Cody Christie

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

It was hard to know what to expect from Michael Pineda when the Twins signed him prior to the 2018 season. The front-office knew he would miss all of 2018 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but there can be some issues with performance in the first year back on the mound. Pineda certainly hasn’t been perfect, but he might be an upgrade over other fifth starters the Twins have used in recent years.2019 Fifth Starter: Michael Pineda Stats: 5.04 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 69.2 IP, 57 K, 13 BB, 4.85 FIP In the season’s first month, Pineda looked like he was shaking off a little rust from his time missed with Tommy John surgery. He allowed 20 earned runs in 29 innings (6.21 ERA) and opponents were hitting .316/.349/.564 (.913) against him. It was rough and plenty of fans were wondering if Pineda was going to make it in the Twins rotation. Since the calendar has turned to May, Pineda has settled in nicely. His ERA dropped over two runs to 4.20 (19 ER in 40 2/3 IP) and he’s held opponents to a .670 OPS. Also, he has pitched five innings or more in every one of those appearances. Pineda’s velocity has also increased after a trip to the injured list. It’s been a stark turnaround and he has certainly put the Twins in position to win his starts recently. 2018 Fifth Starter: Fernando Romero Stats: 4.69 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 55.2 IP, 45 K, 19 BB, 4.35 FIP Last year was certainly an interesting one for the Twins rotation. Kyle Gibson, Jose Berrios, and Jake Odorizzi all pitched over 160 innings. Lance Lynn tossed over 100 innings before being traded near the deadline. This left Fernando Romero as the starting pitcher with the fifth most starts for the Twins. Romero was once considered the Twins best pitching prospect. Fresh in fans' minds will be his struggles with transitioning to the bullpen this season. He started off strong last season as he posted a 1.88 ERA with 29 strikeouts in his first five starts (28 2/3 IP). His last five starts were a little rough as he allowed 15 earned runs in 25 1/3 innings. He wasn’t a typical number five starter, but he was forced into the role last year. 2017 Fifth Starter: Bartolo Colon Stats: 5.18 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 80.0 IP, 47 K, 15 BB, 5.31 FIP Big Sexy has been quite the cult hero among baseball circle’s and he lived up to that billing with the Twins. Minnesota was on their way to an AL Wild Card Game appearance and Colon helped the club in the second half of the year after being traded from Atlanta. He hit a nice little groove for one month (August 4-September 5) where he posted a 3.30 ERA across seven starts. Things weren’t all flowers and roses as he struggled down the stretch. In his final five appearances, he allowed 19 earned runs in 18 1/3 innings with only nine strikeouts. He allowed more home runs (5) than walks (4) and opponents managed a .995 OPS against him. Minnesota lost four of his final six games with the club. 2016 Fifth Starter: Tommy Milone Stats: 5.71 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 69.1 IP, 49 K, 22 BB, 5.54 FIP Minnesota acquired Tommy Milone back in 2014 at the trade deadline from Oakland for Sam Fuld. It was a unique deal in the fact that Minnesota had claimed Fuld off waivers from Oakland earlier that season. Milone held his own in the Twins rotation in 2015 (3.92 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP), but some struggles would follow him in 2016. Milone was limited to seven games before the calendar turned to July. In those starts, he only pitched into the sixth inning on one occasion and in the rest of the starts he failed to get out of the fifth. Opponents were crushing the ball against him with a .908 OPS thanks in large part to six home runs allowed. He fared better in July as his ERA dropped to 3.99 and batters hit .280/.312/.449 (.761). Milone would finish the season and his Twins tenure pitching out of the bullpen. Fifth starters can be a volatile group as teams, like the Twins, can run out pitchers with quite a wide variety of skills. Journeyman pitchers, young prospects, or players returning from injury can all fill the role of fifth starter. Pineda won’t be starting any playoff games for the Twins this year. He is a fifth starter on a very good Twins team and he certainly stacks up well when compared with other recent fifth starters for the Twins. What have you thought about Pineda’s performance so far? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

