Cody Christie

It’s been an entertaining first half and Minnesota has three All-Stars for only the second time since 2009. Many fans were disappointed that the likes of Max Kepler, Taylor Rogers, and Eddie Rosario aren’t joining their teammates in Cleveland. It’s a great honor to be named to the All-Star team, but it’s also nice for players to get a chance to reset amid a grueling season. Which Twins players would be in consideration if the team’s end-of-season awards were being handed out today? With a team 5.5 games up in the division, there are plenty of contributing pieces. Sometimes it can be hard to narrow the list down to one player.All WAR totals listed in the headings are courtesy of FanGraphs. Looking at Baseball Reference’s WAR totals would probably result in similar results as listed below, but likely would have been more definitive for the winning players. Most Valuable Player Candidates: Jorge Polanco (2.9 WAR), Max Kepler (2.8), Jose Berrios (2.7), Byron Buxton (2.5), Jake Odorizzi (2.2) On Tuesday night, Jorge Polanco will represent the Twins as the AL’s starting shortstop in the All-Star Game. His maturation on both sides of the ball has been critical to Minnesota’s first half success. Max Kepler is an interesting name because he has come on strong in recent weeks. If he continues trending upward, both he and Polanco could be in the AL MVP conversation. Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi will join Polanco in Cleveland. For Berrios, it will be his second straight appearance in the Mid-Summer Classic. Both pitchers have been integral in the Twins avoiding long losing streaks. Byron Buxton seems to be putting things together. Everyone knows about his defensive skills, but he’s also been able to add some pop to his bat. Buxton might be on top of this list if he’d been healthy for the entire first half. MVP: Jorge Polanco Pitcher of the Year Candidates: Jose Berrios (2.7 WAR), Jake Odorizzi (2.2), Martin Perez (2.0), Taylor Rogers (1.2) At different points in the first half, Minnesota’s top three starting pitchers all looked like Cy Young candidates. Most fans knew what to expect from Jose Berrios as he was coming off an All-Star season. Jake Odorizzi and Martin Perez have both exceeded expectations. Odorizzi has currently collected as much fWAR as Justin Verlander and that puts him just outside the AL top 10. Perez has come back to the norm after a tremendous stretch to start the year. Berrios could have a shot at the Cy Young with a strong second half. Pitchers like Mike Minor, Lance Lynn, and Charlie Morton aren’t exactly household names when it comes to Cy Young voting. Berrios is leading the pitching staff of one of baseball’s best teams and he could help drive a playoff run. Pitcher of the Year: Jose Berrios Reliever of the Year Candidates: Taylor Rogers (1.2 WAR), Ryne Harper (0.6), Trevor May (0.4) This award isn’t much of a race at this point. Taylor Rogers has been a savior for a paper-thin bullpen. Rogers is on pace to have one of Minnesota’s all-time best relief seasons. He’s also doing this when being asked to pitch in a non-traditional closer role. If Minnesota is going on a long playoff run, Rogers will be a key piece to getting big late inning outs. It’s clear rookie manager Rocco Baldelli has full trust in Rogers and that’s the way it should be for a contending team. Reliever of the Year: Taylor Rogers Rookie of the Year Candidates: Luis Arraez (1.0 WAR), Ryne Harper (0.6 WAR) For a team in the thick of a playoff hunt, this is a two-man race. Besides Taylor Rogers, Ryne Harper has been a godsend to Minnesota’s bullpen. He made the Twins claimed a roster spot out of spring training and he has never looked back. Twins Daily readers named him the Sire of Fort Myers and he has lived up to that title. He has been contributing to the team for the entire season and that certainly adds value. There’s no doubt about Luis Arraez and his hit tool. Many of the other facets of his game were in question. In nearly 100 plate appearances, he is hitting .393/.453/.524 with a 10.5 BB% and an 8.4 K%. As a 22-year old, he has shown an advanced approach at the plate and it’s certainly looking like he needs to part of Minnesota’s long-term plans. Harper has been critical, but Arraez has been more than valuable as a replacement player. Rookie of the Year: Luis Arraez Who would you vote for in regards to the awards listed above? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Every day at Twins Daily, prospects take center stage every in our Minor League Reports. However, Sunday’s MLB Futures Game allows some of the top talent in the organization to get recognized on the national stage. For some, Royce Lewis was one of the most impressive bats during batting practice. He was also wore a microphone during the game so that provided some additional entertainment. Lewis went 1-for-2 in the game and had a shot to win it in the seventh. Jordan Balazovic might not be as well known as Lewis, but he is rising on prospect lists. The right-handed pitcher out of Canada is quickly moving up prospect lists. Even MilB.com did a story on his journey. In his first appearance in any All-Star Game, he pitched a perfect frame.TRANSACTIONS OF Jake Cave recalled by Minnesota from Rochester. LHP Devin Smeltzer recalled by Minnesota from Rochester. INF Wilin Rosario reinstated from the IL with Rochester. AWARDS The Twins announced their weekly Hitter and Pitcher of the Week: Hitter of the Week: Jaylin Davis, RochesterIn eight games including a Friday doubleheader, Davis hit .364 (12-for-33) with three doubles, four home runs, eight RBI, two walks and a 1.128 OPS. Davis, 25, was a 25th-round pick by the Twins in 2015 and has hit .284 (81-for-285) with 15 doubles, 17 home runs and 47 RBI in 77 games between Double-A Pensacola and Rochester.Pitcher of the Week: Luis Rijo, Cedar RapidsRijo made the start on Thursday vs. Burlington, pitching 7.0 shutout innings with one hit allowed, no walks and 10 strikeouts. The 20-year-old Venezuela native was acquired by the Twins in 2018 from New York-AL, in exchange for right-handed pitcher and current Ranger Lance Lynn RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Scranton/WB 7 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score Yeltsin Encarnacion tried to carry the Red Wings offense all by himself in this one. He finished the day 3-for-3 with a run scored. Brent Rooker knocked his 14th home run of the year, while Jimmy Kerrigan collected his first Triple-A home run. Unfortunately, it was not enough. In a bullpen game, Preston Guilmet started and pitched three scoreless frames. He struck out three and limited batters to three hits. Jake Reed ran into some trouble in the fourth. He allowed four earned runs on three hits. Ryan Eades took the loss after allowing two earned runs on three hits in one inning. DJ Baxendale took the final frame and allowed a solo home run. Rochester 3, Scranton/WB 6 (Game 2 - 7 Innings) Box Score Rochester pitchers allowed six runs in the first three innings and the offense couldn’t recover. In only his fourth start for Rochester, Drew Hutchison took the brunt of the damage. He was charged with six runs on eight hits in five innings. This included three home runs. Gabriel Moya made it through a scoreless innings with a strikeout and two hits allowed. Fresh off his Player of the Week honors, Jaylin Davis clocked his eighth home run. It was a two run-shot and it briefly put Rochester on top. Ronald Torreyes and Wilin Rosario both went 2-for-3. Zander Wiel collected his 22nd double. