Seth Stohs

Last week, the Midwest League (MWL) and the Florida State League (FSL) hosted their league All Star games. The Cedar Rapids Kernels had three players on the MWL roster while the Ft. Myers Miracle had four on the FSL South roster. Those All-Star games approximate the halfway point of the minor league season. Two-and-a-half months of season have passed and there is just about two-and-a-half months remaining. I thought it would be a good time to look at some of the top performers in the Twins farm system so far this season by looking at the leader boards in the organization in several statistics. Today, I'll look at the hitters. Later in the week we’ll take a look at the pitchers. Mitch Garver PLATE APPEARANCES 1.) Jorge Polanco – Ft. Myers - 313 2.) Nate Hanson - New Britain - 300 3.) Adam Walker - Ft. Myers - 299 4.) James Beresford - Rochester - 298 5.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - 291 This is a list that shows a lot of guys at the top of their team's order who have remained healthy and have performed well enough to remain there. BATTING AVERAGE (minimum 200 PA) 1.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - .322 2.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - .310 3.) Doug Bernier - Rochester - .307 4.) Chad Christensen - Cedar Rapids - .299 4.) Reynaldo Rodriguez - New Britain - .299 Yes, I agree. On-base percentage is more important, but batting average doesn't hurt anything. In fact, it represents the biggest part of the on-base percentage formula. ON-BASE PERCENTAGE (minimum 200 PA) 1.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - .411 2.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - .395 2.) Deibinson Romero - Rochester - .395 4.) Doug Bernier - Rochester - .386 5.) Jorge Polanco - Ft. Myers - .365 Outs are important. Not getting out should be the goal of every plate appearance. On-base percentage is important, especially for top of the order hitters, but also for middle of the order hitters that pitchers may try to pitch around. SLUGGING PERCENTAGE (minimum 200 PA) 1.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - .537 2.) Reynaldo Rodriguez - New Britain - .516 3.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - .488 4.) Danny Ortiz - New Britain/Rochester - .467 5.) Jason Kanzler - Cedar Rapids - .462 Power is pretty important for middle of the lineup guys. A lineup needs to have several guys that can hit for enough average, but also sprinkle in a bunch of extra base hits as well. Extra base hits certainly increase the probability of scoring runs, which is important in any game. OPS 1.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - .932 2.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - .898 3.) Reynaldo Rodriguez - New Britain - .855 4.) Deibinson Romero - Rochester - .849 5.) Doug Bernier - Rochester - .812 OPS is typically going to be led by middle of the order hitters, the guys who can get on base but also have good pop in their bats. HITS 1.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - 82 2.) Jorge Polanco - Ft. Myers - 80 3.) Reynaldo Rodriguez - New Britain - 76 4.) Chad Christensen/Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - 75 4.) Eric Farris - Rochester - 75 DOUBLES 1.) Reynaldo Rodriguez - New Britain - 20 2.) Travis Harrison - Ft. Myers - 19 3.) Deibinson Romero - Rochester - 18 4.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - 17 4.) Danny Ortiz - New Britain/Rochester - 17 When I look at minor league stats, doubles is one that I look at as important. In my mind, doubles are line drives to the gaps, a sign of developing power. As young players develop, maybe those line drives to the gaps can become home runs over the walls. And if not, doubles tend to drive in a lot of runs. HOME RUNS 1.) Adam Walker - Ft. Myers - 14 1.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - 14 3.) Reynaldo Rodriguez - New Britain - 11 4.) Bryan Haar - Cedar Rapids - 8 4.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - 8 OK, home runs are good too. It shows power, and hopefully that power will continue as they grow. Obviously you have to look at other numbers in conjunction with the homers, but it is a sign of power and the ability to occasionally square up a baseball. RUNS 1.) Jorge Polanco - Ft. Myers - 48 2.) Reynaldo Rodriguez - New Britain - 47 3.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - 43 4.) Chad Christensen - Cedar Rapids - 42 4.