Cody Christie

Trevor Hildenberger season hasn’t gone according to plan as he was supposed to be an important part of Minnesota’s bullpen puzzle. However, he struggled through 19 games and was sent to the minor leagues to get healthy and to find himself again. “Hildy” wasn’t part of the first wave of September call-ups, but he rejoined the Twins following the end of Rochester’s season. So, what version of Hildenberger will be putting on a Twins uniform? Can he help this team in September and beyond?Reliability Machine During parts of the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Hildenberger was one of Minnesota’s most reliable relievers. Paul Molitor relied on him heavily during the team’s run to the 2017 AL Wild Card Game. He didn’t debut until the end of June and he went on to post a 3.21 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP including eight games finished and a save. He seemed like he could be a vital part of a Twins team looking to rebound after multiple rough seasons in a row. Hildenberger continued to be reliable to start the 2018 campaign as he compiled a 3.33 ERA with a 1.13 ERA in the first half. His month of May was terrific as he limited opponents to three earned runs in 14 innings (1.93 ERA) with 12 strikeouts and two walks. He was continuing to be used in late inning situations while racking up holds on a team trying to get back to the playoffs. From there, something changed with Mr. Hildenberger. Reliable No More There were some bumps in the road during the second half including a four-game stretch during the beginning of August where he allowed nine earned runs. Overall in the second half, he allowed 27 earned runs across 27 innings with a 1.82 WHIP. There were blown leads and blown saves, but Molitor continued to use Hildenberger in late inning situations. Even with the late-season struggles, Hildenberger was expected to be a bullpen option under new manager Rocco Baldelli. He struggled through the early months of the season as he posted an 8.36 ERA across 19 games (14 innings). Eventually, he ended up being demoted and then spent a couple months on the IL with a flexor mass strain. The injury might have been the result of working through some mechanical changes. For a pitcher trying to get back to the big leagues, his injury might have been a blessing in disguise. Journey Back Hildenberger worked with Rochester’s pitching coach Mike McCarthy to tweak his delivery, because he was flying open too early and the results, as described above, were not great. With his unique side-armed delivery, Hildenberger provides two versions of himself, a very good pitcher with control and deception or a pitcher struggling with command and location. To return to his role as a very good pitcher, his journey back started in the GCL with a couple appearances against lower level competition as he tried to get a feel back for his pitches. He pitched four innings over three games and allowed one earned run on four hits. From there, he headed back to Rochester where he started to look more like the player he was in 2017. Since coming off the injured list on August 20, albeit in a small sample size, he didn’t allow any runs and he pitched more than one inning in five of six appearances. He added six strikeouts and issued only one walk. Hildenberger earned a save, a win, and pitched in the late innings of all, but one of his appearances. Manager Rocco Baldelli told the Pioneer Press, Hildenberger has “been a good major league reliever in the past. It’s in there and we know it’s in there. We just have to find a way to bring it out.” Minnesota might find a way to bring it out of Hildenberger in September and this could make him a potential wild card for Minnesota’s postseason bullpen. Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins finished off a tremendous road trip last week and then came home to face off against their biggest division rival. There were plenty of other plotlines, with a major drug suspension, a record-breaking catcher, and some tremendous play from one of the organization’s top prospects. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times and it all happened over the past week in Twins Territory. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 9/2 through Sun, 9/8 *** Record Last Week: 4-3 (Overall: 88-55) Run Differential Last Week: -6 (Overall: +168) Standing: 1st Place in the AL Central (5.5 GA) Willians Watch: 5-for-14, RBI, R HIGHLIGHTS Eddie Rosario might have had one of the biggest Twins highlights of the year with his game-saving throw off Boston’s Green Monster. He helped save the game and put the Twins up 6.5 games entering their critical three-game weekend series against the Indians. Rosario’s game-saving throw capped off a tremendous road trip for the Twins where the club won eight of 10 games with 104 hits, 63 runs, and 19 home runs. This included breaking the single-season MLB home run record before Minnesota headed home to face Cleveland in a critical three-game set. On Friday night, Minnesota ended up falling in extra-innings to the Indians, but one of the coolest moments happened earlier in the game. Carlos Carrasco has been battling leukemia throughout the 2019 campaign and he recently returned to action. When Miguel Sano stepped to the plate in the eighth inning, he tipped his helmet to the pitcher fondly referred to as “Cookie.” Sano would strike out in the at-bat, but it shows that some things are bigger than the game. Not knowing his suspension was coming on Saturday, it was impressive to see Michael Pineda in what could be his last time on the Target Field mound. He went six strong innings by allowing one run on four hits and striking out a season-high 10 Cleveland batters. In his last 10 starts (59 1/3 innings), he posted a 2.88 ERA with a 65-to-13 strikeout to walk ratio, but now he’s done for the year. LOWLIGHTS Pineda’s suspension might be the biggest lowlight in the Twins season, especially since it sounds like he deliberately took the drug without consulting the Twins medical staff. In case you missed it, Pineda took hydrochlorothiazide, a banned diuretic, that he obtained from a close acquaintance. He does become the first MLB player to appeal the suspension and have it reduced from 80 games to 60 games. It was still a crushing blow to Minnesota’s playoff hopes. With Pineda out of the picture, Berrios and his recent struggles take on an even bigger importance. Many have been calling for him to get some time off and he had his start pushed back a day last week, but the results weren’t much better. At one point in the game, he retired 11 of 13 batters and this included a web gem play by himself. However, he allowed six earned runs on eight hits (two Mookie Betts home runs) with six strikeouts and three walks. Berrios likely has three more starts before the playoffs and the Twins need to find a solution to what ails him. Rosario, a core piece of Minnesota’s line-up, might have provided the biggest defensive play of the week, but he looked lost at the plate with almost no plate discipline. He’s always been a free swinger and that has certainly been the case in recent weeks. Over his last 24 games, he is hitting .235/.252/.392 with 19 strikeouts and three walks. For a player with a career .309 OBP, it’s been tough to watch some of his at-bats, especially his approach at the plate. TRENDING STORYLINE On Saturday, Mitch Garver helped the Twins to victory with two home runs and he also joined the franchise record books. Garver has hit all his homers as a catcher so his 27th and 28th home run moved him past Earl Battey’s 1963 total of 26. What Garver has done is truly impressive because of the limited number of games he has played this year. Battey played 147 games during his record-setting season and Garver’s 28 homers have come in a half-time role where he just cracked the 80 games played mark. He added another home run on Sunday, but it came as the designated hitter. Minnesota is also closing in on the single-season home run record for catchers in baseball history. Three MLB teams have accumulated 43 homers from the catcher’s position and Minnesota finished play on Sunday with 41 catcher home runs on the year. Another record within Minnesota’s reach is the most players in franchise history with 30 or more homers in a season. Right now, Max Kepler and Nelson Cruz have already crossed the 30-homer plateau. Garver is one homer away and Rosario is two short of 30. Sano is also sitting at 27 long balls, so there is a realistic chance for five players to finish with 30 home runs or more. DOWN ON THE FARM Playoffs were the name of the