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 5, Birmingham 6 (10 Innings) Box Score Pensacola scored three runs over the final two innings, but it wouldn’t be enough as the bullpen faltered in extra frames. Charlie Barnes allowed his most earned runs in over a month, but he was able to keep the Blue Wahoos in the game. He allowed four earned runs on seven hits with six strike outs. Alex Phillips and Hector Lujan combined for four shutout innings to hold serve while the offense recovered. Zack Weiss allowed the final two runs of the game and was stuck with the loss. Offensively, four batters had multiple hits and the Blue Wahoos combined for eleven total hits. Unfortunately, the team went 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. Alex Kirilloff knocked his fourth home run. Lewin Diaz went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 2, Palm Beach 12 Box Score Fort Myers had won six straight, but all good things must come to an end. Fort Myers was limited to eight hits including two extra-base hits. Jose Miranda went 1-for-4 with his 17th double. Michael Davis went 2-for-2 with a double. In a blowout loss, Cody Allen might have provided a positive light. Allen was used as an opener and pitched a perfect inning. According to reports, he was sitting in the low 90s with his fastball and he threw 83% of his pitches for strikes. Since joining Fort Myers, he has thrown four scoreless innings. There weren’t many other positives for the pitching staff as every pitcher that threw at least one inning allowed a minimum of one run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 2 Box Score Cedar Rapids earned their seventh win in a row, a season high. Kai-Wei Teng also extended the Kernel’s quality start streak to nine straight games. He pitched seven innings and the only run scored with him on the mound was unearned. He struck out four and didn’t walk any as his season ERA dipped to 1.85. Cedar Rapids is 6-0 when he takes the mound. Moises Gomez earned his sixth save after striking out the side in the ninth. Gabe Snyder had a role in two of the biggest moments of the day. His first inning solo home run gave Cedar Rapids an early lead. In the sixth, he coaxed a two out walk and scored from first on a double from Jared Akins. Chris Williams followed with a double of his own to stretch the lead to 3-1. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 7, Kingsport 3 Box Score Elizabethton was out-hit six to nine, but it didn’t factor into the outcome of this game. Prelander Berroa did well to pitch five innings for the second consecutive start. He allowed two earned runs on seven hits for his first victory. In relief, Osiris German was very strong. He limited the Cardinals to one hit over three innings. He struck out four and walked a pair. Nate Hadley pitched a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts. Matt Wallner drove in a pair of runs with a home run in the first inning. It was his second professional home run. Charles Mack went 2-for-4 and added his third home run. Seth Gray reached base twice and scored a pair of runs to help the cause. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Kai-Wei Teng, Cedar Rapids (7.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 4 K, 0 BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Gabe Snyder, Cedar Rapids (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (AL Futures Game) – 1-2, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 1-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 1-4, R, K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, K, BB #6 - Jordan Balazovic (AL Futures Game) – 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 K, 0 BB #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - Did not play #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – 1-7, HR, RBI, R, 2 K #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) - 1-5 #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) - 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, R, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 1-5, 2 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) - 2-5, RBI MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester- Scheduled Off-Day Pensacola @ Birmingham (7:05 CST) – RHP Jorge Alcala (5-5, 6.69 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Daytona (6:00 CST) – RHP Cole Sands (4-2, 2.47 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:35 CST) – RHP Austin Schulfer (6-4, 2.40 ERA) Elizabethton Twins @ Johnson City (5:30 CST)- LHP Ryley Widell (0-3, 10.38 ERA) GCL Twins vs. GCL Pirates (11:00 am CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Minnesota has one of baseball’s strongest farm systems and the five players below are only part of the equation. With the trade deadline less than a month away, at least one of these players could find themselves in another organization. Some of these names seem like they would be untouchable in a trade, but Minnesota hasn’t had a big-league team this good in quite some time. If the deal is right, it could make sense to trade a top-5 prospect.Compared to the Twins Daily Preseason Top-20 rankings, the top-5 has stayed exactly the same. In fact, the top-3 prospects were named in the same order on every ballot. Jordan Balazovic has been a fast riser among Twins top prospects and he just missed the top-5. If he continues his strong start to the season, he could be a top-5 prospect before the start of next year. 5. Wander Javier – SS Age: 20 ETA: 2023 2019 Stats (A-): .172/.274/.258 (.532 OPS), 2 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 31 K, 12 BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: 5 Seth: 4 | Tom: 5 | Cody: 5 | Ted: 6 | Steve: 4 Wander Javier needs to stay healthy after missing all of 2018 with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. During this spring, he had a quad injury that limited him. Minnesota hopes he can live up to the $4 million bonus he signed for back in 2015. He quickly acclimated to professional life as he hit .308/.400/.654 (1.054) in the 2016 Dominican Summer League. Although, he put up those numbers in only nine games and 30 plate appearances. Back in 2017, he hit .299/.383/.471 with Elizabethton. He lost an entire season, but he is still only 20 years old, which makes him over a year younger than the competition in the Midwest League. Javier has added weight since signing with the Twins and there is still room for him to grow and add more power. At present, his quick hands help him to generate power and drive the ball to all fields. Most scouts believe he will be able to stick at shortstop long-term. 4. Trevor Larnach - RF Age: 22 ETA: 2021 2019 Stats (A+): .308/.375/.459 (.833 OPS), 25 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 66 K, 30 BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: 4 Seth: 5 | Tom: 4 | Cody: 4 | Ted: 5 | Steve: 6 Out of the players in the top-5, Larnach might be having the best overall season. He’s stayed healthy and, on the field, so that certainly helps. Minnesota drafted Larnach in the first round in 2018. During his junior season at Oregon State, he hit .348/.463/.652 (1.115) with 19 home runs. His breakout campaign helped the Beavers to claim the College World Series. After signing with the Twins, he split time between Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids while batting .303/.390/.500 (.890). He added 19 extra-base hits and combined that with a 28 to 21 strikeout to walk ratio. Throughout his college career, Larnach added over 50 pounds to his frame and he’s added at least another 10 pounds since signing with the Twins. Adding weight has certainly helped his power production. He is among the FSL leaders in batting average, OBP, SLG, OPS. Not to mention, he leads the league in doubles and total bases. Larnach uses an advanced approach at the plate and he can drive the ball to all fields. 3. Brusdar Graterol – RHP Age: 20 ETA: 2021 2019 Stats (AA): 47.2 IP, 1.89 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 8.7 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 2.42 K/BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: 3 Seth: 3 | Tom: 3 | Cody: 3 | Ted: 3 | Steve: 3 Graterol has come a long way since the Twins signed him as a 16-year old back in 2014. The right-handed hurler was forced to miss all of 2016 after having Tommy John surgery. Luckily, he has come back to put himself in the conversation as a top-100 prospect in all of baseball. His fastball can hit in the triple digits multiple times per game but he usually sits in the high-90s. Add in a good slider and an improving change-up and he makes it tough on opposing batters. Last year, Graterol split time between Low- and High-A. In over 100 innings, he had a 2.74 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP. He also posted a 107 to 28 strikeout to walk ratio. To start the 2019 campaign, Minnesota continued to be aggressive with him by moving him up to Double-A. He had only pitched 60 2/3 innings in Fort Myers. He has responded to the challenge by allowing two runs or fewer in eight of his nine appearances. Unfortunately, he is on the injured list with a should impingement that could be related to a trapezius injury from earlier in the year. 2. Alex Kirilloff – OF/1B Age: 21 ETA: 2020 2019 Stats (AA): .268/.356/.399 (.755 OPS), 12 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 37 K, 17 BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: 2 Seth: 2 | Tom: 2 | Cody: 2 | Ted: 2 | Steve: 2 Following a monster 2018 season, Kirilloff lofted himself into the conversation of best hitting prospect in all of baseball. In 130 games, he hit .348/.392/.578 (.970) with 20 home runs and 44 doubles. He had the highest OPS among hitters in the Midwest League and Florida State League with 280 plate appearances. Fort Myers would claim the FSL Championship and he added a five-hit game to help the cause. Following the season, he was named the Twins Daily Hitter of the Year and MiLB named him the Breakout Prospect of the Year. Naturally, one can expect a little regression this year even with higher expectations. Injuries have also played a role in his decreased production. He missed the first month of the season with a wrist injury before coming back for 29 games. Then he headed back to the injured list with the same injury. 