Dance with Disco Dan

Although so many of the top prospects are having mediocre-to-down years, the Twins have to feel fortunate that both Lewin Diaz and Jaylin Davis had breakout seasons that allowed them to headline trades that bolstered the major league roster. Here's to a deep farm system! Good luck to all the prospects the Twins sent out. I will be following them as they move up. Did you know that the Braves have Huascar Ynoa in AAA at 21 y.o.?

Because we will never know the cost to acquire [beloved Player X] via trade, it is hard to say that I will be upset if the Twins do not make another acquisition. For every player that is reportedly available, there is a price that I would be unhappy if the Twins pay it--even with the benefit of adding that player to the 2019 roster (and presumably increasing the odds of playoffs/playoff wins). Because of that, I can't honestly feel more than general disappointment that something didn't work out. I'd need information that I will never have to feel anger or betrayed.

The write-up on Balazovic is short but the big take-aways are that he is athletic, still filling out, and he has plus control of four pitches while working in the mid-90s. KLaw used the phrase "blew scouts away" regarding his 11 Cedar Rapids starts. I like to follow our prospects but I wasn't ready to see Jordan to be among the top 110. A pleasant surprise to learn he's so well regarded.

Nice article. It answered questions I didn't even know I had but I am glad to know the answers. Here's hoping our Ft. Myers bats keep it going in Pensacola.

Tristan Pompey's mom was my Uber driver in Toronto in November and she talked about how excited she was for her son to get drafted this year. I've been following him since then because it was endearing how proud she was of Tristan. The kicker, I realized later, was that she never mentioned her older son Dalton who has had several cups of coffee with the Blue Jays. I didn't make the connection until after I was dropped off. Maybe she thought it would be bragging? You couldn't shut me up if I had boys succeeding like that.

I really look forward to the daily Kernels update given all the positional prospects in their lineup. It's been particularly fun to watch Kirilloff consistently produce extra-base hits lately --- .769 SLG and 1.211 OPS in 10 May games. He won't be long for the Midwest League.

Start No. 4 (04/27/18) Lewis’ subpar start to this season continued in this game against the Tennessee Smokies, a Cubs affiliate. Facing a lineup that did not feature a top-20 Cubs prospect, Lewis surrendered 10 hits and 18 total bases in less than 5 innings of work. The many hits and a couple bad defensive plays resulted in a 6-1 deficit by the time Lewis was replaced and the Lookouts went on to lose by that same score. It should be noted that the Lookouts’ offense has not done much to support Lewis scoring only 7 runs total during the 4 games he's started. Lewis faced 23 batters over 4.2 innings surrendering 6 runs (two earned) on 10 hits (including 2 2Bs, 3B, and HR). He threw 87 pitches (62 for strikes) striking out 7 batters (6 swinging) and walking none. Once again, Lewis’ strikeout and walk ratios were stellar. In fact, they are elite (24.0 K/BB; 11.57 K/9; 0.64 BB/9) and we’d be getting pretty excited about Lewis if he wasn’t getting hit consistently between strikeouts. Although the sample size is small, this season’s GB% (36.2% vs. 36.0%), LD% (24.1% vs. 22.8%), and FB% (39.7% vs. 41.3%) are nearly identical to the ratios he put up in Fort Myers last season. The significant differences are his HR/FB ratio (21.7% vs. 3.8%) and BABIP (.436 vs. .304). It is tough to tell without watching the games if Lewis is a hard-luck pitcher this year or if the AA batters have his number. I’m hopeful that it’s the former and that the swing-and-miss component of his game (20 swinging strikeouts through 18.2 innings) is rewarded with better results. Box Score: Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA L. Thorpe 4.2 10 6 2 0 7 0 3.86 Season Stats: IP: 18.2 ERA: 5.30 FIP: 4.63 xFIP: 2.44 WHIP: 1.61 AVG: .349 GO/AO: 0.94 K/9: 11.57 BB/9: 0.64 Check these webpages for more granular stats for Lewis: MiLB.com: http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t498&player_id=626929#/career/R/pitching/2018/ALL Baseball Reference: https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=thorpe000lew Fangraphs: https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa739599&position=P

