Seth Stohs

Over the weekend, we handed out theoretical awards to the top minor league hitter and starting pitcher of the month of August. Today, we conclude the awards by discussing some very impressive bullpen performances over the past month. Image courtesy of Steve Buhr, Twins Daily (Graphics by Thieres Rabelo) Before we get to our Top 4 relievers in the Twins system in August, here are a couple of Honorable Mentions. RHP Michael Feliz - St. Paul Saints - 8 G, 1.80 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 10.0 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 11 K RHP Niklas Rimmel - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels - 8 G, 1.54 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 11.2 IP, 8 H, 5 BB, 16 K THE TOP FOUR RELIEF PITCHERS #4 - RHP Alex Phillips - Wichita Wind Surge - 9 G, 2.13 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 11.0 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 20 K Phillips put up incredible numbers in his final season at Baylor. He went 7-1 with a 2.40 ERA over 45 innings. Surprising that he wasn’t drafted at all in the 2018 draft, but the Twins were able to sign him later that summer after he had an impressive stint with Evansville in the Frontier League. In 2019, he reached Double-A. In 2021, he pitched in 30 games for Wichita. He began this season on the Injured List first with a shoulder issue, and then after an appendix issue (presumably it was removed). He returned in mid-July, and he was fantastic in August. He didn’t allow many base runners, and that 20 strikeouts to just three walks ratio is pretty incredible. #3 - LHP Evan Sisk - St. Paul Saints - 9 G, 0.87 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 14 K The Twins acquired Sisk at the trade deadline in 2021. He came to the Twins with John Gant in exchange for J.A. Happ. After the season, he went to the Arizona Fall League. Frankly, he has been terrific the entire 2022 season. In 19 games with the Wind Surge, he went 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. Over 28 1/3 innings, he walked 11 and struck out 33. The 25-year-old was promoted to the Saints where he has now pitched in 23 games and has a 2-0 record with a 1.85 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. In 24 1/3 innings, he as given up 12 hits, walked 13 batters and struck out 29 batters. In other words, the walk rate is too high, but the lefty is making himself quite intriguing to Twins fans. As you can see, his walk rate was better in August than in July, and he missed a lot of bats. Originally, he was the 16th-round pick of the Cardinals in 2018 out of the College of Charleston where he teamed with Bailey Ober for two seasons. #2 – RHP Hunter McMahon - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 8 G, 1.62 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, 16.2 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 16 K Let me just start by saying that if you think Hunter McMahon should have won a second consecutive Relief Pitcher of the Month Award, I am not going to argue with you very much. He had a strong first month with the Kernels in July and was arguably even better in August. He didn’t give up runs. He didn’t hurt himself with walks. He was terrific. McMahon came to the Twins from the Washington Nationals in a late January trade in 2020. He had been the Nationals’ ninth-round pick the previous summer from Texas State. Unfortunately that 2020 season was lost, and he was only able to pitch in five games in 2021 due to injuries. He has made up for lost time in 2022. He began the season with 20 games in Ft. Myers where he posted a 2.23 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP over 32 1/3 innings. He moved up to Cedar Rapids and posted a 1.19 ERA and a 0.66 WHIP in 37 2/3 innings. Combined, he is 4-0 with seven saves. On Labor Day, he received another promotion, this time to Wichita. And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is: RHP Ryan Shreve - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 10 G, 2 GS, 0.51 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 17.2 IP, 9 H, 5 BB, 19 K Ryan Shreve’s 2022 season started approximately six weeks late, but since then, he has been very reliable in Brian Dinkelman’s Kernels bullpen. And August was no different. In fact, the only earned run he allowed came on the final day of the month when he still struck out four over two innings. It was just the second time he gave up an earned run since June 23rd. Yes, he gave up just one earned run over more than two months. That’s pretty impressive. But, Shreve isn’t just a one-inning guy. In that stretch, he got more than three outs in 10 of the 14 games. Twice he tossed three scoreless innings. He gave up a hit every other inning. He walked one every 3 1/2 innings, and he struck out more than one per inning. Shreve grew up in southern California and went to William Howard Taft High School in Woodland Hills. 14-year MLB big leaguer and long-time Astros manager Larry Dierker went to high school… about 50 years before Ryan. Current Giants manager and 12-year MLB player Gabe Kapler went there. Hall of Famer Robin Yount graduated from there about the same time the Brewers made him their first-round pick. Shreve attended the University of the Pacific, in Stockton, California, where he pitched in a variety of roles as a freshman, solely out of the bullpen as a sophomore and solely as a starter in his junior season. In 2017, he was a member of the St. Cloud Rox of the Northwoods League. The Twins made him their 16th round pick in 2019 and sent him to Elizabethton for the summer. In 2021, he began with six games with the Mighty Mussels before moving up to Cedar Rapids. In 22 games and 34 2/3 innings, he went 4-3 with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He also had 49 strikeouts. This year with the Kernels, he has pitched in 27 games. He has a 3.25 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. In 36 innings, he has 36 strikeouts. ------------------------------------------------------- As you can see, there were several strong relief pitcher performances in August. These guys are all worthy of some recognition. It was a good month for each of these pitchers mentioned today. Previous 2022 Relief Pitchers of the Month April: RHP Tyler Viza, Wichita Wind Surge May: RHP Matthew Swain, Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels June: LHP Denny Bentley, Wichita Wind Surge July: RHP Hunter McMahon, Cedar Rapids Kernels Congratulations to Kernels righty Ryan Shreve, the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month for August 2022. View full article

