Seth Stohs

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.

While members of 40-man rosters are unable to participate in spring training due to the owner’s lockout, things are certainly not quiet around the fields around Hammond Stadium in Ft. Myers. Normally as the calendar reaches late February, we start seeing photos and fun stories from Hammond Stadium. Your favorite Twins writers are writing feel-good articles about all the players who reported to camp in the Best Shape of their Life. We should be reading about how new parents enjoyed sleepless nights caring for their infants. We would be anxiously awaiting the Twins and Gophers playing an exhibition game on Friday night. Twins photographer Brace Hemmelgarn would be posting photos of the green grass, players smiling as they play catch and stretch. We would see pictures of players by the batting cages, and we would see video of pitchers throwing in the bullpen, many in slow-motion for good measure. In general, we should be seeing the sights and hearing the sounds of spring training. However, with the lockout, we have seen almost none of it. Unfortunately, we don’t know when we will have big-league spring training. However, the grass is quite green in Ft. Myers. The fields look immaculate, and over 100 Twins minor leaguers have already arrived and reported early to spring training. I have heard that as of Wednesday, only five players had not yet reported. The bullpens around Hammond Stadium and the back fields are being used daily. Infielders are taking ground balls. Outfielders are catching fly balls. Hitters are working in the indoor batting cages or out on the fields. RHP Yennier Cano throwing off the Hammond Stadium mound recently. Photo by William Parmeter. The team’s academy, built nearly a decade ago, has proven to be a great investment as it allows players to come to Ft. Myers early, get work in with some coaching, weight room time, and in a facility with a comfortable bed and three meals each day. In addition, it allows for the Twins to conduct mini-camps in the offseason. Twins Director of Player Development Alex Hassan said that this offseason provided some return to normalcy. He added, “We were able to run those camps starting – we started Jan. 17 – and we were able to run those programs.” At the mini-camp in January, there were 35 players, with some catchers to catch bullpens. Most pitchers were shut down completely and had thrown very little since the end of the instructional league. Instead of showing up in late February and trying to ramp up within a month, they start at the mid-January camp, working on things while ramping up to be ready to start their season. While we are now two years removed from a lost season for minor league pitchers, the reality is that it could affect pitchers beyond just 2021. It’s something that the organization is thinking about all the time. “I think the injury front last year was a tough thing across the league. If you look at injuries on a global level they were really elevated. It's certainly on our minds. We're trying to take as responsible an approach as we can to those guys but ultimately, we want to get them healthy and on the mound and recoup some of that work that they missed.” Hassan continued, “It is a balance there, listening to the player and trying to monitor them in every way you can, from an assessment standpoint, from a strength standpoint, from a mobility standpoint, where they're at. Build them up responsibly and try and have them get on the mound and pitch because that is ultimately what we need them to do. We're going to try to be as measured as we can and make sure we're doing everything we can to get those guys healthy.” It will remain something to watch heading into 2022, and even beyond. Hassan did mention that Luis Rijo has reported. He had Tommy John surgery late in the season last year and will be delayed. Tyler Beck was on an episode of Twins Spotlight shortly after last season and we learned (by the video and then by his words) that he had Tommy John surgery right after the season too. There was once a perception that the Twins pitcher development focus was in creating cookie-cutter pitchers with a pitch-to-contact mentality. If that was true, and it certainly was at least exaggerated, the current pitcher development is completely the opposite. As we know, the Twins now have the most current technology and analytics and use it with each player to develop their own improvement plans. And at these pitching camps, they are working with the coaches and coordinators on specific skills. Hassan said, “There was certainly a huge skill focus, but as we all know, issues for pitchers can be wide-ranging, whether it's command work to get in the zone more often. Or if you don't miss enough bats, understanding why that is. Is it a velocity issue? Is it a pitch movement issue? Is it a usage issue? Certain guys, for health reasons, are working on certain things delivery-wise, trying to lessen some stress on their arms or just throughout their delivery. There were, and I think, as we've shifted over the years, it's certainly become more individualized based on what the pitcher's need is and what the greatest area for impact is.” For me, that is the most exciting thing I am looking forward to, which pitchers will make their MLB debuts, and which unknown pitching prospects will take a leap like Josh Winder. BIG LEAGUE COACHING Rocco Baldelli and his big-league coaching staff are in Ft. Myers. They are at the facilities five days a week until their spring training starts. They can be seen at times on the fields working with minor leaguers, or simply getting an opportunity to see some of these players work, make some introductions and just be seen and available. At the same time, that group is having their own meetings, allowing them to get to know some of the new coaches such as Jayce Tingler, David Popkins, Hank Conger, and Luis Ramirez. HAMMOND STADIUM BOARDWALK OPEN, TICKETS AVAILABLE If you are interested in heading to Ft. Myers for spring training once big-league games start, you will note that the Hammond Stadium Boardwalk is in the process of being reinforced and is expected to be completed before spring training games. The reinforcement is an agreed-upon, safe interim solution as the county and its partners work toward a final plan for the Boardwalk. For Twins ticket sales, including on the Boardwalk, go to www.twinsbaseball.com or call 800-33-TWINS. As of right now, the Twins have 12 scheduled Grapefruit League home games. The first game is currently scheduled for March 6, though that is, of course, subject to change. ROSTER SIZES Last week, a report came out that the owners were proposing the elimination of more minor league players and roster spots. They wanted to limit the number of players on rosters between the Twins domestic affiliates and a Reserve List to 150 players. Reportedly that is now off the table, but in case you were wondering, the Twins have 180 players rostered or on reserve lists in the States. Hassan noted, “We’ll try and make the best of those 180 players and try to help as many of those guys get to the big leagues as possible.” DOMINICAN ACADEMY Hassan reported that things are business as usual at the Twins Dominican academy. “Our signing class from the past year is there. Our players that are returning are on-site at the academy (doing) education work, strength and conditioning work, and we’re ramping up baseball work for spring training like we normally would.” The only thing they’re missing is an official start date. That will be determined by Major League Baseball. --------------------- At Twins Daily, we look to provide fans with more minor league content and information than you can find anywhere else, and that includes spring training. Be sure to check back often as there will be more stories and interviews in coming days. 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

