Theodore Tollefson

Michael Helman started his breakout last summer in Cedar Rapids. It continued in the Arizona Fall League, and he's taken it to a different level in 2022. After a strong start in Wichita, Helman has been impressive with the Saints. Recently, Twins Daily's Theodore Tollefson sat down with the Saints super utility player to talk about his hitting, fielder, and season so far. Michael Helman is not used to the frigid Minnesota cold which is why he was thankful to be called up the St. Paul Saints on May 31 instead of in April. Although he grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, the cold there never reaches the frigid temps it does in Minnesota. Helman was drafted by the Twins in the 11th round of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft as a second baseman out of Texas A&M. Now he finds himself playing almost every position as the Twins organization has developed him into a super utility player at both Double-A Wichita and Triple=A this season. Helman spoke on the shifts around to different positions as the season has gone on saying, “I always feel comfortable in the outfield. Third base, I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable there and actually starting to get some shortstop now [including tonight], which is just definitely new and I'm not opposed to trying every single position.” Last night, Helman played his first game at shortstop for the season. He has only played 15 games at the position professionally and while he is still making adjustments to the position, he is ready to take on the challenges ahead to become the super utility player he hopes to be. “I would say it's mainly just you're clocking in and field. At second base, I feel like I usually have a lot more time. Same with third base because everything's usually hit pretty hard. Shortstop is a little different, where you have to have good rhythm, timing, getting to the ball and getting it out quick,” said Helman. Current manager for Helman, Toby Gardenhire, spoke on the greatness of having him as a versatile utility player, "That's the goal with the way baseball is heading nowadays. To be able to put different guys in different positions on any given day based on who the pitcher matchups are and you see teams like the Dodgers do a really good job of that there. If you can get guys like Michael to play in the outfield, sometimes at the corner positions, you can do so many different things. All it does is help you out when you're trying to make out a lineup because, I can speak for example, when I'm making a lineup I don't really worry about where Helman or Soto are. I just worry about the rest of the guys and I figure out where we don't have a guy and then I put down Helman there, and that's a really nice thing about him." Along with covering every corner of the diamond, Helman has had his best season at the plate in 2022 too. In 77 total games this season, Helman is hitting .284/.370/.470 (.840) with 12 home runs, 39 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. Helman has attributed his hitting success this season and in 2021 to Twins Minor League Hitting Coordinator Bryce Berg. Berg has spent three seasons with the Twins organization, originally hired to be the Cedar Rapids Kernels hitting coach for the 2020 season. With that season canceled across the minor leagues due to COVID-19, Helman was able to get a lot of one-on-one mentorship with Berg that has shaped him into the hitter he is today. “Having 2020 off was kind of a big refresher because I just came off a tough year with the Miracle. Going into that spring training, I felt the best I've ever felt. When they ended up canceling the season that hurt. But at the same time, I built off what I was feeling and/or doing during that spring training and just worked out through 2020 with Bryce Berg, our hitting coordinator now. He had a lot of good things to help me with and everything just clicked,” said Helman. "Mike's journey was was pretty fun to work through. I think the best testament to him was just the fact that from a growth perspective, he was always open to grow. He was always open minded about new things, which was going to be really helpful for him, he came off of a season in 2019, where he got hurt. He's done a great job throughout his career of making contact, not striking out," said Berg on his experience mentoring Helman since 2020. Helman went into sharing the small details where he really felt helped with his hitting from Berg saying, “It was mainly timing with my swing and being able to get ready earlier in the box than I usually expected. Working with Bryce, I found I needed to have a more vertical swing path. We did a lot of drills that helped with that.” In addition to Berg, Helman has received mentorship from current teammates John Andreoli and Mark Contreras. Being around these two and other teammates with Big League experience has helped him grow a lot in his short time with the Saints. “I played with Mark before our time here. A lot of these guys I've played with earlier in my career, and it's just nice to have them around and be able to talk to them about certain things that they've seen coming up through the system. Mark talks to everybody, and he's shared everything on his time with the Twins this year. He's a great guy who loves to make friends around the clubhouse, and now he shares his experiences and I think it's definitely worthwhile to listen in.” The month and a half that Helman has spent on the Saints roster has been the longest amount of time he has spent in Minnesota in his life. He did make a trip up to the state as a kid for a softball tournament his sister participated in and made a stop at Mall of America during that time. Now, he’s becoming accustomed to the state and fully aware the warm weather won’t be around forever as his Saints teammates who played frigid games in April have reminded him. “I am from Nebraska. I’ve played in cold weather, snow and everything else there. But after going out to Texas for school and coming back, I mean, I don't know what it’s like playing in the cold weather anymore.” No matter how the weather is on game days for the remainder of the season, Helman is excited to see what comes his way. Whether it's trying to play as many different positions in the field as possible, bringing his season totals at the plate to all-time career highs, or finally making his MLB debut. Helman has nothing but high hopes for the remainder of the 2022 season. View full article

I think the Marlins will only be sellers with relievers or bench players this trade deadline if it means they receive someone in return that could really help them push for a wild card spot next season. They still could possibly be a wild card team in 2022 but they have 30 games remaining against the Braves, Mets, and Phillies. Those three teams will certainly be more aggressive buyers than the Marlins at the deadline and could squash their chances of a wild card spot. Hence why I suggested Celestino or Gordon for Okert, as they are MLB ready and could be great additions for a playoff push in 2023.

