Seth Stohs

I love it. To me, that's the biggest way to improve pace of play... hitters can stay in the box. Pitchers can catch and throw. That said, I think that the 14 seconds is really fast... I'd be fine with just a flat 20 seconds for all pitches. Keep the game rolling.

Think about this... Jason Kubel, as a prospect, was touted as being able to "hit for average like Mauer with the power of Morneau." He was getting there too before the devastating injury. Still have a nice career, but absolutely... what could have been. David McCarty was supposed to be a sure thing, the replacement for Hrbek when he would retire, but able to play the OF until then. He had a decent career after leaving the Twins but never became a star. Do you remember he was given an opportunity as a lefty reliever too?

Not at all... That said, there were pitchers who didn't want him in the field when he was pitching too. the defense was that bad.

I would think he would start at AA regardless. Let the veteran pitch those AAA innings. He needs to be in AA and he's such a big prospect, they're going to make those decisions on what's best for him, not roster needs, etc.

The Twins acquired Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for All-Star Jose Berrios last July. Just 21, Woods Richardson is looking forward to a “normal” season in 2022. Last week, Simeon Woods Richardson spoke to Twins media about coming to the Twins and the circuitous baseball journey that he hopes and believes will take him to Target Field. The New York Mets drafted Simeon Woods Richardson in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of high school in Sugar Land, Texas. He split the remainder of that season between two Mets rookie-level teams. In 2019, he made 20 starts for their Low-A affiliate and went 3-8 with a 4.25 ERA. However, he had 97 strikeouts and just 17 walks in 78 1/3 innings. He had been promoted to High-A St. Lucie and spent three days in their uniform when he found out that he was traded from the Mets to the Blue Jays organization in a trade for Marcus Stroman. He headed to High-A Dunedin, where he made six more starts in 2019. Still just 18, he held his own. He went 3-2 with a 2.54 ERA. In 28 1/3 innings, he had 29 strikeouts and just seven walks. Then came 2020. The minor league season was lost to the Covid pandemic. While he wasn’t on the 40-man roster, the Blue Jays had him spend the summer at the team’s alternate site. While he never was considered for a call-up to the big leagues, he was getting valuable work with older, more veteran players. As strange as the 2020 season was, 2021 might have been even more strange Woods Richardson. Just 20, and with just six High-A starts on his belt, he was pushed up to Double-A New Hampshire for the start of the season. He made 11 starts for the Fisher Cats. He went 2-4 with a 5.76 ERA. However, in his 45 1/3 innings, he struck out 67 batters (13.3 K/9). Unfortunately, after averaging about two walks per nine innings previously, he walked 5.2 per nine in those 11 starts (26 batters). However, at that point, he joined Team USA and headed to Tokyo, Japan, for the Olympics. While he didn’t pitch in a game, he enjoyed the experience and took advantage of the opportunity to be a teammate of several major-league veterans on the roster. Edwin Jackson, David Robertson, Homer Bailey, and John Jay were some MLB veterans on the Team USA roster. “We had a bunch of guys that were at your disposal for knowledge. So I took that time just to be a sponge. I was the youngest player there. Take that time. Be a sponge. Ask questions. Pick their brains. Be on the field with them. See how they operate. See how they move. See how they get ready for their day. Just take from them and learn from them.” Just days after fellow Olympic teammate and part-time roommate Joe Ryan was traded to the Twins while he was in Japan, Simeon Woods Richardson got a late-night (or early morning) phone call too. He recalled last week, “I get a call at like 3:30 in the morning. Something told me to answer it. I'd normally just roll back over and go to sleep and answer it in the morning. Turned out to be the GM for the Blue Jays talking about the trade. So, I had to call the family, make some moves back in the States while in Japan, get my life situated over there, and when we got back, hit the ground running.” He came back to the States, silver medal around his neck, and took some time to pack up in New Hampshire and get to the Wichita Wind Surge, the Twins Double-A affiliate. After reporting, the Twins put him on the Wichita ‘development roster.” Essentially, after not pitching for