The Elizabethton Twins are coming off back-to-back Appalachian League Championships and the club has qualified for the postseason in four of the last five seasons. Hopes are high again in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. With a handful of returning players and a new crop of rookies, can the E-Twins continue their winning ways?The Coaches Ray Smith will enter his 33rd season as a member of the E-Twins coaching staff and his 26th season as manager. On the way to Elizabethton’s eighth Apply League title last season, Smith recorded his 1000th career win. His managerial record sits at 1020-676 for a .601 winning percentage. He has been part of the Twins organization since he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 1977. Hitting coach Jeff Reed has been with Smith for a large chunk of his managerial journey. The 2019 season will be his 18th season as the E-Twins hitting coach. Richard Salazar will be in his first year as the pitching coach. He pitched seven seasons in the Orioles organization and reached as high as Triple-A (2007). From there, he pitched in independent leagues and was on Spain’s roster for the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Takashi Miyoshi will be in his second year as the fourth member of the coaching staff. Prospects to Watch No members of the preseason Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects are on the Elizabethton Twins Opening Day roster. However, we will be updating our list in the coming weeks so things could change, especially with an influx of newly drafted players. One name you won’t see on the list below was just signed by the Twins on Monday and he is on his way to Elizabethton. Matt Walner, a Forest Lake native, was Minnesota’s supplemental first round pick. He’s an outfielder that just finished his collegiate career at Southern Mississippi. He set that school’s career home run mark (58) and won three straight Conference USA home run titles THE ROSTER The Pitchers RHP Tyler Benninghoff (22)- 11th round pick in 2016 from Rockhurst HS in Kansas City, MO LHP Denny Bentley (21)- 33rd round pick in 2018 from Howard College RHP Prelander Berroa (19)- signed July 2, 2016 out of the Dominican Republic LHP Erik Cha (21)- 17th round pick in 2018 from Cal State Fullerton RHP Steven Cruz (20)- signed March 20, 2017 out of the Dominican Republic RHP Osiris German (20)- signed July 2, 2016 out of the Dominica Republic RHP Owen Grifith (21)- 20th round pick in 2019 from Clemson University RHP Ben Gross (22)- 10th round pick in 2019 from Duke University LHP Brent Headrick (21)- 9th round pick in 2019 from Illinois State RHP Cody Laweryson (21)- 14th round pick in 2019 from the University of Maine RHP Andriu Marin (20)- signed November 17, 2014 out of Venezuela LHP J.T. Perez (23)- 29th round pick in 2018 from the University of Cincinnati RHP Ryan Shreve (20)- 16th round pick in 2019 from University of the Pacific RHP Dylan Thomas (22)- 13th round pick in 2019 from the University of Hawaii RHP Louie Varland (21)- 15th round pick in 2019 from Concordia University-St. Paul LHP Ryley Widell (22)- 7th round pick in 2017 from Central Arizona College Prelander Berroa is certainly an arm to keep an eye on after he found some success with the GCL Twins last year. In 10 games (41 2/3 innings), he posed a 2.81 ERA with a 41 to 18 strikeout to walk ratio. Ryley Widell will be back with the E-Twins after making his pro debut with the club in 2018. He struck out 41 batters in 29 2/3 inning and only allowed eight earned runs (2.43 ERA). Tyler Benninghoff will be looking to transition his GCL success (3.89 ERA) to the Appy League. Out of the 2019 draft class, Brent Headrick and Ben Gross are the two highest drafted pitchers on this roster and they will be making their professional debuts. The Catchers Yeremi De La Cruz (21)- signed September 15, 2015 out of the Dominican Republic Alex Isola (20)- 29th round pick in 2019 from Texas Christian University Kidany Salva (20)- 17th round pick in 2016 from Klein Forest HS in Houston, TX Janigson Villalobos (22)- acquired from San Diego for Phil Hughes in 2018 With four catchers on the roster, the E-Twins will probably have each player catch twice a week with the possibility of getting some designated hitter appearances as well. Janigson Villalobos hit well with the GCL Twins last year as he finished with a .310 BA and .393 OPS. However, he was 1.2 years older than the competition in that league. Injuries cost Yeremi De La Cruz all but two games last season with the GCL Twins. The Infielders Seth Gray (21)- 4th round pick in 2019 from Wright State University Trevor Jenson (22)- 24th round pick in 2019 from Tulane University Charlie Mack (19)- 6th round pick in 2018 from Williamsville East HS in East Amherst, NY Daniel Ozoria (18)- acquired from Los Angeles for John Curtiss Anthony Prato (21)- 7th round pick in 2019 