Theodore Tollefson

Austin Martin was back in St. Paul Wednesday night, and the Twins rookie adjusted well to his situation as he comes back to Triple-A with 22 games in the big leagues under his belt. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints ST. PAUL– It was another beautiful spring night Wednesday in St. Paul, as Austin Martin made his season debut with the Saints against the Louisville Bats. He was with the club to begin the 2024 season, but after Royce Lewis got hurt on Opening Day in Kansas City, Martin was called up before he even appeared in a game. Since then, Martin has had his first taste of the major leagues, playing in 22 games with the Twins between second base, left field, and center field. Over those 22 games, Martin had a triple slash of .226/.294/.371; hit his first big-league home run; and went through the highs and lows the Twins experienced throughout their first month of the season. But upon returning to Triple-A, Martin said confidence is the most important thing he's brought back to the East side of the Twin Cities. “Being able to handle what we’ll quote as the best of the best up there,” said Martin. “When you come down a level, you’re going to have that confidence in the box.” Confidence converted cleanly into production at the plate Wednesday night, as he went 2-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI in the Saints' 8-5 victory over the Bats. Martin did strike out twice, including with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning. But it’s at-bats like those that are keeping him humble and focused. “I’m trying to take the same approach to the game. I don’t want to necessarily think that I am above this level and try to cruise through it," Martin said. "I just want to get the most out of this as I can and try to get better.” The upside of being sent down is the certainty Martin now enjoys, in what he deems the most important thing for his development: everyday opportunities at the plate. It’s something Saints manager Toby Gardenhire took notice of from the rookie Wednesday night. “He did a great job up in the big leagues and he just continued what he was doing up there in his first game here, which is exactly what you want to see from guys," Gardenhire said. "When they come down here, they don’t skip a beat, they keep it going, because that’s what the big-league team is going to want." Saints hitting coach Shawn Schlecter worked with Martin frequently during Spring Training, and finally got to see him in a game for the first time Wednesday. Schlecter wasn’t disappointed with any of the results he saw. “He’s had a ton of success in his career [at] just controlling the strike zone and waiting for the pitcher to come to him, and that’s exactly what he did tonight," Schlecter said. "He typically hits line drives all over the field, and he uses the opposite field pretty well with a couple of extra-base hits that way." Martin was a spark plug to the Saints lineup that has needed an extra jolt after losing three straight games by one or two runs. With Martin coming back from the Twins (who are on a 10-game winning streak) with help from an unexpected source, the question had to be asked: Did a bit of the magic mojo from the Twins' dugout summer sausage come with Martin to help the Saints out? “I might have slapped the sausage one time,” Martin said. “But I am just down here, trying to get better and win ball games.” Gardenhire isn’t quite a believer in the mysterious powers of the sausage; his vote of confidence is in Martin’s abilities. “I don’t know if he brought the sausage magic,” Gardenhire said, laughing. “But he brought some magic, he did a good job.” Schlecter, on the other hand, is more open to the power of the summer sausage on top of his confidence in Martin. “We’re hoping so. Obviously, they’re having a lot of success with it up there, and it’s fun to watch. I think the guys down here are feeding off that as well,” Schlecter said. [Ed. note: Ha! Feeding off it. With a name like Schlecter, you've gotta nail a sausage pun.] Magic sausage mojo or not, Martin and his coaches at Triple-A were impressed with his first game back and his mindset, as he waits for the next opportunity to return with the Twins--which, hopefully, will include fresher summer sausage in the clubhouse. Maybe he can also be the link [Ed. note: I did this one. Lean in, everyone. It's sausage szn.] for the so-far sausageless Saints. “We don’t have any sausages, or really any packaged meats down here just yet,” Schlecter confirmed. “But if they keep rolling that way up there, we might have to introduce it.” View full article

Several Twins minor league starters are off to hot starts to begin their 2024 seasons, but only a few stood out. Here are Twins Daily’s rankings for who has earned the first Minor League Pitcher of the Month in 2024. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints #4: Marco Raya, Wichita Wind Surge Inning limitations are still a big thing for the star of Marco Raya’s season. He’s only thrown 11 ⅓ innings over four starts, but he’s still made the most of his outings with a limited workload. He’s posted a 2.38 ERA, struck out 14 batters, and only walked three over his four starts. But Raya has a ways to go with his workload. There hasn’t been a start this season where he hasn’t thrown over 51 pitches. While it’s a good foundation, there’s still much room for growth for Raya as the season progresses. #3: Cesar Lares, Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Entering his first month of Low-A, Cesar Lares remained fairly unknown in the Twins system pitching only in the Dominican Summer League in 2022 and Florida Complex League last season. He’s since made his name known in Ft. Myers posting a 1.98 ERA in 13 ⅔ innings over his three starts, striking out 12 hitters and allowing no home runs. The 20-year-old Venezuelan native topped out his velocity at 92.8 MPH so far this season. Still being early in his career development, it may continue to rise up to 93 and 94 miles per hour as he matures into his role as a starter. #2: Andrew Morris, Cedar Rapids Kernels Andrew Morris was one of the many breakout prospects who was a part of the Cedar Rapids Kernels rotation last season, and he continued to strive from his success a year ago in April. Morris has been a workhorse for the Kernels rotation throwing 25 ⅔ innings, posting a 2.81 ERA, striking out 33 batters, and only walking five in response. His command of the strike zone has been more than admirable to start the season, and it’s only up from here for the 22-year-old New York native. Minor League Starter of the Month: David Festa, St. Paul Saints The Twins' top pitching prospect has lived up to the expectations many have thrust upon him coming into the 2024 season. He finished his final start of March/April going the deepest he had in any game so far this season, going five innings and allowing only one walk while he struck out 10 Louisville Bats hitters. Through six starts, Festa threw 20 ⅔ innings, complied a 2.18 ERA, walked 13 hitters, struck out 30, and allowed only two home runs. In addition, the last time Festa had struck out 10+ batters in pro-ball was on May 10, 2022, with the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels when he struck out 11. Following his final start of April, Festa spoke on what worked for him throughout his 10 strikeout outing. “Whether I was down and away to freeze a guy up or above the belt for a swing and miss, I think the fastball really helped me out,” Festa said in a post-game interview Tuesday afternoon. “I think at times my outings are indicative of my fastball command. To have the fastball in the zone like I did today, I think it just opened doors for everything else.” Festa’s next start will come on Sunday, May 5th, facing off against the Louisville Bats once more. Up until Tuesday afternoon, he had yet to throw over 63 pitches this season. With the leash off, Festa will have no limitations on him as the season progresses from spring to summer. View full article