1. Royce Lewis - SS ETA: 2021 Age: 20 2019 Stats (A+): .229/.276/.350 (.625 OPS), 13 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 72 K, 20 BB 2019 Ranking: 1 Seth: 1 | Tom: 1 | Cody: 1 | Ted: 1 | Steve: 1 When the Twins selected Lewis in 2017, he became the Twins first number one overall pick since Joe Mauer. Since then, he has put himself in the conversation as one of baseball’s best prospects. In his pro debut, he hit .279/.381/.407 (.788) with 15 extra-base hits in 54 games between the GCL and the Midwest League. He made a return trip with the Kernels last season and posted a .853 OPS with 23 doubles and nine home runs. In the second half, he’d be promoted to Fort Myers where he’d help the club the FSL Championship with three home runs in two games of the series. Lewis is a scouting department’s dream as he has all the attributes of a five-tool player. He can hit and his power tool showed improvement throughout 2018. In fact, 13 of his 14 home runs came in the final 86 games last year. So far this year, his offensive numbers are down. In a recent chat, ESPN’s Keith Law mentioned there have been some changes to his swing and setup. He thinks there are “way too many moving parts.” His speed is undeniable, and he will continue to get better at stealing bases. As far as defense, many believe he will be able stick at shortstop. Will any of these players be dealt before the trade deadline? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Also, stop back tomorrow as Nick will review out countdown of the top prospects. Twins Daily 2019 Midseason Prospect Rankings Prospects 36-40 Prospects 31-35 Prospects 26-30 Prospects 21-25 Prospects 16-20 Prospects 11-15 Prospects 6-10 Prospects 1-5 (TODAY) Top Prospect Recap Coming Tomorrow Click here to view the article

Red Wings outfielder Brent Rooker has been destroying the baseball and he was recognized for it on Thursday. The International League announced the league’s All-Star rosters and Rooker will be joined by catcher Tomas Telis as Rochester’s representatives. Stu Cliburn, the team’s pitching coach, will also make the trip to El Paso, TX for the game. Would Rooker or Telis impact the Red Wings line-up on Thursday? Read on to find out.TRANSACTIONS OF LaMonte Wade promoted to Minnesota from Rochester. IF Ronald Torreyes promoted to Rochester from Fort Myers. LHP Andrew Vasquez reinstated from the IL with Rochester. RHP DJ Baxendale placed on IL with Rochester (left ankle sprain). RHP Adam Bray transferred to Pensacola to Rochester. LHP Bryan Sammons placed on the IL with Pensacola. RHP Tom Hackimer placed on the suspended list for Pensacola. LHP J.T. Perez promoted to Cedar Rapids from Elizabethton. SS Tanner Brubaker assigned to Elizabethton. LF Carlos Agular placed on the IL with the GCL Twins. RHP Regi Grace placed on the IL with the GCL Twins. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 8, Lehigh Valley 7 Box Score Rochester snuck out to an early 4-0 lead in this one and they needed every run in the end. Zander Wiel and Nick Gordon both had three-hit nights. Gordon had his 15th double while Wiel had his 13th home run and his 19th double. Jordany Valdespin, Wilin Rosario and Brian Schales all joined the multi-hit parade with two hits apiece. The Red Wings pounded out 15 total hits, but the club only went 4-for-21 with runners in scoring position. Devin Smeltzer pitched into the fifth inning, allowing one run, a home run, with five strikeouts and a walk. Rochester’s bullpen did little to support Smeltzer’s effort as every relief pitcher allowed at least one run. Jake Reed surrendered three runs in two innings. Carlos Torres pitched 1 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on two hits. Ian Krol earned his third save but he also allowed a run in the ninth as the result of three walks. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 1, Biloxi 5 Box Score The Blue Wahoos offensive struggled to string together hits and found themselves on the wrong end of this one. Only one batter stepped in with a runner in scoring position and the team went 0-for-1 in those situations. Lewin Diaz continued his hot hitting ways since being called up. He homered for the second time in three games. Alex Kirilloff and Mark Contreras both added doubles. Andro Cutura was used as an opener and held Biloxi off the scoreboard even though he allowed two hits. Charlie Barnes was used as the primary pitcher. He allowed two earned runs but errors from Alex Kirilloff and Travis Blankenhorn allowed two unearned runs to score. Barnes struck out six and walked one in six innings. Jeff Ames allowed one run on one hit in two innings. He struck out one and walked two. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Charlotte 2 Box Score Blayne Enlow ended up on the wrong end of a pitcher’s duel. Both starting pitchers allowed a home run but Enlow’s was a two-run shot to baseball’s best prospect, Wander Franco. In 6 1/3 innings, Enlow allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks. He’s pitched six innings in every appearance with Fort Myers and he has yet to allow more than two runs. Ryan Jeffers accounted for the lone Miracle run. He knocked his 10th home run in the fourth inning and it gave Fort Myers a 1-0 lead. He finished 2-for-4. Royce Lewis and Gabriel Maciel both went 1-for-4. Andrew Bechtold picked up a hit in three trips. He’s now gone 3-for-20 since being promoted from Cedar Rapids. Joe Record finished off the seventh inning for Enlow. He allowed a walk and a hit. Derek Molina continued his tremendous streak. Over his last 11 appearances, Molina hasn’t allowed an earned run. In this one, he pitched two perfect innings and struck out four. In other news... KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Wisconsin 5 (11 Innings) Box Score Cedar Rapids scored two runs in the first three innings. However, they would be shut out from there and Wisconsin plated three runs in extra-innings for the win. Jacob Pearson did his best to keep Cedar Rapids in this one. In the first inning, Pearson set up a run all by himself. He led off the inning with a single and then he stole second. Gabe Snyder followed with a single and Pearson came around to score. In the bottom of the third, he cracked his fourth home run of the year. Chris Williams and Daniel Ozoria both went 2-for-4 in the losing effort. Tyler Palm was terrific on the mound as he was nearly unhittable. He retired the first 14 batters he faced and carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. In 5 1/3 innings, he limited the Timber Rattlers to one run on three hits. He struck out three and walked one. Carlos Suniaga pitched 1 2/3 innings and only allowed one baserunner while striking out two. Moises Gomez struck out six batters in three innings, but he allowed the tying run in the eighth. Tanner Howell took the loss after Wisconsin put up a three spot in the final frame. Three walks would come back to haunt him. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Bristol 6 Box Score Bristol jumped all over E-Twins starter Tyler Benninghoff in his first start of the year. The first batter doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch. Six straight batters reached before Benninghoff was able to record an out. He was only able to collect two outs and he allowed six runs on four hits. The E-Twins bullpen did fantastic in relief. Frandy Torres took over for Benninghoff and did well in a tough spot. Over 3 1/3 shutout innings, he limited the Pirates to two hits and added four strikeouts. Louie Varland continued the shutout innings. He tossed three innings and allowed two hits. Nate Hadley finished off the final two frames. He only allowed one baserunner and struck out three. Elizabethton was limited to four hits in the game. Matt Wallner collected his first professional home run as part of a two-hit effort. He also scored both of the team’s runs. Trevor Jensen reached base two times. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Tyler Palm, Cedar Rapids (5.1 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 3 K, BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Zander Wiel, Rochester (3-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, R, 2 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – 1-4 #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 1-3, 2B, BB #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) – Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 0-4 #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 0-4, BB, K #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – 0-5, BB, 3 K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) – Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 6 K, 2 BB #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) – Tommy John surgery, out for the year #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 3-6, 2B, 2 R, BB, 3 K #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – 2-4, HR, R, RBI #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 1-4, 2 K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, RBI, BB, K #17 - Zack Littell (Minnesota) – 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 BB #18 - LaMonte Wade (Minnesota) – Did not play #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – Did not pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) – 0-4, K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Pawtucket (6:05 CST) – LHP Lewis Thorpe (3-4, 5.71 ERA) Pensacola vs. Biloxi (6:35 CST) – RHP Jorge Alcala (5-5, 5.65 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Bradenton (6:00 CST) – TBD Cedar Rapids vs. Wisconsin (6:35 CST) – RHP Luis Rijo (1-4, 2.72 ERA) Elizabethton @ Greeneville (5:30 CST) – TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (11:00 AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday’s games. 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As the calendar turns to July, the international signing period opens for MLB organizations. Besides the MLB Draft, this is one of the most valuable ways for an organization to add an influx of talent to their farm system. At the ripe age of 16, some players will sign for big bonuses and change their family’s lives.Fans can look up and down the current Twins roster to find impact players signed as part of the international signing period. Max Kepler and Miguel Sano were both signed out of the 2009 signing class. One year after Kepler and Sano signed, Jorge Polanco was inked to a deal out of the Dominican Republic. Even rookie Luis Arraez has his origin traced to the 2013 international signing period. Minnesota’s Bonus Pool The Twins are in the second tier of teams that have $5,939,800 to spend during the 2019-20 spending period. Compared to Minnesota, only eight teams have more money to spend and five other teams have an equal pool from which to spend. These new hard cap rules have helped to level the playing field when it comes to signing international players. Since Minnesota had a “Competitive Balance Pick” in Round A of the draft, they were given an extra $541,500 for the current signing period. Teams in the competitive balance portion of the draft are deemed by MLB to be smaller markets or smaller revenue clubs. This helps those clubs to level the playing field. Also, teams can trade for up to an additional 60% of their original bonus pool allotment. However, these trades can’t happen until after the signing period opens on July 2. Signing bonuses of $10,000 or less do not count toward a club’s bonus pool. Players to Watch Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com expects the Twins to be aggressive in the upcoming signing period. Last year, Minnesota was able to sign Misael Urbina, MLB.com’s number six prospect in the 2018 signing class. He is an outfielder that hails from Venezuela. In Twins Daily’s Midseason Top-40 Prospects, he came in as the 19th best player. Urbina is making his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League. So far this season, he is hitting .271/.380/.441 (.821) with seven extra-base hits in 16 games. The Twins are tied to another MLB top-10 prospect for the current signing period. Emmanuel Rodriguez, a Dominican outfielder, is ranked as the eighth best player in the current class. FanGraphs places him as the 19th best prospect and provides . At 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, there is still room for him to grow. Multiple prospect sites praise him for his hit tool. MLB.com said, “Rodriguez is athletic with a strong body and a medium frame. He has shown a solid hitting approach and advanced knowledge of the strike zone for a player his age. He has an efficient swing that creates lots of backspin and generates power to all fields. He also has a real feel and natural instincts for the game and specifically, hitting.” FanGraphs referred to him as a “smaller tweener” type and they said he has a “good feel to hit and instincts.” MLB.com even compared his skill set to a young Eddie Rosario. Malfrin Sosa, another outfielder from the Dominican, is also tied to the Twins. Sosa, a right-handed hitter, comes in at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds. His big size means he projects as a corner outfielder, but he has the raw power to fit that mold. His hit tool is one thing to work on, but he is a little younger than some of the other potential signees. FanGraphs ranks him as the 28th best international prospect in this class. In all reality, neither of these players will be at Target Field in the next five years. That being said, it’s tough to ignore the importance of international signees on the current Twins roster. Players signed through this method can impact line-ups throughout the game. What are your thoughts on the two names above? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

I mean Polanco was leading in the Primary voting. Correa being hurt could help his cause. There is also a limited amount of votes since you can only vote one time per method.

MLB makes too much money off it for it to go away. Yes, the starters are a popularity contest, but usually fans get most of the starters correct. Managers, players, and MLB's office pick the reserves and the pitchers.

It’s Election Day. No, we aren’t voting for new members of Congress, but fans will get to pick out the starters for MLB’s All-Star Game in Cleveland. Major League Baseball and the Player’s Union overhauled the voting process for this year’s Midsummer Classic. Today will mark the first one-day all-out voting war to pick the starters for the AL and NL squads.Voting Changes Major League Baseball altered their voting process for the 2019 All-Star Game. Two phases of voting are being held, “The Primary” and “The Starters Election.” Fans remain in charge of selecting the All-Star starters, but this new process allows for more fan involvement in an Election Day (that’s today). All the pitchers and reserve position players will continue to be chosen through Player Ballots and selections from the Commissioner’s Office. The Primary Round concluded last Friday to narrow the ballot to the top three vote-getters at each position (including nine outfielders). “The Starters Election” will take the top vote getters from “The Primary” and open an all-out voting war. Starting at 11 am CST today (June 26), fans will have 28-hours to vote for the starters. There is only ONE vote per platform - http://www.twinsbaseball.com/vote and Google. CLICK HERE TO VOTE Possible Twins Starters First Base CJ Cron finished in the top-3 in a tightly contested vote at first base. According to FanGraphs WAR, he doesn’t rank in the top-5 among AL first baseman. New York’s Luke Voit was leading all first basemen, so it could be another case of a Twins player losing to a Yankee. When it comes to the top candidate, Carlos Santana has put together some strong numbers and the game is being played in his home stadium. It would make sense for him to represent his club at the event. Cron has been swinging a very hot bat over the last week and this could help him in the voting. Who Should Win? Santana Who Will Win? Voit Shortstop Shortstop might be Minnesota’s best chance to land a starter at the All-Star Game. Jorge Polanco lead all American League shortstops in the Primary Vote, and he is having an MVP caliber first half. He leads the AL in batting average, and he’s been one of the best hitters in a potent Twins line-up. Francisco Lindor is one of the ambassadors for the All-Star Game, but he couldn’t sneak onto the ballot. Polanco is going to