when he left for spring training when he was only eighteen. Our family is very close, and it is not only hard for me to say goodbye to my son, but having to watch my children say goodbye to each other is somehow even more heartbreaking. Despite the trials we face when spread out across the country for work or school, baseball has always been an important part of our family and continues to bring us together, whether it is at the stadium, or at home watching the Twins play on TV. Trevor never ceases to make me proud of the person he has become. Not only is he successful, but he is also a kind, charitable man who stands up for what is important to him. He has always been a big supporter of programs that benefit the troops as well as cancer research. Recently he has become a part of a few different programs that benefit cancer research such as, Stand Up 2 Cancer, and a campaign entitled, Strike Out Cancer. As a cancer survivor myself, I feel it is important that people with a large social media presence and fan base address programs such as these in order to raise awareness and gain support. Although Trevor and many other players are able to use their social media platforms for good, they sometimes receive negative feedback. I’m sure many of them have learned to ignore these harsh remarks. As a mother, you can never get used to seeing these things written about your child. Constructive criticism is welcome, but cruel remarks are unnecessary. However, injuries, strike outs, errors, they are all a part of the game, and I have always felt that is important for me provide positive thoughts and encouraging words at times when I know they may be scarce. Despite the roller coaster of ups and downs my son has faced throughout his career, I am glad that I have been able to be a part of his journey. Here’s to hoping the ups are here to stay and the downs are few and far between. Download attachment: Trevor Plouffe 3 edit.jpg Photo by Betsy Bissen. Click here to view the article

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

Three weeks ago, as spring training was starting, I posted my first roster projections. In it, I gave percentages for what I felt was likelihood of each player, 40 man roster players and non-roster invitees, making the Opening Day roster. The Minnesota Twins have now played more than a dozen spring games. There have been some injuries. Some players have done well while others have struggled. Of course, the final rosters won’t likely be known for another three weeks, [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ut it is fun to try to project that Opening Day roster and see how those projections change over the next three weeks. Check out my projections, and let us know what you think. Do you think any of the other players are givens? Which question marks do you think will make it? Go on record in the comments and see how your opinions change from week to week. The players in Red are players that I believe are givens to make the roster (obviously pending injury). Those in black are potentially up for grabs. Catchers: Joe Mauer, Ryan Doumit, Drew Butera Clearly Joe Mauer and Ryan Doumit are givens to not just be on the roster, but to likely be very much in the middle of the lineup. They will likely alternate between catching and DH duties. So, the big question right now appears to be whether or not the Twins will keep Drew Butera as their third catcher or if they will go with just two catchers (who both start)? Will they be able to find an ‘emergency catcher’ to ease the manager’s concerns? If they were to make a move in the coming weeks for a bench bat, then I think that Butera starts the season in Rochester. However, until that happens, I’ll still assume Butera makes the roster. Infielders: Justin Morneau, Brian Dozier, Trevor Plouffe, Pedro Florimon, Jamey Carroll, Eduardo Escobar We know that Justin Morneau and Trevor Plouffe will be the starters at the corners. We know that Jamey Carroll will be on the roster in some role, and that the Twins seem to prefer that be as a utility player that they know they can turn to at any time. To this point, Pedro Florimon (SS) and Brian Dozier (2B) have seemingly done what the Twins had hoped and are clearly the favorites up the middle. Defense does, and really should, matter with a pitching staff that will definitely allow contact, specifically ground ball contact. I would probably put the percent likelihood that Florimon and Dozier are on the roster at nearly 80%, maybe even a little higher, but I’m not quite willing to say they are locks. Likewise, I put the likelihood of Eduard Escobar being on the roster at close to 70% at this point because of his great glove. He was the emergency catcher of the White Sox a year ago, and the Twins would like to see him behind the plate in game situations this spring to make sure they are comfortable with that. If he proves able to do that sufficiently, that percentage goes up even more. Ray Olmedo might be the sleeper as a second utility infielder. Outfielders: Josh Willingham, Aaron Hicks, Chris Parmelee, Darin Mastroianni There are three givens to make the Twins roster in the outfield. Josh Willingham and Chris Parmelee will be the starters in the corners. Darin Mastroianni will be on the roster in some capacity. He was fighting for the starting centerfield job, but his hamstring injury has cost him a week of time to impress. Speaking of impressing, I think it is fair to say that Aaron Hicks has done just that. He has hit five home runs in the last three days. Sure, two of the three he hit on Thursday would not have been homers in most ballparks on most days, but he has been playing well. Frankly, he is the guy that the Twins had hoped would come to camp and earn the job with his play and with his composure. To this point, he has done just that. He has put up numbers and he has shown poise. Will he continue to show those traits over the next three weeks as he will begin to see more big league pitchers? Will the Twins send him to Rochester for a month to gain an extra year of team control? Joe Benson is the third guy in the battle for centerfield, and although he has shown good defense and hit a long home run, he has struggled to make consistent content. Again, there is still time to change this before the season, but right now, Benson’s hope to make the Opening Day roster would be if they go with just two catchers. Then, Benson would be competing with the likes of Chris Colabello, Brandon Boggs, Clete Thomas and Wilkin Ramirez for that spot. Starting Pitchers: Kevin Correia, Vance Worley, Scott Diamond, Mike Pelfrey, Liam Hendriks, Cole De Vries (if Diamond starts season on DL) It’s all about health. If Kevin Correia, Vance Worley and Mike Pelfrey remain healthy, they are givens. Scott Diamond will not pitch in a game for another ten days. Will that be soon enough to have him ready to start two weeks later? I think that’s a big question, though if he isn’t ready, he would be put on the Disabled List. Liam Hendriks seems to be the front runner for that final starting role, if Scott Diamond is ready. If he is not, there are two spots open. One would likely be Hendriks. The other appears to be up for grabs between Kyle Gibson and Cole De Vries. With three weeks to go before the season starts, De Vries likely is in the lead for that spot. That may be the best for Gibson’s long-term success. He can start in Rochester and gradually work innings. If he’s with the Twins, they will want him to be going 6-7 innings right from the start. In Rochester, they can just say, he’s going 4 innings in his first four starts, then go up to five innings for three or four starts. Then maybe a couple of six inning starts. Then a promotion by mid-May with 100 more innings before being shut down. Bullpen: Glen Perkins, Jared Burton, Brian Duensing, Alex Burnett, Casey Fien, Josh Roenicke, Ryan Pressly, (Anthony Swarzak-DL?) The first three spots are set. Glen Perkins is the closer. Jared Burton and Brian Duensing are the set-up men. After that, there is likely not a given. Anthony Swarzak is yet to pitch and could start the season on the Disabled List. He, along with Tim Wood and Josh Roenicke are out of options. Obviously as a Rule 5 selection, Ryan Pressly could be lost if not on the 25 man roster. Burnett didn’t have great peripherals in 2012, but he did get put up a good ERA, so he is closest to being a given despite struggling this spring. Fien was very good with the Twins once he was promoted and has been good this spring. Also remember that Burnett and Fien do have an option remaining. Could that factor in to the roster spots? I’m sure they would love to have another left-hander, but Tyler Robertson and Caleb Thielbar have struggled while Rafael Perez isn’t ready to pitch yet. What are your thoughts? What does your roster look like? View full article

I hate change as well... this will take some time for all of us to adjust to, but I do believe that in time, this will be a positive thing for writers and readers. My only concern this point is that I miss the way the Forum postings were shown on the front page before.