The Twins traveled to The Bronx to start a big four-game series. There are a ton of ties between the two organizations, and several former teammates contributed, especially early in the game. Some good things happened, but ultimately, they let the guy you can't let beat you... beat you. Image courtesy of Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Chris Archer: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (76 pitches, 48 strikes (63.2%) Home Runs: Gary Sanchez (10) Bottom 3 WPA: Trevor Megill (-0.257), Jose Miranda (-0.143), Luis Arraez (-0.069) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Old Friends in New Places When you consider the dominance that the Yankees have held over the Twins over the past couple of decades, it’s hard to believe that there are so many players who have moved from one team to the other via trade or in free agency. Obviously the big move was the spring trade that sent Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt to The Bronx in exchange for Gio Urshella and Gary Sanchez. Aaron Hicks is in his seventh season in pinstripes, and could remain there through the 2026 season. He signed a seven-year, $70 million deal after a 2018 season in which he received MVP votes. Marwin Gonazalez played for the Twins in 2019 and 2020. He split 2021 between the Red Sox and Astros, and this season, he has played in 66 games for the Yankees. In addition, the Twins acquired Jake Cave from the Yankees prior to the 2018 season in exchange for hard-throwing Luis Gil. At the time, Gil had pitched only in the Dominican Summer League, but since has become a high-end prospect who debuted in 2021 but needed Tommy John surgery earlier this year. While he came from the Reds, Sonny Gray spent part of 2017 and all of 2018 with the Yankees. Combined, he went 15-16 with a 4.51 ERA over 195 2/3 innings. More Fun Connections Nick Gordon batted cleanup for the Twins in this game. As we know, his father, Tom, pitched 22 seasons in the big leagues including two great seasons with the Yankees in 2004 and 2005. He was an All Star in 2004 and had a 2.38 ERA over 170 1/3 innings over the two seasons. Yankees right-fielder Oswaldo Cabrera made his MLB debut on August 17th and Monday was his 18th big-league game. The 23-year-old’s older brother, Leobaldo Cabrera (24) has spent the 2022 season with the Wichita Wind Surge. Has To Feel Good Those #OldFriends accounted for the scoring early in the game. In the bottom of the first, Josh Donaldon hit a single off the wall in left field to drive in Aaron Judge. 1-0 Yankees. Two innings later, Marwin Gonzalez hit his fourth home run of the season. 2-0 Yankees. In the top of the fifth inning, Gary Sanchez hit a ball 115.1 mph at a 30-degree launch angle, and it traveled 473 feet from home plate, well beyond the outfield fence. Jake Cave had walked prior to the homer. Game Tied 2-2. Archer Negates Taillon Coming into the game, the pitching matchup of Chris Archer vs. Jameson Taillon looked like a major mismatch. If they matched up often, it likely wouldn’t bode well for the Twins. However, on this day, the two pitchers ended up with a very similar line. Both went five innings and gave up two runs. Taillon gave up two runs on six hits, including one homer. He walked two and struck out three batters. Archer gave up two runs on four hits, including one homer. He walked two and struck out two batters. Bullpen Game The bullpens took over a tie game in the sixth inning. The Yankees brought in Greg Weissert. Gio Urshela got on thanks to an error by Josh Donaldson, but the Twins were unable to score him as the next three batters were retired. Trevor Megill was the Twins sixth-inning man. Gleyber Torres led off with a line-drive single to right field. On a 2-2 pitch, Megill hung a curveball to Aaron Judge who hit the ball 110 mph at a 34 degree launch angle. It landed 404 feet from home plate, in the second deck in the left field bleachers. Giancarlo Stanton grounded out, but then Donaldson walked. Fortunately, Jose Trevino grounded into a double play to end the inning. As Glen Perkins said several times on the broadcast, Judge was the one guy in the Yankees lineup that you just can't let beat you. And they let him beat them. Now down 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Twins were certainly not going to use their top relievers in back-to-back days. So Emilio Pagan came on, presumably with the goal of working two innings. With one out, Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit just his second home run of the second. It wasn’t as prodigious as Sanchez or Judge’s homers, but it counts just the same. Pagan began the bottom of the 8th inning by striking out Aaron Judge. Aaron Hicks pinch hit for Stanton, and the Twins brought in Austin Davis for his Twins debut. The southpaw struck out by Hicks and Josh Donaldson to end the inning. (Learn more about Davis here.) Twins bullpen line: 3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. Yankees bullpen line: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== What’s Next? The Twins continue this four-game series with the Yankees. Here the the remaining pitching matchups in the series. Each game will start at 6:05 central time and air on Bally Sports North. Tuesday, RHP Joe Ryan (10-7, 3.88 ERA) vs RHP Gerrit Cole (10-7, 3.28 ERA) Wednesday: TBA vs Domingo German (2-3, 3.12 ERA) Thursday: RHP Sonny Gray (7-4, 3.18 ERA) vs. TBA Speculation Wednesday’s spot in the rotation is the one vacated by Tyler Mahle. I’d present two options. The first is fun. Call up Minnesotan Louie Varland to make his MLB debut at Yankees Stadium. The reigning Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year (and a leading candidate to repeat in 2022) would be exciting, regardless of what he did. Option #2 is that the Twins have Aaron Sanchez return to the rotation. He last pitched on Friday night, coming in for Mahle in the third inning and throwing 70 pitches in relief. This may not be exciting, but personal opinion, it’s probably the right decision. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT Sanchez 0 0 70 0 0 70 Fulmer 0 17 0 14 0 31 Duran 0 11 0 20 0 31 Jax 0 20 0 8 0 28 Thielbar 0 13 0 15 0 28 Megill 0 0 0 0 27 27 Pagan 0 0 0 0 22 22 López 0 13 0 0 0 13 Davis 0 0 0 0 11 11 View full article