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - 42 Runs are scored either by the table-setters who get on base a lot, or by the power guys who, with one swing can put themselves in scoring position, and perhaps score themselves. RBI 1.) Kennys Vargas - New Britain - 57 2.) Adam Walker - Ft. Myers - 53 3.) Mitch Garver - Cedar Rapids - 47 4.) Danny Ortiz - New Britain/Rock Cats - 44 5.) Chad Christensen - Cedar Rapids - 41 For awhile, there was a belief that the RBI stat is completely overrated. While I agree that it can be, I also think it is a number that matters. When there is a runner on third base and less than two outs, the batter needs to get that runner in. It can mean the player is prone to coming through with a bases-clearing double or a two-run single when there are runners on second and third. In my mind, that is fundamental baseball. STOLEN BASES 1.) Chad Christensen - Cedar Rapids - 18 2.) Niko Goodrum - Ft. Myers - 12 2.) Eric Farris - Rochester - 12 2.) Corey Wimberly - New Britain - 12 5.) Jason Kanzler - 11 Speed. This is certainly an area that has become less important in baseball over the last couple decades, but it can be important. If a player can move up one base (at a high percentage), it can mean a lot. In the minor leagues, the Twins (and many teams) encourage speedy base runners to attempt to steal a lot of bases, even if they get caught, because that is the only way that they can learn that skill. SUMMARY What you've read above is just a numerical look at some of the hitters who have performed well in the first half. What you may have noticed is that there are several guys who have really stood out in the first half. Kennys Vargas - He's #1 in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, hits, home runs and RBI. He's #2 in on-base percentage and #3 in runs scored. Mitch Garver - He's been playing catcher which means he will get a few days off, so he doesn't appear quite as high on some of the counting stats. However, he is #1 in on-base percentage, #2 in batting average and OPS, and #3 in slugging percentage. Reynaldo Rodriguez - He's a veteran of AA, but he continues to put up solid numbers in 2013 despite switching from first base to the outfield. Jorge Polanco - He has slowed since his fast offensive start in Ft. Myers this year, but he has continued to rack up hits and get on base at a strong rate.

With a 6-5 win on Sunday, the Minnesota Twins swept the Chicago White Sox! That’s always fun. Phil Hughes had his worst start of the season for the Twins, but he was credited with the win thanks to enough offense and a spectacular job by the bullpen. There were some really good games in the Twins minor leagues on Sunday, several were one-run games. Continue reading to find out what happened in the Twins farm system on Sunday: RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Buffalo 3 Box Score The Red Wings saw plenty of former Twins players in this loss at Buffalo. PJ Walters started for the Bisons and gave up one run on six hits and two walks in five innings. Former Twins draft pick John Stilson went the next two innings and gave up one run. Bobby Korecky reduced his season ERA to 0.45 and claimed his 9th save with a scoreless ninth inning. Darin Mastroianni went 0-4 in the game, leading off and playing right field. Now to the Red Wings. Doug Bernier had a big game at the plate. He went 4-5 with a double and now he’s hitting .307. Chris Colabello went 2-3 with a walk and his fifth double. Chris Rahl added two hits. Sean Gilmartin started for the Red Wings. The left-hander gave up three runs on five hits and two walks in 5.2 innings, earning the loss He struck out four. Michael Tonkin gave up a hit over 1.1 scoreless innings. Aaron Thompson pitched a perfect eighth inning. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 5, Reading 3 Box Score Tyler Duffey started and led the Rock Cats to their 11th straight win. The righty went 7.1 innings and gave up three runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out six. Adrian Salcedo walked one in one inning. Ryan O’Rourke came on and struck out the final two batters. Since May 17, the lefty reliever has accumulated seven innings in 11 games and given up no runs on just two hits and one walk and has struck out 12. The Rock Cats got five hits and walked six in this game. Aaron Hicks went 1-3. Kyle Knudson went 2-3. Brandon Waring hit his 16th double. Nate Hanson walked twice. Stephen Wickens went 1-3 with a walk. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Charlotte 3 Box Score Jorge Polanco broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the 9th and Tyler Jones closed it out in the bottom of the inning. Polanco went 2-5 with his 12th double. Lance Ray was 2-5 with his sixth double. Stuart Turner went 2-4 with his fifth homer. Matt Tomshaw got the start on Sunday. The lefty went five innings, giving up two runs on five hits. He walked two, hit one and struck out three. Madison Boer struck out three in two scoreless innings. He gave up a hit and walked two. Mason Melotakis, getting the win despite blowing the save, gave up a run on two hits and a walk in his inning. Tyler Jones gave up only a hit in the ninth to record his ninth save. KERNELS NUGGETS Game 1 – Cedar Rapids 5, Kane County 0 Box Score Chad Christensen had a big game for the Kernels. He went 2-2 with two walks, hit his seventh home run and drove in three runs. Zach Granite went 2-4. Mitch Garver was 1-2 with a walk, was hit by a pitch and added his 17th double. Ryan Eades threw four shutout innings. He gave up two hits and walked four while striking out one. Alex Muren gave up one hit over two scoreless innings, earning