Cody Christie

Minnesota’s line-up full of Bomba Squad members is hitting home runs at a record pace. While some of the home run power has been home grown, other players like Nelson Cruz, CJ Cron, Marwin Gonzalez and Jonathan Schoop were added to supplement the power hitting barrage. The Twins were able to find these players on the open market to fill multiple spots on their roster. If players like this can be found on the open market, does that make a prospect like Alex Kirilloff expendable?Offensive Power Kirilloff is coming off one of Minnesota’s best seasons ever for a minor league player. Between Low- and High-A, he hit .348/.392/.578 with 71 extra-base hits in 130 games. He also showed a decent approach at the plate as he posted an 86 to 28 strikeout to walk ratio. By season’s end, Kirilloff would be named MiLB’s Breakout Prospect of the Year and the Twins awarded him the Sherry Robertson Award as the team’s Minor League Player of the Year. It was going to be hard for Kirilloff to repeat his 2018 campaign, especially since the Twins decided to be aggressive with him to start the year. He only played 65 games in the Florida State League to end 2018 and the organization still sent him to Pensacola to begin the year. In 65 games at that level, he has hit .271/.336/.384 with 19 extra-base hits and a 60 to 21 strikeout to walk ratio. Some of his offensive struggles this season have resulted from multiple trips to the injured list with a wrist injury. For batters, wrist injuries can be a nagging and follow a player through an entire season. Since returning from the IL on June 20, he has a .686 OPS with nine extra-base hits in 36 games. He has failed to draw a walk in each of his last 18 games. Defensive Questions Kirilloff’s bat tool has always been his key to making it to the big leagues. Throughout his professional career, he has spent the majority of his defensive innings in right field. There have been a few opportunities for him to play in both other outfield positions and he has played over 180 innings at first base this year. It still seems most likely for him to stick at a corner outfield spot in the years ahead. Minnesota is amid a tight race for the top of the AL Central and prospect like Kirilloff can hold a lot of value at this time of year. If the right deal comes along, Kirilloff should be a prospect the Twins consider selling. This doesn’t mean the front office should give him away for a mid-level relief prospect. However, the club needs another starter to go deep into October and Kirilloff could be a center piece to a big-time trade. He would currently be in line to play a corner outfield spot, but Minnesota has some other strong players already occupying those places in the line-up. Max Kepler, the team’s current right fielder, leads the team with 28 home runs and he has team’s second highest WAR total behind Jorge Polanco. Kepler also signed an extension this off-season that could keep him with the Twins through 2024. On the other side of the outfield, Eddie Rosario has certainly evolved into one of the team’s leaders. He has hit .280/.307/.514 with 38 extra-base hits including one of the most memorable home runs in recent Twins history. The 27-year old is still arbitration eligible and the earliest he can reach free agency is 2022. With both corner outfield spots occupied, the Twins might have to get creative to fit Kepler, Rosario, and Kirilloff into the same line-up. First base seems like a natural spot for Kepler or Kirilloff to end up, but the Twins might also need to play Miguel Sano at first in the years ahead. While using one of these players at first is an option, Minnesota showed this year that a team can find a first baseman like CJ Cron without giving anything up in return. Deadline Deal? It seems unlikely for the front office to move any of the team’s top prospects unless the club is acquiring a starting pitcher with multiple years of team control. Some players that fit this mold would be the Mets’ Noah Syndergaard (team control through 2021) and the Tigers’ Matthew Boyd (2022). According to the Star Tribune’s La Velle E. Neal, the Mets are asking for both Royce Lewis and Kirilloff in any potential trade for Syndergaard. This seems like a king’s ransom for the right-handed hurler, but it’s tough to know what the Mets are thinking at this point. Already this week, the club acquired one of the top available pitchers, Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays. Could the Mets asking price decrease before Wednesday? Could they settle for Kirilloff along with other players not named Royce Lewis? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Royce Lewis, Minnesota’s top prospect, was on the move this weekend and he made his Double-A debut on Sunday. He hopped into the top of the line-up that already contains two of the organization’s other top position player prospects, Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach. Lewis already had an impact on his first game in a Blue Wahoo’s uniform. How much would he help his new club?TRANSACTIONS SS Royce Lewis promoted to Pensacola from Fort Myers. RHP Chris Vallimont assigned to Fort Myers (acquired from MIA as part of the Sergio Romo trade). INF Lewin Diaz traded to MIA. AWARDS The Twins announced their weekly Hitter and Pitcher of the Week: Hitter of the Week: Gilberto Celestino, Cedar RapidsIn six games for the Kernels, Celestino hit .385 (10-for-26) with three doubles, one home run, four RBI, one walk with a 1.023 OPS. Celestino was acquired by the Twins along with right-handed pitcher Jorge Alcala near the 2018 trade deadline in exchange for right-handed pitcher Ryan Pressly.Pitcher of the Week: Edwar Colina, PensacolaColina made the start on Thursday for the Blue Wahoos against the Mobile BayBears, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing one unearned run with three hits allowed, one walk and 10 strikeouts. Colina was signed by the Twins as an undrafted free agent at the end of September in 2015. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Indianapolis 5 Box Score Rochester scored runs in each of the first two innings and had enough to hold on at the end. Randy Dobnak made his four straight start where he allowed two runs or less. He pitched 6 1/3 innings by scattering three hits, allowing two earned runs and striking out four. The bullpen made things a little close for comfort at the end. Jake Reed pitched 1 2/3 innings, but his biggest blunder was a two-run home run in the eighth. He still kept the Red Wings in the lead and earned his fourth hold. Preston Guilmet earned the save, his seventh, as he gave up one solo home run in the ninth. Ronald Torreyes got the scoring started in the first with his 10th home run. Wilin Rosario and Jake Cave also added in homers with Cave’s being a two-run shot in the sixth. He finished 2-for-4, the team’s only player with multiple hits. Drew Maggi scored a pair of runs out of the lead-off spot and had a triple. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 5, Jacksonville 0 Box Score Pensacola enjoyed having Royce Lewis in the line-up for his Double-A debut and he wasted little time picking up his first big hit. With one out in the second inning, Lewis came to the plate with the bases loaded. He would double to drive in a pair of runs. He added another hit later in the game to finish 2-for-5. Ben Rortvedt had the team’s only other extra-base hit, his seventh double. Jhoan Duran put the Blue Wahoos in a great position to win. He tossed five shutout innings for his first Double-A win. He limited Jacksonville to two hits, and he added in three strikeouts. Hector Lujan, Jonathan Cheshire and Alex Phillips combined for four shutout innings to end the game. Cheshire struck out three in 1 2/3 innings and Phillips earned his second save. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Lakeland 7 Box Score Lachlan Wells allowed five earned runs for the first time all season, but he still managed to finish six innings. Lakeland managed 10 hits against Wells and the team only struck out once against him. Wells balked in a run during the fifth inning. The Miracle have committed a league worst seven balks this season. In the fourth inning, Ernie De La Trinidad cut the Lakeland lead to 3-2 after he hit a two-run home run. One inning later, Aaron Whitefield used his speed to storm around the bases. He reached base on a fielder’s choice and then he came all the way around from first on a single from Jacob Pearson. Unfortunately, that was the end of the scoring for Fort Myers. Calvin Faucher was strong out of the bullpen as he pitched two perfect frames and struck out four. Faucher has not allowed a run over his last five appearances (8 2/3 innings). Joe Record saw two runs score in the ninth inning but they were both unearned due to fielding errors (Andrew Bechtold and Trey Cabbage). KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Clinton 5 Box Score Clinton jumped all over Austin Schulfer in the first inning and never looked back. Schulfer was able to recover a little and pitch six innings for the first time since July 2. Overall, he allowed four earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts and two walks. With his six strikeouts, he surpassed 100 strikeouts for the season and became the first Kernels pitcher with 100 K’s since Felix Jorge in 2015. Alex Schick pitched two scoreless innings by holding Clinton to one hit. J.T. Perez stuck out the side in the ninth. Offensively, the Kernels left seven men on base and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Gilberto Celestino went 3-for-4 and he has multiple hits in five of his last ten games. Jared Akins finished with two hits and Gabe Snyder had the team’s only extra-base hit, his 18th double. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 4, Bristol 3 Box Score Elizabethton plated four runs in the third inning, and it was just enough to hold onto the lead. In that inning, Willie Joe Garry Jr. lead off the inning with a hit by pitch and moved to second on Ruben Santana’s walk. After two strikeouts, Matt Wallner tripled to score the first two runs of the game. Max Smith followed with his fifth homer to make the score 4-0. The Twins only needed two arms in this one. Ryley Widell started and pitched into the sixth inning. He allowed three runs on six hits with four strikeouts. Ryan Shreve finished the final 3 1/3 innings for a non-traditional save. He struck out four and surrendered two hits. It was Widell’s first win and Shreve’s second save. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Jhoan Duran, Pensacola (5.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 3 K, BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Max Smith, Elizabethton (2-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) – 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI (AA Debut) #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 1-5, RBI, 2 K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) – 1-4, R, BB, K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 0-4, 2 K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) – Did not pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) – No scheduled game #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – Injured list #9 - Jhoan Duran (Pensacola) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 3 K, BB #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did not pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – Did not play #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – Did not play #14 - Luis Arraez (Twins) – 3-5, R #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) – 1-4, 3B, R 2 RBI, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 1-4, RBI, K #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Out for year with Tommy John surgery #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – Did not pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) – No scheduled game #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – Injured list MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05 CST) – RHP Drew Hutchison (7-6, 5.86 ERA) Pensacola vs. Mobile (6:05 CST) – LHP Bryan Sammons (3-3, 4.96 ERA) Fort Myers – Scheduled Off-Day Cedar Rapids vs. Clinton (12:05 CST) – RHP Tyler Palm (2-6, 3.92 ERA) Elizabethton @ Burlington (5:30 CST) – TBD GCL Twins vs. GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Minnesota’s series with the Yankees has provided some unbelievable moments. The Yankees have the top record in the American League, and it seems evident the Twins are more than up to the challenge of competing with them. These two clubs could be destined for a playoff match-up, but what happens if the Twins don’t make it to the party. Combine Minnesota’s shrinking division lead with other rising AL contenders and it’s not a sure thing that the Twins will be punching their ticket to October baseball.Standings Check-In The Twins enter play on Thursday with a three-game lead in the AL Central. At the beginning of June, the Twins were up 10.5 games as Cleveland had squeaked out a .500 record up to that point. By the end of June, Minnesota still had a comfortable eight game lead, but then Cleveland really turned on the heat. The Indians have gone 13-4 in July with two of their losses coming against the Twins. Some will point to Cleveland’s recent opponents as the reasons for their success, but they are winning the games in front of them. According to Baseball Reference, the Twins have a 96.2% chance of making the playoffs and a 90.9% chance of winning the division. They put Cleveland’s odds at 9.1% to win the division and 41.1% to make the playoffs. Also, the site projects Minnesota’s best possible record as 104-58 and their worst record as 91-71. On the flip side, Cleveland’s best record is projected as 96-66 and their worst record could be 83-79. Cleveland’s best and Minnesota’s worst would put the Twins back into the AL Wild Card Game. Cleveland currently sits in the first Wild Card spot with Oakland trailing by one game. Twins fans saw how good Oakland has been in their recent match-up and the A’s have a 7-3 record over their last 10 games. Boston and Tampa Bay sit two games behind the A’s, which means the Twins are six games up from being on the outside looking in. Multiple Weaknesses Minnesota has been running through a steady group of relievers from Rochester over the last couple weeks. This comes on the heels of the club parting ways with Matt Magill, Mike Morin and Adalberto Mejia. Minnesota cleared multiple roster spots without making any immediate additions to the bullpen. Cody Stashak made his MLB debut last night and he might have been the most effective Twins pitcher in a crazy game. Other players like Lewis Thorpe and Kohl Stewart are also getting some relief opportunities. Twins relievers have seen some struggles in recent weeks albeit it has come against some strong opponents. Trevor May has given up multiple leads with some hanging breaking balls that ended up over the fence. He was even asked to pitch over 50 pitches in one game. On Thursday, Blake Parker was designated for assignment or release. Ryne Harper and Tyler Duffey have also had some blemishes on their record as of late. Even the team’s best reliever, Taylor Rogers, has seen some leads slip through his hands. Realistically, the bullpen needs some help and Rochester might not have the pieces the team needs. The bullpen hasn’t been Minnesota’s only weakness. Fans have been frustrated with the Twins inability to get clutch hits with runners in scoring position, especially with the bases loaded. Twins batters have combined for an .820 OPS with runners in scoring position. However, the club has had 91 at-bats with the bases loaded this season while hitting .195/.213/.286 with only four extra-base hits. There seems to be some kind of hang-up when three men are on base instead of just having runners in scoring position. Looming Trade Deadline Minnesota could address some of their issues through trades in the next seven days. Earlier this week, Derek Falvey joined Darren Wolfson on his podcast to discuss the upcoming trade deadline. This year’s deadline is different since team’s cant make waiver trades after July 31. Falvey believes there will be a flurry of moves right before the deadline. Minnesota has given some consideration to being the first team to pull the trigger on a big trade, but that likely would mean the team is going to have to overpay to set the market. Falvey went on to say, the Twins are interested in improving “overall pitching depth.” This could be starters, relievers or maybe the team can get creative. He mentioned, “If there are ways to add to our starting rotation, our pitching depth, is there a way to add to the bullpen at the same time?” Fans might not want to hold out for any blockbuster trade. He believes the team is most likely looking for “supplements” to the current roster. If the team is going to win this year, it is going to be because of “the group that’s in the clubhouse right now.” To some, that might not exactly be a vote of confidence. However, the Twins need to avoid doing anything brash, because those type of trades can come back to haunt an organization. Do you think there’s a chance the Twins don’t make the playoffs? What would the repercussions be for the organization? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Other Stories of Interest Byron Buxton’s Not So Secret Value Twins Getting Greatness from Utility Buyer Beware: Avoiding a Chris Archer Trade Click here to view the article