have some tough competition from Houston’s Carlos Correa and New York’s Gleyber Torres. Correa is on the injured list so that might take him out of the running. Fans might be more attracted to Torres and his 18 home runs than Polanco and his overall numbers. Who Should Win? Polanco Who Will Win? Polanco Outfield Minnesota fell just 138 votes short of placing two outfielders into the top-9 for the Starters Election. An argument could be made for all three outfielders to be on the ballot. Among AL outfielders, Max Kepler only trails Mike Trout in FanGraphs WAR. Eddie Rosario has some more popular numbers on the ballot with his high home run total and high OPS. This still probably won’t be enough to get him into the top-3. Last year’s AL MVP Mookie Betts and George Springer, the 2017 World Series MVP, will also do well in the Final Vote. New York’s Aaron Judge just came back from injury, but his superstar status in the biggest MLB market could help his final vote total. Who Should Win? Trout, Betts, Kepler (even though he’s not on the ballot) Who Will Win? Trout, Betts, Springer Designated Hitter Nelson Cruz might also have a shot at winnings a starters spot since there is not clear-cut favorite for the DH role. It be elected Cruz is going to have to beat out Boston’s J.D. Martinez and Texas’ Hunter Pence. Recently, Pence was placed on the DL with a groin strain, so it might come down to Martinez versus Cruz. Martinez has his lowest OPS since 2015 with Detroit. Ironically, that was the only time he was named to the All-Star Game. Cruz is a six-time All-Star and he has been elected in five of the last six seasons. As a Twins fan, it’s hard not to consider the impact Cruz has had on the Twins line-up. He and Martinez have almost identical OPS totals so it will be interesting to see who the fans eventually select. Who Should Win? Cruz Who Will Win? Martinez Minnesota has been having a great first half. Make sure to get out and vote for the Twins players above to be All-Star starters. CLICK HERE TO VOTE Click here to view the article

Prospects in the mid-20s range for an organization can encompass quite the cornucopia of players. Some on the names below were once considered top-100 prospects in all of baseball. However, prospects can be fickle and that’s why it’s not a good idea for fans to get attached to certain names. Only a handful of players will ever be successful at baseball’s highest level.Over a two-week span, Twins Daily will be revealing the Twins Daily Midseason Top 40 Prospects. Minnesota has some of the best prospects in the game and one of the strongest farm systems. There have been some changes from our preseason top-20 list, but most of those changes are draft picks and strong performances. Continue reading, and then discussing, the Twins Daily choices for 25th through 21st prospects of the Minnesota Twins below. 25. Yunior Severino – 2B Age: 19 ETA: 2023 2019 Stats (A-): .269/.367/.269 (.636 OPS), 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 7 K, 4 BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: 15 Seth: 34 | Tom: 21 | Cody: 18 | Ted: 25 | Steve: NR Severino took a roundabout way of getting to the Twins organization. During the 2017 international signing period, the Twins had their eyes set on Severino. He decided to sign with Atlanta, but the Braves had circumvented international spending rules. Severino and 13 other prospects had their contract voided. In his first taste of full-season ball, Severino has seen limited action because of a broken thumb. Prior to the injury, he had gone 6-for-22 with four walks and seven strikeouts. Severino continues to add weight to his frame and with it should come some more power. When he is healthy, he should be a player to move quickly up this list. 24. Edwar Colina - RHP Age: 22 ETA: 2022 2019 Stats (A+): 41.0 IP, 3.51 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, 3.55 K/BB 2019 Ranking: HM Seth: 13 | Tom: 30 | Cody: 35 | Ted: 31 | Steve: 13 Colina signed with the Twins back in 2015 out of Venezuela. Last year was a breakout season for him at Cedar Rapids. Over his final six starts at that level, he had 51 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings. He has spent all this season in Fort Myers after finishing at that level last year. His first start was a little rough as he allowed six earned runs on eight hits and he couldn’t finish the fifth inning. Since then, he has posted a 2.48 with 34 strikeouts and 8 walks in 36 1/3 innings. Colina has a lot of strength in his lower half and this helps him to reach into the mid-90s with his fastball. He mixes in a good changeup and a solid breaking ball. If he continues to pitch well, he could be in the Pensacola rotation before the season ends. 23. Jose Miranda – 3B/2B Age: 20 ETA: 2022 2019 Stats (A+): .235/.300/.350 (.650 OPS), 14 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 37 K, 16 BB 2019 Ranking: 20 Seth: 28 | Tom: 17 | Cody: 26 | Ted: 26 | Steve: 30 Minnesota took Jose Miranda with their second-round pick in 2016. He played a big role in last year’s FSL championship run with Fort Myers as he went 10-for-25 (.400) with three doubles and a pair of home runs. The right-handed hitting infielder has combined for 91 regular season games at High-A over the last two seasons. During that time, he has hit .229/.297/.351 (.648) with 27 extra-base hits and a 48 to 21 strikeout to walk ratio. After hitting 16 home runs last year, his power has dipped a little. It would be nice to see him have a hot second half like last year. Miranda has split time playing second base and third base throughout his professional career and this year he has spent most of his time at the hot corner. 22. Zack Littell - RHP Age: 24 ETA: 2018 2019 Stats: MLB: 9.1 IP, 7.71 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, 1.0 BB/9, 7.00 K/BB (AAA): 50.2 IP, 3.91 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 10.3 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 3.41 K/BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: 17 Seth: 39 | Tom: 15 | Cody: 15 | Ted: 27 | Steve: NR Littell was acquired from the Yankees as part of the Jaime Garcia trade back in 2017. He was a little bit of a polarizing prospect when it came to these rankings. Even though he is being used as a relief pitcher at the big-league level, some of us still think he could fit in as a starter. His MLB numbers look a little rough because he allowed eight earned runs in 4 1/3 innings back on May 30. In his other three appearances, he has yet to allow a run. His fastball has increased this season, which usually can be expected for pitchers coming out of the bullpen. He can help the bullpen this season and it will be interesting to see if the club keeps him there long-term. 21. Stephen Gonsalves - LHP ETA: 2018 Age: 24 2019 Stats (AAA): 2.0 IP, 4.50 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, 22.5 BB/9, 0.40 K/BB 2019 Ranking: 12 Seth: 22 | Tom: 28 | Cody: 20 | Ted: 20 | Steve: 14 Gonsalves, a fourth-round pick in 2013, has been one of the Twins best starting pitchers in the minors over the last half of a decade. So far this year, he has been limited to one appearance. He is dealing with a stress reaction in his elbow and forearm. His UCL is intact, so the club is using a period of rest before he will be reexamined. He dominated at Double-A and High-A with sub-2.50 ERAs and sub 1.16 WHIP totals. Triple-A has seen some ups and downs with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in 125 innings. He sits in the low-90s with his fastball so it’s critical for him to have command of all his pitches. His change-up might be his best pitch and he adds in a low-70s curveball as well. Who’s ranked too high? Who’s ranked too low? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Also, check back next week to see who made the top-30 prospects. Twins Daily 2019 Midseason Prospect Rankings Prospects 36-40 Prospects 31-35 Prospects 26-30 Prospects 21-25 (TODAY) Prospects 16-20 Coming Soon Click here to view the article

