Christopher Fee

Recently I had the opportunity to interview to MLB.com senior writer Jonathan Mayo about the Minnesota Twins farm system. In part 1 of that interview, we talked a lot about Aaron Hicks and Kyle Gibson’s 2013 seasons, and what it means for their future. In part two of the three part series, I talk to him about Twins top prospect Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano, and he identifies two Twins breakout prospects for 2014. CF – Do you think it’s possible for guys like [Miguel] Sano, [Alex] Meyer, and [byron] Buxton to reach the major leagues this season? JM – Is it possible? Sure. I think that Meyer will definitely be in the big leagues, without question. He’s the only one out of the three that I feel confident will see significant big league time in 2014. Sano, I could see a situation where he hits his way there: you send him back to AA to begin the year; if he hits in Double-A like he did in Fort Myers, then you can move him up in the second half. I know that a lot of people want Buxton to get there next year because of how well he hit in the Florida State League, and they can send him to Double-A to start the season. Unless he just continues to exceed already lofty expectations, pull a Mike Trout sort of thing - which he’s done a pretty good impersonation so far - I think that 2015 is more likely, which is far more quickly then people thought when he was first drafted. CF – I’ve read several people comparing Byron Buxton to Mike Trout. I know that’s a little crazy and putting his ceiling ridiculously high, but how good can Buxton really be? JM – Yes, it is putting it ridiculously high, but you can’t help but make the comparison. Just in terms of how good he was right out of the game, and better than people expected. Everyone knew that Buxton was going to be good - he went number two in the draft for a reason - and a lot of people felt that he was the best talent in the draft. Trout went at the end of the first round, so the comparison has some issues, but because Buxton played in a small town, and didn’t face great competition, I think people though that there was going be more of a difficult transition for him, and he’s proving people wrong. I think that’s why the comparison exists, that and the fact that he’s got all of the tools in the toolbox just like Trout does. They both dominated right away. I think the problem you have when you make that kind of comparison is, let’s say Buxton gets pushed to AA and struggles a little bit. Then suddenly he’s not as good as he was, because he didn’t do what Trout did, which was continue to be ridiculous and make it to the big leagues three years before he thought he would. No, he may just need to adjust a little bit. I’d be wary of linking the two of them too much, but I also would not put any ceiling on what Byron Buxton can become. I firmly believe that he has all of the abilities to become an elite level, All-star caliber player at the big league level. CF: The Twins haven’t had a 40 Home Run hitter since Harmon Killebrew in 1970. Is there a chance that Miguel Sano can be a 40 home run hitter in the big leagues and break that streak? JM – Yes, that’s the easiest question you’ve asked me. CF – Even at Target Field? JM – I think that he has the ability to hit the ball out anywhere, whether or not the fact that his home ballpark is not favorable for hitters. He does get to play 80 games in other parks. He has the potential to hit 40 homers a year. Without looking at all the stats, the Kingdome (Seattle) wasn’t a very good place to hit, but Ken Griffey Jr. managed to hit 40 homers. I’m not saying that Miguel Sano is Ken Griffey Jr. but he’s got that kind of power - probably more raw power than a guy like that. He’s got as much raw power as anybody in baseball. CF – Is there a guy in the farm system that you feel like will have a breakout season that may not be on the radar already? JM – Does Berrios count as an under-the-radar guy? CF – He has some hype behind him. JM- Well here’s the thing, he’s not really under the radar but I think he’s going to jump much more firmly on the radar in 2014. I think he’s going to take off and he’s going to be one of the more intriguing pitching prospects in the league by the end of the year. But I’ll give you one more that I’m interested to see, Stephen Gonsalves. Just because he was a guy that came into the spring last year with a ton of hype, was thought of as the best high school lefty in the country and then just backed up. He had a really inconsistent spring, but he’s 6 foot 5 and has shown the ability to do a lot, and I think that him combined with the Twins player development staff, and what they’ve been able to do in the past, I’m curious to see what they can do. I don’t know whether he gets to go straight to the Midwest League, or what. He did throw well during his debut, so I do think he can get pushed. I think he can be one of those guys that the Twins can be the beneficiaries of the fact that he didn’t have a good spring. If they can get him straightened out, that could end up being one of the interesting steals of the 2013 Draft. For Part 1 of this interview, click here. Part 3 or the interview will be published on 1/14.

Recently I had the opportunity to interview MLB.com senior writer Jonathan Mayo about the Minnesota Twins farm system. Since joining MLB.com, he’s produced an annual Top 100 prospect list, several shows on MLB radio and Around the Minors, a radio show that is all about prospects. In part one of the three part series, I talk to him about the Twins' farm system as a whole, where certain prospects are on his Top 100 list and whether this year will be different for Kyle Gibson & Aaron Hicks. CF – First off, where do you currently rank the Twins farm system in comparison to all of the other teams in the league? Jonathan Mayo – Well, we don’t do an “official” organizational ranking. But that being said, I don’t think you’re going out on a limb by saying that they are clearly at or near the top of any list if you were going to put one together. CF – The MLB.com Top 100 list that you put together is coming out, I don’t know how far into it you are, but how many Twins prospects can we expect to see on there potentially? JM – Ohhhh I can’t tell you that. (laughs) CF – I had to try. JM – I think if you were to say that you would see several Twins on the list you’d be fine. I don’t know how you define several. CF – I could probably think of three. JM – Three is a few, I can say that there are more than that, but that’s as far as I’ll go. CF – Fair enough. I know that there’s a reveal and a special on the MLB Network coming up soon. JM- January 23rd – 10 pm EST, 9 pm central on the MLB Network, and the entire top 100 will be on the site right afterwards. CF – Do you believe that the struggles that they saw with [Kyle] Gibson in the majors and with [Aaron] Hicks are going to deter rushing guys to the majors? I know that was a big discussion with Hicks jumping from AA to the majors and didn’t live up to the expectations people had for him. Will the Twins be more likely to hold guys back because of those experiences, or is it more of a player-by-player basis? JM – I think it’s a player-by-player basis. The Twins have always been good at that. There was a lull when they weren’t producing many players. I think that Hicks was the head of the group in some respects, and he might have been rushed a little bit because they didn’t really have a center fielder. I think they felt that he could handle it, he had handled some failure in the minors, and was just starting to figure things out. With no disrespect to Aaron Hicks, Buxton has already been much more productive than Hicks in his first season, than Hicks ever was in the minors. I don’t think you can let what Aaron Hicks did or what Kyle Gibson - coming off of Tommy Johns surgery - did dictate decisions on other players. If Alex Meyer is throwing strikes at the beginning of the year, he’s going to see a lot of big league time. If Sano is lighting up AA and there is a need at third? I think you could see him. I think the situation of the individual is going to dictate it more than anything else. CF – Speaking of Gibson and Hicks, do you think that the potential is still there that made them top prospects? I know they are both relatively young guys, but do you see them starting the 2014 season in Rochester or do