Pablo Lopez has had struggles throughout his first six starts leading some to end early due to one bad inning. What are the sources of these bad innings and are they enough to be concerned for his future? A month into the 2024 season, Pablo Lopez has not pitched as sharply as he did a year ago. Through his first six starts, Lopez has complied a 4.83 ERA, 3.97 FIP, ERA+ of 89, and has allowed six home runs through 31 ⅔ innings of work. But he’s also kept opponents to a .220 batting average, struck out hitters 29.4% of the time, and only walked seven batters compiling a 5.6% walk rate. Not all his stats have warranted reasons for concern on paper, but his last two starts against the White Sox and Angels have not been pretty. Lopez exited his start against the White Sox early pitching only through the fourth inning, where he imploded giving up two hits, including a home run to Eloy Jimenez, two walks, and a throwing error trying to pick off Danny Mendick. Up until the fourth inning, Lopez had been cruising through the game, but that bad inning doubled his pitch count from 38 to 76, and he was pulled early. Things played out similarly for Lopez Sunday against the Angels. He was perfect through the first four innings of the game, then come the fifth inning, everything changed. The Angels put together a two-out rally with a walk and four hits, including back-to-back home runs by Luis Rengifo and Nolan Schanuel, which brought Lopez’s pitch total from 60 to 87. There are stretches in games where Lopez is showing his dominant side, Sunday being a perfect example, but it’s only taken one bad inning to have him exit his starts early. So what is Lopez doing that is giving way for hitters to make their at-bats more successful against him? There might be two indicators for Lopez’s regressions early this season; the pitches in his arsenal hitters are having more success against and how much harder they are hitting those pitches. A whopping 47.6% of his pitches that hitters have made contact with have been hit at 95 MPH or faster. However, his hard-hit percentage has declined over each game as only five of his pitches in play Sunday against the Angels were hit over 95 MPH. This was down from seven against the White Sox on April 23 and six against the Orioles on April 17. Regardless, his hard-hit percentage is up 12.8% from where it was throughout the 2023 season. His hard-hit rate is currently among the bottom 15 out of 130 starting pitchers qualified in MLB but it’s still lower than MLB’s current ERA leader and former Twin, Jose Berrios, whose hard-hit rate is in the bottom 10 of the league at 48.5%. The answer to why this is the case for Lopez could be the pitches in his arsenal that are not showing favorable success across his six starts. Of the five pitches in Lopez’s arsenal, hitters have completed batting averages of over .300 on three of them; his sweeper (.304 opponents BA), curveball (.333), and sinker (.429). In the previous two seasons, Lopez has had only one pitch that hitters have had a batting average over .300, his cutter in 2022 which had a .321 opponent average, which he’s since stopped throwing since joining the Twins. Lopez’s sweeper has been used the second most this year behind his fastball as he’s thrown it a total of 107 times. He still is getting a good whiff rate against hitters with this pitch at 36% but they are still seven for 23 with one home run. Fortunately, Lopez’s only home run allowed on the pitch came on Opening Day when Maikel Garica tagged one in the bottom of the first. His curveball, which Lopez has thrown 51 times, is showing similar results as hitters have a 42.1% whiff rate when they miss the pitch. But in the 12 at-bats Lopez has used the pitch to get the hitters out with it, they have gotten hits four times. The one home run he surrendered on this pitch was last Tuesday against Jiminez. During Sunday’s start, Lopez threw his curve seven times getting one of his eight strikeouts on the pitch, but the other six times, his curveball never landed in the strike zone. Finally, there’s Lopez’s sinker which has had the most alarming results against hitters. It’s the pitch he’s thrown the fewest amount of times (27) out of any this season, but when it has been thrown, hitters are licking their chops and making nothing but contact on it. It’s the only pitch he has had zero swings and misses with and even with limited use, batters are still three for seven against it. Hitters also have had their highest success getting hard contact off of Lopez’s pitches as only two of his sinkers this season have been hit below the 95 mph threshold that qualifies a ball for a hard hit. These three pitches have alarming numbers next to them. His breaking stuff with his sweeper and curveball is showing signs of improvement as the season has progressed, but whatever is going on with Lopez’s sinker is the most notable sign of his struggles early this season. Despite his limited use of the pitch, it’s lining up directly into hitter's wheelhouse and no matter what Lopez tries, it has yet to get past any hitter's bat once. If Lopez works on the struggles he has with these pitches between starts, the results with his hard-hit rate may change in his favor. His only season where his hard-hit rate was remotely close to 40% was in 2019 when it was at 36.9%. Despite the flaws in these six starts, there are still stats showing the best is yet to come for Lopez in 2024. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is higher through six starts this season than it was last year as it currently sits at 5.29 compared to 5.11 through six in 2023. Additionally, his WHIP sits at 1.04 which is tied with teammate Joe Ryan and Berrios for 15th-best in all of baseball. So do these early season struggles with three of Lopez’s five pitches and how frequently batters are making hard contact off them warrant real concern from fans? No. Lopez has had slow starts to his seasons before and has still bounced back with his best starts in the summer. These are things for Twins fans to keep an eye on when watching him on the mound and if his track record holds up, they’ll see better results all-around. View full article