Twins fans realize how good Byron Buxton is on the defensive side of the ball. When he is healthy and, on the field, he is arguably the best defensive center fielder in the game and the race might not even be that close. That being said, there might be something different to the value he is providing to the Twins this season. To go along with his Gold Glove defense, he has improved on the offensive side of the ball. Is Buxton the key for the Twins winning ways?Buxton has missed playing time during a couple of different stretches this season. He recently was placed on the 7-day concussion IL after making a diving catch. Back in June, Buxton missed time after being hit on the wrist with a pitch. Earlier in the year, he had a knee bruise after colliding with the center field wall. One of Buxton’s biggest flaws might be his reckless approach in the outfield. Some might call it aggressive, but his injury history as a professional is tough to ignore. He’s been on the field more in 2019 than in 2018, so that’s a step in the right direction. However, he might be key to Minnesota winning games and this means they need him on the field. Minnesota entered play on Tuesday with a 61-38 record (.616 PCT) which is good for the third best total in the American League. Byron Buxton has started 71 games, and, in those games, Buxton has helped the Twins to a 48-23 record (.676 PCT). With Buxton on the sidelines, the club has gone 13-15, which is a .464 winning percentage. There is something extra Buxton brings to the table. Buxton’s defensive value is obviously the biggest part of the winning equation. Even with the time missed, he surged into the lead as baseball’s best defender according to SABR’s most recent Defensive Index rankings. The SABR Defensive Index draws on and aggregates two types of existing defensive metrics: those derived from batted ball location-based data and those collected from play-by-play accounts. Through the All-Star break, Buxton was 0.3 SDI points ahead of Oakland’s Marcus Semien and he was 1.6 points ahead of the next best center fielder, Tampa’s Kevin Kiermaier. During the 2017 campaign, Buxton was awarded the Platinum Glove for being the AL’s best defender. In that season, he had a career-high 26 outs above average. So far this season, he has 12 outs above average, which is still very good and could have him on pace to have close to 20. His responsible plays chart (see below) should be submitted to the Smithsonian as he has multiple catches this season with a 0% catch probability. Download attachment: Buxton Chart.png Offensively, Buxton’s biggest improvement this season has been against the fastball. Last year, he hit .150 with .183 SLG when facing fastballs. So far this season, his average has jumped 135 points and his slugging percentage has gone up almost three times what he did against fastballs in 2018. Fastballs aren’t his only offensive area of improvement. He had a 1.6 Barrel % in 2018 and that has increased to 8.1 this year (MLB average 6.3). Naturally his exit velocity has also increased from being in the mid-80s to 89.4 mph this season. His launch angle has also increased from being slightly above league average (11.1 MLB AVG) to 20.1 degrees. A 39.9 Hard Hit % puts Buxton over 5% higher than the MLB mark. Minnesota Twins fans are well aware of the long-term impact concussions can have on players. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau both had their career’s altered because of concussion related issues. With multiple months left in the season, the Twins need Buxton healthy for September more than they need him at the end of July. But the team’s October chances could be hurt if Buxton’s return isn’t imminent. Is Byron Buxton the key to Minnesota’s winning ways? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Other Stories of Interest Buyer Beware: Avoiding a Chris Archer Trade Champs Were Chumps: Looking Back at the Worst Slumps of Recent World Series Winners What Will It Take to Acquire Marcus Stroman? Click here to view the article

Amid one of the toughest parts of their schedule, Minnesota fans are clamoring for the Twins to make a trade. With just over a week until the deadline, the hot stove has been less than lukewarm. The Twins have cleared out multiple 40-man roster spots over the last month, but it remains to be seen as to what the club is going to do with all of these openings. It’s important to remember not to make any impulse deals when it comes to trading away top prospects. Last July, the Pittsburgh Pirates made a deal that looks very lopsided in hindsight. How can the Twins avoid a similar fate?Pittsburgh sat with a 56-52 record on July 31, 2018. This was good enough for third in their division and they were trailing multiple teams for a Wild Card spot. Being on the outside looking in, didn’t stop them from making a franchise altering trade. The Pirates wanted right-handed pitcher Chris Archer, so they went and got him. Spoiler alert… Pittsburgh would finish fourth in their own division last season. During his last three seasons in Tampa, Archer posted a 3.77 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP while averaging 245 strikeouts and 205 innings per season. He had one top-5 finish for the AL Cy Young and he represented the Rays in the 2015 and 2017 MLB All-Star Game. He was a workhorse as he led the AL in games started in both of his All-Star campaigns. Archer had seemed to be on the trade block for multiple seasons because Tampa Bay had him signed to a team friendly deal and the two-time All-Star might not have a higher value. Because of their market, the Rays are forced to part with players as their contract costs rise. Tampa has been able to flourish through strong scouting and thinking outside of the box. Tampa certainly knew what they were doing when they dealt Archer for a package that included Austin Meadows, Tyler Glasnow and Shane Baz. Meadows was elected to his first All-Star Game this season after hitting .289/.364/.502 in the first half with 30 extra-base hits including 12 homers. He currently looks like the biggest piece of the trade for Tampa, but both pitchers could still turn out to be very good. Glasnow has an injury history including currently being on the IL with a right forearm strain. In his eight starts (48 1/3 innings) since being dealt, he has a 1.86 ERA with a 0.91 WHIP and 55 strikeouts and 9 walks. Fans might remember Baz’s name because he was one of the top prospects in the 2017 Draft, when the Twins had the first pick. He’s pitching in the Midwest League and has a 3.45 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in 10 starts. Since being traded, Archer has not been the same pitcher that he was in Tampa. He has a brutal 4.97 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP in 143 innings. His strikeout rate has gone up from 9.7 K/9 in Tampa to 10.4 K/9 in Pittsburgh, but his walk rate has also increased (2.9 to 4.0 BB/9). He’s giving up home runs at almost twice the rate and one of the biggest concerns might be the amount of hard contact he is giving up. His 12.3 Barrel % is in the bottom 4% of the NL. So how can the Twins avoid an Archer style fleecing by another club? In all reality, it’s rarely known this quickly after a trade if one team has gained a significant advantage. Meadows was a consensus top-50 prospect for most of his professional career. In comparison, Minnesota’s closest prospect might be Alex Kirilloff. It seems likely that Kirilloff is on a short list of prospects that Minnesota wouldn’t be willing to trade unless they were floored by a deal. The Twins might not have a comparable pitcher in their farm system to Glasnow. Entering the 2017 season, he was ranked in the top-25 prospects in baseball by all three major rankings and he was big league ready at the time of the trade. Someone like Jordan Balazovic might be the closest as he continues to rise in prospect rankings. He, like Glasnow, was a fifth-round pick, but he isn’t close to being big league ready. Few saw this kind of drop-off coming for Archer and that’s what can happen with some of the big deals that will happen before next week. Back in 2016, Cubs fans saw their club deal future All-Star Gleyber Torres to the Yankees for closer Aroldis Chapman. Chapman and the Cubs went on to win the World Series and he returned to New York that winter as a free agent. My guess is Cubs fans will take the World Series flag flying over Wrigley instead of having Torres in the middle of their infield. What are your thoughts as the Twins become buyers? How can they avoid an Archer deal? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