they have a real shot at making the opening day roster in Minnesota? JM – Aaron Hicks is going to be 24 for all of the 2014 season, but even if he goes down to AAA for a little while, he’s not that old. It gets more difficult for guys who have had struggles at the big league level, to be that guy who was there and then left. It’s not like they have guys to play center field in Minnesota. Alex Presley? I’m from Pittsburgh, so I actually like Alex Presley a little bit. I think he’s a very good fourth outfielder, but I don’t think you want him playing centerfield every day. I think that there is still the opportunity for Hicks to win that job again; it’ll be interesting to see what happens. If he has another really good spring training, and shows that he’s made some adjustments with what he struggled with in the big leagues last year I think he wins that job. As for Gibson, with some of the additions that they’ve brought in with Nolasco and Hughes, he’s going to have to work his way in. I still think that he has every chance of being a big league starter, but he’s 26; he’s no youngster anymore. I mean that’s still young enough, but that prospect clock is ticking. I think he probably goes in and competes for the back end of the rotation, and if he pitches well, then he has a chance. He’s never had the highest ceiling in the world, but he seemed to have a lower floor before he got hurt. Keep in mind that the learning curve for Tommy John, it’s shortened considerably in terms of the recovery time. Not everyone comes back throwing as well as they did before. That happens to some guys it seems, but definitely not everybody. He’s going to be another year removed; he could come back and look like the guy who was about ready to hit the rotation before he got hurt. He certainly can pitch his way into the rotation, and I certainly wouldn’t give up hope on either one of them. Truth be told, Gibson didn’t have that much time in the big leagues last season. It’s not like it was this huge resume of work to judge him by. If you really want to be optimistic about it you could say, “he was working his way back” and was basically rehabbing at the highest level of the minors and pitched his way to the big leagues. It used to be that the first year was almost like a mulligan, you just get your innings in, get your work in, building your arm strength back, get your feel for your pitches back., which is often the last thing that comes. So the fact that he pitched well enough to get up to the big leagues and make 10 starts, that’s pretty good. Part 2 and Parts 3 of this interview will be published on 1/9 and 1/14.

It's been just four days since the Red Wings lost game five of their playoff series against the Pawtucket Red Sox, 3-0. Immediately after the game the Minnesota Twins selected contracts of seven Rochester players, which started me thinking about what the Red Wings could look like in 2014. While there will be free agent signings and trades will take place, it will be interesting to see exactly what the Rochester Red Wings are going to look like next season, and see if they’ll be able to build off of a successful 2013 season. Catcher – Josmil Pinto 2013 Minor League Stats (AA New Britain/AAA Rochester) 126 G - .309 BA, 141 H, 32 2B, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 66 BB, 83 SO. As I write this Josmil Pinto is batting .500 with the Twins (13-26) with one home run and four RBI’s. However he played just 19 games with the Rochester Red Wings after spending the majority of the season with Double-A New Britain. While there is little doubt in my mind that Pinto will be with the Twins next season, on opening day he should be in Rochester. First Base – Chris Colabello 2013 Minor League Stats (AAA Rochester) 89 G - .352 BA, 119 H, 25 2B, 24 HR, 76 RBI, 43 BB, 89 SO. Chris Colabello’s first season in AAA was definitely one to remember. Not only did he put up the numbers that you see above, he also won the IL MVP award as well as the IL Rookie of the Year award as well. The Twins have invested two years in the 29 year old slugger, and I cannot see them giving up on him after the year he had for the Red Wings in 2013. Second Base – Eddie Rosario 2013 Minor League Stats (A+ Fort Myers/AA New Britain) 122 G - .302 BA, 150 H, 2 2B, 10 HR, 73 RBI, 38 BB, 96 SO, 10 SB, 10 CS. There’s a slight chance, in my opinion, that Rosario starts the year in AA again next season, but I’m optimistic that he’ll make the jump and start the year in Rochester. While there isn’t an overwhelming amount of home run power in his bat there is a good combination of speed and power to make him a dangerous batter hitting either second or sixth in the lineup. Shortstop – Danny Santana 2013 Minor League Stats (AA New Britain) 131 G - .297 BA, 160 H, 22 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 45 RBI, 24 BB, 94 SO, 30 SB, 13 CS. Of all of the prospects that the Twins have in their system Danny Santana may be the one most suited to bat leadoff in the major leagues. With his ability to bat near .300, stealing 30 bases and striking out fewer than 100 times this year there’s a lot to like. The only downside to Santana really is his lack of walks. In 539 at bats, he drew just 24 walks, which resulted in an OBP of .333; Santana could be an Elvis Andrus type player by the time he reaches Minnesota. Third Base – Miguel Sano 2013 Minor League Stats (A+ Fort Myers/AA New Britain) 123 G - .280 BA, 123 H, 30 2B, 35 HR, 103 RBI, 65 BB, 142 SO, 11 SB, 3 CS. Many people think that Sano could start the season in Minnesota coming out of spring training in 2014, but after what happened with Aaron Hicks that probably will not be the case. There is no disputing Sano’s power, it’s real and it’s spectacular (Seinfeld Reference… anyone?), but hitting just .236 in 67 games in New Britain is a reason to give him more time in the minors. Outfield - Dan Rohlfing 2013 Minor League Stats (AA New Britain/AAA Rochester) 112 G - .267 BA, 100 H, 15 2B, 3 HR, 42 RBI, 48 BB, 96 SO. Dan Rohlfing is one of the players the Twins organization loves, he has the ability to catch, play first base, and outfield. While there’s not a lot of major league upside for Rohlfing, in my opinion, there’s definitely an opportunity for him to make an impact with the Red Wings and he will potentially see a lot of at-bats with his multi-position availability. Outfield – Aaron Hicks 2013 Minor League Stats (AAA Rochester) 22 G - .222 BA, 16 H, 4 2B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 10 BB, 21 SO, 1 SB, 0 CS This may be the craziest prediction in this article, but in my opinion and from what the numbers show, it might not be a bad idea to give him a couple months in Rochester. There was talk about his hustle and his splits vs. LHP and RHP were not very good (.385 vs. LHP, .186 vs. RHP). With Hicks being just 24 years old his career is far from over and unless the Twins make some major off-season moves the likelihood of them contending in 2014 is not high. Outfield – Chris Parmelee 2013 Minor League Stats (AAA Rochester) 45 G - .231 BA, 40 H, 13 2B, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 22 BB, 32 SO. Chris Parmelee is the other prediction that could be a little shaky for 2014. Like Hicks he has major league experience and the Twins want to know for sure what they have with him. There is one other similarity between Hicks and Parmelee: neither one of them did very well during his time in Rochester. Whether it’s motivation or something else, Parmelee hit just .193 in August, with 1 HR in 114 at- bats. Maybe I’m pulling the plug a little early, but it seems like he’s either a fourth outfielder or the dreaded “Organizational Depth” type of player. Designated Hitter – James Beresford 2013 Minor League Stats (AA New Britain/AAA Rochester) 103 G – .306 BA, 109 H, 12 2B, 0 HR, 40 RBI, 30 BB, 51 SO, 10 SB, 2 CS. James Beresford was one of the more consistent hitters in the Red Wings lineup down the stretch and was a big reason why they made the playoffs in 2013. There was a bit of a steep learning curve when he was first promoted in June where he batted just .233. However in July Beresford hit .351 in 18 games and then followed that up with a .303 average in 24 games in August. While Rosario is the better prospect without a doubt, having Beresford’s bat in the lineup makes the Red Wings from top to bottom extremely dangerous. 