The Twins' number one need as the trade deadline approaches is relievers. With much of the focus on high-leverage relievers from Twins Daily writers, one lefty reliever has not been discussed much in recent weeks. Maybe this is a guy who could pan out as a complement to Caleb Thielbar and Jovani Moran. The Twins bullpen has been an endless discussion for fans the last month or more. Aside from Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, almost every other Twins reliever has received criticism from the fan base. As the calendar has turned to July, some of the notorious Twins relievers who have struggled all season are beginning to turn this around. Tyler Duffey, for instance, has had 12 straight scoreless appearances including four games so far this month. Caleb Thielbar has improved from June, but his career trajectory is still showing he is not the same reliever he used to be. Thielbar has led the Twins in relief appearances this season with 38 could be an issue as the season goes on. In addition to all this, Thielbar has been the only lefty the Twins have consistently relied on in matchups this season. All other lefties, Jovani Moran, and Danny Coulombe, have combined for 23 games and none of them have had the chance to stay in the bullpen as long as him. The Twins bullpen is going to need another lefty reliever for the remainder of the season, one who can take some of the heavy load Thielbar has had to carry for the bullpen this year. One such option might just be closer to the homeland of Tony Oliva than he is to Minnesota right now. That man is Steven Okert of the Miami Marlins. Okert has been one of the sneaky good relievers in baseball the past two seasons. He had been away from the big leagues from 2019-20 after parts of three seasons with the Giants from 2016-18. The southpaw has been with the Marlins since the start of the 2021 season and has seen a resurgence in his career. Based on traditional pitching stats, Okert just might be the lefty the Twins need. This season, he has a 2.35 ERA in 36 relief appearances averaging 11 K/9, a .180 batting average on balls in play, and an overall opponent batting average of .158. What’s the potential downside with Okert? His control of the strike zone. He has a 2.33 K/BB ratio this season alongside a 5.03 FIP. Granted, Okert has only 16 walks in his 36 relief appearances so far this season, but he has done so in 28.2 innings pitched leading to a 4.7 BB per 9 rate. Does Okert's pitching arsenal correlate with his high walk rate? His go-to pitch is a slider, throwing it 70.1% of the time according to Baseball Info Solutions. The only other pitch Okert has thrown this season is his fastball, accounting for the remain 28.9% of his arsenal. The Twins are not unfamiliar with having pitchers with heavy slider usage in recent years; however, the slider-favored pitching coach, Wes Johnson, is gone and can't provide the same help in getting his strike zone control. Would Okert be another good lefty to compliment Thielbar the Twins could acquire this trade deadline? It’s possible. Okert is throwing better against hitters making contact against him than Thielbar as Thielbar has a .325 batting average with balls in play and overall opponents batting average .236. But Thielbar has better control of the strike zone as he has a 3.00 K/BB ratio and 3.47 FIP. The opposites that Okert and Thielbar are with their numbers presented could help provide a balance with left-handed relief options. Taking these things into consideration, the last factor to consider if Okert is worthwhile to pair up with Thielbar for the remainder of the season is age and contract status. Okert just turned 31 on July 9 and does not qualify for free agency until 2027 when he is 36. A trade for Okert could turn him into the next Thielbar with arbitration-friendly contract control until his mid 30’s. But having contract control for five more seasons could make Okert’s price tag high for Miami. The Marlins would likely want a player they need under team control for just as long or longer. There is a current Twins outfielder the Marlins may ask for in return for Okert that would be under contract with the team until 2028. And the Marlins do need an outfielder who is MLB ready for beyond 2022; that outfielder is Gilberto Celestino. Celestino is a fourth outfielder now with the Twins, and if he gets the opportunity to play every day, he could pan out to be a gold glover someday. Plus, Celestino has a higher OPS, .665, than two of the three everyday outfielders for the Marlins right now, Jesus Sanchez has a .649 OPS, and Avisail Garcia with a .594. But what if Miami would prefer a left handed hitting outfielder instead? The only one the Twins would be willing to provide out of the likes of Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach, Nick Gordon, and Matt Wallner for a reliver like Okert could be Gordon. Gordon enters free agency the same year as Celestino and the bar for achievement at the Major League level is lower than that of the three other left handed hitting outfielders listed. Would the Twins make this trade both for short and long-term relief help? Only time will tell, but Twins fans should keep an eye on Okert in the weeks to come View full article

The Twins avoided a sweep in Texas but only the Kernels joined their MLB counterparts in the victory column on Sunday afternoon. The Saints and Wind Surge found themselves in the loss column while the Mighty Mussels were rained out. TRANSACTIONS Fort Myers Might Mussels reinstated LHP Steve Hajjar from the 7-day injured list. Cedar Rapids activated LHP Brent Headrick from the Injured List. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Louisville 5 Box score SP: Dereck Rodriguez - 5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K HR: Caleb Hamilton (9), Curtis Terry (8) Multi-Hit games: Hamilton (2-4, R, HR, 2 RBI (31), K), Jermaine Palacios (2-4, R, 2B) The Saints wrapped up their second road trip to Louisville Sunday afternoon looking to split the series with the Reds Triple-A affiliate. Dereck Rodriguez was on the mound for the Saints and had a tough start as he allowed nine base runners on eight hits and a walk that turned into all five runs the Bats needed to win. Rodriguez did have six strikeouts for the afternoon and roughly two-thirds of his 94 pitches landed in the strike zone, even with two wild pitches in the afternoon. Through the first four innings of the game, the Saints were able to hold the lead thanks to two home runs, one from DH Caleb Hamilton and the other from first baseman Curtis Terry, both coming in the top of the fourth. The Bats were able to get a run back in the bottom of the fourth and the Saints responded in the top of the fifth with an RBI single from Hamilton that scored Elliot Soto. The bottom of the sixth was when the Bats retook their lead for the win and knocked Rodriguez out of the game scoring three runs on five hits. The Saints were able to escape more damage in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a diving double play started by Soto. St. Paul was unable to get any more runs and lost by a final score of 5-4. The loss brings the Saints overall record to 40-42 on the season. The Saints will return home Tuesday for a six-game series against the Toledo Mudhens which will feature former Twins prospect Akil Baddoo and former Twins reliever from the 2021 bullpen Derek Law. First pitch for Tuesday night’s opener is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. CT. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Amarillo 4 Box Score SP: Daniel Gossett - 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K HR: Matt Wallner (21), Andrew Bechtold (10) Multi-Hit games: Wallner (3-5, R, HR, RBI (59)), Cole Sturgeon (2-3, R, BB, CS) Wichita completed the first half of a 12-game homestand with a loss in their series finale against the Amarillo Sod Poodles. Daniel Gossett made his fourth start since being sent down to Wichita from the Saints and held his own. Gossett allowed six hits, including one homer, through six innings but kept the Sod Poodles at two runs with five strikeouts. Twins future All-Star selection Matt Wallner carried the Wind Surge offense Sunday afternoon. Wallner led off the bottom of the first with a home run for the Wind Surge to start the day and put them up 1-0. Wallner reached base twice more on singles and had an outfield assist in the top of the third throwing out a runner at home to end the inning. Going into the top of the ninth, the Wind Surge held a 3-2 lead and looked to finish the game in their favor. The lead-off hitter was hit by a pitch. Amarillo rallied with two outs in the top of the ninth with a walk and a double to give themselves a 4-3 lead. Wichita was unable to score in the bottom of the ninth. The loss brings the Wind Surge record to an even 40-40 through 80 games on the season. The Wind Surge begin their next series at home on Tuesday against Arkansas with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 4 Box Score SP: Brent Headrick 4 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K HR: Christian Encarnacion-Strand (18), Wander Javier (8) Multi-Hit Games: Jake Rucker (2-4, R, K, CS), Kyler Fedko (2-5, R, 2 RBI (25), K) Cedar Rapids completed their latest homestand with a series victory with four wins in six games over the Quad Cities River Bandits. The Kernels won 6-4 over the River Bandits on Sunday thanks to the power of Christian Encarnacion-Strand and multi-hit games from Jake Rucker and Kyler Fedko. Brent Headrick was on the mound for his 14th start of the season. The lefty had a shortened start of four innings on Sunday, but only made one mistake in his outing with a home run given up to River Bandits catcher Luca Tresh. Aside from the homer, Headrick dominated, striking out five on 42 pitches with 31 strikes. Entering the bottom of the third, the Kernels were down 1-0. In the bottom of the fourth, they scored four runs. The big hit was Encarnacion-Strand’s two-run home run. There was also a bases-loaded walk from Charles Mack. This gave the Kernels a 4-1 lead that they maintained until the top of the fifth when the River Bandits scored one more to make it a 4-2 game. In the top of the eighth, the River Bandits tied the game up 4-4 on an RBI single from shortstop Tyler Tolbert. The Kernels answered in the bottom half of the inning on Wander Javier’s eighth homer of the season and an RBI single from Kyler Fedko. The Kernels improve their season record to 49-32, tied for the best record in the Midwest League with the Great Lakes Loons, the Dodgers High-A affiliate. Next series for the Kernels begins on the road against the Beloit Sky Carp Tuesday night with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CT. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers, Tampa Postponed The Mighty Mussels had their series finale against the Tampa Tarpons postponed due to rain on Sunday. The rainout was the second of the series for the Mighty Mussels in Tampa. Steve Hajjar, who was activated from the 7-Day IL Sunday, was set to start for the Mighty Mussels but will have his first start back from the IL on Tuesday against Clearwater. The Mighty Mussels return home Tuesday for a six game series against the Clearwater Threshers with first pitch set for 6:00 p.m. CT. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins off day. Resume Monday against FCL Orioles at 11 a.m. CT. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins off day. Resume Monday against DSL Dodgers Mega team at 10 a.m. CT TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Brent Headrick (Cedar Rapids) 4 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K Hitter of the Day – Matt Wallner (Wichita) (3-5, R, HR, RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 3-5, R, HR, RBI (59) #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-3, 2 BB, K #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, HR (18), 2 RBI (62), BB, K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS All Twins Minor League Affiliates are off on Monday and will resume their games on Tuesday, July 12. The only remaining minor league games on Mondays this season are for the Saints in September and DSL and FCL games. Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - TBD Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35 PM CST) - TBD Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - Steve Hajjar FCL Twins @ FCL Orioles (11:00 AM CST) - TBD DSL Dodgers @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games View full article

The Twins found a way to win their last of three against the Rangers in Texas Sunday afternoon. What could have ended as a sweep and the Twins first four-game losing streak of the season turned into a win thanks to home runs, errors, and some luck. Box Score SP: Dylan Bundy 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (77 pitches, 53 strikes (68.8 strike %) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (23), Ryan Jeffers (7) Top 3 or Bottom 3 WPA: Jose Miranda .197, Ryan Jeffers .111, Jorge Polanco .103 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) With Luis Arraez and Carlos Correa leading off the game for the Twins and getting out on 4 pitches combined. First-time all-star Byron Buxton came up with two outs and hit his 23rd home run of the season to put the Twins up 1-0. Max Kepler followed up Buxton with a double but Jorge Polanco could not get Kepler home to give Bundy an extra insurance run before he threw his first pitch. Bundy took advantage of the early lead with a scoreless first inning which included a strikeout and a hit surrendered to Corey Seager. In the top of the second, the Twins were able to add two more runs onto their lead thanks to lead off singles from Alex Kirilloff and Nick Gordon who were later driven in by Jose Miranda and Ryan Jeffers to make it 3-0 Twins. Rangers starter Dane Dunning then retired Arraez, Correa, and Buxton to get out of another jam. Bundy’s second inning of work was not as graceful as his first. He was able to get the first out with a Nate Lowe ground out, but Kole Calhoun singled to begin a rally that was followed by a Brad Miller single and Meibrys Viloria walk. All three Rangers scored after a bases-clearing double by third baseman Josh H. Smith to tie the game up 3-3. The Twins did get a run back in the top of the third with a base-loaded hit-by-pitch to Miranda which drove in Polanco. But again the Twins fell short of adding more runs to their re-secured lead making it a 4-3 game going into the bottom of the third. The top of the fourth ended with a double play hit by Kepler but the Twins bench did not agree with the call, especially considering the universally declared worst umpire in baseball, Angel Hernandez, made the call at first. After review, the out calls stood and the Twins had their first scoreless inning of the game. Bundy recovered from a bad second inning in the third and fourth. Bundy only allowed one runner in those two innings on another Miller single. Miller ended the fourth as he was caught stealing by Ryan Jeffers who threw out his second base runner of the series. The scoreless streak snapped in the fifth inning for Bundy. With one out Bundy gave up a walk to Smith which was followed by a Marcus Semien double. Smith was able to score on a sacrifice fly by Seager that tied the game at 4 even. More damage was averted as Bundy struck out Adolis Garcia to end the inning but the Twins bats had to break up another tied score to start the sixth. Only one hit would be needed to break the tie in the top of the sixth, as Ryan Jeffers drilled an opposite-field home run to right field to make it a 5-4 Twins lead. Bundy was finished after five innings as Caleb Thielbar was the first reliever out of the bullpen for the Twins Sunday. Thielbar had a scoreless sixth with one walk to keep the Twins 5-4 lead intact. Thanks to a walk to Polanco, a single by Kirilloff, and a throwing error attempting to pick off pinch-runner Gilberto Celestino by Rangers reliever Matt Bush, the Twins were able to get a blessing of an insurance run al Polanco scored on the throwing error to make it a 6-4 Twins lead in the top of the seventh. Griffin Jax then came into the game for the bottom half of the inning and gave the Twins their second 1, 2, 3 inning of the afternoon. For the second time this week, an outfielder let a ball fall out of their glove at the warning track in left field and land over the fence for a home run. The first one was Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Thursday night in Seattle when the Mariners Dylan Moore hit a ball right into Gurriel Jr. 