so long, the Twins could have their coaches work bullpens with him while he was rebuilding arm strength. He came back and made four starts for the Wind Surge before the season’s end. It’s no surprise, but when he was asked last week for his goals for 2022, he responded. “Honestly, the goal this year is fewer walks, more strikeouts definitely. Making it to the big leagues this year is definitely a big goal of mine. Wherever I start out, it’s where you finish, and that’s been my goal ever since I started playing this game. That will never stop being a goal. Mechanically, I know myself better than I did last year, know my game better than I did last year, know everything that I can do to help the team win. That’s kind of the goals for this year.” While he is engaging, personable, and fun-loving off the mound, he finds a different tone when pitching. “Competitive. Aggressive. Four-plus pitches and can throw them at any time in the count. Just aggressive. Competitor. Fast tempo.” And, that last point is exciting. His average time between pitches has been about 15 seconds. In recent years, the fastest workers in the big leagues have come in at 20 seconds. It’s great for the pace of play, but it’s also great to keep his fielders on their toes. Away from the baseball field, Woods Richardson has an excellent perspective. As with most good advice we get in our lives, it comes from our moms. He said, “My mom told me this at a young age. ‘Baseball is a big part of your life, but it’s not you.’ It clicked for me.” For Simeon, those non-baseball interests include, “I love cooking. I love drawing. I love driving around seeing countryside hills. I love traveling.” What does he cook? "Depends what you want, man. If you want some really good Asian food, some barbecue, Italian, Mexican, street food, it just depends, man. Just depends." As for travel, he and his girlfriend made trips to Mexico, Las Vegas, and then to Disney World. As much as he enjoyed that time in the offseason, he’s excited to be back to work. He reported to Ft. Myers for the team’s pitching camps in mid-January and went right to work. “It was mainly mechanics, cleaning up some stuff from last year, seeing if I could get everything in the zone, cleaning up swing-and-miss stuff, just cleaning up little stuff for the season. It helped tremendously. I’m glad I went to that camp because I do see progress. I do see me going in the right direction, and we’re only going up from here, so I’m glad to go in there and get some early work, get some feedback from those guys, some good one-on-one time.”: What kind of feedback has he heard from teammates after bullpens or Live BP sessions? “Pretty much everybody’s telling me it’s hard to pick up some certain things, which is great on my end because I’ve really been working on that. Mechanically I’ve been working on a bunch of stuff, watching video, watching film, watching everything. It’s starting to all click again, so I’m pretty happy.” As for joining a second new team, Woods Richardson has the personality to thrive. “You go to the new team, and you’re pretty much telling your whole life story over again to a different set of guys. You’re describing yourself pretty much all over again.” And, after what can only be described as an interesting baseball journey, Simeon Woods Richardson looks forward to a sense of normalcy, as all baseball fans do. After the trades, the pandemic, the Olympics, and other obstacles, he remains focused on that ultimate goal of pitching - and pitching well - in the big leagues. What are your hopes for Simeon Woods Richardson in 2022 and going forward with the Twins? MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook, or email — More Twins Daily content on Simeon Woods Richardson. View full article

I'm sure all the NDSU fans won't mind being called SDSU twice in here... Right?

Well, if we have readers from any of the Minnesota colleges and who want to blog about that team, that would be fantastic. As for this tournament... a guy I played ball with in high school played for the Gophers from like 91-94, played for Team USA and spent a few years in minor league ball. Anyway, my family went down to the Dome to watch a day (at the time, I think it was the Dairy Queen Classic) to watch him play. I remember watching Georgia Tech, and they had Jason Varitek and Nomar Garciaparra... and I think Jay Payton. I think maybe Arkansas was another team and they had some players too. It's a ton of fun.

For Transparency's sake... here are our votes... Based on this, you can see why I would rank guys like Marco Raya and Cade Povich as the picks to click.