An old friend was back in the Twin Cities this week. Former Twin Matt LeCroy and the Rochester Red Wings cam into town for a six-game series against the St. Paul Saints. Twins Daily's Theodore Tollefson caught up with the fan favorite on his 16th season as a manager in the Washington Nationals system. Image courtesy of Gray Wolfe Media, Twins Daily Twins fans who tuned into the Bally Sports Broadcast Monday night during the second inning were treated to a surprise. Justin Morneau and Cory Provous welcomed former Twins utility man and fan favorite Matthew LeCroy to the broadcast booth for a quick half-inning interview and caught up with him. LeCroy was in town for the Rochester Red Wings six-game series against the St. Paul Saints. He has been managing in the Nationals organization since he retired from pro-ball in 2009. With Monday an off-day for all Minor League affiliates, LeCroy took advantage of the time to catch up with old friends for his first-ever visit to Target Field. “I thought it was amazing,” LeCroy said about his visit to Target Field. “In 2009 I was managing A-Ball with the Nationals and they (Twins) had an alumni game for the last game of the year in the Metrodome. So they flew me and my wife up to be a part of that and in the process, we went and saw the construction but never really got to see inside.” Monday LeCroy entered the Twins' home for the last 14 years and took in all the amenities that have been put into place since his last visit to Minneapolis. LeCroy got the grand ballpark tour and then took the time to catch up with old friends and teammates. “They did the in-game interview which I thought was neat for my family because they were watching the game at home. Doing the pre-game radio with Dan to talk about baseball was fun but just to go and see how beautiful the place was. It’s amazing how much different the place was to the Metrodome,” LeCroy said. The Metrodome may be gone, but it still holds many fond memories for LeCroy. It was the place where he made his MLB debut in 2000, where he and the 2002 Twins won the American League Central Division and kept the Twins in Minnesota, and also where he got to know and became friends with, his opposing manager in St. Paul, Toby Gardenhire. “I used to watch him do catching drills with Rick Stelmaszek at the Metrodome and watching him hit,” said Gardenhire. “You know, he’s awesome, he’s one of the funniest guys ever, and I love Matt LeCroy. We still do Twins Fantasy camps every year together.” Upon LeCroy’s return visit to Minnesota, many have taken note that he’s become a doppelganger in appearance and mannerisms to his former manager, Ron Gardenhire. Even Ron’s son. “It is funny he does look a lot like my dad in and the way he moves around and everything is very similar. It definitely makes me laugh” said Gardenhire said, with a chuckle. “My wife was teasing me last night and she sent a picture of me and him together and says ‘I can’t believe it, you do look like him (Ron) a lot.’ But Toby was a kid around in the clubhouse when I was coming up and he’s got a chance to be like his father. A smart guy, he understands the players, he’s got life and has all the ability to do it if he gets the opportunity in the Major Leagues,” LeCroy said. Entering his 16th season managing in the Nationals system, LeCroy has more than a keen eye for what it takes a player or coach to do in order to make it into the Majors. From Stephen Strasburg to Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon to Juan Soto, LeCroy’s seen all the superstars the Nationals organization has produced since moving to the Nation’s capital, aside from Ryan Zimmerman. Among all the superstars, LeCroy has also seen the everyday players who never reach stardom and the players who’ve only had a cup of coffee in the Majors and come back down the next day. No matter what caliber of talent these players have had on LeCroy’s rosters, he knows firsthand from his own what is going through their own minds whenever they’re at their highest highs or lowest lows. “I’ve been through a lot and I’ve logged them in my brain and have shared all my experiences with guys going through similar things. The biggest advice I can give to guys is that you have to be mentally tough because it’s a rollercoaster and you have to stay even keel. And even when you don’t deserve bad things to happen, sometimes it does,” LeCroy said. Out of every single player he’s managed these last 16 years, there’s one player who fits this mold LeCroy described that remains in his memory; Sandy León. “He was a backup catcher for Derek Norris who was our big prospect at the time, and this guy, he hardly knew any English. But the way he worked, he fought every single day, even though he didn’t have the opportunity to play, and then when he finally got his opportunity he ran with it. I remember the very first time I called him up he got very emotional and he hurdled a bunch of obstacles that were in his way,” said LeCroy. León made his career out of being a backup catcher but still made his impact with the Boston Red Sox from 2015 to 2019 and went on to win the World Series with them in 2018. He would join the Twins later in his career for a brief stint in 2022 when the team was hit with the injury bug at almost every position. There are still former Twins managed by LeCroy to this day such as Travis Blankenhorn, who made his MLB debut with the Twins in the pandemic 2020 season. Blankehorn is off to a hot start with the Red Wings this season, hitting .313 with six home runs and 19 runs batted in. “He’s a great manager,” Blankenhorn said. “Obviously second year with him, I’m more used to him now, but like I said. He’s a great manager to play for, very fun, keeps things loose and we go out there and play hard for him every day.” As the years have gone on, the fond memories of LeCroy’s time as a Minnesota Twin have never left him. He appreciates how Twins fans remember him and his role with the franchise from their division title runs in the 2000s and how he’s created some of the funniest memories in his teammates' lives. But none are as important to LeCroy as the 2002 Twins who kept the team in Minnesota. “To play as well as we did in 2002 with that group of guys, LaTroy [Hawkins] and Brad Radke who came up before us. But to mold it with the younger kids and to see the development of it. For me, to be fortunate enough to be a part of it and be a small piece and to be around those guys, it’s an amazing feeling,” LeCroy said. As the Red Wings and Saints wrap up their first of two series this season, LeCroy will be leaving Minnesota with newfound memories of the Metrodome’s successor as well as many friendly reminders of how much Twins Territory still appreciates his roles, big and small, with the franchise. View full article

Justin Topa made his first rehab appearance in St. Paul on Thursday night. Hear what he shared with Twins Daily's Theo Tollefson after the game on where he's at with his pitch command and health. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints St. Paul – Another pitcher is inching closer to his return to the Twins bullpen and make his debut with the team. Veteran reliever Justin Topa suffered with tendinitis in his left knee in spring training. The Twins placed him on the injured list five days before the season began. Twins fans saw the newly-acquired reliever from the Mariners up close for the first time since spring training on Thursday night as he began his rehab assignment with the St. Paul Saints. Last season, Topa threw 69 innings over a career-high 75 games and posted a 2.61 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 21.9% strikeout rate, and 6.5% walk rate. Topa’s breakout season in 2023 followed major surgeries throughout his career having not just one, but two Tommy John surgeries in Independent and Minor League Baseball. The knee injury was a first for Topa, and he was happy it wasn’t a long-term setback. “It felt good to just get back into the swing of things and go through a full regular game day again,” Topa said about his game day routine Thursday. “It felt like the shapes of everything were there, making pitches where I needed to make pitches, and I’m just happy with how it went today.” Topa pitched only one inning on Thursday night. The first batter he faced reached on a fielding error by Diego A. Castillo. Topa