Like Beckham, Robertson provides depth, nothing more... No one is signing a minor-league deal to make a team a World Series contender. Also, no idea when the lockout is going to be over, so they need players in St. Paul if Miranda and Lewis and other 40-man roster guys aren't able to play yet. And, it's always good to have depth.

I had Winder #8... But yes, I think if he's healthy, he could be up pretty quickly...

Those guys were the #1 overall picks in their drafts... huge difference in what the timelines are like between that and someone taken 39th overall. I don't care about Wallner's age. As mentioned, he missed the covid year and he missed 2+ months last year with a hamate bone surgery. They're all individual stories and that's OK. I personally don't care if a player gets called up at 21 or 26... it matters in prospect rankings to some degree, but it's just one factor. Doesn't really matter for how much of an impact the player can have. Exceptions to every rule.

My personal rankings... Miller: 13 Celestino: 18 Wallner: 26 Sands: 21 Varland: 19

Varland is from St. Paul. So, I think the answer is No, though I know they occasionally work out together in the in the offseason.

Just for full transparency and fun... here is where these guys ranked on my personal rankings: Emmanuel Rodriguez - 14 Blayne Enlow - 17 Spencer Steer - 20 Edouard Julien - 22 Steve Hajjar - 15

If anyone is interested, here is a podcast I was on a couple of days ago. About 55 minutes of Twins prospect talk. https://anchor.fm/bailey-srebnik/episodes/Florida-Prospect-Report-10--Minnesota-Twins-System-Spotlight-featuring-guest-Seth-Stohs-e1e331p

I guess I have my list... then I reach out to the others and ask them to just send me their Top 20 or Top 30. So no, aside from if any of them read my rankings, they wouldn't see any of the others.

I'll add where these guys ranked on my lists: Raya #10, Povich #12, Rosario #16, Gipson-Long #23, Strotman #24, Sabato #25, Urbina #27, Moran #28, Legumina #29, Cavaco #30, Vallimont #31, Encarnacion-Strand #32, Severino #35, Soularie #36,

Yeah, I would say that Player Development's ability to get extra velocity and better plan for pitching puts a lot of these guys above guys from ten years ago, from a prospect standpoint. This is a vote of 11 people... if you recall last month, I finished up my rankings. Personally, I have Raya and Povich much higher... maybe 10 and 12 overall. But I guess I didn't convince our other writers and ballot-filler-outers...