I've said going back to last year that I really believe that Isola will play in the big leagues. Love his approach at the plate. Patient. Knows the strike zone. But also has some serious power. Defensively, he's solid behind the plate and at first base. In terms of makeup, he's as solid as it gets.

Pitching Wins, right? and the Twins have put a lot of time, money, technology and analytics into developing a strong pitcher development system. They have had several late-round picks that have impressed and added big velocity. Check out which starting pitchers had the top showings in August. The 2022 season has two full weeks left before the playoffs begin, but first, let's look back at the month of August. Yesterday, we announced the August Hitter of the Month. Today, we write about the top starting pitchers. HONORABLE MENTION RHP Orlando Rodriguez - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 5 G, 4 GS, 19.2 IP, 0-0, 2.75 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 16 H, 4 BB, 31 K RHP David Festa - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 4 GS, 15.2 IP, 1-1, 1.15 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 15 H, 8 BB, 14 K. LHP Brent Headrick - Wichita Wind Surge - 5 G, 4 GS, 24.0 IP, 2-1, 3.00 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 20 H, 6 BB, 35 K. THE TOP FOUR STARTING PITCHERS #4 - RHP Cody Laweryson - Wichita Wind Surge - 7 G, 4 GS, 1-0, 1.57 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 23.0 IP, 18 H, 6 BB, 29 K Laweryson (pronounced Lor-ih-sun) was the Twins 14th round pick in 2019 out of the University of Maine. That summer, he was named the Twins Daily short-season Minor League Pitcher of the Year. After the missed 2020 season, he reported to Cedar Rapids for the 2021 season. He went 2-5 with a 4.91 ERA in 15 games (14 starts). In 58 2/3 innings, he walked 19 and struck out 73 batters. After the season, he went to the Arizona Fall League where he struck out 18 batters in 14 innings. He began the 2022 season with the Kernels again, this time working primarily out of the bullpen. He posted a 2.57 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 16 games. In 35 innings, he walked 12 and struck out 42 batters. At that point he was promoted to Double-A Wichita. In 16 games, he is 4-0 with a 1.03 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. In August, he made four starts out of his seven appearances. As you can see, he was dominant. He continued to rack up strikeouts while not handing out free passes. The right-hander has a unique delivery and hides the ball well. (For more Twins Daily content on Cody Laweryson, click here.) #3 - RHP Pierson Ohl - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels - 4 G, 3 GS, 2-1, 1.33 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 27.0 IP, 21 H, 1 BB, 26 K Ohl continued his strong professional debut. Not only did he not give up runs, but he also kept runners off of the base paths. Nearly a strikeout per inning, but just one walk in 27 innings is remarkable. He was the Twins 14th round pick a year ago from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. After the draft, he pitched in just one game in the FCL. This season, he has pitched in 20 games and made 18 starts. With the Mighty Mussels, he is 6-7 with a 3.53 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. In 91 2/3 innings, he has walked just 13 batters and struck out 101 batters. For more Pierson Ohl content on Twins Daily, click here. #2- LHP Jaylen Nowlin - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels/Cedar Rapids Kernels - 4 GS, 2-1, 2.14 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 21.0 IP, 13 H, 7 BB, 33 K The Twins selected Nowlin with their 19th-round pick in the 2021 draft out of Chipola College in Florida. Following the draft, he pitched in just one game for the FCL Twins. In 2022, the southpaw began the season with the Mighty Mussels, pitching primarily out of their bullpen. As the season progressed, and Nowlin began putting up strong numbers, he began making starts. In 19 games (11 starts) with the Mussels, he went 4-3 with a 3.97 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. In 56 2/3 innings, he walked 29 (too many) but also struck out 89 batters (14.1 K/9). After two August starts, he was promoted to the Kernels where he made two more starts. As you can see above, he really improved his control in August and became even more dominant. In his final two Mighty Mussel starts, he walked three and struck out 16 batters in 10 innings. In his first start at High-A Cedar Rapids, he struck out 11 batters in six innings. He struck out six batters in five innings in his second start with the Kernels. Nowlin is young and still developing into what he can become. However, he currently can hit 96-97 mph with his fastball and is able to mix a couple of breaking balls in as well. (Click here to read more Twins Daily content on Jaylen Nowlin.) And the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month is: Wichita Wind Surge - RHP Louie Varland - 5 GS, 1-1, 1.32 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 27.2 IP, 22 H, 5 BB, 30 K While Varland is certainly a candidate the repeat as the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year, it is almost surprising that he has not won a Starting Pitcher of the Month award this season… until now. The Saints Paul native was the Twins 14th round pick in 2019 out of Concordia University in St. Paul. He was the Twins Pitcher of the Year in 2021 and began 2022 at Double-A Wichita. In 20 games (19 starts), he went 7-4 with a 3.34 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. In 105 innings, he walked 39 and struck out 119 batters. He made one August start in Wichita, but earned his promotion to his hometown St. Paul Saints, one step away from Target Field and the big leagues. In his four starts for the Saints, he went 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. In 21 1/3 innings, he walked just three and struck out 27 batters. In his Triple-A debut against the Columbus Clippers, he started with five no-hit innings. In his third start, he tossed six innings with nine strikeouts. His 146 strikeouts ranks 8th among all minor league pitchers this season. His 126 1/3 innings ranks #18. Varland continues to sit 94-96 with his fastball and touches 97 at times. He has a slider that can be devastating at times. And, he has made strides with his changeup and its consistency. He will be added to the 40-man roster after the season and could compete for an Opening Day roster spot during spring training. Congratulations to our Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month of August, St. Paul native and Saints starter Louie Varland. There has been a lot of Louie Varland content on Twins Daily since he was drafted. Click here to read more on him. Previous 2022 Starting Pitchers of the Month April: RHP John Stankiewicz, Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels May: LHP Steve Hajjar, Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels June: LHP Aaron Rozek, Cedar Rapids Kernels July: RHP Mike Paredes, Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Feel free to agree or disagree with the order, if you like. It wasn’t as easy a decision as you might think. There were several solid starters in August. View full article