Start No. 3 (04/20/18) In Lewis’s third start he faced the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, a Marlins affiliate. The Jumbo Shrimp lineup included the prize prospects from the Christian Yelich trade: MLB.com’s Marlins No. 2 Monte Harrison CF and No. 8 Isan Diaz 2B. Lewis was allowed to exceed the 70-pitch limit imposed on his first two outings and pitched into the 6th inning. When the Jumbo Shrimp were not striking out they were piling up extra-base hits while the Lookouts offense never got going. When Lewis was replaced, the Lookouts were trailing 3-1 in a 5-1 loss. Lewis faced 23 batters over 5.2 innings surrendering 4 runs on 6 hits (including 2 3Bs and 2 HRs). He threw 87 pitches (56 for strikes) striking out 8 batters (7 swinging) and walking none. This was a game in which the strike-out and walk numbers were excellent but the results were not. The same can be said for Lewis’ season through the first three games. He is striking out more than a batter per inning and has only walked one batter all year. His downfall, however, has been home runs. After giving up two more this game, Lewis has surrendered 6 home runs in four total starts for Chattanooga. It is at the point now where it’s a concern until proven otherwise. That said, if we believe his true home run rate falls somewhere between this season’s 2.57/9 and last season’s 0.5/9, the rest of his peripherals point to Lewis having a very effective season as the home runs normalize. Box Score: Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA L. Thorpe 5.2 6 4 4 0 8 0 6.35 Season Stats: IP: 14.0 ERA: 5.79 FIP: 5.05 xFIP: 2.60 WHIP: 1.43 AVG: .317 GO/AO: 0.67 K/9: 10.93 BB/9: 0.64 Check these webpages for more granular stats for Lewis: MiLB.com: http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t498&player_id=626929#/career/R/pitching/2018/ALL Baseball Reference: https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=thorpe000lew Fangraphs: https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa739599&position=P

Start No. 2 (04/14/18) Lewis bounced back with a solid but short second start. He faced the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, featuring a lineup that included four of the Reds’ top-25 prospects: No. 13 Aristides Aquino RF; No. 16 Alfredo Rodriguez SS; No. 20 Nick Longhi DH; and No. 25 Gavin LaValley 1B. The outing was short because Lewis was removed at the 70-pitch count for the second straight game. Here, he was not allowed to come out for the 5th inning despite a 3-2 lead and a good 4th inning which indicates he is on a pitch count to start the season. The bullpen limited Pensacola to 1 hit over the last five innings as the Lookouts went on to win 3-2. Lewis faced 19 batters over 4.0 innings surrendering 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits (including 2 2Bs). He struck out 4 batters (2 swinging) and walked none. The unearned run was self-inflicted. After a leadoff double in the 1st inning, the Ghost of Gene Mauch (now coaching for Pensacola) ordered a sacrifice bunt and Lewis made an errant throw. The runner on second base scored and the bunter ended up on third base. The “This is why you bunt, G-Dammit” Reddit thread rejoiced and bookmarked this event for anecdotal ammunition in the unending war against overwhelming statistical evidence. In any event, Lewis is still giving up too many hits but he has done well limiting walks. His BABIP is currently .407 so we can expect improvement just from normalization (his career BABIP coming into the season was roughly .308). Box Score: Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA L. Thorpe 4.0 6 2 1 0 4 0 2.25 Season Stats: IP: 8.1 ERA: 5.40 FIP: 4.92 xFIP: 2.85 WHIP: 1.68 AVG: .342 GO/AO: 0.60 K/9: 9.72 BB/9: 1.08 Check these webpages for more granular stats for Lewis: MiLB.com: http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t498&player_id=626929#/career/R/pitching/2018/ALL Baseball Reference: https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=thorpe000lew Fangraphs: https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa739599&position=P