went on to strike out the side and get through the inning on 15 pitches. Velocity wasn’t a major concern for Topa on Thursday as he returned to the mound. His sinking fastball averaged out at 95 MPH last season with Seattle, but he didn’t have a pitch top out over 92.6 MPH. “I’m very adrenaline-based I feel like at times, so I just got to get going again, get the body moving, and I feel like once we continue to throw in games and build up in that aspect, it’ll be back,” said Topa. Saints manager Toby Gardenhire was impressed with the results Topa had on the mound Thursday night leaving him excited for what’s to come next time he’s out there for St. Paul. “He was great,” said Gardenhire. “He looked great, he had an inning tonight, he went out there, threw his inning and he looked awesome. His stuff is sharp and that’s the first time I’ve seen him throw so that’ll be a good addition once we can get him back to the big leagues.” The knee injury not only set back Topa on the mound but also his time in the Twins and Saints clubhouse coming out of spring training. Nonetheless, he said he’s still adjusting well with his new teammates throughout the organization. “It was obviously tough timing with the whole thing, getting hurt toward the end of camp. But everybody’s been awesome. Getting to know everybody rehabbing over at Target Field for the past couple of weeks around those guys and then coming down here and seeing familiar faces that were in camp. It’s been awesome to blend with that and get to know how the organization runs,” said Topa. Thursday’s rehab outing was rejuvenating for Topa as he familiarized himself with his game[day routine once more. He noted the game day routine he had in a full season for the first time and was keen to his successful season with the Mariners in 2023. “Those are like the small things when you’re coming back from injury that can impact a lot of things, but just to get back into it has been awesome,” said Topa. Topa will have another rehab outing with the Saints this weekend as they finish out their series with the Rochester Red Wings. He’s expected to have a pitch count limit of up to 25 this go around, but no matter the results, Topa is thrilled to be on the mound again. “All injuries are bad injuries, but thankfully it wasn’t an arm injury again this year. So in that aspect,, it’s tough but being able to bounce back relatively quick and not miss too much time early on and hopefully just be good the rest of the way.” View full article

The draft is just under three months away but the Consensus Board on all Diamond Centric websites is seeing weekly updates. Jamie breaks down what changes have come this week with the help of Brock Beauchamp, and how fans can better understand the Draft ahead of schedule View full video

The Minnesota Twins made a move to bolster their upper-level organizational infield depth Tuesday, signing veteran infielder Tony Kemp to a minor-league deal. Image courtesy of © Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports The Twins added depth to their Triple-A roster by signing infielder Tony Kemp to a minor-league deal Tuesday morning. Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported on Twitter that the nine-year veteran would be joining the team. In a bit of semi-serendipity, Kemp was available because he'd been cut to make room for Orioles wünderkind Jackson Holliday, and the Twins scooped him up while in Baltimore to face Holliday and company. Kemp, 32, is joining his third organization for the 2024 season, as he signed with the Cincinnati Reds on February 24 and was released by them later in Spring Training, on March 19. A week later, he caught on with the Baltimore Orioles, made their Opening Day roster, and played in five games with the A.L. East favorites, going 0-for-9 at the plate. Kemp, a lefty batter, spent the previous four seasons with the Oakland Athletics, becoming one of the better-known names in a dismal franchise where ownership is leaving everyone behind. His best season came in 2021, when he had a carer-best triple slash of .279/.382/.418. While it has yet to be confirmed, Kemp is most likely to join the St. Paul Saints on their six-game road trip to Indianapolis this week. The Saints are depleted in the outfield, having only two outfielders on their active roster. Kemp has played left field and second base for the majority of his career, appearing in left 65 times last season with the A’s and 57 times at second base. His offensive numbers saw a decline in 2023, but Kemp’s strike-zone judgment remains on par with some of the league’s best hitters. Per Baseball Savant, his 13.6% whiff rate and 10% strikeout rate were among the lowest in baseball, as he punched out only 40 times in 419 plate appearances, which would have been the lowest (by 11%) on the 2023 Twins for players with at least that much playing time. Max Kepler had the lowest strikeout rate on the Twins with a minimum of 400 plate appearances in 2023, at 21.6%. Major-league clubs still see talent in Kemp, although he's nearing the end of his run in MLB. If all goes in his favor, he could still be a part of the team and serve a strong role like Tim Beckham in 2022 or Jordan Luplow last season. For now, he will start his Twins tenure in Triple-A and serve as another mentor for the younger players itching to get their first crack in the majors. Kemp is one of the most beloved clubhouse guys in baseball, checking another important box for this character-conscious front office. View full article

Another Burnsville native has joined the Saints clubhouse. 28-year-old Aaron Rozek joined the St. Paul Saints and started for them on Saturday. Learn more about his journey with the organization he grew up cheering for. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints Saints hitting coach Shawn Schlechter isn’t the only person in the Saints clubhouse from his hometown. Another Burnsville native has joined them. Twenty-eight-year-old Aaron Rozek joined the St. Paul Saints and started for them on Saturday. Learn more about his journey with the organization he grew up cheering for. In 2021, Aaron Rozek was entering what he believed to be his final season of independent baseball. He had spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons pitching in the Frontier League with the Southern Illinois Miners and Schaumburg Boomers. He sat out 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic changing the world, but he was itching to have one more full season of playing ball. “When I went to indy ball, it was just to extend being a kid without many responsibilities as long as possible,” Rozek said. “I went into 2021 knowing it was my last season if I was still in indy ball. So as far as I'm concerned, I'm playing with house money, and everything since then has been icing on the cake.” In late June that year, the unexpected happened, the Minnesota Twins came calling wanting to add him to the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels roster. Rozek was beyond excited. An offer from the Major League he grew up watching and rooting for was something he couldn’t pass up. “Knowing where velo stands within baseball and pitchers. I thought there was a very, very small chance that this was ever going to happen,” said Rozek on the contract offer from the Twins. Rozek said he had no idea how the contract came about from the Twins or how he ended up on their radar this past Wednesday “I'm glad it happened, but I'm not going to question any further than they give me a