's glove that couldn’t stick in it. The second one came in the eighth inning of this game when Gilberto Celestino leaped to catch a Seager fly ball. With the ball about to leave the park, it hit Celestino's glove but when he hit the wall, the ball bounced over the fence making it a 6-5 game. The pitch came off of Jhoan Duran who was in for a second straight day of work. Following the home run, Duran was able to retire the next three batters and maintain a 6-5 lead after eight innings. The save opportunity was given to Tyler Duffey in the ninth inning. Duffey retired the first two batters with ease but Jonah Heim got a bloop single to the outfield to keep the Rangers alive for one more at-bat for the pesky Josh Smith. After an eight-pitch at-bat, Duffey retired Smith on a flyout to Kepler to give the Twins their first win since Wednesday and avoid the sweep by the Rangers. What’s Next? The Twins are off Monday and will begin a quick two-game series at Target Field against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday night. Josh Winder will be on the mound for the Twins while the Brewers will send rookie Jason Alexander to the hill with the first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CT Postgame Interview Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The month of June was a bit of a roller coaster for the Twins pitching staff, but the team maintained their first-place lead in the American League Central even as they had a losing record on the month of 13-15. Three Twins pitchers stood out with their help keeping the team at the .500 mark over the course of the month. Sonny Gray dominated in his three starts for the month of June with a 1.69 ERA in those starts, but being on the IL for half of the month kept him out of the voting for pitcher of the month. Without further adieu, here are the top two honorable mentions and winner for the Twins Daily Pitcher of the Month. Honorable Mention Two: Jhoan Duran The rookie phenom Jhoan Duran has had another stellar month keeping up his case to make it to the all-star game in July. Duran made ten relief appearances for the Twins in the month of June posting a 1.42 ERA, 10.0 K/9, 1.63 FIP, and 14 strikeouts in 10 relief appearances. The one outing that kept Duran from being placed higher on this list was his first real scuffle with big-league hitting. It came in his June 9th outing against the New York Yankees where he surrendered two runs to the Evil Empire while only retiring one batter. Since that outing, Duran has not given up a run in 8 1/3 innings of work. There’s no telling if Duran will experience burnout next month or continue his dominance as the fastest pitcher in baseball, but Twins fans can take solace in the fact he has been the best reliever for the team during the first three months of the season. Honorable Mention One: Griffin Jax Leading the way for the Twins bullpen in a rocky month of June was sophomore Griffin Jax. In his 12 relief appearances throughout the month, Jax led all Twins relievers in ERA (1.38), opponent AVG (.098), WHIP (0.38), and strikeouts (18). Jax’s month of June alone has shown how far he’s come since he was a rookie starter with the team last year. Where Jax previously struggled just to get through more than three innings, he has now become the Twins most effective long reliever. The Twins bullpen has many fixes needed for the remainder of the season, but both Jax and Duran have proven themselves as the most reliable arms out of the pen. The Twins will not use them every day during the month of July, but Twins fans should be grateful for what these two provided while other members of the bullpen struggled often. Twins Pitcher of the Month: Chris Archer The resurgence of Chris Archer with the Twins has been a great surprise to many in baseball. Now with the man who has turned Archer’s career around, Wes Johnson, leaving Minnesota for Louisiana State University, it’s only fair to dub Archer as the Twins pitcher of the month for June. Archer was the anchor of the Twins rotation when Gray and Joe Ryan were on the IL for the first half of the month. June has been Archer’s greatest month of the season to date, even with his innings still limited as he compiled a total of 27 innings, in six starts for the month. In those six starts, Archer posted a 1.67 ERA, .156 AVG, 1.04 WHIP, and only gave up two home runs. Archer’s best start of the month came on June 8th against the best team in baseball, the Yankees, where he only allowed two hits and one run in five innings of work. Yes, Archer does still have a high walk rate and that was showcased in his final start of the month on June 30 against the Guardians where he walked six batters. But the high walk rate should not be reason to ignore the recognition that Archer deserves for being the stabilizing force of the Twins' starting rotation during a rocky month of pitching. What do you think? Would you vote for Archer for Twins pitcher of the month in June, or would you vote for one of the relievers? View full article

The Twins opened up with the first of five games in four days Monday night against the Guardians. Sonny Gray made his ninth start of the season dominating through seven innings as the Twins bats awoke for the first of five straight games in Cleveland. Box Score SP: Sonny Gray 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (97 pitches, 64 strikes (66 strike %)) Home Runs: Gary Sanchez (9), Nick Gordon (3), Carlos Correa (8) Top 3 or Bottom 3 WPA: Gary Sanchez .199, Sonny Gray .198, Gio Urshela .167 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The first inning was a quiet affair at the plate for both teams. That changed in the top of the second as Alex Kirilloff and Gio Urshela reached base on a hit-by-pitch and double, respectively. Then Gary Sanchez came to the plate and on a 1-0 count saw a fastball right down the middle of the plate from Triston McKenzie and took it to deep left field for a three-run homer giving the Twins the first lead of the game. As the Twins moved into the bottom halves of the second and third, Sonny Gray kept the game scoreless allowing only one base runner on a single by Josh Naylor. Come time for the top of the fourth, the Twins were back at it again with the hits. Kirilloff reached base once again, this time on a single, and Urshela continued to be a doubles machine in his second at-bat getting an RBI double that scored Kirllioff to make it a 4-0 Twins lead. The following at-bat by Gary Sanchez brought another run home with Urshela scoring on an RBI single to make it 5-0 Twins over Cleveland. In the bottom of the fourth, Gray once again allowed