Start No. 1 (04/08/18) Lewis’ first start of the season was not a good one. He faced the Birmingham Barons, a White Sox affiliate, in a scheduled 7-inning game as part of a Sunday double-header. The Barons’ lineup featured only one player ranked among the White Sox’s top prospects—C Seby Zavala (No. 22 MLB.com)—but seven different batters notched a hit against Lewis including two home runs (one by Zavala). He was unable to complete the 5th inning exiting the game down 4-0, after giving up the second home run, in a 4-2 Lookouts loss. Lewis faced 20 batters over 4.1 innings surrendering 4 earned runs on 7 hits (including 1 2B and 2 HRs). Last year, Lewis gave up only 5 homeruns but 2 homeruns came in his only AA start. So, he has now given up 4 home runs at Chattanooga in two starts. This is something to be watched as Lewis had only a 36 GB% in High A last season. Hopefully, the long balls do not represent a trend. Lewis’ control was good as he issued only one walk against 5 strikeouts (4 swinging) but he did throw 2 wild pitches. In sum, it was not the start to the season Lewis was looking for but, hopefully, he will settle in to better results and re-establish himself as part of the Twins’ future rotation. Box Score: Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA L. Thorpe 4.1 7 4 4 1 5 2 8.31 Season Stats: IP: 4.1 ERA: 8.31 FIP: 7.69 xFIP: 2.83 WHIP: 1.85 AVG: .368 GO/AO: 0.40 K/9: 10.38 BB/9: 2.08 Check these webpages for more granular stats for Lewis: MiLB.com: http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t498&player_id=626929#/career/R/pitching/2018/ALL Baseball Reference: https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=thorpe000lew Fangraphs: https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa739599&position=P

LEWIS THORPE Position: Left-Handed Pitcher. Height/ Weight: 6’1’’ 160 lbs (all the websites have his weight at 160 lbs but he looks much heavier in all the photos and video I’ve seen – my fair-carny estimate would be a minimum of 195-200 lbs—nothing is skinny about him and he looks to have a big lower-half) Age: 22 years old all season (11/23/95 d.o.b.). Drafted: Signed as an International Free Agent out of Australia in July 2012 (16 years old) Signing Bonus: $500,000 2018 Twins Prospect Rankings: Lewis is nationally considered a top-15 Twins prospect and, in many cases, falls just outside the top-10: MLB.com (No. 12); ESPN (No. 13); John Sickels (No. 11); Fangraphs (pending) Expert Sentiment: The experts find a lot to like about Lewis with a mid-rotation projection but sentiment is tempered by the fact that he lost two seasons to injury and illness and has a delivery that's been described as violent: MLB.com: Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45 If adversity is indeed a good teacher, then Thorpe might be the smartest pitcher in the Twins' system. The Australian lefty was humming along the lower levels of the Minors when an elbow injury shut him down late in 2014 and led to Tommy John surgery in the spring of 2015. He missed all of that season and when he came down with mono as he was rehabbing in 2016, that season was lost as well. He did return and throw well enough in 2017 to get added to the 40-man roster in the offseason. Thorpe is getting back to the starting pitching prospect with a four-pitch mix he was looking like before the injury and illness setbacks. His fastball will sit in the low 90s, touching a tick more at times, with solid command of it. His changeup is his best secondary weapon, an above-average off-speed pitch thrown with good sink. His two breaking balls are distinct pitches, with a tight slider and more of a pure curveball he mixes in effectively. He's generally around the strike zone, and it's easy to see his overall command improving the further removed from the disabled list he gets. The Twins are looking forward to Thorpe having a full, normal year without any further hiccups. He'll be at the upper levels of the system, still with a ceiling of a Nos. 3 or 4 starter. John Sickels: 11) Lewis Thorpe, LHP, Grade B-: Age 21, from Australia, posted 2.69 ERA with 84/31 K/BB in 77 innings in High-A; missed 2015 with Tommy John surgery and 2016 with mononucleosis, but back in action in ’17 and performed well, 90-94 fastball with a good change-up, solid curve, could stand to tighten his command, possible number three starter; watch the strikeouts and K/BB ratio as he moves up to Double-A, especially as his workload increases. ETA 2019. Fangraphs (from 2017) Before injury, Thorpe looked like an Australian version of Julio Urias. He carved through full-season ball as a teenager in 2014 armed with good stuff, advanced sequencing and a mature ability to hold runners. When healthy, Thorpedo sat 89-93 and was touching 95 with nasty arm-side run. The arm action was explosive but violent despite relative stillness throughout the rest of the delivery. In addition to the velocity, Thorpe had a potential plus curveball, plus changeup and was flashing signs of an impact cutter/slider during his second pro season. He profiled as a potential No. 3 starter before he was consumed by health issues. He’s purely a wait-and-see prospect at this point, and he’ll probably have to pitch through multiple healthy seasons to allay concerns about the violence in the delivery and of his modest size. 2017 Minor League Season and Selected Stats: Lewis spent most of last season with Fort Myers and started one game for Chattanooga . . . he made 17 total appearances (including 16 starts) and pitched 83.0 innings both of which established career highs . . . he struck out 91 batters (roughly 27% of batters faced) for a 9.9 SO/9 rate . . . he had a 3.16 ERA at Fort Myers, a 2.93 FIP, and a 1.21 WHIP . . . he surrendered a total of 5 home runs for a solid 0.5 HR/9 rate . . . control was a bit of an issue as he had a 3.6 BB/9 rate (9.7% of the batters faced) and uncorked 12 wild pitches Video: A good video of an outing last season can be found here: https://youtu.be/z2n6QStc5us 2018 Assignment: Lewis will begin 2018 as part of the Chattanooga Lookouts’ starting rotation.