As we spend so much time looking forward to the 2014 draft, which is now just over a week away, it’s also important to take a look back. Today, I want to take a look at what the Twins did just one year ago, in the 2013 MLB Draft. For the second straight year, the Twins had a top four pick. In 2012, the Twins went with a prep outfielder from rural Georgia with the #2 pick. In 2013, the Twins went the high school route again, selecting a right-handed pitcher from Texas. Today, we’ll take a look at what the Texas fire baller and the rest of the forty Minnesota Twins 2013 draft picks have been up to this season. Download attachment: Tanner Vavra.jpg Tanner Vavra photo by Rinaldi Photos Round 1 – Kohl Stewart – Right-Handed Pitcher – High School The Twins used the fourth overall pick on Stewart knowing he had a full-ride football scholarship to be the potential heir-apparent to Johnny Manziel. However, the sides came together quickly on a signing bonus and Stewart reported. In total, he worked 20 innings of rookie league ball in 2013, allowing just 13 hits, walking four and striking out 24. The 19-year-old started the 2014 season with Cedar Rapids and despite being more than two years younger than the average Midwest League hitter, he has posted a 2.93 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP in 43 innings. His innings are wisely being monitored but to this point he has been very successful. Some worry that he is striking out just over six batters per nine innings, but he is not even using his most dominant pitch, a slider that Baseball America called the best in the organization. Round 2 – Ryan Eades – Right-Handed Pitcher – College With the 43rd pick the Twins selected Eades out of Louisiana State. A polished college pitcher at a perennial powerhouse, he was ranked higher than 43 in most experts’ draft rankings. To say he has been disappointing to this point might be an understatement. After posting a 4.60 ERA and 12 walks and 13 strikeouts in 15.2 relief innings last year in Elizabethton, he has struggled in Cedar Rapids this year. To this point, he is 3-6 with a 6.12 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP. In 42.2 innings, he has given up 55 hits and walked 20 batters. He does have 40 strikeouts. Round 3 – Stuart Turner – Catcher – College Turner won the Johnny Bench Award as the top college catcher and he was the first college catcher drafted. He went to Elizabethton but ended the season with a 2-4 performance in one game at AA New Britain. He impressed the Twins brass and received an invitation to big league spring training this year. He is catching about half the time in Ft. Myers this year and doing well behind the plate. His bat is not yet doing much. In 31 games, he is hitting .188/.248/.277 (.525) with six extra base hits. Round 4 – Stephen Gonsalves – Left-Handed Pitcher – High School The southpaw fell in the draft as many believed he did not want to sign and the Twins were able to take him in the fourth round. They went over-slot to sign him and he impressed in his debut. He started with the GCL Twins and in 14.1 innings gave up just one earned run. He moved up to Elizabethton and gave up two runs in 14 innings. In all, he threw 28.1 innings. He walked 11 and struck out 39. He is currently at Extended Spring Training awaiting the Elizabethton season… or a call to pitch in Cedar Rapids. Round 5 – Aaron Slegers – Right-Handed Pitcher – College The 6-10 tall righty was the Big 10 Pitcher of the Year last year. He posted a 0.47 ERA in Elizabethton last year, with two walks and 18 strikeouts in 19 innings. He is in Cedar Rapids this year where he is currently 4-2 with a 5.36 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. Through his first six start, his ERA was just 2.52. In fact, until his most recent start, his ERA was still just 3.80. However, he has given up 20 earned runs in 14.2 innings over his past three starts. Could just be that “dead-arm phase” that many pitchers go through. Round 6 – Brian Navarreto – Catcher – High School The Twins selected the large catcher out of Arlington Country Dade High School in Jacksonville, Florida. He played in 42 games last summer with the GCL Twins and hit .226/.318/.365 with 10 doubles and three homers. He was incredibly impressive offensively and showed a power bat and arm when I saw him this spring. He will likely go to Elizabethton when their season starts. Round 7 – Brian Gilbert – Right-Handed Pitcher – College The Twins selected Gilbert out of Seton Hall where he was an established closer. He made just five appearances in Elizabethton before moving up to Cedar Rapids last year where he pitched in 13 more games. He began this season with Ft. Myers where he has pitched in 13 games and has four saves. He was on the DL for a week with an illness. He has a 1.77 ERA, but in 20.1 innings, he has 13 walks and 12 strikeouts. Round 8 – Dustin DeMuth – Third Base – College – Did Not Sign The Twins were certain that the third baseman would sign, but in the end, he turned down a $150,000 signing bonus to return to Indiana. He was the top player on the Hoosiers Big 10 Championship team this year. He hit .381/.455/.541 (.956) with 14 doubles and five home runs. Round 9 – Mitch Garver – Catcher – College Garver was the runner up to Turner for the 2013 Johnny Bench Award after his senior season at New Mexico. Although he has slowed in May, he has been one of the better hitters in the organization to this point this season for the Kernels. He is hitting .286/.370/.476 (.846) with 12 doubles, a triple, six homers and 29 RBI. Round 10 – CK Irby – Right-Handed Pitcher – College Irby was drafted out of Samford. He pitched in ten games for Elizabethton though he was limited by soreness. He is still in Extended Spring Training awaiting an opportunity with Cedar Rapids. Round 11 – Nelson Molina – Shortstop – High School Drafted out of Puerto Rico, he struggled in the GCL in his debut season. He hit .110/.178/.119 (.297) in 120 plate appearance. However, at 6-3 and 175 pounds, he has room to grow and is a very good up the middle glove with a very strong arm. He will likely go back to the GCL. Round 12 – Ethan Mildren – Right-Handed Pitcher – College Mildren signed and posted a 1.65 ERA in 16.1 innings at Elizabethton. He began this year at Extended Spring Training but when the Twins dealt Miguel Sulburan for Eduardo Nunez, the Kernels needed a starter. Mildren is 0-3 with a 4.35 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP in 39.1 innings. He has seven walks and 28 strikeouts. Round 13 – Brandon Peterson – Right-Handed Pitcher – College After pitching at Des Moines Area Community College, the Burnsville native went to Wichita State University for a year. After signing he posted a 2.96 ERA with five saves for E-Town. He began this season with Cedar Rapids and pitched in nine games before being promoted to Ft. Myers where he has pitched in five games. Combined, he has posted a 0.92 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP in 19.2 innings. He has 27 strikeouts to just five walks. Round 14 – Zack Granite – Outfielder – College Like Gilbert, Granite was drafted out of Seton Hall. He was Elizabethton’s lone member on the post-season Appalachian League All Star team. He began this season with the Kernels. His speed and on-base skills make him an ideal centerfielder and leadoff hitter. Unfortunately, he played in just four games before suffering an injury and is yet to return. Round 15 – Derrick Penilla – Left-Handed Pitcher – College Penilla signed out of Mount San Antonio College (California) and pitched in 14 games for the GCL Twins. Early this season, Penilla was summoned to Cedar Rapids from EST and has pitched in five games for the Kernels (one