from the University of Connecticut Reuben Santana (21)- signed September 15, 2015 out of the Dominican Republic Seth Gray is the highest draft pick on the Opening Day roster, but he will shortly be joined by Walner. In 59 collegiate games this season, Gray hit .351 with 11 home runs and 70 RBI and that was good enough to earn him first-team, All-Horizon league honors. Ozoria is an interesting player since he’s young for the league and he was acquired this year for John Curtiss. In his pro career, he’s hit .222/.293/.263 with 13 extra-base hits in 111 games. The Outfielders Willie Joe Garry Jr. (19)- 9th round in 2018 from Pascagoula HS in Pascagoula, MS Max Smith (22)- 31st round in 2019 from UNLV Tyler Webb (23)- 40th round in 2018 from the University of Memphis Albee Weiss (23)- 23rd round in 2018 from Cal State Northridge Willie Joe Garry Jr. was one of only a few high school players drafted by the Twins in 2018. He struggled with the transition to the professional level, but he adjusted near the end of the season. In the final 14 games, he got on base over 29% of the time. Tyler Webb led the GCL Twins with a .398 on-base percentage. Albee Weiss has some power potential as he combined for 24 home runs between his collegiate (20 HR) and professional (4 HR) seasons last year. There are 30 players listed above and others like Walner are on their way after they sign with the Twins. Six players have previously played in Elizabethton (Widell, Perez, Cha, Berroa, Weiss, and Webb). Thirteen players were drafted by the Twins in 2019 (Grifith, Gross, Headrick, Laweryson, Shreve, Thomas, Varland, Isola, Gray, Jenson, Mack, Prato, and Smith). For more information on the 2019 Twins draft picks, please click here (links at bottom of the article) ------------------- Here are the rest of the minor league notes on Monday (written by Seth) I can’t remember the last time that there were no minor league games, at all, between April and August. However, that’s exactly what happened in the Twins farm system on Monday. Rochester had a scheduled day off.Pensacola and Cedar Rapids began their All-Star breaks.Ft. Myers was just set to start their second half with a home game against Charlotte, but the rains came and they were postponed.But there are still quite a few minor league notes from the day, we here we go: TRANSACTIONS The Twins signed Comp A pick Matt Wallner on Monday. Keep up with the signings of their their 2019 draft picks here.Rochester announced that Trevor Hildenberger was placed on the Injured List with a right flexor mass strain. He had not pitched since June 8th.Pensacola announced that Taylor Grzelakowski is going on the 7-day IL.Also, the Blue Wahoos announced that OF Tanner English and 3B Randy Cesar have been released.On Sunday night, we learned that LHP Zach Neff and 3B Andrew Bechtold have been promoted to FT. Myers.We also heard that Frandy Torres was being sent from Cedar Rapids to Elizabethton.RHP Tyler Palm has been transferred to Cedar Rapids. Jeff Johnson is also reporting that RHP Tanner Howell will also be joining the Kernels.ALL STAR FESTIVITIES At the Southern League All-Star site, they held the Home Run Derby. Blue Wahoos Jaylin Davis and Travis Blankenhorn will participate in the event. A year ago, Blankenhorn won the Florida State League home run derby. TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Columbus (6:05 CST) - TBD Pensacola (6:35 CST) - All Star Break Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:30 CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids - All Star Break Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games or any other minor league topics you would like. Click here to view the article

Baseball has many things that are an integral part of game. Unfortunately, chewing tobacco has been tied to baseball for as long as the game has been played. Like most things in baseball, change is slow and grueling. Players can still be seen with a dip in their mouth even though 16 of the 30 MLB stadiums have banned the use of smokeless tobacco. It’s still part of the game and the Twins are no stranger to tobacco use.Slow Change, a Baseball Tradition College baseball banned smokeless tobacco in 1990 and the minor leagues quickly followed suit in 1993. Over the last 26 years, Major League Baseball has only made gradual changes to their chewing tobacco policies. As part of the 2012 collective bargaining agreement, the league banned players from carrying tobacco packages or tin in their pockets at any time when the ballpark was open to fans. They also couldn’t use it as part of pregame or postgame interviews. MLB took it one step further with the 2016 collective bargaining agreement by banning smokeless tobacco for all new major