Seth Stohs

It’s hard to believe that the baseball season has completed three months already. As we enter July, it’s time to take a look at the top hitters, starting pitchers and relief pitchers in the Minnesota Twins minor league system during June. We will start with the relief pitchers. In May, there were not many strong bullpen performances, but in June things were much better. About one year ago, Michael Tonkin and AJ Achter were working out of the bullpen in Beloit. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] They both pitched (and dominated) the second half of the 2012 season in Ft. Myers. I selected Achter narrowly over Tonkin as my 2012 Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. This year, they both began their season in New Britain. Tonkin moved up to Rochester at the end of May, and Achter will now join him with the Red Wings as July begins. The 24-year-old Achter was the Twins 46th round pick in 2010 out of Michigan State. 23-year-old Tonkin was the Twins 30th round pick in 2008 out of high school in California. He was known as Jason Kubel’s brother-in-law until last year when he really made a name for himself. Both have put themselves in position to help a now-struggling Twins bullpen. Let’s get to the list. Here are my choices for the Top 5 Twins Minor League Relief Pitchers in June (starting with three Honorable Mentions): Aaron Thompson (Rochester) – 12 G, 12.2 IP, 1-0, 2.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 11 H, 2 BB, 12 K AJ Achter (New Britain) – 8 G, 10.0 IP, 1-0, 0.90 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 9 H, 4 BB, 11 K Tim Atherton (Cedar Rapids) – 6 G (1 GS), 13.0 IP, 1-0, 1.38 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 7 H, 8 BB, 12 K Number 5 – Ft. Myers – RHP Zack Jones - 6 G, 1.23 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 7.1 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 13 K Jones has been on this list in the first two months. He was the Reliever of the Month in April. Last month, he made the list despite walking a batter per inning. We all know that Jones throws very hard, reaching into the upper 90s with his fastball. He is working diligently on his slider and it is a very important pitch for him. In limited duty in June, he did improve his control while striking out nearly two batters per inning. Number 4 – Rochester – RHP Luis Perdomo - 9 G, 2.30 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 15.2 IP, 9 H, 7 BB, 12 K The 29-year-old right-hander has a 4.60 ERA on the season, but as you can see, he was solid in June. Still too many walks, but he did well in a lot of innings for the Red Wings. He was able to limit base runners. Will he get another shot with the Twins this season? It’s possible, but he’ll have to be better yet. Number 3 – Ft. Myers – LHP Jose Gonzalez - 6 G, 2.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 9.0 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 12 K Gonzalez began the season in New Britain but was sent back to the Miracle after posting a 6.20 ERA in 16 appearances. In his first month with the Miracle, he was very good. He gave up few hits, walked only one and struck out 12. He is a fastball/slider guy who, despite not being real tall, has a chance to move up. He has been in the organization since 2007 and is still just 23 years old. Number 2 – Ft. Myers – Steven Gruver - 7 G, 1.29 ERA, 0.50 WHIP, 14.0 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 12 K Gruver just turned 24 over the weekend. He remains in Cedar Rapids despite pitching pretty well for Beloit a year ago. He’s been very, very good out of the Kernels bullpen again this year. He was named to the Midwest League All-Star game. The left-hander just did not allow many base runners in June. He shows very good control and the ability to miss bats when needed. And the Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is: Rochester Red Wings – Michael Tonkin - 8 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, 11.2 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 11 K For the second straight June, Tonkin is the Reliever of the Month. He very easily could have been the Pitcher of the Month in June, as well. Back in May, in AA, he posted a 0.00 ERA and in 12.1 innings he walked three and struck out 20. Tonkin throws hard and gets sink. He induces a lot of ground balls and also gets lots of strikeouts. It may not be very long before we get to see Tonkin at Target Field. So what do you think? I’ve listed several relievers here that deserve be recognized for their terrific performances this past month. Who would your choice be? How would you rank these guys (and feel free to include others)? Be sure to check back later for the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher and Hitter of the Month of June.