game in the minor leagues as two Twins affiliates, the Kernels and the Blue Wahoos, attempted to advance. Alex Kiriloff and Royce Lewis came up big in Pensacola’s first playoff game, but they can’t play both sides of the ball. Kirilloff has been a one-man wrecking crew during postseason play as he homered in the Blue Wahoos’ first four playoff games. The Blue Wahoos pushed Biloxi to a decisive fifth game on Sunday night. Cedar Rapids fell in their first game of the best-of-three Western Division Championship, which means the club needs to roll off two straight wins to advance. Check out Sunday’s Minor League Report to see how the clubs fared and if Kirilloff was able to continue his home run streak. LOOKING AHEAD Minnesota will get an off-day on Monday before facing a strong Washington team for three games. Currently, the Nationals hold a three-game lead on the NL’s top Wild Card spot, so they have plenty to play for with the hot Arizona Diamondbacks making a quick move toward the top. Luckily, the Twins will avoid Max Scherzer as he isn’t scheduled to start in the series, but the trio of Sanchez, Strasburg and Corbin will be tough. Following the Nationals series, the Twins head to Cleveland for their final three games with the Indians. Cleveland faces off with the Angels for three games and has an off-day on Thursday. If Cleveland were able to sweep Los Angeles and Minnesota lost three to Washington, the division lead could be down to 2.5 games entering next weekend. Buckle up, Twins Territory. TUESDAY, 9/10: NATIONALS @ TWINS – RHP Anibal Sanchez vs. RHP Jose Berrios WEDNESDAY, 9/11: NATIONALS @ TWINS – RHP Stephen Strasburg vs. LHP Martin Perez THURSDAY, 9/12: NATIONALS @ TWINS – LHP Patrick Corbin vs. RHP Kyle Gibson FRIDAY, 9/13: TWINS @ INDIANS – RHP Randy Dobnak vs. RHP Aaron Civale SATURDAY, 9/14: TWINS @ INDIANS – RHP Jake Odorizzi vs. RHP Mike Clevinger SUNDAY, 9/15: TWINS @ INDIANS – RHP Jose Berrios vs. RHP Shane Bieber Catch Up on Twins Daily Game Recaps Game 137 | MIN 4, DET 3: Late Labor Day Offense Propels TwinsGame 138 | MIN 6, BOS 5: Twins Win Nail-biter in FenwayGame 139 | BOS 6, MIN 2: Berrios Continues Rough Stretch, Rodriguez SailsGame 140 | MIN 2, BOS 1: Eddie Rosario Throw Seals 2-1 VictoryGame 141 | CLE 6, MIN 2: Offense Dominated as Twins Fall in ExtrasGame 142 | MIN 5, CLE 3: Odorizzi, Garver Power the Twins to VictoryGame 143 |CLE 5, MIN 2: Clevinger Shuts Down the Scuffling Twins Offense Click here to view the article

Both the Kernels and the Blue Wahoos were in a do-or-die situation on Sunday. Cedar Rapids fell in the first game of their three-game semifinal series on Saturday so they are in a position where they must win the final two games to advance. Pensacola came back from two games down to tie up their five-game series at 2-2 and set-up a decisive fifth game. Could either team survive Sunday’s action?TRANSACTIONS IF Ryan Costello placed on 7-day IL with Pensacola. RHP Bailey Ober placed on 7-day IL with Pensacola. IF Joe Cronin transferred to Pensacola from Rochester. LHP Bryan Sammons promoted to Pensacola from Fort Myers. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 4, Biloxi 8 Box Score If this was a best of three series like in Cedar Rapids, Pensacola would have already been eliminated, but the club managed a comeback in the series, and they would need a dramatic comeback in this game. Bryan Sammons started on the mound and put the club in position to have the lead. He pitched 4 2/3 innings by scattering two runs (both home runs) and adding in five strikeouts. Anthony Vizcaya took over for Sammons and he allowed the game-tying run. Over 2 1/3 innings, he allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts. Former top pitching prospect Stephen Gonsalves struggled on the mound as he didn’t record an out and allowed three earned runs. Alex Phillips tried to stop the bleeding. Offensively, Mark Contreras tripled with two outs in the second and scampered home after a throwing error by the shortstop. This briefly gave Pensacola the lead at 1-0. In the fourth frame, Ryan Jeffers led off with a double and came in on a Contreras ground out. Jose Miranda walked in the inning and eventually scored on a Caleb Hamilton double that took back the lead for Pensacola at 3-2. Jeffers had another big hit in the eighth as he took the lead back with a solo home run. Pensacola wouldn’t have their season end quietly in the ninth. Jimmy Kerrigan coaxed a six-pitch walk with two outs in the inning that saw the Blue Wahoos down to their last strike. Alex Kirilloff followed with a single, but he too had been down to his last strike. Royce Lewis stepped to the plate with two runners aboard and he already had three hits on the night. Unfortunately, he struck out swinging. Congrats to the Blue Wahoos on a terrific season. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Clinton 2 Box Score Kody Funderburk started for Cedar Rapids, but in a do-or-die game, pitchers can have a short leash. He made it into the fourth inning (3 1/3 innings) by allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits with five strikeouts and three walks. From there the Kernels’ bullpen was unreal. Dylan Thomas and Rickey Ramirez combined for 5 2/3 shutout innings with each pitcher limiting Clinton to one hit. Cedar Rapids got on the board in the second inning after back-to-back one-out hits. Tyler Webb got into scoring position with a double before DaShawn Keirsey drove him in with a single. Keirsey was left stranded at second after a wild pitch, but the Kernels had tied the game at 1-1. The Kernels found themselves down a run in the bottom of the ninth with the season on the line. Matt Wallner reached base on a throwing error by the shortstop and was replaced by pinch runner Daniel Ozoria. Seth Gray moved the runner to third with a single before Webb drove in the tying run. Cedar Rapids still had yet to make an out in the inning. Keirsey came up with his second big hit of the night to keep Cedar Rapids alive. The last five home wins at home for Cedar Rapids have ended with a walk-off single in the ninth. They will need to win a decisive game on Monday to advance the Midwest League Championship Series. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Rickey Ramirez, Cedar Rapids (3.0 IP, H, 0 ER, 4 K, 0 BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Ryan Jeffers, Pensacola (3-4, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) – 3-5, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 1-4, BB #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Minnesota) – Did not pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) – 0-4, 2 K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 0-3, BB, 2 K #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) – 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, RBI #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) – 1-4, R #15 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – 0-4, K #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – 0-3, BB, 2 K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Cedar Rapids vs. Clinton (6:35 CST) – RHP Tyler Palm (4-11, 4.06 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Welcome to the first week of September and the last month before playoff baseball starts. Minnesota is almost a lock to make the playoffs at this point with FanGraphs putting their playoff odds at 99.9% and their odds of winning the division at 97.5%. With separation starting in the AL Central, fans can start looking toward the playoffs and the path that could lie ahead. Minnesota doesn’t get to pick their playoff opponents, but what would be the ideal path through the American League playoffs?Avoid the Wild Card Game One of the most important steps in having a sustained playoff run is avoiding playing in a coin flip game like each league’s wild-card game. Minnesota fans are well aware of the dangers of this game after seeing the Twins fall to the Yankees back in 2017. New York went on to the ALCS that year and there are some concerns with surviving this style of game. In that 2017 AL wild card game, Minnesota started Ervin Santana and then was forced to turn to Jose Berrios as a reliever. If the club had survived, they would have been put in an interesting spot for picking a starter of in Game 1 of the ALDS. Pitching staffs can be taxed in this type of game and there is too much randomness in a win-or-go-home atmosphere. The Twins need to make sure they take care of business and win the AL Central. Houston Poses a Problem If Minnesota is able win the AL Central, the club will qualify for the ALDS for the first time since 2010. Entering play on Wednesday, New York and Houston are separated by less than a game. Minnesota sits four games back so it seems unlikely they could catch either of the front-runners for the league’s top record. This means a first-round series on the road versus one of the league’s top teams. There are a couple ways to think about a Houston match-up. Teams are going to have to go through Houston at some point in the playoffs and it might be better seeing their strong starters in a shorter series. Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Zack Greinke would get fewer starts over five games than in seven games. This could allow the Twins to steal a game or two and end up with a series victory. New York would be the better match-up, but it would be better to face Houston in a shorter series. If a team must take out Houston, do it in the ALDS. Big Apple Battle Minnesota fans might have a phobia of facing off against the Yankees because of past playoff experience. When the Yankees came to Minneapolis earlier this year, it resulted in an epic back-and-forth series. New York’s pitching staff has flaws, but their offense is certainly on a par with Minnesota’s record-breaking line-up. It seems most likely for Houston or New York to take care of any of the wild card teams, but anything can happen in a five-game series. Tampa Bay, Cleveland, and Oakland are all in the running for the two AL wild card spots. Any of these three teams would be a better match-up than facing Houston or New York in a seven-game series, but it would take a team coming in hot to take down one of the league’s top foes. If Minnesota takes care of Houston in the ALDS, it would be fitting for the club to face-off against the Yankees for the right to represent the AL in the World Series. It would be similar to the Red Sox exorcising their demons against the Yankees on the way to their 2004 title. If Minnesota must beat New York at some point, so why not do it on the biggest possible stage? What do you feel is the ideal path for the Twins to make it through the gauntlet of the AL playoffs? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Jose Berrios is the only current member of the Twins rotation under team control for next season. Jake Odorizzi, Michael Pineda, and Kyle Gibson will all be able to test the free agent waters. This could leave the Twins scrambling to fill their rotation with free agents and other players currently in the organization. If the Twins want to maximize their current window, it could make sense to for the team to submit a qualifying offer to Mr. Odorizzi.Qualifying Offer Process As part of MLB’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams can make a one-year “qualifying offer” to a player that has never previously received a qualifying offer and only if that player has been on the team’s roster for the entire season. This means in-season acquisitions are ineligible for a qualifying offer. This qualifying offer is worth the mean salary of the 125 highest-paid players in the big leagues. During last off-season, MLB’s qualifying offer was $17.9 million, which was up $500,000 from 2018. Last season, seven players received a qualifying offer and the Dodgers’ Hyun-Jin Ryu was the only player to accept the offer. In the seven previous offseasons with this system in place, there have been 80 qualifying offers issued, and only six (Brett Anderson, Jeremy Hellickson, Neil Walker, Colby Rasmus, Matt Wieters, and Ryu) have been accepted. All-Star First Half Odorizzi put together a strong first half of the season to be selected to his first All-Star Game. An injury caused him to miss the game, but it still doesn’t take anything away from what he was able to do in the first half. Plus, it also allowed teammate Jose Berrios to make his second All-Star appearance. In 17 first-half starts, Odorizzi posted a 3.15 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP. He added a 96 to 30 strikeout to walk ratio while striking out nearly 10 batters per nine innings. This was in a first half where baseballs were flying out of the park at a record rate. He won 10 straight decisions from April 17 through July 20. During that stretch, he held opposing batters to a .209/.261/.289 (.550) batting line which helped him post a 1.52 ERA and a 70 to 15 strikeout to walk ratio. He was one of the best pitchers for a good stretch of the first half and he helped the Twins to stretch their lead in the AL Central. Second Half Struggle It would have been almost impossible for Odorizzi to keep up his first half pace during the second half of the season. His ERA has rose to 4.28 and his WHIP has jumped up to 1.47 in nine games started. He has struck out 49 batters and limited them to 19 walks, but hitters have found a way to get to Odorizzi more regularly in the second half. Entering play on Monday, opposing batters are hitting .271/.341/.453 (.794) with 23 extra-base hits. He only allowed 19 extra-base hits in the first half and that was in eight more starts than the second half. According to Baseball Savant, his hard-hit percentage and exit velocity are all near the league average. He has still been able to keep his K% and xBA above league average and that has helped him to be successful. He’s been able to do this with a fastball velocity and fastball spin rate that are below league average. Odorizzi might not be the most likely candidate for a qualifying offer, but it might make sense for the Twins to add some rotation stability to next season. He has made $21.45 million through his career so a $18 million payday might be tough for him to reject. He’s never made more than $9.5 million in a season, but will the Twins front office think he is worth the amount invested? Should the Twins make a qualifying offer to Odorizzi? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Season’s end can separate the star prospects from the rest of the roster. Many affiliated teams are fighting for a playoff spot and batters can make the difference between a playoff team and one that is sending players home in the weeks ahead. A winning culture starts in the minor leagues and Minnesota will need to rely on some of the players left in their minor league system. There are few top prospects on this list, but that’s further evidence of how deep the Twins farm system has become in recent years. From veteran cast-offs to DSL teenagers, this list has a wide array of players.Previous 2019 Hitters of the Month: April - Trey Cabbage May - Lewin Diaz June - Brent Rooker July – Jaylin Davis Let’s take a look at the Top 5 hitters for the month of August, but first here are some of the players deserving of honorable mention. HONORABLE MENTION Gilberto Celestino – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Fort Myers Miracle, 32-98, .327/.396/.500 with three home runs and eight doubles.Rhodery Diaz – DSL Twins, 13-36, .361/.477/.444 with one home run and one double.Ramon Flores – Rochester Red Wings, 29-98, .296/.434/.449 with three home runs, four doubles and one triple.Trevor Larnach – Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 30-98, .306/.395/.510 with six home runs and two doubles.Anthony Prato – Elizabethton Twins, 24-71, .338/.410/.451 with one home run, three doubles and one triple.Gabe Snyder – Cedar Rapids Kernels, 21-90, .233/.300/.478 with six home runs, two doubles and one triple.Tomas Telis – Rochester Red Wings, 31-76, .408/.439/.553 with two home runs and five doubles.Tyler Webb – Cedar Rapids Kernels, 24-75, /320/.370/.400 with one home run, one double and one triple.THE TOP FIVE HITTERS Number 5 – Pensacola Blue Wahoos – 1B/3B/OF Ryan Costello – 21-85, .247/.369/.529 with six home runs, four doubles and one triple. Costello, Seattle's 31st-round pick in 2017 (came to Twins in July 2018 trade from the Mariners (Zach Duke)), continues to show his value as he moves through the Twins system. August was his first full month at Double-A and he made sure to leave his mark. He had hits in 10 of his first 12 games of the month and that included a stretch of three straight games with a home run. He ended the month with hits in eight of his final 11 games to be one of the organization’s top five hitters for the month. Number 4 – DSL Twins – 3B/1B Rubel Cespedes – 16-46, .348/.423/.630 with one home run, four doubles, and three triples. The Dominican Summer League Twins can be forgotten about with the plethora of other affiliated minor league squads. Cespedes made sure that hitters in this league wouldn’t be forgotten. In his first taste of professional ball, the teenager finished the season on a hot streak. He collected