I'll pick Lewis Thorpe. Thanks.

Unfortunately, the rules for signing the Braves' free agents state that you can use EITHER this year's money OR next year's money but you cannot take some from each pool. Given the amount the Twins gave Severino ($2.5 million) it necessarily come from next year's pool because the Twins do not have enough to cover that amount from this year's pool after the trades with the Mariners and Angels. It definitely would have been nice if they could have cleaned out this year's pool and dipped into next year's for the remainder. I'm interested to see how--or if--they spend the remainder of this year's pool.

I am glad that MLB.com thinks well of Pearson but I will not understand (or fully credit) their prospect list until they learn about Akil Baddoo. He played great in the Appy League (.357/.478/.579) and is two months younger than Pearson who struggled in Rookie ball. Normally, I'd chalk it up to MLB.com still catching up on a blossoming, late-round prospect but Baddoo was a second-round pick (74th overall). As for the trade, I think this is a good use of the remaining pool funds particularly since some of the premium, available Braves prospects have signed elsewhere. I was really hoping that they'd get at least one but didn't immediately realize that teams were allowed to dip into next year's pool to sign those guys reducing the Twins' purchasing power with $3m+ left in this year's pool. Catching depth and a young player reputed to have plus speed and good bat speed are always welcome additions to the farm system.

When the report about the Braves' cheating scandal broke so shortly after the Twins pulled their offer to Marte, I wondered if their was serious speculation in front offices that the Braves' signees would be cut loose and whether Falvine was playing a hunch. I never held out much hope for Ohtani and I am excited that the Twins can be real players for the former Braves. My only question is whether the advisors of those players will have them wait until the next international signing period so that there is a full complement of international pool funds competing for their services. It is hard to predict because, on the one hand, it seems to me that the players would want to start their careers sooner than later and they'll still be getting a windfall with a second signing bonus. On the other hand, they can expect bigger bonuses if they wait until every team has their full allotment. My guess is that the premium players will wait (unless they receive full value -- i.e. what the Braves paid) and the lesser talents will sign this year.