start). In 13.1 innings, he has a 5.40 ERA, a 1.50 WHIP and six walks to 18 strikeouts. Round 16 – Brandon Bixler – Left-Handed Pitcher – College After signing with the Twins out of Florida Gulf Coast, Bixler pitched in six games for Elizabethton before being promoted to Cedar Rapids. That’s where he began his 2014 season. In 14 games and 27.1 innings, he has a 1.32 WHIP. He has walked too many (18) and struck out just over a batter per inning (28). Round 17 – Tanner Mendonca – Right-Handed Pitcher – College Mendonca signed out of Cal State – Sacramento last year and reported to Elizabethton where his control problems continued. He posted an 8.49 ERA. In 23.1 innings, he gave up 24 hits and walked an incredible 37 batters. He also struck out 23. He is a hard-thrower who they hope can harness it better. He is still in Extended Spring Training. Round 18 – Ryan Walker – Shortstop – College Walker signed out of the University of Texas, in Arlington. The wiry shortstop has good hands and a strong arm. Unfortunately late in spring training, he broke a finger and missed about the first six weeks. He has returned and has played ten games for the Kernels. Round 19 – Jared Wilson – Right-Handed Pitcher – College Wilson signed with the Twins last summer out of UC-Santa Barbara. The Twins had drafted him in the 35th round a year earlier, but he returned to school. He pitched in ten games for the GCL Twins a year ago, and was promoted from EST to Cedar Rapids two weeks ago. He has pitched seven innings in four contests so far. He has allowed no earned runs on two hits, three walks and has ten punch outs. Round 20 – Jason Kanzler – Outfielder – College Kanzler began the season at Extended Spring, but when Granite was hurt, he was called up. In 34 games (136 AB), he has hit .301/.338/.485 (.823) with four doubles, three triples and five home runs. He is also 7-8 in stolen base attempts. He’s best known for his defense, having won a couple gold gloves in college. Round 21 – Tyler Stirewalt – Right-Handed Pitcher – College Stirewalt was drafted out of Fresno State where he went to play football. He decided to give baseball a try and the Twins took a chance on the hard-thrower. He posted a 0.57 ERA in 15.2 GCL innings last year with 20 strikeouts. He impressed at the Instructional League, clocking a few fastballs at 95 mph. He’s still learning to pitch and the Twins have kept him in Extended Spring Training. Round 22 – Alex Swim – Catcher – College Swim was a nominee for the Johnny Bench Award for his catching prowess at Elon University. He had been drafted after his junior season by the Cardinals but chose to go back for his senior campaign. He played for the GCL Twins last year. This year, he’s in Extended Spring Training waiting for an opportunity. He did spend a game or two with the Ft. Myers Miracle in case they needed a catcher but was quickly returned. Round 23 – Zach Hayden – Right-Handed Pitcher – College Hayden went to the University of South Carolina in Aiken. He pitched in ten games for the GCL Twins last year without giving up a run. In nine innings, he gave up seven hits, walked five, hit two and struck out six. He came to spring training this year out of shape, so the Twins held him back from baseball activities until he was ready to go. He is in Extended Spring Training. Round 24 – Brandon Easton – Left-Handed Pitcher – Junior College He played a lot of first base at Lakeland Community College but the Twins liked him as a left-handed, hard-throwing pitcher. He gave up 25 hits, walked 13 and struck out 11 in 19.1 innings with the GCL Twins last year. He hasn’t pitched much, so he is at Extended Spring Training. Round 25 – Chad Christensen – Outfielder – College The Cedar Rapids native went to the University of Nebraska and this year he gets to play for his hometown Kernels. He played most every position for the Cornhuskers. This year, he has played first base and all three outfield positions for the Kernels. He is hitting .290/.342/.408 (.751) with seven doubles, two triples and three homers. He also is 13-16 in stolen base attempts. Round 26 – Ryan Halstead – Right-Handed Pitcher – College – Did Not Sign Like DeMuth, Halstead returned to Indiana where he was the best closer in school history. Unfortunately for him, after just four games, his season came to an end with a torn ACL. Round 27 – Taylor Blatch – Right-Handed Pitcher – High School – Did Not Sign Just 5-11 and 165 pounds, Blatch throws in the low 90s. He enrolled at Florida State where he pitched in 14 games, making two starts. It’s fair to say that the statistics didn’t look great. In 17.1 innings, he gave up 13 hits, walked 19 and struck out 11. Round 28 – Chris Erwin – Left-Handed Pitcher – High School – Did Not Sign The left-hander went to Kennesaw State where he not only pitched, but he had the opportunity to hit as well. On the mound, he pitched in 15 games and made eight starts. His team is in the NCAA tournament, and to this point he is 3-1 with a 3.16 ERA. In 42.2 innings, he has given up 44 hits, walked 24 and struck out 33. With the bat, he went 7-21. He hit .333/.391/.476 (.867). Round 29 – Logan Shore – Right-Handed Pitcher – High School – Did Not Sign Shore was Mr. Baseball and the Gatorade Player of the Year in Minnesota in 2013 at Coon Rapids High School. As a senior, he went 9-0 with a 0.27 ERA. He was a first or second round talent, but he made it clear he wanted to go to the University of Florida. This year with the Gators, he pitched in 15 games and made 14 starts. He went 7-3 with a 1.99 ERA. In 90.2 innings, he gave up 76 hits, walked 18 and struck out 62. Round 30 – Tanner Vavra – Second Base – College Blind in one eye, Vavra continues to beat the odds. He was a great hitter in his years at Valparaiso. He spent last season at Elizabethton where he hit .246/.358/.284. When he went on the disabled list on May 2, he was hitting .338/.384/.441. Since his return on May 10, he is 4-38 and three of those hits came in one game. Round 31 – AJ Bogucki – Right-Handed Pitcher – High School – Did Not Sign Bogucki was a high-ceiling prep from Pennsylvania. The hard thrower went to the University of North Carolina. He pitched in 12 games and made three starts. He went 1-0 with a 2.38 ERA. In 22.2 innings, he gave up 16 hits, walked 13 and struck out 27 batters. Opponents have hit just .193 against him. Round 32 – Carlos Avila – Shortstop – College Avila was drafted out of Cal State – Dominguez Hills. He hit .206 last year with Elizabethton. He began this season at Extended Spring Training. Earlier this month, he was promoted to Cedar Rapids. He went 3-9 with two walks in three games. However, last week when Engelb Vielma came back from the DL, Avila was released by the organization. Round 33 – Steven Sensley – Outfielder – High School – Did Not Sign Round 34 – Ivory Thomas – Outfielder – College Thomas was also drafted out of Dominguez Hills. He began this season in EST, but was promoted to Cedar Rapids in the first month. In 26 games, he has hit .183/.462/.250 (.712) with a double and a home run. He also stole two bases. Round 35 – Nick Lemoncelli – Left-Handed Pitcher – Junior College – Did Not Sign In 2014, he went to Lewis-Clark State College. He pitched in 11 games and made six starts. He was 2-0 with a 3.68 ERA. In 29.1 innings, he gave up 27 hits, walked 19 and struck out 39. Round 36 – Joseph Greenfield – Right-Handed Pitcher – College – Did Not Sign Greenfield went back to Eastern Illinois. He pitched in 23 games and made nine starts. He went 6-6 with a 5.40 ERA. In 73.1 innings, he gave up 99 hits, walked 36 and struck out 49. Round 37 – Julien Service – Outfielder – Junior College – Did Not Sign Round 38 – Javier Salas – Right-Handed Pitcher – College – Did Not Sign Salas went back for his senior season. He pitched in 13 games, with six starts. He went 4-3 with a 3.04 ERA. In 47.1 innings, he gave up 44 hits, walked 12 and struck out 38. In early March, he made a start against Villanova and threw a perfect game. Round 39 – Seth Wagner – Left-Handed Pitcher – High School The 6-7, 19-year-old signed late and pitched in six games for the GCL Twins last year. He is at Extended Spring Training awaiting the short-seasons. Round 40 – Kelly Starnes – Outfielder – High School – Junior College He went to Cal State – East Bay where he hit .352 with 12 doubles and four home runs. Obviously these players' professional statistics to this point fall into the category of "Small Sample Size," but it is interesting nevertheless to see how their careers have started. Click here to view the article