league players. Players already in the big leagues were grandfathered in under this rule so they would still be able to use smokeless tobacco. In 2015, a study found that 37% of MLB players and coaches used smokeless tobacco. This total is almost six times higher than the national average for males (6.4%). Many cities and states across the country have put in place laws to ban smokeless tobacco in public places. As of June, smokeless tobacco is now banned in over half of major-league stadiums. Minnesota is not one of the 16 stadiums to be included in the ban. Download attachment: KTOOP_Graphic_16-teams.png Minnesota’s Clubhouse Almost all current members of the Minnesota Twins were big leaguers in 2016 so they would be grandfathered in under the current collective bargaining agreement. As recently as 2016, legislation in Minnesota was introduced to ban the use of tobacco at Target Field and CHS Field. “In general, Major League Baseball and the Twins are supportive of legislative efforts and any efforts to ban smokeless tobacco,” Twins president Dave St. Peter told the Pioneer Press. “It’s long been baseball’s position that it’s something we’d like to get out of our game.” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has been clear on the league’s stance when it comes to chewing tobacco. “For many years we’ve been clear about baseball’s stance on smokeless tobacco,” Manfred said. “It’s banned in the minor leagues. We have proposed on a number of occasions a similar ban at the big-league level. We’ve not been able to negotiate it.” In 2014, Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn tragically passed away at age 54 from salivary-gland cancer. At the time, some players swore off using chewing tobacco for their own health and families. That still hasn’t stopped current players. Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano, two players the Twins are supposed to build around, have both been known smokeless tobacco users. There are no doubt other players on the team that have a similar addiction. More cities and states will take action in the years ahead. Fewer players will be grandfathered under the current collective bargaining agreement. Chewing tobacco, a baseball staple, is dying a slow death, but thankfully it might not be part of the baseball world future generations will know. Should baseball do more about chewing tobacco? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

In the years of writing the minor league report, one message has remained true: A winning tradition starts in an organization’s minor leagues. Twins fans are seeing the results of a winning tradition at the big-league level. Multiple players on the big-league roster were parts of winning clubs on their way to Target Field. That winning tradition continued Tuesday night.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Columbus 3 Box Score On Sunday night, I wrote about Willians Astudillo not wanting to be in Rochester. He has been trying to hit his way back to Minnesota. He’s had 11 at-bats in Rochester so far and he has collected eight hits. I’ll let that sink in a little. Tonight, he clocked the go-ahead home run in the sixth inning. Talk about Turtle Power! Jake Cave also continued his hot hitting ways. He reached base three times including his 12th double along with scoring a run. Nick Gordon got the scoring started early with a first inning solo home run. Brent Rooker reached base three times including his ninth double. On the mound, Devin Smeltzer went five strong innings, striking out seven and walking one. He allowed three runs, all of which came off two home runs. Rochester’s bullpen picked up the slack as they allowed one hit in the final four innings. Cody Stashak struck out three in two shutout innings. Gabriel Moya and Fernando Romero combined to strikeout three over the final two innings. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 0, Biloxi 6 Box Score The Blue Wahoos struggled to find any offense in this game. Travis Blankenhorn and Taylor Grzelakowski had the team’s only hits and both players reached base two times. Pensacola struck out 16 time against Shuckers pitchers. Overall, the club went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. Andro Cutura started and pitched five innings. He allowed four runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. His seven strikeouts were a season high. Adam Bray took over for Cutura and he tried to make it through the rest of the game. He ran into some trouble in the bottom of the eighth as two men crossed the plate. He lasted 2 2/3 innings while striking out three and walking one. Jordan Gore recorded the last out and allowed one hit. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 6, Tampa 1 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score With the first-half division title on the line, Ryan Jeffers and Giancarlo Stanton got into a home run battle. Spoiler alert… Jeffers comes out on top. In Game 1 of the double-header, Jeffers cracked a pair of two-run home runs to help the Miracle. Trevor Larnach also helped the cause as he went 3-for-3 and scored two runs. Michael Helman added a two-run double to help stretch the lead. Tyler Watson pitched into the fifth inning and held Tampa to one earned run, a home run to Stanton. He struck out four and walked one in 4 2/3 innings. Joe Record pitched 2 1/3 scoreless frames to put the Miracle in position to clinch a first-half title. He struck out two and limited the Tarpons to one hit. Ft. Myers 7, Tampa 2 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score Royce Lewis got things started in the first inning as he singled and moved to second on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt. Lewin Diaz moved him to third on a groundout before a wild pitch allowed Lewis to scamper home. Fort Myers kept it going in the second as the first four batters reached base. Mark Contreras singled and Trey Cabbage followed with a walk. Ernie De La Trinidad singled to load the bases and then Ryan Costello stepped to the plate. His sixth double of the season scored two runs to put the Miracle up 3-0. That would be more than enough for Melvi Acosta. He started for the Miracle and tossed five shutout innings. He limited Tampa to four hits while adding three strikeouts. It was his first time making it through five innings since May 5. Alex Phillips allowed two runs during the final two innings, but Fort Myers had more than enough to clinch the first half title. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 1 Box Score Cedar Rapids waited until the fifth inning to get their bats going, but the club was able to push across runs in three consecutive frames to come out on top. Austin Schulfer was in control on the mound. He limited Wisconsin to one hit over six innings. He struck out eight and walked two on the way to his first win since May 22. Carlos Suniaga earned his first hold as he struck out the side in the seventh inning. Derek Molina picked up his eighth save and like many of his other appearances this year, he was asked to get more than three outs. Over two innings, he didn’t allow a hit, struck out two, and walked one. Gabe Snyder provided most of the offensive punch. He went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs. His three RBIs were the difference in the game. Jared Akins added his seventh home run, a solo shot in the sixth inning. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Austin Schulfer, Cedar Rapids (6.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 8 K, 3 BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Ryan Jeffers, Fort Myers (2-for-6, 2 HR, 4 RBI, BB, 2 R, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – 3-8, R, RBI, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – Injured list #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) – Injured list (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 4-7, 2 R #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 0-4 #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – 1-2, 2B, R, RBI, 2 BB #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) – Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) – Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) – Injured List (Tommy John surgery) #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 1-4, HR, R, RBI, 2 K #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – Injured list (elbow) #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – 2-6, 2 HR, 4 RBI, BB, 2 R, K #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 0-3, BB, K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (thumb) #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) – 0-4 #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) – Did not pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 1-3, RBI, K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – Did not pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) – 0-3 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Columbus (6:05 CST) – LHP Lewis Thorpe (3-3, 5.95 ERA) Pensacola vs. Tennessee (6:35 CST) – LHP Bryan Sammons (4-1, 2.29 ERA) Fort Myers @ Tampa (5:30 CST) – TBD Cedar Rapids vs. Wisconsin (12:05 CST) – LHP Kody Funderburk (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Tuesday’s games. Click here to view the article