Julien Timeline (Potentially): Finish 2022 in Wichita, whether he spends the full year there or gets another 6-8 weeks in Cedar Rapids first. November 2022 - added to 40 man roster. 2023 - most of the season at AAA, but could be up late in the year or early 2024. I really like Palacios as a solid defensive shortstop and #9 hitter (who could eventually be a little more than that)... The Twins really seem to believe in his defense. As they have signed the likes of Beckham, Robertson and Soto, it makes me think that Palacios at SS could be a possibility.

I think if he's be an "adequate outfielder" that would be good... and he's not really a contact hitter. He had 144 Ks last year. But, yes, the on-base skills are real. .400 OBP in MLB would be tough!

There were several breakout performances throughout the Twins minor league system in 2021, but Edouard Julien’s delayed debut was as impressive as it gets. He’s looking to continue to build on that success in 2022. In 2019, Edouard Julien was set to go back to Auburn University. He had just helped the team to the College World Series and had two years of eligibility remaining. The Twins took a flyer on him in the 18th round of the draft. When they had some extra draft dollars available, they offered him fourth-round money, and Julien decided to sign. Soon after, he left Twins camp with Jordan Balazovic to participate in the Pan-Am Games in Lima, Peru. In a Twins Daily interview last May, he said, “First practice there, we were doing cuts-and-relays. I cut a ball from right field and tried to throw it to home plate. It just flew to the right, and I heard a pop in my elbow. I knew something happened to my arm.” When he got back to Florida, an MRI showed a tear in his UCL. He quickly had Tommy John surgery and started the rehab process. He may have made his pro debut sometime in the middle of the 2020 season, but as we know, the pandemic caused the cancellation of the minor league season. So it wasn’t until 2021 that Edouard Julien was able to make his professional debut. “It was special. I had goosebumps. I was stressed. I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I was ready to go and attack and play the best baseball I can.” Julien has had a chance to look back at that 2021 debut season and realize just how well he played. The Quebec native started the season with 47 games in Ft. Myers. He hit .299/.490/.456 (.946) with 12 doubles and three homers. He also stole 21 bases in 23 attempts after stealing just ten bases in two seasons and 127 games. He was then promoted to Cedar Rapids, where he played in 65 games and hit .247/.397/.494 (.891) with 16 doubles, 15 home runs, and 13 stolen bases. In 112 total games, he led all minor league baseball with 110 walks. “It's always been part of my game to have a good eye and to swing at good pitches and not chase out of the strike zone. But I'd say this year I took it to another step. I was more focused on what I wanted, and my approach was more defined. I knew what I wanted to hit and what I didn't want to hit. I knew my strength a little bit more.” In the Low-A Southeast Division (formerly the Florida State League), they used the electronic strike zone in 2021. There were certainly mixed reviews on it by those involved in those games. Julien didn’t seem to mind it. “It was the first time playing with a strike zone that's consistent like that. You know, with the umpires sometimes, they give calls to the pitcher, or they give calls to you. So it's different. And with the automatic strike zone, you get the same thing every day. So I kind of liked it for me.” Offensively, Julien is filled with potential. He had a strong approach. He knows the strike zone well. He can hit for power, and he uses the whole field. Yes, he will want to strike out less (144 K in 2021), but that’s what this whole player development thing is for, right? Defense is where there are some question marks, but he is self-aware and spent the offseason working on it. “I'd say over this offseason, I worked a lot on my defense because I think that's one of my weaknesses here. I try to be a little more consistent defensively. I try to add on to everything. I try to have more power, have more contact, be faster, I try to be a little bit of everything. But like I said, I worked mainly on my defense and my arm." Between Ft. Myers and Cedar Rapids in 2021, Julien played 39 games at second base, 23 at third base, 21 at first base, and 18 at left field. “I'd say my natural position