My thought when I saw him on the mound is that he should not be the mop-up arm. He's made himself too valuable.

Holland: Could be later next year, certainly a speed option for a playoff run. Wallner: Yeah, sometime next year. Cardenas: 2023 in CR and Wichita. 2024 in Wichita, maybe SP. Things go well, Could be sometime in 2025. As others have mentioned, there are some other catchers above as well including fellow 2021 draft pick Pat Winkel who has spent this season in CR. Williams: Anytime there is a need for a right-handed power bat in 2023. He can catch and play first base, as well as DH and PH. Julien: Sometime in 2023, whenever a need. Great approach at the play, good speed/power combo.

Quick note - I edited the intro paragraph. I had said that while the Saints will play like 3 more weeks, the other three affiliate's season will come to an end on Labor Day. That's is when the seasons have always ended, but I was reminded that they changed that this year, and the other affiliates will also continue their regular season for a couple more weeks before the playoffs.

We have reached September, and the minor-league seasons will be coming to an end in just a couple of weeks. At that point, a couple of Twins affiliates will be participating in the playoffs. But today let's celebrate the top hitters from the month of August. Before jumping into the top five hitters of the month, here are some of the honorable mentions. HONORABLE MENTIONS IF/OF Michael Helman - St. Paul Saints - 26-101, .257/.321/.465 (.786) with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs, 23 R, 10 RBI, 10 BB, 21 K. C Jair Camargo - Wichita Wind Surge - 23-82, .280/.344/.561 (.905) with 2 doubles, 7 home runs, 14 R, 18 RBI, 9 BB, 26 K. IF/OF Anthony Prato - Wichita Wind Surge - 21-83, .253/.431/.422 (.853) with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 18 R, 12 RBI, 24 BB, 24 K. C Alex Isola - Wichita Wind Surge - 20-68, .294/.351/.500 (.851) with 5 doubles, 3 home runs, 11 R, 13 RBI, 5 BB, 11 K. IF Jake Rucker - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 27-101, .267/.330/.455 (.785) with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 13 R, 17 RBI, 8 BB, 28 K. OF Misael Urbina - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels - 29-100, .290/.372/.460 (.832), 8 doubles, 3 home runs, 15 R, 10 RBI, 13 BB, 26 K. OF Yasser Mercedes - DSL Twins - 20-49 - .408/.453/.633 (1.086), 4 doubles, 2 triples, one home run, 14 R, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K, 13-14 SB. THE TOP FIVE AUGUST HITTERS Number 5 - Wichita Wind Surge - 2B Edouard Julien - 27-93, .290/.426/.573 (.899), 3 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs, 18 R, 13 RBI, 21 BB, 30 K. Julien’s background is pretty unique. He grew up in Quebec where he spoke French and went to a secondary school that also taught Spanish. He became well known in scouting circles playing on the Canadian national teams. He was drafted out of high school, but he went to Auburn University. It was there that he learned English. In 2019, he helped lead the Tigers to the College World Series. He was a draft-eligible sophomore, and the Twins used their 18th-round pick to select him. He fully intended to go back to school, but as the deadline to sign, the Twins ponied up and gave him fourth-round money and he signed. However, he did not make his pro debut until 2021 after Tommy John and the lost 2020 season. Between Ft. Myers and Cedar Rapids, he hit .267/.434/.480 (914) with 28 doubles, 18 homers, and 72 RBI. He also had 34 stolen bases in 39 attempts. He led all of minor-league baseball with 110 walks. He began the 2022 season with Wichita, and he remains hitting near the top of the Wind Surge lineup. In 99 games, he has hit .293/.436/.501 (.938) with 16 doubles, three triples, and 17 home runs. In other words, he had a fantastic month of August, but it was actually a little below his season average. His .438 on-base percentage ranks fifth in minor-league baseball, just .015 behind the top spot. His 88 walks rank 10th in the minor leagues, just two behind Matt Wallner for the organization lead. Julien’s combination of approach at the plate, power, and speed are incredibly exciting. As a 2019 draft pick, he would appear to be a given to get added to the 40-man roster in November. He is the #14 Twins Prospect on this site. (For more past Edouard Julien content from Twins Daily, click here.) Number 4 - St. Paul Saints - C/1B Chris Williams - 13-54, .241/.368/.667 (1.035), 3 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs, 12 R, 19 RBI, 12 BB, 21 K. Like many Twins, Williams didn’t hit for average for the Saints this past month, but he continues to take strong at-bats, walks a lot, and his power just continues to be immense. Williams was the Twins' eighth-round pick in 2018 out of Clemson. That summer, he was the Twins Daily short-season Minor League Hitter of the Year. Following the missed 2020 season, Williams went to High-A Cedar Rapids where, in 17 games, he went 5-for-50. Yes, he was hitting .100 when he was promoted to Wichita. In 28 games with the Wind Surge, he hit .225/321/.405 (.935) with five doubles and three home runs. He began this season with the Wind Surge again. In 75 games, he hit .277/.372/.542 (.915) with 16 doubles, 18 homers, and 58 RBI. Something had clicked and his massive power was showing. And his seven August homers came in his 17 games with the Saints. A catcher, he also plays a lot of first base. He’s got a strong arm. He has worked really hard and is in better shape, and with that, improved stats and his power is back. It will be very interesting to see if he is added to the team’s 40-man roster this offseason. (More Chris Williams content at Twins Daily, click here.) Number 3 - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels - C Noah Cardenas - 23-71, .324/.467/.507 (.974), 4 doubles, 3 home runs, 11 R, 9 K, 18 BB, 9 K. The Twins drafted Noah