I don't think too many thought Cody Bellinger would hit 39 homers in the majors this season when some folks were insisting that Deleon + Bellinger was a starting point for Dozier. The Dodgers didn't get much from Forsythe but 104 wins with a meh second base platoon sounds fine to me because it comes with several more years of Bellinger control. Good luck to the Dodgers. The Twins have done the worst to first thing before so be wary if the Dodgers see them in the World Series.

Well, dammit. It turns out Fernando's recent poor performance was likely injury-related. The Lookouts placed Fernando on the 7-day DL with right shoulder impingement. It is uncertain that he'll pitch again this season. I'm not up to speed on the distinctions between shoulder ailments but a quick Google search informed me that impingement is a precursor diagnosis to tendinitis or bursitis. Here are a couple explanatory excepts from the web: Impingement. When you raise your arm to shoulder height, the space between the acromion and rotator cuff narrows. The acromion can rub against (or "impinge" on) the tendon and the bursa, causing irritation and pain. Shoulder impingement syndrome is a common cause of shoulder pain. Overhead activity of the shoulder, especially repeated activity, is a risk factor for shoulder impingement syndrome. Other risk factors include bone and joint abnormalities.With impingement syndrome, pain is persistent and affects everyday activities. Motions such as reaching up behind the back or reaching up overhead to put on a coat or blouse, for example, may cause pain. Over time, impingement syndrome can lead to inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons (tendinitis) and bursa (bursitis). If not treated appropriately, the rotator cuff tendons can start to thin and tear. (emphasis added). So, an impingement diagnosis indicates the potential for a future rotator cuff tear. This is obviously not good news. The non-surgical treatment for impingement is rest, stretching and non-steroid anti-inflammatory medicines.This regimen over 6-8 weeks is the most common treatment. Of course, there is nothing common about treating a pitcher who is needs to make multiple, high-effort throws per game. A case could be made to move a pitcher prone to impingement to a bull-pen role to reduce the number of pitches required. We'll keep our fingers crossed that rest and treatment will get Fernando back to full health and performing like he did most of the summer. We may have to wait until next spring before we know how this condition impacts the team's plans for Fernando going forward.

Appearance No. 24 (08/24/17) Fernando’s struggles continued against the Mississippi Braves. He was hit hard for the third-straight game and trailed 6-2 when replaced after 5 innings. The Lookouts went on to lose by that same score. Fernando faced 25 batters over 5.0 innings giving up 6 runs (5 earned) on 9 hits (including 4 doubles). His control was better than last game as he didn’t issue any walks but he hit a batter and apparently struggled with command giving up four extra-base hits. Fernando was around the plate throwing 77 pitches with 53 for strikes but he struck out only 3 Braves. Over his last three starts, Fernando has pitched 14.1 innings, given up 25 hits (!), 17 earned runs (10.68 ERA), and struck out 5 batters (3.14 K/9). These numbers bear no relation to the previous 10 weeks of excellence. I don’t know what his issues are or how he should be handled going forward. As an interested observer, however, I am concerned about his health and disappointed that such a good season is finishing up on a down note. That said, I am still hopeful Fernando will get back on track before the season ends. Box Score: Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA F. Romero 5.0 9 6 5 0 3 0 3.53 Season Stats: IP: 125.0 ERA: 3.53 FIP: 2.96 WHIP: 1.35 AVG: .256 GO/AO: 1.56 K/9: 8.6 BB/9: 3.2 Check these webpages for more granular stats for Fernando: MiLB.com: http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t498&player_id=622864#/career/R/pitching/2017/ALL Baseball Reference: http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=romero000fer Fangraphs: http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa657418&position=P