Injuries were the story of the week for the Twins as two starters and a bench player ended up going on the IL. Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch, Marwin Gonzalez strained his hamstring, and Ehire Adrianza has abdominal issues. This meant the Twins were forced to go with the “next man up” mantra. How did the new crew of players fare this week? Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 6/17 through Sun, 6/23 *** Record Last Week: 3-4 (Overall: 50-27) Standing: 1st Place in the AL Central (8.0 GA) Willians Watch: 4-for-13 with a HR since rejoining the Twins La Tortuga is back! Because of all the injuries, Willians Astudillo made his way back to Target Field and he wasted little time making his presence felt. In his first plate appearance and on the first pitch he saw, he clobbered a home run into the outfield bullpen. To replace Buxton on the roster, Jake Cave was recalled from Rochester. He had been destroying the baseball at Triple-A to the tune of a .926 OPS and 19 extra-base hits in 34 games. Astudillo took the spot occupied by Gonzalez. Blake Parker was placed on the family medical leave list, allowing Sean Poppen to make his big-league debut. Kohl Stewart would take the place of Poppen and join the Twins for their weekend series in Kansas City. Stewart provided some solid relief innings and he was sent back to Rochester when Parker was activated. HIGHLIGHTS Early in the week, Jose Berrios was dominant against a playoff-tested Red Sox lineup. He surrendered three straight hits in the first inning, but then he settled in from there. Berrios got 19 men in a row at one point. It was the first time since Opening Day where he recorded double-digit strikeouts and his 78 Game Score was his second-highest of the year. His last pitch of the night might have been his best and it came against the reigning AL MVP. It was the eighth time in his career with 10 strikeouts and that ties him for ninth all-time in Twins history. Minnesota was able to win a marathon of a game on Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. Max Kepler played the hero as he became the first batter since May 1991 to have a tying hit and a go-ahead hit, both in the 13th inning or later of the same game. The more amazing thing might have been that Kepler wasn’t even supposed to play in the game. He only entered after Gonzalez left with an injury. While Kepler was the biggest story in the marathon game, the much-maligned bullpen came through in a big way. Every bullpen arm got into the game and the relievers held Boston to two runs on 12 hits in 11 innings of work. This included 12 strikeouts and only one walk. Zack Littell was credited with his first big-league win as he pitched two scoreless frames to end the game. Seth caught up with Littell and discussed his new role and the change in mindset that comes with being a relief pitcher. Even in a down week, there were some impressive offensive numbers compiled by Twins hitters. C.J. Cron really wants to be the AL starting first baseman in the All-Star Game. Entering play on Sunday, he had hit .407/.484/.667 (1.151) over the last week. He had two home runs, a double, and three walks.Luis Arraez continues to prove he can handle the big-league level by getting on base over 50% of the time. He went 4-for-11 at the plate, drawing two walks and scoring a pair of runs.Eddie Rosario found himself as an All-Star finalist in the AL outfield. He will have some tough competition with the likes of Mike Trout, George Springer, and Mookie Betts. He collected four doubles throughout the week and hit .333/.333/.467 (.800).LOWLIGHTS It was a rough week for Miguel Sano at the plate and he became a punching bag for flustered Twins fans on social media. From Monday through Thursday, he went 0-for-14 with 10 strikeouts. It wasn’t that he was just striking out, it was the fact that he looked utterly lost at the plate. Pitchers were beating him with low-90s fastballs. Over the weekend, he collected a pair of home runs to silence some of the critics, but he also struck out four times in one of those games. Minnesota’s rotation hit a few rough patches last week. Jake Odorizzi had won 10 straight decisions, becoming the first Twins player to do so since Johan Santana. However, that streak came to an end on Thursday. He struggled for the first time since the beginning of April as he allowed four runs on eight hits over four innings. Kyle Gibson couldn’t make it out of the fifth inning in his start. Boston jumped on him for six runs in 4 1/3 innings. In two of his last three starts, he has allowed five runs or more. Martin Perez continued his recent rough stretch by allowing four earned runs for the third consecutive start. Luckily, Minnesota has still been able to pick up the victory in four of his last seven appearances. Tom also made a quick-hit video about some of the Twins' other recent struggles. Sloppy defense and bad base running have hurt the team in more than one game over the last couple weeks. TRENDING STORYLINE One of the biggest stories surrounding the Twins was the signing of former Cleveland closer Cody Allen to a minor-league deal. Allen had signed with the Angels this offseason but he had struggled by allowing 16 earned runs in 23 innings. One of the biggest concerns involving Allen has been his decrease in velocity in recent years. Derek Falvey knows Allen well from his days in Cleveland so maybe he can be the pitching whisperer. The Twins think they might be able to change some things with Allen. Twins Daily’s Parker Hageman thinks they could work with Allen in the release point of his fastball and his curveball. Last year, he released both pitches at nearly the same spot. This season, there is a noticeable difference. DOWN ON THE FARM Brent Rooker has been a bad, bad man to baseballs in the International League. Rooker played seven games for the Red Wings this week, hitting .429 (9-for-21) with two doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI, four walks and a 1.488 OPS. This isn’t a fluke either. For the month of June, he’s batting .406/.553/.725 (1.278) with five home runs and seven doubles in 22 games. He’s not on the 40-man roster, but the front office must be considering a call-up at some point this season. Royce Lewis, Minnesota’s top prospect, had a big game in Fort Myers on Wednesday as he hit two home runs including the walk-off winner. His second homer of the day doubled his home run output for the entire season. Entering play on Sunday, Lewis had gone 11-for-33 in his last eight games with three home runs and seven RBIs. Jhoan Duran tossed a magnificent game for the Miracle on Tuesday. After Adalberto Mejia served as the opener, Duran was masterful over the next five innings. He allowed one run on two hits with three walks and 11 strikeouts. For Duran, it was his fourth straight game where he allowed one earned run. He changed his wind-up three starts ago and the results have been clear. LOOKING AHEAD Following Monday’s off-day, the Twins will open up a three-game home series against Tampa Bay. Minnesota won’t get much time to lick their wounds as last year’s AL Cy Young winner, Blake Snell, will take the Target Field mound on Tuesday. Snell hasn’t pitched nearly as well this season (4.40 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP). Over their last 10 games, Tampa is 4-6, which has dropped them to 4.5 games behind New York in the AL East. Minnesota will end the week with a trip to the south side of Chicago. The White Sox have been stronger at home than on the road (20-17 home record). Over their last 10 games, Chicago is 5-5 and they sit 13 games behind the Twins in AL Central. Right now, the Twins are scheduled to face off with Lucas Giolito on Sunday. For most of June, he had been lights out, but he allowed six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Cubs in his last time out. TUESDAY, 6/25: RAYS @ TWINS – LHP Blake Snell vs. RHP Kyle Gibson WENDESDAY, 6/26: RAYS @ TWINS – RHP Charlie Morton vs. RHP Jake Odorizzi THURSDAY, 6/27: RAYS @ TWINS – TBD vs. LHP Martin Perez FRIDAY, 6/28: TWINS @ WHITE SOX – RHP Jose Berrios vs. RHP Odrisamer Despaigne SATURDAY, 6/29: TWINS @ WHITE SOX – RHP Michael Pineda vs. RHP Ivan Nova SUNDAY, 6/30: TWINS @ WHITE SOX – RHP Kyle Gibson vs. RHP Lucas Giolito Catch Up on Twins Daily Game Recaps Game 71 | BOS 2, MIN 0: Offense Squanders Berrios’ GemGame 72 | MIN 4, BOS 3: Twins Win in 17th Inning, Get First Walk-OffGame 73 | BOS 9, MIN 4: The Red Sox Bats Were Poppen TonightGame 74 | KC 4, MIN 1: Odorizzi, Offense Come Up ShortGame 75 | MIN 8, KC 7: Losing Streak Snapped AgainGame 76 | MIN 5, KC 3: Twins Win Nail-Biter in ExtrasGame 77 | KC 6, MIN 1: Bad Inning Spoils Awesome Uniforms Click here to view the article