is second base. I'm starting to learn left field. I think I'm more of a second baseman and left fielder, and I can play some first and third. I can fill in a little bit everywhere, but I'd say I'm more natural at second and in left field.” Don’t worry, though. Julien is still working on offense, and his approach, something he thinks will be important as he moves up the minor-league ladder. “Sometimes, I was getting caught up during the season of being too patient and letting good pitches go. I think that's one of the adjustments I'm trying to make this year to be more aggressive early and challenge, and when I get my pitch, to go for it. Whenever you go up a level, the pitching gets better, and the mistakes, they don't (make as many), and I'm aware of that. And so I'm going to be a little bit more aggressive,” UNIQUE PATH Julien grew up in Quebec City. Not exactly a baseball hotbed. He said, “It's hard because in Canada, the biggest sport is hockey, and in the summer, it's soccer now. There's not a lot of baseball players. There's not a lot of people that come back home to watch us play. We only play two months of the year, so it's pretty hard to get visibility.” But Julien joined the likes of fellow Twins prospects such as Landon Leach and LaRon Smith on the Canadian junior team. They would head to the States regularly for tournaments and other events. That is where he gained his visibility. He was the Phillies 37th round pick in the 2017 draft. Instead of signing, he accepted a scholarship to Auburn. He was headed to the SEC. For Julien, it was a significant adjustment on so many levels. “It's been a pretty big adjustment. I'd say the biggest one was the different language because back home, I don't speak English. So I got to Alabama. I couldn't speak English, only French. So it was pretty hard at first in my classes. And the food's different. How people act is different. So I had to acclimate to everyone. And it was a big, big change.” So aside from the ‘normal’ educational opportunities, Julien learned a lot more with the help of his teammates and roommates. “I learned my English from them, and I went to them every day. They taught me everything, like what to eat what not to eat in Alabama. The food was different. I had to acclimate to that because we eat very differently back home. And how you talk, too, because I used what my friends were saying to me. So it's not always the best word to say around coaches. So I had to learn a lot. I learned a lot in Alabama.” But jumping from Canadian secondary school, even with his time on the junior national team, to the SEC, the best conference in college baseball is a huge undertaking. It was a big adjustment for Julien too. “I saw a little bit of pitching and some velocity, but I'd say the biggest step for me when I got to college is that the guys are so much more polished. They throw a lot of offspeed and a lot of offspeed in the zone. They have plans against you. It's not just to go out there and play. They play to win. They try to get you out. I think that was the biggest adjustment I had to make -- to make adjustments against pitchers, to read what they're trying to do with me.” Like his adjustment to college life in Alabama, Julien made the adjustments on the diamond look easy too. In 62 games played as a freshman, he hit .275/.398/.556 (.954) with seven doubles and 17 home runs. His 69 RBI broke the freshman record previously set by Frank Thomas. He came back for his sophomore season in 2019. In 65 games, he hit .259/.388/.453 (.841) with 14 doubles and ten homers. It was a bit of a drop-off, but he (along with fellow Twins prospect Will Holland) led the Auburn Tigers to the College World Series. Then pro ball. “And to go pro ball was a different world, too. And everybody's trying to make it to the highest level, and it's fun to be around here and to be part of that.” When he signed with the Twins, he was one of few that spoke French. By that point, his English was approaching, if not fluent. Spanish? “I used to go to a high school where it was Spanish. Since I came here with all of the Latin players, I picked it up pretty quick. I understand a lot of Spanish, and I speak a lot of it. I'm not trilingual, but I'm close to it.” Well-rounded offensive game. Development of potential defensive versatility. What are you looking for from Eduardo “Eddy” Julien in 2022, and what do you think his future potential can be? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. View full article