With a week and a half until the trade deadline, the Twins still haven’t made any moves. To many of us, these players are names we follow, but some players lives will be drastically changed before next Wednesday. They will have to acclimate themselves to a new organization and a new set of teammates amid some important end of season games. Which prospects won’t be in the organization after next week? For now, read about the prospects that impact games on Sunday.AWARDS The Twins announced their weekly Hitter and Pitcher of the Week: Hitter of the Week: Jaylin Davis, RochesterIn seven games for the Red Wings, Davis hit .458 (11-for-24) with five home runs, 11 RBI, five walks, 12 runs scored and a 1.664 OPS. Davis, 25, was selected in the 24th round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Appalachian State University.Pitcher of the Week: Kai-Wei Teng, Cedar RapidsTeng made the start last Sunday for the Kernels, pitching 6.0 shutout innings with five hits allowed no walks and a season-high 10 strikeouts. Teng, 20, was signed by the Twins as an undrafted free agent in October of 2017 out of Taichung, Taiwan. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Gwinnett 12 Box Score Sean Poppen ran into some trouble and couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning. In 3 1/3 innings, he was charged with eight earned runs on six hits. He walked four and struck out two. Jake Reed had his own share of problems in relief. He took over for Poppen and surrendered four runs on five hit in two innings. Gabriel Moya and Carlos Torres combined for 2 2/3 shutout innings to end the game. Moya walked two and struck out two. Torres pitched a perfect ninth. It was his first appearances since July 5 where he didn’t allow an earned run. Zander Wiel and Alejandro De Aza both had multi-hit efforts in the loss. Wiel had been held hitless in four-straight games before going 2-for-4 and scoring the team’s only run. Both of Wiel’s hits were doubles which gives him 26 for the season. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 3, Mississippi 8 Box Score Pensacola got things going early as Alex Kirilloff singled with one out in the first. Trevor Larnach moved him to second after being hit by a pitch. A Lewin Diaz single and a Caleb Hamilton sacrifice fly allowed two runs to score and Pensacola had an early 2-0 lead. In the third, Larnach extended the lead with a solo-home run, his first at the Double-A level. That’s where the scoring would end for the Blue Wahoos. For the second straight Sunday, Jorge Alcala struggled. He allowed four earned runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings. His season ERA is up to 6.36 and he’s only made it through six innings in one of his last 10 appearances. Anthony Vizcaya bounced around some trouble as he allowed six hits in 1 2/3 innings but wasn’t charged with any earned runs. Andrew Vazquez is down in Double-A trying to find himself. His ERA is 5.40 after he allowed one earned run in 1 2/3 innings. Jovani Moran had some control issues as he walked three batters in 2/3 of an inning. He allowed three earned runs. Hector Lujan got the last four outs and didn’t allow a run. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Florida 2 (Top of the 9th - Rain) Box Score Bailey Ober bounced back nicely in this one after allowing a season high three-earned runs and failing to get out of the fifth inning in his previous start. Ober pitched five strong innings and limited Florida to one run on five hits. He struck out seven and walked one. In the top of the fourth, Ryan Costello started the inning by reaching on a throwing error. Jose Miranda moved him to second with a single before Trey Cabbage doubled to score both runners. With one out in the eighth inning, Jacob Pearson doubled, his second since being promoted. One batter later, Ryan Jeffers drove him in with a single to put Fort Myers up 3-2. Melvi Acosta earned a three-inning save as he allowed one run on one hit, a home run. He struck out five and didn’t walk any. The game was shortened by rain KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Fort Wayne 8 Box Score In the second inning, Trevor Casanova lead off with a walk and he moved to third on a double by Albee Weiss. Ricky De La Torre drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly and Yeltsin Encarnacion followed with a single to make the score 2-0. Gilberto Celestino knocked his sixth homer of the year, a solo shot in the third. Weiss homered in top of the fourth and Spencer Steer came around to score a run after two wild pitches and a balk. The Kernels had their biggest lead of the day at 5-1. Unfortunately, things would fall apart for the Kernels pitching staff during the fourth inning. Austin Schulfer couldn’t make it through five innings for the second consecutive start. He allowed seven runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings. Brian Rapp allowed an inherited runner to score but then he put up zeros for three innings. He walked two and struck out two. J.T. Perez pitched a scoreless eighth before some trouble in the ninth. With the game tied, he allowed back-to-back singles to start the inning. After a sacrifice bunt, a walk would load the bases. Perez coaxed a short line-out for the second out and it kept the runners from advancing. Wander Javier was charged with a fielding error on the final play of the game. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 4, Bluefield 7 Box Score Elizabethton took a first inning lead after Willie Joe Gary Jr doubled to lead off the game. He moved to third on a wild pitch and Max Smith brought him home with a ground out. From there the bats would go quiet until the late innings. In the sixth, the E-Twins would score a run because of an error, a walk, and two hit by pitches. Smith and Seth Gray clocked back-to-back homers to start the seventh frame. On the mound, Ryley Widell took his fifth loss, but he was only charged with one earned run. He pitched 5 2/3 innings by striking out seven batters and allowing one walk. He’s allowed one run in three of his six starts this season. Frandy Torres allowed two earned runs on four hits in the final 2 1/3 innings. He was asked to get seven outs and he got five of them via the strikeout. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Bailey Ober, Fort Myers (5.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 7 K, 1 BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Albee Weiss, Cedar Rapids (2-for-3, HR, 2B, 3 R, RBI, BB, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – Did not play #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 2-4, R #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) – 1-2, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, 2 K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) – Did not pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) – No scheduled game #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – Injured list #9 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did not pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 1-4 #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – 1-4, RBI, K #14 - Luis Arraez (Twins) – 3-5, R #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) – 0-2, 2 BB #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – Did not play #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Out for year with Tommy John surgery #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – 2.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, K, BB #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) – No scheduled game #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – Injured list MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester – Scheduled Off-Day Pensacola vs. Mobile (6:35 CST) – RHP Griffin Jax (3-3, 2.53 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 CST) – RHP Cole Sands (3-2, 2.04 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Fort Wayne (6:05 CST) – RHP Tyler Palm (2-5 (3.82 ERA) Elizabethton @ Bluefield (5:30 CST) – RHP Tyler Benninghoff (2-1, 6.38 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Pirates (11:00 am CST) – TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Pirates (Game 2) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