the win. Todd Van Steensel hit a batter in a scoreless seventh inning, completing the shutout. Game 2 – Cedar Rapids 2, Kane County 3 Box Score Tied at one going into the seventh inning, Alex Swim drove in Mitch Garver to give the Kernels a 2-1 lead. Hudson Boyd came in for the bottom of the seventh. The first batter he faced hit a home run to tie the game. A walk, a single, and another walk loaded the bases before Jacob Hannemann singled in the winning run. Fernando Romero started and gave up one run on one hit in three innings. He walked two and struck out two. Jared Wilson followed with three scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and one walk and struck out three. Boyd threw the seventh and earned the loss. Alex Swim tied the game at one in the fifth inning with a double that scored Jason Kanzler who was 1-2 and stole his 11th base. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Pulaski 0 Box Score Rookie League ball is always interesting. Box scores are typically not as clean as they are when you move up the system. This game is a good example of that. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning. Brian Navarreto singled up the middle. He was replaced by speedy Jonatan Hinojosa as a pinch runner. Three wild pitches later, and the E-Twins had a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the 8th, the first two batters walked. Following a fielder’s choice, a wild pitch gave the team a 2-0 lead. Felix Jorge dominated Appy League hitters a year ago. This spring, he really struggled in the Midwest League and was recently sent down to extended spring. His first start with the E-Twins this season was just like 2013. The righty threw five shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out four. Kuo Hua Lo worked two innings, yielding one hit and no walks and struck out two. Jake Reed came on and threw two scoreless innings for his first pro save. He struck out two. Since going 4-5 in his debut, Nick Gordon has gone 1-13 and is now hitting .278. GCL TWINS TAKES The GCL Twins do not have games on Sunday. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Duffey, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Chad Christensen, Cedar Rapids Kernels MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05 CST) – Alex Meyer (Listen) Altoona @ New Britain (5:35 CST) – Virgil Vasquez (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:30 CST) – JO Berrios (Listen) Cedar Rapids – No Game Scheduled (Listen) Pulaski @ Elizabethton (6:00 CST) – TBD (Listen) GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00am CST) – No Game Scheduled. Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games. A quick reminder: Thanks to the Twins fourth straight win over the White Sox on Sunday, it means that on you can get 50% off a Large of Extra Large pizza for the fourth straight day (on Monday) when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code atPapaJohns.com.

Lately, we have read a lot about the starting staff in Rochester, and for good reason. Yohan Pino has already been promoted to the Minnesota Twins. Logan Darnell and Kris Johnson are pitching well, and each has pitched once with the Twins already this year. Alex Meyer is a future ace and Trevor May is probably next in line for a promotion. Less is being said about a reliever in Rochester who appears ready for an opportunity to help the Minnesota Twins at the big league level. For AJ Achter, that phone call would mean the world. Achter (pronounced awk-ter) said recently, “I can imagine it would be an amazing roller coaster of emotions. Just to think of so many people who have invested so much time and made so many sacrifices over my career to even give me this opportunity is unbelievable. For me to get the ultimate reward of reaching that goal, would not just be a big deal for me personally, but everyone who has believed in me my entire life.” Photo by Joe Territo/RedWingsBaseball.com As you know, Achter was the Twins 46th round pick in 2010 out of Michigan State University. He went to the Cape Cod League and then signed with the Twins twenty minutes before the August 16 deadline. He pitched in just four games that year for Elizabethton. In 2011, he went to Beloit where he made 19 starts. He returned to Beloit in 2012, this time in the bullpen. Since that move, he has flown through the Twins farm system. He posted a 1.70 ERA between Beloit and Ft. Myers in 2012 to earn the Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year ‘Award.' Last year, he split his season between New Britain and Rochester and posted a 2.54 ERA. Following the season, he was invited to participate in the Arizona Fall League, where he pitched well. It was an experience the right-hander enjoyed. “The experience in the AFL was unbelievable. It was a privilege to put on the Twins uniform every day and compete against the best prospects in baseball. My first seven or eight outings were great. Then I tired out and those guys out there make you pay for mistakes. But it was a great experience playing with so