2014 Opening Day Starting Lineup SS – Danny Santana 2B – Eddie Rosario 3B - Miguel Sano 1B – Chris Colabello C – Josmil Pinto OF – Aaron Hicks OF – Chris Parmelee DH – James Beresford OF – Dan Rohlfing Rochester Red Wings Rotation Alex Meyer 2013 Minor League Stats (GCL Twins/AA New Britain) 16 GS – 4-3, 2.99 ERA, 78.1 IP, 32 BB, 100 SO After missing almost two months this season due to injury, Alex Meyer was impressive in his last two August starts for New Britain, pitching nine shutout innings and striking out 11 batters while walking just two. While Meyer may not be the opening day starter for the Rochester Red Wings in 2014, after all Kyle Gibson was the #2 starter this season, his starts will be watched closely by GM Terry Ryan and Twins fans everywhere. Trevor May 2013 Minor League Stats (AA New Britain) 27 GS – 9-9, 4.51 ERA, 151.2 IP, 67 BB, 159 SO After spending the entire regular season with the New Britain Rock Cats, Trevor May has to prove what he’s able to do at the next level. After being traded to Minnesota in the off-season in 2012, May spent his second full season in the Eastern League and the numbers were slightly better in 2013 than they were in 2012. It’ll be interesting to see if May is able to have a strong 2014 season in Rochester and have his name added to the list of September call-ups. Pat Dean 2013 Minor League Stats (AA New Britain/AAA Rochester) 28 GS – 9-13, 4.04 ERA, 165 IP, 22 BB, 83 SO. Pat Dean only made six starts in Rochester this season, but there was a substantial difference between what he did in Double- A versus Triple-A. Dean went 6-11 in N.B. with a 4.68 ERA, but was an impressive 3-2 in Rochester with a 2.03 ERA. It’s safe to assume that he will perform somewhere in the middle but he averaged almost six innings per start and will no doubt be a staple in the Wings rotation. Logan Darnell 2013 Minor League Stats (AA New Britain/AAA Rochester) 26 GS – 10-10, 3.22 ERA, 153.2 IP, 45 BB, 120 SO Logan Darnell’s season went in the opposite direction of Pat Dean’s in the sense that he was outstanding with in Double-A and had some trouble when he was called up to the Red Wings. With the Rock Cats, Darnell was 6-6 with a 2.61 ERA. When he was in Rochester he was 4-4 with a 4.26 ERA. There were starts where Darnell showed that he has some very good stuff and could make a big impact next season. Pedro Hernandez 2013 Minor League Stats (GCL Twins/AA New Britain/AAA Rochester) 10 GS – 3-3, 3.66 ERA, 64 IP, 15 BB, 45 SO This is one of the guys that I just don’t know where he will end up next season. Hernandez did not overwhelm while in Rochester this year, going 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA in seven starts, but it was a small sample size. He’s not a power pitcher, won’t strike out a lot of batters, but he doesn’t give up many home runs either. Control is the key to his success. I thought that Pedro would be an impact player last season for the Red Wings, so why not try again for next season.

Entering his sixth professional season, Aaron Hicks has been one of the biggest prospects in the Minnesota Twins system for the past five years. After having a strong season with New Britain last year, Hicks was given the opportunity to compete and win the starting center-fielders job for the Twins. But after hitting just .192 in 281 at-bats in Minnesota, he was sent down to Rochester to continue to develop his swing and to ensure that he will be ready for the 2014 season in the majors. After batting practice on Friday I had the chance to talk to him about his season, some of the injuries he’s been facing, as well as his childhood and his other passion, golfing. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Photo Courtesy of Joe Territo Chris Fee: First off, how’s the wrist feeling? Aaron Hicks: The wrist is feeling really good, I took BP today and it felt great, and I can’t wait to get back into the lineup, it could be as early as tomorrow. (Saturday) CF: What’s your time in Rochester been like since you’ve joined the team? AH: Well, I’ve been hurt most of the time, so I really haven’t been able to get going. It’s been fun though, playing with this team, contending for the playoffs, and continuing to play great baseball. CF: What’s it like to come to a team that’s in the middle of a playoff hunt? The clubhouse atmosphere, the relationship between the teammates, how is it different than earlier in the year or if the team isn’t winning? AH: It’s a lot of fun. Not only being able to play with a new team, but being able to have fun with the things that they do in the locker room that I haven’t seen too much in my past teams that I’ve played with. So it’s definitely pretty fun. CF: Obviously being in Rochester isn’t where you thought you would be at this point in the season, what are you working on to get back to Minnesota and to have some of the success that you had in Spring Training? AH: Really it’s all about getting the swing back that I had back in Spring Training, and that I’ve had my whole life. I just need to get something going, get something to click, and next thing you know I could be back in the big leagues. Right now though it’s all about figuring myself out as a hitter and get the confidence up and keep battling. CF: Is that something that’s difficult to do, keeping the confidence up? Or do you just keep grinding and know that things will come around. AH: It’s not so much about having confidence in yourself, but having confidence in your ability. Being able to trust your hands, being able to hit pitches that aren’t necessarily strikes but pitches that you know that you can handle, being able to trust that and hit the ball hard. CF: I know that your dad played minor league baseball for a few seasons, is that what started you in becoming a baseball player? AH: Ummm, actually it was more about me competing against my older brother when I was younger. We would play a lot of baseball in the back yard once I stopped playing golf and started playing competitive baseball. It was one of those things where I wanted to be better than my brother who is like 10 years older than me. At that time being 11 or 12 years old and my brother being way older than you the competitiveness definitely comes out of you. CF: What made you decide to become a switch hitter? One day did you think “Boy this is too easy I got to find some way to make this game more difficult?” AH: * laughs * No, actually it was my dad. He was a Righty/Righty when he played. He actually got hit in the face with a fastball from a right-hander that he didn’t see. Also the fact that I was playing golf, and I was good at it, he kind of thought that if I hit left-handed, eventually I would get mad and go back to playing golf. But that’s pretty much how I became a switch-hitter. CF: So your dad didn’t want you to “follow in his footsteps” so to speak? AH: No, not at all. Just the way that his whole career went, and how hard it is to become a big leaguer, it’s a tough grind. It’s something that definitely has made me stronger. CF: You were drafted in the first round a few years back, 14th overall I believe, was there any thought about going to college? Or were you thinking, “Being drafted in the first round? You can’t get any better than that.” AH: Well, I signed to go to USC coming out of high school. I mean, I really love their program and also that school. Being a Trojan was something big and something that I wanted to be apart of the history there. It was kind of 50/50 at that point, I really wanted to go get my education at a school that is established. CF: What ultimately helped you make the decision? Family, Friends, Coaches, the Twins? AH: It comes down to really how bad a team wants you. Definitely the dollar amount helps persuade you. * laughs * It was also about getting my career started, really getting something going and being able to just go out and play baseball. CF: You’re the 18th player to reach the major leagues from your High School; do you still talk to some of your old teammates and the coaches? AH: Yeah, I talk to a lot of the former players there. The whole coaching staff actually went and saw my first big league game. My coach at the time, I was his first player to make it to the big leagues so it was a big honor for him and myself to be able to enjoy that together. CF: Going back to you as a golfer, what is your handicap right now? AH: Right now? Probably like a five or a six. CF: That’s pretty good. AH: Yeah, but when you’re a scratch golfer and then you go back to a five or a six it’s kind of frustrating, because when you’re at five or six you can easily go back to a ten. It all depends on what your day is like. CF: What side did you swing from, were you a switch-hitting golfer as well? AH: * laughs * I was a righty golfer, and that came naturally. I was so young, and my dad actually would buy two buckets for me, and one bucket for him. I would finish my two buckets before he would finish one. I was young, I didn’t realize the importance of trying to get your swing down, I just teed it up and swung and then teed it up again. CF: Any chance of trying out for the tour after your baseball career is done in 15-20 years? AH: Yeah, I mean that’s definitely another dream of mine. I want to play a long career in baseball and then go and finish up what I started when I was younger. CF: Any thoughts on playing some Pro-Am tournaments? I know there are a lot of other current athletes that play in those during the off-seasons. AH: I don’t know, I think I would try something more along the lines of the Long Drive Contests and start there, and then start playing in events. I mean the driver for me is the best part of my game; so being able to hit the long ball is what I like to do. CF: What do you put out there off the tee? AH: I would say, it all depends on the wind but I probably average around 330 yards. I think my longest is 410. CF: Wow! So you’re driving some Par 4’s? While the rest of us are lucky to reach in four shots. AH: * Laughs * Yeah I think I’m the perfect guy to have in a scramble because I just go for it, that’s the perfect opportunity to go for the greens. CF: What are you looking to work on the rest of this season, and going into the off-season what do you have to do to be ready for Spring Training next year? AH: Really just trying to find my swing and to find the confidence in my abilities. I want to be the opening day starter in centerfield in the big leagues. I think if I finish strong here, stay healthy, anything could happen. I might play great here and end up playing in the playoffs for this team and might have a September call up. But those things are out of my control, so just to be able to compete. CF: Have you thought about playing winter ball at all? Or is it still too early to make that decision? AH: No, not this year. I think this is the year that I’m going to take my first off-season off; I’ve never actually had one before. I’m going to go and enjoy my family, enjoy my hometown and just relax and enjoy the time off.

Before the 2013 season, Andrew Albers had never won more than eight games in his professional career, never struck out more than 100 batters, and had only pitched more than 100 innings one time. But 2013 has been a breakout year for the 27-year-old Kentucky grad, In 22 starts with the Rochester Red Wings Albers has won 11 games, struck out 116 batters while walking just 32 and has an ERA of 2.86. Tuesday he will make his major league debut with the Minnesota Twins, so here’s a look at a month-by-month breakdown of Albers season, and how each month he’s been better than the last. April – 0-1 23.2 IP, 28 H, 11 ER, 6 BB, 24 SO. 4.18 ERA Originally pegged as the Red Wings 5th starter, Albers first start was on April 8th against the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. While it wasn’t a long outing it was effective. He went 4.2 innings, giving up just three hits, one run, one walk and striking out five. Early in the season there was a pretty low pitch count for the Wings' pitchers. In this game he only threw 76 pitches and did not factor into the decision. Photo Courtesy of the Rochester Red Wings Albers continued to pitch well in his second start as well against the Pawtucket Red Sox. This time he went five innings, gave up four hits, struck out five batters and walked none. He left with a 1-0 lead but Daniel Turpen was unable to hold down the lead and Albers got a no decision. He faced them again in his next outing, and it did not go well, to say the least. He pitched only two innings, gave up four hits, three runs, three walks and one strikeouts. It was his shortest outing of the season. In his first outing against the Syracuse Chiefs, the struggles continued. He pitched six innings, gave up nine hits, five runs, two walks, six strikeouts and worst of all he allowed two home runs in the game. He did not factor in the decision yet the Red Wings went on to win the game 10-5. In his final outing of the month, his second against the Buffalo Bisons, Albers seemed to break out of the slump and pitched arguably his best start of the season until then. In six innings, he gave up eight hits, two runs, no walks and seven strikeouts; he did allow one home run as well. But he wasn't rewarded; after four straight no decisions, Albers picked up his first loss and dropped to 0-1 on the year. May: 2-1, 29 IP, 30 H, 11 R, 8 ER, 10 BB, 25 SO, 2.48 ERA In his first start in the May, Albers had the opportunity to face off against the 9-23 Toledo Mud Hens. In his longest outing of the year to that date, he pitched 6.1 innings, gave up just three hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Once again Albers did not factor into the decision and the Red Wings went on to lose the game 1-0. But for the second straight start, he was not the chief reason for defeat. Pitching in game one of a doubleheader against the Columbus Clippers, Albers remained sharp and regained the strikeout form he had earlier in the year. In six innings, he allowed five hits, two runs, zero earned runs, one walk, seven strikeouts - and picked up his second loss of the year. It took eight starts before he was able to pick up a win, but on May 17th against the Durham Bulls Andrew Albers got the job done. In 6.1 innings, he allowed five hits, no runs, three walks, and six strikeouts. While there were several opportunities for him to win the game, the pieces just didn’t fall into place. Now at 1-2 on the year his ERA stood at 2.34. While his next start against the Charlotte Knights was not his best outing, it was good enough for Albers to pick up his second win of the season. In this start he pitched six innings, gave up 10 hits, three runs, one walk and six strikeouts. While his record improved, the Red Wings as a team were still struggling, standing at 19-28. His final May start against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, was one that he would likely want to forget. In 4.1 IP, he allowed seven hits, six runs, five earned runs, three walks, and three strikeouts. Once again Albers did not factor into the decision, and the Wings went on to win the game 8-7. June: 5-1, 39.1 IP, 34 H, 13 R, 8 BB, 31 SO, 2.97 ERA His first start against the Charlotte Knights was not great. In his second start against the Knights was not much better. In six innings, he gave up seven hits, four runs, two walks, four strikeouts and two home runs allowed. Albers picked up his third win of the year, and the Red Wings record improved to 25-32 on the year. If there was a start that said Andrew Albers was emerging as the ace for Rochester, this next start was it. He pitched a complete game shutout against the Gwinnett Braves, giving up just six hits, no walks and seven strikeouts and improved his season record to 4-2, winning three of the four most recent starts. Then, for the second time in a week Albers faced off against Gwinnett, and the results were no different. While he did not pitch a complete game he did pitch seven innings, gave up just four hits, two runs, walked one batter and struck out six. For the third straight game Albers won his start, and his record stood at 5-2 on the year. The second start against Scranton was much different than the first one. Albers was able to pitch 6.1 innings versus 4.1, he allowed four hits, two runs, but also allowed two home runs, two walks and four strikeouts. Albers continued to win, improving to 6-2 on the season and with every start it appeared he was building confidence and becoming one of the best pitchers in the International league. The wins kept rolling. Next time his victim was the Louisville Bats. Although the outing was brief, he was able to pick up his fifth straight win in a five inning start in which he gave up five hits, one run, two walks and six strikeouts. At this point it was time to wonder exactly how