contract and allow me to play as much as they have.” Derek Shomon had been hired by the Twins to be the hitting coach at Low-A Ft. Myers for the 2021 season. He was the bench coach with the Schaumburg Boomers in 2019. The organization needed more pitching depth after the pandemic season, Shomon knew Rozek was just the guy for the Twins to pursue. St. Paul Saints pitching coach Pete Larson worked alongside Shomon as the pitching coach with the Mighty Mussels in 2021. He confirmed it was Shomon’s knowledge of the Burnsville native that brought him with the Twins organization. “He wouldn't be here without Derek Shomon,” Larson said. “He knew Aaron and Aaron trained in one of his facilities and recommended him to the Twins, and that's how we got his name when there was a huge need.” From there, Rozek took advantage making the most of every opportunity on the mound, not dwelling too much on the bad outcomes, and creating memories with his teammates both on the field and in the clubhouse. And those memories are what he says are the most important part of these last three seasons. “I was soaking in the moments not so much on the field, but in the clubhouse, maybe some shenanigans with the boys off the field. I soaked in every moment, just making sure I didn't leave a moment for granted. That's what most of us are going to remember, is the stuff away from the field and the clubhouse, all the silly moments,” Rozek said. When Rozek arrived in the Saints clubhouse last week, reuniting with Schlechter wasn't just an occasion of Burnsville High School grads coming together. They were old friends, despite the age gap, from their Burnsville High School Baseball days. "Back when I was in high school one of my good buddies, his younger brother, and him (Rozek) were good friends growing up. Aaron and I go back to playing basketball in the backyard together and it's cool to come back home and share this experience together. He's just such a good guy and he works hard," Schlechter said on his fellow BHS grad. Rozek has stayed true to himself as he’s climbed up the affiliates of Minor League Baseball. Larson, who has been Rozek’s pitching coach at Low-A and Double-A, said he is one pitcher always crossing his t’s and dotting his i’s with his routines before every game. “It strictly is very genuine and I love it. It's great and you don't have to worry about him. He's going to take care of his stuff. He's going to get his workouts and he's going get his treatments done and you really don't have to worry about them,” Larson said. Power is not a part of Rozek’s pitching arsenal. Most of the pitches he throws are off-speed and breaking balls, primarily relying on his slider, curveball, and changeup to get batters out. “He's a crafty lefty trying to change speeds, use the whole zone and the whole plate, and mix and match righty versus lefty,” Larson said. Rozek’s 2024 season also began with some uncertainty. He was held back in Ft. Myers due to injury and didn’t know where he’d be assigned to start the year. “It was definitely a surprise,” Rozek said on his call-up to the Saints. “It was always nice to know I was coming home. Drew MacPhail, our head of player development, let me know. I was at the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels game, I was hanging out, couldn't hear anything. So I ran out of the stadium and got the news that way.” Reflecting on the extra time in Ft. Myers. Rozek had the opportunity was able to meet his Twins idol who inspired him to keep pitching through it all. “That was why I fell in love with pitching. He's why I love the changeup that's my like, go-to pitch all throughout my career. Johan Santana has been a very big part of why I fell in love with baseball and seeing him it was, it was weird. But very cool. He’s a smart individual and I’m just blessed to have met him and shake his hand,” Rozek said. His career numbers in the minors are not of Santana’s caliber and don’t flash off the back of his baseball card. He’s complied a 4.66 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 5.05 FIP, 15.6 K%, and 8.2 BB% in 232 career innings. But Rozek’s ability to make his ‘crafty lefty’ style work has gotten him to the point of being a step away from potentially making his MLB debut with the team he grew up cheering for. Rozek had a lackluster first outing with the Saints on Saturday, throwing three innings, giving up seven hits, three runs, (one off a home run), and a walk. He still struck out three batters and his offense came back to tie the game up, even though they lost to the Iowa Cubs 4-3. Despite all that, the house money Rozek started his Twins career with has only piled higher each time he takes the mound. He’s had an opportunity many kids dreamed of in Little League but never fulfilled, and at the end of the day, that’s what matters to him most. “I got a pretty large stack in front of me right now playing with some solid cards. I’m happy to be here. I'm trying to hammer having fun with the game and not letting what happens on the field dictate how I am off the field.” View full article

The Minnesota Twins are one step closer to having one of their veteran relievers return from the injured list. Read up on Caleb Thielbar's rehab in St. Paul. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints SAINT PAUL– The Twins are close to having one more pitcher in their depleted bullpen; Caleb Thielbar. But before he can return from the 15-day injured list, where he's been while recovering from a hamstring injury, he needs to complete his rehab assignment with the St. Paul Saints. The goal for Thielbar in his outing Thursday, per Saints manager Toby Gardenhire, was to work up to 25 pitches and see how he would hold up with a high pitch count. “We wanted him to hit 25 pitches, that was the big thing,” Gardenhire said. “He can go out there and have quick innings. So if you say one inning and he throws nine pitches in it and he’s not getting the work he wants, so we want him to hit 25 pitches and get that work in.” His first opponent on the hill was 10-year MLB veteran David Peralta. Thielbar retired him on a pop-up to third baseman Tanner Morris, then retired the Cubs' fourth-ranked prospect (per Twins Daily sister site North Side Baseball) Owen Caissie, and No. 15 prospect B.J. Murray on 15 pitches. “It’s all just about how I feel, and I feel great,” Thielbar said following Thursday’s outing. “I think my pitches are where they need to be. Velo could maybe jump a little bit, but I am fine with the movement I got right now.” With only 15 pitches thrown in one inning of work, Thielbar did something he hasn’t done in a Twins game since August 28, 2021: work a full second inning on the mound. Back on the mound for the seventh, Thielbar retired the first two batters he faced on a ground out and another strikeout, but Iowa catcher Ali Sanchez took a fastball inside deep to left field to get the Cubs back in the game. “That’s just a guy jumping on a first pitch,” Thielbar admitted when asked about the home run. “I should have just started him out with something else. That’s usually what happens in a first pitch like that, but the process was good, got ahead of guys and that’s what they want to see [Twins Front Office and Management].” The final batter Thielbar faced was North Side Baseball’s No. 2 prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong, whom he struck out on a sweeper in the dirt. Thielbar’s final line for the evening would be two innings, one hit, a run (on the Sanchez homer), and four strikeouts