Cardenas out of UCLA in the eighth round of the 2021 draft. After signing, he played in 13 games in the FCL last summer and hit .300/.400/.500 (.900) with a double and a homer. The 22-year-old has played in 94 games this season for Ft. Myers. He has hit .253/.417/.403 (.820) with 15 doubles, nine homers, and 38 RBI. So, as you can see, his approach and power in August really shone through. First, as you see, he had 18 walks to go with just nine strikeouts (on the season, he has 70 walks to go with 68 strikeouts). That’s a strong knowledge of the strike zone, an ability to see pitches well, and an ability to put the ball in play. But he also has displayed the ability to drive the ball, for doubles and over the fence. Cardenas is a good athlete, especially with the “especially for a catcher” mantra. He’s got good speed and runs the bases well. He is well respected behind the plate and has done a really nice job receiving. He is definitely a catching prospect to watch. (For more Noah Cardenas content on Twins Daily, click here.) Number 2 - St. Paul Saints - OF Matt Wallner - 25-95, .263/.412/.495 (.907), 8 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs, 18 R, 15 RBI, 21 BB, 32 K. You know the story. Minnesota’s top high school player in 2016 from Forest Lake, drafted by the Twins in the 32nd round as a pitcher. Went to Southern Mississippi and became an All-American outfielder. In 2019, he was the 39th overall pick in the draft by his home team Twins again. He was also the short-season hitter of the year in 2019. You know about his season. He has been a finalist for this award throughout the 2022 season. After a slow start, Wallner hit .299/.436/.597 (1.033) with 15 doubles and 21 homers in 78 games. In 37 games since joining the Saints, he has hit .245/.379/.453 (.832) with 10 doubles and five home runs. 25 doubles and 26 home runs. Yes, he’s still striking out a lot, but he’s also walking at an incredible clip. Only seven players in minor-league baseball have walked more than he has (89). He ranks #23 in home runs, #17 in RBI, #23 in OBP, and #19 in OPS. Yes, he got off to a slow start in Wichita. Yes, he got off to a slow start in St. Paul. But, the Twins #9 prospect has shown an ability to make adjustments and start hitting the ball really hard quickly. And, he has some impressive exit velocities, including the 117 mph home run that he crushed in the Futures Game. Is Wallner ready for the big leagues? I don’t know. There may be a ton of strikeouts, but if he can also take some walks, we know that he’s going to hit some lasers. It is likely he will debut early in the 2023 season after being added to the 40-man roster in November. For more Matt Wallner content on Twins Daily, click here. And the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is: Cedar Rapids Kernels/Wichita Wind Surge - OF Will Holland - 24-73, .329/.427/.589 (1.017), 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 15 R, 12 RBI, 14 BB, 20 K. Will Holland and Edouard Julien comprised the left side of the infield for the 2019 Auburn Tigers team that played in the College World Series. Julien was taken in the 18th round due to questions of whether he would sign. Holland, a tremendously athletic player from Atlanta, was the Twins fifth-round pick. He fell in the draft after a disappointing junior season which followed an incredible 2018 season in college. The Twins were thrilled to see a player that was projected as a first or second-round pick just six months earlier in the fifth round. Things haven’t gone really smoothly for Holland in his pro career. Like others, he did not have a 2020 season. In 2021, he spent the full season in Low-A Ft. Myers. In 76 games, he hit just .214/.336/.401 (.736) with 15 doubles and 10 homers. He also stole 19 bases. Even with the struggles, you could see that he does have pop in his bat and that he has elite speed. It is unlikely that you would find a faster player in the Twins' minor leagues. While he missed some time with injury, he showed an ability to play a very good center field. He’s got a strong arm and incredible range. But, he also showed some very good instincts out in center, especially someone who hasn’t played there a lot. Holland began the 2022 season with Cedar Rapids. In 85 games, he hit .225/.331/.362 (.694) with 12 doubles, four triples, and six home runs. He also stole 21 bases in 25 attempts. On August 9th, he started in center field for the Kernels at the Field of Dreams ballpark. The next day, he was promoted to the Wind Surge. In his seven games for the Kernels in August, he had 10 hits. In his first five games with Wichita, he had eight hits including a double, a triple, and three homers. He had a five-RBI game in which he was 2-for-2 with three walks, a double, and a homer. Just as interesting, he played center field the first time games and then just twice more over the remaining 15 games of the month. For the first time, he played in left field and right field. With Holland and DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. in the outfield, they can cover some major ground. It has been a breakout season for Will Holland. Will it be enough to get him a spot on the Twins' 40-man roster? He has great speed, is a great athlete, has shown some pop, and can really play strong defense in the outfield as well as at shortstop. (For more Will Holland content at Twins Daily, click here.) Join us in congratulating Wind Surge outfielder Will Holland, Twins Daily’s choice for Minor League Hitter of the Month for August 2022. Feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions. PREVIOUS 2022 WINNERS April 2022: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Cedar Rapids Kernels May 2022: Spencer Steer, Wichita Wind Surge/St. Paul Saints June 2022: Matt Wallner, Wichita Wind Surge July 2022: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Cedar Rapids Kernels/Wichita Wind Surge View full article