In the last twenty-four hours, catcher Dan Rohlfing was promoted from Ft. Myers to New Britain. Former Gopher catcher Kyle Knudson was promoted from Beloit to Ft. Myers. Bart Carter was taken off of the Snappers’ Disabled List. As we are approaching the mid-point of the minor league seasons, the Twins typically make several promotions at each level. Many times, the Twins let players who make their league’s all star teams play in those games. Often, players are promoted following the all star games. Today, I wanted to provide some thoughts on several players that I think are worthy of a mid-season promotion.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER to MINNESOTA? Liam Hendriks – There are the rumors that he will be starting for the Twins at Target Field against the Brewers. As of Monday, he had not heard anything official. But in seven starts since his demotion in late April, he is 5-0 with a 1.94 ERA. In 46.1 innings, he has given up 29 hits, walked 13 and struck out 42. And that includes on game in which he gave up six runs on seven hits and two walks in five innings. In other words, he has been tremendous and has made some adjustments. Lester Oliveros – Deolis Guerra has come back down to earth, and Anthony Slama is now on the Disabled List. Don’t worry about last night’s Oliveros outing, everyone has one of those. He is pitching very well, and if the Twins need a bullpen arm in the near future, he is currently the one to look to. NEW BRITAIN to ROCHESTER? Steve Hirschfeld – Last week, when the Red Wings needed a spot starter, Hirschfeld was the guy. He was sent back down the next day despite throwing 5 shutout innings. On the year, he is 4-4 with a 3.20 ERA. Hirschfeld has been in New Britain since 2010. He’s 26 years old. It’s just time for him to move up. (Then if they need a spot starter, BJ Hermsen who is pitching spectacularly.) FT. MYERS to NEW BRITAIN? Oswaldo Arcia – Finally, a hitter. Arcia has been as hot as any hitter in minor league baseball over the past five to six weeks. Overall, he’s hitting .318/.381/.530 with 15 doubles, three triples and seven home runs. His downfall is that he hasn’t been able to hit left-handed pitching (.591 OPS vs LHP - 1.054 OPS vs RHP). Hey, neither could Jason Kubel, who is a terrific comp for Arcia. Pat Dean – Dean has been the Miracle’s top starter all season. He is 4-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 13 games started. He strikes out (and walks) no one (33 K, 16 BB, in 73.1 IP). I expect him to struggle some in AA, as most college-drafted pitchers do because of it, but I do think he’s ready for that challenge. Ricky Bowen – Signed after the start of the 2011 season, the 24-year-old Bowen has been very good out of the Miracle bullpen. This year, he is 3-2 with a 2.89 ERA and five saves. In 37.1 innings, he has walked 11 and struck out 38. He’s been good, and frankly, he needs to move up. Matt Hauser can be the second reliever to move up, if needed. BELOIT to FT. MYERS? Michael Tonkin – I’ve mentioned this several times of late, but I simply cannot come up with a single reason that Tonkin is no up in Ft. Myers. He’s in his third season in Beloit, and he’s 3-0 with four saves and a 1.50 ERA. In 36 innings, he’s given up 29 hits, walked nine and struck out 44 batters. Generally, I can come up with some reason for holding a guy back. I can’t come up with one for Tonkin, unless poor body language is a reason? Eddie Rosario – As much as I believe that Miguel Sano needs to stay in Beloit, and I think the best thing for Rosario would be to remain in Beloit, if there is a position player in Beloit that could move up if needed, it would be Eddie Rosario. He has areas in which he can continue to improve, but offensively, he is a pretty advanced hitter for a 20 year old. His defense remains a work-in-progress, but he has greatly improved and can continue to work. (I think he could handle it alright, but I think the best thing for him would be to stay in Beloit at least another month.) So there you have it. You’ll want to check back to Twins Daily where we will attempt to keep up with any and all transactions in the Twins system. For instance, from Extended Spring Training, the Twins have released infielder Julio Torres and pitcher Tobias Streich. What do you think? Who should be promoted? Download attachment: Lester Oliveros 2.jpg Click here to view the article

Eric Fryer is one of four catchers on the Minnesota Twins 40 man roster. We know that Kurt Suzuki will be on the Opening Day roster, but who will join him? Will it be the offensive force that Josmil Pinto could be? Will Chris Herrmann’s versatility and athleticism put him in the role? Eric Fryer knows that his defense is what gives him a chance to make the Twins Opening Day roster. I had the chance to talk one-on-one with Fryer last month at Twins Fest and got to learn a lot more about him and about what goes through the mind of a good catcher.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Eric Fryer was born in August of 1985 in Columbus, Ohio. He said, “Columbus is kind of a Cleveland/Cincinnati split, but I was always a Reds fan. My dad liked The Big Red Machine.” And his favorite player? “I liked watching Pete Rose play, just how he always went hard-nosed and just went at it.” Fryer became a star in high school. He attended Reynoldsburg High School where fifteen years earlier another Major Leaguer honed his skills. The player is someone that Fryer has emulated throughout his career. “My favorite athlete was Mike Matheny. He was a catcher. We went to the same high school, same high school coach and everything. Talk about a guy who knows how to run a staff, knows how to block and throw and everything. I liked to watch him play as much as I could. He’s built a lot different than me. He’s a lot bigger than I am. It was cool. I got to see his Hall of Fame induction in our high school, got to meet him a couple of times, so it’s always been cool trying to follow in his footsteps. From the same hometown, getting up to the big leagues. So, I always emulated him growing up.” Matheny had a 13 year major league career and won four Gold Glove awards behind the plate. He was the catcher on two St. Louis Cardinals teams that lost in the World Series. In 2012, he was named the Cardinals manager, and in 2013, he led the team to the World Series where they fell to the Red Sox. Matheny went on to the University of Michigan. Fryer stayed home and played for THE Ohio State University. Following the 2007 college season, Fryer was the 10th round selection of the Milwaukee Brewers. After hitting .335/.407/.506 (.914) in the SALLY League in his first full season, he was traded by the Brewers to the Yankees for left-handed pitcher Chase Wright. In late June of 2009, he was on the move again, this time to the Pirates in exchange for pinch-hitter Eric Hinske. He hit .300/.391/.474 (.865) in 2010. In 2011, he moved