long it would be before he joined the Twins rotation. In both April and May. Albers ended the month on a rough note, and the streak continued in June. Indianapolis scored four runs on eight hits in six innings, and allowed three homers as well. Albers struck out four batters and walked one, picking up his first loss since May 17th. July: 4-2, 40.1 IP, 32 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 8 BB, 36 SO, 2.23 ERA. In his first two starts against the Buffalo Bison, Albers pitched well, but was unable to pick up a win. Third time was the charm, pitching seven innings, allowing five hits, one run, no walks and striking out six. After struggling in his previous start it now seemed like that was just a bump in the road and he was back to being the number one starter in Rochester. When you face a team three times in a season, they tend to pick up on your tendencies, which is exactly what happened against the RailRiders. In five innings, Albers allowed nine hits, five runs, two walks and struck out five. This was the last time that he was hit around like that. His next three starts were nothing short of amazing. Against Pawtucket, Syracuse and Norfolk he pitched a combined 20.1 innings, giving up 13 hits, three runs with two earned runs, walking five and striking out 21. During that stretch he won those three in a row, went two starts without allowing an earned run and had an ERA of 0.90. He improved to 11-4 on the year. In his final start for Rochester against Lehigh Valley, Albers again showed that he’s ready for the challenge at the next level. While he did pick up the loss, he pitched eight innings, allowing just five hits, two runs, one walk and four strikeouts. Unfortunately for him, run support was not sufficient and he finished with a record of 11-5. Summary While I don’t think Andrew Albers is going to win 20 games in a season or be a top of the rotation starter, I do think that he will be an innings eater who can provide some quality starts for the Twins. One of the biggest differences between Albers this year and years past is his ability to strike people out, a skill that until this year was not his strength. If he is able to do in Minnesota what he did this season in Rochester, he’ll be someone to get excited about in 2014.

Entering his fifth professional season, Rochester Red Wings pitcher Andrew Albers has been one of the biggest reasons for the team’s recent success. Albers is 10-4 with an ERA of 2.97 to go along with 105 strikeouts and just 29 walks. He was one of two Red Wings selected to represent the International League in the All-Star game. This has been a breakout season for Albers. After batting practice on Monday, and doing another interview with play-by-play broadcaster Josh Whetzel, I had the chance to talk to him about his season, the All-Star game, playing in the SEC and the dramatic turn-around in Rochester.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Photo: Bare Antolos/RedWingsBaseball.com Chris Fee: Can you talk a little bit about your success this year? You were voted to the All-Star team and picked up your 10th win last night (Sunday). To what do you credit your success this season? Andrew Albers: It’s been pretty exciting. I think a big credit should go to my teammates. They’ve been outstanding behind me defensively, as a pitcher you don’t get wins unless they put up runs either. I’ve had a lot of starts this year where they’ve been really good. They’ve put up 6…. 7…. 8 runs early, that’s made my job a lot easier to just go out and be aggressive and let them play behind me. They’ve been outstanding this year, and that’s where the credit goes is to all those guys. Fee: Would you say this is your best season so far professionally? AA: It’s certainly up there. I had a pretty good season in independent ball as a reliever, and had a good college season as a senior, but it’s certainly up there. This is obviously the highest level that I’ve ever played at, and to have this kind of success here, I’m excited and just trying to go forward with it. CF: Staying on the team success for a minute, obviously the start to this season was not what you had hoped for. But now you guys are in the hunt for a playoff spot and really turned the season around. What’s different? What’s changed for the Red Wings? AA: We have a great group of guys here, not to say that we didn’t at the start of the year, but it’s one of those things where everyone is going to have a stretch like that. Unfortunately ours started at the beginning of the year and it looks bad. You can take 15 games out of any teams schedule; they’ll have three or four wins. You look at Pawtucket (Red Sox) who is in first place in the division right now; they just lost 10 out of 11 or 10 out of 12. CF: How was the trip to the All-Star game, how did you find out you were selected to the team? AA: I actually found out from a teammate, he had the list there. We were having lunch at Chipotle, he said “Congratulations.” I said, “for what?” He said, “For making the All-Star team”, so that was actually how I found out. It was such an honor, there are so many great players in this league, so many future big leaguers, guys who are going to be up there for a long time to come, to be included in that group is such an honor. The trip itself was long, but it was well worthwhile. Reno did a great job hosting that event; it was a first class set up. They did a great job for us players with the derby (Home Run) and the events that they had going on around that. It was a really great time, I really enjoyed it and thankful to have the opportunity. CF: Was that your first All-Star Game? AA: First All-Star game that I was able to attend. I was selected to go to the Double-A one last year, but unfortunately came down with an injury right before hand so I wasn’t able to make that trip, but it was a lot of fun. CF: You have quite a few more strikeouts this year in compared to years past. Why do you think that is? More free swinging hitters in the league? Is there a strikeout pitch that you’ve been working on? AA: You know, to be honest I really don’t know. I’ve been able to finish guys off a little bit more frequently this year, and that’s been nice. Really I’m not a strikeout guy, I’m just trying to have them put it in play early. With two strikes I’m still going to try to pound the zone, they’ve taken a few, and I’ve been able to get some swings and misses, and I guess its added up to that. I couldn’t tell you exactly why, but I’m happy to be where it is, it’s always nice when they don’t put the ball in play at times too. Sometimes those strikeouts are big, and they help you get out of some jams, but at the same time that’s not what I’m looking to do. I’m looking to get the ball in play and let that great defense I have behind me make the play and hopefully that lets me last longer during the game. CF: You were originally drafted out of high school by the Milwaukee Brewers. What made you decide to say no to them and attend the University of Kentucky? AA: For me, it was a decision where I didn’t feel like I was ready for pro baseball; I was a little bit immature, mentally and physically. I came out of high school at a buck-sixty seven soaking wet sort of deal, so I was a pretty skinny guy, never really lifted and was very raw as a pitcher. I had never lived on my own, I felt like it was really important for me to get the support system in college. I was really fortunate to get a good offer from the University of Kentucky, I felt really comfortable there, I thought they had an outstanding coaching staff and even though things didn’t work out how I would have hoped, as far as junior year, and getting drafted. I don’t regret the decision at all, I think it was the right one for me, and I was really happy with the time I spent in Kentucky. CF: I spoke to Antoan Richardson earlier in the year; he said that the SEC is the best baseball conference in America. Would you agree with that? How did your time there prepare you for professional baseball? AA: I would probably agree with him, it’s one of the premiere conferences every year; top to bottom you don’t get any easy games. To be honest, I’d say pitching in that league was tough, because they had the old bats, it was probably tougher than Rookie ball or Low-A, Short season, I certainly had a lot more trouble there than I had in those leagues. There are future major leaguers