multiple hits in five of his 12 August contests and he only failed to reach base in one August game. Through the month’s first seven games, he was hitting .423/.516/.731 with six extra-base hits and one strike out compared to four walks. Number 3 – Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels – OF/3B Seth Gray – 24-92, .261/.361/.533 with five home runs and 10 doubles Gray, a 2019 fourth-round pick, ended the month with a promotion from E-Town to Cedar Rapids. He hit safely in his final six Appy League game and he had multiple hits in three of his final games with that club. Even after the promotion, he ended the month on an eight-game hitting streak which included five extra-base hits and a .977 OPS. He was only hitting .231 through the first 12 games of the month but he finished August going 15-53 (.283) with eight extra-base hits. Number 2 – Rochester Red Wings – OF Alejandro De Aza – 28-71, .394/.469/.676 with thee home runs, seven doubles and two triples De Aza is 35-years old, but he made it clear in August why the Twins picked him up in the middle of July. He ended the month on an 11-game hitting streak and there were actually only two games in the entire month where he was held without a hit. Apparently, the guy knows how to hit because he was only failed to collect a hit in six games so far in the Twins organization. He had multiple hits in nine of his 19 games. What makes it even more impressive is the fact the Red Wings were fighting for their playoff lives for a good portion of the month. And the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is: Rochester Red Wings – OF/1B Zander Wiel – 30-105, .286/.350/.600 with six home runs, 11 doubles and two triples. Someone had to step up and fill the offensive void left by Jaylin Davis and Zander Wiel did his best to fit this role with the Red Wings. Wiel, a 12th-round pick back in 2015, has spent the entire season in Rochester. Much like De Aza, Wiel ended the month on an 11-game hitting streak that included three multi-hit games. Overall, Wiel collected seven multi-hit efforts throughout the month. Wiel was coming off a rough July where he struggled by hitting .200/.243/.484 (.727). All of those totals were season lows for him. Something switched in August as he had a season high in OPS, SLG and extra base hits. As a 26-year old, he has also been facing older pitchers in roughly have of his plate appearances. A study was done at the University of Rochester after the Red Wings broke their franchise home run record. It was a simple experiment to see if the new Triple-A baseballs were bouncier and could be one of the reasons for the power hitting surge. Wiel was interviewed for the story and said, “These balls this year…they’ve been going and that’s why you see the rise in numbers. All the production, extra-base hits and stuff we’re seeing.” Even with a bouncier ball, Wiel still must do one of the hardest things in sports by making solid contact between a round bat and a round ball. He did it better than anyone else in the Twins system this past month so congratulations to him. Feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions in the comments below. Click here to view the article

Welcome to the final Sunday of the minor league season. Granted multiple affiliates of the Twins could be playing postseason. However, there is still work to get done in the regular season and rosters took on a very different feel after September call-ups were made on Sunday. Can the higher levels of the minor league’s survive without some of their key players? You will have to read on to find out.AWARDS The Twins announced their weekly Hitter and Pitcher of the Week Hitter of the Week: Zander Wiel, RochesterIn seven games for the Red Wings, Wiel hit .370 (10-for-27) with four doubles, three home runs, seven RBI, three walks and a 1.271 OPS. Wiel was selected in the 12th round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt University.Pitcher of the Week: Cody Laweryson, ElizabethtonLaweryson made the start on Monday vs. Greeneville, pitching 6.0 shutout innings with three hits allowed, no walks and 15 strikeouts. He was selected out fo the 14th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Main at Orono. TRANSACTIONS OF Ian Miller had contracted selected by Minnesota. RHP Brusdar Graterol had contracted selected by Minnesota. RHP Zack Littell recalled by Minnesota. RHP Kohl Stewart recalled by Minnesota LHP Devin Smeltzer recalled by Minnesota LHP Lewis Thorpe recalled by Minnesota. C Willians Astudillo ended MLB rehab assignment and returned to Minnesota. RHP Sean Poppen returned from rehab assignment, recalled by Minnesota, and placed on the MLB 60-day Injured List. INF Yeltsin Encarnacion transferred from Ft. Myers to Rochester. RHP Alex Schick transferred from Cedar Rapids to Rochester. LHP Denny Bentley transferred from Elizabethton to Rochester. LHP Jeremy Bleich reinstated from the IL with Rochester. INF Anthony Prato promoted from Elizabethton to Cedar Rapids OF Byron Buxton has ended his rehab assignment with the Kernels RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Syracuse 7 (Final- 9 Innings, Rain) Box Score Rochester scored three runs in the seventh inning to tie the game before allowing four runs in the eighth inning to relinquish their advantage. In the seventh inning, Rochester plated three runs thanks to a double from Alejandro De Aza. Wilin Rosario would score in the next at-bat thanks to a wild pitch. Rochester tied the game at 3-3, but the bullpen saw that lead evaporate. With all of the roster shuffling, Preston Guilmet started and was asked to record only nine outs. He allowed three runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Denny Pentley took over and didn’t allow a hit in two innings of work. He struck out two and walked one. Ryan O’Rourke coughed up two of the late-inning runs and Jeremy Bleich also added another two runs allowed as Syracuse stretched their lead to 7-3. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 7, Montgomery 11 Box Score Pensacola’s potent offense tried to mount a late-inning comeback, but it wasn’t enough with the hole the pitching staff had dug. Charlie Barnes struggled through five innings for his fourth loss of the year at Double-A. He surrendered seven runs on nine hits with two strikeouts and two walks. The bullpen didn’t exactly help the situation for Barnes. Jonathan Cheshire did fine in his one inning of work. He didn’t allow any runs and he walked one and struck out one. Stephen Gonsalves struggled with three earned runs on two hits with the biggest hit being a home run. Alex Phillips didn’t stop the bleeding as he surrendered one run on two hits to end the eighth inning. Pensacola has already clinched a playoff spot, but the bullpen is going to need to have better outings if the club wants to find success in the postseason. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Beloit 1 Box Score Cedar Rapids plated four runs in the third inning and that turned out to be enough against the Beloit lineup that went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Kody Funderburk scattered five hits and allowed one earned run for his first Midwest League win. He struck out eight and walked two to lower his ERA to 4.68. Rickey Ramirez pitched the final three frames and limited the Snappers to two hits. He walked two and struck out one without allowing a run. Matt Wallner had the only extra-base hit of the night for the Kernels. He collected his third double since being promoted and drove in a run. In the third inning, Trevor Casanova was hit by a pitch before a Daniel Ozoria single moved him into scoring position. Gabe Snyder drove in the first run of the game before Wallner’s important double. A passed ball and a Seth Gray single plated enough runs to put the Kernels in the driver’s seat. The Midwest League playoffs begin on Wednesday night as Cedar Rapids hosts the Quad Cities River Bandits. First pitch on September 4 begins at 6:35 p.m. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Kody Funderburk, Cedar Rapids (6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 8 K, 2 BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Ryan Costello, Pensacola (2-3, 3B, 3 RBI, R, BB) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) – 0-5, 2 K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – Did not play #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Minnesota) – 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, K, 0 BB #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) – 2-4, 2 R, K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 2-5, R, K #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) – 1-4 #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) – 2-5, 2B, 2 R #15 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 3 K #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – 2-5, R, K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Syracuse (12:05 CST) – TBD Pensacola @ Montgomery (12:05 CST) – RHP Bailey Ober (8-0, 0.71 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (2:00 CST) – RHP Luis Rijo (5-8, 2.86 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. 