Appearance No. 23 (08/019/17) Following one of his worst performances of the season, Fernando was given 11 days off to rest, reset, and/or recover. It didn’t help. In this game, he had an even worse outing in which he failed to complete 5 innings and walked several batters in addition to giving up an uncharacteristic number of hits. The Tennessee Smokies were leading 6-1 when Fernando was replaced in the 5th inning and went on to beat the Lookouts 6-4. Fernando faced 25 batters over 4.1 innings giving up 6 runs on 8 hits (including 1 double and 1 home run). He also issued 4 walks, threw a wild pitch that allowed a runner to score from third base, and struck out only 2 Smokies. It also could have been worse had Fernando not battled hard in the 3rd inning when the Smokies loaded the bases with no outs but scored only one run. In short, nothing about this performance alleviates the concern that Fernando has an injury or serious arm fatigue. The drop-off in performance has been precipitous and his ERA has jumped from 2.60 to 3.30 in just two games. He is scheduled to pitch on his normal 5-days rest this week so, presumably, the Twins management is not yet concerned. On a semi-positive note, the home run was only the 4th he’s allowed this season (which is notably good over 120 innings). Box Score: Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA F. Romero 4.1 8 6 6 4 2 1 3.30 Season Stats: IP: 120 ERA: 3.30 FIP: 2.99 WHIP: 1.33 AVG: .250 GO/AO: 1.56 K/9: 8.8 BB/9: 3.4 Check these webpages for more granular stats for Fernando: MiLB.com: http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t498&player_id=622864#/career/R/pitching/2017/ALL Baseball Reference: http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=romero000fer Fangraphs: http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa657418&position=P

By way of update, Fernando has not pitched for 10 days and is not scheduled to pitch tonight. That will be four straight times he is skipped in the rotation. I cannot find anything online about this situation other than the Tweet (below) from Mike Berardino that was brought to the board's attention on Sunday. "RHP Fernando Romero is healthy, per #mntwins farm director Brad Steil. Was simply pushed back from today's scheduled start. Jorge instead." — Mike Berardino (@MikeBerardino) August 13, 2017 Hopefully, Brad Steil was being forthright and Fernando's inaction is not injury related. In my view, his last outing was a negative outlier that suggested possible injury and/or fatigue. Fingers crossed.

Thank you for sharing your information and taking the time to make this post. It is informative and appreciated.

Appearance No. 22 (08/07/17) Fernando’s lengthy streak of good-to-excellent starts was bound to end sometime. What is concerning is that it ended in a manner that suggests he may have hit the proverbial wall. Fernando completed his allotted 5 innings but was hit around by the Jackson Generals (the Southern League’s best offense). When he was replaced, the Lookouts were down 6-3 and went on to lose 9-3. Fernando faced 23 batters over 5.0 innings giving up 6 runs on 9 hits (including 4 doubles). Not only was he hit early and often—all 9 hits were given up in the first 3 innings—but he failed to strike out a single batter. This from a pitcher averaging 9.4 SO/9 coming into the game. In fact, the only other time Fernando failed to strike out at least one was a 5-batter appearance in the Dominican Summer League in 2012, his first year in pro ball. Needless to say, management should be watching his next start intently for further indications of fatigue. I’ll be hoping for a bounce back performance that convincingly shows this game was just an aberration. One positive takeaway was that Fernando retired the side in order in both the 4th and 5th innings. Finally, I thought it would be interesting to calculate a few stats for the games Fernando pitched between his last two poor outings—a period covering 13 starts made between May 24th to August 2nd. I concede it's cherry-picking (which I generally don’t like to engage in) but, in this case, doing so illustrates how impressive he was during this extended period: ERA: 1.40 WHIP: 1.10 SO/9: 9.9 H/9: 6.8 Box Score: Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA F. Romero 5.0 9 6 6 0 0 0 2.96 Season Stats: IP: 115.2 ERA: 2.96 FIP: 2.76 WHIP: 1.28 AVG: .243 GO/AO: 1.56 K/9: 9.0 BB/9: 3.2 Check these webpages for more granular stats for Fernando: MiLB.com: http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t498&player_id=622864#/career/R/pitching/2017/ALL Baseball Reference: http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=romero000fer Fangraphs: http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa657418&position=P