in that league every year, there are a lot of good players in that league too, and they’re all over the place. It’s tough baseball, it’s a grind, and like I said back when they had the old bats, where you didn’t necessarily have to square it up to get doubles and triples, it was a challenge as a pitcher. It allowed me to grow, but I had some stumbling blocks, I failed at times, and it was a matter of learning from those failures and it’s part of the reason I’ve been able to have success at these higher levels. If something goes wrong, I’ve been there before, it’s happened before, and I’ve been able to learn from it and keep moving forward. CF: In 2010 you played for the Quebec Capitales in the Can-Am league. How would you compare that level of baseball to affiliated ball? AA: Independent ball, it's good baseball, I had a lot of fun there; it was all about winning though, which was nice to go back to. In the minors, you want to win, but it’s tough not to have those selfish motivations at times, you want to do well but your ultimate goal is to get to the big leagues. The baseball itself was pretty good, High A or Double-A level, you get some older guys who’ve been around for a while, you have some guys that have played in the big leagues before. Then you have some guys who haven’t played past rookie ball or whatever, so there’s a little bit of a mix in that league, but it’s not bad baseball. It was challenge for me coming off of Tommy John Surgery, not sure how the arm would react. It was a really good challenge for me trying to make it through that season, and get my first taste, playing professional baseball every day, it was a great experience. CF: Quite a few of your teammates are being called up to Minnesota. Do you look at that and think, “When is my shot going to happen?” Or do you just take care of business here and know that if you do well, you’ll get the shot. AA: For me, it’s all about taking care of things that I can control, and not worry about things that are out of my control. If that happens, I’d obviously love the opportunity and would be very grateful for that, but at the same time I’m worried about what’s going to happen during my next start. If I can continue to get ready for that, continue to get guys out, those things will take care of themselves. I’m all about trying to win here, with this team, trying to get this team to win, we have a great group of guys here and we’re getting close together. If that happens down the road, I’d be ecstatic about it, but if you start worrying about that you’ll get stressed out pretty easily. It’s not something that I’m too concerned, if I keep doing my job here and getting guys out, hopefully I’ll get a shot later on down the road. CF: What are your goals for the rest of this season. Is there anything you’re working on in particular, or just keep doing what you’re doing? AA: My goal is to stay healthy, that’s always the biggest thing. There are so many great players that go down because of injury, and they’re just never the same, that can happen in an instant. I found that out about three years ago when I had Tommy John Surgery, it was tough to come back from and you never know when it could happen, so that’s goal number one. After that it’s just trying to stay consistent, trying to continue what I’m doing, and build off of that and maybe improve a little bit, and maybe I’ll get that shot later this year or next year, whenever it happens to be. It’s all about fine tuning your skills, if your command isn’t where you wanted it to be last time out, that’s what you focus on the next week. It’s all about making adjustments from week to week, and if I can continue to do that and build off my success I have a chance to succeed.

Before the season started manager Gene Glynn named Kyle Gibson the number two starter in the rotation, a mild surprise considering Gibson’s hype, but he did take the mound in game two, against the Buffalo Bisons. In his first start of the year, Gibson pitched 5 innings, giving up four hits, one run, striking out four and walking none. Leaving the game with the lead after five innings, Michael O’Connor (released), and Anthony Slama (released), were unable to hold the lead and the Red Wings went on to lose 3-2, with Gibson getting a no- decision. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Photo Courtesy of the Rochester Red Wings In his second start, he was unable to get out of the 5th inning against the Pawtucket Red Sox. This time pitching just 4.1 innings, while giving up eight hits, five earned runs, walking one and striking out six. Through two games Gibson had not been able to pitch past the fifth inning; however he was striking out 9.9 batters per nine innings and had a record of 0-1. In his next start, against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Gibson had his first quality start this year. This time pitching six innings, giving up four hits, one earned run, two walks and getting five strikeouts. There’s no way to blame him for this loss; the Red Wings were shut out 1-0 and his record dropped to 0-2, with the team’s record dropping to 2-10. One of the toughest things for a pitcher to do is pitch against the same team twice in a short period of time, but that was the situation in Gibson’s fourth start, his second against the Pawtucket Red Sox. The results weren’t much better in this outing, pitching five innings, giving up three hits, three earned runs, four walks and getting four strikeouts. This was the first outing that Gibson had control troubles, walking more batters in this one start than in his previous three. The Red Wings lost 8-1, and his record dropped to 0-3. Unlike his second start against Pawtucket, Kyle Gibson’s second start against the Bisons was even better than the first. Picking up his first win of the year, he pitched 6.2 innings, giving up just two hits, two walks and getting seven strikeouts in a Red Wings 1-0 victory. Now at 1-3, things seemed to be turning around for him, as well as the team. After pitching his best game of the season, Gibson had one of his worst games of the year next versus the Columbus Clippers. In 4.2 innings, he gave up eleven hits, five runs, no walks and had one strikeout. The Red Wings went on to lose the game 5-1 and his record dropped to 1-4 with an ERA of 4.26. One of teams with a worse record than Rochester was the Toledo Mud Hens, and Gibson was able to capitalize on that. Pitching his first complete game shutout of the season, he gave up four hits with two walks, and struck out eight while lowering his ERA almost a full run to 3.32. This was the Kyle Gibson that fans were hoping to see more of in 2013. Then, in his shortest outing of the year, Gibson went just three innings, giving up seven hits, four runs, one walk and got three strikeouts. He did throw to two batters in the fourth inning but was unable to get anyone out, leaving the game with 69 pitches, only 38 of which were strikes. Once again the Red Wings lost the game 7-4, this time to the Durham Bulls, and his record dropped to 2-5 with an ERA pushing four. But then he threw his second complete game shutout of the season, this time against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Gibson gave up three hits, two walks and had eight strikeouts. One of the most impressive parts of this start was the fact he needed just 93 pitches to pitch nine innings, averaging a bit over ten pitches per inning. His record improved to 3-5, and once again the good start/bad start trend continued. With this start, he became the first Red Wings pitcher to throw two complete game shutouts since Nick Blackburn in 2007. Trying to pitch back-to-back quality starts, the Wings returned home against the Charlotte Knights, who had a 19-31 record. Gibson did not disappoint the Frontier Field crowd, pitching eight shutout innings, allowing just two hits, three walks and striking out seven Knights batters. This was one of the first starts where he went over 100 pitches and was able to pick up his fourth win. His record improved to 4-5, with an impressive 2.82 ERA. Despite having some troubles in his next start, Kyle Gibson was in line for his 5th win of the year. Versus the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, Gibson pitched six innings, giving up eight hits, six runs, and two walks while striking out six. If not for the four runs allowed by Anthony Slama, Gibson would