My guess is they're already working on trying to get Camargo to sign a minor-league deal for 2023. Hard to envision adding him right now just because there are so many others to add ahead of him. But no question they'd love to keep him around.

I'd consider Jhoan Duran's fastball. Side story, a friend of mine went to one of the first two Boston games and sat right behind home plate in the champions club. He couldn't stop talking about Duran... He was able to talk with Alex Verdugo after the game and asked him "What's it like to try to hit 103?" Verdugo said something like "Hitting 103 isn't the issue. It's the splinker pitch that he throws that comes in at around 100, starts out behind you and winds up over the plate." First... Hitting 103 "isn't an issue" is funny in its own right, but that splinker movement is crazy. I'd also consider adding Frank Viola's changeup too. People talk about Camilo Pascual's curveball.

Corrected... I can't believe I missed that. Thank You!

Not starting consistently? Geez, he's hitting 3rd or 4th pretty much every game and has been for months. He made some rookie mistakes defensively early on, but since he's been hitting, he's been playing much, much better defensively. He's probably better at 3B than 1B, but he's fine at 1B too.

Maybe... but Moran and Thielbar will still be on the roster, so it's not like he will be (or should be) used in high leverage spots. Moran's been bad in AAA (and good, other than the walks in MLB). Sisk has been good in AA and AAA this year, but no idea what he could potentially do. Also possible they DFA him when they add someone else to the 28-man roster.

They're in a pennant race in September... there are no long-term experiments at this point. There are definitely guys that can be removed from the 40-man. I should have looked. I would assume he's out of options, but he might be willing to go down there.