The Twins ended an up-and-down week with a tough loss in Kansas City. Luckily, there was some good news from down on the pond. Cole Sands came off the injured list and pitched very well. Nick Gordon added another multi-hit game and this time they were both for extra bases. Cedar Rapids found themselves in a back-and-forth contest, but would they have enough to come back in the end? All that and more in this edition of the Twins Daily Minor League Report.TRANSACTIONS RHP Cole Sands reinstated from the IL with Fort Myers. AWARDS The Twins announced their weekly Hitter and Pitcher of the Week: Hitter of the Week: Brent Rooker, RochesterRooker played seven games for the Red Wings this week, hitting .429 (9-for-21) with two doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs, four walks and a 1.488 OPS. He was drafted 35th overall by the Twins in the 2017 first-year player draft.Pitcher of the Week: Ryley Widell, ElizabethtonWidell pitched in one game this week, Wednesday against Bluefield, allowing just two runs (1 earned) on two hits, with no walks and six strikeouts in 4.0 innings. He was drafted by the Twins in the seventh round of the 2017 Draft. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Toledo 7 Box Score Rochester fell into an early hole as Lewis Thorpe allowed three first inning runs. He was able to settle in from there and put up zeros in the second, third and fourth innings. In the fifth, he ran into a little more trouble and he couldn’t finish the frame. Overall, he allowed five runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Jake Reed took over for Thorpe and finished out the fifth. He ran into his own trouble in the sixth as he allowed a walk, a two-out single, and a wild pitch to see a runner score. Reed has allowed runs in his last two appearances and three of his last five. Preston Guilmet pitched the final two innings and allowed one run on four hits. Offensively, Nick Gordon continued his recent hot streak with another multi-hit game. This time both hits were doubles. Over his last 10 games, he has four multi-hit games and six games where he has reached base at least two times. Drew Maggi went 2-for-5 with his ninth double. Brent Rooker didn’t get a hit, but he reached base twice on walks. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 1, Jacksonville 7 Box Score Adalberto Mejia continued to work his way back to the Twins as the Blue Wahoos used him as an opener in this contest. He pitched a hitless first inning and struck out two. Jorge Alcala failed to get through five innings for the second time in his last three appearances. In 4 2/3 innings, he allowed seven earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and two walks. In his Double-A debut, Hector Lujan finished the game strong. He collected the final seven outs and didn’t allow a run. He struck out two and didn’t walk any. Pensacola’s hits were few and far between. As a club, they could only manage three hits and two of the three came in the ninth when the game was out of reach. Travis Blankenhorn started the frame with a single and moved to second on a ground out. With two-outs, Lewin Diaz cracked a double to bring in Blankenhorn. Aaron Whitefield went 1-for-3 and had the only other hit for the Blue Wahoos. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, Jupiter 0 Box Score Fort Myers road a strong start from Cole Sands in his first appearance since coming off the injured list. Sands didn’t allow a hit in five shutout innings while striking out six. He allowed only one base runner via walk. He faced the minimum and made it through five in just 60 pitches. It was his first High-A win. Johan Quezada and Derek Molina kept the shutout rolling. Each pitcher tossed two scoreless frames and they both struck out three batters. Ryan Costello got the scoring start in the second with his sixth home run of the season. In the fourth inning, Michael Helman increased the lead to 2-0 with an RBI single. Trevor Larnach added his league-leading 25th double in the fifth as he pushed the lead to 3-0. Ryan Jeffers followed Larnach with an RBI single. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Peoria 6 Box Score Cedar Rapids need four ninth-inning runs to put themselves in position to win. Both teams had multiple two-runs leads throughout the course of this back-and-forth contest. Andrew Cabezas pitched into the sixth inning for the first time since May 15. He held Peoria to two runs (one earned) on six hits with six strikeouts and no walks. He would allow the only earned run of the day as the other five runs were unearned. Trailing 2-0 in the fourth, Gilberto Celestino and Gabe Snyder used back-to-back doubles to score the Kernels first run. With two outs, Jacob Pearson singled to tie the game. Cedar Rapids took their first lead in the seventh after three straight hits and a sacrifice fly put them up 4-2. With one out in the eighth inning, Petru Balan allowed a one-out single and then walked a batter. After a mound visit, he was able to get the second out on a fly out to center. However, Yeltsin Encarnacion committed a fielding error that loaded the bases. Balan would be pulled for Carlos Suniaga who gave up a grand slam that put Peoria up 6-4. Encarnacion would be redeemed in the ninth. His two-out triple scored the first run of a big inning. He later scored on a wild pitch. After walks from Celestino and Snyder, Ben Rodriguez collected his ninth double to score both runs and cap a terrific comeback. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 12, Kingsport 6 Box Score Elizabethton exploded for 12 runs on 14 hits including two innings where the team scored four runs or more. What might be more impressive is the fact the club collected 12 walks with five batters having multiple free passes. Every batter in the line-up had at least one hit and seven batters reached base multiple times. Max Smith reached base five times including three hits, the most on the team. Albee Weiss and Tyler Webb had the team’s only extra-base hits as they both collected doubles. Spencer Steer and Seth Gray both reached base four times including three walks each. Elizabethton pitchers didn’t have to do much to keep this game in check. Cody Laweryson, the organization’s 14th-round pick this year, made his professional debut. He tossed two scoreless innings and struck out three. Erik Cha picked up his second victory in as many appearances after allowing one run on three hits over two innings. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Cole Sands, Fort Myers (5.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 6 K, BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Max Smith, Elizabethton (3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – 1-4, R, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 0-4, 2 K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) – Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 1-4, 2B, R, RBI, K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – Did not play #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – 0-2, 2 BB #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) – Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – 4.1 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 6 K, 2 BB #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) – Tommy John surgery, out for the year #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 2-5, 2 2B, R, 3 K #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – 2-4, R, RBI #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 0-4, K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, RBI, BB, K #17 - Zack Littell (Minnesota) – 1.0 IP, 0 ER, H #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB, K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – 4.2 IP, 7 ER, 8 H, 6 K, 2 BB #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) – Temporary inactive list MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Scranton/WB (6:05 CST) – RHP Sean Poppen (6-3, 2.97 ERA) Pensacola @ Jacksonville (6:05 CST) – RHP Griffin Jax (2-2, 1.92 ERA) Fort Myers – Scheduled Off-Day Cedar Rapids – Scheduled Off-Day Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