have been 5-5 on the year. Despite a Red Wings victory, he picked up a no-decision but still finished May with a 3-1 record. Results in June are the reason, I believe, that Kyle Gibson finally got the call to the majors. In his first start against the Gwinnett Brave, Gibson pitched six innings, giving up seven hits, two runs and two walks with four strikeouts. He was able to pick up his fifth win of the season, getting back to .500, and lowered his ERA to 3.34. At 24-41, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs saw Gibson for the third time in 2013, and the second time in the past two weeks. Usually when hitters see a pitcher a second time in a short period, the offense has the advantage; in this case, it was the pitcher who came out on top. He pitched seven innings, giving up four hits and one earned run, but walked five and struck out six. Despite the five walks, he still won his sixth game of the year, and his fourth in five starts. The Gwinnett Braves came to Frontier Field in his next start, with a record of 28-42. It seemed like a game where he'd be able to pick up another win. This was not to be; in six innings, Gibson allowed six hits, four runs (three earned), while walking one and striking out four. He left the game with a no-decision but the Red Wings came back to win in the bottom of the ninth. In his final start with the Red Wings, Gibson pitched against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders for the second time. Like the first start, Gibson threw seven solid innings, allowing five hits, one unearned run, one walk, had six strikeouts and improved to 7-5 before getting called up to the Twins. Overall in Rochester, 25-year-old Kyle Gibson was among the league leaders in several International League categories. He was 1st in shutouts with two, third in wins with seven, tied for third with 79 strikeouts, fourth in innings pitched with 92.2 and had a 3.01 ERA which ranked eighth. As for an an innings limit, I’ve read (as well as pretty much everyone else) that he’s rapidly approaching it. But when I talked to Gibson at the end of April, he said, “Terry Ryan told me to go down there and pitch. We aren’t going to baby you this year, we are going to let you go down there and throw and see what happens. I’m sure if I come up sore or tired later on in the season, we might rethink it, but as of right now I don’t have too much information on it.” Which gives me hope that there isn’t a firm cap, that they will assess how he’s doing, and if he feels he can go for more innings they’ll let him go.

After spending 8 seasons, playing for four different major league organizations, as well as two independent teams, Antoan Richardson may be racing his way back to the major leagues. In AA-New Britain, Richardson showcased his speed and ability to get on base hitting .336, with 14 steals and a .456 OBP in 33 games. Since being called up to the AAA- Rochester Red Wings, the numbers have been just as impressive, hitting .306 with 13 steals, and a .466 OBP in 35 games. During the Red Wings last home stand, I had the chance to talk to Richardson about his college days, baseball in the Bahamas, and what he looks for when getting ready to steal a base. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Chris Fee (CF) - What has your time in Rochester been like since you were called up? Antoan Richardson (AR) – It’s been fun man, the guys here are really, really laid back. Coming from the Bahamas that’s the culture down there, so I’ve been able to fit right in with the club. The coaches have made it easy as well to make it a smooth transition from Double-A as well. CF – You have 24 steals (He now has 27 steals) between Double-A and Triple-A, compare that to the 27 total that you had all of last year, what’s the difference between this year and last year with base stealing? AR – I’m just trying to get back to my younger days, back when I was a little more aggressive on the base paths. This year I told myself that I was going to be a little more aggressive, but at the same time be smart and pick my opportunities to run. CF – When you’re standing at first base, what are you looking for from the pitcher and the defense before you take off? AR – Honestly, it starts in the dugout. I’m looking at the pitcher from when he’s throwing his warm-up pitches, and when other guys get on base so that I can get as much information as I can before I get to first base. Once I get over there, I’m going to use all the information that I’ve collected to use it to my advantage. Whether it’s him turning his shoulders a little bit early, or picking up his head before he goes to the plate. It can be anything; every pitcher has a different tell. CF – How did your time playing in the SEC for Vanderbilt prepare you for becoming a professional baseball player? AR – Other than playing professional baseball in the minor leagues, it was the biggest stepping-stone. Playing in the SEC, which I believe is the toughest conference in America, and the coaching staff there at the time, Tim Corbin, Erik Bakich, and Derek Johnson, they just did a really good job at preparing you mentally for this game. The physical things are always going to be there, but they prepared you for the things off the field, like dealing with failure and things like that. I think going to college, allowed me to handle the downs which baseball was going to bring to me in my professional career. CF – Can you talk about being a lead off hitter versus being in another spot in the lineup? Is there more pressure to get on base, does it test your patience at the plate? AR – I only lead off to start the games usually, but I know what my role is. My role is to get on base, and to score runs. I think once you have an identity and you know what your role is, it makes it easier for you to try to accomplish that. Where as hitting down in the order your job may be to score runs, you’re not going to be as patient, and take as many pitches. CF – You spent a little bit of time in the Indy leagues, can you compare the quality of baseball versus playing in affiliated leagues? AR – I think it does have some similarities, but at the same time affiliated ball is focused on gearing guys to play in the Major Leagues. It’s more about development, as oppose to the Independent leagues it’s all about winning. I think that both are very important, so if you have a team in affiliated ball that can blend both together you usually have a successful team. I think that’s the difference, affiliated ball is about development and independent ball is just about winning. I had a great time in independent ball, and I think it played a really big role in my success as a baseball player, after leaving independent ball. CF – Growing up in the Bahamas, who were some of the guys that you looked up to playing baseball? There were only seven guys who have played in the major leagues. AR – When I got called up, I was the first guy to get called up in 28 years. We had a guy, his name was Angelo Burrows, he was a minor leaguer, and he was kind of my role model in terms of baseball. When he, broke that barrier for Bahamians again, I kind of looked at myself and said, “If he can do it, it’s possible for other Bahamians to do it as well.” It’s a sport that’s growing down there, we just had a Bahamian get drafted in the 6th round in this past draft with the New York Mets (Jervis Champ Stuart), I was kind of excited and hopefully it’s a trend that will continue to happen. CF – What are your goals for the rest of this season for yourself as well as for the team? AR – I mean if your goal is not to play in the major leagues than you shouldn’t want to be here. But I mean my goal ultimately is to get to Minnesota and help them win some baseball games. My goal while I’m here in Rochester is to help Rochester win as many games as possible, it’s important to know how to win and to be a winning baseball player. CF – Do you feel that there’s added pressure being this close to the Majors, especially seeing some of your teammates getting the call this season, knowing opportunities may be there? AR – I think it’s important that you just go with it, it’s important that you take care of your business here, and you treat this season here as your major league season until you get promoted. I think if you come to the ballpark with that attitude every day, you put yourself in a great situation to succeed.