on 28 pitches, 21 landing for strikes. Fortunately for Thielbar, newly arrived Saints shortstop Diego Castillo hit a 3-run home run to put the Saints up 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth. It was a welcome development for Thielbar, but an especially important one for Castillo. "I have been working for all this time and it felt really good," Castillo said. "There's still a lot of season coming and it feels great." One of the challenges Thielbar faced is the size of the strike zone, which can sometimes be more inconsistent than those of MLB umpires. “You never know where that zone is sometimes. I felt like it was a little bit of a different zone today than it was the other day (Tuesday). But at least I was throwing it to the zone,” Thielbar said. Thielbar said his left hamstring, which kept him on the injured list to start the season, is 100% healthy. It was the same hamstring he had nursed for some time in 2022 that landed him on the IL in the middle of the season. The only difference this time around was that it took a little longer to heal. “It just took a little longer to heal, for whatever reason," said Thielbar, 37. "The other one didn’t take really long, so I was kind of expecting that, but then it turned into a lot longer than that. But I still have a lot of time left to have a good season. We’re in a good spot and it’ll be fun to get back to help the boys out a little bit,” said Thielbar. During his rehab with the Saints Thielbar has worked a total of three innings, two hits, one run, one home run, one walk, five strikeouts, and the win in Thursday night’s game. For a Twins bullpen needing more depth, the southpaw Randolph Rocket (nickname per Twins Daily alumni Nash Walker), looks and feels like he'll be ready to return to the major-league club soon. View full article

Another Twins reliever is down with an injury, in righthander Daniel Duarte. With pitching depth very depleted, the Twins have called up José Miranda to join the active roster, and he'll start at the hot corner Monday night. Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports The Twins have placed another pitcher on the injured list, as Daniel Duarte is now on the shelf for at least 15 days with a right triceps strain. To fill his spot on the active roster, infielder José Miranda has been recalled from St. Paul to make his 2024 debut with the Twins in the upcoming series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Miranda, 25, has played in seven of the Saints' eight games this season and has 7-for-28 at the plate, with one home run and three runs batted in. The call-up of Miranda has the Twins roster currently with 12 pitchers and 14 hitters, leaving seven relievers in an already depleted Twins bullpen. While some argue this will leave them shorthanded in the bullpen, the Twins are scheduled to face three left-handed starters over the next week, including James Paxton for the Dodgers on Monday. In addition, lefty reliever Caleb Thielbar will begin his rehab assignment with the Saints this week, as they open up a six-game homestand against the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday. If all goes well in Thielbar’s rehab, he could join the Twins in time for their series in Baltimore that begins next Monday, April 15. The only other pitchers on the Twins' 40-man who are healthy at St. Paul are Brent Headrick and Simeon Woods Richardson, each of whom made starts for the Saints this weekend. They're unavailable for any relief role for the Twins until the middle of the week, at the earliest. Whether it be Thielbar, Headrick or Woods Richardson called up when the Twins need their 13th arm next, this will leave Miranda and outfielder/second baseman Austin Martin as the two men on the roster most likely to be sent back to St. Paul as the corresponding move. Both players still have options left, making the decision easier for the Twins front office when the time calls for it. Martin and Miranda are starting against the Dodgers in Monday’s night game with the lefty Paxton on the mound. Martin has yet to collect his first MLB hit, but Miranda has mustered up a respectable .265 batting average and .774 OPS in 171 plate appearances against lefties in his career. The most intriguing thing of note for Miranda is not where he’s hitting in the lineup, but where he’s playing in the field; third base. Twins fans and writers have been skeptical of Miranda playing at third with the Saints and Twins at all this year, but he already had a start at third with the Saints during their last series against the Nashville Sounds. Even with the majority of his time spent on the right side of the infield, he’s confident in his right shoulder health. He believes the skeptics will be proven wrong. “I can play third right now, whenever they want me to,” Miranda said to reporters following Saints Opening Day on March 30. “I felt pretty comfortable at first. I was putting in the work, obviously down in Ft. Myers, I work a lot down there and they told me to get some work in with my shoulder.” In the last week and a half, Miranda took everything one day at a time to get back to the majors. Now that the opportunity has opened up for him, he plans to show his 2022 rookie campaign isn’t a one-hit-wonder. “Everyone that’s here at Triple-A is obviously so close to the big leagues. You want to be up there obviously, that’s the goal and I want to go up there and show [everyone] what I can do,” said Miranda. Miranda will be playing in his first MLB game since July 9 on Monday night. He’s batting fifth, behind center fielder Byron Buxton. Duarte's prognosis isn't yet clear, but the team will need to walk an even more narrow tightrope on the pitching side for at least the next fortnight. View full article

Like last season, strikeouts continue to be a big issue with the Minnesota Twins lineup, but what are the least and most concerning signs from the lineup from their first seven games? There’s no question about it, the Twins lineup is striking out more often than anybody, except their opponents, would like. Through seven games Twins hitters have struck out 73 times, and with their rainout against Cleveland on Sunday, they’ll have the most through the fewest games played to start 2024. Last season the Twins lineup set the Major League record for strikeouts by an offense with 1,654 across 5,489 at-bats, leading to a 30.1% strikeout rate. Currently, their strikeout rate in 2024 is above this at 31.7% in 230 at-bats, a pace that could lead them to create a new Major League record. Not all of these 73 strikeouts have fallen completely on the Twins hitters, most notably, in Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians. Home plate umpire Brennan Miller had a bizarrely wide strike zone running up Edouard Julien and Matt Wallner both on called strike threes clearly outside the strike zone. But even with these bad calls, it doesn’t excuse the higher number of strikeouts the Twins have seen over the last two games (13 on Thursday and 15 on Saturday) against Cleveland. What are the worst outcomes of these strikeouts and are there any silver linings for the Twins lineup and their strikeouts only one week in the season? Let’s break down the numbers for each of their 14 hitters in week one. Starting off with the semi-good news to start the season. Two hitters in the first seven games haven’t struck out once; Royce Lewis and Austin Martin. Lewis, for the obvious reason of exiting Opening Day after two at-bats (but hey, he’s still batting 1.000), and