This might sound like a State of the Union address, but the state of Minnesota’s farm system is strong. As other organizations have seen prospects graduate to the big-leagues, the Twins have one of baseball’s top-5 farm systems including at least five of the top-100 prospects in the game. This could certainly help if the club wants to be active before the trade deadline and move players from areas of strength within the organization.Over the next two weeks, Twins Daily will be revealing the Twins Daily Midseason Top 40 Prospects rankings. Our preseason Top Prospect rankings go 20 deep. Our midseason rankings double that output and give some recognition to twice as many players. Several of our minor league writers provided player rankings. They were consolidated Continue reading, and then discussing, the Twins Daily choices for 35th through 31st prospects of the Minnesota Twins below. 35. Jaylin Davis – RF Age: 24 ETA: 2020 2019 Stats (AA): .274/.382/.458 (.840 OPS), 9 2B, 0 3B, 10 HR, 64 K, 36 BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: NR Seth: 38 | Tom: 36 | Cody: 34 | Ted: NR | Steve: NR Davis was taken by the Twins in the 24th round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of Appalachian State University. Davis got a brief taste of rookie ball that season, but the Twins have steadily moved him through the system over the last four years. In Pensacola this year, he is slightly older than the competition, but his OPS is higher than the last two years. After knocking 11 home runs in 120 games in 2018, he has already hit double-digit home runs this season. He’s played all three outfield positions, but the vast majority of his innings have come in right field. . 34. Cole Sands - RHP Age: 21 ETA: 2021 2019 Stats (A+/A-): 52.2 IP, 3.08 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 10.6 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 5.17 K/BB 2019 Ranking: NR Seth: 33 | Tom: 24 | Cody: 40 | Ted: NR | Steve: NR Sands, a fifth-round pick in 2018, is making his professional debut this season. The Twins felt he had pitched enough in college last season, so he didn’t make any appearances in rookie ball. He started the year in Cedar Rapids and posted a 3.05 ERA with 49 strikeouts and 11 walks in 41 1/3 innings. At the beginning of June, he was moved to Fort Myers and made two starts. He allowed four earned runs and struck out 13 in 11 1/3 innings. Since then, he was placed on the IL with a blister on the third digit of his right hand. His fast ball usually sits in the low 90s, but he can reach the mid-90s when needed. His curveball and his change-up are his best secondary pitches. 33. Tyler Wells - RHP Age: 24 ETA: 2022 2019 Stats: Out for the Year (Tommy John Surgery) 2019 Ranking: HM Seth: 35 | Tom: 33 | Cody: 23 | Ted: NR | Steve: NR Wells found out near the end of May that he would need Tommy John surgery and he will miss all of 2019. He split time between High-A and Double-A last year and he was almost a year and a half younger than the competition in the Southern League. Wells posted a 2.49 ERA and a 121 to 31 strikeout to walk ratio in 119 1/3 innings during the 2018 campaign. He was named the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year and he won the Harmon Killebrew Award for the Miracle. It was a breakout season for him and it’s tough to lose a year of development. However, he should be back at some point in the second half of 2020. Wells was originally a 15th round pick back in 2016. 32. Griffin Jax - RHP Age: 24 ETA: 2021 2019 Stats (AA): 51.2 IP, 1.92 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 5.9 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, 3.09 K/BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: HM Seth: 26 | Tom: 34 | Cody: 31 | Ted: 28 | Steve: 24 Jax was the highest player ever taken from the United States Air Force Academy and that’s just part of his story. In order to pitch in the Twins system, he is taking part in the military’s World Class Athlete Program which allows active-duty military personnel to make training for the Olympics their full-time responsibility. Jax is taking full advantage of the opportunity as he is off to a tremendous start at Double-A. In eight of his ten appearances, he has allowed one earned run or less. He doesn’t strike out a ton of batters (5.9 K/9), but he’s been efficient at getting outs. Jax pitched in last year’s Arizona Fall League and allowed nine earned runs on 21 hits in 21 innings (3.86 ERA). His fastball sits in the low 90s and he has a great change-up and an improving slider. 31. LaMonte Wade - OF ETA: 2019 Age: 25 2019 Stats (AAA): .232/.374/.332 (.706 OPS), 7 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 38 K, 42 BB. 2019 Ranking: NR Seth: 29 | Tom: 32 | Cody: 29 | Ted: 23 | Steve: 25 Wade was the Twins 9th-round pick in 2015 out of the University of Maryland. He’s worked his way through the Twins system over the last five seasons and he’s spent parts of the last two seasons in Rochester. Wade doesn’t strikeout. Well, that might not be completely true. Throughout his professional career, he has 283 walks compared to 263 strikeouts. He has a great approach at the plate and he has the ability to attack the strike zone. He can play all three outfield positions, but he probably fits better in a corner outfield spot. Wade could make his way to Minnesota at some point this season, even if it comes as a September call-up. Who’s ranked too high? Who’s ranked too low? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Also, check back next week to see who made the top-30 prospects. Twins Daily 2019 Midseason Prospect Rankings Prospects 36-40 Prospects 31-35 (Today) Prospects 26-30 Coming Soon Click here to view the article

Over the weekend, reports surfaced about the Twins and Giants discussing a potential deal for Madison Bumgarner. The 29-year old pitcher is set to hit free agency this off-season and the Giants are most likely going to try and get something back for their former World Series star. Most of Twins Territory hasn’t seen a lot from Bumgarner in recent years and they may only remember him for his herculean effort in the 2014 Postseason. What version of Bumgarner would the Twins be getting?Vintage Bumgarner From 2011 through 2016, Bumgarner was one of the best pitchers in baseball and he was a workhorse for the Giants on the way to multiple World Series titles. He was a four-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger along with winning the NLCS MVP and the World Series MVP. He finished in the top-10 in the Cy Young voting for four straight seasons and two of those seasons saw him in the top-5. Statistically speaking, he averaged over 210 innings per season with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. He averaged 9.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 along with a 121 ERA+ and a 3.07 FIP. According to FanGraphs, he had the ninth highest WAR total among pitchers placing him just behind Chris Sale, Cole Hamels and Zack Greinke. Baseball Reference ranked him in the top-10 among pitcher WAR in 2015 and 2016. He was on top of the baseball world, but he’s hasn’t looked like the same pitcher in recent years. Recent Bumgarner Since 2016, Bumgarner missed time due to injury and he certainly hasn’t been the workhorse he was in the first half of the decade. After averaging over 200 innings per season for six straight years, he has been limited to under 130 innings in 2017 and 2018. Last season, he suffered a broken hand after being hit by a line drive. Back in 2017, he missed time with a Grade 2 sprain of the AC join in his throwing shoulder and bruised ribs. He had a dirt bike accident that year that were the root of his problems. This season, his ERA is almost 80 points higher than his career mark, but his 1.17 WHIP and his 8.7 K/9 are right in line with his career totals. Batters are barreling up the ball against him at an all-time high. He is allowing a 9.4 Barrel % (6.3 % MLB Average) and an 89.7 Exit Velocity (87.4 MLB Average). His fastball velocity is in the 11th percentile but his fastball spin ranks in the 85th percentile. Also, his curve spin is in the 71st percentile. Is Bumgarner an Upgrade? Jose Berrios is coming off his best start of the season and Jake Odorizzi is near the top of the league in ERA. At this point, these two players would be locks for Minnesota’s post-season rotation. Kyle Gibson would be the third pitcher at this point, and he has put up similar numbers to Bumgarner so far this year. They are within 17 points of each other in ERA, FIP, and ERA+. Gibson is striking out more batters and walking fewer batters per nine innings than Bumgarner. Michael Pineda has been a little bit of a roller coaster ride but his fastball is playing better since he came back from the disabled list. While Pineda has been performing better, Martin Perez has struggled in recent starts. Perez looked like a Cy Young candidate in his first eight starts with a 2.17 ERA and he held opponents to a .644 OPS. Over his last four starts, he has allowed 16 earned runs in 19 innings (7.58 ERA) and batters are getting on base 36% of the time against him. Looking at the Twins current roster, Bumgarner might be the fourth best pitcher in the Twins rotation. His playoff experience could certainly help, but what version of Bumgarner would the Twins be getting in a trade? Will they get vintage Bumgarner or some version of the player from the last three seasons? Click here to view the article