Rapidly approaching the midpoint of the season, the Rochester Red Wings sit just two games short of the .500 mark at 34-36 after sweeping four games against the Gwinnett Braves this weekend. Currently in fourth place in the Northern division, seven games back, it seems it was just a month ago that we were wondering how bad a season this was going to be in Rochester, so what has changed? Despite all of the changes to the roster, the Red Wings have somehow found a balance of pitching and hitting that has worked for them. Since being called up from New Britain, Antoan Richardson is hitting .287 with 11 stolen bases, which leads the team despite playing 25 fewer games than Eric Farris who is second on the team with 10. Another unsung hero for Rochester has been Dan Rohlfing, up from New Britain. Since being promoted, Rohlfing is hitting .407 with two home runs and nine RBI’s. Manager Gene Glynn said about Rohlfing, “He’s really sparked our club offensively since he’s arrived. He’s played right field, he’s caught, and he’s played left. He’s been a big plus, and makeup-wise he’s a fired up guy who brings a lot of energy.” Friday night he went 4-4 in the game against Gwinnett, and followed that up with a game winning 2-RBI single in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday night. “It was the first walk off hit of my career”, Rohlfing said after the game Saturday night. “I don’t even think I had one in high school.” Finally there’s Chris Colabello, who has been discussed at great length by myself and many other's who follow the Red Wings and the Twins. Colabello is 1st in the International League in batting average at .369, tied for fourth in home runs with 14 and fourth in RBI’s with 50, all that while missing 14 of the Red Wings 70 games. Despite being ranked 11th in the International League in ERA, there have been a few pitchers, especially in the bullpen, that have helped the Red Wings compile a 32-25 record since April 18th. Andrew Albers, who started off the season as the Red Wings 5th starter, has become the most consistent starter in the rotation: he has posted a 5-2 record with a 3.01 ERA, while striking out 66 batters in 74.2 innings and walking just 19. Currently ranked in the top ten in wins, ERA, and strikeouts in the International League, Albers’ season has been nothing short of surprising. Besides Kyle Gibson, the Red Wings rotation has been constantly changing this season, and Albers' time in Rochester may be short if he continues to pitch the way he has this year. One of the more surprising stats is the Red Wings ranking 3rd in the IL in saves with 20. The reason that is so surprising is the lack of a specific closer coming out of the bullpen. To start the season, Luis Perdomo and Anthony Slama were splitting the duties. Slama was recently released and Perdomo has an ERA over five and has not closed a game in over a month. While Gene Glynn likely won’t come out and name a closer, if you look at the late inning opportunities, it appears that recently promoted Aaron Thompson will have some opportunities to save games. Since being called up from New Britain, Thompson has appeared in nine games, posting a 1-1 record with a 1.88 ERA and three saves. Besides having a throwback style moustache, he’s been able to control the plate, walking only two batters in 14.1 innings. Another former Rock Cat reliever that’s made an impact since being called up is Michael Tonkin. In seven appearances, including picking up the save on Sunday, Tonkin has pitched 8 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out eight, and appears to be another player who, like Thompson, will get opportunities to close games. Early on in the year, the Red Wings couldn’t seem to piece everything together. They would score a lot of runs and blow a lead, or the bats would be cold and the pitchers would throw a gem. It seems now that Rochester has a good blend of players, the clubhouse is loose and there could be a lot to get excited about in the second half of the season in upstate New York.

After going 5-3 on a recent eight game road trip against the Charlotte Knights (White Sox) and Gwinnett Braves (Braves), the Rochester Red Wings returned home this weekend to play four games against the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers). After dropping the opener 8-1 last night, the Wings were hoping Kyle Gibson would be able to get them back to their winning ways. Entering today’s game with a record of 5-5 in 12 starts this season, Gibson has won three of his last four games and has pitched six plus innings in all four of those starts. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Per Terry Ryan, the only thing keeping Gibson in Rochester is a lack of consistency. Since Samuel Deduno, P.J. Walters, Pedro Hernandez and several others have been promoted to the Twins, opportunities to play in Minnesota have been available. However, the biggest name in the Red Wings' rotation remains in Rochester. In today’s start, the overall numbers are mostly good. Gibson pitched seven innings giving up four hits, allowing one run, striking out six but also walking five. Thanks to a Brian Dinkelman home run and a Drew Butera sacrifice fly, Rochester went on to win the game 3-1; this gave Gibson his 6th win of the season, improved his record to 6-5 and lowered his ERA to 3.16. However the number that looms large in this start is the five walks. While the free passes didn't result in runs, they are still something you hate to see. It’s hardly going to be considered a bad start, but if you’re looking for an imminent promotion those walks might be an obstacle. Today, the Twins lead the league in fewest walks allowed with just over 2.6 per game and are tied for fewest in all MLB. Yielding walks is something Minnesota tends not to do. The stats' splits between wins and losses are mind-blowing for Gibson. In his seven starts ending in a no-decision or loss, Gibson has pitched 34 innings, giving up 45 hits, 25 earned runs, 10 walks and 29 strikeouts, compiling a 6.62 ERA. Compare this to the stats in the six wins Gibson has, and the numbers are jaw dropping: In those six winning starts, he’s pitched 45.2 IP with 22 H, 3 ER, 16 BB, and 40 strikeouts, producing a 0.60 ERA. When Gibson is on track he’s proven to be almost unhittable; when he struggles, it’s as though he’s a completely different pitcher. While there is definitely an opportunity for Gibson to make his mark in Minnesota this year, it’s going to take a few more of the good outings and fewer of the mediocre to poor outings if he’s going to get the call to the Twins.