up to AA Altoona where he hit .345/.427/.549 (.976) in 37 games. On June 26, he was called up to the big leagues and made his big league debut against the Boston Red Sox. It was an eventful debut. He started, batted eighth, caught James McDonald, and faced Andrew Miller. “I got thrown at in in my big league debut, and I had a collision at home plate with David Ortiz. So that was certainly memorable. He didn’t hit me super hard.” He played in ten games for the Pirates over about five weeks before being sent down to AAA Indianapolis. In 2012, he played in six more games with the Pirates. Following that season, he became a six-year minor league free agent, and the Twins signed him quickly to a minor league deal. He spent the entire minor league season with the Rochester Red Wings, playing for manager Gene Glynn. “For a while, we had like five catchers on the roster at one time. It’s pretty tough to get everyone some playing time, but the communication he had was very good. He let everyone know the plan. Down the stretch, him and (Red Wings pitching coach) Marty Mason, we got together and had a pretty good game plan as we put together a playoff push. They just really showed me how to lead, how I could lead the staff. They trusted my judgment, what I saw. They helped with the running game. For the most part, they gave their input and really encouraged me to do what I believe with the pitchers and it worked out well for us.” When the Red Wings playoff run came to an end, Fryer was one of seven players promoted to the Twins for the remainder of September. The circumstances of his promotion were very similar. As Fryer said, “In 2011 (in Pittsburgh), there were a lot of injuries. I think I was the eighth catcher the Pirates used that year.” He continued, “(It was a) Similar situation here with Joe (Mauer) and Ryan (Doumit) and the concussions. They needed an extra catcher. It was a fresh start for me. I was really excited to go up there.” Fryer played in just six games for the Twins, but hit .385 including his first major league home run, a moment he will never forget, even if it came in a game the Twins would rather forget. “It was pretty cool. I hit it. It is a huge ball park, especially in left center, so I was busting out of the box thinking maybe a double. Then the umpire put his hand up and swirled it. Oh my gosh. I’m not really a home run hitter. It was a huge joy, but I didn’t really know how to act. I think it was 16-2 or 3 at the time, so I had to kind of be cool. Everybody in the dugout was great, smiling. Gardy, after the game, like he does for everybody’s first home run I guess, brought everyone together, tossed the ball to me. So, it was a really cool moment that they made special even though the game is one we want to forget.” Since the offseason, Terry Ryan and others have continued to talk about the positive impression that Fryer has made within the organization. As any of us would, Fryer feels good about that. “I really appreciate that. It’s a big honor. It’s just nice to know that they trust you. Sometimes people worry that the backup catcher, whatever the role is, they’re going to derail it. You want to have a guy who will keep continuity with the staff and with the game plan every time out there. I think last year I showed I can do that. It wasn’t a lot of playing time, but when I went out there, I did some things that they liked. Did some things that the pitchers liked. So hopefully I can move forward and do the same thing.” Fryer is known as a defensive catcher. So, what does that term mean to him? “I think I have a pretty good relationship with pitchers. I think they know that when I’m back there, it doesn’t matter what I’m doing with the bat or anything. It’s me and them. We’re going to get through the game each time. I try to take it seriously, get stretched out, have a game plan. It was nice in AAA, I’ve been there a little bit so I kind of knew hitters, so that was a good part of the game. But, defensively, I think I do a pretty good job holding pitches, catching the low pitch, with balls in the dirt. They’re going to know that I’m going to do my best. Defensively, I’m going to do my best for them.” Fryer is a smart guy and knows that the best way to learn is through playing, but also through watching how others prepare. “I love picking the brains of the older guys. When I was with the Pirates, I got to talk to AJ Burnett and Kevin Correia. It’s just nice seeing those guys, even if you’re not playing, to see how they go about their business, how they prepare for a game, what they look for with hitters. It’s nice to talk to a lot of those guys.” So, how does he put all of that information into action during a game? In 2013, Fryer worked with many of the pitchers that we saw with the Twins. “Communication is big, not only with the pitcher, but the pitching coach and the manager, especially in the minor leagues. All those guys, when they’re going good, they’re attacking hitters. They’re going after hitters. They’re getting ahead. Catching Andrew Albers, some of his complete games, he was Strike 1, 0-1. It’s a big advantage to the pitchers, puts the hitters at a huge disadvantage. I was catching Vance (Worley) when he was rolling down there in AAA too. (Caught Kyle) Gibson a lot. The recipe was pretty much the same. We attack with the fastball, get ahead of guys, and then you can start picking around and do what you want to. Always pitch to their strengths, that’s the biggest thing. Whether it’s not working that day, we’re going to get it going the right direction one way or another. If it doesn’t work, start getting hit around, we go to plan B. I don’t like them to be passive, I want them to be aggressive. Go after hitters. I think that’s been a big recipe of mine, calling pitches.” Fryer is excited about the 2014 season and the signings that the Twins made, adding a couple of guys who have had a lot of success. “You want as many guys with playoff experience coming in here. Build a tradition, build it back up where there’s an expectation of going out there and winning every ball game. The moves that we made, it sounds like we’re moving the right direction.” I asked Fryer about his goals for spring training, and if that included making the Twins Opening Day roster. He said, “I think all of us are planning on making the team, but in the past, I’ve had chances to do that. If you start putting too much pressure on results instead of working to improve every day, then you actually put yourself in a worse situation. So I think going out and approaching it the same way I have each spring, just each day get a little better, build up to the start of the season. Normally that puts me in a pretty good spot. I think all of us -- me, Pinto, Herrmann, whoever else is challenging -- we’re going to approach it the same way.” But Fryer has a good perspective on this game. He fully understands his role as a backup catcher and dives into that headfirst. He is a guy that you can’t help but cheer for. “You never know when it’s going to be your last time in the big leagues. So I just want to do the best I can and play with my hair on fire,” Fryer continued. “Every day, I just try to treat it as a blessing. You never know when it’s going to be done, whether it is injury or they’re just going to tell you you’re not good enough, so go out there and play as hard as you can and enjoy it.” View full article

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

RIck, Sorry I missed you when we were in Cedar Rapids. I got your message after we got back to Cedar Rapids from the Field of Dreams, unfortunately. Hope all is well. Hu is definitely making people take notice. I know a couple of people were very excited when they were able to sign him.