As rosters can be increased to 28 on Thursday, the Minnesota Twins have added a left-handed reliever to their roster. The Twins claimed 29-year-old Austin Davis from the Red Sox. Learn more about the southpaw. The Boston Red Sox DFAd Austin Davis on Sunday. On the season, the lefty had worked in 54 1/3 innings over 50 appearances. He was 2-1 with a 5.47 ERA. He had 29 walks but also struck out 61 batters. The 29-year-old has pitched in 134 big-league games dating back to his 2018 MLB debut with the Philadelphia Phillies. He remained with them until 2020 when he was traded to the Pirates. He remained with Pittsburgh until last year's trade deadline when he was traded to the Red Sox for Michael Chavis. Originally drafted in the 12th round of the 2014 MLB draft from Cal State-Bakersfield, he will be arbitration-eligible for the first time after this season. In other works, in theory, the Twins could keep him through the 2026 season. While the numbers haven't been great, it might be clear why the Twins specifically would have interest in him. In three career games against the Twins, Davis has given up just one hit. Twins batters have hit .067/.125/.133 (.258) against him. He has struck out seven Twins batters in 4 2/3 innings (16 batters faced). Davis has thrown his fastball, which has averaged 94.1 mph, 45.4% of the time. He has thrown 39.5% sliders this year which have averaged 90.6 mph. He also has a mid-80s changeup that he'll throw occasionally. As you can see from his StatCast numbers over at Baseball Savant, he hasn't allowed a lot of hard contact, but other than that, he doesn't have any carrying traits. That said, the Twins need a left-hander to team with Caleb Thielbar in the Twins bullpen, and Davis could fill that role. It's a role I'm sure they'd love to just let Jovani Moran take and run with, and frankly, he has while with the Twins. In 23 1/3 innings, he has posted a 1.93 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. He has struck out 31 batters. However, he has also walked 15 batters. Hence the concern. In addition, he has posted a 6.00 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in his 24 innings with the Saints this year. However, it is possible that all three will remain on the roster throughout September. With rosters expanding to 28 players on Thursday, the Twins will be able to add one pitcher. Austin Davis will likely be that guy. He won't have to travel far. In fact, he was traveling with the Red Sox and is at Target Field. He just has to pack up a bag and head over to the home clubhouse. A few days ago, Tim Beckham was designated for assignment, so the Twins did not need to make an additional 40-man roster move to clear space for Davis. Speaking of Beckham, he did clear waivers and was outrighted to St. Paul. However, he elected free agency. According to Darren Wolfson, he could be back. In addition, Tyler Duffey has a new home. He opted out of his minor-league deal with the Rangers and has now signed with the New York Yankees. View full article

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Saw that this morning on TikTok. It's great!

The encouraging thing for me about Wallner... I looked yesterday and his strikeout percentage in August was like 28%. I think that is very encouraging. As for Dobnak... he's thrown like 3 innings in the last year-and-a-half... It'll take some time.

It's only High-A ball. That's still a big jump for any player. And especially after not playing for a couple of months between the college season and the draft.