With the trade deadline looming, some of the team’s top prospects must wonder if they will have a new address in the next two weeks. No matter the organization, each player is still trying to reach their ultimate goal of being a big leaguer. Few players can say they have reached this goal and it won’t matter what team name is on the front of the jersey when they step on the field for the first time. Did any players get closer to their ultimate goal on Thursday? Read on to find out.TRANSACTIONS RHP DJ Baxendale reinstated from the IL with Rochester. RHP Kohl Stewart recalled by Minnesota from Rochester. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 9, Norfolk 4 Box Score Rochester’s bottom three batters in the line-up combined for eight hits on the way to a convincing win. Tomas Telis and Jimmy Kerrigan both had two doubles. Ronald Torreyes had three big hits including a three-run home run to seal the deal in the ninth inning. The Red Wings didn’t even take full advantage of their opportunities because the club left 12 men on base and went 5-for-19 with runners in scoring position. In a bullpen game, Preston Guilmet started and allowed three runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings. Carlos Torres was the next man up and he held Norfolk to one run over three innings. From there the bullpen went into shutdown mode. D.J. Baxendale, Cody Allen and Cody Stashak combined for 3 1/3 shutout innings to end the game. Allen allowed three walks, but he was able to escape without any damage. Stashak pitched a perfect ninth. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 0, Mississippi 1 Box Score The Blue Wahoos offensive out-hit the Braves 7 to 2, but Mississippi was able to come up with the one big hit in the game. Randy Dobnak pitched a complete game on 90 pitches (65 strikes) and struck out nine. In the bottom of the fifth, he surrendered a lead-off double and that runner would end up being the only score of the game. Pensacola had four opportunities with runners in scoring position, but none of them were successful. The club also failed to record any extra-base hits. Alex Kirilloff went 2-for-4 and he has multiple hits in three of his last five games. Trevor Larnach and Lewin Diaz both went 1-for-4. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Tampa 5 Box Score Jordan Balazovic seemed to be cruising before running into trouble in the fourth inning as Tampa would score five runs with only three of them being earned runs. Ryan Costello committed a fielding error at first base with two outs that allowed another two runs to score. Balazovic struck out four and walked one in 4 2/3 innings. Tyler Watson was impressive as he kept Fort Myers within striking distance. He pitched 4 1/3 shutout innings with two strikeouts and two walks. It was his first appearance all season where he didn’t allow an earned run. Fort Myers had held Tampa scoreless for 20 straight innings in the series before the fourth inning in this one. The Miracle tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the fourth as Ryan Jeffers (walk) and Costello (single) both reached to start the inning. After Jose Miranda grounded into a double play, Trey Cabbage hit a triple and he ended up scoring on the play after an error by the center fielder to make the score 5-2. In the bottom of the sixth, some of the same names were involved in a crooked inning. Jeffers was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a Costello double. Miranda drove in Jeffers with a sacrifice fly and Andrew Bechtold added another sacrifice fly later in the inning. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Lake County 4 Box Score Cedar Rapids scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to improve to 14 games over .500 on the season. The Kernel’s took the lead in a unique way as well. Originally the official scorer gave Spencer Steer a straight steal of home for what turned out to be the winning run. Eventually, it was changed to a run via balk. In the game, Steer went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two doubles. He’s been on fire since being promoted from E-Town going 6-for-16 with three extra-base hits. Gabe Snyder, playing in his second professional game in his home state, also had a good day at the plate. He reached base three times and hit his tenth home run of the season. He is tied with Chris Williams and Jared Akins for the team-lead in homers. Cedar Rapids clinched their eighth straight series victory over Lake County. On the mound, Luis Rijo did just enough to put the Kernels in position to win. He allowed four runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and a walk. J.T. Perez and Rickey Ramirez combined for three shutout innings to close the door. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Greeneville 6 Box Score This game started as a pitcher’s duel with neither arm surrendering a run until the fifth inning. However, the wheels came off for Andriu Marin in that inning as he allowed five runs and he wasn't be able to finish the frame. Overall, he allowed five hits with eight strikeouts and three walks. He collected 13 total outs and eight of them came via the strikeout. Ryan Shreve gave up one run on four hits in 1 2/3 innings with a couple of strikeouts. Steven Cruz struck out four in two perfect innings. With one out in the seventh, Kidany Salva singled to try to start the rally. After a strikeout, Rueben Santana singled to put a runner in scoring position with two down. Charles Mack knocked in both baserunners with a single of his own and the E-Twins were on the board, but it wouldn’t be enough. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Randy Dobnak, Pensacola (8.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 9 K, BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Ronald Torreyes, Rochester (3-for-5, HR, 5 RBI, 2 R) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) – 1-4, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 2-4 #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) – 1-4 #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 0-4, 3 K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Fort Myers) – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 4 K, 1 BB #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL) – No game #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – Injured list #9 - Jhoan Duran (Fort Myers) – Did not pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did not pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 1-6, 2 RBI, 3 K #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Fort Myers) – 0-2, 2 R, BB #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) – 1-2, 2B, R, BB #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) – 1-4, R, RBI, BB, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – Did not play #17 - Akil Baddoo (Fort Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – Did not pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL) – Did not play #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – Injured list FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Gwinnett (6:05 CST) – RHP Drew Hutchison (1-1, 6.84 ERA) Pensacola @ Mississippi (6:35 CST) – RHP Charlie Barnes (2-2, 3.40 ERA) Fort Myers @ Florida (5:00 CST) – RHP Blayne Enlow (2-2, 2.80 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Lake County (6:00 CST) – RHP Andrew Cabezas (4-5, 3.66 ERA) Elizabethton @ Greeneville (5:30 CST) – TBD GCL Twins vs. GCL Red Sox (11:00 AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday’s games. 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Over the next couple of weeks, Twins fans are going to be checking their phones and waiting for a notification. Did the club acquire a front-line starting pitcher? Could a bullpen arm or two be on the way to the Twin Cities? Even with one of baseball’s best records, Minnesota’s roster has some holes. When you look at your phone on July 31, what would be the perfect trade deadline scenario?Deadline Blueprint With one of the baseball’s best offenses, it makes sense for the Twins to focus on adding pitching before the deadline. Minnesota’s most glaring need is the bullpen. Taylor Rogers might be the AL’s most valuable reliever, but he won’t be able to pitch every postseason inning. Ryne Harper, Tyler Duffey and Zach Littell have been more than serviceable, but they might be better suited for pitching the middle innings. Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi have been leading the pitching staff, while the rest of the rotation has fit into their roles nicely. Kyle Gibson and Martin Perez have had some up and down moments throughout the year. Michael Pineda has provided an upgrade over recent fifth starters. Would you trust one of these pitchers to face the Yankees or Astros line-up in the ALDS? Ideally, the Twins would add two relief arms and a starter before the calendar turns to August. Bullpen In a perfect world, the Twins would be able to add both a right- and left-handed reliever to assist Rogers in his late inning role. There are some internal options for the Twins including two left-handed pitchers that are already on the 40-man roster. Both players would be unknowns in a relief role, so it makes sense to find someone with some experience if the price in prospects isn’t too steep. When it comes to left-handed relievers, Will Smith is the name on everyone’s list. He is currently being used as the Giants closer, but his cost might be slightly lower since he is a free agent after the season. John projected a package of Kohl Stewart and Edwar Colina for Smith. If that’s the deal on the table, I pull the trigger. For Ron Gardenhire and the Tigers, there have been few bright spots this year. However, Shane Greene has been one of the team’s best players. In 2018, he struggled in his first chance being the full-time closer. He posted a 5.12 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP with a 65 to 19 strikeout to walk ratio. For how bad he was last season, he has done a complete 180 this year. He has a microscopic 1.06 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP with 35 strikeouts and 10 walks. He’s also under team control through 2020. Starting Pitching There’s been lots of talk about Madison Bumgarner since he is a pending free agent and the Giants are likely to be sellers. One must wonder what version of Madison Bumgarner a club would receive in a trade. He’s been a World Series hero but that was half a decade ago. This season he has posted a 3.86 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP to go along with 121 strikeouts in 116 2/3 innings. Another thing to consider is Bumgarner has a lot of miles on his arm with 1755 big league innings over the last 11 seasons. Toronto’s Marcus Stroman is another potential trade target and he is younger than Bumgarner. So far this season, he has a 3.25 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. He has 88 strikeouts in 110 2/3 innings, so Bumgarner has him beat in that category. Stroman has another year of team control as the 2020 season will be his final year of arbitration eligibility. Both above-mentioned pitchers could help the club, but I’d rather the team target Arizona’s Zack Greinke, even if he has a no-trade clause that includes the Twins. There are a few reasons I’d rather the team go after a 35-year old pitcher with a big contract. First, it would likely take fewer high-ranking prospects to acquire Greinke because of his large contract. Greinke has been very good this year with a 2.95 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. Minnesota has the financial flexibility in the years ahead to absorb the Greinke contract. Plus, three of the Twins current starters will be free agents following the World Series. Greinke could fit in at the top of the rotation with Berrios for the next handful of seasons. If he isn’t still an ace in 2021, the Twins could still fit him in some part of their rotation. Greinke, Smith, and Greene put the Twins in better position to win October games. Who would be part of your perfect trade deadline for the Twins? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Other Stories of Interest Internal Relief Help Could Provide Second Half Upgrade Arraez is What Minnesota Has Craved Twins Trade Rumors Roundup: Teams Pondering Selling Click here to view the article

Minnesota is likely looking to add pitching to their roster before the July 31st trade deadline. While multiple moves could be made in the coming weeks, the Twins could look to supplement their roster with internal players. There are multiple players the team has already used this year, or it might be in the form of other prospects working their way to Target Field. Could the Twins look to internal help instead of trading for a reliever?Lefty Duo Lewis Thorpe, a left-handed pitcher, made one start for the Twins this year. Back on June 30, he held the White Sox to two earned runs on five hits while striking out seven. Thorpe is coming of a 2018 season where he was named Jim Rantz Award winner as the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Thorpe’s pitching repertoire might be a good fit as a bullpen arm. His fastball sits in the low-90s and he mixes in a slider, a curveball, and a changeup. Throughout his five professional seasons, Thorpe has been used as a relief pitcher on three separate occasions. In the last week, Rochester used Thorpe in relief, but this was so Fernando Romero could be utilized as an opener. Devin Smeltzer, another left-handed pitcher, has made three appearances with the Twins this year. Across 16 2/3 innings, he has a 3.24 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP and a 13 to 4 strikeout to walk ratio. Right before the All-Star break, Smeltzer was used as a relief arm after Kyle Gibson had started the game as an opener. In that appearance, he allowed one run on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. Smeltzer doesn’t exactly fit the mold of power-throwing lefty. His fastball sits in the high-80s while his change up (82.9 mph) and curveball (76.4 mph) help to keep hitters off-balance. Out of his 216 big-league pitches, only three pitches have been barreled up against him. Since Smeltzer is more of a finesse pitcher, it might make more sense for Thorpe to be given the first crack at a relief role. Other Names to Consider Over the last couple weeks, multiple 40-man roster spots have been vacated. Adalberto Mejia, Andrew Vasquez, Mike Morin and Ronald Torreyes were all either outrighted or designated for assignment. Minnesota currently has three open 40-man roster spots and no clear indication of what the plan will be for these openings. Perhaps, the club could be looking at internal options to add to the bullpen. Cody Allen, the former Indians and Angels closer, has been working his way through the Twins system. He made three appearances with Fort Myers and didn’t allow a run. Since joining Rochester, he has allowed two runs in three appearances with two strikeouts. Over the weekend, Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press mentioned that the Twins could look at other internal options. “It’s not necessarily Triple-A pitchers the Twins are considering, either,” Walters said. “They could reach to Double-A and even high-A for help. Those would be pitchers with fastballs in the mid-to-high 90s-mph range.” Edwar Colina is a player that could fit that mold as he was just promoted from High-A to Double-A. As a right-handed pitcher, he can hit triple-digits with his fastball. In 61 2/3 innings as a starter, he has a 2.34 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP. Also, he has a 61 to 15 strikeout to walk ratio. He made his Pensacola debut on Tuesday as he allowed two runs on four hits in four innings. Other than Colina, Jorge Alcala, who has pitched all year with Pensacola, could be a relief option. His fastball can hit into the high-90s, but there have been some struggles in his first taste of Double-A. He has a 6.15 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP in 89.1 innings. His 9.8 K/9 is good for a starter and the Twins could hope to take advantage of his strikeout ability. It seems more than likely that the Twins will be adding a relief piece or two in the weeks ahead. Could any of these arms help the Twins in the second half? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Other Stories of Interest Is Taylor Rogers the AL’s Most Valuable Reliever? Wouldja? Trading For Giants Closer Will Smith Week in Review: Second Half Statement Click here to view the article