It’s almost like they know. Coming into Friday, Miguel Sano had 20 home runs this season. Chris Colabello had 18. In his first two at-bats on Friday, Colabello homered, catching up to Sano. But it wasn’t long before Sano hit his 21st. Then, a little more than an hour later, Sano hit his 22nd homer of the year. (It’s almost like last year when Trevor Plouffe and Josh Willingham seemed to so frequently homer on the same day.) The two are easily the top home run hitters in the organization. The next highest home run hitters in the organization are Cedar Rapids third baseman Travis Harrison, who hit his thirteenth home run tonight, and Ft. Myers first baseman Kennys Vargas, also with thirteen. Check out what happened in the Twins farm system on Friday:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Rochester Red Wings 2, Indianapolis Indians 4 Box Score Andrew Albers was back on the mound for the Red Wings. The Canadian left-hander gave up four runs in six innings. He gave up eight hits, three of them home runs. He walked one and struck out four. Aaron Thompson came on and struck out one over two scoreless innings in relief. The offense managed just four hits in the game. Chris Colabello went 2-4 with his 19th and 20th home runs of the season. He is now hitting .367 with an OPS right around 1.100. The thing that impressed me most about Colabello is that he talks a lot about only being able to control what he can control. And he lives that thinking. That’s the thought-process he needed when he wasn’t given an opportunity in affiliated ball. It’s what he had to think in AA, and in his first big league spring training, and in the WBC, and when he was sent AAA. And, it is likely why he has maintained this performance throughout the season despite numbers that should have him in the big leagues now. New Britain Rock Cats 5, Reading Fightin Phils 6 Box Score So, it didn’t take Miguel Sano too long to figure out Eastern League pitching. Yes, he got off to a slow start, but his power numbers have been tremendous and, despite a loss in this game, he showed his power here. The Rock Cats had just five hits; three came off of the bat of Miguel Sano. In the bottom of the fourth, he hit a long, two-run home run. In the bottom of the ninth, he came to the plate with two runners on base and the Rock Cats down by four. His second homer of the day, sixth home run with the Rock Cats and 22nd home run of his season, cut the deficit to just one, but that was all the team could muster. Sano drove in all five runs. The one time he made out, the centerfielder made a catch at the wall. Of his 13 AA hits, Sano has six home runs, two triples, one double and four singles. Video of the second home run from Twins Fan from Afar (video of the 1st will be in the comments): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMmmGqKjrvE Trevor May made the start and gave up a home run on the first pitch. In all, he went five innings and gave up four runs on five hits and a walk. He struck out six. Dan Turpen came on and struck out three in two scoreless innings. Bruce Pugh came off of the disabled list. He gave up a solo home run, but that was the only blemish in the inning. AJ Achter pitched the ninth and gave up one run on three hits and a walk. Ft. Myers Miracle, Jupiter Hammerheads (Suspended in 3rd) This game was suspended due to rain with one out in the bottom of the third inning. It will be resumed when the Miracle next heads to Jupiter, which will be in mid-August. Manuel Soliman had given up three hits and two walks but no runs in 2.1 innings when the game was called. He had struck out four. Cedar Rapids Kernels 7, Burlington Bees 1 Box Score The streak continues for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. They are now 8-0 since the All-Star break. They got off to a fast start and kept the lead. In the first inning, Travis Harrison hit a two-run double. Adam Walker soon followed with a two-run homer to make it 4-0. In the second innings, Harrison hit a two-run homer. Harrison was 2-4 with his 23rd double, his 13th homer and four RBI. Walker was 2-3 with a walk and the homer was his 12th of the season. JD Williams was 2-4 with his 14th stolen base. Jeremias Pineda went 2-3. Niko Goodrum (16th two bagger), Dalton Hicks (26th) and Jhonatan Arias (3rd) each doubled. It was not just about the hitting on this night. Josue Montanez was terrific in the start. The young left gave up two hits in five shutout innings. He walked none and struck out four. Hudson Boyd made his first appearance out of the bullpen. He gave up an unearned run on two hits and a walk in two innings, striking out three. Madison Boer was activated from the DL and sent to the Kernels. He had broken his hand (left-hand) and had made a couple appearances with the GCL Twins. He gave up two hits, but no runs, in his inning. Steven Gruver came on and struck out two in a perfect ninth. Mike Pelfrey will be making a rehab start for the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Monday. Elizabethton Twins 8, Princeton Rays 0 Box Score This was a pitcher’s duel until the E-Twins scored seven runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to finish an 8-0 win. The E-Twins got on the scoreboard just an inning earlier when shortstop Ryan Walker hit his first professional home run. The big hits in the eighth inning were two-run doubles off the bats of Rory Rhodes and Javier Pimentel. Walker, Pimentel and catcher Mitch Garver each went 2-4. Yorman Landa was again terrific in the start. The young right-hander threw five shutout innings. He gave up just one hit, walked one and struck out eight. So, in his first two starts, he has thrown ten innings, walked two and struck out 15! Brian Gilbert made his Twins debut with a scoreless sixth frame. He struck out one. Kuo Hua Lo gave up one hit and one walk, but no runs, in two innings. He struck out two. Brandon Peterson struck out two in a scoreless ninth frame. GCL Twins 5, GCL Red Sox 2 Box Score Nick Blackburn returned to the mound in a game for the first time since 2012. The right-hander has been rehabbing all season. In October, he had bone chips removed from his elbow. Then in January, he had wrist surgery. On Friday afternoon, he made a start for the GCL Twins. He went four shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked none and struck out four. He was replaced by Damian Defrank who worked the next four innings, giving up two runs on four hits. He struck out one and walked none. Miguel Gonzalez came on for the ninth and recorded his second save. He gave up one hit and struck out one. Jorge Fernandez led the offense. He went 3-4 with his first double. Jason Kanzler went 2-4 and stole his second base. Lance Ray’s rehab continued and he had a two-run double. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below.