On Thursday morning, the Twins front office performed one of their most difficult tasks. They informed six minor league players that their dream of playing in the big leagues for the Minnesota Twins was at an end - that they had been released. I'd like to highlight the players released because they all put in some quality time in the Twins organization and deserve to be recognized once more as they exit the organization. Some of them may be able to hook on with another organization. Some may play some independent league baseball. Some may end their baseball dream all together and go another direction. In any case, I certainly wish the best to all of them. Download attachment: DanOsterbrock.jpg [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Dan Osterbrock - He was the Twins 7th round pick out of Cincinnati. He signed quickly and was named the Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year that summer when he went 7-0 with a 3.00 ERA, eight walks and 104 strikeouts in 75 innings. He tossed a no-hitter for the Beloit Snappers in 2010 and was named Midwest League Pitcher of the Week twice in a row before pitching very well in Ft. Myers the rest of that season. He fought arm injuries throughout the 2011 season and hoped to rebound in 2012. Mike Tarsi - The 6-8 left-hander was the Twins 12th round pick in 2007 out of Connecticut. After struggling as a starter in Ft. Myers in 2010, he pitched out of the bullpen in 2011 with a good level of success. He even made a couple of appearances in Rochester when needed. Although he was tall, he did not throw very hard. Kane Holbrooks - He was an All-American at Texas State in 2009 when the Twins drafted him in the 21st round. In 2010, he began the season as the Beloit Snappers closer before moving up to Ft. Myers as a starter. He pitched so well that he ended the season in New Britain where he made a start. He went back to Ft. Myers to start 2011 and although he pitched well in April, he struggled the rest of the season. His season ended early and he came to camp this spring hoping to take a step forward in the eyes of the organization. Blayne Weller - The Twins drafted Weller out of his Key West high school in the 14th round of the 2008 draft. He signed in the last hour before the deadline. He teamed with Adrian Salcedo and BJ Hermsen and pitched great (5-1, 1.58 ERA) in the GCL in 2009. He struggled as a starter in 2010, and last year he struggled in the Beloit bullpen before ending the season making a couple of starts. Matt Schuld - He signed with the Twins after the 2010 season at the University of St. Thomas. He had an incredible career with the Tommies. He pitched well with the GCL Twins upon signing and held his own when he was pushed up to Ft. Myers. Last year, he quickly moved up to the Miracle and pitched well enough to be promoted to New Britain when there was a need. This one surprised me a little because he was a non-drafted free agent who got up to AA within a year of signing. Derek Christensen - This one surprised me more than any of the rest, by a lot. He was the team's 43rd round pick out of junior college in 2010. He debuted with the GCL Twins that year and posted a 0.66 ERA in 13.2 innings. Last year, he spent half of the season in the E-Twins bullpen before moving into their rotation. He went 5-2 with a 2.84 ERA. In 57 innings, he walked 26 and struck out 61. At one point, he threw 19 consecutive scoreless innings as a starter. The 22-year-old throws from a 3/4 angle. I guess I'm just really surprised based on his numbers that he wouldn't at least get an opportunity to start the season in Beloit. Again, each of these pitchers put in some time in the Twins organization, and each of them experienced quite a bit of success. We certainly wish the best for them in whatever their next steps are. Unfortunately, these will not be the last of the minor league releases. Click here to view the article

Congratulations to the Ft. Myers Miracle. They have had a remarkable first half of the season and on Saturday they clinched their first playoff spot since 2009 with a win over Bradenton. Tyler Duffey made his Miracle debut. Tom Stuifbergen made his AA debut in game one of the Rock Cats double-header. With that, check out the details of what happened in the Twins' minor league system on Saturday:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Rochester Red Wings 1, Toledo Mudhens 8 Box Score Pedro Hernandez was scheduled to start but his back flared up on him. Virgil Vasquez started in his place. The right-hander gave up five runs on six hits (3 home runs) and a walk in four innings. He struck out two. Luis Perdomo came on and gave up two runs (1 earned) on two hits and a walk in 1.2 innings. Blake Martin entered and retired the four batters he faced. Shairon Martis threw a scoreless eigth. Anthony Slama came on and gave up a run on two hits and a walk in his inning. The Red Wings managed just one run despite six hits and five walks. They had no extra base hits. On defense, the team committed three errors. Game 1 - New Britain Rock Cats 11, Bowie Baysox 8 Box Score Tom Stuifbergen was on the mound in game one for the Rock Cats, making his Eastern League debut. To say it didn’t start out well might be an understatement. He gave up seven runs on five hits and two walks… and that was with just one out in the first inning. He got the final two outs of that inning and got six of the next seven that he faced in his three inning debut. He was replaced by BJ Hermsen who gave up three hits but no runs in 1.2 innings. Edgar Ibarra gave up one hit in 1.1 innings; he struck out two. Dan Turpen gave up a run on two hits and a walk in his inning, though he struck out two. Matt Hauser came on and worked two scoreless innings. Kyle Knudson led the way. The Minnesota native went 3-5 with four RBI. Danny Ortiz went 2-4 with a walk and his 18th double. Josmil Pinto hit his 11th home run and drove in two. Game 2 - New Britain Rock Cats 4, Bowie Baysox 6 Box Score Ortiz continued to hit well in the 2nd game. He went 2-3 with his seventh home run and three RBI. Josmil Pinto (13), Reynaldo Rodriguez (17) and Danny Santana (11) each hit a double. Logan Darnell started and went 5.2 innings. He was charged with six runs (3 earned) on eight hits and a walk. He struck out five. Bobby Lanigan gave up an inherited run but got the final out. Ft. Myers Miracle 5, Bradenton Marauders 4 Box Score Congratulations to the Ft. Myers Miracle. They have clinched a playoff spot by virtue of capturing the first-half championship with a 5-4 win on Saturday. The Miracle will be in the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Tyler Duffey started, making his Florida State League debut. He threw five shutout innings before giving up two, two-run homers in the 6th inning. He went 5.2 innings and gave up those