The Return of Randy continued in Iowa on Sunday with the Saints, and that game had plenty of run scoring. After playing one game over two days, the Mighty Mussels played two games on Sunday. Some impressive offensive performances. And we'll keep you updated on the Wichita game throughout the night. TRANSACTIONS OF Billy Hamilton was officially assigned to the FCL Twins. As you know, the FCL season is complete, so this is just a formality. Will be interesting to see where he is assigned in a few days, or if he goes directly to the big-league club. RHP Randy Dobnak was sent to the Saints to continue his rehab assignment. The Mighty Mussels played OF Carlos Aguilar on the Injured List on his 21st birthday. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 13. Iowa 12 Box score Man! I heard it was a wild one… so of course, it was Randy Dobnak who was credited with the win in this topsy-turvy, series-ending win for the Saints. The Saints started with three runs in the top of the first inning, but they gave up five runs in the bottom of the inning. In the fourth frame, it was the Saints that put a five spot on the board, and they followed it with three more runs in the fifth. They held a 13-9 lead going into the bottom of the eighth, but the Cubs scored three to cut the Saints’ lead to just one at 13-12. However, no runs were scored by either team in the ninth inning and the Saints had their win. Strange to start a summary of a game in which Iowa scored 12 runs with the Saints pitchers, but let’s do just that. Dereck Rodriguez was on the mound to start. He gave up five runs on four hits and three walks, and he only recorded two outs. Drew Strotman got the final out of the first inning and then one out in the second frame. He was charged with one run on three hits and a walk. Juan Minaya calmed things down by getting the final two outs of the second frame and three quick outs in the third as well. Randy Dobnak’s rehab assignment was transferred to the Saints on Sunday morning. He entered the game in the fourth inning with an 8-6 Saints lead. He gave up two runs that inning. Then gave up another run in the bottom of the fifth inning. In all, he gave up three runs on four hits and two walks, and a hit batter, over his two innings. He struck out two batters. Evan Sisk got the sixth inning. He struck out two in a scoreless inning. Jake Jewell came on and got four outs, though he gave up three runs (1 earned) on three hits. Jharel Cotton came on and got the final two outs of the eighth inning, holding that one-run lead. Brad Peacock came on in the bottom of the ninth and gave up a hit and a walk, but no runs, to record the Save. As you’d expect in a 13-run game, there were several stars on the Saints’ offense. Chris Williams went 3-for-4 with a walk and a double, and he drove in four runs in the game. Matt Wallner went 2-for-4 with a walk and his fourth St. Paul homer. Nash Knight hit his first Saints homer, one of his two hits. Elliot Soto walked four times. John Andreoli and Mark Contreras each drove in two runs as well. WIND SURGE WISDOM Frisco 3, Wichita 4 Box Score Down 3-2 going to the ninth inning, Yunior Severino crushed a home run to tie the game at three. Unfortunately, Frisco scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to gain the walk-off win. Back to the beginning, lefty Brent Headrick made the start and was fantastic. He gave up one run on six hits and a walk. He also struck out nine batters. Veteran Ryan Horstman came on and gave up two runs on two hits and only got two outs. Osiris German came on and gave up two hits, but he recorded four outs, two on strikeouts. Along with his homer, Severino also had a walk and a double. Jair Camargo also had two hits. Aaron Sabato added his first double with the Surge. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Lake County 8 Box Score After a rare off day, Brooks Lee returned to the Kernels lineup with a 3-for-5 game to bump his batting average to .322. Mikey Perez was 2-for-3, with two walks. He also added his 13th Kernels stolen base. Wander Javier had the biggest hit of the day for Cedar Rapids. He hit a two-run homer, his 12th of the season, and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly. Jake Rucker drove in two runs with a triple. RHP Tyler Palm started and gave up two runs on three hits and two walks over 1 2/3 innings. Brad Hanner got the final out of the second inning, but he then gave up three runs on three hits in the third frame. Bobby Milacki gave up one run on two hits in the fourth inning. Ryan Shreve was charged with two unearned runs on one hit and one walk over two innings. Miguel Rodriguez and Hunter McMahon each tossed a scoreless inning. MUSSEL MATTERS Game 1: Fort Myers 2, Lakeland 4 Box Score After completing approximately 2/3 of a game over the previous two days, the Mussels were able to complete two seven-inning games on Sunday morning. Tanner Schobel led the way in the first game. He went 2-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base. Rubel Cespedes went 2-for-3. Luis Baez had the lone extra base hit, his second double. Noah Miller had a single and followed with his 20th stolen base of the season. Kala’i Rosario stole his seventh bag. The right fielder also had two outfield assists, throwing out one runner at the plate and another at third base. Tomas Cleto made the start and tossed four scoreless innings. He gave up two hits but walked none and struck out three batters. Zaquiel Puentes was charged with four runs on four hits and a walk over his two innings of work. Anthony Escobar worked a scoreless inning. Game 2: Fort Myers 4, Lakeland 9 Box Score Misael Urbina shook off a rough Game 1 to have a strong Game 2. He struck out all four times he batted in the first game. In this game, he went 2-for-3 with a walk and his 16th double of the year. Nate Baez went 2-for-2 with a walk. Luis Baez hit his first home run of the season, a big three-run shot in the fourth inning. It came in his 194th plate appearance of the season. Regi Grace started the second game. He was charged with three runs on four hits over three innings. He walked two and struck out three batters. John Wilson came on for the fourth and gave up three runs on two hits and a walk in the inning. Juan Mendez was charged with two runs on three hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings. Niklas Rimmel gave up one run on two hits over the final 1 2/3 innings. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Tomas Cleto (Ft. Myers) - 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. Hitter of the Day – Chris Williams (St. Paul) - 3-4, BB, 2B (2), R, RBI. PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - Injured List But Lewis and Jeffers sure seemed to enjoy their State Fair appearance earlier in the day on Saturday. #2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 3-5, R #4 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-4, K #7 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - Game 1 (1-4, R, SB (20)), Game 2 (0-3, HBP, 2 K) #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-4, BB, HR (4), 2 R, 2 RBI #18 - Tanner Schobel (Fort Myers) - Game 1 (2-2, BB, RBI, SB (3)), Game 2 (1-4, RBI, 2 K, SB (4)) #20 - Kala'i Rosario (Fort Myers) - Game 1 (1-3, R, K, SB (7)) TUESDAY’S MATCHUPS There are no minor-league games scheduled for Monday. Teams will return to action on Tuesday. The Saints will host Omaha. The Wind Surge will travel to Springfield. After a week in Lake County, the Kernels stay out east and will take on Dayton. Ft. Myers will head to Bradenton. That is exciting as Bradenton is the lone Florida State League to share their games on MILB dot TV. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games. View full article