Appearance No. 21 (08/02/17) You guessed it. Fernando gave us more of the same—and that is a good thing! In his sixth-straight 5-inning start, Fernando and the Lookouts beat the Montgomery Biscuits, 5-2. Although he pitched a good game, he followed up his season-high in strikeouts with his season-low. But that is just picking at nits. In the six games since his 5-inning limit was imposed, Fernando has given up a total of 6 earned runs (2.16 ERA) and the Lookouts have won the last four. Fernando faced 21 batters over 5.0 innings giving up 1 run on 6 hits (including 1 double). He was much more efficient with his pitch count (72 pitches) striking out 3 Biscuits (all swinging), hitting one, but walking none. Fernando had to battle a bit this game because he allowed 7 base-runners over 4 innings (the Biscuits went down in order in the 4th inning) but he had the groundballs working which helped his cause. Overall, it was another good performance and builds on the impressive consistency he’s shown since his last poor start way back on May 18th. Box Score: Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA F. Romero 5.0 6 1 1 0 3 0 2.60 Season Stats: IP: 110.2 ERA: 2.60 FIP: 2.74 WHIP: 1.26 AVG: .234 GO/AO: 1.58 K/9: 9.4 BB/9: 3.3 Check these webpages for more granular stats for Fernando: MiLB.com: http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t498&player_id=622864#/career/R/pitching/2017/ALL Baseball Reference: http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=romero000fer Fangraphs: http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa657418&position=P

MLB.com has already slotted Littell in as the Twins No. 16 prospect between Lewis Thorpe and LaMonte Wade--two guys I think have a chance to be major league contributors.

Appearance No. 20 (07/28/17) So, it continued. The Lookouts sent Fernando to the mound for 5 innings, he pitched very well, and the Lookouts won again. This time the formula worked against the Birmingham Barons who fell 7-2. The big take-away from this game was that Fernando set as season-high for strikeouts in only 5 innings. Fernando faced 20 batters over 5.0 innings giving up 1 run on 4 hits (including 1 double) and 1 walk. He was not very efficient with his pitch count (94 pitches) but he struck out 9 Barons (ALL swinging). The Barons went down in order in 3 of the 5 innings. They did, however, load the bases with only one out in the 2nd inning (2 singles and a walk) but Fernando ended the threat with back-to-back strikeouts. It’s particularly fun to root for a pitcher that can get a strikeout when he needs one. And, I think we can agree it’s been too long since the Twins have had a starter with this gift at the MLB level. Fernando has demonstrated this knack on many occasions this season and, hopefully, keeps it as he moves up. Box Score: Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA F. Romero 5.0 4 1 1 1 9 0 2.64 After 20 appearances, Fernando is striking out 24.8% of the batters he faces. He has a 52.4% GB% and a 21.1% LD%. Opposing batters have posted a slash-line of .231/.315/.314 (.629 OPS). Although the LD% has crept up, the slash line is nearly identical to the slash-line after 15 appearances. Fernando has been remarkably consistent comparing his results month-to-month. In July, however, he upped is SO/9 to 12.0 which was a significant increase over prior months (9.2 being the next best rate). It’s possible the increase is the result of Fernando knowing he has only 5 innings and doesn’t need to conserve his energy for longer outings. It would be interesting to know if his average velocity has increased since the innings limit was imposed. Season Stats: IP: 105.2 ERA: 2.64 FIP: 2.75 WHIP: 1.26 AVG: .231 GO/AO: 1.51 K/9: 9.5 BB/9: 3.5 Check these webpages for more granular stats for Fernando: MiLB.com: http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=t498&player_id=622864#/career/R/pitching/2017/ALL Baseball Reference: http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=romero000fer Fangraphs: http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa657418&position=P