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Passion can be shown through a multitude of avenues when it comes to baseball and its fans. A large portion of Twins Territory complained about Joe Mauer throughout his playing career and he was one of the most valuable players in franchise history. Besides disdain towards someone like Mauer, a perspective can follow teams, across all of baseball, and every fan base hates their own bullpen but… Minnesota’s relievers might actually be good.Not As Bad As They Seem Around the trade deadline, Minnesota knew it would need a bullpen upgrade to have any semblance of a chance in October. Adding Sam Dyson and Sergio Romo has certainly calmed some of the storm, but things haven’t exactly been perfect for the new dynamic duo. Dyson spent time on the injured list and Romo has seen some rough appearances. They might not be perfect, but they are better than some of the team’s other options. Even with the flaws of these two players, the Twins bullpen has been one of the best in baseball this year. Minnesota’s relief corps ranks as the fourth best in baseball according to FIP. The only AL team ahead of them on the list is Cleveland, the team they are fighting with for the AL Central. FIP stands for fielding independent pitching and it converts a pitcher’s outcomes that don’t involve defense (strikeouts, walks, HBP, and home runs) and turns it into an ERA like number. FIP isn’t the only area where Twins relievers shine. According to FanGraphs’ version of WAR, Minnesota’s relievers have accumulated 5.4 WAR, which is tied with Tampa Bay for the second most in baseball. The Yankees have accumulated the most WAR (6.8), but both the Rays and the Yankees have over 530 relief innings. Meanwhile, the Twins had yet to crack the 450 mark, which is the eighth fewest in baseball. Minnesota’s Fearsome Foursome Before acquiring Dyson and Romo, the Twins used a heavy dose of Taylor Rogers. He seemed untouchable in the first half and an argument could be made for him being the American League’s most valuable reliever. Tyler Duffey has also become a much more important part of the bullpen since the All-Star break. In 20 second-half appearances (16.2 IP), he has compiled a 1.62 ERA and a 22 to 8 strikeout to walk ratio. As the Baseball Savant graphics show below, all four of these relievers have posted better than average numbers in exit velocity and hard-hit rate. Rogers and Romo both rank as “great” in hard-hit rate with Romo also ranking there in exit velocity. Download attachment: Twins Core Four.jpg In Monday’s victory over the White Sox, the Twins might have laid out the blueprint for how this team could be successful in October. Michael Pineda started and was asked to make it through five frames. He did so by limiting a sub-par White Sox line-up to one run on four hits. From there the Fearsome Foursome came in and shut down the Chicago offense. Duffey was the only reliever to allow a baserunner while Romo struck out the side in the eighth inning. Chicago isn’t exactly a playoff caliber team, but the Twins relief corp seems much more prepared for potential playoff matchups with the likes of New York and Houston. Playoff baseball is an entirely different animal than the regular season and each relief outing is magnified because of the importance of each game. That being said, Minnesota fans have to feel more confident in the top four arms coming out of the bullpen. Every team’s bullpen is bad, but Minnesota’s might be just good enough to make some noise in October. What are your thoughts on the Twins bullpen? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Around Twins Daily Stop Throwing the Twins Fastballs The Hazy Future of Fernando Romero 4 Questions the Twins Need to Address Concerning Their Potential Playoff Roster Click here to view the article

It’s no secret that Minnesota has been successful on the offensive side of the ball this season. Some of this success can be attributed to Minnesota’s core players taking the next step, while other veteran additions have certainly aided the cause. Teams need to be successful in a variety of situations, but one area that separates the Twins from the rest of baseball is when opposing pitchers try to sneak a fastball by.Isn’t Every Team Good Against Fastballs? Minnesota is head and shoulders above the crowd when it comes to fastballs and looking at pitch type linear weights in relation to that pitch (wFB). According to FanGraphs, this linear weight “attempts to answer the question, ‘How well has a batter/pitcher performed against/using a certain pitch?’” Over the course of a season, this allows us to see which pitch a hitter performed best against. As a team, the Twins have the highest wFB in all of baseball and it isn’t even close. The Dodgers and the Yankees are in a close battle for second place but Minnesota’s 100.6 wFB is almost 30 points higher. Since Target Field opened in 2010, the Twins wFB is the tenth highest compiled by a club and there are still 30+ games to add to their total. When looking at the players responsible for Minnesota’s wFB production, there are some of the usual suspects. Nelson Cruz (23.7 wFB), Mitch Garver (16.4), Max Kepler (13.9), and Miguel Sano (13.1) all sit at the top of the team’s leaderboard. Jason Castro and Jorge Polanco are tied for fifth with 9.4 wFB. One surprise might be Luis Arraez and his 7.1 wFB since he has under 250 plate appearances at the big-league level. Facing Big Time Heat Minnesota also isn’t just getting away with hitting mediocre fastballs from subpar teams in the American League, because they have some of the best numbers among clubs when facing 97+ mph this year. The Twins have the best batting average, slugging percentage, and AB per XBH. Make sure not to pass on the message but opposing pitchers and coaching staffs must not have caught on to Minnesota’s fastball tendencies. Through this weekend’s games, the Twins have seen fastballs in 26.4% of their at-bats while the MLB average is 22.0%. Mitch Garver (34.2 FB%), Miguel Sano (32.6%), Jason Castro (31.1%), Eddie Rosario (30.4%) and Max Kepler (30.1%) are all seeing fastballs at least a third of the time. The Twins also have five other regular players with a FB% above the league average. In the Zone Since Minnesota continues to see fastballs, it’s important that players don’t go out of the zone to chase pitches. The Twins have the fourth best Z-Swing% in all of baseball which takes the swings a team has inside the zone and divides it by pitches inside the zone. Besides swinging at pitches in the zone, Minnesota is also making a high rate of contact on those same pitches. So far this year, the Twins rank eighth in Z-Contact% with only a couple playoff-caliber teams ranked higher than them. Statcast also gives a glimpse into how successful Twins batters have been at making consistent contact. Among players with at least 100 batted ball events, Minnesota has four players in the top-8 for barrels per plate appearance percentage (Brls/PA %). Nelson Cruz leads all of baseball with a 13.8 Brls/PA % and Jason Castro also sits in the top-5 (11.2%). Castro entered play on Monday higher on the leaderboard than Mike Trout. Miguel Sano and CJ Cron round out the top-8. Many of the hitters mentioned above are having their best professional season and credit needs to be given to the coaching staff. Keeping James Rowson as hitting coach has certainly been one of Minnesota’s most important off-season moves. However, a hitting coach can only do so much. To be successful in October, Minnesota’s offense is going to have to pick up some of the slack from the pitching staff. If opposing pitchers continue to relay on their fastball, Twins’ hitters are going to make them pay. Why do you think the Twins are so successful against the fastball? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Byron Buxton hadn’t been in a Cedar Rapids uniform since he was a 19-year old, but that changed on Sunday afternoon as he began his MLB rehab assignment. He was penciled into the line-up as the DH with the plan for him to play in center field on Monday. If everything goes to plan, he could be back with the Twins as early as Tuesday. Was Buxton able to help the Kernels? Read on to find out.AWARDS The Twins announced their weekly Hitter and Pitcher of the Week Hitter of the Week: Alex Kirilloff, PensacolaKirilloff, 21, played in seven games for Double-A Pensacola this week, hitting .444 (12-for-27) with one double, one home run, five RBI and a 1.075 OPS. Kirilloff was drafted by the Twins 15th overall in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft and represented the Twins at the SiriusXM Futures Game in Cleveland this summerPitcher of the Week: Bailey Ober, PensacolaOber, 24, made one start for the Blue Wahoos on Wednesday at Mississippi, pitching 7.0 shutout innings with three hits, no walks and 12 strikeouts. Ober was drafted by the Twins in the 12th round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of College of Charleston. TRANSACTIONS LHP Gabriel Moya placed on the IL for Pensacola. OF Byron Buxton began MLB rehab assignment with Cedar Rapids. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Syracuse 11 Box Score Rochester took an early 1-0 lead in this one before falling behind in the middle innings. Wilin Rosario collected an RBI-double in the top of the first to score Ramon Flores. The Red Wings wouldn’t score again until the fourth inning when Brandon Barnes drilled his 29th home run of the year. Zander Wiel lead off the seventh inning with his 37th double and came around to score on a one-out single from Wynston Sawyer. Devin Smeltzer started for Rochester and couldn’t make it out of the fourth frame. He was charged with five earned runs on five hits including three home runs. He struck out five and walked one. Edwar Colina made his Triple-A debut and didn’t find much success. He allowed five runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings. Jorge Alcala limited Syracuse to one hit in almost two innings and he struck out three. Zack Littell walked a pair of batters in the eighth and saw one runner come around to score. Rochester had a chance to gain ground on first-place Scranton/WB. Unfortunately, the Red Wings are four games back with just eight remaining in the season. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 1, Jackson 4 Box Score Griffin Jax was cruising along in a pitcher’s duel before Jackson was able to break things open in the mid to late innings. He pitched six innings and was charged with one earned run (three total runs) with seven strikeouts and one walk. Following Jax, Tom Hackimer gave up one earned run on two hits over two frames. Andrew Vasquez finished off the game with a hitless ninth inning. Fresh off his Player of the Week honors (see above), Alex Kirilloff continued his hot hitting. Kirilloff and LaMonte Wade both finished 2-for-4. Wade added his second double as part of his MLB rehab assignment. Ryan Costello reached base twice and Mark Contreras knocked in a run with his 12th double. Pensacola matched Jackson with six hits but finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers --, Palm Beach – (Cancelled) Rain forced the cancellation of the final game of the three-game series between the Miracle and the Cardinals. Fort Myers won the first two games in the series to stretch their winning streak to five games. Currently, the team is a season high 18 games over .500 (73-55). KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Peoria 9 Box Score Byron Buxton made a quick impression back in Low-A as he stretched what looked like a routine single into a hustle double. He was left at second base, but he would make it around the bases in his second at-bat. With two outs in the third inning, Buxton drew a walk in front of Matt Walner’s second home runs since being promoted from Elizabethton. He would get one more at-bat and he struck out. There was more to this game than Buxton cruising around the bases. Josh Winder started and put together another strong outing. He limited Peoria to four hits over six shutout innings with five strikeouts and two walks. His season ERA dropped to 2.68 to go along with a sub-1.00 WHIP. It was his team-high 11th quality start. Dylan Thomas kept the shutout alive by tossing two scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and struck out one. Brian Rapp and Austin Schulfer each had a tough time at the end of the game. Rapp couldn’t record an out and was charged with four earned runs on three hits. Schulfer took the loss and the blown save after allowing five earned runs on three hits. Cedar Rapids loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth but couldn’t mount a comeback. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 1, Danville 7 Box Score After allowing seven earned runs in his last start, Andriu Marin did much better as he limited Danville to four hits and two runs. He struck out four and walked two. Frandy Torres got hit around in his inning of work. He allowed three earned runs (four total) on four hits with a walk and a strikeout. Steven Cruz and Benjamin Dum combined to allow one earned run over the final three innings. Cruz struck out the side in both innings he worked. The E-Twins didn’t have much to speak of on the offensive side of the ball as the team was limited to three hits. Trevor Jensen had the team’s lone extra-base hit, a double. Charles Mack reached base twice and had the team’s only RBI. Overall, the team went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Josh Winder, Cedar Rapids (6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 5 K, 2 BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Tyler Webb, Cedar Rapids (2-3, 3B, 2 R, BB) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) – 0-3, BB, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 2-4, K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Rochester) – Did not pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) – 1-4 #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 2-5, R, K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) – Game cancelled #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) – No scheduled game #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – Injured list #9 - Jhoan Duran (Pensacola) – Did not pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) – Game cancelled #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Minnesota) – 1.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, K #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – Did not play #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) – 0-4, K #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) – 0-2, BB #15 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 3 K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – Did not play #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Out for year with Tommy John surgery #18 - Jorge Alcala (Rochester) – 1.2 IP, 0 ER, H, 3 K, 0 BB #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) – No scheduled game #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – 0-4, K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05 CST) – TBD Pensacola vs. Jackson (6:35 CST) – TBD Fort Myers @ Dunedin (4:00 CST) – LHP Lachlan Wells (2-5, 4.30 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (Game 2) – TBD Cedar Rapids vs. Peoria (6:35 CST) – LHP Kody Funderburk (0-3, 4.85 ERA) Elizabethton vs. Greeneville (5:30 CST) – TBD GCL Twins vs. GCL Braves (11:00 am CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. 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For the third consecutive year, MLB and the Players’ Association are holding a weekend to honor the players, including unique jerseys with nicknames on the back. This year’s jerseys have been getting mixed reviews since they are pretty basic black and white. One of the reasons for the choice is it will allow player’s accessories like batting gloves, compression sleeves, and spikes to standout more.According to MLB.com, “Each home team will decide which color -- black or white -- it will wear for the weekend, which means we could have some road teams wearing white for a change. Pitchers on teams wearing white will wear black caps to ensure umpires and batters have clear visibility of each pitch.” Even with the black and white uniforms, fans get excited about players getting to pick their nickname for the back. Here’s the not so definitive ranking of this year’s Twins nicknames. 28. Willians Astudillo: "ASTUDILLO" Fans at the game will have on La Tortuga shirts. Heck, the Twins even had a theme night in honor of his nickname earlier this year. He’s still on rehab assignment, so he likely won’t participate this weekend. Still, he was the only player on the team not to use a nickname and HE HAS A NICKNAME! 