In his professional debut in the Florida Complex League, Chase Petty only tossed five innings after the Twins used their first-round draft pick on the New Jersey prep star. Find out what he’s learned since being drafted and what he’s looking forward to in 2022. With the draft in July last year, the Twins had their drafted pitchers report to Ft. Myers and then take time away from throwing. In that time, they learned more about nutrition and weight lifting programs. They threw some bullpens, in large part, just to have some baseline analytics using their technology. In doing so, they could learn more about themselves and develop a plan for their offseason. Actual innings pitched were not important. Starting the process of development is the most important thing. Chase Petty threw just five total innings for the FCL games over two starts, but he did a lot of learning. He said, “It was new for sure. It was a lot better competition, obviously, coming from high school baseball, especially from New Jersey baseball. It was definitely a big difference. But it was fun. I really enjoyed it. All the guys here are very supportive of you.” He continued, “Really just being a professional baseball player and cleaning up everything off the field and on the field. Just having the mindset of a big-leaguer because that's the goal, that's the dream, and succeed even there. Really this offseason was developing that mindset that this is going to be a grind, and you really have to prepare yourself for it. I'm ready for it.” Petty ended last season at the Instructional League and went back home to Summer Pointe, New Jersey. He trained in nearby Pleasantville at the Baseball Performance Center with Phillies Triple-A pitcher Mike Adams. He has worked at the facility since his freshman year of high school. Fellow Twins pitching prospect Sean Mooney also works out there. Earlier this week, Minor League Director Alex Hassan noted that they are fully aware of the facility and the coaches and trust their work. He also noted, "Chase really has impressed us with his ability to be routine-oriented for a high school player.” He continued, “Normally on the high school front, you’re really trying to emphasize routine in the training room or weight room or just on the field in terms of catch play and things you’re working on. He had a lot of that coming in, which has really stood out and been impressive.” Hassan says that Petty has been impressive on the field too. “I’ve heard the perception among high school players who throw hard that they just want to go out there and blow it out, and it’s a spectacle to see how hard he can throw, but I think he’s got more touch and more feel than that typical profile. He threw strikes in the very, very brief appearances he had in the FCL. In Instructs, he continued to fill up the zone. We’ll continue to work on that.” When drafted, we read a lot about Petty touching 102 or 103 mph with his fastball at times. That certainly can be a concern, but he and the Twins understand the bigger picture. Petty says that last year in games, he was consistently throwing 94 to 97 mph and touching 99 mph at times, and that’s where he would like to be in 2022. “Around there would still be ideal, but at the end of the day, it's all about getting outs and still performing. So doing what I have to do, whether that's velo up, or kind of dominating with my secondary pitches, that's what I'll have to do to become an all-around better pitcher.” To do that, he is working with the pitching coaches and coordinators to clean up some of his mechanics. He said, “It's really cleaning up things that need to be cleaned up whether that is the arm path, whether that is the arm angle, and kind of making sure things are where they need to be to prevent injuries and stay as healthy as possible.” His spring training roommate can certainly help talk him through that conversation. Marco Raya was the Twins’ fourth-round pick in 2020 out of high school in Texas. He did not pitch in 2021 due to a shoulder injury. However, he arrived at Instructional League healthy and hitting 97-99 mph at times. In my personal Twins prospect rankings, I have Chase Petty at #9 and Marco Raya at #10. Petty also ranked ninth in the Twins Daily rankings, while Raya was