many outstanding players and forming lifelong friendships with them.” However, Achter was not added to the 40-man roster last fall and went undrafted in the Rule 5 draft. He also did not get an invitation to big league camp as a non-roster player. Then, after spring training camp, he began the 2014 season back a level at New Britain, a decision that likely disappointed Achter. He handled it well. “It was disappointing to start back there after having some success in Rochester the year before, but I understood that was the numbers game. I tried to turn it into motivation to get back to AAA as soon as an opportunity opened up and thankfully it did in mid-April.” That promotion to the Red Wings happened after just three games with the Rock Cats. In 6.2 innings, he gave up no runs on three hits and a walk while striking out 11. With the Red Wings, he has continued his dominance. In 20 games and 34 innings, he has a 1.85 ERA and a minuscule 0.77 WHIP. He has given up just 14 hits, walked 12 (five in his last two outings) and struck out 33 batters. Opponents are hitting just .124 off him. Achter has a solid three-pitch mix. He has a two-seam fastball in the low 90s which moves and sinks. He also is occasionally able to touch 95 with a four-seam fastball. He also has a sharp slider and a very good changeup. So, at 6'-5", he throws hard and gets ground balls, but is also able to mix his speeds well. He has always shown good control. So, to what does Achter attribute his success? “It's been a combination of everything. Aside from my last outing, my fastball command has been very good which is what I work off of. I've used a new slider grip that has helped that pitch be more consistent.” Achter has always been able to find motivation. He knows that 1,394 players were selected before him, and he uses that. “My motivation is working toward a dream that I've had since I've been a kid. With my dad playing in the NFL, I always had a dream of playing pro football, but baseball was always my true love. Regardless of obstacles or circumstances I've never lost sight of the same goal I had as a kid and that's being a Major League Baseball player. It is my motivation every day I wake up.” Achter’s father, Rod, was the Minnesota Vikings 9th round pick in the 1983 NFL Draft. The Rochester starting rotation and bullpen have both been tremendous. Gene Glynn and pitching coach Marty Mason have used them all very effectively. Achter has been used in save situations and in long relief. Achter gives a lot of credit to his pitching coach. “Marty has been one of the biggest reasons this staff has been what's it's been. He's an unbelievable influence, especially on us younger guys. He lets us do our own thing but if something needs to be corrected his knowledge of pitching is second to none. I cannot say enough good things about the impact he's had on me out on the mound.” In my mind, the 25-year-old has a chance to be a solid set up man, pitching in the 7th inning or even in long relief. In that way, I think he would profile similarly to Matt Guerrier during his early years with the Twins. The Minnesota Twins currently have eight men in their bullpen, one more than would be ideal. Should a time come this season when the Twins need another arm, Achter's name should come up prominently in those discussions.

It was a busy day in the Twins organization, even with the Cedar Rapids Kernels game in Kane County being rained out. The Red Wings and Miracle both played doubleheaders. Both short-season teams played. The New Britain Rock Cats sent Jason Wheeler to the mound for his Eastern League debut in search for the team’s record tenth straight win. Could they get it? Also, Mark Hamburger was promoted from New Britain to Rochester. The Twins beat the White Sox for the third straight time on Saturday afternoon. Kevin Correia was solid again, and Glen Perkins was able to hold on for a save. Let’s check out what happened in the Twins farm system on Saturday: RED WINGS REPORT Game 1 – Rochester 6, Buffalo 3 Box Score Before the game, Mark Hamburger was promoted from New Britain to Rochester after just eight games with the Rock Cats since his return from his 50-game suspension. He was put in action right away and recorded a two-inning save in the first game. He gave up two hits but walked none and struck out two. Trevor May was the winner for the eighth time this year. The right-hander gave up a three-run homer in the first inning, then threw four scoreless innings. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out three. Chris Rahl went 2-3 with his eighth double and two RBI. James Beresford went 2-3. Dan Rohlfing drove in two with his 12th double. Deibinson Romero went 1-2 with a walk and his second triple. Game 2 – Rochester 3, Buffalo 7 Box Score With the doubleheader, Scott Diamond was given another chance to start. It went about as well as expected. In 3.1 innings, he gave up five runs on six hits and two walks (without a strikeout). Deolis Guerra came on and gave up two runs on one hit and two walks. He struck out one. Edgar Ibarra went the next 1.2 innings and gave up one hit. He walked none and struck out two. Doug Bernier was 2-3 with a walk. Chris Herrmann went 2-4. Eric Farris was 2-3 with his 12th double. Josmil Pinto hit his second home run with the Red Wings. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 5, Reading 2 Box Score The Rock Cats were looking to increase their winning streak to a club record ten games, and they sent Jason Wheeler to the mound to make his AA debut. The lefty was up to the challenge. He gave up just two runs over 6.1 innings. He allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out seven. Cole Johnson came on and struck out two over 1.2 scoreless. Lester Oliveros came in for the ninth inning and gave up a hit but no runs for his 11th save. The Rock Cats managed just five hits, but they added six walks and took advantage of a couple Fightin Phillies errors. Nate Hanson drove in two runs. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his 20th double and stole his fourth base. Mike Kvasnicka walked twice and stole two bases. Aaron Hicks was 2-4, but as was noted, at least one of his hits was left-handed. With Hicks on the roster, Eddie Rosario played left field in this game. MIRACLE MATTERS Game 1 - Ft. Myers 3, St. Lucie 0 Box Score Tim Shibuya had to wait a day after yesterday's rainout but it didn’t seem to affect him at all. The right-hander threw all seven innings and didn’t give up a run. He gave up five hits, walked none and struck out one. He now has a 19.1 inning scoreless streak. Lance Ray had a double and drove in two runs. Max Kepler went 2-3 with his sixth double. He also stole his third base. Jorge Polanco went 2-4. Mike Gonzales and Travis Harrison each went 2-3. Harrison’s first hit of the day extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Tim Shibuya photo by Linwood Ferguson Game 2 - Ft. Myers @ St. Lucie Box Score In the second game, the script was switched. It was the Miracle bats that were silenced by Mets pitching prospect Matt Koch. The Miracle had just four hits. Jorge Polanco had two of them. Travis Harrison had a single to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. He had a 15 game hitting streak earlier in the season. It was a bullpen game for the Miracle. Steven Gruver, Brian Gilbert and Brandon Peterson each pitched two innings. Gruver gave up one run on one hit and two walks. Gilbert did not allow a run. Peterson gave up an unearned run on two hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids @ Kane County Box Score The game was postponed by poor weather. They will play a doubleheader on Sunday. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 5, Greeneville 6 Box Score It was a big day for a couple Minnesota kids. Eden Prairie’s (via U of Maryland) Blake Schmidt started at shortstop, and Red Wing's (via U of Nebraska) Pat Kelly played second base. Schmidt went 2-4. Kelly was 3-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Jonatan Hinojosa went 2-3 with a walk and a triple. Dutch Deol and Brian Navaretto each had a double. Nick Gordon was the DH. He went 1-4 in the game. Chih-Wei Hu went the first four innings. He gave up one run on two hits. He walked two and struck out four. Keaton Steele gave up three runs on five hits and a walk in two innings. He struck out one. Josue Montanez gave up two unearned runs on two hits and a walk. He struck out two. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 4, GCL Red Sox 5 Box Score The GCL team had an early-morning game at home on Saturday. They fell by one run. Brandon Easton started and went the first three innings. He gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks while striking out two. Zach Tillery gave up an unearned run on one walk and no hits. Miles Nordgren gave up two hits and a walk over three scoreless innings. Trevor Hildenberger came on and gave up an unearned run on two hits. Amaurys Minier is back in the GCL for a couple reasons. He had offseason shoulder surgery and he is also shifting from third base to the outfield. One thing he does possess is some power. He went 3-4 with his first home run of the season. Rafael Valeda went 2-4. Jarrard Poteete hit a double. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Tim Shibuya, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Pat Kelly, Elizabethton Twins SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (12:05 CST) – Sean Gilmartin (vs PJ Walters) (Listen) Reading @ New Britain (5:35 CST) – Tyler Duffey (Listen) Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (4:00 CST) – JO Berrios (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (1:00 CST) – Fernando Romero (Listen) Pulaski @ Elizabethton (5:00 CST) – TBD (Listen) GCL Twins – No Game Scheduled. Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. A quick reminder: Thanks to the Twins third straight win over the White Sox on Saturday, it means that on you can get 50% off a Large of Extra Large pizza for the third straight day (on Sunday) when you use the “TWINSWIN” promotion code atPapaJohns.com.