the leadoff man Amed Rosario to reach, making it three of four innings where the leadoff man reached on a single off Gray. Still Gray escaped the hiccup retiring the next three batters and keeping the score at 5-0. Both McKenzie and Gray retired the minimum in the fifth inning keeping the game score at 5-0. Kirilloff kept up the hitting game again in the top of the sixth with a leadoff single. He wanted to extend that hit into a double but slid in too late and was thrown out by Steven Kwan from left field. Sanchez followed up Kirilloff two at-bats later by being the other Twin to reach base at least three times in the game. The next pitch was the first for Nick Gordon’s third at-bat and Nick Gordon pulled it to right field for a two-run home run to make the Twins lead 7-0. Gray continued his domination in the bottom of the sixth retiring the minimum for the third time in the game. Even more impressive was Gray’s total pitch count being only at 77 through six in his third start since returning from the IL. The offense gave Gray even more run support in the top of the seventh inning as Luis Arraez led off, drawing his second walk of the game. Two at-bats later, Carlos Correa delivered more runs on another two-run shot to put the Twins up further 9-0. Kirilloff got another chance to make up for his running game in his next at-bat in the top of the seventh. This time, Kwan had trouble reading the ball landing in left field from Kirilloff and he reached second safely to give himself a three-hit game and reached base in every plate appearance of the game to that point. The bottom of the seventh started off with a ten-pitch at-bat by Jose Ramirez against Gray that ended in a walk. The following at-bat made up for the walk as the Twins recorded a 3-5-1 double play against Naylor. Gray retired the final batter of the inning and Spongbob fan Oscar Gonzalez on a live drive to Correa, marking the end of Gray’s stellar start with seven innings of shutout baseball on 97 pitches. The eighth inning did not have much going for either team and as the game entered the top of the ninth inning, the Guardians forfeited their designated hitter by putting in Ernie Clement in the game for Jose Ramirez. Clement was on the mound in the ninth and the Guardians starting designated hitter, Owen Miller, was moved over to third. The top of the ninth did bring another first of the season as Mark Contreras came off the bench in place of Correa, hit against the shift and earned his first major league hit. Kirilloff was retired in the top of the ninth but got a sacrifice that scored Gilberto Celestino changing the score to 10-0. The next at-bat saw Urshela get his third hit and third RBI of the game scoring Contreras for his first big league run scored and making it an 11-0. Sanchez ended the inning on a double play, but the Twins walked away happy with a couple more insurance runs. Jharel Cotton, who had already pitched in the eighth, continued for the Twins in the ninth to close out the game. Cotton struggled with the first two batters giving up a single and a walk. He retired the next two batters but a wild pitch to Naylor allowed Myles Straw to score, but Cotton fixed that error by retiring Naylor on the very next pitch. What’s Next? The Twins have their second double header of the season on Tuesday with the first game against the Guardians starting at 12:10 p.m. CT and the second 6:10 p.m. CT. Game one will be started by Devin Smeltzer against Zach Plesac and game two Josh Winder will face off against Konnor Pilkington for the Guardians. Postgame Interview Coming soon. Bullpen Usage View full article

Yep, the second one

The Twins concluded their series against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday with rookie starter Joe Ryan on the mound. Ryan did not have the best control but his teammates were able to deliver at the plate for him to still come away with a win on the afternoon. Box Score SP: Joe Ryan 5 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (102 pitches, 64 strikes (62.7 strike %)) Home Runs: None Top 3 or Bottom 3 WPA: Emilo Pagan .173, Byron Buxton .160, Max Kepler .117 Win Probability Chart Joe Ryan got the start for the Twins and was overworked during the first inning. Ryan allowed a leadoff double to Rockies left fielder Connor Joe, got the next two batters out on a ground and flyout, then surrendered an RBI double to former Twin C.J. Cron that put the Rockies up 1-0. Ryan escaped the inning on a groundout from Brendan Rodgers, but threw 23 pitches to start his day. Ryan’s battery mates came up for him in the bottom of the first after his struggles. Byron Buxton drew one out to get things going for the Twins. Then Carlos Correa and Max Kepler followed up with singles of their own, Kepler driving in Buxton who scored the tying run making it 1-1 game. Alex Kirilloff wanted to join in on the fun following Kepler with another RBI single that scored Correa and gave the Twins a 2-1 lead with only one out. The hits couldn’t stop coming after Kirilloff as Gio Urshela added another RBI single to the train. The Rockies were able to stop the bleeding with their starter Ryan Feltner getting Nick Gordon out on a warning track flyout and a strikeout of Ryan Jeffers. The Twins finished the inning with 3 runs on 4 hits giving Ryan a 3-1 lead for the second inning. The top of the second was another rough patch for Ryan. Ryan started the inning with a lead off walk to Ryan McMahon and a single to Elehuris Montero. Ryan was able to get Rockies catcher Brian Serven out on a flyout the next at bat. Kirilloff had left first base to get the out and neither Arraez or Correa were covering second. Montero took advantage of the situation and tagged up from first to second to give the Rockies runners in scoring position with one out. Ryan once again got out of the jam but not without clocking up his pitch count to 56 through two innings. The Twins lineup was once again able to support Ryan after a rough inning as Arraez got his first hit of the afternoon with one out. Following that at-bat, Buxton had his second triple of the season and first back-to-back game with triples since September 2 and 3 of 2017 against the Royals. Buxton’s triple gave the Twins a 4-1 lead and one at-bat later, Correa hit a sacrifice fly to give the Twins a 5-1 lead. Struggles continued for Ryan on the mound in the top of the third as Charlie Blackmon hit a solo home run with one out to make it a 5-2 game. The next batter Cron got hit by a Cron fastball, his fourth of the season. Ryan was able to get out of the jam but not before surrendering another hit. The Twins bats went quiet in the bottom of the third and it looked to be the same for the Rockies in the top of the fourth. That was until Connor Joe got another hit with two outs and was driven in by Yonathan Daza in the next at-bat on a double. Ryan was able to retire Blackmon during the next at-bat on a ground out, but the damage had been done as the score turned to 5-3 with Ryan at 88 pitches through four innings. Following another rough inning for Ryan, the Twins were able to get runners into scoring position on another Arraez single and Buxton double. But Correa flew out to Blackmon on two outs, keeping the Twins from extending their lead. Ryan’s best inning on the mound came in the fifth inning but it did not come without a hit surrendered to Cron once again. The inning ended on a spectacular warning track catch by Mark Contreras but Ryan’s afternoon on the mound was certainly over as he had 102 pitches and 11 base runners through 5 innings. Caleb Thielbar came on in relief for Ryan in the top of the sixth. Thielbar allowed the first three batters he faced to reach on two hits and walk, but then retired his first batter a line drive back to