listed among the Honorable Mentions. Both understand that big-league hitters can hit a triple-digit fastball, so they know they need to keep working on secondary pitches. When the Twins drafted Petty, he talked about having 4-5 pitches and working on others. The Twins have worked with him and helped him focus his early-career attention on thinking long-term. Petty said, “We worked a lot with analytics here, and we’ve done a lot with perfecting our craft and perfecting the things that play the most. So we really just perfected the sinker, the changeup, and the slider for right now, and once those three are where they need to be, we’ll start working on the fourth, and hopefully, they’re on, and we’ll keep going. Right now, it’s really just perfecting what we need to perfect right now to get to where we need to be long term.” Long-term. It’s a great concept, and Chase Petty won’t even turn 19 years old until April 4th, so he and the Twins need to be patient. Last summer, the Twins made him a multi-millionaire, but let’s not forget that this is his first real job. This is the first time he’s lived away from home for an extended period. It’s the first time he’s lived in a dorm or had a roommate. Asked about Petty, Matt Canterino said, “I mean, the stuff’s electric. It’s really, really cool to watch, and I’m 24 now. What is he, 18 still? It’s just incredible. I can tell you I was nowhere near the stuff that he has, and it’s really impressive. I guess if I had to say like one thing - once again, I’m 24, he’s 18 - and I know that if I look back at that pitcher, I was at 18, where I am now, not just like how I’ve developed, but like what I throw now and my mentality and stuff on the mound, it’s two completely different people. It’s not even just from five years ago to now. It’s like from two years ago, three years ago to now. So I think most of the stuff that I would tell him would just be, ‘Be open to new things. Keep working. Listen to what everybody has to say, not necessarily do everything that everybody tells you to do but be open about that stuff. It will be really cool to see how you evolve as a pitcher and as a person.” Sage advice indeed. Be patient, and yet get to work. Petty arrived with the first group of pitchers in mid-January. He said, “Really just got here to get to work and to get after it. We had early camps, and me and Marco (Raya), and Louie Varland, we really worked heavy together in that camp. We really got after it together there.” Petty noted that he grew up in Millville, New Jersey, and a 10-minute drive north takes you to Vineland, New Jersey. Hispanics comprise about 35% of the town’s population, so Petty got to know a little Spanish in elementary school and Little League from just hanging out with his friends. He feels very fortunate to have Marco Raya, who speaks fluent Spanish, as his roommate for many reasons, including that he teaches him some Spanish. He wants to continue to learn and be able to better communicate with his teammates from Latin America. Well, that and he wants to know what they’re saying when they think he doesn’t understand. As for his 2022 goals, he keeps it pretty simple. He is working as a starter and building up strength and innings. But he noted, “Obviously (I want) to have the best season possible for myself and move up the ranks as much as I possibly can, whether that be finishing the season in Low-A, High-A, wherever that may be. Just pushing myself to have the best season I possibly can.” He doesn’t know where he’s going to start the 2022 season. It certainly wouldn’t hurt him to start the season in Extended Spring Training and continue to build him up, but indications are that he will begin the 2022 season with the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels. There are a lot of reasons to be excited about right-hander Chase Petty. He has a big arm with velocity and secondary pitches. He’s shown pretty good control. He has a good head on his shoulders and has really taken to instruction. So what are your overall thoughts on the Twins taking Petty with their late, first-round pick in 2021, and what do you hope to see from him in 2022? Share your thoughts below. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook, or email View full article