It was a big day for Minnesota Twins’ second-round draft pick Ryan Eades. He agreed to terms with the Twins and will report to Elizabethton. The E-Twins have played the past two days without two of their catchers. Third-round pick Stuart Turner and ninth-round pick Mitch Garver flew to Wichita because they were two of the three finalists for the Johnny Bench Award for the nation’s top collegiate catcher. In a ceremony on Thursday night, Turner was named the winner of the award. Check out what happened in the Twins farm system Thursday:[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Rochester Red Wings 8, Indianapolis Indians 4 Box Score Vance Worley has appeared to be back on track. In his previous three starts, he had given up just one earned run in 23 innings. On this night, he improved to 4-3 but he gave up four runs on ten hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out six. Luis Perdomo got a three-inning save. He gave up just one hit and walked one while striking out three. Jeff Clement went 2-4 with his eighth double and his 13th home run. Antoan Richardson went 2-5. Aaron Hicks played seven innings, going 0-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. New Britain Rock Cats 2, Reading Phillies 9 Box Score The Rock Cats fell behind early and were unable to catch up. Virgil Vasquez started and gave up seven runs (3 earned) on ten hits in six innings. He walked one and strck out five. Cole Johnson struck out two in one perfect inning. Matt Summers gave up two runs on three hits in an inning. BJ Hermsen worked a perfect ninth. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 2-4 with his 21st double. Jordan Parraz went 2-4 with his fifth double. Miguel Sano hit his fourth homer for the Rock Cats. It was his 20th overall of the season. Ft. Myers Miracle 2, Jupiter 11 Box Score Taylor Rogers has been one of the most consistent starters in the Twins organization this spring, but he was due for a clunker. The left-hander gave up seven runs (4 earned) on seven hits in just four innings. He walked two and struck out one. Chad Rodgers went the next 2.2 innings. He gave up three runs on two hits and a walk, striking out two. Adrian Salcedo got the final four outs; he gave up one run on two hits. Jhon Goncales hit his 10th and 11th doubles in his four at bats. Jonathan Murphy went 2-3 with a walk. Cedar Rapids Kernels 9, Burlington Bees 0 Box Score The Kernels have come out of the All-Star break on fire. With the 9-0 win, the Kernels are now 7-0 since returning to action. Christian Powell was very good. He threw six shutout innings and gave up just one hit. He walked too many (five) and struck out four. Tyler Jones came on and recorded his fifth save. He gave up no runs on no hits and no walks. Jorge Polanco went 3-4 with his third home run. JD Williams was 3-5 with his fourth and fifth triples. Dalton Hicks went 2-5 with his 25th double. Niko Goodrum was 1-1 with four walks, scoring three times. Elizabethton Twins 6, Princeton 3 Box Score The E-Twins were able to pick up a win tonight. Josh Burris made another start. He gave up three runs (1 earned) on two hits and two walks in four innings. He struck out four. Andrew Ferreira struck out four in two scoreless innings, while giving up two hits. Ethan Mildren gave up one hit in a scoreless inning. Luis Nunez picked up his third save. He gave up two hits, walked two and struck out three in two shutout innings. Zach Granite led off and went 2-3. Javier Pimentel went 2-4 with his second double. Dereck Rodriguez went 2-4 and stole his third base. GCL Twins 4, GCL Orioles 7 Box Score Australian lefty Lewis Thorpe made his second start. In four innings, he gave up no runs on just one hit. He walked one and struck out eight. Sam Gibbons threw two shutout innings. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out two. Josh Guyer had a really rough one: he recorded just one out, but was charged with seven runs (6 earned) on four hits and a walk. Jose Abreu went the final 2.2 innings. He gave up one hit, walked none and struck out three. Alex Swim went 2-4 with a double. Zach Larson was 2-4 with his second home run. Please feel free to comment or ask questions below.