his glove from Daza. The next at-bat led to a groundout to Urshela where he was able to get the runner out at home for the force before scoring. Thielbar was then removed from the game following Blackmon’s ground out. Emilo Pagan was brought in to get the final out of the sixth, and he did it as quickly as he could getting a three-pitch strikeout of Cron to end the inning. Things were quiet for both teams until the bottom of the seventh when Buxton reached base for the fourth time on the day on a single. He only needed a home run to complete the cycle for the day after that at-bat. Buxton would later score on a Kepler RBI double giving the Twins a 6-3 lead. The Twins bats would not get much else going in the bottom of the eighth and Buxton would not receive one last opportunity to hit for the cycle. Jhoan Duran came on for the save in the top of the ninth and recorded a one, two, three inning to give the Twins the series victory over Colorado. The Twins improved their all time record against their closest National League West opponent to 10-8 in 18 games since 2003. The under-the-radar hero in the top of the ninth that should not go without mention, was the Athletic's Dan Hayes in the Twins press box. Hayes infamously dropped a foul ball late in the Twins Wednesday night game against Cleveland which earned him roasting from the fellow press core and Twins Bally broadcast booth. Today, Hayes redeemed himself as with two outs in the ninth, he had a foul ball from Rodgers hit directly to him. This time he caught it and found a kid to give the ball to. Hayes received a well deserved round-of-applause from the press box, the only exception that was allowed to have the room cheering. What’s Next? The Twins begin a five game series against the Cleveland Guardians in four days with the first beginning Monday night at 6:10 p.m. CT. The Twins will have Sonny Gray (3-1, 2.53) on the mound going against Triston McKenzie (4-5, 3.51) for the Guardians. Postgame Interview (Bally Sports Tweets) Bullpen Usage Sheet View full article

The Twins have two stellar rookie pitchers that have made strong cases to be All Stars this summer in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium. It's still a toss up on which one will make it, so who stands the better case to be an all star this year between Joe Ryan and Jhoan Duran? Voting for the MLB All-Star game has always been a pastime for baseball fans each summer, but the one position the fans never get to decide on is pitching. All pitchers that make the American League and National League teams are always selected by their peers and coaches from across the league, leaving pitcher selections only as a discussion for fans. This season, the Twins have two pitchers with good chances to become all-stars, both rookies, Joe Ryan and Jhoan Duran. Both rookies have had phenomenal seasons on the mound and could have the chance to see reward with their performances with all-star selections. However, it is likely only one of these two could make the team. Who has the better chance of getting selected as the first phase of all star voting ends this week? Joe Ryan’s Case Before missing three weeks due to COVID-19, Ryan not only looked like he’d be an all star but also a top contender for the American League Rookie of the Year. Missing three weeks has put a setback in that campaign, but Ryan has some of the best numbers out of any rookie starter in MLB this season. Ryan leads all rookie starters across MLB in ERA, with a minimum of 10 starts, at an even 3.20 and is only one of two starters in this group with an ERA below 4.00 season, MacKenzie Gore of the Padres being the other with a 3.34 ERA in 11 starts. On top of that, Ryan also has the best WHIP (1.12) and second best opponents batting average (.221), only trailing the Angels Reid Detmers in opponents batting average at .204 through 12 starts. Not to mention, leading all rookie starts in K/BB rate as well at 3.12. Although he is not leading in every rookie starter category, the argument can certainly be made by baseball fans that he is the most deserving of any rookie starter to make the trip to Dodger Stadium for the All Star game this summer. There is no telling how he will do in each of his starts between now and the break, but Ryan still has a good chance to make a case for himself to his peers and league coaches between now and then. Jhoan Duran's Case Duran’s case to make the all star team may be an easier one for players and coaches to get behind. He has the fastest pitch on average in baseball at 100.6 MPH and is the anchor of a rocky Twins bullpen in June. In all fairness, Duran has had only two truthfully bad relief appearances this season, both against A.L East contending teams. The first of which was back in April against the Red Sox on April 15, and the other June 9 at home against the Yankees. Aside from those two outings, Duran has been nearly untouchable. In his 25 relief appearances on the season, Duran has only had four in which he has surrendered a run. On top of that, Duran has posted a 12.4 K per 9 on the year as well as a 7.33 K to BB ratio, not to mention, the fastest clocked pitch in MLB so far this season at 103.8 MPH. Duran has certainly proven himself to be among the best of the best when it comes to relievers in the American, let alone rookies. Baseball fans want to see the best of the best at the All Star Game each season, and Duran is the hardest thrower in all of baseball, which constitutes reason enough for many Twins fans. Who will it end up being? Right now it’s hard to say which Twins rookie pitcher will make the American League All Star team this season. Ryan and Duran both make compelling cases to be in Los Angeles on July 19, but they are up against a large number of starters and relievers that are considered to be deserving across the American League. If this writer had to make an educated guess on which of these two will be the one to make the cut onto the A.L. All Star squad, it would be Duran. The American League relief core is not as strong as the National League and the flame throwing Duran makes the case to be among the best in LA this summer. View full article

The Twins played their first game in Arizona since 2011 on Friday night. On the second pitcher of the game, Byron Buxton tied his career-high in home runs, but from there the Diamondbacks, took control of the game. Box Score SP: Devin Smeltzer 4 1/3 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (96 pitches, 62 strikes (64.5 strike %)) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (19) Bottom 3 WPA: Devin Smeltzer -.406, Gilberto Celestino -.207, Carlos Correa -.103 Following Buxton’s homer, Gary Sanchez and Luis Arraez reached base on a single and double but were unable to score as Jose Miranda lined out to center field. . After Buxton put the Twins up 1-0 in the top of the first, Arizona responded in the bottom of the inning.. Twins starter Devin Smeltzer allowed a lead-off single to D-Backs catcher Carson Kelly. One out later, Smeltzer met a new yet familiar foe; former Cleveland Guardian Jordan Luplow. Prior to their first match-up for the evening, Luplow was 0-for-3 in his career against Smeltzer. That changed with one swing of the bat as Luplow connected with a Smeltzer fastball right down the middle for his eighth home run of the year putting the D-Backs up 2-1. Smeltzer retired the next two batters in the bottom of the first on groundouts, escaping further base runners. In the top of the second, the Twins had two base runners reach thanks to a Max Kepler single and Buxton double. But again the Twins couldn’t get the runners home to retake their lead. Once the top of the third came around, the Twins were finally able to capitalize on their runners. Gio Urshela