four runs (3 earned) on eight hits and a walk. He struck out two. Nelvin Fuentes went 1.1 innings and gave up one hit and one walk. Ryan O’Rourke got his first save. He struck out two in the final two innings. Matt Koch went 2-4 with his seventh double, third home run and two RBI. Kennys Vargas was 2-3 with a walk and his 19th double. Cedar Rapids Kernels 1, Kane County Cougars 15 Box Score It may be fair to say that this is a game that the Kernels would prefer forgetting. Byron Buxton went 3-5. Tyler Grimes was 3-4. The rest of the Kernels' roster managed two hits. Brett Lee started and went four innings. He gave up eight runs on 11 hits (3 homers) and two walks. Kaleb Merck came on for his MWL debut. He gave up four runs on four hits and a walk in two innings. Josue Montanez gave up a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning. Alex Muren gave up a hit in a scoreless inning. Catcher Jhonatan Arias came on for the ninth. He gave up three runs on one hit and three walks. The first place Kernels are now just 1.5 games ahead of Beloit in the Western Division. The top two teams advance to the playoffs. They have a three game lead over Quad Cities for that second spot with eight to play. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below. View full article

While writing an article on the Minnesota Twins upcoming 40-man roster decisions for the Offseason GM Handbook, one name jumped out to me as an obvious choice. This name is one that I had not really thought about previously. Based on the title of this article, that one name is, obviously, Lester Oliveros. Approximately 13 months ago, the hard-throwing right-handed reliever underwent Tommy John surgery. His rehab went pretty well. On July 30th, he made his first appearance in a GCL Twins game. Over the next four weeks, he made a total of six appearances and threw 6.1 innings, all for the GCL squad. He gave up four hits, walked three and struck out eight. Seems strange to add a guy who pitched so little and only in the GCL to the 40-man roster, doesn’t it? But, in my mind, it is an easy choice for several reasons. First, and most important, it comes down to talent. Oliveros has terrific stuff. Reports I got from Ft. Myers were that he was throwing very hard and his stuff was nasty. Before his Tommy John surgery, he threw 95 mph with a good slider. Download attachment: Lester Oliveros.jpg Would he get selected in the Rule 5 draft? Relief pitchers are the most frequent players taken in the Rule 5. They are also the ones who tend to stick with their team. Oliveros has shown the he is very close to big league ready and has already pitched with the Tigers and Twins. With his stuff, there is a good chance he would be taken this year. If he isn’t immediately ready for Opening Day, he could still go on the disabled list. In my mind, he would be quite likely to be selected. Of course, for him to be eligible to be selected in the Rule 5, the Twins would have to sign him to a minor league contract. You see, Oliveros can become a six-year minor league free agent immediately after the World Series unless he and the Twins agree to a contract before then. A year ago, the Twins signed Josmil Pinto right after the World Series (or even just before that) which did not allow him to become a free agent. Then, in November, Pinto was added to the 40-man roster. If the Twins want to keep Oliveros around, they will likely need to sign him very quickly. The other (more likely) option is just to add him to the 40-man roster before the World Series is complete. Another thing that makes this a no-brainer in my mind is that Oliveros has one option year remaining. He was optioned in 2011 and 2012. He did not use an option in 2013 because the Twins removed him from the 40-man roster about this time last year before signing him to a minor league contract. In other words, they don’t have to rush him. They don’t have to have him up all season. They can let him continue to come back at his own pace. The Twins acquired Oliveros, along with (St. Paul Saints pitcher) Cole Nelson, from the Detroit Tigers in August of 2011 in exchange for the new Mr. October, Delmon Young. In my mind, the decision to add Lester Oliveros back to the Twins 40-man roster this offseason is a no-brainer. He’s still just 25. He has terrific stuff and plenty of high-upside bullpen potential. He has an option remaining and can be brought back to 100% at a proper pace. Because he can become a six-year minor league free agent after the completion of the World Series, I expect the Twins will add him to the 40-man roster before then. With so much 40-man roster flexibility, adding Oliveros just makes sense. Click here to view the article

The voting for preseason AL Central catcherand first basemenwill continue for another day, but let's get the discussion going on "Which AL Central Second Baseman will be the best in 2012?" Vote now and comment your rankings. THE CANDIDATES (2011 stats) Minnesota Twins - Alexi Casilla - .260/.322/.368 (.691) with 21-2B, 3-3B, 2-HR, 21 RBI Chicago White Sox - Gordon Beckham - .230/.296/.337 (.633) with 23-2B, 0-3B, 10-HR, 44 RBI Cleveland Indians - Jason Kipnis MLB - .272/.333/.507 (.841) with 9-2B, 1-3B, 7-HR, 19 RBI (MILB - .280/.362/.484 (.846) with 16-2B, 9-3B, 12-HR, 55 RBI) Detroit Tigers - Brandon Inge - .197/.265/.283 (.548) with 10-2B, 2-3B, 3-HR, 23 RBI [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Kansas City Royals - Johnny Giavotella - .247/.273/.376 (.649) with 9-2B, 4-3B, 2-HR, 21 RBI (MILB - .338/.390/.481 (.871) with 34-2B, 2-3B, 9-HR, 72 RBI) SUMMARY Alexi Casilla was so bad in April of 2011 that his numbers don't show that he was pretty solid after May. Of course, he also missed the last two months of the 2011 season because of a hamstring injury. He is still just 27 years old. Gordon Beckham was so bad in 2011 that his sophomore slump didn't look bad at all. He did play in a career-high 150 games as Ozzie Guillen continued to stand by him. He will be 25 years old throughout the season. 35-year-old Brandon Inge was so bad in 2011 that he was designated for assignment and no one claimed him or his contract. He accepted going to AAA and when he came back, he accepted a bench role. In 2012, he will be given an opportunity to play 2B since Miguel Cabrera is moving to 3B. The .846 OPS that Kipnis put up in AAA-Columbus was the lowest he had at any minor league stop since Cleveland made him their 2nd round pick in 2009. He debuted with the Indians and showed a lot of power. He will turn 25 right before the season begins. Giavotella was the Royals 2nd round pick in 2008. He struggled in the lower levels, but has lit up AA in 2010 and AAA in 2011. He debuted with the Royals late last year and played 46 games. Following the season, he had hip surgery. He is already playing in Royals spring training. There is the information, now it is time to vote. Who will be the best second baseman in the AL Central in 2012? My choice? Download attachment: JasonKipnis.jpg Click here to view the article