Minnesota missed out on the Craig Kimbrel sweepstakes, but the Twins will certainly have opportunities to add other impact relievers before July’s trade deadline. The Twins have been able to do more than survive with their current bullpen situation. However, bullpen arms and bullpen usage are critical when it comes to winning games in October. Here are 10 relievers who Minnesota could target before the trade deadline.LHP Jake Diekman, Kansas City 2019 Stats: 4.10 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 39 K, 26.1 IP Diekman’s 13.3 K/9 rate seems made for the post-season and some of his other peripheral numbers look better than his high ERA and WHIP. He has a $5.75 million club option for 2020, so he wouldn’t have to be a rental player. He also seems to be healthy after dealing with ulcerative colitis, a chronic disease of the colon. Since Diekman is on an AL Central squad, it could be tough to swing a deal. Does Minnesota want to send prospect that they could end up facing multiple times a season? RHP Ken Giles, Toronto 2019 Stats: 1.08 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 42 K, 25.0 IP Giles has been closing games for Houston and Philadelphia for the last five seasons and he might be amid the best season of his career. He entered the year with a career mark of 11.9 K/9 and he has exploded to 15.1 K/9 this season. Giles has one more year of arbitration as he signed this year for $6.3 million. Back in 2017, he struggled with the Astros on the way to the World Series title. This still doesn’t mean he can’t help a team win in 2019. RHP Mychal Givens, Baltimore 2019 Stats: 5.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 37 K, 27.0 IP Givens might not have the eye-popping numbers of some of the other names on this list but that doesn’t mean he should be ignored. His 12.3 K/9 total is a career high. Over the last three seasons, he has posted a 3.29 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP with 10.3 K/9. This season, he has struggled with the long ball as he has surrendered six home runs in 23 appearances. He is still arbitration eligible and the earliest he can be a free agent is 2022. RHP Shane Greene, Detroit 2019 Stats: 1.04 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 28 K, 26.0 IP Minnesota got a close-up look at Greene this weekend and has an AL leading 19 saves. He’s putting up career numbers, which might seem like a surprise when looking at the last three seasons. Since switching to the bullpen full-time in 2016, he has a 4.47 ERA with a 1.31 WHIP and 9.3 K/9. He will still be arbitration eligible in 2020 as he signed this season for $4 million. He’s a member of another AL Central foe, so Minnesota might look to other options. LHP Brad Hand, Cleveland 2019 Stats: 0.98 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 40 K, 27.2 IP Some of the names on this list would be rental players, but Hand doesn’t fit into that category. He is signed through 2020 with a club option for 2021. This will make him very intriguing to contending clubs. Minnesota needs another lefty to go with Taylor Rogers in the bullpen and Hand could fit that mold. Over the last three seasons, he’s posted a 2.62 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP with a 12.0 K/9. Since he’s with Cleveland, Minnesota might not want to make an in-division trade and Cleveland’s asking price could be high. RHP Greg Holland, Arizona 2019 Stats: 1.31 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 28 K, 20.2 IP Holland is a familiar name to Twins fans as he was Kansas City’s closer for the first half of this decade. Tommy John surgery cost him the 2016 season and this year might be the first time he is back to his pre-surgery form. His 12.2 K/9 rate is his highest total since 2014. He has playoff experience as part of Kansas City’s trip to the 2014 World Series and he pitched in the 2017 NL Wild Card Game with Colorado. He’s a free agent at season’s end, so he could be a cheaper option than some of the other names on this list. RHP Sergio Romo, Miami 2019 Stats: 5.48 ERA, 1.43 ERA, 21 K, 23.0 IP Romo has the most playoff experience of anyone on this list. He was part of three World Series titles in San Francisco and has pitched in 27 playoff games. From 2016-2018, he posted a 3.63 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP and 9.8 K/9. Romo signed a cheap one-year, $2.5 million contract with Miami this off-season so there would be very little financial commitment to him. He also wouldn’t cost a lot to acquire. However, his decreased strikeout rate from 10.0 K/9 to 8.2 K/9 is concerning. LHP Will Smith, San Francisco 2019 Stats: 2.19 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 35 K, 24.2 IP Smith is in his second season back from Tommy John surgery and his performance seems to have seen few ill-effects. Over the last two seasons, he has posted a 2.43 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP with a 12.3 K/9. Even though he’s left-handed, Smith has been successful against righties and lefties as he has held righties to a .487 OPS and lefties to a .399 OPS. Smith will be a free agent this winter so it will be interesting to see what kind of deal the Giants will be able to get for him. LHP Felipe Vazquez, Pittsburgh 2019 Stats: 2.30 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 43 K, 27.1 IP Vazquez might come with one of the highest asking prices on this list. He is potentially under team control through 2023. This means, Pittsburgh would need to be overwhelmed in any kind of offer for their left-handed closer. He took over as the Pirates full-time closer in 2017. During that stretch, he has compiled a 2.19 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP and a 11.5 K/9. Minnesota has some depth in their system, but it seems unlikely for them to deal an elite prospect. LHP Tony Watson, San Francisco 2019 Stats: 2.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 21 K, 24.2 IP Watson might be a name that is a little more unfamiliar to Twins fans. He’s pitched his entire career in the NL for the Pirates, Dodgers, and Giants. As a lefty, Watson is more than just a LOOGY. He has averaged over 70 innings pitched from 2013-2018 and he posted a career high 9.8 K/9 last season. His strikeout numbers have dipped a little this season (7.7 K/9) so that might be a cause for concern. Watson has a $2.5 million player option for 2020 or he could test the free agent waters. Who do you think the Twins should target? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Willians Astudillo and Jake Cave both spent time with the Twins this season. It’s also looking more and more like these two are going to try and hit their way back onto the Twins roster. Cave was named the team’s Minor League Hitter of the Week and La Tortuga has been almost impossible to get out since he was sent to Rochester. Would either player help the Red Wings to victory on Sunday?TRANSACTIONS RHP Cody Stashak promoted to Rochester from Pensacola. RHP Randy Dobnak transferred to Pensacola from Rochester. IF Randy Cesar transferred to Pensacola from Rochester. IF Ryan Costello transferred to Fort Myers from Pensacola. LHP J.T. Perez promoted to Cedar Rapids from Elizabethton. RHP Frandy Torres promoted to Cedar Rapids from GCL Twins. RHP Brian Rapp placed on the 7-day IL (lower back strain). IF Hunter Lee transferred to Elizabethton from Fort Myers. RHP Tyler Palm transferred to Elizabethton from Cedar Rapids. AWARDS The Twins announced their weekly Hitter and Pitcher of the Week: Hitter of the Week: Jake Cave, RochesterCave played in eight games for the Red Wings this week, hitting .417 (15-for-36) with seven doubles, two triples, one home run and nine RBI, which included a four-double game on Thursday at Syracuse. Since being optioned from Minnesota in mid-May, Cave has played in 27 games for the Red Wings, hitting .294 (32-for-109) with 11 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 21 RBI and a .861 OPS.Pitcher of the Week: Sean Poppen, RochesterPoppen started two games this week for the Red Wings, going 1-0, 0.75 ERA (12.0 IP, 1 ER) with five walks and 13 strikeouts. Poppen, 25, was selected by the Twins in the 19th round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Harvard. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Pawtucket 3 Box Score Rochester fell into an early hole as Chase De Jong allowed a first inning run to the Red Sox. He was able to settle in from there as he didn’t allow another run in his five innings pitched. He struck out one and walked one. The Red Wings offense took a little time to get going. In the third, Drew Maggi singled and Luis Arraez walked to put a runner in scoring position. Willians Astudillo singled to drive in Maggi and Rochester had tied the game at 1-1. Jake Cave wasn’t going to take his award lightly. He cracked his fourth home run of the season in the top of the sixth to put the Red Wings up 2-1. The eighth inning might have been the most important one for the Red Wings and they did all their damage with two outs. Nick Gordon started the damage with a single to right. La Tortuga stepped to the plate and crushed a two-run bomb. Rochester would win by two and this home run was the difference. Jake Reed was credited with his second win after he allowed one run, a home run, in two innings. He stuck out one and walked two. In one inning of work, D.J. Baxendale surrendered one run, a solo home run, but he struck out two. Zack Littell earned his first save with a perfect ninth inning where he struck out two. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 0, Tennessee 8 Box Score For Jorge Alcala, it was not his day. He allowed four first inning runs as he struggled to make it through three innings of work. Overall, he allowed five runs on five hits with a strikeout and a walk. Anthony Vizcaya took over for Alcala and struggled with his control. He walked three batters in 1 2/3 innings, but he only allowed one hit and he collected a pair of strikeouts. Pensacola had little offense to write home about. The team left eight runners on base and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The team didn’t collect a walk in the entire game and not a single batter was able to register multiple hits. Jimmy Kerrigan had the only extra-base hit, a double. Williams Ramirez allowed one run in 2/3 of an inning. He struck out one and walked one. Zack Weiss was charged with pitching the final 2 2/3 inning of the game. He allowed two runs on five hits with four strike outs and two walks. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 0, Jupiter 8 Box Score Fort Myers struggled to find any offense in this one as the club was held to three hits. Michael Helman had the team’s only extra-base hit, a double. Trevor Larnach and Aaron Whitefield both went 1-for-4. With the hit, Larnach extended his hitting streak to eight games. Overall, the club left seven men on base but had only three opportunities to bat with runners in scoring position. Edwar Colina took the loss but he pitched well. In seven innings, he allowed three runs on six hits while striking out eight and walking one. He continued to reach triple digits with his fastball. Calvin Faucher ran into some issues later in the game. He allowed five runs in his two innings on the mound. Fort Myers currently sits in first place in the Florida State League South Division. The Miracle hold a 1.0 game lead over Bradenton and a 1.5 game lead over Palm Beach. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Peoria 2 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score Cedar Rapids scored six runs in the game’s final three innings to come out victorious. Yeltsin Encarnacion went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Wander Javier reached base three times while scoring a run and driving in a run. Andrew Bechtold had an interesting day. He scored two runs without recording a hit because he walked in all four plate appearances. Andrew Cabezas went five innings and didn’t allow an earned run. He struck out five and walked two. Moises Gomez finished the final two innings. He allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Cedar Rapids 1, Peoria 2 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score The Kernels couldn’t find the big hit in the second game of the double-header. Cedar Rapids went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base. Ricky Del La Torre had the team’s only run, a solo home run in the sixth inning. Peoria quickly answered back with the game-winning run in the bottom of the frame. Zach Neff struck out six batters in five innings of work. He limited Peoria to one run on three hits. Frandy Torres took the loss as he allowed the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth. He walked two and struck out one in his inning of work. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Zach Neff, Cedar Rapids (5.0 IP, ER, 3 H, 6 K, 0 BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Willians Astudillo, Rochester (3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, R) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – 0-4 #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – Injured list #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) – Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 1-3, BB, K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 3-6, RBI, R, BB, 2 K #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – 1-3, BB, K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) – Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) – Tommy John surgery, out for the year #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 1-4, R, 2 K #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – Did not play #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 (Rochester) – 1.0 IP, SV, 2 K #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 1-4, RBI #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, K, BB #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) – 0-3, 3 K, BB MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester – Scheduled Off-Day Pensacola @ Biloxi (6:35 CST) – RHP Andro Cutura (1-2, 4.45 ERA) Fort Myers @ Tampa (3:30 CST) – TBD Fort Myers @ Tampa (Game 2) – TBD Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (11:05 AM CST) – RHP Kai-Wei Teng (0-0, 4.91 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article