Martin who’s only had three at-bats in his first four MLB games. Martin will strike out at some point, but the limited plate appearances against Brady Singer turned into groundouts. The Ugly Onto the ugly. Three Twins hitters have been striking out at an alarming rate more than the rest of their hitters; Julien, Wallner, and Willi Castro. Castro is the team leader in strikeouts with 12 in 28 plate appearances (42.8% strikeout rate). He has an even split in how he is striking out with half the time being swinging and the other half looking. The two pitches most notable giving him trouble are fastballs and sliders, with five coming on fastballs and four on sliders. Last season Castro had little trouble against the fastball as he had a .378 batting average in the 110 plate appearances he saw 546 fastballs in. He still struck out 31 times on fastballs in 2023 making for a 28.8% strikeout rate on the pitch. His efforts against sliders in 2023 weren’t as great as the fastball, but he still had a respectable .254 batting average in 78 plate appearances against that pitch. He struck out against sliders just 17 times, making for a 21.8% strikeout rate. Castro is off to a cold start but he’s still managed to put together a few hits to begin the year. But he and the Twins will be facing their biggest challenge of the season yet with the Dodgers coming into town on Monday. Fortunately, they’ll be facing James Paxton, a pitcher whom Castro has never struck out against and doesn’t have a slider in his arsenal, which could be the perfect lefty for him to face and break out of this rut. Wallner is a different story from Castro altogether. He has the worst strikeout rate on the Twins so far, striking out 50% of the time (8 K’s in 16 AB’s). He’s not just struggling with one or two types of pitches, it’s a bit of everything Wallner is failing to make contact with. Fastball, slider, curveball, you name it, he can’t hit it. These types of at-bats were to be expected from Wallner as he had a 31.5% strikeout rate as a rookie in 2023. But even with a limited amount of playing time to start the season, striking out half the time he’s at the plate is a warranted concern. Wallner is unlikely to start against Paxton on Monday, but Tuesday is most likely to have Tyler Glasnow on the mound of the Dodgers. Glasnow leads the Dodgers rotation with 15 strikeouts so far and he’s been getting hitters to strikeout on everything from his fastball, slider, and curveball. Pending Monday’s game, Wallner could get the start against the Dodger ace to see how he will continue to hit, if at all, against right-handed pitchers. Last amongst the Twins hitters with ugly strikeout results is Julien. Juilen’s worst attribute to start the season was one of the things he was praised for the most as a rookie, his strike zone judgment. But each umpire has their definition of their strike zone, and the majority behind the plate for Julien has had wider ones than he allows for himself. That’s why seven of his nine strikeouts so far have been looking, and none were more crucial than his strikeout with the bases loaded in the bottom of the second during Thursday’s home opener. The slider Julien went by him was right at the bottom of the strike zone, and per MLB’s ABS, would have been called a strike even if Julien could have challenged the pitch. While his strike zone judgment is still a strong skill of his hitting abilities as he has a 34.6% strikeout rate in this slump. Julien will have to widen his own strike zone for the time being, until he gets an umpire with a strike zone as tight as his. Julien is more than a capable hitter when he swings and makes contact, but he’s barely been doing so to start 2024, and he will have to allow himself to become more of a free swinger, even if it makes him uncomfortable for a bit, to break out of this bad stretch. The Bad Six Twins hitters have found themselves in this category to start the 2024 season; Byron Buxton, Carlos Santana, Max Kepler, Ryan Jeffers, Manuel Margot, and Kyle Farmer. Their strike-out issues are not as alarming as the previous three mentioned, in fact, the only two among this group who have had any strikeouts while looking are Farmer and Margot. Margot’s strikeout numbers are more concerning than Farmer’s as he’s stuck out in almost half of his plate appearances (5 K’s in 12 PAs, 41.6% strikeout rate). Margot has been utilized primarily as the Twins' fourth outfielder, getting only one start in the seven games at DH. While his 0 for 5 in his career against Paxton, his career .281 batting average against southpaws, and Wallner’s abysmal struggles may warrant him getting a start in left field to fix his strikeout problem. The two pitches Farmer has watched go by him for strike three this year were both fastballs. Like Margot, his plate appearances have been limited with fewer platoon options to start him against lefties. On the flip side, his strikeout rate remains lower compared to his teammates (23% strikeout rate in 13 PAs), and Monday’s game against the Dodgers will provide a prime opportunity for him to break out of what is likely a slow start for his season. The other four hitters in this category have all had slower starts at the plate to begin the year. But the most encouraging player that is seeing improvement here is Buxton. All his eight strikeouts have been swinging is an encouragement to how healthy he is this year. Last season, there were dozens of at-bats where he wouldn’t even swing on strike three with his pain. His strikeout rate of 27.5% is certainly a factor keeping his OPS well below the league average at .656. But as the weather warms up and he keeps himself healthy, Buxton will surely have one of the better seasons we’ve seen from him since 2017. The strikeout rates for Santana (26.6% in 30 PAs), Kepler (28.5% in 21 PAs), and Jeffers (22.7% in 22 PAs) are not great, but their early season performances show signs of being slow out the gate more than anything else. The one outlier in this group when it comes to making contact against a certain pitch is Santana, who’s had half his eight strikeouts against sliders. As he’s aged, Santana has shown regression in his ability to hit sliders going from a .231 batting average against them in 76 plate appearances in 2021, to a .139 average in 90 plate appearances in 2023. This will likely be the one pitch often used to get him out in pivotal moments, and if it comes late in games, the Twins will have to pinch-hit for him if they cannot find a way to bring his average back above the Mendoza line against sliders. Nonetheless, Santana, Kepler, and Jeffers are all veteran hitters who have faced slow starts in their careers and will overcome these slow starts, even if they still pile up strikeouts in their at-bats. The Good The bright side overall for the Twins lineup is three hitters whose strikeout rates are no concern at all to start the season; Carlos Correa, Alex Kirilloff, and Christian Vázquez These three have five or fewer strikeouts across the Twins' first seven games and all three have shown signs of improvement from their down year in 2023. The most noticeable among this group that has improved is Correa. Even in the small sample size of seven games, he leads all of Major League Baseball in on-base percentage at .533. His strikeout rate is one of the lowest on the team, currently sitting at 16.6%. Between his hitting and fielding, the planter fasciitis appears to be completely gone for Correa, and he is becoming the heartbeat in the Twins' lineup