Earlier this week, I looked at the first-half leader board for the Minnesota Twins' minor league hitters. It gave good insight into which players had the best first half, and maybe who we should be looking for in the second half. Today, I'm going to go over the leader boards in a handful of pitcher statistics to take a look at who has been leading the way in the first half. Download attachment: USATSI_7895046_154617946_lowres.jpg Because with pitchers there are starters and relievers, I had to pick an arbitrary cut-off line for each. Nothing scientific about it, I went with 60 innings pitched for starters and 30 innings pitched for relievers. Just nice, round numbers, but my method cut off a couple of guys who just missed a category. For instance, Red Wings left-hander Aaron Thompson is sitting at 29.2 innings right now. Fair or not, he's not included here. Also, several pitchers spent time both starting and relieving. I went with which category they had more of. For instance, Matt Summers made six starts and has now pitched in 13 games as a reliever, so I counted him among the latter. Tim Shibuya recently was put in the Miracle rotation, but spent most of the first half in the bullpen, so I included him in the relievers. Let's get started with the arbitrary stats that get lots of glory, but as we all know, are dependent on other things: WINS 1.) Yohan Pino - Rochester - 9 2.) JO Berrios - Ft. Myers - 8 2.) Trevor May - Rochester - 8 4.) Sean Gilmartin - New Britain/Rochester - 7 4.) Taylor Rogers - New Britain - 7 4.) Jason Wheeler - Ft. Myers/New Britain - 7 Sure, it's one of 'those' stats, but this is a pretty impressive list of guys who have pitched well this season. SAVES 1.) Lester Oliveros- New Britain - 12 2.) Tyler Jones - Ft. Myers - 9 3.) Hudson Boyd - Cedar Rapids - 6 3.) Todd Van Steensel - Cedar Rapids - 6 3.) Madison Boer - Ft. Myers - 6 Oliveros has pitched great and has now been promoted to Rochester. INNINGS PITCHED 1.) Taylor Rogers - New Britain - 92.1 2.) Jason Wheeler - Ft. Myers/New Britain - 85.1 3.) JO Berrios - Ft. Myers - 83.1 4.) Sean Gilmartin - New Britain/Rochester - 81.0 4.) Pat Dean - New Britain - 81.0 Innings pitched shows that guys are being efficient in their pitches because pitch counts are very closely monitored. It's an underrated stat in that teams are very conscious from year-to-year how many pitches are thrown. To be fair, Trevor May is at 79.2 innings and Tyler Duffey and Kris Johnson are at 79.1 innings. So this is a ranking that could flip-flop from day-to-day depending on who is making a start. ERA (Starters - 60 IP min.) 1.) Yohan Pino - Rochester - 1.92 2.) JO Berrios - Ft. Myers - 2.05 3.) Matt Tomshaw - Ft. Myers - 2.37 4.) Kohl Stewart - Cedar Rapids - 2.53 4.) Jason Wheeler - Ft. Myers/New Britain - 2.53 6.) Kris Johnson - Rochester - 2.72 I added a 6th in this category just because there are so many quality performers. ERA (Relievers - 30 IP min.) 1.) AJ Achter - New Britain/Rochester - 1.47 2.) Brandon Peterson - Cedar Rapids/Ft. Myers - 1.67 3.) Cole Johnson - New Britain - 2.25 4.) Edgar Ibarra - Rochester - 2.36 5.) Tim Shibuya - 2.82 This group has been impressive all season, generally mirroring their career success. WHIP (Starters - 60 IP min.) 1.) Yohan Pino - Rochester - 0.93 2.) JO Berrios - Ft. Myers - 1.06 3.) Matt Tomshaw - Ft. Myers - 1.10 4.) Kohl Stewart - Cedar Rapids - 1.13 4.) Trevor May - Rochester - 1.13 WHIP (Relievers - 30 IP min.) 1.) AJ Achter - Rochester - 0.74 2.) Brandon Peterson - Ft. Myers - 0.96 3.) Cole Johnson - New Britain - 1.00 4.) Tim Shibuya - Ft. Myers - 1.02 4.) Lester Oliveros - New Britain/Rochester - 1.02 I like looking at WHIP, especially for relievers. It's just a look at how many base runners a pitcher has allowed per inning. For a reliever, especially, ERA can be misleading in that you don't consider inherited runners scoring, etc. K/9 (Starters - 60 IP min.) 1.) JO Berrios - Ft. Myers - 10.6 2.) Alex Meyer - Rochester - 10.5 3.) Trevor May - Rochester - 9.2 4.) Yohan Pinto - Rochester - 9.0 5.) Sean Gilmartin - New Britain/Rochester - 8.9 6.) Logan Darnell - Rochester - 8.2 K/9 (Relievers - 30 IP min.) 1.) Brandon Peterson - Cedar Rapids/Ft. Myers - 12.8 2.) Lester Oliveros - New Britain - 10.7 3.) Cole Johnson - New Britain - 10.0 4.) AJ Achter - Rochester - 9.4 5.) Josue Montanez - Cedar Rapids/Elizabethton - 9.1 Obviously we all like strikeouts. They do help predict future success, at least in part. Mainly it marks the quality of "Stuff" and its hit-ability. The Twins do have some guys who can miss some bats, and several of them are in the upper levels. BB/9 (Starters - 60 IP min.) 1.) Matt Tomshaw - Ft. Myers - 1.4 2.) Aaron Slegers - Cedar Rapids - 1.5 3.) Tyler Duffey - Ft. Myers/New Britain - 1.8 4.) Sean Gilmartin - New Britain/Rochester - 2.0 5.) Pat Dean - New Britain - 2.1 6.) Jason Wheeler - Ft. Myers/New Britain - 2.1 BB/9 (Relievers - 30 IP min.) 1.) Tim Shibuya - Ft. Myers - 1.1 2.) Alex Muren - Cedar Rapids - 1.5 3.) Brandon Peterson - Cedar Rapids/Ft. Myers - 1.9 4.) AJ Achter - New Britain/Rochester - 2.7 5.) Cole Johnson - New Britain - 2.8 Focus on control and throwing strikes are obviously very important to the Twins. The Twins have several starters and a couple relievers that really have good control. The question sometimes can be about command within the strike zone, and not being too hittable. But if you look at the K/9 and the BB/9, it's good to see some on both lists. STRIKEOUTS 1.) JO Berrios - Ft. Myers - 98 2.) Alex Meyer - Rochester - 83 3.) Trevor May - Rochester - 81 4.) Sean Gilmartin - New Britain/Rochester - 80 5.) Taylor Rogers - New Britain - 75 Just for fun, I thought we would end with the raw strikeout numbers. It certainly indicates, along with his other numbers, just how good Berrios has been this year. SUMMARY As much as at any time in the past, the Twins do have a handful of starters and relievers who are putting up some hopeful numbers, and it is fun see. How many will be able to maintain their production over the 2nd half? How many will receive 2nd half promotions? How will they adjust to a new league with better competition? Well, we shall find out! Click here to view the article

Well said. I think there's a thought that the #5 overall pick has to be the next Troy Tulowitzki. Obviously that would be great, but if you can get your next shortstop who can be a little above average and play strong defense for 6-8 years, you've done well. While he's in the minors, we can hope for me. Nathaniel Stoltz has done this type of reporting/scouting for fangraphs for awhile and does a really good job.