Taylor Rogers was an 11th round draft pick back in 2012. Here’s the list of players from that round that have a positive WAR at the big-league level…. Taylor Rogers and that’s it. As the old adage goes, Rogers is left-handed, and he has a pulse. This makes him valuable, but Minnesota had no idea how valuable he would be when they took him that late in the draft. Below is a brief look at the Taylor Rogers story as he has transformed himself into the most valuable reliever on one of the American League’s best teams.Minor Leagues With his college experience, it made sense for Rogers to try to stick as a starting pitcher. During his professional debut (15 appearances), he split time between Elizabethton and Beloit with a 2.27 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and a 74 to 17 strikeout to walk ratio. In 2013, he continued to be utilized as a starter. Between Low- and High-A, he posted good numbers as he made 24 starts and posted a 2.88 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP. Over the next two seasons, he would continue to start, and he made multiple trips to the Arizona Fall League. New Britain was his home for all of 2014 as he had a 3.29 ERA and a 1.29 ERA. He made only three appearances in the AFL that season, but he limited batters to four hits and one earned run. He continued to climb the ladder in 2015 as he pitched to a 3.98 ERA at Triple-A. A return trip to the AFL saw him start six games with a 2.88 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. It was time to see what he could do at the big-league level, but it would come with a new role as a relief pitcher. Rough Transition During his rookie season, Rogers made 57 relief appearances (61 1/3 innings) and had a 3.96 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Batters were making solid contact against him on a regular basis. His 89.7 exit velocity and 40.8% hard hit percentage were in the bottom 6% of the league. Opponents hit .260/.318/.401 (.719) against him that year as he surrendered a career high seven home runs. The 2017 campaign saw Rogers still trying to acclimate to life as a reliever. His WHIP rose to 1.31 and his strikeouts per nine dipped from 9.4 to 7.9. Obviously, this isn’t a good sign in the transition to the bullpen. However, opponent's exit velocity dropped nearly three miles per hour (89.7 to 86.9) and his hard-hit percentage finished at 35.4%. One of the biggest intentional changes was his decreased use of his fastball. He used his four seamer 3.9% of the time, which was a steep drop from 17% in 2016 (see chart below). From this point forward, Rogers made other pitching changes to transform into one of baseball’s best relievers. Among Baseball’s Best Besides his fastball usage, Rogers made two other pitching changes to become dominant. He implemented a slider in 2018 and it has become his second most used pitch during the 2019 campaign. Other than that, his curveball has almost disappeared. He used this pitch over 33% of the time last year and he has only used it 1.3% of the time this season. Download attachment: Tayor Rogers chart.jpeg Rogers has provided unbelievable value to the Twins this season. His 2.78 win probability added (WPA) leads all Twins pitchers. It’s almost a full win higher than Minnesota’s All-Star starters Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi. No position player has a higher total than Rogers. He also might be on pace for one of the best relief seasons in Twins history. Since Target Field opened in 2010, Glen Perkins (2.79 WPA) has the best WPA of any Twin reliever. Jared Burton (2.41 WPA) and Glen Perkins (1.85 WPA) in 2012 have the other top totals. Doug Corbett’s 1980 season was Minnesota’s all-time best WPA mark from a reliever. His 7.58 total is likely untouchable for Rogers, but he could have enough to catch Joe Nathan’s 5.77 WPA for second place all-time. During a record-setting year, Rogers might be the AL’s most valuable reliever. He is the lone AL relief pitcher with a WPA over 2.0 and he is closing in on 3.0. He’s up 0.85 WPA over Alex Colome, the second-place relief arm. Former Twins Liam Hendricks (1.87 WPA) and Ryan Pressly (1.78 WPA) round out the top-four. It’s been quite the journey, but Rogers could end this season as the most valuable reliever in the American League. Do you think Taylor Rogers is the most valuable reliever in the AL? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

The dog days of summer are here are with it comes the opportunity for minor league teams to gain some separation from the other teams in their league. Strong pitching performances can be overshadowed by lackluster offensive outputs. Offensives can explode for double-digit runs to cover up a pitcher’s poor start. For Twins fans, there was some good, some bad, and some ugly on Sunday.TRANSACTIONS RHP Ryan Eades placed on the IL for Rochester (right groin strain). INF Spencer Steer promoted to Cedar Rapids from Elizabethton. C/INF Chris Williams placed on IL with Cedar Rapids (right ankle sprain). AWARDS The Twins announced their weekly Hitter and Pitcher of the Week: Hitter of the Week: Royce Lewis, Fort MyersLewis, who played in the SiriusXM Futures Game at Progressive Field last Sunday, played in four games for the Miracle late this week, hitting .353 (6-for-17) with two home runs, three RBI and two walks. Lewis is in his third professional season after being taken with the number one overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft.Pitcher of the Week: Edwar Colina, Fort MyersColina made the start on Wednesday vs. Daytona, pitching 7.0 shutout innings with three hits allowed, no walks and eight strikeouts. Colina was promoted to Pensacola the day after his start. He was signed back in 2015 out of Venezuela. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Lehigh Valley 4 Box Score Rochester needed two runs over the final two innings to walk off with the win in this one. Trailing 4-3 entering the eighth, Jaylin Davis knocked his 10th home run to tie the game. With two outs in the ninth, Drew Maggi singled to put the winning run on base. One batter later, Nick Gordon lined a single to left field and Maggi came all the way around to score. It was a terrible play by the outfielder and Maggi was aggressive. The Red Wings got their scoring started in the sixth inning. With one out, Wilin Rosario coaxed a four-pitch walk before Davis moved him into scoring position with a single. Tomas Telis cracked a three-run shot, his sixth of the year, to tie the game 3-3. Drew Hutchison ran into some early trouble as he allowed three first inning runs. From there he settled in and finished five frames. He allowed three earned runs on five hits and struck out nine. It was the second fewest runs he has allowed since joining the Twins organization (five starts). Cody Allen had a scoreless sixth inning as he allowed one walk and struck out one. Fernando Romero struck out three across two innings, but he allowed one run on three hits. Cody Stashak improved to 5-0 at Triple-A after throwing a perfect ninth inning with a pair of strikeouts. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 0, Montgomery 4 Box Score Pensacola was limited to four hits in this one with Caleb Hamilton recording half of them. He reached base three times and added his 14th double. Joe Cronin went 1-for-4 and stole his eighth base. Jordan Gore had the team’s other hit. The Blue Wahoos had some chances as the team finished 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. With the offense struggling, Jorge Alcala didn’t have much of an opportunity to pitch his team to victory. He has taken the loss in his last five decisions and his last win came all the way back on May 13. In this one, he allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked two. Andrew Vasquez made his first appearance since being reassigned from Rochester. In 1 2/3 innings, he allowed one run on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts. Hector Lujan took the final two innings and didn’t allow a hit. He struck out one and walked one. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Bradenton 4 Box Score Ryan Costello connected for a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning and Fort Myers didn’t look back. It was his eighth longball of the season and three of those homers have come in the eighth inning or later. In the game, he reached base three times, drove in two, and scored twice. Fort Myers started their scoring in the fourth inning. Four straight batters reached to start the inning including singles from Trevor Larnach, Ryan Jeffers, and Jose Miranda. Miranda’s RBI tied the game at 1-1 and an Andrew Bechtold groundout gave Fort Myers their first lead. Larnach extended his hitting streak to seven games. With one out in the sixth, Costello doubled and came around on a double by Bechtold. Bailey Ober returned to the mound for the first time since April 26 as he was dealing with right ulnar nerve subluxation. He allowed earned runs for the first time all season. Making his seven appearance (fifth with Fort Myers), he allowed three earned runs on six hits. He struck out three and walked two. Johan Quezada took over for Ober, but he allowed one run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings. He has allowed runs in five of his last 10 relief appearances. Joe Record and Zach Neff combined for three perfect innings to end the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Lansing 2 Box Score Kai-Wei Teng was the most positive storyline for the Kernels in this one. He struck out a career-high 10 batters over six shutout innings. He didn’t walk a batter and he limited Lansing to just five hits. He had at least one strikeout in every inning. However, his biggest out might have been an inning-ending double play to get out of a bases-loaded jam. Teng has a quality start in all his last five starting assignments. J.T Perez faltered in trying to preserve the Kernels shutout. He surrendered a two-run home run in the seventh inning that would account for the only runs in the game. Carlos Suniaga finished the game with two shutout innings as he allowed only two hits. Cedar Rapids had one extra-base hit, a triple by Jared Akins. Wander Javier continues to struggle at the plate. He failed to record a hit in three at-bats. When he did reach base with a walk, he was removed for a pinch runner. Jacob Pearson reached base twice. Overall, the club went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 13, Johnson City 12 (10 Innings) Box Score Elizabethton scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning and wound up a walk-off winner in extra frames. In that big ninth frame, Charles Mack smacked a grand slam. Everyone of the top five batters in the order had multiple hits. Matt Wallner finished 3-for-4 with two doubles. Seth Gray had a three-run bomb in the fifth inning. Rueben Santana ended the game with a walk-off double. Pitching was a little dicey as one would expect when a club surrenders 12 runs. Prelander Berroa allowed a season-high five earned runs and was only able to pitch through three innings. The bullpen didn’t fare much better as Denny Bentley saw three runs score (two earned) during the fourth. Cody Laweryson was asked to toss four innings and he allowed earned runs for the first time this season. Steven Cruz was credited with the win after tossing two scoreless innings to end the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Kai-Wei Teng, Cedar Rapids (6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 10 K, 0 BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Ryan Costello, Fort Myers (2-for-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – 1-5, 2B, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 0-4, 2 K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 1-4, R, BB #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 0-3, BB, K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) – Did not pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) – No scheduled game #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – Did not play #9 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did not pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 1-8, 2 K #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – Did not play #14 - Luis Arraez (Twins) – 1-3, 2B, BB, R #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) – 3-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 0-4 #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Out for year with Tommy John surgery #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 5 K, 2 BB #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) – No scheduled game #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – Did not play MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Norfolk (6:05 CST) - TBD Pensacola vs. Montgomery (6:35 CST) – TBD Fort Myers – Scheduled Off-Day Cedar Rapids vs. Lansing (12:05 CST) – RHP Austin Schulfer (6-4, 2.62 ERA) Elizabethton vs. Johnson City (5:30 CST) – TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Jorge Polanco made his first All-Star appearance this week and he was voted in as the American League’s starting shortstop. Polanco was able to earn this honor in a league that includes names like Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, and Xander Bogaerts. His offensive output as part of one of the league’s best line-ups likely helped him to be voted in, but his changes on the defensive side of the ball might end up being even more valuable to the Twins.Predestined for Second Base Throughout his minor league career, there were questions about whether Polanco was going to be able to stick at shortstop. In fact, he played some second base in every season throughout his minor league career. If concerns were there, the Twins have ignored them at the big-league level as he has played all but 14 games at shortstop. “When I got here [in 2017], some guys told me, ‘Yeah, his defense, he’s got to work on it, he’s got to improve. Maybe he’s second base when [brian Dozier] leaves,” said Ehire Adrianza, who has backed up Polanco for the past two seasons. “But he works so hard, and he’s been getting better and better. You don’t hear anyone say [he’s not a shortstop] anymore.” “I thought he was going to become an elite, All-Star-level second baseman,” said Jake Mauer, one of Polanco’s minor league managers. “It’s a testament to Jorge that he worked to make himself better and stayed at short. I’m really proud of him.” Defensive Transformation Polanco’s lone full season with the Twins came back in 2017. He logged almost 1120 innings at shortstop and posted a .964 fielding percentage. His other peripheral numbers didn’t stack up as well. He had a -12 Rtot (Total Zone Total Fielding Runs Above Average). He also posted a -1 Rdrs or defensive runs saves above average. The flaws present in his minor league career followed him to the MLB level. This season, Polanco has been a different player on the defensive side of the ball. His Rtot has improved from -12 in 2017 to 4 in 2019. He’s also improved his Rdrs from -1 in 2017 to 7 in 2019. His fielding percentage is roughly the same, but the other defensive metrics show a remarkable improvement. However, those aren’t the only areas in which he has improved. SABR’s Defensive Index Since 2013, SABR and Rawlings have teamed to use SABR’s Defensive Index to help chose the Gold Glove winners in both leagues. According to SABR, the SABR Defensive Index draws on and aggregates two types of existing defensive metrics: those derived from batted ball location-based data and those collected from play-by-play accounts. Because of Polanco’s 2018 suspension, he didn’t have enough games to qualify for the leaderboards that season. In 2017, only four qualified AL shortstops finished with a lower SDI than Polanco's -3.8 SDI. This season, Polanco has seen a remarkable improvement as he is currently at a -0.5 SDI compared to his career high (or career low depending on how you look at it) back in 2017. Since SABR started the Defensive Index, only one Twins shortstop has been able to finish with a non-negative SDI. During the 2014 campaign, Eduardo Escobar finished third in the AL with a 0.0 SDI. He was only 0.2 points away from second place. Polanco might not be in the running for a Gold Glove this year, but he could be on pace for Minnesota’s best shortstop season since SDI was introduced. Stopping the Revolving Door Polanco’s offensive production is tough to ignore, but this is a player that once was thought of as a second baseman at the big-league level. Minnesota signed him to a long-term deal in the off-season to help stop the team’s revolving door at shortstop. Cristian Guzman was the Twins’ Opening Day shortstop for six seasons, from 1999-2004. Since then, no Twin has had more than two Opening Day starts at shortstop. That’s includes 11 different shortstops in 12-years from 2006-17. Minnesota has top prospects like Royce Lewis and Wander Javier working their way towards Target Field. Neither player will be debuting in the imminent future. For now, Polanco doesn’t seem like he is in a position to give up one of the most important positions in baseball. What have you thought about Polanco’s defensive improvements? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article