led off the inning with a double and was able to advance to third on an Arraez single. Following Arraez was Miranda and he capitalized with an RBI single to score Urshela and tie the game at 2-2. Just as it looked like the Twins were back in the game, Luplow had other plans. Up for his second at-bat and with two outs, Luplow hit another home run off of Smeltzer to give the Diamondbacks the lead once more. With the score still 3-2 going into the bottom of the fourth the Diamondbacks were able to capitalize and run away with a lead, It all started with a leadoff walk to D-Backs designated hitter Bobby Kennedy. Following Kennedy, right fielder Alek Thomas hit a single, setting up the D-Backs for an opportunity to take the lead. And take the lead the D-Backs did. In a bizarre outcome, Diamondbacks second baseman Jake Hager offered a sacrifice bunt that could have kept runners on second and third with one out for Smeltzer. Instead, Smeltzer threw the ball away at first resulting in an error that allowed both Kennedy and Thomas to score and extend Arizona’s lead to 5-2. Hager was able to score later in the inning on a Carson Kelly single making the game 6-2 D-Backs, and as Jordan Luplow got to the plate for his third at-bat against Smeltzer. Twins fans wondered if Smeltzer could record the final out of the inning. Fortunately for Smeltzer, he was able to retire Luplow on a groundout to Urshela, but not without 4 runs, (3 earned) surrendered to the Diamondbacks. Even after a rough fourth inning, Smeltzer returned to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth. But he would not find his way out of the inning as he surrendered two more hits, both singles, to Daulton Varsho and Kennedy. This ended Smeltzer's outing for the evening as Rocco Baldelli called on Tyler Thornburg to get the Twins out of the inning. Thornburg got the Twins out of the inning but not before giving up another RBI single to Hager with the run charged to Smeltzer. As the Twins left the field in the bottom of the fifth, the Diamondbacks held a 7-2 lead against them. The remainder of the game was uneventful for the Twins at the plate but Byron Buxton kept fans entertained with four of the top five exit velocities in the game. Although Buxton was 2-for-4 for the night, Star Tribune beat writer Phil Miller noted on Twitter that Buxton had four of the top five exit velocities in the game. Even topping Luplow’s second home run’s exit velocity. The bullpen held together for the Twins following Smeltzer’s outing. Thornburg completed 2 2/3 innings allowing only one single after the fifth and allowed no further base runners or runs in his frame of work. In the bottom of the eighth, Tyler Duffey threw a 1, 2, 3 inning to keep the Diamondbacks lead at five runs. The Twins had one last chance for runs in the bottom of the ninth but fell up short as Alex Kirilloff pinch hit in his return only to strike out. Trevor Larnach grounded out on a bouncer to third base, and Byron Buxton ended the game on a groundout to short, giving the D-Backs a 7-2 win over the Twins. What’s Next? The Twins play a late one Saturday night with a 9:10 p.m. start for their second game against the Diamondbacks in the three-game series. Dylan Bundy will start for the Twins while Diamondbacks hurler Luke Weaver. Postgame Interview Bullpen Availability MON TUE WED THU FRI TOT Cotton 18 0 16 0 0 34 Thornburg 0 0 0 0 33 33 Duran 13 0 13 0 0 26 Jax 12 0 11 0 0 23 Pagán 18 0 0 0 0 18 Smith 1 0 15 0 0 16 Megill 0 14 0 0 0 14 Thielbar 8 0 4 0 0 12 Duffey 0 0 0 0 9 9 View full article

The Twins came into Sunday’s game looking to make their first sweep of the Rays in Target Field history. Unfortunately, the Twins fell short as the Rays took advantage of hit batters and bad fielding to salvage a win out of the three-game series. Box Score SP: Cole Sands 4 2/3 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 2 HBP (101 pitches, 64 strikes (63.4 strike %)) Home Runs: None Bottom 3 WPA: Cole Sands -.235, Gio Urshela, -.077, Byron Buxton -.071 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Cole Sands made another start, his first at Target Field, for the depleted Twins rotation on Sunday. Sands cruised through the first two innings allowing only one base runner on a pitch that got away from him and hit Randy Arozarena. In the top of the third, the Rays found a way to produce a run off of Sands as after a walk to Brett Phillips, Ji-Man Choi hit an RBI single to make it a 1-0 Rays lead. In the fourth, the struggles continued both for Sands and the Twins defense. Sands again hit Arozarena with a pitch but found himself in a jam after a throwing error to get Kevin Kiermaier out at first. Then two more fielder's choices occurred, one that failed to get the next out on a bad judgment play at first by Jose Miranda. Then the Twins finally got an out on a Francisco Mejia fielder's choice nailed Kiermaier out at home. After the fielding blunders by the Twins infield, Sands found a way out of the inning thanks to a Brett Phillips flyout and outfield assist from Gilberto Celestino that led to a throw out of Mejia at third. Sands escaped the inning with only two runs surrendered making it a 3-0 game as the Twins headed into the bottom of the fourth. The bats couldn’t get anything going for Cole Sands in the bottom of the fourth. Sands remained out on the mound for the bottom of the fifth and gave up a lead-off double to Manuel Margot. Sands was able to get the next two batters on a strikeout and groundout, but an Arozarena double and Kiermaier bloop single made it a 5-0 Rays lead and knocked Sands out for the day as he was at 101 pitches. Tyler Thornburg came into the game in relief for his Twins debut and recorded the last out rather easily. Again, the Twins bats remained cold in the bottom of the fifth and could not get anything going for run support. Thornburg remained in the game for both the sixth and seventh innings and allowed only one base runner on a walk to Choi in the bottom of the seventh. Aside from the walk, Thornburg dominated in his Twins debut going 2 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings. He had just the one strikeout that ended the fifth inning.. The Twins had their biggest threat to score going in the bottom of the sixth after Carlos Correa and Jorge Polanco drew walks with one out. But the following hitters did nothing to get Correa and Polanco home. Tyler Duffey pitched the final two innings of the game for the Twins and even after giving up a home run to Kiermaier, showed improvement from his previous outings giving up only one additional hit and a walk. In the bottom of the ninth, Luis Arraez, Miranda, and Gilberto Celestino came up for the Twins. Arraez and Miranda failed to get on base as Arraez struck out, Miranda grounded out, but Celestino walked to keep the inning alive with two outs. Celestino advanced to second on the first pitch of Trevor Larnach’s at-bat thanks to a wild pitch from Colin Poche. The game ended with a groundout by Larnach. The Rays pitching dominated after two losses against the Twins lineup allowing nine base runners on five hits and four walks but never allowed a Twins base runner to advance past second base the entire game. The shutout by the Rays was the eighth time this season the Twins have been shutout, tied for the most shutouts against a team in Major League Baseball with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Royals. What’s Next? The Twins are on the road Monday night to start a six-game west coast road trip beginning in Seattle tomorrow night at 9:10 p.m. CT. The Twins will be sending Chris Archer out for the start while the Mariners have yet to announce a starter for Monday night’s game. Postgame Interview Bullpen Usage WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Pagán 15 0 15 21 0 51 Smith 0 26 24 0 0 50 Jax 27 0 14 0 0 41 Cotton 0 13 0 26 0 39 Moran 0 36 0 0 0 36 Thielbar 14 0 0 19 0 33 Duffey 0 0 0 0 33 33 Duran 0 15 0 16 0 31 Thornburg 0 0 0 0 26 26 Megill 0 0 0 16 0 16 View full article