Love it! Look forward to more updates!

The lockout continues. Most Twins minor leaguers have reported to Ft. Myers for spring training, and there are some unique roster situations and issues from most years. Then again, the past couple of seasons have been a bit wild too. In March of 2020, Twins minor leaguers had just reported to Ft. Myers for spring training. Then the Covid pandemic showed up, minor leaguers were sent home, and eventually, the minor league season was canceled. Players scrambled, not knowing if or when they could get back to southwest Florida. The minor league coaches and coordinators were trying to work with the minor league players, checking in on their work each week, zoom calls to have conversations on how to progress. Sure, some top prospects got to do some work at the Twins alternate site in St. Paul that summer, but very few. There was no Arizona Fall League, but fortunately, at least some of the team’s prospects were able to travel to Ft. Myers for an instructional league camp. Let’s jump to February of 2021. Major League spring training started on time, but there were no guarantees of a minor league season. Big league camp was comprised of those on the 40-man roster, the non-roster invitees, and a group at “development camp.” Those players worked just like usual, and they were the players brought to spring training games to work the innings and get the at-bats after the starters got their work in. The minor league season was delayed. Instead of reporting to Ft. Myers and officially starting camp in early March, they reported by April 1st. That allowed the major-league players and team to vacate the facilities and the minor leaguers to enter. Again, there was an “alternate” site in St. Paul, so several minor league veterans and players could be called up to the Twins on short notice (and many were because of injuries and a mini-Covid situation in April). The minor league season started on May 5th, but even that had a completely different feel. MLB spent the previous offseason eliminating several minor league teams from affiliated status. The PDCs (Player Development Contracts) were essentially torn up, and new affiliations were made. Those teams each signed 10-year PDCs. After two decades in Rochester, New York, the Twins' new Triple-A affiliate was the St. Paul Saints. It was an excellent move for the Twins and the players who often found themselves (and their families) moving up and down from Triple-A to the big leagues. After a year with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos as their Double-A affiliate, the Twins now call the Wichita Wind Surge their new Double-A affiliate. The city had just completed a state-of-the-art stadium and facilities on the river, and it was a great situation for the Twins. Now the Twins maintained the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels as their A-Ball affiliates. However, they switched places. Cedar Rapids was “promoted’ to High-A while the Mighty Mussels were now the team’s Low-A affiliate. Cedar Rapids has been a terrific affiliate for the Twins. They are in close proximity to the Twin Cities but also reasonably close to Wichita. With the Twins minor league and spring training complex in Ft. Myers, it made sense to have the Mighty Mussels be the next rung up as there are several promotions and demotions at that level. However, the Twins lost their affiliation with the Advanced-Rookie level Elizabethton Twins. The Appalachian League was changed to a college wood bat league, and the team changed it's name from the Twins to the River Riders. It was disappointing for several reasons, none more than that they had been a Twins affiliate for 45 seasons. But that did create some challenges. Elizabethton was where high school picks or international signings would usually go in their second pro season after playing in the GCL. It was also an excellent place for players drafted out of college to make their professional debut. Without Elizabethton, the next step up the organizational ladder was Ft. Myers. And while that “jump” is just across the parking lot in Ft. Myers, the quality of play can be vastly different. It is a lost level for development. While college players can more easily make that jump, it is a giant leap for a high school player like Keoni Cavaco or a top international signing like Misael Urbina. Recently, Twins Director of Player Development Alex Hassan discussed how the loss of Elizabethton altered what was done in 2021, and they will likely take what they learned a year ago into the 2022 season. “It's certainly changed the dynamic, especially how you think about that level. Misael Urbina is probably a good example of that, too, where he went last year, and it felt like a stretch, but he didn't have other options. I think it has really re-framed the way we're looking at some of those things. In terms of the Low-A level, in terms of guys in that class that are high school players, in some ways, you might think about that as a two-year (level) depending upon performance, but more of a two-year level than you probably have in the past where if guys performed OK or at a decent level, you've gone year to year moving up each level. I do think that's one way we're trying to think about it. If a guy repeats that level, it maybe will become more of the norm than not for that class of player.” If you are wondering, I think it is fair to say that Misael Urbina will repeat at Low-A. It is also a challenge in the Florida Complex League (FCL, formerly the GCL). There are all the players who have remained at “Extended Spring Training.” They bring over several players from the Dominican Republic. Additionally, the players drafted that summer report and filled up roster spots. In other words, it can be challenging to get enough at-bats or innings pitched for all of those players. “I think it has just forced us to think about those levels a tick differently and trying to get creative in the ways that we can get guys work and not overreact to performance in the short term.” This brings us to 2022, a third straight weird season for minor leaguers and