keeping the momentum alive for the guys hitting behind him. The man typically hitting in front of him has been Kirilloff and he has been the Twins best hitter in the season’s early going. He’s struck out the least amount of times among the Twins who have played each game, only three times in 30 PAs, making for a strikeout rate of just 10%. Kirlloff is the least concerning among the regulars when it comes to his strikeout game. The thing fans have to worry about more is whether he’ll continue his triples hitting streak on Monday against the Dodgers. Finally, there’s Vázquez, whose playing time has been limited to three starts behind the plate. While he’s only mustered two hits in those games and grounded into a double play with the bases loaded, he’s only struck out once in 11 PAs making for the lowest strikeout rate on the team at 9%. Vázquez will continue an every-other-day starting role at catcher with Jeffers as the month continues on. His strikeouts may continue, but his approach at the plate looks much healthier than it did a year ago. What’s next? The Twins will be welcoming the Dodgers into Target Field for a three-game series and their pitching staff leads all of MLB in strikeouts with 116. As mentioned earlier, Paxton will have the first start of the series for the Dodgers, but following him are Glasnow, who has 15 in three starts, and Bobby Miller, who has 14 in two starts. As they’ve been the last two seasons, the Dodgers will continue to be a challenge to test the Twins' offense early in the season. And there’s no bigger challenge now than to overcome their strikeout issue at the plate against the best strikeout team in baseball. View full article

The 2024 season began on Friday for the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels. Courtesy of John Vittas, the director of communications and play-by-play broadcast of the Mussels, Jamie and Jeremy observe Jenkins meeting with local media and react to his mindset ahead of his first full season in the Twins system. View full video

Walker Jenkins and Charlee Soto met with the Ft. Myers media on Wednesday, ahead of their season opener. Here's the exciting insight the Twins top two picks from the 2023 MLB Draft shared on the upcoming 2024 season. Image courtesy of © Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports The Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels are beginning their 2024 season with some of the most exciting young talent within the Twins organization. This includes the likes of the Twins' first two picks in the 2023 MLB Draft, Walker Jenkins and Charlee Soto, who met with media members at Hammond Stadium alongside manager Brian Meyer on Wednesday. The top two picks of the Twins' 2023 draft class are both entering their first full seasons of professional baseball. Jenkins got an early start to his pro career last season, playing in 26 games split between the FCL Twins and Ft. Myers and posting a triple-slash of .362/.417/.571 in 115 plate appearances. “It was a ton of fun,” said Jenkins, in audio forwarded to Twins Daily by Mighty Mussels play-by-play broadcaster John Vittas. “Obviously a learning process, learning about a lot of different things, myself, my routine, how I need to go about it. But it just goes back to being fun. You go out and play baseball as a job, it doesn’t really get better than that.” Soto, on the other hand, didn’t throw a pitch in a game last season, and he’ll be making his professional debut on Saturday. Nonetheless, both are still ripe to gain experience and shared their enthusiasm for the upcoming season. “From a young age, I’ve always thrown hard,” said Soto. “I mean just all the work in the weight room. I work a lot on my legs, I think legs are probably the main part of being a pitcher. The transition from high school ball to pro ball wasn’t easy, by any means, but I feel like I truly belong here.” Meyer knows these two top prospects have a long way to go in their pro careers. He mentioned how important the instructional side of Low-A is for players like Jenkins and Soto, and for every other player on his roster. It’s one of the things Meyers enjoys, especially coming from a background in collegiate baseball for 13 years prior to joining the Twins organization in 2020. “Teaching them the fundamentals, whether it be the baserunning, cuts, and relays, getting them to understand the finer points that don’t show up on the stat sheet but can really impact winning not just at our level but at the major-league level too. You bring out the true teacher in a lot of us here, which I really enjoy,” Meyer said. Given the amount of time Soto has had to ease into his first professional game since being drafted last July, he’s worked on upgrading his pitch arsenal, installing two new pitches. “I’ve added a sinker and I’ve added a sweeper. Those two pitches have been added, and I feel like those are two pitches that are going to help me in the long run. The sinker and the sweeper, they’re just two nasty pitches.” Jenkins is entering 2024 with an open mind. Last year's taste of professional action was an experience he doesn’t take for granted, but it was a small sample, and he wants to treat this season as if he is starting from the very beginning, like Soto is. “I have a full season ahead of me. It’s my first time playing probably 100-plus games in a year and I think I am going to learn things I don’t even know I am going to learn. I’m really excited to figure out how I want to go about it; how to be successful, how to keep healthy, do all those things, and just figure out the process,” Jenkins said. The mindset Jenkins has for 2024 has caught the attention of Meyer, who managed Jenkins in the majority of his 2023 games. The baseball lifer recognizes that where Jenkins was selected in the 2023 draft is not just an indicator of the caliber of his talents as a ballplayer. “He’s a special player,” Meyer said on Jenkins. “There’s a reason he was drafted so high, not just for what he does on the field but how he carries himself off the field. And the determination that he has day in and day out, it’s exciting for me as a manager to see how he goes about himself.” Soto does not hold back on his enthusiasm to get his professional career started, but his excitement is shared with his teammates drafted after him in the 2023 draft, Ross Dunn and Tanner Hall, who will be a part of the Mighty Mussels starting rotation alongside him. “We have a lot of guys who are going to go out there and shove. Both guys played on the U.S.A. college team, two guys who are going to go out there and dominate, and the fans should expect a lot of wins this season.” The teenage Soto's maturity shows not only with his work ethic, but in how he props up his teammates and listens to them. “Charlee’s just a workhorse. I haven’t seen a whole lot of him on the mound, but I saw him throw a couple of innings in spring training. But he’s a workhorse in the weight room, he’s very mature for an 18-year-old. He’s got a good head on his shoulders, knows where he wants to go, and understands this is his first step with it,” Meyer said. Jenkins and Soto are the headliners in the Mighty Mussels lineup to begin the 2024 season. They both recognize how much growth they have ahead (as men and as ballplayers) as the season begins. That awareness has kept them grounded, and figures to help them focus on the process of advancing toward MLB in 2024, rather than letting talent or celebrity cloud their vision of the challenges immediately before them. View full article