Elliot Soto has spent 13 seasons playing professional baseball and now at the age of 32, he finds himself in a leadership role in the St. Paul Saints clubhouse mentoring the future stars of the Minnesota Twins. Elliot Soto has been in professional baseball for 13 seasons, and he has had only three games in Major League Baseball. Soto got his call with the Los Angeles Angels on September 25, 2020, against the freeway rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Soto’s debut was as a pinch-runner for teammate Luis Rengifo in the top of the seventh inning. By the time it was Soto’s turn to bat in the top of the ninth against Kenley Jansen, he was pinch hit for by Shohei Ohtani. Soto wouldn’t have to wait long to get that first at-bat as then-Angels manager Joe Maddon, wrote him in as the starting shortstop for the team the next day. Soto spoke on what it was like getting that call-up after a long decade spent in the minors. “It was really cool and was weird. It was different because of COVID, but it didn't feel real at first until I put the uniform on. It's just indescribable, really, because then you’re like, alright, you know, I'm here, I'm in the works. But then you just want to get back there and prove that you can play there and stay there.” Back in 2007, Soto was originally drafted out of high school by the Minnesota Twins in the 13th round of the June amateur draft. Soto opted not to sign with the Twins at the time, but 15 years later, he’s come full circle to join the organization. Soto spoke on what he has enjoyed being a part of the Twins system after so many years after that first draft. “Most organizations are pretty similar. Some focus more on heavy workloads and stuff, but I think the thing that separates this organization is the mindset. They're a little bit more laid back. There are some teams that are more relaxed, and more personable, and some teams that are more centered on those workloads. This one's more towards the relaxed, which I think is better, in my opinion, because I think then you get the most out of your players.” Following his MLB debut as a pinch-runner, Soto played in the final two games of the 2020 season for the Angels and went 2-for-6 with a double and a walk. Soto has not returned to the Majors, but it has allowed for another opportunity to open for him; a team leader for the St. Paul Saints clubhouse. Many of Soto’s teammates this season including Spencer Steer, Kevin Merrell, and Royce Lewis have all described Soto as the leading veteran for the team. For Soto, the role of leadership was one that took time for him to reach and he attributed his former college teammate at Creighton and ambidextrous reliever Pat Venditte as a key mentor for his playing career. “I was no boy scout, I had some learning to do in college, Pat Venditte really helped me out. He helped me figure out what I needed to do to play in college and what it was to be a professional athlete. Watching him and how he works, and it was just like, even to this day or since I've seen him like he's out there. I played against him in 2019 and he’s out there working all day long. His work ethic is unbelievable,” said Soto. In addition to Venditte, Soto attributes his leadership success to some of his more recent teammates last season in the Dodgers' farm system. Those teammates he mentioned are former MLB catcher Tim Federowicz and utility infielder Andy Burns, who is currently playing with the Oklahoma City Dodgers. Soto spoke on how these recent teammates have helped shape his approach to playing and what he wants to pass on to his younger Saints teammates. “A lot of guys that I've been playing with recently showed me what it's like to be a real pro. Federowicz had a really good mindset. I played with him last year and Andy Burns with the Dodgers farm teams. Just the way that he [Burns] thought about things in so many different ways. You can pick up mental skills from them because I think at this point in my career, you're always getting better at your craft. In baseball, I think the mind is even more important than anything and a lot of guys have really unique things that they do. And if something works for you, it can change your game.” Learning as many things as he can from teammates' mental approaches to the game of baseball has become a key trait Soto wants to continue passing on to his current Saints teammates. “I've been lucky enough to have good teammates in the past that have given me tips or, you know, little tricks to just help you get through anything on and off the field. I just want to pass it on and that's who I want to be. I'm in my 30s now, and I want to spread the knowledge I have, especially when I like the people and I want them to play well. I view it as I'm closer to being on my way out and I want to see these guys on TV succeeding when I'm at home.” One of Soto’s current teammates that could be making that mark soon and joining the Minnesota Twins before the summer is over is Spencer Steer. Since joining the Saints in May, Steer has hit eight home runs, driven in 19 runs, posted a triple-slash .279/.380/.691, and posted a 1.071 OPS. Soto shared his thoughts on the talent he has seen in Steer and what he has been able to teach him over the short time he has been with the Saints. “He's an amazing player. When he got here, I was like, wow, okay, this kid is a real deal. Just the way he goes about playing, his demeanor, and the questions he asks. You can see that he's truly thinking about the game. He really wants to know more and then when you tell him something as a tip he's so incredibly appreciative, which makes you feel good. I just think that the type of person he has, like, he's going to have no problem going out to the next level and staying there.” On Three Questions With last week, Spencer Steer spoke about the impact Soto has has in his time with the Saints. "Elliot Soto has been a lot of fun to play alongside in the infield. He's really given me some good advice in the two weeks I've been here just about the mentality, playing the position, and also some footwork stuff." Steer is not the only Major League talent that Soto has spent a short time playing alongside that has made a lasting impact on him. Back when Soto was with the Iowa Cubs in 2014, he was playing with an MLB talent trying to still make something of a career at the age of 42; Manny Ramirez. Ramirez and Soto’s time as teammates only lasted about a month together. Even in that short time, Soto’s talent caught the eye of Ramirez and made a lasting impact on his career as Soto shared a couple of stories of their time together. “It was amazing. I wish it would have lasted longer. It was cool for me because one of the first days Manny saw me take grounders and really liked the way I played defense. So he came up to me and he was like, he calls everyone Nino, and he said, 'hey Nino, I like the way you move your hands. You got good hands. I want to hit with you before the game.' I said, Yeah, Absolutely! Every day, let's do it. So I got to work out with him before the games and just the way he worked and the stuff he did was amazing.” Having mentors in his career that are lifelong ball players that had a short time in the Majors like he did, to one of the most colorful and best hitters to ever play the game. Soto has a wealth of baseball knowledge and experience that he can share with his teammates now who are just one step away from making their MLB debuts like he did a couple of years ago. View full article