player development staff. With the lockout, and the inability for 40-man roster players to participate in minor league spring training, the organization has had to add players. But Hassan takes it all in stride, noting it’s much easier than wondering if you were going to even have a season. Twins' former Minor League Director, Brad Steil, is now the team's Director of Player Procurement. He works with the pro scouts. The information his group gathers can be used in trade discussions, but in the offseason, signing minor league free agents based on their feedback is essential. Understanding that several players on the 40-man roster would start the season in Double-A or Triple-A, they have added a few extra veteran minor league free agents for needed depth. Hassan said, “We certainly have plans throughout the offseason for bringing additional depth. There are still opportunities where we can continue to build our depth across our organization, and some of that will just continue as we go into Spring Training. I think just having clarity on the fact that we're going to start the Minor League season has been helpful and allowed us to plan a little bit further ahead than we were able to last year.” When spring training games start, the Twins can pull up players from the Complex roster to play at other levels or generally shift people around to fill rosters for those games. However, as the season approaches, they will have to continue to monitor their rosters and the lockout situation to determine if they need to sign more players. This issue is certainly not limited to the Twins. All 30 teams will have to work through their roster needs, particularly Triple-A. Rule 5 Draft? Potentially the strangest situation that player development staffs around the league face this year involves the Rule 5 draft. “I hope they just cancel it. That would be the best case. Maybe not. But yeah, it is weird. We have some eligible players, and they’re here, and we’re working with them to develop them as best we can. I don’t know what the plan is for that. But yeah, it’s weird. because normally it’s resolved, and you know who’s here and who’s not here.” Hassan continued, “Hope for the guys we have here, continue to work with those guys and develop those guys.” This feels like a good place to post a William Parmeter photo from spring training. Recently, Jordan Gore, who would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft was working a session on the Hammond Stadium mound. That is some impressive flow! Minor League Housing Maybe the best news to come out of the offseason relates to the minor leagues is that players will no longer have to pay for housing at minor league sites. Alex Hassan spent eight seasons in professional baseball, so he understands that struggle and stress. He said, “That’s something, first and foremost, that I am personally thrilled about. I couldn’t possibly be happier, taking that burden off the players. I remember back when I was playing, it was always an area of stress. Your lease. Short-term lease, first and foremost, which is tougher to find. Having to potentially break the lease and find new roommates. I think those are real challenges. And I couldn’t be happier that we’re taking that step.” Hasson praised the Complex and dorms in Ft. Myers. They have 54 rooms and three meals each day for the players and staff. That helps the FCL and the players on the Complete roster. The Cedar Rapids Kernels have long had a very strong host-family program to help its players. “Within the policy, you can use host families. There are certain criteria that have to meet in order to qualify for host family housing. In Cedar Rapids, I think we have one of the best host family programs in minor league baseball. We’re very fortunate on that front that players will continue to be able to use that opportunity in Cedar Rapids.” In both Wichita and St. Paul, the Twins have apartments for players. “Wichita is fully furnished, and it’s actually right across the street from the stadium. So it’s a really good setup in Wichita. And we have an apartment complex that we’re working with in St. Paul. The team is responsible for basically everything that goes into the apartment, providing bed and furniture and tables, forks and knives and linens, and cable and internet. The team provides all that stuff, and the players are not signing leases anywhere they’re staying.” A third straight “weird” year in the minor leagues and with player development is upon us. But we will have full schedules for the team’s four full-season affiliates. Players received a bump in pay a couple of years ago, but that still needs to improve significantly to put players above the poverty line. At this point, most minor league players are nowhere near that low floor. But getting their housing paid for is a big help as well. Conditions have improved some, and hopefully, improvements will continue. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

Appears this would be a good site to start the look... Maybe @Parker Hagemanknows a little something about it. https://www.prepbaseballreport.com/minnesota/commitments

I asked on Twitter and here are a bunch of names. Four at UNC Chapel Hill: Mac Horvath, Max Carlson, Alex Ritzer, Nick Argento (some kind of recent pipeline!) Five at Xavier: Ethan Bosacker, Teddy Deters, Miles Halligan, Carter Hendrickson, Justin Loer Will Rogers at ASU and Brett Bateman and UMN from Mounds View (and a bunch of the Gophers, and St. Thomas and NDSU and SDSU, I'm sure). Brady Posch at UN-Omaha from Sauk Rapids. Drew Gilbert Tennessee Fred Garvin

We might have to find a list or make a list of all Minnesotans at D1 schools... would be fun to keep up with them all.

Also #MinnesotaRepresent, and #FormerTwinsDraftPickRepresent and #FormerMisterBaseballWinner Drew Gilbert hit another big homer in Tennessee. Man, he's got a sweet swing.

Will Rogers, #MinnesotaRepresent

Big home runs in his debut weekend!!

I would imagine it's pretty much the same as normal. I believe everyone can be walking around the back fields. And, they usually start their stretch by about 9-9:30.