27-18. All of these players used some variation of their first or last name. Byron Buxton: "BUCK" Jason Castro: "STRO" C.J. Cron: "CRONY" Kyle Gibson: "GIBBY" Marwin Gonzalez: "GONZO" Ryne Harper: "HARP" Zack Littell: "LIT" Jake Odorizzi: "ODO" Michael Pineda: "BIG MIKE" Eddie Rosario: “EDISTO” 17. Sergio Romo: "EL MECHÓN" 16. Jonathan Schoop: "MAMBA" 15. Jake Cave: "CAVEMAN" 14. Sam Dyson: "RED FINGER" Romo used the song “El Mechon” as his entrance music back with the Giants and he has stuck with it. Schoop is a fan of the NBA and more specifically of Kobe Bryant. It’s a fun way to honor an all-time basketball star. Cave is using a connection to his last name, but I get a kick out of the Caveman nickname. If he keeps hitting, it might be time for him to get his own shirt. With a thick red beard, it’s easy to see why Dyson would associate with the color red. However, he doesn’t have a story for the nickname so that knocks him down on the list. 13. Jorge Polanco: "CHULO" 12. Ehire Adrianza: "GUARENERO" 11. Martin Perez: “EL DE LAS MATAS” Polanco’s friends and family know him as “pretty boy” after his uncle started calling him that. Adrianza is from Venezuela and this is a way for him to honor his hometown of Guarenas. Like Adrianza, Perez wanted to honor the city where he was born, and he has previously used “EL DE GUANARE.” This year he is referencing the town where he grew up. 10. Miguel Sano: "BOQUETÓN" 9. Jose Berrios: "LA MAKINA" As a player growing up in the Dominican, Sano was known for being a talker. That’s why he goes by the nickname that translates to “large mouth.” For anyone who has watched Berrios on social media, it’s clear to see why he was called “The Machine.” There’s actually a misspelling in his nickname, but Berrios did it intentionally. “Machine” translates to “maquina,” but Berrios wanted a K in his nickname for the strikeouts he tends to rack up. 8. Nelson Cruz: "BOOMSTICK" 7. Tyler Duffey: "THE DOOF" 6. Max Kepler: "RÓŻYCKI" Cruz got the name as part of a video game commercial for MLB 2K10 and it has stuck with him over the last decade as he has morphed into one of the best power hitters in the game. He’s closing in on 400 home runs and the Twins have adopted the Boomstick model with him in the line-up this season. MLB.com named Duffey as having Minnesota’s best Players’ Weekend nickname, but there were so many more options. The name actually comes from Latin American teammates not being able to pronounce “Duff.” Few may know it, but Kepler’s full last name is Kepler-Rozycki. His mother’s last name is Kepler and his father’s last name is Rozycki. One weekend a year, he is able to honor his father with the name on the back of his jersey. 5. Mitch Garver: "GARV SAUCE" Garver’s nickname stretches all the way back to high school and he has embraced the title. He uses it on social media and there are even “Garv Sauce” shirts to be purchased. It also helps that his sauce has been particularly hot this season as he has turned into an offensive power at the plate. 4. Trevor May: "IAMTREVORMAY" Player’s Weekend is about the player’s showing what they are passionate about. May is known for being an eSports streamer on Twitch.tv and he uses “IAMTREVORMAY” as his handle. I think it’s a great way for him to combine the two things he loves, baseball and gaming. 3. Taylor Rogers: "LEFTY PIECE" Rogers doesn’t have much of a personality on the mound, so it’s nice to see him going outside of his comfort zone and using a nickname. For much of the season, he’s been the lone left-handed reliever on the Twins roster, so when the coaches call to the bullpen, there’s only one player that can answer to “lefty piece.” 2. Devin Smeltzer: "#CATCHCANCERLOOKING" Part of the larger story in Smeltzer’s life was his survival from childhood cancer. Fans can buy Catch Cancer Looking shirts and his nickname this weekend is a great way to spread his message. He might not be on the roster for the weekend, but it certainly a great choice by the rookie. 1. Luis Arraez: "LA REGADERA" Arraez is in the midst of a tremendous season where he could get consideration for the AL Rookie of the Year. He’s stolen the hearts of Twins fans, but before he made it to Minnesota, he was making his mark in the Venezuelan Winter League. His nickname meaning “The Sprinkler” was given to him by Venezuelan fans. It seems like the perfect name for the type of hitter he has shown to be in a Twins uniform. Who would be at the top of your list? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Nelson Cruz was back in the Twins line-up on Monday, but he was never supposed to be to this point in his career. To call Cruz a late bloomer would be an understatement. He never made it on to any major prospect top-100 list and he didn’t debut until he was 24-years old. His first career home run didn’t come until his age-26 season and he wouldn’t play 100 big league games in a season until he was 28. Now Twins fans are witnessing an ageless wonder on the cusp of 400 career home runs.Few Twins fans may be aware of the journey Cruz has taken to the 400-home run mark. In recent years, fans saw future Hall of Fame player Jim Thome collect his 600th home run in a Twins uniform. Thome was a different player than Cruz and fans might not fully appreciate what Cruz has been able to do in the late stages of his career. Among players over 30, Cruz has the 10th most home runs all-time. Players ahead of him on the list include all-time greats like Bond, Ruth, Aaron, and Mays. Because of his late start, Cruz likely won’t be able to catch these historic players on the all-time list, but he has established himself as one of the best home run hitters among players over the age of 30. Home Run Number 1 Ironically, Cruz hit his first career home run against the Minnesota Twins in a game where the Twins destroyed the Texas Rangers. On July 31, 2006, Carlos Silva dominated the Rangers for seven innings by limiting them to one run on six hits. Minnesota had an 8-0 lead after two innings and added another six runs between the fourth and fifth frames. Cruz, a 26-year old rookie, was used as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning for Carlos Lee. He stepped in against Willie Eyre (talk about a name that is a blast from the past) and hit a solo shot to left-center field. His second home run wouldn’t come until more than two weeks later, but he recorded his first on the road to 400 at the Metrodome. Home Run Number 100 Almost five years to the day of his first home run, Cruz collected the 100th home run of his career. Like his first home run, it happened in a loss and it happened on the road. Cruz was still in Texas at the time and he was sitting at 22 home runs for the year on July 29, 2011. He would end the year with 29 home runs, the second highest total of his career at the time. In this game, Cruz stepped in during the second inning where neither team had yet scored. Brett Cecil was on the mound and he was on the way to seven innings of one-run ball. The only run he would allow was on a solo home run to Cruz, which turned out to be the 100th of his career. Home Run Number 200 Cruz hit quite the stretch of seasons when he reached age 33. From 2014 through 2016, he averaged over 40 home runs per season and led all of baseball in home runs in 2014. He entered the 2015 season only needing three home runs to accumulate 200 homers for his career and he made it to the mark in April. It was less than four full seasons since he had crossed the century mark, but he made his 200th home run one to remember. The trend continued with his 200th long-ball as Cruz was on the road (Dodger Stadium) and his team (Seattle) ended up losing. Cruz collected his 200th home run in the first inning off Brandon McCarthy. It was a two-run shot with two outs in the frame. Later in the game, he would hit another homer, a solo shot, off McCarthy again. It still wasn’t enough as the Mariners lost by one. Home Run Number 300 His 300th home run came even faster as he reached the total in July 2017. It was only two and a half seasons since his 200th home run, but that’s how fast a player can move up the list when he is hitting 40+ home runs per season. For the first time in his career, he hit a milestone home run at home and his team ended up winning the game. Cruz finished the game with three hits but his memorable long-ball came in the eighth inning after his team entered the frame up by one run. His three-run home run off of old friend Liam Hendricks helped Seattle to separate themselves. He drove in five of Seattle’s seven runs in the game. Home Run Number 400- Coming Soon? Cruz is coming off a ruptured ECU tendon in his left wrist, so there are plenty of questions about what kind of performance he will be able to produce now that he is back on the field. Prior to the injury, he was hitting at an unbelievable clip. Since the All-Star break, Cruz had a .333/.429/.900 slash-line with 16 home runs, the same number he compiled in the first half. He’s only eight home runs away from the 400 mark, which will hopefully take place before the end of the season. Looking at his other milestone home runs, it’s likely to come on the road and in a loss for the Twins. Even if he doesn’t get there in 2019, he’s still under contract for the 2020 campaign. When do you think Cruz will hit home run number 400? Leave a COMMENT and star the discussion. Click here to view the article

Rochester is three games out of first place with 15 games left in the season. One problem with their position is there are two other teams between them and the first-place club. The Red Wings play both teams in front of them over the next two weeks, so they have an opportunity to be in charge of their destiny. They will also get some pitching help with top prospects Brusdar Graterol and Jorge Alcala set to be added to the club on Monday. Was Rochester able to help themselves on Sunday? Read on to find out.AWARDS The Twins announced their weekly Hitter and Pitcher of the Week Hitter of the Week: Gilberto Celestino, Cedar RapidsIn five games this week, Celestino went 7-for-18 with two home runs and two doubles along with driving in four runs and scoring four runs. Celestino was acquired from Houston last season as part of the Ryan Pressly trade. Pitcher of the Week: Dakota Chalmers, Fort MyersChalmers made one start this week and pitched six innings without allowing an earned run. He struck out nine and walked one. Last August, Chalmers was acquired from Oakland as part of the Fernando Rodney trade. TRANSACTIONS LHP Devin Smeltzer optioned by Minnesota to Rochester. OF Alejandro De Aza placed on the IL with Rochester (right-hand contusion). RHP Brian Rapp from IL with Cedar Rapids. LHP Erik Cha placed on the IL with Cedar Rapids (left forearm strain). RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 12, Louisville 1 Box Score Rochester found themselves down 1-0 after the first inning, but that’s where the scoring would stop for Louisville and Rochester’s bats more than woke up. Wilin Rosario and Brandon Barnes both hit grand slams to provide more than enough offensive punch. Randy Dobnak was pitching for the first time in 10 days and there might have been a little bit of first inning rust. He settled in from there and retired the final 13 men he faces. In five innings, he coaxed nine groundouts and all the hits and walks he allowed came in the first frame. He was removed after 73 pitches with 48 being strikes. Cody Stashak, Ryan O’Rourke and Jake Reed combined to throw four scoreless frames. O’Rourke and Reed both struck out two without allow a base runner. Scranton/Wilkes Barre leads Buffalo and Syracuse by two games and Rochester by three games. Rochester plays all their final 15 games against Buffalo and Syracuse. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 4, Mississippi 3 Box Score Trevor Larnach connected for his fifth home run of the season to help the Pensacola separate themselves from Mississippi. The team’s biggest inning came in the fourth and all the damage came after there were two outs in the frame. Ryan Costello walked and came around to score on a Jimmy Kerrigan double. Mark Contreras followed with a triple and then came home on an RBI-single for Caleb Hamilton. Larnach’s homer the next inning turned out to be the game-winning run. Jhoan Duran allowed three runs on nine hits with five strikeouts. It was his first appearance in August where he allowed three runs or fewer. Jovani Moran played a huge role out of the bullpen. He struck out five in three perfect innings for his third hold. It was the first time he had pitched three innings all season. Anthony Vizcaya ran into some ninth inning trouble, but he was still able to escape with his fourth save. With one out, he allowed a single and a walk to put the tying run in scoring position. After a mound visit, he struck out the next batter for the second out and got a shar flyout to end the game MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Jupiter 5 Box Score Andrew Bechtold cranked out a career-high four hits, but the Miracle couldn’t come up with a big hit to push across more than one run. Fort Myers matched Jupiter with nine hits, but the Miracle only had two at-bats with a runner in scoring position. Still, the team left eight men on base. Jacob Pearson joined Bechtold in the multi-hit department after going 2-for-4. On the mound, Lachlan Wells started and went four innings by allowing two earned runs (four total runs) on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Yennier Cano, Johan Quezada and Zach Neff combined to pitch three shutout frames in the mid-innings. Moises Gomez ran into some control problems in the ninth as he walked three batters and allowed a run to score. He still was able to strikeout the side. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 5 Box Score The Kernels scored four runs in the final three innings to close within one. In the seventh inning, Wander Javier doubled to put two runners into scoring position. DaShawn Keirsey followed with a double, his first extra-base hit of the season. In the eighth, Spencer Steer doubled with one out and came around on Gilberto Celestino single. Gabe Snyder followed with a double and Celestino would eventually score on a bases loaded walk. Albee Weiss struck out with the bases full. Andrew Cabezas was saddled with his seventh loss after allowing four runs on six hits. In 4 2/3 innings, he struck out four and walked three. Nate Hadley allowed a solo home run in his 1 1/3 innings. Brian Rapp and Jose Martinez kept the score close with each pitching a shutout inning. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Princeton 4 Box Score Elizabethton tried to mount a comeback; however, they were unsuccessful. After trailing 2-0 early, Matt Wallner collected a one-out RBI-single in the third. Max Smith tied the game with his sixth home run of the year. He finished 2-for-4 for his fourth multi-hit in his last ten contests. Ben Gross got the start and allowed three earned runs in five innings. He struck out two, but he allowed a season-high nine hits. Yancarlos Baez and Steven Cruz finished off the game with three scoreless innings. Cruz didn’t allow a hit in two innings and struck out two. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Jovani Moran, Pensacola (3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 5 K, 0 BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Wilin Rosario, Rochester (3-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) – 0-4, 2 K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – Did not play #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Rochester) – Did not pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) – 1-4, HR, RBI, R, K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 1-3, 2B, R, BB, 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, 3 ER, 9 H, 5 K, BB #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Minnesota) – Did not pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – Did not play #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) – Did not play #14 - Luis Arraez (Twins) – 0-4, BB #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) – 1-4, RBI, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – Did not play #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Out for year with Tommy John surgery #18 - Jorge Alcala (Rochester) – Did not pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) – No scheduled game #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – 1-4, BB, K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Buffalo (6:05 CST) – RHP Griffin Jax (5-4, 3.02 ERA) Pensacola @ Mississippi (5:05 CST) – TBD Pensacola @ Mississippi (Game 2) – TBD Fort Myers – Scheduled Off-Day Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:35 CST) – RHP Josh Winder (6-2, 2.81 ERA) Elizabethton @ Princeton (5:30 CST) – RHP Andrui Marin (2-2, 5.31 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Pirates (9:00 am CST) – TBD GCL Twins vs. GCL Pirates (Game 2) – Game 2 Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article